"Damn it!" Larick hissed, stepping back to reassess his stance. The knuckle-wielding clone pressed the attack, throwing a flurry of punches that Larick barely managed to deflect, his twin swords moving in a desperate blur.
He cast a quick glance toward Cassian, hoping to see some sign of progress. "Whatever you're doing," he muttered through gritted teeth, "do it faster!"
Cassian struggled against his clone, the fight clearly turning against him. Without his Domain aiding him in defense, the clone's relentless attacks left numerous wounds on his body. However, thanks to his immunity to pain, the injuries didn't slow him down much, though they painted a grim picture of his condition.
Blocking another fierce strike, Cassian's smirk returned despite his bloodied state. His face, veins popping from exertion and anger, twisted into an expression of mockery as he stared at the clone's identical visage.
"They should've at least tried to make you as handsome as me," he sneered, his tone dripping with derision.
The taunt struck a nerve. The clone's expression twisted with fury as it shoved Cassian back, charging at him with renewed aggression. Its blade came down in a brutal arc, but Cassian, still smirking, deftly deflected the strike to the side.
With a smooth, almost leisurely motion like a flowing leaf, he stepped into the clone's guard. His sword moved with deadly precision, plunging into the clone's chest as it stumbled forward, unable to recover from its overextended attack.
Cassian leaned in slightly, watching as the light faded from his doppelgänger's eyes. "Guess that's the difference between the original and a cheap copy," he muttered, yanking his blade free as the clone crumpled to the ground.
Cassian's eyes shifted to the bag slung over his shoulder, now alive with activity. Colorful lights shimmered and glowed brighter and brighter, signaling that the process had begun. His gaze moved to the clone he had just slain. Without hesitation, he tore into its chest, pulling out the still-beating heart.
Opening the glowing bag, its swirling lights of different colors casting an eerie glow on his bloodied face, Cassian held the warm heart in his hand. His Domain's deep red energy began to flow toward it, seeping into the organ and causing it to glow with the same crimson hue. Once the transformation was complete, he tossed the now-pulsating heart into the bag.
"It's done," he muttered to himself, then shouted, "Everyone, get ready! Let's meet on the other side!"
With those words, Cassian hurled the glowing bag into the sky. The lights within intensified, pulsing and shifting faster and faster. The colors sharpened into a brilliant white light that pierced through the canopy of tall trees, growing so bright it was blinding to anyone who dared to look directly at it.
Suddenly, the light became unstable, as if it could no longer be contained within the bag. In an instant, it exploded with an immense wave of energy. The surrounding treetops disintegrated into dust in the blink of an eye, the force of the blast leaving a barren circle in the once-dense forest.
Far away, in a vast clearing where one of the five massive transporter doors stood, a loud cracking sound echoed. The guards stationed nearby turned toward the source in surprise, their expressions shifting to shock as they saw a large fracture running down one of the towering pillars of the door.
Before they could react, the entire structure erupted. The black material of the transporter door shattered violently, sending shards flying in all directions as the ground quaked beneath their feet. The sheer force of the explosion was overwhelming, and the transporter gate nearby wasn't spared—it cracked under the pressure, groaning as fractures spread across its surface.
But the destruction didn't end there. Moments later, another blast followed, this one far more devastating. Unlike the raw force of the first explosion, this one unleashed a fiery inferno, consuming everything in its radius. Flames roared to life, engulfing the surroundings in a blinding burst of heat and light, followed by a deafening roar as the second explosion obliterated anything left standing.
Evans was in his office when the first blast reached his ears, shaking the ground and rattling the windows. Shocked, he immediately moved toward the exit, but before he could make it far, the second explosion erupted. Even at nearly half a kilometer away, the sheer force of the blast sent a powerful shockwave barreling toward him, pushing him back. The intense heat from the explosion scorched the air, making his skin prickle painfully as if it might burn.
Instinctively, Evans cloaked himself in his dark green Domain, shielding his body from the worst of the heat. His voice rang out, sharp and urgent, "What happened?"
A mage came rushing into view, his face pale and panicked. "We're not sure, sir!" he stammered. "The blast came from the Den of Fairies. We were conducting the final test there…"
Evans's eyes narrowed as he absorbed the mage's panicked explanation. His voice was cold and commanding as he barked, "Find out exactly what happened! Get me a report from the observers monitoring that training ground—now!"
The mage nodded hastily and rushed off, his robes flapping as he disappeared into the chaos. Evans turned his gaze toward the source of the explosions, but his view was obscured. A massive cloud of dust hung over the area where the five teleport gates once stood, making it impossible to discern the extent of the damage.
Evans frowned deeply, his concern growing as he assessed the situation. With a sharp motion, he summoned a long, gleaming shaft into his hands—a weapon as much as a symbol of his authority. Gripping it tightly, he turned to another subordinate who approached nervously.
"After you get the full report, find Sir James," Evans ordered, his tone brooking no argument. "I want him here immediately."
The subordinate nodded and hurried off, leaving Evans alone for a moment. He exhaled sharply, frustration etched across his face.
"Why now?" he muttered to himself, his grip tightening on the shaft. "Why did this shit have to happen when we were just done?"
The weight of the situation bore down on him, but Evans forced himself to focus. Whatever had caused the catastrophe, it wasn't over yet.