The rescue turned into a full retreat. What began as a desperate fight to pull survivors out of the collapsing subway became a mad dash through the fog-covered streets. With the Queen Bee tearing her way to the surface and her swarm flooding the tunnels, Thomas and the others had no choice but to run, pushing the exhausted survivors toward the distant safety of the protected zone ahead.
The city guards, backed by Blood Creed Glints, several Orphans, and Thomas's crew, moved together to block the first wave of the swarm. They formed a line around the fleeing civilians, cutting down any Fade that slipped through. They weren't holding their ground. They were buying time, retreating step by step to keep everyone moving.
Iris, Bryan, and Nevin took the front, clearing the path.
"This is getting worse by the second!" Iris shouted, slicing through a charging Fade.
"Yeah? Welcome to every plan Thomas touches," Nevin muttered, moving quickly as he sidestepped another. He threw his energy boomerang, slicing through its chest before catching it on the return.
Above them, Bryan circled overhead. "Keep pushing! We're almost clear, don't stop!"
In the middle ranks, Vell, Gale, and the Orphans fought hard, protecting the younger ones and keeping the group together.
Behind them, Dante's elite guards and Blood Creed enforcers formed the last line of defense.
"Hold formation!" one of the guards yelled. "Buy them time!"
Steel clashed and Fades fell, but for every one that dropped, more appeared. The swarm wasn't slowing down. It was growing.
Then came another cry.
The Queen Bee's piercing call filled the air again, commanding the swarm forward. With each passing second, their numbers multiplied as freshly turned Fades joined the horde, turning their claws against the defenders.
The safe zone was finally in sight, but the defensive line was breaking apart. The swarm pressed forward, an army of bee-like Fades moving with deadly precision.
This was pure control.
The Queen Bee advanced slowly, directing her forces like a ruler leading soldiers. Drones attacked in waves, warriors tore through the barricades, and massive enforcers crushed anything that blocked their path.
It was a colony, organized, relentless, and closing in fast.
By some miracle, the survivors reached the gates of the safe zone. For a brief moment, they thought they had made it.
Then the swarm spread around the perimeter, sealing off every exit.
They were safe inside the walls, but trapped within them.
There was no way out.
Outside the Graves Safe Zone, the fighters stood ready. The survivors had already been ushered inside, but those who could still fight remained at the perimeter to hold off the swarm. Thomas stood just beyond the barrier, his towering Oni frame casting a shadow over the assembled warriors. There were no barricades, no walls, only fighters standing shoulder to shoulder in the open, prepared to face what was coming.
Iris, Bryan, and Nevin stood beside him, their Glint forms glowing faintly through the mist. The Orphans, all transformed, waited nearby with focused eyes and steady grips on their weapons. Behind them, Dante's elite guards formed the rear line, silent and disciplined, waiting for the order to move.
Across the field, the Queen Bee's swarm advanced, the sound of countless wings building into a deep vibration that filled the air.
Then, from within the safe zone, a voice cut through the noise, loud and commanding enough to reach even the fighters at the edge.
Dante Valen Graves.
He stood on the fortified balcony of Graves Manor, overlooking the city. Arms raised, voice echoing across the streets, he spoke to calm the people and to show he was in control. His gaze found Iris among the fighters outside the safe zone, knowing she could hear him. Then he turned to the citizens of Graves.
"Citizens of Graves Safe Zone!" he shouted. "Today, we stand at the edge of annihilation, but we will not cower. We will not flee. We fight. This city is ours. The monsters may not breach our walls, but they will try to trap us, to starve us, to make us afraid. We will not let them. We will push them back and prove that humanity will not be caged."
The crowd erupted in cheers, especially the elite families and city enforcers. Dante smirked, pleased with the response.
"I will lead our defense," he continued. "I will ensure our survival. Under my command, we will drive them out and show that humanity cannot be erased."
Thomas crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Guy sure loves hearing himself talk."
Bryan sighed. "Let him. If it keeps the people from panicking, it's doing some good."
Iris kept her eyes on the horizon. "We don't have time for speeches. The first wave is coming."
Right then, the ground began to tremble. The Queen Bee's cry pierced the air, and the swarm surged forward.
The battle had begun.
The Orphans and Dante's elite guards took position just outside the Graves Safe Zone, forming a defensive perimeter around its borders. Inside, Vell managed the evacuation, making sure the civilians were moved deeper into the city, far from the battle.
Outside, Gale broke away from the main group, leading several Orphans already in their Glint forms. The humanoid bee-like Fades swarmed in coordinated waves, their sharp, segmented limbs slicing through the air.
Gale relied on speed and control. His Glint form let him burst through weak walls and collapse entire sections of old structures, forcing the enemy into narrow paths. Using raw momentum instead of explosives, he broke walls, scattered debris, and disrupted the swarm's careful formation.
Whenever the fight began to tilt against them, Gale charged through again, shattering supports, toppling ruins, or slamming heavy debris onto the advancing horde. Every move was deliberate, creating chaos that the Orphans could use to strike harder and faster.
Thomas joined the fray without hesitation. His massive Oni frame moved through the battlefield like a wrecking ball, fists slamming into the humanoid bee-warriors with devastating force. The smaller drones fell easily, but the larger ones fought back fiercely, their bladed arms slicing toward him with deadly precision. Every punch from Thomas sent shockwaves through the ground, crushing anything that dared to stand in his way.
From a distance, Nevin hurled his energy boomerangs, cutting clean through the creatures' hardened shells with precise, controlled strikes. Iris moved beside the front line, her blade flashing as she severed limbs and brought down warriors before they could regroup.
Above them, Bryan fought in the air, intercepting flying bee drones before they could dive toward the ground troops. His strikes sent explosions of fog and shards of chitin scattering through the sky.
But no matter how many they killed, the enemy didn't slow. The swarm adjusted, shifted, and kept pressing forward, its hive-like coordination making it unstoppable.
Thomas was about to charge again when a familiar beep echoed inside his mind. The interface flashed across his vision, showing an incoming call.
"Uh... Thomas isn't here right now," he said, half joking as he accepted it.
The voice that followed was calm but urgent. "Thomas? This is Noah. Listen, we've got a situation."
That tone immediately caught his attention. "You might wanna get to the point."
"Graves Safe Zone is under attack," Noah said quickly. "I don't know if you saw the group chat, but Marcus confirmed a boss-level Fade leading the swarm outside the safe zone. If you're anywhere near that place, you should reroute. Things are getting bad fast, and it's better to avoid that fight if you can."
Thomas exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "Ohh, sorry about that. I forgot to report back. We're already in Graves City, right in the middle of the battlefield. The swarm's here, and the boss is leading them herself."
Noah sighed. "Listen, Thomas, be careful out there. Don't get into a fight you can't win. If that swarm's as bad as you say, focus on survival first."
There was a brief pause before his tone shifted, heavier now. "I remember you said your grandfather's in District 6, Hope City. We just confirmed another boss-level Fade near their safe zone. It's been watching them. That place is marked. It's only a matter of time before it moves."
Noah's voice stayed steady, but the concern was clear. "Be careful, Thomas. Boss-level Fades are showing up one after another."
Thomas froze, the noise of battle fading for a moment as Noah's words sank in.
His crew, the Orphans, the elite guards, everyone was here, fighting to protect Graves Safe Zone. But his grandfather was far away, unguarded. If Thomas didn't move soon, he might be too late.
Iris stood beside him and had heard everything.
Nevin hadn't, but he noticed Thomas standing still, his usual focus replaced by hesitation.
Bryan cut through a Fade and glanced over. "What's going on?"
Iris answered before Thomas could speak. "Hope City is in trouble. A boss-level Fade is heading for their safe zone. His grandfather's there."
The three of them shared a tense look. Around them, the battle still raged, fighters struggling to hold the line.
Leaving now could mean abandoning the people of Graves City. Staying could mean losing the only family he had left.
Either choice would cost them dearly.