The fractured cityscape trembled under the shockwave, the jagged edges of corrupted data flickering wildly. Kaito landed hard on the cracked pavement, his lungs burning, but his mind clearer than ever. The system's reboot was fighting back, sending waves of digital distortion to cage him, but something inside him had shifted. He was no longer running from the system's control—he was starting to take control of himself.
Misaki appeared beside him, eyes sharp, her own hands glowing faintly with encoded energy. "You're changing it," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "The system isn't just reacting to you—it's adapting because you're adapting first."
Kaito nodded. "Then we don't wait for it. We fight."
The defense units reassembled, shimmering like corrupted specters, but now Kaito and Misaki moved in perfect sync. Every strike, every dodge was a battle of wills against the system's desperate attempt to overwrite their existence.
Suddenly, the landscape shifted again, revealing a massive portal of swirling light—the heart of the reboot process. "That's the root," Misaki said, eyes wide. "If we destroy it, we can stop the reset."
Kaito clenched his fists. "Then let's end this."
They charged forward, energy crackling around them. As they neared the portal, the system sent its most powerful defender: a towering figure made of pure data and code, shifting constantly like a living glitch. The battle was fierce—each blow sending shockwaves through the corrupted cityscape. But Kaito's will was unbreakable. With a final surge, he plunged his glowing fist into the heart of the portal.
Light exploded.
Silence.
When Kaito opened his eyes, the world was still. The system's hold had weakened. The reset was paused, maybe stopped.
Misaki smiled. "We've bought time."
But somewhere deep inside the core, a new signal pulsed—a warning. The system wasn't done.