That roar split the sky like a jagged blade.
It wasn't merely loud—it was catastrophic. The sound crashed over the field in violent waves, shaking the very marrow in their bones. Even silver—felt as though his mind had been scooped out and crushed into pulp. For a moment, the world rang hollow.
Thunderlord's face drained of color.
She had faced beasts before. She had watched warriors torn apart. But this… this was different.
"I… I never imagined it would come to this," she whispered, her voice trembling despite herself.
Before her hovered the dark land beast—an abomination of muscle, shadow, and rage. Its presence alone bent the air. The ground beneath it cracked as though terrified to bear its weight.
Then—
A raven shot across the smoke-filled sky, its wings slicing through the ash-choked wind. It darted forward recklessly and positioned itself directly before the seraphex.
"What are you doing?!" Thunderlord shouted.
The raven didn't respond. It shrieked and lunged toward the beast.
Thunderlord's teeth ground together. "Argh… that idiot set me up!"
She was strong. Everyone in the Ash Lands knew that.
But she wasn't strong enough.
Not against a dark land beast.
She was still merely an awakened.
The Ash Lands were brutal, but the Dark Lands… they were hell itself.
"I can't fight that thing," she muttered, clenching her fists. "Not like this."
Yet with her stood her seraphex.
The tempest seraphex.
A towering construct of earth and thunder, its body forged from crackling currents of electricity. The ability art she practiced—Earth Seraphex—had been designed by a master of the earth element. But Thunderlord had bent it to her will. She controlled thunder, and so her seraphex roared with storms.
Ability arts determined everything.
To gain a second ability, one had to practice them relentlessly. Some were common. Some were rare. And the strongest… the strongest were treasures only the great Wings could afford. Wings with ridiculous wealth and influence.
Her art wasn't the strongest in existence—but it was formidable.
And the strength of a second ability depended entirely on the strength of the art behind it.
The dark land beast roared again.
The tempest seraphex answered.
Thunder exploded outward as the construct stepped forward to meet the monster.
"I just need time," Thunderlord whispered. "Just a little time…"
On the other side of the battlefield, Silver staggered.
Blood streaked his face. His breathing was shallow and uneven.
The earlier clash had drained him completely.
He wiped his mouth and tried to steady himself, but his legs trembled.
"I can't… keep this up," he muttered.
Thunderlord watched him from a distance—and to her own surprise, she smiled.
Cold. Anticipating.
"I've wanted to see that wreck die for a long time," she said softly.
Her gaze shifted to the raven battling in front of her seraphex.
"I won't kill the raven," she added under her breath. "If I do… I'll mutate."
The word carried weight.
Mutation was power—but it was also a point of no return.
She wasn't ready.
Not yet.
Not while the Dark Lands still lay ahead of her.
A giggle escaped her lips—light, almost childish.
"Die, Silver," she murmured. "After that, I'll let the seraphex fall. It's only a self-ability. I can regenerate it later."
The tempest seraphex clashed violently with the beast. Thunder cracked. Earth shattered. Shockwaves rippled through the ash.
Silver collapsed to one knee.
The dark land beast's massive claw rose into the air.
Thunderlord's smile widened.
"This is the end for you."
Then—
A blur tore across the battlefield.
A man.
Storming toward the raven.
His speed was terrifying—faster than sight, faster than thought. Ash spiraled in his wake as though fleeing his presence.
Thunderlord's smile faltered.
"Who…?"
The man's voice rang out, sharp and furious.
"Get away from it!"
The raven screeched in response, swerving midair.
Silver lifted his head weakly, confusion flickering in his fading eyes.
The dark land beast turned.
For the first time—
It hesitated.
Thunderlord's heart began to pound.
Something had changed.
The air itself felt heavier.
Dangerous.
"Who is that…?" she whispered.
And for the first time since the roar shattered the sky—
Thunderlord felt fear.