The dark clouds were back, covering the city sky. Houses devoid of people had no light, letting darkness swallow the city whole.
But the darkness only made the sole light stand out more beautifully. Around the Babel Tower, large magic lamps shone brightly, illuminating the tower and the 'Bridge of Heroes' where the last defenders of the city stood.
"Finn, everyone is here." Riveria's voice woke Finn from his prayer to the statue of Fianna.
"Phew… What about Freya Familia?" Finn asked.
"Still in their castle."
"Okay… looks like this is it." Finn took a deep breath and picked up his spear, crafted from materials sourced from Elanwood, the supposed birthplace of the legendary goddess Fianna and her knighthood.
As they walked to the temporary platform, Gareth joined them with his axe resting on his shoulder. The trio climbed the stairs, and the crowd immediately quieted upon seeing them.
Finn looked at the adventurers gathered below. They were nervous. The problem was… so was he. His eyes landed on Lefiya, clutching her wand and looking at him with hope. Finn knew he had to shift the mood.
"For all those who don't know, I am Finn Deimne, Captain of Loki Familia, and I will be commander of this battle." He introduced himself just to spark a sense of familiarity.
"All of you are high-level adventurers, so I'm sure you can feel it." Finn pointed upward, "The immense magic flowing in the clouds. This magic will summon an immensely strong monster. If not stopped, it will destroy this city—maybe even the world."
Finn paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
Clang!
He tapped his spear on the platform to halt their thoughts from spiraling into nightmare. "But before you give up… look around you. Look at the statues surrounding us. These people also faced monstrous foes that filled their hearts with fear. But they overcame those fears and chose to face the impossible. That is why they are heroes."
"So, adventurers of Orario—face this fear. Just like the day you first stepped into the dungeon. Just like the day you performed your first great deed. Fight with me. Give me your strength. And tomorrow… you won't need to look at statues to see heroes. You'll only need to look in a mirror."
Finn's shout ignited the fire in their spirits.
"FIGHT!"
"FIGHT!"
"FIGHT!"
-----------------------------------
Drip… Drip…
The familiar rain returned to Orario. The magic-filled droplets saturated the air with raw energy. A beautiful aurora shimmered above the Babel Tower as Frevius Clock Tower absorbed the abundant magic.
Riveria instructed the team of mages she would lead. Most of them were elves, who would follow her command without question.
As the time approached, adventurers took their positions.
The rain began to slow.
Riveria began chanting, and a massive magic circle spread underneath them.
Then—
BOOM!
The bells of ending times shook the air, making every adventurer tighten their grip on their weapons.
[The Last Wave Begins…]
[Started broadcasting: Low Audience detected in range]
Hermes, sitting inside the Guild, released his Arcanum for the broadcast.
[New Energy Source detected…]
[Increasing Broadcast Range]
[Adding Ranking Board]
Rank — Name — Kill Score — Achievements — Total Score
1 — Asterius — 3,735,082 — 800 — 4,535
2 — Ottar — 598,137 — 1300 — 1,898
3 — Riveria Ljos Alf — 1,584,879 — 300 — 1,885
The familiar broadcast screen appeared before the people of Orario—and even as far as Melen.
While the people of Melen were shocked, many assumed it was another War Game that the gods of Orario were staging. Which might also be the reason they were there in Melen.
"If this is here… does that mean we're included in the fight?" An injured Raul muttered, horrifying the others in their temporary shelter.
The same thought spread among many. Some gathered their families and rushed to the port, hoping to put more distance between themselves and Orario. Meanwhile, most gods decided to sit back and enjoy the show.
At the far end of the makeshift camps where the gods rested, cloaked individuals gathered around a map.
One pointed at a marked point. "This camp should be where goddess Loki is."
"This doesn't match the location of Loki Familia's main camp. Are you sure you saw her?" another asked.
"Nobody has seen Loki since she boarded the carriage in Orario. But look at the positions of the tents belonging to Loki Familia. This one is the second safest spot. And although they tried to hide it, I noticed there are always at least two second-strings guarding it." The first man spoke with complete confidence.
"Well… Loki is a scheming god, but we can't take chances." The leader spoke, his tone grim. "We'll hit this one first, then move to the main camp."
He looked at the others. "I'm sure all of you understand—we won't be coming back alive. But with the grace of our god, in death we will reunite with our loved ones."
Seeing their unwavering resolve, he nodded with satisfaction. "Now let's go and kill a god."
Similar plots were hatching across Orario.
The evil that had hidden beneath the surface for five years… was ready to rise again.
-----------------------------------
Finn was a man with one main goal—becoming a light for the Pallum. So when the time came to lead the fight, he knew he had to step up. His trusted instinct warned him the upcoming battle would be difficult, but in the end, they would win.
But instinct only warned of danger it could sense.
The swirling portal in front of him was a gateway from somewhere far—so far that his instinct didn't react until the humanoid leg stepped through.
Tread!
He unconsciously shifted his left leg back. This level of danger was unlike anything he had ever felt. The instant the opponent emerged from the portal, Riveria and her mage squad unleashed their magic.
Various spells amplified by Riveria's skill Alf Regina rained onto the humanoid figure.
The initial flashes of color were swallowed by the yellow flames of Riveria's magic. The blistering heat did nothing to calm Finn's anxiety; Gareth yanked him back as Finn's collar caught fire.
Gareth patted out the flame and grabbed Finn by the shoulder, forcing him to face him. Seeing Finn's grim expression, Gareth knew the situation was far worse than expected. Grabbing Finn's collar, Gareth slapped him across the face,"I don't know what your instinct is telling you, but now that you're in the fight, the only thing you need to do is lead. Even if you lead us to hell, know that I'll be at the forefront, like always."
Finn snapped out of his fear-stricken daze. Wiping his bloodied nose, he muttered, "You could've hit a little lighter, old man."
He smiled and focused on the flaming pillar."But… thanks. I know what I need to do."
Finn spun his spear and took his stance. "Now follow me to hell, old man."
The fiery wall of magic destabilized, rapidly shrinking until the monster was finally revealed.
A circular mirror with dragon carvings hovered in front of them. Once the last wisps of fire were pulled into it, the mirror crumbled into dust.
With it gone, they finally saw their opponent clearly.
He looked human—A muscular young man with long, dark blue hair. His gaze was sharp, eyes framed by black markings. His dark skin bore glowing light-blue patterns. His attire consisted of a high-collared black cloak covered in markings, sharp red claws around his neck, a sash around his waist, a gold arm ring around his right upper arm, and baggy patterned pants matching the rest of his outfit.
"That was not a nice way to welcome your guest. You're supposed to talk before you shoot," he said, sounding like a man in his twenties.
The fact that he talked at all was unexpected, but Finn felt he should try to stall—if only to buy time for the mages.
WHOOSH!
A yellow blur shot past him with terrifying speed, stirring a violent wind that forced Finn to squint. But he didn't need to see to know who it was.
Ais Wallenstein.
The wind wrapped around her like a living tornado, tearing apart the ground beneath her. She let the black flame in her heart consume everything, and in return the storm grew sharper, wider, faster. Her rapier aimed straight for the man's chest.
Despite the incoming storm of wind, the man remained calm. The tip of the tornado reached his chest—
CLANG!
He caught the rapier with his right hand, stopping Ais instantly. The wind continued roaring behind him, ripping apart the ground, but to him it was merely a breeze fluttering his cloak.
"Too immature." He yanked the rapier to the side, pulling Ais with it. She raised her leg and kicked at his face.
TING!
His other arm blocked her kick effortlessly. Pain shot through her leg—it felt like kicking solid steel.
Releasing the rapier, he placed his palm toward her stomach. A green magic circle bloomed.
Feeling the magic, Ais condensed air around her for defense.
"Air Burst."
A detonation erupted from his palm. Ais's body folded inward from the force before being launched backward through the air.
The yellow blur flew over the vanguard. A silver blur shot up from the ground— catching her. Together, the two were slammed into a building, which collapsed and buried them beneath rubble.
"Ais…" Tiona stepped forward, but a hand grabbed her neck.
Looking back, she saw her sister, Tione.
"Wait for captain's order."
The man rolled his shoulder, swinging his left arm to shake off the hit.
"Sorry about that. Can we still talk?" Finn called out, drawing his attention.
"Don't worry about it. It's natural to become irrational in the face of overwhelming power," the man replied. "You must be the leader here, kid."
"Yes, I am the leader. Finn Deimne, captain of Loki Familia." Finn joked, "I'm actually in my 40s. As a Pallum, I just look young."
"A Pallum? That's new." The man leaned forward, eyes glowing briefly. Finn flinched as the glow faded.
Satisfied, the man straightened up. "Never fought a Pallum before. Should be fun."
Adjusting his coat, he continued,"Since you introduced yourself, it's customary I do as well."
"My name is Brohmier Napolitan, Dragon of Destruction." He announced it like a new student introducing himself to a class.
Finn now understood why Ais had attacked so aggressively. "So, Mr. Napolitan… I know we have to fight. But is there any way to solve this peacefully?"
"No can do. I have to exterminate every one of you."Brohmier cracked his neck, the sound echoing."I've given you enough time to reorganize. Now—let's fight!"
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