A sharp laugh echoed across the battlefield.
It rang out again—mocking, high-pitched. Then came a blast. A wave of fire tore through the ranks of Ravagers, hurling burning bodies through the air.
Kael stood in the center of the chaos, flames crawling up his arms like living snakes.
Across the field, the Ravagers stirred.
Wolf-like, but wrong. Their fur was replaced by scales, their faces twisted into wide, grinning maws. They didn’t howl—they laughed.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
"This is annoying, Didn’t Eir say he chose this mission based on the weakest threats? How is Fire’s supposed to be their weakness."
One of the Ravagers lunged.
Kael didn’t move. His fist shot forward—one clean strike. The creature snapped backward, skidding across the ground like a broken toy.
A sharp crack echoed beside him.
Max stood at his flank, blaster raised. A shot had gone straight through a Ravager’s skull.
"Their heads. Fire doesn’t work on their bodies, but the skull’s a weak point. Also..."
He paused, scanning the treeline.
"The Ravagers aren’t the reason we’re here. It’s the Spinecrawler and the Scorchbloom."
"Yeah. I figured that out already. "
He turned his head slightly.
"I shouldn’t be here. The Obsidian Wretch was supposed to be mine."
A sudden gust tore through the field.
Kaius stood a few feet away, wind spiraling from his palm. It slammed into a pack of creatures, sending them flying.
"Why fight one Tier Four when you’ve got two of them here?"
His eyes had locked onto something in the distance.
It shimmered in the sunlight, flickering with fire and rot.
The Scorchbloom—a twisted mockery of a flower. Its body looked like a burning sunflower, but each petal bore a different face. Some screamed. Others smiled. Fire leaked from its roots, scorching every inch it touched. Wherever it stepped, the ground blackened, and flames grew behind.
Kael let out a breath and turned away.
"If you’re that confident, go handle it."
Kael rolled his shoulders.
"Fine. I’ll show you just how strong I’ve gotten. This kind of mess—shouldn’t happen again. Hope Eir’s watching."
Then he shot into the air, blast of fire bursting from his back as he streaked toward the horror.
Behind them, a girl stepped up beside Kaius. She didn’t blink. Not once.
He scanned the battlefield.
One of the Galeforce members slammed a Ravager to the ground. It looked like a simple hit—but the impact cracked the earth. Wind pressure did the rest.
Another figure moved behind him—a man wearing three layered hats, none of which ever seemed to fall off. Even when the wind howled in his face, the hats held fast. His arms cut through the air, sending wind arcs slicing through shell and scale alike.
Kaius turned back to the girl.
"You should head to the wall. If anything slips past us, you’ll be the last line."
She turned, her eyes as still as stone.
"Alright, But I don’t think anything will."
Then she walked away, never once blinking.
Laughter echoed again—closer this time.
Kaius turned, just as another Ravager burst from the smoke.
The air warped above him. Wind slammed downward, invisible and crushing. The Ravager hit the ground with a crack, its limbs splayed at odd angles.
Kaius raised a hand. A thin ribbon of wind twisted around his fingers, condensing into a narrow blade of pressure. He hurled it.
The Ravager’s head snapped back. Then it stopped moving.
"Maybe Kael was right. This is almost too easy."
His gaze swept the battlefield again.
Flames. Wind. Screams. Shattered bodies.
But something felt off.
He was sure Ash had been right there, holding the flank.
Ash stood deeper in the fray now, surrounded by Ravagers. His movement was sharp, almost surgical. Every strike hit the mark. The boy moved like he’d been doing this forever.
Despite being Stage One, his Vessel tier blazed higher than anyone else’s on the field—except for Kael.
Ash ducked under a swipe. His blade lashed out, piercing through a Ravager’s jaw. The creature dropped.
"[Gained 10 soul energy]"
He spun, kicked off another, and landed by a second one. This time, the blade punched through the side of its head.
"[Gained 10 soul energy]"
As Max had said—aim for the skull.
Ash wiped his blade across his sleeve and turned—only to freeze. A cold prickle ran down his neck
Something crawled into view.
Long, spiked limbs clattered against the iron wall of Ironhold. The creature moved like a nightmare—segment after segment unfolding, bones clicking as it climbed.
It looked like a centipede carved from bone, each step leaving grooves in the wall. Its many legs stabbed into the surface with mechanical precision, dragging its massive body higher and higher.
More followed behind it.
The Ravagers were just the beginning. The real problem was climbing the wall.
The wall was under siege.
Ash glanced around, cautious. His eyes locked with Kaius for a moment.
He wasn’t trying to hide the skill—not really.
But what would they say if they saw it? What would he say?
That girl—Julia, one of the Galeforce team—stood by the wall, watching the field. He could tell she wasn’t aware of the threat crawling right behind her.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"[Activating skill: Phantom’s Stride]"
His body blurred, then vanished.
Kaius blinked from across the field, eyes wide.
"Was that... wind? What kind of skill was that?"
Julia watched the chaos from her post, arms tense, breath steady. Nothing had broken through the line. Everything looked under control.
A few feet behind her, something crawled up the wall—slow, careful, quiet.
A Spinecrawler. Hidden in plain sight, its pale, segmented body blended perfectly with the wall. Its legs moved like fingers, searching and feeling.
Then bit into empty air.
She stumbled back, blinking.
Ash stood between her and the creature. He didn’t say anything. Just stared.
The Spinecrawler hissed, turning its head. Its black eyes locked on Ash.
Julia’s mouth opened slightly. She still hadn’t processed what just happened.
Ash didn’t look back.
"Get to the battle. I’ll handle this one."
Ash was a Stage One. She knew that.
But still... he had saved her and she didn’t want to look weak in front of another team.
"Let’s fight together."
Ash blinked. He hadn’t expected that.
The Spinecrawler reared up. Its long body snapped like a whip, and then it lunged.
"[Activating skill: Scorched Palm]"
Flames burst from his hand. His fist connected with the crawler’s skull in a single, brutal strike.
Bone and fire exploded across the wall.
"[Gained 10 soul energy]"
Julia raised her hand. The wind bent around her as she activated her own skill.
The fight wasn’t over.
But now, they weren’t alone.