The battlefield fell silent as the bone spikes seemed to pierce through Sky. Rain, barely holding back his tears, gripped Siobhan tightly, his heart pounding with fear as he watched the scene unfold in horror. His mind was clouded with dread, believing the worst had happened.
Then, to everyone's shock and elation, Sky shattered into pieces of ice, revealing the truth—it had been an ice clone all along. From just beyond the area of the bone spikes, the real Sky appeared, unscathed but visibly exhausted, her body supported by the two swords she had driven into the ground for balance.
All eyes were fixed on the massive flying wolf looming above them, its oppressive aura suffocating the battlefield. Rain, overwhelmed by fear, instinctively stepped back, only to find himself frozen in place. His legs refused to move as terror gripped him, yet he still held onto Siobhan tightly, trying to shield her from the overwhelming presence of the beast.
As the Alpha wolf let out an ear-piercing howl toward the blood-red moon, Rain quickly removed his arms from around Siobhan and clutched his ears in pain. The sound was unbearable, reverberating through the air like a violent force. His eyes widened in horror as the red moon responded to the Alpha's howl, casting a wave of crimson light that washed over the entire domain, painting everything in a nightmarish red hue.
Suddenly, Rain heard a chilling laughter, and his heart sank as he realized it was coming from the Alpha wolf itself. The creature's laughter was deep, twisted, and brimming with malice. Then, in a voice that rumbled through the air like thunder, the Alpha wolf spoke, "I should thank you humans... for letting me enter the domain."
Rain knows Radiation beast can speak like human but only A-rank Radiation beast can speak. then suddenly remember another circumtance a under A-rank beast can speak.
Sky, her voice trembling despite her usual composure, managed to say, "You can speak human language... Then you're a descendant of an A-rank Beast."
Rain, still reeling from the shock of a talking wolf, felt his mind spiral further when he heard Sky mention "A-rank Beast." descendant. The realization hit him like a crushing wave, and a sense of hopelessness crept into his heart. Resigned to his fate, Rain stood frozen, feeling as though he had stepped into a nightmare from which there was no escape. He was certain now—death awaited him in this cruel, unforgiving world.
The Alpha wolf sneered, "You humans are so foolish, fighting amongst yourselves. But I should be thankful. Don't worry, I'll kill all of you in one strike... and then hunt down the enemy who led me here."
As the Alpha finished speaking, it opened its massive jaws. A sinister purple energy began to swirl and grow, slowly forming a gigantic sphere. From this, multiple energy beams started to take shape, each aimed at different targets—including one heading directly for Rain.
Rain's heart raced as he willed his body to move, but it remained paralyzed, refusing to respond as he was frozen by some ability of the Alpha wolf. Agony flooded his mind as the laser crept toward him, moving at an agonizingly slow pace. He could only watch helplessly as his death drew closer.
But then, without warning, the beam stopped midair, vanishing into thin air. A deafening roar of pain echoed across the battlefield, and Rain watched in disbelief as the mighty Alpha wolf was sent crashing to the ground.
In the Alpha's place stood a figure, cloaked from head to toe, their face hidden beneath a hood. Rain couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but the stranger's presence radiated power. They descended gracefully, landing atop a jagged bone spike, surveying the battlefield with an air of calm control.
Rain's amazement grew as he took in the eerie scene before him. The once fearsome wolves are writhing in pain, their throats bitten by their own shadows and slowly their struggled cease. The battle had shifted in an instant, all because of the mysterious figure standing calmly amid the chaos. Rain couldn't fathom how such a powerful force could appear so suddenly and change the outcome so decisively.
His attention was drawn back to the Alpha, the largest of the wolves, who struggled to rise from the ground, bloodied and barely able to stand. "Who... are you?" the Alpha rasped, its voice filled with both pain and fury.
The cloaked figure gave no reply, remaining eerily silent. Instead, they raised their right hand, palm upward, fingers spread. In response, the Alpha's shadow mirrored the gesture, forming a massive shadowy hand beneath the wounded beast, encircling it with five towering fingers like a cage.
As the mysterious figure slowly curled their hand into a fist, the shadowy hand followed suit, tightening its grip around the Alpha. The beast growled weakly, its voice laced with a final warning. "You will regret this..."
Before Rain could fully comprehend what was happening, the Alpha was enveloped in a blinding purple light. The intensity of the glow forced Rain to close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, the towering shadowy hand remained—but the C-rank Alpha wolf had completely vanished, leaving nothing behind.
Rain stood frozen, his mind racing to grasp the magnitude of what had just transpired. The battlefield, once filled with chaos and the overwhelming presence of the Alpha wolf, was now eerily quiet. The cloaked figure who had saved them wielded power unlike anything Rain had ever witnessed. Who could this person be? And how had they done all of this?
Sky, though shaken, approached the figure cautiously. "Thank you for saving us," she said, her voice steady but laced with uncertainty. "We are from Spark Technology, Martin City."
The cloaked figure did not respond immediately. Instead, the shadowy hand that had crushed the Alpha transformed into a large, dark circle on the ground. A shadow gate. The figure's voice, quiet yet unsettlingly close, whispered as if directly into Rain's ear, "Pass through this. It will take all of you to the gate of Martin City."
Rain felt a chill as the figure spoke, the tone making it clear this was a man beneath the cloak. The voice, though barely above a whisper, carried a weight that unnerved him.
Sky looked at the gate, recognition flickering across her face. "This is a Shadow Gate," she murmured.
The cloaked man gave a subtle nod, reaffirming his words. When Sky hesitated, he repeated in a calming yet firm tone, "I work under General Sasaki."
The mention of the general seemed to dissolve the uncertainty in the air. Sky's posture relaxed slightly, and after a brief pause, she gave a nod and signaled for the others to move forward.
Rain, unsure of who General Sasaki was, watched as the group cautiously approached the swirling Shadow Gate. One by one, they stepped into the dark vortex and vanished. Siobhan glanced back, her eyes meeting Rain's for a moment, before she too disappeared into the gate.
Left standing alone, Rain felt a rising anxiety tighten his chest. He took a deep breath and, with a final glance at the eerie scene around him, followed Siobhan. As his foot passed into the shadowy portal, Rain was immediately struck by the disorienting sensation of stepping through space itself.
When his second foot followed, Rain blinked and found himself standing in front of the imposing gates of Martin City. He looked back just in time to see the Shadow Gate swirl and dissolve into nothingness, leaving no trace of the dark portal that had brought them back. They had returned, but with lingering questions—and the memory of the cloaked figure's power still vivid in their minds.
A woman from the Cressey family team broke the tense silence, placing her hand over her chest. "I thought today would be my last day," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Rain and the others echoed her sentiment, relief mingling with the fear still lingering in their hearts.
Damian, his voice laced with frustration, demanded, "Which bastard allowed those wolves to enter the domain?"
Helen, her expression hardening, turned to Sky. "Leader Sky, the city owes us an explanation. Three of our people died in the domain, and I'm certain everyone we left outside is also dead. Worse, we didn't even manage to collect any resources from the domain."
Sky's expression remained calm, despite the tension in the air. "I understand your frustration, Helen. The city won't ignore this. I'm confident they'll compensate you for your losses."
Her voice was steady, but the gravity of the situation hung over everyone like a dark cloud.
Helen gave a curt nod. "I hope so." She turned to her team and commanded, "Let's go." Her group followed her, entering through the city gates with weary steps.
Lily, watching them leave, sighed. "I thought after going through so much together, we'd become friends."
Sky glanced at Lily, her tone compassionate yet practical. "We have to understand her, Lily. So many of their people died because of someone else's actions. You heard the wolf—it mentioned being led by a human. Helen and her team lost both their people and their investment."
Rain and the others nodded, beginning to grasp the weight of Helen's anger.
"Now," Sky said, "let's head inside the city." Rain followed closely as they moved toward the gate. A car was waiting for them, parked just inside.
Sky motioned to it. "Get in. It'll take you all close to your homes."
Rain, Lily, Siobhan, and Damian climbed into the car, but Siobhan paused before closing the door. "Teacher Sky, aren't you coming with us?"
Sky smiled softly. "I'm going to my family's home. I'll catch up with you later."
Before the car could pull away, Siobhan took out the ice knife she had been holding and handed it out through the window.
Sky chuckled. "I forgot about this." She took the ice knife, and as Siobhan pulled her hand back, the car started moving.
Rain watched as the vehicle descended into the underground city, curiosity gnawing at him. "Damian, who is General Sasaki? The man mentioned him earlier."
Damian looked at Rain in surprise. "You don't know who General Sasaki is?"
Rain shook his head. "No, I don't."
Siobhan chimed in, "I don't either."
Lily glanced back at them. "General Sasaki is one of the top generals in Spark Technology. He's a key figure in our military operations. I'm surprised you haven't heard of him."
Damian nodded. "Yeah, he's pretty famous. In fact, check the department homepage—General Sasaki is currently leading his army to fight the Black Tower forces. They're invading our area because of the light titanium mine near the city."
Rain absorbed the information, realizing the gravity of the situation. Siobhan chimed in, "The Black Tower isn't just Spark Technology's enemy. Martin City was built specifically to stop them from encroaching on our territory."
Lily nodded. "That's right."
Rain recalled his lessons in school about the long-standing rivalry between Spark Technology and the Black Tower. "Who's more powerful? Our Spark Technology or Black Tower?"
Damian leaned back thoughtfully. "I've heard people say Spark Technology is considered a tier-2 power, while Black Tower is tier-1. Before Sky mentioned a titled A-rank Genetic Warrior, I didn't fully grasp the difference between the power tiers. But now, I understand. Superpowers like Stone Source City have multiple titled A-rank Genetic Warriors, tier-1 powers like Black Tower have just one, and tier-2 powers like our Spark Technology have several strong A-rank warriors—though not titled. Our organization has seven A-rank Genetic Warriors in total. Tier-3 powers have only a single A-rank warrior."
Siobhan furrowed her brow. "Then Spark Technology could be in real danger if a titled A-rank Genetic Warrior decides to take action against us."
Lily shook her head. "It doesn't work like that. The Black Tower has more enemies than just us. We're to the west, and to the east is another tier-1 power, Everlasting Garden, also an enemy of Black Tower. Their A-rank titled warrior can't leave his territory for long without risking an attack from other fronts."
Rain nodded, trying to process the complex dynamics. He didn't have much personal attachment to Spark Technology, but he couldn't deny that the organization had kept him alive and took care of him before his memories returned. He didn't want to lose the stability they provided.
As Rain's thoughts churned, he felt the car come to a stop. Looking out the window, he saw that they had arrived at his apartment. He and Siobhan climbed out of the car, bidding goodbye to Damian and Lily as they drove off.
Rain sighed. "Today was a day I won't forget, ever."
Siobhan nodded, her voice quiet. "I really thought I was going to die."
Rain glanced at her, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "I thought I was going to die twice. By the way, I haven't thanked you properly for saving me the first time."
Siobhan waved her hand. "You saved me too. If you hadn't volunteered to face that uninjured wolf, I wouldn't have been able to take down the other two."
Rain nodded in agreement, and as they reached Siobhan's room, he paused. "Still, I owe you. How about I thank you with dinner after our next duty? My treat."
Siobhan considered it for a moment, then smiled. "Okay."
She opened her door and stepped inside, leaving Rain to head toward his own room. As he entered, the weight of the day's events pressed down on him. But amidst the fear and chaos, there was a sense of camaraderie and survival he hadn't expected.