Everyone felt it at once — a pressure, a wave of suffocating magic bearing down. They looked ahead and saw four figures blocking their path.
Silver clenched his teeth.
"That's bad news. These are four members of the 'Elite Five'…"
The man who hurled the stone stepped forward, grinning darkly.
"Jack. Why didn't you introduce your old friends to your new companions?"
Blood flowed down Jack's side as he sank to one knee. Ari immediately sprinted to him, pouring light magic into the gaping wound. Gray stepped in front, planting himself between the enemy and his friends.
"Gravio… or should I say, 'The Living Demon.'" Gray said sharply. "That nickname is more famous."
Gravio tilted his head, a faint smile crossing his lips.
"An honor to finally meet you, Gray Welhawk."
Then, suddenly, an invisible pressure crashed down upon the group. Everyone felt their knees weaken, air grow thin.
Silver growled, "It's Gravio. He's using gravity magic."
Imperial tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade. The others were exhausted, wounded, and surrounded. The only option left was to somehow get to the ship. But with Jack down, that chance felt like a faint glimmer.
"Guys," Imperial said quietly, voice gaining strength. "Don't be scared, alright?"
They all looked at him, confusion and desperation in their eyes.
Then, in an instant, a black circle surged forth from the ground, swallowing the group whole. In a heartbeat, they were gone, pulled into the darkness.
The room shifted. Suddenly, they found themselves in a pitch-dark space.
Ari stood quickly. "Where are we?"
Dawn drew a sharp breath. "This feels like the same thing that happened to the Vice Generals… and Imperial's father."
Ari spotted Imperial's father, unconscious a few steps away, and ran towards him, pouring her light magic into him to heal his wounds. The rest of the group followed.
Then came Imperial's voice.
"Are you all okay?"
Tracey replied, voice shaking. "Yes… we're fine. But where the hell are we?"
Imperial spoke calmly. "For now, consider this the safest place you can be. You're inside me — or, more precisely, inside the space created by my magic. Stay here. Rest. The only one who can get us to the ship now… is me."
Then another voice rang out, deep and mocking:
"It's a pleasure to finally meet the younger brother of Kai Alden."
Imperial spun instantly, and in a flash he injured the speaker and bolted for the southern port. The four elite fighters surged after him.
He knew the southern port was closer—he welling to fight but first, he had to survive.
Imperial charged down the ruined streets, the four Elites in hot pursuit.
Gravio clenched a fist, and gravity surged. Rocks and debris rose from the earth, hurtling toward Imperial from every direction. He dodged and deflected as best he could.
A woman with long hair waved a hand, releasing a shockwave of sound that slammed into him. Imperial crossed his arms, gritting his teeth, using his dark energy to compress and block the blast.
"That's Lucy," Vince called out from within the pocket space. "Sound magic. Compress her attacks with your own magic waves, Imperial!"
A man slammed a hand down, and a wave of sand surged across the path, rising like a barricade.
Mirae called out, "That's Ben. The sand magic user. Watch out!"
Then came the final Elite — a man with a blade that shimmered like liquid metal. In an instant, countless weapons surged into the air, streaking toward Imperial like arrows.
Ezren spoke sharply, "That's Morgan — Mercury magic. He can create weapons and manipulate them at will."
Other can't see them but able to sense they specific presence .
The attacks came harder as the Elite Five pressed in. Imperial surged forward, twisting, blocking, and deflecting as best he could. The closer he came to the southern port, the more brutal and calculated their strikes became.
Then, suddenly, an overwhelming pressure shook the air. The ground quaked. Everyone felt it.
Dawn gasped. "This is bad… another strong one is coming. Their magical presence is far stronger than the Vice Generals…"
But Imperial smiled, brushing the dust and blood from his torn shirt.
"I know this magic. I know who it is."
A moment later, a figure emerged — a girl wielding twin blades. One blazed with flame, the other shimmered with ice. In a flash, she appeared to Imperial's right.
CLANG that shook the air.
Ari and the others, still inside the dark space, felt the impact and exchanged worried glances.
"Imperial! Are you okay?" Ari called out.
Imperial tightened his grip, grinned, and replied with quiet conviction:
"Yeah… and now, the chance of making it to the ship is one hundred percent."
The others exchanged baffled looks. What was he talking about?
But in that moment, despite the odds and the looming threat, Imperial's voice carried a calm, unshakable resolve — a beacon of hope for them all.
Then a girl joins Imperial, helping him block the flurry of attacks.
"Sorry for the late," she says sharply. "But where's Master? Have you rescued him?"
Imperial, still running and parrying the attacks, replies, "Yes, Father is safe."
The girl destroys a blade created from Mercury with a sharp ching! and demands, "Where is he?"
Imperial replies, "For now, just know that he's safe and with me. So I have to get to the ship immediately."
The girl nods. "Okay, then it means I have to protect you and get you to the ship safely, right?"
Imperial replies, "Yeah, you can say that."
Gravio growls, "Why are you siding with him, Erika Rowan?"
The girl — Erika — replies coldly, "That's none of your business."
With a wave of her hand, Erika attacks Gravio with her ice magic, creating an ice surface across the ground. All of them recognize Erika's fighting style instantly. Lucy snaps, "Not this time," and uses Sound Magic: Disruptive Sound. The vibrations shatter the ice in an instant.
Then a voice crackles from Erika's communication crystal. "Lady Erika, we've successfully secured the port side."
"Excellent," Erika replies. "Wait for me there."
Then Ben attacks with Sand Magic: Sand Storm, a choking wave of dust and grit. But Imperial counteracts it with Dark Magic: Dark Vortex, swallowing the sandstorm whole.
Morgan moves next, invoking Mercury Magic: Mercury Jail. A dense, shifting wall of liquid metal forms in front of Erika and Imperial. Without hesitation, Erika plants one foot on the ground, leaps straight toward the rising barrier, and with two swift swings of her blades, she cleaves the Mercury Jail apart.
The scene shifts to the Emperor's chamber, where a call arrives for General Rhogar.
"General," the messenger says breathlessly, "Erika Rowan and her team defeated all the soldiers and captains guarding the port. They're coming towards the execution site."
All the Emperor and the others present overhear. Suddenly, Emperor Magnus clenches a communication crystal and barks, "Gravio. Are you four fighting Erika?"
Gravio replies, "Yes. We're engaged with that Alden kid and Erika Rowan."
Magnus snaps, voice dripping with venom, "Retrieve from there, all four of you. It's an order."
Gravio replies, puzzled, "But why? We can finish these two right here, right now!"
Magnus's voice drops to a threatening growl, "Do you want me to repeat my order?"
Imperial glances backward as the attacks halt. He sees Gravio tense, the man talking quietly into the crystal.
"Ok," Gravio finally replies, "We're retrieving."
He spins to his comrades. "The Emperor has ordered a retreat."
With a mixture of anger and frustration, the four elite pull back from the engagement. Imperial and Erika seize the opening and run full tilt toward the port.
Gravio, scowling as he looks after them, clenches a fist before barking at the rest. "Move out. We're falling back to the execution site."