When Ethan returned to the battlefield with Alicia slung over his shoulder, the fight was still raging.
Chris and the others were bloodied and bruised, their clothes torn, their bodies marked with cuts and burns. The enemy's numbers were just too overwhelming—especially the dozens of Tier 4 elites still holding the line.
Tier 5 might dominate Tier 4 in a one-on-one, but when the Tier 4s came in waves, even the strongest could get overwhelmed.
If it weren't for the Fallen Star Squad's nightly stargazing sessions—absorbing that strange, celestial energy that made them stronger than your average Tier 5—and the long reach of their barbell bars keeping enemies at bay, they'd be in far worse shape.
Sometimes, numbers really did matter.
But Ethan had always believed that when your power reached a certain point, numbers stopped meaning anything.
