(JEFF'S POV)
| Jinzhou Outskirts |
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The world was nothing but noise—steel clashing, screams tearing through the fucking battlefield, and the ragged breaths of soldiers who refused to fall.
The storm churned above them, the Retroact Rain behaving erratically, casting ghostlike reflections through the battlefield.
Tacet Discords swarmed the base.
Taoqi stood at the front, Her voice tore across the chaos:
"Everyone, hold your ground!"
Rover felt the command vibrate through her bones. Beside her, Jeff exhaled, steadying his breathing.
Then everything moved at once.
Jeff's hand flew to his pistol, his fingers steady despite the tremors of adrenaline. Rover unsheathed her sword, her stance low. She glanced sideways at Jeff.
"Ready?"
His lips curled into a tired but daring half-smirk. "For you? Always."
They charged.
The ground splashed under their feet as they sprinted forward. Jeff fired clean shots, each bullet guided by that strange new sense bursting within him. Every shot hit its mark, taking down Tacet Discords before they could even lunge at nearby soldiers.
"Begone."
Rover carved her way through the swarm, every movement fluid and fierce. Her sword gleamed under the warped light, slicing arcs of golden spectro lights through the rain. She ducked under claws, leaped onto unstable rubble, and met every monster with precision.
"Moment of Resonance."
Together, they moved like twin storms.
Jeff covered her blind spots without needing to be told. Rover slashed openings for his gunfire. Taoqi, seeing their rhythm, rallied the others to follow suit.
Minutes felt like hours.
Every step, every swing, every breath demanded everything they had.
But finally—
the last Discord crumpled.
Taoqi steadied her breathing, hands on her hips. "The Tacet Discords have been dealt with. Let's go—reinforce the outpost. It's still under attack."
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| At the Outpost |
They burst into the barricaded entrance, blades and gun still wet with rain and Discord ichor. Soldiers were backed into a corner, barely holding off the horde.
Rover didn't hesitate; she leaped right into the fray. Jeff followed with precise shots, shielding her every step.
In a blur of desperate motion and teamwork, the last Tacet Discord screeched, collapsed, and dissolved into nothing.
A trembling soldier they'd rescued earlier staggered forward, eyes wide with relief.
"Thank you! Some of us are still fighting inside—the base isn't clear yet!"
They pushed even deeper.
It wasn't easy. It never was.
But together, they carved a path through the last cluster of monsters—until finally, the outpost was quiet.
Really quiet.
Taoqi dropped onto a broken crate, shoulders sagging. "Phew… Finally."
Rover turned to Jeff immediately, worry etched into her features.
"Are you okay, Jeff?"
He ran a shaky hand through his soaked hair, chest rising and falling rapidly.
A breathless laugh escaped him half relief, and half exhaustion.
"Okay I guess? I'm exhausted as fuck though," he said, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. "I almost forgot how this feels."
The rescued soldier stumbled in with the others, his voice bright with gratitude.
"We made it! Thank you so much!"
Taoqi waved a hand tiredly. "It's dangerous here. Let's head back first."
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(JEFF'S POV)
| Jinzhou Outskirts |
The battlefield finally began to quiet, replaced by the ragged breathing of exhausted soldiers and the low crackle of damaged machinery.
Chixia stumbled over a heap of rubble, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Ugh… Please tell me that was the last one!"
Her voice wobbled between desperation and hope. She planted her hands on her hips and looked between Jeff and Rover, eyes shining with reluctant admiration.
"Rover, Jeff—seriously, you two are always so in sync. Dealing with that many TDs looked like… like a walk in the park for you."
Jeff blinked, surprised by the honesty in her tone.
He rubbed the back of his neck a little flustered, and a little bit sheepish and gave her a soft smile.
"Practice makes perfect. Plus, it's all thanks to you."
He pointed at her teasingly.
"You make a good reference."
Chixia's breath caught.
Her cheeks pinked almost instantly, her eyes widening like she wasn't prepared for—well, that.
"O-oh? Is that so…?"
She twirled a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding direct eye contact as heat crept up her neck.
Rover's face twitched at the scene.
Not dramatically just a small change in her posture, a tiny crease between her brows. But the way she coughed and stepped closer to Jeff made her feelings painfully obvious.
Before Chixia could recover, Rover cut in smoothly:
"Can't call it a day without fighting those Tacet Discords," she said, forcing a smile. "They seemed unusually aggressive today."
It was so clearly a topic change Jeff nearly laughed.
But Rover kept her chin up, pretending nothing was wrong, her fingers absentmindedly tugging at Jeff's sleeve like she needed him near.
Chixia huffed, realizing the atmosphere, and backed away with a pout.
The moment didn't last.
Something is happening in the night sky.
All of them slowly turned upward.
The moon twistedlike someone smudged its surface with trembling fingers. Its edges blurred, bending inwards like it was melting into itself. The cloud cover spiraled unnaturally around it, stretching the light into eerie halos.
Jeff's heart stuttered. Holy shit. What kind of sorcerer is this?
Yangyang's voice came first, thin with disbelief. "D-did you guys see that?"
Jeff swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "The moon looks even more blurry now…like a fucking glitch in a matrix."
Taoqi stepped forward, her expression serious—no, terrified.
"Now it's almost identical to what we saw three years ago," she whispered.
"During the Battle Beneath the Crescent."
Everyone stiffened.
Rover slowly reached out and touched Jeff's arm, fingers curling into the fabric.
Taoqi inhaled shakily, the weight of her words hanging over them like a verdict:
"I'm afraid… we're already running out of time."
The rain had grown not louder, but even more stranger. Each drop felt like it was falling in reverse, flickering with ghostly reflections of moments that didn't belong to the present.
Jeff felt the hair on his arms rise seconds before it happened.
Beep—FZZT—!
All their terminals flared alive at once, bright enough to wash their faces in blue-white light.
Rover flinched with a small gasp, pressing her hand to her chest. Chixia swore under her breath. Even Taoqi jumped.
Then a calm, familiar voice cut through the static.
Jinhsi (Contacting):
"Report the situation, please."
Taoqi straightened instantly, brushing rain from her cheeks and squaring her shoulders like she was meeting the Magistrate face-to-face.
"Madam Magistrate," she began giving the Magistrate the sitrep. "The barrier has been fully repaired, and all residents have been evacuated. We've successfully minimized the damage."
"Well done, Director Taoqi."
Jeff stepped closer to the terminal's projection, lifting it slightly so the light illuminated his face.
He flashed a tired smile.
"Long time no see. How's it going on your end?"
Rover leaned in too
"Is this another pre-recorded message?"
"Indeed, it's been a while. It's been going according to plan, if I may say so. I was made aware of this in advance and planned our defenses beforehand."
Jeff's expression darkened.
A memory flickered across his face.
"…Was it another hint from Jué?"
Rover's voice followed.
"Have you found Jué yet?"
"Now that we are facing such an emergency, I cannot sit back and wait for Jué to save us."
Her tone hardened into something resolute.
"I will act and see my duty through. This is my decision."
The rain echoed around them as she continued.
"I have secured some much-needed aid for our city during my visit to the capital. Also, our experts should be ready by now."
Her image flickered as if the retroact-charged air was interfering.
"Rover, Jeff… Do you still remember Jué's message for the both of you?"
Jeff swallowed. Rover nodded once.
"Now we have raindrops that fall upstream…and the Midnight Rangers' General in the Norfall Barrens…ready to take on the Ovathrax Threnodian."
The wind blew harder.
The moon above them pulsed again.
"This must be the right time Jué was talking about. Rover, Jeff… It's going to be dangerous. You might… directly confront a Threnodian."
Rover drew a slow, unsteady breath, then lifted her chin.
"I'm ready as I'll ever be."
Jeff nudged her shoulder with his.
"You heard the lady."
"Your eyes look as determined as ever."
Jeff forced a smile, though his hands had curled into fists.
"We have no other choice."
Jinhsi hesitated— the first crack in her usually unshakable composure.
"I understand how you must feel, Rover, Jeff. I have been in a similar situation before… when my life suddenly took a big turn, and I had no choice but to face it head on."
Jeff steadied Rover with a hand at the small of her back."We'll lend you a hand," He turned slightly, giving Rover a lopsided grin. "Isn't that right, my dear Rover?"
Rover's cheeks pinked instantly—
and for a heartbeat, she forgot about the Threnodian, the rain, the chaos. She bumped his shoulder with her own.
"Obviously."
"On behalf of the entire Jinzhou, I am immensely grateful for your assistance."
Her voice now resolute.
"You will be remembered as heroic allies in our defense against external threats… regardless of the outcome of this battle."
Jeff felt a chill that had nothing to do with the rain.
"May victory prevail the lasting night,"
Jinhsi finished with a statement full of trust and worry.
"I will pray for your safe return."
Her projection dimmed, then vanished.
Silence lingered for a moment before Taoqi cleared her throat.
"Jeff, Rover—I've informed all border checkpoints across Jinzhou. You two have been granted unlimited access."
She turned to Yangyang, who straightened instantly.
"Yangyang, as an Outrider, I'm assigning you to accompany them and provide assistance."
Yangyang nodded with determination.
"You'll need to pass through a Tacet Field to reach our base in the Desorock Highland," Taoqi added. "Please be careful."
Chixia stepped up next, hands on her hips, trying hard to look brave.
"Rover, Yangyang—I'll be keepin' the city safe while you're gone. Come back in one piece, okay?"
Rover gave her a bright, earnest grin.
"You can do it, Chixia!"
"Thanks! I'll give it my all!"
Jeff chimed in, unable to resist teasing:
"You can do it, Ma Xiaofang!"
Chixia nearly exploded.
"Oh my gosh—Jeff! I told you not to call me that—UGH, nevermind, we don't have time—"
"Right, right," Jeff smirked. "Then… You can do it, Jinzhou Speedster."
Chixia froze. Then her lips curled into a shy, proud smile.
"…Wow. Thanks. Can't believe you still remember that title. I'll live up to it for sure."
Behind her, the city's people gathered:
Yuanwu with his calm authority,
Verina wringing her hands but nodding fiercely,
Lingyang puffing his chest like a hero from a stage play,
and soldiers raising their weapons in unison.
"Don't forget the Liondance Troupe!" Lingyang declared.
"We've got this!" the soldiers echoed.
Taoqi exhaled, relieved.
"As you can see… Everyone's ready to defend our city."
Chixia stepped back, giving them a firm salute.
"Rover, Yangyang, Jeff—safe travels!"
"I've informed General Jiyan that you're heading to his location. He'll meet you soon."
Chixia raised her voice one last time, her spirit burning bright:
"May victory prevail the lasting night!"
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Author's note:
Hello everyone, feel free to leave your collections, powers, reviews, and comments as you see fit. Our E.R is getting crowded again. Dammit a lot of people are getting sick and injured and we expect even more now that Christmas season is coming. I hate my life. But I managed to write some chapters and the promised 18+ chapter I promised when hitting the 1k collection milestone look forward to it in the upcoming chapters. That's all; thank you for reading this fanfic, and I hope you have a good day.