Lockdown
Veltraxis reacted.
Not gradually.
Violently.
Clouds churned into violent spirals above Auralyx, lightning striking in relentless succession as if the sky itself was cracking open. The aurora that once shimmered peacefully across distant districts twisted and warped, colors bleeding unnaturally into one another.
Sirens wailed.
Everywhere.
Relentless.
A warning that had already come too late.
And beneath it all—
A voice.
Ilyra.
Not spoken aloud.
Felt.
Why… now?
Her consciousness spread across Veltraxis.
As Guardian, she did not need to move.
She only needed to focus.
And she saw everything.
Neonfall—burning.
Illum—scarred.
Civilians running.
Wraiths advancing.
Security collapsing.
Her grief twisted.
Curled.
Sharpened.
Into rage.
The audacity…
Her vision narrowed.
To threaten… her paradise…
The word lingered.
Paradise.
Veltra's creation.
Her home.
Her purpose.
Her everything.
I do not understand why you left me…
Her voice fractured.
But as long as I remain—
The storm intensified.
I will not forsake you.
Lightning struck.
I will not forsake this world.
Her presence surged.
And then—
Her voice rang across the entire dimension.
Clear.
Absolute.
"Initiate Lockdown."
Everything stopped.
Not physically—
But instinctively.
Across Veltraxis, all eyes turned upward.
Above the Security Sanctum—
Massive numbers formed in the sky.
Constructed from pure cosmic energy.
A timer.
60:00
Ticking down.
A silent declaration.
Veltraxis was sealing itself.
From everything.
From everyone.
Neonfall — Plaza
Ryu blinked.
"…What?"
He tried to flex his hands—
—and immediately regretted it.
A sharp, tearing pain shot through both wrists.
The damage wasn't surface-level.
Skin split open where the cuffs had torn through. Deep gashes wrapped around his wrists like broken rings, raw and uneven. Blood ran freely, dripping from his fingertips and pattering onto the ground beneath him.
His grip trembled.
Not from fear—
From strain.
Even slight movement threatened to reopen what little had begun to clot.
He clenched once more out of stubbornness.
His jaw tightened.
"…Yeah. That was a bad idea."
His brain hadn't even caught up to the massive countdown hanging over the sky.
Vaelor had.
His expression changed instantly.
Dread.
Pure.
He turned sharply to Karn.
"We're leaving—"
Lightning struck.
Directly into the fountain.
The statue of Veltra—
Gone.
Obliterated.
Water exploded outward in a violent surge of steam and light.
Everyone froze.
From within the smoke—
Something moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Vaelor's voice snapped.
"KARN—WATCH—!"
Too late.
A flash.
A cut.
Silence.
Karn staggered.
His arm—
Gone.
Cleanly severed.
Even his defensive cosmic reinforcement hadn't been enough.
Behind him—
A figure stood.
Facing Vaelor.
Silver hair flowing.
Violet eyes burning.
Ilyra.
The Guardian of Veltraxis.
Ryu felt it instantly.
This wasn't a mortal.
This wasn't even close.
Her aura—
Perfectly structured.
Immovable.
Stable.
And suffocating.
Like standing beneath a collapsing sky that refused to fall.
"…Yeah," Ryu muttered under his breath.
"That's definitely the boss."
His stomach growled.
Loud.
He blinked.
"…Seriously?"
Fatigue hit him all at once.
Pain.
Hunger.
Exhaustion.
And now—
That.
He looked at the timer.
Looked at Ilyra.
Then turned.
"…Yeah. I'm out."
He started running.
"Well… see ya!"
Vaelor's eye twitched.
"Get back here—!"
Too late.
Ilyra moved.
She blurred forward—
Weapon shifting mid-motion.
Blade—
To spear.
She struck Vaelor directly—
The shaft slammed into his midsection, sending him flying across the plaza.
Ryu didn't stop.
He had already put distance between them—vaulting over broken stalls, cutting through side streets, boots slamming against cracked stone as he pushed himself forward.
"…I mean, not my fault," he muttered under his breath. "You guys started this."
Another leap.
Another landing.
He was almost clear of the immediate battlefield—
Then—
A scream.
"BROTHER—!"
It cut through everything.
Even the storm.
Ryu froze mid-step.
The word echoed in his head.
Brother.
Something in his chest tightened.
His foot slid slightly against the ground as his momentum died out.
For a brief moment—
He didn't move.
Then slowly—
Ryu turned his head back toward the plaza.
Behind him—
Karn sat slumped against a shattered wall.
Bleeding.
Defenseless.
Ilyra stood before him.
Spear raised.
Aimed—
For his heart.
Ryu felt it.
Even from that far—
Across broken streets, past the distance he had already created—
He felt it.
"Damn it—"
Time slowed.
Maelis shut her eyes.
Ilyra's spear descended—
And in that same instant—
Ryu vanished.
Stone shattered where he stepped.
Wind split in his wake.
The distance between them—erased in a single, violent burst of motion.
Even Ilyra's eyes widened—
Just slightly.
Too late.
Ryu appeared in front of Karn—
As if he had always been there.
Hands snapping forward—
He caught the spear just before it pierced through.
The tip drove into his palms.
Blood spilled instantly.
The impact alone carved cracks beneath his feet—
His body skidding back inches as he absorbed the force.
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Vaelor's eyes narrowed—confusion flickering across his face.
"…That distance…"
Even he hadn't tracked it.
Ryu gritted his teeth, breath shaking—but his stance didn't break.
"…Seriously?"
He pushed.
Hard.
Forcing Ilyra back.
Momentum shifted—
She lost footing for a split second—
And Ryu used it.
He flipped her balance and launched her into a wall.
She hit—
And stood back up immediately.
Untouched.
Ryu exhaled sharply.
"Yeah… you guys should probably go."
No one moved.
Because Ilyra's energy—
Spiked again.
Her hair shifted.
The violet diamond marking within her silver strands began to change.
Darkening.
Sharpening.
Transforming.
Her voice came cold.
Absolute.
"You have desecrated paradise."
The mark completed—
Obsidian Spade.
"Ruin Aspect."
Her gaze locked onto Ryu.
"And you—"
A step forward.
"You broke the threshold."
Ryu laughed.
Low.
Tired.
"…Of course I did."
She moved.
Gone.
Ryu barely registered it—
Before—
Impact.
The base of the spear slammed into him—
Launching him through multiple buildings.
He crashed—
Rolled—
Forced himself up—
She was already there.
Another strike—
Downward—
The spear smashed into the top of his head.
Before he could fall—
She grabbed his wrist.
Pain exploded through his body.
His already-damaged wrists screamed under the pressure.
Reflex.
He punched.
Weak.
But enough.
It pushed her back slightly.
Ryu blinked.
…That worked?
Something was off.
No time to think.
She was already moving again.
Ryu dodged.
Barely.
Her voice followed.
"You're done."
He ducked under the spear—
Or so he thought.
The weapon extended instantly.
The second strike came—
Too fast.
"Distorted Strike."
The first attack—
A feint.
Energy suppressed.
The second—
Everything released at once.
The spear slammed into his midsection.
Full force.
Ryu's body folded around the impact.
Time slowed.
…Ah.
His thoughts dimmed.
That was… smart.
Darkness crept in.
His body was launched—
Skyward.
Across Veltraxis.
A burning trail against the storm.
Far away.
Gone.
Back in the plaza—
Ilyra stood still.
Unshaken.
Her gaze shifted.
Toward Vaelor.
Toward Karn.
Toward Maelis.
The timer above continued ticking.
58:44
Barely over a minute had passed.
And Veltraxis—
Was already closing.
Falling Through Silence
High above Veltraxis—
Ryu's body tore through the storm.
Not flying.
Not controlled.
Launched.
A broken silhouette against a sky that had turned violent.
Wind howled past him, ripping at his clothes, dragging heat and blood into streaks behind him. His vision flickered—darkness creeping in at the edges.
His consciousness was slipping.
And yet—
His mind refused to quiet.
Fragments surfaced.
Onyx.
A younger voice.
A laugh.
A fight that meant nothing back then.
"…We'll get you back…"
The words echoed weakly.
Even now.
Even like this.
A faint shimmer caught in his eyes—
Tears.
Not from pain.
From something heavier.
Helplessness.
All that power.
All that fighting.
And still—
He couldn't reach him.
Couldn't save him.
Couldn't protect anyone.
Ryu's body spun once—
Twice—
Then—
—
CRASH.
—
The impact shook the Central Security Sanctum.
Towering white spires of immaculate stone—once untouched, pristine—fractured as Ryu's body slammed through the upper archways, tearing across polished floors lined with radiant crystal veins.
The hall stretched endlessly—
Massive pillars.
Open ceilings where stormlight bled through.
Rain pouring in through shattered sections above.
His body skidded violently across the floor—
Stone cracking beneath him—
Until finally—
Stillness.
Smoke curled upward.
Debris settled.
Silence swallowed the aftermath.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Five figures emerged from the haze.
Outlined only by lightning flashing through the open sanctum above.
They approached without hesitation.
Without fear.
Toward the unconscious boy at the center of it all.
—
Cut.
—
"Move faster!"
Sera's voice cut sharply through the chaos as she pushed ahead, guiding the miners through winding metallic corridors.
The hidden bay wasn't far now.
Behind her—
Luto staggered slightly, one hand gripping the half-formed orb, the other adjusting delicate streams of Illum that flickered and rewove with each step.
"…Almost… done…"
"You've been saying that for the last five minutes," Sera snapped, not slowing. "We don't have five minutes!"
"Relax—precision takes—"
"Luto."
Something in her tone shifted.
He looked up.
And froze.
High above the city—
A massive construct of glowing energy hung in the sky.
59:30
Luto blinked.
"…Yeah," he muttered dryly, "…giant countdown in the sky—definitely a good sign."
Sera turned fully now, eyes sharp.
"This isn't a joke. Veltraxis is entering lockdown."
That wiped the sarcasm clean off his face.
"…Explain."
"Once it completes," she said, voice tightening, "the entire dimension seals itself. No entry. No exit."
Luto's eyes flicked back to the timer.
Then back to her.
"…And reopening it?"
"Only the one who initiated it can undo it."
Silence.
Then—
"…We need Ryu."
Immediate.
No hesitation.
Luto's grip tightened around the orb.
"…We find him, we leave. Simple."
Sera didn't respond.
Because they both knew—
It wasn't.
"…There's no way to track him," Luto muttered, frustration creeping in. "He could be anywhere in this damn—"
A voice cut through his thoughts.
Not heard—
Felt.
Soft.
Familiar.
"My, my… you're both quite loud."
Sera stopped instantly.
"…Lady Cona."
Luto blinked.
"…Wait—why can I hear her?"
A light, almost playful laugh echoed in his mind.
"Oh, that? I drew a small seal on your back earlier. When you carried me."
A pause.
Then, teasing—
"Such a strong back, too—"
"—We're skipping that," Luto cut in immediately, face tightening. "Next topic."
Even Sera shot him a look.
Focus.
"…Lady Cona," Sera pressed, "is it her?"
A pause.
Then—
Dread.
"…Yes."
The air seemed to grow heavier.
Even through a mental link—
They could feel it.
"I don't have much time… the distance is straining this connection…"
Her voice flickered.
Distorted.
"If you want to find your friend—return to Neonfall. That is your only exit point now."
Luto's eyes narrowed.
"…Ryu—what condition is he in?"
The connection crackled.
Faded.
"…badly… injured…"
Static.
"…fighting… Ilyra…"
Then—
Silence.
Gone.
Luto stood there for half a second.
Then—
"Move."
Sharp.
Urgent.
Not a suggestion.
Sera didn't argue.
They pushed forward again—
Faster.
This time—
No hesitation.
No distractions.
Luto's mind raced.
Ilyra…
Even from here—
He could feel it.
That pressure.
That overwhelming, suffocating presence pressing down on the entire dimension.
"…We're in deep," he muttered under his breath.
For once—
No sarcasm.
Just truth.
The orb in his hand finally stabilized—
Energy locking into place with a low hum.
Complete.
Ahead—
The corridor opened wide.
And there it was.
Sera's ship.
An ancient elven vessel—sleek, elegant, carved with flowing designs that pulsed faintly with living energy.
Waiting.
For escape.
If they made it in time.
The Weight Chosen For You
The Central Security Sanctum trembled under the storm.
Rain poured freely through the shattered ceiling.
Lightning carved brief, violent silhouettes across the towering white halls.
At the center—
A crater.
And within it—
Ryu.
Unmoving.
"Clear the perimeter."
Elder Thalen's voice cut clean through the chaos.
Not loud.
Not rushed.
Absolute.
Immediately, the sanctum shifted into motion.
Armored figures—not standard security—moved with precision, forming barriers, guiding frightened civilians deeper into the sanctum halls.
Because this—
This was not normal.
Civilians were never allowed here.
But Lady Cona had seen it.
The storm.
The collapse.
The war about to unfold in Neonfall.
So she had moved early.
Pulled whoever she could into the only place that might survive what was coming.
Now—
Five figures stood at the edge of the crater.
Watching.
Not afraid.
Not hostile.
Assessing.
"…So this is him."
Old Virek's voice was rough, skeptical.
His gaze dragged slowly over Ryu's broken form.
"Doesn't look like much."
"Neither did you," Sister Maurelle shot back instantly. "Still don't, if we're being honest."
"Oh, that's rich coming from you—"
"Enough."
Thalen didn't raise his voice.
But it landed heavier than both of theirs combined.
Silence returned.
For half a second.
Then—
"…He won't beat her."
Flat.
Certain.
Thalen's eyes didn't leave Ryu.
Mother Ysira tilted her head slightly, studying him more carefully.
"…Veltra told us something different."
A pause.
"She said the one who frees Ilyra would be a great warrior."
Her tone wasn't confrontational.
But it questioned everything.
"Then shouldn't he be capable of defeating her?"
Virek scoffed.
"Or Veltra overestimated him."
Maurelle crossed her arms.
"Or you're underestimating him."
"And you're romanticizing a corpse."
"Oh, I'd love to see you try better—"
"Children."
That one word came from Lady Cona.
Soft.
But it cut deeper than Thalen's.
They quieted.
Immediately.
Cona stepped forward.
Rain brushed against her shoulders as lightning illuminated her face—
Calm.
And unbearably sad.
"…You're all wrong."
Four pairs of eyes turned to her.
"He won't beat Ilyra."
A pause.
"But that was never the point."
Thalen's gaze sharpened.
"…Explain."
Cona met his eyes.
"He won't defeat her."
"…He'll reach her."
Silence.
Not confusion.
Understanding.
Slow.
Heavy.
"…Is that the only outcome you saw?" Thalen asked.
For the first time—
There was tension in his voice.
Cona didn't answer immediately.
Then—
She shook her head.
"…Yes."
That was enough.
No one argued after that.
Because if Lady Cona said that was the only path—
Then everything else led to ruin.
"…Then we've already delayed too long," Ysira murmured.
Maurelle exhaled.
"…I hate when she's right."
"You always hate when she's right."
"Because she's always right."
"Which makes you the problem—"
"Focus."
Thalen stepped forward.
Decision made.
"…We proceed."
They moved in unison.
Five points.
Five anchors.
Forming a pentagon around Ryu.
The air changed instantly.
Illum began to gather—thin strands at first, like threads being pulled from the very structure of the sanctum itself.
Then—
It deepened.
Brightened.
Connected.
"…You're sure about this?" Virek muttered.
"This ties him to Veltraxis."
Maurelle added quietly—
"Not lightly, either."
Thalen didn't respond.
Because he was looking at Cona.
And Cona—
Didn't hesitate.
"…He'll save her."
That was all she said.
And somehow—
It was enough.
"Begin."
The ritual ignited.
Illum surged outward—flooding the crater in radiant light.
Not violent.
Not chaotic.
Precise.
Controlled.
It wrapped around Ryu's body—seeping into wounds, into fractures, into the very damage etched into his bones.
His wrists—
Destroyed moments ago—
Begged to be whole.
And the energy answered.
But it didn't stop there.
The light shifted.
Deepened.
Something older.
Something… deeper.
Soul Link Restoration.
Threads extended beyond flesh—
Beyond energy—
And touched something intangible.
Ryu's soul.
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then—
—
Darkness.
—
Fragments.
Not his.
Silver hair.
Laughter in a garden.
A voice saying "Wait."
Pain.
Silence.
Loneliness stretched across ages.
A presence watching the world—
Unable to touch it.
Unable to stop.
Unable to be.
Veltraxis itself—
Whispering.
Pleading.
Help her.
Ryu's body twitched.
Breath returned in a violent gasp—
"—ghk!"
He coughed hard, body jerking forward as air rushed back into his lungs.
Alive.
"…Easy now."
Cona's voice.
Gentler this time.
Closer.
Ryu blinked.
Vision blurred—
Then focused.
White halls.
Rain.
Five figures standing over him.
"…What…"
His voice was rough.
Unsteady.
He looked down.
His wrists.
Gone.
The damage—
Gone.
Only faint marks remained where something far worse had existed.
"…The hell…"
A low sound interrupted him.
His stomach.
Growling.
Loud.
The tension cracked—
Just slightly.
Cona smiled.
Softly.
She reached into a small satchel and tossed him a bag.
"…You'll need it."
Ryu caught it on instinct.
Opened it.
Dried meat.
He didn't question it.
Didn't hesitate.
Just ate.
He stood slowly.
Testing his weight.
His balance.
Still there.
Still him.
But something—
Different.
He felt it.
Didn't understand it.
Didn't have time to.
The storm roared louder above them.
The countdown still ticking somewhere beyond the sanctum.
Everything closing in.
Ryu exhaled.
Long.
Heavy.
The weight didn't leave.
Onyx.
That feeling—
Still there.
Still tearing at him.
"…I'm not a hero."
He said it simply.
No hesitation.
No performance.
Just truth.
"I'm not anything special."
His grip tightened slightly.
"…I'm just trying to get my brother back."
Silence followed.
The scribes watched him.
Not disappointed.
Not surprised.
Then—
Ryu looked up.
"…But I'll help."
No grand speech.
No dramatic shift.
Just a decision.
And for the first time—
The storm outside felt like it had something to answer to.
Crown of Judgment
Neonfall—
The city was no longer a battlefield.
It was aftermath.
Collapsed structures.
Burning Illum veins.
Storm winds screaming through what remained of the district.
Above it all—
A massive construct of light burned into the sky:
32:27
Nearly half the time—gone.
Vaelor knelt.
One knee pressed into fractured stone.
His mask—shattered.
Gone.
Blood traced down from his eyes as he clutched his face, breath uneven.
"…Damn it…"
His vision pulsed.
Distorted.
He already knew—
One more use of his technique on her—
And he'd go blind.
Karn stood in front of him.
Unmoving.
One arm—gone.
Crudely wrapped by Maelis in torn fabric and hardened binding.
Still—
He didn't step back.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't flinch.
Even now—
Facing her.
Because in front of them—
Ilyra stood still.
Too still.
Vaelor exhaled slowly.
"…Karn."
His voice was quieter now.
Measured.
Heavy.
"…She's not even trying yet."
Karn scoffed, rolling his shoulder despite the missing arm, blood still seeping through the makeshift wrap.
"Yeah? Feels like she is."
Vaelor shook his head.
"No."
He finally lowered his hand from his bleeding eye.
"…She's only using one aspect."
Karn's brow furrowed.
Vaelor continued—
"…Obsidian Spade."
A pause.
"…Ruin Aspect."
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating Ilyra's still form in the distance.
"…It amplifies offense. Pure destruction."
Karn smirked through the pain.
"Then we just don't get hit."
Vaelor didn't smile.
"That's not the problem."
His gaze darkened.
"…Even if her defense is compromised…"
Another pause.
"…Veltraxis compensates."
The ground beneath them pulsed faintly.
As if responding to her existence.
"…The dimension itself protects her."
That wiped the smirk off Karn's face.
But only for a second.
Then—
He grinned wider.
Bloodied.
Unhinged.
"Good."
He stepped forward.
"Then we break the damn dimension with her."
Vaelor watched him.
And for the first time—
There was something close to concern in his expression.
"…You still don't understand."
His voice dropped further.
"…That's only one fragment."
A beat.
"…If she decides to use all of it…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Didn't need to.
Because even imagining it—
Was enough.
The storm answered.
Lightning split the sky—
And Ilyra moved.
Karn tightened his stance.
"Come."
No fear.
Only resolve.
Behind them—
"Fall back!" Maelis screamed. "You'll die if you take that head on—!"
Too late.
Ilyra raised her weapon.
Energy gathered—
Not chaotic.
Not wild.
Perfect.
Condensed.
Absolute.
Then—
She released it.
The world warped.
The attack descended—
And just before it landed—
—
A shadow opened beneath Karn and Vaelor.
—
They dropped.
Vanished.
The attack erased everything above it.
Silence.
For half a second.
Then—
Elsewhere—
They fell out.
Hard.
Rolling across fractured ground before stabilizing.
Maelis was already there—
Spinning—
Eyes wide.
"…You're—"
A second shadow tore open—
And Nyssae collapsed out of it.
—
She hit the ground immediately.
—
"…hah—…hah…"
Her body trembled.
Technique overuse.
Completely drained.
Maelis didn't hesitate.
She rushed forward—
Grabbing her—
Lifting her—
"You idiot—! You actually did it—!"
Relief cracked through her voice as she pulled Nyssae into a tight embrace.
"You saved them—"
Nyssae tried to respond—
But no words came.
Only exhaustion.
Karn steadied himself.
Vaelor rose slowly behind him—
Still clutching his eyes.
Still breathing through pain.
For a moment—
They thought—
They had space.
Then—
The air shifted.
Vaelor's head snapped up.
"…No—"
Ilyra appeared.
Already mid-swing.
Already there.
As if distance—
Didn't exist.
"MOVE—!" Karn roared—
But there was no time.
Then—
—
BOOM.
—
A massive chunk of debris—
A collapsed section of building—
Slammed into Ilyra from the side.
Hard enough—
To launch her.
—
She tore through the air—
Crashing back into the flattened remains of the central plaza.
Stone shattered.
Dust exploded outward.
Silence.
Shock.
Everyone froze.
"…What…?" Maelis whispered.
Karn's eyes shifted.
Locked onto something—
In the distance.
There—
Standing atop broken ground—
A figure.
Still.
Steady.
Ryu.
His posture wasn't relaxed anymore.
No grin.
No joking.
Just—
Focus.
Determination burned in his eyes as the storm howled around him.
"…That's enough."
He said it quietly.
But it carried.
Across everything.