Airi wakes to screaming. Not human screaming. System screaming.
Alarms burn red across her vision. The floor under her vibrates. Something is wrong. Very wrong.
Ren is already up, grabbing her arm. "Don't move."
The air turns cold. Static crawls along the walls. Lights dim as if swallowed by something unseen.
Airi's breath catches. A notification flickers violently:
Proximity Alert Unknown Anomaly Detected Distance: 22 meters
Her hands tremble. "Ren… it's here."
He nods once. "Stay behind me."
The hallway stretches before them—quiet, too quiet. Then the lights flicker. Once. Twice.
On the third flicker, something appears.
A figure. Tall. Slender. Too slender. Its limbs stretch unnaturally, like its bones were pulled out and left to reform around emptiness. Its face is a smooth, pale surface—no eyes, no mouth, just a human shape without detail.
Airi's pulse stutters. "It's… human?"
Ren steps in front of her, arm out. "No. It only copies the shape."
The anomaly tilts its head. A slow, jerky movement. Like a broken puppet catching onto new strings.
And then—it moves.
Not runs. Not walks.
It snaps. From one spot to another. Like frames missing in a corrupted video.
It is suddenly five meters closer.
Airi gasps. Ren pushes her back. "Stay behind me!"
The anomaly's head twitches. A shrill digital screech bursts through Airi's mind. She drops to her knees, clutching her head.
Ren's voice is sharp. "Airi! Look at me—focus!"
She forces her eyes up. The anomaly stands inches from Ren.
Its arm unfolds. Not stretches—unfolds. Segments sliding out like blades.
Ren reacts first. His interface flares. He slams his hand against the air. A barrier materializes an instant before the blade hits.
The sound is deafening. Metal on glass.
Ren braces, teeth gritted. "Go back!"
Airi scrambles away, barely able to breathe. Her System flashes again.
Fracture Sync: Instability Rising
Her vision sways. The warning makes her stomach drop. Not now. Not during this.
The anomaly strikes again. Ren dives to the side, catching the blade-arm with his forearm guard. Sparks spray. He grunts but keeps his footing.
"Ren!"
He doesn't look back. "Stay focused! It reacts to your instability!"
Airi bites her lip. She tries to force her breathing to slow. It doesn't work.
The anomaly lunges. Ren dodges by inches. Its movements are too fast—too unpredictable.
He counters with a strike to its torso. His ability glows—a sharp pulse of force.
The anomaly is thrown back. It skids across the floor but doesn't fall. It doesn't react. Doesn't breathe. Doesn't feel.
It straightens with that same unnatural twitch. Its faceless head turns toward Airi.
Ren sees it. "No!"
He charges. His steps explode with force, the air rippling. He slams into the anomaly before it can move.
The collision sends both crashing into the wall. Ren pins it with his forearm.
"Stay away from her!"
The anomaly's torso suddenly twists—fully around. Bones shouldn't do that. Nothing should do that.
Airi covers her mouth. The anomaly raises its elongated limb. Ren tries to dodge—
—but the blade catches his side.
Blood sprays. Ren gasps, staggering.
Airi screams. "Ren!"
He forces himself upright, one hand pressed to the wound. "I'm fine. Keep your distance."
But he isn't fine. Blood drips down his uniform. His breathing is tight.
The anomaly tilts its head again. It seems to study him. Then—to Airi's horror—its body shifts. Its posture changes. Its outline narrows.
It copies Ren's stance.
Ren freezes. "Oh no."
Airi whispers, terrified. "It's learning you."
"It adapts to threats," Ren says. "I need to end this now."
The anomaly moves first. Faster than before.
Ren barely blocks. The impact rattles the hallway. Tiles crack. Dust falls.
Strike. Counter. Block.
They clash so fast Airi can barely follow. Ren's movements grow strained. The anomaly's movements grow sharper. More precise.
It mirrors him. Perfectly.
Every ability he uses—it copies the motion. Every tactic—reflected.
Airi's heart pounds. He can't win like this. Not against something that becomes him.
The anomaly feints. Ren reacts—and the real strike catches him across the chest.
He falls back, sliding across the floor. His breath hits the wall like a punch.
"Ren!"
He coughs once, forcing himself up on shaking arms. He looks at her. "Airi… run."
She shakes her head violently. "I'm not leaving you!"
"Airi, listen. Run!"
But she can't. Her legs refuse. Her System pulses in panic.
The anomaly steps toward Ren. Its shadow stretches unnaturally.
Ren tries to stand. He can't. His legs collapse.
The anomaly raises its arm. The blade glints under the flickering lights.
Airi's breath stops.
No. Not like this. Not him.
Her System surges. Her vision fractures. Her heartbeat distorts.
Fracture Sync: Override Imminent Warning: Containment failing
She screams as something explodes inside her.
A shockwave blasts down the hall. The anomaly is thrown across the floor, crashing into the far wall.
Ren shields his face from the debris. "Airi!"
She collapses, shaking violently, hands over her head. Her System flickers like a dying star.
The anomaly gets up. Slowly.
Its faceless surface ripples. And for a horrifying second—
—it copies her outline.
Ren's blood runs cold. "No… no, no, no…"
He forces himself up. He grabs Airi, pulling her against him. "Don't look. Don't look at it."
The anomaly takes a step. Then another. Drawn to her like gravity.
Ren's voice breaks. "I won't let it take you."
He turns. His interface ignites. A final burst of power.
He charges.
The hit drives the anomaly back through the wall. Plaster explodes. The building shakes.
Ren collapses to his knees beside the hole. Barely conscious. Breathing ragged.
The anomaly twitches, its limbs folding back into place. It begins to rise again.
Airi reaches toward Ren with trembling fingers. "Ren… please… don't…"
He meets her eyes. Bleeding. Shaking. Still standing between her and death.
"Airi," he whispers, "run."
She can't. Her System collapses. Her vision blacks out at the edges.
The anomaly steps out of the dust. Directly toward them.
Ren tries one last time to stand. His legs give out. He falls forward.
Airi catches him as much as she can. Tears fall onto his shoulder. "Ren, wake up… please…"
The anomaly raises its blade.
Red lights explode down the hallway. A voice echoes through the building. Cold. Familiar. Commanding.
"Stop."
The anomaly freezes mid‑strike.
Airi's heart drops. That voice.
The Unknown User steps out of the shadows. His gaze falls on Airi. Then on Ren.
"You two keep making this difficult."
His eyes narrow on the anomaly. His tone sharpens.
"Return."
The anomaly dissolves into static.
Airi's body goes cold. It obeyed him.
The Unknown User walks toward her. Unhurried. Silent.
"Airi Kisaragi," he says softly. "You're out of time."