Timmy and Kawai watched from the cave entrance. Sandstorms brewed in the distance from the chaos.

  Timmy's eyes widened. "D1... he's so strong."

  PQ didn't flinch, arms crossed confidently. "I know. I tested him on desert beasts three times his size. He crushed them without even using 70%."

  Timmy frowned. "Then why are you attacking our friends?"

  PQ pointed toward three jagged bones half-buried in the sand. "That right there is sand worm bone. Worth a fortune. I need it—for the Sandy Bandys. We're the Saviors of Noya Desert, and keeping us alive takes coin."

  Back on the battlefield, Eleo staggered to his feet, dazed. His vision swam in a blur of heat and motion. He spotted Tony fighting D1, the machine moving like a blade wrapped in steel.

  Then he noticed it—Abby's necklace. Gone.

  His heart dropped. "AH CRAP!?"

  He dropped to his knees, clawing at the sand.

  "Crap, crap, crap—where is it?!"

  Tony was ducking and weaving, barely avoiding D1's piston punches. One grazed his shoulder, the impact launching him into a backflip.

  He went for a low sweep, trying to trip the machine.

  But D1 suddenly lifted its leg—like a crane pausing mid-motion—and then slammed it downward into Tony's.

  Tony screamed, a sound more shocked than pained. "Wait... I don't feel pain?!"

  D1 didn't wait. It grabbed Tony's waist, boosters igniting with a fierce vrrrrmm. They rocketed into the sky.

  "Uh-oh," Tony muttered, upside down now.

  D1 twisted mid-air and spun, slamming Tony straight into the earth like a falling missile. Sand exploded into the air in a massive plume.

  Eleo looked up from his digging as D1 turned, its glowing red eyes locking onto him.

  It stomped toward him—until WHAM! A spinning kick smashed into the side of its head—Chiyo!

  D1 staggered a step, only to be slashed in the back by Kenji.

  Another kick struck the back of its head—Olorun, joining in.

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  Chiyo landed beside Kenji. "We're not gonna beat him like this…"

  Kenji gritted his teeth. "Doesn't matter. We have to try."

  They both lunged. Kenji slashed from behind while Chiyo attacked from the front, her blade a blur of steel and precision.

  D1 raised a foot to strike, but Chiyo twisted under it, spinning and cutting across its ribs.

  Then, with a click-hiss, both of D1's shoulders popped open—mini flamethrowers aimed forward and backward.

  "Shit," Kenji muttered, just before twin jets of flame erupted.

  Kenji and Chiyo leapt back, barely avoiding the inferno.

  Olorun cracked his knuckles and stepped forward, eyes narrowing.

  "Okay... let's see if this crazy lightning idea works."

  He generated a small orb of lightning in his palm—crackling, unstable.

  He tossed it back and forth between his hands. Then faster—left, right, left—until the ball started growing.

  He kicked it into the air with precision, spun, and heel-struck it back down, catching it again. Sparks exploded from his fingers. The orb was now the size of his head, glowing like a caged star.

  "I hope this works..."

  He threw it up and palm-struck it mid-air with both hands. The force cracked the air like thunder.

  "LIGHTNING CANNON BALL!!!"

  The glowing sphere howled through the air, spiraling like a comet toward D1.

  D1 noticed and halted its flamethrowers, raising both hands to catch it.

  Electricity surged as D1 struggled to stop it—its heels dug trenches in the sand as the force pushed it back.

  Then—BOOM!

  The ball detonated point-blank into D1's chest, releasing a shockwave of electricity and a flash of white-blue light that lit up the entire desert.

  D1 was sent flying, body smoking and limbs sparking.

  Olorun stood, panting, his hands still crackling with residual lightning.

  "…Wow. I did it."

  Chiyo grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "Nice job, Olorun!"

  Kenji smirked. "Not bad… lightning boy."

  "HEY!" Olorun snapped back, puffing up.

  From afar, Timmy and Kawai jumped up cheering.

  "HE DID IT! Yahoo!" Timmy shouted.

  "MEEP MEEP!" Kawai squeaked, flailing his little arms.

  But PQ didn't join them. His expression darkened.

  "I wouldn't be cheering yet if I were you. If you really knew Dr. LoLo's work… you'd know his robots don't go down that easily."

  The smoke slowly parted like curtains, revealing a terrifying sight—D1 still standing.

  The metal warrior's glowing red eyes flickered through the haze. Sparks crackled off its frame, but its stance was firm. Unshaken.

  Olorun's jaw dropped. His hands were still crackling with fading lightning.

  "Are you fucking kidding me?! That attack looked so cool and strong—AND IT DIDN'T WORK?!"

  Chiyo's voice trembled with frustration. "It's like nothing we do works on it…"

  Kenji clenched his fists, his mouth tight. "Tch… if this doesn't work… I don't know what will."

  Without a word, Kenji tossed off his robe. The desert wind caught it, sending it fluttering away like a flag of surrender.

  He closed his eyes.

  Deep breath in.

  Deep breath out.

  Silence.

  The earth trembled as D1 suddenly lunged forward—blades of wind trailing behind its charge.

  Olorun's eyes widened. "KENJI, COME ON MAN!!"

  Chiyo stepped forward, sword ready. "KENJI—HURRY UP!!"

  D1 closed in—meters away.

  And then—

  "KEN—MULTI—SLAAAAASH!!"

  Kenji's eyes snapped open, glowing faintly purple.

  His blade blurred into a storm of slashes—fast, precise, and furious.

  Steel flashed everywhere in a 360-degree onslaught, slicing through the air with such force it created shockwaves.

  He masterfully weaved around Chiyo and Olorun, ensuring they weren't harmed even as sand exploded around them like firecrackers.

  The very sound of the slashes cut through the battlefield like a scream of war.

  But then—

  D1 dodged.

  It bent at inhuman angles, twisting around the strikes like a predator weaving through raindrops.

  Kenji's eyes widened—just before a gut punch slammed into his stomach.

  CRACK!

  Kenji coughed blood, his body arching forward. D1's hand immediately snapped to his neck—one touch on the pressure point.

  Kenji collapsed, unconscious before he hit the ground.

  "KENJI!" Chiyo yelled, rushing in.

  But D1 teleported.

  In an instant, it appeared behind her—its movement a blur of black and red.

  CRACK!

  A precise strike to the back of her neck. Chiyo's body fell limp in the sand.

  Olorun's eyes flared with rage. "You bastard—!"

  But D1 was already behind him.

  BOOM!

  One devastating slam sent Olorun face-first into the ground, the sand swallowing everything but his head.

  Knocked out cold.

  A still silence fell across the battlefield.

  Back at the cave entrance, Timmy and Kawai stared in horror.

  Kawai SCREAMED:

  "MEEEEEEP!!??"

  PQ laughed with a smug grin. His arms crossed as he stepped forward, the cave wind flapping his bandana.

  "Hahahaha! It seems you lost, little guy."

  Timmy's fists trembled. "N-No… we haven't. We still have our leader…"

  He pointed out toward the dunes, his voice rising.

  "…Eleo."

  PQ scoffed, eyes narrowing. "You mean the bunny who's still crawling in the sand, looking for… what?"

  They both turned and saw Eleo—on all fours, frantically digging, dirt flying in every direction. His little hands were bleeding, eyes wild.

  He hadn't even looked up once.

  Still searching.