The sun glared down on the battlefield like a blinding spotlight, its unforgiving heat reflecting off the metal weapons and armor of the fighters. Dust swirled in the air, mingling with the scent of blood and sweat. The Pact Games had begun, and all hell was about to break loose.
Voira’s jet-black hair clung to her face, slick with sweat as she surveyed the battlefield. Her blue eyes, sharp as a predator’s, locked on the distant Drakonis flag, nestled at the far end. This was no ordinary game; it was a blood-soaked deathmatch, a brutal struggle where only the strongest survived. The Drakonis Pact was out here to win, and Voira wasn’t about to let her team down. Xyra was absent. Suspiciously absent. Voira didn’t need a reason to trust her though. Xyra had dipped out, likely working her own angles, operating from her domain: the *Chains of Fate*. That’s where she could see bits of the future, read the minds of those in battle, and guide her team like a puppeteer pulling strings. Adrian had taught her how to access the domain—no small feat for a Dhampir like Xyra. But Voira knew Xyra was good for it; her absence meant she was watching, waiting.
Voira, a High Elf from one of the most revered bloodlines, had long ago traded nobility for the thrill of battle. Today, she wasn’t just a warrior—she was a predator hunting prey. She adjusted her grip on her vibroblade, the edge humming with deadly energy. Around her, the battlefield roared with violence, a symphony of death and destruction. Plasma guns whined, drones hovered like mechanical vultures, and the dull thud of mana-charged explosives shook the ground.
“Rhea, Bree, Aislin,” Voira growled, her voice hard like the steel of her blade. “We move on my mark. You see any of those Umbrus motherfuckers? You know what to do—ain’t no coming back if you hesitate.”
Rhea, the Kenku, twitched her beak nervously but gave a curt nod. The black feathers on her armor shimmered under the sun. She wasn’t built for this kind of violence, not mentally anyway. But she’d grown up on the streets, and in the streets, hesitation meant death. Today was no different.
Rhea wasn’t here to fight head-on—her job was recon, stealth, and fast kills. Her vibrodaggers were light but deadly, cutting through armor and flesh like butter. “Shit gon’ get messy out there,” she muttered, her voice barely audible over the sounds of combat in the distance.
“Keep your eyes sharp, Rhea,” Voira snapped. “We need you on lookout. Ain’t nobody sneaking up on us today.”
Bree, the Human, was practically bouncing with energy. Her plasma gun rested easily in her hands, and her eyes gleamed with excitement. She lived for this kind of bloodshed. The Pact Games weren’t just about victory—they were about domination, and Bree wanted to leave a trail of bodies in her wake.
“Ain’t nobody stoppin’ me,” Bree sneered, tightening her grip on her weapon. “I’mma put these fools in the ground if they even try it.”
“You focus on the objective,” Voira shot back. “Kill if you gotta, but we’re here to win the game. Don’t lose sight of that.”
Bree smirked, her fingers twitching on the trigger. “I can do both.”
Aislin, cool and calculating, was the brains of the group. She was human like Bree, but there was an almost otherworldly coldness to her. While the others thrived in the chaos of battle, Aislin found her strength in the puzzles that guarded the flags. Each flag was surrounded by traps—advanced mana locks, shifting platforms, and energy shields. It wasn’t just a brawl; it was a deadly mind game.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“I’ll handle the puzzles,” Aislin said quietly, her gaze unwavering as she scanned the battlefield. “You handle the bloodshed.”
Voira nodded. “Good. Just don’t get us blown up in the process.”
The signal to begin screamed across the battlefield like a war cry. The arena exploded into chaos. Soul weapons materialized in brilliant bursts of energy, drones whirred overhead, and automated mechs clanked through the wreckage. The scene resembled a gang war more than a glorified game. Voira and her crew sprinted into the fray, all guns blazing.
Voira slashed through an Umbrus Pact member with her laser sword, blood spraying across the sand. Behind her, Bree cleaved through enemies with her vibroaxe, every swing brutal, every hit lethal. Plasma guns fired, drones clashed in mid-air, and explosions rocked the battlefield.
“Move! We ain’t got all day!” Voira barked, slicing down another opponent, her blade cutting through armor like butter.
Suddenly, things shifted. The Umbrus Pact made their move. Cloaked figures emerged from the shadows, led by none other than Selene, who was brandishing their emblem. The traitor.
“Fucking knew it,” Voira growled, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto Selene.
Before Selene could strike, Xyra's chains manifested out of nowhere, wrapping around Selene in a flash. Xyra had reappeared from her domain, her eyes glowing with eerie focus. She had sacrificed her *Chains of Fate* to time-skip her sister, saving her from Selene’s treachery.
“I’ve got this,” Xyra muttered, stepping forward, her soul weapon—a chain-linked whip—snapping to life.
But Ennuy, from Umbrus, wasn’t going down without a fight. His scythe materialized in his hands, the weapon crackling with dark energy as he lunged at Xyra. Adrian, ever the strategist, intercepted, his soul weapon—a gleaming, impenetrable armor—blocking the attack. But as the clash continued, Charm leaped in front of Adrian, allowing him to make another strike.
Xyra, unfazed, summoned her chains once more. They wrapped around Ennuy, electrifying him in place. The shock pulsed through him, his body spasming in pain. But Frostie, from Umbrus, quickly froze the chains, halting their effects.
“Nice try,” Frostie sneered.
Xyra wasn't done yet. She summoned more chains, wrapping them around the ice-covered Ennuy. The chains vibrated as she began a low chant, preparing to bind him permanently. But with a roar, Ennuy broke free, shattering the ice into deadly shards that scattered across the battlefield, cutting down anyone in their path.
The air grew thick with tension as Adrian's reflective armor nullified Ragdoll’s attempt to switch places with Xyra.
“I did my research on all y’all,” Adrian said smugly, his soul weapon glowing. “Your tricks won’t work on me.”
Aether, not one to back down, used his void magic to teleport Adrian away, but Adrian returned moments later, emerging from a portal with the Valefar flag in hand. Celesse dropped to her knees in defeat, her familiar, the basilisk Mortis, retreating as it had successfully paralyzed Rhea and Aislin.
Everything seemed lost until Xyra grabbed Ennuy's scythe, electricity sparking between them as Ennuy tried to land a killing blow. But something in him faltered. He saw Xyra as a threat, yet he couldn’t finish her off. With a grunt of frustration, Ennuy unsummoned his scythe, untransforming from his demon form and surrendering. Xyra’s chains wrapped around him, binding him.
Payback, covered in blood, approached Xyra and handed her the Umbrus Pact flag. Morwen, their leader, was dead, and Payback had killed her himself.
Adrian, still smug, unsummoned his armor. "I forfeit," he said, tossing the flag to Xyra with a sly grin. "GG."
Xyra caught the flag and nodded. “GG,” she muttered, watching as Adrian flashed a deuce sign and disappeared from the battlefield.
With the Umbrus Pact conquered and the Valefar flag in her hand, Xyra turned her attention to her fallen teammates, rushing to tend to Rhea and Aislin, who were struggling to breathe.