Kenji struck the blight tendril with his Shadowfang.
Dark energy exploded as he severed it. The air in the vault was thick with the acrid scent of ozone and something sickly sweet, like burning flesh.
His System hummed softly.
The Corruption Influence meter glowed a steady, annoying red.
It reminded him of the dangerous power still churning inside him.
His body screamed with exhaustion, every muscle aching, but he ignored it. He moved through the damaged main hall, helping drag a downed barricade back into place.
"We held them,"
Kenji grunted, more to himself than to anyone, his voice rough.
"But he's not done."
Kaito, sprawled over his flickering console, slammed a fist onto the sparking keyboard. His face was smudged with grime, his eyes bloodshot from sleepless nights.
"Incoming! Massive Blight wave detected! They're hitting the Southern Sector again! And… something bigger is heading straight for the vault! He's not happy, guys. Not happy at all! Their energy signatures are spiking! I'm talking planetary-level tantrum here!"
His voice was tight, a frantic energy in his words, his usual sarcasm replaced by stark alarm.
A chill went down Kenji's spine. Hana's voice, sharp and clear, cut through the comms from the upper levels.
"Status reports! Southern Sector, what's your hold? Medical, update on the wounded! We held them, but at what cost?"
Her voice was efficient, pushing past her own exhaustion, every word a command.
"Everyone, battle stations! Southern Sector teams, hold the line! Vault perimeter, lock it down! This is it. Our first real test."
Elara, pale yet determined, knelt by a Resistance fighter. Her Lumina light flickered, offering desperate warmth to his open wound.
She pushed more energy into him, her brow furrowed in concentration. She looked up, her gaze meeting Kenji's.
"We are so tired, Kenji. My light… it feels dimmer after that last push."
Her voice was weary, but her eyes held an unwavering resolve. The ground shuddered again, more violently this time. A deep, harsh roar came from outside.
Then, there was a disturbing noise of metal ripping and concrete breaking apart. A new, larger Siege-Blight crashed into the vault's main blast door.
Its impact shook the very foundations of their sanctuary. Alarms shrieked. Kenji pushed past a group of panicked Resistance fighters, his Shadowfang drawn.
He knew this feeling. The oppressive pressure, the chilling intent behind the attack. This wasn't just a random assault.
"It's a feint! He's hitting us hard, but this is a distraction! He's trying to hide something deeper!"
Kenji roared, more to himself than to the others, his intuition screaming at him.
Kaito's console suddenly blared with a new, distinct alarm. His eyes snapped to the screen, his fingers flying across the keys.
"Wait, wait, my long-range scanner… it just picked up something new. A massive energy spike, coming from deep underground, near the old Transit Hub! It's not a Nexus. It's different. Stronger. And it's… growing fast!"
His voice was tight with urgency, eyes glued to his flickering screen.
"It's radiating something... elemental. Like a root system, digging in!"
Kenji felt a chilling resonance from the Heart of the Eclipse. It wasn't the usual thrum of power, but a deeper, more fundamental hum, like a vast engine starting.
His System displayed:
[Warning: Anomalous Blight Signature Detected! Core Manifestation Imminent!]
He knew this. He felt it.
"That's not a Nexus. That's… that's deeper. A root. I can feel it. It's him. Or a part of him. He's planting something. Something permanent."
His voice was low, guttural, a terrifying certainty in his tone. The dread in his gut was a cold, hard knot.
Hana's voice crackled over the comms, weary but exasperated.
"Kenji, we just survived a full-scale assault! We're running on fumes! We need to fortify, regroup, let the wounded heal! We can't just charge into another unknown threat!"
Kenji's eyes narrowed, a vein throbbing on his temple.
He looked at Hana's exhausted face on the comms, then at the desperate struggle playing out on Kaito's screens. He looked at Elara, kneeling, her light dimming.
He knew what he had to do.
"We don't have that luxury, Alani. If Kaito's right, if this is what I think it is… he's establishing a foothold we won't be able to dislodge later. This isn't about winning a battle. It's about stopping him from owning this city, permanently."
He locked eyes with her through the comms, his gaze unwavering.
"We hit it now. Before it fully manifests."
A moment of silence hung in the air, broken only by the groaning of the vault and the distant sounds of battle.
A few of Hana's top Resistance fighters saw the urgency in Kenji's eyes.
They nodded and lifted their weapons, even though they were tired. Elara pushed herself up, swaying slightly, but her voice was firm.
"Kenji is right. We cannot let him burrow deeper. My light may be dim, but it is ready. We go."
Her expression was weary, but her resolve was absolute.
Kaito, already packing fresh gear, his face grimly determined, barely looked up.
"Fine, fine! Another suicide mission. Just make sure you don't actually die this time. I'm running low on spare parts for resurrection. Let's move. My best guess is this thing will take another eight hours to fully 'bloom'. We've got a narrow window. I'll plot the quickest, deepest route now."
He tapped his screen, already plotting a route, his movements quick and desperate. Kenji glanced at the tired faces nearby.
Elara looked pale but strong. Kaito was busy with his gear. His usual sarcasm was gone, replaced by serious focus.
He nodded at Hana. She gave him a sharp, regretful look through the comms. It was a silent acknowledgment of their impossible choice.
"This is it. Last chance before he plants his flag for good."
He pushed open a heavily damaged access hatch, the groan of strained metal echoing in the silence.
Beyond lay total darkness, heavy with the smell of decay. It led into the city's unknown depths.
"Let's go. Time's running out."
He stepped into the abyss.
Shadowfang was active, its dark blade shining with Elara's faint light behind him.
He plunged deeper into the conquered city.