The chaos of Laginaple was suffocating. Fire and ash rained from the skies like judgment. The stench of burning flesh and shattered sanctity lingered in the air, thick as smoke. The once-glorious capital had become a hellscape.
Shin and Laverna landed on the scorched cobblestones, their eyes darting through the madness. In the distance, pillars of flame pierced the heavens. Falzath—some monstrous and grotesque, others disturbingly humanoid—swarmed the city like a plague. They stalked the alleys and ruins with glee, drawn to the screams and despair.
Yuri stood in the middle of the chaos, her mantle billowing behind her, glyphs glowing across her arms as she directed the flow of citizens into the swirling portal. Her face was streaked with soot, but her eyes burned with unwavering resolve. Beside her, spellcasters formed a protective circle, their robes singed and their chants hoarse, overlapping into a desperate symphony of magic and willpower.
Amid the flurry, a thunderous roar echoed through the plaza. Guild Master Davis emerged from the smoke, his massive sword glowing faintly with sigils. He swung the blade with the might of a giant, cleaving through a charging Falzath with a single sweep. The sheer force of his strike sent a shockwave rippling across the ground, knocking enemies off balance.
"Hold the line! Protect the sorcerers! We are the Hunters Guild!" Davis bellowed, his voice cutting through the noise like a war horn.
The Hunters nearby rallied at the sound of their Guild Master. Morale surged as Davis stepped beside Yuri, his blade resting on his shoulder. "You keep those people moving. We'll handle the rest."
Yuri nodded, not missing a beat. "I'm counting on you, Davis. We all are."
Suddenly, a massive humanoid Falzath leaped toward the circle. Before it could reach them, a golden streak zipped across the battlefield.
CLANG!
Shin, in his fox form, appeared in a blur, cleaving the creature in two with a single arc of Yoshimatsu. The blade shrieked through the air, its crimson lightning crackling and igniting nearby rubble. The ground behind him cracked from the force of his dash.
Yuri's eyes widened at the sight of him. "What... what is that form?"
"I'll explain later!" Shin shouted. "Right now, we've got more important things to deal with."
Laverna vaulted beside him, her jamadhars cutting through a shrieking Falzath as she protected a family fleeing toward the portal. She spun midair, slashing again, her blade sending a shockwave through a line of encroaching enemies. The impact tore through a nearby wall, dust and debris cascading around them like a sandstorm.
Several nearby Hunters, hardened by battle but quietly envious of the prestige Shin and Laverna held in the Guild, witnessed the duo's ruthless efficiency with stunned silence. Watching them fight—like figures of myth made flesh—burned away all doubt. They had earned their place.
From across the square, Guild Master Davis caught sight of them and a grin broke across his soot-streaked face. Relief flickered in his eyes. "You two made it…" he muttered to himself. Shouldering his massive sword like Siegfried reborn, he charged back into the fray, carving a path through Falzath with each thunderous swing.
He turned briefly toward Shin and Laverna. "I owe you both an apology—"
"Save it for later!" Shin interrupted, voice sharp. "We've got bigger problems!"
Guild Master Davis stared at Shin, an amused glint in his eye. In that moment, he saw not just the boy—but a reflection of Murasabe, Shin's late father. The resemblance in strength, in presence, in spirit—it was uncanny.
"Heh," Davis muttered with a nostalgic smirk, hefting his enormous sword. "Just like your old man."
Without another word, he turned to the charging horde. A pack of humanoid Falzath screeched, rushing toward him.
Davis roared and charged into their ranks like a living battering ram. His greatsword whistled through the air and cleaved the first Falzath in two—clean from shoulder to hip—with a sickening crunch. Blood and dark ichor exploded into the air. The next swipe decapitated another, its head spinning through the ash like a meteor. He spun, crashing his blade into the ground, causing a shockwave that sent the rest flying.
Shin and Laverna moved like lightning, dancing through the battlefield with lethal grace. Each of Shin's strikes caused shockwaves that cracked the pavement. Every kick and punch Laverna delivered ricocheted against the stone, crumbling statues, and pillars as she flipped and tumbled across the chaos.
A group of human-like Falzath, pale and armored in blackened steel, stood ahead. They moved with precision and intelligence, far more dangerous than their savage brethren.
"These ones think," Laverna muttered.
"Then they can feel fear," Shin replied, narrowing his eyes.
The battle erupted. Shin vanished and reappeared in front of one of the humanoids, slicing upward. A wave of energy followed, cleaving through three buildings behind them. Rubble crashed, sparks flew, and smoke engulfed the battlefield.
Laverna weaved between two of them, her jamadhars gleaming. She ducked under a swing, drove her elbow into the Falzath's gut, then vaulted onto its shoulders, plunging both blades into its skull. As it crumpled, she leapt off and rolled beside Shin.
"They're not slowing down," she said between breaths.
Shin gritted his teeth. "We hold until the last soul is through."
A massive explosion rocked the western side of the square. A sorcerer screamed as a Falzath broke through the defenses. But before it reached the portal, Mira appeared—her halberd cleaving it clean in half, energy dispersing in a thunderous burst. Tove followed, firing a volley of crossbow bolts that pinned several others to the collapsing walls.
From Valdorne's side of the portal, the Fourth Talon had joined the fight.
"We're not letting you two have all the fun!" Mira shouted.
"The line holds here!" Olga barked, her hair flashing gold as electricity surged through her veins. Her fists crackled with lightning, each punch striking like a thunderclap.
She charged forward with a roar, executing a brutal lariat through a cluster of grunt Falzaths, the force sending them soaring through the air like ragdolls. The ground beneath her trembled with each electrified step.
Together, the Hunters pushed forward. Lyssa hurled enchanted daggers that detonated midair, lighting the ruins in green flame. Dalen and Rynn fought back-to-back, a flurry of steel and elemental fury. Tove shot a charging Falzath with her homing arrows, holding the line long enough for the evacuees to pour in behind her.
But the city groaned. A deep, echoing rumble surged through the streets. From the castle, the sky darkened further.
A roar shattered the sound barrier.
Every Falzath froze.
Shin looked up as the clouds spiraled above the throne. A shape moved in the gloom—a being cloaked in obsidian and violet flame.
"Something's coming," Laverna said, gripping his arm.
"Something worse."
Yuri's voice rang out: "That's the signal! The last refugees are through! Everyone! Fall back!"
The portal flickered.
"GO!" Olga yelled.
Shin turned to Laverna. "We're not done yet. But for now, we live."
Everyone sprinted for the portal, the roar behind them rising like a tidal wave. Shin and Laverna are jumping last.
As they leapt through the rift, a violet explosion tore through the ruins of Laginaple.
Then—
Darkness.