The air around the clearing twisted, reality itself warping as the rift pulsed violently. The chains binding the man glowed brighter, their energy crackling like lightning against his worn armor. Elias and his team stepped back, instincts screaming at them that something was very, very wrong.
Then, the thing stepped through.
It was tall, its body cloaked in shifting shadows, its eyes burning violet, the same unnatural glow as the demons they had fought before. But unlike those creatures, this one radiated control. It moved with purpose, like it wasn't just a mindless beast—but something aware. Calculating.
The chained man exhaled, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's too late…"
Elias's gauntlet hummed as he stepped forward. "Like hell it is."
The shadowed figure tilted its head slightly, then spoke.
"Ah… I see." Its voice was smooth, disturbingly calm. "You are the ones who defy the inevitable."
Cecilia flicked a dagger into her hand. "You'll find that's a habit of ours."
The figure ignored her, its burning gaze locked onto Elias. "The Vanguard failed. And now, so will you."
Then it moved.
A pulse of darkness erupted from its form, the sheer force of it sending everyone flying backward. Elias barely managed to twist midair, activating his thrusters to soften his landing.
Reinhardt hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet with a growl. "I hate magic."
Ivy loosed an arrow, but the moment it neared the figure, it simply vanished, swallowed by the shadows.
Marco cursed. "It's absorbing magic attacks!"
Lira pulled Elias up. "What's the plan? Because this thing is worse than the demons we fought before."
The chained man let out a strained breath. "You cannot… fight it… in its current form."
Elias glanced at him. "Then tell me how to kill it."
The man's glowing eyes flickered, his expression pained. "The chains… They are not meant to hold me… They are meant to hold it."
Understanding clicked in Elias's mind.
The chains weren't binding the man.
They were keeping the shadow from fully manifesting.
Elias gritted his teeth. "Then we break them."
Marco's eyes widened. "Wait, you're suggesting we free him? That's insane!"
Cecilia shrugged. "So is most of what we do."
Elias activated his gauntlet. "We don't have time for debate."
The shadowed figure stepped forward, raising a hand. The air darkened, shadows stretching toward them like living tendrils. "Enough talk. You die now."
Elias lunged, his gauntlet crackling with energy, and slammed his fist into one of the glowing red chains.
BOOM.
The chain shattered, and the entire clearing exploded with light.
The man let out a guttural roar, his body convulsing as raw power surged through him. The shadows surrounding the figure wavered, recoiling violently.
Reinhardt took the cue, swinging his hammer directly at another chain, breaking it in a burst of force.
Ivy fired a precisely aimed shot, severing a third.
The chained man gasped, his form shifting, his faded armor beginning to restore itself as the last of the restraints fell away.
Then he stood.
The shadowed figure hissed, taking a step back.
Elias wiped sweat from his brow. "Okay. That did something."
The man exhaled, rolling his shoulders, his voice now steady. "My name is **Kierian of the Obsidian Vanguard. And you…" He turned his glowing gaze toward the shadowed figure.
"…Are trespassing."
Then, without hesitation, he attacked.
Kierian moved like lightning, his fist colliding with the shadow's core, sending a shockwave of raw energy through the creature's form. The figure screeched, its body cracking under the force.
Elias didn't waste the opportunity. He activated his impact regulator, charging his gauntlet with the stored kinetic energy from before.
He lunged, aiming for the exact point where Kierian's strike had weakened the figure.
BOOM.
The shockwave ripped through the air, colliding with the shadow's core. The creature let out a final, distorted shriek before its form shattered into nothingness.
Silence.
The air around them settled, the oppressive darkness fading.
Kierian exhaled, straightening. His armor, now fully restored, bore the crest of the Obsidian Vanguard—a symbol Elias had only seen in history books.
The warrior turned to them, studying each of them carefully. Then, he nodded. "You have my thanks. But you also have my warning."
Elias folded his arms. "We're listening."
Kierian's glowing eyes burned with ancient knowledge. "The war you think is coming?"
He exhaled.
"It has already begun."