Location: Echohold-09 (Inside - Sublevel Area)

  Time of Day: Morning

  Dark energy finished receding from the tall blast door, slipping back into the Artifact tucked inside Hikari's coat pocket. The metal surface sealed completely, leaving behind nothing but smooth, restored steel. From the other side of the blast door THUD! THUD! The steel shuddered once... and then held firm.

  Slayer stared at it for a moment. "...Woah." He let out a light chuckle. "Whatever you did just now, Akari, you completely sealed them off." He leaned forward slightly. "And on top of that, you repaired the entire thing. It's not even dented anymore." A grin crept into his voice. "Good going, Akari!"

  A soft, shy reply followed from within the Artifact. "Th-Thanks, Slayer..."

  Lumina slowly sheathed her blade and turned toward Hikari. "I'm guessing that was the same seal you mentioned earlier. The one that wasn't letting you hack any further?"

  Hikari nodded. "Yeah it was. And Akari was the one who helped me break the seal from the system." She rested a hand on her chin. "Most likely that seal was the reason why the code wasn't working when I tried to input it. The seal must've been blocking the system somehow." She placed a hand on her hip. “I just wonder who-or what-put that seal there to begin with.”

  Captain raised an eyebrow. “Maybe it was the doc?”

  “Perhaps,” Hikari replied slowly. “Though, I wouldn’t let that thought cross my mind... especially since he’s close by.” Her gaze lingered, thoughtful. “But if he was responsible then I'm not sure how he managed to do it. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

  THUMP! A pulse came from Hikari's pocket. Akari spoke softly. “Th-That seal felt… familiar somehow. Like I knew what it was.”

  Hikari looked down at her pocket. “Oh, and what exactly do you mean by that, Akari?”

  Akari hesitated a bit. “Um… I’m not sure how to put it into words, but… I felt a connection to it. Like its power was… my power too.”

  Hikari placed a hand on her chin, thoughtful. “Hm… interesting.” She glanced at the tall blast door. “I suppose that explains why you were able to break the seal and then reapply it so easily.” She paused, brows knitting together. “But what I don’t understand is why you specifically were able to break it. Not even with my Aura Tech Link I was able to get through it.”

  Akari lowered her voice. “That… I don’t have an answer for. I’m sorry, Hikari.”

  Hikari shook her head gently. “Oh, It’s okay, Akari. Don’t worry about it." She gave a gentle smile. "I was just curious if you knew, that’s all.”

  “O-Okay, Hikari.” Akari simply replied.

  Lumina crossed her arms. “Well… I guess we can just ask Dr. Naru once we meet up with him and see if he knows anything about it.”

  Hikari nodded. "I agree. That’d probably be best instead of overthinking it so much.”

  Slayer chuckled lightly. “Yeah - let’s not think too hard about it.”

  Captain gave a side glance to Slayer, arms crossed. “Hmph. Like you’re one to think.”

  Slayer raised a clenched fist, fire flashing behind his visor. “You wanna test that right now, soldier boy?”

  Hikari sighed, shaking her head. “Oh jeez… I can’t with you two.”

  Lumina smiled faintly at the exchange. Then her gaze lifted toward the tall blast door. The banging from the other side still hadn’t stopped. "Either way... I'm glad Akari is on our side." Her gaze softened slightly. "Without her help, they would've surely broken in. And who knows what would've happened to us afterward."

  Captain glanced toward the metal door. "Hmph. Yeah, no kidding."

  Lumina then turned toward Hikari's coat pocket. "So you have my gratitude for that, Akari."

  "Oh, uhm... of course, Lumina," Akari replied softly. "I promised I'd help... and that's what I'll keep doing for everyone."

  Lumina gave a small nod. "I'm glad to hear it."

  Slayer suddenly glanced around, peering down the corridor. "...Hey. I just noticed something."

  The team turned toward him.

  "This area isn't surrounded by those creepy red lights." He continued. "Does that mean were safe now?"

  Hikari stepped forward toward the corridor. "I wouldn't say that just yet. We still need to get through this part first."

  Ahead of them stretched a long tunnel, its narrow cement walls pressing in from both sides. Warm amber lights lined the ceiling above that were dim but steady, casting soft hues across the rough, gray surface as the corridor extended forward. At the far end, a set of stairs descended out of sight that vanished into the depths below. A few steps ahead, along the right side of the tunnel wall, something else caught their attention. It was a faint blue glow that pulsed quietly from a recessed point in the cement.

  Slayer tilted his helmet toward the faint blue glow on the wall. "Uhm... what's that blue glowing thing over there?"

  Hikari squinted slightly. "Can't really tell what it is from this distance." She stepped forward. "So let's go and take a closer look."

  The team began moving toward it, their footsteps echoing softly through the tunnel. THUD... THud... thud... Behind them, the distant banging of the Nethcarne against the sealed blast door grew quieter... then faded away entirely as they drew closer to the blue light.

  Captain slowed beside Hikari, eyes fixed on the glowing object as realization set in. "Is that a-" He glanced at her. "Hikari, you think the doc left that there?"

  She nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. I'm almost certain he did."

  Slayer looked between them. "Okay, but care to explain what it is?"

  Hikari smiled faintly. "Oh. It's a directional tag beacon."

  Slayer blinked. "...A what?" He pointed at himself. "And... am I supposed to know what that is?"

  Hikari chuckled lightly. "Guess not. It's basically a way to mark safe corridors and help us find our way through." She tapped the glowing symbol with her finger. "I'm pretty sure Dr. Naru was the one who placed them here."

  Captain adjusted the strap across his chest. "Meaning he was expecting us to come back." He looked down the tunnel ahead. "So he decided to guide us through this tunnel using those beacons."

  "Yeah," Hikari replied. "That means he must be waiting for us further down ahead." Her eyes softened. "So we're getting really close now."

  Lumina glanced at the glowing beacon, then back at Hikari. "Looks like he cares a great deal for you guys... and trusts you very much, if he's doing all this."

  Hikari smiled. "He does. And I can't wait to introduce you guys to him." She glanced between Lumina and Slayer. "I'm sure you'll like him."

  Lumina gave a slight smile. "Looking forward to it."

  Slayer folded his arms. "Hopefully he has snacks. Then I'll really like him."

  Hikari rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Oh, tin can." She motioned ahead. "C'mon. Let's go and find him."

  Step... step... The team moved toward the stairs, the air growing still and cool as they drew closer.

  Slayer looked toward the descending stairs. "So... I assume we go down from here?"

  Captain followed his gaze. "Nowhere else to go but down, right."

  "Right," Hikari said. "Let's head in. I'm sure there'll be more beacons along the way." She narrowed her brows. "So it can't be that hard to miss them."

  Footsteps echoed as they descended the stairs. Above them, the warm, dim lights continued to glow softly and straight ahead stood a solid cement wall. To the left and right, corridors branched off into separate paths. Set into the center of the wall between them, a blue directional beacon glowed steadily with an arrow that pointed right.

  Slayer glanced at the glowing arrow. "Judging by the arrow's direction... we go right, correct?"

  Hikari nodded. "Yeah. Let's take a right from here."

  They followed the corridor branching off to the right, their footsteps echoing softly against the cement walls. The warm overhead lights continued to guide them forward, steady and dim. After about a minute, another blue glow came into view not far ahead. It was another directional beacon, and with it came another intersection.

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  "This way," Hikari said, gesturing as the arrow pointed left.

  They turned, continuing onward. The pattern repeated as they moved deeper in, corridor after corridor, each marked by a blue directional beacon guiding their path. Left. Then right. Then forward again. Minutes passed in quiet focus and no threats appeared along the way. And then, finally... the corridor ended. A large metal sliding door stood sealed shut before them. Beside it, mounted into the wall, was an access panel, blue and active, waiting for a hand print.

  Hikari stopped in front of the metal door. "This should be it. There should be a console room past this door."

  Slayer let out a breath. "Phew. Glad that maze is over now."

  Lumina looked toward the sealed entrance. "So Dr. Naru should be in there, then."

  Before Hikari could reply, the Artifact in her coat pocket pulsed faintly. THUMP! Akari's voice followed. "Y-Yes... He should be in there. This is the exact place where my scan picked up his location from."

  Captain nodded, eyes still on the door. "Well... took a while, but we finally made it." He glanced at Hikari. "What do you say we pay him a visit?"

  Hikari nodded once. "Yeah. It's time."

  Slayer stepped forward, stretching his arms. "Alright, let's just hope he's got some snacks in there, 'cause I'm starving!"

  Lumina shot him a look. "You can save that appetite until after the fight is done."

  Slayer sighed dramatically. "...I guess I can hold my hunger for a little while longer, then."

  Hikari stepped up to the access panel and she slipped off one glove, exposing her hand. She placed it flat against the surface. "Here goes." The panel scanned her palm BEEP! A green glow spread across the screen and a voice followed.

  "Access granted. Welcome, Hikari Amane."

  Then TSSS! The metal door slid open, revealing what lay beyond.

  Hikari turned back toward the team. "Okay. It's open." She gestured ahead. "Let's head in, everyone."

  The rest of the team agreed, stepping beside her and through the metal doorway. As they crossed the threshold, the room beyond opened up around them. Behind them TSSS! The metal door slid shut.

  The room was compact, lit by soft blues and greens that reflected off polished steel panels and reinforced flooring. Consoles lined the curved walls, each fitted with layered screens displaying Echo classifications, scrolling diagnostics of damaged vaults, and a world map marked with red dots pinpointing breach locations. Chairs sat pushed back from their stations, as if abandoned in a hurry. Near the center stood a workstation, its displays still active. A chair faced away from them, turned toward the layered holographic screens hovering above the console. And someone was sitting there.

  For a moment, he didn't move. Then the chair began to turn, slowly... until the man finally faced them. He was an older man, likely in his sixties. Silver hair, neatly kept. A trimmed white beard lined his jaw, and a pair of glasses rested on his nose. His expression was calm, as if he had been expecting this outcome all along. A white lab coat hung from his shoulders, slightly stained, paired with neatly pressed gray pants. One hand rested casually on the arm of the chair, the other near the console, fingers relaxed. His eyes settled on Hikari first. Then a small, knowing smile formed.

  "So," he said gently, his voice steady and warm. "You finally made it back... Hikari."

  The room fell completely silent. Hikari took a step forward, happiness and relief flooding her expression. "Y-You... it really is you... Dr. Naru!"

  Dr. Naru let out a light chuckle as he rose from his chair. "Yes, Hikari. It's me," he said warmly. "I'm so glad to see that you've all made it back in one piece."

  Hikari didn't hesitate. She broke into a sprint, a smile spreading across her face. Reaching him, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. "I'm also glad to see that you're okay, too!"

  For a moment, Dr. Naru looked surprised. Then his expression softened. He returned the hug gently, his hands resting reassuringly on her back. "Oh, Hikari," he said with a warm chuckle. "You'd think this old man would die in a place like this." He pulled back just enough to look at her, eyes calm. "C'mon now. I'm a Hollow. You know how the saying goes..." As they separated, he finished with a small, knowing smile. "Hollows don't fall until their purpose is fulfilled."

  Hikari clenched a fist, her smile still soft. "Right. As long as we have a purpose to fulfill... we'll never give up, no matter what."

  Dr. Naru nodded approvingly. "Perfectly said, Hikari."

  Footsteps approached from behind them. Dr. Naru turned as the rest of the team stepped closer, Captain moving to the front. He straightened and gave a small, respectful salute. "It's good to see you again, Doc."

  Dr. Naru smiled at the gesture. "And it's good to see you still standing, Captain," he said, amusement glinting in his eyes. "I see you still haven't lost your edge if you were able to bring Hikari back safely."

  Captain let out a light chuckle. "Not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not."

  Dr. Naru waved it off. "Let's just say... mission accomplished. You promised you'd bring her back safe, and that's exactly what you did."

  Captain shook his head slightly. "Thanks... but I couldn't have done it alone." He turned toward Lumina and Slayer. "They also helped along the way too."

  Dr. Naru followed Captain's gaze, a faint smile forming. "Ah yes... I noticed you've brought some friends along as well." He glanced back at Hikari and Captain. "Care to introduce them to me? Or will I have to wait a few more years before you do?"

  Hikari turned toward the team, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh yeah haha, sorry." She smiled sheepishly. "Let me introduce them to you." She gestured to them one by one. "These are the people who helped us make it here. They're from another world... they're actually the ones we met after we made it through the portal. They taught us many great things while we were in their world."

  Dr. Naru adjusted his glasses. "Hm. Well look at that. Guess the portal was a big help after all." There was a hint of relief in his voice. “You were able to manage and bring back some help.”

  Hikari nodded proudly. "Hm-hm. Now then..." She then turned and gestured at Lumina. "...This, is Lumina. She's a warrior from a city called Xevia." Her smile turned playful. "She's amazing with her katana and has great combat skills, too." Then she added casually, "Oh - and I recently found out that she's also really good at flirting."

  Lumina stepped forward and shot Hikari a look. "That was a bit of an unnecessarily long introduction... especially that last part." She sighed lightly. "But fine. We'll go with that." She then smiled and turned to Dr. Naru, offering her hand. "It's finally nice to meet you, Dr. Naru. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

  Dr. Naru accepted the handshake and nodded. "The pleasure is all mine." His gaze softened. "I'm grateful to know you helped Hikari and Captain during their journey to stop the Echo breakout. You have my thanks, Lumina."

  Lumina shook her head gently. "Not at all. I'm just glad I was able to help out."

  Hikari cleared her throat, then gestured toward Slayer with a smirk. "And this tin fella is named Slayer."

  Slayer immediately snapped toward her, clenching both fists. "Hey! You saying it like that makes it sound like I'm some kind of pet!"

  The team chuckled at the scene.

  Slayer let out a sigh, then stepped forward. "Anyway, my name is Slayer. I'm a Xevian warrior from the city of Xevia too." He offered a handshake. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Aru."

  "Naru," Hikari corrected immediately.

  "Oh sorry. Naru," Slayer corrected himself.

  She leaned closer, muttering under her breath like a ventriloquist. "Respect the title, Slayer."

  "Huh? Oh right!" He straightened slightly. "Dr. Naru."

  Dr. Naru chuckled lightly as he took Slayer's hand. "No worries, Slayer." He gave a small nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

  Hikari's hand brushed briefly against the Artifact at her side. She then clapped her hands together once. "Great. Now that introductions are out of the way..." Her expression turned more focused. "What do you say we get down to business, Dr."

  He nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. I'm sure you all have many questions." He turned toward the center of the room. "And I'll make sure to do my best on answering them to the best of my ability."

  Captain stepped forward slightly. "Yes, it's finally time. We've been waiting a long time for some answers now."

  "Then," Dr. Naru said gently, "come this way, please." He turned and walked toward the main terminal, pausing only to cough lightly into his hand before continuing on. Ahead of him, the screens lit up softly as he approached. Once he reached the terminal, he took a seat and rested his hands on the keyboard, his fingers moving with practiced ease.

  "Before anything else," he said calmly, "I want to show you just how bad the Echo Breach has gotten ever since you've all left." He didn't look away from the display. "Which was approximately thirty-nine hours ago."

  Hikari stood beside him, eyes fixed on the screen. "It's only been that long, huh..."

  Captain crossed his arms. "Guess it makes sense that it feels longer than that, considering we spent three weeks over in Lumina's world."

  Dr. Naru nodded slightly. "RIght. And today-" A final keystroke echoed softly. "...now marks Day Two of the Echo Breach in this world." The screens shifted. "Here," he said. "Take a look at this."

  A familiar news banner slid across the main display as a woman's voice came through the speakers.

  "Th-this is a live emergency broadcast from Channel BTB-7. I'm currently reporting from the outskirts of Westheaven City, where authorities are struggling to contain what officials are calling an unidentified mass outbreak."

  CRK! The feed cut to aerial footage. A helicopter swept over a dense city district below. Streets were scattered with abandoned vehicles, buildings scarred by impact and fire. Smoke rose in uneven columns as civilians screamed somewhere beneath the rotors, and sirens wailing faintly through the city.

  Hikari stared at the screen, concern in her voice. "Woah... it looks like a whole city has already been targeted."

  Captain's jaw tightened. "And who knows if they'll just stop there."

  The reporter's voice continued over the footage.

  "As of right now, evacuation efforts are ongoing, but emergency services are being overwhelmed as they work to assist the injured. It's also been reported that similar incidents are occurring across multiple cities."

  The helicopter camera zoomed in toward the streets below. Something moved.

  Slayer leaned closer to the screen. "The heck is that thing moving?"

  Lumina's eyes narrowed. "It's pretty fast."

  It was a tall, thin figure that darted across the city at terrifying speed. A black, skeletal shape sprinted between scattered cars, its body little more than a living silhouette. A plain white mask covered its face - smooth and blank - with hollow black eye sockets and a wide, painted red smile on it.

  In its hands, a chainsaw screamed to life. VRRRRR! The creature wielded it like a weapon, tearing through cars and street signs as it sprinted forward. Sparks carved bright scars through the air as civilians ran, slipping and screaming. The figure gained on them with incredible speed. VRRR! The chainsaw howled. And then there was only the sound of tearing metal... and bodies dropping to the street.

  Hikari's breath caught. "That Echo is..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "...The Smiling Saw."

  Captain shook his head. "Jeez... what a mess."

  The reporter's voice cut back in, strained and shaking. "W-We don't know what these things are," she said. "Authorities have yet to confirm their origin. For now, all we know is that they're extremely hostile... and shouldn't be engaged with in any way."

  The feed stuttered. KRRR! Then it switched.

  "We're now receiving footage from another city."

  The view changed to a different helicopter feed, this one flying lower and closer to the streets. Something else came into view.

  It was tall and wide. Its elongated humanoid body was covered in fur split down the middle, one half white and the other black. Where arms should have been, two thick vacuum hoses hung instead, dragging along the pavement before coiling as it moved. Its head was a vacuum unit.

  The wide intake faced forward as the creature charged through the streets, its movements jerky and aggressive. People fled in every direction and some... weren't fast enough. The hoses snapped outward.

  VMMM! A deafening suction roar swallowed the feed as the hoses snapped out like grasping limbs, latching onto fleeing figures and yanking them off the ground with brutal force. The creature dragged them toward its wide intake and sucked them in as if feeding. CRACK! Bones snapped and blood sprayed across the ground as screams were cut short, swallowed by the howling vacuum.

  The helicopter veered away and the footage ended, but the reporter's voice continued over the feed.

  "For now, residents are urged to remain indoors until this situation is brought under control. We'll continue to bring updates as they become available. This is BTB-7, reporting live. Please stay safe everyone."

  The broadcast cut to static and then silence filled the console room.

  Dr. Naru exhaled slowly. "And that," he said quietly, "is only one of many incidents."