The guardian roared.
The sound rolled across the bone desert as violet light pulsed through the cracks of its armor. Above it—the sky continued to fracture. Thin lines of pale light spread across the violet expanse like stress fractures in glass, widening slowly with every passing moment.
The entire gate trembled.
On the ground, Aurora Covenant was holding the center. Garrick slammed his shield into the sand again. Stone erupted upward as another wave of skeletons collided with the defensive barrier. The impact cracked the edge of the formation.
"Still coming!" Mira shouted.
Her summoning circle flared behind the shield line. Two spectral wolves burst forward, tearing through several skeletons before dissolving into mist. Kaida's shadows spread across the battlefield immediately after, binding the next wave before they could reach Garrick's position.
Seris moved between them quickly. Golden light flowed through the formation, stabilizing their stamina as the strain of continuous authority use began to show.
Orion fired again. A streak of moonlight crossed the battlefield, shattering a skeleton that had nearly slipped past the defensive line. "...Mob density increasing," he said calmly.
At the center of the battlefield—Lucien and Nox faced the guardian. The creature's burning gaze shifted again, locking onto Nox.
Lucien noticed immediately. "...Still him."
Nox said nothing. Because the creature's behavior was becoming clearer—and it didn't make sense.
Before he could think further, the air shifted. Orion looked up.
"...Gate ripple."
High above the battlefield, the entrance of the gate distorted. Then several figures dropped from the aperture. Four of them. They landed across the battlefield in a controlled formation.
Lightning exploded across the sand. Skeletons scattered as electricity tore through their ranks. Caelum grinned as he straightened. "Sorry we're late."
Behind him, Helena landed lightly, spear already moving. Her first strike carved through two skeletons that had been rising from the sand. A third collapsed before it even finished forming. "Mob concentration confirmed," she said calmly.
A heavier impact followed. The ground trembled when Viktor landed. The long crimson blade in his hands swept outward in a wide arc. Five skeletons shattered instantly. "...Too many distractions," Viktor muttered.
Then the final figure descended. Elias Verdan touched the sand with quiet control. His silver gaze moved across the battlefield: Aurora Covenant's formation, the guardian, and the fractured sky.
Lucien watched him approach. "You took your time."
Elias stopped beside him. "You sounded occupied."
Another skeleton wave crashed against Garrick's barrier behind them. Lucien gestured toward the battlefield. "Mob pressure."
Elias glanced once toward Viktor. "Clear them."
Viktor stepped forward immediately. The crimson blade moved again, and the skeletal line broke apart. Caelum followed, lightning crashing through the scattered ranks as Regulated Order pushed into the surrounding battlefield. Helena moved with them, spear flashing through the undead swarm.
Within seconds, the pressure around Aurora Covenant's formation eased. Lucien turned back toward the guardian. "Regeneration. Mob spawning."
Elias nodded once. "Structural anchor."
Lucien glanced upward at the cracking sky. "Collapse accelerating."
Another fracture split across the sky above them. The guardian roared again. Lucien raised his blade. "We need to finish it."
Elias looked toward the creature, then toward the widening fractures above. "...Quickly."
For a moment, the battlefield aligned. Aurora Covenant and Regulated Order—two different groups, one objective.
The guardian roared again. And both guilds moved.