The Sovereign-1 was a mountain of black steel suspended in the clouds. Its heavy proton-cannons began to glow with a terrifying, white light, charging up to erase the Central Plaza.
"Target locked. Initializing Purge Protocol," the ship's AI announced, its voice echoing through the city.
Ray didn't run. He stood in the center of the crater, his violet-light arm reaching toward the sky. The golden tattoos on his skin were no longer just lines; they were burning through his clothes, turning into wings of pure energy.
"You want to erase us?" Ray's voice whispered, but it was heard by everyone in the city. "Then try to erase the Sun."
Ray launched himself into the air. He wasn't flying; he was 'Glitching' through space. In one second he was on the ground, and in the next, he was standing on the hull of the Sovereign-1.
ALARM: UNAUTHORIZED BIO-MASS DETECTED.
Hundreds of automated turrets rose from the ship's surface, firing a hail of blue plasma at Ray. He didn't dodge. He raised his glowing left hand and created a 'Data-Shield'. Every plasma bolt that hit the shield was converted into raw mana and absorbed into Ray's body.
"My turn," Ray said, his eyes turning a solid, blinding violet.
He slammed his hand onto the ship's command bridge. "System Breach: Overdrive!"
Ray didn't just attack the ship; he 'possessed' it. His consciousness flooded into the Sovereign-1's mainframe. He saw its fuel levels, its weapon systems, and its mission logs. With a roar of effort, he forced the ship's engines to reverse.
The massive fortress began to groan, its metal frame twisting under the pressure of Ray's magic. Down in the plaza, the citizens looked up in awe as the giant ship began to spark and tilt.
"Ray! Get out of there! It's going to explode!" Elara's voice came through his neural-link.
"Not yet," Ray grunted, his nose bleeding from the mental strain. "I have to make sure it doesn't fall on the people."
With one final, desperate surge of power, Ray redirected the ship's thrusters, pushing the Sovereign-1 away from the city and toward the desolate, toxic wasteland beyond the walls.
As the ship cleared the city limits, Ray jumped. He fell through the clouds, a streak of violet light, just as the Sovereign-1 erupted in a massive, white-hot explosion that lit up the night sky like a second sun.
The Council's greatest weapon was gone.
Ray hit the ground with a heavy thud, his energy completely spent. The violet light of his arm flickered and died, returning to a dull, translucent grey. He lay in the dust of the plaza, gasping for air.
A shadow fell over him. It was Elara. She knelt beside him, her eyes filled with tears and wonder. All around them, thousands of citizens were cheering. They weren't shouting for the Council anymore. They were shouting one name.
"The King! The Void King!"
Ray looked at his hand—it was trembling, but it was free. The war for Science City had just ended, but the war for the world was only beginning.