We have to handle this situation quickly," Banid said with urgency in his voice.
"Honestly, I agree with you, tech guy" Felt started to say, but before he could finish, two tall buildings groaned, tilted, and smashed into each other with a thunderous crash. Felt jumped away just in time, his boots scraping against the crumbling ground.
Then everything around them turned black. The air grew heavy, and the earth itself began to tremble.
From the center of the chaos, Floris screamed. Her cry shook the broken world, and in that moment, waves of dark energy erupted from her body. Blasts shot outward in all directions, tearing apart what was left of the place, reducing stone and steel into dust.
Zed didn't hesitate. He rushed forward, sword in hand, trying to contain her. He swung sharply, but Floris dodged and moved higher into the air.
While midair, Zed shouted, "What did you do to her?!" His voice was filled with desperation.
Floris's lips parted, and she muttered softly, "Zed… Zed…"
Zed's eyes locked on her lips, trying to read her words. But before he could think more, the ground beneath him exploded. A massive surge of dark energy erupted upward, like a volcano breaking free.
"Aghhhhh!" Zed screamed as the blast struck him full on. His body was hurled across the field, his clothes torn, blood spilling heavily as he rolled across the floor.
"Zed…" Floris whispered again, her voice trembling.
(She's trying to reach out to me…) Zed thought, battered and bleeding, but still clinging to his sword.
Kochi saw her chance. She didn't waste a second. With all the strength she had left, her chains shot forward and wrapped around Floris, pulling her down.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Floris shrieked, her dark energy exploding outward again. The ground cracked, the air screamed, but Kochi dug her heels into the ground and tried to hold. Her hands shook violently, her arms nearly breaking under the strain, but she did not let go.
"What are you waiting for?!" Kochi screamed, sweat dripping down her face.
Zed staggered to his feet, his chest burning with pain. He saw Kochi's struggle and knew this was the moment. He dashed forward with all the speed he could muster, then threw his whole body into one final strike. His elbow smashed into Floris, slamming her into the ground with a heavy impact that echoed across the battlefield.
"Huff… huff…" Kochi panted as she released her chains, her body trembling. "It's… it's over…"
But before she could finish, Floris's mouth opened, and a massive blast of dark energy roared outward like a cannon. The beam hit Zed directly, sending him flying back into the rubble.
Zed gasped, his body weak, his arms barely able to lift his blade.
Floris rose to her feet again. Her eyes were wild, her dark energy swirling uncontrollably. With one swift motion, she slammed her hand outward and struck Kochi with a wave of darkness.
"Eek!" Kochi cried as she was flung aside, crashing against broken stone.
The world shook violently. Floris's power surged beyond control, debris flying everywhere as she screamed. Her dark energy became a storm, swallowing everything around her.
(We've… lost…) Zed's thoughts wavered, his vision fading.
Then suddenly
"Agh…" Floris gasped in shock.
Her eyes widened as a sharp blade pierced through her back. Blood trickled down as she slowly turned her head. Her gaze froze on the figure standing behind her.
"Grayslake…" she whispered, her eyes full of fear and recognition. Her body collapsed to the ground
Zed's eyes widened, his lips trembling. He could not bring himself to speak. His sword shook in his hands.
But Grayslake did not hesitate. With incredible speed, he dashed toward Zed, his own sword drawn. Their blades clashed with a loud metallic ring, sparks bursting from the impact.
"Hey now… focus on me," Grayslake said, his voice calm but sharp as steel.
"What…?" Zed muttered, his arms shaking.
Then it came. A crushing pressure poured out of Grayslake's body, enveloping the entire battlefield. It was as if the air itself was being squeezed, crushing everything under its weight.
Felt and Banid fell to their knees at once, unable to breathe properly. "What… what is this…" Felt groaned, clutching his chest.
"Father…" Banid whispered, his voice shaking.
Kochi, lying on the ground, gasped for air. She could barely move her body under the suffocating weight of his presence.
Zed tried to keep his grip on his sword, but his hand trembled, his arms barely able to resist. "What… are you doing…"
Grayslake looked at him with a cold smile. "You can still hold? I'm impressed." His eyes narrowed. "But…"
The ground began to shake violently again. Cracks opened, and from the darkness below, monsters began to crawl out. They came in groups, dozens at a time, their roars shaking the earth.
"The dawn of a new era is just beginning," Grayslake declared, his voice echoing like thunder.