"She was losing."
For now.
Elen stepped forward...
Slower.
But not weak.
Unstable.
"…target… unstable…" she repeated.
Elric rolled his shoulder slightly.
"…good," he muttered.
Pix clapped her hands once.
"Alright! Let's break her brain!"
Mii blinked.
"…You say that like it's a GOOD plan..."
Pix pointed at Elric.
"YOU... keep contradicting her!"
Then at Lyra...
"YOU... apply pressure!"
Then at Kaida-9...
"YOU... be terrifying!"
Kaida-9 nodded.
"…Acknowledged."
Mii raised a hand.
"…What do I do?!"
Pix grinned.
"…Be loud."
Mii gasped.
"…I was born for this."
Sera stepped forward.
"…We must synchronize."
Lyra tightened her grip.
"…On your mark."
Pix's grin widened.
"…now."
Everything hit at once.
Lyra moved...
Blade flashing...
A direct strike at Elen...
Not to hit...
To force reaction.
Kaida-9 followed...
Heavy pressure...
Closing escape routes.
Sera circled...
Cutting off angles...
Limiting movement.
Mii...
"HEY! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM AGAIN!"
Pix...
Interference bursts...
Short...
Erratic...
Not to stop...
To disrupt.
And Elric...
Stepped forward.
Straight into her.
"…Elen," he said.
She turned...
Target locked...
"…eliminate..."
"No."
She froze.
Just for a fraction.
"…directive..."
"No."
Another step closer.
"…you're not doing that."
Her arm twitched...
Raising...
Trying to strike...
Lyra's blade forced her to shift...
Kaida-9 blocked her path...
Sera pressed...
Everything overlapping.
Too many inputs.
Too many outcomes.
Pix laughed...
"…YES... keep stacking it!"
Elen's voice broke...
"…conflict… conflict… conflict..."
Elric didn't stop.
"…you told me to run."
Her body jerked.
"…directive... eliminate..."
"…then why didn't you?"
Silence.
A crack.
Visible this time.
Her movement stuttered...
Just slightly...
Just enough.
Mii shouted,
"BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T WANT TO!"
Pix snapped,
"KEEP GOING!"
Elric stepped even closer.
Now...
Right in front of her again.
"…you're bad at following orders," he said.
A beat.
"…you always hesitate."
Her eyes...
Flickered violently.
"…false…" she whispered.
"…then prove it."
Lyra struck...
Forcing her to react...
Kaida-9 moved...
Cutting off escape...
Sera adjusted...
Everything tightening.
Pix added another interference pulse...
Short...
Sharp...
Enough to destabilize timing.
Elen's body...
Locked.
Not moving.
Not attacking.
Shaking.
"…directive… contradicting…" she said.
Her voice...
Breaking apart.
Elric leaned in slightly.
"…yeah," he said quietly.
"…because it's wrong."
The figure in the distance...
Finally reacted.
Its hand rose...
Higher...
Stronger...
The pressure...
Crushing.
Elen screamed.
Not loud.
But real.
"…override!"
Her body snapped forward.
Breaking through the interference.
Forcing movement.
Forcing action...
Her hand shot toward Elric...
Fast...
Too fast...
Mii screamed,
"NO!"
But...
Elric didn't move.
Didn't dodge.
Didn't bend reality.
He just stood there.
"…you won't," he said.
Her hand...
Stopped.
Right in front of his chest.
Closer than before.
Closer than ever.
Her entire body...
Trembling violently.
"…execute…" she whispered.
Elric shook his head.
"…no."
A pause.
"…you don't want to."
Silence.
Everything...
Stopped.
Even the crowd.
Even the lights.
Like the entire district...
Was waiting.
Her fingers twitched.
Energy flickering wildly.
Unstable.
Breaking apart.
"…I…" she whispered.
A crack.
A real one.
Deep.
"…don't…"
The figure in the distance...
Moved.
Fast.
For the first time...
It wasn't calm.
Its voice...
Sharp.
"OVERRIDE."
Elen's body jerked...
Hard.
Her eyes snapped...
Back to cold.
Back to controlled.
Her hand...
Surged with energy.
Stronger than before.
More violent.
More absolute.
Pix's grin vanished.
"…uh oh."
Sera's voice sharpened,
"…It's forcing full control."
Lyra shouted,
"ELRIC... MOVE...!"
But Elric didn't.
Didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Just watched her.
"…yeah," he said quietly.
"…there it is."
The energy surged...
Ready to fire...
Unstoppable now...
And then...
Something broke.
Not in her.
Not in him.
In the system itself.
A sharp distortion...
Reality cracked...
Hard.
Like glass under pressure.
Pix's eyes widened.
"…WAIT..."
Sera stepped back.
"…That's not us..."
The figure froze.
For the first time.
Its control...
Interrupted.
And Elen...
Collapsed.
Mid-strike.
Falling forward...
Right into Elric.