The battlefield was quiet now, but the echoes of chaos still lingered. Broken armor, shattered fragments of code, and the lingering pulse of corrupted domains reminded Brush of what had nearly happened.
Hikaru lay on the ground a short distance away, bruised and battered, her legendary armor in ruins. She was alive—but just barely. The memory of her sacrifice burned in his mind: the way she had thrown herself between him and the fatal attack, her body absorbing what should have been his death.
Brush's fists clenched so tightly that veins popped across his hands.
"Never again," he muttered.
"No one… no one will die because of me."
He stood, feeling every ounce of the power he had gained—the forbidden skill, the Seed of the Internet, the latent energy of his fate summons. This time, he would be ready for anything.
Mia Nikka, still flustered from the last battle, stepped forward, ears twitching. Her tail flicked nervously but with resolve.
"Brush… are you… ready?" she asked, voice low.
Crunchyroller adjusted her stance beside him, grin fading into determination.
"We've seen what happens when we're caught off-guard," she said.
"This time, we control the fight."
Brush nodded once, eyes blazing. He had felt the weight of every previous battle, every loss, every near-death experience. He had learned from them.
The city of Vikka seemed to shift subtly around them, as if sensing his resolve. Neon lights flickered in anticipation. Digital billboards warped into strange patterns, almost as if the Seed of the Internet itself acknowledged the change.
"No more surprises," Brush said firmly,
"no more ambushes, no more massacre. This ends on our terms."
Even as distant signals hinted at Arcadia's return, Brush's heart was steady. He would fight. He would protect. And he would ensure the party survived.
The calm before the next storm stretched across Vikka's corrupted streets. But this time, Brush was ready.
SYSTEM ALERT: PARTY READY – THREAT LEVEL INCOMING
STATUS: FULL CONTROL
And somewhere in the shadows, Arcadia and the black-market gods would soon learn that Brush would never be caught off-guard again.