Squad 4 stood at a distance from the police station. Their hearts were pounding with a mix of nervousness and excitement. The thought that Drake already knew they were coming sent a chill down their spines, but the idea of finally paying him back? That lit a fire in their hearts.
"Anyway, we can't back down now after everything we said to Shin Amano and Squad 7, right?" Sora said with a smile.
The others simply nodded in agreement, smiling along with her.
"That being said, how do we even reach him without getting ourselves blown up?" Seth asked. "That Drive Core Release of his is no joke. And what's the plan once we actually get close?"
"L-L-Leave that to me," Kaela muttered shyly. "I can probably form a petal barrier to get us close enough."
The squad smiled at her reassuringly and Sora gave her a light pat on the head as if praising her idea.
From there, Sora quickly devised a solid plan with the team, exchanging strategies and thoughts that might work.
The plan wasn't too different from what they had done before. Seth would take the high ground, this time from a much greater distance. That way, even if Drake spotted him, getting to him wouldn't be easy. Sora, Kaela, and Ren would stick together as the frontline. Meanwhile, Miko would provide drone support, scanning for weak points and striking when possible.
"Well then," Sora said with a smirk, "shall we begin the bone hunt?"
Kaela and Ren nodded.
In a blink, the three of them dashed toward the front entrance. There was no point in sneaking around now. Drake was already expecting them. In an instant, Kaela formed a petal barrier to shield them from the explosives as they moved forward.
"Petal Cage!"
The drive particle explosives surrounding the area detonated upon contact with the barrier, erupting in loud bursts. But Kaela's shield held firm. Compared to Warden Aeri's overwhelming force, these blasts were far more manageable for her.
The three powered their way into the police station under Kaela's petal barrier. They expected Drake to be waiting on the first floor but to their surprise, the room was empty.
Sora immediately tapped his earpiece."Miko, scan the area again. Drake's not here. Kaela, keep the barrier up. He might ambush us."
"Roger," both Miko and Kaela replied in unison.
Within seconds, Miko's drone went inside as it flew past the team and descended into the basement. But what the feed revealed made his brow furrow.
The basement… it changed. Or more like it expanded. The place now resembled a full scale battleground twice its original size, as if it had been fused with another basement identical to it.
How the hell did they change the layout drastically in just a week?
The drone flew deeper. Then it spotted him.
Drake. Seated casually on a chair right in front of the core bleed, his expression was unreadable. He looked straight at the drone and smiled before releasing a surge of explosive aura that instantly obliterated it.
"He's down there. Waiting for us," Miko said with a serious tone.
Sora narrowed his eyes. "Then let's not keep him waiting."
Without wasting another second, they rushed down into the basement. And just as Miko reported, Drake was there sitting comfortably in a chair. He didn't look tense at all. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying himself.
At Sora's signal, Kaela lowered her barrier. She looked a little worn out, and Sora didn't want her draining too much energy before the real fight began.
A heavy silence settled between the two sides as they locked eyes for a long moment. Then, with a sudden clap of his hands, Drake broke the stillness, startling all three of them.
"You," he pointed lazily, a creepy smile on his face, "the boy with the katana. Why don't you join me? That scar you left on my fist still itches. Just because I see something in you, I'll let it go, I'll even make you my right hand. So what do you say?"
"Don't rush in. Keep it together, Ren," Sora muttered as Kaela gave Ren's shoulder a reassuring pat
Ren nodded while staring at the black handkerchief tied on his wrist. "Relax. I'm not taking the bait." He narrowed his eyes at Drake. "We will fight him together."
"Then shall we go?" Sora asked, her voice calm. The others nodded in sync.
A split second later, a bullet tore through the wall, heading straight for Drake's skull, but he casually tilted his head, the shot grazing past as he smirked.
Sora was already on the move, her twin daggers glowing red-hot with molten energy. She leapt forward, twisting mid-air.
"Red Bloom Drive!"
Drake raised his arms to counter, only for the bullet that had missed to suddenly curve midair, slamming into his calves and forcing him to one knee.
Sora's blades were nearly upon him when—
BOOM!
An explosion burst around her as one of the scattered Drive energy particles reacted to her molten daggers. The blast threw her backward, her body tumbling once before she landed on her feet, panting.
"That sniper!" Drake muttered. "I'll deal with you later!"
Unlike before, Drake couldn't track Seth by trajectory. Because this time, Seth was above ground and nowhere near sight.
He also couldn't see Drake directly, but Miko's drone locked onto Drake's core energy position with pinpoint accuracy, guiding Seth through a live feed.
"Let's keep our attacks going! Watch yourselves, we're inside his domain now. Kaela, cover me!" Ren commanded as he sprinted forward, weaving effortlessly between the floating Drive energy particles circling around Drake.
Drake caught sight of Ren closing in and raised his right palm, unleashing a massive surge of orange explosive Drive energy.
But just as it was about to hit—
"Kaela!" Ren called out.
A wall of glowing petals burst into form, intercepting the blast. Ren flashed a grin in her direction before going forward again.
Drake roared in frustration. His fist flared with explosive aura as he dashed forward to Ren. "Explosive Fist!"
He slammed it down, shattering the ground, but Ren had already leapt, running along Drake's arm in a blur of motion.
Using Drake's shoulder as a foothold, Ren launched himself high into the air. Lightning crackled around his leg, surging violently.
"Thunder Foot!"
The axe kick connected square on the top of Drake's head, slamming him into the ground with a thunderous crash. Smoke and rubble erupted from the impact and Drake was out of sight.
A moment of silence accompanied the basement for a couple of seconds. But then, a pulsing orange glow began radiating from within the dust cloud. Ren's instincts screamed danger.
"Kaela! Barrier, now!"
Kaela didn't hesitate. A protective dome of petals enveloped the trio and in a split second—-
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion ripped through the basement, leveling everything in its path. The shockwave rattled the barrier, and when the smoke cleared, the battlefield was nothing but rubble.
"Are you guys okay? What the hell happened down there?" Miko's voice crackled through the comms.
From Miko and Seth's view above ground, the scene was catastrophic. The entire police station had caved in, swallowed by the earth. A massive crater, nearly the size of two basketball courts, had replaced what was once solid ground.
"What... did he just do?" Seth muttered, eyes wide.
"We're okay… somehow," Sora replied through the earpiece. "Thanks to Kaela."
"Whoooo! You guys nearly gave me a heart attack! I swear I stopped breathing for a second,"said Miko.
Kaela chuckled weakly through the comms as if telling the others she's alright.
But her voice didn't match her condition. Kaela was down on one knee, breathing heavily. She had burned through nearly all her energy keeping the barrier up during the explosion.
"Miko, can you scan for any signs of Drake?" Sora commanded.
Miko's drone zipped through the air, weaving above the collapsed rubble spread across the zone, its sensors were scanning intently for any trace of Drive energy.
Is it really over? Ren wondered, his hand still gripping the hilt of his blade.
Just as the tension in the air began to ease, the drone pinged. A pulse. A signal, steady and rising from deep beneath the rubble.
"Everyone, it's not over yet!" Miko warned. "Seth! Fire a blast right under my drone! Now!"
Seth wasted no time. He channeled energy into his weapon, which glowed with a vibrant green light. Then a focused shot ripped through the air and struck the massive slab of stone dead-center. The impact shook the ground, sending dust and smoke spiraling upward.
Then—
"ROAAAR!!!"
A massive eruption of orange energy burst from the rubble, tearing apart the surrounding debris. Out of the smoke emerged Drake.
His once orange jacket was torn in shreds. His towering, muscular frame was fully exposed, now etched with glowing orange markings that pulsed with raw power. An aura, thick and burning like wildfire, enveloped him, radiating a chaotic energy.
"What… is that?" Ren muttered, drawing his katana halfway from its sheath.
"I think he absorbed the Drive Cores from the Core Bleed." Miko said in a serious tone. "He's gone berserk."
"Kaela, go to Miko's position," Sora ordered firmly.
But Kaela's eyes, still burning with resolve, didn't budge.
"You did your part. That's an order."
Tears welled up as Kaela finally turned away. Without another word, she climbed out of the crater and ran toward Miko.
Sora locked eyes with Ren.
No words were needed. They both understood. They charged forward side by side.
Berserk Drake threw massive surges of orange Drive energy at them. The blasts tore through the battlefield, but the two weaved through like phantoms.
Did her eyes just turn red? Is she… faster? Ren thought while glancing at Sora's direction.
Ren moved with effortless grace, dodging and deflecting as if dancing. Kaien's training had finally bloomed within him. No wasted energy. Clean, sharp strikes. And above all, full synchronization with his squad.
He went right and Sora flanked left. As Drake prepared another blast, Ren vanished, then reappeared at his side in a flash. Meanwhile, Sora spun midair, her molten daggers heating the air around her.
"Thunderclap."
"Red Bloom Drive!"
Both strikes landed, but Drake's glowing aura armor absorbed the hits.
They paused only for a second, locking eyes again. A silent exchange and perfect understanding.
Ren surged in from above. Sora swept low.
They dodged Drake's monstrous, aura-fueled punches like ghosts, slipping between blows, and countering with precision. With each exchange, the cracks in his aura grew more visible.
Until—
Drake's hand caught Sora's leg mid-spin.
With a roar, he smashed her into the ground like a hammer.
Sora gasped, blood spraying from her lips. Her body hit the dirt hard and she didn't get up.
Drake leapt, both arms raised, ready to finish her.
But Ren was already there.
He blurred across the field, faster than lightning itself, scooping her up just before impact that shattered the ground.
A split second later, a massive green comet-like bullet from higher ground struck Drake right in the chest. He roared in anguish as the impact visibly staggered him.
"I'm still here," Seth said calmly through the comms.
Ren gently laid Sora down about twenty meters away from Drake, then dashed back into the fight without hesitation. Every aura-coated punch, every blazing orange blast Drake threw, Ren weaved through them all as thunder crackled beneath his feet.
"Thunderstep."
Ren and Seth launched a relentless assault, slashes and bullets raining down in perfect rhythm. Seth's shots pierced the gaps between Ren's strikes, each hit chipping away at Drake's armor. Slowly but surely, cracks began to form even larger. Then, with a deafening explosion, the armor finally shattered, sending Ren flying across the battlefield.
He slammed into the ground hard, groaning as he lay still, barely conscious. Drake, though battered, was still standing, and now he was closing in.
Seth fired several rounds to stall Drake but it didn't stop him. "Ren! Wake up! I'm running out of ammo!"
Drake raised his arms and coated it with his aura to crush him. But suddenly, a violent surge of lightning burst from Ren's body, forcing Drake back several steps.
Ren staggered to his feet, legs trembling, using his sword as a cane to hold himself up.
It's now or never. It's not complete yet... but I have to try.
He limped forward, slowly approaching the towering enemy right in front of him.
"Oi, Ren! Fall back! You can barely walk!" Seth shouted desperately.
But then, a hand landed on Ren's shoulder.
It was Sora. Wounded and barely standing, but with resolve blazing in her eyes.
"I'll boost you," she said. "Hit him with everything you've got."
Ren nodded firmly.
"Fine," Seth added. "I've got one bullet left. I'll make you an opening."