They reached Babylon at dawn after walking all night. Valentina led, carrying Magnolia against her armor, golden light still pulsing faintly beneath his skin. Emma stayed at her side. Amelia supported Celina, who was alive but barely. Kibo and Matthew trailed behind with Hekai, Nefru, and Darius.
Squad Two was waiting at the meeting point. Poison saw Magnolia first and pushed off the wall.
"Finally. What happened?"
"We were attacked," Valentina said. "One man. He threw his axe at Magnolia, and she took it." She looked at Celina. "We don't know who she is, or why she did it."
"Get healers," Poison told the nearest guards. "One group for her, one for him."
Valentina lowered Magnolia onto a stone bench, one hand under his head until he was settled. "Kibo, Matthew, stay with the scholars. Keep everyone together until the healers arrive."
"Got it," Kibo said, already herding Hekai, Nefru, and Darius to the side of the street.
Matthew took some of Celina's weight from Amelia. "I'll help."
"Be careful," Amelia said, her hands never leaving the wound.
The Babylonian guards quickly understood the situation after Poison explained what had happened, immediately sending people toward the nearest medical station. Within minutes, several healers arrived carrying medical supplies while more guards escorted them through the crowded streets toward the injured members.
Amelia immediately followed them while refusing to leave Celina's side, keeping one hand against the wound even as the healers began surrounding her.
The healers surrounded the her and began examining the wound while Amelia continued applying pressure.
"She needs immediate treatment," One healer said.
Amelia tightened her hands against Celina's wound.
"Then help her," she answered.
The healer nodded before immediately beginning treatment, quickly directing the others around him while Amelia continued helping wherever she could.
Another group moved toward Magnolia while carefully checking his breathing and pulse.
One healer placed a hand near Magnolia's chest before looking toward the faint light surrounding him.
"His pulse is stable," he said.
"But his body is exhausted," The healer continued.
"He needs rest."
Valentina nodded while remaining beside Magnolia.
"He'll get it," she answered.
Magnolia did not respond to anyone around him, remaining completely unconscious while the faint golden light continued moving slowly across his skin.
Nothing more happened during those first few moments of treatment.
For the moment, however, Magnolia remained alive.
•••
Far away from Babylon, Alexzander stood alone among the remains of the battlefield where the earlier conflict had finally disappeared into silence.
The battlefield had become strangely quiet after the others disappeared.
Alexzander slowly looked toward the direction where Magnolia had disappeared before narrowing his eyes. The memory of that final transformation continued replaying inside his mind despite his attempts to focus on something else.
The light had appeared suddenly around the boy before his movements changed completely.
Alexzander reached one hand outward.
His battle axe immediately began moving across the damaged ground before flying directly toward him through the morning air.
He caught it firmly before raising the weapon above his head.
Was that an awakening?
He asked himself.
He still did not know what had happened to the boy, and nothing he had witnessed gave him enough information to understand it completely.
Alexzander lowered the axe slightly before looking around the battlefield.
His thoughts immediately turned toward his fellow soldier because leaving him alone after the battle did not make sense.
He needed to find him.
"I have to find Cyclone," he said while tightening his grip around the axe.
Alexzander held the weapon horizontally before slowly turning his body, watching carefully as the axe began reacting to something beyond his immediate surroundings.
The weapon subtly pulled toward a particular direction, almost behaving like a compass while pointing toward Cyclone's location.
Alexzander immediately understood what it meant.
He began walking toward the direction indicated by his weapon before gradually increasing his pace as the distance became more obvious.
Soon, he was running through the damaged landscape while keeping the axe firmly in his hands.
•••
At the collapsed bridge, Ren remained several feet behind Saijew.
Saijew stood directly between Ren and Cyclone, his stance remaining steady despite the damage already covering his body and clothing. The two fighters moved almost simultaneously.
Saijew rushed forward with his blade while Cyclone stepped directly into the attack with both fists raised and prepared to counter.
Their weapons collided with enough force to shake the damaged bridge beneath them, sending small pieces of stone falling into the water below.
Cyclone immediately followed with a punch toward Saijew's face, but Saijew raised his blade and redirected the strike away from his head.
Saijew countered with a horizontal slash while Cyclone leaned backward.
Cyclone immediately kicked forward while using the momentum from his evasive movement to maintain his balance.
Saijew blocked the kick with his forearm before using the impact to rotate his body and strike again with his blade.
Cyclone caught the blade between two small knives before forcing it away from himself, his movements remaining quick enough to prevent Saijew from controlling the exchange.
Saijew stepped backward while Cyclone advanced, neither fighter allowing the other enough room to establish a dominant position.
Every attack was answered almost immediately, while every defensive movement created another attack before either fighter could exploit an opening.
Every opening disappeared before either warrior could properly take advantage of it.
Ren watched from behind while slowly realizing what was happening.
They were evenly matched.
Saijew attacked before Cyclone defended, while Cyclone immediately attacked before Saijew could create enough distance to recover.
Both fighters moved again almost immediately.
Their movements became increasingly difficult for Ren to follow as they traded strikes across the ruined bridge without either fighter gaining meaningful ground.
Saijew blocked another punch before Cyclone immediately swung a small blade toward his ribs, forcing the General to react without hesitation.
Saijew twisted away before striking Cyclone across the shoulder, forcing the Greek soldier backward while refusing to let him recover comfortably. As Cyclone recovered, both attacked again, continuing the same exchange without either fighter finding the opening necessary to end it.
Ren tightened his grip around his sword.
Neither fighter was giving the other enough space to gain control, and Ren knew his own injuries could make him more of a burden than an advantage.
Ren slowly pushed himself upright while ignoring the pain spreading through his body.
"I can help," he said.
Saijew glanced backward for only a moment before immediately blocking another strike.
"Stay back," he ordered.
Ren clenched his teeth while continuing to watch the battle, his frustration increasing each time Saijew was forced to defend against another attack.
Saijew and Cyclone collided again with enough force to shake the damaged bridge beneath their feet, yet neither fighter managed to force the other backward.
Neither warrior could create the advantage necessary to end the stalemate before another attack immediately replaced the previous one.
Then a familiar voice echoed from farther down the ruined road, causing Cyclone and Saijew to momentarily shift their attention.
"Interesting," Alexzander said.
Cyclone glanced toward him before grinning.
Alexzander stopped several feet away.
"So this is the Crimson Dragon."
Saijew tightened his grip around his blade.
As Alexzander stepped forward, Saijew attacked Cyclone while Alexzander intercepted him, placing his axe directly against the incoming blade with overwhelming force.
Their weapons collided with tremendous force before Saijew was pushed several feet backward, his boots scraping across the damaged ground.
Ren's eyes widened as he watched the balance change almost instantly.
Saijew recovered quickly and rushed forward again. Alexzander blocked the blade with his axe before striking Saijew across the side, forcing the General away from both Greek soldiers.
Saijew rolled across the ground before quickly rising again.
Alexzander followed immediately while raising his axe above his head, forcing Saijew to prepare for another heavy attack.
While Alexzander's axe came down, Saijew blocked it. Yet, the impact forced him onto one knee.
Saijew pushed himself upward and countered with a slash toward Alexzander's chest.
Alexzander stepped aside before striking again, forcing Saijew to turn his body quickly enough to avoid taking the full impact.
Saijew blocked the attack but was still forced backward, his boots sliding across the ruined ground as Alexzander continued advancing.
"You're tough," Alexzander said.
"I'll grant you that," he continued while tightening both hands around his axe.
Saijew wiped blood from the corner of his mouth before raising his blade again.
"This isn't close to ending," he answered.
Alexzander smiled.
"Good."
He uttered while stepping forward again.
Saijew immediately blocked another attack before Cyclone struck from the opposite side, forcing the General to defend against both fighters simultaneously.
The General was forced to defend against both fighters simultaneously, his movements becoming increasingly strained as Alexzander and Cyclone attacked from opposite directions.
Ren watched from behind while his frustration continued growing.
He could not stand there anymore.
Ren suddenly pushed past Saijew, entering the fight before the General could stop him.
"What are you doing?" Saijew shouted while turning toward him.
Ren raised his sword while facing Alexzander. "I can fight," he answered.
Alexzander immediately stepped toward him, a small smirk appeared on his face.
Ren swung first.
Alexzander blocked the blade before striking Ren across the chest with enough force to send him backward several feet.
Ren barely landed on his feet before Alexzander appeared directly in front of him.
Ren raised his sword.
Alexzander's axe came down with enough force to make Ren realize he could not stop the attack through strength alone.
Saijew suddenly appeared between them, his blade catching the axe before it could strike Ren directly.
The collision created a shockwave that forced Saijew backward.
"Boy!" Saijew shouted while pushing the axe away.
Ren stared at him for a moment before tightening his grip around his sword.
Saijew turned back toward Alexzander while maintaining his stance between Ren and the two Greek soldiers.
"Stay behind," he ordered while stepping forward again.
Ren remained still.
Then Alexzander attacked again.
Saijew blocked the first strike while shifting his body to avoid taking the full force of the blow.
He blocked the second attack while Cyclone moved around his side, forcing him to defend against another incoming strike.
The third attack forced him backward.
Ren watched while realizing that Saijew was becoming slower, his movements showing the exhaustion created by fighting continuously against two opponents.
Ren knew he needed to help despite everything Saijew had told him.
Then Alexzander suddenly changed direction and moved directly toward Ren, forcing Saijew to react before the attack could reach him. The axe moved toward Ren.
Saijew reacted immediately.
He pushed Ren away and took the attack himself, getting knocked several feet backward from the tremendous impact.
"On your feet!" Saijew shouted.
Alexzander appeared directly in front of Ren before the younger warrior could fully recover from being pushed aside.
Ren raised his sword.
As the axe moved toward him, Ren lifted his empty hand. Caught between life or death— Something answered.
White-blue light suddenly erupted around Ren's body, illuminating the ruined battlefield with a brightness that briefly overwhelmed everything surrounding him.
His blue eye beneath the light began glowing brighter than it ever had before while his golden eye remained completely unchanged.
The light moved across his body before flowing directly into his blade, gathering around the weapon as though the sword itself had become part of it as well.
One side of Ren's body remained completely normal while the other side became surrounded by brilliant white-blue energy.
Ren stared toward the blade as the light gathered around its edge.
Oh yeah!
Ren smirked, then he disappeared.
Alexzander's eyes widened as Ren vanished from directly in front of him.
Ren reappeared beside him before striking with his glowing blade, forcing Alexzander to raise his axe and block the sudden attack.
Alexzander blocked the attack, but Ren immediately disappeared again before another strike could be completed.
He appeared behind Cyclone while the Greek soldier turned sharply.
Cyclone turned.
Ren vanished again before Cyclone could strike him.
Then several versions of Ren appeared around both fighters. Neither fighter could immediately determine which version of Ren was real, forcing both of them to defend against attacks coming from unpredictable directions.
Saijew finally took advantage of the confusion while rushing forward.
His blade struck Cyclone across the shoulder, forcing the Greek soldier to stagger backward while Saijew immediately redirected his attention.
Saijew immediately turned toward Alexzander while Ren appeared beside him.
Together they attacked.
Alexzander blocked one strike before another mirage appeared behind him, forcing him to turn away from Saijew for only a moment.
He turned.
Nothing was there.
Saijew struck from the opposite direction while Ren's real body appeared beside Cyclone and attacked again.
Cyclone attempted to counter, but another mirage forced him to hesitate long enough for Ren to strike him again.
For the first time since Alexzander arrived, the battle began shifting as Saijew and Ren gained control of the pace.
Alexzander suddenly jumped backward while raising his axe above his head.
He slammed it directly into the ground.
The explosion that followed shook the battlefield, throwing dust and debris outward with enough force to disturb both Egyptian warriors.
A massive cloud erupted from the earth and spread outward until the surrounding sunlight disappeared beneath the thick haze.
Ren's mirages immediately began fading because the light they depended upon could no longer reach the battlefield properly.
Ren was thrown backward while Saijew was launched even farther away by the sudden explosion.
Both landed hard against the broken ground before immediately trying to understand what had happened.
Ren pushed himself upright. Saijew rose beside him while carefully watching the shifting cloud.
He looked toward Ren.
Then pointed toward Alexzander.
Ren immediately understood the gesture without needing Saijew to explain, using the opening to prepare another attack.
He dashed forward.
His blade cut through the gas cloud while forcing a narrow path through the darkness, the bright edge of his weapon illuminating the space directly around him.
Saijew followed immediately while activating his contract, his body disappearing before reappearing somewhere inside the thick cloud.
He appeared beside Alexzander.
He struck.
Alexzander blocked.
Saijew disappeared again before Alexzander could counter.
He appeared beside Cyclone while the Greek soldier turned too late.
Saijew immediately disappeared again before either opponent could determine where he would appear next.
These were not Ren's mirages; Saijew was simply moving so quickly that his opponents struggled to track his actual position.
Ren continued cutting through the remaining cloud while Saijew repeatedly attacked from different directions, forcing both Greek soldiers to divide their attention.
His blade finally tore through the last dense section of the cloud.
Ren's mirages immediately appeared again around Alexzander and Cyclone, multiplying across the battlefield now that enough sunlight had returned.
Several versions of him surrounded both fighters while each image moved independently.
Ren raised his hand while gathering the surrounding light into another concentrated flash.
Light suddenly exploded across the battlefield.
Both fighters were temporarily blinded by the sudden brightness, forcing Cyclone to cover his eyes while Alexzander struggled against the glare.
Cyclone covered his eyes.
Alexzander simply narrowed his eyes while forcing himself forward through the intense glare.
He immediately dashed toward Ren while relying on his instincts rather than his vision.
Ren created another mirage directly in front of him.
Alexzander struck it.
The image disappeared instantly.
Ren was already somewhere else while Saijew moved toward him from the opposite direction.
Saijew appeared beside Ren before grabbing his shoulder.
"We're leaving," he said.
Light formed around them while space opened directly beside their bodies, creating a portal capable of taking them away from the battlefield.
A portal appeared.
Saijew pulled Ren through it before either Greek soldier could reach them.
The two disappeared.
Alexzander immediately looked toward the closing portal while his expression hardened.
Red divine energy began gathering around his axe while the weapon started glowing with increasing intensity.
He raised the weapon.
Then threw it.
The axe flew directly through the portal while the opening was still collapsing, traveling toward Ren before the space could completely disappear.
Ren turned just in time to see it approaching.
Saijew raised his blade.
The weapon collided against the axe.
An explosion erupted inside the portal, violently throwing Ren and Saijew in opposite directions while the surrounding light became unstable.
The portal immediately collapsed.
Silence returned to the Babylonian street where the two Egyptian warriors had landed.
Saijew landed hard against the stone before rolling across the street, his body finally coming to a stop several feet from Ren.
Ren struck the ground nearby while struggling to breathe, his sword remaining tightly secured within his hand.
Neither moved for several seconds because the battle had left both warriors exhausted and injured.
Then Saijew slowly pushed himself upright.
Ren followed shortly afterward while breathing heavily and trying to steady himself against the stone beneath him.
The portal was gone.
Alexzander was gone.
Cyclone was gone.
But the battle was not completely finished because something from the battlefield had followed them into Babylon.
Alexzander's axe remained embedded in the ground nearby, its crimson energy slowly fading from the weapon.
Saijew looked toward it while slowly rising to his feet.
Ren stared at the axe while tightening his grip around his sword, equally unable to explain how it had crossed through the portal.
Neither understood why it had remained behind.
Then the axe suddenly began vibrating.
It pulled itself free from the stone before rising into the air, causing Ren to take a cautious step backward.
Ren's eyes widened as the weapon hovered above the Babylonian street, its blade turning toward the distant horizon.
The axe turned toward the distant horizon.
Then it began soaring back toward its owner, rapidly disappearing beyond the buildings before either warrior could attempt to stop it.
Saijew watched it disappear into the distance while remaining completely silent.
Ren tightened his grip around his sword.
They had escaped.
But whatever had happened on the road to Babylon had only just begun.