The world had barely begun to breathe again after Paris.
Buildings still lay in ruins, streets were lined with makeshift shelters, and survivors whispered of demons in every corner of the night. Yet, for a fleeting moment, there was hope. The Council of Wielders had promised protection. The strongest stood united. Humanity dared to believe again.
That hope shattered in a single night.
Across the globe, the skies split open.
Rifts of darkness spread like cracks in glass, bleeding shadows into the heavens. From Seoul to New York, from Cairo to Moscow—five low-rank demons and five mid-rank horrors clawed their way into the human world.
The war was no longer contained. It had begun.
---
The Wielders Assemble
Reports flooded the Council headquarters. Screens flickered with images of fire and panic.
One by one, the names of chosen Wielders were called.
Akira Tanaka – Japan. His blade rested on his back, a katana that gleamed silver even in the dark.
Hyejin – South Korea. Frost followed her every step, the air around her biting cold.
Ethan Blake – United States. Twin sabers glinted in his hands, his grin reckless and sharp.
Dmitri Ivanov – Russia. A man built like a mountain, his aura heavy with the weight of stone.
Klaus Weber – Germany. His coat fluttered though no wind stirred, eyes calm as a brewing storm.
Sophia Carter – United Kingdom. Radiance shimmered faintly around her, every movement graceful.
Amélie Dufort – France. Water coiled around her fingers like ribbons, calm yet dangerous.
Maria Torres – Brazil. Lightning snapped across her skin, restless and violent.
Zahir Al-Fahim – Egypt. His aura shifted like desert dunes, relentless as a sandstorm.
And among them, watching silently, stood Rehan and Ishita.
The battlefield was no longer just Paris. It was the entire world.
---
Dallas, United States
The night was torn apart by screaming sirens and collapsing buildings.
Above Dallas, a rift pulsed, black and hungry. From it, three figures descended.
1. Karnash, the Flesh Grinder. A grotesque demon with claws of spinning bone and steel.
Skill: Bone Saw Rend — a strike that shredded everything in its path.
2. Velmora, the Shadow Siren. A phantom of smoke and teeth, her voice a weapon of destruction.
Skill: Eclipse Howl — a scream that shattered glass, steel, and minds alike.
3. Drogath, the Iron Tyrant. A towering demon clad in molten armor, eyes glowing like lava.
Skill: Molten Crush — tearing open the earth to drown streets in fire.
The city shook as their roars echoed. Civilians fled in terror, their cries drowned by collapsing towers.
On the ground, Ethan Blake tightened his grip on his sabers. Beside him, Maria Torres crackled with lightning, and Sophia Carter stood with her hands glowing in golden light.
"Alright," Ethan muttered, sabers crossing before him. "Dallas is ours. Don't hold back."
Karnash lunged first.
"Bone Saw Rend!" His claws spun, grinding against the street as sparks exploded.
Ethan stepped forward, sabers flashing.
"Saber Vortex!"
Twin arcs of light carved through the air, deflecting the strike in a storm of sparks. The shockwave tore through windows and cars.
Velmora floated above, her mouth opening wide.
"Eclipse Howl!"
The air cracked. Screams turned into silence as sound itself shattered. Glass burst from skyscrapers, people clutched their ears in agony.
Sophia raised her hand, light bursting from her palm.
"Divine Barrier!"
A golden dome flared to life, the soundwave breaking harmlessly against its surface.
Then Drogath slammed his fists into the earth.
"Molten Crush!"
The ground split, rivers of molten rock surging upward, swallowing cars and streets in fire.
Maria leapt forward, electricity bursting from her body.
"Storm Cannon!"
A bolt of lightning crashed against Drogath's chest. His molten armor cracked, glowing fissures spreading across it.
The demons snarled. The battle for Dallas had begun.