Location: Echohold-09 (Inside - Inner Area)

  Time of Day: Morning

  Hikari's eyes stayed fixed on the creatures. "There they are. Yuila-class Echos." Her brows narrowed. "Codename: Whisperfang."

  Lumina focused on one of the Whisperfangs as it fed, her voice low. "So what are we dealing with here, Hikari?"

  Hikari kept her voice low. "They're intelligent predators and highly aggressive." She placed a hand on her hip. "They stalk their prey, use those shadowy afterimages to confuse targets, and they have an excellent sense of smell, too."

  A sound echoed through the room. TIK... TOK... TIK... TOK...

  Slayer tilted his helmet. "...Okay. And what's with the creepy tik-tok sound?"

  Hikari spoke quietly. "That's just a sound they make when they're enjoying themselves. It's kinda similar to how a cat purrs." She paused. "Only... I wouldn't suggest petting these creatures."

  Through Black Sight, the Whisperfangs were outlined in a UV-like purple glow as they moved, bodies swaying slowly while they fed. Whip-like tails drifted side to side in lazy, rhythmic motions, serrated edges tracing soft arcs through the air.

  Captain lowered his voice. "So what's the plan, Hikari? Do we engage them... or try to sneak past?"

  Hikari didn't hesitate. "We sneak past them." She kept her eyes on the Whisperfangs. "There are too many of them, and burning through our stamina this early could put us at a disadvantage later on. If we can avoid a fight, then that's our best option."

  Lumina nodded in agreement. "I agree. If there are more Echos further along our path, conserving stamina will be critical."

  Slayer glanced around the room. "...In that case, where exactly are we sneaking to?"

  Hikari pointed toward a steel door with an access panel beside it, a careful walk straight across the room, the Whisperfangs spread along both sides. "Over there."

  Slayer lowered his voice. "...To that steel door?"

  Hikari nodded. "Yeah. If we can get over there, I can open it no problem. But once I do, we won't have any time to waste." Her eyes stayed on the Whisperfangs. "They'll definitely hear the door opening, so we'll need to move fast once it's open."

  Captain gave a short nod. "Sounds like a plan."

  Slayer hesitated. "Wait... didn't you say Whisperfangs have a great sense of smell? Wouldn't they catch us the moment we get closer to them?"

  Hikari let out a quiet breath, almost a chuckle. "You're correct. They do." She glanced toward the feeding creatures. "But look at what they're focused on right now. The scent in front of them is strong enough to drown out everything else." Her voice dropped lower. "So as long as we stay quiet and don't disrupt their feeding... they won't stop to sniff us out."

  Slayer crossed his arms. "Good enough for me, then."

  Lumina looked to Hikari. "Whenever you're ready then. We'll follow your lead."

  Hikari nodded once and looked straight ahead. Through Black Sight, the room remained washed in that UV-purple light. She exhaled slowly. "...Let's move."

  They began to move. Hikari led the way, stepping carefully between overturned desks and flickering terminals, her eyes scanning ahead as she made sure not to brush against anything that might make a sound.

  Captain followed close behind her, mirroring every step she took, boots landing where hers had just been. His rifle stayed tucked close to his chest.

  Lumina came next. Her eyes never stopped moving as she passed the Whisperfangs crouched along both sides of the room - their double skulls buried in their meals, tails swaying slowly as they fed, blue eyes glowing purple through Black Sight.

  Then Slayer moved last. He drew in a breath and whispered to himself, "Okay... one soft step forward and-" He stepped. CLANG! His armored foot met the metal floor, the sound ringing out sharp and loud in the silence.

  One of the Whisperfangs froze. Its twin skulls lifted slowly from the bloodied remains beneath it. Cold blue eyes flicked around the room, its nose twitching. Sniff... sniff... Then its gaze locked onto Slayer, and shifted past him to the rest of the team.

  Slayer swallowed, his voice dropping to a nervous whisper. "...Uhm. Totally forgot my armor would be an issue in stealth missions like these."

  Lumina sighed without even looking back. "Please tell me that didn't alert them, Hikari."

  Hikari glanced around quickly, checking if the others had heard it too. For a split second... Nothing happened. Then the alerted Whisperfang let out a sharp, echoing hiss. HRAAAAAAEEEIIIIIIIIIII! Another Whisperfang lifted its head. Then another. Pairs of blue eyes snapped toward the team, glowing brighter as the creatures rose from their meals, claws scraping against the floor.

  Captain swore under his breath. "Shit. Not good."

  Hikari's breath caught. "...Everyone-" She spun and shouted, "To the steel door! NOW!"

  The Whisperfangs surged toward the team from both sides on all fours. Bloodied jaws snapped as they charged, claws scraping hard against the metal floor.

  Hikari bolted first. Her pink aura flared to life as she sprinted across the room. "Drones!"

  FWISH! Three spherical drones burst into existence at her side, pink cores blazing as they surged forward. HUMMM! "Cover us!" she shouted. The drones locked on. PEW! PEW! PEW! Pink energy shots ripped through the air, piercing into the lunging Whisperfangs. Some were struck mid-leap and slammed into the floor. Others recoiled, snarling as the blasts forced them back.

  Behind her, Captain activated his Emanation. A red aura surged around him as he ran, rifle raised. "Assisting fire!"

  RATATAT! He fired to the side, covering their retreat. Shots sparked against bone and exposed spine as Whisperfangs darted and phased, leaving shadowy afterimages in their wake.

  Lumina ran just behind Captain, katana drawn, her Emanation flaring as her eyes glowed green. Any Whisperfang that came too close was met with a flashing arc of steel. SLASH! A double-headed skull snapped inches from her blade. HRAAAAEEIII! Lumina deflected it and forced the creature back without slowing. "Keep going!" she called out. "Don't let them close in on us!"

  CLANK! CLANK! Slayer thundered behind them, his armor pounding against the floor. "Coming through! Coming through!" he yelled. He nearly tripped over an overturned chair as a serrated tail whipped past his back, snapping the air just inches away, before he forced himself forward and caught up behind Lumina. The corridor ahead finally came into view, the heavy steel door.

  Hikari's eyes widened as she closed in on it. "We're almost there!"

  They pushed harder. Behind them, the Whisperfangs gave chase, their rhythmic ticking echoing through the room as they hunted their prey. TIK... TOK... TIK... TOK...

  Hikari reached the door first and skidded to a stop in front of the access panel. She took off one glove as gunfire, claws, and hissing echoed behind her. "Hurry hurry..." She slammed her palm onto the panel. Beep... Beep... BEEP!

  A calm voice sounded out. "Access granted. Welcome, Hikari Amane."

  TSSS! The steel door slid open, red emergency light spilling out from within.

  Hikari spun around. "Everyone! It's open!"

  Captain charged in first, still firing over his shoulder. RATATAT! "Let's go!"

  Lumina followed, turning just long enough to slash at a Whisperfang lunging from the side before slipping inside.

  Slayer barreled in last as multiple Whisperfangs closed in from behind. "Close it! Close it!"

  Hikari slapped the side panel, her drones darting through just in time. CLICK! The steel door began to close. TSSSS!

  Then-

  FWISH! A Whisperfang phased forward at the last second, bursting through the narrowing gap. It rolled across the floor inside as the steel door slammed shut behind it. THUD! From the other side, more Whisperfangs crashed into the door. BAM! BAM! BAM! The metal groaned, but it held. The one that slipped through didn't stop. It lunged straight at Slayer. FWOOOSH!

  "WOAH-!" The creature slammed into him, knocking him flat onto his back. Twin skulls snapped toward his helmet, jaws stretching wide. CLACK! CLACK!

  Slayer threw his arms up defensively, struggling to push the creature back. "Hey! A little help here?!"

  Lumina sprinted forward and leapt. THUD! Her sandal smashed down between the Whisperfang's twin skulls, sending the creature flying backward into the steel door. It hit, rolled - then sprang back up in an instant. HRAAAAEEIII!

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  Captain and Hikari didn't hesitate. BANG! PEW! BANG! PEW! Precise shots from the rifle and drones tore into it, slamming the Whisperfang back into the metal door once more. Bone cracked and black fur burned. CLANG! The creature finally collapsed onto the metal floor. Its cold blue eyes dimmed, the glow fading as its body went still. Blood pooled beneath it.

  Silence fell.

  Only the distant pounding remained on the other side of the door. BAM... BAM... BAM!

  Hikari stood there, chest heaving as her pink aura faded away, her drones disappearing with it. "...Is everyone okay?"

  Slayer slowly sat up, rubbing the side of his helmet. "Yeah... yeah. I'm good." He let out a breath. "Just kinda pissed about what happened back there."

  Lumina sheathed her blade and exhaled. "Tch. That could've gone much worse."

  Captain lowered his rifle. "Maybe try wearing armor that doesn't alert the enemy next time."

  Slayer shrugged. "If I had armor like that, I would've worn it." He tapped his chestplate lightly. "Besides, without this, I wouldn't feel like me. So I still prefer it like this either way."

  Captain huffed. "Hmph. Can't believe you."

  Hikari stepped in before it went any further. "Hey-hey. Please calm down." She glanced between them. "That wasn't just on Slayer. We didn't account for it either." Then she added calmly, "We made it through safely and that's what matters."

  Lumina placed a hand on her hip, voice calm but firm. "She's right you two. When it comes to combat, mistakes can happen. And so can unexpected situations such as these." She glanced at both of them. "Let's take this as a lesson and move forward. We'll do better next time."

  Captain gave a short nod and scanned ahead.

  Slayer crossed his arms, his tone light. “All good over here.”

  Hikari nodded. “Okay. Good.” She slid her black glove back on and exhaled lightly. “Let’s keep moving, then.”

  Behind them, the pounding on the steel door finally stopped. Ahead, the red-lit corridor stretched deeper into Echohold-09 once more. The UV-purple light of Black Scan faded, leaving only the emergency lights and long shadows guiding their path forward.

  Minutes passed...

  Then the hallway split again, it was another intersection.

  Slayer glanced between the three corridors. "So where do we go from here?"

  Hikari studied the paths for a moment. "It should be right from here." She glanced down at her coat pocket. "Right, Akari?"

  From within the fabric THUMP! A pulse followed, then Akari's voice. "Correct. From here, we should go right. It'll lead us to another path that only turns left... and then straight to an elevator that can take us down."

  Slayer tilted his helmet. "A what now?"

  Hikari looked at him. “An elevator.” She then glanced at Lumina, before looking back at Slayer. “Wait… you guys don’t have that in your world?"

  Slayer shrugged. "No idea what it is."

  Lumina rested a hand on her chin. "Elevator huh... doesn't sound familiar to me at all." She glanced at Hikari. "What is this 'elevator' you speak of?"

  Hikari gave a small smile. "Oh well... It's basically a moving room. You step inside, the doors close, and it carries you up or down through the structure." She added casually, "Like stairs... but faster."

  Slayer paused. "Hmm... Sounds like fun."

  Lumina nodded slightly. "Sounds convenient."

  Hikari smiled, already stepping forward. "Oh, I can't wait for you guys to try it. C'mon, let's go."

  They turned right, and after a few minutes of walking, more casualties came into view as they moved down the new metal corridor. Deep scratch marks tore across the bloodied steel walls, and bodies lay scattered across the floor - Hollow researchers and soldiers alike. Some were slumped against the walls, limbs twisted at unnatural angles. Others were missing their heads. There was even one who looked like they had shot themselves with a handgun.

  No one said a word.

  Hikari's voice finally broke the silence. "...Let's keep going."

  They pressed on. Near the end of the corridor, just before the corner, something small caught Lumina's eye. She slowed. "...Wait. There's something here." On the floor lay a handheld recorder.

  Hikari crouched and picked it up, turning it over in her hand. Her eyes widened slightly. "...This is a Hollow field recorder."

  Captain leaned in. "You think it still works?"

  Hikari glanced at the device, curious. "Let's find out." She pressed the button. CLICK!

  At once, a familiar voice burst from the device, shaky and breathless. "This is Dr. Naru from Echohold-09... Currently at Day Zero, Hour Two of the Echo Breach!"

  Hikari's brows knit together. "It sounds like... Dr. Naru."

  The recording continued. "Emergency power is starting to fail! And most of the Hollow members didn't-"

  THUMP! The sound of a heavy impact cut through the recording. WHAM! Dr. Naru gasped as his shoulder slammed against something, but he kept running. The background filled with a sound they now knew all too well closing in. Tik... tok... tik... tok...

  Hikari's voice was quiet. "That sound..."

  Captain's expression darkened. "Looks like we weren't the only ones who ran into Whisperfangs."

  Slayer tilted his helmet slightly. "It sounds like he's running from one."

  Naru's voice returned, strained as he exhaled. "...If anyone hears this... I'm still alive-"

  KSSSHHH! A violent scrape tore through the recording as sparks hissed. It was a tail strike from the Whisperfang. Dr. Naru cried out, breath ragged. The recorder caught the sound of twin jaws snapping shut inches from him. Then CLACK! The device hit the floor as his footsteps thundered past it. THUD! THUD! THUD! And over it all... Tik... tok... tik... tok... The sound slowly faded into static. The recording ended. CLICK!

  Silence returned to the corridor.

  Hikari kept the recorder lifted for a moment longer. “That’s the end of the recording.” She slowly lowered it, then looked ahead down the corridor. “Well… now we know that he definitely passed through here. And that recording was from about two days ago.”

  Captain nodded once. “It’s a good thing we knew he was alive beforehand. Otherwise, we’d probably be second-guessing ourselves about whether he made it or not after hearing something like that.”

  “Yeah.” Hikari nodded. “To think he’s been here for two days now…” She gently set the recorder down on the metal floor. “Let’s keep moving, then. That may not have been his only encounter with an Echo, so we need to make sure he’s at least not injured.”

  Lumina gave a short nod. "Right."

  Slayer glanced ahead. "So... shall we keep moving, then?"

  Hikari stepped forward, taking the lead down the corridor. "Yeah. Let's continue. We're really close now."

  The team moved again. After a few steps, they rounded the corner and continued forward until they reached the end of the corridor, coming to a halt. An elevator shaft stood before them.

  The doors were still intact... but the metal at the center was dented inward. Claw marks gouged around the steel, warped and torn, forming a shallow crater as if something had slammed into it with terrifying force.

  Slayer whistled low. "So this is the eleva-thingy you were talking about, Hikari?"

  Lumina glanced at him. "Elevator, Slayer."

  "Yeah, that." Slayer leaned closer, studying the damage. "Not sure if it's supposed to look like that, but it looks pretty unsafe with that dent in the center and claw marks all around it." He tilted his helmet. "That's just for decoration, right?"

  Hikari shook her head slightly. "Wish it was... Looks like something was trying to get in. Most likely Dr. Naru retreated through here, and the Whisperfang chasing him tried to break through."

  Slayer nodded slowly. "...Welp. Looks like we won't be going through there then." He turned around. "So I guess it's time to head back." He took a step-only for Captain to grab his shoulder.

  "And where do you think you're going?" Captain asked flatly.

  Slayer turned back, gesturing at the elevator. "Wait, you seriously don't think of going through that? I mean, look at the damage."

  Lumina crossed her arms, then looked at Hikari. "What do you suggest we do, Hikari? Should we go through it... or find another way down?"

  Hikari looked back at them. "We'd have to take a different route if we want to find another elevator, and that would take us longer... plus we'd probably run into more Echos along the way." She exhaled lightly. "So I think we at least try to see if this one still works first."

  Lumina nodded without hesitation. "I trust your call, Hikari. Whatever your decision might be."

  Hikari nodded once, then stepped closer, her eyes scanning the panel beside the elevator door. "Well..." She reached out. "Let's see if it still works."

  She pressed the call button. BEEP! For a moment, nothing happened. Then, above the doors, the header panel flickered to life. An arrow lit up blue. ?

  Hikari's shoulders eased slightly. "Oh look... looks like it still works. It's coming up now."

  They waited in silence for a few seconds. Then... DING! With a low grind, the dented elevator doors slid open. Red emergency lights glowed inside, bathing the small interior in a crimson light.

  Slayer peeked inside. "Huh... look at that. It actually opened." He let out a low groan at the sight of the red lights. "Awe great. More red lights."

  Hikari glanced at the doors. "Looks like the dent didn't hit the rails or the tracks. As long as those are still aligned, the doors can force themselves open."

  Lumina placed a hand on her hip. "So this should take us down, then?"

  "Hm-hm." Hikari confirmed. "It should be a quick way down."

  Captain stepped forward. "Well then... let's head in."

  One by one, they stepped inside the elevator. They turned as the doors slid shut. Lumina leaned in, studying the panel of buttons numbered 1–25. "I'm guessing these buttons take us to the corresponding floor, depending on what we press."

  "Yes," Hikari replied. "And for our case, we'll be heading to the sublevel of this facility."

  Slayer perked up. "Oh, let me press the button."

  Hikari hesitated, then nodded. "Oh-uhm, sure. Go right ahead." She pointed at the panel. "Just press that one, and we should head down from here."

  "Got it." Slayer pressed the button.

  BEEP! At the top of the doors, the header display changed. ? SUBLEVEL The elevator began to descend, humming as it carried them deeper into Echohold-09.

  Hummm...

  Slayer shifted his weight slightly. "Hmph. Thought it'd be faster than this... Feels kinda funny, though."

  Hikari glanced up at the ceiling. "It's safer to go at this speed. Any faster, and the sudden drop could throw us off balance... or send us face-first into the floor." She chuckled lightly. "So slow and steady wins the race I'd say."

  Lumina crossed her arms. "And what if we actually wanted it to go faster?"

  Hikari blinked. "U-Uhm... then it'd probably have to learn Chronus Overdrive to do that."

  Lumina rested a hand on her chin, genuinely considering it. "Interesting... so this elevator is capable of learning such a technique."

  Hikari froze, then forced a small, awkward smile. "Uh-ahaha. I was joking..."

  Lumina looked away, saying nothing.

  Hikari smiled at the sight, then turned her gaze to the glowing panel. "...We're almost there now."

  Captain adjusted his grip on his rifle. "Be prepared, everyone."

  The elevator shook once, then slowed to a stop. DING! The doors slid open, revealing the dark sublevel beyond, bathed in red light as cool air washed over them.

  Hikari took a steady breath. "...We're here."

  Beyond the long, stretched sublevel corridor, smoke hung thick in the air, drifting along the ceiling as the red emergency lights stained it crimson. Pipelines ran overhead, bolted into concrete supports that lined the rock-hewn walls. Beneath their feet, the floor was solid concrete, cold and partially covered with dust.

  Hikari stepped out first, scanning the area. "Looks clear."

  Slayer followed, his visor reflecting the red glow. "So... we're underground now?"

  Captain moved beside him, rifle raised as he scanned the rock walls. "Pretty much."

  Lumina stepped out behind them, her gaze fixed forward. "It's a bit colder down here but... nothing I can't handle."

  Hikari pointed far ahead down the corridor. "Over there. That's where we should head next."

  At the far end of the corridor, barely visible through the red lights, stood something massive. It was a blast door. Enormous and thick, it was reinforced steel designed to seal off threats. Now, it lay almost half-buried beneath warped bio-matter and scorched metal, its surface stained as if something had tried to melt or force its way through.

  Hikari gestured toward the blast door. “That door should lead us into a tunnel and straight to the terminal. Dr. Naru should be there.”

  From within her coat pocket THUMP! A faint pulse followed, and Akari’s voice came softly. “Yes… his location should be beyond that door.” There was a brief pause. “But please be careful everyone. My scan picked up multiple figures around this area.”

  Slayer clenched his fists. “Don’t worry, Akari. We’ll be ready if anything tries to come at us.”

  Akari’s voice answered softly. “I’m sure you guys will.”

  Captain nodded firmly. “Agreed. Let’s get this done.”

  Hikari focused ahead down the corridor. “Stay close, everyone.”

  They continued forward through the sublevel corridor toward the blast door. Behind them, the elevator chimed once. DING! The doors slid shut, leaving the red-lit corridor quiet once more.