NOVPUBBOOM!
Drake landed at the center of the cathedral ruins in a swirl of frost and shattered stone. His arrival was like a winter storm—icy wind howling through the cracks in the cathedral as his presence spread across the battlefield.
"Zara!" he shouted.
"I'm fine!" she called back, frost clinging to her arms.
Drake nodded as his gaze zeroed in on the shirtless man standing so casually in the wreckage with an amused smile.
Although he was outnumbered, Garren Hale didn't seem threatened in the slightest. It was as if he had expected them—which was true in a way, as the leader of the Broken Claw had no idea that the prominent members of the team had gone out for negotiation with the Scavengers.
An intense wave of anger stirred within Drake's heart when he saw the cocky grin on the enemy's face. The bastard who dared lay his hands on his sister.
His expression darkened even further, and his mana flared like a tidal wave, frost crawling out from his feet in all directions.
"Wonderful," Garren said with a smirk. "Now it's a full reunion."
"I'm going to freeze that smug face off your skull," Drake said coldly.
"Promises, promises." Garren cracked his knuckles.
Valkor stepped forward next, eyes blazing with purple flame. "So you're the one who dared to touch my friend, huh? Prepare to die!"
Garren looked amused. "All of you? Against me? Well, I'm not complaining. It's perfect."
As for Nyxirith, the Shadow Princess didn't say a word. She simply blurred into shadows and vanished from sight.
Celestis raised her hand, summoning twin whips of water that lashed at the corrupted soldiers.
Raziel, still panting from the clash, called out in a somewhat strained voice, "Focus on the commander! We'll handle the minions!"
"Understood!" Drake growled. With a flick of his wrist, a dozen frost lances exploded into existence and rained down toward Garren like icy spears.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Garren stepped forward. With one arm raised, a barrier of corrupted flame spun into existence, absorbing the impact in a wave of heat and darkness.
FWOOSH!
Celestis charged in from the side, water slicing like whips.
Although she struck fast, Garren grabbed the water mid-air and the blue turned pitch black.
Celestis's eyes widened in shock.
"What—?"
BOOM!
She was abruptly caught as the enemy whipped the corrupted water, hurling it right back at her.
BOOM!
Celestis flew backward, smashing into a pillar.
Valkor's eyes flashed dangerously.
He didn't wait. Purple flames engulfed his body.
The Flame Prince charged.
WHAM!
Valkor collided with Garren, their fists meeting in the middle of the battlefield with enough force to shake the entire abandoned cathedral.
Zara quickly darted to Celestis, helping her up.
"You okay?"
"Y-Yeah... just caught off guard," Celestis winced, wiping blood from her lips.
Meanwhile—
Elise had already recovered. She summoned her flaming spear and shouted, "Drake! Push him back!"
Drake nodded without hesitation as he rained down a flurry of punches and kicks on the enemy.
Together, Drake and Valkor unleashed their power. 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!!
Frost and fire slammed into Garren from both directions.
At first, it seemed like they were gaining the upper hand.
But then...
Garren smiled.
His body began to mutate. The dark scales across his chest expanded. His corrupted aura flared like wildfire.
Everyone flinched back momentarily when they saw what was happening, their guard rising.
"You wanna see what I really look like?" he asked, his voice echoing across the entire building like that of an evil god.
SHRRRRRIP!
His muscles bulged. Black veins pulsed. Horns pushed out from his forehead. Wings—skeletal and scorched—erupted from his back.
The hearts of everyone skipped a beat when they saw this form.
"H-Humanoid!" someone muttered, arms trembling and a puddle of water beneath their feet.
"Let's raise the stakes," Garren growled.
The atmosphere turned heavy. Even the corrupted soldiers halted.
At that precise moment, Nyxirith emerged from the shadows behind Garren, aiming to pierce him through the back with her dagger.
But—
SLAM!
Garren's tail whipped out, smashing her into a wall before she could react.
"Nice try," he sneered.
"Damn it—" Nyxirith coughed.
Drake gritted his teeth. "Everyone! Pull back!"
"But—!" Valkor protested.
"I said pull back!" Drake shouted while clenching his fist. From his position, he could sense that the aura Garren emitted was the same as the one from the commander.
The others hesitated for a bit, but they retreated several steps, regrouping near the back of the hall. Lumi extended the barrier around them, panting hard.
"We can't take him in that form," Drake said. "Not without a plan."
Valkor clenched his jaw. He was about to say something when suddenly—
Garren raised his hand.
Dark energy spiraled at his fingertips, forming a massive orb above his head.
"I call this one, Black Sun," he whispered. The orb grew and grew until it threatened to consume the ceiling itself.
"Shit," Raziel muttered. "That'll wipe out everything."
"Move! Split up!" Drake ordered in a panicked voice.
The group scattered—just as the orb crashed down.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The cathedral exploded.
Walls caved in. The floor shattered. Dust and corruption swallowed the sky.
It took several seconds for the smoke to settle.
Drake pulled himself from the rubble, blood trickling down his forehead and frost cracked along his arms. His ears rang from the explosion, and for a moment, everything around him was a blur. He glanced around, vision hazy.
But then he heard it—the coughs, the groans, the sharp intakes of breath.
Drake pulled himself from the rubble, blood trailing down the side of his face. His arms trembled as he pushed a broken slab of stone off his chest.
"Zara!" he shouted hoarsely, coughing as dust entered his lungs—but no one answered.
He staggered forward, eyes wide, frost flaring wildly from his body as panic began to sink in. Cracks ran deep in the floor, smoke rose from the shattered walls.
Here and there, he could spot the others—Raziel was barely crawling, Valkor lay against a broken column groaning, Lumi was holding her shoulder with a grimace.
Every other person was present—some seriously injured, others with uneven breathing.
Drake could see that a few of them had even died.
But he didn't have time to grieve because...
Zara, Elise, Nyxirith, and Celestis were nowhere to be seen.
His chest tightened.
"Zara!" he shouted again, louder this time. He summoned a burst of frost to clear more debris, shoving rocks aside with desperation.
Still no answer.
"No… no, no, no—that bastard!"
