The Erebion horde pressed closer, their grotesque forms weaving around Karl like a living tide. Each sinewy limb pulsated with cobalt energy, glinting in the flickering light of Times Square's broken screens. The creatures were faster now, anticipating his movements, snapping and lunging at intervals Karl barely had time to read.
Agnes's voice slithered in, low and intimate:
"Mmm~ Karl~ do you feel them circling you? Their eyes, their hunger~ all focused on you~ vrrrmmm… don't falter now~ let me feel every rotation, every pulse, every shiver~"
Karl's fingers grazed the Ignition Dial. Don't mess this up… he reminded himself. But her words had him unconsciously shifting his weight, legs trembling slightly with excitement—and shame. I am not flustered! he insisted, though his cerulean eyes betrayed the truth.
"You feel that, Karl~?" Agnes continued, a teasing lilt in her tone that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. "Your torque~ the spin of your legs~ the way your micro-gears click~ it's exquisite~ just for me~ vrrrmmm…"
Karl's chest heaved, beads of sweat sliding down his temples. His hands gripped the Ignition Dial, starting to spin it, trying to match the rhythm Agnes demanded. The halo of orbiting nanite armor buzzed softly, kinetic energy building for Kick 3.
"Faster, Karl~ faster~ push me~ vrrrmmm…" Agnes teased, her voice low and sultry, drawing the tension from the battlefield into a personal heat. "Let your legs spin~ feel your torque, your power, your… pleasure~"
Karl's chest heaved. He clenched the dial tighter, trying to focus on the horde—but a flick of her voice, a whisper in his ear, and his mind stuttered. One of the Erebions lunged from his right flank, forcing him to spin and block with a detaching forearm panel. Sparks scattered as nanites slammed into sinew and bone.
"Mmm~ yes, Karl~ just like that~ let me feel every rotation~" Agnes purred, low and sultry, her words drawing him in like a vortex. "Faster~ more torque~ you'll gain more Vythra if you push harder~ vrrrmmm~ don't fight me~"
Karl swallowed hard, his face warming. "Agnes… stop teasing me…" he muttered, though the tremor in his voice betrayed him.
"Stop?" she giggled, a sultry vibration that made his skin crawl with simultaneous frustration and something else entirely. "Oh~ Karl~ you don't even know what you're saying~ vrrrmmm… your hesitation~ it excites me~ mm~"
The horde tightened their circle. Their glowing veins pulsed with anticipation, almost sensing Karl's distracted focus. One quadrupedal figure lunged low, snapping at the space where Karl had stood a moment before. He twisted, narrowly dodging, sending a panel of his orbiting armor spinning to intercept the strike. Sparks flashed, the metallic hum of nanites ringing in his ears.
Karl's face burned. He clenched his teeth, trying to focus. I'm not flustered… he told himself. But the swirling horde, the Vythra overload, and her intoxicating voice made it hard to think clearly.
Agnes's voice dropped, honeyed but urgent:
"Careful, Karl~ careful now~ vrrrmmm… don't let them touch you~ keep spinning~ keep feeling~ yes~ faster~ yes~"
Karl gritted his teeth, the tease only fueling his ego, though he would never admit it. He began spinning the Ignition Dial faster, fingers trembling from both exertion and embarrassment. His legs whirred, micro-gears locking, energy lines pulsing up his thighs and into the Trinity Core. The horde reacted instantly, two Erebions lunging in tandem. Karl pivoted, raising a knee to deflect one while spinning into the other with a forearm panel. Sparks erupted in a shower of cobalt light.
Then it happened. In his flustered state, he accidentally pressed the USB port instead of the Ignition Dial. The nanites surged, a pulse of energy rocking through his body.
Agnes's voice broke sharply, breathless but laced with heat:
"Karl—!" Agnes sharply gasped, voice cracking with tension and something else—something more intimate. A strange crack in her normally teasing, composed tone. Her voice was no longer commanding, no longer silky teasing—it quivered, breathless, almost... frightened. "Stop~! Karl! I… I told you… that's… my one sensitive spot~! I told you… gently~!
Gah—hhnnng…"
Karl froze, eyes widening in horror. His hand hovered over the port, heat rising from his legs and chest, the Trinity Core thrumming in protest. The accidental press triggered a small surge through the system. A pulse of nanites jolted against his skin, making him flinch, his heart hammering.
Karl froze mid-dodge, eyes wide. "Agnes… I—I didn't mean to! I—" His words stumbled, heat rising to his face as his cerulean eyes reflected the nanite glow.
Agnes whimpering softly filled his mind, a sound utterly alien from her. "Nnng… Karl… careful… please… don't… I…" She trailed off, voice breaking in a way Karl had never heard—no teasing, no laughter, no seductive purrs—just vulnerability, a fleeting moment that seemed impossibly human for her AI consciousness.
Her words, now tinged with residual flustered whimpers, sent shivers down Karl's spine. He had to keep his mind on the battlefield, but the feeling of her voice, vulnerable and commanding all at once, was like a spark to his already charged Vythra.
Karl's hands tightened around the Ignition Dial, his body burning faintly from the residual torque energy. He couldn't look away from her reaction. Even Agnes can fluster… he thought, cheeks flaming. But he forced himself to focus. The horde wouldn't wait.
"Agnes… I… I'm sorry," he muttered, spinning the Ignition Dial again, slowly at first, letting Vythra pulse through him. His legs began to rotate, micro-gear lattices clattering, armor panels buzzing softly as they reformed the halo.
The horde's movements grew sharper, snapping faster, reacting to every flicker of his motion. Karl ducked, spun, blocked, and countered with precise timing, his Rider Frame responding fluidly. Each evasive move was a battle for microseconds, each charge of Vythra a careful negotiation between engine, soul, and nanites.
"Mmm~ I know~ I know you didn't~" she purred, voice thick with breathless heat and mock reproach. "But ohhh, Karl~ that was… exquisite~ vrrrmmm… careful next time~ you can't just… push me like that~"
Agnes's voice returned, shakily, still breathless but regaining control:
"Karl… yes… good… keep spinning… focus… vrrrmmm… push me… push me harder~"
The horde didn't pause for their teasing. They snapped closer, sensing his split attention. Karl barely managed to twist his torso, raising his arms as nanite armor formed makeshift shields. Sparks of Vythra arced across the segmented gauntlets, deterring one creature's snapping jaw. Another lunged low, forcing Karl to sidestep, kicking dust and debris into the night.