[WARNING: GATE STILL ACTIVE - SECONDARY GUARDIAN DETECTED]
[MULTIPLE THREATS REMAIN]
"We're not done, darling," Ai said urgently. "The gate is still open!"
Akira's head snapped up, shock flooding through him. "What? But I killed the guardian!"
"Look at the gate!"
She was right. Through the tear in reality, Akira could see more shapes forming. Not as large as the knight, but there were dozens of them. More Ashlings, enhanced variants, and something else… something that moved with serpentine grace, its multiple heads weaving hypnotically.
"That's not possible," Ayaka said, limping toward him. Her leg was badly burned, and she was breathing hard. "Gates only have one guardian. That's the rule. One guardian per gate, always."
"Well someone broke the rule!" Akira gestured at the portal. "Because there's definitely something else in there!"
