Arknights - Echoes Of The Unfound Dawn

A/N: I'll be out for a while like 3 days fixing some stuff and also enjoy the chapter.

The VIP hallway was a battlefield. The air was thick with tension, the dim light flickering ominously as Xian and Swire stood side by side, facing the last person they'd expected to see here—Mephisto. But this wasn't the manipulative, sneering boy Xian vaguely remembered. Mephisto had changed.

The Reunion leader stood at the center of the carnage, his pale complexion made more unsettling by the writhing tendrils of white smoke that coiled around his body. In his hand was a jagged, glowing stone, pulsating like a second heartbeat. As Xian and Swire watched, the smoke shifted and solidified into spear-like tendrils, slamming into the walls and floor with deadly precision. Behind him, a growing army of reanimated corpses staggered to their feet, their lifeless eyes glowing faintly.

"Well, well," Mephisto said, his voice dripping with mockery as he spread his arms wide. "What a pleasure to meet you both here. I was getting bored with these lifeless toys. You'll make for much more entertaining playthings."

Swire tightened her grip on the modified firearm Xian had crafted earlier, her eyes narrowing. "Playthings? You're just another cocky punk with delusions of grandeur." She took a step forward, leveling her gun. "Let me put you down before you make me regret letting you breathe this long."

Xian held out an arm, stopping her. "Wait. Something's wrong."

Swire scowled at him but didn't lower her weapon. "What now?"

Xian didn't answer immediately, his eyes fixed on the glowing stone in Mephisto's hand and the unnatural movements of the smoke. His mind raced, piecing together fragments of what he remembered from the original plot. This isn't how it's supposed to go. Mephisto's Arts shouldn't be this strong. And that stone… it's not part of the story at all.

Before they could act, Mephisto raised his hand, and the tendrils of white smoke twisted into razor-sharp tentacle spears. They shot forward with terrifying speed, forcing Swire and Xian to dive in opposite directions. The spears embedded themselves into the walls, shattering plaster and metal alike.

Xian hit the ground hard, rolling behind an overturned table. "That's new," he muttered, shaking the dizziness from his head. Peeking out, he saw Swire deftly dodging and countering the tentacles, her baton striking them mid-air to deflect their path. Her movements were precise but strained—Mephisto's Arts were relentless.

"New? What's that supposed to mean?" Swire barked, smashing a loose piece of debris into an advancing corpse before sidestepping another spear.

Mephisto tilted his head, his grin widening. "Ah, you've noticed, haven't you? My little… upgrade." He held up the stone, its glow intensifying. "A gift from my benefactors. They promised me the power to reshape this broken world—and now, I'll start by reshaping you."

The smoke around him erupted into motion, forming jagged spears that shot toward them with terrifying speed.

"Move!" Xian shouted and runs to envide, Swire copies him and dives behind a collapsed pillar. The spears slammed into the ground where they'd stood, cracking the tiles and sending debris flying.

"Damn it!" Swire cursed, brushing dust off her face. "You're not seriously going to let him monologue us to death, are you?"

Xian peeked around the edge of the pillar, calculating. "No. But we can't just rush in blind. He's not the same as before." His eyes flicked to the environment, taking in the debris, the furniture, the structural supports. "We need to fight smart."

Swire raised an eyebrow. "We? Last I checked, you were the one crafting toys while I did all the heavy lifting."

Xian smirked. "Then keep lifting. I'll handle the rest."

Before she could retort, Mephisto's voice echoed through the hall. "Hiding already? How disappointing. I expected more from the so-called defenders of Lungmen." The ground trembled as the corpses behind him lurched forward, their decayed bodies moving with unnatural speed. "Let's see how long you last against my new creations."

Swire fired a quick burst, downing two of the advancing corpses. "I'll keep these freaks off our backs. You handle the psycho!"

"Got it!" Xian replied, sprinting to the left. He grabbed a broken piece of rebar from the ground, attaching shards of glass to its edges with strips of fabric. It wasn't elegant, but it would do.

Mephisto's eyes followed Xian's movements, his grin fading into a cold sneer. "Ah, the quiet one. Let's see how creative you really are." The tendrils of smoke lashed out, forcing Xian to weave and dodge as he closed the distance.

Xian's mind was a whirlwind of calculations. He's focused on me. Good. If I can keep him distracted, Swire can thin out his backup. He ducked under a spear of smoke, countering with a swing of his makeshift weapon. The glass-lined rebar slashed through one of the tendrils, causing it to dissipate with a hiss.

Mephisto laughed, a cold, bone-chilling sound. "You're like insects, scrambling around. It's futile!" He raised his arms, and the smoke thickened. From its depths emerged shambling figures—reanimated corpses of the infected. Their vacant eyes glowed faintly, and their twisted forms exuded malice.

Swire grimaced. "Of course, he has zombies. Why wouldn't he?"

Xian glanced at her. "Focus on the tentacles! I'll handle the corpses."

"You're joking, right? There's no way you can—"

But Xian was already moving. He dashed forward, slicing through the nearest corpse with a novice but effective strike. The blade bit into corrupted flesh, and the creature collapsed, but more swarmed in to take its place.

"Swire!" Xian shouted, "Cover me when you can!"

Swire cursed under her breath, firing at the advancing tentacles while keeping an eye on Xian. His movements were rough and unrefined, but there was a method to his madness. Every swing, every step, was calculated to create openings and control the flow of enemies.

Xian's voice cut through her concentration. "Throw me a chair!"

"A what?" Swire yelled back.

"Just do it!"

Swire hesitated but grabbed a nearby chair, flinging it toward Xian. He caught it mid-swing, using it as an improvised shield to block a swipe from a tentacle spear. The force of the impact shattered the chair, but it gave him enough time to maneuver closer to Mephisto.

"You're insane!" Swire shouted, shooting another tentacle to give him an opening.

"Welcome to the club," Xian muttered, his focus razor-sharp. He noticed a fallen chandelier hanging precariously by its chain. His mind raced. "If I can get that to fall…"

Ducking under another tentacle strike, Xian leaped onto a table, grabbing a loose piece of metal. He tossed it at the chain, but the throw lacked power. "Swire! The chain!"

Swire's eyes darted to the chandelier. Understanding dawned, and she fired a precise shot, severing the chain. The chandelier crashed down, crushing a wave of corpses and forcing Mephisto to retreat momentarily.

"You're welcome," Swire quipped, but her smirk faded as more tentacles sprouted to replace the ones they'd destroyed.

Mephisto's eyes narrowed. "Clever… but not clever enough." The smoke coalesced into a massive spear, which he hurled toward Xian with deadly accuracy.

Xian barely managed to roll out of the way, the spear grazing his arm and leaving a searing wound. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain. I need to turn the environment against him. If I can't beat his power head-on, I'll outthink him.

Spotting a section of the ceiling weakened by earlier damage, Xian pulled a length of chain from his pack, looping it around a support beam. With a sharp tug, the beam gave way, sending rubble crashing down toward Mephisto.

The Reunion leader laughed, raising a wall of smoke to deflect the debris. "Is that the best you can do?"

Xian smirked, sprinting toward him. "Nope. Just setting the stage." He slid under the collapsing rubble, using the distraction to get within striking range. His modified rebar lashed out, cutting through another tendril and forcing Mephisto to step back.

Swire, seeing an opening, fired a shot that grazed Mephisto's shoulder. "Not so smug now, are you?"

Mephisto's grin twisted into a snarl. "You'll regret that." The stone's glow intensified, and the tendrils transformed into jagged, spear-like appendages that lashed out in all directions.

Xian and Swire were forced to retreat, dodging and countering as best they could. Despite the chaos, Xian's mind remained focused. If I can disrupt his control over the stone, we might have a chance.

Spotting a shard of Originium on the ground, Xian grabbed it, quickly fashioning a small explosive by wrapping it in fabric and binding it with metal wire.

"Swire!" he shouted, tossing it to her. "Throw this at the stone when I give the signal!"

Swire caught it, her eyes narrowing. "This better work, genius."

"It will!" Xian promised, charging toward Mephisto again. He feinted left, drawing the tendrils' attention, then darted right, closing the gap once more. "Now!" he yelled.

Swire hurled the makeshift explosive with pinpoint accuracy. It detonated against the stone, sending a shockwave through the air. Mephisto staggered, the tendrils faltering for a moment.

Xian didn't waste the opportunity. He lunged forward, aiming for Mephisto's arm, but the Reunion leader was prepared. A barrier of smoke hardened just in time, deflecting the strike. The stone pulsed ominously, and Mephisto laughed, his voice sharp and mocking.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" he sneered, retreating as the tendrils reformed into sharp spears, surrounding him in a protective, shifting cocoon. "I'm not some fool who wields power recklessly. I've studied how to use it."

Swire fired another shot, the bullet ricocheting harmlessly off the smoky barrier. "He's playing us!" she yelled, backing up as one of the tendrils slashed toward her.

Xian dodged to the side, panting as he surveyed the battlefield. He could feel the weight of exhaustion creeping in, but his mind raced. He's using that stone to enhance his control. As long as it's intact, we're at a disadvantage.

Mephisto's grin widened, as if reading Xian's thoughts. "Do you see it now? This isn't just power—it's precision. Strategy. A masterpiece of control!" He raised the stone high, the light flaring as the corpses surged forward again, their movements faster and more coordinated.

Xian dodged a swipe from a reanimated corpse, barely managing to retaliate with his makeshift weapon. His focus wavered for a moment as a strange sensation prickled at the back of his mind. Faint whispers echoed in his ears, unintelligible but unnerving.

"Xian!" Swire's sharp voice cut through his daze. "What the hell are you doing? Focus!"

He blinked, shaking his head to clear it. "I'm fine," he muttered, though his voice was strained.

Swire wasn't convinced. "Fine? You're spacing out in the middle of a fight!" She ducked under a swinging tendril, firing a quick burst that severed one of the smoky spears. "Pull it together!"

Mephisto tilted his head, watching them with amusement. "Oh, what's this? Cracks in the little alliance?" He gestured with the stone, sending another wave of tendrils toward them. "Let's see how long you can keep up this charade of teamwork."

Xian clenched his fists, his frustration mounting. I can't afford to lose focus now. He forced himself to push the whispers aside, analyzing the situation. Mephisto's confidence was his weakness—if they could disrupt his control over the battlefield, they might stand a chance.

"Swire!" Xian called out, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Cover me. I've got an idea."

Swire glanced at him, her expression wary. "This better be good."

"Trust me!" he shouted, darting toward a cluster of debris. As Swire engaged the advancing corpses, Xian rummaged through the wreckage, grabbing what he needed: a discarded metal pipe, some broken wires, and a shattered energy capacitor from one of the building's damaged systems.

"What are you doing now?" Swire demanded, firing another shot.

"Improvising," Xian replied, his hands moving quickly to assemble a makeshift device. His plan was risky, but it was their best shot. He wrapped the capacitor in the wires, using the pipe as a stabilizer. "This should generate an EMP-like burst," he explained, "enough to disrupt the stone's influence temporarily."

Mephisto noticed Xian's movements and scowled. "What's this? Another futile attempt to outsmart me?" He directed his tendrils toward Xian, their sharp tips slicing through the air.

Swire intercepted the attack, firing her weapon with precision. "Over my dead body, creep!" she yelled, drawing the tendrils' focus away from Xian.

Xian finished the device, activating it with a sharp twist. The improvised EMP sparked to life, emitting a high-pitched whine. "Swire, now!" he yelled, hurling the device toward Mephisto.

The burst of energy disrupted the smoky tendrils, causing them to waver and dissipate momentarily. Mephisto staggered, his grip on the stone faltering.

Swire seized the opportunity, closing the distance and firing a well-placed shot that shattered the glowing artifact. The stone exploded in a burst of light, sending fragments scattering across the floor.

"No!" Mephisto screamed with rage, and he lashed out with a powerful tendril, striking Swire and sending her crashing into a wall. She slumped to the ground, blood trickling from her forehead. Xian's heart sank as he saw the faint, telltale signs of Originium infection spreading across her arm.

"Swire!" he shouted, rushing toward her. But before he could reach her, another figure appeared—Crownslayer.

"You've done enough damage," she snarled, her voice filled with disdain. She stepped between Xian and Mephisto, glaring at the latter. "This wasn't part of the plan, Mephisto. You've overstepped."

Mephisto sneered, his expression defiant. "Plans change."

Crownslayer didn't respond. Instead, she engaged Xian in a brief but intense clash, her blades flashing in the dim light. Xian fought back with everything he had, using his creativity and makeshift weapons to hold her off. But she was fast—too fast.

"Enough," Crownslayer snapped, kicking Xian back. She turned to Mephisto, grabbing him by the collar. "We're leaving."

Mephisto hesitated, casting one last venomous glare at Xian. "This isn't over."

Before Xian could react, they disappeared into the shadows, leaving him alone with Swire.

He rushed to her side, gently lifting her into his arms. "Hey, Swire, stay with me. Don't you dare pass out."

She groaned, opening one eye. "You're… carrying me? Don't get used to this."

Xian chuckled despite himself. "Wouldn't dream of it." He glanced at the spreading infection and his expression darkened. "I need to get you somewhere safe."

He remembered his restaurant—a place he'd outfitted with supplies and tools for emergencies. Without hesitation, he carried Swire through the wreckage, his mind racing. The timeline's a mess, Mephisto's stronger than he should be, and now this…

As he approached the familiar building, he forced himself to stay focused. One problem at a time. First, I save Swire.