Elias's breath came sharp as he locked eyes with the towering figure in Vanguard armor. Unlike the others, it wasn't shambling. It wasn't broken. It stood perfectly still, blade raised, as if waiting for something.
The other creatures—half-dead, twisted remnants of soldiers—froze in place, responding to its presence. They didn't move unless it moved.
Marco was still scrambling at the control console behind them. "Okay, uh—small problem."
Lira didn't take her eyes off the armored figure. "Let me guess. The train's not working."
Marco groaned. "It's half-working. I got the power rerouted, but something's locking the controls!"
Elias's eyes flickered to his HUD. The entire system here was still connected to something. Whatever controlled these undead soldiers, whatever gave them their purpose, was linked to the rail network itself.
Of course.
"Marco, get it moving now," Elias muttered.
"I told you, I—"
Elias took a step forward, gauntlet humming to life. "I'll handle the lock."
Lira hissed, "That thing is three times your size, Elias."
Reinhardt grinned. "So? We've beaten bigger."
Varian's golden sword gleamed under the dim light. "Do not underestimate this one. It is not mindless."
The figure lowered its blade ever so slightly. Then, in a voice distorted with static and old code, it spoke.
"Vanguard Core detected. Initiating combat protocol. Trial of Command—begin."
And then it moved.
Faster than something that size should have been able to.
Elias barely dodged as the massive blade cleaved through the air, shattering the stone floor where he had been standing. The sheer force of the swing sent a shockwave down the tunnel, knocking dust from the ceiling.
Ivy fired an arrow at its head—it caught it mid-air.
Reinhardt lunged in, bringing his hammer down with a roar. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, strong enough to crack lesser constructs apart.
The figure barely staggered.
It turned smoothly, faster than expected, and with a simple backhand motion, it sent Reinhardt flying into a half-broken rail car. The steel groaned under the impact.
Cecilia cursed under her breath. "Yeah. That thing's not playing around."
Lira darted forward, daggers flashing. "Then we don't either."
She weaved between its strikes, aiming for gaps in the armor, but as soon as her blades made contact—a barrier activated, sending her flying backward with a sharp crack of energy.
Elias's mind raced. What kind of construct was this?
"Marco," he shouted. "I need a breakdown on this thing—now."
Marco barely glanced up from the console, still typing. "Uh, yeah, about that! So I just cracked the control lock, and I figured out what this thing is—it's not a defense unit."
Elias dodged another swing, thrusters firing just in time. "Then what is it?!"
Marco's voice was not encouraging.
"It's a trial warden. Vanguard officers had to beat these things to earn command authorization."
Elias froze for a split second.
The Vanguard didn't appoint leaders based on rank or training. They had to earn it. The final test? A one-on-one fight against something exactly like this.
He gritted his teeth. "So what happens if I lose?"
Marco cleared his throat. "According to the logs? It executes you."
Lira groaned. "Great. Love the old traditions."
Varian shifted his stance. "Then we must disable it."
Elias clenched his fist. No. That wouldn't work. It wasn't just a battle construct. It was following an old Vanguard law. If he wanted to control this facility, override its commands, and stop the undead soldiers, then he had to win the fight—alone.
He exhaled, locking eyes with the warden.
"Stand back," he said.
Lira turned to him. "Excuse me?"
"I said stand back."
Reinhardt pulled himself up from the wreckage. "Yeah, Elias, buddy, I don't know if you noticed, but that thing just folded me like a bad hand of cards."
Elias adjusted his gauntlet. "It's not just a fight. It's a test. I have to beat it myself—otherwise, it won't recognize me as a rightful Vanguard commander."
Varian studied him for a moment. Then, slowly, he stepped back. "Very well."
Lira hesitated. "If you get yourself killed, I'm gonna be really annoyed."
Cecilia smirked. "Don't worry. I'll avenge him."
Elias rolled his shoulders. "Not planning on dying today."
The warden straightened, as if acknowledging the challenge. It raised its sword again, this time in a stance that was less like an executioner's and more like a true duelist.
It recognized him now.
It saw him as an opponent.
Elias took a deep breath, then charged.
The first clash sent shockwaves through the tunnel. Elias's gauntlet met the warden's blade, the impact shaking through his entire frame. He could feel the pressure, the sheer weight of the construct's strength, but he didn't back down.
He redirected the force, twisting mid-motion, using his thrusters to angle himself around the attack. His second strike landed against its side, kinetic energy bursting on impact.
The warden staggered. Just for a second.
Elias's eyes flashed. That was it. That was the weak point.
He moved faster, dancing between the warden's blows, using his smaller frame and agility to slip through its defenses. Every hit had to count.
The others watched from the side, barely breathing.
Lira muttered, "He's actually holding his own."
Marco didn't look away from the console. "Yeah, well, if he loses, we're all screwed, so let's hope that keeps up."
The warden suddenly changed patterns. It moved even faster, its blade glowing with energy, shifting between unpredictable angles.
Elias's instincts screamed. It was adapting.
He blocked the next strike, but the force sent him sliding backward, his gauntlet's systems flickering under the stress.
Too much pressure. He wouldn't last much longer.
Then he saw it. The warden's core was exposed for a fraction of a second after every third strike.
That was his chance.
He exhaled, calculating the timing, watching the pattern.
One. Two. Three.
His body moved before his mind caught up.
He sidestepped the next strike, using the momentum to spin behind the warden. His thrusters flared, launching him forward—
And his gauntlet struck directly into the core.
A burst of golden light exploded outward.
The warden froze mid-motion, its sword falling from its hands. The glow in its eyes dimmed, and for a long moment, silence filled the tunnel.
Then, in a voice barely more than a whisper, it spoke.
"Trial… complete."
It knelt before him.
The other undead soldiers immediately deactivated.
Marco finally let out a breath. "Holy—you actually did it."
Lira smirked. "Told you. He's too stubborn to die."
Elias didn't reply. His legs felt like lead, but he stood firm.
The train console unlocked.
Marco grinned. "And we are officially back in business."
Elias glanced at the warden, still kneeling.
Whatever it had been before, whatever command it had followed, it now recognized him as its superior.
He exhaled. "Let's get moving."
They boarded the train.
And the race to Project Genesis began.