("Rex, you don’t need to go through the worm’s mouth anymore,") Cleo’s voice echoed in his mind, steady and calm, even as her singing continued to weave their fusion together. ("We have enough power now to pierce its hide. Just go straight in.")


    Rex’s grin widened. "Got it! Time to y the bullet." In ce of his usual massive ymore, he crafted a gigantce, its gleaming tip razor-sharp, aimed dead ahead.


    With a single powerful beat of his wings, he shot forward like a missile. Thence tore through the worm’s thick, leathery hide, sending a tremor through the massive creature’s entire body as Rex punched straight into its flesh.


    He found himself floating in the eerie, pulsating green glow of the worm’s insides, surrounded by the alien chittering of Khryssari warriors swarming toward him.


    Just as he prepared to craft another weapon, Cleo’s voice cut in. ("Wait. I’ll handle them; your focus needs to be on finding Ys. I can’t establish contact with hermunicator for some reason.")


    "Understood, Ill get to it." With a powerful p of his mechanoid wings, Rexunched himself deeper into the worm, sting forward at terrifying speed. Around him, des began materializing out of thin air; they were sleek, elegant swords he’d never seen before, summoned by Cleo’s power.


    They spiraled around him in perfect synchronization, forming a rotating barrier of razor-sharp steel. The Khryssari who dared approach were instantly shredded, their bodies disintegrating as they touched the barrier. Read exclusive adventures at NovelBin.C?m


    "Rex," Cleo said, her voice focused. ("I’ve detected a lifeform ahead. The signal matches Ys. Head that way.")


    "Thank the stars; she’s okay. But why isn’t she moving?" Rex narrowed his eyes, picking up speed as he hurtled through the worm’s tunnels, slicing through wave after wave of Khryssari.


    After what felt like an eternity, he finally burst into a chamber where Ys was standing, her back against the wall, ws outstretched to brace herself.


    The instant he stopped, the force of his arrival sent a shockwave through the chamber, nearly knocking Ys off her feet. Thanfully, she was fast enough to dug her ws into the flesh of the worm’s insides, steadying herself as she gazed up at him with wide eyes.


    "Ys!" Rex called out, extending one massive hand to her. "Are you okay? Why weren’t you answering yourmunicator?"


    "Darling!～ Is that… you?" Ys’s eyes sparkled with a mix of surprise and admiration as she took in his colossal, armored form. "You’re... even bigger than before! And, well, about themunicator, you see, the thing is..."


    But before she could exin, Cleo’s urgent voice cut through. "Rex, we’re out of time. The allied reinforcements have arrived, and they’re directly above us. They’re preparing to bombard the worm. You need to get out. Now."


    Rex’s face tightened, adrenaline spiking. "Cleo, how strong are we right now? And how much time do we have left?"


    Cleo’s reply came swiftly, but there was a hint of tension in her voice. ("While I’m more of amand and control AI, in this form, I’m strong enough to slice this worm in half. But we only have 30 seconds left on the fusion. Please, Rex, escape while you can.")


    Rex’s gaze hardened, determination flooding his face. "Thirty seconds... then let’s make it count." He looked down at Ys, who had climbed onto his shoulder, gripping tightly. "Hold on, Ys! We’re making an express exit!"


    With a thought, Rex summoned his ymore, but this time it was different; it wasrger and brighter, a de crafted of pure energy and nanomaterial. The massive sword glowed with a blinding white light, traced with streaks of gold, its form pulsing with barely contained power. It looked less like a weapon and more like a part of a divine mech suit, forged to split worlds.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Cleo!" he shouted. "Put everything we’ve got into this one strike. We’reing out the hard way!"


    He gripped the ymore with both hands, the de growing in size and radiating so brightly that even the Khryssari recoiled in terror. The worm’s flesh quivered around them, reacting to the sheer power building up within its own body.


    ("Rex, be careful.") Cleo’s voice was soft butced with pride and warmth. He could feel her presence, supporting him and empowering him, like a steady hand at his back.


    "AAARRRHGHHHH," Rex spun in a full 360-degree arc, swinging the ymore with every ounce of strength left in him. The de cleaved through the worm’s flesh, releasing a massive shockwave that tore through its entire body, splitting it cleanly in half.


    The gigantic creature shuddered, a final, desperate scream echoing through its hollow insides as its body copsed.


    In one explosive movement, Rex and Ys sted out from the worm’s side, erupting into the open air as the creature’s body began to fall apart, blood and tissue raining down like a storm. They soared into the sky, covered in the worm’s blood, the battlefield below them momentarily stunned by the spectacle.


    The worm that was once a colossal, nigh-indestructible beast was dead, sliced cleanly in half as though by the hand of a god.


    As they flew clear, Cleo’s voice drifted into Rex’s mind, softening. "Time’s up, Rex."


    In an instant, the light surrounding his body dimmed. His colossal form shrank, his armor dissolving back into his usual gear. The mechanoid wings faded, leaving only his regr ones, and the connection with Cleo gently loosened, the nanomaterial receding from his body.


    He nced over his shoulder, feeling a pang of loss as Cleo’s presence began to withdraw. "Cleo, thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you."


    After a small pause, she replied, her voice warm and gentle, "You’re wee, Rex. You’re... kind of amazing, you know that?"


    Heughed, breathing heavily, the adrenaline fading. "Yeah, well, just don’t go falling in love with me or anything."


    Herughter, soft and genuine, echoed in his earpiece. "Toote, scumbag."


    He grinned, ncing at Ys, who was still clinging to his shoulder, staring up at him in awe. "Ys, you good?"


    She smiled, her eyes shining. "Darling～, that was... incredible. But, um, let’s never do that again, alright～?"


    Rex chuckled, finally allowing himself a moment of relief. Below, the reinforcements were arriving, soldiers and tanks mobilizing to secure the area. The battlefield was theirs, and the worm was no more.


    For the first time in what felt like forever, Rex allowed himself a deep breath, his heart still pounding from the rush. Cleo had pulled him back from the brink. Ys was safe. And he’d lived to fight another day.


    As he flew toward their rally point, he whispered, knowing Cleo would hear. "Next time, Cleo... I’ming back with a body for you to get that kiss. That’s a promise."


    From somewhere far above, a soft voice answered, filled with a quiet joy. "I’ll hold you to that, scumbag～."


    "Hahahaha～, my dear, reckless niece… bing partner with one of the Kaelzars, one of our sworn enemies!" The Hive Mind Queen reclined in her massive, silken throne, her gaze fixed on a living Khryssari projector.


    It was a massive beetle-like creature with an iridescent shell, casting a hazy, greenish hologram that disyed the events inside the worm moments before it had been cleaved in half.


    She watched as Ys, her niece, stood side by side with that towering, armored Kaelzar. The memory of theirbined energy still lingered, tickling her mind with its raw, chaotic power.


    "Ahhh～, that surge of mental energy!" The Queen closed her eyes, savoring the memory like fine wine. "It’s been far too long since I felt something like that... since the wars with the Kaelzar. Those self-righteous warriors were powerful, yes, but so rigid! So bound by their precious honor."


    She let out a sigh, part longing, part mocking. "They were no match for the collective mind. In the end, all their strength meant nothing."


    She opened her eyes and looked down at her hand, where she held Ys’smunicator, a small, innocuous device, but one that held the key to so much intrigue. She turned it over slowly, considering it, her expression one of dark amusement.


    "Now, what shall I do with this little piece of information?" she murmured, her eyes glittering. "Oh, Y’Ssera, my dear niece. You may be useful to me yet."


    Meanwhile, aboard the gship of the Allied Forces, Admiral Kael Voss stood at the edge of themand bridge, his arms crossed as he watched the live feed of the reinforcementsnding on the surface below. His face was set in a stern expression, his gaze sharp and unyielding.


    "Sir," a voice interrupted from behind him. Leena Valrix approached, datapad in hand, her tone a careful bnce of respect and professionalism. "We’ve just received a report regarding the giant worm."


    Voss turned to face her, his brow furrowed. "Go on."


    Leena handed him the datapad, ncing at the screen. "The officer in charge of the gunboat division reports that by the time they arrived, the worm was... well, it was already dead, sir."


    The admiral raised an eyebrow. "Already dead? Who’s responsible?"


    Leena hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "The soldiers on the scene say it looked like the worm was... blown up from the inside, sir. There was no external damage to suggest bombardment."


    Voss’s eyes narrowed, thoughtful. "And the worm’s core? Do we have it in our possession?"


    Leena shook her head. "No, sir. ording to the troops, the core was missing when they arrived. Whoever or whatever killed that worm from the inside likely used its core energy to finish it off."


    "Mmm…" Voss stroked his chin, piecing it together. It sounded like the work of an outsider, someone with a unique set of skills and a disregard for protocol.


    His mind drifted to that squad of reckless soldiers, the ones who had survived the impossible. The ones who operated just outside the edges of Allied rules.


    "And what of our’shiny’ friend?" Voss asked, referring to Rex, a hint of wry humor in his voice.


    Leena hesitated, her face betraying a flicker of uncertainty. "Sir, about that..." she began, looking down at her datapad as if it held the answer.