The mountain slope beneath them shook with each step of the colossal demon, every impact sending tremors that rattled the Erevos frame beneath Karl. Its red eyes scanned the terrain, sweeping across valleys, jagged rock faces, and the thin, fragile tracks that Karl had projected with Blueprint Overdrive. Every step it took seemed to crush the earth itself, yet somehow Karl's carefully calculated rail projections remained intact—ethereal blueprints that only he could interact with.
"Karl…" Agnes whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "…You do realize how insane this is, right? That thing could crush a whole valley without even noticing."
Karl's jaw tightened, eyes scanning the demon's movements, muscles and nanites syncing in perfect rhythm with Erevos. "…I know. That's why we don't fight. Not yet. We survive. We evade. Observation first."
He flexed his fingers and revved the ignition dial, sending a pulse into the Drive Regulator. The blueprints beneath their feet reacted instantly: rails sprouted along precarious ledges, curving around jagged outcrops and over narrow stone spines. Support beams appeared, shimmering faintly as they locked into place, providing temporary glide paths for Erevos.
Agnes' avatar flitted beside him, voice soft, almost seductive despite the fear. "…I can't believe I let you drag me into this. But…" She hesitated, "…I'll follow, as long as you don't die."
Karl smirked faintly. "…That's the spirit. Stay sharp."
He nudged Erevos forward. With a soft hiss of nanites, the mech slid along the first newly projected rail. It curved sharply around a crumbling cliff, the precipice far below, yet the support beams held steady, as if trusting Karl's intent more than physics itself.
The demon shifted its massive head, sensing the Vythra signature as it turned. Its roar split the air like a thunderclap, sending a cascade of rocks tumbling down the mountainside. Karl's visor flickered with alerts as debris struck near their path, and the purification turbines spun lightly on his back to ward against airborne ichor residue emanating from the demon's residual energy.
"Careful!" Agnes hissed, voice trembling but sharp. "Those support beams aren't meant to handle an earthquake that size!"
Karl leaned into the rail, Erevos's weight balanced on the flickering blueprint projections. "…Noted. Adjusting trajectory."
He sent another nanite pulse, projecting additional rails midair to form a sweeping curve that led up and around the demon's line of sight. Blueprints shimmered in the light, invisible to all but him, while support beams anchored onto jagged outcrops, providing temporary stability for rapid maneuvers.
The demon stomped again, earth quaking violently, its red eyes sweeping across the slopes. Small fragments of rock rained down, each strike sending minor shockwaves that would have thrown an ordinary pilot off course—but Karl's nanites adjusted, reinforcing the rails moment by moment, recalculating each support beam's angle and compression strength.
"Impressive," Agnes murmured, voice low and trembling, "…I can't believe you're doing this under that gaze."
Karl's lips twitched into a faint smirk. "…I told you. Observation first."
He projected a set of vertical rails up the side of a cliff, Erevos clinging to them like a skater on a handrail. The demon's attention snapped toward them as they shifted upwards, its massive hand slamming against the cliff below, sending chunks of stone tumbling, yet missing the newly extended blueprint path.
"Too close," Agnes whispered, her avatar hugging the holographic rails as they arced upward. "…Karl, we're practically in its line of fire!"
Karl's mind was calm, calculating. "…Keep moving. Stay precise." He triggered another series of pulses: rails extended horizontally now, creating a zigzag over a fractured ridge. Support beams projected downward, pressing against the jagged cliff edges, creating a temporary bridge above the valley floor. The demon snarled, sensing movement, but the blueprints were intangible to it, slipping from its perception like a phantom.
Agnes' voice became a soft, teasing purr despite the fear in her words. "…You are insane. I… I hate that I think that's impressive."
Karl let himself grin faintly as they navigated the vertical zigzag. "…Not insane. Focused."
The demon, realizing their vertical ascent, stomped hard again, shattering a section of cliff. Karl instantly projected additional rails to compensate, creating a cascading path that spiraled around the mountain face. Erevos hugged the rails tightly, spinning slightly as it navigated a sharp hairpin turn. The centrifugal forces were immense, but the nanites stabilized each joint with micro-corrections.
Agnes' voice was soft now, almost shy. "…I can't believe I… I trust you to pull this off…"
Karl's smirk softened as he adjusted trajectory. "…You always do."
The demon lunged suddenly, swinging a massive arm toward their projected path. Karl's visor flickered red with proximity alerts, and with precise timing, he triggered the nanites to bend the rails midair. Erevos shot upward, angling around the swing, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.
"Damn it!" Agnes hissed, voice trembling. "…I could've died!"
"…Not today," Karl replied calmly, sliding along another horizontal rail as the demon's massive hand slammed into the cliff just below, sending a tremor through the mountainside.
They continued their escape, weaving and spiraling around the mountain, each move precise and measured. Blueprints extended, twisted, and curved at impossible angles, forming temporary rails that only Karl could use, leaving the demon frustrated and unable to strike.
Agnes' avatar floated near his shoulder, trembling but trying to regain composure. "…I… I still hate that you get me excited by doing this…" She paused, voice softening, "…and scared out of my mind at the same time."
Karl's voice was low, teasing, yet calm. "…Admit it. You love that I can pull it off."
Agnes' face flushed slightly, her avatar shifting shyly. "…Maybe… maybe a little."
The demon roared in frustration, sensing Vythra now more acutely as they twisted around another ridge. Karl projected multiple parallel rails, weaving an intricate lattice of pathways and support beams, each one a calculated escape route that would let them glide around the demon's immense size and reach.
Wind howled past as Erevos twisted through tight spaces, the purification turbines spinning quietly to keep the air around them clean from any residual ichor emanating from the demon's proximity.
"Karl…" Agnes whispered, almost reverently now, "…I… I can't believe we're still alive."
Karl glanced at her, faint smirk on his lips, "…We're not just surviving. We're mastering it. Observation first, always."
Agnes exhaled softly, her voice almost purring. "…You… you're insane… but… I…" She faltered, "…I'm proud of you."
The demon's massive form finally paused, red eyes scanning the valleys below, muscles rippling, sensing something. Karl and Agnes froze mid-rail, letting Erevos hover, barely moving, their blueprint path blending into the mountain. The demon snarled, turned its gaze away, and stomped back into the valley—disappearing from their view.
Karl exhaled slowly, relaxing slightly as Erevos clung to the mountain's edge. "…Observation complete. We live to move another day."
Agnes' voice was soft, trembling, almost shyly teasing now. "…You… you really are something else, Karl. I… I don't even know what to say."
Karl smirked faintly. "…Just don't let that roar wake anyone else."
Agnes giggled quietly, leaning into the controls of Erevos, her voice dropping into a gentle, teasing purr. "…I… I can't help it… you… make me melt…"
The two of them remained on the mountain slope, adrenaline still high, the demon nowhere in sight, and the sky beginning to glow with the late afternoon sun. The danger had passed for now, but the taste of tension lingered, the thrill of evasion, and the knowledge that whatever this creature was, it was strong
Karl sent a final pulse through the Drive Regulator, retracting the temporary rails and storing them for the next maneuver. "…Agnes… ready to continue to Minneapolis?"
Agnes' voice softened into a teasing, gentle murmur. "…After that… I think I need a long cup of whatever passes for coffee in your head."
Karl chuckled faintly, Erevos shifting smoothly as they resumed their glide along the mountain edge, heading west. Minneapolis awaited, and whatever Vythra signature had drawn them here still pulsed faintly in the distance—but this time, Karl and Agnes knew exactly how to navigate the threats along the way.