As Akira stepped through the barrier, it felt like diving into ice-cold water. It was shocking and disorienting in a way that made him catch his breath.
But then Ayaka appeared beside him, and just like that, they were both on the other side.
The change was instantaneous. The cold night air was no more; it was now replaced by an oppressive heat that pressed against his skin like a physical weight.
The distant sounds of the city were gone, replaced by an eerie silence broken only by the echo of their footsteps on strange flooring.
They found themselves in a space that seemed to defy logic and the laws of physics. The walls were made of rusted, corroded metal that rose high above them, reaching up to a ceiling lost in shadow.
The floor was made of dark stone, with glowing lines of sickly green light running through it. They pulsed like the heartbeat of a dying machine.
[WELCOME TO THE DELTA GATE: 'IRON REAVER'S CAGE']
"Stay close," Ayaka whispered. "The essence saturating this place will try to confuse your senses, make you see things that aren't there. The path to the Guardian is always a straight line in fresh Gates like this, but that doesn't mean it's safe."
They moved through narrow, winding corridors. Akira noticed strange crystalline formations embedded in the metal walls, glowing shards that pulsed with the same rhythm as the floor's veins.
[ITEM DETECTED: MINOR ESSENCE SHARD (1/10 GEM FRAGMENT)]
"What are those?" Akira asked, pointing.
Ai's voice suddenly echoed in his head, clearer than before in this concentrated supernatural environment. "Ooh, look at these goodies! These are crystallized essence, which is the solidified energy from this dimension. If you collect ten fragments, you can create one Gem. Gems are the real currency for demons. You can use them in the system store to buy premium upgrades, skills, items… all the good stuff!"
"You should collect them," Ayaka said, apparently unaware of Ai's explanation. "Essence shards are valuable. They can be used for crafting, trading, or converted into usable power. Don't leave resources behind."
Akira started gathering the shards as they walked. Each one dissolved into light and was absorbed into his inventory with a satisfying chime.
[ESSENCE SHARDS: 7/10]
They moved deeper into the twisted corridors, the heat growing with each step. Finally, they walked into a vast chamber.
In the centre, sitting on a throne made from twisted rebar and yellowed bone, was the Guardian.
It wasn't the huge monster Akira had expected.
Instead, it was a surprisingly thin creature. Its body had long and skinny limbs that bent at odd angles. Its head was big and looked like an insect, covered in shiny black pieces that caught the dim light in the room. Hundreds of multifaceted eyes covered its head like a creepy crown.
A Grade Delta threat.
The creature's head turned toward them. Those hundreds of compound eyes locked onto Akira and Ayaka simultaneously. It hissed and the sound seemed to vibrate directly against Akira's soul, making his teeth ache.
[WARNING: GUARDIAN DETECTED - THE SCRAP MANTIS]
[WEAKNESS: NONE FOUND YET… ###SCANNING…]
The Scrap Mantis rose from its throne, revealing its full height… easily three meters tall. Its limbs made a clicking and scraping sound, like knives being sharpened together.
Then it spoke.
Its voice was distorted and layered, like multiple voices struggling to communicate through broken machinery. "Hum...man... boy... What... doing... HERE?"
Its broken English sounded like it was mixed with insect sounds.
Akira stepped forward, raising his dagger. "We're here to close this rift. Send you back where you came from."
The Scrap Mantis's head tilted at an unnatural angle. Then it made a cackling, grinding laugh sound that echoed through the chamber.
"Close... gate? HA... HA... HA..." The creature's limbs began to tremble with what might have been amusement or rage. "That... NOT... going... happen... boy..."
Then it lunged.
Akira barely managed to react. He threw himself sideways, the dagger held uselessly in front of him like a talisman against death.
The Mantis's claw sliced through the air where he'd been standing a heartbeat before, impacting the rusted wall behind him with a sound like a gunshot.
The metal shrieked, leaving a deep gash that glowed at the edges. Shrapnel flew past Akira's face, one piece nicking his cheek and drawing blood.
"Shit!" he gasped, rolling across the stone floor.
Ayaka was moving with inhuman speed, already circling wide to the left, creating distance between herself and the Guardian. "It's too fast!"
"You think?!" Akira shouted back, scrambling to his feet. His heart hammered so hard he thought it might burst from his chest.
The Mantis didn't stop. It shifted its weight, those needle-like legs setting up with precision. Then in an instant, it became a blur. It wasn't invisible, but it was moving too fast for Akira to keep up as it changed the angle of its attack.
[WARNING: INCOMING HIGH-SPEED STRIKE (FATAL)]
"Move!" Ayaka screamed.
Akira dove forward this time, tucking into a roll that he didn't know he could do.
His body moved on instinct, powered by whatever the ritual with Ayaka had awakened in him. He came up in a crouch just as the Mantis's blade-like arm carved through the space where his head had been.
"How am I doing this?" he muttered, surprised at his own agility.
"The essence transfer!" Ai replied. "Your body is adapting! But it won't matter if you can't fight back!"
Ayaka thrust both hands forward, and a burst of crimson energy erupted from her palms. The blast hit the Mantis square in its chitinous chest, forcing it to stumble back several steps.
The creature hissed in annoyance rather than pain.
"That barely did anything!" Ayaka's voice carried a note of panic. "My power is suppressed in here; the Gate is dampening my abilities!"
"Great!" Akira shouted. "Just fucking great!"
The Mantis recovered instantly, its multi-faceted eyes fixing on him again. It spoke in that horrible, grinding voice with broken English: "Weak... weak... WEAK... You... die... NOW..."