The station shook underfoot, lights flickering madly as the battered group pressed forward.
"Keep moving!" Dan Heng ordered, spear flashing as he cleared the path through another squad of Antimatter Legion soldiers.
March 7th loosed another ice-tipped arrow from her bow, freezing two more enemies mid-stride. "Seriously, how many of these guys are there?"
"Enough to be annoying," Stelle muttered, batting aside a lesser soldier with one brutal swing of her bat.
Ethan moved slower, legs aching, lungs burning. Every breath scraped raw. The coin spun between his fingers by habit, its edges familiar, grounding.
No more tricks. Just survive.
They burst through another set of doors—only to skid to a halt.
Waiting in the center of the corridor was something much worse.
A towering figure, half-horse, half-armored warrior, its eyes burning like coals. Its massive bow crackled with dark energy, the string pulled taut as it silently aimed at them.
March paled. "That thing looks unfriendly."
Dan Heng braced his spear. "Voidranger: Reaver. Dangerous. Stay sharp."
The Reaver moved with terrifying speed, launching a shadowy arrow straight at Dan Heng. He deflected it with his spear, but the impact sent him sliding backward.
Stelle didn't wait—she darted forward, bat swinging wide, forcing the creature back. "Come on, ugly! Let's dance!"
Ethan stayed behind, watching, the coin slick in his sweaty palm. He could feel something building in the air, inside him.
The Reaver roared and charged again, bow recharging for a second, even deadlier strike.
"Watch it!" March shouted.
This time, the arrow was aimed straight for Ethan.
In the split second before it struck, instinct took over.Ethan threw up his hands—and a shield of blazing solar light erupted from his palms, the arrow shattering harmlessly against it in a spray of embers.
Everyone froze.
March let out a low whistle. "Okay, that was cool."
Even Dan Heng's usual stoicism faltered into a brief, approving nod.
The Reaver snarled, enraged. It threw back its head and screamed — a guttural, reality-warping sound that echoed through the station.
The ground trembled as hordes of Antimatter Legion soldiers materialized, surrounding them on all sides.
Stelle wiped blood from her cheek, planting her bat like a banner. "Great. A whole army."
"We can't fight them all," Dan Heng said grimly, already spinning his spear into ready position.
March nocked another arrow. "We don't have to win. We just have to last."
They stood back to back, preparing for the worst.
The Reaver notched another arrow, the air darkening around it.
Ethan grit his teeth, the shield he had made already flickering weakly. He didn't have another one in him.
Just as the Reaver let fly—
—BOOM!
A crimson streak tore through the air, cutting the arrow mid-flight. The horde behind them exploded into shrapnel and smoke as a sleek drone swooped into the fray, with it's Flaming Pizza Cutter unleashing fiery judgment.
"Miss Himeko!!!!!"march shouted excitedly
The Antimatter Legion forces were wiped out in seconds.
The Voidranger staggered back, wounded. With a hiss of frustration, it teleported away in a burst of dark mist, vanishing into the ruins of the station.
Breathing hard, Ethan dropped to one knee, his body giving out.
The drone hovered for a moment, scanning the area before projecting a voice:
"Follow the beacon to the nearest safe zone. Hurry."
March wiped her forehead. "Heck yeah, best backup ever."
Stelle rested her bat against her shoulder, grinning. "Finally. Some good news."
Dan Heng helped Ethan up with a firm grip. "Let's move."A short while later...
They arrived at a quieter, undamaged part of the station—one of the research lounges repurposed into a temporary safe zone.
Waiting for them inside was a woman with long red hair and a warm, commanding presence.
"Himeko," Dan Heng said, his voice lowering with respect.
March gave an excited wave. "Heya, Himeko! Sorry we're late. Blame Magic Boy over here," she teased, jerking a thumb at Ethan.
Ethan barely mustered a smirk, exhaustion dragging at his limbs. He staggered to a couch and collapsed without protest, clutching the coin like a lifeline.
Stelle lingered for a moment, watching him, but said nothing.
Himeko smiled kindly, then her gaze sharpened slightly as she took in Ethan's disheveled, battered state.
"We'll debrief soon," she said to the others. "For now, get some rest."
The group scattered—March and Dan Heng slipping into easy conversation nearby, Stelle propping her bat against the wall and fiddling with her gloves.
Himeko, meanwhile, crossed the room to where Ethan lay half-dozing, his hand twitching weakly around his spinning coin.
She crouched to his level, studying him.
Ethan cracked an eye open.
"If you're here to tell me how 'special' I am," he said hoarsely, "please save it. I'm running a backlog."
Himeko laughed softly. "No speeches. Just... curious." She leaned closer, her red hair spilling like firelight. "A boy carrying a coin that's older than this station. Powers that shouldn't exist. And a look in his eyes like he's lost something important."
Her gaze softened. "You're not just here by accident, are you?"
Ethan flipped the coin lazily.Heads.He gave her a tired, wry smile.
"Depends who you ask."