Darryl's eyes widened and he froze for a moment. Out of the corner of her eye, Ada saw Corgi's son's hands begin to shake frantically.

She was scared too, probably all the Equinox Flowers were, but Darryl's reaction was too unusual.

He was the oldest demigod in the Lilies Park, one of the few in all of history who had survived the age of twenty-five without stopping fighting.

Rutia's daughter searched his brown eyes for some clue, but saw only fear.

The terror that the boy exuded, however, did not seem to be due to the mysterious creatures themselves, but to what was connected to them.

Darryl stuttered, like a person going through his own personal nightmare. A faint voice left his lips, almost a whisper.

"Chronomorphs*."

As all eyes turned to him, the son of Corgi raised Shirei's hair and stared at him. His facial muscles pulled at his skin, causing his expression to change,

He knew him, Ada realized. Darryl knew why all this was happening and was aware of the reason for the appearance of those unknown creatures. It was Shirei's fault, but the demigoddess didn't know why.

"What?" Havel asked, taking a step back.

"Do I really have to explain this to you now?" Corgi's son replied rhetorically, "We must leave. Right away!"

Without wasting any more time, the four members of the Equinox Flowers closed in a circle, ready to defend themselves from the imminent assault of the dark creatures. With shoulders together, they prepared to fight, their eyes fixed on the enemies who approached with menacing steps.

The creatures charged, their twisted limbs writhing in unnatural motions as they prepared to overwhelm the demigods with their inhuman will. The leader of the Equinox Flowers did not lose heart and, brandishing his axes, responded to the cry of the dark invaders.

"Come on in!"

Darryl reached out to him, "Stop!"

But it was already too late. Havel went on the offensive.

The son of Sidal charged forward, releasing his bloodlust, and felled one of the creatures with a rising strike. The chronomorph howled, but its body collapsed to the ground only after several seconds, without producing any sound. When the sound of the smash had reached the ears of the demigods, Havel had already moved on to the next enemy. Ada took a quick look at her companions, then, with a deep breath, followed their leader.

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Rutia's daughter sprinted towards some creatures heading behind Havel. With one hand, she made an upward gesture and summoned the shadows, which condensed from the ground in the form of a flow of darkness.

Ada continued running in Havel's direction and knocked the creatures into the air, which seemed to be pushed back in slow motion, almost like when video animations were missing several frames.

The leader of the Equinox Flowers found himself in front of a chronomorph, who looked at him by tilting his head. His chapped skin gave off a terrifying stench as he stared at the demigod with a face devoid of visual organs.

Havel launched into the attack without wasting time, trying to anticipate and counter any reaction from his opponent. The chronomorph responded by opening its jaw at him and letting out a soundless scream. Ada dodged the other monsters' attacks with feline grace and counterattacked some of it as the battle turned into a show of dexterity. Havel managed to break through the chronomorph's defense, slicing it in half with the blade of his axe. Without waiting for a counterattack, he slashed through the air with deadly precision a second time. With a cry of triumph, he cut through the dark creature's heart, dissipating its essence into the atmosphere of the mortal world.

But the boy's victory was short-lived, as more chronomorphs approached, ready to avenge their fallen comrade.

It was then that an ambiguous event happened.

A high-pitched scream spread through the air and knocked Sidal's son away, landing a few meters away.

The chronomorphs were already upon him, and before he could defend himself, they advanced to strike him. Ada widened her eyes and immediately moved her arms in his direction, channeling the dark flow into a wave that hurled them away.

The demigod stood up unharmed, "Thank you," he said in a panting voice.

With his axes still soaked in the blood of his defeated opponents, Havel prepared for the next round of battle, determined to fight until his last breath.

The chronomorphs kept their distance from them, almost as if they were studying them.

Ada stood beside Havel and glanced behind her, where she saw Darryl running towards them.

What is happening? This is not our plan, she thought.

She turned to meet Havel's gaze to ask him what Corgi's son was doing.

The leader of the Equinox Flowers spat blood and doubled over, while countless claw marks appeared on his body. The armor he wore shattered under the sudden blows and the boy lost grip on his weapons. Ada held him, terrified, as Darryl gestured for them to move.

The chronomorphs suddenly disappeared and reappeared above them, ready to strike them completely. Darryl's flames set them on fire, but the bodies merely fell to the ground and rolled over.

Elaine and Corgi's son carried Shirei to them. Mardi's daughter held Havel as Ada screamed for what to do, her head a turmoil of emotions.

"Darryl! What do we do!? Darryl!"

Corgi's son ignored her for a second and placed a bleeding Havel on the ground, then turned to her. The chronomorphs disappeared again.

"A barrier of darkness, now!"

Ada didn't have to be told twice and she reacted instinctively, raising her hands as the magical energy flowed through her. A wave of power quickly spread from her fingertips upward, forming a midnight blue circle around the group. The chronomorphs charged at them, but darkness rained down from above, creating a dome that kept the demigods safe. For a moment, the boys held their breath as claws tried to create a breach. The barrier held, cracking slightly under the relentless pressure of the blows.

They were temporarily safe, however Rutia's daughter was annoyed by the inability to quantify that time.

In the dark reflection of the dome, she could sense the terror in the eyes of her companions. Their figures trembled slightly, a sign that her divine core was affecting her vision.

She wouldn't be able to maintain control of the darkness much longer.