Thorne's frost-etched face tightened with understanding. "You want us to act as a Physical Firewall, Reckoner. Our brute stability against your subtle internal chaos."
"Precisely," Elara confirmed. "Your cultivation is the most predictable force in the Aetherforge. It never changes. It is simply mass, momentum, and friction. The Blade, designed for the relativistic subtleties of Realm 4, will prioritize the immediate, quantifiable Newtonian stability you provide over the unknowable chaos within me."
"It's risky," Lira interjected. "If their Time Weavers detect the foreign Qi spike, the whole Dojo will turn on us."
"We move quickly," Elara said, her eyes locked on the Ledger. "Orrin, prepare the Cube. If the hourglass fails, you need to initiate a Realm 4 Temporal Deceleration Proof on this chamber—buy us five seconds of relative time."
"Affirmative, Reckoner," Orrin's voice echoed in her mind. "Proof primed. I calculate a 99% chance of failure, but 100% chance of death without it."
Elara placed her right arm, the Living Anchor, upon the cold surface of the Blade of Temporal Integrity. The metal hummed instantly, attempting to compute the infinite entropic proof contained within her.
At the same moment, Thorne and Sira placed their massive, rune-covered hands on her shoulders. The raw, heavy Foundational Qi of Realm 1 slammed into her core, overwhelming the relativistic subtleties of the moment.
Elara's vision blurred. The chaos essence within screamed in resistance—a sudden, absolute rejection of the blunt, predictable force. But the Blade, the Causal Splice-Point, was momentarily confused. It couldn't resolve the subtle, elegant chaos because it was drowned out by the crude, overwhelming order of inertia.
The Glass Hourglass, instead of shattering, began to stabilize. The erratic sand flow slowed, becoming perfectly linear, following a predictable Newtonian trajectory.
Master Hirohito watched, his temporal sensors unable to resolve the conflict. He was witnessing a temporary Realm Axiom Clash: the complexity of Realm 4 being momentarily overruled by the pure brute force of Realm 1.
The process lasted three agonizing minutes. Elara felt the chaos essence temporarily anchor to the Nomads' Qi, allowing the Blade to record the separation proof.
Finally, the Blade released its hum. The hourglass returned to its shelf, the sand flowing with clean, predictable movement.
"The intent is judged immutable," Master Hirohito declared, his voice a drone of acceptance. "The Ledger accepts the proof. You have the access you seek, Temporal Auditor."
Elara retracted her arm, breathing heavily. The chaotic energy inside her was still there, but now, it felt defined. The Blade had anchored the essence not to her body, but to her logical intent—the predictable part of her soul. She had won the ultimate strategic victory: Control the Narrative.
"The Ledger is yours," Hirohito said. "But the price is high. Knowledge of the Blade's existence is a threat to the Causal Path. You must leave this Realm within the hour, or we will assume your unpredictability has returned."