The next mural burned itself into Seorin's mind.
The battle was at its worst.
The Thirteen Etherbon were struggling to hold the line.
Their powers still roared across the battlefield—but they were tired, wounded, and outnumbered.
The Hybrids kept coming.
Machines crawled across the broken land, firing beams of light and sound.
Flying beasts made of metal and flesh screamed through the skies.
The ground cracked with energy traps, and towers of crystal rose from the earth, draining the Etherbon's strength.
---
Then it happened.
At the center of the mural, the Phoenix Woman appeared.
She stood alone on a high cliff, above the battlefield.
Her face was calm, and her eyes glowed softly.
She raised one hand, and from her open palm, a huge wave of golden fire burst out.
It spread as wide as a city and as high as the sky.
---
Everything stopped.
The Hybrids didn't have time to scream or escape.
They simply vanished—turned into ash and light in a second.
