Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Although the Retribution is a starship with a long history, the information waves hidden within it are not abundant. Even if all of them were gathered, they would only amount to enough to create a single fireball. But Alice doesn't need to create a fireball; all she needs is to alter the operation of a few circuits.

First, locate the power source.

She diligently gathered information about heat, power, and engines in the Cybertronian language within the Nemesis. After several attempts, she discovered that these concepts were most concentrated in a certain compartment beneath the bridge.

Next, there is a map showing the terrain distribution.

A faint shockwave pulsed through the metallic structure of the Nemesis, and by the time it had traveled a full circle within the ship and returned to Alice, it carried with it a general outline of the Nemesis's compartmentalization. Although thirty percent of it was imperceptible black space, the remaining seventy percent was sufficient for her to navigate the starship.

Finally, you exit from here.

The magic reactor activated and began operating, constructing plasma spheres at the tips of her fingers to ablate the armor. The next moment, the several-meter-thick inner wall of the cannon casing was burned through, allowing her to reach the Retribution!

"Information interference!"

The magic used to deal with the alarm was released immediately. She hadn't held out much hope for it, but unexpectedly, no alarm message came out.

"No alarm?"

[Tsk, this is terrible. It seems I couldn't completely hide it after all.]

The girl's mind raced. Without much thought, she knew the chances of making a hole in a starship without being noticed were absolutely zero. She was a witch, not a hero blessed with destiny. For her to be able to infiltrate an enemy's lair as if strolling through a market without being discovered could only mean she was living in a dream.

Since this has happened, it must be because someone's power is behind the scenes.

She could easily figure out the identity of this 'someone' without much thought.

The Fallen, the villain of the second Transformers movie, is an ancient rebel, a powerful being sealed atop the throne of the Nascent Soul. The only way to break its seal and regain its freedom is to kill the last surviving Super-Leader, Optimus Prime. There is no other way.

So, what method can guarantee Optimus Prime's death? Relying on Megatron? That guy has suffered countless defeats at Optimus Prime's hands.

No, Megatron is unreliable; the only one you can rely on is the Fallen himself.

[It seems this guy disagrees with Megatron... No, wait, there's another possibility...]

【never mind……】

Alice thought to herself, but she still tried to find a reason to make sure that the people monitoring this place wouldn't notice anything unusual about her.

"Something's not right... Could it be that the magic that interferes with information also works on the Cybertronian systems? No, they've all taken countermeasures. Is the AllSpark not fully repaired?"

So, where did the spark of revolution originate?

She lowered her eyes, but the swift feedback she received filled her with disappointment. If the information was accurate, the AllSpark was currently located in the bridge command room, where Megatron was. Direct theft was impossible.

[There's no other way. First, try to destroy the power unit, at least to stop the fire control system before the backup unit starts, so that the troops outside can reach the Narrative's hull.]

She took a deep breath and pressed her hand down onto the ground. A massive magic circle instantly unfolded, engulfing the entire macro cannon turret! The surrounding Decepticon warriors were alarmed, but just as they raised their guns to attack, a white glow obscured their vision!

The power station is too far away; it's impossible to go there.

Therefore, the only option left to deal with this problem is to use a rather crude approach.

Alice triggered the magic circle, activating the macro cannon's turret.

The sudden explosion caused the entire starship to shake violently.

Author's Note:

......................................................

The BX pool will be released tomorrow; whether it will be successful depends on 5 PM tomorrow. Anyway, my previous promise still stands. I still owe 13 sessions; if BX is released, I'll add 10 more, and I'll pay it off next month.

If it can't be released... oh well, if it can't be released, so be it...

Perhaps I shouldn't have included scenes of ship destruction in these sections... or shipwrecks and such...

The ship sank.

Five shipwrecks... well, I guess I can barely handle it. But it's really frustrating. We prepared for so long, we looked forward to it for so long, and this is the end result... it's truly regrettable.

Well, the more you want something, the less likely you are to get it. For someone like me from Africa, that's just how it is, so I don't complain. I'm posting this separate chapter mainly to clarify that there will likely only be one section tonight…maybe. Perhaps I'll be able to write a second section.

I'll try to write some side stories about BX when I have time later. Since we're destined not to meet, please allow me to offer my blessings.

Chapter 34 - I'm Not Human Anymore! JOJO!

Even high in the thin air of orbit, above the aurora-filled ocean, when the Nemesis's macro cannon self-destructed due to incorrect firing parameters, the intense roar of flames and heat spread everywhere, reaching the ears of the allied forces of humans and Autobots.

First comes the sound, then the light and shadow.

They saw a milky-white shockwave emanating from the lower part of the Retribution ship. The flames shooting downwards left a trail nearly a kilometer long in the sky. At least two-thirds of the rapid-fire cannons suddenly went out of control, and the remaining third were completely out of their aim, failing to hit their targets at all.

There's only one chance, and the opportunity won't last more than a few seconds. This is the only chance to win until the Retribution's weapon systems are back online.

"Autobots, attack!"

"Soldiers! Follow me!"

Two people were the first to notice this change, and without a doubt, these two could only be Optimus Prime and Sam Witwicky. They did not fail in their leadership responsibilities. As the suppressive fire subsided, the two simultaneously ceased their erratic evasive maneuvers and launched an attack on the Nemesis!

Like two shooting stars, they crashed into the Nemesis's defensive blind spot. The instant they stepped onto the hull, Optimus Prime raised his hand and fired a shot at the Nemesis's stern thrusters. Immediately afterward, the crisp cracking sound of the particle cannon tearing through the ship's armor was accompanied by a jet of flying flames that covered a third of the orbital height!

The Nemesis has an external shield capable of isolating energy weapons and high-speed projectiles, but like all similar shield generators, this protection is ineffective against attacks launched from below. While Optimus Prime was destroying the thrusters, Sam didn't stop—he nimbly dodged the Decepticons' close-range barrage of projectiles like a bat in the night, quickly passing through the thick smoke created by Alice's explosions.

He swiftly descended, planting his feet in the belly of the Retribution, where a large hole had been torn in it. The six-barreled laser cannons fixed to his hands, having finally escaped the Sea of ​​Aurora, were now ready for use. But in the very first second after landing, two Decepticon warriors were struck in the head by the lasers, instantly melting into pools of molten iron.

More Decepticons surged towards the breach, their firepower overwhelming and their marksmanship precise. Even Sam, whose abilities far surpassed those of an ordinary person, would have been doomed to die facing a multitude of Decepticons. However, before that, the Witch, who had arrived at the Retribution earlier than him, provided him with timely fire support.

It was a bolt of lightning, its leaping sparks brutally shattering the outer shells of many Decepticon warriors. The electrical signals within them were immediately disrupted by the information mage's unique methods, and although they could quickly recover, they missed the best opportunity to regain the breakthrough.

In the few seconds that Sam and Alice bought, the Allied soldiers arrived at the battlefield and, under their command, quickly established a battle line—they swarmed in like bees, with the two leaders acting as the queens of the swarm. Even though they were outgunned, their firepower was evenly matched.

However, being evenly matched is not enough.

......................................................

As the battle for the breakthrough reached a stalemate, Alice encountered her adversary on another battlefield. It was a combat squad led by Starscream, one of the most powerful Decepticon forces besides Megatron.

"Found you, infiltrating reptile!" The battle began swiftly as Starscream's detector broke through the optical shield around Alice. Alice wasn't one for idle chatter in war. The moment she noticed Starscream raise his gun and crimson helium-neon rays coalesce, a pre-prepared polarizing screen, resembling an ice crystal, suddenly appeared in front of her, giving her a chance to dodge the beam slightly.

She swiftly dodged, and in the same instant, her retaliatory plasma ball sliced ​​through the air. The extremely hot plasma easily melted away a significant portion of the ship's protective shield. However, the original objective of killing at least one enemy was thus lost.

[That was quick.]

Alice thought to herself, as she wrapped puppet strings around her arms and her feet touched the ground, constructing a miniature sandbox in her mind through the feedback waves.

There are twelve enemies. Red Spider is probably the strongest one, while the other eleven are slightly weaker, but their levels are not too different...

[Ritual magic... Damn it, I can only use pre-prepared items until the Aurora Sea fades.]

There was no other way but to bite the bullet and go for it!

She took a light breath, and the quietly unlocked genetic lock allowed her to better control the flow of magic within her body.

“I am ‘Ishtar,’ also known as ‘Inanna.’ My authority is the lion, the embodiment of power.” A phantom of a lion appeared beneath her feet, and the magic power surging from her internal magic furnace acted as a medium to strengthen her tendons and nerves. As a result, her speed and reaction speed were enhanced, and the ray cannons that should have hit her all missed.

"Take care of it!" Red Spider commanded, urging his minions to attack. But he himself cautiously retreated, trying to spot any flaws or weaknesses in Alice's tactics.

A very effective strategy, but overly cautious.

Alice understands Starscream; through the 'setting book,' she understands the mindset and habits of most named Cybertronians. She knows Starscream is arrogant and cunning, and when the Nemesis is breached, and a seemingly unprotected mortal capable of moving at high altitudes appears before it, he will inevitably display his cunning side.

Cunning, on the other hand, also represents caution.

Caution also means conservatism.

Alice gritted her teeth and swiftly dodged the barrage of explosive projectiles rained down by a pale blue robot. Her body moved like a fish, slipping into the ranks of the Decepticons. The puppet strings in her hands entangled the weaponry of one of the machines, and with a slight pull, disrupted its attack rhythm.

A plasma cannon shot was deflected, the high-heat jet damaging the outer shell of another Decepticon. Alice immediately followed up with a plasma attack, triggering a secondary explosion as the Cybertronian struggled to survive. She then retaliated, unleashing a powerful electric current at close range that disrupted the circuitry of another Decepticon behind her.

The barrage of explosions rained down, the flames and shockwaves disrupting the senses of all living things present. And in that instant, two more Decepticon warriors were killed by Alice.

She took a soft breath, her movements slowing almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Just then, she heard an airburst in the air!

"Got you!" Red Spider suddenly appeared beside her, his left hand transforming into a sharp blade, piercing her chest with a precise strike!

A flame ignited in her eyes.

Ishtar will pass through the Gate of Death, his physical body dying and turning into slime...

The next moment, most of the cells maintaining Alice's form temporarily changed shape due to the magic. The tissue fluid connecting the cells dispersed, turning into murky streams that climbed upwards along the red spider's arm!

Her flesh melted away, her bones softened. Like shapeless mud, her form pierced every crucial node within the Red Spider's body. Magic threads replaced the puppet strings, manipulating the mechanical shell, and in an instant, the balance of power shifted dramatically.

And I will rise again, to reclaim the power of Heaven!

"I've caught you, Red Spider."

Chapter Thirty-Five: Megatron

The red spider is dead; its body has been taken over, and the life-sustaining spark has been extinguished and eroded. Perhaps it will have another chance to rise again in the future, but for now... it is nothing but a piece of scrap metal.

After its death, Alice used its body as a barrier while dealing with the other Decepticons. Soon, when the area quieted down, the witch-transformed slime returned to the pile of clothes it had fallen to the ground and reverted to its original form.

The battle at the breach point remains fierce. Without Starscream, the Decepticon warriors are finding it difficult to effectively suppress their old rivals. Although the battle lines remain deadlocked, a change may be imminent.

Perhaps victory can be achieved without going to the very last step.

Alice thought to herself that she liked to make plans in a step-by-step manner. It would be best if the first step succeeded, but if the first step failed, then that failure would become the key to triggering the second step. And if the second step also failed, the consequences of that failure would become the stepping stone to the third step.

—If the nuclear bomb can take down the Retribution, that would be ideal. If not, the subsequent high-altitude nuclear explosion can create an aurora ocean that shields energy weapons, allowing me to infiltrate. And if my infiltration also fails, then the next step is to use this failure to overturn the table. As for who will survive after overturning the table… that's not something I need to worry about too much.

She took a deep breath and regulated her breathing. Two small puppets, Shanghai and Penglai, emerged from the shadows—it was with these two magical traps created by Alice after defeating Starscream that she quickly dealt with the remaining Decepticons.

Stay calm and focus.

Alice knew she was very close to success, but since she was so close, she had to be even more careful at this crucial moment.

The most frustrating thing is to build a mountain nine ren high, only to fail at the last step.

She didn't really like the Transformers universe. The difficulty was secondary; the key issue was the chaotic plot. Many heroes and villains died and came back to life repeatedly, seemingly without end.

In the 'setting guide,' both Megatron and Optimus Prime have died numerous times, yet they are always resurrected in various bizarre ways. Similar situations exist in complex worlds like Dragon Ball, Marvel, and DC, filled with numerous popular characters. The strength of a character doesn't lie in their design, but rather in—'plot necessity.'

[For plot purposes.]

She gently bit her lower lip.

As a member of the reincarnation team, the plot is both an inspiration and a trap for her. Especially in a world where the plot has changed and the protagonist has even died. Acting according to the original plot would easily lead to mistakes.