They entered the fortress, and the teleportation device activated. Moments later, they stepped out of it.
"Welcome, Mart Force," Hazel said.
Ely looked around. "This place hasn't changed a bit."
"It's only been a week, Ely," Iriel replied.
They were already suited up when Kylock approached them.
"We came as fast as we could," Ryan said.
"I know," Kylock replied.
"You said there was an attack," Alicia said.
"Yes."
A large screen lit up, revealing a mysterious figure wreaking havoc across the city with green energy blasts.
"Who the hell is that?" Ely asked. The team's expressions darkened. The sheer brutality of the attack was enough to send chills down their spines.
"Good question," Kylock said. "Unfortunately, we don't know."
"The little information we have is that a few Rekans ago—"
"Minutes," Kylock corrected, noticing their confused looks.
"A few minutes ago," Hazel continued, "this figure launched an attack on North Swazyden Bridge."
"And we sent for you immediately," Kylock added.
"Whatever that guy is," Ryan said, "he could destroy this place in minutes."
"Which is why we need to stop him."
Ely clenched his fists. "Then what are we waiting for?"
"Remember," Hazel said, "keep your hoods on whenever you're in Marthadon."
"Why?" Ryan asked.
"Unfortunately, we don't have time to explain. Go."
The team entered the teleportation device.
"Ligax."
"Initiate teleportation," Hazel ordered.
Instantly, they vanished.
---
They arrived at the scene.
Chaos filled the air,a community was turning to ash
"Oh, shrapp," Alicia muttered.
"Everyone split up and get the civilians to safety," Kylock ordered.
"Yes, Cap!"
The Mart Force scattered immediately.
A massive metal structure broke loose and hurtled toward a group of frightened Marthadonians. Thankfully, Ely arrived just in time. With only one hand, he redirected the enormous object away from them.
"Way to go, Ely," he said proudly.
He turned toward the civilians.
"Is everyone okay?"
They nodded nervously.
"Good. Get to safety. Run!"
Nearby, debris from a collapsing building was about to crush another group of civilians.
Alicia leaped into action.
Her spider-like blades flashed through the air, slicing apart chunks of concrete. There was simply too much debris to destroy individually.
She combined her blades and unleashed a powerful bluish blast.
The debris exploded into dust.
"Everyone okay?" she asked.
The civilians were too stunned to answer.
Elsewhere, a deadly energy blast raced toward innocent people.
Ryan appeared out of nowhere.
Slamming his blade into the ground, he unleashed a wave of energy that completely destroyed the incoming attack.
Iriel was equally busy.
Using her powers, she split herself into multiple forms and intercepted blasts coming from every direction, protecting the civilians behind her.
Then a larger blast approached.
Immediately, she merged back together and stopped it.
"Everyone leave!" she shouted through gritted teeth.
Moments later, the Mart Force regrouped.
"Everyone okay?" Kylock asked.
"A hundred percent, Cap," Iriel replied.
"But where in the world is the big deal?" Ely asked.
---
Unknown to them, Alvarox had been watching the entire time.
He had observed their rescue efforts with interest.
They were a bit of what he expected.
But not strong enough.
A distant explosion echoed through the city.
Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged.
Alvarox.
He walked toward them with slow, majestic steps.
His aura alone seemed powerful enough to bend the nearby buildings.
The emerald embedded in his chest glowed faintly,as if it recognized something close
The atmosphere grew heavy with fear.
"Who the heck are you?" Ely asked, almost mesmerized.
Alvarox stopped.
His voice was calm, powerful, and commanding.
"I am Alvarox... your worst nightmare.", slowly
Alicia nodded beneath her hood.
"Yeah... you're definitely creepy."
"What do you want from this place?" Kylock asked.(In a low volume)
Alvarox tilted his head.
"Who are you to ask?"
"Maybe we can settle this without drawing our weapons."
"And who are you to decide that?" Alvarox replied coldly. "I am the Game Master. I decide the rules., I take and give, uproot and plant what I want
Green energy began gathering around him.
"I detest people like you," Iriel said.
"Cap," Ryan warned.
Kylock nodded.
"Attack!"
The Mart Force charged.
Alvarox summoned a massive green lightning-like weapon and drove it into the ground.
BOOM!
A devastating energy explosion erupted outward, throwing the entire team backward.
They recovered quickly and attacked again.
"Oh, come on," Alvarox said as he walked forward. "I expected more than this. An enemy worthy of my time."
"Full power this time, guys!" Kylock shouted.
The real battle began.
The Mart Force unleashed everything they had.
Energy beams.
Power strikes.
Coordinated attacks.
Yet Alvarox handled them all with frightening ease.
He was simply too powerful.
"Come on, Mart Force," he mocked. "We're only getting started."
Furious, Kylock gathered his strongest energy attack and charged forward like a beam of light.
But Alvarox was ready.
Their weapons collided.
For a moment, the ground shook.
Then Alvarox overpowered him.
He stabbed Kylock and hurled him into a giant mushroom-like tree.
The captain collapsed.
Unconscious.
"Captain!" the others shouted.
Alvarox looked down at him.
"If this is the strength of your leader, an entire dimension could fall under your watch."
"That's enough!" Ryan roared.
He attacked immediately.
The others joined him.
But the outcome remained the same.
Alvarox dominated them.
One by one, they were overwhelmed and thrown to the ground.
Panting.
Pop-up
Bruised.
Defeated.
---
"This is the moment I've been waiting for."(W taste of passion in his words)/
Alvarox stretched out his hand.
The emerald detached itself from his chest and floated above his palm.
Dark tendrils burst from the orb and wrapped around the Mart Force.
The team rose helplessly into the air.
Then the draining began.
Their energy was being ripped away from them.
It felt worse than pain.
It felt as though their very life force was being extracted.
Back at the fortress, Hazel watched in horror.
"What the-"
The team screamed in agony.
This was far worse than Navan.
"Give me everything!" Alvarox shouted.
At this rate, their existence itself could be destroyed.
Hazel gritted her teeth.
Kylock was unconscious.
The team was losing.
And Alvarox was winning.
"Kylock! Kylock! No... no..."
Her voice could not reach him.
She stared at the monitor.
Then her expression hardened.
"You leave me no choice."
With all her strength, she slammed her staff into the ground.
A surge of mystical electricity shot through the fortress.
Miles away, the energy reached Kylock.
His eyes snapped open.
Lightning crackled around his body.
Like a beam of light, he launched himself forward and shattered the tendrils binding his teammates.
The connection between the emerald and the Mart Force broke instantly.
Alvarox staggered backward.
The emerald flew back into his chest.
For the first time, he looked surprised,
"We will meet again, Mart Force," he said coldly.
"That's a promise."
A wave of green energy engulfed him.
And he vanished.
---
The battlefield fell silent.
Kylock looked at his exhausted team.
They were breathing heavily.
As though they had narrowly escaped death.
Because they had.
The bluish flames that represented their powers flickered weakly around their bodies.
Appearing.
Disappearing.
Appearing.
Disappearing.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"Are you guys okay?" Kylock asked.
"I think so," Ely replied.
They stared at their organic weapons.
They were flickering too.
"Our powers..." Alicia whispered.
The flames vanished completely.
Iriel's eyes widened.
"It... it..."
She couldn't finish the sentence.
Ryan looked at his hands.
The energy was gone.
"It's gone."
Kylock's face turned pale.
"Shrapp."