I. Echoes of the North
The roar of metal and fire engulfed northern Edenfall. Buildings were stained red by the explosions and the din of battle. The golden roots of the Tree stirred beneath the ground, as if the city itself felt the weight of the conflict.
Akihiko advanced through the wreckage of destroyed vehicles, his katana enveloped in a faint, dark glow. The Iron Wolves had taken up positions with military precision. Every corner was a trap, every street an ambush.
One of the soldiers, clad in black armor marked with the wolf emblem, emerged from the smoke and shouted:
"Secure the perimeter! The target is the Voidbearer!"
Akihiko narrowed his eyes. They already know who I am.
He extended his right hand. The air warped, and a ring of vacuum formed around him, absorbing the bullets and shrapnel fragments.
— "Void Technique – Steel Eater." — he whispered.
The ground split into black lines, and a gravitational wave engulfed nearby soldiers. Sound was absorbed, leaving only silence and dust.
But then, a deep voice was heard from the top of a building:
— So you're the one who controls the void…
From the smoke descended a tall man of imposing build, wearing a gray military coat and a metallic mask shaped like a wolf's jaw. His presence was commanding, cold, and calculated.
"My name is General Draven Kroll , commander of the Iron Wolves," he said firmly. "I have come to reclaim what the Tree took from the world."
Akihiko looked up, without backing down.
"If you come for Edenfall... you'll get more than just wounds."
II. The South Bridge
Meanwhile, at the southern edge of the city, Kaede and Sael were coordinating the defense of the main bridge. Enemy forces had deployed armored drones and snipers in the adjacent buildings.
Kaede raised her curved katana, channeling a bluish energy.
— "Technique of Space – Horizon Reflection."
The air trembled, and gunfire ricocheted off an invisible wall. Sael, meanwhile, activated his tactical communicator.
"This is Sael. The north is under active fire. No sign of reinforcements yet. If we don't hold out here, they'll cut off our connection to the center."
Kaede frowned.
"Then we won't fail. Edenfall won't fall as long as we keep breathing."
The battle on the bridge descended into chaos. Explosions, screams, steel against steel. Kaede moved her hands with precision, distorting space to deflect projectiles. Sael used resonating blades, slicing through the air with surgical accuracy.
But amid the confusion, a drone rose above the bridge, transmitting a coded signal.
Sael intercepted it and looked at the screen.
"... This isn't an enemy signal. It's coming from inside Edenfall."
Kaede looked at him in alarm.
"What are you saying?"
"Someone... inside the city, is marking our positions for the Wolves," Sael replied in a low voice.
III. Fire and Steel
Back in the north, Draven Kroll drew his longsaber. The blade glowed with an incandescent light, metallic runes etched along its edge.
—This is my Gift.— said the general, striking the ground—. Mastery of Burning Steel.
The entire street erupted in a burst of heat. Metal debris melted, and nearby buildings began to buckle. It was as if matter itself were obeying his will.
Akihiko took only a step back, shielding himself with his emptiness.
The heat pierced even his barrier. "An elemental Quirk... but modified," he murmured. "Not natural."
Draven laughed beneath his mask.
"Nothing is natural in the new order, boy. Only power."
Akihiko advanced through the flames, raising his katana.
"Then you will learn what it is to face the void."
The air turned black. The flames were absorbed into a dark vortex.
Akihiko spun his sword.— "Void Technique – Final Silence."
The sound vanished, the heat ceased, and a sphere of pure nothingness devoured part of the street, leaving a silent crater. Draven stood, his armor smoking, but alive.
"Interesting..." he said hoarsely. "I didn't expect you to survive your own power."
Akihiko breathed heavily.
"We're just getting started."
IV. The Betrayal
In the command center, a hooded figure watched the surveillance screens. In his hand, he held a communicator bearing the Iron Wolves symbol.
— The north is collapsing. Kroll has it occupied. Reinforcements must come in from the east.
A voice answered from the other side:
—And the south bridge?
— I've already marked their positions. In less than ten minutes, they'll fall.
The figure smiled.
"Edenfall will fall from within. Just as we planned."
🕯️ End of Chapter 281
The chapter ends with the north in flames , Kaede and Sael fighting desperately in the south , and the revelation of a traitor within Edenfall , marking the beginning of the Faction War .