Both weapons began operating simultaneously.
The GFR raised both arms.
Noah's face immediately lost color.
"Oh no."
"What?"
"Oh no."
"What?!"
Noah pointed.
"He can do both at once."
Silence.
Then everybody looked toward the machine.
The railgun charged.
The drill spun.
The air itself vibrated.
Then—
The railgun fired.
A blue beam ripped across the district.
Entire buildings vanished.
A street disappeared.
Several military platforms exploded instantly.
Before anyone could recover—
The drill arm swung.
A factory the size of a city block collapsed.
Reduced to rubble.
The GFR continued advancing.
Like a natural disaster given mechanical form.
People ran.
Soldiers regrouped.
Mages desperately redirected civilians.
And still—
The machine advanced.
Inside the cockpit—
Udit finally smiled again.
Not his usual playful smile.
Something colder.
Something dangerous.
"Let's see."
"How long can your city survive?"
Far away—
Alice watched the destruction.
Her expression hardened.
The playful Queen was gone.
The woman standing there now was the ruler who had protected Asphyxia for centuries.
She looked toward Nish.
"Nish."
The commander turned.
Alice pointed toward the GFR.
"I want every combat mage available."
Nish immediately understood.
"You intend to fight personally."
Alice didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
A crimson magic circle slowly formed beneath her feet.
Larger than any Kai had seen.
Larger than anything currently on the battlefield.
Raj's eyes widened.
"Wait."
"Alice."
The Queen ignored her.
The circle continued expanding.
Symbols rotated.
Layer after layer appeared.
The air grew heavy.
Even nearby soldiers noticed.
Nish looked upward.
Then sighed.
"Everyone."
"Make room."
Nobody argued.
Because they all knew what that meant.
For the first time since the battle began—
The Queen of Asphyxia was preparing to enter the fight.
And even Udit's sensors began detecting something unusual.