The forest had transformed from scorched wilderness into a furnace. Every branch, every leaf, every splintered trunk radiated heat as though the very air itself had become molten. The Sentinel loomed ahead, a towering figure of mechanical precision wrapped in the infernal swirl of royal-azure flames. The cockpit of Erevos vibrated violently, warning indicators blinking red and orange across the HUD as the nanites screamed in protest.
"…This is insane," Karl muttered, voice low but steady, teeth clenched. Sweat beaded along his brow despite the temperature regulation systems pushing past safe limits. The purification turbines screamed as they tried to compensate for the heat wave, but even they were being pushed to the brink. "…It's like the Core itself is radiating thermonuclear pressure."
Agnes's avatar flickered at his side, calm but firm. "…Stay focused, Karl. You've trained for Core-level heat. You know what it takes to survive. Probe when you need to, retreat when you have to, but don't stop moving."
Karl exhaled sharply. "…I know."
The rails beneath Erevos hummed like a live wire, vibrating under the pressure of heat and flame. Karl's hands danced over the Drive Regulator, extending and retracting projection rails at precise intervals. Each movement was a carefully calculated probe, testing the Sentinel's range, its vectoring of flames, its weaknesses.
A sudden wave of superheated plasma erupted from the Sentinel's left arm. It wasn't aimed at him directly—it was a pressure test, meant to gauge how the nanites and his armor responded. Karl instinctively retracted along a newly projected rail, pivoting mid-air as the wave struck a support beam, sending sparks cascading into the scorched underbrush.
"…Cockpit temperature rising sharply," Agnes muttered, almost like a warning. "…Vythra flow is being pushed to its upper limit."
Karl didn't respond. His focus was absolute. One misstep could fry the nanites from inside out, but he had fought Core-level threats before. This was merely another iteration, another puzzle of heat, timing, and movement.
The Sentinel rotated slightly, the sapphire glow of its chest orb flickering faintly as the armor plates warped under the concentrated pressure of its own flames. Karl noted the moment. "…It's starting to expose itself."
Agnes's tone shifted slightly, a hint of admiration threading through the digital hum of her voice. "…Good. Keep it aware of your movements. Every retreat, every probe—set it up. You'll get your opening."
Karl's eyes narrowed. He extended a probe forward along a newly projected rail, nudging Erevos closer to the Sentinel without committing fully. The mech responded instantly, its flamethrower vents pivoting in perfect synchronization with Karl's approach, forcing him to retract mid-motion. The cockpit shivered violently as heat radiated across the armor, warning systems screaming in tandem.
"…I need more than probes," Karl muttered, teeth gritted. "…Time to escalate."
He flicked the Drive Regulator into Rider Kick Ignition – Requiem Mode. The cockpit hummed with barely contained energy as the nanites redistributed power to the lower limbs and propulsion systems. The rails beneath Erevos shimmered, vibrating under the increased stress, but they held.
"…Let's see how you like this," Karl whispered, teeth gritted, as his feet slammed onto the rails, sending the cockpit hurtling forward like a bullet. The nanites vented tiny bursts of plasma along the beams, propelling him at speeds that made the flames around the Sentinel blur into streaks of light.
The Sentinel reacted immediately, pivoting its mechanical arms and unleashing twin shockwave blasts. Karl twisted mid-rail, letting the nanite projections absorb some of the impact while retracting along an alternate support beam. The cockpit shivered violently, the interior temperature rising another 15 degrees. Warning indicators flashed, Vythra flow pushed to maximum output, nanites screeching under thermal stress.
"…This is getting worse," Karl muttered, feeling the burn inside his armor. "…But I can handle it."
Agnes's voice cut through the heat hum, calm but insistent. "…Your timing. Don't overcommit. Let it react, then punish. That's your only way through."
Karl's jaw clenched. He activated Hazard Protocol, a calculated overclock of Erevos' nanite matrix to reinforce armor integrity while simultaneously amplifying propulsion. Each movement now carried explosive momentum, every strike against the rails increasing velocity. He launched forward, weaving between shockwaves, dodging flames, and retracting along branching rails to bait the Sentinel into exposing its chest core.
The sapphire orb pulsed faintly, reacting to Karl's approach. He noticed the subtle quiver of the armor plates, the tiniest flicker of blue light. "…There," he murmured. "…That's my opening."
The Sentinel's arms pivoted in a wide arc, releasing a concentrated ring of royal-azure fire. Karl twisted Erevos mid-rail, letting the heat strike the rails and dissipate harmlessly. His visor blared warnings as cockpit temperature hit critical. He gritted his teeth, Vythra surging, and extended all available rails for maximum mobility.
"…Time to make this count," he muttered.
He slammed his feet against the support beams, activating Rider Kick Ignition – Requiem fully. The cockpit surged forward, armored limbs channeling concentrated force into propulsion. The Sentinel pivoted again, its flames compressing into twin cyclones that threatened to engulf him, but Karl's nanites redirected airflow, keeping the plasma at bay.
"…Hazard…" he muttered, activating the overclocked thermal vents. Steam hissed and rose from the cockpit as Erevos became a rolling furnace, propelling him straight toward the Sentinel. Sparks and embers streaked past, leaving trails of royal-azure light in his wake.
He struck the first armor plate with a reinforced kick. Sparks exploded outward, a hiss of molten metal marking the point of impact. The Sentinel staggered slightly, the sapphire glow of its core flickering more clearly. Karl didn't hesitate. He retracted, pivoted, and projected another rail, slamming into the side armor with a plasma-augmented punch.
"…It's working," Agnes muttered, almost quietly, her voice a rare whisper of admiration. "…You're exposing the Core."
The heat was unbearable now. Cockpit indicators screamed critical temperature, nanites struggling to maintain structural integrity, and Vythra flow surged dangerously close to overload. Karl's chest heaved. "…I can't sustain this for long," he muttered. "…Need more reinforcement."
Erevos shivered violently, every projection gear straining under the heat. That was when Karl activated Gearstorm Nova. Eight massive projection gears erupted around the cockpit, spinning into place with mechanical precision. They slammed against Erevos' armor, integrating seamlessly as additional plating and kinetic dampeners. Sparks flew, the sound of grinding metal and venting steam echoing like a symphony of war.
"…Eight gears… locked in," Karl muttered, voice low but fierce. "…Let's finish this."
The cockpit stabilized, the thermal warning indicators dipping slightly as the new Gearstorm plating redistributed energy and heat. Karl's visor flickered with data: armor integrity rising, Vythra flow stabilized, propulsion augmented.
He exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing on the Sentinel. "…Time for Requiem Ignition."
He launched forward again, nanites channeling heat into localized micro-explosions across Erevos' limbs. Each strike against the rails increased speed, every pivot amplified momentum. The Sentinel pivoted, unleashing another cyclone of royal-azure flames, but this time Karl danced along the rails, weaving between fire and debris with perfect timing.
The cockpit radiated heat. Metal hissed. Nanites whined. Yet, Karl pressed on. He slammed a reinforced plasma-enhanced punch against the chest armor, feeling it warp and crack slightly under the concentrated force. The sapphire core pulsed brighter, exposed for just a fleeting moment.
"…Almost…" Karl muttered through gritted teeth. "…One more… one clean shot…"
The Sentinel reacted instantly, pivoting arms to blast a twin heatwave directly at him. Karl activated Gearstorm Nova's secondary boost, spinning the eight integrated gears to project an energy barrier that deflected part of the heatwave. He retracted sharply along a branch rail, then projected forward, targeting the exact flicker of sapphire light.
"…Rider Kick Ignition — Requiem!" he yelled, pushing every ounce of Vythra and nanite overclock into the strike. Erevos' legs slammed into the support beam, launching him forward with terrifying speed. Flames whirled around him, distorted by the extreme heat, but Karl's trajectory was true.
The cockpit hit the armor plate squarely, reinforced by the Gearstorm gears. Sparks erupted. Plates warped further. And for the first time, the Core Orb flickered visibly, unstable.
"…Yes…" Karl whispered, gritting his teeth as the cockpit slid backward to absorb the feedback. "…It's exposed… for a moment… just long enough…"
Agnes's voice was a mixture of awe and urgency. "…Karl… be careful! You're pushing the limits!"
Karl didn't respond. He knew the moment had come to end the first phase. With one final motion, he pivoted Erevos along a rail, retracting and repositioning, every movement calculated to maximize momentum while minimizing heat exposure. The cockpit vibrated violently, the flames around the Sentinel roaring like a living storm.
Eight projection gears of Gearstorm Nova hummed in synchronization, stabilizing armor and kinetic energy. The cockpit was a furnace, but Karl's body and nanites had become the storm's counterbalance. He had drawn the Sentinel into a lethal dance of heat, rails, and momentum, preparing for the next decisive strike.
And above all, the sapphire core orb pulsed in stark contrast to the inferno surrounding it—a single, brilliant vulnerability.
Karl exhaled sharply, gaze locked on the Sentinel. "…Phase one… complete," he muttered. "…Time to see how deep this goes."
The forest around them crackled, smoke and embers spiraling in turbulent currents, reflecting the royal-azure light. Erevos hummed, nanites vibrating, turbines screaming against the heatwave. Karl's hands hovered over the Drive Regulator, ready.
The Sentinel's flames intensified, compressing into tighter spirals, the core pulsing with dangerous rhythm. Karl's eyes narrowed. He had survived near-death before. He had faced Core Bearers before. But this… this would test every ounce of skill, endurance, and cunning he had accumulated.
And Karl wouldn't fail.