Cani slid back. Flipping across the ground, digging her feet into the cobblestone path, her fists clenched, flames flickering at her knuckles. The distant sounds of chaos echoed through the trees, but her focus was honed on the two shadows moving toward her.
The first, a tall woman covered in sleek black armor, stepped forward. Her eyes glowed with a greenish hue, and her hands crackled with electricity.
"Name's Voltis, 5th Commander of Demon Lord Ikati's army… I heard you pack quite a punch, fire girl." Beside her, a smaller figure in a hood appeared, moving like a shadow. His voice was cold, almost emotionless.
"Grimsa, 6th Commander… I don't talk much, so let's get this over with." Cani's flames flared hotter, the ground beneath her feet beginning to smolder.
"You really think the two of you stand a chance?" Voltis smirked, raising her hand to unleash a bolt of lightning that crackled through the air.
"Oh, sweetheart, we do more than stand a chance. We thrive on it." Cani's heart raced, but her fire roared to life. Lightning and fire smoldered around Cani.
"Then let's see who burns out first."
Moon splashed violently into the water of the ruined harbor, staring out at the destruction that stretched before him. The wind whipped at his clothes, carrying the scent of salt and smoke. His eyes narrowed as two figures emerged from the shadows of the collapsing ships.
The first was a man towering over him, his muscles rippling under a heavy, iron-plated suit. He carried a massive war hammer slung over his shoulder and had a grin that reeked of arrogance. "Ragnar, 3rd Commander. They told me you're fast. That true?" Moon remained silent, his time mantra swirling subtly around him as he calculated his move. The second figure was smaller, more lithe, with dark green hair and a bow strapped to his back. He wore a sly smile, his eyes sharp and calculating.
"Don't waste your breath on him, Ragnar. I'm Sairen, 4th Commander, and I've seen what this one can do." He pulled an arrow effortlessly, pointing it directly at Moon's heart.
"He'll be more fun than you think." Moon's expression remained blank, his fingers twitching as time itself seemed to slow around them.
"Let's see if you can keep up." Ragnar slammed his hammer into the ground, cracking the stone beneath his feet, as Sairen's arrow whistled through the air. Moon's mantra surged in response, and the battle began.
Yuma slammed into the ground. Taking a few deep breaths and rising to his feet, his aura of reality manipulation pulsing around him like an invisible storm. The destruction surrounding him was a testament to Ikati's forces, but Yuma's focus was on the two figures standing atop the ruins of a crumbled fortress. Stopping him from getting to Ikati.
The first was Zarael, a man cloaked in dark red robes, his eyes cold and calculating. His presence felt oppressive, a crushing force that bent the air around him.
"I am the 1st Commander, Zarael. You must be the one Ikati warned us about…" Beside him stood Jinrik, the 2nd Commander, a massive figure whose entire body seemed to glow with raw, uncontained energy cracked his knuckles, smirking.
"You've got a reputation, kid, but we're here to end it. No hard feelings." Yuma's gaze locked onto Zarael, then Jinrik. His fists clenched, reality bending ever so slightly as he prepared for their assault.
"No hard feelings, huh? You'll regret underestimating me." Zarael's lips curled into a cold smile.
"We won't make that mistake." In an instant, Jinrik launched himself at Yuma, the ground shaking under the force of his charge, while Zarael extended his hand, conjuring a dark wave of energy. Yuma grinned, his mantra flaring.