Stormfront, along with Kamari, Leon, and Eli, stepped out of the glowing portal into the village of Iysal. Inside the portal room, the village chief met the group. His face was lined with exhaustion and relief.
"Thank the heavens you’re here. Everyone’s been evacuated to the emergency bunkers."
Nia nodded, her gaze calm yet sharp.
"Great, that simplifies things."
The chief's eyes flicked to Jermaine, and he immediately bowed slightly.
"It's the Thunder God! In the flesh!"
Jermaine, ever the showman, puffed out his chest with a grin spreading across his face.
"The one and only."
Eli stood beside him, letting out a sigh as he rolled his eyes.
"Relax, Unc."
"Jealousy doesn’t suit you."
Jermaine retorted, playfully glancing at his nephew as the chief continued to admire him.
Byron stepped forward.
“Thank you for getting everyone to safety. Get to a bunker and stay there until we give the all-clear.”
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The group stepped outside and was met by a blaring siren while a Rift pulsed with dark energy overhead, rippling through the sky.
Nia wasted no time. She drew her bow, the string humming as she pulled it tight, sending a Knullifier arrow soaring through the air and into the heart of the Rift. Slowly, the dark energy began to collapse in on itself, the tear shrinking as reality stitched itself back together.
But it was too late to prevent what had come through.
Below the Rift, streets that were once quiet were now swarming with Infernals. Orcs, goblins, and hulking beasts stomped through the village. Above, ten Grey Wyverns circled, their wings churning the air. From the edge of town, two enormous High Orcs, towering at fifteen meters, lumbered forward, their steps echoing like distant thunder.
Suddenly, from the horizon, a colossal Leviathan—a grotesque blend of serpent and dragon—slithered through the forest, its roar shaking the earth to its core.
Jermaine’s eyes lit up.
"Dibs on the Leviathan!"
He then launched into the sky in a blur of lightning before anyone could respond. Lightning trailed behind him like a storm, and the stray bolts alone had been enough to disintegrate the Wyverns mid-flight, their ash now falling gently from the sky.
"He’s always so impatient," Nia said.
However, she couldn't help but smile at the sight. She’d long grown accustomed to Jermaine’s immense strength, yet each display of his raw, untamed power was always a marvel to witness.
“It's alright. I was going to assign the Leviathan to him anyway,” Byron said.
He paused and looked over the team.
“The villagers are safe, but we must preserve the village. Defeat the Infernals, but avoid unnecessary destruction.”
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Byron and Malik targeted the two High Orcs. The fire-wielding High Orc loomed large before Byron, flames licking its skin, while Malik faced the equally dangerous ice-wielding counterpart. Almost in perfect sync, Byron and Malik launched themselves into the air, their forms glowing with power as they unleashed twin streams of fire—Byron’s a brilliant purple, Malik’s a blazing blue. The fiery blasts hit their marks, forcing the High Orcs to stumble back. The creatures roared, but their flames and ice struggled to counter the scorching attacks.
Luckily, the High Orcs stood at the edge of the village, so as they staggered backward, it was only the defensive wall that crumbled under their weight as they collapsed. Both Orcs hit the ground hard, their massive bodies shaking the earth.
Malik and Byron didn’t let up. As they descended toward their targets, the two warriors continued their relentless assault, driving their fire into the Orcs' faces. The heat was immense, and the flames grew brighter as they concentrated their energy.
Meanwhile, Nia moved with grace, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Her focus was on the Cynders that had already begun to torch nearby structures. With each swift pull of her bowstring, arrows of pure Enre materialized, shimmering with energy, and flew straight into the Cynders' cores. After she took down three of them, the remaining Cynders turned their focus on her, unleashing fiery blasts that tore through the rooftops.
But Nia was ready. She evaded each attack effortlessly, dancing through the air as she dodged the flames. In one fluid motion, she launched herself high above the burning rooftops, and with a sharp tug of her bowstring, she unleashed a barrage of energy arrows that rained down like a deadly storm. The arrows pierced through the fiery bodies of the Cynders, extinguishing their flames and neutralizing them in quick succession.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Once the threat was dealt with, Nia returned her bow to pure Enre and reabsorbed it into her body. She hovered above the buildings, scanning the area for any lingering fires. Spotting a few houses still ablaze, she raised her hand, summoning controlled gusts of wind to sweep over the flames, extinguishing them before they could spread.
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Kamari, Eli, and Leon moved together across the battlefield, taking down the lower-level Infernals—Orcs and Goblins. It was almost too familiar, a routine they’d repeated countless times. Eli, clearly bored, flicked arcs of lightning at a small horde of goblins, sending their charred remains tumbling to the ground without much thought.
As the last goblin fell, Eli yawned, stretching mid-fight like he had just woken up from a nap. Kamari caught sight of the yawn and, without meaning to, let one out himself.
He shot Eli an irritated look.
"Seriously? Quit yawning and focus."
"I can’t help it."
Eli yawned again—as if to prove the point.
Just then, Leon landed beside them, carried by a soft breeze. He glanced at Eli and, before he knew it, yawned, too.
"Why’s everyone yawning?"
Kamari, unable to resist, yawned again and rubbed his face.
"Enough! Both of you, stop."
Eli and Leon burst into laughter at Kamari’s frustration. Leon nudged Eli.
"Guess your laziness is contagious."
Kamari rolled his eyes.
Leon then surveyed the area, nodding in approval.
"Not bad, team. We did good."
Kamari smirked, but his gaze drifted toward the more significant battles further off.
"I would’ve liked a shot at one of the High Orcs, though."
Eli raised an eyebrow.
"You think you could take on a High Orc one-on-one?"
"Of course."
"Really? Sure, Byron and Malik make it look easy, but they’re in a whole different league. I mean, Byron’s the Phoenix Sacryn, for crying out loud. And Malik? He's not called the "Blue Devil" for no reason."
Kamari winced at the mention of Malik’s title.
"I’ve never liked that name. Makes him sound like some kind of monster."
Leon shrugged.
"It’s not bad. It strikes fear in the hearts of his enemies. It works. And he owns it."
Kamari was about to reply when a thunderous boom shook the battlefield. All three of them turned toward the source—the Leviathan. They watched in awe as a blast of lightning obliterated its massive head, and hovering in front of its collapsing form was Jermaine, surrounded by crackling energy. With a wave of his hand, he stopped the beast’s body from crashing into the village as though he’d caught it with an invisible force. In moments, the Leviathan’s body disintegrated into dust, vanishing into the wind like it had never been.
Kamari and Leon exchanged a look, then turned to Eli.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Eli asked.
Kamari sighed, shaking his head.
"Jermaine is so cool."
"Seriously, why can’t you be more like him?" Leon asked.
"Because one Jermaine is enough for this Realm."
Eli rolled his eyes and flipped them off with a lazy middle finger.
Kamari and Leon burst into laughter.
Unbeknownst to them, they were being observed from the shadows. Zaire watched them silently. His dark eyes followed Kamari’s every movement, but he kept his distance, especially with Jermaine still hovering in the sky. He knew better than to get too close.
Suddenly, Zaire's instincts flared with danger. Jermaine's gaze snapped sharply in his direction, his eyes narrowing as if he had caught a scent. Zaire's heart skipped a beat, and before Jermaine could zero in on him, Zaire melted deeper into the shadows.
Jermaine wasn't fooled. In a flash of lightning, he teleported in front of Zaire, and the moment their eyes met, Zaire vanished into the darkness. A brief but charged moment of recognition passed between them—Zaire's cold, calculating stare locking with Jermaine's fierce, glowing eyes before Zaire disappeared completely.
Jermaine hovered for a moment longer, scanning the shadows.
From below, Eli called out.
"Do you always have to show off, Unc?"
Jermaine, still fixated on the shadows, forced a smile.
"I can’t help it if I’m amazing. Do you get mad at the sun for being hot? It’s just the way it is."
Kamari chuckled, glancing at Eli.
"He’s got a point."
Eli immediately flipped off both Kamari and Leon once again. This time, Leon scratched his head as he walked away.
"Wait, why am I getting the middle finger? I didn't even say anything."
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Once the village of Iysal was clear of Infernals, the portal hummed back to life, this time delivering the Seraphim’s Search and Rescue Division. Clad in gleaming gold and white, they spread out quickly, heading for the emergency bunkers. One by one, the heavy doors creaked open, and the villagers began to emerge, blinking into the sunlight, grateful to be safe.
Byron stood nearby, overseeing the operation, when the village chief approached. Despite the damage—the scorched rooftops, the destroyed section of the village wall—most of Iysal had been saved, and the chief’s gratitude was written all over his face.
“You saved us. We will never forget this. Iysal is forever in your debt.”
Byron shook his head.
“No need for thanks. We’re just doing our job.”
The chief thanked them once more before hurrying off to tend to the villagers. As he disappeared into the crowd, Jermaine landed beside Nia with a thud. Without warning, he scooped her into a tight embrace.
“Come here, you.”
He grinned wide as he pulled her in for a dramatic kiss.
Nia giggled, her cheeks flushing slightly.
“Jermaine, calm down! This isn’t the time."
Jermaine shrugged, still holding her close.
“I don’t care. I missed you.”
He kissed her one last time before noticing Byron standing beside them. Clearing his throat, he set Nia down gently, the playful glint in his eyes fading as his face grew serious.
“I saw something. Zaire was here, hiding in the shadows, watching Kamari.”
Byron’s expression darkened, and Nia’s smile vanished.
“Zaire was here?” Nia asked.
Jermaine nodded.
“He slipped away before I could handle him.”
Byron’s jaw tightened as he pieced it together.
"He's trying to lure Kamari out. We need to keep him in Ceiala where we can protect him."
Nia chuckled softly, shaking her head.
"You should know Kamari better by now. He's not going to do that."
Jermaine nodded.
“You’d have a better chance convincing the sun not to rise.”
"For now, we will do the only thing we can do: watch him closely," Nia said.
Jermaine called out to Eli, who was chatting with Kamari and some of the local villagers.
Hey, I'm heading to the edge of the village to patch up that wall. The Ta'rai are swamped with rebuilding across the Realm, so we'll help until they arrive."
Eli waved him off lazily.
"Come on, Unc. You could fix that wall yourself in seconds. Why drag me into it?"
"True, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, I thought it’d be some good old-fashioned bonding time."
Leon, ever the troublemaker, nudged Eli with a smirk.
“Yeah, Eli. Bonding time.”
Eli rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath before reluctantly trailing after Jermaine. Kamari and Leon chuckled, watching as Eli dragged his feet, fully aware that Jermaine wouldn’t let him get out of it.