Chapter 106: The Final Purge and the Metal Giants
The heavy silence of the bunker was broken only by the crackle of dying sparks and the ragged breathing of two souls bound by a desperate act. Ren stood back, his face pale, the sapphire glow of his new eye slowly dimming. Mina stood frozen, her fingers tracing her lips, the warmth of the transfer still radiating through her entire body.
"Ren... you... you just..." Mina's voice was a whisper, a mix of confusion and a strange, new strength coursing through her veins.
Ren looked away, his jaw tight. "Forgive me, Mina. I didn't want to cross that line, but it was the only way. To save you, I had to anchor my soul to yours. You aren't just a student anymore. You are a Vaner now. My energy is inside you, acting as a shield against the rot."
Mina stepped closer to him, her eyes searching his. She noticed his left shoulder—the high-frequency spike was still lodged deep, and blood was soaking through his flight suit, dripping onto the cold floor.
"Ren, your shoulder... you're bleeding out!" she cried, her fear for him overriding her shock.
"It's a scratch," Ren grunted, though his vision blurred for a second. "I've survived worse in the Sector. Don't worry about me."
"Don't tell me what to feel!" Mina snapped, her voice regaining its fire. She grabbed a clean white cloth from the workbench and moved behind him. She wrapped the cloth tightly around his shoulder, pulling the knot firm to stanch the flow. "We need to get you to a doctor. We can change our identities, find a clinic in the Inner City—"
"No," Ren interrupted, his voice like iron. "No doctors. No clinics. The moment we step into the light, the Kara Group and the King's Guard will find us. I'll be fine. My Vane will knit the tissue back together soon enough."
Mina finished the bandage, her hands lingering on his back for a moment. "Thank you, Ren. Not just for the energy... but for everything you're sacrificing for a girl you barely know."
Ren turned to face her, a small, tired smile touching his lips. "I told you, I'm an officer. We don't leave people behind. But we aren't done yet."
Ren's expression suddenly shifted. He activated his tactical vision. Through the blue-tinted lens of his left eye, he scanned Mina's body. The sapphire energy he had transferred was swirling around her heart and lungs, but near her stomach, he saw a dark, pulsating mass.
The Parasite hadn't left. It was hiding, coiled like a snake near her solar plexus, waiting for Ren's energy to weaken.
"It's still there," Ren whispered, his hand going to his hilt.
Mina followed his gaze and clutched her stomach. She could feel it now—a cold, oily sensation deep inside her. "Ren... punch me."
Ren blinked, shocked. "What? No. I'm not hitting you again."
"Ren, listen to me!" Mina shouted. "The Parasite is trapped between your energy and my own will. If you hit me with a focused shock, you can force it out! It's the only way to be clean!"
"If I hit you again, I might cause internal damage," Ren argued. "The Soul-Strike was enough of a risk."
"Do it, Ren! Before it takes me back!"
Ren looked into her eyes and saw her resolve. He took a deep breath, his right hand glowing with a concentrated sapphire light. He didn't pull back for a punch. Instead, he stepped in close and placed his open palm directly over her stomach.
"Hold your breath," he commanded.
Ren didn't strike. He sent a high-frequency vibration through his palm, then suddenly jerked his hand upward with a violent, snapping motion.
Mina's body buckled. She doubled over, her face turning pale as she began to retch. With a violent cough, she vomited a thick, black, oily substance onto the floor. The moment it hit the ground, the liquid began to coalesce, trying to form that hideous shadow-face again.
Ren didn't give it a chance. He brought his heavy military boot down with the force of a falling star.
CRUNCH.
The black mist shrieked—a high-pitched, soul-tearing sound—before it dissipated into nothingness. The link was broken. The Parasite was dead.
"Are you okay?" Ren asked, catching Mina before she hit the floor.
Mina wiped her mouth, her breathing heavy but clear. "Yeah... I'm okay. I feel... light. Like a weight has been lifted."
The War of the Giants: World Update
While the two of them found their momentary peace, the world outside was being torn apart.
The Onyx Reach had breached the third defensive line of Athelgard. Their Knightmare Frames, led by the elite "Black Knight" units, were now only hours away from the capital. The mages of Athelgard were being slaughtered; their spells could not penetrate the anti-Vane coating of the Onyx machines.
In the Iron Archipelago, the naval bombardment had begun. The coastal cities were in flames, and the King's fleet was being sunk by long-range railguns. The age of magic was being drowned in a sea of fire and steel.
The King sat on his throne, his face hidden in shadows. "Let them come," he whispered to the empty hall. "They think their machines can replace the soul. They have no idea what lies beneath the Petrified Land."
The Selection: Red and Purple
Ren and Mina stood before the two Knightmare Frames. The machines looked even more imposing now that the threat of the Parasite was gone. The Purple one hummed with a quiet, efficient energy, while the Red one seemed to vibrate with a raw, aggressive power.
"We don't have much time," Mina said, looking at the monitors on the wall. "The sector's sensors are picking up heavy movement near the wooden house where Spero is holding Hana. He's brought an entire squad of mercenaries."
Ren looked at the Red Knightmare Frame. It was a beast of a machine, equipped with a massive "Vane-Breaker" sword and heavy shoulder cannons. Then he looked at the Purple one—the "Infiltrator" model, designed for speed, precision, and electronic warfare.
"The Red one," Ren said, pointing to the crimson giant. "It's built for front-line devastation. It can take the hits that would kill anything else."
He turned to Mina. "Mina, you take the Red one. Your new Vane energy is raw and powerful; it will sync perfectly with its core. It will keep you safe."
Mina looked surprised. "But Ren, you're the soldier. You should have the heavy armor."
"No," Ren said, his new eye glowing. "The Purple model has an advanced neural link. My new eye can interface directly with its sensors. I'll be able to see the battlefield in three dimensions, predict every shot, and find the path to Hana without getting slowed down. You provide the distraction; I'll provide the strike."
Mina nodded, a determined look on her face. "Fine. But don't think you're going to have all the fun."
She walked toward the Red Frame, the cockpit hatch hissing open as it recognized her newly awakened Vane signature. "Let's go, Ren. Spero has no idea what's about to hit him."
Ren climbed into the Purple Frame, the seat molding to his form. As the monitors flickered to life, the "Butcher of Sector 7" felt a familiar sensation—the cold, calm focus of a man who was no longer just fighting for survival, but for retribution.
"Systems online," Ren whispered, his voice echoing in the cockpit. "Target: The Wooden House. Objective: Zero survivors."
The two metal giants stepped forward, their feet shaking the bunker as the exit ramp began to lower.