Outside the shimmering dome that encased the Summit, the front guards fought with desperate ferocity, their blades flashing in the dim light of a blood-red sunset. Raven, the grizzled captain of the guard, stood at the forefront, his gauntlets a blur as he carved through the onslaught of sky monsters. His armor was battered, streaked with ichor, but his eyes burned with unyielding resolve.
The other guards, hardened Balancers trained to wield their immense strength, manned the great crossbows—each one towering as tall as Raven himself. They loosed bolts the size of spears, each one punching through the hides of the winged beasts with devastating precision.
Xin sprinted toward the entrance, his boots pounding against the stone path that led to the Summit's gate. His heart thundered in his chest, not from exertion but from the sheer chaos unfolding before him. As he crested the final rise, the sight that greeted him stole his breath. Piles of monster corpses littered the ground, their twisted forms oozing dark blood that steamed in the cooling air. Claws, scales, and jagged wings were strewn across the battlefield, a testament to the guards' relentless defense. Yet, the sky was far from clear. More creatures descended, their silhouettes blotting out the fading light like a plague of locusts.
"Xin!" Raven's voice cut through the din, sharp and commanding. "Get to the dome! We need your strength!"
Xin nodded, his jaw tight, and pushed forward. The dome, a translucent barrier of arcane energy, shimmered faintly under the relentless assault of the monsters. Claws raked against its surface, leaving trails of sparks, while winged beasts dove and slammed into it, their screeches reverberating through the air. Xin's role as a B-rank hunter gave him the power to maintain the dome's integrity, but it was a taxing effort. His mind was a battlefield of its own, stretched thin by the constant strain of holding the barrier together while healing the wounded within its bounds.
One of the Balancers, a towering figure named Kael, thrust a bow into Xin's hands. "Take this!" he barked, his voice rough from shouting orders. "It's strong enough for a B-rank like you. Make it count!"
Xin gripped the bow, its weight unfamiliar but reassuring. He wasn't proficient with ranged weapons, his skills leaned toward ether manipulation and healing, but the bow thrummed with latent power, crafted to channel the strength of a hunter like him. He nocked an arrow, feeling the energy pulse through the weapon, amplifying his own. The guards around him were a whirlwind of motion, their crossbows firing in rhythmic salvos. Each bolt found its mark, tearing through wings and shattering skulls, but the monsters kept coming, an endless tide of fury.
Reinforcements poured in from the Summit's interior, soldiers clad in reinforced armor, their faces grim but determined. They formed a defensive line, swords and spears at the ready, as the sky monsters pressed their attack. Raven was a beacon amidst the chaos, his blades weaving a deadly dance. A beast with a serpentine neck and razor-sharp talons dove toward him, but he sidestepped with preternatural grace, severing its head with a single stroke. The creature's body crashed to the ground, adding to the growing pile of corpses.
Xin took position near the gate, his eyes scanning the battlefield. He raised the bow, drawing the string taut, and aimed at a creature circling above. Its wings were tattered, but it moved with terrifying speed. He loosed the arrow, and it streaked through the air, glowing faintly with the arcane energy he'd infused into it. The shot went wide, grazing the beast's flank but failing to bring it down.
"Damn it!" Xin cursed under his breath, frustration boiling in his chest.
Why is this happening? The thought clawed at his mind, a mix of exhaustion and desperation.
The Summit was never attacked like this. Why now? Why this relentless assault?
He shook off the doubt and refocused. His primary duty was the dome. He raised his left hand, fingers splayed, and locked onto a wounded soldier limping back toward the gate. The man's arm was gashed, blood soaking his sleeve, but Xin's healing ether surged through the connection. A soft glow enveloped the soldier, knitting flesh and staunching blood. As long as Xin could lock onto someone within the dome's radius, he could heal them, no matter how dire their wounds. But those outside the barrier—Raven and the front guards—were beyond his reach. He could only watch as they fought, their lives hanging on every swing of their blades.
Another wave of monsters descended, their cries splitting the air. Xin nocked another arrow, his hands steadier this time. He locked onto a soldier within the dome, a young woman named Lila, whose leg was pinned under a fallen beast. He channeled his ether, healing her from afar, then turned his attention to the sky. A massive creature, its wingspan blotting out the stars, dove toward the gate. Xin drew the bowstring, pouring his strength into the shot. The arrow flew true, embedding itself in the beast's chest. It shrieked, spiraling downward, and crashed into the ground with a bone-rattling thud.
The soldiers cheered, but the reprieve was brief. More monsters filled the sky, their numbers seemingly endless. Xin's mind strained under the dual burden of maintaining the dome and healing the wounded. His vision blurred at the edges, a sign of overexertion, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on. The dome flickered briefly as a particularly massive beast slammed into it, its claws scraping against the barrier like nails on glass. Xin poured more energy into the spell, stabilizing the dome, but the effort left him dizzy.
"Hold the line!" Raven shouted, his voice hoarse but unwavering. He was a whirlwind of steel, beating down beasts with relentless precision. The Balancers at the crossbows worked in tandem, their bolts tearing through the air. One of the great crossbows jammed, and a Balancer named serva cursed, wrenching at the mechanism with his immense strength. The weapon roared back to life, loosing a bolt that skewered two monsters at once.
Xin's arrows flew with increasing accuracy, each shot infused with his arcane power. He felled a beast with a single shot to its eye, then another through its heart. But the tide showed no sign of slowing. The soldiers were tiring, their movements growing sluggish. Raven's armor was dented, his breaths ragged, but he fought on, a pillar of defiance against the onslaught.
Xin locked onto another soldier, a man whose chest was slashed open, and healed him just as the man collapsed. His mind screamed with the effort, the dome's energy wavering again. He couldn't keep this up forever. The monsters were relentless, their numbers overwhelming. He loosed another arrow, aiming for a flying beast with jagged wings. The shot missed, sailing harmlessly into the sky. "Damn it!" he growled, the words escaping through clenched teeth. The frustration burned, but he had no time to dwell on it.
A sudden roar shook the ground, and Xin's heart sank. A colossal monster, larger than any they'd faced, emerged from the clouds. Its scales glinted like obsidian, and its eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence. The soldiers faltered, their resolve shaken by the sheer size of the creature. Raven, undaunted, raised his gauntlets and charged, shouting a battle cry that rallied the others.
Xin's hands trembled as he nocked another arrow. He locked onto Raven, wishing he could heal him, but the captain was too far outside the dome. Instead, he poured everything into the shot, channeling his remaining strength into the bow. The arrow glowed white-hot, streaking toward the colossal beast. It struck true, embedding deep in the creature's neck. The monster roared, thrashing in pain, but it didn't fall.
The soldiers rallied, their weapons flashing in the dim light. The Balancers fired their crossbows, bolts raining down on the beast. Raven leapt onto its back, driving his gauntlets into its hide. The creature bucked, nearly throwing him off, but he held fast, carving deep wounds with every strike.
Xin's vision swam, his knees buckling. The dome flickered again, and he dropped to one knee, gasping for breath. He couldn't fail now. Not when Raven and the others were fighting so fiercely. He raised his hand, locking onto another wounded soldier, and forced his ether to flow. The dome stabilized, its glow steadying.