At the death of their commander, something shifted among the remaining demons assailing Xain and Clara. The moment Reaver's headless body hit the ground, they froze mid-charge, their weapons trembling in their hands. One by one, they turned to glance behind them—as if needing to confirm whether their leader had truly fallen. When they saw the massive corpse lying still and silent, the change was instant. The imps and drakorath dropped their weapons outright, while the sharaykthun clung to theirs but began slithering back all the same. Then panic took hold. Every last one of them broke and ran, fleeing in a desperate scramble down the streets, their howls fading into the distance.
Xain let out a long, shaky breath, bracing his hands on his knees. "Holy crap… we did it," he said, half in disbelief, before glancing toward Annabel. "Well—she did it. But still, I'm just glad we won." Clara nodded beside him, the fiery staff in her hands flickering out and vanishing. "M-me too… that was s-scary," she said, her voice trembling. The adrenaline that had carried her through the fight was wearing off fast, and her body began to shake uncontrollably. Xain noticed it immediately. "Wait—Clara, was this your first time in an actual fight?" he asked, his tone a mix of surprise and disbelief.
She gave a small, shaky nod. "Y-yeah… I've had training, since my father's the margrave, but… that was the first time I've ever…" Her voice broke as she trailed off.
Xain rested a steadying hand on her shoulder, his tone softening. "Hey… that was a lot. What you're feeling right now—it's normal," he said gently. "Just breathe with me, Clara. I'm right here with you." She nodded, clutching his hand where it rested on her shoulder, and followed his breathing until the trembling slowly began to ease.
Meanwhile, Edluar slid his sword back into its sheath, exhaling through his nose. "I thought that was going to be a challenge for you," he said to Annabel, eyeing Reaver's body. "Really glad it wasn't." Annabel let out a small chuckle. "Glad you're being so honest," she replied, her tone light before she turned toward the guards.
The soldiers were battered, exhausted, and bloodstained—but alive. The courtyard was littered with the fallen, yet most still stood. Relief and grief mingled in equal measure across their faces. Annabel and Edluar approached the two knights and the guard commander. "I can see that everyone is not okay, so I won't ask that," Annabel said bluntly. "But are you still… functional? Can you move, fight if needed?"
Calvinel gave a weary nod. "I'm fine. Nothing happened to me. But, well…" His eyes drifted toward Bryanard, who was gripping his side with one arm. "I can move," the old knight said, his tone strained, "but fighting might take a little longer."
By then, Xain and a recovering Clara had joined them. "Sorry for not getting here quicker," Xain said, guilt heavy in his voice. "If we had, maybe fewer people would be—" He stopped short, swallowing the rest.
The guard commander holstered his weapons, removed his cap, and gave a respectful bow. "You have no reason to apologize," he said firmly. "If you could have come sooner, you would have. You saved us regardless, and for that, I thank you—all of you." His voice carried no resentment, only gratitude.
"Yeah, Xain," Edluar added, crossing his arms. "No point feeling sorry for what could've happened."
Xain nodded slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know… it just feels bad, that's all," he muttered.
"Y-you're so strong, Annabel," Clara said, her voice steadier now though still tinged with awe. Annabel held up a hand. "Please," she said simply. "Save the praise for after we get back."
The guard commander turned toward them, brow furrowed. "Get back?" he asked, still catching his breath. He hadn't been told any of their plans—the fighting had given him no chance to ask.
"Well, we came here to get you so that we can gather all the guards and regroup to put up a proper defense," Calvinel explained, sliding his greatsword back into its sheath.
Bryanard nodded. "We'll be taking you and your men to the coliseum—it's the most secure place in the city right now."
"With her magic, Quincy turned the arena into a fortress," Xain added, his tone steady but urgent. "But a fortress still needs people to defend it."
"So, will you come with us now?" Edluar asked, motioning in the direction of the coliseum.
The commander hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Of course. You saved our lives, and most of the city's people are already there—it's the best place to make a stand. Wait here; I'll gather my men." He turned and strode off to relay the orders.
As the group watched him go, Calvinel glanced at the others. "By the way, why did you four come here anyway?"
"We came because Annabel killed every demon where we were," Edluar replied, pointing at her.
Annabel crossed her arms, eyeing Xain and Clara. "I, for one, was quite surprised to see you two here."
"I came because Xain felt like you would need help," Clara said to Calvinel and Bryanard.
"Well, he wasn't wrong," Bryanard muttered, giving Xain a look that was half grateful, half exhausted.
Xain scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle. *If only they knew who told me to help them.*
The guard commander soon returned, voice sharp and decisive. "My guards are ready to move."
"Okay then, let's—" Calvinel began, but the rest of his words were drowned out by a deep, thunderous crack.
Everyone's heads snapped toward the sound. One of the towering guard posts in the residential district of the southern part of the city, was collapsing. Its massive frame tilting and breaking apart as it fell toward the cluster of homes that was somewhere below it.
"Damn it—!" Bryanard started, but both Annabel and Clara had already raised their hands, magic flaring as they prepared to blast the tower apart before it could crush the buildings and the people most likely hiding inside them.
But before they could release their spells, the tower itself began to shred apart. Invisible blades sliced through its structure in a blur, turning the heavy timbers and stone into massive fragments that were cut again, and again, and again, each strike too fast to follow. Within moments, the collapsing tower disintegrated into clouds of dust and debris that drifted harmlessly through the air.
Everyone froze, wide-eyed. The sudden silence that followed was deafening.
Xain's voice broke through it, quiet, stunned. "What... just happened?"