On the drive rail, 1310 waved to Ten. Ten waved back, forcing a smile.

“All systems go,” 404 announced. “Phaetons, start your Engines.”

Ten materialized her armor with a loud VROOOM.

“Launching in 5…4…3…2…1!”

The drive rails shot forward, launching the Phaetons into the air at hundreds of kilometers per hour. If all went well, they would reach Sector A3 in the two minutes they had left.

Ten could hear 404’s calming voice in her helmet. “Launch successful. Sortie #0005, you are on course for Sector A3. Please stand by for status updates. Good luck out there, Phaetons.”

+++

As the Exhaust formation came into view, the Phaetons braced for landing.

“Limits! I want a 1000-square-meter perimeter!” Called the Limit Captain, 86. “No Exhaust escapes!!”

The Limits disappeared behind the passing buildings, falling towards the ground. Everyone else perched on rooftops, storing up Potential in their Engines.

“Form up, Points!” Ten cried. Although, she only had two subordinates for the mission: a 3-Gear rank called 967, and the clumsy 0-Gear 1310.

When they had drawn their swords and arranged themselves at her sides, she drew her own sword.

“Engage!”

The Points leapt from the rooftop, launching themselves at the oily, lurching mountain of Exhaust.

Ten reached it first and sank her sword into its head. Then, with a battle cry, she forced the Potential from the landing through her sword and into the Exhaust, forcing it downward. The other two Points followed suit, and the mountain toppled to the ground like a tsunami wave.

“Sortie #0005, you have dispersion,” 404 reported.

The now-flattened oily mountain dissolved into the air, creating a thick cloud. The 1000-square-meter area was shrouded in darkness.

Time for the chaos to begin.

Fiery wheels sprung from the shadows at random, slashing at the Phaetons. Without missing a beat, they put on their headlights and fended them off with their swords as well as they could.

The Strikers sped through the darkness, slicing through every firewheel they could find. “Where’s the core?!” Fifteen screamed into her helmet.

“The miasma’s too thick to get a reading right now,” 404 replied. “Keep searching; I’ll let you know when we see it.”

Ten could hear screams coming from a nearby building. “We’ve got Living Ones here! Coordinates 22,50!” she called out, rushing towards it.

+++

Thankfully, none of the life forms the Phaetons found in the building were hurt. The Finishers quickly escorted them to the perimeter, leaving only Ten and 1310 at the scene.

Just as they left, another scream rang out from the floors above.

“We missed somebody?!” Ten cried.

“Let’s go get ‘em, Captain! I’ll watch your back!” 1310 chirped.

Ten just sighed and leapt for the stairs.

As the Phaetons neared the sound, fighting back firewheels as they went, the screams began to sound more…warped.

Suddenly, they stopped altogether.

“Captain…I’m starting to think that wasn’t a life form…” 1310 whispered.

“Of course…it’s the core! WE HAVE THE CORE—”

Before Ten could finish her sentence, she and 1310 were driven through the floor.

The Phaetons landed hard on the cement one floor below. Ten rose slowly, coughing.

By her headlights, she could see the humanoid form of the core being, floating slowly down to them through the smoke and dust. Its arms were eerily long, and glowed like the Phaetons’ swords.

Without warning, it struck at them again. Ten dodged, shoving 1310 out of the way.

It struck at Ten again and again, flailing its arms like whips. Ten ran circles around it, trying to store up Potential for a retaliatory strike.

Unfortunately, the core being hit its target first.

Ten tumbled and fell to the ground before she even knew what had happened. She tried desperately to get up, but found that she couldn’t. She began to feel light-headed. She looked down at her feet.

Her lower left leg was torn clean in half. Solvent was rapidly flowing out of the severed stub.

She couldn’t understand it.

Just then, 1310 leapt in front of her. The core being’s arm hit her sword with a crackling CRASH.

“Captain, get out of here!” she screamed. “I’ll hold it off!”

“You get out of here!!” Ten screamed back. “You’re just a 0-Gear! YOU CAN’T HOLD OFF A CORE!”

Before 1310 could reply, the core being’s other arm slashed through her torso.

+++

For a second, everything seemed to move in slow motion. A million droplets of solvent were suspended in air. 1310’s eyes were frozen in shock. The incinerator light on her hilt was slowly illuminated.

Then the second passed. The solvent fell, splattering Ten’s face. The incinerator light flashed and beeped rapidly, and 1310’s dying body was instantly burned away.

Through the smoke and cinders, Ten watched as the Finisher Captain, 1229, burst through a nearby window with her brilliant blades. A brief flurry of slashes reduced the core being to pieces, which, along with 1310’s ashes, soon dissolved into nothingness.