Xyenn walked back to where Yuuna was, and Yuuna was dressed up again, and Xyenn immediately said, "So—."
"I heard it all."
"..You did?"
"Let the literal dragon god of the sun be born from Quinara's womb and possibly kill her or save her, yeah."
"Yeah. He says it's the only way."
"I know. I just hate that we can't do anything else for her besides going along with this."
"Darling."
"Yuuna."
"There's things we have to talk about before all this goes to shit, okay?"
"What's up?"
That tone in her voice was more serious, yet subtle. Xyenn knew this had to mean something to her, but what was it? Was she gonna talk about the mask? Her feelings? The Monarchs of Hell?
Yuuna explained, "Remember, darling. The dragon god of blood is still an enemy to us. But as of right now, there is a peace treaty. Don't trust him at all. He's an elder dragon, he has close ties with the other elders. None of them can be trusted, period."
"Why work with him then? Ignoring the fact that he could slaughter us easily?"
"This was years ago. He and I made an agreement. That we would spare each other. For right now."
"Why?"
"It's a long story. Even though he has close ties with the elder dragons, he is still disliked by many of them. Whereas I'm hated by all of them."
"So does he want to use us as vessels of revenge or something?"
"No need for revenge for him, like Death, he can't die. He told me he fears the powers of Hell. In which that reason right there caused the war against Gabriel. And…"
"And what?"
"Most of them didn't like when he accepted me. After I escaped Hell, I used some crystal to reach Gabriel's realm, the realm of the draconic deities. Most of the elders hate me for that, saying I'm the reason for Gabriel's Fall."
"Do you think you are?"
"…A little. Most of the dragon gods waged war due to fear of Hell, as they know Gabriel's ancient enemy is my Father, the First Monarch of Hell. And seeing me, that's how most of the Primordials acted, seeing me as a threat, thinking I was there to ruin them. When Gabriel accepted me, they didn't."
"Damn.."
"It's alright. I have you and the Tyrants. Also, there's something else. The mask you saw."
"The mask? Yeah! The mask. Tell me."
"The voice of a demon Monarch is within it. It guides whoever wears it to finish connecting the link to Hell from Kyrrin. I have to destroy it."
"It came from Parcy.."
"She was guided to craft it. The darkness I released into this world made that possible. It made curses possible. Either way, I'm responsible for this. Even for Quinara. Anywho, Parcy was from the Astral World. A separate realm within Kyrrin that was held up by the existence of Pixies, Fairies, and other spiritual beings."
"The Astral world?! I heard about that place, and heard many have tried to seek it, like necromancers. It's hard to even find them like it has for people to find Gabriel's Ladder."
"Yep! So we have two active missions right now."
"Destroy the mask and find the Astral World, when we get the chance, right?"
Yuuna smiled, "Damn we really are connected. During our travels I'll be trying to destroy traces of darkness that I released. We have to keep our hands on the mask or it'll vanish and look for a host. And something deep inside me wants to put this shit on and talk to it."
"Do you think it will affect you like it did Parcy?"
"The Monarch's affinity for dark magic is stronger than mine, so it's a high chance. A chance I won't risk. If anything—."
"We could put it in someone, an enemy, and force answers out of them. Get them to talk to the mask."
"That's…SUPER SMART!" Yuuna smiled.
"You know I'm with you."
"And me with you, darling. And one more thing."
"Mhm?"
"We are going to fight against the dragon god of the sun. You know this right?"
"I don't want to, n-not in this type of situation though. We're gambling on that woman's life. Yeah she's part of the Quen race, said to be blessed by the moonlight of the moon goddess, but still…it's risky. What exactly is Orin gonna do to save her?"
"With blood, he can maneuver it to do many things. Being able to do what they can do with it, being a part of the cycle of Rebirth, I'm pretty sure mending and saving a life isn't hard. It's just timing it right. The Quen are tough, so that's a plus. And we will be fighting with everything we've got, I know we can win."
Xyenn took a deep breath, his heart pounded. "Any advice..?"
"If the Sun-Drake is to be reborn through Quinara, then he has to die. One has to die before being reborn. So he won't have any memories of his past. Which will make him unpredictable."
"You think he got himself killed so this could happen?"
"Of course. Also you should know, that if a dragon god is killed off, but his worship status and influence was high, they are reborn faster."
"Those Berserkers of the Flame…is pretty sure they've racked up quite the fucking influence for him."
"We only saw a glimpse, Soulcaris is big with places you haven't even reached."
"…Can't believe you've made it this far. And we're nowhere near close."
"The Lysfødt we're gonna use a noble to try and finish us off. 'Anomalies' they call us. Kassius was their vessel, a literal vessel of a vessel. A so-called enforcer. I wonder what happened to him, why he hasn't been around."
"Orin expects us to team up with a noble who has the potential to beat us? How can we even convince him if we're so-called anomalies too?"
"Haldrek is an even greater threat to us. As an elder dragon god, he's getting more powerful with more worship."
Yuuna walked slowly towards Xyenn, grabbed his hand, and rested her head on his head, saying, "Do you remember when I told you I had the Devourer's heart?"
"Yeah."
"Remember what it does? If you've forgotten, I'll claw your little human eyeballs out."
"Haha! Look look, that heart can…ya know…eat things?"
"AND?!"
"Take their power."
"Only the dragon gods. If we can devour the Sun-Drake after we kill him, we'd be super strong. Seriously."
"I don't wanna get it under these circumstances, but we have no choice do we? Either way, this can save that Quen woman."
"I don't like it either. I can't sit there and watch it, but it has to be done. And we need power."
Xyenn looked in Yuuna's eyes, and thought, 'I was telling Gorran and Mertha how I needed to be stronger. Not just to save everyone around me and keep my promise, but to save myself. If we can devour the god of the sun?'
Xyenn said, "Then we do this right. We got this, like always."
Yuuna smiled, and she quickly kissed Xyenn, smiling, "Woohoo! Let's go!"
Xyenn stood there flustered as Yuuna latched onto his back, telling him, "March! No matter what, we're gonna save that Quen woman! Blessed by that moonlight goddess bitch!"
"You don't like the dragon goddess of the moon, do you?"
"Nope. She hated my guts too. Now let's march!"
'Even when we're about to face something crazy, Yuuna is still smiling. Is it to try and keep my spirits up? It's working…'
As they were outside of the spring in the middle of the crypt, Orin was there, with Mertha and Gorran.
"Bullshit!" Mertha exclaimed.
Gorran folded his arms, "No other option. I want this done."
Mertha added, "Why let that woman suffer more than what she already has?!"
"Either way, she's dead if nothing is done."
Xyenn approached Mertha, "Mertha."
"Xyenn!" Mertha looked at him. "They're talking about letting Quinara give birth to the bastard! Saying that's the only way! There's got to be another way!"
Xyenn looked away, saying, "I hate it too. I don't wanna see this either, but…"
"But what? Suffering…pain…feeling abandoned and small, those don't sit right with me! You should know, Xyenn. After all I've told you."
Orin interrupted, "This is the only way."
"Oi, shut up miniature lizard, I'm talking to my student Xyenn."
Orin squealed, "Fool! I'm stronger than all of you combined!"
Mertha put her hand on Xyenn's shoulder, "…Is there really nothing else? I don't like the nature of suffering. It reminds me of too much. Things I tend to try and forget, but it's hard for me to. Pregnancy, giving birth..and then watching it all burn before you. It's deeper than this. I didn't think we were gonna have to watch this, I thought she could be saved without all of this extra."
"You're Big Mertha. It isn't easy, but we're saving her this way, I think. Yeah. It's gonna be ugly as hell, but you have the chance to save her, in which she could possibly start another family and she'll be able to say you gave her that chance. No more abandonment."
"Ha. You can tell I've always wanted to be a leader. I was one, until you know…that happened. I find myself giving orders and suggestions to everyone and it makes me feel good when you and Yuuna and the other Tyrants go along with it either saying it's a good idea. Or you guys acting on it and it works. I wasn't the best leader, I felt as if I abandoned myself and my own role, and that led to my clan's demise. But if I can lead someone into another opportunity to rebuild their generation, then I'm happy. Thanks Xyenn. You've always been a listening brat of shit."
Xyenn nodded, "Back at you, oaf."
Xyenn and Mertha fist bumped, and Mertha turned around to Orin, "Fine. I'm on board. What about you, Gorran?"
Gorran replied, "It's whatever. The faster we get this done, the faster we can find this Kassius bastard. Orin already filled us in with everything. I want Haldrek's head. The sun god is a quick stop."
Mertha nodded, "Me and you both, brother."
Orin then finalized with, "Then it's settled."
Yuuna raised her hand, asking, "Why did you take the time to ask us this anyway? There's gotta be a reason."
"Because during the ceremony of Quinara's birth, it must be silent. Only I can speak during it, but not even louder than my regular deep tone."
"You're not tough."
"Shut it! But I didn't need any of you trying to object during the labor. The runes in the blood domain are sensitive, as they move peacefully, catching the draconic mana and bonding with it. They cannot be disturbed."
Mertha looked at Yuuna, saying, "We can do this, right Yuuna?"
Yuuna poked Mertha's Belly, smiling, "Ooooh, of course! You're with us, right? I've never seen you lose!"
Mertha gave Yuuna a hug, crunching her, "Haha! You're right!"
Xyenn whispered while looking away, "You lost to me though."
Mertha put Xyenn in a headlock, "Shut it!"
Orin saw this, thinking, 'The way Yuuna can change the atmosphere quickly…even in her current unhinged state of mind, it's impressive.'
"I will create the domain now. Be quiet while within."
The world around them bled into something unrecognizable. The air turned thick and metallic, suffocating every breath in the sharp, biting scent of blood. A crimson sky loomed overhead, vast and oppressive, its brilliance blinding yet sickly. Black clouds churned and rolled within it like the insides of a festering wound, streaked with veins of dark red lightning that crackled and forked across the sky.
But it was the runes that dominated the heavens.
They hung there, etched into the fabric of the blood-red sky like divine sigils carved into the flesh of the world. Each rune glistened with an otherworldly luminance, their jagged shapes sharp and angular, like fragments of shattered glass suspended in midair.
ᛉ † ᚺ ᛎ ᚾ ᛗ ᚷ
Some were simple, their forms clean and deliberate, while others twisted and contorted like writhing scars, their shapes impossible to define. The runes pulsed faintly, casting soft shadows that danced across the blood-soaked field below. They shimmered and shifted, their jagged edges bleeding into one another, alive with a magic that defied comprehension.
Occasionally, one would flare brighter than the others, its sharp edges glowing as though seared by the heat of a forge. The runes moved, almost imperceptibly, like living entities bound to a higher purpose. Their patterns would ripple and reform as if whispering secrets to the sky itself.
The blood-soaked field stretched out below, a grotesque expanse of high crimson grass that swayed unnaturally, not with wind, but with the pulse of the domain itself. Each blade of grass shimmered with wetness, its edges jagged like tiny knives. The blood pooling beneath it was thick, viscous, and warm, rippling with unseen movement as if alive.
The smell was overwhelming, a nauseating combination of iron and decay so thick it made Xyenn's stomach churn. The ground beneath his boots squelched with every step, the earth saturated with blood that clung to him like a living thing.
At the center of the field stood the altar—a jagged monolith of bloodstone, its surface polished to an unnerving sheen, reflecting the grotesque scene around it. Its edges were sharp and uneven, jutting upward like the fangs of some great beast. Runes crawled across its surface, slower and heavier than those in the sky, as if burdened by the weight of their purpose.
ᛉ ᛗ ᚹ † ᚺ ᛞ ᚷ
The runes on the altar glowed faintly red, their shapes twisting and merging into intricate patterns. They pulsed in time with the heartbeat of the domain, a steady, oppressive rhythm that echoed through the silence.
Quinara lay atop the altar, her unconscious body a horrifying centerpiece to the ritual. She was naked, her pale skin slick with sweat and blood. Her pregnant belly had grown grotesquely swollen, stretched far beyond what should have been possible. Veins crawled across her abdomen like dark, pulsing webs, feeding into the mark of the Eternal Flame etched into her skin. The mark burned faintly, its glowing edges pulsating with a sickly, rhythmic light.
Her face was slack, her breathing shallow, and her body trembled faintly as if caught in the grip of a nightmare. Blood pooled beneath her, dripping from the edges of the altar and feeding the crimson grass below.
Hundreds of Bloodmaidens surrounded her, their crimson robes clinging to their bodies, soaked with blood that dripped from their faces and hands. They wore veils that obscured their features, yet their frantic breathing was audible, sharp and uneven like animals on the verge of panic.
Their shoulders rose and fell in perfect unison, their breaths coming faster and faster as the ritual progressed. Their hands trembled as they clutched large, blood-red leaves, each leaf inscribed with pulsing runes.
ᛞ ᛉ ᚱ † ᛗ ᚹ ᛝ
The runes on the leaves glowed faintly, their purpose clear—they were conduits, tools to redirect and contain the overwhelming power that would soon erupt from Quinara's body. The Bloodmaidens moved in slow, deliberate circles around the altar, their steps synchronized in a grotesque dance.
Xyenn watched, his entire body trembling with tension. His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails bit into his palms, drawing blood. Every muscle in his body screamed to act, to do something, but he was frozen, trapped in the suffocating weight of the moment.
'It's tense…I can feel the tension around me…'
Yuuna clung to his back, her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Xyenn could feel her heart pounding against him, a frantic rhythm that matched his own. Yuuna's breath was hot against his neck, sharp and uneven. She didn't speak, but her grip on him tightened with each passing second, as though she feared he might disappear if she let go.
'If this works…there's no telling how many other dragon gods will try this!'
Mertha stood a few paces away, her dark pink and black flames flickering around her fists. Her jagged-edged halo hovered above her head, its glow pulsating faintly. Her expression was unreadable, but her body was tense, her flames flaring uncontrollably around her hands as though feeding off her anxiety.
Gorran gripped his Xenith blade with both hands, his knuckles white as he stared at Quinara. His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles in his neck bulged, and his entire body vibrated with suppressed rage.
'It's quiet…like something is ready to jump out…ready to kill.'
Orin stood at the edge of the altar in his true form.
He was monstrous now, a towering blood dragon whose body rippled like a living river of gore. His scales were translucent, revealing the blood that flowed beneath them like molten lava. His wings were massive, jagged and torn, dripping streams of blood that evaporated into crimson mist as they fell. His tail swayed slowly behind him, its edges lined with razor-sharp bone spikes.
His head was crowned with long, curved horns that spiraled outward like the roots of a dead tree, their tips glowing faintly with crimson runes.
ᚾ ᛗ ᛝ † ᚺ ᛉ ᛞ
His eyes burned like twin suns, their searing gaze fixed on Quinara. He spoke in a low, rumbling voice that seemed to shake the very ground beneath them. "The Bloodmaidens will draw her essence away from the vessel as the Sun-Drake emerges. The runes above will bind his power, slowing his manifestation. But it will not be enough. When the moment comes, you must strike. There will be no second chance. We will do everything we can to save Quinara during the process, but the longer the Sun-Drake stays alive, the quicker Quinara dies."
The silence stretched on, oppressive and unrelenting, broken only by the frantic breathing of the Bloodmaidens and the hum of the runes.
…
….
…
Badump…
Badump…
Badump…
'Hearts racing…'
'It's fear?..'
'Anxiety…?'
'He's here…'
And then it began.
Quinara's body twitched violently, her back arching off the altar as her breathing quickened. Her swollen belly twisted and bulged unnaturally, the mark of the Eternal Flame glowing brighter with each pulse.
Then she screamed.
"AGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
The sound was inhuman, raw and guttural, tearing through the blood domain like a blade. Xyenn's eyes squeezed shut as the scream pierced his skull.
'Feel like a monster just watching this and letting it happen, but this was the only way…I'm sorry. I'll make sure you live…'
Yuuna's grip on him tightened, her nails digging into his shoulders as a tear slipped from her eye, landing on his neck.
'I'm saving her…we're saving her…' Yuuna thought.
Mertha turned away, her flames flaring wildly around her fists. She clenched her jaw, her eyes burning with unshed tears as the sound dragged her back to her own nightmares—to the screams of her clan as they were slaughtered.
'Fight it…fight it Mertha!'
Gorran gritted his teeth, his body trembling with barely contained rage. He wanted to fight, to lash out, but there was nothing he could do.
'I fucking hate this sound…'
Quinara's screams grew louder, more feral, as her belly began to split. Blood sprayed across the altar in a violent torrent, coating the Bloodmaidens who continued their ritual without faltering. Her stomach ruptured in a grotesque explosion of gore, the mark of the Eternal Flame erupting in a fiery burst.
From the bloody mess, her blood began to rise, spiraling upward in thick, writhing streams. Dark sun-like yellow flames merged with the blood, twisting and contorting as they formed the massive, terrifying figure of the Sun-Drake.
His body was a insanely large towering mass of pitch-black flesh, his skin etched with glowing dark yellow runes.
ᚱ ᛏ ᛝ † ᚹ ᛗ ᛉ
These runes carved across his body like molten veins, their jagged shapes burning with an unholy light. His wings unfurled slowly, massive and jagged, their edges glowing with the same fiery yellow light. A dark yellow halo formed above his head, the runes on its surface spinning and twisting as though alive.
His eyes snapped open—human-like yet utterly alien, glowing with a blazing, searing malice. His horns curled outward from his head, massive and jagged, each inscribed with the same runes that glistened across his body.
The Sun-Drake let out a low, guttural growl that shook the blood domain to its core.
The blood domain trembled under the Sun-Drake's presence, his sheer power radiating outward in suffocating waves. His massive, pitch-black body loomed over the altar, his glowing dark yellow runes flickering like molten brands across his skin. His wings stretched wide, blotting out the blood-red sky, and his human-like eyes burned into Xyenn with an intensity that pierced through his soul.
'Why…why is he looking at me?!' Xyenn thought, fear coursing through his body.
Orin's voice tore through the air like a whip. "NOW! STRIKE! MOVE! BLOODMAIDENS, TO THE ALTAR! DEFEND HER! The Sun God needs to be take care of fast!"
Mertha's flaming gauntlets ignited with a ferocious roar, and Gorran surged forward, his Xenith blade gleaming fiercely in his hands. Xyenn's body tensed, his muscles coiled and ready to act, but then the Sun-Drake spoke.
His voice was calm, yet it carried an unshakable weight, like the voice of a god whose words carved themselves into the fabric of existence. It was deep, resonant, and each syllable seemed to reverberate inside the very marrow of those who heard it.
"The sun knows no mercy, for it does not give warmth to the undeserving. It scorches, it burns, it cleanses. I am the eternal flame, the light that judges without hesitation."
As the Sun-Drake spoke, his dark yellow sun runes began to glow brighter, spiraling outward from his body in intricate, twisting patterns. The runes moved like living things, slithering through the air like serpents, coiling around everyone present.
ᛉ † ᚺ ᛗ ᛉ † ᚺ
The runes encircled Xyenn, Yuuna, Mertha, Gorran, and the Bloodmaidens, latching onto their bodies like glowing chains. Xyenn's arms jerked upward against his will, his legs locking into place as his body began to rise into the air. His arms stretched outward, his fingers splayed as if in forced praise, and his chest heaved as the Sun-Drake's unrelenting presence weighed down on him like a mountain.
"Aghh!!"
The runes tightened around everyone, glowing brighter, their shapes twisting and spiraling over their skin. Each rune burned, their heat searing into flesh and spirit alike.
The Sun-Drake continued, his voice carrying the weight of prophecy.
"The sun does not bow. It does not yield. It does not falter. It is eternal, unrelenting, and pure. Those who live beneath its gaze must either endure its judgment or perish in its fire."
Xyenn's breathing quickened as panic surged through him. His body wouldn't move. His hands trembled against the invisible force holding him aloft. His heart pounded so violently it felt like it might burst from his chest. He felt small, insignificant, like a speck of dust in the presence of something incomprehensibly vast.
'I'm not losing here! At all! Move…move, dammit! Break free!'
This was the same fear he had felt before—when Haldrek had loomed over him, that overwhelming presence that made him feel like a helpless child. But this was worse. The Sun-Drake wasn't a man. He was a god.
Yuuna's voice broke through his spiraling thoughts, sharp and desperate. "Xyenn!"
Her scream jolted him, but he couldn't respond. Tears streamed down his face, unbidden, as his eyes locked onto the Sun-Drake's. He didn't know why, but he couldn't look away. The Sun-Drake's piercing gaze held him there, pinned like an insect under glass.
'Why…why is he only staring at me…?'
The Sun-Drake tilted his head slightly, his gaze unrelenting as he stared directly at Xyenn. His voice, calm and deliberate, carried the weight of finality.
"I will bring kingdom come. I am ordained without mercy."
Then, he spoke in a tongue that no mortal could understand. The words were guttural, sharp, and alien, each syllable dripping with power.
"ᛉᚺᛗᛉ ᛝᚹ† ᚺᛗᛉᛞ. ᛗᛉ ᚺᛉᛗᛝ †ᛉᚹᛞᛗ."
The draconic language rippled through the air, vibrating in their skulls like an unbearable pressure. The runes around their bodies grew brighter, and their limbs stretched further, the pain of being contorted forcefully searing through their nerves.
Yuuna screamed again, her voice cracking. "Xyenn!"
Her voice cut through the haze of fear, and Xyenn blinked, his eyes darting toward her. She was still clinging to his back, her small frame trembling as she shook him desperately.
"Xyenn!" she screamed, her voice raw and desperate. "We don't lose, remember?! We don't fucking lose!"
Her words ignited something in him—a spark, faint but growing. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He closed his eyes, the tears still streaming, and whispered softly to himself, "I won't lose…"
Yuuna's voice surged through him, but this time it wasn't from her lips. It came from within him, merging with his own thoughts, her spirit entwining with his.
Their bodies began to merge, their energies fusing into one. Xyenn's body transformed, his flesh shifting and contorting as black dragon scales spread across his arms and chest. His horns erupted from his skull, jagged and black as night. His dark pink halo reformed above his head, its edges sharp and flickering with flames. His tail lashed out, and his dragon arm burned brighter with black and dark pink flames.
Then, he roared with a draconic screech.
The sound tore through the domain like a thunderclap, shattering the runes that bound him. The glowing chains around his body cracked and splintered, falling away like shards of glass.
Xyenn darted forward in a blur, his speed unnatural, as he tore through the air. He struck the runes around Mertha and Gorran first, shattering them with precise, brutal strikes. They fell to the ground, gasping for breath, as Xyenn moved to the Bloodmaidens, freeing them one by one.
Orin roared from the altar. "FOCUS ON QUINARA! BLOODMAIDENS, TO ME! DRAW THE CURSE OUT OF HER!"
The Bloodmaidens surged toward Quinara, their hands glowing with blood magic as they pressed their palms to her body. The runes on their crimson leaves flared, their purpose now clear as they siphoned the residual energy of the curse from her broken form. Orin's massive blood dragon form loomed over Quinara, his claws glowing with intricate blood runes as he channeled his power into her.
"Keep her alive!" Orin bellowed. "No matter what it takes!"
Mertha exclaimed, "Tch! Me and Gorran will go out and save as many people as we can! You two take care of that damn dragon god!"
Xyenn replied, "Go! I have a god to kill…"
Mertha's flames surged around her fists as she nodded, determination blazing in her eyes. Gorran gripped his Xenith blade tightly, his jaw set as he moved to stand guard by the altar.
Mertha and Gorran ran off together, and Mertha said, "I got left! Take anywhere else!"
Gorran nodded, "Truth hurts…but I'll follow the screams."
Above them, the Sun-Drake tilted his head, his gaze fixed on the blood domain. He raised one massive clawed hand, and with a single motion, the blood domain shattered like glass.
Orin gasped as the world around them shifted.
'Impossible…even my blood domain found my contain him?!'
They were back in Soulcaris.
The once-darkened sky was now pitch black, but the sun burned fiercely overhead, its glow tainted with a dark yellow light. Jagged streaks of shadow twisted across its surface like cracks in glass, and its edges flickered with ominous flames.
The Sun-Drake rose slowly into the sky, his massive wings spreading wide. He reached upward, his clawed hands stretching toward the corrupted sun. His voice was calm but filled with righteous fury.
"Who tainted my heart with hell's darkness? No matter… I am the embodiment of just."
He stretched his arms and legs outward, his massive body glowing with radiant, fiery power. He appeared to surrender himself to the sun, but it was a false gesture, a mockery of humility.
Around him, the Berserkers of the Eternal Flame began to rise. Those infected right before all of this happened.
These Berserks had grown to be at least 45 feet tall, Their heads, literal flaming suns, burned brighter as they ascended into the sky. Their bodies grew, dark yellow robes formed on them, expanding into massive, winged forms covered in intricate, glowing runes.
ᛉ ᛗ † ᚺ ᚾ ᛞ ᚹ
As they ascended, destruction followed in their wake. Flames erupted from their bodies, scorching the ground below. Entire villages were consumed in an instant, the fiery tendrils tearing through stone and wood as though they were paper. Innocents screamed as they were incinerated, their bodies reduced to ash before they could even comprehend their doom.
"Help!"
"Run!"
"What's happening to them?!"
"Never seen this from them before!"
"Fuck!"
The Berserkers floated in praying hand formations, their heads bowed, their energy rippling outward in violent waves. Buildings crumbled, forests burned, and the earth split apart as their destructive power spread across Soulcaris.
Above Xyenn, Yuuna, and the others, the Berserkers continued to rise, their destruction casting the continent into chaos.
Orin shouted from the altar, his voice filled with urgency. "This is it! This is our chance! If we can keep Quinara alive, we might be able to save her!"
Xyenn's body trembled with fury and determination as he looked upward at the Sun-Drake. Yuuna's voice echoed in his mind, steady and resolute.
"We don't lose."
Xyenn's seven arms erupted from his body, each one holding a dark pink and black flaming scythe. His jagged halo burned brighter, its edges sharp and unrelenting, as he darted into the sky.
The Sun-Drake's glowing eyes locked onto him, and he spoke with disdain.
"An interloper. I will eliminate the folly from the sun's gaze."