The night air thrummed with a dangerous tension. The mutated beast's demonic aura pressed against the void dome like a storm against glass, its weight almost tangible. Warriors shifted nervously, weapons clutched tight. The beast's growl vibrated through the ground, rattling bones and fraying nerves.
Kenshin's eyes lit with mischief. "Oh yeah… this about to be fun." He blurred forward, lightning snapping and hissing like serpents coiling for a strike. His first step cracked the ground like a gunshot, a booming THWACK echoing as he vanished into a streak of azure. The tang of ozone filled the air.
Seme barreled after him with a war cry, her greatsword dragging against the earth in a fiery trail of sparks. Her legs were coiled, muscles tightening with each step like drawn bowstrings before releasing their explosive force. The sound of her boots splashing through bloodied mud mixed with the distant shrieks of beasts.
Inside the dome, Mira and Velra worked with tireless focus. Mira's hands moved in a blur as she tore fresh bandages with her teeth, pressing them against wounds while shouting for clean water. Her tail lashed like a whip every time another injured villager was dragged to her. Velra stalked between squads, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Hold formation! Shift archers to the east wall—don't let anything through!"
Drathan stood atop the parapet like a lazy king, one hand maintaining the void dome, the other casually twirling a dagger. His grin was sharp. "Mm-hmm… supervising like a pro," he muttered.
Kenshin collided with the mutated beast first. He crouched low, lightning condensed into his arms until his veins glowed with raw power. "Thunderstorm Blitz!"
The world erupted in light. A web of electric fury spread outward, each bolt splitting the night like divine judgment. The beast's claws met the storm head-on, coated in demonic energy that hissed and sizzled as lightning clashed against it. The collision released a shockwave that uprooted trees and scattered the lesser monsters.
Seme came in from the flank, pivoting on her heel with a roar. Her greatsword came down like a falling star. The mutated beast twisted, narrowly avoiding the strike. Her blade hit the earth with a deafening BOOM, sending a geyser of dirt and energy skyward. "Slippery bastard," she spat, spinning her sword with a flourish.
Mira knelt beside a bleeding soldier, whispering reassurance even as her hands moved with brutal efficiency. The coppery scent of blood mingled with sharp herbal poultices. Velra paused beside her, gaze hard. "This isn't some mindless monster," she said lowly. "It's a leader."
Mira's ears flattened. "Yeah. I can feel it… the air's heavier."
Outside, the beast unleashed a pulse of demonic power. It radiated outward like a heartbeat, rallying the remaining monsters with a frenzied howl. Kenshin laughed as arcs danced across his body. "Oh, so you got some juice too, huh? Good. I was worried this was gonna be light work."
Seme split two wolves in half with a horizontal swing that released a crescent shockwave, carving a bloody path through the horde. "Try not to fry the whole damn forest, lightning boy," she taunted, rolling her neck as her muscles flexed under the strain.
Kenshin smirked. "Don't be mad when I bag the kill first."
Their banter laced the chaos, grounding them amidst the roars, clangs, and screams.
Drathan watched from above, eyes narrowing. Time to see if this thing's really got bite. His hand flexed subtly, void energy pulsing like a heartbeat in his palm. A low hum built in the air as the shadows around him warped. He thrust his hand forward. "Abyssal Lance!"
A colossal spear of void energy tore through the air, leaving a rippling distortion in its wake. It shot toward the mutated beast with a sonic boom that rattled windows and eardrums. But just before impact, the beast's demonic aura flared—thick, oily darkness surging outward like a shield. The void spear struck it dead on… and fizzled, shredded apart by the corrupt energy.
The backlash forced Drathan to grit his teeth. "Tch. Figures it wouldn't be that easy."
Without missing a beat, he leapt from the parapet, shadows coiling around his body like a cloak. He landed silently behind the creature, twin daggers flashing with void-edged precision. Every movement was calculated, his stance low and tight, muscles coiling like springs. He struck at joints, tendons, and the gaps between demonic plating—weak points only a trained assassin could exploit.
"C'mon big guy," Drathan taunted under his breath, slashing across the back of its knee. "Let's dance."
The creature roared and spun, but Drathan was already gone, reappearing on its flank and carving another line along its ribs. His strikes were fast and surgical, each blow leaving small implosions of void energy that ate away at the beast's corrupted flesh.
Kenshin took the opening Drathan created, planting his foot and launching himself like a lightning bolt. Blue streaks arced in every direction as he slammed his fist into the creature's side, the explosion of force lighting up the night sky.
Seme came down from above with a brutal downward slash, her entire body twisting midair to add momentum. Her blade crashed into its shoulder, erupting into a shockwave that cracked the ground. The beast stumbled, finally forced onto the defensive.
"Teamwork, baby," Drathan smirked, vanishing again into the shadows as the coordinated assault continued.