P17 C2.1 Shadows Overhead
The air was thick with tension as the Airship rumbled down toward the now-fortified village. Abstra guided the vessel with precision, her fingers glowing faintly with residual mana. Her crew stood near the landing--Faust cleaning her guns, Yunoi meditating in silence, and Kaide sharpening his blade.
The ship touched down gently near the mountain's edge, where familiar faces emerged from the homes and makeshift barracks. Glonk, Gem, Kite, Sori, Ceri, and Kandy greeted them--though the moment was cut short as Abstra's eyes darted up to the peak of the mountain behind the village.
A silhouette stood watching.
Unmoving and Unfamiliar.
No one else seemed to notice--yet her heart whispered danger.
Before she could raise alarm, the earth trembled. Hooves. Marches. Engines.
Over the hills came a storm--four armies, side by side, each bearing the sigils of chaos: Tyrannical, RJ&Co, Tenebris, and Iustitia.
The Village bell tolled. A defense was already underway.
Battle Positions
The NT Village leader Kite moved swiftly:
Front Lines: Kite, Glonk, Ceri, and Kaide.
Middle Support: Gem and Yunoi, with Kandy and Sori protected by Faust's sharp vigilance. Backlines: Abstra hovered above, casting broad-spanning enchantments and wards, her hair rising with magical-static.
And then...
The Opposing Coalition emerged from the haze.
Front Lines: Davie, Rumoto, Mek, Para, Casa, Ina, and Kai.
Middle Support: Kuddle and Loth, covered by Zamy, their imposing bodyguard.
Backlines: Tyrant, Reiku, Rez, TLK, Kuro, Kayma, and Beau--their magic forming a terrifying aurora across the skies.
P17 C2.2 A Voice from the Mountain
Magic clashed with reality.
A Battle with Old Legends.
Kaide surged ahead, sword ablaze, locking eyes with Para--blade meeting fists as if they were an equal force with explosive shockwaves.
Ceri electrified the field, spinning through Kai and Casa, who retaliated with overwhelming power.
Kite stood strong beside Glonk, casting protective sigils while humming faintly--her song amplifying the strength of her allies. A faint glow danced across her fingers as magic flowed from heart to earth.
In the chaos, TLK fired searing beams from the heavens--light so bright it scorched stone. Rez warped light itself, ricocheting TLK's beams in impossible directions, keeping Faust and Yunoi pinned down.
From above, Kuro smiled beneath his dark cloak, his spells subtle, twisting minds instead of matter. A stray blast nearly pierced through Kandy--but Abstra redirected it with a counter-burst of energy.
Suddenly--
A shift.
A crack echoed across the sky.
The silhouette from the mountain stepped forward. Cloaked in flame and wind and shadow.
No one knew the figure--but they knew its power. Magic warped around it, dancing like it remembered what it once was.
Abstra gasped. "No... It can't be."
The being raised one hand--and the nearby magical artifacts the NTG had gathered pulsed violently.
The Zeikra Gauntlet.
The Radiant-Thorn Lance.
The Amulet of the Unmoving.
The Staff of Elaria's Light.
They all trembled.
In that moment, even Rez, even TLK, even Tyrant paused.
The being spoke only one word:
"Return."
The battlefield exploded--not from attack, but from power backlash. The artifacts surged, letting out shocks of their desired element like they were returning to their 'true form'. Ceri's Gauntlets started to overload with Lightning, Kite's Lance started to transform, Glonk's Amulet started to glow, and Gem's Staff begun to float.
Even the enemy forces were confused. TLK looked shaken. Rez's gems began to crack and Kuro's spells started to shorten.
This wasn't part of the plan.
A new god had entered the field.
And it wasn't on anyone's side.
P17 C2.3 Countdown Begins
Faust regrouped with Kite and Kaide as Abstra stared at the mountain. "We don't have much time left," she whispered.
Glonk looked up. "That... wasn't supposed to happen, right?"
Abstra didn't answer.
Because the mountain began to crack.
And somewhere deep inside it--
A thousand-year-old heart began to beat again.