Arthur and Lily turned sharply, their bodies tense, ready to respond to the slightest sign of threat. A group of players, clad in mismatched armor and weapons that glowed with the energy of various charged-up skills, had encircled the survivors. They weren't simply holding them at gunpoint—they were using them as human shields, the glow of their ready-to-fire abilities hanging in the air like a death sentence.
Arthur reacted instinctively, summoning an orb of light that began to hover around his hand, while Lily's twin blades of fire ignited with a fierce hiss, bathing the area in their searing glow.
"Who the fuc—" Arthur began, but his words were interrupted as a figure dropped from the sky, landing right in front of them with an explosive impact. Dust and debris shot up into the air, obscuring their view for a moment.
