✨ CHAPTER FORTY — OMEGA PROTOCOL: THE DOMINION'S FINAL ORDER ✨
The Citadel's lights turned blood-red.
Not pulsing.
Not flickering.
A steady, ominous glow that swallowed the skyline.
Maya's breath caught.
"That's… that's the Citadel's highest alert tier."
Dara peeked from behind Aiden, voice trembling.
"What's above SSS? SSSS? SSSSS?? Please tell me the answer is nothing."
Maya shook her head slowly.
"No. Above SSS…
is Omega."
The air itself rumbled—low, heavy, like the growl of something ancient and colossal waking up after centuries.
Aiden's wings spread instinctively, golden-white aura flaring.
"Whatever's coming, we take it together."
---
THE SKY OPENS
The Citadel's core began to bloom outward, segment by segment.
Six massive rings rotated around the tower, each etched with ancient Dominion runes. Lightning crawled along the edges, building power.
Maya's eyes widened.
"They're opening the Omega Gate.
A spatial conduit connected directly to the Dominion's home network."
Dara slapped his own forehead.
"Bro, why do villain organizations always have a 'home network'? Can't they just stay home?!"
But the humor evaporated instantly.
Because the light within the rings condensed…
not into a beam…
…but into a shape.
A silhouette.
Humanoid.
Tall.
Armored.
A presence that made even Aiden's Vessel tremble.
Maya whispered, voice barely above a breath:
"That's not an enforcer.
Not a Hunter.
Not even a Guardian."
A pause.
"That's an Omega-Class Executor.
A Dominion commander."
Aiden narrowed his eyes.
"So… their strongest."
"No…" Maya corrected softly.
"Just the strongest they can spare."
---
ARRIVAL OF THE EXECUTOR
The silhouette stepped from the light.
Its armor was obsidian black, with thin crimson circuits pulsing across its limbs like living veins. Its helm had no visor—just a smooth surface glowing faint red.
It floated an inch above the ground.
No footsteps.
No sound.
Just a crushing pressure.
Dara clutched his chest.
"Bro… bro I can't breathe near this dude—"
Maya pulled him back, stabilizing him with a silver pulse.
Aiden, despite the pressure, stepped forward.
His aura rose to meet the threat.
The Executor's head tilted slightly, analyzing him.
Then its voice echoed, impossibly calm:
"Vessel identified."
"Threat level: escalating."
"Omega Protocol: commenced."
A single step—
and the air bent around it.
Aiden barely crossed his arms in time—
WHOOOOM—!!!
The impact wasn't loud.
It was deep, like a mountain settling.
He was launched across the district, carving a trench through shattered rooftops.
Maya screamed—
"AIDEN!"
She shot silver threads after him, cushioning his landing, keeping his organs from tearing under the force.
Dara pointed in panic.
"I'm sorry WHAT hit him?! A black hole in armor?!"
---
AIDEN RISES
Aiden stood up—
shaking but alive.
His aura flickered, then stabilized.
"Okay… strong."
The Executor appeared directly in front of him—no sound, no warning.
Aiden swung—
Golden-white light crackled—
The Executor caught his fist between two fingers.
Two.
Then it squeezed.
Aiden's bones creaked.
His aura shuddered.
The Executor spoke again:
"Raw power insufficient."
"Activating counter-adaptation."
A wave of red energy burst outward, throwing Aiden back again.
---
MAYA REALIZES THE DANGER
Maya's mind raced.
"Aiden—it's different from the Guardian.
It's not learning your attacks…"
She froze.
"…it's neutralizing them."
Dara blinked.
"Neutralizing?? As in—anti-Aiden mode?!"
"Yes! Its system is programmed to counter Vessel abilities directly!"
Aiden shook off dust, wings flaring, and charged again.
The Executor simply shifted its stance—
redirected his punch—
and slammed a palm into his chest—
THUD—!!
Aiden's body skidded across metal debris, ribs cracking despite his aura.
Maya reinforced him with another wave of silver light.
"Aiden—stop!
You can't brute-force this thing!"
Aiden wiped blood from his lip.
"Then what do I do?"
She looked up at the Executor.
Its energy signatures were terrifyingly complex.
But there was one thing it didn't expect—
Teamwork.
She grabbed Aiden's wrist.
"Use me.
Use my thread sync.
Let me direct your strikes!"
Dara raised his hand.
"AND ME! I can… uh… shout distracting insults!?"
---
THE TRIO SYNCHRONIZE
Aiden grabbed Maya's hand.
Silver light shot up his arm, weaving into his Vessel channels.
His aura stabilized instantly.
Dara stood behind Maya, pipe raised.
"Okay big robot boss! Hey! YOU LOOK LIKE A MALFUNCTIONING AIR FRYER!!"
The Executor paused.
Just long enough.
Maya yelled—
"Aiden, right side—NOW!"
Aiden vanished in a flash of white-gold—
reappearing beside the Executor—
fist drawn back—
WHAM—!!
The blow actually made it stagger.
Dara gasped.
"HOLY—WE CAN HIT IT!"
The Executor recalibrated instantly.
"Adaptation acknowledged."
"Adjusting parameters."
It charged.
Maya guided Aiden's motion—
threads tightening—
a perfect dance of light.
Aiden ducked.
Spun.
Struck.
Blocked.
Countered.
Every strike hit with precision no raw power could achieve alone.
Their movements began synchronizing so tightly their auras merged into streaks of gold and silver across the battlefield.
Even the Executor struggled to keep pace.
---
THE SHIFT IN MOMENTUM
Aiden's punch dented the Executor's chestplate.
Maya gasped.
"We're actually pushing it back—!"
Dara cheered, swinging his pipe in the air.
"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR HITTING MY BOY LIKE A TEN-TON SLAP!!"
But the victory was short-lived.
The Executor's chest glowed crimson.
"Omega Subroutine: Unlocked."
Maya's eyes widened.
"Aiden—
It's activating its true form!"
The air bent.
Gravity trembled.
The Citadel's rings spun wildly overhead.
Aiden raised his fists.
"Then we'll face it."
The Executor lifted its head.
"Releasing limiter seals."
And the world around them began to distort.
The real battle…
was only beginning.