Apex ships swallowed the sky, their dark hulls stretching wide like a wall of iron. Red thrusters burned through the haze, cutting the clouds apart. Above, rows of warships shifted into place, cannons locking on target. Every barrel pointed down.
Ash stared at the fleet hanging above them.
"What now? We can't take on all of them."
His eyes cut toward Max, searching for a plan. Nothing came.
Kael rolled his neck. Flames coiled up his arms, filling the cracks in his skin with light.
"Nah. We can."
Before Max could speak, Kael was already gone.
A blast of fire marked his wake, burning through the sky.
The lead warship turned too slowly.
Kael ripped through its lower hull, fire trailing behind him like a sword. Metal bent. Steel screamed. The ship folded inward, imploding before slamming into the vessel beside it.
One explosion became two. Then three. Fire climbed the sky in broken waves, lighting the clouds red. Shattered hulls fell in burning pieces, crashing into the wasteland and splitting the earth below.
Kael hovered above it all, breath sharp, flames still burning at his feet.
Max exhaled, low and steady.
"Alright. Maybe we can take them after all."
Ash didn't move. His arms stayed crossed, his gaze locked on the sky.
"Looks like he can handle them all. He doesn't need our help."
But Max wasn't watching the sky anymore.
Across the cracked land, shadows dropped from the ships beyond Kael's reach. Thick ropes fell into the dust. Apex troopers slid down in formation, black armor gleaming, rifles raised. The firelight caught their helmets, turning them cold and sharp.
They moved without a word. Steps even. Formation perfect.
Max's jaw tightened.
"There is our fight."
Ash drew his blade.
"Of course."
The first rifle cracked.
The beam struck dirt, burning deep into the ground. Steam rose where it hit.
Then everything broke loose.
Kael streaked across the sky, fire lashing from his palms. He slammed into another warship. The metal burned and bent, hull twisting before it tore apart. Flames pushed him through the wreck, and he didn't stop. Another ship waited ahead.
Below, the cracked earth turned into war.
Dust rose in choking waves. Fire cut through the air. Rifles screamed, pouring heat and steel across the battlefield.
Ash swung his blade, cutting down a beam meant for his chest.
He turned to Max.
Max met his eyes, steady.
"Alright, alright go. But keep it light. They're still human."
Ash gave no answer. His blade spoke for him.
He stepped into the fight. He moved through them like a blade through smoke.
His sword flashed, a streak of steel cutting the battlefield apart.
The voice in the soul space echoed in his mind.
"[Vanquished. Vanquished. van—Vanquished.]"
Each step left sparks in his wake.
A soldier lunged, gauntlets raised. Ash slipped past, low and fast. His blade swept across the chestplate, splitting it open with a single strike.
Boots pounded the ground behind him.
"[Skill: Storm Vein.]"
The world slowed.
Sand froze midair, drifting like ash in still water. Fingers clutched triggers but never pulled. Strikes hung frozen in motion.
The battlefield stretched wide open before him.
A blade crept toward his back. Ash stepped aside. The swing passed harmlessly. His sword drove through exposed armor, cutting clean.
Another trooper raised a rifle. Ash moves past them.
The plasma bolt burned the dust where he used to stand.
But they kept coming.
Fresh lines of soldiers, weapons raised in perfect sync.
"[Skill: Static Surge.]"
Lightning tore through his veins.
The ground vanished.
One step became ten. Sparks exploded beneath his feet.
Bodies fell in his wake, armor split open before they knew he was there.
Blue light trailed behind him. His sword moved faster than thought, cutting through shadows and steel.
A shot tore through the air beside him.
Ash turned.
Max lowered his blaster, smoke rising from the barrel.
Max's voice cut sharply.
"I guess we're killing after all."
A soldier lunged for Max.
Ash met them first. His blade sheared through the rifle, scattering it into pieces.
Max didn't flinch.
Another took aim from behind—Max spun and fired. The bolt dropped them before their finger touched the trigger.
Ash pulled his blade free, blood sliding down its edge.
"So I can go wild now."
Max fixed his grip on the blaster, its barrel glowing hot.
"As much as I hate it, yes. Kill if you must. Just don't die."
Ash blocked a beam, his stance solid.
He nodded once.
They moved.
Ash charged first, his blade carving a line through the front ranks.
Max followed, his shots clean and sharp.
A soldier raised their rifle—Ash cut them down.
A sniper found his mark—Max's shot dropped him before he fired.
Above them, the sky burned.
Kael tore through it like a falling star, fire wrapped around his limbs.
He crashed into a warship, his fist punching through the hull. Metal groaned, flames spilling from the crack.
He burst out the other side, leaving fire in his wake.
The explosion tore through the fleet. Flames spread ship to ship, lighting the clouds in red and gold.
Some of the warships have already started fighting back. As some dodge Kael's blows and fire at him.
Below, the earth boiled with heat.
Apex troopers marched on, boots crushing the sand.
Their rifles rose again, barrels glowing, ready to strike.
Max shifted his stance, energy crackling beneath his skin.
Shots burst from the enemy line. He raised his blaster and fired first.
Plasma bolts tore through the dust, punching holes in the front ranks. Bodies dropped fast, but more poured in behind them. Too many.
Ash streaked past, blade flashing in the storm.
He weaved through the gaps, cutting fast, cutting clean. A soldier swung wide—Ash caught the strike, broke the rifle in half, and drove his blade through armor. Another charged from behind. He spun low, swept their legs, and ended it in a single motion.
But the waves kept coming.
Max lowered his blaster, lifting his free hand. Heat surged through his spine, filling his veins with fire. Flames curled at his fingertips, alive and hungry.
The Apex soldiers raised their rifles again, locking on without fear.
Max smiled.
"Wrong move."
Fire tore from his palm.
The blast swallowed the line.
Heat roared across the field, turning metal to slag and men to shadows. Screams broke apart in the flames.
When it cleared, only charred earth and molten armor remained.
Ash moved through the wreckage, sword cutting down the last few standing. Each strike came fast, sharp, and final.
Max rolled his shoulder, smoke curling from his hand.
"Burns too much energy though."
He glanced at the scorched battlefield. The smile pulled wider across his face.
"Fire Soul Core. Never disappoints when you want destruction."
The ground shook beneath their feet.
Engines screamed from above.
New ships dropped through the clouds, their hulls wide enough to block the sun. Shadows fell over the battlefield like falling graves.
Max felt the heat rise again in his chest.
"To think he was already strong before, now he's even stronger."
Above, Kael broke through another warship.
He grabbed the pilot from the cockpit, ripped him free, and tossed him into the clouds.
The ship buckled under the weight of its own failure, falling into the next vessel. The explosion turned the sky red.
Kael spun through the wreckage, caught the wing of another ship mid-flight, and melted through it like paper. He didn't stop. He shot straight into his next target, a streak of fire tearing the sky apart.
Ash kept his eyes on the ground.
More soldiers rushed in.
He moved through them like a blade through mist.
One swung high—he caught the blade, twisted, and cut deep.
Another charged low—he stepped aside, blade flashing across their armor.
Behind him, Max kept pace.
A rifle was lifted. Max fired.
A soldier lunged. Max's palm burst into fire, burning them down before the scream rose.
But the Apex forces didn't slow.
More ships. More soldiers.
Ash tightened his grip on the blade, his knuckles white against the hilt.
Max wiped sweat from his brow, flames flickering along his arms.
"To think Apex would throw this much at us. Makes you wonder if they're really after us."
Ash scanned the battlefield, eyes sharp against the rising smoke.
"You say they're hunting us. But everything about this says one thing."
He turned toward the next wave of soldiers, blade at the ready.
"They're trying to kill us."
Ash swung his blade through the first soldier, metal tearing flesh in a flash of red light. He twisted, catching another enemy in his sight. A rifle was lifted toward him.
The voice cut through the world.
"[Skill: Phantom's Stride]"
Everything cracked apart.
The world slowed, far beyond what Storm Vein or Static Surge had ever done.
Plasma bolts floated midair, their glow frozen in the dark. Soldiers struggled through thick, invisible chains, their movements stretched thin and slow. Even Max's blaster hung in place, the shot creeping forward like cold syrup.
Ash stood alone in motion.
A red glow wrapped around him, thin as smoke, cold as ash. The only thing untouched by this frozen world.
His chest tightened. His heart beat sharply against his ribs. Each breath scraped through his throat. This wasn't like before. This was something else.
Maybe it was both skills fused. Maybe something beyond them. He didn't know.
He didn't care.
Ash saw the battlefield locked in place. He saw the fear in the soldiers' eyes. He saw a way to end it.
He moved.
The world snapped back.
The plasma bolts screamed past empty air where he once stood.
Ash was already gone.
His blade tore through a soldier's chest. Blood splashed across the ground, catching the red fire of the broken sky.
A soldier turned. The edge of Ash's sword gleamed across their visor before it carved through their body.
The sound of armor breaking chased his strike like an echo trying to catch up.
Another rifle was raised toward him. They expected him to dodge.
He didn't.
Ash appeared behind them, blade already cutting through their throat.
The body dropped before their finger squeezed the trigger.
Ash froze for a breath. His hands trembled. His heart raced.
He was faster. A lot faster.
He tightened his grip on the blade.
A fresh squad charged forward.
Ash stared them down.
'They see me. They know I'm faster. But they're still coming?'
He rushed in.
Max fired from behind. His blaster spat plasma bolts that cut down soldier after soldier. But his eyes kept drifting toward Ash.
Something was wrong.
He looked up. Kael ripped through the sky, flames tearing apart ships, fire falling like stars. Nothing strange there.
Then Max turned back.
And his breath stopped.
Ash wasn't running. He was everywhere.
One flash of red light, and a soldier fell, their armor crushed under impossible force.
Another flicker, and a body spun through the air, blood trailing behind it like smoke.
Ash tore through the enemy line, a shadow wrapped in fire, faster than thought, faster than fear.
A trooper shouted, but the words never reached Ash. He was already there. Steel flashed. The body dropped.
Then the voice spoke again, but this time, different.
"[Vanquished. Gained 10 Soul Energy points.]"
Ash kept moving. His blade never stopped. But his mind froze.
'Gained what?'
He knew that voice. Knew those words. Soul Energy—absorbed from the dead. Only when you focus. Only when you're still. He shouldn't be gaining anything now. Not mid-fight. And he was full. His Soul couldn't hold any more.
Another soldier lunged. Ash cut them down. His mind was stuck on the words.
Then came the sound he knew.
"[Vanquished.]"
Ash let out a breath.
Maybe he imagined it.
He cut through another trooper, body twisting past their broken guard.
Then it came again.
"[Vanquished. Gained 10 Soul Energy points.]"
It was faint this time, buried under the clash of blades and the hum of burning ships. But it was there.
Ash shook his head.
'Later. Deal with it later.'
Another fell.
And again.
"[Vanquished. Gained 10 Soul Energy points.]"
The words faded into the back of his thoughts. He shoved them aside, keeping his blade moving.
He didn't know how long the fight dragged on.
Then it stopped.
Ash stood still. Chest rising and falling slowly, calmly.
The battlefield stretched quiet, lit only by distant fire and broken ships hanging in the sky.
Then the voice spoke once more.
"[Vanquished. Gained 10 Soul Energy points.]"
It didn't stop
"[Soul pool: 75%]"
Ash lowered his blade. His hands trembled, not from weakness—but from something new burning inside.
He looked down at his palms. The weight of his body felt different.
He smiled.
The message wasn't wrong. All his life, energy loss barely ever touched him. His body always burned steadily, stably. But this—this drained him faster. This meant only one thing.
He turned, catching Max's eyes watching from across the dust.
He now owns a powerful skill.
The thought filled his chest, burning with quiet fire.
Ash smiled wider. Not because the fight was done. Not because they had survived.
Because the power felt good.
And he wanted more.
Across the field, new Apex troops marched forward, rifles raised.
Ash stared at them.
Then he vanished.
A blast tore through the air where he stood, throwing dust and metal into Max's face. The shockwave rolled through the battlefield like thunder.
Max wiped the grit from his eyes, still looking stunned.
Ash was already there.
A red blur cut through the soldiers like a crack through stone.
One trooper spun, eyes wide with terror. Too late.
The blade split them open, armor peeling away like paper.
Another soldier turned to run.
Ash met them before they took a step.
Steel flashed.
And the desert swallowed the dead.
They fought back. Rifles raised, blades drawn. Movements are sharp and practiced, but too slow.
Ash slipped through the gaps before they closed. Every twitch, every breath, he saw it all.
Their fingers moved to pull the trigger. His blade struck before they could finish.
Blood spread through the air, thin and weightless.
The sounds faded. The world slowed until only the voice remained.
"[Van—Vanquished. Gained 10 Soul Energy points.]"
It rang in his head like a low hum.
Ash paused.
Blood slid down his blade, warm against the wind.
He exhaled, steady, letting the noise settle. The voice was no longer strange, just another part of the fight.
Ash turned his gaze forward. The next wave of troopers rushed in.
He clenched his jaw.
The blade swept sideways, flinging blood from its edge. He stepped forward, body pulling into motion again.
————
Far above where Kael couldn't reach, the Apex fleet hung like a curtain of black steel, cutting the sky in half.
The ground below burned. Wreckage smoked against cracked earth, but the ships stayed still.
Waiting. Watching the scene play out.
Inside the flagship, a man stood before a wide screen. Scars crossed his face, deep lines carved from war. His arms stayed folded, his body quiet.
The door hissed open.
Boots hit the floor fast, sharp, and loud. A soldier came to a stop behind him, breath caught in his throat.
"Commander Jamie, we're losing too many. They're too strong."
Jamie—the scarred man didn't blink. His eyes stayed fixed on the flames below.
Another set of footsteps followed.
A second figure leaned beside the screen, one elbow resting against the railing. Blond hair fell across his face, a grin tracing his lips.
He watched the chaos and tilted his head, lazy and amused.
"Well, of course. They're flame sons. What did you expect?"
His gaze flicked to a red blur tearing through the battlefield.
"But that one... the fast one."
He smiled wider, teeth sharp against the light.
"Let's take him too."
For a moment, the room stretched quietly.
Then Jamie shifted his weight, the screen reflecting cold across his face.
He turned to the soldier.
"Ready the portal."
The words fell like iron.
The soldier froze.
"Sir...?"
Dark cold eyes met his.
"We're going down ourselves."
The air thickened.
The soldier held his breath, then gave a quick nod and turned, boots sharp against the floor as he left.
The blond man stretched his arms, joints cracking as if the wait alone had drained him.
A low chuckle left his chest.
"Now it gets fun. You know what they say if you want things done right, you have to do it yourself."
Jamie took a step forward. His boots met the ground heavy and sure.
"Exactly, no more watching them fail miserably."
Another step.
"We end this now."