Nobody moved.
Nobody dared.
The Devourer stood motionless in the center of the ruined hallway.
Dark energy drifted from its body like smoke.
The air itself seemed to distort around it.
Kael felt his chest tighten.
Not from fear.
From recognition.
Something inside him knew exactly what this creature was.
And it hated it.
"Aetherion."
The Core responded immediately.
"Hostile entity confirmed."
The burning sensation in Kael's chest intensified.
For the first time since their bond began—
Aetherion sounded angry.
"Destroy it."
The words echoed through his mind.
Sharp.
Absolute.
The Devourer slowly tilted its head.
Its attention remained fixed on Kael.
Ignoring everyone else.
Ignoring the dozens of hosts preparing to attack.
It only looked at him.
As if nothing else mattered.
The stranger stepped forward.
His expression remained calm.
"All combat units."
Energy exploded around him.
"Attack."
The room erupted.
Fire surged forward.
Lightning flashed.
Dozens of abilities slammed toward the Devourer at once.
The explosion shook the facility.
BOOM.
Heat flooded the chamber.
Dust filled the air.
For a brief moment—
Everyone thought it worked.
Then the smoke parted.
The Devourer stood exactly where it had been.Unharmed.
Silent.
Watching.
Several hosts froze.
One whispered:
"Impossible..."
The creature raised a hand.
Darkness gathered around its fingers.
Then it moved.
A black spear shot through the air.
Too fast.
Too sudden.
One of the hosts never even screamed.
The spear pierced his chest.
The body hit the ground.
Dead.
The room went silent.
Then chaos erupted.
People attacked.
People ran.
The Devourer moved among them like a nightmare.
Every strike killed.
Every movement destroyed.
Kael watched in disbelief.
It wasn't fighting.
It was feeding.
Each fallen host released streams of energy.
Dark tendrils absorbed everything.
Growing stronger.
Growing larger.
"Hunger detected."
Aetherion's voice echoed inside Kael's mind.
"It is consuming them."
Kael clenched his fists.
"We have to stop it."
"Agreed."
For once—
They were completely aligned.
The heat inside his body surged.
Energy exploded across his skin.
Blue light burst from his veins.
Lightning danced around his arms.
The Devourer finally paused.
Its attention shifted.
Directly toward him.
A smile formed across the darkness covering its face.
"Core..."
Its voice sounded like broken glass.
"...mine."
Kael's eyes hardened.
"No."The floor cracked beneath his feet.
Power erupted from his body.
For the first time—
He wasn't running.
He wasn't surviving.
He wasn't hiding.
He launched forward.
The facility shook as Kael's fist collided with the Devourer's.
BOOM.
A shockwave exploded through the chamber.
Walls shattered.
Windows burst.
Both figures were thrown backward.
Silence followed.
The hosts stared.
Wide-eyed.
Because for the first time—
The Devourer had taken a step back.
And for the first time—
It looked surprised.
Kael rose slowly.
Energy crackling around him.
The battle had finally begun.