The sky broke.
It didn't crack like lightning.
It didn't roar like thunder.
It opened.
A second tear formed beside the first—then a third—spreading across the sky above Vireon like fractures in glass.
People screamed.
"Get inside!"
"Protect the lower district!"
"Move—MOVE!"
The city that once felt alive—
Now felt like a battlefield.
"Elian…" the wind whispered urgently.
"I know," he said, his voice steady but tense.
Lyra stepped forward beside him, her expression sharp.
"…we're not running, are we?"
Elian glanced at her.
"…not anymore."
A small grin appeared on her face.
"…good."
Kael remained silent.
Watching.
Waiting.
From the裂 in the sky—
More figures descended.
Not one.
Not three.
Dozens.
They fell like shadows given form, landing across rooftops, streets, and open ground with unnatural precision.
The hunters.
But these…
Were different.
Bigger.
Stronger.
Their presence alone distorted the air around them.
"…they brought an army," Lyra muttered.
Elian clenched his fists.
"…then we fight an army."
The wind surged violently.
"Elian… be careful… these are not like before…"
One of the larger hunters stepped forward.
Its form shifted—less human, more… something else.
Then—
It raised its arm.
The air twisted violently—
"INCOMING!" Lyra shouted.
The attack came down like a crushing wave.
Elian reacted—
He stepped forward—
Raised his hands—
And—
"Now!" Kael's voice cut in.
Elian didn't block.
He moved.
The air bent around him, redirecting the massive force sideways—
BOOM.
The attack tore through a row of empty buildings instead of hitting them directly.
Debris scattered everywhere.
Lyra wasted no time.
She slammed her hand to the ground—
"Move!" she shouted.
The earth responded instantly.
Stone rose upward, forming a thick barrier in front of them as another attack came crashing down.
CRASH.
The ground shook violently.
Elian looked at her, surprised.
"…not bad."
She smirked.
"…keep up."
More hunters moved in.
Fast.
Relentless.
One lunged straight at Elian—
He reacted instinctively—
Twisting his body, guiding the air—
The attack missed by inches.
Another came from above—
"Elian!" the wind warned.
He jumped back—
But this one was faster.
Too fast.
It reached him—
Then—
BOOM.
The hunter was suddenly blasted sideways.
Elian blinked.
"…what?"
Kael stood where he was.
Hand slightly raised.
"…focus," Kael said calmly.
"I'm not saving you twice."
Elian exhaled sharply.
"…yeah, got it…"
The battle intensified.
Fire burst from one side of the street.
Water surged from another.
Earth cracked and rose beneath the hunters' feet.
The city was fighting back.
But it wasn't enough.
"They keep coming!" Lyra shouted.
Elian looked up.
More shadows.
More movement.
"…how many are there…"
Kael's voice was cold.
"Enough."
The largest figure above the city finally moved.
The one from before.
The one that destroyed Aerith.
It descended slowly.
The air trembled.
The wind screamed.
"Elian…!"
His body froze for a second.
Memories hit him all at once.
The destruction.
The loss.
His mother.
"…no…"
The creature's gaze locked onto him again.
This time—
Closer.
Stronger.
More real.
Lyra stepped in front slightly.
"…you know that thing?"
Elian's voice was low.
"…it took everything from me."
Silence.
Then—
Lyra clenched her fists.
"…then we take it down."
Elian looked at her.
For a moment—
He wasn't alone.
Kael stepped forward.
Finally.
"…now," he said quietly,
"we begin."
The wind roared.
The sky darkened completely.
And the real battle—
Had just started.