From the distance,a thick, acrid smoke that billowed from the city could be seenas Kojo and Rey approached the city's edge, a fine drizzle began to fall, misting their faces and soaking their clothes.However, moving at speeds beyond the sound barrier, the rain felt more like a gentle caress, a mere annoyance rather than a hindrance. The distant rumble of thunder echoed through the air, a harbinger of the storm that was brewing.
"I'm going to check on Father," Rey declared, his voice resolute.
"You go ahead and assess the damage."
Kojo nodded.
"Be careful," he warned.
With a shared glance they entered through the massive hole in the wall and parted ways, each with their own urgent mission.
Rey, cloaked in a shroud of blue energy, darted through the ruined streets heading for the dukes estate while Kojo, enveloped in a purple aura, headed towards the source of the bloodlust that was slowly beginning to fade.
As he drew closer to the heart of the city, the destruction grew more severe.Buildings were reduced to rubble and roads were cracked. The damage wasn't too severe as it had been restricted to only the breach in the wall. The rest of the city was generally untouched with a few collapsed buildings or signs of destruction here and there to mark where the goblins had managed to breach the Frontline defense.
Sharone had asked that he leave her in charge of protecting the city in his stead when he wasn't around and he was grateful that he had someone he could rely on. Still,this attack was to well planed out for this to be the endgame. Something else was on its way. He was sure of that. He decided first of all to check on Dona as she was a loose canon that could go off at any time.
He halted beside a partially collapsed building, his breath ragged. The rain had intensified, but to him, it was merely a soft, rhythmic patter. Thunder roared overhead, a distant, almost muffled sound. The area around the market district was in bd shape as if a horde of beasts from the glades had torn through and wreaked havoc. He saw Slash marks scattered around and a crater that looked to be the impact of a massive fist.
Scan.
His eyes adjusted as he appraised the area and though the temperature had dropped he still saw residual heat as well as disruptions in the ambient Arcana and distortions in space.
It was Sasha. And she was fighting someone,and they'd have had to be exceptionally strong if they managed to Bloodlust Sasha. It was a state she'd entered once when they fought during the tournament and he'd barely been able to keep up. From the look of things,this individual not only kept up but managed push her back for a time.
As he surveyed the devastation, a sudden movement caught his attention. A female ogre ,lunged at him from her hiding place among the collapsed blocks.
Kojo reacted instinctively, his speed and agility allowing him to effortlessly intercept the attack. He seized her wrist and grabbed her throat with his other hand, lifting her off the ground. She had two horns of unequal length on her forehead ,the shorter one was white and the longer was black. She had marks on the side of her eyes that resembled lightning bolts .
The ogre struggled to free herself but his grip was firm and he tightened his hold on her neck,his face expressionless.
(Stop it. She's an ogre a smarter variation of the species. We can get answers .)
Kojo paused. He tightened his grip for a moment, then he released her and she dropped to the ground, coughing as she took in large gulps of air. Kojo heard a familiar voice and he turned to see Adriana running towards him. Kojo caught her and put made a barrier above them to shield against the rain. Kojo saw that she looked worn out.
"Are you alright?" He asked, his eyes filled with concern. He could see the bruises on her face, a testament to the battle she had fought.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice calm.
"What about everyone else? Are they safe?" Kojo asked warming her with a fireball.
"Yeah .We managed to evacuate most people," she answered, her voice strained.
The ogre, emboldened by desperation, attacked again. She coated her hand in flames and lunged at Kojo. He sidestepped the attack with ease, then delivered a swift blow to the back of the neck,binding her with arcane threads and hoisting her over his shoulder. Adriana looked at him questioningly.
"We need it for information." Kojo explained.
Adriana nodded, understanding dawning in her eyes. Together, they walked through the rain-soaked ruins.
They met up with the people who'd been evacuated from the breached area to a large hall at the city square. Some were injured and others traumatized.
Kojo and Adriana help the others to tend to the wounded, providing aid and comfort.
The rain continued to fall, the thunder growing louder with each passing moment.
A lone figure, cloaked in shadows, stood before a series of holographic projections. Each screen depicted a scene of chaos and destruction: goblins swarming over the once-bustling city of Ekron, and another, the blood-soaked aftermath of an attack on a mining colony.
"I've lost contact with Scourge," a voice, cold and deliberate, echoed through the chamber. The cloaked figure, known only as Mind, spoke with a sense of detached concern.
"That means he's been killed?" A second figure, Phantom, questioned. His form was lean and lithe, part of his face covered by long bangs that reached his chin. He sat on a raised platform,his head propped up against his knee.
"He was always a hotheaded bastard," Weaver, a figure shrouded in bandages and a tattered cape, interjected with a sneer. Her voice was raspy and harsh, a stark contrast to her youthful frame her arms folded.
Echo, the silent sentinel, stood motionless in the background. His towering figure was almost entirely concealed by a dark, featureless mask. The only sound he emitted was the rhythmic rise and fall of his heavy breathing.
"It's more like the connection was severed," Mind explained, "As if he'd been suddenly spirited out of the world world."
"Bullshit," Weaver scoffed. "Why did they let that incompetent buffoon go instead of me? I'd have massacred all of them in an instant."
Phantom rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Spare us your ego."
" Huh? What did you say to me mister stupid hair!"
" My hairs not stupid you old hag."
"Hey! Who're you callin an old hag. You old fart!"
" Was that really the best you could come up with?"
" Oh shut up!"
"No ,you shut up!"
The two were at each other's throats.
Faust cleared his throat and they instantly fell silent.
Faust, the enigmatic leader of the group, silenced the bickering duo.
"It's all part of the plan. Scourge's defeat is inconsequential. All that remains is to deal with that bitch."
Echo, sensing an unspoken directive, stepped forward and Faust teleported him away.
" Where'd he go?" Weaver asked.
"He's a hybrid, meticulously crafted to withstand the demon world and rival a Progenitor," Faust explained.
"He'll keep that bitch occupied.Now, it's time for the next phase."
As he spoke, his gaze fell upon a projection of Kojo.