The air shimmered with Nanites. The mountain seemed to hold its breath, stones levitating slightly from the force of their energy. Karl pivoted Erevos on the jagged ridge, nanites already weaving new constructs around his frame.
The demon's grin was twisted, almost joyous. Its fists slammed into the cliffside again and again, but now Karl wasn't just defending—he was constructing.
"Interesting… Chosen… your… persistence… unmatched…" the demon rasped, the cadence of its guttural voice almost musical amidst the chaos.
Karl ignored the compliment, though a faint smirk tugged at his visor. "You talk too much. Stay still, I'll make this quick."
"Quick? Haha… no… never… perfect… fight… my veins… fire… your hands… craft… exquisite…" The demon's massive arm arched back, smashing into a floating boulder. Dust and debris shot skyward, yet Karl's newly formed spikes along Erevos' shoulders and elbows glimmered, nanites twisting into jagged steel extensions, ready to feed back torque into every strike.
Agnes' voice rippled through his HUD, smooth and measured despite the storm. "Karl… joints, elbows, back boosters… Torque feeds optimized. We can turn every motion into kinetic amplification. He's enjoying this—react accordingly, but do not overextend."
Karl's fingers danced over the interface. Exhaust vents sprouted along Erevos' spine, hissing out plumes of ionized air as micro-blades spun at his wrists. His shoulder gears flared, nanite pistons pumping, spikes extending and retracting in rhythm with his Vythra pulse. Every joint, every servo, every rotating cog became an instrument of predatory combat, each feeding into the next.
The demon lunged, massive fists hammering toward Erevos' chest. Karl sidestepped, spinning the shoulder spikes in a corkscrew motion, deflecting the blows while converting the force into acceleration through the micro-exhausts on his back. He ricocheted off the cliff edge, landing on a protruding stone with perfect balance.
"Ha! Excellent… your… construction… magnificent… every strike… a gift… you thrill me… Chosen…"
Karl gritted his teeth. "Keep thanking me if you want. Just don't get yourself killed while you do it."
The demon laughed—a low, rumbling sound that shook the ridge. Its claws came at Karl from above, spinning in an arc meant to crush Erevos' head. Karl activated the elbow boosters, springing upward mid-spin. Spikes on his elbows extended outward, raking across the demon's wrist. Sparks erupted as the claws caught them; the monster yelped, recoiling, but a trace of respect lingered in the growl.
"You… exhilarating… never… thought… anyone… challenge… like this… pleasure… battle… true…"
Karl's HUD blinked warnings—torque surges at 96%, nanites maxed—but he ignored them. He had to keep pushing the rhythm. Every strike, every deflection, every ricochet of his boosted spikes and exhaust blasts danced with the demon's movements, forcing it to react, adapt, and reveal openings.
Spinning, pivoting, rebounding—Karl became a storm of mechanical precision. Every joint that flexed sent torque into the floating gears, making them spin faster, slicing through air, creating shockwaves that forced the demon to leap or absorb kinetic hits that would have pulverized lesser foes.
"You… invigorating… perfect… strain… muscles… mind… essence… thank… Chosen…"
Karl smirked, voice muffled behind the visor. "I don't fight to make you happy. I fight to survive. But if it helps you enjoy it, have at it."
The demon lunged again, claws aimed for Erevos' back. Karl twisted mid-air, sending out spinal exhaust bursts to deflect the strike while simultaneously jabbing a newly formed spike into the demon's side. Torque feedback amplified the jab, sending a shockwave rippling across the ridge.
"Exquisite… feedback… creation… your body… your mind… every motion… perfect… delight… thrill…"
Karl's eyes narrowed. "You're gonna have to talk less and swing more if you want to land anything."
Agnes' voice was calm but intense. "Micro-gear pivots in sequence with spikes… torque-converted kinetic energy… ready for escalation. Close quarters optimal, but prepare for speed transition."
Karl grinned. "Exactly what I was thinking."
The demon roared in response, pivoting its massive torso. Its fists hammered the cliffside in an irregular rhythm, throwing dust and rock at Karl with brutal precision. Karl pivoted, spinning arm spikes in corkscrew rotations, using exhaust bursts to hop between ledges. Every impact fed torque through Erevos, creating a deadly rhythm that the demon could not predict.
"You… most… skilled… Chosen… every blow… sparks… genius… thrill… exhilaration… fight… perfect…"
Karl's HUD beeped. Torque conduits overheating. Nanites nearing critical threshold. But he didn't care. He was creating, reacting, and surviving. Spikes and exhausts flared in unison, floating gears spinning to absorb and redirect attacks while amplifying Erevos' strikes.
The demon lunged again. Karl twisted, dodging, countering with a sweeping shoulder spike strike, catching the demon across the chest. Sparks and Royal Azure cascaded across the ridge as the monster was pushed back. Yet even as it staggered, it spoke, voice ragged but tinged with admiration:
"Thrill… finest… Chosen… never… known… such… dance… exhilaration… my thanks…"
Karl barely had time to register it. Another punch came, faster than the last. Exhausts hissed, spikes pivoted, torque spun, floating gears rotated violently to deflect the strike. The ground exploded beneath the impact. Dust, debris, and Royal Azure light filled the horizon.
"Karl… speed transition imminent… Blueprints aligned… dome… massive scale… ready to set stage…"
Karl nodded, eyes blazing behind the visor. "Let's finish the close quarters first. Then we blow the doors off this place."
The demon roared in agreement—or perhaps sheer joy. Its fists hammered, claws sliced, and yet every strike now carried respect. Every swing was a thank you wrapped in a threat. Karl danced with the creature, spikes raking, exhausts propelling, floating gears clanging. Torque flowed, Vythra pulsed, nanites obeyed. Every second, Karl turned danger into artistic destruction.
At the very end of this brutal, beautiful duel, Karl leapt back, spinning the floating gears into a halo around both himself and the demon. Dust swirled in the Royal Azure light. Torque bled into every cog, spike, and exhaust vent. The demon stopped for a heartbeat, glowing veins throbbing, massive chest heaving, and looked at Karl with unmasked admiration.
"You… Chosen… ultimate… fight… exhilarating… unmatched… your creation… sparks… unrelenting… thank you…"
Karl smirked behind the visor. "You're welcome. But don't get used to it."
Agnes' voice cut in, low and commanding: "Karl… city-sized dome Blueprint Overdrive… all peripheral gears in orbit… ready… alignment perfect… now or never…"
Karl raised a hand, signaling the end of the close quarters ballet. The floating gears spun faster, creating a halo around them both, glimmering in Royal Azure. Every spike, every exhaust, every torque conduit hummed with potential. The battlefield trembled, ready for the next level.
The demon roared—not with anger, but with thrilled anticipation. Karl had pushed it. Karl had challenged it. And now, the stage was set.
The city-sized dome Blueprint Overdrive hung just beyond activation, colossal gears orbiting both combatants like celestial satellites. The moment of ultimate escalation hovered just beyond the horizon.
And in that tense silence, the demon and Karl shared one unspoken truth: neither had ever fought anything like this before.