Silence.
Heavy.
Tight.
"…"
The man's hand moved closer.
Slow.
Careful.
Testing.
"Let's see… what you really are."
"…"
Blaine didn't move.
Didn't react.
But inside—
Everything reached its limit.
The fragment he devoured—
Was no longer stable.
It surged.
Wild.
Violent.
Cracks spread through the suppression field—
Not outside—
Inside him.
[Warning: Instability Critical]
Too much.
Too fast.
Too dangerous.
But—
Perfect.
Because this was the moment.
The man's fingers almost touched his face—
And Blaine moved.
SNAP.
The chain tightened—
Then—
Cracked.
Not fully broken—
But enough.
"—!"
The man's eyes widened instantly.
Fast.
He reacted immediately—
Jumping back.
But Blaine—
Was faster.
Not in speed—
In timing.
He pulled—
Twisted—
Forced his body through the restraint—
Pain exploded.
His arm tore slightly—
But he didn't stop.
The suppression field surged violently.
Trying to crush him again.
But now—
He had something new.
He pushed the devoured fragment outward—
Letting it clash directly with the suppression.
CRACK.
A visible distortion spread through the air.
The field—
Faltered.
For a second.
That second—
Was enough.
Blaine lunged forward.
Not at the man—
At the ground.
BOOM.
The impact shattered part of the stone floor.
Dust exploded into the air—
Vision blocked.
Confusion created.
"—!"
The man reacted instantly.
"…clever."
His voice remained calm—
But sharper.
More serious.
"…"
Because now—
He understood.
This wasn't a subject anymore.
This was a threat.
"…"
Blaine moved through the dust—
Not attacking directly—
Positioning.
The room—
Small.
Limited.
But unstable.
Cracked from the earlier fight.
That was his weapon.
"…"
The man stepped back—
Eyes scanning.
Predicting.
"…you're not escaping."
A pulse—
Stronger than before.
The suppression surged again—
Forcing Blaine's body down.
THUD.
His knee hit the ground.
Pain surged.
Vision blurred.
"…"
Not enough.
Still not enough.
But—
He didn't need full strength.
Only one chance.
"…"
The man approached again—
Careful now.
No arrogance.
Only calculation.
"…you almost surprised me."
A pause.
"…but this ends here."
His hand lifted—
Energy gathered.
Different from the suppression—
Sharper.
Deadlier.
"…"
Blaine didn't move.
Didn't resist.
Didn't fight.
Because—
This was the moment he was waiting for.
The man stepped exactly where Blaine needed him to.
On the cracked ground.
Right above the weakened point.
"…"
Blaine's fingers pressed slightly into the floor.
And then—
He pushed.
Not with strength—
With everything.
The fractured stone gave in.
CRASH.
The ground collapsed beneath them.
"—!"
The man lost balance—
Just for a moment.
That moment—
Blaine moved.
Not fast.
Not clean.
But precise.
His hand shot forward—
Grabbing the man's arm.
And then—
He devoured.
"—!!"
The reaction was instant.
Violent.
Because this—
Was different.
Human.
System.
Energy.
Everything collided.
[Warning: Unknown Integration]
Pain exploded through Blaine's body—
But he held on.
Forced it.
Compressed it.
Didn't let go.
The man struggled—
But the unstable ground—
The broken footing—
The moment—
All worked against him.
"…you—!"
Too late.
Blaine twisted—
Pulled—
And slammed him into the collapsing stone.
CRACK.
Silence.
Heavy.
Still.
The man's body stopped moving.
"…"
Blaine released him slowly.
His breathing—
Unstable.
His body—
Shaking.
Because this—
Wasn't clean.
Wasn't controlled.
But it worked.
Barely.
The system flickered violently.
Then—
[Devour Triggered]