The Guardian's head twitched slightly.
Then its halo implants flared.
The air in the chamber compressed instantly, a sudden pulse of gravity forcing the group to their knees for a brief moment.
Then the creature moved.
It didn't rush blindly. It stepped forward slowly, deliberately, every movement heavy enough to make the ground crack under its weight.
Jack grinned, stepping ahead.
Jack: "Alright… now it's a fight."
The Guardian swung an arm. The air bent with the force.
Jack braced with hardened scales, blocking the impact—but even he skidded back a few steps.
Jack (growling): "It hits like a truck!"
Emilia dissolved into mist and reappeared behind it, slashing for the exposed implant along its spine—but the Guardian reacted unnaturally fast, twisting mid-motion and slamming its arm down to force her back with a gravity burst.
Ichiro darted in from the flank, his wind aura giving him speed. He struck the side of its knee joint, forcing it to stagger slightly—but the Guardian countered with a backhanded swing that nearly crushed him into the wall.
Henry moved last, waiting for the right opening, his strikes aimed for precision. He clipped one of the glowing implants on its side, making it stagger—but the thing didn't fall.
Suddenly, the Guardian's fragmented halo rings rotated faster. The room's gravity shifted violently, pulling everyone slightly toward the ceiling before slamming them back down.
Lenny scrambled for cover, shouting.
Lenny: "It's destabilizing the chamber's gravity!"
Jack roared, slamming his armored fist into the ground to steady himself.
Jack: "Then we break it before it breaks the room!"
Henry made the call quickly.
Henry: "Jack, draw its focus. Emilia, disrupt its implants. Ichiro—time your strikes with mine. Lenny, look for any weak points!"
Jack lunged forward, hammering it with heavy, relentless blows to force it back. The Guardian raised its arm to block—exactly as planned.
Emilia flickered behind it again, slicing at the exposed implant. Sparks burst from the damaged ring.
Ichiro darted low, slashing the Guardian's leg joint again. Henry followed with a precise strike to the same spot, forcing the creature to drop to one knee.
Lenny shouted from the corner.
Lenny: "There—base of the spine! It's the primary stabilizer!"
Henry's eyes sharpened.
Henry: "On it. Jack—open it up!"
Jack roared, charging straight into the Guardian, grappling its arms wide to expose its back.
Henry leapt, striking the stabilizer with all his force. His fist shone brightly with blue energy, illuminating the darkness around him.
The implant shattered.
The gravitational field destabilized completely, causing the Guardian to convulse violently before collapsing to the ground in a heavy, metallic heap.
The air in the chamber slowly returned to normal.
Jack stepped back, breathing heavily.
Jack: "Damn… that thing was just a prototype?"
Emilia inspected the remains.
Emilia: "It was incomplete. Which means they're building something worse."
Ichiro wiped his blade clean, glancing deeper into the tunnel.
Ichiro: "If they have more of these… we're in trouble."
Henry stayed quiet for a moment, staring at the destroyed Guardian.
Henry: "…This confirms it. The Black Halo is experimenting with Zorath's gravitational power."
He turned toward the deeper path.
Henry: "And that means Zorath is closer than we thought."
Henry turned toward the deeper path.
Henry: "We move. There's more down there. We're close to something important."
But before he could take another step, Emilia spoke.
Emilia: "Henry, stop."
Her tone was calm, but there was an edge to it—a rare sharpness that made even Jack glance her way.
Henry turned slightly, meeting her gaze.
Henry: "What is it?"
Emilia stepped forward, folding her arms.
Emilia: "You felt it too, didn't you? That… presence below us. Whatever's down there isn't just another group of disciples. It's different."
Henry stayed silent.
Emilia: "We've already pushed further than we planned. We have intel, proof of their experiments, and a clear sign that Zorath Veil is here. That's enough for now."
Jack raised an eyebrow.
Jack: "You're saying we should just leave?"
Emilia's eyes didn't leave Henry.
Emilia: "I'm saying if we keep going, we'll cross a line we can't come back from. These tunnels… they're not just hiding soldiers. They're hiding something designed to keep us here."
Henry's expression stayed calm, but there was steel in his voice.
Henry: "We're not leaving half-finished. Ronnie sent us down here to learn what we're really facing. If we turn back now, we'll only have fragments."
Emilia frowned, her tone sharpening.
Emilia: "And if we go deeper, we might not come back at all. You're willing to risk all of us for more fragments?"
Henry's gaze didn't waver.
Henry: "I'm willing to risk it to understand what we're up against. Because next time we face them, it won't be in tunnels—it'll be in the middle of the city."
The air between them felt heavier than the Guardian's gravity field.
Emilia took a slow breath, keeping her voice steady but firm.
Emilia: "You're not thinking clearly. You're too focused on the next step to see the pit under your feet."
Henry's tone stayed calm, but there was a faint bite underneath.
Henry: "And you're too cautious to see the bigger picture."
Ichiro glanced between them, staying quiet but clearly uneasy.
Jack leaned calmly against the wall.
Jack: "Well… this is fun."
Lenny stayed silent too, but his eyes darted between the two, sensing the growing divide.
Emilia stepped closer, lowering her voice so it didn't echo.
Emilia: "I'm not saying we stop forever. I'm saying we regroup. Think. We're blind down here. And you know it."
Henry met her gaze evenly.
Henry: "… We don't get a second chance if we walk away now. The Black Halo isn't waiting for us to make a plan."
For a moment, neither moved. Neither blinked.
Then Emilia turned slightly away, exhaling softly.
Emilia: "… Do what you want. But don't expect me to stay silent when I know you're dragging us into something we're not ready for."
Henry turned back toward the deeper path.
Henry: "We're going. But we stay sharp. If we see something we can't handle, we pull out. Agreed?"
Emilia didn't respond immediately. Then she gave a faint, restrained nod, though her expression remained tense.
Jack shrugged.
Jack: "Guess we're diving deeper into hell. Fine by me."
Ichiro gripped his weapon, silent but resolved.
Lenny sighed quietly, muttering under his breath.
Lenny: "…I hope we don't regret this."