She was being forced.
That realization hit...
And then...
It didn't matter.
Because Elen moved.
Fast.
Faster than before.
Her hand came down...
Elric barely had time to react...
A burst of force exploded outward...
He twisted...
The strike grazed past him...
But the ground behind him...
Collapsed.
Concrete shattered like glass.
Mii screamed,
"OKAY THAT ONE WAS NOT HELD BACK!"
Kaida-9 launched forward instantly...
Intercepting...
Elen turned...
Before the strike even came.
She blocked.
Perfect timing.
Perfect angle.
Kaida-9's punch stopped cold...
"…Prediction confirmed," Kaida-9 said.
Elen countered...
A sharp movement...
Kaida-9 was forced back two full steps.
Pix's eyes widened.
"…Oh she's not playing anymore."
Lyra moved next...
Blade flashing...
A precise strike...
Elen didn't dodge.
She shifted...
Just enough...
The blade skimmed past her...
Close...
Too close.
Lyra's eyes narrowed.
"…She's reading ahead."
Sera's voice cut in...
"…No."
A beat...
"…She's being fed outcomes."
That changed everything.
Mii grabbed Elric again.
"Player, new plan?! Preferably one where we DON'T get destroyed?!"
Elric exhaled.
"…Working on it."
Across from them...
Elen stood still again.
Resetting.
Like nothing had happened.
Her eyes...
Locked onto Elric.
"…priority target," she said.
The unmoving figure in the distance...
Took another step forward.
Still watching.
Still controlling.
Pix pointed at it.
"THAT. That's the problem."
Lyra didn't look away from Elen.
"…We deal with the immediate threat first."
Pix snapped,
"If we don't deal with THAT, she's just gonna keep coming!"
Sera stepped between them slightly.
"…Both are correct."
Kaida-9 adjusted stance.
"…Dual-objective engagement required."
Mii groaned,
"I miss simple problems like explosions!"
Elric stepped forward again.
"…No."
Everyone paused.
"…We don't fight her like this."
Lyra snapped immediately.
"…We don't have a choice."
Elen moved again.
This time...
No warning.
She vanished...
Then...
Appeared in front of Elric.
Her hand already mid-strike.
"PLAYER!!!"
Elric didn't move.
Didn't dodge.
Didn't block.
He stepped forward.
Into it.
The world bent...
Just slightly...
Her strike...
Missed.
By a hair.
Pix's grin snapped back.
"…Oh that's cheating."
Sera's eyes widened.
"…He forced a misalignment."
Elen froze for a fraction of a second.
That tiny delay...
Kaida-9 took it.
She slammed into Elen...
Driving her back...
Crashing through a nearby holo-panel.
Glass-like light shattered across the air.
Mii pumped her fist.
"YES! TEAMWORK!"
But...
Elen landed cleanly.
Perfect balance.
No damage.
No hesitation.
She looked back up.
And this time...
Her gaze wasn't just focused.
It was locked.
"…adaptation complete," she said.
Pix's smile dropped.
"…Oh come on."
The figure in the distance...
Raised its hand.
Subtly.
Almost invisible.
But Elric saw it.
"…yeah," he muttered.
"…there it is."
Elen moved again.
Faster.
Sharper.
This time...
There was no delay.
No hesitation.
She cut through Kaida-9's defense...
Forced Lyra back...
Dodged Pix's interference...
And went straight...
For Elric.
Mii jumped in front of him.
"NO YOU DON'T!!!"
Elen stopped.
Not because she wanted to.
Because...
She had to.
Her arm...
Locked mid-motion.
Shaking violently.
"…conflict escalating…" she whispered.
Sera stepped forward.
"…Good. Push it."
Lyra didn't hesitate.
"…Everyone... pressure her."
Pix grinned.
"…Oh NOW we break things."
Elric stepped forward again.
"…no."
They all paused.
"…we don't break her."
A beat.
"…we break that."
He pointed...
Directly at the distant figure.
Silence.
Then...
Pix smiled slowly.
"…oh."
A wider grin.
"…I like that plan."
The figure tilted its head.
Like it heard him.
Like it understood.
And for the first time...
It smiled.