Bas pushed Brenda out of the way, shielding her with his body as debris rained down on them. When the dust settled, he helped her to her feet and surveyed the damage. A few people had been caught in the blast, but most of the crowd had scattered in all directions. Among the fallen rubble lay a strange object gleaming in the setting sun's light.
"What is that?" Brenda asked, pointing at the strange device.
Bas frowned, not recognizing the device but recognizing the shining red jewels adorning it immediately.
"It's a Time Crystal," he said grimly as he picked up the device.
How could it be?
Time crystals were rare even in the Eternal Realm, so where did they come from, and how did they incorporate these into explosives? What kind of rule-breaking technology was this? Bas initially believed the rapid escalation of events was due to overwhelming numbers, but what if that explosion managed to displace time for a moment? They could potentially be under attack before the explosion even actually happened!
Bas' back was full of cold sweat as he thought of the implications of mortals having such technology. What the hell was a time crystal doing among the debris? Who the hell were these people?
"Wait..." Bas spread out his spiritual sense to reach 100 yards in every direction.
The sewers were in absolute chaos. There was simply no way for such wild things to escalate so quickly. Remembering the time crystal, Bas confirmed that scary conclusion. He detected six more of these devices, instantly moving to collect them without saying a word to Brenda.
Brenda followed him without a word, supporting him with her innate lightning ryms whenever a gunman appeared to block them. Most of these gunners were mortal and not a threat to her at all. She didn't know why, but she trusted Bas' judgment more than her own in this dangerous situation.
Her intuition told her she would be okay if she stayed by his side.
Bas showed Brenda the device before showing her the time crystal pulsing with an ominous red light. He had already removed it from the bomb.
"We have to destroy these devices," Bas said, his voice low and urgent. "If they fall into the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic. This small-time stuff is nothing. Make sure you remove the time crystal first. It's too wasteful to destroy these."
Brenda nodded, knowing Bas was correct. They quickly formulated a plan and split up, each taking three time crystals to dispose of.
As she ran towards her target, Brenda felt something brush her arm. She turned to see one of the attackers, a tall, muscular man with a sneer. Before she could react, he lunged at her with a knife.
Brenda reacted quickly, her lightning ryms crackling as she deflected his attack and sent him flying backward into the wall. But more were coming, and she knew she had to act fast.
With a surge of power, Brenda unleashed a devastating blast of lightning, frying the circuits of the machines and devices around her and sending shockwaves through the room. The attackers were thrown back, stunned and disoriented.
As the dust settled, Brenda saw that Bas had already destroyed the devices and retrieved his three time crystals. She swiftly moved to destroy the devices and collect the crystals on her side. They quickly regrouped and returned to the central platform, where they both recognized the unique rym schemes of Sid Evans blasting wildly in every direction.
"Something's not right," whispered Brenda, her senses on high alert. "We need to help him."
Bas nodded in agreement, and they approached Sid's location cautiously. The sounds of battle got louder and louder as the two leaped over debris to approach the half-collapsed platform. Once they were close enough, Bas detected with his spiritual sense that Sid and his team of Hunt Experts were at war with the attacking mercenaries.
Sid, in particular, was holding back three of the opponents on his own. Bas and Brenda exchanged glances before running toward Sid's location, their weapons ready. They could hear the sounds of battle growing louder and more chaotic as they approached.
Without hesitation, they drew their weapons and charged into battle. Bas used his death ryms to activate his butterfly knife and sliced through the attackers with deadly precision. The death ryms enhanced his speed and agility, allowing him to easily dodge bullets and blades. Brenda used a metallic-looking ribbon and her lightning ryms to electrocute them, causing their weapons to malfunction and giving Bas the opening he needed to strike.
Together, they fought their way towards Sid, taking out any attackers in their path. As they reached the collapsed platform, they saw Sid locked in fierce combat with three attackers. He moved with lightning-fast reflexes, dodging their blows and countering with devastating kicks and punches.
Bas and Brenda moved to join the fight, their weapons flashing in the dim light of the underground arena. They attacked from both sides, catching the attackers off guard and sending them flying backward.
Sid turned to face them, his eyes blazing with fury.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" he shouted over the din of battle.
"We're here to help," Bas replied, his voice low and urgent. "We need to get out of here before they surround us."
"You idiot, they're looking for you!" Sid yelled, stunning Bas. "This is WAR, didn't you hear?! When Edgar took his nephew's body, I never expected he had a way to save the kid. The WAR you both invoked won't be over until one of you dies or the trial ends. The Stratus hired the Bloodmoon Gang to take you out, but they clearly didn't know you were already the champion."
Bas grimaced, as he had feared such an event, but not on this level. Francis Stratus shouldn't have such capabilities. Bas couldn't shake the feeling that the Demon Lord was wrapped up in this somehow. Anyway, Bas understood Sid's words. Had he not become the champion, they would not be here holding the enemy back, essentially participating in the WAR. Since Sid and company attacked the Bloodmoon Gang, they were now soldiers of WAR on the same side as Bas.
Seeing the boy's face darken and turn more serious, Sid nodded grimly, his attention again turning to the attackers. The three were recovering from the surprise attack but quickly regaining their footing. With a fierce cry, Sid charged forward, his fists and feet moving with blinding speed. Bas and Brenda followed close behind, their weapons flashing in the dim light.
The battle was a blur of movement and sound for a few moments. The attackers were skilled and experienced, but they were no match for the combined strength and skill of the three hunters.
In the end, it was Sid who delivered the finishing blow. With a fierce cry, he slammed his foot into the ground, sending shockwaves through the arena. The attackers were thrown backward, their weapons falling from their hands as they struggled to stay on their feet.
It was too late.
Sid raised his arm and manifested a silver spear in a flash of light. Wielding it with his hands, he poured his teal ryms into the spear and unleashed a furious hunt skill. Bas was stunned that it was from a Bronze Rym Record. Six savage circular saw blades made of ice power spun through the air rapidly in the wake of Sid's horizontal slash.
Bas jumped into the fray without hesitation, his butterfly knife flashing. He activated Evil Dragon's Claw, causing it to dim in his rym pool, but a flow of death ryms accompanied his switchblade in the form of a deadly claw. That deathly sharp energy lacerated every mercenary in his path.
Brenda followed suit, using her lightning ryms to shock and stun the enemies on all sides of the battlefield, assisting not only her father and Bas but also Beverly, Walther, Sydney, Nala, and the general.
Together, the eight of them fought with a ferocity that surprised even themselves. They moved in perfect sync, their ryms complementing each other's. In particular, Sid, Bas, and Brenda made quick work of the attackers, sending them running for their lives.
Once the last enemies had retreated, the eight hunters collapsed, panting and exhausted. They had narrowly escaped death once again but knew that more danger lay ahead.
"We need to get out of here," General Kar said, his voice hoarse. "This place isn't safe anymore."
Sid nodded in agreement. "We'll take the sewers. It's our best chance of getting out undetected."
"We've suffered too many casualties. The Stratus doesn't care about collateral lives, so that will definitely be our loss. We didn't kill enough of them. Francis Stratus must die tonight," Beverly looked at them with determination in her eyes.
"We need to get out of here," Sid said, his voice strained. He looked Bas in the eyes and said, "The Bloodmoon Gang won't stop until they capture or kill you."
Bas nodded, knowing that Sid was right.
After all, the War wouldn't end for forty-eight hours unless one of them died. But just like Bas, Sid was worried that the time had been cut in half since Francis' badge was only half complete.
They quickly made their way to exit the underground, keeping an eye out for any remaining attackers. But as they emerged into the night air, they were greeted by a sight that made their blood run cold.