Volume 2 - Part 4
The echo of that terrifying voice hung heavy in the air, leaving everyone frozen in collective horror. But the paralysis didn't last long—reality hit them hard. Looking around, they saw dozens of their fellow fighters sprawled across the ground, severely wounded. Some were desperately clinging to life.
Before they could even process the battle with the Dragon King, a new disaster struck. The 'Dimension Gate'—their only way out—was rapidly destabilizing. Violent energy surged through the portal as it began to shrink at an alarming rate.
"The portal is collapsing! Move! Get the wounded out now!" Thomas shouted, his voice cutting through the panic.
Without missing a beat, Thomas and the Master began hoisting injured warriors onto their shoulders. Despite the agonizing pain racking his own body, William activated his Eyeose ability. He locked his eyes on the portal, analyzing its erratic energy currents to guide the team safely through the collapsing threshold. They plunged through the exit just in the nick of time; the moment the last survivor crossed over, the portal snapped shut and vanished completely.
Exhausted, battered, and bloodied, everyone collapsed onto the solid ground of their home realm. Those who remained conscious scanned their surroundings frantically, searching the crowd for missing comrades. William's vision blurred as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness. Around him, several others passed out from critical blood loss. Seeing the severity of their injuries, the immediate response team rushed them straight to the medical ward.
Meanwhile, far from the chaos, Eno was entirely oblivious to the tragedy that had just unfolded. Absorbed in her own world, she pushed her boundaries to unlock her dormant powers. For hours without end, she relentlessly cast healing spells and honed her combat abilities. Dark circles had carved themselves beneath her weary eyes, but she refused to stop.
Her mind was trapped in a single, repeating thought—Is William okay? Will he come back?
Suddenly, the heavy iron doors burst open with grim news—the war party had returned! But the relief was short-lived; more than half the team was critically injured, and William's life was hanging by a thread. A wave of panic surged through her heart. Dropping everything, she sprinted toward the medical ward as fast as her legs could carry her.
In the strategic command room, after quickly patching up their own wounds, Thomas and the Master convened an emergency meeting. The specialized Reconnaissance Team—tasked with assessing the battlefield's energy signatures right after the clash—presented their urgent findings to the board.
The lead investigator stepped forward to present the report:
"Master, the physical evidence at the site was minimal. However, we analyzed the residual voice echoes left behind by those entities. Make no mistake—we are facing an unprecedented cosmic threat, and it seems directly tied to the origins of our four warriors.
Furthermore, the Chakra signatures we detected didn't resemble a battlefield; it felt like a controlled environment—a training arena built for a singular purpose. The final Aura wasn't a threat display, but rather a burst of resonance signifying that a massive training phase had been completed. There are deep mysteries here we are still trying to unravel.
As for the artifacts, we now secure two pendants. If we manage to locate the third, we can lift the memory curse from the main Masters of the other three dimensions and bring them back to the fold. Their twelve elite warriors would join our ranks, giving us a true fighting chance.
However... the third pendant is almost certainly in his possession. It is doubtful whether our current strength is enough to confront him directly. Even with our new recruits, every step must be calculated with extreme caution."
The Master remained silent for a moment, his brow furrowed in deep thought, before finally speaking:
"His power may be legendary, but our warriors have proven their resolve. With both the Serpent King and the Dragon King eliminated, he no longer has a shield to hide behind. The realm that consumed most of his power is gone. He will attack us directly now.
The tide of this war changes today. We must push our young fighters and new recruits beyond their current limits. Expand all training protocols immediately. Tell the healers to accelerate their recovery techniques—we don't have a single second to waste.
He is coming... I can feel his presence gathering in the dark. We will not fear him, but we must be ready to meet his wrath head-on. The war was just the storm before the main event—a battle for the cosmos itself. Inform the entire vanguard immediately, Thomas."
Thomas nodded sharply, his expression grim. "Understood. I'm on it."
Without another word, he turned and marched out of the war room...
(To be continued...)