Before initiating the jump to Karai's coordinates, Tae restored Ayden's Infinite Adaptation, unlocking the sub-atomic seal his evolved Logos had placed on his mind.
With a silent nod to his brothers, Tae slipped away for a brief moment, stepping directly into his personal Pocket Dimension—a serene, golden void lined with floating lotus blossoms where time stood dead still.
As Tae walked across the translucent water-like floor, a warm, radiant light coalesced in front of him. The soft, gentle form of Sister Patricia—their beloved late mother figure from the orphanage—materialized as a glowing spirit.
"Tae..." Sister Patricia whispered, her spiritual voice carrying that comforting warmth he hadn't felt in years. "You carry so much weight on those young shoulders, my boy."
Tae let out a long, heavy breath, his stoic Director persona slipping away for just a second. "Sister... we're about to face Karai. A Rank 3 Calamity. Everyone is ready, but... I'm worried about Joseph."
Sister Patricia tilted her head gently. "Joseph?"
"The Prime Clone's core is still sealed deep inside him," Tae admitted, looking down at his gloved hands. "A battle against an ancient void entity like Karai... the sheer atmospheric pressure, the corruption... I'm terrified the seal might crack and trigger the Clone inside him again. If Joseph loses control while we fight Karai, we won't survive."
Sister Patricia reached out, her glowing translucent hand gently resting against Tae's cheek.
"Have faith in your brother, Tae," she said softly. "You built a family, not a army of strangers. Joseph's willpower is tied to all of you. Trust him, trust yourself, and protect your home."
Tae closed his eyes, absorbing her words, feeling his focus anchor completely. "Thank you, Sister."
With a gentle smile, her spirit dissolved back into golden light. Tae turned and stepped back through his spatial tear, returning to the high-tech staging room.
The Debate & Departure
Out in the assembly hall, the rest of the brothers and the Walker were fully gearing up, strapping on tactical harnesses, locking down their eye abilities, and mentally preparing for the absolute storm ahead.
Tae walked up to the tactical table, his golden pupils burning bright.
"Listen up," Tae declared firmly. "When we defeat Karai, we are not killing her. We are sealing her away in the Omega Vault—the most secure, multi-universal prison across all creation."
The Walker paused, adjusting his cuffs, and let out a dry, theatrical chuckle.
"Oh, don't be absurd, Tae," the Walker drawled in his smooth British accent, his unsealed full power humming around him. "Locking her up is a amateur's mistake. She's eaten multiverses, mate. The only secure prison for a Rank 3 Calamity is six feet under a cosmic grave. I intend to take her head."
"She stays alive for questioning!" Tae countered sharply, stepping into the Walker's space. "Her knowledge of void magic—"
"Yo! Break it up!" Ayden interjected, stepping right between them, throwing his hands up with a confident smirk. "Save that energy for the lady with the scythe, fellas. We can argue over her corpse or her cell after we knock her teeth in. Let's move!"
Tae and the Walker glared at each other for a second, then silently conceded.
Joseph tapped his Ocular Logic Grid, opening a massive spatial portal directly to the coordinates provided by the Walker's internal mark.
"Deploying," Joseph announced.
The nine Prodigies and the Walker stepped through the portal simultaneously.
The Ruined Core & The Duel
They materialized in The Ruined Core—a shattered, dead dimension where broken planets floated in a sky of bleeding purple void.
In the center of a floating obsidian plateau stood Karai, her massive jet-black scythe resting against her shoulder. At her feet lay the cold, unconscious body of a strange man, his soul energy completely drained—the brothers naturally assumed she had already slaughtered him for a quick energy snack.
Karai turned her crimson eyes toward them, a mocking smile gracing her lips. "Well, well... the Prodigies brought their whole circus. And look... the Walker brought his restored leash."
The Walker stepped forward, his British accent dripping with arrogant delight as his full 100% aura flared into a terrifying purple storm.
"Stand back, boys," the Walker said smoothly, waving a hand to hold Tae and the rest of the brothers back. "This dance is mine. I've waited centuries to pay her back for that mark on my chest."
Tae raised a hand, signaling the brothers to hold their positions. "Let him go first. Watch her patterns."
The Walker surged forward at light-speed, engaging Karai in a dazzling, apocalyptic duel! Void-blasts and spatial slashes tore the floating plateau apart as they traded hundreds of strikes a second. The Walker fought with unmatched theatrical flair, laughing and throwing charismatic taunts mid-combo as he pressed her back!
"Is that all the void has to offer, Karai?!" the Walker laughed, throwing a high-density dark matter palm toward her ribs.
Karai didn't panic. Her crimson eyes flashed with ancient, cruel magic.
"You haven't changed at all, Walker," Karai purred softly. "Still far too arrogant."
PHASE.
Karai's movement bypassed the Walker's spatial reaction time completely. She shifted into a specter form, slipped behind his guard, and driven the massive blade of her Void Scythe clean through the Walker's chest!
THWACK!
"GAAAH!" The Walker gasped, crimson blood spraying from his lips as the rotting void magic instantly began eroding his unsealed core!
"WALKER!" Tae shouted.
The Counter-Strike & The Horror
"ALL OF US! JUMP HER NOW!" Tae roared!
The nine Prodigies exploded into action simultaneously!
Ethan flashed to the falling Walker, wrapping him in a localized dark-matter stasis field, desperately channeling his atomic manipulation to stabilize the Walker's heart and halt the rotting void venom before it reached his brain.
Karai turned her gaze directly toward Ayden, aiming her void aura straight at his mind to trigger his PTSD once again. "Remember the factory, little star—"
It didn't work.
Ayden's eyes flared into brilliant, blinding nebulae! His Infinite Adaptation and Galaxy Form stacked seamlessly, completely immunizing his mind to her fear-magic!
"I DON'T FEAR YOU ANYMORE!" Ayden roared!
Ayden slipped inside her guard at thought-speed, landing a brutal, point-blank five-hit galaxy-infused boxing combination straight to Karai's face and torso!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sheer force sent Karai skidding back fifty yards, wiping blood from her lip in absolute shock. But before the rest of the brothers could land their follow-up strikes, Karai unleashed an explosive wave of Null-Void Decay, bombarding the entire team with a blinding spatial shockwave that forced everyone to take cover!
Through the swirling purple smoke, Karai didn't attack Tae or Kd.
She materialized directly in front of Joseph.
"No! Joseph, move!" Tae screamed!
Before Joseph could trigger a Chronological Reversal, Karai locked her pale hand around Joseph's throat. Her free hand began weaving an ancient, sickening multiversal ritual, dark runes burning into Joseph's skin!
"AGHHHHHH!" Joseph screamed, his grey ocular grid glitching violently!
Karai wasn't trying to rot his soul—she was using her ancient void-decay magic to forcibly extract the sealed Prime Clone directly out of Joseph's body!
A massive, shadowy, crimson core of pure, unadulterated evil was violently ripped out of Joseph's chest, leaving Joseph gasping for air as he collapsed to his knees!
Karai spun around, slamming the agonizing, writhing core of the Prime Clone directly into the chest of the unconscious man lying on the floor!
BAM!
The ground shook violently. The unconscious man's body suspended into the air, twisting, warping, and expanding as the Prime Clone's core forcefully restructured his physical biology, flesh, and soul!
The terrifying, familiar, apocalyptic aura that had killed their mother figure and nearly erased the multiverses erupted into the dead sky once again.
The dust settled.
Standing beside Karai was the fully resurrected, fully realized PRIME CLONE—his crimson eyes burning with ancient, monstrous malice as he stretched his neck, looking over at the horrified Prodigies with a sickening smile.
"Ah..." the Prime Clone purred, his voice echoing with absolute dread. "It feels good to be back."
Karai stood beside him, resting her scythe on her hip, looking at Tae with a cruel, victorious smirk.
"I believe you boys remember my new partner," Karai purred softly.
Tae, Kd, Ayden, and the rest of the brothers stood frozen, their eyes wide as the absolute nightmare unfolded before them—the Rank 3 Calamity and the Prime Clone... now standing side-by-side.