Location: Echohold-09 (Inside - Sublevel Area)

  Time of Day: Morning

  The team moved deeper into the red-lit corridor. With every step, the blast door at the far end came into clearer view. It was almost half-buried in bio-matter, its surface stained and warped with yellow residue. They finally came to a stop before it.

  They stood at an intersection. To their left and right, the corridor split off into darkness that the team couldn't notice from how dark it was, the red emergency lights failing to reach far beyond the openings.

  Slayer stared up at the blast door, chuckling lightly. "This thing is like twice my size." His gaze shifted to the warped growth clinging to the metal. "And what's all that yellow stuff on it?"

  Hikari stepped closer, crouching near the bio-matter. She studied it in silence, eyes tracing the texture, the way it fused unnaturally with the steel. Her eyes widened slightly. "This is..." The word left her lips barely above a whisper. "...Nethcarne?"

  Captain stepped closer to Hikari. "Everything okay? Were you able to figure out what that stuff is?"

  Hikari straightened slowly. "It's hardened flesh-spit. Something produced by an Echo..."

  Lumina's eyes narrowed. "And what Echo would that might be?"

  Hikari turned toward the team, her expression serious. "This Echo is codenamed Nethcarne. A Dormant-Type."

  Slayer grimaced. "Oh great. Another Dormant-Type." He shook his head. "Last time we faced one of those, it nearly killed us."

  “Yeah.” Hikari glanced back at the blast door. “They eject that substance when they hunt. It doesn’t harden immediately though.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “It reacts to resistance. Fabric offers almost none, so it passes straight through.” She paused. “But once it hits something dense, it activates, solidifies… and begins to infect.” Her gaze hardened. “Turning you into one of them within a few days.”

  Lumina crossed her arms. “Sounds like we need to be careful whenever they try to spit at us, then.” She paused. “And you said that’s how they hunt?” Her gaze swept the area. “But I don’t see anyone around besides us.”

  Captain frowned, scanning the shadows. “Yeah. Not really sure what I’m supposed to be looking at here either.”

  Hikari slowly shook her head. “That’s the thing…” Her eyes shifted to both sides of the intersection, where the corridors vanished into darkness. “I don’t see any signs of them around here.” She trailed off. “…Unless they’re-”Her gaze dropped to her coat pocket. “Akari.”

  From within the fabric THUMP! A faint pulse followed. "W-What is it, Hikari?" Akari asked softly.

  Hikari then focused her eyes on both darkened paths between them. “Can you use Black Sight again?” Her voice lowered. “I think I might know where they’re residing.”

  There was a brief pause.

  “…Of course, Hikari,” Akari replied. “Give me a second…” The Black Star Artifact pulsed once. THUMP! “Now beginning Black Vision…”

  A translucent wave of dark energy rippled outward, washing over the corridors like a shadowy tide. The air shimmered with black sparkles. The red emergency lights dulled as everything shifted into a purple, UV-like glow. Rocky walls, concrete floor, their own bodies - all traced by thin, purple outlines.

  Then…

  They focused their sight on the left corridor first, and saw it. Along the rocky walls, the metal ceiling, and even the concrete floor, large, round, fleshy shapes clung to the surfaces. Yellow eggs veined with red were scattered along the whole passage, more than a dozen of them. Some were already cracked open, torn apart from the inside, leaving behind wet, empty husks. Others remained unhatched, pulsing faintly every few seconds… as if waiting for their time to hatch.

  Hikari narrowed her eyes, the scene washed in UV-purple light. “Just as I thought… they’re already making a nest here.”

  Slayer leaned forward slightly. “Whoa, are those eggs? They’re at least half our size.”

  Hikari nodded once. “Yes… and they’re currently in an origin state.”

  Lumina scanned the corridor. “It looks like some have already hatched, too.”

  Captain raised his rifle toward the passage. “I say we shoot the hell out of those eggs before they hatch and come at us.”

  Hikari quickly reached out, resting a hand against his weapon. “No, wait, Captain. If we disturb them, it’ll only create more problems for us.” Her gaze stayed fixed on the corridor. “The fact that some are already hatched means they were disturbed earlier.”

  Captain lowered the rifle slightly, still tense. “Okay. Then what happens if we disturb them?”

  Hikari shook her head. “One egg breaking might only trigger that one… but repeated disturbance will definitely start a chain reaction.” Her voice hardened. “And once that happens, the rest of the nest responds with it.”

  Captain huffed. “Hmph. How annoying.”

  Hikari adjusted her glove. “It’s best we leave them alone and avoid any unnecessary fights. We should keep moving and-”

  Slayer suddenly stiffened, looking toward the opposite side of the corridor. “Uh… sorry to interrupt, but by any chance… are those the things that hatch from those eggs?”

  The rest of the team turned around - and then they saw it. Yellow-skinned, flesh-twisted bodies crawled along the metal ceiling and rocky walls, moving on all fours. Their joints bent and snapped unnaturally as they advanced, sharp claws scraping against stone and metal. Pitch-black eyes with no pupils stared down at them. Jaws stretched open, revealing rows of needle-like teeth.

  There were many of them scattered throughout the corridor, outlined by the UV-purple light.

  Lumina stepped forward, taking a stance as her hand reached for the hilt of her katana. “Hikari. Are those the Echos nesting here?”

  Hikari’s eyes stayed locked on the creatures. “Yes, they are. And it looks like they’re coming straight for us.” Her voice sharpened. “We need to move. Now!”

  One of the Nethcarne suddenly reared back, its body tensing. KHH! A stream of flesh-colored bile spat from its mouth. Slayer reacted instantly, stepping in front of the group and raising his shield. The vile substance splattered against it, sizzling softly before hardening into a thick, solid mass.

  Slayer stared at his shield in disbelief. “Aww, what the hell. This stuff’s all over my shield now.”

  Hikari glanced at Slayer. “Good block, Slayer.”

  Then more of them began crawling forward - far too many to count.

  Hikari’s eyes widened. “We won’t be able to hold them all at once. We need to get out of here quick!”

  Captain raised his rifle, already backing toward the blast door. “Then what are we waiting for? On the double, now!”

  The team bolted for the blast door.

  Hikari rushed to the access panel beside it, her fingers pressing the blue keypad as the prompt read: PLEASE ENTER CODE. “Okay… the code should be 0214.” BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! ERR!

  Nothing.

  Her brows knitted together. “Wait a minute… why isn’t the code working? That should be the correct code.”

  The scraping grew louder as the Nethcarne closed in, claws tapping against steel and metal behind them.

  Captain raised his rifle toward the swarm, then glanced back at Hikari. “Any day now, Hikari!”

  Hikari shot him a look. “The code isn’t working for some reason! You guys will have to hold them off as much as you can while I’ll try to hack it instead!”

  Lumina drew her katana in one smooth motion. “Fine. We’ll take care of the frontlines, then.” Green aura flared around her body and blade as she raised it toward the approaching creatures. “You just concentrate in getting that door opened.”

  Hikari nodded once, already turning back to the panel. “Right. This panel is running a much more complicated system, so it’s going to take some time to get full access to it.”

  Slayer scraped the hardened flesh off his shield with his sword, then raised both. Blue aura flared around him. “Just let us know when you get it open.”

  Captain stepped forward beside him, red aura flowing around his body. “Careful, everyone. Here they come!”

  The team formed a defensive line, standing their ground while Hikari worked frantically at the door behind them. Nethcarne dropped from the ceiling with heavy thuds, rushing in as they leapt forward, claws raised.

  BRRTTT! Captain opened fire. Red-aura rounds tore into one midair, riddling it with bullet holes before sending it flying back with a heavy thud.

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  SHING! Lumina cut through another as it lunged toward them, green light flashing with every strike as the Nethcarne was split clean in half.

  SLASH! Slayer brought his sword down in a heavy arc, striking another across the head and slamming it straight into the ground with a crack. “You’re not getting through!”

  The onslaught continued as the team held the line. Behind them, Hikari focused on the access panel, her Emanation flaring to life. “Drones.” A soft hum answered her call. HUMMM… Three drones materialized around her, hovering into formation.

  Hikari’s pink eyes met the glowing cores of her drones. “Please help them out.”

  The drones hummed once, then surged forward, firing as they moved. PEW! PEW! PEW! Pink energy shots pierced through the ceiling and walls, striking the Nethcarne clinging above and sending their bodies crashing down.

  Hikari planted both hands against the access panel. “Activating Aura Tech Link!”

  Pink circuits of light spread from her palms, racing through the panel’s seams as she focused. The panel’s blue glow flickered… then shifted to pink. Hacking initiated.

  She drew a steady breath. “Okay… here I go. Focus.”

  Meanwhile, behind her, the team continued pushing the Nethcarne back.

  Slayer lifted his blade as blue light surged along its edge, power building with a rising hum. “Oathblade Surge!” FWOO! FWOO! FWOO! He swung, sending crescent-shaped waves of blue energy tearing through multiple Nethcarne crawling his way, bodies crashing apart as the strikes ripped through them.

  Lumina’s eyes flared green. “Chronus Overdrive!” Her voice echoed through the corridor as she vanished forward, rushing into the swarm. Her katana flashed green. She cut and pierced with precise, lightning-fast movements, slashing through heads and torsos as she flowed between them with effortless grace.

  Captain’s red aura flared. “Configuration shift! Sniper Mode!” His rifle reconfigured with a sharp mechanical snap as he dropped into a crouch, eye lining up with the scope. The world washed over in UV-purple light. He locked onto a Nethcarne clinging to the metal ceiling. BOOM! The shot punched straight through its head. SPLAT! Yellow blood sprayed as the body was ripped free, crashing backward against the steel before falling to the ground.

  A Nethcarne darted toward Captain, clinging low to the wall. Its body tensed KHH! Flesh-colored bile shot toward him. Captain rolled aside just in time. The vile spray missed him and splattered against an egg on the opposite side of the corridor. FWUMP! The egg pulsed.

  Captain came up from the roll, rifle already leveled. “You missed.”

  BOOM! The shot tore clean through the Nethcarne’s head, blood splattering as its body was blasted off the wall.

  From the right corridor, the yellow egg that had been splattered with bile began to move. Cracks spread across its surface. An arm burst through first. Then the shell split apart as the rest of the body tore free, chunks of flesh and membrane peeling away as the Nethcarne emerged fully. Its pitch-black eyes locked onto Captain. KRRK… KRRK… Its claws dug into the cement, gripping the ground as it crawled toward him.

  Hikari caught the movement from the corner of her eye. She tilted her head slightly, then froze as she saw it clearly. She exhaled sharply and snapped her head toward Captain. “Captain! Behind you!”

  He glanced toward Hikari - then spun around. The Nethcarne was already too close. It leapt at him, jaws wide, claws reaching out, inches from tearing into his face. FWOOOSH! Before it could strike HUMMMM! Hikari’s three drones surged forward on instinct. From each glowing core, a shot of pink energy fired outward. The beams curved mid-flight, bending into half-rings as they wrapped around the airborne Nethcarne. The arcs connected.

  Three full rings of pink light snapped shut around its body. TZZ! TZZ! TZZ! The Nethcarne froze midair, trapped inside the glowing bind. HAHH! HAHH! Its jaws snapped helplessly toward Captain as it struggled against the restraints.

  The rings tightened and then TZZZZZ! A pink electric current ripped through it, its body seizing as the glow burned it down to a charred husk. The pink halos vanished and the lifeless body dropped to the ground with a heavy THUD!

  Captain stared at the charred Nethcarne. “…Woah.” He then looked toward Hikari. “What kind of ability was that?”

  Hikari shook her head slightly. “I'm not sure. I didn’t even know my drones could do that.” She glanced at them. “I guess you owe them a thank-you.”

  Captain turned toward the three drones hovering in front of him and gave a short nod. “Thanks for the save, little guys.”

  The drones responded with a soft hum, as if acknowledging his gratitude. From the right corridor, Slayer and Lumina began getting pushed back as more Nethcarne poured in, crawling over walls and ceiling.

  Slayer bashed one away with his shield. “Hikari! Are you almost done over there?! We’re kinda getting overwhelmed over here!”

  Lumina cut one down, then spun and back-kicked another as it lunged from the wall. “Tch. There’s just no end to them!”

  Hikari glanced back over her shoulder. “Sorry! I’m almost done!” She turned toward Captain and the hovering drones. “Help them out. I just need a bit more time.”

  Captain gave a sharp nod before turning to the drones beside him. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  He moved in with the drones, pushing forward to reinforce Lumina and Slayer, while Hikari turned back to the access panel and continued her hack.

  Hikari narrowed her brows, fully focused as pink circuits raced across the access panel. “Almost done…” Then her pink eyes widened. “…What the- something’s wrong.” Her fingers froze. “I can’t push the hack any further than this.” She raised her voice toward the others. “We have a problem!"

  Slayer slammed his blade into a Nethcarne’s torso, knocking it back. “Aww man, please don’t say that now!”

  Hikari clenched her teeth, fingers still pressed to the panel. “There’s something blocking me from going any further. It’s like some kind of seal!”

  Lumina cut down another Nethcarne and glanced back over her shoulder. “A seal?” She shifted her stance. “You think you can focus on hacking that seal first before continuing with the panel?”

  Hikari shook her head quickly. “That’s a negative. Whatever’s sealing this system… it’s too complicated.” She turned back to the panel, eyes narrowing. “It’s like trying to read a book written in a completely different language. I won’t be able to go any further unless that seal is broken first.”

  BRTT! Captain fired into a charging Nethcarne, red aura flaring as he stepped back, more closing in around them. “Then what the hell do we do?! Just wait here and defend against these things all day and hope the seal magically disappears?!”

  Hikari let out a heavy breath. “I could try using Cognitive Acceleration to work through more possibilities faster,” she said. “But even then, it’d take too long. And without any real understanding of this seal, it’d be that much harder to crack.” She clenched her jaw. “At that point, I might as well save my stamina and help hold the Echos off until were clear.”

  BADUM! From within Hikari’s coat pocket, a faint pulse stirred. Akari’s voice spoke up, hesitant but clear. “I-I think I can break the seal, Hikari.”

  Hikari blinked and looked down at her pocket. “You… can break it? But how?”

  “I… I don’t know how to explain it,” Akari said softly. “But the seal I sense on this system… it feels like something I can unlock easily.” Her voice steadied. “It’s like an on-and-off switch. Something I can just simply… turn off.”

  “I see... that easy, huh…” Hikari murmured. She nodded once. “Okay, Akari. If you can really break this seal, it’d help us a lot. Please… do what you can.”

  “I promise I won’t fail you,” Akari replied gently.

  The Black Star Artifact pulsed. THUMP! Dark energy spilled from Hikari’s coat pocket, flowing like shadow across the floor before surging up the tall blast door. The aura spread along the steel, seeping into its seams and crawling across its surface. For a brief moment, the door glowed with a deep black hue. Then CLNK! The seal broke, and the dark glow faded, the energy retreating from the door’s surface and back into the Artifact.

  Hikari gasped as the change rippled through her Aura Tech Link. “…The seal- it’s gone!” Her eyes sharpened. “I can continue overriding the system!” She glanced down at her coat pocket. “Good work, Akari. I’m not sure how you did it, but that power of yours is really something else.”

  A small, shy chuckle answered back. “Th-Thanks… I’m just trying to prove myself useful, that’s all.”

  Hikari smiled faintly. “Well, you are. Thanks, Akari.”

  PEW! PEW! PEW! Behind them, Hikari’s drones continued firing, cutting down multiple Nethcarne as the fight raged on.

  Captain fired from the rear, dropping a Nethcarne with a precise sniper shot as he exhaled slowly. “Shit. My stamina… is running low.”

  Ahead of him, Slayer and Lumina struck together, crossing blades through a lunging Nethcarne. The creature collapsed as both of them drew heavy breaths, their auras dimming slightly.

  Then-

  A Nethcarne let out a sharp, piercing scream that ripped through the corridor, echoing all the way to the far end.

  Lumina winced, raising an arm to shield her ears. “What… w-what is that scream?”

  Hikari's eyes widened. “Oh no…” Her gaze snapped toward the left corridor, UV-purple light still washing over her vision. “That scream... is using it to disturb the eggs.”

  Then one by one, the remaining yellow shells began to crack. Arms burst through and bodies tore free. Unhatched Nethcarne spilled out with sharp hisses, leaping from their broken shells.

  Hikari snapped back toward the team, her voice cutting through the chaos. “Behind you guys- look out!”

  The team turned as more Nethcarne poured in. Both corridors were now filled, creatures crawling in from every side, closing in on them.

  Captain raised his rifle, breathing hard. “Dam. This isn't good.”

  Slayer tightened his grip on his sword and shield. “Hikari, I think it’s time we get out of here.”

  Lumina stepped forward, planting herself between the team and the oncoming swarm. “Everyone, keep holding them back. We must keep fighting until Hikari finishes.” She glanced over her shoulder at Hikari, eyes steady. “You need to finish that hack-quickly. I trust you can get through it.” Her grip tightened on her katana. “We’ve got your back over here.”

  Hikari gave a determined frown, resolve hardening. “Leave it to me.” She turned back to the access panel, pink circuits racing across its surface as her aura flowed around her body. A few tense seconds passed. “Almost there… and-”

  The panel flashed. BEEP! Its pink glow shifted to green.

  “I got it!” She shouted.

  TSSSS! The massive blast door began to slide open.

  Hikari spun around. “It’s open! Everyone, inside now!”

  Lumina sent a Nethcarne flying with a clean kick to the head. “Move! To the door!”

  Captain and Slayer broke into a sprint for the blast door. Behind them, Hikari’s drones laid down cover fire, blasting Nethcarne off the walls and ceiling before pulling back to follow.

  KRRK! KRRK! Sharp claws gripped the ground as a swarm poured after them. They crossed the threshold just as Hikari slammed her hand onto the access panel on the other side. TSSSS! The tall blast door began to slide shut. One Nethcarne lunged for the opening BANG! Captain fired, the shot ripping it off the door and hurling it back into the swarm.

  The door sealed completely. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! The blast door buckled under repeated impacts as bodies slammed against it from the other side.

  Hikari turned toward the door as another heavy impact shook the room, denting the metal. “The blast door- it’s not holding?!”

  Captain grit his teeth, lowering his rifle. “Dammit! There’s too many of them hitting it at once. At this rate, they’ll break through.”

  Slayer gripped his blade and shield tightly. “I can use Radiant Bastion to shield us for a moment, but it won’t be enough to hold them off with so many around.”

  Lumina shook her head. “No. We need a different way to stop them.”

  From Hikari’s coat pocket, a faint pulse stirred. Akari's voice followed, “I can seal it off.”

  Slayer blinked. “...Really?! But how?!”

  Hikari’s eyes widened as realization struck. “Wait- that’s right. You said you could treat it like an on-and-off switch, didn’t you?”

  “Hm-hm,” Akari replied. “I can use the same seal that was on it before… and keep them from breaking through.”

  THUMP! THUMP! The blast door buckled again, metal groaning as dents deepened with every hit.

  Captain stepped back once, then down at Hikari’s pocket. “You have to hurry then, Akari.” His voice hardened. “That door won’t hold for much longer!”

  A pulse answered. Then a dark energy slipped from Hikari’s coat pocket and surged toward the dented blast door, spreading across its surface. A dark glyph traced itself into the steel, smoothing the dented metal until it returned to normal. Then, a dark eye-shaped symbol formed on it, glowing briefly against the surface… then faded. The door was now sealed shut.