The desert was a war zone. The portal still crackled behind Riven, open but flickering. Its energy pulsed like a heartbeat—one that could flatline at any second.
He stood between it and Kira, battered and breathless.
Her system was still locked in combat mode. Fire danced behind her eyes, and her digital greatsword hovered beside her like a threat that needed no words.
"RIVEN!" Lucy's voice rang out from the portal's edge. "It's closing—we have to go!"
"We're not leaving without her!" he shouted, not looking back.
Kira's palm lit up.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: DIGITAL CATASTROPHE]
The ground trembled. The sky darkened. A wave of corrupted code exploded outward from her hand, turning the terrain into unstable fragments. Code-glass and system fire tore through the air, warping the sand into jagged crystals.
Riven didn't move.
The blast hit him full force.
Pain ripped through his chest like lightning, but he gritted his teeth and raised his hand.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: PAUSE]
Everything froze.
The fragments of the world halted mid-air.
The expanding shockwave stilled—just before it could swallow Kira too.
He dropped to one knee, blood trickling from his mouth. His vision blurred, but he reached forward and pulled her just outside the epicenter of her own attack.
4…
3…
2…
1…
Time resumed.
The aftermath of the blast exploded behind them. A deep crater carved itself into the battlefield, glowing with unstable energy. Kira stumbled slightly—just slightly. Her eyes twitched.
A flicker.
A glitch.
She looked at Riven—and in that fraction of a second, something else looked back.
Flash. Her tiny hand gripping his.
Flash. Her laughter echoing in a hallway filled with light.
Flash. Their mother's screams.
Kira blinked—and for the first time, she hesitated.
But the moment was shattered by a deafening rumble.
Reinforcements arrived.
Heavy boots pounded the sand. Digital tank-class suits stomped into view. Thirty more Death Protocol soldiers lined up in perfect sync, flanked by five elite Executioners.
And at the center of it all—a masked figure stepped forward.
He wore all black, his armor sleek and tactical, but it was the flames that gave him away.
Blue binary fire. The same kind Cipher once wielded.
And when he moved, his footwork—his stances—they were identical.
Lucy's face went pale. "No way…"
Tony's jaw clenched. "That's not Cipher… is it?"
Vincent whispered, "No. It can't be."
The Commander said nothing.
He simply raised a single hand.
A digital sword of blue fire erupted in his palm.
The soldiers behind him raised their weapons.
Lucy turned to the team. "We don't have long. Either we leave now or we die here."
Mark stepped forward, hammer ready. "Let's die here then."
Tony shook his head. "No. We need to make this count."
Vincent growled, "We already lost once and Cipher paid the price. Let's not do it again."
While the debate burned, Riven knelt before Kira. Blood ran down his chin. His hands trembled as he reached out.
"Kira…" His voice cracked. "Kira Alina Kane… please…"
Her eyes widened at the name. Her fingers spasmed. Her sword flickered, glitching like unstable data.
Then—
She collapsed.
Her greatsword shattered into raw code. Her knees hit the sand. Her system stuttered and cracked—glitches running across her body like a virus.
"No," Riven gasped, catching her before she hit the ground.
The Commander finally spoke.
"Capture them both. Now."
Weapons raised. Boots charged forward.
Lucy stepped in front of Riven and Kira. "I don't think so."
The second battle ignited.
Vincent unleashed a massive EMP surge—overclocked and unstable. It fried the circuitry of three incoming soldiers, dropping them instantly.
Mark swung wide, smashing through the front line with brute force, yelling, "GET TO THE PORTAL!"
Tony covered them, pistols blazing with clean, lethal light.
The desert became fire and screams.
Riven clutched Kira's body and staggered toward the flickering portal. He looked back one last time.
"Hold them off!" he cried. "I've got her!"
Lucy nodded, blood dripping from her temple. "GO!"
Riven ran—every step agony. Kira didn't stir.
He reached the edge of the portal. The others already going through. Vincent overloaded the EMP one last time, delaying the next wave.
He stepped forward—
—and Kira's eyes snapped open.
She jerked violently.
"No—Kira, stop—!"
She thrashed, elbowing him in the ribs. Her code surged again, and she kicked off his chest.
Riven reached for her. "Kira!"
But she was already gone.
She landed hard in the sand on the other side, breathing like a cornered animal, eyes blazing.
The portal flickered.
Then—it collapsed.
Riven staggered forward. "NO!"
He dropped to his knees, both hands stretched toward the empty air.
"She was right there… she was right there…"
The hallway of the hideout was silent.
His chest heaved. Tears blurred his vision.