In a distant part of the city, Lennox found himself suspended in the air again, lost in contemplation. The weight of questions burdened his thoughts – why was he let go, and how could he repair the rooftop of the Van'ar house? These questions played out in his mind as he soared through the sky finally he slammed into the ground again but thankfully for his strengthened body he survived.
Lennox, pushing himself up from the ground he muttered, "Ahh... Seriously, this is the third round of this nonsense." Annoyance etched across his face, just like before on terra when he was tossed into its dense forest, then into the Van'ar compound, and now he was thrown again.
Out of nowhere, a sudden jolt of sharp pain shot through Lennox's left hand. Puzzled, he gazed down at his hand, only to discover the source of the discomfort – his pinkie finger was unnaturally bent backward. The strange part was, he couldn't pinpoint when this injury occurred; the pain hadn't registered when he made his landing. It was as if the sensation of the finger bending backward had somehow eluded him amid his descent.
"Geez... I definitely can't just snap it back; that might cause more damage than it's worth," Lennox mused aloud, contemplating his options as he assessed the state of his injured finger. It was clear that fighting with it in its current condition wasn't a viable strategy.
Lost in contemplation, Lennox was abruptly jolted from his thoughts as the earth beneath him began to tremble, mimicking the unsettling vibrations of an earthquake. Caught him off guard, he wobbled, desperately trying to maintain his balance. His gaze instinctively shifted upward, and he observed the dark giant menacingly looming in the distance.
A mysterious and majestic water serpent emerged from the depths, launching a fierce assault on the dark giant. The ground continued to shake beneath him, echoing the intensity of their battle that unfolded.
Lennox, perplexed, questioned, "Where did that serpent come from?" He hadn't noticed it either before entering the compound or while in the air.
Simultaneously, the unknown water serpent coiled it body around the dark giant's body, ensnaring it tightly. The dark giant struggled to break free, and just as Lennox processed the situation, a thunderous noise echoed from the sky. A voice warned, "On your tail!"
With widened eyes, Lennox gazed upward in sheer shock, witnessing a fire giant hurtling down from the sky. The fire giant descended with an awe-inspiring force, crashing down and delivering a powerful blow to the dark giant's head. The impact echoed through the air, leaving Lennox utterly perplexed and bewildered, the he struggled to make sense of the surreal scene playing out before him.
Lennox, with surprise evident in his voice, exclaimed, "So that's the Academy reinforcements!" He had never known that the Academy had giants in their arsenal to defend against such threats.
A sudden realization dawned on Lennox as the dark giant, the water serpent, and the fire giant were embroiled in a fierce battle. Panic gripped him as he recalled his plan to rendezvous with Theo by the dark giant. Worries surged through his mind, imagining the possibility of Theo being caught in the crossfire between the two three.
Driven by concern, Lennox decided to make his way towards the giant battle. Darting forward, he encountered the challenge of maintaining his balance on the constantly shifting ground, courtesy of the giants locked in combat. After a heart-pounding dash lasting a couple of minutes, he finally spotted Theo and Kira standing in the midst of the street. Their eyes, like his own, were fixed on the epic battle unfolding between the dark giant and the fire giant, while the water serpent observed from the sidelines. Relief washed over Lennox as he was reassured that Theo was safe.
"Theo, Kira!" Lennox shouted with a mix of relief and happiness upon seeing them alive. "I don't know what's happening, but there are three mysterious giants fighting each other without a care for the city. We're just bugs waiting to be crushed by them," he explained.
"Oh Nox, you're good. I was about to come looking for you after seeing you flying through the air like a kite," Theo said jokingly, though a hint of concern lingered in his words. He, still, wondered how Lennox ended up soaring through the sky.
Kira joined the conversation, approaching Lennox. "Twinkle, you good. I'm sure you're wondering about those giants," she remarked.
Lennox nodded, curiosity piqued. "Well, those are the giants of the Academy," Kira revealed.
"So you're saying there are Guardians? But why do they seem to be destroying the city more than saving it?" Lennox questioned, and they all had to duck incoming debris from the shockwaves caused by the giants' clash.
"I don't know," Kira shrugged. "Now, as I was saying, there are the Guardians. Currently, there are five Guardians from every Nexarch that protect the Academy. The 5th Earth Guardian is created by the current Nexarch, the Fire Guardian by the 4th Nexarch, the Water Guardian made by the 3rd Nexarch, the Air Guardian by the 2nd Nexarch... and the 1st Guardian, which is currently unknown power as it hasn't been seen in millions of years, was created by the founder of the Academy, the first Nexarch."
Absorbing Kira's information, Lennox found himself deep in contemplation. Questions about their origin lingered in his mind, especially given the revelation that there were multiple Nexarch before. The concept of the Guardians, designed to protect, perplexed him. If these giants were created for the purpose of safeguarding, why were only two currently active? But then reality hit him even with just two Guardians in play, their ongoing battle had already wreaked havoc, decimating a quarter of the city.
A chill ran down Lennox's spine as he considered the implications. The destructive power exhibited by the dark giant and the fire giant left him uneasy. If the other Guridan were to appear, the potential for widespread devastation loomed large. Fear gripped him at the thought of what more Guardians could unleash upon the city but he also remember something important.
"Besides the Guardians... Sorry for the way I acted. I understand we are friends and teammates, and we should take care of each other," Lennox apologized to Kira.
"It's fine. At least you learned from it. All we can do is learn from our past mistakes," Kira responded.
Lennox raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Also, how did you get here? I heard you were hurt," he remembered Theo saying that Kira was injured in the Enigma Grove.
Kira then had a flashback, explaining to Lennox how she ended up arriving at this side of the city amidst the chaos and helping Theo.
...
Kira in her apartment, was engrossed in a book. Her immersive reading ritual involved tracing her finger along the lines, a habit she had developed to enhance her absorption of the words on the page. As the narrative unfolded, she became entranced by the story, losing herself in the world created by the author.
Meanwhile, on the side, Alexie observed her with an intensity in his gaze. She sat there, seemingly lost in thought, staring at Kira the stillness of the room was punctuated only by the rustling of pages.
Kira cast a playful glance at Alexei, offering a slight smile. "Alexei, you do know that there are other things to do besides staring so intensely at me," she teased.
Alexei snapped out of her subconscious staring, blinking in surprise. "But there's nothing to do," she insisted with a hint of boredom in her voice.
In the midst of her contemplation about what activities she could engage Alexie in, while acknowledging the limitations she faced as a child, Kira was abruptly interrupted. As her entire apartment shook with a sudden and unexpected force. The unexpected quake startled her. In that moment, any plans she had for Alexie were set aside.
As her apartment trembled around them, Kira couldn't help but wonder, 'Oh... what's happening?' She had never felt the Vision City shake like this before.
Alexei, sitting by Kira's side, observed her reaction. To her, the island's shaking seemed like a commonplace occurrence, given her shared experiences with Morgana. However, the intensity of the current disturbance struck both of them when the sound of terrified screams echoed from outside Kira's apartment.
Swiftly, Kira grabbed her crutch, a tool that had become her support not to put much weight on her leg for faster healing she hurried out to her balcony. There, she and Alexei were met with a chilling sight. In the distance, a towering dark giant. Kira, with her honed vision, could discern the panic-stricken citizens scattered throughout the city.
Kira rushed back inside, swiftly picking up her bow. Alexei tilted her head, asking, "Kira, where are you going? Should I come too?"
"Sorry, you can't. Just stay here. I promise I'll be back quickly," Kira said softly, dropping her crutches and heading outside.
Kira initially considered locking her door behind her. However, a realization struck her Alexei had experienced being trapped before, and now her newfound friend, Alexei will feel that she is replicating that situation. Opting for trust, she left the door unlocked and headed towards the dark giant.
Kira sprinted through the city, she spotted Theo running, and a closer look revealed he was injured, leaving a trail of blood. Using her enhanced vision and shadow control, Kira detected a shadow wisp tailing Theo.
Swiftly following Theo across rooftops, Kira watched as he turned around, wielding an unfamiliar weapon. Theo struck the shadow, revealing its true form as a ninja. Patiently waiting for the opportune moment, Kira witnessed Theo launching a powerful air ball with precision it slamming into the shadow ninja's body and sending them airborne.
Seizing her chance, Kira skillfully aimed her arrows, propelling them into the shadow ninja's head and chest as the combined assault proved effective, destroying the shadow ninja.
Theo fell to his knees, he exclamied. "Oh, my savior! Thank you, Kira!" Leaving Kira perplexed.
...
Having explained her reason why she was in the city to Lennox, Kira, and Theo, a sudden shift in the giant's battle caught their attention. The fire giant, in a surprise, lifted the dark giant into the air, and in that moment, their eyes met Lennox's. A peculiar sensation rippled through Lennox's soul.
Yet, before the intensity of the moment could fully sink in, the fire giant abruptly averted its gaze it started falling back and sending itself plummeting to the ground.
"Run!" Kira shouted in panic, her urgency cutting through the air as she sensed the impending danger about to unfold.
As they sprinted, desperately seeking refuge in a nearby building, the island quaked once more. The force was so intense that it catapulted them into the air, a helpless ascent prompted by the shockwave obliterating everything in its path.
Existing the building they witnessed the aftermath of destruction. Buildings lay in ruins, and with a mix of awe and trepidation, they headed to the academy.