People in the stands froze in terror. None of them understood what was happening—why the sky bled soundless, unstaining rain. Parents clutched their children tight. Lovers wrapped around each other. Some sat paralyzed, unable to move, while others scrambled to act.
In one of the VIP stands, Samwell rose sharply, muttering an spell under his breath. A thin shimmer spread around himself and Matthew as an invisible dome of wind took shape. "Wha-what is this?" Matthew stammered, fear raw in his voice.
"I do not know," Samwell replied, his tone firm, though his eyes narrowed, sharp and searching for any trace of danger.
In another VIP stand, Prince Mark acted quickly, pulling out a triangular tool, its blue crystal button glowing faintly. He pressed it without hesitation. "My G.E.A.R. will be here in minutes," he told his sister, steady but firm. "Stay close, Zara."
Zara nodded, though her jaw tightened. Her hands twitched as if to call her own, but she had nothing to call anymore.
In yet another VIP stand, Tianteng barked an order. "Protect the Emperor!"
The honor guard instantly tightened formation, shields locking together, spears raised to form a wall of steel around their ruler. "My Emperor, we must get you to safety," she urged, turning to him.
The Emperor stood, posture dignified even as unease flickered across his face. "Do you know what is happening?" he asked.
Tianteng's eyes flicked toward the blood rain before she gave a firm nod. "I do. Which is why we must move. Now."
The guards ushered him toward the coliseum's upper halls.
Elsewhere in the stands, Wolf shoved himself upright, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword as he ran toward the nearest exit. "Who the hell do you think you are, attacking us again?" he muttered, his voice low and dangerous.
Somewhere else in the stands, Zee, Larkin, and Nori reacted at once, all too familiar with what this meant. "Goddess, not again… how's this happenin' again?" Larkin groaned, clutching his head. "What do we do? Should we make our way to Xain?" Zee asked quickly, worry sharp in her voice. Nori scribbled furiously on his pad, "I don't have any of my gear with me!" He shoved it toward Zee, who hissed back, "Can you reach your weapons in time?" Nori hesitated before scrawling again, "I don't know, it's not really near the coliseum, and I don't want to leave you all." Before Zee could answer, Larkin forced himself to his feet. "Let's make our way to Xain for now—come on!"
Elsewhere in the stands, Amara let out a sharp sigh. "Of course. Why wouldn't they attack again?" she muttered, rising. Her eyes flicked toward Xain in the arena for a long moment before she turned, striding toward the exit.
Somewhere else in the stands, Lia and Dirk were already moving. They didn't hesitate—they knew exactly what this meant—and pushed through the panicked crowd toward the arena.
Elsewhere again, Sarandel stood suddenly. "Let's go," she said. "Whoa, whoa, calm down—we don't even know wha—hey, wait!" X scrambled up after her, trying to keep pace as she made straight for the exit.
In the arena, "What is happening?" Calvinel muttered, frowning, his eyes on the sky. "Whatever it is… it feels dangerous," Zeva answered, her blade rasping free of its sheath. "Demons," Xain and Even said in unison. "It's demons," Xain repeated, swallowing hard. "This happened the last time—a swarm of them came, including a Demon Lord," Even explained, his eyes narrowing. His words rippled through the fighters like a chill. "A Demon Lord!? They're real!?" Amos shouted, shock in his voice, eyes wide. "How strong are they? How dangerous?" Bryanard asked, trying to steady himself and gauge the threat. "Really dangerous. The last one kicked Dash Ardent straight out of the fight," Even said grimly. That revelation hit harder than any blow. Even the most steadfast felt the chill settle in their bones. "The last one kicked Dash Ardent away?" Gurion breathed, his mind struggling to grasp something so impossible.
"That's… that's just…" Quincy's words faltered, her voice dropping to a whisper. But then her jaw tightened, her expression shifting into raw determination as she launched herself skyward, wings snapping open. Her voice rang out across the coliseum, loud and commanding.
"Everyone! Listen to me!"
Heads turned, panic-stiffened faces lifting toward her. "Please—make your way into the arena floor! I'll protect you! I'll make a shelter! Just move quickly and head down!" She swept her arm in a broad motion toward the ground.
Her staff members, shaken at first, snapped back into focus at her order. They broke into the stands, guiding families and stragglers, urging them with steady hands and firm voices. The crowd, still trembling in shock, began to stir into motion, streaming toward the pathways that led down to the arena floor. Quincy watched until the flow began to steady, then dipped back down to the ground in a swift arc.
"Alright, all of you," she called out, voice sharp as she faced the fighters. "Here's the choice. You can stay here, under my protection, and I'll keep you as safe as I possibly can… or you can go out there to fight. Because we all know the truth—the guards won't be able to hold against a full demon invasion. And if a Demon Lord has come with them…" her voice hardened, "then it's up to us. Decide now. Tell me what you're going to do."
The fighters exchanged glances, tension burning in the silence between them. Each of them already knew the answer, and they could see it reflected in the faces around them. There was only one choice left.