Part I: The Calm Before
The Guild Spire loomed high over Emberhold, its obsidian towers slicing into the morning sky. Aira stood at the edge of her balcony, hair fluttering in the wind, watching the city below as vendors opened stalls and adventurers hustled toward guild postings. The scent of ash and flame still lingered from her previous battle with Lysara, the S-rank ice wielder.
But today, the air smelled different. It wasn't just tension—it was transformation.
Aira's mind was restless. Each time she closed her eyes, she relived the clash of ice and flame. She had won—but it hadn't been easy. Lysara's power still haunted her memory. She needed more.
She needed to evolve.
DING!
> You have reached Level 20. New Talent Unlocked: Flame Clone — Project autonomous copies of yourself made of fire. Clones inherit 30% of your power, last 1–3 minutes, and detonate upon death, dealing AoE fire damage.
Aira read it three times, heartbeat accelerating.
> "Finally," she whispered.
She turned from the balcony, eyes glowing ember-red.
Part II: Manifestation
The training canyon outside Emberhold was scorched and scarred, ideal for what she had planned. Her team—Kael, Seris, and Mira—stood ready.
"Let's see it," Kael said, grinning. "This is the big one."
Aira inhaled, letting mana flood her body. Her flame aura intensified, wrapping around her like molten silk. Then, with a sharp flick of her fingers, she ignited the air in front of her.
A column of fire exploded upward—then condensed.
A shape stepped forward from the inferno. It was her. Every detail—the posture, the expression, the glint of heat behind the eyes. A Flame Clone.
The others stared in silence.
"Gods…" Mira murmured. "It's perfect."
Aira smirked. "Let's test it."
She pointed toward a boulder. The clone dashed forward, erupting in flames as it neared, delivering a blazing kick that shattered the stone.
"Now again. Double."
Aira summoned a second clone. Then a third.
"Alright," Kael said. "Sparring mode."
Seris lunged toward one of the clones. The clone ducked, countered with a flame punch, and then disappeared in a flash of fire.
Another clone teleported behind Mira, mimicking Aira's signature sword sweep.
The training turned chaotic. Kael struggled to differentiate clone from caster. The sky roared with blasts of magic. After twenty minutes, all of them collapsed, breathless.
"I can coordinate them mentally," Aira explained between gulps of water. "Each one responds to instinct… like extensions of my flame."
"They're not just clones," Seris muttered. "They're tactical units."
Aira closed her eyes. She could feel the burning thread connecting her to the clone remnants scattered around the battlefield. With concentration, she could extend that connection.
And she'd need it. Because something was coming.
Part III: The Guild's Request
Later that evening, Aira was summoned to the Council Hall.
Guildmaster Thorne sat at the head of a long obsidian table, surrounded by Emberhold's top strategists.
"We've confirmed it," he said. "The Beast Tide has begun. The outer walls of two neighboring cities have already fallen. We believe Emberhold is next."
Aira stiffened.
"We've monitored your progress," Thorne continued. "And we know about your new Talent."
He placed a crimson badge on the table.
> [Special Designation: Flame Vanguard — Authorization to Command Elite Units During Siege Protocols]
"We're giving you operational control over three fire teams. The defense of Emberhold's north gate falls to you."
Kael stepped forward. "She's ready."
Aira nodded. "I accept."
She walked out with the badge pinned to her chest and a city's hopes smoldering on her shoulders.
Part IV: Preparations for War
The following days were a blur of drills, enchantment forges, and defensive construction. Aira trained with her clones relentlessly.
She divided her clones into specialized roles:
Vanguard Clones: Engage enemies head-on, drawing fire.
Disruptor Clones: Flank targets, attack from blind spots.
Support Clones: Cast shields and AoE flame barriers.
Detonator Clones: Suicide bombers infused with compressed mana for devastating effect.
Each clone type had unique flame sigils etched into their forms.
Mira helped embed mana trackers to coordinate them.
"It's like controlling an army," Aira said.
"It is an army," Seris replied.
They set up observation towers, mana beacons, and quick-cast teleport circles.
Kael whispered, "You know this is going to be bigger than anything we've seen, right?"
"I'm counting on it," Aira said.
Part V: The Siege Begins
The horns blew at midnight.
The earth rumbled.
Aira stood atop the northern wall. In the distance, glowing eyes reflected torchlight. Thousands of beasts—spiked juggernauts, serpent bears, flame-drakes, and twisted horrors that defied classification—marched in organized waves.
> "This isn't a wild stampede," Mira said. "It's a military formation."
Aira activated her Flame Clone matrix.
Four clones appeared in blazing synchronization.
> "Flame Vanguard—form up!"
Aira leaped from the wall. Her clones followed, streaking like fire comets. They landed with quaking force, unleashing a wall of searing fire that cut through the first wave.
The battlefield turned to molten chaos.
Kael summoned cyclones. Mira rained down light lances. Seris shadow-walked through beast skulls.
Aira's clones weaved between them, shielding her allies, exploding on command, teleporting into enemy formations and erupting with tactical fury.
She was the battle.
Her mind moved faster than her body. Clone 1 absorbed damage. Clone 2 redirected enemies into trap zones. Clone 3 detonated in midair, clearing wyverns. Clone 4 intercepted a flanking predator.
Hours passed.
The tide… slowed.
Part VI: The Ash Field
Dawn arrived with smoke and silence. The northern field was a graveyard of burned corpses, shattered weapons, and lingering embers.
Aira stood, surrounded by her exhausted team.
A system ping echoed in her ears.
DING!
> Flame Clone Usage: 87% Beast Tide Status: Paused Estimated Next Wave: 72 Hours
Aira exhaled.
"We held."
Guildmaster Thorne appeared behind her, his heavy armor stained with soot.
"You did more than that. You've changed how we fight."
He extended a sealed scroll.
> "Report to the High Council in three days. You're being assigned a command in the Elite Vanguard."
Kael clapped her on the back. Mira embraced her. Seris saluted.
She looked out over the ash-cove
red battlefield.
Her clones flickered behind her, silently burning.
> "They say fire is destruction," Aira said. "But mine is protection."
> "Let them come again. I'll be ready."