Rise of the Half-Bakugan

Throughout Vestoria, earthquakes had become increasingly frequent. The skies had darkened, and the rains were relentless. The absence of Drago, the legendary Bakugan tied to the Perfect Core, could be felt in every aspect of the world. 

No matter how much the Legendary Soldiers tried to stabilize things, it was clear that Vestoria's condition was deteriorating. Without Drago's return, Vestoria was headed for disaster—sooner or later. 

The underground city of Gamma, however, remained largely unaffected. Its foundations were so robust that the earthquakes and occasional rising magma barely had any impact. Gamma City was unlike other cities, far more isolated and inward-focused. 

This was evident from its metallic design, which resembled a vast research facility. The central drill, which had allowed them to reach such depths, appeared to be only a short distance from the magma below, almost as if it were daring to touch it. 

To describe it as resembling a massive drill wouldn't be far off. Unlike the other two cities, Gamma City hadn't bothered to design artificial skies or anything similar for its inhabitants to see. 

Speaking of magma, a significant lava lake was visible directly beneath the city. Occasionally, this lake would rise due to the earthquakes, as though Vestoria itself was desperately venting its rage at those who had caused all this turmoil. 

The only way into such a deep location was via a single route: an elevator descending from above. Naturally, the elevator was tightly monitored, with formalities such as identity checks, fingerprint authentication, and entry permissions all in place. 

Only the Vexos could enter safely—well, and perhaps the Resistance fighters, who had a knack for turning such stringent security into a joke. But that's another story. 

Siren and James were descending in the elevator. James remained silent, sensing how important this moment was for Siren. 

Her mother wasn't missing. She worked here. It wasn't hard to deduce. For an engineer and skilled scientist like her, working under Professor Clay was one of the best positions imaginable—being close to a genius. 

Of course, James also knew what kind of madman Professor Clay was, and he worried that Siren's mother might also be a different kind of crazy scientist, at least according to Siren's description. But he couldn't say that aloud. 

Instead, he gently brushed his small wing against her cheek in a gesture of support. Siren smiled at the gesture. 

"Don't worry," she said, stroking James's head with her index finger. Her tone was slightly more anxious than usual, though she didn't seem to notice. 

"She can be stubborn, but she's not stupid. She's just… confused." She trailed off, unsure of what else to say after everything she had seen. She knew the horrifying truth the Vexos were hiding about the Bakugan. 

She knew how they treated them. The way they acted toward those who sought the Bakugan's freedom sickened her. She only hoped her mother wasn't aware of any of this. 

She was certain her mother didn't know the technology meant for healing was being used for such cruel purposes. But… she feared her mother's anti-Bakugan bias might cause her to turn a blind eye, even if she did find out. 

After all, Siren had lost her father in an accident caused by a Bakugan. 

She stepped off the elevator without her usual energy, her emotions as tangled as her thoughts. Rubbing her gloved hands together to ward off the cold, she muttered, "It's gotten awfully cold, hasn't it?" 

James blinked in surprise for a moment. The air was warm. But, then, he understood and sighed softly. In the same gentle tone, he replied, "Yes, yes it has. Hopefully, meeting your mother will warm things up." 

Siren murmured in agreement, "I hope so." 

***

Faye reported crisply, "Fortress's weapons have been upgraded and stabilized as you requested. However, the recharge time for its weapons has increased by 200%." Her gaze was fixed on the tablet interface before her. 

The display showed an image of a humanoid machine, bristling with weapons. Its arms, shoulders, and legs were outfitted with launchers, making it clear its sole purpose was destruction. 

The data belonged to Darkus Fortress, a Bakugan Trap. 

While the others worked on their tasks, Faye had been assigned to report. Her dark hair was tied in a bun to keep it from falling into her face. Adjusting her rimless glasses, she looked toward the man leading the entire operation: Professor Clay. 

Professor Clay stroked the thin strands of his scruffy beard as he stared at the data projected onto a large monitor. Behind his thoughtful expression was a glimmer of pride—the pride of having advanced his technology to such an extent. 

Faye couldn't help but marvel at him. 

It hadn't been that long since they'd arrived in Vestoria, yet they had made remarkable progress. What had begun with reviving ancient Bakugan as "Bakugan Traps" had rapidly evolved into the creation of "Battle Weapons," artificial Bakugan designed purely for combat. 

Watching Professor Clay, Faye felt both admiration and a hint of dread. Such an achievement… 

Her thoughts were interrupted by his sharp voice. 

"Reduce the energy consumption of the launchers," he began, pausing briefly to think. "The issue isn't just overheating. Consolidate the firepower of two commands into one. This will maintain the same output while increasing efficiency." 

She paused again. What he said was true, but overheating remained an unsolved problem for now. 

Professor Clay, despite having numerous ideas in mind, felt he was still far from the ideal solution. For now, he decided to set the issue aside. Of course, he would return to it later. But this wasn't his only project. 

"How are the Farbas developments coming along?" he inquired. Faye immediately switched to another screen. Farbas, still in its prototype phase, was an AI model designed to address the problem of mechanical Bakugan being irreparable. 

"It's progressing as expected—flawlessly," Faye reported, pausing briefly before adding, "The only issue is deciding which Mechanical Bakugan to integrate it with…" 

Professor Clay cut her off with a mutter, "It's still not ready for the first model. While the damage detection system is fine, the repair speed is too slow. It needs to be increased by 200%." 

Faye was surprised. She had thought the repair speed was adequate but didn't dare question him. 

"Understood…" 

…

Amid the exhausting tasks of executing orders and distributing them to others, Faye barely had the capacity to think. Sweat dripped down her neck, staining the collar of her white lab coat gray. 

Even when she retreated to her room during a break, her mind was still focused on work. Professor Clay had little tolerance for mistakes, especially delays in the implementation of his inventions. 

This was why he always oversaw his creations directly. However, he often delegated the fine-tuning of minor details to his subordinates. His request to accelerate the repair speed of the nearly finished Farbas system was a prime example. 

Faye was one of those subordinates, and she didn't mind. As she reviewed her notes, her gaze fell on a photo on her desk. It showed her daughter, Esther, as a child. Her blue eyes sparkled with happiness, and her bright smile radiated joy. 

Then her eyes shifted to the man in the photo—her husband. The resemblance was undeniable; Esther's sapphire-like eyes were clearly inherited from him. He, too, wore a happy smile. 

A pang of guilt replaced her longing. 

"It should have been me…" she murmured. She believed it should have been her, not him, who died in that accident. 

The desire to exact retribution kept her going. All Bakugan… all those responsible for the accident… they were just as guilty as she was. Thinking this way made it easier. Yes… 

Taking deep breaths, she clenched her hand in anger, her gaze on the tablet hardening. Determined, she convinced herself she was on the right side. Enslaving Bakugan, even killing them if necessary—this was the penance they deserved. 

At that moment, she heard her door open. Turning her head sharply, she said, "I'm busy," but stopped mid-sentence. "Who are you?" 

Her thoughts scattered when she saw the person entering. With long pink hair and a fox-like mask covering the upper half of her face, it was Siren. 

Faye had heard of her—a promising Brawler, someone of a caliber she couldn't easily ignore. Perhaps she would even become one of the Vexos in the near future. Who could say? Not that Faye particularly cared. 

The real question was, what was she doing here? 

But the words she heard next shattered her thoughts. 

"Mother…" Siren murmured, her voice thick with emotion. Her trembling lips and posture were devoid of the confidence Faye had heard about. 

Faye narrowed her eyes. That tone, that stance… it couldn't be, could it? 

As the door closed automatically behind her, Siren removed her mask. Her tear-filled face, on the verge of breaking, was revealed. 

Faye froze. Her daughter… Esther… had come here.