Darian's group started down their path. Vane walked in front, with Darian and Allocen behind everyone else, and Liro and Jaune in the middle.
On their way, they encountered tons of krukin. Most of them were only level 1, so they weren't a problem.
"Guys, don't you find it weird?" asked Liro, confused.
"By what?" answered Vane, even more confused by Liro's question.
"He's probably referring to the fact that all the enemies are level 1…" said Darian.
"In this zone there should be tons of stronger enemies… what the hell is happening?" said Jaune.
Just as Darian was about to answer, Allocen stopped them. He had heard a krukin coming closer. The bush in front of them rustled violently, and tons of bladekruk emerged.
"Get ready!" shouted Allocen, creating his golem to take care of them.
Darian immediately pointed his arm towards Snowy, who merged with him. As Snowy fused with him, Darian started to run around, raising his hand to hit some enemies with his shards.
But as soon as he got too close to a huge tree, it was smashed apart, a krukmongbee emerged from it. Darian barely had time to turn his head before the krukmongbee slammed its hand down towards him.
Just before it could crush him, Vane intervened. First, he transformed into an eagle and flew rapidly toward Darian. Then, mid-air, he turned into a polar bear.
Thanks to all the kinetic energy Vane had gained, Jaune was able to create small wires beneath him, which Vane used to slide while in his polar bear form. With all his strength, Vane managed to push the krukmongbee back.
"Thanks!" shouted Darian, lowering himself to give Vane more space to move freely.
He then shifted to the right to shoot. The krukin, distracted by Vane, had no choice but to take the hits. Meanwhile, Allocen's golem was taking care of the bladekruks, while Liro distracted them with illusions of some ice shards.
Many bladekruks fell for the trick and were eaten by Allocen's golem. While Darian shot one of the enemies, ice stuck to its body, and then Allocen's golem devoured it.
Allocen's golem managed to eat tons of bladekruk, but they kept coming. On the other hand, Vane transformed into a buffalo and rushed against the krukmongbee's body. The beast grabbed his horns just in time with its massive hands.
While the krukmongbee's sting pointed toward the ground, Darian created ice to block it. The creature didn't notice, so its stinger got stuck.
"Get away, Vane!!" shouted Darian.
Vane looked down and, realizing Darian's plan, transformed into an owl. The krukmongbee lost its balance and fell to the ground, where Darian began freezing its entire body.
The krukin emitted a loud, painful moan. Everyone had to cover their ears, and it broke free from the ice, then it started firing stingers everywhere.
Vane, now an owl, was able to fly up and dodge them. Darian created a huge ice wall to protect everyone, including Allocen's golem, who was still eating bladekruks, while Allocen buried them underground.
Vane, now above the krukmongbee, transformed once again into a polar bear and landed squarely on its body. The krukmongbee couldn't withstand the weight, and it was smashed into the ground. As both fell, Jaune used all the kinetic energy from their movements to create wires, which bound the krukmongbee's hands like handcuffs.
Vane dug into its body with his claws. Soon, the krukmongbee's body was half-open, and it was finally killed. The bladekruk stopped coming as well.
"Woah…" said Vane, falling onto one knee. Darian helped him stand.
"We're closer to the black planet than I thought…" said Darian as he looked toward it. The black planet loomed, enormous in the distance.
Vane and Darian rejoined the group. Vane placed a hand on Allocen's shoulder.
"How did you hear the bladekruk coming? I didn't hear anything," said Vane.
Allocen slowly removed Vane's hand from his shoulder, visibly annoyed.
"I simply heard them. Nothing too hard," said Allocen, moving to the back again. The formation resumed walking, they were close to the black planet. Soon, they would reach the meeting spot.
In another place, someone was running away from the black planet. It had the shape of a krukin… but it was Bianca!
During the war in Skar-Zhul, Bianca had been on the black planet. After seeing Nysira, she had been terrified.
'I have to tell them… I have to be fast!!' thought Bianca. She was disguised as a krukspy, surrounded by others of the same kind, they were waiting for the humans.
Behind her, a massive army was gathered. Every species of krukin was there. But the main problem was the presence of the Black Defenders, the group of krukin who could speak. Among them were Garwhole, Liztawul, and Mantblast. Two humans were there as well: Sappho, and Nysira, who could not move.
Nysira's body was nailed to the blackened cross of stone and bone, her arms stretched wide, her skin bruised and torn from two days of captivity. She hadn't eaten, her lips were cracked, and her throat burned with thirst. Every breath came shallow, but she forced herself to stay awake.
She tried to lift her head, but the weight of exhaustion dragged it down. From the corner of her eye she could see the endless swarm of krukin waiting, the endless black tide shifting and snarling. And above them, their leaders: Garwhole, Mantblast and Liztawul, monsters far beyond anything she or her friends had fought before.
'They can't fight this… they'll die if they come here…'
Her chest tightened as the thought echoed again and again. She wasn't afraid of death anymore, she was afraid of their deaths. Tauren's kindness, Jaune's stubborn heart, Eros' calm guidance… faces flashed in her mind, one after another. The idea of them marching into this trap to save her felt like a blade twisting deeper into her chest than any wound.
Her vision blurred as tears began to roll down her cheeks. 'Please… don't come for me. Just live. That's all I want…'
Beside her, Sappho leaned lazily against the cross, smirking. She tilted her head at the sight of Nysira's tears.
"Hah… crying? For what, girl? For them?" she sneered. "You're pathetic. To weep over such insignificant creatures."
Nysira closed her eyes, forcing herself not to look at Sappho. Her strength was almost gone, but in the depths of her heart, a small ember still burned. 'They might be… especially Jaune… but they have to live'.
Then she noticed it. A small shadow darting through the ranks of krukspy, one slipping away into the distance. A spark of recognition flickered… she hoped that is was Bianca.
Hope surged through her broken body for just a moment. Not hope for her own life, but for theirs. 'If Bianca can reach them, if she can warn them… maybe, just maybe, they'll turn back. Maybe they'll survive.'
Her tears flowed harder now, her voice no more than a whisper:
"Please… don't waste your lives for me…"
"Stop- I hear something!" said Eros. Everyone froze.
"What is it?" asked Kael, shifting into a defensive stance.
From a tree, a single krukspy fell down. While the others prepared to attack, Eros remained calm.
"Calm down… It's not an enemy. Right, Bianca?" said Eros.
Everyone was shocked. Eros had recognized Bianca despite her form. Thanks to his power, he could see the number above her head didn't change when she transformed, so he identified her instantly.
Bianca returned to her normal form, breathing heavily. Eros knelt to help her up.
"What happened, Bianca?" said Eros, worried. Bianca had always been calm, so her distress alarmed him.
"Why are you coming here? It's a total mess… Don't go…" said Bianca, trying to catch her breath.
Tauren gently patted her head, smiling warmly to calm her down. After a while, Bianca steadied herself and explained the whole situation. Everyone was shocked and afraid.
"We cannot stop here," said Eros. "Everyone! Do you want to stop?" he asked, though it was more rhetorical than anything.
Bianca opened her eyes wide. "I've thought about this… I told Jaune to do something specific… If we see Nysira, the plan will work" said Eros.
Bianca finally smiled in relief. "Well then…" she slowly stood. "I'm coming too!"
Everyone smiled back at her. Her worries faded away thanks to Eros.
'Thank you, Captain… I promise I'll protect you with everything I have,' thought Bianca as she walked to the back, smiling warmly.
Darian's group almost reached the meeting point, but they froze at the sight before them.
Tons of krukin filled the area. None of them had ever seen so many creatures gathered in one place. Luckily, they hadn't been spotted yet, so they hid in the woods.
"What the hell is that!!!" said Liro, terrified. "We knew they were waiting for us… but I didn't imagine there would be this many," he added, his whole body shaking.
Darian placed a hand on Liro's shoulder, trying to calm him down, but it was useless. Liro was trembling too much, and Jaune was shaking as well.
"Allocen, we're the only ones not scared… What do we do?" asked Vane, standing beside Allocen, who was observing the enemy.
"I don't know…" answered Allocen.
"Should we just go and kill them all?" asked Vane. Everyone turned to him, thinking he was crazy.
"That would be suicide… But you're not someone who could think of a proper plan" said a voice.
Everyone turned and saw Kael. Behind him was the rest of the group and Bianca too.