Part 23: DAO Ke Haath, Par Dilon Se Door
Location: DAO Vault Exit Point – Countdown: 17 Minutes
Alarm ki red glow har wall par fail gayi thi.
Arshan, Rayn aur Zyana ne data logs download kar liye the,
lekin ab time nahi tha — DAO ki First Response Kill Unit on the way thi.
Zyana (Layer 1 – Tactical):
"Multiple heat signatures – approaching fast.
They're not here to negotiate."
Rayn:
"Main last vault wall pe mines lagata hoon.
Escape route chhota hai, lekin doable hai."
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DAO Squad Entry – Face-off Begins
Vault ka metal gate explode karta hai,
aur DAO response unit ke 6 armored hunters andar ghus jaate hain —
har ek ke haath mein pulse cannons aur visors pe Arshan ki image glowing.
> "Target identified: ARSHAN KELL.
Execution Protocol: Immediate."
Commander Rax (Hunter Lead):
"Bounty ke liye nahi aaye hain.
Council chahta hai tu alive bhi naa rahe."
Arshan's Evolution – Glitch Relic Awakens
Jab pehla blast Arshan ke paas se guzarta hai,
uska relic arm auto-activate hota hai —
aur uski veins mein ek drift-laced circuit jag jaata hai.
> [Unlocked: Drift-Link Mode: Phase 01 – "Shadow Pulse Blade"]
Zamana thum jata hai —
ek black-and-blue blade Arshan ke haath mein materialize hota hai —
made entirely of corrupted Drift + DAO data.
Zyana (breathless):
"Yeh tumne khud generate kiya…"
Arshan:
"Yaadon ne banaaya, jhoot ne shape diya,
aur gusse ne activate kiya."
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Combat Highlights – Team vs DAO
Rayn:
EMP daggers — armor disrupt
Zyana:
Firewall screen with redirect hacking
Arshan:
Blade flash + triple deflect + vertical slash —
ek hunter ka entire chest plate crack
Commander Rax (falling back):
"Ye toh… system ke rules se bahar lad raha hai!"
Arshan:
"Tabhi toh jeet raha hoon."
Zyana's Disturbance – Code Interference
Just as they were about to escape,
Zyana suddenly freezes — glitch lines her face.
> "Core override attempt detected…
Unknown source: DAO Server — Layer 3 access breach."
Rayn (shouting):
"Zyana?!"
Zyana (Layer 2 whispering):
"Koi… mujhe andar se tod raha hai…
ek purana hissaa… jisse maine delete samjha tha…"
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Final Moment – Insider Activated
Meanwhile, far away in DAO command room,
ek masked operator ek encrypted signal bhejta hai:
> "Phase 2 initiated.
Arshan ne unlock kar diya hai woh… jo hum chhupana chahte the."
Mask utarta hai —
aur uske neeche dikhayi deta hai:
DAO Council ka ek member — Rayn ka purana bhai.
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End of Part 23