The earth groaned, a deep, resonant rumble that grew from a tremor to a violent shudder. Rocks, no longer bound by gravity, danced in the air, a chaotic ballet of impending destruction. The mountain peak in the distance, once a stoic sentinel, now seemed to pulsate, the very air around it rippling with raw, unfathomable energy.
Willow: Woah... Do you guys feel that? (She gasped, a stone drifting past her face.)
Zane: (Hequinted, his gaze sweeping the horizon before settling on the mountain.) Yeah, it's coming from that direction.
Jack, still holding Claire, his mind reeling from the past chapter's encounter with Junn, felt the tremor deep in his bones. He looked up, his eyes tracing the path of the rising dust and debris from the peak.
Jack: That's... that's where Ezra and Revan are fighting. (A cold dread settled in his gut.)
"Silas! Dimitri! Get to the treeline! You're going to assist Ezra."
Olam's voice was a sharp command that cut through the chaos.
Dimitri, his cold blue eyes fixed on the distant mountain, simply nodded. Silas, a grim determination etched on his face, gave a quick salute. Both men disappeared into the shadows of the forest, their movements swift and silent.
Olams: Everyone else! Head to the helicopters, now! (He roared, gesturing towards the Black Hawks.)
Amidst the frantic scramble for the choppers, Jack pulled Willow aside, still cradling the unconscious Claire in his arms. He gently handed her to Willow.
Jack: Willow, you're nearly as fast as me, (he said, his voice urgent.) You have to get out of here, now. Take her.
Willow: (Her brow furrowed in confusion.) But... why don't we just use the helicopters?
A brilliant, searing beam of crimson light tore through the night sky, illuminating the entire valley. A gasp ran through the group as Rex whispered, "Holy shit."
Jack: That's why, (he said, his eyes on the blinding light.) We could get hit by one of those. We need her alive.
Willow: Tch... Why don't we tell the others then?
Jack: ...As cold this might sound, we need Revan to think we escaping with those choppers.
Willow: Tch... You... Willing to sacrifice all of them!? Christ, Jack. There has to be another way, I'm not letting my friends die.
Jack: Damnit, you have to! (He screamed, grabbing her arm.) Lives are on the line here. Everyone here... is expendable. They know that, Viktor knows that, I know that and YOU know that. That's the job. We have to die to save million others on Revan's list.
Willow sighed, wanting to protest, her shoulders slumping in acceptance before she straightened up.
Willow: Where... Where should I take her?
Jack: Anywhere, (he replied.) Anywhere safe from here, and away from Viktor. He can't be trusted right now.
With a final nod, Willow's form blurred and she was gone, a faint trail of wind the only evidence of her impossible speed.
Olam, standing by the helicopter with Kira, watched the brief, clandestine exchange. He saw Jack hand Claire to Willow, saw Willow's face, then watched her dash away at superhuman speed. Jack's eyes met his from across the chaotic clearing. The two men held a silent, tense stare.
Olams: Where's she headed to? (His voice was low, demanding.)
Jack didn't reply. He simply turned his back on Olam and walked toward the unconscious Phil, his gaze fixed on the body lying on the ground. The trembling earth was all that answered.
Back in the forest, Revan tilted his head back, his crimson eyes locking onto the figures perched on the high branch of a gnarled tree. He saw a man with pale, scarred skin and cold blue eyes, Dimitri Heinrich, and next to him, a bronze-skinned man with black braids, Silas Voight. Dimitri's eyes, like twin shards of ice, met Revan's across the chaos of the battlefield.
In a flash, Dimitri was gone, warping out of existence in a flicker of green light. A moment later, he reappeared directly in front of Revan, the Sword of the Executioner held high. The massive, obsidian-like blade, etched with glowing blood-red runes, descended with lethal intent. Revan's eyes opened wide in a rare display of shock as the heavy blade sliced down, carving a deep wound into his torso. A blinding, pure white light, the same light that consumed the world moments ago, blazed from the open cut, a stark contrast to the dark power of the blade.
Dimitri didn't hesitate. He pulled the greatsword back and swung it in a wide horizontal arc. But Revan, recovering instantly, was prepared. Lyra's spectral arms, glowing with malevolent energy, shot out from his sides, palms outstretched. They caught the blade, the impact sending a jarring resonance through the air and pushing Revan back several feet. His feet slid against the scorched earth, but he held his ground.
As Revan's wound knitted itself shut with impossible speed, his eyes narrowed, his mind consumed with a single thought: "That... That sword..."
Narration on The sword of Executioner;
The Sword of the Executioner is a weapon of unparalleled might, once said to be capable of cutting through the very fabric of space. However that is just tale, one Dimitri has yet to test. Its most fearsome power, current, is its ability to inflict devastating harm upon any and every spiritual being, having being made to perform that task, a testament to its sinister, supernatural nature. Crafted from blackened steel with a hilt of dragon heads and a pommel sculpted into a skull, its malevolent aura is a physical presence. The sword is a tool of pure destructive power, designed to kill not just the body, but the very essence of a being. In effect, this is the perfect counter to Revan's power.
A smile, cold and knowing, spread across Dimitri's scarred face as he watched the light emanating from Revan's wound fade. He tilted his head, his eyes tracking the red glow in Revan's irises.
Dimitri: So that's what you are, (he said, his voice a low, rumbling hum.) A malevolent spirit. Must admit, almost had me worried when I heard we'd be dealing with an omega mutant, but no... just a spirit.
Lyra's form flickered by Revan's side, and she raised her hand, forming the bloodied falchion and handing it to him. Revan took it, his crimson eyes narrowing.
Revan: ...I'm more than just a spirit, (he replied, his voice a low growl.)
Dimitri: (He scoffed.) That's what they all say.
Before Revan could react, a subtle energy pulsed from the tree branch high above. Silas Voight extended his arm towards Revan, his gaze fixed on him.
"PALIELIN"
Suddenly, an immense, crushing pressure slammed down on Revan. The gravity around him increased a thousandfold, a sudden, inescapable weight that forced him to his knees, then flat onto the ground. He struggled, muscles straining against the unseen force, his face contorted in a silent snarl of frustration.
Revan: Tch... (His voice, a low rumble in his mind, raged.) You again… I knew you'd be a problem, but not to this extent!
Dimitri: Ha! (Seeing his chance, moved with ruthless efficiency. His thoughts were a single, focused command.) Now's my chance.
His form blurred, a brief, shimmering haze of green light as he used his mutant ability, Blink.
Narration on Dimitri's mutant ability – Phase blink;
A shorter-range version of his more formidable Phase Shift, Phase Blink allowed him to quickly reposition or dodge incoming attacks by briefly phasing out of reality. It was a power he had honed through years of brutal combat, a skill that earned him his Dangerous level Orange classification, placing him just below the Omega tier. His skill with his powers and his CQC expertise, coupled with his high pain tolerance and unwavering determination, made him a truly dangerous opponent to face in any situation.
Dimitri: THIS IS IT! (He yelled, his eyes, now burning with a cold fury, were locked on Revan's pinned form.)
He held the Sword of the Executioner in both hands, raising the heavy blade high above his head, ready to stab into Revan's back. Before Dimitri could stab the blade into Revan's back there was a sudden SNAP.