The first wave of wolves reached them.

  They came like a black tide spilling across the plains, claws tearing into the earth as they sprinted toward the city. Their howls overlapped into a single distorted roar.

  Khiel did not even look impressed.

  The blades circling him shifted.

  The metal rang softly as the spiral widened, dozens of weapons spreading outward like petals unfolding around a steel flower.

  Then he flicked two fingers forward, and the storm of blades descended

  Khiel's blades shot into the charging wolves in streaks of silver and spell-light. Explosions erupted in the pack as embedded runes triggered one after another, ripping apart clusters of Dusk-creatures before they could even reach striking distance.

  Fire blossomed, lightning cracked.

  Bodies tumbled across the field as the first rank of wolves was simply erased.

  Khiel rotated his wrist.

  The blades returned to him like hunting birds before launching again in a wider arc, cutting across the next wave.

  "Keep them off the walls," he muttered.

  The storm of blades intensified.

  The metal flashed across the battlefield in controlled sweeps, detonations bursting through the pack like thunderclaps. Wolves were cut down mid-stride, skewered through skulls and spines before they could even howl.

  The air around Khiel whined with spinning steel.

  Next to him, Naro watched for only a moment.

  Then he looked up to see the Shade continuing its descent.

  Each beat of its wings crushed the air beneath it, sending pressure waves rippling across the plains. The creature's vast silhouette swallowed what little starlight pierced Gaon's endless night.

  Naro rolled his shoulders once.

  "Well," he muttered, "no point waiting."

  He placed the ricasso of the blade in his left hand as if he was unsheathing it again.

  "Heat up."

  Authority flowed from his chest and down his arm like molten current. The volcanic limb pulsed faintly as the power traveled into the blade.

  A dull red glow crawled along its blackened length, and the temperature climbed.

  The glow deepened into orange, the edge brightening further until the steel turned nearly white, the heat distorted the air around it in wavering ripples.

  Naro pulled the sword out of his left hand's grip, now looking more like a blade made out of starfire.

  He grinned.

  The ground beneath his feet cracked as he launched himself upward with The Dash, tearing him forward in violent bursts of speed, the sudden movement ripping a trail of scorched dust behind him as he shot skyward toward the descending monster, making the wind screaming past his ears.

  The Shade turned its head instantly wiht unsettling precision, its enormous amber eyes locking onto the incoming knight.

  Naro's eyes widened, 'Scary!'

  The first clash came fast.

  He dashed again midair, twisting around a snapping jaw large enough to swallow him whole.

  He dashed time and time again until he was on the creature's back, then ran toward the left wing, the molten blade extended with the help of Storm Strike, and cut downward in a giant blazing arc toward the nearest wing.

  A line of burning light carved across the membrane as the superheated edge sliced through flesh tougher than steel. 'Still not enough...'

  The Shade roared, the sound of it rolled across the battlefield like a distant thunder.

  Its wing jerked violently, the sudden shift in air pressure nearly throwing Naro off balance.

  "That's what I wanna hear!" Naro shouted.

  He dashed again.

  The second strike came from the opposite angle, the heated blade flashing toward the joint where the wing met bone.

  The creature twisted.

  A claw the size of a cart wheel swept toward him.

  Naro barely avoided it, its talons passed inches from his breast plate, the force of the swing sending a shockwave through the air. The turbulence flipped him end over end before he regained control mid-dash.

  'So fast! Even with that size, its speed and reaction time is fast!'

  Below them the battlefield raged.

  Khiel's storm of blades continued to carve through the wolves, explosions flashing across the dark plains as he held the advancing pack at bay.

  'I'm almost done here, I'll support him afterwards.'

  He frowned 'Still...what's taking Agir and Yidra so long? I don't have the communicator like Naro does, so I can't even ask about their situations.'

  Khiel grit his teeth. "Pisses me off..."

  Soaring blades had no one else to blame but himself, however. He refused the communicators because he thought it would've disturbed his control over his swords.

  Far above that chaos, the real duel had begun.

  The Shade climbed higher, then it folded its wings and lunged.

  The creature moved with terrifying speed for something its size, closing the distance in an instant.

  Naro reacted instinctively and shot sideways as the jaws snapped shut where he had been a heartbeat before.

  The knight countered immediately, twisting his body and driving the molten blade toward the creature's wing again.

  The edge struck, and this time the cut ran much deeper.

  The burning metal tore through the outer membrane, molten sparks scattering through the night air.

  The Shade recoiled with a furious roar.

  For a moment, Naro thought he might actually sever the wing.

  Then the creature adapted, it closed the wound and waited for him to come into range.

  And when Naro did so...

  The talons closed, the massive claws slammed around him like iron bars, pinning his arms against his body before he could react.

  Naro's eyes widened. 'Damnation.'

  The world tilted.

  The Shade beat its wings once, then twice then thrice.

  Then it dove.

  The air howled past them as the creature folded its wings and became a falling spear of scale and muscle. The ground rushed upward, the plains swelling rapidly beneath them as gravity seized both hunter and prey.

  Naro felt the pressure and win slamming into his armor, the force of the dive trying to rip the breath from his lungs.

  The Shade's claws were locked around his torso like iron bars. His right arm was pinned close to his side, the Sky-Fell Sword trapped between his body and the creature's grip.

  'Never thought I'd be in this situation one day...'

  Naro bared his teeth.

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  The ground was approaching far too fast.

  He twisted his wrist.

  "Storm Strike."

  The blade extanded forward with its Runes flaring, the edge surging out along the line of his momentum as if the air itself carried the cut onward.

  The thrust ripped across one of the Shade's talons, a line of incandescent metal tore through the scaled claw.

  Black blood sprayed into the wind, making the Draconic being shriek.

  The grip loosened for half a heartbeat.

  That was all Naro needed.

  He dashed away, the sudden burst of motion ripping him free of the creature's grasp in a violent sideways streak.

  Naro shot out of the dive like a slingshot release.

  Behind him the Shade's claws snapped shut on empty air, but the creature had already committed to the plunge.

  The ground roared upward.

  Naro twisted midair just in time to see the dragonlike horror slam downward.

  The impact came like a falling mountain.

  The plains exploded.

  The stone shattered outward in a circular shockwave, dirt and debris blasting skyward as the Shade's body cratered into the earth. The shockwave struck Naro moments later and hurled him through the air like a ragdoll.

  'Dang it!'

  He tumbled violently, struggling to reorient as the sky and ground spun around him, he deactivated the Molten Sword ability in fear he might cut his own limbs.

  Then something rose beneath him.

  Stone surged upward from the shattered earth in thick geometric plates, assembling themselves in a layered ramp that intercepted his fall.

  Naro hit the construct hard.

  The impact drove the air from his lungs, but the stone held long enough to bleed away the worst of the momentum.

  He rolled across the surface and slid to a stop.

  The construct shattered immediately afterward.

  Chunks of rock collapsed into dust as the force of the dive finally caught up to it.

  Naro coughed once and pushed himself upright.

  "Thank you..."

  A familiar voice answered from nearby.

  "Consider it a professional courtesy."

  A massive pillar of shaped earth stood a short distance away, its surfaces cut into precise angles like sculpted armor plates. At its peak stood a heavily armored figure, one hand still raised from the Authority-command that had formed the construct.

  Naro grinned despite the pain in his ribs.

  Astor did not smile, well Naro couldn't see his smile either to be fair with his helmet covering it.

  Earth-shifter's gaze was already fixed on the crater ahead.

  The ground trembled as dust rolled outward as something enormous began to rise.

  The Shade burst from the shattered crater with a violent beat of its wings, scattering boulders like thrown pebbles. The talon Naro had cut still bled thick black fluid, but the creature's movements had not slowed in the slightest.

  It regenerated the limb, and locked its burning eyes onto Naro again.

  The Slayer stared at it back, he could feel its hatred, recognition...and something deeper?

  Astor whistled. "You did say it targeted you but I didn't think it was that bad. It's looking at you like you owe it gold coins."

  "Yeah," Naro replied, lifting the Sky-Fell sword once more with a smile. "I noticed."

  'That thing made me think I'd be advantageous by targeting the wings, but it was a trap to smash me down. It even regenerated the damage I've dealt to it.'

  Moreover it adapted to Naro's movements faster than he had anticipated. 'Fucking hell...'

  Unaware and uncaring for his thoughts, the Shade lunged, its wings snapped open and it surged forward with terrifying speed, claws reaching for him again.

  Astor moved first. "CONSECUTIVE WALLS!"

  The stone erupted from the ground in towering walls, angular constructs rising in layers between Naro and the incoming monster.

  The Shade did not slow and smashed through the first wall like brittle glass.

  The second shattered beneath its weight.

  The third lasted only a fraction longer before splintering apart under the impact of scale and muscle.

  Astor's constructs collapsed one after another as the creature tore through them in a straight line toward its target.

  'Yeah if it were mine it would be destroyed even faster, looks like using Molten Sword is the best choice right now.'

  Naro inhaled slowly.

  "Heat up." The blade responded to his command and did so.

  He lowered his stance as the dragon burst through the final wall of stone.

  "Round two you damn lizard!" he shouted.

  Far across the battlefield, on the eastern rampart

  The cannons roared.

  Great pillars of flame tore across the night sky as the first artillery volley struck the advancing wolves. The explosions burst among the black tide in waves of burning light, bodies thrown through the air as the spells detonated across the plains.

  At the center of the rampart stood Yidra, wearing standard issued armor. She did not care much about her protection because her Thousand Eyes could see if she was going to be harmed or not.

  And besides, being an Ascendant meant her body was tougher than the average Gaonian.

  Her blue blindfold and short black hair fluttered faintly in the wind as another cannon discharged beside her.

  Yidra had no need to truly look at the battlefield, her threads of perception due to her Thousand Eyes stretched outward from her like an invisible web, the thin tethers linked her senses to soldiers scattered across the plains. Through them she felt the motion, direction, and the hundreds of shifting positions that flowed through her mind all at once.

  So she realized something. 'Those things are not random at all, is it their intelligence? Or the fact that the Shade commanded them?'

  Yidra moved her blindfold so one of her golden eyes could see the battlefield. 'Yeah, they're controlled by it, it seems. Its Authority-signature is shared among them.'

  The short-black haired Ascendant adjusted the angle of the cannon slightly.

  "Three degrees left," she said.

  The magus beside her shifted the targeting rune accordingly.

  Yidra raised her hand and placed it against the activation sigil carved into the cannon's spine.

  Behind her, three other magi stood close, palms pressed to the mana relay rings that circled the weapon. Their energy fed directly into the mechanism, streams of borrowed mana pouring through the engraved channels.

  The cannon trembled.

  "E L E K T R A - T A R U N."

  Yidra fired.

  Lightning erupted from the barrel in a blinding spear of blue-white energy that streaked across the battlefield before detonating directly in the path of a rushing pack.

  The wolves disintegrated in the blast, but more rushed behind them with fervent hunger.

  "Again."

  The magi behind her exhaled sharply but did not withdraw their hands. Mana surged once more into the weapon as the next spell gathered.

  Yidra tilted her head slightly.

  One tether twitched, another shifted direction, a third vanished entirely.

  Her expression hardened. 'Thank you for your services.'

  Casualties were always going to happen, Yidra knew that more than anyone else. But sharing the sight of someone also means sharing their pain, despite her twenty-five years of living, she never became habituated to it.

  "They're trying to split," she said, with a calm poker face.

  A soldier nearby turned toward her. "Where?"

  Yidra pointed without hesitation.

  "They're approaching the south where Khiel, Naro and Astor are located. They're trying to slip through the dead ground between the artillery lanes."

  "You heard miss Yidra! Block the gaps!" The officer barked.

  Yidra had already turned back to the cannon.

  "F Y R O S."

  Another spell tore into the plains.

  On the western rampart, sparks danced across engraved metal.

  Agir crouched beside one of the cannons with a small engraving tool in hand, the tip glowing faintly as he carved new lines directly into the rune plate.

  His goggles reflected the orange light of the battlefield.

  "Hold it steady," he muttered.

  Two magi knelt beside him, gripping the cannon's frame while he worked. The weapon hummed softly as mana circulated through its existing circuits.

  Agir etched the final line and blew lightly across the surface, clearing away a thin layer of glowing dust.

  The rune array pulsed.

  He grinned. "There we go!"

  One of the magi looked uncertain. "You're already done?!"

  Agir tapped the plate proudly.

  "I modified the mana distribution, stabilized the core rune, and secured the emergency venting. You know it only needs two of you instead of eight to fire one canon!"

  The Magus blinked. "...You're serious?"

  Agir stood and slapped the side of the cannon. "Try it!"

  The two magi placed their hands on the relay rings.

  The weapon hummed and the spell chamber ignited instantly.

  Both of them stared.

  "It works! You're amazing, Agir!"

  The young Ascendant put his hands on his hips and smiled smugly.

  "Yes, yes sing me praises...after you're done killing those mutts!" He pointed toward the battlefield with a now serious expression.

  "Now get back to work!" Agir barked.

  The Magi paled and immediately fired the canons, the explosive spells streaked across the plains and detonated among the wolves.

  A shout of relief broke out among the rampart crew.

  Agir adjusted his scarf as he turned toward the next cannon.

  "Still...why are we following the orders of that shortstack?" One Magus whispered to his colleague.

  The girl stared at him like he was crazy, "Are you slow?? Sir Agir's an Ascendant, and is in charge of this rampart! It was in the letter!"

  The Magus looked at Agir, then back at her, then back at Agir, then back at her.

  "...I'm sorry but this guy does not look like one at all."

  Agir frowned. 'Do they think I'm deaf?! You're on the list now, bowl cut.'

  "ACK- urghhhh...!" One of the magi nearby collapsed to their knees.

  He looked at them with a forlorn expression. 'Mana exhaustion.'

  Agir sighed. 'If only there were two of me's in the world...'

  "I'm coming! Stay where you are and breathe deeply!"

  He stepped over and placed both hands on the exhausted magus's shoulders.

  "Mending Pincers."

  From behind his back, two faint orange spectral pincers formed, shaped from shimmering Authority.

  The constructs closed gently around the magus's back.

  A blue nergy surged, and color rushed back into the soldier's face as the drained mana circuits rapidly stabilized and refilled.

  The magus gasped.

  "I-what did you-"

  Agir was already walking away. "If you're thankful, share the name of my workshop to everyone you know. Now get back to your post."

  He pointed at another cannon.

  "And someone start that one up before the wolves reach the wall!"

  Across the western rampart, the artillery roared again.

  Between Yidra's precise targeting in the east and Agir's frantic modifications in the west, Almati's defenses continued to thunder against the advancing tide.

  In the north rampart

  Zoldyk had seen enough. that desert dweller proved herself a better commandant than he was.

  As much it pained him to admit that, what pained him the most was not being able to do anything.

  He inhaled, then exhaled. "let go of me," the instructor said calmly to the two guards holding him.

  '...They do not seem to hear me, there's a lot of noise I agree, but still!'

  'They're next to me!'

  He raised his voice a little, trying to sound pleasant as he could "Excuse me, guards could you let go of me? I have reflected on my behaviour, and want to assist... Comm...ander.... Rami."

  The guards did not budge.

  'THOSE DAMN LITT-'

  "Let him go," Rami said, while firing another Elektra at the wolves.

  "If he tries anything I will be able to deal with it," she said in an even tone.

  The guards hesitated then let go of Zoldyk with a small shove.

  He fixed his clothes and his hair, then eventually walked with no care in the world. The Magi turned to him with a scowl, but immediately focused back on the battle, he seemed no longer important in their eyes.

  '...'

  Eventually he arrived next to the new commander.

  "Elektra, right?" Zoldyk asked.

  Rami nodded "That is exactly it."

  He recited the same spell incantation, but instead of forming it like a bow and arrow, the form seemed like a sphere made of thunder.

  Zoldyk fired the spell in the newly-formed vortex the Magi had created, it dealt a lot of damage to the pack, but not as much as she did, depsite him having more experience.

  "Hm...as I had thought, you have more proficiency with this spell than others." he said while glancing at her

  She chuckled while firing another lightning arrow, "I have more proficiency with lightning spells and healing spells as a whole. It was always like that even as a kid."

  He looked back at the wolves with half-lidded eyes and a resigned expression, his crimson scarf fluttering in the wind.

  "...Could you tell me more about Rit as we fight?" He asked with no malice nor joy in his voice.

  Rami kept her smile, "Sure, though I'm gonna need to issue orders, so I hope you'll be fine if I don't speak to you at times!"

  The instructor smiled faintly. "I'm fine with that, Miss Rami."