The air in every terrain turned cold, sharp, and strangely silent. The beasts that had once filled these corrupted lands were gone, erased in flashes of power. Now only the sound of breathing, moving dust, and echoing footsteps remained. Each hero understood immediately, what stood before them was not ally or savior. It was something else. Something dangerous.
---
First Terrain
Yera'el stood amidst the thick mist, her spectral veils fluttering softly with the faint sound of her melody. Her face looked both divine and haunting, eyes like calm blue waters that hid a storm within. As a siren, she was beautiful beyond compare, yet there was something ghostly about her, her presence carried sorrow and madness in equal measure.
Without warning, the song she hummed shifted pitch. The ground shuddered, and water gathered into the air around her, swirling like blades. Then, with a flick of her hand, a massive torrent burst forward , five sharp waves cutting toward Iria, Deigo, Lila, Darius, and Anya all at once.
"Move!" Lila shouted.
Everyone scattered, diving and rolling away as the crashing water slammed into the earth behind them, leaving long scars across the terrain. The impact was so heavy that droplets still hung in the air, glimmering faintly like shards of glass.
Deigo straightened, swinging his synth axe. "Well, doesn't feel like an ally, does she?"
The group regrouped quickly, circling around Yera'el as fire, light, ice, and energy began to flicker around her.
As Yera'el tilted her head slightly, her voice soft yet echoing through the mist.
"Five against one?" she whispered, almost playfully. "That doesn't seem fair."
At her words, thick mist began to rise from the ground. Within seconds, vision was lost. The world around them dissolved into white haze, and all they could hear was her voice , distant, yet all around.
"Let's stay together!" Darius called out.
But it was already too late. Each of them was isolated, the mist swallowing their voices. When the white fog thinned slightly, each one saw her, Yera'el, standing right in front of them.
Lila raised her sword, both fire and water swirling around her blade. She slashed forward, flames cutting through the mist, but Yera'el's form dissolved into vapor, reforming behind her. A whip of water lashed toward her back, but Lila twisted, blocking it with her blade, sending out a wave of boiling steam.
Nearby, Iria's radiant beam of light tore through the fog, yet every time it hit Yera'el, the body simply turned into water. "Is she… real?" Iria murmured, confused and tense.
Deigo slammed his axe into the ground, releasing a burst of energy, the shockwave clearing the mist around him for a moment. "She's fast, that's what she is!"
Yera'el appeared again, her melody rising, making the air shimmer. For a moment, Darius felt dizzy, seeing an illusion of his younger self , weak, desperate, failing. He bit his lip, snapping out of it, and swung his shovel with a burst of fire, breaking through the false image.
Anya, calm but cold, spun her broadsword in both hands, ice crystals forming a circle around her before she thrust forward, sending frozen spikes toward Yera'el. They hit her directly, but again, her body broke into mist, then reformed nearby, unharmed.
Each of them struck again and again, their teamwork slowly improving even while separated, their instincts leading their movements. Bit by bit, they forced her movements into a corner, until finally, each attack struck true ,slashes of light, bursts of fire, freezing winds, and crashing energy struck Yera'el's form.
Her body shimmered, cracking with faint light, and then dissolved completely into mist.
The group paused, breathing heavily. For a moment, silence.
Then…"Lila…"
A voice, faint yet close, whispered her name.
Lila froze. Her eyes widened, face draining of color. She turned around slowly, her sword trembling slightly.
And what she saw made her stop breathing entirely.
---
Second Terrain
The moment the last beast fell, Tzarkhul didn't hesitate. His molten eyes flared as he raised his four arms, each glowing with a different elemental color.
"Fireball," he growled , his first hand launching a flaming orb. "Water bullet." A burst of pressurized liquid followed. "Earth's fury. Wind slash."
Four attacks, four elements, all aimed precisely at Caelus, Hugo, Elric, and Rosa.
They barely managed to dodge, rolling and sliding across the uneven bone-covered terrain. Each attack hit the ground with terrifying power, exploding into fire, shards, and waves of force.
When they finally steadied themselves, Tzarkhul was gone from sight , until he appeared right in front of Elric.
His massive, molten fist came crashing forward, but before it could land, Caelus was already there. Sword drawn. The blade of Dreams of the Fallen Leaf clashed against the molten metal, sending sparks in every direction.
The two pushed against each other, man against monster.
Elric jumped back, eyes wide. Caelus gritted his teeth, twisting his sword to deflect the punch, sending the force sideways.
"Now!" he shouted.
Hugo fired an arrow that glowed faintly with wind energy, slicing through the air and drawing Tzarkhul's attention away. The infernal blacksmith turned his burning eyes toward the archer, momentarily distracted.
Caelus used the chance to pull Elric back. "Be careful," he said sharply. "He doesn't seem like someone who'll stop."
Elric nodded quietly, clutching his rod tighter. "Understood."
They regrouped, Hugo keeping distance, Rosa circling to flank. Caelus and Elric took the front, alternating between blade and rod.
Fire and water met in constant bursts, Tzarkhul's corrupted elements clashing with Elric's pure wind spells. Hugo constantly attacking him with suprise and distracting him time to time. The ground shook under every impact. Slowly, their coordination began to wear him down, cutting through his smoky armor.
But Tzarkhul didn't bleed. His wounds only oozed molten smoke.
Finally, he growled, frustration flickering in his molten chest. "You with the bow."
Before anyone could react, he vanished, reappearing midair in front of Hugo, fist already moving. Hugo twisted aside, the wind from the punch slicing the skin near his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Tch, close one!" Hugo muttered, stepping back.
Caelus appeared behind Tzarkhul, swinging his sword. But two of Tzarkhul's other arms reached back, grabbing the blade in a molten grip, without looking back.
The pressure was immense. Caelus felt his sword shake under the force.
"Not bad," Tzarkhul muttered, "but still"
Before he could finish, Caelus planted both feet on Tzarkhul's back and kicked off with full force, freeing his sword from the molten grip. He landed a few meters back, panting, a grin forming.
"This isn't going to be easy," he said under his breath, raising his sword again.
Tzarkhul cracked his neck, flames spilling from the gaps in his armor. "Good," he replied quietly. "I would've been disappointed otherwise."
---
Third Terrain
The forest was alive , not with beasts this time, but with movement that came from nowhere and everywhere.
Chains lashed through the air, wrapping around trees, cutting through roots, smashing the ground. Every sound echoed like metal serpents hunting unseen.
Lucien's crystallized flame spear burned bright, his blue fire dancing wildly as he spun it to deflect chains flying toward him and Lunis. The wolf moved alongside him, as thier wild instinct guided them.
Adrian stood back-to-back with Adriana, sword flashing as he blocked chain after chain. Even though he could see glimpses of the near future, the chains' speed and unpredictability made it impossible to protect everyone.
"Focus on yourself!" Lucien called, his voice steady.
Adrian nodded, narrowing his eyes as another chain lunged forward , but before it struck, Adriana swung her hammer, its weight redirecting midair.
Her ability , Redirect.
Each time a chain struck her hammer, she twisted her magic, forcing the hammer to change direction with incredible speed, deflecting attacks. Her control was rough, her arms trembling with effort, but she was adapting fast.
"Good!" Lucien shouted. "Keep it that way!"
They held their ground, unable to attack yet but refusing to fall.
The chains kept coming , faster, harder, but now they were deflecting them with rhythm, slowly learning how Zhyra moved.
For now, patience was their best weapon. They couldn't win by rushing. They had to wait, for one mistake.
---
Fourth Terrain
Gor'Mak's molten eyes flickered as he turned toward the heroes.
"Next order," his deep, metallic voice rumbled. "Eliminate the outsiders."
His massive feet cracked the ground beneath him as he charged.
Alex stepped forward, gripping his colossal pickaxe tight. Roland moved to protect Clara and Sera, both of whom were already preparing spells.
Gor'Mak roared, the sound alone enough to send shockwaves that pushed them all back. Alex planted his feet, pushing forward against the pressure, and swung his weapon with full strength.
The impact sparked violently, but Gor'Mak didn't even flinch. His molten veins pulsed faintly, the hit leaving no mark.
He raised one massive arm and swung it downward. Alex barely dodged, the blow slamming into the ground and shaking the entire terrain. The shockwave almost threw him off balance.
Before Gor'Mak could follow up, Sera thrust her hand forward. Roots burst from the corrupted ground, wrapping around his arm and holding it just long enough for Alex to escape.
"Good one!" Alex shouted.
But Gor'Mak tore through the roots easily, molten light dripping from the broken vines. His movements were slow, yet each swing of his arm was like a cannon. Every impact threatened to crush the ground beneath them.
Roland stayed close to Clara and Sera, fending off debris and protecting them from stray strikes.
Their attacks hit again and again, but nothing worked. Gor'Mak's body was a fortress, molten, unbreakable.
"We can't hurt him…" Sera whispered.
"Then we find a way," Alex said, panting, eyes narrowing. "Everything's got a weak point. We just need to find his."
And so they waited, carefully watching his movements, searching for even a single flaw.
---
Fifth Terrain
The ground cracked beneath Rynara's feet as she turned toward the heroes, her grin wild and full of thrill.
"Please," she said, her eyes glowing brighter, "make it worth my time. Make sure I have fun."
Her fists ignited with red energy as she charged.
Tovern, Doran, and Rok met her head-on, matching her speed and intensity. Each punch she threw detonated like an explosion, the shockwaves echoing across the field.
Doran's molten hammer clashed against her claws, sparks flying. Rok spun his crowbar with wind and sand swirling around him, deflecting her strikes. Tovern, with his gauntlets, met her blows directly, laughing between each hit.
"You call that power?!" Tovern yelled.
Rynara grinned wider, blood trickling from her lip. "Not yet."
Their fight was chaos. Each hit was a storm. Neither side relented, and neither seemed tired. It was not just battle , it was competition. A wild test of strength and pride.
Movern and Gepa stood at a distance, watching carefully, ready to step in if things turned too dangerous.
"Are they fighting or enjoying themselves?" Gepa muttered.
Movern sighed lightly, watching the carnage. "Both."
Rynara's laughter echoed through the ruined field as she clashed with the three once again, shockwaves spreading across the land.
This wasn't just a fight, it was a joy of war.
---
And somewhere far within the ruins, someone whispered again,
"…So, they've begun."