Clang! Clang!

Amidst the brutal fight with Diana, Hao's Vibe Sense started tuning into his surroundings. He began to perceive blue-beat tones shifting in and out. This was due to his proximity to Vibe Edge in the next room. “It seems mum is close to finishing the repairs.” He was slightly happy to be able to predict his opponent’s movements but it was a lifeline he couldn't cling to entirely, yet it provided him with an edge.

“Keep on struggling while you can Vee. It’s only a matter of time before I cut that sword from your bloody hands!” Diana wasn’t messing around. Her hot stinking breath was like poison to Hao’s nostrils and his ears.

After parrying another strike with Judgment Day, Hao began sensing the imminent arrival of Colgate, Snuzzle, and a lone Pursuer droid. They were dangerously close, a mere stone's throw away from rounding the corner to the scene of Euphy's downfall.

‘This can’t drag on.’ Hao acknowledged the reality that fighting them all was a fool's errand, thus he decided he needed to shake Diana off his tail and retreat to his mother's workshop. And this was exactly what he did after forcing her back with a wide attack.

“Gotta go!” Hao’s feet were like hot tyres screeching against the asphalt.

"Get back here!" Diana's voice ricocheted off the corridor walls. She became a blur and hotly pursued him. But desperation lent wings to Hao's feet, driving him to reach the door to his sanctuary. Then, with a loud CRASH! he was in.

‘I’ve made it!’

“Hmm…” His mother, Quory, looked up from her intricate work, meeting her son's gaze briefly. She observed the battle scars that decorated his skin but her face remained stoic. Her focus and fingers returned to the equipment on her desk, moving like a skilled pianist over the keys.

Thud!

The room was invaded again, this time by Diana, her entrance was as flamboyant as her character. She didn't spare Quory a second glance, her attention only glued to Hao. “You’re dead meat, Vee.” Her weapon was raised, poised to strike the final blow when she was rudely interrupted.

"Stop!" Quory commanded with authority. A second later, Diana's sword halted in its murderous descent against her will, just inches from Hao's throat. Quory glanced at her and added, "You're interrupting my focus. Take your business outside."

"And if we don't?" Diana shot back with a defiant glint in her sharp eyes. "We have clearance from the top brass to carry out your son's apprehension. If you dare to interfere, I'll have no qualms about cutting you down too. Do you get that, mummy dearest?" Her audacious words revealed her ignorance about the formidable woman she had just threatened.

"Is that so?" Quory retorted with a sly smirk tugging at her lips as she seemingly accepted Diana's challenge. Yet, she remained seated and her attention unwavering from her work.

“Uh-oh…” Struggling to regain his footing, Hao leaned on Judgment Day for support. His body swayed like a ship bracing against a storm.

“Fhm!” Diana scoffed then ignored Quory’s order and lunged at him with her weapon aiming straight at his heart. Diana wanted to prove that she wasn’t scared of some old-hag CEO as much as she wanted to shatter Hao’s entire world, both inner and exterior. But before she could land the attack, an invisible force field repelled her. BOOM! The impact sent her sprawling backwards. Even Hao was startled by what he just witnessed.

“Ah!” Diana's fall was cushioned by Colgate’s big chest, who had just arrived at the room's broken doorway. Snuzzle and the remaining Pursuer droid also made their entry, their gazes were instantly drawn to the most intimidating presence in the room - Quory Vee. Still engrossed in her task, she sat unperturbed amidst the scuffle. Their next move was an unscripted scene in this turbulent drama.

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"Diana, you holding up?" Colgate, an Imperial Hound that carried his burliness like a badge of honour, queried. He help steady Diana while his features were etched in bafflement, his bushy eyebrows knitted together in his quest to fathom the situation.

"She did something just now, but what?" Diana's voice held a trace of suspicion with her glare trained on Quory, who was nonchalantly stationed at her desk, fingers continuing their mechanical dance over the Vibe Edge. She let her gaze wander to Hao, propped up by Judgment Day. An unshakable feeling tugged at her – Quory was undoubtedly connected to the mysterious force that had just sent her flying.

The room had acquired a tangible field of pressure, moreover, the air held the biting, acrid tang of singed metal. Amid the palpable tension, Hao’s voice, shaky yet touched with an undertone of optimism, cut through. "Mum, what's the status on Vibe Edge?"

Quory's digits never ceased their intricate interaction over the sword. "Still tweaking it, son. High time you made yourself scarce."

This statement hit Colgate like a bolt, and he roared, "The only place he's headed is the clink!" The echo of his rage was charging the atmosphere with barely restrained fury. He fell into formation alongside Snuzzle, a united front with their collective gaze zeroed in on Quory then drifted onto their primary target—Hao Vee.

"Hand over the sword now!" Colgate's command reverberated through the space as he projected his right mechanical arm to retrieve Judgment Day. But his assertion was abruptly halted as an invisible force repelled him, causing his arm to recoil roughly back onto his shoulder. “What the hell was that? Felt like I hit a wall.” His expression mirrored his bewilderment in the face of this unexpected obstacle.

"What in the..." Diana's voice trailed off as her eyes darted between a stunned Colgate and a calmly seated Quory. An uneasy silence fell upon the room. The tension rising to a crescendo was practically visible in the air.

Snuzzle, who'd been an inconspicuous observer, finally chimed in, "What she did just now...that's similar to Gaze Cutter. A technique that allows her to slice through space just by looking at it." His insight added another layer of intrigue to Quory's enigmatic abilities.

“Gaze Cutter?” Diana took her time to process what Snuzzle said but Colgate wasn’t the idle type, he was more of an action man.

"Enough with your tricks, woman, or you might find yourself in cuffs too!" Colgate spat out while his face flushed with indignation, also, his forehead veins were straining against his skin as he wrestled with his temper.

"Bold statement. Can't wait to see you try," Quory retorted, finally standing tall and positioning herself protectively before her son with defiance blazing in her eyes.

"Mum?" Hao was surprised to see her standing up for him like a white knight. This was a side of his mother he'd never witnessed, especially when he'd clearly crossed a line.

Softening her gaze for an instant, Quory turned to him and said, "I told you to get moving, didn't I?" Her tone was gentle, but the authority behind it was unmistakable.

“Ok.” With a nod of understanding, Hao made a beeline for the balcony, heart pounding in sync with his hurried footsteps. This was the only place he could think of to go at that moment, maybe he was planning to grow wings and fly out of there.

“I said hold it, you bastard!” Just as he began to get some distance, Colgate lunged at Quory, only to be blasted back again, this time straight into Diana who was quick enough to break his fall.

“Colgate, are you alright?” She assessed his condition, the thickness of his muscles prevented him from being cut apart. Directing her attention to Quory, she yelled, “You bitch! We’re coming for you!”

Even as Diana and the Pursuer droid attempted to take on Quory, they were effortlessly repelled by her Gaze Cutter technique. The droid was shredded like scrap metal while Diana barely escaped unscathed, her pride was the only casualty. Seething at her failed attempts, she glanced at Snuzzle who'd been observing the spectacle unfold. "Just going to stand there being useless?"

Snuzzle finally stirred. While eying Quoty he thought, ‘She's seen a century or more. I'd bet my life her Sword Link is tri-digit. This will be my toughest opponent yet.’ Stepping forward, he said to his companions, “You two stand no chance. Allow me." His hand slipped towards the hilt of his sword. The weapon he drew, christened the 'Silver Chariot', mirrored his personality: serene, in control, and lethal. Its surface was silver, adorned with intricate glowing patterns. The hilt was encased in black leather. Silver Chariot was a Blade Edge that commanded respect.

"And you are?" Quory's voice held a note of scepticism as she scanned Snuzzle, taking in his resplendent Blade Edge.

"Less talk, more swordplay," Snuzzle replied curtly while pointing his Blade Edge at Quory.

“Oh…” Faced with this escalating tension, Quory remained unarmed, turning the room into a Mexican standoff of sorts.

Slash! Slash!

Their cutting visual energies started sparring against each other, ripping through the silence and infusing the air with a potent sharpness. Snuzzle was a Gaze Cutter user himself, albeit not in the same league as Quory. However, he was an OSD operative committed to his duties, therefore, he wasn’t going to shy away from this century-old woman.