After the battle ended in the First Terrain, Lila, Darius, Diego, Anya, and Iria were now moving quickly toward the other terrains to help the others. Even though the first part of the ruins had calmed, the air was still filled with tension and dust. The fight might have ended for them, but the others were still out there, struggling against enemies that were on the same level as Yera'el.
---
Second Terrain
Caelus, Hugo, Elric, and Rosa faced Tzarkhul. The ground beneath them cracked with every clash. Caelus stood at the front, his sword glowing faintly as he deflected Tzarkhul's rapid strikes. He took the lead naturally, his movements sharp and calculated, his face calm but focused.
Elric darted to the side, his rod swirling with air as he infused it with wind , "Aerod!" he shouted, releasing waves of sharp wind pressure toward Tzarkhul's side. Rosa followed up immediately, slashing her twin blades that glowed with faint red energy. Every time she struck, she aimed for the joints of Tzarkhul's extra arms. Hugo, positioned at the back, drew his bow slowly, waiting for the right moment. Whenever Tzarkhul turned or was distracted, his arrows flew like silver streaks, precise and fast.
Still, none of them could gain a clear upper hand. Tzarkhul blocked attacks effortlessly, his four arms weaving like a net of death. Every punch, every movement carried immense weight and speed. The ground shook as he charged forward, forcing Caelus to meet him head-on. The two collided again, sparks flying from their clash.
Elric saw an opening and swung his wind-infused rod, striking at Tzarkhul's left side. But before the hit could land, one of Tzarkhul's arms shot out like lightning and grabbed Elric by the neck. "Got you," Tzarkhul growled. With a monstrous twist, he hurled Elric through the air like a ragdoll.
"ELRIC!" Hugo shouted as Elric came flying toward him. He jumped forward and caught Elric, but the impact sent both crashing to the ground, rolling and coughing as they struggled to get up.
Now it was just Caelus and Rosa against the beast.
"Stay sharp!" Caelus warned as he leapt back from another furious barrage of punches. His boots scraped against the stone as each punch from Tzarkhul narrowly missed him, the air vibrating with the force of the blows. Caelus ducked low, twisting around, and countered with a sharp upward slash that left a faint cut across Tzarkhul's arm , but it healed almost instantly.
"You are better than I thought," Tzarkhul smirked, his voice echoing like a drum. "But you are still far too slow."
Caelus's eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath and gathered energy into his blade, which started glowing a brilliant azure blue. "Azure Pulse!" he shouted, thrusting the sword forward. A beam of blue energy rushed out, cutting through the air toward Tzarkhul.
Tzarkhul's grin widened. "Infernal Fire!" he roared as one of his fists ignited in crimson flames. He punched forward, meeting Caelus's attack head-on.
The moment their powers collided, the world exploded with light and sound. The shockwave tore through the ground, ripping the nearby stone pillars apart and sending a storm of dust in every direction. For a few seconds, everything vanished into a bright haze , then both were seen flying backward, landing hard but still standing.
Caelus steadied his breath, his hands trembling slightly from the force. Tzarkhul cracked his neck, looking amused rather than injured. "Now this," he said, grinning wide, "this is getting more interesting."
Just as Tzarkhul prepared to rush again, his expression changed. His eyes flickered red for a moment, and a low voice echoed in his mind. "Time's over. We need to move."
"Tch…" Tzarkhul clenched his jaw. "I will see you later."
Before anyone could move, his body was swallowed in swirling black mist, vanishing completely.
Caelus stood still, sweat dripping down his forehead. The silence felt strange. Something about that retreat didn't feel like victory. He could still sense… something. A disturbance deeper within the ruins. He closed his eyes and reached out with his spirit sense, trying to communicate with the spirit of the ruins itself. Whatever this was, it wasn't over.
---
Third Terrain
Lucien, Lunis, Adrian, and Adriana continued fighting against the endless chains. Each whip moved with unnatural speed, attacking from every angle. Lucien had been trying to locate Zhyra through the connection he felt earlier, but even with his sharp focus and Lunis's magic, he couldn't pinpoint her.
Adriana's hammer smashed one chain after another, while Adrian's sword slashed through the air with frightening precision. Still, it felt endless.
"Lucien!" Adriana shouted, narrowly blocking a strike. "You found her yet!?"
"Not yet," Lucien muttered, his brows furrowing. "She's masking her presence. I can't lock on."
"Then we'll never finish this," Adriana said, swinging her hammer and shattering another group of chains.
But then, suddenly ,the movement stopped. The chains froze mid-air, then slowly withdrew into the ground as if they had never been there.
Everyone froze, breathing heavily but alert.
Adriana raised her hammer cautiously. "What… just happened?"
Adrian looked around. "Did we win?"
Lucien frowned, eyes scanning the forest. "She's gone," he said quietly. "Zhyra's gone. That must be why the chains stopped."
Adriana lowered her weapon. "So she ran?"
Lucien didn't answer immediately. His grip on his spear tightened. "Maybe."
For a moment, no one spoke. The tension slowly eased, replaced by quiet relief. But Lucien's eyes were still clouded. He was frustrated ,they'd survived, but they hadn't achieved anything. They couldn't even find her.
"Let's move," he finally said. "We'll regroup with the others. Standing here won't help."
As they began leaving the forest, Lucien glanced back once. The silence of the trees gave him no answers.
---
Fourth Terrain
Alex and Gor'Mak clashed again and again, their blows shaking the very ground. Gor'Mak swung his massive fists, each hit heavy enough to break mountains, but Alex moved like wind, fast, precise, and always just out of reach.
None of Gor'Mak's attacks landed. Still, every time Alex struck back, it seemed to do nothing more than scratch his opponent's thick hide. His colossal pickaxe cut through the air, glowing faintly with wind and sand energy, slicing across Gor'Mak's chest, yet the golem barely flinched.
Behind him, Sera raised her hands, sending out bursts of green energy. "Vine Bind!" she shouted, wrapping Gor'Mak's legs in roots to slow him down. Clara stood beside her, constantly using boost spells to enhance Alex's speed and strength, and healing any small wounds he received.
"Keep it up!" Roland yelled, punching down two rock piece that flew towards the girls which was due to Gor'Mak punch hitting the ground.
Alex, breathing hard, smiled faintly. "Don't worry, I got this."
He spun his pickaxe again, wind swirling around him, creating a small storm. He felt himself getting stronger with each boost from Clara and Sera. He could feel it , soon, he'd be able to land a real blow.
But before he could move, Gor'Mak suddenly froze. His head tilted slightly, and his eyes dimmed. A low, echoing voice filled his mind, "Return."
Gor'Mak's eyes widened briefly. "New command, return. Returning."
Dark energy enveloped his massive form, swallowing him whole. In seconds, the monster was gone, leaving behind only cracked earth and fading traces of darkness.
Everyone stood still for a moment.
"What… just happened?" Sera whispered.
Alex lowered his pickaxe slowly. "He said… 'new command.' That means someone's controlling them." His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp. "We'll have to be ready for what's next."
---
Fifth Terrain
Rynara laughed as she clashed against Tovern, Doran, and Rok. She spun like a whirlwind, clashing against their weapons. Sparks danced with every impact, and none of them seemed to tire.
Rok swung his crowbar with wild excitement, wind and sand swirling around him. Doran's hammer hit with bone-shaking impact, and Tovern's gauntlets glowed as he launched rapid punches like a machine. It was chaos, but beautiful chaos.
"Not bad!" Rynara grinned, blocking a three-way attack. "You boys are fun!"
"You talk too much!" Doran shouted, slamming his hammer down, creating a crater.
But then Rynara froze mid-motion. A faint voice whispered in her mind, "We have found it. You come back."
Her cheerful expression twisted into a pout. "Ughhh, no! Not yet! I wanna fight more!"
The three men paused, confused.
"What's she talking about?" Tovern muttered.
Before they could react, Rynara looked at them and said with a smirk, "Come on, let's continue." but darkness surged from her feet and swallowed her whole, as she now had completely disappeared.
The three stood in silence. The fight was over, not because they won, but because she vanished.
Rok clicked his tongue. "What the hell was that?"
Doran sighed. "Whatever it was, it's not over."
Movern knew something was up, but for now they had to meet other before something bad happens. They turned and began to regroup.
---
All across the ruins, the sounds of battle were fading. One by one, each fight ended, not by victory, but by retreat. As every group began to reunite, the same uneasy feeling spread among them all.
The danger wasn't gone. It was only waiting.
And deep down, everyone could sense it , they hadn't even faced the real danger yet.