Blank eyes, teeth dripping with saliva, movements jerking like a puppet pulled by unseen strings, this thing was no longer Trance. The warmth, the laughter, the friend Briggs once knew had been reduced to a monster before him.
He clenched his jaw, sparks dancing as his knuckles cracked against each other.
"I've been waiting for you… friend."
Trance lunged, a beast on all fours, but the ground gave way, spikes impaled into his flesh. Tentacles writhed, anchoring him, dragging him back to the surface with a guttural roar. But Briggs was expecting this and with a bang, his fist shot forward, slamming into Trance's face disfiguring it, as the impact crushed him against the wall.
Outside, the armored corps advanced, volleys rained down from above as they raised their shields to intercept. Unbeknownst to them, the arrows were enchanted, each one striking true and piercing straight through faces. The first wall of Veyrith collapsed, with this knowledge, the following Veyrith halted their advance as one of the generals stepped forward.
Bare chest crisscrossed with stitches, with pale skin, corpse-like, a ragged cloth clung to his waist, and in his hand rusted shears oozing with a bubbling, red acid.
"Ugh, how bothersome!"
As one of the human warriors lost an arrow at the general, in the blink of an eye he appeared behind the archer. The warrior's vision spun, unaware that his head was decapitated as it rolled on the ground before taking his last breath.
The others who witnessed it were shocked, but before they had time to react, the general tore through their formation, massacring them one by one as their screams pierced the night.
In mere seconds, the first human battalion was wiped out, their bodies melted into a foul sludge that fed the general's shears with glowing runes, evaporating from their remains and fusing into him, Licking the blade of his shears, he fixed his gaze on the terrified warriors ahead.
At Gate-3 of the base, the armored corps smashed through the barricade. With spears raised, they breached the gates and impaled any unfortunate human who stood in their path, but six Veylans, high ascended humans clad in their distinguished uniforms intercepted. Harnessing their affinity with ethereal energy and unmatched combat prowess, they ripped through the enemy formation, cleaving even the sturdiest shields with ease.
Then, a hulking Veyrith emerged, a burly figure with rings embedded in his triceps, skin the color of pale blue, elongated arms marked with intricate sigils, his body floating lazily across the battlefield. A Veylan leapt onto his back, driving a dagger into his neck, the giant froze for a heartbeat, then twisted his head around in an unnatural rotation. Catching the assassin off guard, he spun his entire body and crushed the man's throat before hurling him onto the roof of the hangar.
The remaining five Veylans stepped back, shaken by the impossible display, as the armored corps advanced behind the playful general.
At the southern pass, hidden behind the base and shielded by thickets and a mountain gorge, artillery bombardments tore through the landscape, exposing its secret entrance. From their vantage, human defenders unleashed volleys of arrows, while others hurled bombs that detonated traps amidst the enemy ranks, decimating swathes of Veyrith soldiers.
But from the flames and charred corpses, another general emerged, his massive frame was hunched, his arms encased in steel armor crowned with broad spaulders. A skull was carved into the plating across his chest, and two enormous maces rested on his back. His face was concealed by a steel-plated helm, only narrow vents at the mouth revealed, and through them, a hiss of vapor escaped with each breath.
Gripping one of his colossal maces, he swung it effortlessly to swat arrows aside before leaping into the fray. In a single motion, he crashed down upon the archers and bombers, the impact shaking the gorge. The ground ruptured into a landslide, burying countless humans beneath the rubble. Seizing the chaos, the Veyrith forces surged forward, and the general carved a path toward the secret entrance, smashing the earth with another devastating blow that sent shockwaves rippling through stone and soil, tearing the battlefield apart.
Meanwhile, Briggs was still trading blows with Trance as more of the undead army poured through the gates, Briggs struck with a powerful knee that sent Trance spinning before slamming him to the ground and unleashing a flurry of crushing blows. With each strike, runes ignited across Briggs' left neck, forming a diamond shape with extra corners, a mark that set him apart from ordinary Veylans, proof of his strength as a Commander.
Though Trance lay battered and broken, Briggs knew he would only rise again, his body already knitting back together with unnatural regeneration, realizing the futility, Briggs raised his arm and gave a firm command for his soldiers to fall back to the second gate and reform their lines. Level-headed even in the chaos, he spared one last glance at his old comrade's twisted form as its flesh began to heal, then turned and sprinted to the next defensive level.
In the shadows a veiled woman went and inspected the corpses of human and Veyrith alike, leeches came out of her dark sleeves and went inside crevices of each corpse's body before twitching and standing again, she recalled a time at the swamps where she attacked a laboratory as their terrified screams flashed back clasping her palms and knelt down copying one human who does it in-front of her but uttered no prayers, instead a muffled laughter from excitement.
The shear-wielding Veyrith tore through the base's northern entrance, decimating the defenders with brutal strength and inhuman agility. Standing atop a mountain of corpses, he twisted his body in grotesque, impossible contortions before sighing, as though bored of the slaughter.
Then, an arrow whistled toward him, with a casual sweep of his acidic shears, he deflected it, his eyes drifting toward its source. There, at the northern gate, stood Hendrick, calm and smiling as he reloaded another arrow.
"Sigh… another one, how annoying," the marauder muttered, his expression warping into something darker. In the next instant, he vanished from sight, reappearing behind Hendrick with his shears poised to strike.
But his blade met only an afterimage, Hendrick's shoulder glowed faintly with the mark of a four-cornered rune, proof of his standing as a High Veylan. From his quiver, another arrow flew, aimed straight at the monster's chest but the Veyrith general blocked it with his arm, snarling before breaking into a twisted smile, licking the blood that traced down from his wound.
Gate-3 trembled as the blue Veyrith general ran rampant, squashing soldiers on contact. What made it worse was his sheer indestructibility, he took blow after blow without defending, his body healing almost instantly.
The five Veylans staggered back, catching their breath, recoiling from their failed barrages. Then, with an eerie inflation, the general's body swelled like a balloon before launching himself at them, his elastic, buoyant form curling into a ball and crashed into one. The remaining four scattered, panic sets in as he chose his next target.
"Stand back!" a voice echoes through the hangar.
A hail of bullets tore through, followed by missiles that exploded against the Veyrith general, sending the him reeling towards the armored corps scattering like bowling pins.
From the smoke, a towering bi-pedal machine emerged, two massive gatling guns hanging as arms, mounted missile pods and inside, grinning wide behind the controls, sat Garm.
At the southern passage, the armored Veyrith general remained unstoppable, marching straight through the entrance with each step shaking the ground.
"Cut the ropes!" someone shouted.
The ground shook as giant boulders tumbled down from the gorge above, crashing onto the narrow path. The rocks crushed numbers of Veyrith and sealed the passage, leaving only the general standing near the entrance.
As the dust settled, a lone figure emerged from the gate, Markus, walking calmly, adjusting his glasses.
The Veyrith sneered, vapor hissing from the holes in his steel helm, and advanced with heavy steps.
The Veyrith general raised his massive arm and, with a casual motion, hurled his mace downward in a crushing swing that shook the ground. But Markus remained unbothered, in a blur, he leapt past the towering giant's attack, wielding his scalpel, he drove deep into the creature's throat, landing behind him on one knee, Markus adjusted his glasses, remaining calm.
At first, the general seemed unaffected, thinking a mere prick won't hurt him turning to ready another swing. But then his knees buckled, staggering, his gaze locked onto Markus with sudden realization, this human had truly wounded him.
Cher and the trio looked into the distance, their eyes widening at the sight of flames rising from the base's direction.
"No… it can't be. Father… everyone!" Cher's voice cracked, her eyes welling with tears.
Eric, perched on Betsy's neck, clenched his teeth as the rune on his right cheek began to glow. Driven by his desperate will, the single-cornered rune shifted, expanding into two corners that circled the mark.
In response, Betsy suddenly roared as her body ignited in flames, her wings grew broader, her form reshaping until she resembled a blazing phoenix, wings, tail, and talons wreathed in fire.
"Hang on tight!" Eric shouted.
With a deafening sonic boom, Betsy propelled them forward, tearing through the sky at incredible speed.
Reaching the base, Betsy's fiery shadow loomed over the battlefield, the flames below casting her in a blazing aura. With a piercing cry, she drove straight into battle, her raking through several Veyrith with her sharp talons before taking off again.
Gil leapt down, conjuring his shield and slamming armored Veyrith aside, Cher followed, partially transforming her arms into scaled, reptilian limbs as she drove her fists through enemy flanks, Mana's eyes glowed as she unleashed invisible blasts of force, sending foes tumbling like ragdolls.
Clang! Clang!
At the gates, Briggs was still locked in his brutal clash with the undead when he heard a sudden rumble approaching, he braced himself, ready to intercept.
"Hyaaaa!"
The Veyrith was sent flying, hurled aside by a devastating strike as Cher burst through the front lines.
Breathing heavily, Cher and the others regrouped beside their commander. For a fleeting moment, Briggs felt relief and even respect, they had returned to fulfill their duties as Karlean Sentinels. Deep down, he knew they would never abandon their home once they discovered the truth.
But the realization cut both ways, by returning, they had thrown themselves into the most dangerous battle yet, risking their lives not just out of duty, but for selfish reasons, his expression hardened.
"You runts," Briggs shouted, his voice echoing over the battlefield. "Why did you come back? I sent you on a mission! This is a direct offense, disobeying my orders! Do you understand? The weight of disobedience carries a heavy punishment!"
Instead of feeling scared from his anger, they all smiled and confidently took the stance and battle alongside him like children clinging on their father, "Commander, punish us later, but for now let us help you win this war!" Being shaken by their resolve, he rallies with them breaking the enemy's formation.
Hendrick, skillfully dodging the Veyrith general wielding the massive shears, clashed with him in a contest of speed. Arrows flew in rapid succession, yet the general deflected them with ease, the chase continued, neither side gaining ground, a tense stalemate.
At a pivotal moment, Hendrick drew his last arrow, the general's grin widened, unleashing a powerful horizontal slash, only to cut through empty air once again. frustration twisted his face, he clawed at his own hair before erupting with a violent aura of red.
Hendrick teleported atop a nearby structure to escape the devastating strike, but in a blink, the general closed the distance, hendrick's eyes widened as he barely leaned back in time to avoid the lethal shear, vanishing again in another spot, yet once more, the monster appeared right in front of him.
"He's getting faster… keeping up with me!" Hendrick thought, gritting his teeth.
He sidestepped another blow, narrowly escaping death, but the realization burned in his mind, "That shear is too dangerous, if it even grazes me, I'm finished!" Everywhere the red substance touched sizzled, dissolving into acidic steam.
Hendrick drew a dagger from his back, meeting the general's next strike head-on, the impact reverberated through his body like a shockwave, rattling his bones and shattering his focus, a vicious kick slammed into his side, breaking several ribs before sending him crashing into the ground.
"Urk…!" blood sputtered from his lips as pain shot through his body.
The general loomed over him, brandishing his shears with murderous intent, Hendrick staggered, propping himself against a broken wall, one hand clutching his fractured ribs, staring up at his foe.
As the general lunged forward with killing intent, Hendrick summoned every ounce of his remaining strength to play his final trump card. His rune shone brightly, and he chanted, "Bend space, Uvel Hevaeth!" Extending his arms forward, light flared from his palm.
For some reason, the general hesitated, reacting as though he understood the invocation. His eyes glowed, and with a sudden snarl, he swung his shear downward, but before the blade could cleave him apart and just as his shear descended, in that instant, the general's body vanished in a flash of light as his blade only managed to graze Hendrick's palm before disappearing into thin air.
The next moment, he found himself high above a volcano's molten core, he forced his body into transformation, but without the gift of flight, he plummeted helplessly toward the seething magma below, Hendrick's rune lost its glow as he drifted into unconsciousness.
At Gate-3's hangar, Garm and the remaining Veylans battled furiously against the blue-skinned Veyrith general. Their attacks, however, proved useless, the creature absorbed everything, regenerating instantly while striking back with brutal force, it was a losing battle of attrition.
Inside his machine, Garm's screen flashed a warning, ammunition critically low. He slammed a button, gritting his teeth. "All of you retreat! I'll detonate this blasted thing and drag those Veyrith back to the pit they crawled from!"
The Veylans hesitated, but one look at his face told them he's serious. They scattered, retreating from the hangar, Garm pushed the detonation switch and pulled a lever, opening the cockpit as the countdown began.
Ten… nine… eight…
The hangar shook, a massive explosion tore through the battlefield, engulfing the Veyrith corps.
Briggs felt the shockwave, his eyes widened, then he turned sharply to Cher. "Your father's at Gate-3… Go! I can hold here, go to him!"
Cher froze, torn between duty and family, Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, then bowed to Briggs with silent acknowledgment, a smile broke across his face. "He's waiting…"
"Go with her," Briggs ordered the rest of the trio. "She'll need you."
With determination burning in their eyes, the three followed after Cher, leaving Briggs alone at the gate.
Drawing a deep breath, Briggs raised his fist, his rune flaring brilliantly. "Gyaaaa!" He slammed the ground, releasing a shockwave that blasted the undead hordes back, scattering them like leaves in a storm, for a moment, he stood tall, victorious.
But then, the shadows emerged.
From the broken gates stepped a veiled woman, and behind her shambled more undead, Briggs wiped the sweat from his brow, planting his stance firmly, and stroked his chin with grim resolve.
Markus fought on against the armored Veyrith general, his body marked with bruises, his left sleeve torn to reveal the three-cornered rune burning faintly on his hand. Each strike was measured, precise stabs that slipped past the monster's defenses and drove into its armor.
Yet the general never faltered, how matter how many thrusts Markus delivered, the towering beast kept advancing, its massive mace swinging with crushing force, the monster seemed unstoppable, shrugging off wounds as if they meant nothing.
But Markus's sharp eyes never left it, he recalled his experience dissecting and operating on Veyriths, his genius mind recalled a memory. "They don't have hearts… their bodies rely on something else."
A memory flashed across his mind, his hands buried inside a restrained Veyrith during an experiment, its innards writhing unnaturally beneath his scalpel, he remembered the chilling discovery, Veyriths had no hearts, no central organ to strike, Instead, their existence was anchored by a single, complex network of organs, woven together in ways unlike any human anatomy, though they bore a humanoid shape on the surface, beneath the skin the Veyrith were something else entirely, creatures of a different spectrum of life, almost alien in nature.
An explosion shook the gorge, and in that moment of distraction, the monster's mace struck Markus, hurling him into the rocks with deep wounds carved on his chest. His lab coat was torn to shreds, his grip slipped his grip, the towering general closed in, With glasses cracked and barely clinging to his face, whispered through clenched teeth, "Guide my blade… Frei Valier…"
His eyes glowed otherworldly light, fourth rune appeared searing through his hand, in a critical scan, the monster's weakness revealed itself, its pulse, hidden deep within his huge frame. Forcing his trembling body upright, he retrieved his weapon, steadied his breath, and leapt, with precise aim, he drove the blade into the pulsating organ.
A flash tore through the air that pierces through the general's vital-spot and with a thunderous thud, the general collapsed lifelessly to the ground, Markus breaths profusely, staggered a few steps toward the entrance, before finally collapsing.