Down in the city, the horror grew worse by the minute.
A Mindless-class Hemengo rampaged through the streets. It stood over 14 feet tall, covered in black, cracked skin. Its body smelled of rot. It had six powerful legs that moved fast, and its eight red eyes searched for movement. Gray horns jutted from its back and shoulders.
An old woman stood in a corner, shielding two small children behind her. Three other adults were with her, trying to keep calm. One of them held a metal rod.
The Hemengo shrieked and charged.
The man with the rod stepped forward. "Run! I'll hold it off!" He never got the chance. The Hemengo's claw swung down, slicing him in two. Blood sprayed everywhere. The children screamed and fell to the ground. Then the creature raised its leg. With a loud crunch, it crushed them. The screams turned into silence.
All across the city, similar horrors unfolded. People ran, but there was nowhere to go. Hemengos broke into homes, dragged people out, and devoured them. Some tried to fight back. Most failed.
Inside a small apartment, one of the worst scenes played out. Blood was everywhere. The walls, the floor, the furniture. A Drake-class Hemengo hunched over a woman's body. It ripped flesh from her bones, its long tongue flicking around her face. Bones cracked under its weight. The smell was unbearable.
In the corner, a boy sat shaking. His name was Elbro. He was ten. His small body trembled, his face pale. His father's body lay near the doorway, torn apart. His mother, still being eaten, hadn't screamed for minutes. Elbro didn't speak. He didn't cry.
He just stared.
The creature stopped and looked at him.
Elbro's eyes widened.
The Hemengo began to move toward him…
The wind howled as Chrom Lio landed with a heavy crash in Sector 6 of A-Zoju City. His armored boots cracked the cement below, and dust flew up around him. He stood tall, scanning the ruined streets and shattered buildings.
Without a word, he activated the Hemengo detecting device attached to his chest plate. A holographic display appeared in front of his visor. Red and yellow dots blinked across a map of the area.
"Nine Hemengos in the North," Chrom muttered in his deep, gravelly voice. "Three in the Southeast. Eight Mindless. Four Drake."
He made his choice instantly. North first.
His boots started to glow with a soft blue light, and energy pulsed through his legs. In a flash, he was gone...running at 60 km/h through the rubble-covered streets. His massive frame moved with shocking speed, leaping over fallen walls and dodging fire. As he neared the first Hemengo, a Mindless-class beast was cornering a group of survivors. It snarled, drooling black liquid, preparing to pounce.
Chrom roared and charged. "MOVE!"
The civilians screamed and scattered just in time.
Chrom's right fist charged with energy. Devices around his knuckles glowed bright blue, humming with power. As he reached the Hemengo, he leapt into the air and drove his punch straight into the creature's head.
Boom.
The impact created a shockwave that shattered nearby windows. The Hemengo's skull caved in, its body collapsing instantly. A small glowing blue crystal popped from its chest. Chrom stomped over, picked up the crystal, and crushed it in his hand. It cracked like glass and turned to dust.
"No regen for you," he said flatly.
Just then, a small hovercraft zoomed in. The HNO's medical team leapt out, checking the civilians. "Thanks for the save, Chrom! We'll take it from here!" Chrom gave a small nod and was already running again.
Elsewhere, in Sector 9...the heart of the battlefield...two figures landed hard.
Rowan and Zeronn stood back-to-back, both drawing their swords. Their boots glowed, charged for high-speed movement.
Rowan looked around grimly. "We have to eliminate every single one of them fast."
Zeronn nodded. "Split up?"
"Split up." They took off in opposite directions, their bodies vanishing into blurs.
"I've got nine Drake-class and sixteen Mindless Hemengos," Rowan called through the comms. Zeronn's voice replied coolly. "Five Drake, twenty-nine Mindless on my side. Let's see who finishes first."
Rowan chuckled. "You're outnumbered. You sure you can win?"
"Let's make it interesting."
In a single strike, Zeronn sliced through four Mindless-class Hemengos. His blade shimmered with blue energy, and the creatures exploded into black mist. At the same time, Rowan's massive sword cleaved through two Drake-class Hemengos in a single swing. Their roars stopped instantly.
Both moved so fast, it was almost impossible to see. The battlefield became a dance of light and death.
Back in Sector 8, Astria landed softly on the edge of a destroyed rooftop. Her boots barely made a sound. She activated her Hemengo detector and scanned the area. The device blinked red.
"High Drake-class… inside that building," she whispered, spotting a crumbled apartment complex.
Without hesitation, she sprinted toward it, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with precision. Her white suit shimmered in the light, Armor clicking softly.
Meanwhile, deep inside that same building…
Elbro sat frozen in the corner of the blood-soaked room. His body trembled; his eyes wide. The Drake-class Hemengo had finished eating his mother. It turned toward him.
Its full form became clear now...over eight feet tall, covered in green-black scales. Its glowing green eyes locked onto Elbro. Its arms were so long they dragged across the ground, claws sharp and wet. Blood dripped from its fanged mouth.
Elbro opened his mouth to scream. The Hemengo lunged.