The sky above the Pacific turned into a graveyard of red alarms. The 'Architect-Class' fleet, consisting of twelve obsidian-black warships, formed a hexagonal 'Containment Grid' around Ray and the newly awakened Leviathan.
"Target confirmed: Subject 402," a synthetic, emotionless voice broadcasted from the lead ship. "Unauthorized mana-interference detected. Commencing neutralization."
In an instant, a barrage of 'Anti-Aether Missiles' streaked through the clouds. These weren't ordinary explosives; they were designed to drain the mana out of anything they touched.
Ray looked at the Leviathan. The creature was still weak from its long slumber. If these missiles hit, the Guardian would be reduced to scrap metal again.
"Not on my watch," Ray growled.
He didn't draw his sword. Instead, he reached into his own mana-core and pulled out a thread of pure, raw 'Primal Essence'. He slammed his fist into the air, creating a ripple that froze the incoming missiles in mid-flight.
"Caelum, synchronize with the Leviathan's resonance! Now!"
"Sync initiated!" Caelum replied. "But Ray, if you do this, your heart-seal will overheat!"
"Do it!"
As the synchronization hit 100%, Ray's hair turned into a glowing violet flame. The Leviathan opened its massive mouth, but this time, it didn't fire a destructive beam. It released a massive, bioluminescent fog that hid them from the fleet's sensors.
Within the fog, Ray moved like a ghost. He appeared above the lead warship, his hand glowing with a concentrated sphere of golden light.
"Void-Pulse: Terminal Command!"
He slammed the sphere into the ship's bridge. The 'Architect-Class' technology, which had ruled the world for centuries, suddenly met a power it couldn't calculate. The ship's internal systems began to rewrite themselves. The weapons turned against their own fleet.
In a chaotic symphony of explosions, the hexagonal grid collapsed. The warships collided with each other, falling into the ocean like burning stars.
Ray stood amidst the smoke, breathing heavily. He looked at his hands—they were trembling. He had won the battle, but he had felt something cold watching him from the deep space beyond the atmosphere.
"The Central Core knows," Ray whispered. "And they're sending something much worse than ships."