Trapped in the bizarre Grey Domain, Hao was surrounded by an endless horde of vicious Grey Biters snapping at his limbs. No matter how many he destroyed with his sword skills and abilities, more just kept crawling out of the grey sand.

"These damn things just won't quit!" Hao panted, sweat dripping down his brow. He had been fighting non-stop and was growing exhausted. Glancing upward, he noticed the massive bone structure high above was slowly crumbling, with shards raining down into the sand.

Suddenly, a powerful pulse originated from deep within the colossal bone, summoning all the surrounding sand and Grey Biters towards it. The creatures willingly flung themselves into the air, merging with the bone shards. Before Hao's eyes, the bone fragments were reforming, taking on a more cohesive, sinister shape.

Grey flesh spread over the restructured bones, creating a towering monstrosity. Empty eye sockets focused on Hao, who took a wary step back. This hulking Grey Behemoth appeared to be an amalgam of Tokyo bones, sand, and Grey Biters.

Hao's blood ran cold as the creature's gaze pierced his soul. It let out an ear-splitting roar that reverberated through the domain. With lumbering steps, the behemoth approached Hao, compelled by his living essence.

As it neared, Hao felt his blood being siphoned through his pores, like a thousand leeches were attached to his skin. His strength quickly faded under the draining force. If he didn't act fast, he would be reduced to a desiccated corpse.

“Ah!” Gritting his teeth, Hao reached behind for the X-Class sword, Judgment Day strapped on his back. The moment his hand made contact, the dormant sword came to life. It shuddered violently before ripping itself from his grasp and began hovering in front of Hao. An ominous blue aura radiated from the blade as it resonated with the energies of this domain.

The Grey Behemoth halted abruptly, cowed by Judgment Day's domineering power. Letting out a ferocious cry, the sword unleashed a shockwave that ripped through the creature. Grey flesh was shredded from its body, revealing the bone structure underneath once more. Judgment Day continued its merciless assault, determined to eradicate this aberration.

Boom! Boom!

“What the hell? This place is tearing apart.”

As the domain quaked under the onslaught, fractures rapidly spread through the fabric of this reality. Hao shielded his eyes as everything crumbled around him. The bone creature and remaining Grey Biters prostrated themselves before Judgment Day in surrender. None could stand against the ancient sword's wrath, though sheathed.

Whoosh!

A blinding silver light burst forth, enveloping everything. Hao felt himself being pulled back through the vortex, away from the disintegrating Grey Domain.

In the shack, Vicky and the others were still battling the horde of creatures pouring from the vortex. Just as they were being overwhelmed, a shockwave of silver energy erupted outward, vaporizing every Grey Biter it touched.

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When the light receded, the vortex was gone. Everyone stared in anticipation at the clearing smoke, wondering what happened. Hao emerged, back facing them, with Judgment Day on his back. The shrivelled Grey Tissue was now fused to the scabbard like a grotesque decoration.

"Vee! You're alright!" Mentos shouted, overcome with relief at the sight of his friend. Rushing over, he gave Hao's shoulder a hearty slap. "You really gave us a scare when you got sucked into that weird portal thingy. We thought you were done for!"

Ciara also hurried to Hao's side, checking him for injuries. "Thank goodness you made it out safely. We tried to come after you but couldn't get past those creatures."

Hao gave them a weary smile. "No need to worry, I'm still in one piece. Barely managed to escape by relying on this troublesome sword." He jerked a thumb at Judgment Day over his shoulder. "It tore that domain apart from the inside. Pretty crazy stuff."

"Yeah no kidding! We all saw that huge flash of light that wiped out every one of those monsters. What was that place anyway?" Mentos asked.

"I'm...not entirely sure myself. A pocket dimension of some sort, connected to the Grey Tissue. It was trying to absorb my life force to rebuild itself into that giant bone creature that we saw back at the conclave." Hao shuddered at the memory.

Ciara gave his arm a supportive squeeze. "The important thing is you destroyed it before it could hurt you or escape back into our world. Who knows what havoc it could have caused."

Hao nodded gravely. "Let's just be thankful this is all over now. I've got a bad feeling that wasn't the last we'll see of those things though." His expression turned uneasy.

Vicky rolled over, scanning Hao up and down. "Quite impressive, you managed to destroy that vortex with the power of that X-Class sword, kid. I can see it responding to you now. Your skills are growing faster than I anticipated."

There was a glint in Vicky's eyes that Hao didn't quite like. She seemed even more determined to utilize him for her own ends now that she witnessed his capabilities. He would have to be cautious around her going forward. “Let me see that.” Vicky took Judgment Day from Hao’s grasp to get a better look at the Grey Tissue add-on. “It is fused with the scabbard, but at least the Bio Esp blocker is still operational. Here you go.” She handed it back to Hao.

"Is everyone else alright? Any injuries?" Hao asked, turning his focus away from Vicky.

"We're fine thanks to you. The children were scared out of their wits but the Sword Fishes kept them safe," Lanor replied. She walked up and gave Hao a hesitant pat on the arm, signalling a temporary truce between them. "I'm just glad those revolting creatures are gone now."

Hao gave her a nod before scanning around the wrecked shack. "What a mess this place turned into. Mentos, how's your beast buddy doing?"

Mentos hurried over to check on Acadian, who was crouched in the corner whimpering. "Poor guy is shaken up but doesn't seem wounded. You're gonna be a-okay!" He stroked the creature's arm soothingly.

After making sure everyone was unharmed, Hao inspected Vibe Edge, then looked at Judgment Day more fully. It was resonating with a steady hum, moreover, his connection to it had grown stronger during that intense battle against the Grey Biters. Still, he couldn’t utilize any of its special abilities.

Accessing his status window, Hao noticed he gained a new level to his Spin-Off skill and some Tunes, nothing major. Despite the harrowing experience, Hao had become more powerful. He would need every advantage for the challenges yet to come.

There was still much to unravel about the Grey Tissue and its origins. Hao had a feeling that bizarre battle was only the beginning. Powerful forces were in motion, and he aimed to uncover the truth. For now, he was just grateful to have escaped in one piece.

Securing Judgment Day properly, Hao walked with Mentos and Ciara out of the wreckage. He was ready to put this nightmarish encounter behind him. However, another bizarre event occurred…