The crimson sky grew darker and darker.
The swirling clouds suddenly stopped spinning, then slowly split apart—as if something was descending from beyond them.
A figure appeared in the sky.
Its body was wrapped in a dark cloak, and a long mask resembling a bird's beak covered its face. The figure floated silently in the air, yet its mere presence made the atmosphere feel unbearably heavy.
Everyone fell silent.
"What… is that?" Tomo asked in a trembling voice.
Arou stared at the figure seriously. He had never seen anything like it before, but his instincts immediately warned him.
"It looks like some kind of bird…" he muttered quietly. "But that aura… it's no ordinary creature."
"A bird demon," he added shortly.
The moment the figure stopped moving, the ground around the yard trembled violently. Massive cracks spread across the earth, and one by one, gigantic monsters began crawling out from underground. Their size dwarfed the monsters from before, casting enormous shadows over the battlefield.
"Hundreds of them…" Shion whispered.
Feeth tightened his grip on his daggers. "Then this is a whole different level."
The cloaked figure slowly raised one hand.
Without making a sound, the giant monsters began moving in unison, their footsteps shaking the ground itself.
Lumina looked up at the figure in the sky, sensing a concentrated flow of energy surrounding it.
"He's not just their leader," she said calmly. "He's the control center."
Emi took a deep breath. "As long as he's still there… these monsters won't stop."
Arou stepped forward and raised his sword.
"We still don't know who he really is," he said firmly.
"But one thing is clear—while that bird demon is standing there, we have no choice but to fight."
The ground shook harder as the giant monsters drew closer. Every step they took created new cracks in the earth, forcing the fighters to take their positions immediately.
Arou raised his sword high.
"Everyone, listen! We can't fight them head-on!"
He quickly gave out orders.
"Shion, focus on long-range attacks. Target their legs and joints—slow them down!"
Shion immediately moved to a higher position.
"Feeth, Rei, Emi—you're on the front line."
Rei stepped forward without hesitation. The armor of the Guardian reflected the crimson light from the sky as he raised his shield and stood at the very front.
"Feeth, keep moving. Strike their weak points," Arou continued.
"Emi, cover the right side. Don't let the formation break."
Feeth spun his daggers and lowered his stance. Emi stood firmly on the right flank, ready to hold the line.
"Haru, Tomo—protect the civilians. Evacuation stays the top priority if things get worse."
Then Arou turned toward Akari and Shi.
"You two attack whenever you see an opening. Don't act alone."
The first giant monster reached the defensive line.
Rei slammed his shield into the ground. A massive energy barrier erupted forward, stopping the monster's attack. The impact echoed across the battlefield, but the front line held.
Feeth moved swiftly behind Rei's protection, slipping between the monster's enormous footsteps and slashing at its joints. The creature staggered, giving Emi enough room to block the next attack.
From afar, Shion's bullets struck other monsters one after another, slowing their movements.
Even so, the enemies seemed endless.
Lumina kept watching the bird demon floating in the sky. The figure never moved, only silently observing the battlefield below.
"He's not attacking," Lumina muttered. "He's waiting."
Arou clenched his jaw. "Then we survive until he does."
The pressure from the giant monsters became unbearable. Every impact caused Rei's barrier to shake violently. Cracks of energy spread across its surface—the defensive line was nearing collapse.
Rei drove his shield deeper into the ground. His Guardian armor shone beneath the crimson sky, but exhaustion was beginning to show.
Behind the front line, Nora stood beside Haru and Tomo. She didn't step forward, but both her hands were raised as she concentrated her magic.
A gentle light flowed from the rear lines, crossing the battlefield and wrapping around Rei and the others on the front line.
"Long-range reinforcement magic activated," Nora announced, struggling to maintain her focus.
The flowing light slowed the damage to Rei's barrier, buying precious time even though it couldn't fully restore his strength.
Feeth continued darting behind Rei's protection, striking the giant monsters' joints. Emi held the right side firmly, making sure no gaps opened.
From the distance, Shion kept suppressing the enemy with precise shots.
But the monsters kept coming.
"Arou!" Haru shouted from the back lines. "Pressure near the evacuation route is increasing!"
Arou tightened his grip on his sword.
"Hold the line. No retreat."
Rei took a long breath. The cracks across his barrier became more visible, yet he remained standing.
"A Guardian isn't a wall that never cracks," Rei muttered quietly.
"It's a wall that never falls."
The Guardian symbol on his armor glowed brighter. The energy barrier strengthened for a brief moment—just enough to withstand another massive wave.
Akari and Shi immediately used that opening to strike the halted monsters.
High above the crimson sky, the bird demon slightly lowered its head, now observing the battlefield with far more interest.
Lumina, watching from afar, felt a new wave of pressure.
"He's starting to focus on us."
Arou raised his sword high once more.
"All units, hold your positions! As long as this line stands—we haven't lost yet!"
But the pressure never stopped.
Wave after wave of giant monsters crashed against the defensive line without pause. The ground beneath Rei had completely shattered, proof that the burden he carried had gone beyond normal limits.
The Guardian barrier shook violently again.
Cracks of light spread wider than before.
Rei staggered. One knee nearly hit the ground.
"Still… not broken…" he muttered painfully.
Behind the front line, Nora was forced to stop part of her magic flow. Her breathing became heavy, and the light surrounding her dimmed drastically.
"Arou… I'm running out of energy," she said softly.
The reinforcement magic vanished.
Then another impact came—
and this time, the Guardian barrier partially shattered.
Rei was thrown backward, leaving deep marks across the ground. His armor dimmed, and the Guardian symbol pulsed unstably.
"Rei!" Emi shouted.
The giant monsters began pushing closer. The defensive line was seconds away from collapse.
But before they could fully break through—
the temperature of the air suddenly changed.
Wind spiraled from behind the fighters, carrying a cold pressure completely different from the bird demon's aura. A bluish light appeared among them.
Someone stepped forward.
Nova.
His coat fluttered gently as his focused eyes scanned the collapsing front line. He saw Rei barely standing, Nora exhausted, and the giant monsters closing in.
"Looks like… I arrived at the perfect time," Nova said calmly.
He raised one hand.
A wave of freezing energy spread across the battlefield, instantly freezing the ground beneath the giant monsters. Their movements slowed dramatically, enough to stop their advance for a moment.
"Arou," Nova said without turning around. "I can't hold them for long."
"That's enough," Arou replied firmly. "You've given us time."
Rei forced himself back onto his feet, leaning heavily against his shield.
"Thank you…"
But before anyone could take advantage of the opening—
an even heavier pressure descended from the sky.
Every giant monster stopped moving at once.
The cloaked figure with the bird-beak mask slowly descended, landing directly in front of the battlefield. The ground beneath its feet blackened instantly, cracks spreading outward from the impact.
The bird demon had finally stepped onto the battlefield.
Nova stared at it seriously.
"So… that's the source."
Lumina narrowed her eyes from afar.
"The pressure just increased."
Arou stepped forward, standing between the wounded Rei and the enemy before them. His sword rose slowly.
"Now everything's complete," he said.
"And we have nowhere left to run."
Behind him, Nora nearly collapsed to her knees.
In front, Rei stood at his absolute limit.
At the center, Nova prepared to hold back time itself.
And standing before them—
their strongest enemy had finally arrived.