After two devastating rounds of "Hammer of Heaven" bombardment, the Wakanda Allied Forces swiftly seized the plains between the city and the research center, pushing their frontlines into the capital's urban district.
Everything was going too smoothly—almost unsettlingly so.
But what of it?
Should unease be enough to halt your advance?
No. If war has begun, then press forward without hesitation. See your mission through, no matter what.
Kagura spun mid-air, her movements forming a mesmerizing dance through the night sky a deadly performance that brought only destruction to the mechanical soldiers below.
Blades flashed. Wherever she passed, no enemy was left standing.
Using her high-speed mobility, she tore through the battlefield, carving a path through the city and paving the way for Wakanda's ground forces.
After clearing a route, she folded her wings and landed atop a skyscraper, surveying the urban battlefield from above.
She had suspected Ultron might be pulling a feint—luring the Wakanda forces into the city before springing an ambush with overwhelming forces in close-quarters combat.
But that didn't happen.
Even after breaching the city, there was no fierce counterattack. No trap.
Kagura glanced around.
The once-thriving city now burned with the fury of war.
Wakanda warriors, equipped with a mix of advanced yet primitive-looking tech, clashed with Ultron's mechanical legions in brutal, close-range combat.
Honestly, Ultron's army lacked imagination.
Mechanical soldiers wielded various weapons.
Mechanical soldiers piloted different vehicles.
Mechanical soldiers manned artillery and turrets.
It was like a carbon copy of a human military force.
Then it clicked.
After carefully observing Ultron's tactical behavior, Kagura realized the truth.
It wasn't that Ultron lacked creativity, it was simply a limitation of his nature.
Ultron was a newly born artificial intelligence, created by HYDRA.
From his inception until now, barely a few days had passed.
Most of his time online had been spent learning and mimicking.
An AI like that wouldn't yet have the capacity for innovation.
Everything he did in this war was based on imitation.
Yes, that's the essence of Ultron's army.
Mimicking human form.
Mimicking human behavior.
Mimicking human understanding of warfare, especially Wakanda's.
To Ultron, Wakanda was the most powerful nation on Earth. It stood to reason, then, that their methods of warfare were the most effective.
Naturally, he copied them.
That's why he built legions of mechanical soldiers and played the same head-on clash game Wakandas were known for.
Now Kagura understood what had felt so off about this war from the start.
On one side, Wakanda stuck to its traditional, almost tribal combat style.
On the other, Ultron was essentially mimicking them.
A perfect mirror match.
Two sides evenly matched, destined to clash.
But now that Kagura had uncovered the truth, another question surfaced.
'Would Ultron actually lose this easily?'
Could a being that called itself a god really be so foolish—mindlessly imitating human tactics and allowing itself to be routed by orbital bombardment?
No.
Artificial intelligence may be rigid, but it's not stupid.
The silver-haired girl frowned, lost in thought.
'Something's wrong. This war isn't supposed to be this easy. I'm missing something.'
'There's got to be a blind spot. Something that's tipping the scales back in Ultron's favor.'
This isn't some dumb computer sitting back waiting to be deleted—we're talking about a super AI.
Suddenly, the night sky rippled.
Kagura caught a faint streak of light in the distance—barely noticeable.
Then a flash on her HUD.
[Composite Full-Body Exoskeleton Units Detected: 2]
[Humanoid Aerial Combat Units Detected: 43]
"Huh?"
Her instincts kicked in.
"Cortana, activate the Argos Recon Satellite. Scan sector W36. Now."
"Command confirmed, Master."
High above, the Argos satellite pulsed with high-energy electromagnetic waves, sweeping the indicated region.
"Master! We've detected Iron Man and War Machine leading a squad of 43 elite Ultron units."
"They're flying low in stealth mode, skimming past the battlefield."
"Likely destination: Wakanda's Vibranium mining facility!"
"Tch. So it's not that simple after all." Kagura scowled.
"Of course. Even if he's just imitating humanity, Ultron hasn't ignored one of war's most vital components—strategy."
Modern warfare hadn't given Ultron many real-world examples to draw from.
His understanding of battle was largely shaped by Wakanda tribal combat. But that didn't stop him from studying human strategies—ambushes, feints, misdirection.
Ultron had let the Wakanda forces believe they were winning.
After Kagura's orbital strikes, he staged a full retreat, making it seem like his army had been routed.
He was banking on humanity's greatest weakness: complacency.
History has shown that when people believe victory is assured, they start overlooking the details. They rush. They stop thinking.
Just as the Wakanda forces surged into the city, Ultron launched his stealth team—aerial infiltrators targeting the now lightly defended Vibranium mines.
Given the numbers and formation, Kagura suspected they were elite variants—high-performance units modeled after Iron Man's suit.
Probably Ultron's equivalent of special forces.
'This damn AI... he's even learned psychological warfare and diversion tactics.'
Kagura wasted no time issuing orders.
"Sis Nat, turn the car around! Follow me—we've got trouble at the Vibranium mines. I'll need your cover!"
"Natasha Romanoff, copy that."
"Cortana, deploy the YoRHa squad. Drop them at the mining facility!"
"Confirmed, Master." Cortana paused briefly. "Master, if you'll be facing Tony Stark… please let me assist you directly."
Kagura considered it, then shook her head.
"No. Cortana, you stay here and support Captain Rogers on the frontlines."
"We must retake Wakanda's capital, and if Ultron has more tricks up his sleeve, maintaining command support will be critical."
"Understood. Then I wish you victory, Master."
Cortana's voice faded into the comms.
YoRHa units now linked to Hive Combat Network. Commencing airdrop.
'Come on then, Ultron. Show me everything you've got.'
'Bring out every skill you've learned from the internet.'
'I told you—I'll crush them all. One by one.'
'And then I'll destroy you. Completely.'
From the night sky, another dazzling rain began to fall.
But this time, it wasn't railgun fire.
It was angels.