After a long travel through the desolate wasteland, they finally reached a ridge overlooking the city. From there, Briva closed her eyes and linked with Ashen. Through the hawk's sharp vision, the dark landscape unfolded before her in chilling clarity, the city's faint glow in the distance, the wandering patrols, the shifting shadows between the ruins.
For nearly an hour she watched in silence, following every movement the patrols made, counting their steps and marking where they met or changed direction. By the time she was done, she knew exactly how many groups there were and where they would be at any given moment. Their plan was simple but deadly, eliminate the patrols one by one, quietly and without alerting the city.
The assassination team consisted of Elna and Luciana. If something went wrong, Briva would relay the details through telepathy to Edgarth, who was ready to pull them out immediately using his door magic.
To minimize the risk, Arthur began first. He whispered a series of spells, tracing faint runes in the dirt to scan for traps and detect magical barriers. When he was done, he mapped out the safest route for Elna and Luciana. Then Ryan and Leo followed, shaping the terrain itself with their illusions. Rocks shifted, dirt rippled, and shadows deepened under their will, creating layers of deception that would keep the enemy's senses occupied.
With Briva's constant feed of information guiding them, they could adjust the illusions in real time, twisting the land around the patrols to isolate and confuse them.
Once everything was ready, Elna reached for Luciana's arm and let the shadows rise around them. Vampires could meld into darkness, but true shadow magic was beyond their reach. Here, only Elna could step into that realm, walk through it, and take Luciana with her.
A patrol of two werewolves and two vampires moved along the outskirts of the ruined city. The werewolves walked ahead, their movements cautious, noses twitching as they searched for even the faintest trace of intruders. Behind them, the vampires swept their gazes across the terrain, their eyes glowing faintly in the dark. One of them murmured an incantation, weaving a detection spell that rippled through the air like invisible waves.
But Elna's concealment was far beyond their reach. Her spell masked every breath, every flicker of mana, wrapping her and Luciana in a veil so dense that even trained senses could find nothing. On top of that, Ryan and Leo's illusion followed them like a living shadow, bending light and sound to erase any hint of movement. For C and B ranks, they were simply ghosts.
Still, there was one thing they couldn't ignore, the S-ranks inside the city. Those monsters could pierce through most magic, even from such a distance. To counter that threat, Ryan had created an illusionary wall stretching along the city's edge, distorting vision and perception for anyone looking outward. The massive barrier shimmered faintly in the distance, hidden from all.
He had deceived an S-rank before. He was confident he could do it again.
After a minute of gliding through the shadows, a small, dark pool rippled open behind the patrolling group. The black surface spread like spilled ink, silent and thin, until it tore apart to reveal Luciana stepping through. Her eyes glowed faintly blue in the darkness, reflecting the dim light from the ruined city ahead.
One of the vampires in the patrol, the one still chanting a detection spell, stiffened. His head turned slightly, pupils narrowing. He had sensed something, but far too late.
In the next heartbeat, a blur passed through them. The air split with a whisper of displaced wind, and before any of them could react, four heads flew into the air. Blood sprayed upward in crimson arcs before vanishing into the darkness, and their bodies collapsed without a sound. Even before they hit the ground, the shadows beneath them stirred, pulling them under as if the earth itself had swallowed them whole.
Elna emerged beside Luciana, her movements calm and precise. Through Briva's telepathic connection, new information streamed in, the next patrol's location, their direction, their timing. Without exchanging a word, the two vanished again, slipping beneath the surface of the shadows.
Two more groups fell in the same manner. Quick, clean, silent. The only sign of their deaths was the faint shimmer of blood in the moonless light before the corpses were devoured by darkness.
The fourth group, however, was different. Six patrolling figures stood in formation, three vampires and three werewolves. One of them carried an aura that made the air around him hum with energy, a clear sign of a B-plus, perhaps even A-minus rank. His stance was sharp, alert, and his mana pulsed faintly like a warning flare in the dark.
But against Luciana, one of the first vampires ever created, that strength meant little.
Her claws extended with a faint metallic whisper, long and black as obsidian. Then she leapt from the shadow, her body dissolving into smoke midair. The fog surged forward like a living thing, weaving between the patrol. The first scream never came; the first head simply separated from its shoulders. Then another and another.
When the mist cleared, five bodies fell in pieces. The last one, the higher-ranked vampire, managed to react. He raised his arm, gathering mana, his blue eyes burning with fear and defiance, but his defense never completed.
Luciana appeared right before him, her form solidifying from smoke, her expression calm and cold. She moved once, clean, perfect, and his arm dropped to the ground, followed by his head.
The silence that followed was absolute.
The closer they got to the city, the denser the enemy patrols became. Shadows shifted constantly across the ruined landscape, and the faint hum of magic filled the air. Elna moved silently behind one of the groups, her presence a blur in the darkness. As before, Luciana slipped from the shadow beside her, her claws gleaming faintly red as she cut through the patrol with surgical precision.
But the moment her claws pierced the chest of the last vampire, a pulse of crimson light erupted across his body. A massive magic circle, drawn entirely in his own blood, ignited beneath him. The air crackled. The blood flowed upward, coiling around Luciana like living chains, tightening and solidifying before she could react.
Her body froze in place. They put the traps on themselves.
Every pair of eyes nearby turned instantly toward them. The stillness shattered as one of the vampires, quick and sharp, began chanting, his hands tracing symbols in the air to send a signal spell.
Before the last word left his lips, a dagger flashed through the darkness. The blade struck the side of his throat with a clean, slicing sound. Blood sprayed outward in a bright arc before vanishing into the shadows. The vampire dropped, choking on his own blood, the glow fading from his half-formed spell.
Normally, a wound like that would heal in seconds, but Elna's daggers were different. Each was coated in a slow, searing poison enchantment that burned through regeneration. The vampire's body twitched once, then went still.
At the same time, Luciana tore herself free from the crimson bindings. The blood that had restrained her hissed as it evaporated into mist. She barely had time to take a step forward before a wolf's howl split the air, deep, long, and filled with power.
Luciana's head snapped toward the sound. Her body vanished into a blur, and in the next instant she was before the source, a massive werewolf, gray fur streaked with silver. Her claws flashed once, slitting its throat open in a single motion. But even as it fell, the howl echoed through the air again, carried by magic.
It was already too late.
Back with the others, Briva stiffened. Her connection with Ashen wavered for a split second before she shouted, "Something's coming!"
The warning hit like a spark. Arthur's eyes narrowed. He didn't hesitate, if it was what he thought, it could only mean one thing, an S-rank.
He surged forward, his boots tearing through the dirt, his sword already drawn. The air rippled around him as he accelerated, moving faster than the eye could follow. Several enemy groups intercepted his path, but none could stop him. His blade flashed like lightning, cutting through them effortlessly.
As he advanced, he reached into his domain, summoning more swords that appeared in the air around him, orbiting his body like golden stars. Each blade fed into his aura, growing his strength with every strike.
Two radiant wings of pure light burst from his back, illuminating the battlefield. The glow spread across the darkness, and with one powerful leap, Arthur launched himself upward, toward the incoming shape blazing through the sky like a comet.
The impact came a heartbeat later. His sword met a massive claw midair, the collision releasing a shockwave that tore through the ground. Dust and debris exploded outward, sending mid-ranked enemies flying in every direction. Even Elna dove into the shadows to avoid the force of the blast.
For a brief moment, sword and claw locked in a blinding struggle of strength and mana. The air crackled under the pressure before the two forces finally broke apart.
Arthur was thrown back, crashing into the ground hard enough to carve a trench beneath him. The creature, an enormous wolf, landed several meters away, its claws gouging deep furrows in the earth. Dust and dirt billowed up around it as it lifted its head, eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
The massive wolf began to advance toward Arthur, each step deliberate, each one shaking the ground beneath them. The tremors rolled outward through the cracked soil, scattering loose stones and dust into the air.
Arthur gritted his teeth, planting his feet firmly. The creature's size was overwhelming, its fur a dark, silver-gray, and its eyes burned with an eerie red light, sharp and intelligent.
"So, you finally came…" the wolf spoke, his voice deep, distorted by a growl that carried both malice and amusement. A wicked smile curved across his muzzle, exposing long, gleaming fangs.
Before Arthur could respond, the air shattered with a thunderous crack.
The wolf, Ed Wilson, vanished, leaving behind only a streak of lightning where he had stood. In the next instant, he was there, right in front of Arthur, his movement so fast that even the air seemed to tear apart in his wake. His claw, long and shining like sharpened steel, was already descending.
Arthur reacted in pure instinct. A shield of golden light burst into existence on his left arm, flaring with divine energy. The impact hit like a meteor strike, the sound was deafening. Cracks splintered across the luminous barrier, light flickering erratically under the raw strength behind the wolf's blow.
The shield trembled, seconds from breaking, and then, behind Ed, space itself opened.
A white door appeared midair, glowing faintly before ejecting a small vial wrapped in flickering red light. The potion tumbled down and shattered on Ed's back, bursting into a roaring bloom of flame. The explosion engulfed him, the pressure wave scattering smoke and burning cinders across the battlefield.
For a moment, the fire blazed bright enough to swallow his massive silhouette.
But when the smoke began to clear, Ed hadn't moved an inch. His posture was unchanged, his claws still pressed against Arthur's shield. His burning eyes narrowed, and with a growl, he pushed forward again.
He didn't notice the shadow that had moved within the fire.
From the smoke, Leo emerged, silent, focused, his expression cold. Thorn was already in his hand, the blade humming faintly with crimson light.
He moved fast. The sword sliced toward Ed's waist, the strike sharp and precise, aimed to break balance more than to kill. The blade hit, sparks bursting as it scraped across the wolf's thick fur. The weapon completely failed to pierce through, but it was never meant to.
Before Ed could counter, Leo whispered under his breath, his voice calm and steady.
"Blood Explosion."
The blood coating his sword pulsed once, then erupted.
A crimson magic sphere expanded outward from the point of impact, symbols flaring as the spell detonated. The blast struck Ed full-force, the shockwave sending him skidding backward across the ground. He landed a dozen meters away, claws digging deep trenches to steady himself.
When the dust cleared again, he stood tall, unharmed but alert now, his grin gone, replaced by a look of cold fury.
Before the clash could continue, space rippled around them. A ring of faint golden light appeared on the ground, spreading outward before solidifying into a door. The frame pulsed once, and then swung open.
From its glow stepped Edgarth, calm and composed, followed by the rest of them. Briva came next, her eyes sharp and focused, Ashen circling above in hawk form. Arlasan, Alina and the five elite warriors of the city followed, weapons drawn, their armor faintly reflecting the pale light that always hung over the Shadowlands.
The air trembled with energy as the full group assembled.
Briva, Alina and Arlasan took position farther back, coordinating the five warriors behind them. Their task was clear, hold off the lower-ranked enemies, keep the lines clear, and make sure none of the smaller monsters interfered.
That left the center, Leo's core team. Six A-ranks, including himself, standing at the very edge of the city. Facing them, the ground cracked beneath the claws of their opponent, Ed Wilson, the almost S-rank werewolf, his presence radiating like a storm about to break.
For a moment, the battlefield fell silent. Then, suddenly, Luciana's head snapped up. Her blue eyes locked on something far beyond the walls, something only she could feel. Her expression shifted, twisting into a smile that trembled between excitement and fury.
"Mother…" she whispered. The word came out more like a growl, trembling with emotion that none of them had ever heard from her before.
Without warning, two massive bat-like wings burst from her back, unfolding with a sound like tearing cloth. Her lower half dissolved into thick, swirling smoke.
"Luciana, wait—!" Leo called out, stepping forward.
But it was too late. She had already surged upward, her form blurring into dark mist as she shot through the air, leaving only a trail of black vapor in her wake.
"I'll go with her!" Edgarth said quickly, snapping his hand forward. A shimmering doorway appeared in front of him, glowing faintly blue this time.
"I'm coming too." Elna's voice was firm, her crimson eyes glinting in the dark. Before Leo could respond, she leapt into the open door, vanishing in a ripple of energy beside Edgarth.
The door closed behind them with a quiet thump.
Leo exhaled slowly, his hand tightening around Thorn. His gaze turned back toward the towering wolf before him.
Ed Wilson's grin widened, his claws scraping against the stone.
The air around them grew heavy, charged with mana, dust, and tension.
"The battle," Leo muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as his aura flared around him, "finally begins."