It was too late.
The order to retreat had come seconds too late. The Shinras were already trapped, surrounded by Darkside Spirits on every side.
"Listen to me. Mages, teleport all courts to my location. Now."
The Captain's command thundered across the battlefield.
"We can't teleport them all at once, sir," one of the Mages shouted back. "They're not linked together."
"Then tell them to hold hands, you fool. Don't wait for orders for everything."
"Understood, sir."
The Mages immediately opened the telepathic link.
"All Shinras, hold hands with your court members. New plan, regroup with the Captain's court."
Across the battlefield, two courts responded almost simultaneously.
"Connect me to the Head Captain. This is serious."
A strained voice followed.
"We can't regroup. We have fallen Shinras and wounded members. We can't abandon the injured or leave the dead behind."
Before the Head Captain could respond, another court captain interrupted the transmission.
"That's the least of our problems. A new Darkside Spirit just appeared here."
His voice trembled as he continued.
"It's not a regular Beta. I don't know what this thing is, but it's far beyond anything we've encountered in a long time. Tell the Head Captain we need reinforcements immediately, or we'll be wiped out."
His gaze fixed on the enormous creature standing among the Darkside Spirits.
"If we fall, these monsters will head straight for the town."
"I hear you perfectly well, Captains," the Head Captain replied through the telepathic link.
His voice remained calm, but the urgency behind his words was unmistakable.
"Mages, prepare for combat. This is a matter of life and death. Send me and the Vice Captain to the location of the unknown Darkside Spirit. That creature is clearly leading this army."
He continued without pause.
"As for the court with the injured Shinras, regroup the survivors and fall back to my position. We'll need every fighter we can get. We cannot allow these creatures to break through."
"Yes, sir."
The Mages immediately began preparing the teleportation spell.
"We're teleporting the wounded court to your location now."
Purple light spread across the battlefield.
One by one, the surviving Shinras vanished. A moment later, they reappeared beside the Captain's court.
Some stumbled upon arrival, while others dropped to one knee, struggling to catch their breath. Blood stained their clothes and weapons.
Falco stood among them, gripping his sword tightly.
Through the telepathic connection, one of the Mages addressed the Captain.
"Captain, once we're done here, whose court are we joining?"
"Mine," the Captain answered.
Suddenly, his attention shifted toward the ground.
"I can sense a Renshi force approaching from underground."
His eyes narrowed.
"You hear it too, don't you, Falco?"
Falco closed his eyes briefly, concentrating on the vibrations he could hear.
"Yeah. I can hear it."
He opened his eyes and looked toward the ground.
"But it's not as strong as the force attacking the other court."
The Captain's expression hardened.
"We need more Shinras covering both directions."
Falco glanced around.
"What about the other two courts? Can't you reach them?"
The Captain fell silent for a moment before shaking his head.
"You haven't noticed?"
His voice grew colder.
"They're gone."
Falco's expression changed.
"Completely wiped out," the Captain continued. "Most likely by those unknown Darkside Spirits."
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"There's no time to grieve. We carry the will of our fallen comrades."
His gaze turned toward the battlefield.
"We fight for mankind's survival."
The Captain then reached toward the Vice Captain.
"Grab my hand."
The Vice Captain immediately took it.
"Let's end this."
The Mages moved quickly, surrounding the two Shinras with purple light.
A moment later, the Captain and Vice Captain vanished, teleporting toward the unknown Darkside Spirit's location.
Meanwhile, the injured court and the remaining Mages joined the main unit.
"Don't break the telepathic link," the Captain ordered before leaving. "Keep communications open at all times."
"Yes, sir."
The remaining Shinras gathered themselves and prepared for what was coming.
After their devastating losses, only forty-three Shinras remained.
Thirty-six were still fit to fight.
Seven were injured.
The rest had fallen.
Falco stood among the survivors, his sword lowered at his side.
Suddenly, he snapped his head upward.
"This isn't a wave."
Everyone turned toward him.
"They're coming all at once."
He raised his sword.
"Get ready for battle."
One of the Mages suddenly gasped.
"The powerful Renshi signature underground..."
His eyes widened as he concentrated on the approaching energy.
"It just shifted."
He looked toward the ground.
"It's moving toward us."
Another Mage turned to Falco, his voice filled with disbelief.
"You're really helping us here. Without your sensory ability, we'd all be dead. Our senses don't work underground."
"No time for praise, kid," the Shinra wearing the second dark cape snapped.
His cape's distinct design marked him as someone of higher standing than the others.
"For once, you're right," Falco muttered.
He stepped forward and approached the captain of the other court.
"You're in charge here. I suggest you start giving orders."
The captain studied him for a moment before nodding.
"I like your spirit, Smith."
A small smile crossed his face.
"You would've made a great Shinra."
He turned toward the remaining fighters and raised his voice.
"Listen up."
The battlefield grew quiet around them as the Shinras focused on his words.
"From here on, we fight as one court. No more splitting our forces."
He pointed toward the front line.
"All Sage Shinras, form the offensive line with me."
Then he gestured behind them.
"Cyborg Shinras, hold the counter formation."
Finally, he turned toward the Mages.
"Mages, cast defensive techniques on every fighter, including the smith."
He raised his sword.
"We're going all out."
"Not bad for a regular court captain," the dark-caped Shinra muttered.
Then his eyes suddenly widened.
"Above us."
Everyone looked up.
Falco's voice roared across the formation.
"And below. Get ready."
A massive shadow passed over them.
Then-----
BOOM.
Darkside Spirits rained down from the sky, slamming into the ground one after another. Dirt and broken stones flew through the air as the impact shook the battlefield.
The Shinras raised their weapons just in time.
"Get into formation."
Before they could properly reposition themselves, the ground beneath their feet began to crack.
"Below."
The earth exploded.
Darkside Spirits burst out from underground, throwing several Shinras off their feet.
Falco reacted immediately, swinging his sword at a creature lunging toward him.
His blade cut through it, but another Darkside Spirit attacked from his left.
He raised his sword to block its elbow sword.
CLANG.
The impact forced him backward.
"Too strong."
Falco pushed against the creature, twisted his blade, and slashed across its chest.
The Darkside Spirit staggered.
A nearby Shinra seized the opening and finished it with a thrust through the head.
"Keep moving," the court captain shouted. "Don't let them surround you."
But the enemy had already surrounded them.
One hundred and fifty-two Darkside Spirits had descended from the sky.
Another ninety-seven had erupted from beneath the ground.
Two hundred and forty-nine Darkside Spirits now encircled the remaining Shinras.
A Sage Shinra charged forward, severing a Darkside Spirit's arm before driving his blade into its head.
Another creature attacked from behind.
A Cyborg Shinra intercepted it, blocking its claws with his reinforced arm before smashing it into the ground.
"Left side."
A Mage's warning rang through the telepathic link.
Three Darkside Spirits rushed toward the injured Shinras.
The Mages immediately raised their hands, and a defensive barrier materialized between the creatures and their targets.
CRACK.
The first Darkside Spirit slammed into the barrier.
CRACK.
Another strike sent fractures spreading across its surface.
"Hold it."
The Mage gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain the defense.
The second Spirit struck.
The barrier shattered.
"Move."
The injured Shinras scattered just before the Darkside Spirits crashed into their former position.
Falco rushed forward and swung his sword horizontally, cutting one creature across the chest.
Before he could recover, another attacked from above.
He raised his blade.
CLANG.
The creature's claws slammed against his sword, nearly buckling his knees under the force.
Falco gritted his teeth, pushed the attacker away, and ducked beneath another strike.
"There's too many."
"Then stop counting," the court captain shouted. "Just keep fighting."
Falco grinned.
"Now that's an order I can follow."
He charged forward once more.
Around him, the remaining Shinras fought with everything they had left.
They were exhausted.
Some were wounded.
Others could barely remain standing.
Yet not one of them stepped back.
The Darkside Spirits continued closing in from every direction.
And somewhere beneath the battlefield, another powerful Renshi force was still moving toward them.