Halvra's underground was colder than the surface dead air heavy with abandoned scripts
Rust flaked from terminal walls like dried blood
Reiss walked ahead his blade humming
Aya followed each step calculated Rewrite Edge pulsing near her spine
They reached the gateway
Ancient code carved across it like warnings
She placed her shard on the lock
The system hesitated
Then opened
Inside
They found them
Three guardians half-machine half-forgotten player data
Once heroes now shells
Their eyes burned red their movements twitching like corrupted frames
Reiss tilted his head
Echo guardians
Didn't think any were left
Aya raised her blade
They only wake when logout fails
Means they died still inside the code
Means they're angry
The first guardian moved a blur of golden armor fused with black spikes
Reiss dodged the strike then countered with a flash of hookblade
It phased through the guardian
No damage
They adapt to old code Aya warned
Gotta hit them with rewritten logic
Reiss scoffed
Then rewrite we shall
The second guardian leapt slicing the air with twin blades
Aya deflected one and spun low cutting across the core but the wound healed instantly
System lag
Reiss caught the third mid-leap twisted and shattered its leg with a raw surge of rollback
It screamed like a dying algorithm
Aya caught his eye
Combo
He nodded
They charged together
Aya blurred left Reiss right
He baited the twins
She surged up Rewrite Edge glowing
They switched at the last second
He slammed his corrupted power through the twin's back
Aya sliced clean through the core from above
First two guardians shattered into light
The last one roared unleashing a memory scream that shook the entire chamber
Reiss held his ground
Aya took the front
They moved as one
His hook caught the scream's root
She drove Rewrite Edge through its heart
Silence fell
No more screams
Only static
Then a voice whispered from the walls
First Link Initiated
Zerach's signal had reached the tower
Aya stepped forward eyes cold
We're too late for silence
Reiss grinned
Good
I like noise