Moonlight washed over the shattered plains, silver and cold, stretching long shadows behind the Great Sages as they stood in formation. The dust from the fallen kings still drifted across the battlefield, glowing faintly in the pale light like dying embers refusing to fade.
Eiden stepped forward.
His cloak shifted in the wind, brushing against the cracked earth as the air around him tightened. The battlefield felt suspended, as if the world itself waited for his next breath. His eyes locked onto the darkness ahead, unblinking, sharp, and unwavering.
"Get ready."
His voice carried through the night with quiet authority.
In one smooth motion, he unsheathed the katana at his waist. The blade slid free with a soft metallic whisper, catching the moonlight in a clean silver arc. His other hand reached behind him, drawing the long sword from his lower back. The steel gleamed with a colder light, settling into his grip as if it belonged there.
Behind him, Morvath lifted his dual fanged blades. The curved edges reflected the moon in jagged flashes as he rolled his shoulders, muscles coiling with anticipation. His stance lowered, steady and predatory.
Vaelus's fingers curled around the hilt of his blade. The emerald symbols on his robe pulsed faintly, responding to the rising tension in the air. His eyes narrowed, focused, the wind brushing through his hair as if urging him forward.
Selyndra exhaled softly, her breath visible in the cooling night. She unsheathed the blade at her waist, the silver edge catching the moonlight with a calm, unwavering glow. Her posture was poised, balanced, ready.
The wind shifted.
The night deepened.
Eiden's voice cut through the moonlit air, sharp and steady.
"Seraphaine, Dravien, Iris. You three will take on the Angel King. Keep on your toes. He's fast when he flies. I, Selyndra, Vaelus, and Morvath will fight against Yajin." He paused, both blades angled toward the ground, his stance rooted. "Do not hold back at all."
Seraphaine nodded, "I won't. I'll keep him grounded."
Dravien's tail flicked once behind him, his grin sharp. "Good. I've been waiting to tear into him."
Iris tightened her cloak, the fabric brushing her legs as her eyes sharpened. "I'll match his speed. He won't slip past us."
Behind Eiden, Selyndra lifted her blade with calm resolve. "We'll strike together."
Vaelus exhaled, emerald eyes narrowing. "Let him come."
Morvath's fanged blades gleamed as he stepped forward. "Just say when."
The night held still.
The battlefield listened.
Eiden took a slow breath, grounding himself as the moonlight glinted along both blades in his hands. His stance settled. His eyes sharpened, the air around him tightening like a drawn bowstring.
"Go."
The single word cracked through the night like a spark.
In the same instant, the Sages moved.
Seraphaine, Dravien, and Iris bolted forward, lightning speed tearing across the plains. Their figures streaked through the moonlit dust, leaving trails of motion that blurred against the silver glow.
Eiden, Selyndra, Vaelus, and Morvath launched forward in the opposite direction. Their charge hit the earth with the force of a storm breaking loose, blades drawn, eyes locked, the night itself seeming to recoil from their momentum.