All the Blackthorn members began chanting the Blackthorn name, their hands raised high as they charged toward the Principal of Eclipse's base. A sentry for the Principal of Eclipse spotted them rushing the perimeter and frantically sounded an alarm. "Invasion! We are being invaded!" the man screamed, his voice cracking with terror.
Sara narrowed her eyes, focusing her power to slow down time around the guard. The man's movements became sluggish, his face contorting into a slow-motion mask of fear as he tried to flee. With a cold, calculated expression, Sara finished him off with her spiral energy sword, her blade whistling through the air as she decapitated him.
Members of the Principal of Eclipse began pouring out of their base to meet the assault, and soon the air was filled with the deafening thunder of gunfire.
"Should we have told them that the rune barrier can't block sound from getting out?" Ray asked his captain, a casual, almost bored look on his face despite the chaos.
Nearby, a Blackthorn member was struck by a bullet. He gritted his teeth, his face twisted in pain, but he didn't stop. Channelling spiral energy into the wound, he watched the flesh knit back together before turning his fury on the nearest enemies, cutting them down. "For Blackthorn!" he roared, and the cry was taken up by the rest of the members, their voices rising in a bloodthirsty chorus.
Sara moved like a whirlwind, her expression indifferent as she uses her energy spiral blade to take the heads of ten enemies in a single sweep. She flicked her sword with a sharp, practised motion to clear the blood from the blade. "This is easier than expected," Sara said, her voice dripping with disdain as she sliced through a man attempting to aim his rifle at her.
Elsewhere, Riku moved through the battlefield like a ghost. He used his shadow slash to tear through a group of soldiers before vanishing into the darkness to ambush another. "I'm still the greatest when it comes to being cool," Riku said in an arrogant tone, a smug smirk appearing on his lips just before he melted back into the shadows.
Rio utilized his abilities to sow confusion, forcing the Principal of Eclipse members to turn their weapons on one another. He dodged a blast of fire from a hostile Seeker with a graceful sidestep, though his expression remained frustrated. "I don't want to be here; I want to help Nova and give the Leader battle reports," Rio muttered.
"Leader, we found out where the Queen of Eclipse is," Nova said, shape-shifting out of his disguise as an enemy soldier. He knelt respectfully before Helios.
"Where is she?" Helios asked, his voice low and dangerous as he summoned Circlet.
"She is in the mansion. My reports say that there are two people in there with her," Nova reported, looking up at his commander.
"Okay. Tell Sara and Riku to follow me, and Rio should use more useful spells," Helios commanded, his eyes flashing with authority.
"Yes, Sir," Nova replied, vanishing instantly.
"Human, it seems like you are in a mini-war," Circlet's voice echoed inside Helios's head, sounding amused.
"Do you have anything important to say?" Helios asked, his expression hardening.
"Look at all those Seekers. Think... if we kill all of them, how strong can you become?" Circlet tempted him.
"So you have nothing to say," Helios concluded, his gaze fixed on the mansion in the distance.
"I have a gift for you since I'm so nice," Circlet said in a mocking, sing-song voice.
"What?" Helios snapped, his voice sounding increasingly annoyed.
"Why don't you think of the armour you wear in my realm?" Circlet suggested, his tone shifting to one of genuine interest.
"Fine. This better be good," Helios muttered. He strode onto the battlefield, and a massive gate tore open behind him, summoning the nightmare creatures from his realm, including General Athure. Following Circlet's instructions, he visualized the gear. In a burst of dark energy, black plate armour with clawed gauntlets and a flowing red cape materialized around him.
"The armour looks different," Helios remarked. He walked calmly through the ranks of his nightmare creatures as they tore into the Principal of Eclipse members.
"You stupid human! Why did you summon all the nightmares? What if they break free from your control?" Circlet's voice echoed with sudden anger and concern.
"As long as I can get Luna back, I can do anything," Helios declared. His red eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, his long black hair and cape fluttering violently in the wind.
More than twenty soldiers charged at Helios at once. With a single, devastating spiral energy slash, he cleaved through them all. Blood splattered across his new suit. "Even normal humans are trying to stop me," Helios said, wiping a streak of red from his face with his hand. He stood under the moonlight, his raven-black hair shimmering and his eyes burning with resolve as his nightmares continued their slaughter.
"The Leader might be going crazy," Ray remarked from the back lines, watching Helios cut down anyone in his path. Ray's face broke into an interested, almost hungry smile. "He's like a Warlord."
A member of the Investigation Facility appeared suddenly in front of Sara. "Vice Leader, the Leader said you should follow him," the messenger stated.
"Where is the Leader?" Sara asked, pulling her sword out of a fallen enemy with a wet squelch.
"There," the facility member pointed.
Sara looked and saw a literal pile of dead bodies being raised back to life by the nightmare energy, with Helios at the centre of the carnage.
"Why don't these rats stop coming?" Riku complained to Alex, who was leaning on his scythe.
"I don't know. Maybe they have a Seeker who can clone people," Alex suggested, his expression grim as he brought his scythe down on another opponent.
"Sir Riku, the Leader has told you to follow him," an Investigation Facility member interrupted.
"Fine. Just tell me where he is," Riku snapped, killing two more soldiers without even looking at them.
"He's going to the mansion. You can find him there," the messenger said before disappearing.
"I hate every Investigation Facility member. Why do they get a free pass from the fighting just because they carry messages?" Riku shouted, his face flushing with annoyance.
Inside the mansion, the Queen of Eclipse watched the slaughter below. Her red eyes tracked the movement of the Blackthorn forces. "My guest will be arriving soon," she murmured.
"My Queen, should we stop the people coming with him?" a voice whispered from the shadows, sounding deeply respectful.
"Just say that you're bored and want something to do," another voice chimed in, teasing the first speaker.
"Do whatever you want, as long as you don't touch Helios. He's mine," the Queen said, her voice turning playful and possessive as she gazed at Helios's distant figure.
"They have killed so many of my cute clones; I should at least get revenge for that," the first voice replied, now sounding frustrated and eager for blood.
"Release the Morpeths too. And make sure no one disturbs me and Helios," the Queen commanded. With a final, dark smile, she watched as her two subordinates left the room to join the fray.