The battlefield was a fractured wasteland of debris, the oppressive weight of the Sentinel's presence still hanging heavy in the air. His crimson eyes glowed faintly through the cracks in his fading armor as he rose unsteadily to his feet, the Ring of Vows glinting ominously on his hand. Keiran stood before him, battered but unyielding, his shield glowing faintly with the new thorns that now lined its vines. Sylva's roots pulsed as she worked swiftly to stabilize Amara, who lay to the side, still too weak to fight.
Capone and his enforcers had joined the fray, their combined attacks keeping the Sentinel at bay. Capone snorted, puffing on his Shadow Cigar. "Light em up, boys. Let's see if we can make this tin can fold."
Keiran took a step forward, his shield radiating a sharp, almost menacing light as the vines coiled tighter, their thorns gleaming. "Enough," he said firmly, his voice cutting through the banter. "We have the advantage, sentinel."
The Sentinel's blade of shadows reformed in his hand, jagged and dripping with malevolence. He raised it high, his voice a low snarl. "No, You've lost your advantage, boy. You all caught me off gaurd once—it won't happen a second time."
Keiran raised his shield, bracing himself as the Sentinel lunged. The blade came down hard, sparks flying as it met the thorned vines. Keiran grunted under the strain but held firm. The thorns shot outward in response, slashing against the Sentinel's armor and leaving deep gouges in the dark metal.
The Sentinel stumbled, his blade faltering. Before he could recover, Rowan's rope dart whipped forward, its fiery tip colliding with his face in a burst of embers. The Sentinel roared, shadows pouring from the cracks in his armor as he spun absorbing the blow.
The Sentinel roared, charging again, his strikes faster and more ferocious. Each blow met Keiran's shield, the thorns slicing deeper into the armor and drawing faint wisps of shadowy mist. Rowan's rope dart whipped forward, restraining the Sentinel's wrist and leaving a smoldering mark.
"Still standing, huh?" Rowan called, a grin tugging at her lips despite her exhaustion. "You're tougher than you look."
Sylva glanced up from Amara, her roots glowing faintly as they stitched together the last of Amara's wounds. "Rowan, focus. He's weakening, but don't let your gaurd down."
Amara stirred, her fingers twitching as she slowly sat up. Her eyes locked onto the battlefield, where the Sentinel's movements had grown more erratic. "That's… good enough." she rasped, her voice heavy with fatigue.
Sylva shook her head, helping Amara lean against the nearest rock for support. "Not yet. Stay here. You're not ready."
Amara's gaze fell to what once was her rifle, at some point the rifle reverted back to a fan tucked into her belt—Darya's fan. Her grip tightened. "I'm not sitting this out."
Amara hesitated, her eyes flicking back to Keiran. His shield glowed faintly, the last of its light dissipating as the vines withered slightly, their thorns becoming sharper and more lethal. The Sentinel's strikes came faster, but Keiran's footing remained sure.
Capone saw the shift in momentum and grinned. "Guess it's time for the finale." He hurled a shadowy Molotov, the flames erupting at the Sentinel's feet and forcing him back. The enforcers followed up with precise strikes, driving the Sentinel closer to the edge.
The Sentinel snarled, his crimson eyes blazing. "Enough of this charade!" He raised his blade drawung in a powerful aura for one last devastating strike.
Before the blow could land, Amara moved. She raised Darya's fan, its glowing edges radiating a soft yet deadly light. With a flick of her wrist, a powerful gust of wind erupted, slicing through the air and slamming into the Sentinel. The impact sent him sprawling, his armor shattering completely as he hit the ground.
Keiran stepped forward, his shield at the ready, but the Sentinel didn't rise. His breathing was labored, his body unable to move. The battlefield fell silent.
Keiran, shield still raised, exhaled heavily but didn't lower his guard. Rowan slung her rope dart over her shoulder, brushing sweat from her brow as she looked to Sylva, who knelt beside Keiran and let her roots coil around him, easing his wounds. Amara, still sitting against a rock, clutched Darya's fan tightly. Her face was pale but resolute.
Keiran shot Rowan a tired look, his shield vibrating faintly as the last remnants of its light faded. "Good to have you back Rowan. What kept you guys?"
Rowan's expression darkened slightly as she reached into her pouch, gripping a jagged, dark fragment. "well...," she said, clenching it in her fist. "Aiden and I ran into something outside called the cancer. Big. Nasty. It wasn't like anything we've fought before."
Meanwhile, Capone swaggered closer to the Sentinel. His enforcers flanking him. The Tommy gun-wielding one adjusted his weapon with a cocky grin. "You know, boss, that guy looks a lot less scary flat on his back. He's actually kinda good lookin?"
The card-dealing enforcer smirked, flipping a card between his fingers. "Nah, no way. He's still got the eyes for intimidation. Maybe if its face wasnt frozen ugly like that?"
Capone waved a dismissive hand. "Enough, you two. Let the big man have his rest. We've got more important things to talk about." His sharp gaze flicked to Rowan. "What's this I hear about a Cancer?"
Their debrief interrupted, Rowan fished the fragment from her pouch. holding it up for the group to see as she circled back to include capone. The jagged claw shimmered faintly, its edges laced with an unnatural darkness. "This. We fought it outside—well, Aiden and I did. It's nothing like the Sentinel. Bigger, stronger, and—" Her voice faltered for a moment, her usually confident demeanor giving way to unease. ""Bigger, stronger—it didn't just fight us. It hunted us."
Capone let out a low whistle, adjusting his Shadow Cigar. "That's not just some oversized beast you ran into, sweetheart. That's a once-in-a-lifetime problem. I cant say I envy you chumps..." He trailed off, his usual smirk replaced with a rare moment of seriousness.
Keiran furrowed his brow, stepping closer to examine the fragment. "Aiden fought that with you?" His voice carried a mixture of disbelief and concern. "What happened? Where is he now?"
Rowan hesitated, her hand curling around the claw. "He went with Lila," she admitted. "Said it was the only way to get closer to the Core."
Amara's eyes widened as she gripped the fan tighter. "Wait, Cancer… I think I saw something like that before." She paused, her voice dropping as she recalled the memory. "In the forest, near the surface. It was just a glimpse, but… it wasn't normal. It felt wrong, like the shadows were alive." Her gaze shifted to the claw, dread creeping into her expression. "Is that what it is?"
Sylva, still focused on healing the group, looked up sharply. "A Cancer is far worse than just wrong," she said grimly. "They're my greatest failu—" She broke off, her lips tightening.
The Sentinel's raspy voice shattered the conversation. "You fools…" His eyes flickered weakly, and though his body was still, his voice carried a venomous strength. "Lila isn't Lila. The Core… it strings her along like a marionette."
The group froze, tension thick in the air. Rowan and Sylva exchanged alarmed glances. "He's lying," Rowan said, though the uncertainty in her tone betrayed her doubts.
"He's not," Sylva countered, her voice cold. "We need to go back. If Lila is the Core's puppet, Aiden is walking into a trap."
Capone snorted, his Shadow Cigar flaring briefly as he stepped over the Sentinel's prone form. "Going back? Waste of time. The quickest way to save Aiden—and everyone else—is to take out the Core. Cut off the head, the body falls. Simple as that."
The Sentinel let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Yes… waste your time. Turn back. I'll enjoy watching you flounder."
Keiran's voice cut through the rising arguments, steady and commanding. "Enough." He looked to Capone, his expression calm but firm. "You take your enforcers and search for Aiden. The rest of us push forward. The Core won't wait for us either way."
Capone tilted his fedora, his smirk returning. "Fair enough, kid. Just don't take too long." As the group began to move, Capone lingered near the Sentinel's prone form. He gestured to his enforcers. "You heard the man. Go grab those Cancer fragments before some other fool gets them."
The enforcers exchanged sly grins, darting off into the shadows. As the last witness left the scene Capone lingered, his expression shifting to something more serious as he crouched beside the Sentinel.
"Guess you're not as invincible as you thought," Capone muttered, his voice low.
He began bandaging the Sentinel's wounds with deliberate care. "You've got unfinished business, don't you? So go do it. Don't let your pride get you killed."
The Sentinel's crimson eyes dimmed, but he managed a faint nod. Capone rose, adjusting his hat as he turned to follow his enforcers. "Catch you on the flip side, big guy."
Alone in the ruins of the battlefield, the Sentinel clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. Whatever lay ahead, he would not remain idle.