Before the nuclear missiles were launched, the Embers had already disappeared from the battlefield.

That was Tyler’s plan from the beginning.

The moment the Capital mobilized most of its military forces toward the outer sectors and defensive borders, the Embers quietly moved elsewhere instead of continuing direct attacks.

Deep underground, hidden tunnels that had existed long before the war became active again.

Groups of combatants wearing newly developed combat suits moved through the tunnels alongside giant mech units. Portable generators, hoverboards, weapons, ammunition, and supply containers were transported silently through the underground passages for hours.

Eventually, one of the massive underground gates slowly opened.

Cold air rushed inside the tunnel.

The soldiers looked upward instinctively.

Above them floated a gigantic structure illuminated by countless lights.

The Capital.

The floating city looked even larger from below. Its giant trapezoid-shaped body blocked part of the night sky while layers of metallic walls surrounded the outer structure like floating fortresses.

Several younger combatants stared at it silently for a few seconds.

"So this is the Capital..."

Inside one of the giant mech units, Tyler looked at the floating city through the mech’s visual sensors.

"Here we are," he said calmly.

His voice echoed through the communication channels connected to the nearby units.

The soldiers quickly began moving according to plan.

Several mech units carried massive cannon-like weapons toward positions overlooking the underground train station beneath the Capital. The barrels slowly charged with energy before firing strange invisible waves toward the railway systems above.

No explosions happened.

No visible attacks appeared.

But within seconds, every communication signal connected to the underground railway station became unstable.

Radio systems stopped functioning.

External communication lines died completely.

Messages could no longer leave the station.

Meanwhile, Embers combatants wearing exosuits rapidly moved forward using military hoverboards. They flew through the underground station corridors at high speed while carrying compact electric rifles developed by Tyler.

The guards barely had time to react.

Blue electric shots struck soldiers one after another, instantly paralyzing them without creating loud gunfire that could alert the Capital above.

The operation moved so quickly that most station workers didn’t even understand what was happening before the station had already fallen under Ember control.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the underground railway hub beneath the Capital belonged entirely to the Rebels.

One younger Ember member looked around nervously.

"Why didn’t any guards run back to the Capital for help?"

Another combatant answered while checking captured terminals nearby.

"The Capital is under complete lockdown right now. Nobody is allowed to enter or leave without authorization."

Several people looked upward again toward the floating city hanging above them.

The lockdown that was meant to protect the Capital had accidentally trapped its own people inside.

One soldier finally asked the question everyone was thinking.

"So... how exactly are we supposed to get inside?"

At that moment, many people turned toward the three giant mech units standing near the station entrance.

Tyler’s mech stood in the center while the other two belonged to Tansy and Rose.

Compared to normal military machines, those three looked abnormal even among mechs. Their armor designs were completely different from Capital technology.

One of the mech pilots spoke through the communication channel.

"Sir, what’s our next step?"

He paused briefly before continuing.

"It won’t be easy to enter the Capital directly. The floating walls are covered with heavy weapons. The moment we attack openly, they’ll notice us immediately."

Tyler stayed silent while looking at the massive floating city above them. Even from below, the Capital looked enormous, like a giant metal fortress hanging in the sky.

After a few seconds, he finally replied.

"We wait for the seed we planted to bloom."

Several soldiers looked confused after hearing that.

But Tyler didn’t explain further.

His mech remained standing silently near the underground station entrance while the others waited nearby. Tansy’s mech stood on one side with its giant mechanical bow resting against the shoulder, while Rose’s bulky mech lazily swung its chained iron ball beside it.

Above them, the lights of the Capital continued glowing peacefully as night slowly covered the sky.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Inside the Capital, a few days before the war officially began, Shasha received a secret message.

The message arrived through a private communication line that only a handful of high-ranking people inside the Capital could access. Normally, such lines were reserved for matters involving the First Citizen, military movements, or internal political conflicts.

But this message was different.

It contained only one thing.

A location.

And a short sentence.

"Your descendant has been spotted."

Shasha quietly stared at the message for a long time.

Ariel’s family originally belonged to the Capital long ago. Back then, their bloodline was considered valuable because of the Silver Gene inherited from Shasha herself. But generations later, Ariel’s side of the family abandoned the Capital after witnessing how the outer sectors were treated.

They joined the Embers instead.

To the Capital, that was betrayal.

To Shasha, it was something more complicated.

She never truly hated Ariel’s family for leaving. In fact, over the years she had secretly tried contacting several descendants and convincing them to return.

None of them accepted.

Shasha herself had already modified her body heavily using Silver Gene enhancement technology. Her silver skin, long lifespan, and youthful appearance were all results of experiments performed decades ago.

Most people inside the Capital admired her.

Some feared her.

But very few people understood how old she actually was.

When she finally followed the location from the message, she ended up meeting Ariel near the wilderness outside the hidden bases.

And there, she also encountered Tansy.

That meeting stayed in her mind afterward.

Especially Tansy.

Shasha still couldn’t fully understand what those girls were.

Their abilities clearly weren’t normal technology.

Even after returning to the Capital, she kept thinking about the strange powers they possessed.

Then the war began.

One sector after another fell to the Embers.

The Capital mobilized almost its entire army toward the outer sectors, preparing for a massive counterattack.

Meanwhile, deep beneath the floating city itself, Tyler’s forces had already captured the underground railway station without the Capital noticing.

The city above continued functioning normally.

People still watched news broadcasts.

Restaurants still opened.

Military officers still discussed battle strategies believing the Rebels remained trapped outside.

Very few realized how close the Embers already were.

That night, Shasha walked toward one of the restricted gate control areas connected to the lower maintenance sections beneath the Capital.

The giant gates leading toward the outer elevator routes had already been sealed because of the lockdown order.

Several gatekeepers immediately stood straighter after noticing her arrive.

"Lady Shasha."

She calmly walked forward.

"Open the gates."

The guards looked surprised.

"Ma’am, the Capital is currently under lockdown," one of them replied carefully. "Nobody is allowed to enter or leave without direct authorization."

Shasha stopped in front of the control panel and showed her authority badge.

"We’re receiving VIP guests from outside," she said calmly. "Open the gates."

The guards exchanged uncertain looks.

Still, nobody dared question her authority further.

Shasha was one of the few people trusted enough to host the final rounds of the Capital Games personally. Her status inside the Capital was extremely high.

And honestly, VIPs secretly leaving the Capital for entertainment wasn’t unusual either.

Some wealthy nobles enjoyed traveling into outer sectors and treating the lives of sector civilians like toys.

Compared to those scandals, opening a gate briefly didn’t seem suspicious.

So the gatekeepers obeyed.

Massive mechanical sounds echoed through the lower structure as the sealed gates slowly began opening.

None of the guards noticed the faint pink heart-shaped glow hidden deep within Shasha’s eyes.

Far below the Capital, Tyler’s forces immediately received the signal.

Inside the underground station, Rose looked toward the opening routes displayed on the holographic map and grinned proudly.

"The seed we planted worked."

Back when Shasha met Ariel outside the rebel territories, she noticed Tansy immediately because of her strange abilities.

But she forgot something important.

Rose had also been there.

At some point during that meeting, Rose had already used her charm ability on Shasha quietly. The suggestion itself was simple.

Forget Rose. And when the specified time arrives— Open the gates.

Even Shasha herself never realized the memory had been altered.

Deep underground, the hidden elevator platforms beneath the Capital slowly activated.

Combatants wearing exosuits stepped onto hoverboards while mech units prepared for ascent.

Tyler stood inside his giant mech while checking the opening timer.

"Move."

The elevator platform rapidly ascended toward the Capital.

Cold wind rushed through the opening pathways as the hidden Ember force finally reached the floating city itself.

The moment the gates fully opened, Tyler’s mech launched forward first.

Behind him flew Tansy and Rose in their own mech units alongside dozens of combatants riding military hoverboards.

Gunfire erupted almost immediately.

Capital guards barely had time to react before electric shots and mech weapons overwhelmed the checkpoint entirely.

Tyler made sure his units avoided Shasha during the attack.

The guards, however, weren’t so lucky.

Within minutes, the lower gate section fell under Ember control completely.

And for the first time in Libria’s history—

The army of the Embers stepped directly into the Capital.