The massive, frozen plaza of the Citadel offered zero concealment. It was a wide-open, circular killing field, surrounded by high, crumbling walls and several narrow staircases leading to the upper battlements. The silence was palpable, but Leo's Mind (16) screamed a single, terrifying word: Amphitheater.
"Trinity will use the battlements," Leo stated, drawing both his Stabilized 9mm Pistols. "We are in the center of their firing range. We have to secure the high ground and eliminate their snipers first."
Lara scanned the perimeter, her eyes sharp. "I see three patrol teams advancing through the lower passages. Two snipers on the northeast wall."
"Trinity knows we have explosives now," Leo noted. "They won't bunch up. We use the Tier 3 Dynamite to force them into the open, then take the tower."
Leo quickly primed his final, devastating stick of Dynamite. He didn't waste it on a patrol; he tossed it with perfect trajectory toward the base of the nearest, highest watchtower—the sniper's perch.
KA-BOOM!
The resulting explosion was immense, the reinforced walls of the ancient structure doing nothing to contain the blast. The tower collapsed in a cloud of dust and stone, taking the two snipers and their vantage point with it.
The sound of the explosion immediately brought the full Trinity force down on them. Four elite soldiers stormed the plaza from the main archway, laying down heavy, suppressing fire.
TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Leo and Lara sprinted toward the nearest cover—a half-collapsed stone pavilion. The stone chipped violently around them.
"Leo! They're flanking wide! Two on the left!" Lara shouted, firing her Stabilized Pistol in controlled bursts, forcing the enemy to take cover.
"Improvised Grenade, left flank!" Leo yelled, priming one of the smaller explosives.
He threw the Improvised Grenade high and wide. It detonated above the Trinity soldiers, raining jagged shrapnel onto their exposed shoulders and legs. The soldiers screamed, their coordinated push broken instantly.
Leo didn't wait. He seized the opportunity to use his specialty. He nocked a hunting arrow into his Recurve Bow.
"I need to draw their focus! Get ready for a clean shot!"
Leo sprinted toward the center of the plaza, making himself the sole, immediate target. The remaining Trinity soldiers instantly shifted their fire toward him. The air hissed with high-velocity rounds.
His maxed Stamina (12) was being severely tested, absorbing the shock of the near misses.
Lara took the perfect vantage point: firing her Partner Bow from behind cover, aiming for the gaps in the Trinity armor. Her arrows found their mark, striking the hinges and exposed joints of the soldiers' armor.
Leo, maintaining the target lock, used the distraction to fire his arrow—not at a soldier, but at the heavy steel drum serving as their makeshift ammo supply.
The arrow struck true. WHOOSH! The drum, laced with explosive material, erupted.
Secondary KA-BOOM!
The blast was localized but devastating, wiping out the entire central squad.
[Host: Leo]
[Tier 3 Explosive Kill (Dynamite)] - +500 EXP
[Tier 2 Explosive Kill (Improvised Grenade)] - +300 EXP
[Environmental Kill (Ammo Drum)] - +500 EXP
The plaza was quiet again. Leo and Lara stood amidst the smoking ruins, their pistols and bows smoking. They had wiped out the first wave with devastating efficiency, their combined arsenal proving far superior to Trinity's brute force tactics.
Lara approached Leo, her expression a mix of awe and concern. She lightly ran her fingers over a shallow gash on his cheek.
"You drew their fire," she whispered, her voice laced with stern worry. "You put yourself in the open. That was reckless, Leo."
"It was calculated," Leo countered, though his heart was hammering. "They focus on the moving target. You have the cleaner shot." He lowered his voice, dropping the tactical talk. "And I trust you to make the shot, Lara."
The simple statement—the absolute faith in her ability—softened her gaze. "Don't ever do that again without telling me exactly where you're going to dive for cover," she muttered, her eyes intensely fixed on his.
"Understood, Partner," Leo said, his own gaze unwavering.
They quickly salvaged what they could from the fallen. The most important find: several high-quality Circuit Boards and heavy, insulated Wiring from the Trinity equipment—Tier 3 crafting material.
Leo looked at the new material. His mind immediately went to the ultimate weapon for the final act of this story.
System Alert!
[Materials Acquired: Tier 3 Components]
[Schematic Unlock: Advanced Grapple-Axe (Required for Final Ascent)]
[Schematic Unlock: Chain Lightning Trap (Tier 3 Utility)]
Leo's eyes widened. "Lara, we have everything now. The final ascent is ahead, but we need to upgrade your axe."
He quickly retrieved her Climbing Axe and his newly acquired materials. He combined the insulated wiring, the circuit boards, and the remaining heavy rope to upgrade her axe.
"This is going to allow you to Grapple-Axe—to create a line and swing across massive gaps," Leo explained, working with furious speed. "It's the only way up the last mountain face, and the only way we'll be able to board the Endurance."
Lara watched, amazed, as he reinforced the axe head and installed a complex rope deployment system.
System Notification!
[Crafting Complete: Advanced Grapple-Axe (Tier 3)]
Quality: Excellent (Utility: High, Strength Required: Low)
Lara took the new axe. It felt perfectly balanced, the ultimate tool of an adventurer. "It's incredible, Leo. You build the weapon, I'll use it."
A sudden sound—the rhythmic, chanting footsteps of the remaining Solarii—echoed from the deeper, frozen passages of the Citadel. The final battle was not just against Trinity; the old threats were reemerging.
"The Solarii are back, driven out by the Oni and the explosions," Leo noted, reloading his pistol. "This is it, Lara. The path to the Queen's Tomb and the ship is open. But we have to go through them."
He looked at her, his ultimate partner, his gaze resolute. "Final chapter, Lara. Let's finish the game."
Chapter End.