Zayne, hovering in the air, gazed at the city below him with an unseen expression of worry beneath his ranger helmet.
Although the chaos had temporarily subsided, he knew it was just beginning. According to data he had gotten from a quick scan, more invaders were still approaching, with most of them even more ferocious than the former. A new round of battle was about to begin, and it's going to be more terrifying than the last one.
"It's time to commence with plan B," Zayne's visor gleamed as he looked Eastward from his position. "Although some of the smaller forces are fighting back, the larger ones are still lurking. I need to force them out."
Then his expression turned to that of disdain and mockery. "Heh – trying to make me do all the work. It's your planet too; you should also help."
Zayne's voice was unconcealed to the forces watching. As they heard his words, which echoed like thunder in their ears, the hair on their bodies stood on end.
The invisible forces tried to escape, but it was too late, as Zayne had already acted. With a wave of his hand, he commanded his mental energy, locking onto them.
"Get over here!" With a low shout and firm pull, several people in cloaks were lifted to the sky, completely rendered helpless by his mental energy. These people floating mid-air numbered thousands. All of them bore similar insignia and were dressed like mages; Mages from Kamar-Taj, masters of Mystic arts.
Zayne had noticed their arrival some minutes back after his arrival from the other invaded places on the planet. Whether they had been waiting for his arrival or the invaders, he didn't know. Their current purpose was none of his business.
All he knew was that they had to actively help in preventing this invasion.
Even the Avengers had arrived moments ago and immediately helped, assisting the omni-force with all they had.
So, their hiding as if waiting on something was what Zayne couldn't accept. As far as he is concerned, the only ones who had reasons to hide were the villains who are on Earth. They are the ones who can only hide their head, only being able to flay their tails to attack. Forces like Mesogog and other ranger villains fit this category.
"The junior mages should help with the remaining forces here. The rest of you follow me." Zayne gave them no time to react, as he gave instructions.
The floating mages from Kamar-Taj were still dazed, seemingly unable to react for a moment. One moment, they were hiding using a stealth spell; the next moment, they were in the air. Moreover, hearing Zayne give them instructions, they felt a surge of anger for the disrespect and prepared to admonish him.
"Assist him and make sure to listen to all of his orders." A tranquil voice echoed in all their minds before they could reply to Zayne.
"This…." Wong, who was currently leading the team of mages, had a confused expression on his face. He couldn't understand the ancient train of thought.
She had previously commanded them not to help and watch from behind the scenes; now she was saying the opposite.
Several high-ranking mages also faced Wong, waiting for some form of explanation as to why the plans had changed. Many of them, including the junior mages, were even more confused than Wong.
Although they were loyal to Kamar-Taj and the Ancient One, they still had to follow Wong's instructions as he was the commander for this mission. So, whatever he says or instructs them to do, goes.
Wong noticed their gazes but had no explanation to offer, as he was also confused. But feeling their burning gazes, he ultimately gritted his teeth and spoke. "We listen to the Ancient One. Let's follow this ranger now and help save the world. That's our duty as mages, and we shall follow. By the order of the Ancient One, we shall charge to the frontlines."
Hearing this, the mages nodded in acceptance and looked very content. They had also been worried about the ancient one's command of 'not participating'. Many of them had families in both cities... so, just watching their loved ones run for their lives wasn't the best sight.
But now that they were being 'forced' by Zayne to help, they couldn't be happier.
"Follow his orders, split into groups of two. The junior mages assist the team below, and the rest of us will assault the sky." Wong continued ignoring their look of ease.
He understood their former worries, but didn't quite care. He also had a family, but Kamar-Taj comes first. Moreover, with the various spell armaments he had placed on them, their safety was of no issue. He had that much confidence in his spells. He was one of the most high-ranking mages after all.
Fwoosh~ Fwoosh~~ Fwoosh~~~
Using special mystic arts, the senior mages took to the sky, riding through the air like the wind. Although they weren't as fast as Zayne, their flight speed was better than most of the invaders. This was the charm of Kamar-Taj; mages might have weaker bodies, but their spell arsenals could definitely make up for it in battle.
Zayne, watching from afar, nodded while swatting a chitauri on a hovercraft away. He knew his message had gotten through. His previous words and commands hadn't been directed to the mages of Kamar-Taj but directly to their leader, the Ancient One.
He knew she was always watching, so when he spoke, his perception was on her rather than the mages. Even if the distance between them was quite large, Zayne was sure she would get his message and understand his underlying intent. As one of the oldest schemers on Earth, understanding the meaning of his words was quite easy for the Ancient One.
"Now the only ones remaining are the two ranger teams. I hope they arrive fast or I'll have to drag them here myself." Zayne muttered, then rushed back to the open cut in the sky, quietly waiting for the incoming Aliens.
The mages also followed behind him, ready for battle.
.....
"We're going to die!!!"
In a dense forest, a young adult with quirky hair and dressed in a fitted martial clothing screamed at the top of his lungs. Behind the quirky male was a kalzak chasing with murderous intent.
"Dustin, shut up!" x 2
Behind him rang two annoyed heaving voices, also being chased by two Kelzaks.
This running trio was Shane, Tori, and Dustin. A few hours ago, they had been rushing to arrive at Ninja training early and even planned to finally turn over a new leaf, taking Ninja training seriously. They had even made several emotional speeches to ask for the sensei's forgiveness and promise him they would be hardworking from now on.
It was practically a day they had been up all night for.
But things didn't go their way, like always. The instant they arrived, the trio didn't see the usual awe-inspiring pagoda or grunts of training. No, all they saw was destruction. A scene most people their age had only witnessed through reports and media due to everyday monster chaos.
And to make it worse, these invaders had spotted them the instant they arrived. Instructed by a superior, the trio was immediately besieged by many kelzaks.
But before they left, the trio had witnessed their master, Sensei, battling a man in a hideous mask, and from the exchange, these three knew their master was losing.
The trio had naively wanted to help, but Sensei told them to leave and save themselves. Feeling their master's undisguised care and worry for them despite their unseriousness, the trio left with tears in their eyes. But they were still not safe from danger.
The moment they left, many of the monsters chased after them; They had only managed to take down two when they were previously besieged, now three remained, continuously hunting them down.
Even their Ninja powers became ineffective at that moment due to fear. The fear of dying acted like a psychological shadow over them, preventing them from channeling their powers. It was like a blocked pump.
Running through the vast expanse of trees, Shane and Tori looked relatively calm on the surface, but Dustin was not. He was screaming for help at every moment. It was both comedic and horrifying to watch.
This scene, which should have been both of them mocking Dustin for being a coward, became a thorn. Because each time Dustin screams for help, their hearts tighten, fearing that the enemies from afar would hear it and locate them.
Dustin, while gullible, also understood their worries, but what could he do? Rather than dying, he screamed for the smallest glimmer of hope.
The trio ran with heavy breaths and soaked dress, for several minutes. Every time they looked back to check if they had lost the kelzaks, they were horrified to see them chasing unrelentingly and tirelessly. It was as if these monsters had boundless energy.
"Guys, what should we do? They won't stop chasing!" Shane was the first to speak, his calm façade breaking like glass.
Tori also breathlessly replied. "I don't know. We can't even channel our Ninja powers. If this goes on, they'll catch up sooner or later, and when they do, we'll be doomed."
Tori's words were like a large hammer smashing at the little hope they held, and the atmosphere around them became more solemn. Even the screaming Dustin stopped, only gritting his teeth and heaving in unwillingness from time to time.
"Damn it, why is it the moment we want to take Ninja training seriously, this happened? Is the world against us?" Shane was truly furious; nothing they ever wanted to accomplish worked out for them. Whether it was their personal life or their Ninja identity, it all failed.
Tori and Dustin stayed silent, still running, but they understood Shane's sentiment. They also felt the world was against them, and at this moment, it was very obvious.
Minutes passed by as they continued their escape. The Ninja Academy/realm was a very large expanse, almost the size of three countries, and the trio possibly couldn't reach the end, or rather, they hadn't gotten there before. Even moving about to get to far distances required using teleportation scrolls.
The trio, although stronger than a normal human due to Ninja training, were already extremely exhausted, but the Kelzaks chasing behind were not.
"If we keep on running like this, we'll be exhausted to death even before the monsters catch up," Tori, with a very pale face, thought to herself as she looked around, trying to find a place of retreat.
At that moment... "Gu-Guys, I-I see something," Dustin exclaimed, pointing west. He looked extremely miserable at the moment as he heaved from time to time with sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Hmm." Both Shane and Tori looked west following Dustin's pointed finger. They noticed a metal door beneath a willow tree that seemed to lead somewhere unknown.
The trio felt their heart lightened as they saw the place. They had finally found somewhere or something that could lead them out of this vast expanse, even if it might be unknown for the time being. Although they weren't sure if the Kelzaks might follow, it was still a risk worth taking.
With a sharp turn, they immediately charged west and bolted towards the willow tree, momentarily confusing the kelzaks. Their eyes brightened as their lost powers returned. They immediately channeled to increase their speed and rushed towards the underground door. It was truly a situation of 'seeing hope, seeing life' for them.
Whoosh~ Whoosh~~ Whoosh~~~
With a burst of colored Ninja chi, the trio rushed towards the willow tree, widening the distance between them and the kelzaks. Their figures were like a gust of wind moving on land. The unresponsive powers within them were fully unlocked during this moment of danger.
One ran on air, the other called onto waves nearby to move, and the last figure burrowed into the Earth, moving unseen at an extremely fast speed.
The mindless kelzaks didn't understand what was happening, but still chased. The only thing on their mind was their superior's command, which must be followed until death.
Suddenly –
The running trio simultaneously felt a chill run through their spine. It was a kind of chill that declared unavoidable death. They didn't know where it came from, but knew if they didn't escape as fast as possible, death was the only outcome.
Tori looked worriedly at her friends and spoke. "Guys, channel all your powers. We have to get out of here fast."
The other two nodded, understanding her worries as they had also felt the aura of death. Without hesitation, they called upon the hidden powers within them.
Boom!!!
Three auras surged, blasting away small rocks and trees. The powers erupting from the trio were something completely unfamiliar to them, but they couldn't be bothered to investigate now; All on their mind was getting through the metal door.
The Kelzaks, still chasing at their usual pace, were completely left behind. Although the trio could annihilate them now, they didn't have time for that.
Swoosh! Clang!
The feeling of death got nearer and clearer as the trio arrived beneath the willow. Without wasting time, Shane yanked it open and dived in. Tori and Dustin followed after and shut the metal door with extreme force. Surprisingly enough, the door was rigid and didn't break; instead, it absorbed the force of the pull.
Then –
"Brother, stop!!" A familiar voice roared, echoing throughout the vast realm.
Boom!!!
A dazzling black light appeared at the center of the Ninja realm. It was like a pillar of light reaching for the sky. Then it expanded, covering the entire realm, and then-
Crackle! Boom! Boom!!! Boom!!!!
Four sounds rang out; the entire realm was cleaved at all sides, exploding at each second with a dazzling light. All things were destroyed. From Vegetation to mountain ranges and water bodies, none were spared. Even the remaining Kalzaks lurking around were obliterated to dust.
The entire Ninja Academy was wiped out, with only ash and smoke present in the realm.
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Power Stones Y'all!!