The moon watched below to the peons waging an unending onslaught on each other. Atop the wooden platform, Archbishop Blues holds a nail to Century. Her body is unable to move as she begs her mind to come up with any solution. The Archbishop lowered the nail as the tip touched her forehead, its sharp and cold feeling causing Century to ache. The Archbishop closed his eyes, preparing to kill Century humanely, not wishing to cause her pain as she went to a higher plane.

Suddenly a loud rumble echoed across the town, the Archbishop spun to face the town seeing a swarm of unidentifiable dots funnel into the town. His eyes widened and while he was distracted it gave Rina enough time to siphon more of her powers from her hair. Her hair began to shift white to the ends as her bones snapped and enlarged, and she gained large shiny bug eyes as wings ripped themselves out of her back. She flapped them a couple of times, preparing to take flight. She crouched down and leaped into the air with great force causing Eliowen to get blown back. She flew up to the floating wooden platform.

Her wings blanketed the moon, preventing any light from shining down. The Archbishop gazed up at Rina his expression remaining stern as his attention turned to her.

"Werren's friend. Why must more blood be shed..."

Archbishop Blues summoned an entourage of nails, pointing their tips to the bat blocking the moon.

He closed his eyes and looked down letting the thousands of nails propel themselves towards Rina. Rina darted upwards as the nails all snapped together forming a large snake-like mass that slithered through the stars in chase of Rina. Rina darted around it, narrowly dodging the snake as she flew higher and higher. Once she broke through the clouds her wings flapped vigorously as beads of sweat dripped down her face.

As she reached her limit the moon smiled gracefully at her as she let her wings settle. Her velocity slows as her body allows itself to fall, the snake slinks up past her before making a complete 180 and diving after Rina. Rina folded her wings and dived down like a missile, the air resistance minimal as she passed through the clouds. The Archbishop looked up to see Rina diving towards the platform, the agglomeration of nails right behind her as the gap between them thinned out.

Rina didn't let up as her trajectory was the wooden platform. The Archbishop thought she planned to slam into it and break it but as Rina was only a few meters from the platform she barrel-rolled out of the way and ducked beneath the platform. The snake didn't change its course as it was too close so when it collided with the platform, it splintered into fragments as the snake broke apart, nails scattering across the air.

The Archbishop and Century fell to the ground at high speeds. Century was still frozen so she hit the ground hard. As she hit the ground she was able to move once more. Gathering herself and getting to her feet, Century looked at the two nails lodged in her hands. She couldn't fight with them in her hand so she ran back up to the house where Eliowen was.

"Hey, kid! Get up."

Century grabbed Eliowen by the arm and heaved him to his feet.

"Ce-Petra?! What are you doing?"

Eliowen groaned in pain.

"Helping a friend..."

Century had an evil grin as she helped Eliowen walk away from Rina and Archbishop Blues.

Archbishop Blues had softened his fall by creating a staircase of floating wooden planks. Rina launched herself straight toward him, in a panic the Archbishop created a wooden barricade that RIna broke through effortlessly. His expression changed to one of shock as Rina grabbed him and flew upwards. Her fingernails clutched onto his arms but Blues summoned more nails to track Rina as she flew through the air. She rolled through the air dodging the nails before throwing Blues into the air. From her hands, claws tore their way out from her skin and swiped toward Blues. He blocked the furious slashes with wooden planks causing one of Rina's claws to become cemented in the wood.

Blues summoned more nails and flung them down at Rina who tried to pull her claw out. Her expression became dire as her claw wouldn't come out so she covered her body with one of her wings. The nails stabbed into the wing causing her to wince in pain. Finally, she pulled herself free and fell to the ground. Blues leaped down and stabbed a nail in both of her hands swiftly, not allowing a second of rest.

"Stop."

Rina froze in place. Blues approached her, not even a scratch on him although he was very much out of breath. He huffed and heaved.

"Rina... you're lucky you've been a valued member of this town for a long time. I know some of the kids like you so I wouldn't want to upset them by putting you to rest."

Blues gets a nail and infuses it with a strange essence.

"That other girl though... she needs to be stopped. I'm sorry for this. It pains me to do this but I'll lock your powers until this is all over."

Blues gently put the tip of the nail to Rina's forehead and hammered it into her head. Rina didn't feel any pain but her form slowly contorted back to her regular self. Her powers were locked as Blues began to walk away. He coughed as he went into the town.

Through the town, people ran away from the Necrostrands but regular civilians weren't the Necrostrands target. Werren darted across rooftops and thrust a multitude of tendrils into the beasts pursuing him. Their incursion growing larger and larger.

"Damn things never stop coming... just how many were hiding on the outskirts of the town, waiting for this day..."

He created a sphere and increased its gravity, pulling all the beasts toward it as his tendrils made quick work of the ones trapped in the gravitational gaze of his powers.

"This is too many... and they're so coordinated. There has to be a ringleader..."

Werren theorized on where they all came from but cast his thoughts aside to defend the town. As long as he kept the horde busy away from civilians he just had to buy time. Hoping Archbishop Blues could find out why the ward had stopped.

At the church, Century led the exhausted Eliowen to the altar. The green-haired boy watching nearby.

"Century... the basement..."

The boy called out to Century.

Eliowen clung close to Century.

"Petra... I don't know what's happening... I feel... weird..."

Century kneeled.

"What the hell happened to the Haab'? You said you would show it to me!"

Century gripped Eliowen's shoulders and shook him.

"SO WHERE IS IT?!"

Eliowen winced in pain.

"It's the stone... on my back... that is the Haab'..."

Century looked determined. The green-haired boy walked beside her.

"The basement... Century."

"Yeah yeah... I hear you grasshead."

Century got up and left Eliowen on the altar. Century went down the stairs to the stone basement. The boy leading her.

"I was already down here... there's nothing."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The boy kept walking further. Century sighed and kept walking after him. Passing by where she and Rina found the first Necrobeast, she returned to the large metal door. Century looked at it before turning to the side. The boy stood in front of the regular-sized metal door sitting off to the side.

"This one?"

Century went to it. The nails still stabbing through her hands. She looked inside to see darkness but she felt someone behind the door. She took a deep breath and ripped a hair tie out. She threw it at the door, the blast breaking it open. As the dust scattered and settled out from the door came the boy, looking like how he always did.

"What did that do?"

Century walked forward but as she touched the boy she could feel him. Her eyes widened.

"You freed me Century. Thank you."

The boy kept his blank expression.

"Now come. It's time I claimed the Haab'."

Century felt inclined to follow his orders. Century nodded obediently as she followed him.

When they reached back up to the surface, Eliowen was still exhausted. Leaning against the altar, he looked up hearing footsteps.

"Petra...?"

The boy walked forward.

"It has been a while... Eliowen."

Eliowen's eyes widened as the boy's voice caused great distress in Eliowen's heart.

"Nayjhren..."

Eliowen stood up and tried to back away but stumbled and fell.

"How...?! You... you should have..."

"Century. Extract the Haab'."

Nayjhren walked up to the altar.

Century grabbed Eliowen with force.

"Hold still."

"P-Petra... no... Century. To think he beat me to it... haha... I'm an idiot. But you Century... if you go through with this you're the bigger idiot! You hear me!"

Eliowen struggled.

"I will do whatever Nayjhren tells me to. And he tells me to not care."

Century pinned Eliowen down on the ground and grabbed onto the Haab' once more.

"Must I repeat myself..."

Blues walked forward, utter fury radiating from each step he took.

"To think that heinous creature would use my son's powers to exploit others once again. Despicable."

Blues faced the altar, the clock's ticking breaking all silence. Nayjhren looked down at the Archbishop.

"You brought this havoc to our town nine years ago! To think the hunger of the Necrostrands is this boundless."

"We do what nature asked us to. We must eat too."

Nayjhren's eyes glowed a bright red.

Blues closed his eyes, not wishing to be controlled by Nayjhren.

"I know nature has its twisted comedy but I will write my own script."

Nayjhren saw Blues' attempt to subdue his powers. As nails were summoned around Blues, Century stepped forward.

"Century. Deal with Archbishop Blues."

Century tore the nails from her hands as a devilish grin grew across her face.

In the church, the strange boy named Nayjhren set forth his pawn, with the Haab' at stake, Blues won't let his son come to any more harm.

Meanwhile...

"OH MY GOODNESS PETRA!"

Yuro ran around the living room in his baby body, flailing his arms around.

"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD! THE LONG HAS COME TO WIPE US OUT EARLY!"

Petra groaned as she tried to watch television.

"Can you SHUT UP! I'm trying to enjoy the free time we have without anyone else at home..."

Petra went back to watching television when suddenly the corpse of a Necrostrand flew the window and landed on the carpet, its green blood splattering over everything, even the television.

"A... Necrostrand...?"

Yuro backed away from it.

"Petra... go check if it's dead."

Yuro picked Petra up.

"What!? Let me go you shit!"

Yuro then threw Petra by the corpse. Petra observed the corpse, it had many gnashes across its body. Its green fur shuffled as a few of its limbs twitched. It looked like a wolf.

"I... think it's dead."

Yuro waddled beside Petra. He sighed relief but he had relaxed too soon. The beast stretched its limbs and stood up on its 8 legs. As Petra saw its face it had the eyes of a spider and legs to match but its torso looked like a wolf. Yuro squealed as he grabbed Petra and ran down the hall. The beast snarled and chased after them, it slammed into the wall and lost its balance before running after Yuro and Petra.

Yuro made a sharp turn and ducked through the pet door at the bottom of his room's door. The beast tried to follow in but the opening was too small. It was able to fit its snout in but as Yuro and Petra backed away from the door it soon gave up. It stared right into Yuro's eyes with murderous intent before walking away.

"I probably should have expected this considering Julie took this town's Haab'..."

Petra sighed.

"That was fast though, usually Necrostrand packs don't attack this fast unless there just happened to be a nest nearby."

Yuro rummaged through a box, tossing random computer parts around and odd contraptions.

"Well, this town has a bad history with Necrostrands. 9 years ago we had a massive attack on the town from a large group. If it wasn't for Werren showing up out of nowhere this town would have been consumed."

"Why? From what I can gather there are only a handful amount of Strand users here. I don't see there being enough to attract something even remotely large."

"Most died during the attack but also, this town used to be a hub for The Covenant."

"Wait what!? The Covenant used to operate here?"

"Yep, after the attack a lot of them died so they fled further away from SHS territory since the outskirts of SHS territory has the most Necrostrand activity."

Yuro pulled out a small gizmo and began to tinker with it.

"They assigned Archbishop Blues to keep watch over this area. Using him as a sort of, first defence if the SHS ever expanded out more. Then Werren came along and saved the town."

"Didn't think the old heroes actually did anything heroic. All I ever see Werren do is laze around and smoke."

Petra rolled her eyes. She then suddenly realized something.

"Wait, so if The Covenant are the ones who were here first does that mean... Julie stole The Covenant's Haab'...?"

Petra looked worried, if Julie had taken the Haab' of another organization it could lead to an all-out war between the groups.

"No, Werren sacrificed his own Haab'. There is still one more Haab' in the town belonging to Blues but... I think something wrong. I get a bad feeling from it all."

Yuro then finished tinkering.

"Uh, what is that?"

Petra looked puzzled.

"Home defense."

Yuro climbed up to a desk and turned on a tablet. He fiddled with it before a set of cameras appeared on it. The cameras were all over the house. One in the kitchen, living room, and people's bedrooms.

"Creep."

Petra scowled at Yuro.

"It's for safety reasons! And you should be thankful I even installed these. Look."

Yuro hopped down from the desk and showed Petra the tablet. The Necrobeast was sitting at the end of the hall grooming its fur clean of any blood or dirt.

"It's waiting for us to leave. Necrobeasts can survive a long time without food so they can wait here as long as they need. We need a plan."

"Just call Werren? I'm sure he could deal with it."

Petra snatched the tablet with her teeth and called Werren with her nose.

It rang...

and rang...

and rang...

and rang...

Yuro looked at the cameras to see the beast perk its head up. It trotted over to the kitchen and picked up Werren's phone from the table with its mouth. It put the phone on the ground and tapped it with its paws. Somehow the beast managed to deny the phone call as Petra looked offended.

"Why did he leave his phone behind... idiot."

Petra huffed, irritated.

Yuro's eyes lit up.

"Wait Petra... I might have an idea of how to solve this problem."

"Hm?"

Petra raised an eyebrow.

"It might seem a little outlandish... but... there is a group of people I know who would be willing to help us. In the corner of the living room, there is a hole that leads beneath the house. There I can speak with the rat queen and see if I can employ the Rat and Corvid alliance to aid in defeating the Necrobeast."

Yuro looked dead serious as he spouted utter nonsense to Petra.

"Whatever dude... what do I have to do?"

Petra gave up trying to think about the logic of this plan.

"Glad to see you're so agreeing! If only Werren agreed to my plans more..."

Yuro looked sad.

"Doesn't matter. This is a flawless plan. All you need to do Petra is call the phone when I say so."

Petra's eyes lit up when she understood what Yuro was going to do. She nodded her head when she was ready. As Yuro peaked his head out of the pet door, he saw the beast still licking itself.

"Alright... time for Yuro to be the hero..."

Petra cringed at Yuro's corniness.

Yuro and Petra begin their operation to take down a Necrobeast as Werren holds the line, taking down the swarm that is hunting him down. At the church, Archbishop Blues and Century prepare to brawl over who will own the Haab'. Meanwhile, Eliowen and Nayjhren come face to face once more after their untimely separation 9 years ago!