Lorena's pupils shifted between processing the gravity of the revelations and her growing wrath at the involvement of Proxim's actions.

"How fitting history repeats. A Sanchez, Shugoda civilians with a strong sense of justice, and the Shakuhelds working together! And I get to dictate the laws of fate!"

"Why tell me this now? Cassie has no reason to trust you!"

"Doesn't she? I never pulled the trigger to give the soldiers defective gears. Which of the two accomplices do you think were responsible in some way for that?"

Both forgot who was listening on Lorena's comms, all of them waiting in anticipation.

"Maximillian Bezek?"

"Perhaps. Guess the Spouse responsible?"

Lorena gulped. "Akilah?"

The cold laughter haunted those who could hear with concern of the lacking empathy on display.

"That second rate scientist wishes she could relate," summoning a Starlight portal to suck up most of the equipment. The task force began shooting down the assembly of Scope Switches but Proxim built an entire metal dragon after them.

Lorena unleashed her Zodiac powers, smashing the ground to cover it in soil, shaping it up to build a wall able to slow it down as it still approached them, but Proxim rushed at her with an arm blade in tow.

"Pity, you'll be the first in your family to fall!"

The blade swung forward, but in place of blood, a hand from a blue portal between them caught Proxim's hand, and the force of a dragon blew the armored warrior back into the wall, shutting off their data's access plan.

The guards and task force were amazed.

"Queen Akilah?"

She uppercutted the metal dragon, before releasing an electric charge paralyzing it.

"Manipulating my people, my people's children, and my husband? Your ambitions will be the proximate cause of failure!"

"But the city!"

"My son's more than capable and your teammate has what he needs to evolve. Mechion and I agree on one thing: we won't let them tamper with your generation."

Rigal let Sehki know what was going on, holding him back from pursuing.

"We have to go!"

"My mom's one of the strongest women in the world, and Lorena helped you take on Taylor, Lumin, and Easel."

"With all due respect, your parents neglected you all for most of your lives!"

"She's not perfect, but I remember her trying to be my wings. She'll keep her safe. You asked us to trust you, do the same."

His eyes screamed reluctant acceptance, banking on Wali while Cassie finished watching them all work together.

"The Rising Twelve, Wali's cousin, first they use me to go after them, now they're going after each other?" 

Meng adjusted his glasses. "That's what she's probably thinking right now."

"Then let's ambush her and take it down!"

"Hey, Hyuga, here's another alliteration for your hot headed mind! Hostages!"

Rigal winced. "So we just have to get annoying, like you."

Annoying?!"

"She's going to be laser focused on Rigal and Akilah's success. If she's working with Proxim, she'll snap and use those Switches. If Rigal's scores keep going up, she'll attack him head on."

Wali overheard this, getting "Wali" over to Sehki's ears. "And that'll make the perfect time to strike."

"Wait, but then Rigal's getting all the glory for our actions!"

Bao agreed with Meng, and Rigal recontextualized him barely showing up until the last end, wondering if he did so because of the fears of the Herdsmen, or to get an easy win.

He gripped his fists. "I want to save my power if she goes on the deep end, so I'll need your help. All of you."

Cree caught up with Ainsley and Taylor, finding more coordinates for other hook up spots, all of whom were near the surges of De:Void users.

"We'll lead them to you guys to absorb. The rest you get over here as much as you can."

The individual and solo members of each group combine forces to learn most of the mutated contestants towards the center in Shugoda Square.

Saiban and Rigal's squad bashed most of the level four Voids to Sehki to strip them off, allowing Rigal to finish them off, earning Cassie's ire as his points started to go up, reaching the highest score out of everyone.

"He's dead!"

Wali took this as an opportunity accelerating on all fours through every nook and cranny he could now only about five floors away; she merged larger forms of her feathers in the shape of spinning drills to rip at everyone she felt wronged her.

The alliance saw giant burning blades flying towards them. Capel formed his car to drive the others away while Meng, Bao, and Hyuga attempted to stop it, but Tenshia noticed they were after Rigal the most, waiting until some of them swerved to him to shoot them down.

"You pests!"

The quartet got her attention while she split focus to go after "Wali," rapidly swinging Rigal and Sehki through construction, windows, and high rise buildings, narrowly dodging a feather blade strong enough to sever the top of a train cart.

Cree saw this from afar, blowing up a user to fly in the path of the blades, allowing Sehki to rip off the Void essence, only to see it continue to follow them, convincing him to surfboard on his bo staff to join them.

"I've got an idea," putting himself in the line of fire and convincing Sehki to transport them, so he, Rigal, and Wali were side by side.

"I'll end you all in one blow! Sundown Seamstress!"

It ripped through the building, impaling one of them multiple times, and Cassie dragged them through the sky until reaching the center with the hostages and Cassie sacrificing most of the feathers around them to unleash a close range Malora's Cast.

Red liquid rained from the debris, She pulled back to see the result of her adversaries bloodied and beaten to find Cree holding the feathers back with a concentrated spiral and Rigal's glare inside.