-CONTROL ROOM-
-12:57 PM, MARCH 10, 2017-
The room trembled.
Not violently—
But enough to feel it.
The system was responding.
Red warnings flooded the screens.
Access denied.
Systems locking down.
Rikuu's fingers moved quickly.
"…It's shutting us out."
Ichika leaned closer.
"…We're still inside the loop."
The man watched quietly.
"…You're still trying."
A faint pause.
"…Good."
Suddenly—
A sharp alarm.
A new layer activated.
Not defensive.
Offensive.
The system surged again.
Screens flickering rapidly.
Data spiking.
Rikuu's expression tightened.
"…It's counterattacking."
Ichika nodded.
"…It's trying to isolate us."
The lights dimmed further.
Power fluctuating.
The room shifting under system control.
Rikuu stepped back slightly.
"…We need to stabilize something."
Ichika scanned the screens.
"…If we can hold one node—"
"…We can create an anchor," Rikuu finished.
The man spoke.
"…You're adapting well."
A pause.
"…But this system was designed to resist."
Ichika frowned.
"…Then we out-adapt it."
Rikuu nodded.
"…Exactly."
Rikuu shifted focus.
Targeting a smaller sub-system.
"…We don't fight the whole thing."
A pause.
"…We break it piece by piece."
He executed the move.
Fast.
Precise.
For a moment—
The system lagged.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Ichika noticed immediately.
"…There."
Rikuu continued.
"…Hold that window."
The system responded again.
Stronger.
Trying to close the gap.
The man's expression changed slightly.
"…Impressive."
A pause.
"…You're forcing it to react."
Rikuu didn't look at him.
"…Good."
A pause.
"…Then it's working."
Ichika adjusted quickly.
"…If we keep this up—"
"…We can destabilize the core system's control cycle."
Rikuu nodded.
"…That's the goal."
The system surged again.
This time—
Visibly pushing back harder.
The floor vibrated slightly.
The man stepped forward.
"…You've crossed into dangerous territory."
Rikuu finally looked at him.
"…Good."
A pause.
"…That's where we win."