Thursday, August 21, 1:15 AM, 3074 AE

Aurora City

BOOM!

The sound of a violent explosion shattered the silence of the night, followed by a piercing, monstrous roar that reverberated through the entire city. Blaze shot up from his bed, heart pounding, and made his way to the window. His vision filled with the unmistakable horrors that unfolded below, causing his blood to boil. Fire and chaos painted the streets, where towering figures loomed and cast dark shadows over Aurora City.

His grip tightened as he took in the sight, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "What the hell is going on?" he growled through clenched teeth. Flames flickered at his fingertips, matching the fury building within him. Without a moment's hesitation, he bolted outside, summoning his scythe. His weapon appeared, engulfed in the same fiery energy that now radiated off him, amplifying his already fierce presence.

Outside, the Kōsō swarmed in nightmarish forms, a mix of raptors and hulking dog-like creatures with feral eyes, all moving with an unsettling fluidity. Among them stood towering dragons, their scales glistening in dark hues, and earth-bound golems, their heavy steps rattling the ground with each movement. Each creature seemed to embody chaos, their primal energies consuming everything in their path.

Blaze’s gaze stayed fixed on the creatures tearing through the city. But he wasn’t alone for long.

In an instant, his sister, Lyria, and their ally Scarlett appeared at his side, their faces set with grim determination.

Lyria glanced at him, her expression a mix of concern and resolve. "What’s going on, brother?" she asked, her voice steady but laced with worry.

Blaze exhaled, his scythe gripped tightly in his hand. "I don’t know. But it looks like some kind of invasion." He gestured to the monstrous figures prowling through the streets. "Judging by how many Kōsō there are, this is no small-scale attack."

Scarlett smirked, undeterred by the carnage unfolding around them. She cracked her knuckles, her fiery confidence a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding them. "Heh, would you look at that? Training decided to come our way tonight. This is perfect. We can take down all these Kōsō and call it a night," she said, slamming her fist into her palm, sparks flying from the force.

Blaze’s eyes narrowed, his intense gaze shadowed beneath his hair as flames enveloped his scythe. "Yeah… let's get to it," he muttered, the weight of his rage pressing into each word. The flames around his weapon grew fiercer, mirroring his determination to obliterate each one of the monsters invading his home.

High above the city, a solitary figure observed the mayhem with calm, almost detached amusement. Aeloria hovered gracefully in the air, her silvery hair flowing around her like a halo of starlight. From her vantage point, she could see the whole city—Kōsō wreaking havoc across streets, sending people scattering in all directions.

“Ara, would you look at that,” she murmured to herself, her voice barely louder than a whisper yet carrying an undeniable edge of confidence. “Things are certainly getting... spicy down there." She noted the volume of Kōsō with a glimmer of interest in her gaze. "If they're attacking this city, they must be planning to launch full-scale assaults more often."

Her musings were interrupted by a thunderous roar. She turned her gaze downward to see a massive Kōsō lumbering toward her—a colossal, humanoid figure crafted from rock and earth. It towered above the city’s buildings, its body covered in patches of moss, and small plants grew from cracks in its rough skin. Every ponderous step it took made the ground tremble.

Aeloria cocked an eyebrow at the approaching beast. "Oh? What do we have here?" Her voice held an air of detached amusement. "A Class C, daring to challenge me?" She shook her head slightly, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "You're far too naive if you think you stand a chance."

Without a flicker of hesitation, Aeloria released a mere sliver of her Seiki energy, a quiet but powerful wave rippling out from her. The force struck the colossal figure head-on, causing it to stumble. Its rocky form began to shudder, cracks spiderwebbing across its massive body. With a final tremor, the creature’s form splintered and shattered, crumbling to the ground in a cascade of debris until it lay in pieces, lifeless and broken at her feet.

In another part of the embattled city, Kai and his team found themselves in the heart of the action, fending off a relentless wave of Kōsō, each one more twisted and fierce than the last. The night air crackled with tension, each shadow holding the possibility of another ambush.

Kai darted forward, eyes blazing with determination as he thrust his Ruyi Jingu Bang into the chest of a Kōsō, the impact causing an audible crunch. The creature let out a final screech before dissolving into nothingness. "What in the hell is going on here? Who let all these things into the city?" he spat, his voice carrying a mixture of fury and disbelief.

Riku, standing a few feet away, fired multiple bolts of lightning from his palms with swift precision, each strike mercilessly taking down another Kōsō. "I don’t know, but whoever did this is sure as hell gonna pay." His words were punctuated by a glint of anger in his eyes as his lightning bolts crackled, illuminating the area.

Nearby, Cassie took a step back, her brow furrowed as she surveyed the carnage around them. She extended her hand, and an orb of dense darkness materialized, growing in size as it engulfed several Kōsō at once, crushing them until only dust remained. "Do not be too rash, veil," she cautioned, her voice soft but steady. "Whoever orchestrated this must be confident in their power. They're not someone we should underestimate." Her warning hung in the air, sobering the group for a brief moment.

Suddenly, the ground trembled as a horde of Kōsō charged toward them from behind, their howls and snarls echoing ominously as they prepared to close in. But Kai didn’t hesitate. With a grin, he leapt into the fray, his Ruyi Jingu Bang elongating as he spun it rapidly, creating a vortex of energy around him. The spinning force grew stronger, whirling faster until it transformed into a mini-twister, sweeping up the Kōsō and sending them hurtling into the air. In a blur of motion, Kai struck each of them down, one by one, with pinpoint precision. The creatures didn’t stand a chance; they were annihilated before they even touched the ground.

Breathing heavily but still smiling, Kai lowered his staff. "From what I can tell, this feels less like an invasion… and more like a test."

"A test?" Riku asked, casting a sidelong glance at him as he scanned the area. "What do you mean, Kai?"

Kai shrugged, twirling his staff before resting it on his shoulder. "Haven't you noticed the types of Kōsō we're fighting? Their power levels—they’re all on the weaker end, Class E to Class C at most. If this were a real assault, they’d send something a lot stronger.”

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Riku's brows furrowed as realization dawned on him. "Now that you mention it… you’re right. It’s almost like they’re gauging our response… figuring out who’s here before unleashing something truly dangerous."

Cassie nodded, her voice calm but firm. "That does make sense, veil. The leader of this assault must be hiding somewhere, observing us… but I can’t sense their power, not even a trace."

Kai smirked, his playful, cocky side showing despite the gravity of the situation. "Well then, let them watch. If they’re hoping to get a show, we might as well give them one they’ll regret." His eyes flashed with determination. "But before that… we need to make sure the civilians are safe."

He turned to his team, his expression serious. "We should split up. We’ll cover more ground that way, and the faster we get the civilians to safety, the faster we can turn our focus to clearing out the rest of these Kōsō."

Riku cracked his knuckles, electricity sparking at his fingertips as he grinned. "Good idea. The sooner we can wipe out these pests, the sooner we’ll get to whoever’s pulling their strings."

Cassie’s gaze shifted toward the distant explosions that continued to light up the sky. "Stay cautious, veil. If the leader is watching us, they may try to draw us into a trap. Don’t let your guard down, not even for a second."

They exchanged nods, their resolve unwavering as they split off in different directions, each one determined to save as many civilians as possible. The city was shrouded in smoke and fire, but their silhouettes darted through the chaos, cutting down any Kōsō that crossed their paths. With every clash and every step, the group moved closer to securing the city, even as the ominous presence of a hidden foe loomed ever closer in the darkened sky above.

As Blaze, Lyria, and Scarlett carved through the mass of Kōsō, the ground beneath them seemed to pulse with the sheer number of creatures advancing relentlessly. The sky was streaked with fiery embers, casting an eerie glow over the crumbling cityscape.

“Blaze, how many Kōsō do you think there are?” Lyria shouted over the chaos, her voice laced with tension. "It's like the ground is covered in them.”

Blaze, slicing through another Kōsō with his scythe in one fluid motion, cast a sweeping gaze across the endless horde. “There have to be a few thousand,” he replied, his brow furrowing. “But… something’s off. They’re all identical, like carbon copies of each other.”

“What do you mean?” Scarlett yelled, ducking to avoid a snapping Kōsō with talon-like claws. She slammed a flaming fist into its chest, incinerating it instantly. “They look like the usual creeps to me!”

Blaze’s eyes narrowed as he parried an incoming attack, twisting his scythe to dispatch the creature in one strike. “It’s rare to see Kōsō with the exact same appearance. These were mass-produced, probably made just for this. Which means this whole attack is a test… they’re sizing us up.”

Lyria’s face darkened. “If that’s true, then they already know a lot about us. They’re just trying to learn more.” She held out her hand, channeling her Seiki until her palms glowed with golden light. “But if they’re so curious… let’s show them just how strong we are!”

Scarlett grinned, her eyes gleaming with excitement as flames wreathed her fists. “Now you’re speaking my language! Let’s light them up!”

With a wild yell, she launched herself high into the air, twisting as she descended with all her power focused on her fists. “Blazing Fist!” Her impact shook the ground, a torrent of flames exploding outward in a wave that disintegrated dozens of Kōsō in an instant, leaving a massive crater in the ground. Smoke and ash billowed up, blotting out the moon as the flames died down.

Blaze darted forward, his movements swift and precise as he wove between the Kōsō, dispatching them with controlled, deadly strikes. “Sun Strike!” he roared, forming a ball of flames in his hand and launching it directly into the crowd of creatures. The ball exploded on impact, consuming the Kōsō in a fiery blast that leveled a large part of the street, leaving nothing but charred remains.

Lyria watched, a slight frown creasing her forehead. “Are you sure we should be using attacks like this? We could level the entire city at this rate, and civilians—”

Blaze interrupted, his expression grim but resolute. “The civilians are safe. The majority have already evacuated, and our sensei can handle any structural repairs later.” He glanced at her, eyes steely with determination. “Right now, we need to take out as many of these things as we can.”

High above them, an ominous figure floated in the air, cloaked in shadows, her face hidden beneath a hood that shimmered faintly in the moonlight. Her lips twisted into a smirk as she observed the battle. “Echo Prime didn’t exaggerate,” she murmured, amusement flickering in her voice. “They’re as strong as he said… and more.”

She watched as Blaze’s fiery scythe tore through the Kōsō and as Scarlett unleashed her blazing punches. “And to think Ēteru no Eikō has finally chosen a vessel.” Her tone was filled with dark amusement. “She’s getting desperate, it seems.”

As the trio continued to decimate the Kōsō, only a few hundred remained. The figure raised a hand, the shadows around her swirling as she whispered in a voice as cold as the night air, “Now… it’s time to see if they can handle my final surprise.”

With a wave of her hand, she summoned a creature of midnight black, a panther-like beast that moved with an eerie grace, its fur shimmering as if made from liquid shadows. Its eyes glowed a fierce, unnatural green, and its entire body radiated a sinister energy. The figure looked down at it, her expression cold. “Now, why don’t you be a good boy… and tear those pests apart.”

The panther let out an ear-splitting roar, the sound reverberating through the city and reducing any remaining buildings to rubble, their structures collapsing in clouds of dust and debris. Its powerful limbs flexed as it prowled forward, each step creating tremors that rippled through the streets.

Blaze, Lyria, and Scarlett turned toward the source of the sound, expressions hardening as they locked eyes with the beast advancing toward them.

“Blaze… that thing…” Lyria’s voice was barely a whisper, her eyes wide.

“I feel it too,” he muttered, gripping his scythe tighter. “It’s not like the others. This one’s been enhanced, far beyond the usual Class C. Whoever sent it knows exactly what they’re doing.”

Scarlett cracked her knuckles, a fierce grin breaking across her face as flames ignited around her hands. “Finally, a real challenge. Let’s send this kitty crawling back to its master!”

The panther lunged, its massive body a blur as it closed the distance between them. Blaze reacted instantly, swinging his scythe in a sweeping arc, but the panther twisted mid-air, evading the blade with almost supernatural agility. It landed with a heavy thud, its glowing eyes trained on them, calculating.

Lyria stepped forward, hands raised covered in golden light. “Stay sharp. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

The panther charged again, its claws extended, and Scarlett met it head-on, her fists engulfed in flames as she punched forward. Their clash sent shockwaves through the air, flames meeting shadow in a dazzling display. But the panther was relentless, dodging her attacks with effortless speed before retaliating with a swipe that narrowly missed her.

Blaze launched himself forward, his scythe trailing flames as he aimed for the creature’s core. “Nova Slash!” His scythe connected, and a burst of fire erupted, engulfing the panther in flames that exploded afterward. For a moment, it looked like they had the upper hand—until the flames dissipated to reveal the panther, unharmed, its translucent body reforming as shadows coalesced.

“This isn’t going to be easy,” Blaze gritted out, feeling the weight of the battle pressing down on him.

The figure above smirked, her voice drifting down to them, barely audible over the chaos. “Let’s see if you can survive this.”

As the panther lunged at them once more, the trio stood their ground, ready to give it everything they had.