"Relax your shoulders," Kiera instructed, circling Miko as he moved through the basic form. "You're too tense. This style relies on fluidity, not rigid positioning.""Old habits," Miko replied, consciously loosening his upper body while maintaining the stance. "I can tell," she said, making a small adjustment to his elbow position. "Your instincts are to create power through direct force. This blade requires redirection of momentum."They had been training for nearly an hour, focusing on fundamental movements designed specifically for his unusual sword. Kiera proved to be an excellent instructor—demanding but clear, breaking down complex techniques into manageable components."Better," she nodded as Miko completed the sequence with improved form. "Now try it at half-speed, focusing on the transitions between positions."As he moved through the sequence again, Miko noticed how the sword seemed to flow more naturally with these adjusted techniques. The blade's unique weight distributio

The AAU headquarters bustled with its usual activity as Miko passed through the security checkpoints. After the rigid formality of the Knight Academy, the familiar organized chaos felt almost comforting—researchers hurrying between laboratories, combat teams prepping for missions, administrative staff managing the constant flow of information about Abyssal activity."Miko!"He turned to see Anna waving from across the main atrium, her face lighting up with genuine pleasure. She hurried toward him."You're back earlier than expected," she said, falling into step beside him. "We thought you'd be at the Academy for at least another week.""Change of plans," Miko replied with a slight smile. "Completed what I needed to, sooner than anticipated."Anna's observant eyes noted the sword at his hip—distinctly different from standard AAU equipment. "That’s new.”"A necessary upgrade," he confirmed. "How's everyone been?""Busy. The team's been running standard containment missions, but there's

The Nexus District sat in the northwestern part of the capital, where business zones met industrial areas. Unlike the clean government sectors or the old Church district, Nexus was built for function, not looks—buildings made for work, not for show.At exactly 2:00 PM, Miko entered through the east doors into a basic lobby with worn floors and simple signs. A bored attendant barely looked up from his screen as Miko approached."I'm here to—" he began."Level three, section D," the attendant cut him off, sliding a visitor badge across the counter without making eye contact. "Elevator's to your right."Clearly, Larok had set everything up beforehand. Miko took the badge and headed to the elevator, noticing the minimal security. The badge itself was basic, with no personal information beyond a simple visitor label.Level three was a maze of identical hallways lined with storage units. Section D sat in the northeast corner, marked only by a small directional sign. As Miko turned the final

Miko moved carefully down the gentle slope, keeping to natural cover while approaching the archway from its eastern side. The scanner's readings grew stronger as he got closer, confirming highly structured energy patterns unlike standard Abyss manifestations.When he reached about ten meters from the archway, the scanner gave a soft alert tone showing it had detected previously unregistered energy signatures. Miko froze, scanning the area for the source.Nothing visible had changed, yet the scanner clearly showed additional energy patterns now active within its detection range. He adjusted the device's settings, trying to isolate the new signatures.The results were concerning—movement patterns consistent with intelligent entities, yet nothing visibly present in the physical environment around him."Possible guardian entities detected," he whispered into his communication device. "Can't see them but they're showing up on specific energy frequencies.""Pull back now," came Larok's ters

Larok glanced back over his shoulder. "You handled yourself well in there. Not many could have adapted to that guardian's tactics so quickly.""Your techniques worked better than I expected." Miko checked the scanner again, making sure the data was secure. "But that obelisk—a communication relay? That can't be good.""It's not." Larok's face hardened. "It means they're building infrastructure. Planning something big."They reached a small clearing about half a kilometer from the portal. The forest here looked normal—tall trees swaying gently in the breeze, sunlight filtering through the leaves. No sign of corruption.Larok stopped and turned to Miko. "Let me see the scan data."Miko handed over the scanner. "The symbols on the obelisk matched what I saw in the Church archives. Same style, at least."A deafening crash interrupted him as trees splintered at the edge of the clearing. Birds scattered in panic, their wings flapping frantically above the canopy."Get down!" Larok shoved Mik