The remaining soldiers fought desperately against the beasts in the city. Their numbers had dwindled to a third, and most were wounded after the brutal clashes with the savage creatures.
The flow of monsters had not stopped. By now, the number that had poured into the capital must have exceeded half a million.
The capital was on the verge of collapse—or rather…
It had already fallen. It was only a matter of time before the soldiers were wiped out completely in the city streets.
Alexa and her companions stood upon the palace rooftop, watching every conceivable image of destruction unfold before them.
The capital blazed with blue flames born of magic. The ground was buried beneath a thick layer of corpses—both beasts and soldiers alike. The tall buildings that once adorned the city had all been reduced to rubble.
The once pure air of the city was now choked with the stench of ashes rising from burned bodies.
But surrender was never an option. Over two thousand soldiers still remained within the capital. A pitiful number compared to the half-million beasts, yet they would fight to the very last breath. They were not the kind who abandoned the battlefield, no matter the cost.
Elsewhere, Evelyn and Hiko stood atop a mountain peak.
Evelyn spoke with malice.
—Hiko… it is time to summon the Stone Giants.
Hiko smiled faintly, her gaze locked on the golden gates. A brilliant golden glow erupted from her eyes. They became like two blazing craters of light as she chanted in the ancient Akemo tongue.
The gates expanded, their radii stretching to terrifying proportions. Each portal now must have been over a hundred meters wide.
The air and scenery around them warped violently. The magical energy spilling from the three golden gates threatened to tear apart the boundaries of this world itself.
From the palace rooftop, the Siren heroes watched in grim silence.
Alexa's expression hardened.
—They're summoning the Giants of Stone.
All eyes followed her gaze to the colossal gates that loomed larger than ever.
Iris clenched his teeth.
—We must intervene now, Alexa!
She met his eyes directly.
—Not yet. We have to wipe out the beasts first. We won't reach the giants otherwise.
Iris nodded quickly.
—Yes… I can do it in half an hour.
He froze, realizing.
—But half an hour is too long.
Alexa's gaze drifted down to the soldiers still locked in battle below.
—We'll have to annihilate the beasts in one strike.
Iris gripped her shoulder tightly.
—Are you insane?! The soldiers will die too!
Alexa's voice was cold, her eyes never leaving the battlefield.
—It is the only way.
Silence consumed the rooftop. A cruel choice, but their only one.
From within the sleeve of her battle garb, the Kaitō Blade slid out. The black steel was etched with runes that now burned in a deep, ominous blue.
Iris could not accept it.
—Alexa, think again. If you unleash mass destruction, the civilians in the underground shelters will die as well. The capital will fall by your hand, not the beasts'.
She gave no reply. And none of the others dared intervene. The authority and battle-hardened aura of both Alexa and Iris made it impossible for anyone else to intrude.
At last, Alexa spoke.
—Iris… this is for the clan.
His composure broke.
—For the clan? Or for Ethios?
Her eyes locked with his, sharper than her blade. Words weren't needed. Her stare conveyed one thing only:
Do not interfere.
Iris opened his mouth to protest, but Elara grasped his shoulder. Alexa's decision was already made.
The beasts would be eradicated. Along with everyone else in the capital.
Alexa leapt down from the rooftop, landing heavily upon the palace gardens.
The runes on her blade blazed brighter, so intense it was difficult to look directly at them.
She swung the sword in a wide, heavy arc, a half-circle cut filled with terrifying resolve.
A colossal blue crescent of magic erupted from the blade, racing toward the city with unimaginable force. The ground split beneath it. The skies seemed ready to rend apart above it. The wave only grew larger as it advanced.
A shrill, furious screech filled the capital. Winds howled violently through the streets. Soldiers were flung from their positions like leaves in a storm.
The lucky ones managed to cling to something.
But in truth, there was no such thing as luck on this cursed day.
The blade's arc carved through the city.
Its sheer speed and magical might did not simply destroy…
It erased.
Both soldiers and beasts froze mid-battle. There was no fight left—only the desperate instinct to survive the coming wave.
They ran like herds of mad animals, fleeing death. But not today. Alexa had chosen to erase them all, even if it meant the civilians hiding underground would share their fate.
The wave reached them. Their flesh evaporated in moments, skin first, then muscle, and finally bone, all consumed in seconds.
The underground fortresses collapsed under the earth-shaking force, burying every refugee beneath mountains of rubble.
Children. Women. The elderly. None were spared.
All because of a decision made by Alexa. A decision cloaked as defense of the capital… but in truth, only to protect Ethios.
If she had truly fought for the capital, it would never have fallen in the first place.
The azure wave continued on, cleaving past the city and tearing through the mountain ranges beyond—until it vanished beneath avalanches of stone.
Evelyn and Hiko leapt down the rocky slopes, stone to stone, until they reached the ground.
Hiko knelt, trembling.
—That wretched woman… she has annihilated the capital.
Evelyn panted between heavy breaths.
—Do not let it sway you. Focus on the summoning.
Hiko cursed bitterly beneath her breath.
Within what remained of the capital, Alexa collapsed to the ground, breath ragged. Such a strike had consumed nearly all of her strength.
Iris stood above her, his face twisted in grief and fury. He wanted to offer his hand to lift her up—yet he could not bring himself to.
Alexa forced herself back to her feet. Her eyes lingered on Iris for a moment, then shifted once more toward the blinding golden glow of the gates, shining even through the haze of smoke and dust.
There was no time left for arguments.
The giants were beginning to emerge…