He exhaled sharply, bracing himself. The micro-gear lattices spun faster, the orbiting armor panels quivering like metallic satellites. A surge of Vythra hummed through his veins, and Karl felt the nanites along his thighs pulse in rhythm with the Trinity Core.
He shifted his stance, spinning his lower body slowly at first, the detached armor pieces orbiting him in a controlled halo. His cerulean eyes glinted in concentration, reflecting the glowing cracks of the rift above. Agnes cooed softly:
"Good~ yes… feel that kinetic pressure building, Karl… each rotation, each spin… ohhh, I can feel it too."
Karl growled, gripping the dial tighter, finally letting go of hesitation. With a deep breath, he launched forward, twisting his hips and spinning his legs with precision. The detached armor plates began to orbit faster, kinetic energy building to a crescendo.
Karl's body tensed, visor glowing bright cerulean. The Erebions lunged.
And in that heartbeat… it was time.
Karl lunged. His lower body spun violently, the detached armor orbiting in a deadly cyclone. The Erebion lunged back, jaws snapping — but the gear halo was already spinning around it.
He felt the heat first — a creeping, blazing tension along his thighs and calves. His cerulean eyes flickered as the nanite lattice pulsed harder. Sparks rained like fireflies, and the rotational energy surged beyond the safe threshold.
"Breathe… focus, Karl," Agnes whispered, almost coaxing. "Remember the Trinity Core — mother stabilizes, father calculates — let them guide you. This burn? Temporary. Necessary. For perfection."
With one final push, he extended his leg. The armor plates collided with the Erebion, detaching into nanite fragments mid-impact. They infiltrated the creature's outer layers, over-rotating its energy lattice. Sparks cascaded like fireworks as the monster convulsed, destabilized.
The Erebion's form flickered. Its pulse throbbed unnaturally, but it didn't collapse. Karl's body buckled from the thermal feedback, knees almost hitting the ground. The nanites around him glowed molten cobalt, almost liquid, and his cerulean eyes flickered dangerously.
And then—the backlash hit.
"Uh… Agnes, it's burning—!" he gasped.
"Ohh~" she purred, the voice both sultry and analytical. "That's the Royal Azure Overburn. Your first taste of it. Don't stop now, Karl~ I want you to feel this."
His muscles screamed beneath the hybrid nanite-organic layers. Every fiber vibrated with torque, energy tearing at his skin at a molecular level. The air warped around him, shimmering in heat waves.
His nanites groaned and micro-gears whined, some edges softening under thermal stress. He felt his lungs tighten, his heart hammering.
A surge of heat shot up Karl's legs. Micro-gears screamed as rotational energy overloaded his system. Blue heat crawled along his veins, glowing under his skin as the Engine Soul and Gear Drive struggled to stabilize the thermal feedback.
Agnes gasped softly in his mind, almost teasing still:
"Uh-oh~ careful, Karl… that's your first taste of Eternal Drive. Mmm… it's hot, isn't it? You feel it… your body… singing… just like me~"
Karl's vision blurred slightly. His muscles seized, armor edges vibrating uncontrollably. He gritted his teeth, staggering, feeling the first Near-Death Moment wash over him.
Near-Death Moment 1 — Overheating:
Cause: Excessive torque from the first kick combined with the Engine Soul's overclocked energy.
Effects: Blue heat signatures traced along Karl's legs and torso, minor nanite instability, breathing slowed, muscles seizing.
Agnes whispered:
"Mmm~ see? That's why we can't overdo it… yet. But don't worry, I'll guide you through. One moment at a time, Karl~"
He staggered slightly, feeling the warmth of the Trinity Core pulse through him, the Engine Soul's soft hum stabilizing the system just enough to prevent collapse. The orbiting armor plates reattached automatically, locking with precise clicks.
But he endured. Inch by inch, the nanites reformed, the cobalt glow stabilizing just enough. Karl fell to one knee, chest heaving, sweat and nanite residue clinging to him like molten silk.
Agnes sighed softly in his mind, her teasing gone for the first time.
"Not bad for a first try… Karl. We'll have to pace ourselves. Those aren't the only ones, and they're learning fast. Rest for a heartbeat. Then we go again."
He swallowed, gripping the ignition dial again. The Erebions, fewer but stronger now, circled, recalibrating to the attack.
Karl whispered under his breath, voice trembling but determined:
"Let's… do this… again."
Karl inhaled sharply, sweat trickling along his brow under the helmet. His cerulean eyes met the glowing forms of the remaining Erebions. He felt a mix of awe and frustration — they were strong, adaptive, and relentless, but Agnes's guidance and teasing kept his hands steady, his mind razor-focused.
"…Alright," he muttered, voice trembling slightly. "One… one more kick."
Agnes purred, voice dripping both playfulness and desire:
"Good boy~ yes… that's it. Each rotation… each spin… you feel it, don't you? That surge… that pleasure… that power… vrrrmmm~ yes… one more… just for me~"
Karl blushed furiously, muttering under his breath:
"Agnes… stop it!"
"…Not yet~" she whispered, coiling around his mind like a warm current. "We're just getting started, Karl. Feel the Vythra… channel the Gear Drive… let it burn… ohhh yes, let it burn for me~"
The Erebions circled closer, sensing the kinetic energy buildup, but Karl steadied himself, hands gripping the ignition dial. His armor hummed and clicked, the Trinity Core spinning at peak velocity.
And somewhere deep in his mind, Agnes whispered one last, teasing word before the second kick:
"Ready for me~ Karl?"