Lyss crossed her arms before her face, the twin blue lassos extending from her wrists beginning to weave together. With a swift motion, she launched them forward, sending the glowing strands racing down the corridor. They spread outward in midair, intertwining into an enormous web-like formation before crashing against the floor. The pattern stretched across the passage, its luminous threads overlapping in a complex arrangement that left virtually no room to move without getting caught.
"Getting close!" Lyss called out, her eyes fixed on the approaching Malform.
The trap covered a considerable stretch of the corridor, and even Lyss couldn't simply run across it without becoming entangled. Fortunately, she had no intention of doing so. Keeping one section of her lasso free, she anchored it against the ground and pulled sharply, using the tension to propel herself forward. Her feet barely touched the floor as she launched over the sprawling web, covering the distance in a swift, graceful leap before landing firmly on her right foot.
"All set," she announced, straightening as the remaining strands settled into place.
Behind her, Hecate began to materialize, her elegant silhouette emerging amid swirling ribbons of cyan and magenta energy. Her flowing black hair and luxurious white tails swayed as the segmented appendages extending from her back unfolded one after another, their golden details catching the faint light. She spread her arms outward, her masked face angled towards the approaching threat.
"Let's dance, shall we?" Hecate purred.
Lyss didn't waste a second. The moment the trap was in place, she sprang into motion, weaving between the narrow safe gaps she'd deliberately left within the web of energy. Her movements were swift and precise, each step carefully placed as she bounced from one opening to the next, never allowing her feet to brush against the glowing strands. Behind her, Hecate let out a soft, amused chuckle, the sound carrying through the underground passage and echoing off the concrete walls.
The Malform followed.
Drawn by the noise, the creature surged forward with renewed aggression, its enormous frame shaking the tunnel with every pounding step. Its burning crimson eyes remained fixed on its prey as it lowered its head and charged, claws scraping against the floor. It showed no hesitation, no awareness of the intricate web spread across its path. All it knew was that Lyss was getting away.
And that was exactly what she wanted.
The moment the Malform's massive limbs crossed the first strand, the trap activated.
A brilliant flash of blue erupted beneath its feet, followed by a violent pulse that raced through the entire web. One section after another ignited in rapid succession, triggering a chain reaction that sent waves of concentrated energy surging across the tunnel. The floor trembled as successive detonations burst beneath the creature, engulfing its lower body in blinding flashes and violent shockwaves. Dust and shattered concrete erupted into the air, while the Malform's furious roar was swallowed by the deafening barrage.
At the same instant, Hecate's manifestation dissolved into a torrent of luminous blue energy. Her elegant figure broke apart into countless flowing ribbons, spiralling back towards Lyss and merging seamlessly with the handles of her lassos. The crimson sparks along the strands flickered before settling into their familiar blue glow.
Lyss was already well beyond the blast radius.
She landed several metres away, sliding back a short distance before regaining her balance. Behind her, the tunnel remained engulfed in dust and fading pulses of energy, the trap continuing to discharge its remaining strands around the Malform.
She had bought herself some distance. Whether she'd bought herself enough was another matter.
Lyss twisted in midair, turning her body with practiced ease before catching her balance for one final landing. Her boots struck the ground, and she skidded backwards several metres, one hand extended to steady herself. Behind her, the triggered lassos came rushing back through the corridor, their luminous strands weaving through the lingering smoke before snapping neatly around her wrists. Slowly, the explosive haze began to thin, revealing the damage left in its wake.
"Did it work...?" she muttered, narrowing her eyes as she tried to make out what remained of her unfortunate hunter. She leaned forward slightly, keeping her lassos ready in case the creature had somehow managed to survive the blast.
"Hey! You! Get over here already!"
Kai's voice suddenly rang out from somewhere nearby. He was standing farther down the corridor, waving both arms frantically as he tried to get her attention. Lyss glanced towards him, wondering what he was so worked up about, but before she could even take a step in his direction, a familiar, bone-chilling screech tore through the tunnel.
Her eyes widened.
The remaining smoke was swept aside by a powerful gust as the Malform emerged from the wreckage. Its enormous frame was battered, several of its bone-like armour plates cracked or broken, but it was still standing. Worse, the creature seemed even more feral than before. Its crimson eyes burned through the haze, and its jaw stretched open in another furious screech.
Lyss stared at it for a brief moment.
"...You've gotta be kidding me."
She immediately spun around and bolted, pushing herself to full speed as she tapped her earpiece. Her lassos trailed behind her, occasionally catching against the walls to propel her forward as she raced through the corridor.
"Sorry! No blood samples!" she shouted.
The woman on the other end responded almost immediately, her voice sharp with frustration.
"What have you done, Lyss?! We specifically told you to approach it without alerting it!"
Lyss groaned, rolling her eyes as she narrowly avoided a fallen section of concrete. She could practically feel the headache forming. Of all the things she had to deal with right now, being scolded over the earpiece while a gigantic monster chased her was certainly not helping.
"Oh, my God..." she dragged out, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because, obviously, waking up a giant murder monster was totally part of my plan. Yeah, I would've loved to bring it along for the ride, too!"
Another roar thundered behind her. Lyss glanced over her shoulder just long enough to see the Malform tearing through the debris in pursuit, its massive limbs smashing through anything unfortunate enough to stand in its way.
"And if those lovely students hadn't decided to play heroes, I'd have already grabbed the sample and been halfway home by now!" she added, putting particular emphasis on lovely.
The woman continued speaking, seemingly having little interest in Lyss's excuses. Whatever response she gave was quickly drowned out by the creature's pounding footsteps and the rumbling tunnel.
"Whatever. You've compromised the mission. It doesn't matter anymore. Just get the hell out of there!"
Lyss's expression went flat. She looked ahead, then briefly back at the monster gaining on her, before letting out a long, thoroughly unimpressed sigh.
"Oh, absolutely. Wonderful suggestion. I'll just run away. Running, running, running..."
She exaggerated each word, almost as though she were narrating the most obvious activity in the world. Her sarcasm lasted all of three seconds before another violent tremor shook the passage. Lyss stumbled slightly, caught herself with a quick pull of her lasso, and continued sprinting.
Then she turned her head towards the earpiece and practically yelled into it.
"AS IF THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WHOLE TIME!"
She released the button and shook her head, muttering to herself as she continued racing down the tunnel. "Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable..."
Suddenly, the entire tunnel shuddered.
A deep rumble rolled through the underground passage, growing louder with every passing second. The walls trembled, dust trickled from the ceiling, and several cracks began spreading across the concrete overhead. Lyss glanced upwards, sensing something was terribly wrong, but before she could react, the ceiling gave way.
Massive chunks of rock and concrete came crashing down in front of her, followed by an avalanche of rubble that swallowed the entire corridor. Lyss immediately skidded to a halt, her eyes widening as the debris slammed into the ground just metres ahead. The impact sent a violent shockwave through the passage, forcing her to shield her face as dust and smaller fragments swept past her.
When the rumbling finally subsided, she slowly lowered her arms.
A gigantic pile of boulders now blocked the way forward. There wasn't even enough room to squeeze through, let alone escape at full speed.
Lyss stared at the obstruction for a few seconds before letting out a thoroughly exhausted sigh.
"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! Exactly what I needed!"
She threw one hand into the air, her sarcasm practically dripping from every word. Of all the possible ways this mission could have gone wrong, getting trapped inside a collapsing underground tunnel was certainly an impressive addition.
Unfortunately, she didn't have much time to complain. A familiar roar echoed from behind her, followed by the increasingly violent pounding of enormous footsteps. Lyss closed her eyes briefly, as though gathering the last scraps of her patience, before turning around to face her pursuer.
The Malform was charging straight towards her.
Its massive body surged through the corridor with terrifying speed, tearing through the remaining debris as though it weren't even there. Its crimson eyes remained fixed on Lyss, and the creature's claws scraped against the floor as it accelerated like a missile.
With the escape route sealed and nowhere left to run, Lyss raised both wrists. Her luminous blue lassos unfurled, circling beside her as their strands tightened into controlled loops. She lowered her stance, keeping her eyes on the approaching beast.
"I guess I've got some time for round two."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the tunnel, Kai had finally managed to reach the staircase leading back to the surface. Supporting his injured companion, he struggled up the remaining steps before dragging him into the daylight.
His friend, Rakki, seemed to be in considerably better condition than before. He was still conscious, although his body was clearly aching from the beating he'd taken. His movements were sluggish, and every attempt to adjust his position earned him another uncomfortable grimace.
Kai carefully guided him towards a nearby tree, making sure he wouldn't accidentally put too much pressure on his injuries. Once he had found a suitable spot, he helped Rakki lean against the trunk and crouched beside him.
"Don't move, Rakki. The pain will go away soon."
Rakki gave a faint response, too exhausted to argue. Kai gave him one last look to make sure he was stable before straightening up. His attention quickly returned to the underground entrance, where the sound of the collapsing tunnel had left him increasingly uneasy.
He stepped away from the tree and approached the staircase, trying to see past the darkness below.
"Hey! Young girl!" His voice echoed down the entrance as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Can you hear me?! Are you alright down there?!"
Kai waited, leaning forward slightly. He couldn't see anything beyond the scattered rubble and darkness, but he continued searching for any sign of movement. The girl had helped them earlier, and he wasn't particularly keen on leaving her behind after everything that had happened.
At a distance, the mysterious man in the top hat had been watching the entire spectacle with considerable amusement. Standing comfortably with his cane in one hand, he rubbed his mustache while observing the collapsed entrance. Unlike Kai, who was growing increasingly worried, the stranger seemed thoroughly entertained by the unfolding chaos.
"How dramatic. This would make for a perfect action movie."
He tilted his head, seemingly considering the best angle to capture the scene. Almost immediately, the camera attached to his belt detached itself and floated upwards, positioning itself beside his head. Its lens rotated towards the tunnel entrance, adjusting its focus as though anticipating something interesting.
The man raised his chin slightly, a faint smile appearing beneath his mustache.
"And... snap!"
A bright flash erupted from the camera.
But before the photograph could even be saved, the ground beneath the tunnel entrance suddenly convulsed.
The enormous pile of rubble exploded outwards.
Boulders and shattered concrete were blasted into the air, scattering across the surrounding area as a thick cloud of dust engulfed the entrance. The violent eruption sent Kai stumbling backwards, forcing him to throw an arm over his face to protect himself from the flying debris.
Then something enormous burst through the collapsing passage.
The Malform lunged out of the tunnel like a beast breaking free from its cage, its monstrous frame surging into the open air. Its bone-white armour was covered in fresh cracks, and its burning crimson eyes pierced through the dust.
Clinging to the creature's skull-like head was Lyss, her twin energy lassos firmly anchored around its armour. Rather than being thrown aside by the sudden eruption, she had used the Malform's own momentum to pull herself out of the collapsing tunnel. Her hair and clothes whipped violently in the rushing air as she held on, keeping herself clear of the creature's snapping jaws.
Kai's eyes widened at the sight.
"Young lady!"
He shouted again, this time in complete disbelief as he watched her emerge alongside the monster.
Lyss finally released her grip.
Both lassos snapped free from the Malform's head, and the sudden loss of their anchor sent her flying away from the creature. However, she was already prepared for the change in momentum. One of the luminous strands shot towards the ground, wrapping securely around a solid section of the nearby terrain.
Lyss twisted her body sideways in midair, extending one leg as her lasso shot towards the ground and stretched out beneath her. Rather than letting herself crash into the surface, she brought the soles of her boots down directly onto the taut energy strand, using it as a makeshift springboard. The lasso dipped beneath her weight, its blue light flickering as it absorbed the impact.
In the next instant, Lyss pushed off.
The compressed strand snapped back with tremendous force, launching her sideways and redirecting her momentum. She spun through the air, allowing the remaining force to carry her into a controlled landing. Her boots struck the ground, and she skidded backwards several metres before finally digging her heels in and coming to a complete stop.[1]
The lasso immediately loosened.
With a small flick of her wrist, Lyss recalled the strand, watching as it raced back towards her and wrapped neatly around her arm. The second lasso followed shortly afterwards, its luminous blue glow settling into place.
She straightened her posture, briefly brushing the dust from her clothes before looking back towards the Malform.
The creature had landed nearby, its enormous claws digging into the ground as it recovered from its explosive entrance. Its head slowly turned towards her, those crimson eyes once again locking onto their target.
Lyss stared back. "Oh, give me a break, will ya." Her shoulders dropped, and she let out another exhausted sigh. Apparently, round two had already started.
To be continued...
[1] Lyss uses her lasso like a trampoline. She lands on the stretched energy strand, compressing it with her weight, then pushes off as it snaps back into shape. This launches her sideways, allowing her to redirect her momentum and land safely instead of crashing into the ground.