The command dome of M.E.G. Base Alpha had become a cathedral of horror.
Fifteen Party Creators stood amid the sea of slaughtered officers, their pristine white suits spotless, their synchronized smiles radiating pure, joyful malice. Pink corruption was already spreading across the walls and floor, turning the last bastion of human resistance into another stage for the everlasting party.
Daniel Voss stood at the center of the nine Chosen, golden baton raised.
His eyes burned with platinum-white fire.
He had reached his limit.
With a single, decisive motion, he slammed the golden baton into the blood-soaked floor.
"Soul Summon — Maximum Release."
The Pantheon System responded with overwhelming force.
A colossal ring of golden light erupted outward from Daniel, expanding across the entire dome. Every soul he had ever claimed — every entity he had killed since awakening in Level 0 — answered the call at once.
Thousands upon thousands of translucent figures materialized in perfect formation.
Hounds with glowing violet eyes.
Smilers whose grins were now directed at their former masters.
Facelings, Clumps, Deathmoths, corrupted Window entities, fallen Outpost Killers, fragments of the Red Knight's harvested victims — all of them bound by the Conductor's authority.
The entire army of the dead stood behind Daniel in perfect ranks, silent and obedient.
Daniel's voice rang out, amplified by the Symphony of Dominion:
"I command you."
The summoned souls straightened as one. Their eyes glowed with golden light. They were no longer fragmented remnants — they were an army under the absolute command of the Conductor.
But the cost was immediate.
Daniel cried blood.
Thick crimson tears streamed from his eyes, running down his face and dripping onto the baton. His body trembled under the strain of commanding such an immense legion. The veins along his arms and neck bulged with violet-black and golden energy.
A new notification burned across his vision in platinum-white:
```
[Soul Command – Apex Ability Unlocked]
Description: Absolute dominion over all summoned souls.
The bearer may now command any number of souls as a single unified army.
Souls gain 300% combat effectiveness under direct conduction.
Cost: Severe physical and mental strain (blood tears, temporary system fatigue).
Duration: Until the Conductor dismisses the legion or loses consciousness.
```
Daniel wiped the blood from his eyes with the back of his hand, leaving crimson streaks across his face.
He raised the golden baton once more.
The entire army of souls moved as one — thousands of translucent figures advancing in perfect, terrifying synchronization toward the fifteen Party Creators.
Party Creator Alpha's many mouths opened in surprise.
The central Party Creator's serene smile faltered for the first time.
"You… turned our own dead against us?" he whispered.
Daniel's voice was hoarse but steady, blood still leaking from his eyes.
"No. I turned every soul you ever took… and every soul I ever claimed… into my orchestra."
He brought the baton down in a sweeping arc.
"Legion — Advance."
The army of souls charged.
Hounds lunged with violet fangs.
Smilers tore forward with synchronized grins of vengeance.
Fallen Outpost Killers wielded corrupted weapons now turned against their former allies.
The sheer numbers and unified will under Soul Command overwhelmed the courtyard.
Fifteen Party Creators raised their microphones, laughter turning into frantic, defensive harmony — but for the first time, they were forced onto the defensive.
Daniel stood at the center, blood tears streaming down his face, conducting the largest force the Backrooms had ever seen.
Vannia and Mia fought at his sides, silver and white auras blazing.
The other Chosen joined the fray, empowered by the golden notes swirling around them.
The massacre at Base Alpha was no longer one-sided.
Daniel Voss — The Conductor — had just turned the tide with an army of the dead.
But the blood tears continued to fall.
The cost of commanding such a legion was heavy.
And the fifteen Party Creators were still immortal ideas given form.
The final battle for M.E.G. Base Alpha had truly begun.
