The remains of the first Erebion fizzled into faint motes of ichor and nanites, recalled into Karl's armor. His legs burned like molten steel, each fiber strained from the torque of the first strike. The Trinity Core hummed, Vythra still flowing, but only just. Karl's chest rose and fell in heavy gasps. He barely had a moment to recover before the rest of the horde circled him with deliberate patience, their glowing cobalt veins undulating like a predator's pulse.
Agnes's voice slithered through his mind, low, commanding, and intoxicating:
"Mmm… Karl~ do you feel that pulse? That heat~ vrrrmmm… your legs, your core, it's all trembling… all for me~ Don't fight it~ let your Drive flow, let it bloom~"
Karl flushed involuntarily, gripping the ignition dial tighter. "A-Agnes… stop teasing…" he muttered, his ego flaring even as his chest thumped. He could not admit he was flustered.
"Oh, no~?" she purred, her tone dipping lower, seductive and deliberate. "You're trembling, feel it~ rev me harder, Karl~ vrrrmmm~ give me all of your energy, let me taste it in your Drive…"
Karl groaned, shaking his head, forcing his focus. He had to survive this fight. The Erebions weren't circling idly—they were testing him, looking for an opening.
As he began spinning the Ignition Dial, the Trinity Core pulsed in synchrony with his Engine Soul. His legs hummed with rotational energy, the micro-gear lattices spinning faster along his thighs and shins. The detached nanite armor hovered around him in a halo of cobalt and cerulean, ready.
Then the first Erebion lunged, low and fast, its four jagged jaws snapping in a horrifying mimicry of Karl's first kick. Karl twisted his torso, barely dodging the attack, feeling the rush of wind and ichor as the creature's limbs sliced the empty air.
"Not bad… but try again, Karl~" Agnes murmured, seductive but urgent. "Keep spinning, keep charging… your nanites, your core, everything… feel it~ feel me~"
Karl's legs spun faster. Another Erebion came at him from the side, its sinewy body striking like a whip. He lifted his arm, nanites clattering into a makeshift shield, deflecting the strike just enough to avoid injury. Sparks of Vythra danced across his gauntlets.
"Good… yes~ keep it flowing~" Agnes breathed, her voice almost wet with anticipation. "I can feel it, Karl~ every rotation, every pulse… mmh~ faster~ faster~"
Karl grimaced, feeling the heat creeping up from his legs. Yggdrasil's tendrils reached inward, slowly repairing the microscopic burns, but it was a slow process—two seconds, three seconds, and the horde was relentless. Another Erebion lunged from behind, its jaws splitting open, pulsing with unnatural energy. Karl twisted again, narrowly avoiding the strike, the centrifugal energy of the gear lattices keeping him balanced.
He cursed under his breath. This is insane… Eight kicks total, and I'm already nearly drained. But Agnes's voice pulled him back, intoxicating:
"Mmm~ yes, Karl… your Drive… so strong, so hot, so alive~ feel it sing through you~ you're trembling for me again~ vrrrmmm~"
Karl's cheeks flamed. He refused to admit it aloud, gritting his teeth and pushing through. He angled his legs, spinning the Ignition Dial faster, feeling the energy building, charging, every micro-gear synching in perfect timing. He dodged a snapping jaw from above, rolled past a lunging body, and countered a strike with a swipe of detached nanites, all while revving the Dial to accelerate the charge for the next kick.
Agnes's tone softened, more breathless now, guiding:
"Perfect, Karl~ now… now feel the torque, the rotational energy… let it flow, vrrrmmm~ into your leg, into the nanites, into me~ into your kick~"
Karl felt it surge, the centrifugal force of the orbiting armor, the micro-nanites spinning, ready to strike. The second Erebion lunged again, slower this time—Karl had learned its pattern. He spun, kicked out, and the nanite swarm detached with precision, forming the protective halo, infiltrating the creature's form, destabilizing it from the inside.
Near-Death Moment 2 — Torque Overload:
Cause: Rotational energy from charging the second kick while evading and countering multiple attacks.
Effects: Legs and hips burned intensely, micro-gears squealing, temporary loss of mobility in one leg, risk of internal nanite misalignment.
Yggdrasil Healing: Slowly restored structural integrity, taking several seconds as Karl braced for the remaining horde.
The Erebion staggered, partially destabilized. Karl staggered too, catching his breath as Yggdrasil completed the healing cycle. The remaining Erebions circled, eyes gleaming with a predatory intelligence, sensing his rhythm.
Agnes whispered, now dangerously seductive:
"Mmm~ Karl… my, my… you do look so good when you push yourself~ vrrrmmm… faster~ let me feel it~ all of it~"
Karl groaned, chest heaving, hands gripping the Ignition Dial. I'm not flustered… not flustered… His legs shook, his body still burning from the torque overload, but the next kick… the next one… he would hit harder.
The stage was set. The horde was circling tighter, Karl's nanites humming, the Trinity Core pulsing. He inhaled sharply, readying himself for Kick 3.