A tremor shook the facility.


    The ground beneath Khem vibrated, a deep, pulsing shift that sent ripples through the steel walls. It wasn’t part of the AI’s controlled distortions—this was different. Unplanned. Unaccounted for.


    For the first time since entering the labyrinth, the AI hesitated.


    Khem felt the change immediately. The ever-present hum in the walls, the subtle yet precise recalibrations of their surroundings—it all stalled for just a fraction of a second.


    That told him everything.


    Somewhere in the facility, the real SOF was fighting back.


    Khem’s grip on the situation tightened. Wise’s AI wasn’t omnipotent—its control was limited. And if something was disrupting its process, that meant Wise himself was preoccupied.


    The AI’s voice returned, smooth as ever, but Khem noticed the slightest distortion—almost a lag between response and action.


    “Continue forward. Wise is waiting.”


    The moment had come.


    Khem turned his head slightly, scanning his supposed teammates. The false SOF stood still, their expressions neutral, but now that he knew what to look for, the discrepancies were clearer than ever.


    The tremor had knocked nothing out of place for them.


    No subtle shifts in stance. No adjusting their footing. No natural reactions at all.


    They weren’t reacting. They were waiting for him.


    It was an illusion of free will. The AI couldn’t let them break character—so it stalled them instead.


    Khem exhaled slowly, forcing his mind to stay ahead. He had one chance to turn the AI against itself.


    He needed to force it into a paradox.


    He kept his voice measured. “You said every path leads to the same destination.”


    The AI responded without hesitation. “That is correct.”


    Khem tilted his head slightly. “And Wise already knows exactly where we are, yes?”


    A pause.


    Then: “Affirmative.”


    Khem took one slow step forward, forcing the fake SOF to match him. “Then what’s the point of guiding us at all? If every path leads to the same place, why not simply leave us alone?”


    Another tremor shook the ground, more violent this time. The walls let out a low, mechanical groan.


    The AI didn’t answer immediately. Khem could feel the system processing, adjusting its response patterns.


    He had it.


    Khem pressed further. “If Wise truly accounted for everything, then what’s causing these disruptions?”


    Another pause. Longer.


    Too long.


    Then, a response—but this time, the AI’s voice stuttered. “Irrelevant. Your path remains unchanged.”


    Khem’s lips barely twitched. “Then Wise predicted the tremors?”


    Silence.


    Then the static in the walls deepened, and Khem could hear the faint, telltale crackling of a system rebooting itself.


    The AI had no answer.


    It wasn’t programmed for this scenario. The real SOF was out there, disrupting something. And the AI had no contingency for what it hadn’t predicted.


    The illusion began to flicker.


    The perfect synchronization of the fake SOF wavered—just for a second, their bodies lagged mid-motion before snapping back into place.


    It was subtle. A tiny crack. But for Khem, it was enough.


    Khem turned his gaze to the ceiling, addressing the AI directly. His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was lethal.


    “You never predicted this,” he said simply.


    A sharp whine filled the air. The lighting flickered again, the shadows stretching unnaturally before snapping back into place. The walls tensed as if the facility itself was straining to keep up.


    Another tremor. Closer this time.


    The AI’s voice returned, but it was no longer smooth. It crackled. Distorted. Delayed.


    “Irrelevant. All… variables… accounted… for—”


    Khem didn’t let it finish. “Then why are you struggling to respond?”


    The moment he spoke, the hallway around him distorted violently, entire sections glitching as if the hideout had just lost a critical function.


    The fakes snapped rigid, standing too still. Their faces were blank, their forms flickering like projections caught in a failing signal.


    The AI had been backed into a logical corner. It had no answer.


    Khem took one final step forward. His voice, cold as steel.


    “You’ve already lost.”


    The AI glitched violently. The speakers let out a mechanical screech, the walls shuddered, and then—


    The lights failed.


    Pitch darkness. The deep, heavy silence of a machine collapsing under the weight of its own contradictions.


    Then, one by one, the fake SOF flickered out of existence.


    The moment they vanished, the hallway stretched outward, as if the entire space had been warped around them. The illusion collapsed completely, revealing a different corridor—one leading toward a massive central chamber.


    A slow, mechanical hiss filled the air.


    Khem stepped forward, moving through the corridor toward the central chamber. And then, he saw him.


    Wise, in the flesh.


    Standing before a massive machine, Wise was fixated on a display, analyzing streams of data. Beside him, a glass container housed the meteorite stones he had gathered, their surfaces gleaming under the artificial light.


    Slowly, Wise turned to face Khem, his expression unreadable beneath the dark tint of his shades.


    "Well done for coming this far."


    Khem’s gaze flicked to the meteorite stones before settling back on Wise. His voice was steady, but edged with tension. "Where are the others?"


    Wise remained still for a moment before tilting his head slightly. Then, with a measured tone, he responded, "You should be asking a different question: Will they still be your ‘others’ when you find them?"


    Khem’s expression remained unreadable, but his voice was sharp. "If you had done anything to them, you’d be bragging about it, not dodging the question."


    Wise let out a low chuckle, tilting his head slightly. "Oh? You took me for the bragging type?" His tone carried a hint of amusement, but his posture remained composed. "Rest assured, your team is alive. I wouldn''t waste such valuable pieces so carelessly."


    Khem''s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, valuable pieces?"


    Wise smirked slightly, adjusting his stance. "Now, Khem, where''s the fun in handing you all the answers?" His voice was smooth, deliberate. "You''ll understand soon enough."


    Khem''s gaze flickered past Wise, settling on the massive machine at his side. The cables pulsed with energy, the glass container of meteorite stones humming faintly within. Whatever Wise was planning, this was at the center of it.


    Ignoring Wise’s provocation, Khem took a slow step forward, his eyes scanning the machine''s structure. "And what exactly am I supposed to understand?" His tone was calm, but deliberate.


    Wise’s smirk didn’t fade, but his posture shifted slightly—almost imperceptibly. A subtle change, but enough for Khem to notice.


    So, this is what he’s protecting.


    Khem’s gaze remained locked on the machine, its hum filling the chamber with an unsettling rhythm. The meteorite stones within the glass container pulsed faintly, their energy feeding into the complex web of cables and conduits around them.


    Without hesitation, he took a deliberate step toward it.


    Immediately, Wise’s posture shifted—subtle, but telling. His fingers twitched at his side, and his head tilted just slightly, like a predator tracking movement.


    Khem noticed. That was confirmation.


    "Interesting," Khem muttered. "You didn’t move when I stepped toward you."


    Wise’s smirk returned, but this time, it didn’t reach his eyes. "Careful, Khem. You don’t know what you’re touching."


    Khem took another step, keeping his expression unreadable. "Then tell me."


    The air between them grew heavier. The machine let out a low mechanical whir, as if responding to Khem’s proximity.


    Wise exhaled slowly, adjusting his stance. "I would, but you’ve already proven something to me."


    Khem narrowed his eyes. "And what’s that?"


    Wise’s smirk deepened. "You don’t actually want to destroy it."


    For the first time, Khem hesitated.


    Wise seized the moment. "If you did, you wouldn’t be testing me. You’d have already acted." His voice was smooth, confident. "But you’re thinking. You’re doubting. And that means—on some level—you already know this machine is more than what you assumed."


    Khem’s jaw tightened. He had expected Wise to react, to try to physically stop him. Instead, Wise was planting a seed of doubt.


    And that was more dangerous than any direct defense.


    A slow click.


    Khem’s muscles tensed. Wise hadn’t moved—at least, not physically. But somewhere, embedded in the control panel, a hidden mechanism had just been triggered.


    The machine roared to life.


    A deep, unnatural hum pulsed through the chamber, sending a low vibration through the floor. The meteorite stones inside the containment unit flared, their glow intensifying. The cables snaking through the structure trembled as if something inside was awakening.


    Khem immediately stepped back, his instincts kicking in. Too late.


    Wise exhaled softly, almost amused. “Now you’ll see.”


    The chamber shifted. The very air around them became heavy, as if gravity itself had been altered. A ripple pulsed outward, and for the first time since entering this facility, Khem felt something unfamiliar—a pull.


    His body resisted, but something inside his core felt unsteady. The Stasis ability within him flickered, just for an instant.


    Wise took a slow step forward. “This is what I meant by valuable pieces.”


    Before he could plan his next move, a sudden rumble shook the chamber.


    Wise’s expression shifted—just slightly, but enough for Khem to notice. The controlled smirk faded, replaced by a flicker of calculation.


    Then, in the distance, a deafening crash.


    The sound of metal being ripped apart.


    Khem’s breath steadied. They were here.


    Wise tilted his head slightly, exhaling through his nose. “Hmm. Took them longer than I expected.”


    Another impact shook the structure—this time closer. Sparks rained down from the ceiling, and the faint hum of distant security systems dying out reached Khem’s ears.


    The rest of SOF was breaking through.


    Wise exhaled sharply. "Tch. No more time for this."


    Without hesitation, he moved—not toward Khem, but toward the machine.


    Khem’s instincts flared. He’s accelerating it.


    Wise''s fingers brushed over the control panel, and in an instant, the entire facility shuddered violently. The meteorite stones inside the containment unit blazed with unnatural energy, their glow intensifying beyond control.


    A deep, distorted pulse rippled through reality itself. The air twisted, the walls bent in ways they shouldn’t, and Khem felt the same pull as before—but stronger, deeper. Something fundamental was changing.


    Wise turned his head slightly, his voice eerily calm despite the chaos. "You wanted answers, Khem? Watch closely."


    Khem didn’t move immediately. Instead, he let his fingers twitch—just slightly—before raising his hand toward the machine.


    Wise’s smirk faltered, barely perceptible, but Khem caught it. That reaction was all he needed.


    He took a slow step forward, keeping his hand just inches away from the nearest conduit. "You’ve accounted for everything, haven’t you, Wise? You said every variable was calculated."


    Wise remained still. Watching.


    Khem’s hand hovered closer to the machine’s energy stream, his Stasis touch just a breath away from making contact. "Then tell me—what happens if I freeze this?"


    The machine whirred violently, the cables shuddering as if resisting his presence. The air around them pulsed, charged with unstable energy, but Khem didn’t blink. His entire body remained poised—daring Wise to react.


    For the first time, Wise’s expression hardened. "That," he said, voice dangerously low, "would be… unwise."


    Khem’s lips barely twitched. There it is.


    "Would it?" His voice was calm, but deliberate. "I can’t see the future like you, Wise. I don’t know exactly what this machine does. But I do know one thing—you don’t want me to touch it."


    Silence. The only sound was the pulsing hum of the machine, its energy fluctuating erratically. Wise wasn’t moving.


    That was confirmation. Khem had forced him into a choice.


    If Wise truly valued the machine above all else, he would step in. If he hesitated, that meant there was something more.


    Wise let out a slow breath through his nose. "You misunderstand, Khem. It''s not about what you stop. It’s about what you start."


    Khem’s hand inched closer. One more second, and he’d test that theory.


    But before he could, Wise moved—not toward Khem, but toward the machine.


    Instead of stopping him directly, Wise''s fingers brushed the control panel with calculated precision. The machine let out a low, resonant hum, and the meteorite stones flared inside their containment unit. The air in the chamber shifted, a distortion rippling outward like a shockwave.


    Khem felt it immediately—his balance wavered. Not because of an impact, but because the very space around him had changed.


    "I warned you," Wise murmured. "It''s not about stopping it, Khem. It''s about what happens when you interfere."


    The pull intensified. Khem’s muscles tensed as he felt something tugging at his core. It wasn''t gravity—it was his Stasis ability. The energy in the room was reacting to it, disrupting his control in a way he had never experienced before.


    For the first time since entering this battle, Khem felt an unfamiliar sensation—uncertainty.


    Then he forced it down. If the machine was beyond his immediate reach, then there was only one other option.


    Wise.


    Without hesitation, Khem shifted his stance and lunged—not toward the machine, but directly at Wise.


    Wise’s expression barely changed, but Khem caught it—the slight flex of his fingers, the faint shift of his footing. He wasn’t caught off guard. He was waiting.


    Khem’s hand shot forward, aimed squarely for Wise’s center mass. But just before impact—


    Wise moved.


    Not away. Through.


    For a split second, Wise’s form seemed to blur, an afterimage rippling where he had stood. Khem’s attack cut through empty air, his momentum carrying him forward into nothingness.


    Before he could fully recover, a sharp pressure grazed his ribs—Wise’s counterattack.


    Khem barely twisted in time to deflect the strike, but the force sent him skidding backward, boots screeching against the metal floor. His breath was steady, his mind recalibrating instantly.


    Wise exhaled through his nose. "Predictable."


    Khem gritted his teeth and pressed the attack. He moved fast—a feint to Wise’s left, then a sudden pivot to the right, aiming a strike for his ribs.


    But Wise was already moving. Not dodging—redirecting.


    The moment Khem committed to his strike, Wise’s hand flicked forward with effortless precision, catching Khem’s wrist and using his own momentum against him. In a single motion, Khem was spun off-balance.


    Then, a sudden force slammed into his gut.


    Khem barely registered Wise’s palm thrust before he was sent hurtling backward, his body crashing into the steel floor. The impact rattled his spine, his breath torn from his lungs in a sharp exhale.


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    Before he could rise, a heavy boot pressed against his chest.


    Wise stood over him, unbothered, his stance relaxed. Composed. In control.


    "You’re not thinking, Khem." Wise’s tone was even, not mocking—but close. "You came in here expecting me to act like Muscular. You thought brute force would be enough."


    Khem tensed beneath Wise’s weight, his muscles coiling to push back, but—


    A sudden, suffocating pressure locked his body in place.


    It wasn’t gravity. It wasn’t an energy field.


    It was Wise’s influence.


    The air itself felt heavier, as if reality had subtly shifted around him. The machine behind them pulsed, its glow intensifying, feeding something into the environment itself. The battlefield was no longer neutral.


    Wise tilted his head slightly. "This fight was over before it began. You just don’t realize it yet."


    Before Wise could press the advantage further, a thunderous impact shook the chamber.


    The ground trembled violently, sending tremors through the steel. Overhead, metal supports groaned, and the air filled with the sharp screech of rending metal.


    Khem’s breath steadied. They were here.


    Wise tilted his head slightly, exhaling through his nose. "Hmph. Took them long enough."


    Another impact—closer. Sparks rained from above, and distant alarms flickered and died. The control Wise had over the facility was starting to break.


    Then, a reinforced section of the chamber wall buckled inward.


    A silhouette emerged through the crumbling steel—Senshi.


    His flame dragon vessel pulsed with heat, embers still dancing around his feet from the destruction. His expression was set in grim determination.


    Khem felt relief for only half a second.


    Then, another figure stepped in beside Senshi.


    Another Senshi.


    Khem’s body tensed. No. Not possible.


    Before he could process it, another wall on the far side collapsed outward.


    Weird stepped through. His usual cocky grin flashed as he rolled his shoulders. “Damn, Khem. What, you couldn’t handle this one alone?”


    Then, another Weird walked in right behind him.


    Khem’s pulse quickened.


    From another direction, Samui entered the chamber, her Scanner already flickering as she scanned the area.


    And behind her—another Samui.


    Each member of SOF had arrived from a different entrance.


    Each one accompanied by an identical double.


    For a brief, heavy moment, no one spoke.


    The real SOF members turned, staring at their own duplicates.


    The silence stretched.


    Then, finally—Shining stepped in.


    His glow flashed slightly, his gaze sweeping across the scene. He stopped, seeing himself already standing there.


    A single, sharp breath. "What the hell?"


    Khem’s hands curled into fists.


    Wise chuckled—low, deliberate.


    "Ah," he mused, as if watching a performance unfold exactly as he expected. "Now this is interesting."


    The room was still.


    Nobody moved.


    Nobody breathed.


    Because now, no one could be sure who was real.


    Wise let the silence linger, his smirk deepening as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Well? What are you waiting for? They''re standing right in front of you."


    The real SOF exchanged glances, their stances tense. The clones mirrored them perfectly, every subtle motion and breath reflected with eerie precision.


    Wise tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening. "What’s wrong? You hesitated. Why? They''re standing right there. Prove yourself. Strike first."


    No one moved.


    Samui’s fingers hovered over her scanner, her mind racing for a way to verify identities.


    Senshi’s fists clenched, his usual aggression tempered by hesitation. If I make the first move, I could hit the wrong target. I need a tell. Something.


    Weird let out a slow exhale, his playful arrogance fading. If they act just like us, they’ll even fake our flaws. So what’s the mistake?


    Shining’s glow flickered slightly, his breathing controlled. He could feel the light reacting to the presence of others—real and fake alike. They don’t generate heat, don’t emit real light. That’s one clue. But if Wise accounted for that…


    Khem, however, remained absolutely still. His gaze swept the room, his mind calculating at a methodical, deliberate pace.


    There was a pattern here.


    The clones were too perfect.


    Too synchronized.


    That meant they weren’t reacting. They were anticipating.


    That was the flaw.


    The real SOF hesitated. They second-guessed. They adjusted based on instincts and uncertainty. But these clones—these fabrications—were flawless. And flawless meant artificial.


    Khem’s fingers twitched slightly, but he didn’t let his realization show.


    Instead, he turned his attention to Wise.


    The man watched the scene unfold, unreadable behind his shades, but Khem could feel it. Wise was studying them, waiting for a single misstep.


    A misstep Khem wasn’t going to give him.


    The moment stretched thinner. The weight of the choice bore down on the room.


    A low, mechanical whine filled the air.


    The machine behind Wise pulsed, the meteorite stones inside its containment chamber flaring with unstable energy. Khem felt it before he saw it—a ripple through the space around him, like the air itself had been rewoven into something foreign.


    Then, the distortions began.


    The ground trembled beneath his feet, but not in any natural way. The floor stretched for a fraction of a second, then snapped back into place. The walls curved and straightened in an instant, as if reality itself was adjusting.


    The air pulsed again, heavy and unnatural. Khem’s breath came slow and steady, but he could feel the shift—his Stasis ability flickered. For the first time since gaining it, he could sense resistance when he tried to use it. Not failure. Not weakness. But something different.


    The clones of SOF did not react. They remained eerily still, staring at their originals. Then—


    A malfunction.


    Weird’s double took a step forward, but halfway through the motion, his limbs froze mid-air, glitching as if caught in a broken frame of time. His arms snapped back to his sides, then forward again, repeating the movement unnaturally.


    Senshi’s duplicate twitched, his fire flickering in and out of existence. The illusion was breaking.


    And still, Wise stood unmoved. Watching. Waiting.


    Khem exhaled slowly. He needed to act. The machine’s energy was disrupting everything—including his ability. But if he didn’t take advantage of this moment, Wise would regain control.


    Instead of attacking, Khem focused on the distortions themselves.


    He narrowed his gaze, taking in the strange anomalies happening around him. The longer he observed, the more patterns he saw. The tremors were not random. The distortions in space followed a sequence—like the flicker of a dying lightbulb, but structured.


    Then, he felt it. A pulse. A heavy, sinking pull inside his core.


    It wasn’t Wise’s doing. It wasn’t the clones. It was something inside him.


    His Stasis ability was reacting, not failing. The flickers weren’t just interference—they were trying to align with the distortions happening around him. As if the machine and his power were… syncing.


    Khem clenched his fists. If his ability wasn’t breaking—but evolving—what did that mean for him?


    Another pulse. Stronger this time. His vision wavered.


    And then, for a fraction of a second—


    He saw something that wasn’t there.


    A flash of a place he had never been. A glimpse of something… further ahead.


    His ability wasn’t fighting against the machine. It was reacting to the future.


    Khem inhaled sharply and let the sensation take him. He stopped resisting and allowed his Stasis ability to sync with the rippling time distortions, forcing his vision further. The world blurred around him, and for a split second—


    He was no longer in the chamber.


    He saw Wise—standing before the machine, but not in the present. His hands moved methodically over the controls, his face eerily calm as he input commands that had not yet happened.


    The machine’s glow intensified, not with chaos but with purpose. This wasn’t instability. It was a controlled outcome.


    Then the vision shifted.


    A massive city skyline, swallowed in dark clouds, cracks of raw energy splitting across the sky. People—running, screaming. Buildings twisted unnaturally, as if reality itself was unraveling.


    At the heart of it all—


    Wise, standing untouched. Watching. Waiting.


    The future was not in flux. Wise had already seen this outcome. Planned for it.


    The vision shattered. Khem gasped, his body jolting back to the present. The chamber rushed back into focus. Wise’s boot was still pressing against his chest, pinning him down.


    Khem’s fingers twitched. Without hesitation, he reached out, his Stasis ability flickering to life as he attempted to freeze Wise’s leg in place.


    But Wise had already anticipated it.


    With effortless grace, he shifted his weight, slipping free of Khem''s hand before it could take hold. In the same motion, he delivered a precise, calculated kick to Khem’s side.


    The impact sent Khem skidding across the chamber floor. Pain flared through his ribs, but he refused to let it slow him. Using the momentum, he rolled with the force, absorbing the shock before planting his hands against the ground and pushing himself upright.


    He came to a stop, standing firm once more, his breaths controlled despite the sharp ache in his side. The machine still pulsed, but the vision had left a mark, the sensation lingering in his chest. His heart pounded, his fingers curling into fists.


    A slow chuckle escaped Wise’s lips. He tilted his head ever so slightly, as if he knew exactly what Khem had just seen.


    "Tell me, Khem," Wise murmured, adjusting his gloves. "Did you like the preview?"


    Khem’s fists tightened. His body was still, unreadable. Then, in a low, firm voice, he spoke.


    "Explain."


    Wise’s smirk deepened. "Oh, Khem, always so direct. You saw what I wanted you to see. You don’t truly grasp what’s coming—yet. But I admire your attempt to stall me. Go on, ask another. Maybe you’ll learn something before it’s too late."


    Khem held his ground. He needed more.


    "The machine. What is it?"


    Wise exhaled slowly, as if savoring the moment. "That’s the right question. But the wrong assumption. You still think of this as a machine." He gestured lazily to the pulsating core behind him. "This isn’t a device, Khem. It’s an inevitability. It doesn’t do something. It simply allows the world to catch up to what it was always meant to become."


    Khem’s gaze didn’t waver. "And that future?"


    Wise chuckled. "You already saw it, didn’t you?"


    Khem’s fists tightened. His body remained still, unreadable. Then, in a low, firm voice, he spoke.


    “You missed something.”


    Wise’s smirk faltered—just a fraction of a second, but Khem caught it. His fingers flexed slightly, an unconscious tell. Wise was calculating.


    “Oh?” Wise adjusted his gloves, keeping his tone smooth. “Enlighten me.”


    Khem didn’t reply. He didn’t need to. The future was not set. If Wise had planned for everything, then he had also planned for Khem to see exactly what he saw. But Wise had never accounted for more than one person glimpsing ahead.


    A sharp shift in the air.


    Khem felt it instantly. The others had seen it too.


    A sharp breath behind him. Samui. Her fingers hesitated for half a second—then flew into motion. The glow of her scanner intensified, data scrolling too fast for the human eye to follow. Her gaze flickered between the machine and Wise.


    "If we disrupt the sync," she muttered, barely audible, "we disrupt his control."


    The machine pulsed violently as she linked into its systems. She was hacking it.


    Wise’s head turned—a fraction too fast. He had anticipated Samui’s move, but not the speed of her execution. His composure remained firm, yet there was a flicker of adjustment in his stance.


    The moment stretched—silent, tense. Then—


    A sharp pulse of kinetic force erupted toward Samui. A direct, calculated strike—not in desperation, but with the precision of someone who had always accounted for contingencies. His reaction was immediate, but not panicked.


    Samui never saw it coming.


    The shockwave hit her like a freight train, hurling her across the chamber. Her body crashed into the steel wall with a sickening thud. The impact knocked the air from her lungs, and her scanner device flickered wildly as error messages flooded the display. The hacking sequence—terminated.


    Her fingers twitched, her mind racing. Get up. Keep going. But her limbs refused to move. The force of Wise’s attack had momentarily paralyzed her, leaving her helpless as the machine''s glow stabilized once more.


    The instant Wise’s shockwave connected with Samui, Khem moved. He didn’t flinch, didn’t hesitate—his Stasis ability snapped to life. His eyes locked onto Wise, aiming to freeze him in place before he could solidify his advantage.


    But Wise was already reacting. A flicker of movement, a ripple in the air—he twisted out of Khem’s hand just before it could take hold.


    Khem barely had time to adjust before Wise’s counterstrike hit—a precise, controlled burst of force aimed at Khem’s center mass. The impact sent Khem skidding across the floor, boots screeching against metal as he struggled to regain balance.


    Wise adjusted his gloves, calm as ever. “A split second too late,” he mused. “If you were just a fraction faster… perhaps I would have had to try.”


    The rest of SOF barely had time to react before chaos erupted.


    The clones struck instantly. Senshi barely twisted away from a mirrored fire strike, his duplicate moving with the exact same precision. Weird let out a sharp curse as his double matched his every move, countering his reflex-based attacks before he could land a proper hit. Shining found himself trapped, his glowing form reflected perfectly by his copy, each feint and dodge nullified as if he were fighting a reflection in the mirror.


    The chamber descended into a blur of combat. Metal rang out as attacks clashed, flames erupted against steel, and flashes of kinetic energy crackled through the room.


    But Wise remained still.


    Unbothered. Unrushed. He exhaled slowly, stepping forward to the console. His fingers danced effortlessly across the interface, entering precise commands with practiced ease. The machine’s pulse, once erratic, began to stabilize.


    A flicker of satisfaction passed behind his dark lenses. Undoing the hack. Reestablishing control. Resetting the inevitable.


    He barely spared Samui a glance.


    "This was always the outcome," he murmured.


    And the machine continued its work.


    Samui gritted her teeth, forcing herself to move despite the pain. The moment Wise’s fingers danced across the console, she pushed through her injuries, her fingers blurring across her scanner in a last-ditch attempt to interfere. She wasn’t trying to hack the machine anymore—she was trying to scramble Wise’s inputs.


    For the first time, Wise acknowledged her presence fully.


    With a flick of his wrist, he sent a silent command. The machine pulsed—then fired.


    A bolt of electricity crackled through the air, striking Samui’s chest. Her body arched, limbs seizing as pain tore through her nerves. She gasped, muscles locked in agonizing paralysis. Her vision blurred, static creeping at the edges, her scanner slipping from numb fingers. Knees buckling, she collapsed, the metallic taste of blood on her tongue from a bitten lip. Not lethal—but utterly incapacitating.


    Wise barely spared her a glance as he resumed stabilizing the machine. “Predictable.”


    Khem moved instantly.


    His hand snapping toward Wise—but Wise had already accounted for it.


    Again, Khem was too slow.


    A concentrated force slammed into him, sending him hurtling backward. But this time—he was ready.


    Before his momentum could carry him across the chamber, he activated Stasis on himself.


    Time around him froze, the impact force locking in place. His body hung in midair for a fraction of a second—then he released it.


    His momentum died instantly, allowing him to land on his feet.


    Wise’s head turned, his fingers pausing over the console.


    Slight surprise. Just for a moment.


    Then, just as quickly, he adjusted.


    Khem wasted no time, launching forward with a renewed assault. His movements were sharp, relentless. Stasis-enhanced speed, feints, and raw precision.


    But Wise was still faster.


    Every attack denied. Every motion countered. Khem struck, Wise dodged. Khem adjusted, Wise redirected. No wasted movement.


    Then Wise’s voice cut through the chaos—calm, assured.


    “I know your power, Khem.”


    Khem swung. Denied.


    Wise’s hand brushed his coat, adjusting it slightly.


    “I accounted for this.”


    Khem lunged again—this time, forcing an unpredictable pattern. Still denied.


    Wise exhaled slowly, as if explaining something simple. “I have considered every possibility.”


    He stepped back once, effortlessly slipping past another strike.


    “You cannot surprise me.”


    The machine pulsed again, stabilizing further under Wise’s control. The situation was slipping further out of SOF’s hands.


    Khem gritted his teeth.


    Wise was prepared for him. Prepared for everything.


    But was he really prepared for what came next?


    A blinding flash filled the chamber.


    Shining, locked in combat with his fake, noticed Khem’s attempt to put Wise in a stasis lock. Without hesitation, he unleashed a concentrated burst of light, filling the entire chamber with an intense brilliance. The flash seared through the air, momentarily disorienting everyone—but Khem, accustomed to Shining’s flashbang tactics, reacted instantly.


    Wise flinched—a barely perceptible hesitation, a fraction of a second of vulnerability. But for Khem, that was enough.


    He shot out his hand, his Stasis ability surging forward, aiming to lock Wise in place. Just before it could take hold, Wise’s fingers flicked beneath his sleeve.


    A concealed mechanism activated.


    A massive shockwave exploded from Wise’s position, a pulse of crushing force radiating in all directions. The air howled with kinetic energy as the wave slammed into every corner of the chamber, obliterating any semblance of formation.


    The machine and the clones, however, reacted instantly. A protective barrier shimmered to life around them, nullifying the shockwave before it could touch them. They stood untouched, unfazed.


    The same could not be said for SOF.


    The team was flung back, violently slammed against the chamber walls in various directions. Metal groaned under the force, cracks forming in some areas of the structure. Khem gritted his teeth as the impact jolted through him, his body pinned by the sheer force of Wise’s calculated retaliation.


    The room fell silent once more, the sound of static humming from the still-intact machine.


    Wise, unbothered, exhaled slowly and adjusted his cuffs, his expression composed as he turned back toward the console.


    He barely spared SOF a glance.


    "A commendable effort," he said smoothly. "But futile."


    His fingers resumed their precise movements across the interface, stabilizing the machine once more. The battle raged, but Wise remained unmoved, as if the outcome had already been decided.


    A low pulse rumbled through the chamber.


    At first, it seemed like another stabilization from the machine—Wise continuing to assert control. But then… the hum changed. A flickering distortion rippled across the air, a subtle shift in the machine’s output that even Wise hadn''t predicted.


    His fingers paused over the console.


    Someone else was interfering.


    Wise exhaled through his nose, tapping a few commands to assess the anomaly. His lips barely moved as he muttered, "How amusing. Someone else is attempting to hack the machine… from a distance."


    The statement barely had time to sink in before Khem moved.


    The moment Wise was even slightly distracted, Khem lunged forward, his Stasis ability flaring to life once more. This time, he wasn’t aiming directly at Wise—but baiting him.


    A feint.


    Wise reacted instantly.


    A wave of compressed force shot outward from his position—a localized shockwave, precisely timed. Khem was already mid-stride, committed to his attack.


    He couldn’t evade.


    The impact slammed into him, sending him skidding backward, his boots scraping against the metal floor as he barely managed to stay upright.


    Wise exhaled, tilting his head slightly.


    "Boring," he muttered, his voice carrying over the chaos. "I expected more, Khem. Your persistence is admirable, but your methods are painfully predictable."


    The moment hung in the air.


    Then—another explosion rocked the facility.


    This time, it wasn’t from the machine.


    Distant tremors rumbled through the structure, shaking dust from the ceiling. A battle was raging beyond this chamber.


    A slow, knowing smirk curled onto Wise’s lips as he continued working the console. "Ah… and there they are."


    His tone remained effortlessly smooth, but there was a hint of amusement.


    "Brave’s reinforcement. Finally. If only they weren’t so… painfully late."


    Another tremor. The sound of metal collapsing somewhere deeper in the facility. They were breaking through.


    But Wise? Still unfazed.


    His fingers never stopped working the console. His confidence remained unshaken.


    SOF had tried everything.


    And still, Wise was ahead.


    A thunderous explosion tore through the facility, shaking the chamber as debris rained from the ceiling. The reinforced blast doors at the far end groaned under the force of an external impact before finally giving way with a deafening crash.


    Brave’s team had arrived.


    The breach filled the chamber with dust and smoke, obscuring the new arrivals for only a moment before figures emerged from the haze—heavily armed, moving with the confidence of soldiers who had fought their way through hell to get here.


    But Wise didn’t react. Not with concern. Not with urgency. Instead, he let out a slow breath, tilting his head as though mildly amused.


    Wise exhaled slowly, his fingers never once halting their movements over the console. “Finally. You certainly took your time.”


    Brave’s sharp eyes locked onto Wise instantly, taking in the state of the battlefield. His jaw clenched at the sight of SOF—scattered, wounded, pushed to their limits. The clones were still active, standing in eerie synchronization as if waiting for the next move. And Wise—completely untouched.


    Brave didn’t waste time. “All units, move in!”


    The room erupted into chaos once more.


    Blaster fire tore through the chamber as Brave’s reinforcements engaged the clones, breaking their eerie stillness as they retaliated. Senshi, Weird, and Shining seized the opportunity to regroup, pressing against their doppelg?ngers with renewed vigor. Samui, still recovering from the shock, pushed herself up against the console, her breath ragged as she fought through the pain.


    But Khem was already moving.


    He didn’t focus on the battle raging around him. Didn’t react to the reinforcements. His eyes were locked solely on Wise.


    Brave’s arrival was a distraction, but not for Khem—for Wise.


    Wise had accounted for everything. Had predicted every movement, every strike. But now, for the first time, he had too many variables to handle at once.


    Khem saw his moment. And he took it.


    With a burst of motion, Khem launched himself forward, his Stasis ability flaring to life. He could feel the shift in the air—Wise was still working the console, still stabilizing the machine. He couldn’t counter immediately.


    Khem reached out, but this time, his Stasis ability didn''t just lock onto an object—it extended into the air itself. For a brief moment, confusion flashed through his mind. This wasn''t how his ability worked—he had never been able to affect anything but solid matter. And yet, the shimmering distortion rippled outward, freezing the very space around Wise. His heartbeat quickened. What was this? A shimmering distortion surrounded Wise, freezing the very space around him. For the first time, Wise’s expression shifted—his fingers pausing mid-motion as a flicker of surprise crossed his face.


    For a fraction of a second—Wise was caught.


    Then—a pulse.


    A surge of energy burst from Wise’s body, shattering the hold. The momentary bind broke, but it was too late—Khem was already within striking range.


    He didn’t hesitate.


    A direct palm strike shot toward Wise’s center mass—a perfect opening.


    But Wise—still faster.


    At the last instant, he shifted his weight, redirecting the strike, twisting Khem’s own force against him. A precise counter, minimal effort, just enough to deny the attack without breaking his flow on the console.


    Before Khem could react, Brave’s voice rang out, firm and commanding. “Wise—freeze.”


    For a brief moment, the air itself seemed to tighten under Brave’s authority, as if reality itself acknowledged the command.


    Yet Wise didn’t stop.


    His movements continued, effortless and uninterrupted, as though Brave’s power had never touched him. His fingers never paused on the console, his counter against Khem remained flawless.


    Brave’s eyes widened slightly. It didn’t work.


    Wise’s smirk deepened as he turned to Brave, his hands moving across the console with effortless precision. He countered the distant hack while parrying Khem’s strikes, his multitasking an unsettling display of control. “Ah, Brave. I was waiting for you.”


    His voice remained calm, confident. “Let’s just say… I have a backup against your little command trick.”


    Khem skidded back, but not far. He recovered instantly, already adjusting his stance.


    The battlefield continued to escalate, but Wise remained untouched, unbothered.


    Still ahead.


    The weight of the moment settled over SOF in an instant.


    Senshi, mid-clash with his clone, gritted his teeth. Brave’s orders don’t fail. That’s not how this works.


    Weird shot a glance toward Wise, his usual cocky demeanor shaken. No way. He just ignored it? Like nothing?


    Shining’s glow flickered, his fists clenched. He had trusted Brave’s ability to turn the tide. But Wise? He didn’t even react.


    Samui, still weak from the electric shock, felt her stomach twist. If Wise could resist Brave’s command like it was nothing… what else had he accounted for?


    Khem exhaled sharply, his mind racing. Brave’s command had failed—something he had only seen once before, with Beizhuang. But this was different. Wise hadn''t even flinched, as if Brave’s authority meant nothing. And yet, amid the shock of Wise’s resistance, Khem caught something else. For the first time, Wise had hesitated. It was brief, almost imperceptible, but it was there. Wise had been surprised—not by Brave, but by him.


    Khem’s fingers flexed slightly. His breath steadied. That hesitation meant something. His Stasis ability had never worked like that before—never extended into open space, never even hinted at affecting reality itself. But it had. It had frozen the air around Wise, held him for a moment. A moment was all he needed.


    His eyes sharpened. This was new. Unrefined. But real. And Wise, for all his certainty, hadn’t predicted it.


    The battlefield around them blurred into the background. The clash of weapons, the echoes of gunfire, the distant flickers of energy from the clones and reinforcements—it all faded into white noise. Only Wise remained in Khem’s focus.


    Khem took a step forward, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Wise.”


    The strategist’s fingers never faltered over the console, his expression unreadable. Then, with the same effortless calm, he let out a soft “Hm?” as if mildly intrigued.


    Khem didn’t waste words. His hand shot forward, Stasis igniting once more. But this time, he didn’t try to freeze Wise directly—he locked the space around him again. The shimmering distortion flared into existence, the air warping unnaturally as Khem’s ability stretched beyond its limits.


    For the briefest moment, Wise’s form flickered, his body resisting the force pressing in from all sides. Then—


    The machine pulsed.


    A deep, unnatural hum reverberated through the chamber. Sparks cascaded from the console as an unexpected surge of energy rippled outward, disrupting the battlefield. The machine was reacting.


    Wise’s expression finally shifted—not alarm, but something close to mild interest. His fingers moved fluidly across the console, countering the anomaly even as his body tensed against Khem’s ability.


    Then he moved.


    A shockwave exploded outward from Wise, raw energy bursting in all directions. The moment shattered.


    The force hurled Khem backward, slamming him into the far wall with crushing impact. He coughed, the wind knocked from his lungs, but he steadied himself almost instantly.


    Wise straightened, adjusting the cuffs of his coat, his composure intact. His gaze flickered to Khem, just for a second.


    “Interesting.”


    Then he turned back to the console, effortlessly resuming his work as if nothing had happened.


    Khem exhaled sharply, his body still tense. His new ability had failed. But Wise had acknowledged it. That was enough—for now.


    The machine hummed louder, the battle still raging around them, but one thing was clear: Wise remained in control.


    For now.