The profound, miraculous peace that followed the death of the Supreme Intelligence lasted for exactly ten seconds.
Then, the World of Steel began to tear itself apart.
Princess Mana's purifying light had not simply deactivated the cold, mechanical hive mind; it had aggressively rewritten the fundamental laws of the dead planet. The magic was demanding a biological rebirth, and the sheer, uncompromising force of nature was entirely incompatible with the geometric, sterile architecture of the central citadel.
A deafening, catastrophic groan echoed through the spherical chamber, far louder than the mechanical screeching of the servers had ever been. The massive, reinforced steel walls began to warp violently. The metal was actively rusting, oxidising at a terrifying, hyper-accelerated rate, while the concrete pillars dissolved into cascading rivers of grey sand.
