Steel and crystal rained from above. Rhys's Gem Sense barely warned him in time to Shadow Step through the debris. Through the dust, he caught Marina's familiar fusion signature - but it was wrong. Distorted. Enhanced.
Behind her, three figures dropped into the facility. Each bearing crystal modifications that made Hayes's enhancements look primitive. Each moving with military precision that spoke of professional Hunter training.
"Target located." The lead Hunter's fusion mark pulsed with unnatural power. "Marina's intelligence was accurate."
Marina hung suspended between them, crystal restraints pulsing with suppression frequencies. Her eyes met Rhys's with desperate warning. They'd used her to find him.
"The Guild sends its regards." The Hunter's enhanced eyes analyzed Rhys's stance. "Your little experiment ends now."
The resistance network reacted instantly. Jin launched himself at the nearest Hunter, his carefully preserved A-Tier power flaring. Mari's team moved to secure vital data. Wei's fingers flew across crystal controls.
But these weren't prison guards.
The first Hunter moved like liquid light. His enhancement-boosted fusion tore through Jin's defenses like paper. The second disabled three of Mari's fighters with clinical efficiency. The third began systematically destroying evidence.
"Magnificent." The man in white emerged from hiding, Hayes stumbling beside him. "The Guild's latest enhancement formula performs exactly as specified."
Rhys's Gem Sense mapped the whole scene. The Hunters' enhancement patterns. Marina's suppressed but stable fusion signature. Every crystal array and scanner blind spot in range.
No more masks. No more acting broken.
Time to work.
"Contain him!" The lead Hunter launched forward. "He's more dangerous than-"
Shadow Step carried Rhys through the Hunter's guard. Not desperate flailing now. Pure calculated violence. His Resonant Strike caught enhancement-modified fusion channels perfectly.
The Hunter staggered. "Impossible. Your capacity-"
"Was never three." Rhys moved with cold precision. Each technique timed to crystal pulse frequencies. Each strike targeting enhancement weak points.
The resistance network coordinated smoothly. Jin engaging the second Hunter with practiced teamwork. Mari's group securing Marina while Wei's sabotage created crucial openings.
But the Hunters adapted fast. Enhancement-boosted power letting them push past normal fusion limits. Their coordinated attacks forced Rhys to reveal more of his true capabilities.
"The Wolf's chosen." The lead Hunter's eyes widened in recognition. "That's why the Guild-"
A Resonant Strike cut him off. Rhys flowed through their formation like shadow through light. Blood painting patterns that disrupted enhancement frequencies. The Wolf's presence growing stronger with each calculated move.
Then Maya struck.
Her hidden operation activated all at once. Crystal arrays throughout the facility pulsing with carefully prepared frequencies. Security systems executing preprogrammed protocols.
The Hunters' enhancements flickered.
"Kill them all!" Hayes screamed, his own unstable enhancements flaring one last time. "Don't let them expose-"
The ceiling exploded again.
Guild reinforcements poured through the breach. Not enhanced this time - pure elite Hunters with natural fusion power. Each bearing marks of S-Tier capability.
"Amusing." The squadron leader's fusion mark blazed with controlled power. "But playtime ends now."
The enhanced Hunters fell back, regrouping with mechanical precision. Hayes scrambled toward his supposed allies while the man in white watched with clinical interest.
Rhys assessed the changed battlefield. Twenty-three elite Hunters. Enhanced squad still combat-capable. Hayes's remaining loyal guards approaching from below. All while maintaining his network's survival.
Time to show them what nothing truly meant.
Shadow Step carried him through the first wave. Each movement precisely calculated. Each strike flowing with cold purpose. The Wolf's power singing through his techniques without need for enhancement or pretense.
The resistance network adapted instantly. Jin leading a fighting retreat while Mari's team extracted vital data. Wei's fingers dancing across crystal controls as facility systems turned against their masters.
"Impossible." The squadron leader's eyes tracked Rhys's movements. "No capacity three could-"
"Your numbers mean nothing." Rhys's voice carried no madness now. Only winter's chill. "They never did."
Marina's restraints shattered as Maya's frequencies peaked. Her true power flooding back as suppression fields failed. The enhanced Hunters moved to contain her.
Fatal mistake.
Rhys Shadow Stepped between them. Resonant Strike flowing through perfect angles. Enhancement-modified fusion channels collapsing under precisely targeted force.
"Fall back!" The squadron leader barked orders as his elite Hunters encountered real resistance. "Containment protocol seven!"
But the facility wasn't theirs anymore.
Crystal arrays pulsed with frequencies Maya had spent weeks preparing. Security systems executed commands Wei had hidden in their cores. Every scanner blind spot and maintenance access point the network had mapped came into play.
Hayes saw the tide turning. His enhancements flared one last time as he charged toward Rhys. "You ruined everything!"
The guard captain's desperate attack met cold calculation. Rhys moved through Hayes's guard like shadow through broken glass. Resonant Strike finding every flaw in his unstable enhancement pattern.
Hayes fell. The man in white fled. Guild Hunters fought to maintain control of a facility that had already slipped through their fingers.
"Enough!" The squadron leader's fusion mark blazed as he launched his ultimate technique. "This ends now!"
Pure S-Tier power filled the chamber. Elite Hunters moving in perfect coordination. A display of overwhelming force meant to remind everyone why the Guild ruled.
Rhys smiled.
The Wolf's presence surged through him. Shadow Step carrying him through impossible angles as Resonant Strike found weaknesses no enhancement could fix. Every lesson learned in staged matches. Every pattern mapped in careful planning. Every secret encoded in blood and crystal.
"Containment breach in progress!" Facility systems blared warnings. "Unknown fusion signatures detected!"
The squadron leader's eyes widened as new power signatures approached. "What did you-"
The wall exploded.