SEASON 2 — EPISODE 19: HUNTER'S GAMBIT
Cold Open — Crash to Shore
The waves were black with volcanic silt, smashing themselves against the jagged teeth of the Black Sands Coast. The air smelled of salt and storm, the wind screaming like a thing alive.
A lone body floated in with the tide, limp, battered — but not dead.
It was Xavier.
For a moment, he didn't move. The cold seeped into him, mixing with the lingering ache from the battle in orbit. Then — his eyes snapped open. They glowed faintly gold, the same hue as the last flare of his Apex Hunter Mode.
He rose slowly to his feet, water streaming from him in sheets. Steam hissed off his skin as ragged wounds closed on their own, flesh knitting over muscle, armor re-sealing where possible. His boots sank into the black sand as he rolled his shoulders, testing his new strength.
HUD BLIP:
• LEVEL: 2,550
• Attributes: Strength + Agility permanently boosted.
• Status: Void Reflex Engaged.
The horizon was still dark, the sun only a whisper below the edge of the world. Somewhere beyond that darkness, the Skyborn King was retreating into the stars. But the war wasn't over — it had just changed shape.
Act 1 — The New War at Home
INT. HUNTER COUNCIL HALL — MIDDAY
The great chamber of the Hunter Council was built like an arena, with tiered seating curving toward the central floor. Today, it was chaos.
Councilors shouted over one another, their voices ricocheting against the high stone arches.
Councilor Draven slammed a hand on the table. "You attacked the Skyborn King without sanction!"
Councilor Hale shot back, "And lived to tell it! We should be giving him command of the entire defense grid!"
The Guild Master sat at the head, calm but sharp-eyed. His voice cut through the noise like a blade. "Both of you shut it. This isn't about permission. It's about consequence."
On the central holo-screen, a grainy feed flickered to life. A Tribunal envoy — faceless behind a mirrored mask — stood before a crowd of alien banners.
"Until the one called Xavier is delivered to us," the envoy's voice echoed, "we declare open hunting season on all Earth-born Hunters. Kill on sight."
The feed cut. The chamber fell silent.
Xavier, leaning casually against a column, didn't flinch. "Guess I'm popular."
The Guild Master's gaze was unreadable. "You just painted a target on every Hunter's back. Some of them will aim it right at you."
Act 2 — Rival Hunters
EXT. TRAINING YARD — AFTERNOON
The training yard was busy with recruits and veterans sparring under the mid-afternoon sun. But the moment Xavier stepped onto the packed earth, the noise shifted — lowering into a tense murmur.
Three figures stepped forward, blocking his path.
The leader, Hunter Veyra, was a towering woman in red-and-black armor, a Level 4,200 powerhouse known for her stormlance spear. Beside her, two other elites — each past Level 4,000 — shifted into combat stance.
Veyra's eyes narrowed. "You've brought war to our doorstep. We're ending you here."
Xavier's hand brushed the hilt of the Skyfall Fang… then stopped.
He didn't draw.
Instead, Void Reflex activated.
To the watching crowd, it looked like Xavier became slippery, like light bent around him. Veyra lunged with her spear — Xavier was already gone, sidestepping before the strike began. Another Hunter swung a war axe — he was already under the blow, moving as if he'd seen the attack seconds ago.
Each dodge was smooth, effortless, infuriating.
Finally, Xavier moved to end it. One step forward — one punch.
Veyra's body lifted from the ground as if hit by a freight ship, smashing into the training wall with a crack of stone. She slid to the ground, unconscious.
The other two froze.
Xavier glanced between them, voice calm. "If you want me gone, you'll have to move faster."
He walked away.
Act 3 — The Storm Beyond
EXT. OBSERVATION TOWER — SUNSET
The sky was on fire with colors — molten orange, streaked with purple clouds. From the top of the observation tower, the Titan Continent was visible across the ocean, its jagged peaks rising like the spine of a sleeping god.
Kai joined Xavier at the railing, holding a steaming cup of something strong.
"That's not weather," Kai said, nodding toward the horizon.
Xavier followed his gaze. Over the continent, a spiral of clouds moved with unnatural precision, forming a cyclone without wind.
Then — Beast Sense flared.
Something colossal moved beneath those clouds. Not in the sky — under the land. Each step sent vibrations rolling across the ocean, faint but undeniable.
Xavier's jaw tightened. "I feel it."
Act 4 — The Offer
INT. OLD DOCK WAREHOUSE — NIGHT
The warehouse smelled of rust and salt. Lantern light flickered over crates stacked like fortifications.
The Cloaked Hunter waited inside, leaning against a pillar, his face hidden.
"You fought the King to a draw," he said without preamble. "Impressive."
Xavier stepped closer, boots echoing on the wet floor. "Get to the point."
"The Titan King has awoken. I know where. Help me kill him… or he'll make the Skyborn look like pets."
They locked eyes. There was no handshake, no agreement. Only the electric tension of two predators sizing each other up.
Act 5 — A Warning from the Void
EXT. SPACE — FAR ORBIT
Beyond the glow of the planet, something vast drifted into view. It was not Skyborn — its form was older, rougher, like a mountain carved into the shape of a god. Titan sigils burned across its surface, each one glowing faint red.
A voice, deep and alien, whispered through the void, carrying a message to no one and everyone:
"The seal breaks. The hunt begins."
Ending Scene — Xavier's Resolve
EXT. BLACK SANDS COAST — NIGHT
The waves hissed against the shore. Xavier stood exactly where he had washed up that morning, the moonlight catching on the wet black sand.
His grip tightened around the Skyfall Fang. His eyes burned brighter, molten gold cutting through the shadows.
"Level 150,000, huh?" he said to the night. "Then I'd better start running."
HUD BLIP: Objective Added — Slay the Titan King.