The northern square of Velrith was a scar upon the city, buildings crumbled like sandcastles under the Rift's violent whim, smoke curling into a twilight sky tinged with unnatural hues. The ground shook with the impact of falling debris, and the air was thick with ash, blood, and the acrid stench of ozone from magic-wielded powers.
Lucien Rael moved with unshakable precision, each footstep measured, each motion exact. He scanned the battlefield, noting the positions of both squads. Astraeus Dominion's formation was perfect: Seraphine's eyes flickered constantly, forecasting enemy trajectories; Orin's gravity fields protected civilians and blocked monster advances; Lyra's threads of light tethered the wounded to safety; Caius darted through shadows, striking any enemy exposed.
Yet across the square, Kael Ryven's Vanguard Edge cut through chaos like a living wildfire. His flames didn't merely burn; they scorched reality itself, twisting shadows into shards of light, carving paths of destruction. His team mirrored his energy: Riven's arrows phasing through steel and stone to strike at the monsters' weak points; Maelis absorbing blows that would have shattered lesser bodies; Eira's Frostfire freezing rampaging limbs mid-swing; Darius forming shields, protecting anyone foolish enough to step too close.
The two squads converged at the center of the square, where a particularly massive Rift spawn, a grotesque amalgam of steel and sinew, blocked both paths. Its eyes gleamed molten red, calculating, intelligent.
Seraphine's hand flicked, her voice calm as she gave precise orders. "Caius, flank right and intercept the creature's claw. Orin, maintain the gravity field barrier. Lyra, tether civilians to safety."
Lucien's voice cut through the din, low, controlled. "Focus on containment. We cannot let it break through the square. Kael, coordinate your team, or stay out of the way."
Kael's smirk burned brighter than the flames on his gauntlets. "Coordination? You mean like your perfect little puppets? Watch and learn, Rael."
With a roar, Kael leapt forward, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. The Rift spawn lunged at him, but a precise strike from Lucien's shadow aura twisted its momentum mid-air, sending it crashing into a crumbling wall. Sparks of his dominion field rippled outward, bending the ground slightly beneath the monster's weight.
Riven fired her phantom-arrow, the projectile passing through rubble and body alike before hitting the creature's exposed shoulder, splitting molten sinew. Eira's Frostfire enveloped its legs, freezing them solid, but the creature's bulk ignored half the damage.
Lucien's eyes, cold and calculating, met Kael's across the battlefield. So reckless… but effective. He allowed the faintest curl of his lips — not a smile, not a smirk — just recognition. Kael returned the gaze with a cocky grin, fire dancing across his arms.
"Cover me!" Kael shouted. He surged forward, flames flaring in waves, forcing the spawn to stagger. Darius's shield pulsed in response, protecting Riven from a collapsing beam.
Lucien didn't move to intercept. Instead, he shifted subtly, his dominion bending gravity and shadow around the creature's torso. Its movements slowed unnaturally, confusion flickering in its molten eyes.
"Now!" Seraphine's voice was a whip-crack of command.
Caius leapt from shadow to shadow, slashing at the creature's exposed neck tendons. Orin increased the gravity around its midsection, pinning it to the ground. Eira ignited Frostfire along its legs, fully immobilizing it. Kael's blazing punch struck last, the force shattering bone and sinew alike. The spawn collapsed with a monstrous roar that shook the square, and the Rift above it quivered violently.
The two squads froze for a breath, the smoke and heat curling around them. Lucien's eyes scanned the battlefield. Not a single casualty among his team. Astraeus Dominion had executed perfect coordination.
Kael's chest heaved, his flames dimming slightly as he looked at Lucien. "Impressive… for a shadow puppet master," he muttered, though there was no real malice. Only grudging acknowledgment.
Lucien's gaze remained unreadable. "And you… nearly killed half your own team in your theatrics. But the result was effective." His voice carried no warmth, no mockery, only observation.
For a moment, the world fell silent — only the distant roar of Rift-born monsters, the hiss of dying fire, and the whisper of ash in the wind. The rivalry crackled between them like static electricity: fire and shadow, chaos and control, reckless fury and absolute precision.
Then a new tremor shook the ground — faint, but deliberate. The Rift above the square quivered as if responding to their conflict. Lucien's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. Something far worse than this spawn had felt their combined presence. Something aware.
Kael noticed it too. His smirk faltered, replaced by a spark of instinctual caution. "You feel that?"
Lucien's lips tightened. "This is no ordinary Rift. Prepare yourselves. The real danger is coming."
The air thickened, charged with the promise of calamity. Velrith was only beginning to bleed, and the war for its survival had only just begun.