Episode 8 — Triple Threat
Cold Open — The Siege Begins
The last battle still burned in Xavier's bones.
Flashes of memory ripped through his mind like lightning:
— The Inferno Basilisk's death scream.
— His HUD flashing LEVEL 10.
— The molten-eyed Cloaked Hunter whispering through the void:
"Four lieutenants remain."
Then came the storm.
EXT. CITY SKYLINE — DAWN
The sun tried to rise — but the day was already lost to smoke. Plumes curled upward from the horizon like black claws clutching at the sky. Guild sirens wailed in the streets below, a mournful chorus over the chaos.
Civilians poured into the streets, fleeing toward the fortified inner gates. Hunters ran in the opposite direction, armor clanking, weapons drawn.
Guild Comms (static-laced, urgent):
"Warning! Three lieutenant-class mana signatures detected inside the city! All available Hunters mobilize immediately!"
The comm line crackled — then a roar ripped through the feed, so loud Xavier felt it in his chest more than his ears.
Act 1 — The Three Arrive
They came from every direction.
From the northern gate, the Frostfang Chimera burst through the shattered portcullis. Its lion's frame was wrapped in frost like crystal armor. Its eagle wings beat heavy gusts of frigid air, and the serpent tail behind it hissed, each scale glistening with icicles. One breath turned cobblestone streets into frozen glass.
From the rooftops, the Crimson Mantis dropped into view. Eight feet tall, plated in gleaming crimson chitin, its scythe-like forelimbs cut lamp posts in half with idle swipes. It moved in flickers — one heartbeat here, the next ten feet away.
From the south, the Obsidian Troll lumbered forward. Twelve feet of brute muscle, black armor plates growing directly from its skin. Each footstep left spiderweb cracks in the road. The air warped with mana heat around its frame.
HUD Scan:
Threat Levels — 34, 36, 38.
(Combined danger rating: EXTREME)
In the central square, Xavier (Level 12) and Kai (Level 11) stood with two veteran Hunters — a spear-wielding sentinel named Rehn and a glaive-bearer named Lysa.
Rehn's voice was grim.
"We split — rookies take the mantis. We'll handle the others."
Xavier's jaw tightened.
"No. We take all three… together."
Kai shot him a look halfway between disbelief and excitement.
"…You're insane." He unsheathed both blades. "I'm in."
Act 2 — Citywide Chaos
The Hunters broke formation. Rehn and Lysa peeled away to intercept the Chimera and Troll, while Xavier and Kai rushed toward the Crimson Mantis.
The insectoid's movements were almost teleport-fast. Its scythe-arms struck like guillotines, the air itself splitting with each slash.
Xavier darted sideways, Volt Breaker Overdrive active, each step leaving a streak of lightning behind him. Sparks clashed against the frost mist as he weaved between scythe blows.
The Mantis tilted its head, mandibles clicking in a metallic rhythm — almost mocking him.
Then the battlefield collapsed inward.
A deafening BOOM from the left — the Obsidian Troll had smashed through a building, sending bricks and glass raining down into the street. From above, the Chimera dove low, releasing a frost breath that instantly froze several fleeing civilians mid-run.
"Dammit!" Xavier's breath steamed in the cold air. "We need to hit all of them at once."
His Beast Sense surged without warning. His vision warped, overlaying glowing outlines over all three enemies — and at their centers, pulsating mana cores like beating hearts.
Act 3 — Awakening the Arc Storm Cleave
Time seemed to slow.
Xavier felt his Hunter's Core ignite in his chest, gold and blue mana spiraling together until his very skin hummed with power.
A voice — his mentor's, long ago — whispered in memory:
"Your blade isn't just for one enemy… it's for every threat in your path."
Xavier gripped his sword with both hands, lightning swirling around him in concentric rings.
His voice was a roar that cut through the chaos:
"Hunter Technique — Arc Storm Cleave!"
The power exploded outward. Lightning didn't just wrap his blade — it extended from it, forming a whip-like arc of crackling energy that spun in a wide, 270-degree slash.
It wasn't just a swing. It was a storm given shape.
The arc cut across the battlefield, striking the Chimera mid-flight, the Troll mid-swing, and the Mantis mid-slash — all in the same instant.
Kai's jaw dropped.
"…That's cheating."
Xavier's smirk was pure adrenaline.
"That's leveling up."
Act 4 — Coordinated Kill
All three lieutenants staggered — armor cracked, breath ragged. The Mantis's right scythe shattered. The Troll's chest plates split open. The Chimera's frost mane was scorched black.
"Now!" Xavier shouted.
Kai blurred forward, vaulting over the Mantis's shoulders. His twin blades crossed in a decapitating "X" slash — the insect's head tumbled away in a spray of blue mana light.
Rehn drove his spear forward, piercing clean through the Troll's exposed heart. The creature bellowed once before shattering into black mana shards.
Lysa leaped from a collapsed wall, her frost-forged glaive spinning overhead. She brought it down between the Chimera's eyes, embedding it to the hilt. The beast let out a strangled roar before collapsing into icy fragments.
Snow-like mana dust drifted across the city square, glowing faintly in the morning gloom.
⸻
HUD Flash:
LEVEL UP! 12 → 15
NEW SKILL: Arc Storm Cleave (Lv.1) — Wide-range electric blade slash. Hits multiple targets simultaneously.
Kai wiped his blades clean and gave Xavier a sideways grin.
"Guess we're officially overpowered now."
Xavier shook his head, gaze hard.
"No. The dragon's still out there."
Ending Cliffhanger
INT. SKY TYRANT'S MOUNTAIN LAIR
The chamber glowed with volcanic light. The air was thick with heat and sulfur.
Coiled around a jagged throne was the last lieutenant — a colossal armored serpent, scales black as obsidian, its yellow eyes slit and unblinking.
Beyond it, chained in ancient runes, the Sky Tyrant Dragon shifted. Its roar rolled through the mountain like thunder, rattling the very stone.
From the shadows stepped the Cloaked Hunter, molten gold eyes glinting.
"The last lieutenant is mine. Tell the boy to come claim his final kill… if he can."
INT. GUILD WAR ROOM — NIGHT
The Guild Master's eyes locked with Xavier's across the table.
"Your next hunt… is the most dangerous yet."
Xavier's fingers tightened around his blade hilt. His expression was calm, but his eyes burned with unshakable resolve.
Fade out.
TO BE CONTINUED…