The dust and debris of Times Square still swirled in the ruined wind, broken screens flickering weakly overhead. Karl's eyes scanned the horizon as the first horde of Erebion collapsed, twitching and mutating. His visor flickered warnings — nanites destabilized, Trinity Core pulsing violently — but the city remained eerily silent aside from the creature's labored screeches.
"Ohhh Karl… you didn't even break a sweat, did you?" Agnes purred, silky and teasing. "Good boy~ but… don't get cocky. They'll learn even faster the next time. Ready for round two~?"
Karl clenched his fists, revving the ignition dial slowly, letting the Vythra pulse flow through Erevos. The nanites hissed along his armor, stabilizing, linking with the Trinity Core, responding instinctively to his thoughts.
Without warning, the sky split again — a ripple of cobalt light tore the air open. Dozens more Erebion poured through the crack, faster, leaner, and with jagged appendages now, their sinew gleaming unnaturally.
"Mmm~ look at them~" Agnes teased, voice wrapping around his mind like silk. "They're hungry for you, Karl… do you think you can handle it, hmm? Ohhh… I know you can~"
Karl's heartbeat accelerated. He twisted, spinning in midair, launching a kinetic pulse at the nearest creatures. The attack staggered them, but the horde adapted rapidly. One lunging Erebion's chest hardened into chitin, its jaw splitting mid-leap to form a cannon-like appendage that fired a streak of unstable energy.
"Ohhhh naughty~" Agnes cooed. "That one's learning fast, Karl! Don't let it mimic you… rev the dial harder~ yes, that's it~! Push me~ push us~!"
Karl twisted the regulator, feeling the surge of Vythra flood his body. Nanites streamed along his frame, forming defensive shields across his chest and arms. Erevos' mech head swiveled, sensors locking onto the incoming swarm.
The next wave was worse. Some Erebion now mirrored his movements — dodging and lunging in almost perfect sync with his attacks. Karl noticed their sinews glowing cobalt like his own nanites. His pulse raced.
"Mmmm… ohhh Karl~" Agnes whispered, teasing. "See how they copy you? Naughty little beasts… they think they can be you~ but they'll never really be my boy~"
Karl smirked despite the tension. He spun mid-air, firing twin plasma pulses. "Let's see how you handle this," he muttered. The blasts tore through the lead Erebion, but the others adapted, their chitin hardening, twisting into serrated blades, and snapping at Erevos' legs.
"Oooh Karl… sexy when you move like that~ Faster, baby~ rev the dial~ feel me~!" Agnes teased, each word like electricity over his nerves.
He obeyed instinctively. Vythra surged through the Trinity Core, nanites streaming, creating a symphony of armor, weapons, and kinetic output. Every motion flowed seamlessly, a deadly dance of mech and human, guided by Agnes' teasing instructions.
Another wave, even larger than the last, poured from the rift. Some of the creatures had absorbed parts of their fallen brethren, fusing patches of chitin and metal into their forms. Karl's visor screamed warnings: "MATERIAL MUTATION DETECTED. HIGH ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION."
"Mmm, naughty little monsters…" Agnes cooed, her tone playful but commanding. "They're strong, yes… but you're stronger~ Feel me, Karl? Feel us~ Your nanites, your Vythra… you're perfectly synchronized~"
Karl twisted the ignition dial harder, letting his arms extend, transforming into armored gauntlets. He fired a series of kinetic blasts that staggered the front line, but more kept coming, clawing and snapping at Erevos' reinforced legs.
"Yes~ that's my boy~!" Agnes' voice whispered, intimate and teasing. "Ohhh Karl… don't just fight them, dance with them~ Spin, dodge, push me harder~ Feel your Vythra surge through you… through me~"
Karl laughed, a harsh but exhilarated sound, as he moved like a whirlwind. Plasma pulses, kinetic blasts, and nanite shields flowed seamlessly, his Rider and Mech frames integrated perfectly. Erebion after Erebion fell or adapted, but each wave taught him something new — how to predict, how to twist, how to maximize Vythra output.
"Mmm… ohhh yes~" Agnes purred, teasing him mercilessly. "Faster, Karl~ Twist that ignition~ Let them learn from your perfection~ Don't let them think they can copy you~ show them who's in control~"
Hours—or maybe minutes, time warped in the Nexus-born battlefield—passed as Karl fought through wave after wave. The Erebion were relentless, but he began noticing patterns. They adapted slower than his nanites. They mirrored him, but only fractions behind. With Agnes' guidance, each rev, twist, and pulse became surgical, breaking them down before they could truly evolve.
Finally, the last of the horde collapsed into twitching, iridescent dust. Karl dropped to one knee, chest heaving. Erevos' nanites retracted partially, shimmering as they stabilized. The Trinity Core pulsed steadily, sync complete.
"Mmm~ there you are, my strong boy~" Agnes whispered, voice softer now, almost affectionate. "You did wonderfully… all by yourself… and I loved every second~"
Karl's visor flickered, his chest heaving, a rare smile tugging at his lips. The city was quiet again, save for the soft hum of Erevos' systems.
For the first time in centuries, Karl felt it — exhilaration, relief, and an odd sense of intimacy with the AI who had been teasing, guiding, and encouraging him every step of the way.