A thick wall of dust enveloped the area, obscuring everything in a choking haze. As the dust began to settle, a clear view emerged. To Akai's surprise, she was unharmed.
Rayden had acted swiftly. With a powerful sense of forewarning, he had intercepted the beast's devastating blast just in time. One hand tightly held Akai against his chest, while his other hand was raised, conjuring a shimmering shield that absorbed the brunt of the attack. His quick reflexes and protective instincts had spared Akai from certain harm.
Akai's mind raced as she struggled to shake off the shock of the near-disaster. Her heart pounded, her breathing ragged as she fought to regain her composure. The looming threat was far from over, and the enormity of the danger before her was overwhelming. Fear gnawed at her resolve, but her instincts screamed that she needed to act, and act quickly. Her friends and allies depended on her, and the enormity of the beast and the cloaked figure was a dire reminder of the peril they faced.
As the dust continued to dissipate, revealing the devastated surroundings, Akai's focus sharpened on the immediate danger. The battle was far from over, and the true fight was only beginning. She knew she had to rally her friends, fortify their defenses, and face the monstrous threat that loomed before them with unwavering resolve.
The dust settled and the chaotic scene unfolded, Akai's friends reacted with a mixture of shock and urgency. Kairos's eyes widened in fear, his usual bravado replaced by a rare expression of terror. He glanced around frantically, trying to assess the situation and the looming threat. Rayden, though silent as always, was focused and resolute, his gaze never leaving the beast and the cloaked figure that hovered above.
Lily, her face pale and trembling, clutched her hands tightly, her knuckles white as she looked to Akai for guidance. The intensity of the situation had left her momentarily frozen, but her concern for Akai and the others drove her to prepare for action. Cyril, though usually calm, showed visible distress. His eyes darted between the beast and his friends, his mind racing as he tried to formulate a plan.
El, Akai's younger brother, stood on the rooftop, his face etched with worry. He looked to Akai, hoping for reassurance, but his fear was evident. Despite his apprehension, he took a deep breath and prepared to fight alongside her.
As the beast roared and the cloaked figure observed with malevolent satisfaction, the urgency of the situation became even more apparent. The threat was massive, and their combined strength would be necessary to confront it.
Determined to overcome the paralyzing fear, Akai steeled herself. She could not afford to hesitate; their survival depended on her ability to lead and protect. With a deep breath, she prepared to engage in the battle that was about to unfold, knowing that the outcome would shape the future for them all.
As she took a deep breath she said to herself, "if you fear now, you will die and take everyone with you, kai, so hold it until this ends", Akai gripped Rayden's cloak. Rayden gently patted her back three times.
Akai bit her bottom lips to stop the tears from falling, "what happened to my friends?"
"Kairos made sure they are safe inside", the magic formed letters, "you head inside too"
Akai nodded her head as she let go of Rayden, "Kairos", she called and he appeared immediately, "can you take care of it?"
"Off course I can", he said with a sense of pride, "this serious now, girl. Get ready to get hurt for this foe is a true a 'demon' and he is here for the babies"
A real demon has indeed passed through the gate. The gates were closed long ago, so, he didn't enter while making a new one. He must have being here from the beginning.
"And was watching the whole time….." Akai's thoughts trailed off, "and when Caligo left he made his move…."
"you got that", Kairos smirked and transformed into his older self, "you get going, Rayden and I will take it from here", he said as snapped his fingers and teleported her back inside the station. "Let's finish this. You take care of the beast and I will take the demon"
Both of them took out their respected weapons and took on an attack form. The demon floated in the air, they did not move an inch nor did take any battle form. On the hand the beast which the demon controlled roared again and lunged in Rayden and Kairos's way.
The demon waved their hand forward signaling to attack. Out of nowhere horde of monsters popped out. It was bigger than the first one.
"You can handle them?" Kairos asked Rayden and he gave a nod as an agreement. "Good luck then", with that said. Both lunged at the enemy at the same time.
Akai watched with her eyes wide open, she was unable to move for the first time. She couldn't think.
"AKAI!" Yue called her through the speakers, Akai snapped as she hurriedly blinked her eyes.
"Get back", she said in a low voice but no body heard, she was furious, "get back inside all of you", she waved at them, "scouts and security team! Get your weapons ready and be prepared to fight at any moment", she commands as she walks towards the station entrance.
Yue sat back at the chair in relief after seeing that Akai was back to normal. Someone like her should always be clam and composed or else something bad might happen.
Anyone who was outside went in quickly. Sky stayed by Akai's side. Holding his guns and remaining vigilant. The station was in uproar now. They were scared and were in panic. Many kept asking if should run away. Some just tried make more problems with and didn't want to listen anymore.
Aki entered the hall room, here most of the people were. She scanned the room and was disgusted and she saw Ali trying to calm them down, bit his efforts were in vain. The crowd around him became more infuriated and angry.
Neither Kiara nor Lily was able to do anything too. No one could stop them from being scared. At this point the people might do something really dangerous.
"Ali" she called him from behind, "can you bring me a mic from the control room?"
"Well" he paused as he noticed how grim her she looked, "sure"
After few seconds, Ali returned with a mic and handed it to her. He stood by her side and watched her. Sky left to meet with Chi who was standing in sideline and watching the hall room.
"ah, ah,…mic testing" her voice echoing in the empty hallways and through the entire station, "it is Akai, we are surrounded by an army of monsters from all sides and there is no way to escape" she made for her words to sink in. as soon it did, everyone's face turned white but before they react, she continued again, "fear not they will not last long two of the most power people are fighting them"
"How could you be sure that they can?" asked one man, "you said we were surrounded. How can we survive?"
"you promised you could protect us", said another from the corner. They went shouting again.
Akai exhaled, "quiet", all went silent and scared at the same time. Akai scratched her neck, "Remind me, when did I, promise to guarantee that you all will live?"
They looked at each other. No one could remember when? Or where? She had never said that. Not even once. Therefore all remained silent.
"If you don't want my help, I'll gladly let you walk out of the gate," she said, pointing to the door behind her. "You can die all alone and blame yourself for not listening to the one little girl who tried to help you."
After a tense pause, the first man spoke again. "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Akai stared at him for a few moments before replying, "Stay right here and just pray that we survive."
Suddenly, small portals began to open all around the hall. One appeared behind Akai, and before she could react, two hands reached out and grabbed her from behind.
"You should be eliminated first," a voice said.
Ali, standing nearby, moved quickly to grab Akai's clothing, but he was unable to pull her free. As Akai was pulled into the portal, Ali was dragged in with her.
As Akai and Ali were yanked into the portal, the world around them blurred and twisted. A powerful force dragged them through a vortex of swirling colors and disorienting lights. The sensation was dizzying, as if they were being torn apart and reassembled at the same time.
When the disorienting passage ended, they found themselves in a dimly lit hallway of an unfamiliar building. The walls were lined with cold, unpolished stone, and the faint, flickering light from old-fashioned sconces cast long shadows that danced eerily along the corridor. The air was musty, carrying a faint echo of distant, indistinguishable noises. The hallway seemed endless, stretching out in both directions with no clear indication of where they were or how they might escape.