[Base 111 - Command Center]
"Get me a line to Base 105. Now," the Commander barked, his eyes fixed on the flickering global map. "I need a status report on their sector."
"On it, sir," a communications officer replied, his fingers flying across the console. He patched into the long-range radio. "Base 105, this is Base 111. Do you copy? What is your current situation?"
Static crackled for a moment before a frantic voice broke through. "Base 111, we have a situation! An unidentified high-rank specimen has breached the surface perimeter. Our Commander is engaging it now!"
The Commander of Base 111 lunged forward, grabbing the headset. "What?! Where is Lyla? Why isn't she in the bunker?"
"She's on the surface, sir! She's... she's fighting it head-on!"
"Then why are you still on the radio?" the Commander roared. "Support her!"
"Sir, my orders are to maintain communications and protect the civilian levels! If the surface falls, we're the last line of defense!"
The Commander slammed his fist onto the table, a string of curses under his breath. "How far are we from 105?"
"Fifty miles, sir. Even at full burn, we're looking at a twenty-minute deployment."
"Jezz," the Commander whispered, staring at the screen. "Hold on, Lyra."
.....
[Base 105 - The Surface]
Jane stood in the center of the desolate wasteland, her breath coming in sharp, controlled bursts. The blue aura surrounding her hummed with a low, electric vibration. In a heartbeat, she vanished.
She reappeared inches from Wilder, her sheathed sword swinging in a devastating arc. A massive wave of pure spiritual energy slammed into the Beast. Wilder crossed his arms to block, but the impact sent him skidding back, his feet carving deep trenches into the earth.
They both leaped simultaneously, meeting mid-air. Jane drew her blade in a blur of steel. The clash of their energy created a supersonic pulse that shattered the ground below and sent a shockwave rippling through the air.
Jane's blade found its mark, severing Wilder's left arm. The limb fell to the dust, dissolving into black smoke.
Wilder landed, looking at his stump with a twisted grin. "You have my honor, human. I didn't think your kind could bleed spiritual energy."
Jane didn't waste words. She dashed again, her speed now so great she was little more than a blue streak. Wilder anticipated the strike, his reflexes inhuman. As Jane swung for his head, he caught her mid-motion, a heavy blow to her stomach sending her reeling.
Jane coughed, but before she could recover, she infused her broken blade with a surge of aura. As Wilder moved to finish her, she swung. The Beast caught the blade, snapping the steel like glass, and hurled Jane high into the sky.
As she plummeted, Wilder leaped up to meet her. But Jane was ready. She channeled every ounce of her remaining energy into her fist. *BOOM.*
A beam of concentrated blue light punched a hole straight through Wilder's torso. The impact sent the Beast spiraling into the clouds. Jane didn't wait for him to land. She kicked off the air itself, the pressure breaking the sound barrier. They collided again in the stratosphere, their fists meeting with such force that the clouds above the base split open, revealing the dark, starry sky beyond.
They crashed back to the surface, cratering the earth. Jane struggled to her feet, realizing she had dropped her broken hilt. She looked at her hands, then did something that made Lyla's eyes widen.
"Jane, you have fifteen minutes left on the timer!" Lyla's voice crackled in her earpiece.
Jane didn't respond. She focused, and the blue aura around her hands began to solidify, weaving together into a shimmering, translucent blade of pure energy.
Wilder stood up, his torso already knitting itself back together. "Fascinating. A human creating a soul-blade."
They charged again. Jane's energy blade sliced through the air, severing Wilder's head in a clean, horizontal stroke. But even as his head fell, Wilder's body landed a crushing blow to Jane's ribs, sending her tumbling across the wasteland.
Jane skidded to a halt, her vision blurring. *I have to be stronger...*
Wilder's body walked over, picked up his head, and pressed it back onto his neck. The flesh fused instantly. "Well played, little conscript," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "But the games are over. Let's get serious."
Jane's eyes widened. *He wasn't even trying?*
Wilder punched the air. The sheer displacement of oxygen created a localized hurricane that blew Jane back, along with several of the armored SUVs. Leo, watching from the sidelines, gripped the edge of his seat. *Gosh, Jane... don't die. Don't make me interfere.*
Jane coughed up blood, her blue aura flickering.
"Retreat, Jane!" Lyla's voice was sharp in her ear. "I'm taking over!"
"No!" Jane spat, pushing herself up. "I can finish this!"
She slammed her hands into the ground, channeling her aura into the earth. The ground began to buckle and crack.
"Stop!" Lyla shouted. "You'll collapse the bunker levels! There are thousands of people under your feet!"
Jane froze, her energy dissipating. She took a breath and dashed forward one last time, her speed reaching a desperate peak. She manifested dual energy katanas, a blur of blue light as she circled Wilder, landing dozens of shallow cuts in a matter of seconds.
Wilder roared—a sound that wasn't human or animal, but something primal. *ROAR.*
His body surged, doubling in size as he entered his true Beast form. He caught Jane by the throat mid-dash and slammed her into the ground twice, the impact shattering her tactical armor.
Leo started to step out of the SUV, his eyes beginning to glow with a dangerous, dark light. But he stopped.
As Wilder raised a massive fist to crush Jane, a blur of dark red light intervened. Lyla appeared, catching Jane mid-air and setting her down gently. "I told you to retreat," she said, her voice chillingly calm.
Wilder's voice was now a deep, guttural growl. "Don't you dare ignore me, human!"
Lyla turned. Her hair had shifted to a deep, blood-red hue. Her eyes were no longer human—the pupils were sharp, vertical slits, and her gaze held a predatory edge that made even the Beast flinch.
Wilder lunged, a grave mistake.
In a move so fast it defied the eye, Lyla's demonic blade cleared its sheath. Wilder's body didn't even reach her. He fell to the ground in a dozen pieces, his limbs severed before he could even register the strike.
*Why...* Wilder's dying thought flickered. *Why am I sensing the 11th Commander's aura from this girl?*
Lyla stepped forward and crushed the Beast's head under her boot, ending the fight instantly. But she didn't sheathe her sword. She turned, her gaze fixed on the horizon.
Leo felt a cold shiver run down his spine. *Nova, what is that?*
*The 10th Commander,* Nova replied, her voice trembling with a rare trace of fear.
*No! Not now!* Leo thought, his heart hammering.
A figure descended from the sky, landing with a silent, terrifying grace right in front of Lyra. The figure's eyes were a perfect mirror of Lyla's—dark, deadly, and ancient.
"Hello, humans," the figure said, his voice smooth and melodic. "I am here to end your pain. But don't misunderstand me..." He smiled, revealing rows of sharp teeth. "I mean to end it by killing every last one of you."
To be continued...