The odds were undeniably stacked against him.
It had been over an hour at this point.
Within that time, Dom had run, taken hits, and fought back until he was both physically and mentally exhausted.
In addition, he had drained most of his mana to the point that he now found it difficult to remain standing.
He scanned the battlefield--over a hundred armed soldiers and mages completely surrounding him. Their formation leaving no opening to exploit.
Even if he tried to force his way through, he would still need to defend against the two Scouts now standing in front of him.
Aera, whom he had thought was significantly injured, only sustained some bruises from his full-powered attacks which had already fully healed thanks to her regeneration magic.
With her expression now deadly serious, it was obvious that she know longer intended to holding back anymore.
Dom realized that fighting a full-powered S-class in his current state will inevitably result in defeat. He then turned to the other Scout beside her, whose body radiated a dark aura he couldn't fully comprehend.
He was undeniably on the same level as Aera, possibly even stronger by the sensation of his ash-colored mana.
With two S-class mages locked onto his movements, the army of armed reinforcements blocking his escape and his depleted mana, Dom knew--instinctively and logically--he could not win this fight.
He slowly lifted his face, his tired gaze fixed on the dark ceiling of the Under-city miles above them.
A calm, heavy exhale escaped his lips as he closed his eyes.
You've done enough. It's time to throw in the towel…
-- At least, that's what everyone else thought.
Suddenly, Dom's eyes widened.
His pupils dilated, blue irises glowing intensely as mana surged around him, creating a soft spiral of wind and dust around him.
The soldiers instinctively readied themselves. One of them even gulped nervously as Dom's aura radiated like an injured beast, not a cornered rat.
The only ones unmoved were Aera, who narrowed her eyes, fully focused on every movement Dom made, and the Scout, who merely gave an amused smirk as he clearly understood Dom's intentions.
I'll use everything… Dom thought as he lowered his stance, his fists trembling slightly as he held them up.
Until my last drop of mana runs out…and I lose consciousness… I'll keep fighting…
He took a step forward, the floor cracking beneath his raging mana and weight as he grinned at the Scouts ahead of him.
"I'm not going down without a fight." Dom declared, his eyes burning with determination.
"A true warrior." The Scout scoffed as he and Aera took their stance, their released mana colliding with Dom's, causing the wind around them to howl ominously, grains of dust scattering around.
The air thrummed with tension as everyone stood still--almost frozen like statues.
Who would move first--the soldiers, the Scouts, or the exhausted young man facing them all? That was the question that filled all their minds.
The standoff lasted nearly a minute, tension building with each passing second.
Then, as Dom finally took the first step…
A deafening explosion tore through the side of a nearby building.
All eyes snapped toward the source just as a massive creature burst through the concrete wall.
A soldier screamed as a slab of concrete crushed him instantly, while another stumbled backward as the towering wolf-humanoid landed beside him. He raised a hand, radiating green mana, but the beast swatted him aside like a fly.
"The fuck is that?!" Another soldier yelled, pointing his weapon alongside others.
The creature locked eyes on them and let out a bone-rattling howl.
Suddenly, hundreds of spells and metal bullets were fired as all soldiers now focused their attention on the beast.
However, it moved impossibly fast, dodging every attack and tearing through the soldiers like paper.
"A runaway experiment?" Aera asked, eyes widening.
The Scout glanced at Dom, noticing the young man's wide-eyes and confident smile as he watched the beast's rampage.
"I don't think so," The Scout replied, just as another explosion shook the air.
"Stay away!" A soldier shouted, sending a massive flame spell toward the creature. It batted the fire aside and slammed him into the ground with one hand.
It then unleashed another howl, incapacitating nearby soldiers by its deafening pitch before charging forward, carving a path of destruction directly toward Dom.
Aera stiffened, taking a defensive stance. Then, her eyes widened as recognition hit—she knew that aura.
In the next instant, the beast smashed through the last line of defense and launched itself at Dom.
Despite its terrifying frame whistling towards him, Dom's smile widened as the beast suddenly shrank, transforming mid-air into a familiar woman who, propelled by momentum, tackled Dom to the ground.
"DOM!" Lucy cried, tears streaming down her face like a child who'd just been scolded, as she squeezed Dom tightly in a hug.
Even though her embrace pressed painfully against his battered body, Dom smiled and hugged her back. "I missed you, too," He chuckled.
Lucy pulled back, and Dom sat up, meeting her sobbing gaze.
"I'm sorry," She whispered, grabbing his hands. "If I hadn't taken you on that stupid date, none of this would've happened."
Dom's expression softened. "It's not your fault," He said gently.
Shaking her head, voice heavy with regret, Lucy added, "We're supposed to protect each other… but I only made things worse."
She glanced a the soldiers now regrouping.
"Mr. Roy said they wouldn't hurt you, but… if…" Her shoulders trembled as fresh tears poured down her face. "…if something happened to you… because of me… I… I--"
Dom pulled her into another hug, silencing her before she could finish.
Lucy looked up, confused, only to see him slightly trembling. "I'm just glad you're okay," He mumbled, squeezing her with a grateful smile.
Her lips quivered as she hugged him again, focusing on his warmth… a sensation she never thought she would feel again--until a sudden cold sensation pricked her senses.
She suddenly slashed through the air behind him.
Then she quickly pulled away and shielded him with her body.
Dom blinked in confusion, his gaze drifting to her black claws which were subtly stained with blood at the very tips—until he noticed that Scout reappeared on a knee, in a completely different spot that he was in before.
"Your instincts are better than I thought," The Scout said, smirking as he glanced at the shallow, bleeding slash across his forearm.
"Are you the one who hurt him?" Lucy demanded, her gaze flicking to Dom's battered body.
"Who knows?" The Scout commented boldly as he stood.
She growled at him before her gaze finally met Aera. Her damp eyes widened in recognition of the woman who took Dom away that day.
"You." She grumbled, releasing a surge of her silver mana.
Aera's expression remained still neutral, but her body stiffened instinctively under Lucy's murderous glare.
Dom, seated behind, couldn't help but smile at Lucy's protective display. Her ferocious mana washing over him like a warm, familiar blanket.
His eyes then drifted to her torn and stretched clothes-- attire that looked oddly familiar. "Wait… is that my jacket?" He asked, brow raised as he finally recognized that black hoodie design.
Lucy's mana faded instantly as she turned to him, sheepishly sniffing the sleeves' fabric. "I missed your smell," She muttered, her tail wagging happily behind her.
Dom exhaled, exasperated at the state of his jacket… just as his eyes caught movement behind Lucy.
Instinctively, she spun, her claw slashing through the air instantly. Her eyes narrowed at the eerie black tendril she had just severed… only for dozens more to emerge from the ground and surround them instantly.
Lucy growled as she slashed through several of them quickly but Dom already knew she couldn't stop of all of them.
He groaned as he tried to push himself up to help Lucy as the shadowy embrace closed in on them.
--Just as a thunderclap erupted across the lot.
A bolt of purple lightning zipped across the lot, entered the crater and struck the tendrils in the blink of an eye.
Cutting through each tendril precisely as it danced through their numbers like water navigating through a river then suddenly stopped in front of Lucy.
Instantly, the tendrils dispersed, severed and blown apart by the sheer speed of the strikes.
"Form 100," A voice echoed as the lightning dispersed, revealing the mage within it. "Slither."
Dom grinned widely, instantly recognizing the dual katanas, their contrasting black and white steels crackling with purple electricity.
Looking over his shoulder, Dae smirked at him. "Glad to see you're still in one piece, musclebrain."
"Can it, Grinch," Dom chuckled.
The Scout whistled as the last remnants of the tendrils scattered in front of him, a few retreated into the ground under his feet.
"So this is the Rebel Trio. They're just just as dangerous as the reports say." He said with amusement while Aera moved to his side.
Dom grunted as he pushed himself to a knee. "Not that I'm complaining…" He muttered, drawing their attention. "…but what are you guys doing here? I thought that bastard forced you out of the North."
Lucy narrowed her eyes. "They tried," She said, dropping to her knees beside Dom and placing her clawed hands on his lap, the deadly weapons instantly retracted once she felt his skin. "But we were never going to leave you."
"We hid in the city while we searched for you," Dae added, still keeping his gaze on the two Scouts and the soldiers now surrounding them.
"What about Mr. Roy?" Dom asked.
"It was his idea," Dae replied.
Dom's eyes softened--a wave of relief washing over him as he recalled the moment when Roy disappeared.
Lucy's frown deepened, tail drooping as she stared at his injuries. "Even though we looked everywhere… we couldn't find you." She squeezed his legs, her senses picking up his now faint mana.
"The city's surveillance was near-impossible to bypass, and all traces of you were wiped." Dae explained, then glanced at Lucy. "Not even Lucy could track you after that day,"
Dom looked at Lucy, whose expression darkened as she remembered how helpless she felt.
"So instead of finding you," Dae added, spinning his swords as he took a defensive stance between them and the Scouts. "I suggested we wait instead,"
Dom raised a brow. "Wait? For what?" He asked.
A smirk crossed Dae's face. "For you to finally blow up," He said and Dom grinned once he understood immediately.
"If you really were still alive. I knew you would be too stubborn to sit quietly, so we waited for any crisis to break out on either side of the city while evading the North's army."
"Then…" Lucy began, drawing Dom's attention, "…we found some guys being chased on top in these tight clothes."
She tugged on Dom's tattered remains and his eyes widened in recognition.
"After we intervened and got your name," Dae continued, gaze narrowing as the Scouts slowly advanced with the surrounding soldiers preparing to attack. "… we just followed the chaos until we eventually got here,"
Dom's expression hardened. "Are they safe?" He asked.
Dae exhaled sharply. "You're the one covered in wounds," He whispered, before smiling slightly at that familiar selfless regard. "They're fine. Our soldiers are keeping them safe and Mr. Roy is looking for the other three groups."
Dom sighed in relief.
Then the Scout laughed, his darkened tone commanding attention. "So your escape plan wasn't a total bust… good for you." He applauded calmly, then narrowed his eyes on them. "But your current problem isn't solved yet."
The collective clicks of weapons echoed around them while the Scouts took stances, their body oozing with mana.
Dae maintained his stance while Lucy got to her feet, claws brandished.
Dom groaned as he tried to rise as well, but his legs had already given out-- trembling in rebellion of his conscious effort.
"Don't bother." Dae said, as he casually advanced, purple eyes glowing, electricity sparking over his body and blades.
"We'll handle these guys," Lucy said as she moved to his side, claws lengthening as her forearms became more beast than man, causing nearby soldiers to shiver in fear once she locked her glowing eyes with theirs.
Dom frowned, wishing he could still help, but his body completely betrayed him. With a defeated sigh, he stopped trying and smiled weakly at his friends.
"Thanks." He muttered.
Lucy grinned, and Dae readied his blades-- determination rushing through their veins as Dom completely placed his trust on them.
The Scout noticed that subtle shift in their aura and smirked. "Don't forget to set them to stun," The Scout warned at the soldiers. "…we don't want to harm our precious subject any more than he already has."
With that command, the soldiers unleashed a barrage of energy blasts and spells that rained down on the three.
Then, Dae took a step, his electrically charged body flickering then vanished.
Instantly, the attacks exploded harmlessly before reaching Dom or Lucy.
Simultaneously, the enemy weapons were severed by an untraceable presence, many of them releasing explosions that knocked away groups of soldiers before they even realized what had happened.
Spell-casters groaned as deep cuts also appeared on their bodies, rendering them immobile, even though their consciousness hadn't perceived it yet.
Dae then reappeared at Dom's side a moment later.
And immediately after that, the explosions erupted, sending unsuspecting soldiers flying into the air while those directly cut finally dropped to the floor like flies.
Within seconds, over a hundred troops were either unconscious, severely injured or simply stunned as they stared at Dae's lightning charged blades.
Even Aera's eyes widened while the Scout smirked as he surveyed their snipers all falling into a similar fate.
"I heard you were fast," The Scout said, his gaze shifting back to Dae. "…but I didn't think you'd be this fast."
Dae scoffed, raising his white blade up and releasing his lightning as a sudden bright flash of light.
The Scouts shielded their eyes, and in that moment, both Aera and the Scout stiffened, realizing Lucy was already behind them.
They leapt apart, evading her claw strike which shattered the floor they were standing on.
Mid-air, the Scout summoned black tendrils from his arm, their dark limbs reaching to trap Lucy.
Before they made it halfway, Dae slid between them, swinging his blades and slicing them apart in a flash of movements.
"Shadow Manipulation," Dae announced.
The Scout flinched, a manic smile crossing his face. "He told you, huh." He said as he touched the ground then jumped back, firing another tendril which Dae cut it down in an instant.
"I'm leaving that girl to you!" He commanded as he drew two energy pistols from his holsters while Dae dashed at him.
"Yes, sir!" Aera replied, then narrowly evaded Lucy's strike which cleanly sliced through a lamp-post.
As the heavy beam crashed to the floor, the electrical wiring snapping under its weight, Lucy turned to Aera. "This…" Sh grumbled, her entire body trembling with rage, "…is all your fault!"
With a burst of speed, she closed the gap between them.
Aera swung her foot to counter but her kick was blocked by Lucy's now beastly arm. She quickly seized Aera's ankle as a surge of silver mana erupted from her body.
Aera's eyes then widened at Lucy's powerful grip--while her body suddenly expands, ripping her already torn clothes as she donned her primal form.
"If you weren't there," She grumbled, her voice deepening as she suddenly swung Aera like a rag-doll into the ground, a grunt escaping her lips as the concrete crumbled beneath.
"DOM WOULD BE OKAY!"
Aera quickly pulled free and dove aside, narrowly evading a ground-shattering slash. She rolled to the side, wincing from the bruise around her ankle where Lucy gripped her only to flinch as a familiar shadow loomed over her.
Lucy slammed down again, concrete crumbling beneath her monstrous form and weight.
"GET BACK HERE!" She roared as she pursued Aera relentlessly.
Dom, still seated, watched Lucy's assault with an amused smirk before turning to the sound of incoming energy blasts.
The Scout unleashed a barrage at Dae, who darted across the field like an untraceable blur, evading each blast until he flickered out of sight.
The Scout stiffened as he felt the prickling sensation of the electrical sparks beside him.
With teeth gritted, his ash-coloured mana flared out and suddenly he sank into his shadow, the drop fast enough to evade Dae's blade swing.
Dae's eyes widened as the Scout reemerged from his shadow behind, a dagger now in his grip.
He thrust it toward Dae's back--only for the blade to hit Dae's afterimage instead.
He then spun just in time, narrowly blocking the rapid strike. His weapon ground against Dae's blades with a sharp screech while sparks fly between them.
As Dae's cold, focused eyes locked on his, an uneasy smirk crossed the Scout's face. "You're good." He commented before they both pushed each other away.
Between Dae's dominating speed and Lucy's primal force, the two biggest obstacles Dom was unable to fight were now on the defensive.
A heavy sigh of relief finally washed over him.
Since the escape plan began, he had been on total alert, fighting alone because he was the only person who could.
But now, he finally remembered what it was like to have people who could fight for him instead.
Guess I can count on them after all, He thought, finally allowing the full weight of exhaustion to wash over him--until he noticed soldiers sneaking up behind him. "Shit,"
Lucy growled as she sent Aera flying into a wall, then hurled a car in her direction before noticing the soldiers closing in on Dom.
"Dom!" She shouted as she dashed to protect him-- but Aera kicked the thrown vehicle into her path, intercepting Lucy's dash.
She growled as she instinctively slashed at her side, but Aera ducked under the attack and shoved her foot into Lucy's gut.
The impact sent her flying across the lot until she crashed into an abandoned shop.
Dae also noticed Dom's predicament but couldn't intervene with the Scout's shadow attacks cutting him off.
The soldiers advanced confidently toward Dom, crafting weapons from thin air as they perceived his barely detectable mana.
Damn it. Dom thought, gritting his teeth as his heavy body rebelled against his desire to defend himself--until five rapid energy blasts slammed into the soldiers, the concussive bursts knocking them out instantly.
The Scouts along with the few still standing soldiers all turned to the new figure on the lot, holding his steaming cannon by the elbow.
Dom's eyes widened in recognition.
"I'm tired… of everyone… saying this whole thing… was… your idea," Noah panted, visibly exhausted from running around while he maintained his aim.
Dae's brows furrowed at this stranger, while the Scout's eyes darkened.
"There he is," The Scout muttered, sinking suddenly into his shadow.
Dae clicked his tongue as he noticed the man vanish, his eerie presence zipping through the floor before finally stopping as he reappeared almost instantly behind Noah.
Noah stiffened at that familiar aura, slowly turning to see the tall, intimidating shadow mage looming over him.
"H-h-hey, Luke…" Noah stammered, voice edged with fear as he lowered his weapon and stumbled backwards. "H--how've you been?"
The Scout narrowed his eyes. "What'd you think, kid?" He said, raising his hand as misty shadows crept across his skin while he reached toward Noah.
But a sudden sword slash forced Luke back.
Sliding to a safer distance, Luke glanced down at the bleeding slash across his gut.
"Seriously? Twice?" He grumbled, irritation clear in his voice as he looked up to find Dae standing in front of Noah.
Noah dropped to the ground, panting heavily as he looked up at Dae's back.
"I don't know who you are, but judging by your clothes I'm assuming you're an ally," He said, his eyes glowing brightly. "Am I wrong?"
"No, sir," Noah replied, clearly intimidated by Dae's authoritative presence despite being much older.
In that instant, Luke surged forward, his shadow spreading outward like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf all three of them.
But Dae crouched, blades held firmly behind him.
"Form 79: Static Sphere."
The black-and-white swords swung in unison, the electrical residue forming a protective sphere around Dae's body that instantly shredded everything around him.
Though Noah, laid dangerously close, he gasped as he remained completely unharmed.
The rapid slices precisely evaded his body while it tore everything else.
As the shadow residue dissipated seconds later, Noah realized Luke now stood several feet away, frowning at his broken dagger and the blood dripping down his arm.
His gaze sharpened on Dae, who flicked the blood from his black blade.
"What's with you three?" Luke asked, tossing aside his broken weapon. "Aren't you all supposed to be A-class?"
Noah's eyes widened at Dae.
In this facility, Luke was known to be the strongest Scout, with Aera a close second.
Just as the Monarchs were the pinnacle of power for mages worldwide, Luke was a symbol of unparalleled strength within the Scouts--and yet, here he was, bleeding.
"Cool," Noah muttered, as Dae partially blocked his view with his white sword.
"Protect Dom," Dae said, eyes still locked on Luke. "That's your job now."
Noah noticed another group of soldiers sneaking toward Dom. With a sad glance at Luke, he nodded as he rushed towards Dom, his cannon raised and ready.
Luke gritted his teeth as he moved to follow--but Dae slid in front of him, black sword aimed directly at his chest.
"I'm your opponent," Dae said, his tone cold, unyielding.
Luke narrowed his eyes, summoning another dagger out of thin air and spinning it in his grasp.