The tunnels groaned with distant thunder.
Noir darted between the walls like a streak of shadow, her paws never touching the same surface twice. Every breath came out as a low growl, echoing faintly against the stone. The mana in the air was suffocating—thick, distorted, burning the inside of her throat.
'Dad!!!' her voice burst through Noel's mind, sharp and urgent. 'Something's heading toward you—fast! It's the same energy I felt before, when I was watching them. It's the sister…'
Sparks flared somewhere ahead. Noel stood in the middle of chaos—hundreds of monsters pressing in from every side. Revenant Fang blazed with Ignition Surge, its edge glowing in molten orange as he carved through a lunging beast. The shockwave split the creature in two, scattering embers across the corridor.
He didn't stop moving. "Good work, Noir," he said between breaths, parrying another strike and shoving the blade forward through thick flesh. 'How's the situation up there?'
