The battlefield was quiet now, save for the soft crackling of the smoldering wreckage and the distant howling of the wind. The stench of charred flesh and molten metal hung heavy in the air, thick and suffocating. Larin, Tasi, and Ewin stood among the ruins, their bodies bloodied, their breath ragged. The adrenaline had long since faded, leaving only exhaustion in its wake.

Voro and Gunan were gone. The two warriors who had stood beside them, who had fought and bled for Xiaxo, were now part of the land. Their bodies had been buried in the Xiaxoan way, the spell of [Sinlung] ensuring their spirits would nourish the Sacred Land. Larin had stood over their graves, his fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms. The pain was distant. Numb. But the loss was a weight pressing down on his chest, suffocating and relentless.

The Kirati corpses were left where they fell, their weapons and armor stripped away. There was no honor in their deaths, no sacred rites for them. They were invaders, and the land would reclaim them in its own way. Fire would see to the rest.

Ewin wiped his face with a trembling hand, his fingers smearing blood and ash across his skin. "We loot whatever's useful, burn the rest," he said, his voice hollow.

Larin and Tasi moved without speaking. Rifles, spare mana cartridges, rations, medicine, and armor scraps—anything that could be salvaged was taken. Everything else was set ablaze. The fires roared, a cleansing inferno that reduced the battlefield to embers.

Only then did they turn to their final task.

The Mana Striders loomed before them, great mechanical beasts of war now lying in broken heaps. The Spellbreak Cannons, though damaged, were still a threat. They could not leave them intact.

Larin exchanged a glance with Ewin. "Layered spells?"

Ewin nodded, his gaze dark. "We make sure they never rise again."

Together, they wove their magic, combining their mana into a single devastating force.

Ewin raised his arms, summoning [Earth's Maw]. The ground trembled, deep cracks spiderwebbing across the battlefield as the soil shifted and heaved. The Mana Striders groaned as the earth beneath them softened, their massive frames sinking into the ground.

Tasi followed with [Crumbling Bind], an insidious spell that ate away at metal, rusting the striders' joints until they collapsed under their own weight. Their once-imposing figures crumbled, reduced to useless husks.

Larin placed the final touch. He cast [Veinburst], sending pulses of mana surging through the remnants of the Striders and Cannons, overloading their circuits. The machines jerked violently, their cores flickering erratically before detonating in bursts of blue fire.

The battlefield was finally still.

Larin let out a slow breath, his hands trembling. "It's done."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Tasi said nothing, her face unreadable.

Ewin, his shoulders slumped, turned away. "We lost two for this," he muttered, voice thick with guilt. "Damn it."

Larin had no answer. War didn't allow time for mourning.

They staggered toward the Tich River, stripping off their armor and washing the blood and grime from their skin. The cold water stung against their wounds, but it was grounding. A moment of stillness before the next storm.

Then the air changed.

A high-pitched screech cut through the night, followed by a deep, resonating hum. The river trembled beneath them.

Larin's head snapped up.

A warship emerged from the darkness, its cloaking technology peeling away to reveal sleek metallic plating. It moved with unnatural grace, gliding silently toward the wreckage of the Mana Striders.

Ewin cursed under his breath. "That's not Kirati."

Larin's stomach twisted. He knew that design. The curvature of the hull, the eerie glow of its engines.

It was Auquan.

His mind raced. Had Myrith and Lysara betrayed them? Had the Auquans sided with Kirat?

There was no time to think.

The warship's core shifted, and a deep, reverberating pulse filled the air.

Ewin's voice was sharp. "RUN!"

They bolted. Larin activated [Veilstep], flickering into the undergrowth. Ewin and Tasi followed, disappearing into the dense foliage as the warship's cannon erupted in a thunderous roar.

The battlefield they had just fought in was obliterated in an instant. The shockwave sent them tumbling through the forest, trees snapping like brittle twigs, dirt and debris showering down on them.

Larin coughed, pushing himself up from the ground. His ears rang, his vision blurred.

Through the smoke, figures emerged from the warship—Kirati soldiers, an entire battalion, moving in precise, disciplined formations.

Tasi clutched her side, her breath ragged. "What now?" she whispered.

Ewin pulled her up, his grip firm. "We keep moving."

But they knew the truth. They were cornered.

They sank into the shadows, waiting for the right moment.

Larin moved first.

He conjured [Chain Arc], a tendril of crackling energy lashing through the Kirati ranks. The spell leapt from soldier to soldier, their bodies convulsing violently before collapsing in smoking heaps.

Ewin followed up with [Stone Barrage], jagged shards of rock erupting from the ground, impaling enemy soldiers. Screams filled the night, blood pooling beneath shattered armor.

Tasi cast [Venom Spire], a twisting column of toxic mist that slithered through the battlefield. The gas melted through flesh and metal alike, leaving behind nothing but twisted, agonized corpses.

Gunfire tore through the trees. Mana bolts scorched the air.

Larin twisted away from an incoming [Blazing Lance], countering with [Echo Wave]. A concussive blast sent the enemy spellcaster flying, his body crumpling against a tree with a sickening crunch.

Ewin took a shot to the shoulder but kept moving, launching a [Gale Cutter] that cleaved a soldier clean in half.

Tasi cried out as a bullet grazed her thigh. She retaliated with [Frostbite Bloom], ice lancing up from the ground, freezing three soldiers before shattering them into jagged shards of bloodstained ice.

But they were slowing. Their bodies burned with exhaustion.

Ewin clenched his jaw. "They just keep coming!"

Larin wiped blood from his mouth.

"We change tactics," he said. "I'll lead them away."

Ewin turned to him, eyes hard. "You're not doing that."

Larin didn't waver. "I can keep going. The Sinlung Resonance refuels me. You and Tasi need rest."

Ewin stepped forward, shaking his head. "I can hold them off."

Larin grabbed his arm. "No, you can't. You know that." His voice was firm, unwavering. "You stay, you die."

Ewin's expression flickered. "Larin—"

"I will be fine," Larin interrupted. "I can escape."

Ewin studied him for a long moment, then finally, he nodded. "Make it count."

Larin grinned, despite the exhaustion clawing at his bones. "Always."

Then he turned, magic already crackling in his fingertips.

As the Kirati turned toward him, Larin unleashed hell.