The snow needles launched toward Jin like supersonic projectiles. "Now!" Zero-Day's voice exploded in Jin's ear.
Across the digital network, Zero-Day had executed a 'Logic Bomb' against The Sculptor's stylus. For a fraction of a second, the blue lines in the air flickered. The needles froze mid-air, caught in a massive System Lag.
"His reality lock is down for 4 seconds! Go!" Zero-Day roared.
Jin didn't hesitate. He activated Phase Shift, but this time, he funneled the energy into his feet. He moved so fast he became a blur of red and white light against the white blizzard. He appeared directly in front of The Sculptor, crossing the Glitch Dagger and the Atlas Kummiya in a perfect 'X'.
"Binary Cross: Disruption!"
The red blade shattered the Sculptor's physical defense, while the white blade struck his digital stylus, purging the corrupted commands. The shockwave sent a spray of ice and broken code flying across the mountain slope.
The Sculptor stumbled back, his lab coat torn, his eyes widening in disbelief. "A virus? You used a civilian-grade virus to interrupt a High-Architect's rendering? Impossible!"
"It's not just a virus," Zero-Day's voice echoed through a nearby drone speaker, sounding smug. "It's a customized Moroccan 'Malware' built from the raw data of the Merzouga dunes. You can't patch what you don't understand."
Jin stood over the fallen Architect, the Atlas Blade glowing with a terrifying purity. "Where is the backup?" Jin asked, his voice low. "The memory of my father. Tell me!"
The Sculptor laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "You think you're saving him? The Association didn't just back him up, Jin. They integrated him. He is the core of the Toubkal Brain now. If you destroy the System, you destroy what's left of him."
Mi-na screamed as she touched the ground near the summit. The Gravity Anchor was pulsing, turning her silver veins into a painful black. "Jin! He's lying! The mountain... it's crying! They are using Dad's consciousness to power the deletion of the continent!"
Jin looked at his sister, then at the glowing peak of Toubkal. The choice was becoming impossible. To save his father, he might have to let the System win. To save Africa, he might have to delete his father forever.
"Zero-Day," Jin whispered, his grip tightening on his blades. "Can we 'Extract' a file without deleting the host?"
"It's a one-in-a-million shot, Jin," Zero-Day replied, his voice suddenly serious. "We'd need to hack the brain of the mountain itself while fighting off the other three Architects. And believe me, they're already on their way."