Back at the western compound, Fenix faced Darius Richter with the cold certainty that his team was about to experience their first true crisis.
Master rank versus exhausted Intermediate. There was no tactical solution that made this survivable through conventional means.
But Fenix had stopped thinking conventionally the moment he'd died for the first time in that impossible realm.
"Team," he said quietly, his voice carrying authority despite exhaustion that wanted to pull him down into collapse. "Fall back to extraction point. This one's mine."
"Young master, you can't—" Vera started to protest.
"That's an order," Fenix interrupted, his crimson eyes never leaving Darius. "Get our wounded to safety. Secure our dead for transport. I'll handle this and catch up."
