Three weeks had passed.
The city never slept—but in the underground training bunker buried beneath Cipher's hideout, silence reigned.
Until steel clashed with code.
Clang!
Binary sparks erupted as Riven ducked low, sweeping his leg beneath Cipher's stance. The rogue leapt backward, blade of digital fire slicing an arc through the stale air.
Riven wasn't the same fighter he'd been weeks ago.
Now, he met Cipher blow for blow—dodging, countering, striking with precision. Flash activated, a surge of speed coursed through his body, leaving ghost trails in his wake. He blurred, vanished, then reappeared behind Cipher with a spinning kick that nearly connected.
Cipher blocked it at the last second, grunting with effort. "You're faster."
"I can hold Flash… for a full minute now," Riven panted, his stance low, blade buzzing with raw code.
Lucy sat cross-legged on a concrete block nearby, arms folded, her eyes sharp. She didn't interrupt, but she watched everything—each feint, each clash, each heartbeat in the duel.
She smirked slightly. He's catching up.
Then the air shimmered.
Riven and Lucy's Execution Code systems lit up simultaneously, projecting crimson data glyphs across their vision. A voice echoed in their minds, familiar and cold.
"Execution Code Alert: New Target Identified."
The dossier unfolded digitally before them. Riven stepped back from the sparring circle, breath heavy, as the profile resolved.
Target: Unknown. Rank: A
Designation: Rogue Executioner
Power: Infinite Digital Clone Manifestation
Lucy's expression darkened. "An A-rank... with endless clones?"
Cipher stepped forward, frowning. "He doesn't need allies. He is the army."
Later that night, the four-person squad regrouped at the designated mission zone—a desolate, industrial district in Queens. Klaus stood silently, his magnetic field humming softly around him, while Rita checked her gear with clockwork precision.
The moment Lucy and Riven arrived, Rita greeted them with a sharp nod. "Thought you two might've bailed."
"Not our style," Lucy said.
The mission started simple—track the rogue Executioner and eliminate him. But within minutes of entry, chaos unfolded.
Clones.
Dozens of them, identical, ruthless, and armed with Execution Code weapons. Each one moved with terrifying coordination, mimicking the rogue's original strength.
Every time a clone was destroyed, another formed. Then another. And another.
"They're endless," Klaus muttered, magnetic shards whipping through the air like homing blades. "We can't even tell who's real!"
"I've never seen anything like this," Rita growled, swiping through three clones with her claws—only for five more to take their place.
The real rogue watched from the shadows, arms crossed. His expression was calm. Mocking.
Then, amid the storm of battle, Riven's system flashed again.
Skill Activated : Red Judgement.
The world slowed.
Code flared crimson in Riven's right hand. It pulsed with a judgmental hum, as if it could pierce truth itself.
Without hesitation, Riven charged.
He weaved through clones—Flash enhancing every step—until he faced the original. With a roar, he plunged Red Judgment into the rogue's chest.
The body pixelated into dust.
Silence fell.
Lucy exhaled. "Is it over?"
But Riven didn't celebrate.
"No… something's wrong."
A low laugh echoed through the ruins. Behind them, the real Executioner stepped out, untouched.
"You struck a clone," he said simply. "I swapped it the moment before your hand landed."
He extended both arms.
Clones erupted from his body like a virus, over a hundred in the blink of an eye.
The battlefield swarmed.
"We can't hold this line!" Rita shouted.
But Riven stepped forward, his system glowing violently.
"Am not giving up."
New Skill Unlocked: [Creation]
Dozens of Riven clones burst into existence, each shimmering with the same glow of Flash.
They launched at once.
The battle ended in seconds.
When it was over, digital dust coated the air like ash.
Lucy stood frozen. "What… was that?"
Riven's clones faded. He stood at the center of the wreckage, barely breathing.
"A new skill," he said. "Just activated."
Lucy's face twisted in disbelief. "That's not possible. You only get what the system gives you at the start. There's no such thing as 'just getting a new skill.'"
Klaus and Rita stared at him, speechless.
Riven looked down at his trembling hands.
Then why do I have it?