Kenji bumped into Kaito, pushing him aside just as a large rock fell from the ceiling.
The air was filled with dust and the groaning of collapsing blight-rock.
His system blared, [Corruption Influence: CRITICAL!], but he ignored it. His focus was on survival.
The Root Network, now a dying, twitching entity, was collapsing around them.
"Move! This whole place is coming down!"
He roared, a guttural sound torn from his throat. He used Shadow Step and appeared next to Elara.
A chasm opened suddenly, pulling her back from the edge.
Kaito scrambled, his eyes wide with genuine panic.
"This whole place is coming down! Faster! Don't look up! My sensors are picking up structural collapse everywhere!"
His voice was a frantic shout, laced with genuine fear. He almost tripped over a piece of decaying blight-matter.
Elara's Lumina Light pulsed. It made the crumbling platform stronger for a moment as they crossed.
"We need to go! Now! Kenji, help Kaito!"
Her light strained, barely pushing back against the encroaching darkness.
A bright, focused line of energy cut through a group of confused Root Guardians.
This brilliant white light wasn't Lumina or anything Kenji had seen before. The creatures disintegrated into ash. Kael, the armoured figure, landed quietly next to them.
Their energy blade buzzed with hidden power. They moved quickly, clearing a path through the debris-filled tunnel. Their movements were smooth and efficient.
They emerged into a somewhat more stable, yet still damaged, part of the underground.
The sounds of the final collapse echoed behind them. Kenji leaned against a rough wall, gasping for breath, his body screaming in protest.
His Shadow Brand burned, a dull ache that mirrored the exhaustion seeping into his bones.
Kaito, still panting, pointed his energy pistol at Kael, though his hand wasn't quite steady.
"Alright, buddy, who are you? And what exactly was that? You just carved through those things like butter! Spill it, because you just saved our bacon, but you also showed up out of nowhere!"
Kael tilted their helmeted head a bit. They stood tall and calm, even after the chaos they had just faced.
Their voice was calm, concise, and almost robotic.
"Designation: Kael. Purpose: Eradicate blight. You are... effective. Unconventional."
Kael. No warmth. All efficiency, Kenji thought, his hand instinctively brushing his Shadow Brand. But powerful.
Too powerful? Is he like me? Or something else entirely?
"My origins are... irrelevant for now,"
Kael continued, their voice devoid of inflection.
"What matters is the blight. It must be purged. You wield a dangerous power. You control it. Impressive. For a human."
The last part was delivered with a hint of detached observation, not insult, but it still pricked at Kenji.
Elara stepped forward, her light dim but steady, radiating a quiet calm. "We're grateful for your assistance, Kael. We wouldn't have made it without you."
Kael simply nodded, a slight tilt of their helmeted head.
Suddenly, Kaito's wrist-mounted system began to shriek, a frantic, red alert. His eyes widened, fixing on the flickering screen.
"Oh, you've really ticked him off now, Kenji! My long-range sensors are going wild! He's pulling blight forces from all over the city! This isn't just a counter-attack, it's a full-on hunt! He knows we're here. We've got massive concentrations converging on this sector!"
His voice was laced with renewed panic, his eyes darting around the screen.
"He's consolidating forces. He felt that! He felt the Root die!"
Kenji gritted his teeth. Despite his exhaustion, a grim resolve settled over him.
He wants us. Good. We'll give him a fight.
"He wants us. Good. We'll give him a fight. Elara, Kaito, Kael… we move. We can't stay here. We need to find a safe route back to the vault. Kaito, map us a path. The fastest one."
Elara, though pale, nodded immediately.
"Kenji is right. We cannot rest. My light may be dim, but it is ready. We go."
Her voice was weary, but firm, her eyes fixed on Kenji.
Kaito was packing fresh gear, despite saying he was exhausted. His face showed a grim determination.
"Fine, fine! Another suicide mission. Just make sure you don't actually die this time. I'm running low on spare parts for resurrection."
He tapped his screen, already plotting a route, his movements quick and desperate.
"My best guess is this thing will take another eight hours to fully 'bloom'. We've got a narrow window."
He looked at Kael.
"You gonna follow us, silent type?"
Kael looked from Kenji to Kaito, then to Elara, their helmeted head still.
"My purpose aligns with yours. For now."
They pointed their energy blade at a narrow passage, dimly seen in the shadows.
"That way. Less exposure. Faster."
Kenji looked at his new, unlikely companion, a flicker of something close to hope in his weary heart. They were still outnumbered, still exhausted, but they were not alone.
"Let's go. Time's running out."
He pushed open a heavily damaged access hatch, the groan of strained metal echoing in the silence.
The darkness beyond was complete. It smelled of decay and led into the city's hidden depths.
He stepped into the abyss. Shadowfang glowed. Its dark blade reflected Elara's faint light. The hum of Kael's energy blade buzzed behind him. The hunt was on.