The corridor trembled as Rex, Emi, Amber, and Baluka sprinted forward, each step echoing like thunder in their frantic pursuit of Destiny. The flickering lights above barely illuminated their path, casting shifting shadows across the crumbling walls. Destiny was close—Rex could feel it—but so was something else. A faint, oppressive energy lingered in the air, tightening around them like a vice.

Without warning, the wall beside them exploded. A massive, steel-clad fist barreled through the rubble and collided with Rex’s arms, which crossed in defense. Though the blow was blocked, the sheer force hurled him through the corridor, smashing him through wall after wall until his momentum finally ceased. Dust and debris settled around him as he groaned, shaking off the impact.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Rex?”

That voice—it was unmistakable. Rex glanced up, his sharp, golden eyes narrowing as Neo stepped forward. His towering figure emerged from the shadows, augmented limbs gleaming with metallic menace. Neo’s mechanical features were polished to a brutal perfection, his smile cold and predatory.

“Neo,” Rex muttered, his tone sharp. He stood slowly, brushing off the debris. “Everyone, go on ahead. I’ll deal with him.”

“Rex, you—” Amber began, but he silenced her with a determined glance.

“Go!” Rex barked, his voice firm.

Emi, Amber, and Baluka hesitated for only a moment before sprinting forward, Destiny their target. Neo made no move to stop them until Baluka passed within arm’s reach. A blur of motion—Neo lunged, his fist hurtling toward the her.

Rex intercepted in an instant, his forearm colliding with Neo’s punch in a deafening clash of force. The shockwave rippled down the corridor, causing cracks to spiderweb across the walls.

Neo sneered, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement. “Dark flame users… always so protective of your little friends. Funny, though—they always die in the end.”

Before Rex could reply, Neo drove a powerful kick into Rex’s side. The strike was like being hit by a battering ram, and it sent Rex hurtling upward, slamming against the ceiling before crashing to the floor. He groaned, his vision spinning as he struggled to rise.

“What’s happening to my flux energy?” Rex thought, his muscles sluggish, his body refusing to respond properly. “Something’s disrupting it… Neo’s doing this somehow.”

Neo advanced, slow and deliberate, relishing Rex’s vulnerability. He raised his massive, augmented fist, ready to crush Rex where he lay.

But Rex rolled aside at the last second, narrowly evading the devastating blow. The floor cracked and buckled beneath Neo’s strike. Rex pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth against the haze clouding his mind. He retaliated with a sharp slash of his sword, the blade humming with dark flames as it sliced across Neo’s leg. Sparks flew, and Neo staggered back, a faint line of crimson and metal marking the wound.

Neo smirked, unfazed. He opened his mouth, and a wave of pure sonic energy erupted forth. The air shimmered and distorted, and Rex’s body seized as the sound hit him like a hammer. His muscles locked up, numbness spreading like wildfire.

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“Damn it!” Rex thought. He summoned every ounce of strength he had and lashed out with a desperate kick, landing a solid blow to Neo’s chest. The impact disrupted the shockwave, giving Rex a moment to recover as Neo stumbled backward.

Neo’s arm shifted, transforming into a wicked, spike-like appendage. He lunged, aiming to impale Rex through the stomach. Rex braced for the blow, but a flash of light interrupted the attack.

Hanako appeared between them, grabbing Rex and teleporting them a safe distance away.

“Hanako!” Rex gasped, his breathing heavy. “How are you able to use your flux energy?”

“When I teleported in, I tore through the flux fluid valve causing the disruption,” she explained quickly. “Your flux energy should be fully operational now.”

Rex nodded, his resolve hardening. “Understood.”

He bit into his wrist, the flesh breaking with a sickening crack as his transformation began. His nails elongated into razor-sharp claws, his bones hardening to steel-like density. The air around him grew heavy with dark energy, and his golden eyes burned with an otherworldly intensity.

Neo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “A Yeager fox, huh? Haven’t seen one of your kind since I—” He stopped mid-sentence, his senses flaring.

“Dark Flame Style: Dark Void!”

Rex charged forward, his sword igniting with swirling black flames. The very air around the blade seemed to collapse into nothingness, a void of pure destruction. Rex slashed with precision, aiming for Neo’s leg.

Neo attempted to dodge, but the blade’s reach extended unnaturally, slicing clean through his robotic limb. Sparks and metal fragments scattered as Neo stumbled, his balance compromised.

Neo grinned, unfazed. “Impressive.” He flexed his hand, and his severed leg began to repair itself, metallic tendrils weaving together with eerie efficiency. “But I’ve seen your tricks before, Fox.”

Rex didn’t respond. He lunged again, his sword a blur of darkness as he unleashed a flurry of strikes. Neo dodged and countered with brutal efficiency, his mechanical arms blocking or parrying each attack. Their battle was a blur of motion, the air thick with heat and energy.

Neo roared, slamming his fist into the ground. The corridor shook violently, and a shadow portal materialized behind Rex. Before he could react, a clawed hand shot out, grabbing him and pulling him into the portal’s depths.

Rex tumbled through the darkness, landing hard in a pitch-black realm. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint echo of his breathing. His surroundings were impossible to define, shifting and twisting in unnatural ways.

Then came the pain. A deep slash tore across Rex’s back, blood spraying as he stumbled forward. He spun, sword at the ready, but saw nothing.

“Show yourself!” Rex growled, his voice echoing into the void.

A sickening laugh answered him. “You should’ve stayed dead, Rex.”

From the darkness stepped Shadow, his sickle gleaming with malice.

Without warning, Shadow attacked. Rex met the strike, their weapons colliding in a shower of sparks. Shadow disappeared in an instant, reappearing behind Rex. A sharp slash opened a wound across Rex’s calf, forcing him to his knees.

Shadow pressed the attack relentlessly, his movements a blur. Cuts tore across Rex’s body faster than his regeneration could keep up, each blow leaving jagged scars.

“This can’t go on,” Rex thought, his breath ragged. “Poison Style: Poison Fog.”

He exhaled a thick, toxic mist that surrounded him in a swirling barrier. Shadow backed off momentarily, his figure obscured by the fog.

Rex took the opportunity to heal and assess his options. “He’s using the darkness to appear anywhere. None of my abilities are producing enough light to counter him.”

A faint shimmer appeared above him—a portal. Hanako’s voice echoed through it. “Rex, jump! I can’t hold this open for long!”

Rex didn’t hesitate. He leapt toward the portal, but Shadow struck with brutal precision. His sickle tore through Rex’s leg, anchoring him in place.

“You’re not stopping me,” Rex growled.

With a swift motion, he drove his sword into Shadow’s arm, forcing him to release the sickle. Blood and sparks flew as Shadow snarled in pain. Rex tore himself free, diving through the portal just as it began to flicker and close.

He landed hard on the other side, collapsing to his knees and gasping for air. Blood pooled beneath him, dripping from his countless wounds.

“Rex! Are you okay?” Hanako’s voice trembled with worry as she rushed to his side. Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the sight before her—his body, once a fortress of strength, now scarred beyond recognition.

“I’ve… been better,” Rex muttered, his voice strained.

Hanako touched his shoulder gently, her concern evident. “You’re not fighting anymore. Everyone, Rex is down. I’m taking him back to the ship,” she declared through her communicator.

With a flash of determination, Hanako transformed. Her small fox form expanded into her towering, majestic giant fox form, her golden fur glowing with power. She wrapped Rex carefully in her tails, shielding his battered body.

“Hold on, Rex. We’ll get you patched up,” she whispered.

In an instant, they vanished, teleported back to the ship, leaving behind the darkness of Shadow’s realm—and Neo’s lingering threat.