The dust from the landing pad hadn't even settled before the heavy hydraulic doors of the 1st Division's armored transport hissed open. The 10th and 5th stood in a tense semi-circle, expecting to see the arrogant, flame-wreathed silhouette of Valerius Flare. Kaelen, in particular, took a step forward, his own blue flames flickering at his fingertips, ready to face the brother who had always viewed him as a "mistake."
But the man who stepped out wasn't a Flare.
It was Kylo. He looked different since the tournament; his mercury-silver eyes were sharper, and he wore the gold-trimmed mantle of a Leader. Behind him stood the rest of the agris prime: Julian,
Elena Voss, serephina and Vance
"Hello everyone. Sorry we're late," Kylo said, his voice smooth and filled with pride
"Wait... where is Valerius?" Temi Nova asked, her brow furrowed. "He's the heart of the Aegis Prime. Why isn't he here ?"
Kylo let out a short, cold laugh. "Oh... Valerius? That coward quit after losing in the tournament. He hasn't been seen since. Rumor has it he couldn't handle the shame of being outperformed by a 'rookie' like Elias. So, general"dock von" promoted me. I am the new leader of the Aegis Prime."
The 10th exchanged shocked glances. Kaelen's flames died down into a low, confused hum. Valerius wouldn't just quit, he thought. He was too proud. Elias, however, narrowed his eyes.
He knew valerius couldn't just stay down.
"Enough with the history lesson," Kylo snapped, his eyes flashing silver. "Let's get to business. This is Elena Voss, our tracker. She can find anyone, but she needs a piece of their belongings—something that carries their specific Evo-signature."
Temi Nova reached into her pocket and pulled out Zainab's Captain Badge, which had been left on the floor of the 5th's shower room. Elena took the badge, her hands glowing with a soft, amber light. She closed her eyes, and the air around her began to hum with the sound of a radio seeking a signal.
Suddenly, Elena gasped, her knees buckling. Julian caught her before she hit the ground.
"She's deep... she's deep in the ruins of a hidden subway system under the Old Sector," Elena whispered, sweat beading on her forehead. "But something is wrong. There's a void around her. Something terrifying. We need to hurry. Now."
The underground
Deep in the luxurious, shadow-drenched halls of the Underground, Malice stood before Gold's desk. The light from the surface filtered through the windows, casting long, skeletal shadows across the room.
"Sir Gold," Malice began, his voice low and cautious. "Why did you tell the woman Magals' hideout? We both know she would die. Even with her power' Magals' Law of Inviolability is absolute. Why send her to a slaughterhouse?"
Gold didn't look up from his glass. He swirled the deep crimson wine, watching the way it clung to the sides of the crystal. "Malice, you're thinking like a pawn. Think like an player . Sometimes, in order to win, you must make a sacrifice."
Gold stood up, walking toward the large portrait of himself on the wall. "I am using her as bait. I need to know the exact dimensions of Magals' current power, and more importantly, I need to see how Valkhyre moves his pieces. But most importantly..."
Gold's smile turned sharp, his golden teeth glinting. "I need to make sure my Queen gets stronger. Elias needs a catalyst. He needs to see a Captain fall to realize that his current evolution isn't enough. He needs to break his limits again."
Gold took a sip of the wine and looked out over his hidden empire. " I will be the last man standing "
The arrival at the Old Sector ruins was silent. The hidden subway entrance was a gaping maw of rusted iron and cracked concrete, leading into a darkness that seemed to swallow light itself.
The combined forces—the 10th, the 5th (led by Temi, Mira Ice, Kiki, and the elite twins Aris and Maris ), and the 1st—gathered at the entrance.
"We have to split up," Drakye Void commanded, his voice echoing in the gloom. "The tunnels branch off in a dozen directions. If we go as one group, we'll be too slow."
Before they parted, Cipher stepped forward, handing out small, hexagonal chips to every member. "New device," he chirped, though he pointedly avoided eye contact with Temi Nova. "Short-range burst communication. It works even if the our normal communicators lose signal or if we're miles into the subway. Don't lose them."
"Ok, we know the plan," Drakye said, looking at the Aegis Prime and the 5th. "Move fast, stay in contact, and don't die. Reinforcements are already on their way."
The groups vanished into the tunnels. The 10th moved through the central line, their boots crunching on glass and bone. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth.
"Why couldn't that tracker girl just find the Captain exactly?" Vela grumbled, her hand inside a bag of chips that she somehow managed to keep quiet. "Walking in the dark is bad for my digestion."
"She said something is blocking her from looking inside the subway," Mikasa replied, her daggers drawn and glowing with a faint thermal light. "It might be Magals. His Law of Inviolability doesn't just apply to his body; it can warp the space around him so that nothing—not even sight—can touch him."
"Hmm... I see," Vela whispered, her playful tone vanishing. "Well, let's get this over with. I don't like the way the shadows are moving here."
Deep in the heart of the "Subway Void," the air was freezing. The walls were covered in a strange, obsidian-like substance that pulsed with a slow, rhythmic light.
Zainab Virel stood in the center of a wide, subterranean junction. Her breath came in short, visible puffs. ; she was in her full Captain's gear, her hands already surrounded by the swirling, high-pressure rings of her molecular water.
A figure sat on a throne made of Zethrian gold.
He was massive, his , and his eyes were voids of pure darkness. Magals.
"Mmm... hello, snack," Magals rumbled, his voice sounding like two mountains grinding together. "How did you find this place? And more importantly... how did I not sense you until you were standing in my kitchen?"
Zainab didn't answer with words. The air in the tunnel suddenly became heavy—so heavy that the rusted metal of the subway cars nearby began to groan and collapse under the weight of the moisture she was condensing.
"I didn't come here to talk," Zainab said, her eyes glowing with a cold, abyssal blue. "I came to finish what you started with Kaizen."
Magals stood up, and as he did, the ground beneath him didn't even crack. He didn't move the air; the air moved around him, as if he were a hole in reality. "Kaizen? Oh, the little noble one. I remember the sound he made when I touched his heart. It was very... quiet."
"SHUT UP!" Zainab screamed.
She lunged, her Hydro-Kinetic Blade shrieking as it cut through the air at a frequency meant to slice atoms. But as the blade reached Magals' throat, it stopped. "REVERSE" the attack was directed back at Zainab but she dodge it .
"My Law is Inviolability, little snack," Magals laughed, reaching out a hand. "Nothing you do can reach me. But everything I do... will reach you."
Zainab gritted her teeth, the "Heavy Water" in the air beginning to pulse. The hunt had ended. The slaughter had begun.