Darkness.
Complete.
No lights. No screens. No direction.
Only—breathing.
Zane's voice came first. "…Okay. Nobody move."
"Too late," Mira muttered. "We already can't see."
A faint sound.
Metal shifting.
Not one. Many.
Closer.
"Positions," Erza said.
Calm. Steady.
They moved. Instinct now.
Kael stepped forward—even without sight.
Yuki shifted left—silent.
Zane stayed center—breathing slower this time.
Tala stayed close behind.
Mira and Noor—listening. Tracking.
Then—
A flicker.
Dim lights returned.
And they saw them.
Not three. Not one.
Six.
Surrounding them.
Zane exhaled slowly. "…They're not even hiding it anymore."
Noor's voice dropped. "This isn't escalation."
A pause.
"It's overload."
The units didn't move.
They stood still. Waiting. Observing.
Like before—but different.
Focused.
Not on the group.
On one point.
Erza.
Kael noticed first. "…Why are they all—"
"Looking at you," Mira finished.
Silence.
Zane glanced at her. "…That's not normal, right?"
Erza didn't answer. She already knew.
The voice returned. Clearer now. Closer.
"Subject… isolated."
Tala frowned. "We're literally standing
together."
"Not physically," Noor said softly.
"Functionally."
The word landed.
The units moved.
All at once. Toward Erza.
"Move!" Kael snapped—stepping in front.
The first unit struck—Kael blocked—impact heavy—forcing him back—
Yuki intercepted from the side—
Mira called, "Right flank—!"
Zane moved—not panicking—but faster—
They engaged—together—
But—
The units didn't respond to them.
They ignored them.
Every movement—redirected.
Back to Erza.
"They're bypassing us!" Zane shouted.
"Because we're not the target," Noor said.
"Then we make ourselves the target!" Mira snapped.
She moved aggressively—striking—forcing one unit to react—
For a moment—it worked.
Then—
It disengaged. Returned—to Erza.
Silence hit harder than the fight.
Kael's voice tightened. "…They're prioritizing you."
Erza finally spoke. "I know."
A unit lunged—
She moved.
Not just fast—different. Cleaner.
She didn't just block—she predicted.
The strike never reached her—because she wasn't there anymore. She had already shifted.
Yuki's eyes widened slightly. "…That movement—"
Another unit attacked—
Erza stepped in—not away—
Her hand struck—precise—
A weak point.
The unit staggered. Not from force. From accuracy.
Zane blinked. "…Okay that was not normal."
"No," Noor said quietly. "It wasn't."
The voice echoed again—
"Adaptive response… confirmed."
Mira's eyes narrowed. "They're not testing us anymore."
"They're testing her," Kael said.
Silence.
Tala looked at Erza. "…Why?"
Another attack—Erza dodged—countered—again—perfect timing.
No wasted movement. No hesitation.
Like she already knew. The patterns. Before they happened.
Yuki stepped closer—watching. "…You've seen this before," she said.
A pause. Erza didn't deny it.
Zane frowned. "…Seen what before?"
The units attacked again—faster now—
Erza moved—again—perfect. Too perfect.
Kael's voice dropped. "…This isn't just talent."
Noor's expression shifted. Realization. "They trained you differently."
Silence.
The voice confirmed it. "Primary subject…
responding within expected parameters."
Everything stopped. Just for a second.
Zane turned slowly. "…Primary… what?"
Erza's movement paused. Just a fraction.
That was enough.
A unit struck—Kael intercepted—hard—forcing it away.
"Focus!" he snapped.
But the damage was done. The truth—was already there.
Mira's voice lowered. "…You knew."
Erza didn't look at her. Didn't look at anyone.
The units slowed. Not attacking. Waiting. Observing.
Because now—the real test—wasn't physical.
It was this.
Zane shook his head. "…No. No, we're not doing this right now."
Tala stepped forward slightly. "Erza…"
Yuki didn't speak. But her eyes didn't leave her.
Kael stood between her and the units—but his focus—shifted.
"…Say something."
Silence. Heavy.
Then—Erza spoke. Quiet.
"I didn't know everything."
A pause.
"But I knew… I wasn't like you."
The words didn't break them. But they hit. Hard.
Noor exhaled slowly. "…Central influence."
Mira clenched her jaw. "So we're just… what? Support?"
"No."
Erza's voice was sharper now. For the first time—emotion.
"We're a unit."
Zane let out a breath. "…Then start acting like we're one and explain."
Another pause.
Then—
The voice interrupted.
"Emotional destabilization… initiated."
The units moved again. Faster. Harder.
Because now—they weren't just testing strength.
They were testing trust.
Erza stepped forward. This time—not alone.
Kael moved with her. Yuki followed. Zane stepped in—no hesitation.
Mira and Noor adjusted—Tala close behind—
The formation—held.
Not because Nexus designed it.
Because they chose it.
Erza's voice cut through—clear—
"Together."
And this time—
No one questioned it.