"Where is Drakar…?"
Sera's voice trembled as she spoke, and the instant those words came out, a chilling silence fell over everyone. It was as if the earth itself had stopped moving. No one had noticed it until now. They had been running, fighting and struggling. They had been separated across different terrains and only recently managed to regroup. But now, when Sera said it aloud, a truth hit them harder than any enemy could.
Drakar was not with them.
Faces shifted from confusion to shock, then to disbelief. Lila looked around again and again as if Drakar would suddenly appear beside someone. Alex clenched his jaw. Caelus narrowed his eyes. Even those who rarely showed emotion now stood frozen. They quickly counted everyone in their heads, hoping, just hoping, they had overlooked something.
But they hadn't. Drakar was truly missing.
Before anyone could even attempt to understand what had happened or where he might be, a deafening explosion shook the barrier's center. The sound thundered across the entire ruin, causing dust and broken stones to tremble under their feet. A violent wave of pressure blasted outward, forcing some of them to cover their faces with their arms.
There was no time to think. No time to hesitate.
They looked at one another, their breaths uneven, minds racing. The decision ahead was harsh… cruel even. Drakar was one of them, one of their own. But whatever caused that explosion was the immediate threat, something far greater, something none of them could afford to ignore.
Leave Drakar for later. Handle the danger first.
It was a decision none of them liked, yet all of them silently agreed to.
The entire group dashed toward the source of the explosion. Their tired bodies screamed for rest, but their hearts told them to run faster. Each step felt heavier as a sense of fear and urgency grew. When they finally reached the center, their eyes widened at the sight before them.
A lone, strange figure stood at the heart of the destruction.
This person wasn't familiar. Their presence felt wrong, cold, dark, suffocating. A swirling black sphere formed in their palm, trembling with overwhelming power. That sphere was pointed toward a seal on the ground. And inside that seal… lay a single stone.
A jewel. The Obsidian Jewel.
Its dark surface glowed faintly, as if resisting the black sphere crashing against it. Cracks formed on the seal, releasing pulses of ancient energy.
But the group's eyes widened even more when they noticed the man wasn't standing there alone. He was holding someone in his other hand. Drakar.
His body hung loosely, as if unconscious or unable to move. His head leaned forward, his arms limp, completely trapped in the stranger's grip. Seeing him like that sent a shock deep into everyone's chest.
They wanted to shout his name.
They wanted to rush forward.
They wanted to pull him away.
But nothing came out except a painful breath.
Their feet automatically moved forward, trying to stop that person before anything even worse could happen. But before they could reach them, shadows moved from the side.
Familiar shadows. Familiar faces.
From the corrupted darkness stepped Yera'el, Tzarkhul, Gor'Mak, Rynara, and Zhyra,, the powerful foes they had faced before. Their presence made the air turn heavy, and their corrupted aura spread across the area like poison.
Behind them, more corrupted beasts crawled out as well, their eyes glowing with the same eerie darkness as the barrier. Now time wasn't just precious, it was slipping away too fast.
The group was forced to stop. They were trapped between powerful enemies, countless beasts, and a stranger trying to break the seal and take the Obsidian Jewel while holding Drakar for some unknown reason.
The ground trembled again. And then… everything changed.
The entire land shifted, spreading outward. The ground cracked, expanding like a massive force had pushed it apart. What was once a tight battlefield became a wide, open field, flat, empty, and impossible to hide in. Everyone drifted away from each other as the terrain stretched, giving every fighter equal space.
This was no longer a hunt. No longer survival against traps or illusions. This was a battlefield.
A true battlefield. The kind where the strongest would stand… and the weak would fall.
Deigo stepped forward first. His face was serious, far more serious than his usual playful attitude. A dark, heavy aura formed around him. He pointed straight at Yera'el.
"She is mine," he said in a tone so cold and firm that even the corrupted wind seemed to pause. "Take care of the rest."
Without hesitation, Alex and Caelus stepped up to take command.
Alex's voice cut sharply, filled with urgency.
Caelus followed with calm, clear directions.
Quick orders spread across the group.
Lila, Sera, Rok, Doran, Iria, Tovern, Roland, Adrian, Rosa, Elric, Anya, and Gepa were directed to focus on the corrupted beasts pouring in. Their priority was to stop the horde before it overwhelmed everyone.
Caelus and Hugo moved to face Tzarkhul, both prepared for a harsh fight.
Alex and Clara rushed toward Gor'Mak, Alex with his massive pickaxe, Clara ready to boost and support him.
Lucien and Lunis stepped toward Zhyra, their movements perfectly synchronized.
Movern advanced toward Rynara, his calm eyes sharp and steady.
Fizzle floated behind Lila, staying close and avoiding any beast that tried to attack her, ready to assist however she needed.
The battlefield was set. Positions were taken.
The war that had paused earlier… now resumed with full force. And this time, there was no fog for the illusions. No forest to hide in. No narrow land to limit movements.
This was a clean, open battlefield, brutal and honest. No illusions. No tricks. Just pure strength against strength. Every second mattered. Everyone knew… This was do or die. One mistake could end everything.
And as the corrupted aura rose, the black sphere swelled, the Obsidian Jewel pulsed, and Drakar remained trapped in the stranger's grip…
The true battle finally began.