Regulated Order came out first.
Elias Verdan crossed the threshold ahead of the others, his posture still straight despite the dust and blood on his coat. Helena was only half a step behind him, her eyes already scanning the perimeter. Caelum followed with visible strain in one shoulder, and Viktor emerged last among Order's front line, spear still in hand. His expression was unreadable in that way people wore when they had survived by inches and refused to honor that fact publicly.
Iron Bastion came through immediately after.
Ronan Calder looked like a man who had personally argued with a collapsing mountain and won, though not cleanly. Petra Volkov was already helping stabilize one limping teammate, while Tobias Krenn held one arm too carefully. Isolde Marrek had blood on one sleeve that was not all hers.
No fatalities. That was the first thing KAMB confirmed.
The Breach Gate sealed behind them in a long inward fold of pale light, the quarry stone collapsing into itself until the space where it had stood looked briefly too empty. Then the system descended.
[Reward Distribution Initialized]
[Contribution Assessment Complete]
[A-rank Gate Clear Confirmed]
Elias's reward window struck first.
[Elias Verdan
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: S
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 28
* Advanced Runic Catalyst × 1
* Artifact: Allsight Rune Prism × 1]
He read it once and dismissed it without comment. Helena's came next.
[Helena Vireaux
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: S
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 25
* High Tactical Matrix Fragment × 1
* Artifact: Aegis Strategem Seal × 1]
Caelum exhaled through his nose when his own reward registered.
[Caelum Richter
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: A
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 22
* High Storm Conduit Fragment × 1
* Artifact: Stormbrand Torque × 1]
Viktor's followed.
[Viktor Draeg
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: A
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 20
* High Martial Reinforcement Fragment × 1
Ronan's window came after.
[Ronan Calder
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: S
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 24
* Heavy Reinforcement Fragment × 1
* Artifact: Forgeheart Cincture × 1
The rest of Iron Bastion's field team received mana crystals alongside durable combat fragments and reinforcement catalysts, but no other artifact windows appeared among them.
Ronan looked once at the breacher spike still in his hand, then at the fading reward light. "If we hadn't brought the extra gear," he said flatly, "we'd have lost people."
Helena gave one clean nod. "The adjusted loadout mattered."
A KAMB official stepped forward with his report pad already open. "Field summary."
"Breach Gate," Helena said. "Spawn pressure intensified earlier than projected. Standard formation would not have held as cleanly without the additional preparation."
Ronan added, "Core-break tools made the difference."
Elias spoke only once. "I trusted that ignoring a warning costs more than carrying extra weight."
No one asked whose warning he meant.
Beyond the barricade line, media drones hovered at a controlled distance. KAMB kept them back. The public banners stayed restrained.
ONE OF THREE A-RANK GATES CLEARED
NO FATALITIES CONFIRMED AT FIRST SITE
KAMB STATES IRREGULAR CONDITIONS UNDER REVIEW
The second gate broke eleven minutes later. Tempest Choir and Crimson Banner did not come out to the same kind of quiet. They came out to medics already running.
Elara Voss crossed first, one sleeve burned through, her expression set hard enough to cut. Selene Arquette followed with two of Tempest's own close behind, upright but visibly strained. Daxton Mirek came out carrying one stabilizer case in one hand and half-supporting a teammate with the other.
Then Crimson emerged.
One fighter had his face wrapped in a dressing already darkening through one side. Another came out half-carried, his leg braced badly enough that no one needed training to understand the damage. Rurik Halden was still on his feet somehow, helping shoulder one of the injured while blood darkened the side of his own uniform. Darius Kade came out last with ash on his coat and a look on his face that was far too still to be pride.
The gate collapsed behind them. The system descended at once.
[Reward Distribution Initialized]
[Contribution Assessment Complete]
[A-rank Gate Clear Confirmed]
Elara's reward struck first.
[Elara Voss
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: S
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 24
* High Tempest Conduit Fragment × 1
* Artifact: Galesovereign Crest × 1]
Selene's followed.
[Selene Arquette
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: A
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 20
* Advanced Vision-Tracking Catalyst × 1
* Artifact: Astra Lantern Pin × 1]
The remaining Tempest members received mana crystals and support-aligned fragments or catalysts, their rewards leaning toward control, mobility, and field stability rather than artifact-class items. Crimson's reward windows came next.
[Darius Kade
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: S
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 24
* Major War Catalyst × 1
* Artifact: Tyrantbreaker Clasp × 1]
The rest of Crimson Banner received mana crystals and combat-oriented fragments or catalysts, including the severely injured members, but no other artifact windows appeared.
Elara did not wait for KAMB to ask anything. "Take them first," she said, already pointing to Crimson's injured.
The medics moved. A KAMB official still tried for a report. "Cause of injury escalation?"
Elara's expression went colder. "Field distortion worsened faster than the team could safely absorb. Stabilization mattered more than expected."
Darius said nothing. Rurik did not look at him either. That silence said enough.
The public feed sharpened anyway.
SECOND A-RANK GATE CLEARED
SERIOUS INJURIES CONFIRMED AT SECOND SITE
KAMB LIMITS LIVE DISCLOSURE PENDING IRREGULARITY REVIEW
The third gate held longest. Which meant that when Aurora finally came out, the entire city was already waiting for them.
The Trial Gate folded inward behind the team as they crossed back into perimeter light—Lucien first, then Kaida, Orion, Garrick, Mira, Kairos, Seris, and Nox last among the core line, pale gate-dust still dying away behind them. They looked less visibly damaged than Crimson. That made them more unsettling. Too quiet. Too composed. Too changed by something nobody outside the gate had seen.
KAMB's nearest response line moved toward them automatically, but Seris lifted one hand before they reached full contact. "Status first," she said.
That alone told the nearest official something had gone wrong elsewhere. The system descended over Aurora before he could answer.
[Reward Distribution Initialized]
[Contribution Assessment Complete]
[A-rank Gate Clear Confirmed]
Aurora's windows struck one after another.
[Lucien Ardent
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: S
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 30
* Major Dominion Catalyst × 1
* Artifact: Halo Meridian Chain × 1]
[Nox Caelis
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: S
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 30
* Major Unregistered Catalyst × 1
* Artifact: Unwritten Thread Pin × 1]
Mira saw the rank first and grinned despite everything. "Well. That feels correct." Nox did not react.
[Garrick Stonevale
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: A
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 24
* Heavy Reinforcement Fragment × 1
* Artifact: Atlas Bastion Stud × 1]
[Kaida Myrr
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: A
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 24
* High Veil Cognition Fragment × 1
* Artifact: Nocturne Memory Lattice × 1]
[Orion Vale
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: A
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 23
* High Precision Catalyst × 1
* Artifact: Moontrace Lens Clasp × 1]
[Mira Solenne
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: A
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 23
* High Summoning Medium × 1
* Artifact: Hecate Threshold Bell × 1]
[Kairos Arvane
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: A
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 22
* High Flow-Stabilization Fragment × 1
* Artifact: Empyreal Tide Loop × 1]
Kairos blinked at the artifact window like it had personally startled him. Mira saw that immediately. "You have the exact face of someone being knighted against his will."
Kairos looked dazed. "I wasn't expecting—"
"That's what makes it fun," Mira said.
[Seris Elowen
Reward Distribution Complete
Contribution Rating: A
Rewards:
* Mana Crystal × 24
* High Restoration Catalyst × 1
* Artifact: Mercyglass Veil Charm × 1]
Seris barely glanced at hers. The nearest KAMB official stepped forward with his report pad open. "Status of gate irregularity?"
"Trial structure," Lucien answered. "More deceptive than expected."
Kaida added, "It punished the neat answer."
Orion, watching the last reward window fade, said, "The gate kept turning clarity into bait."
The official started writing faster. Then another KAMB runner reached the line and said the one thing that shifted Aurora's entire posture. "Second site sustained severe injuries."
Seris turned immediately. "How severe?"
"One facial loss. One major leg crush. Additional field trauma."
That was enough. Seris was already moving. "I need transport."
The official blinked. "To the second site?"
"Yes." There was no softness in her voice now. Only triage.
Kairos stepped forward before anyone could decide for him. "I'm going too."
Seris looked at him once, assessed him, and nodded. "Fine. You carry, follow, and don't improvise."
Mira muttered, "That is apparently how we say affection under stress." No one corrected her.
Lucien looked at Seris once. "Go."
A KAMB vehicle was redirected immediately. By the time Seris and Kairos pulled away toward the second gate site, the media lines outside all three zones had begun consolidating the story into something the public could digest. A KAMB spokesperson, under direct instruction to restrict detail, gave only the cleanest version:
"All three A-rank gate events have been cleared. Irregular behavior was observed across the incident set. Casualties were limited by rapid response. Full technical review remains ongoing."
That was all the public got. The banners did the rest.
ALL THREE A-RANK GATES CLEARED
KAMB CONFIRMS IRREGULAR CONDITIONS ACROSS INCIDENT SET
NO FATALITIES, MULTIPLE SEVERE INJURIES REPORTED
MAJOR GUILDS RETURN SUCCESSFULLY FROM SIMULTANEOUS RESPONSE
And under all of it, in smaller text but no less true: AURORA COVENANT EXITED LAST.
That, perhaps more than anything else, told the country which gate had been the most difficult.