Metaverse of Mechas

📘 Chapter 128

⚙️ Scene 1: Buried Beneath Redlight

The storm above howled like an ancient beast, red lightning arcing across the cursed wasteland. Zake and Aelira stood at the lip of a crater newly formed after their brutal skirmish with the Kronovores. But what lay beneath the cracked earth was… unnatural.

Stone. Symbols. A spiraling staircase descending into nothing.

"It's not part of any map," Aelira whispered.

"It's older than the war," Zake added, scanning the ruins. "And still warm."

As they descended, their Krono meters flickered erratically. The air was thick—not with radiation, but memory. Voices echoed, but they weren't speaking any known language.

And then, at the center of the sunken hall, was a throne of rusted gold and a dormant mech with flame-marked armor, kneeling before it.

Aelira's eyes widened.

"This isn't just a tomb."

"It's a prison," Zake muttered. "And something… is waking up."

🔧 Scene 2: The Daughter of Core Flame

Back in the Archives, Zeron sat in silence before the stasis mirror containing Null-Zeron. Astra was sheathed but humming, responding to an unseen force.

Suddenly, a flame symbol ignited across the Archive's walls.

"Emergency Interface Detected," said Astra's AI voice.

"Rebooting — Core Flame Protocol."

From the mirror, a new figure emerged—not Null-Zeron, but a girl wrapped in crimson armor, flames lacing her silver hair. Her eyes glowed like lava.

"You have awakened the Archive's second memory," she said softly.

"I am Keiya, Daughter of Core Flame."

Zeron took a step back. The heat in the room became unbearable, and even Astra's shell cracked slightly under her aura.

"You were never meant to reach this far," she whispered.

"But now that you have, you must make a choice: Claim the next code, or burn with it."

🧪 Scene 3: Zui's First Weapon

Deep within Verdentia's vault, Zui faced the Oracle once again.

Lirian held out her hand. A seed, pulsing green and silver, floated down to Zui's palm.

"This is not a weapon of war," the Oracle said.

"It is a weapon of truth. It will only grow with sacrifice."

As Zui accepted it, vines burst from her wrist, forming a living armguard. From its core, a staff-like blade of crystalline bark emerged—Verdict Ivy.

"When the false rise and the true fall… you must choose which root to sever."

Zui nodded, gripping it tightly.

"I won't let this world fall to the rot."

🧠 Scene 4: Virus in the Shadows

Darin sat in the mainframe's lowest sector, tracing MirrorProtocol's spread. He'd isolated the original node—it wasn't from alien tech.

It was from Earth.

A file unlocked under an old identity: Zeron_Vault_T0X.001.

"Wait… this code is linked to… him?" Darin whispered.

Before he could process more, a group of Guild guards burst into the room—eyes blank, pupils flashing red.

"User flagged. Begin containment."

"Oh no…" Darin muttered, slapping his palm to the keyboard.

"Zeron. They're blaming you."

🧿 Scene 5: Revelation in the Temple

Aelira approached the dormant mech at the center of the Redlight Temple. Its core began to thrum.

Engraved on its chest: A.N.G.E.L. TYPE-0

"Angel…?"

Zake brushed away dust on the throne behind it. Ancient words shimmered:

"Those who see fire in silence must carry judgment."

Suddenly, the mech's eyes lit up—and in a flash of heat, it raised its hand, pointing at Aelira.

"Designation confirmed. Flamebearer… found."

The earth shook. The walls cracked. Redlight Temple began to collapse.

"Aelira, RUN!" Zake screamed.

"No—I'm not leaving it behind," she shouted, her arms outstretched.

"Angel… respond to me!"

The mech's chest opened—revealing a Krono slot. It wasn't for any normal pilot. It was attuned to her DNA.

"Accepting Core Flame Sync."

🔮 Chapter Preview – Chapter 129:

Aelira bonds with Angel-Type 0, but it activates something older than Krono.Zui begins her first mission with Verdict Ivy—but someone is hunting her from the Verdentian Circle.Zeron is summoned to trial—declared a threat by his own Guild.Null-Zeron begins to awaken.And a coded message from the stars arrives, speaking a single line:

"The Crimson Orbit moves. Prepare the Ascension."