Chapter 77: Sustained damage.

Chapter 77: Sustained damage.Vincent took advantage of the moment, closing the distance with a burst of speed. Elara barely had time to brace as his weight crashed into her, his armored frame dragging her along the ground. She planted her feet, skidding against the rough terrain, sparks kicking up from her boots scraping against stone.

His grip lunged for her wrist—too slow. Elara twisted free, her energy blade humming to life as she slashed in a controlled arc toward his midsection. Vincent wrenched himself backward at the last second, the blade barely grazing his armor.

He slammed his hands into the ground, one metallic. The impact sent cracks spider-webbing through the pavement beneath him.

Elara exhaled through her nose, her grip tightening on her weapon. "Well, I see you figured out how to not get your hand sliced off this time."

Behind her, the ship lifted from the ground, its engines roaring as Kimi carried out the extraction.

"I got them out," she continued, rolling her shoulder, keeping her stance loose. "So it’s my win, don’t you think?"

Vincent scoffed. "He’s not my mission." His voice was steady, deliberate. "My mission is much bigger."

Then he lunged.

Elara’s blade flashed between them, striking out in rapid, practiced movements, each swing aimed to disable. Vincent ducked, weaving between the slashes, his jagged armor absorbing the near-misses. The thick plating pulsed with energy, adapting to the strikes, dulling the impact.

His fist shot forward, a piston-like strike that caught Elara square in the torso. The force slammed into her, her ribs screaming in protest as she was thrown back.

But her blade had found purchase.



A deep gash split across Vincent’s side, his armor failing to compensate in time.

He staggered, a snarl breaking past gritted teeth.

Elara pushed herself up, hand pressing against her chest as her suit ran diagnostics. The pain pulsed in rhythmic waves, her breath coming sharp, but she was still standing. Still in the fight.

Elara exhaled sharply, fingers twitching as she recalibrated. The fight wasn’t going to stay one-on-one much longer—Vincent’s men were already positioning themselves. Rifle barrels leveled in her direction, the faint hum of charged energy rounds making it clear they weren’t just carrying standard weapons.

Fine. If she had to deal with all of them at once, she’d make it count.

Her suit interface flickered, responding instantly to her intent.

[Manual Override Engaged]

[Neural Acceleration: 45% → 85%]

[Muscle Actuator Response Time: 1.2ms]

[Energy Distribution: Prioritizing Speed and Kinetic Resistance]

The shift was immediate—her body felt lighter, the charge running through her suit amplifying every twitch, every breath. Heat built beneath the artificial muscles, flexing against her skin as the hydraulics adjusted to match her demand. The moment a soldier’s trigger finger tensed, she was already moving.

CRACK—!

A round whizzed past where she had just been, slamming into the ground with a sharp burst of heat. Another shot followed, but she twisted, the servo-assisted joints in her legs propelling her into a low sprint that made her nearly a blur. Three more shots—two grazed her arm, the suit dispersing the energy, the third missing outright.

Vincent lunged at her, the heavy plates of his armor glinting as he swung a reinforced punch. His movements were sluggish now—predictable.

She ducked under the swing, her energy blade flashing to life as she lashed out. The tip caught the plating along his ribs, the heated edge melting through just enough to leave a glowing gash before she spun clear of his counterattack.

Four rifles fired at once.

Elara kicked off the ground, her enhanced momentum launching her at an angle that forced the shooters to hesitate—just long enough for her to flip over them. Her blade slashed downward mid-air, severing the barrel of one rifle before she landed and drove a knee into the gut of another. The impact sent him staggering, the suit transferring force through her limb to turn a simple strike into something bone-crushing.

She had the advantage.



Until the ground shifted beneath her.

A deep rumble rolled through the battlefield, vibrations skittering up Elara’s legs as thick geometric structures shot up from the earth.

Square-shaped formations.

Her eyes locked onto the shifting ground, analyzing the pattern. The way the jagged, rough-hewn surfaces forced their way upward wasn’t random— it was controlled. That’s when she spotted it.

Nosey.

Perched on Vincent’s shoulder, the Ikona’s tiny body was rigid, its small form pulsing with concentrated energy. That makes sense, she thought. If every person has their own ability and the Ikona has its own...

She gritted her teeth, weaving between the rising pillars of stone. The battlefield was rapidly becoming a maze, walls closing in as Nosey manipulated the terrain to trap her.

Elara smirked, dodging another jagged column. "I wonder... let’s try something fun."

Suit Output: MAX

She slammed her foot into the ground—a controlled burst of energy pulsing through her suit. Bioelectricity ignited every fiber of the enhanced muscles, hydraulic actuators firing in sync with the nervous pulses from her brain. Instant response. No wasted movement.

The suit kicked into overdrive.

Elara blurred forward.

Vincent barely had time to react. His stance wavered, struggling to track her movement as his entire arm began to glow molten red. He braced, expecting an attack to his throat—

She feinted.

At the last second, she curved around his block. Her blade flashed downward—

The crack echoed as Nosey was ripped off Vincent’s shoulder, sent flying into the rubble.

Vincent’s eyes widened in shock. Horror. Confusion.


The dust settled, revealing the Ikona half-buried in the wreckage. Blue energy flared violently around its small body, sparks snapping against the broken stone. It twitched, struggling to get up—still alive.



No. That strike should have finished it.

Elara’s grip on the blade tensed. She started to lunge—

The ground surged beneath her.

Too late.

Two thick spirals of squared granite erupted from below, snapping tight around her leg. A trap.

Vincent’s face twisted, first in shock, then in rage. "You think I’d let you kill him!?"

His molten-red arm came down, a furnace of raw energy igniting around his fist. Elara barely had time to brace before the impact landed. Heat swallowed her entire torso as the explosion detonated on contact. The concussive force ripped through her body, launching her off the ground and high into the air.

Her vision blurred as her suit registered the damage.

[DAMAGE SUSTAINED: SEVERE]

[Suit Integrity: 5%]

[Reverting Power Output | Bracing for Impact]

Blood leaked from her side, warmth spreading under the tight grip of her armor. Ribs—fractured. Breathing sharp, shallow. Every nerve screamed at her to do something, but all she could do was brace as the sky flipped overhead and the resort below came rushing back toward her.