A Leviathan.
A Leviathan.
A damned Leviathan!
How exactly were they supposed to defeat a Leviathan?!
The good part was, the Leviathan was a Disastrous one.
'Like hell that makes any difference.'
Northern clenched his teeth angrily as he snatched a broken rock from the ground. He hurled his arm backward — the very wind seeming to part like frightened children before his hand — as it tore forward, sending the stone whistling through the air.
Nearby, one of those burnt abominations raised its clawed hands, poised to carve down on a female Drifter who shielded a young girl. Her weapon had shattered from blocking the creature's claws twice, and now her death loomed inevitable.
She folded down, accepting her demise with horror etched across her face.
Fortunately for her, the killing blow never came. Instead, the creature's head suddenly snapped to the side with a shockwave that rippled through the air like a stone dropped in still water. It stumbled several steps sideways, nearly collapsing — but like some undying nightmare, it eerily straightened and slowly turned toward the source of the projectile.
Northern had already moved.
Just as the creature's head turned, his hand engulfed its face and drove it ruthlessly to the ground, pulverizing the concrete and launching a spray of stone shrapnel into the air.
Northern pinned the creature and glanced at the woman, snarling hurriedly.
"Take the child and find safety. A Master like you should not be here!"
His words were crude but accurate. A Master had no business killing a Maelstrom. Although he had been doing it as a Nomad, or was it... a Drifter?
He couldn't remember, and sadly lacked the luxury to ponder further. The creature beneath his grip was annoyingly resilient.
Northern released his iron hold on the monster, letting it rise.
As it did, his leg shot upward like a spring uncoiling, smashing its jaw with the fluid grace of flowing oil. His hands launched forward and landed on the creature with deceptive gentleness.
But there was a delivery of force that pulverized the chest of the burnt abomination, leaving a gaping void where its torso had been.
Northern had already locked eyes on the next target, and the one after that, and the one beyond... the entire battlefield spread beneath his predatory gaze, and he was about to make his presence known.
He scanned the chaos around him.
Severed Waves had instructed him — the Sage — to help the civilians and ordered Ascendant Zion to follow along. The Ascendant had tried to warn him about making a mistake, but Severed Waves was having none of it.
He didn't have time for second opinions and demanded they join Paragon Raizel, wherever he was, to find a way to deal with the Leviathan. Meanwhile, Northern, being a Sage, should handle the lesser threats.
He had even added the line:
"I hope that's not too much to ask of you, young man?"
Northern wasn't particularly offended...
'Offended... why would I be offended? Yeah, sure, go ahead and take care of the Leviathan, let's see if you all can do it without me. I'll be watching from down below.'
And the most annoying part was, the damned man was a Sage too!!
'Who the hell throws orders around like they're some big shot? Oh Dear Lord, it seems making me mad runs in their family or something.'
Northern gritted his teeth and caught a charred abomination's claws with primal indignation. As he threw his fiery, cold eyes at the creature, it seemed to falter back a bit, visibly trembling with fear.
A spike of black spear erupted from its belly, rooting from the pool of darkness that stretched from Northern's feet to the burned creature.
[Congratulations, you have slain...]
Northern paid no heed to the system's announcement. All he wanted was to end this in one devastating blow, find somewhere to sit, and watch how they'd handle the Leviathan that still struggled to pull itself through the narrow rift.
One of its titanic hands had fully emerged, and the vicious pool of darkness that served as its eyes glared down upon the world with a malevolence that Northern had never before witnessed — like an ancient hatred given form and purpose.
They sure would be having a blast.
Meanwhile...
Paragon Raizel frowned on the rooftop, arms folded as he gazed skyward.
Sage Mack and one other figure stood behind him, both silently awaiting his command like dutiful shadows.
Ascendant Zion — moving as if he had springs infused in his legs — bounced onto the rooftop and sprinted toward the Paragon.
Paragon Raizel glanced at him for a moment before shifting his gaze to a man who materialized from subtle ripples in the air, detecting his presence a fraction of a second before he fully appeared.
"Sage Rhama. How nice of you to show your face in a wasteland such as this. Do you not know that we are doomed for destruction? Don't tell me you've come to be a hero?"
Despite the words Paragon Raizel regarded the man with a deadpan expression, seeming almost displeased.
Severed Waves responded with dismissve tone.
"Oh save me all that. You know the only reason I can be here. But it doesn't matter right now, you wasted lots seem to have gotten yourself into some dirty nonsense."
The Paragon turned his eyes back to the sky where the creature struggled to break free. A moment later, a small smile crept across his lips like dawn breaking over a battlefield.
Severed Waves frowned slightly.
"If you have the luxury of a smile before such a disaster, then it must mean I am misunderstanding the situation or underestimating you."
Paragon Raizel shrugged.
"You are not misunderstanding anything or underestimating me. It just so happens that I have a capable mentee. I think this would be a piece of cake if he and I team up."
Raizel turned to Ascendant Zion.
"Where's Ral? I saw him with you a few moments ago."
The Ascendant shifted uncomfortably, visibly intimidated.
"Sage Rhama asked him to take care of the... mobs. Each one of them is a Maelstrom — a Master wouldn't be able to deal with them."
Paragon Raizel faced Severed Waves, his expression darkening like a sudden storm.
"Who the hell gives you the authority to give my mentee commands? And why the hell did he even listen to you? That guy sometimes behaves strangely..."
A moment later though, Paragon Raizel considered the fact that Sage Rhama was Roma's brother...
But before he could comment further, a terrifying, ominous darkness descended upon them, causing all to become gravely serious as they shifted their attention to a single point.
Down below.