Amidst the chaos, a voice pierced through the battlefield from the rear. "What are you guys doing? Let's end this prick already," Paragon 8 shouted, his impatience evident. I turned toward the voice, a hint of curiosity crossing my face.
"Oh?" I said.
Paragons 8, 10, 11, and 12 stood at a distance, each holding a charged attack capable of reducing entire streets to rubble. Flames coiled around one, lightning crackled around another, while stone and water churned violently around the remaining two.
"So they finally decide to get serious. I respect them for this. I believe I should—"
The words died on my tongue.
Something snapped.
A sensation tore through my senses, so sudden and violent that my attention shifted away from the battlefield entirely.
The barrier.
The protective barrier surrounding the forest.
It shattered.
Not weakened.
Not breached.
Shattered.
My eyes narrowed.
The true enemy had made their move.
"Now you see, you're all just a bunch of idiots. This really pisses me off."
The Paragons mistook my frustration for arrogance. They couldn't possibly understand. The moment that barrier fell, this battle stopped mattering.
The quartet unleashed their attacks.
Fire roared forward like a dragon set loose.
Lightning ripped through the sky.
Stone surged upward in a crushing wave.
Water compressed into a spear of destruction.
The attacks converged upon me.
At the same moment, my body locked in place.
I frowned.
"I can't move. What's this?"
Several Paragons looked upward in confusion.
"Huh?"
"What happened?"
My gaze shifted toward Paragon 3.
She was smiling.
Not proudly.
Not mockingly.
Patiently.
Like a puppeteer watching the final string tighten.
The answer became obvious.
Immobilisation.
Clean.
Simple.
Well timed.
"Oh."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.
"That's your play."
The relief that spread across the Paragons was almost amusing.
Some smiled.
Others lowered their guard.
For the first time since the battle began, they believed they had won.
Then their attacks struck.
The district disappeared beneath an explosion of fire, lightning, stone, and water. Buildings folded inward. Streets ruptured. Shockwaves ripped through the surrounding blocks, carrying dust and debris high into the air. The force of the impact swallowed everything in sight.
For several seconds, nothing could be seen.
Nothing could be heard beyond the roar of destruction.
"He couldn't survive that."
"We got him."
"It's over."
Paragon 8 exhaled heavily.
"Finally."
Then the smoke began to thin.
A silhouette emerged from the devastation.
Unhurried.
Untouched.
Unaffected.
I stepped from the dust as though walking through a curtain.
Not a scratch marked my body.
Not a burn stained my clothes.
Not even dust dared cling to me.
The battlefield fell silent.
The Paragons stared.
Some in disbelief.
Others in fear.
The air itself seemed to tighten around me.
Then another presence surfaced.
Lieutenant Semora stepped from the haze.
Her arrival was quiet, yet impossible to ignore. The space around her distorted subtly as planetary Nova Force bent outward from her position. Invisible arcs locked into place around the battlefield, forming a protective lattice that held the lingering destruction at bay. Gravity itself seemed to answer her call, settling into a controlled orbit around her.
Her eyes met mine.
Unreadable.
Calculating.
For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
Power acknowledged power.
Authority recognized resolve.
Intent hovered somewhere between trust and suspicion.
"Lieutenant Semora, what's the meaning of this?" Paragon 1 demanded, suspicion creeping into his voice.
Semora turned toward him. A faint smile touched her lips, though there was nothing reassuring about it.
"That's enough."
The words immediately silenced the battlefield.
"There is something else happening here that requires our attention. The barrier has been broken. A horde of monsters has already breached the forest and is moving toward both this city and Artisan Town. The safety of the people comes first."
The announcement struck the Paragons harder than any attack.
"What?" Paragon 2 blurted out. "How didn't we get notified? Aren't our Novacomms supposed to send immediate alerts when something like this happens?"
His confusion echoed the thoughts of everyone present.
Semora's eyes darkened slightly.
"Yes."
The single word carried more weight than the explanation she refused to give.
"No time for this. Move."
The order left no room for debate.
Then her gaze shifted toward me.
"We'll meet again."
The words carried an unspoken promise.
"We do need your help, but once this is over, we'll come for all of you. No matter how strong you are."
I stared at her for a moment before sighing.
"Women."
Several Paragons looked offended.
Semora ignored me completely.
"Heal them, Paragon 2."
The command was immediate and final.
Duty had overtaken pride.
The larger threat eclipsed everything else.
As the group prepared to leave, Semora issued one final order.
"I'll go retrieve that wild beast. You go get your friend before they cause any more damage."
Then they were gone.
The battlefield grew quiet once more.
Only the soldier I wanted remained.
His comrades had vanished as quickly as they had arrived, leaving behind questions that seemed to multiply with every answer.
I walked over and slapped his face.
"Hey."
His head lolled.
I slapped him again.
"Wake up."
His eyes fluttered open.
I grabbed him by the collar.
"Let's go."
Because whatever had shattered that barrier had just turned this entire situation into something far more dangerous than anyone realized.