《Eclipse System: The Path of Power》
Level: 0
El cielo se oscureci¨®, anunciando la llegada de la noche. Los escombros pintaban el paisaje de devastaci¨®n y caos, mientras que el polvo formaba nubes gris¨¢ceas que dificultaban el trabajo de los recolectores. En un rinc¨®n apartado, un joven de apenas diecinueve a?os luchaba con su incapacidad para cumplir con sus deberes como miembro del Escuadr¨®n de Restauraci¨®n.
¡ª?Date prisa, chico! No quiero pasarme la noche recolectando v¨ªsceras de monstruo ¡ªse quej¨® uno de sus compa?eros, arrojando un trozo de cad¨¢ver a un contenedor.
Ren, a pesar de su notable debilidad en comparaci¨®n con otros "Usuarios", incluso entre sus compa?eros de Rango 0, se esforz¨® al m¨¢ximo para no ser una carga. Su optimismo, aunque desgastado por las cr¨ªticas, a¨²n brillaba en su mirada.
¡ªD¨¦jalo en paz, Ayu. El chico lo est¨¢ intentando ¡ªintervino Mark, l¨ªder de la Secci¨®n 11, ajust¨¢ndose la m¨¢scara antipolvo.
¡ª?Entonces deber¨ªa esforzarse m¨¢s! ¡ªespet¨® Ayu¡ª. Es lo mismo todos los d¨ªas. Ni siquiera entiendo por qu¨¦ lo aceptaron en este maldito escuadr¨®n... ?con lo d¨¦bil que es!
La voz de Ayu se desvaneci¨® entre el crujido del metal retorcido, pero sus palabras, como siempre, quedaron suspendidas en el aire. Ren apret¨® los pu?os, decidido a demostrar que su lugar all¨ª, aunque ganado lentamente, no era un error.
¡ª?Oye, chico! ¡ªllam¨® Mark a Ren, quien al girarse vio una leve sonrisa en el rostro curtido del l¨ªder, enmarcada por una barba canosa que brillaba bajo la tenue luz¡ª. Ignora sus tonter¨ªas. Su esposa no le muestra cari?o en casa, as¨ª que desahoga su frustraci¨®n aqu¨ª.
The group¡¯s laughter erupted like sparks in the dark: some chuckled openly, others hid smirks behind mud-stained gloves. Even the rubble¡¯s groans seemed to join the brief camaraderie. But Ayu didn¡¯t share the relief. His brow furrowed as if carved in stone, he stomped back over the rusted floorboards.
The jab at his grumpy colleague, paired with Mark¡¯s calm gaze and kindly wrinkles, reignited a sliver of Ren¡¯s usual optimism. He straightened, as if the elder¡¯s words had realigned his posture.
¡ªOrganize the tools ¡ªMark ordered, pointing to a metal cart laden with rusted instruments¡ª. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow.
¡ªYes, sir ¡ªRen replied firmly, nodding as he adjusted his gloves and wiped sweat from his brow.
Time slipped like sand through fingers in that vast space, where the workers¡¯ final laughs and murmurs had been swallowed by stillness hours prior. Now, only the hum of massive LED panels ¡ªcasting cold, artificial light over metallic surfaces¡ª kept Ren company. Shadows danced in corners like specters, stretching whenever he moved between piles of scattered materials and tools. Though his body screamed for rest ¡ªmuscles taut as fraying ropes, hands trembling with cuts and bruises¡ª his will burned like a forge.
?No choice¡ I have to become indispensable to them,? he thought, biting his cheek as he gripped a rusted pickaxe with a wooden handle.
The words tangled in his mind, mingling with echoes of criticism he¡¯d heard since his first day as a Collector. Every strike against basalt rock, every adjustment of reactor plates, defied those judgments. Cold sweat dripped down his back beneath his work suit. Still, he pressed on.
?I¡¯ll be a burden,? he repeated, using tweezers to separate the entrails of a Crystal Shadow, its dark guts oozing like gelatin. The acrid stench of decomposing tissue blended with metallic monster blood, creating a nauseating symphony he ignored out of sheer stubbornness.
?I¡¯ll finish this section alone. I¡¯ll prove I¡¯m capable.?
Suddenly, a thunderous crash shook the walls of the nearest building, violent enough to rattle the metal beams supporting the warm lamps. Ren ducked instinctively. The silence that followed was thicker than the outer darkness, charged with an electricity that prickled his skin ¡ªthen shattered by a second impact.
The third boom echoed closer, as if the building¡¯s heart had exploded. Ren held his breath, knuckles white around the pickaxe handle. The LED lights flickered, casting fractured shadows that writhed on walls. The air thickened with sudden cold, a viscous whisper crawling up his neck.
Before he could turn, a dark mass loomed before him. The Crystal Shadow had no defined shape: a cluster of black fragments refracting light like obsidian shards, with blueish glints in its core. Its limbs ¡ªliving silicon tentacles¡ª pulsed with bioluminescence, and its "eyes," two light-absorbing slits, pinned him in place. The monster emitted a high-pitched whine, like glass scraping metal.
Ren stumbled back, his heel catching on a pile of rusted pipes. He fell backward, still clutching the pickaxe. The Shadow lunged, tentacles spearing forward. He rolled aside just in time; crystal claws struck the ground, sparking. The smell of burnt metal filled the air.
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¡ª?Get away! ¡ªhe shouted, more from instinct than courage.
The creature pivoted, its body reshaping in a flow of shadows and edges. Ren scrambled up, spotting the nearest tool: a drained plasma torch abandoned near the viscera container. Without thinking, he grabbed it with his free hand and hit the switch. Nothing. The battery was dead.
The Shadow advanced. Sweating, Ren grasped at panic-fueled clarity: the gelatinous guts he¡¯d separated earlier glowed to his left, still in their container. He recalled the field manual: "Crystal Shadows are sensitive to their own decomposing organic tissue¡"
In a sharp motion, he hurled the container at the monster. Glass shattered against its core, black viscera splattering everywhere. The creature shrieked, writhing as its acidic entrails corroded its surface. Seizing the distraction, Ren leaped forward ¡ªthen fled in the opposite direction.
He didn¡¯t get far. Just meters ahead, his legs buckled ¡ªclearly defeated by exhaustion¡ª. The pickaxe, still clutched for some reason, clattered a meter away, embedding itself in the ground like fate¡¯s cruel joke.
Ren gasped for air, his chest a furnace of stabbing flames, trembling arms struggling to lift him. But a creeping chill froze his blood as he noticed a second figure rising from the jagged shadows. This new monster advanced methodically, its "armor" of crystal screeching like shattered glass under pressure. Unlike the chaotic Shadows, this one had defined structure: broad shoulders, angular torso, a humanoid silhouette warped into nightmare. Beneath its translucent helmet, two violet slits glowed, fixed on him. Ren noticed something unsettling: its armor plates overlapped like perfectly carved scales, as if designed by someone ¡ªor something¡ª.
¡ªWhat the hell¡? ¡ªhe muttered, scrambling back. His hands found the rusted pickaxe¡¯s handle, but the creature didn¡¯t attack. It only watched, tilting its head as if studying prey.
A deep hum emanated from its armor, followed by a distorted voice slicing the air:
¡ªIt can¡¯t be you ¡ªthe monster raised an arm, a crystal stake sprouting from its palm, sharpening into a lethal spike¡ª. I¡¯ll kill you anyway.
Ren se estremeci¨®. Las palabras no estaban en ning¨²n idioma, pero las entendi¨®, como si el sonido se filtrara directamente en su mente.
El chico se mantuvo desafiante, el pico oxidado temblando en sus manos como un basti¨®n de coraje fr¨¢gil. El segundo monstruo permaneci¨® inm¨®vil, su silueta cristalina congelada bajo una luz parpadeante. Pero antes de que pudiera reaccionar, un dolor abrasador le atraves¨® el torso, tan abrupto que pens¨® que hab¨ªa tropezado.
Su respiraci¨®n se entrecort¨®. Una c¨¢lida humedad floreci¨® bajo su traje de trabajo. Mir¨® hacia abajo lentamente, como si el tiempo se hubiera fracturado. All¨ª, sobresaliendo de su abdomen, un tent¨¢culo de cristal negro brillaba bajo los LED, cubierto de un fluido oscuro y viscoso que goteaba con un plop pegajoso . Sus filos afilados hab¨ªan desgarrado tela y carne con brutal precisi¨®n, dejando un agujero del tama?o de un pu?o. Los bordes de la herida palpitaban, te?idos de carmes¨ª mezclados con el exudado negro del monstruo.
El dolor lleg¨® despu¨¦s, como una avalancha. Una quemadura que sub¨ªa desde la pelvis hasta el pecho, acompa?ada de un fr¨ªo paralizante que se extend¨ªa por sus venas. Ren abri¨® la boca para gritar, pero solo se le escap¨® un gemido ahogado. Sus pulmones se llenaron de un olor met¨¢lico, la sangre brotaba a borbotones de sus labios, caliente y espesa. El tent¨¢culo se retorci¨® en
su interior, fragmentos de cristal raspando huesos y ¨®rganos. Sinti¨® que algo se desgarraba, como si le arrancaran las entra?as. Sus piernas cedieron, pero el ap¨¦ndice lo mantuvo erguido, colgando como una marioneta rota. La Sombra de Cristal tras ¨¦l emiti¨® un zumbido triunfal, sus otros tent¨¢culos se agitaron como serpientes ebrias.
Con un tir¨®n, la criatura retrajo el tent¨¢culo. El sonido de la carne al separarse fue h¨²medo, obsceno. Ren se desplom¨® de rodillas, presionando instintivamente la herida con las manos, pero la sangre se filtraba entre sus dedos, formando un charco rojo brillante en el suelo. El dolor era una entidad viviente que lo devoraba desde dentro. Cada latido le provocaba una agon¨ªa que se extend¨ªa como cuchillas giratorias en las entra?as.
El segundo monstruo se dirigi¨® hacia ¨¦l, sus pasos crujiendo cristales. Ren levant¨® la vista, con la vista nublada por las l¨¢grimas y el sudor. La criatura humanoide lade¨® la cabeza, como si evaluara su sufrimiento.
¡ªDemasiado f¨¢cil ¡ªmurmur¨® su voz distorsionada.
La espada de cristal se arque¨® hacia abajo, su filo brillando bajo la luz artificial. Ren cerr¨® los ojos, resignado... pero la muerte no lleg¨®. En cambio, un resplandor cegador inund¨® la zona. Todo qued¨® vac¨ªo y en silencio: sin dolor, sin sonido, solo una d¨¦bil y distorsionada voz femenina resonando en la distancia.
Nivel de usuario: 0¡
Reinicio del sistema¡
Reasignando nivel de usuario¡
No se puede asignar un nuevo nivel¡
Anomal¨ªa detectada¡
Reconfigurando par¨¢metros¡
Nivel de usuario: Desconocido¡
Level: 1
Ren opened his eyes slowly, his pupils dilating to adjust to the bluish penumbra enveloping the space around him. He did not recognize the place: the walls, if they could even be called that, curved in organic shapes, as if the material itself ¡ªa translucent, viscous substance resembling molten glass¡ª had been molded by gigantic, inhuman hands. The surface emitted a faint, pulsating glow, like the irregular heartbeat of something buried deep within the earth. The floor beneath his back was cold but not metallic; rather, it felt like lying on petrified algae, rough and damp to the touch. A sharp odor permeated the air ¡ªa mix of burnt ozone and rotting flesh¡ª that made him instinctively wrinkle his nose.
Ren¡¯s first thought was hazy, as if his mind were swimming in thick syrup. He remembered the pain. That tearing stab in his abdomen, the blood gushing between his fingers, the crystal tentacle writhing inside him like a poisoned serpent. He brought a trembling hand to his stomach, expecting to find the jagged hole and the sticky wetness of an open wound¡ but there was nothing. His work suit was intact, no tears or bloodstains. He pressed his fingers against his skin, searching for scars, bruises, any sign of what had happened. Nothing. His flesh was smooth, not even a mark from his fall onto the rusted pipes.
¡ª?Is this¡ the afterlife? ¡ªhe murmured, and his own voice sounded foreign, as if echoing through a long tunnel.
There was no answer. Only the constant, deep hum vibrating from the walls themselves. He struggled to sit up, feeling every muscle protest ¡ª not from the accumulated exhaustion of his shift in the Squad, but from a newfound stiffness, as if his body had been disassembled and reassembled with parts that didn¡¯t quite fit. As he stood, he noticed a strange lightness in his movements, almost as if he were floating, though the uneven floor threatened to trip him with every step.
Then the voice erupted inside his skull. It did not come from outside; it was as if someone had inserted a speaker directly into his brain, modulating words in a mechanical tone devoid of human inflection:
?Anomaly confirmed: absorption ability active. Emergency protocol suspended. Welcome, User¡ unknown.?
Ren clutched his temples, stifling a scream. The echo of those words reverberated in his mind, mingling with a high-pitched ringing that hammered his eardrums.
¡ªWho¡¯s there? ¡ªhe shouted, spinning around, searching for a source, a figure, anything that could explain the intrusion. But the place remained desolate ¡ª only him and the pulsating walls.
The voice did not respond. Instead, something shifted in his perception. A tingling sensation spread across his palms, intensifying into a stinging heat. He raised his hands to his face and held his breath: beneath his skin, like illuminated veins, bluish lines snaked, glowing with a faint yet unsettling light. The radiance expanded and contracted in rhythm with his pulse, as if something alive were thrashing beneath his flesh.
¡ªWhat¡ what did you do to me? ¡ªhe whispered, desperately rubbing his palms as if he could erase the anomaly. But the glow did not fade; instead, as he rubbed, he noticed a different texture on his skin ¡ª rough, almost scaly at the fingertips, as if fused with particles of crystal.
Without warning, a surge of energy shot through his right arm, from shoulder to fingertips. It was brief but violent, like a contained electric shock. Ren fell to his knees, gasping, as the sensation repeated, this time in his left leg. Each pulse was accompanied by a brighter blue flash, as if his body were being calibrated by an external force.
?Energy core synchronization: 47%... 63%... 89%...?
The mechanical voice returned, accompanied by numbers and percentages that projected before his eyes like distorted holograms. Ren blinked, rubbing his eyelids, but the figures remained, floating in the air half a meter from his face. They were not solid ¡ª rather, they seemed made of luminous smoke, flickering in cyan and violet hues. He tried to touch them, but his hand passed through without resistance.
Am I hallucinating? Is this from blood loss? he wondered, though a logical corner of his mind knew this was too vivid to be a dying fantasy.
?Synchronization completed. Stability level: precarious. Recommendation: absorb compatible energy to prevent system collapse.?
The mechanical words lacked emotion, but the warning was clear. Ren bit his lower lip, tasting the metallic tang of his own blood. Absorb energy?
A sudden crackle alerted him. To his left, one of the gelatinous walls split open like a cocoon, revealing a narrow tunnel. Beyond it, he glimpsed a yellowish glow, distinct from the chamber¡¯s dim blue light. Without a second thought ¡ªwhat other choice did he have?¡ª he entered the passage, noticing how the floor vibrated beneath his feet with each step. The texture had changed: now it was firmer, like frosted glass, and the air smelled burnt, like melting electrical cables.
The tunnel opened into a circular room lit by beams of light falling from cracks in a ceiling so high it vanished into darkness. At the center, atop a raised platform, was a structure that froze his blood: a nest of crystalline filaments, twisting like venomous roots, and within it, a pulsating mass of jet-black. Ren recognized the shape, though he¡¯d never seen one so close ¡ª it was the core of a Crystal Shadow, identical to those the Squad extracted from monster corpses. But this one was alive, throbbing with a slow, ominous frequency.
?Target located: low-level energy source. Initiating absorption process.?
The voice was not a suggestion ¡ª it was an order. Ren stepped back, but his feet seemed rooted to the floor. The blue glow in his hands intensified to the point of pain, as if the crystal particles beneath his skin sought to escape. Suddenly, beyond his control, his right arm rose toward the core. A beam of blue light erupted from his palm, connecting with the black mass.
¡ª?No! ¡ªhe screamed, trying to resist, but his body no longer obeyed.
The Shadow¡¯s core convulsed, emitting a shriek that pierced his eardrums. The crystalline filaments writhed, trying to protect their center, but the light beam disintegrated them on contact, reducing them to glittering dust. Ren felt something flow into him: a cold, thick current, as if mercury were being injected into his veins. The energy ¡ªif it could even be called that¡ª pooled in his stomach, heavy, threatening to make him vomit.
?Absorption completed: +10 energy units. User level: recalculating¡?
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The light beam vanished, and Ren regained control of his body, collapsing forward onto his hands. The Shadow¡¯s core had disappeared; only a mound of dark, faintly glimmering sand remained. But what disturbed him most was what was happening inside him: that cold energy now shifted, adapting, integrating. He felt his muscles tense without reason, his vision sharpen, perceiving once-imperceptible nuances in the ambient light. Even the residual pain from his supposed death had vanished.
¡ªWhat¡¯s happening to me? ¡ªhe asked aloud, hoping the mechanical voice would reply. But there was only silence.
As he stood, he noticed the blue glow in his hands had dimmed, though not entirely. When he concentrated, he could reactivate the luminous lines, lighting the room like lanterns embedded in his skin.
Reality shattered with a seismic shudder. A blinding radiance devoured the space in seconds, and before his eyelids finished blinking, Ren lay once more amid the ruins soaked in dark blood and visceral debris. The same moment he had sealed his pact with death, the universe spat him back, alive against all odds. Not a trace of lingering pain remained in his body. His flesh had been remade under some supernatural decree: even the ghastly hole torn by the monster¡¯s tentacle in his abdomen was now sealed, covered by smooth, pale skin that shone like flawless tissue. The revelation came in three simultaneous flashes: first, the crystalline certainty of breathing; second, the glacial void where pain once burned; third, the river of chimeric vigor now pulsing in his veins. But it was the fourth discovery that paralyzed his reason: his right hand, clenched in a titan¡¯s fist, gripped the crystal blade of the ¡°Shadow Warrior.¡±
The shock was so great that Ren didn¡¯t notice his skin transforming: from his pores emerged a liquid armor, a living mantle of black crystals that twisted light. The dark particles, more than mere minerals, pulsed with their own consciousness as they enveloped his fingers. The crystalline entity ¡ªhalf armor, half elegant parasite¡ª fused with his flesh, shielding it from the homicidal edge of his foe¡¯s blade. Raising his gaze, he perceived the monster¡¯s surprise; though faceless, its posture wavered, as if everything unfolding before it inspired fear.
The young man did not waste the advantage. With a sudden motion, his clenched fist cut through the air, driven by animal instinct. The strike erupted from his core, an explosion of strength he hadn¡¯t known he possessed. Moments before impact, the dark substance surged from his skin like serpents of living shadow, coiling around his hand into a bandage of black crystals that flickered with purple sparks.
The crash echoed as his armored knuckle collided with the beast¡¯s armor. It was not a shield encasing his fist but a hammer forged in the depths: the monster¡¯s crystalline carapace splintered into a web of cracks, while a reverse shockwave rattled the air like contained thunder. Ren felt the power coursing through his arm ¡ª a cold, voracious energy transforming his desperate strike into final judgment. He felt the dark power throbbing in his veins like a second heart. What the hell?! The question flashed through his mind as the black substance slithered beneath his skin. But the shrieks of nearby monsters drowned his thoughts. He clenched his teeth, focusing on the adrenal haze clouding his doubts. No time to understand this ¡ª I just need to survive.
The Crystal Sword Warrior rose.
¡ª?This wasn¡¯t part of the plan! ¡ªit roared, but Ren was already moving: the black crystal encased his legs like wings of liquid obsidian, propelling him in a leap that left scars of shadow in the air. His fist, now a meteor of clashing forces, aimed for the crack in the warrior¡¯s armor as the world seemed to slow, granting him an eternal instant to fulfill his oath. But the beast mirrored his speed with sinister precision. Before Ren¡¯s fist completed its lethal arc, the monster shifted sideways in a physics-defying motion. The strike missed by centimeters, hitting debris with a ¡°BOOM¡± that pulverized column fragments into shards.
The forcewave kicked up a dust cloud glittering with black crystal shrapnel. Ren pivoted on his heels, his right arm still burning with remnants of the shadow energy. Across the haze, the silhouette of the Crystal Sword Warrior ¡ª now joined by the Crystal Void (which Ren had entirely forgotten) ¡ª reformed.
The monster raised its free hand in a ritualistic gesture. The air tore with the sound of glass breaking underwater, and before Ren¡¯s eyes, a nightmare vortex emerged in the void: an Abyss. Its edges flickered with the light of a dying nebula, while its center was pure darkness devouring light. Ren held his breath. Six years since the Eclipse Moon, six long years since the first Void attacks¡ this was the first Abyss of its kind ¡ª humanoid, capable of opening portals.
The dark substance on his arm vibrated, as if recognizing the portal as its ancestral home.
The Crystal Sword Warrior adjusted its stance, turned its back to Ren, and vanished into the Abyss¡¯ gloom, leaving behind a trail of glowing particles dissolving like starlight tears. The Crystal Void, obedient, began to slip into the rift, but Ren was already airborne, a human projectile.
The impact was a symphony of antagonistic forces: his right shoulder slammed into the Void¡¯s crystalline torso, pinning it to the ground with a crunch that shook the foundations. The creature unleashed an ultrasonic screech, its energy claws scrabbling at the pavement as it struggled to break free. Ren, arms trembling with effort, felt the dark substance seething beneath his skin, spreading like obsidian veins to reinforce his grip. The portal throbbed menacingly meters away, its vortex roaring like slow-motion shattering glass, but now Ren dictated the chaos.
The Crystal Void twisted beneath him as Ren drove his knees into its luminous chest ¡ª if it could be called one. The dark substance on his right arm spread like roots of a sacred plague, anchoring the monster to the ground with chains of black crystal that creaked under the Void¡¯s strength.
¡ª?You won¡¯t escape! ¡ªRen roared, feeling the substance feed on his fury.
The Crystal Void screamed like fracturing dimensions, its bright body cracking where the dark crystal immobilized it. Ren¡¯s fist plunged into its crystalline torso with the crunch of glass under a hydraulic press. His knuckles, sheathed in the now-pulsing black substance, pierced layers of alien geodes that shattered into iridescent shards. Upon contacting the creature¡¯s core ¡ªa pulsating sphere of violet light holding a miniature galaxy¡ª muscle memory betrayed him. The vision! he thought as his fingers closed around the energy heart.
The void between his cells flooded with cosmic cold. The core¡¯s energy surged up his arm like a serpent of ice and fire, fracturing his reality: one part, the Ren silently screaming as eons of forbidden knowledge invaded his skull; the other, the monster dissolving into a swirl of black dust, its final opaque crystal fragments glowing like stellar ash before vanishing.
The portal silenced its roar with a sonic click, collapsing inward in an implosion that yanked Ren¡¯s hair forward. Calm returned like a thief, leaving only the distant settling of rubble and the stench of burnt ozone. Ren collapsed to his knees, his right hand still smoking, his forearm veins marked with ephemeral violet energy tattoos that faded.
He stared at the mound of dark dust before him. Particles floated in hypnotic spirals. His chest burned. As he tried to rise, he noticed something worse: beneath his skin, the dark substance writhed autonomously, as if feasting on the stolen energy. An electric tingling crawled over his tongue, and for the first time, he tasted the Void¡¯s fear at the moment of dissolution.
The silence now mocked him. Even the wind avoided grazing him. Ren raised a trembling palm to the full moon, indifferent to the scene, and between gasps, sighed as doubts swarmed his mind. Then the silence broke one last time. The robotic, feminine voice echoed in his head:
Sistema reacondicionado¡
Error corregido¡
Rango de Usuario: 1
Nivel de Usuario: 1¡
First Contact
The headquarters of WAR rose in the heart of Tokyo like a scar of steel and light, hidden beneath a hexagonal energy dome that flickered with the pale glow of artificial stars. From the outside, it resembled a slumbering colossus: an iridescent bubble that refracted the night sky into shades of violet and cobalt, while surveillance drones skimmed its surface like metallic wasps. Inside, the air hummed with the whisper of a thousand machines: holograms danced among liquid crystal consoles, projecting data streams in glowing kanji that vanished before touching the floor. The scent of ionized oil and matcha tea lingered in the corridors, a blend of tradition and future forged in every corner.
In the Strategic Monitoring Room, located on floor -20, an alarm began to flash. It was a shrill sound, like the cry of a mechanical bird, causing the on-duty analyst, Hiroto, to spill his electronic sake onto the touch keyboard.
¡ªKuso! ¡ªhe cursed, wiping the golden liquid with the sleeve of his white lab coat¡ª. Alert in Sector 7-G¡ Unidirectional Abyss detected.
The holographic screens surrounding the room flickered to life, displaying distorted images of an alley in Shibuya. There, among shattered neon signs and faded posters, a two-meter-diameter portal yawned open: its edges were filaments of dying light, and at its center, a void that devoured the city¡¯s reflections. Hiroto zoomed in with a nervous swipe of his gloved fingers. Two figures emerged from the Abyss: one, an amorphous mass of black crystals twisting the air with silicon tentacles; the other, a humanoid silhouette clad in angular plate armor that flashed like mirrors under the moon.
¡ªCommander Akiro! ¡ªshouted Hiroto as sensors scanned the creatures¡ª. Crystal Void and¡ something else! Unregistered rank!
Commander Akiro stormed into the room, his boots echoing against the nanotube floor. He wore a modified tactical kimono woven with graphene fibers that shimmered like dragon scales, and his face, marked by a scar crossing his chin, reflected the severity of decades in command. His voice, deep and resonant, sliced the air like a whip:
¡ªAmplify biometric readings ¡ªhe ordered, piercing the hologram with his gaze¡ª. Are there civilians in the area?
Hiroto slid his fingers across a panel, summoning crimson-red data streams.
¡ªOne¡ A User. Rank 0. ¡ªHe paused, frowning¡ª. Registered as Ren Saito. Member of the Collection Team.
Akiro narrowed his eyes. On the screen, Ren crawled through debris, his work uniform torn and stained with a dark liquid dripping from the Crystal Void¡¯s tentacles. WAR¡¯s sensors detected no anomalies: only the weak biometric pattern of a Rank 0, insignificant against the threat.
¡ªDispatch Attack Squad 1 ¡ªAkiro roared, activating his coms with a sharp tap on the holographic table¡ª. Eclipse Protocol: Abyss neutralization and civilian extraction.
¡ªCivilian? ¡ªHiroto asked, pointing to the humanoid Void raising a crystalline sword over Ren¡ª. That boy is in the line of fire.
¡ªHe¡¯s a Collector, not a threat ¡ªAkiro snapped¡ª. Priority is preventing that unknown Void from escaping.
In the Rapid Intervention Hangar on floor -10, Attack Squad 1 prepared. At the front was Sora Hoshino, a young captain with short silver hair tipped in electric blue, matching the glow of her exosuit. Her speed-optimized armor clung to her body like a second skin, kinetic plates reacting to her movements. On her back, she carried a modified energy tachi, its blade activated by a snap of her fingers.
¡ªSquad, immediate formation! ¡ªSora ordered, smoothing her tachi¡¯s edge with a ritualistic gesture. The energy blade hummed violet, reflecting in her steel-gray eyes¡ª. Primary target: annihilate the Crystal Void. Secondary: identify and contain the second creature. And rescue the Collector¡ intact.
Jiro let out a rough laugh as he mounted the plasma cannon on his dorsal rig. The weapon, the size of a human arm, buzzed to life, illuminating the dragon tattoos snaking up his neck.
¡ªSix years killing crystal bugs ¡ªhe grunted, adjusting his respirator mask with a scarred finger¡ª. Finally, something worth the bullet.
Naiko, leaning against a support column, twirled one of her magnetized pistols around her index finger. Her jet-black ponytail swayed with her ironic smile.
¡ªYou into bugs now, Jiro? ¡ªshe asked, tilting her head with mock innocence¡ª. Careful, or one might steal your heart¡ Or what¡¯s left of it.
Savito, silent until now, crossed his monumental arms. His muscles strained against his black exosuit, seams creaking in unison with his smirk at Naiko¡¯s comment.
¡ªThe Void won¡¯t wait for debates. Move. Now. ¡ªSora commanded, her voice steel.
The floor trembled faintly as she stepped toward the aircraft. Naiko grimaced, holstering her pistols with a theatrical spin.
¡ªAlways so charming, Savi ¡ªshe muttered, following the group¡ª. Didn¡¯t they teach you to smile before killing something?
The helicopter¡ªa titanium hummingbird with retractable turbine wings¡ªtook off shrouded in static energy. Sora watched through the window as WAR¡¯s dome blurred beneath them, her mind fixed on the anomaly ahead.
The helicopter landed with a roar muffled by its turbines, kicking up a curtain of dust and glass shards glinting under dying neon light. Sora leaped out first, her boots clacking against cracked asphalt. The air reeked of burnt ozone and old blood, a mix that reminded her of too many battlefields. Behind her, Squad 1 fanned out: Jiro with his smoldering plasma cannon, Naiko drawing her magnetized pistols with a wrist flick, and Savito, his armored fists creaking as they clenched.
The alley was a nightmare landscape. Building walls bore deep gashes, as if clawed by gigantic crystal talons. At the center, the Abyss portal still pulsed, now a shrinking vortex of dying light. But what seized everyone¡¯s attention was the boy kneeling in the rubble: Ren Saito, his Collector suit shredded, hands glowing blue beneath his skin. Around him, black crystal dust spiraled hypnotically.
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¡ªTarget visualized ¡ªNaiko murmured, aiming a pistol at Ren¡ª. Looks like the kid had a rough night.
Sora¡¯s coms vibrated. Akiro¡¯s voice crackled, cold and urgent:
¡ªPriority shift. The User is an unknown-level threat. Capture alive. Repeat: immediate capture.
Sora clenched her jaw. A Rank 0¡ dangerous? For a moment, she hesitated. Ren didn¡¯t look like a monster; he looked scared, hands trembling, breath ragged. But orders were clear.
¡ªSquad, containment formation! ¡ªshe ordered, unsheathing her energy tachi. The blade hissed, tearing the air¡ª. Naiko, cover left. Jiro, suppress. Savito, advance with me.
Ren stared at them, disoriented. The dark substance under his skin stirred, as if recognizing the threat.
¡ªWait¡ ¡ªhe stammered, raising a hand in peace¡ª. I¡¯m not¡
A blue flash erupted from his palm, striking Jiro¡¯s cannon. The weapon exploded into sparks, slamming the man against a wall with a pained grunt.
¡ªHostile confirmed! ¡ªSavito roared, charging at Ren with ground-shaking strides.
Ren staggered back, but the black substance surged from his arm, encasing him in jagged crystal armor. Savito¡¯s fist collided with the organic shield in a metallic clang, the shockwave scattering debris.
¡ªI don¡¯t want to fight! ¡ªRen shouted, his voice drowned as Naiko fired. Magnetized rounds cracked his armor.
Sora seized the distraction. Her tachi arced toward Ren¡¯s leg to immobilize him, but the dark substance reacted faster: a crystal spike shot from the ground, deflecting the blade. Ren gasped, feeling the cold energy from the absorbed core boil in his veins. Blue lines under his skin flared, and the dying portal behind him groaned. Suddenly, crystal shards rose, floating like daggers.
¡ªScatter! ¡ªSora ordered, too late.
The shards flew in a lethal whirlwind. Savito shielded himself with armored arms, Naiko diving behind an abandoned car. Sora sliced through the projectiles, but a shard grazed her arm, drawing black blood before her suit sealed the wound.
Ren fled, the dark substance wrapping his legs like shadow wings.
¡ªStop! ¡ªSora shouted, freezing him mid-step.
¡ªI don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening ¡ªRen said.
Kneeling in rubble, Ren felt the dark substance pulse beneath his skin like a second heart. Blue veins throbbed with his ragged breaths. Before him, Sora kept her tachi lowered, its violet blade syncing with his tremors.
¡ªI don¡¯t want to hurt you ¡ªSora said, her voice firm but weary¡ª. But if you resist, I won¡¯t have a choice.
Ren looked up. The violet flicker in his eyes dimmed, revealing the raw fear of a nineteen-year-old trapped in a nightmare. Squad 1 encircled him: Naiko¡¯s pistols glinting, Savito¡¯s fists poised, Jiro nursing his shoulder. All awaited the final order.
¡ªWhy should I trust you? ¡ªRen whispered, the substance coiling defensively¡ª. You call me a threat¡ I just wanted to survive.
Sora lowered her blade a fraction. Her steel-gray eyes softened faintly.
¡ªBecause I¡¯ve been where you are ¡ªshe murmured, like a secret to the wind¡ª. Trapped between what I am and what others want me to be.
A heavy silence fell. Naiko raised an eyebrow at Jiro, who shrugged. Savito never took his eyes off Ren.
Ren clenched his fists. Dark claws sprouted from his knuckles, glinting faintly. But he let them drop, disintegrating into dust.
¡ªI¡¯m tired ¡ªhe confessed, voice breaking.
Sora nodded, deactivating her tachi with a snap.
¡ªThen let us help ¡ªshe said, offering a gloved hand¡ª. WAR has answers. You need them.
Ren hesitated. Memories of the collapsing portal, the mechanical voice in his head, the cold energy devouring the Crystal Void¡ Chaos begging for order. With a sigh that emptied his soul, he placed his trembling hand in hers.
¡ªI won¡¯t regret this, right? ¡ªhe asked, a crooked smile failing to reach his eyes.
¡ªThat¡¯s up to you ¡ªshe replied, pulling him up¡ª. But today, at least, you¡¯ll live.
The team boarded the helicopter, now with Ren in tow, returning to base.
As they approached, WAR¡¯s headquarters revealed its true scale: not just a structure, but an ecosystem of steel and light. Liquid crystal towers spiraled impossibly, linked by floating bridges where dragonfly drones ferried encrypted data. At the center, a plasma reactor pulsed like an artificial heart, its core encircled by holographic data rings.
¡ªIt¡¯s¡ incredible ¡ªRen whispered, pressed to the window. The dark substance in his arm stilled, awestruck.
¡ªIncredible and dangerous ¡ªSora said¡ª. Every light an algorithm, every shadow a secret.
Naiko leaned forward, her breath fogging the glass.
¡ªDown there¡¯s the Containment Lab ¡ªshe pointed to a cylindrical bunker¡ª. Where they study things like you.
¡ªNaiko ¡ªSora warned half-heartedly, herself unnerved by the view.
The helicopter descended onto a platform marked with WAR¡¯s emblem: a fist gripping a fractured crystal. Savito stood, his joints creaking.
¡ªPrepare ¡ªhe rumbled¡ª. Commander Akiro tolerates no delays.
Ren nodded, energy bindings tightening on his wrists. Fear returned, mingled with voracious curiosity.
Icy wind whipped Ren¡¯s face as the hatch opened. Sora jumped out first, offering a hand. He hesitated, feeling invisible eyes from surveillance towers.
¡ªDon¡¯t look down ¡ªshe warned, nodding to the chasm below¡ª. And don¡¯t let go.
Ren obeyed, fixating on the plasma reactor. Its golden light enveloped him, warm yet alien. Ahead, soldiers in kinetic armor watched silently, faces hidden behind black visors.
¡ªCaptain Hoshino ¡ªa gravelly voice boomed from hidden speakers¡ª. You bring the specimen.
Sora squeezed Ren¡¯s hand, a fleeting gesture of solidarity.
¡ªHe¡¯s human, Commander ¡ªshe stated, firmness surprising even Naiko¡ª. He deserves to be treated as one.
The silence shattered as a drone zipped overhead. Commander Akiro emerged from a sliding door, his tactical kimono gleaming. The scar on his chin twitched.
¡ªTake him to Primary Evaluation ¡ªhe ordered, eyes locked on Ren¡ª. Sora, report to my office. We have much to discuss.
Before being separated, Sora turned to Ren. The energy dome refracted rainbows into her silver hair.
¡ªWelcome to WAR ¡ªshe said, a smile in her voice if not her eyes¡ª. This is where your real battle begins.
Ren looked up at the pulsing plasma reactor. The dark substance in his arm vibrated¡ªnot with fear, but anticipation.