Thomas stood frozen in the middle of the chaos, torn between two battles he couldn't fight at once. Stay and defend Graves, or leave and save his grandfather. Either choice carried a cost he wasn't ready to pay.
His crew waited nearby, weapons still drawn, eyes fixed on him. They knew what the call was about. They just didn't know which way he would go.
Thomas's fists tightened until his knuckles cracked. His grandfather was in danger. But so was everyone here. The Queen Bee was still out there, her swarm pushing closer by the second. If he left now, Graves Safe Zone could fall.
His heart pounded in his chest. He didn't move. Couldn't.
He stared at the fog-covered battlefield ahead, jaw clenched, trapped between two choices that could both end in loss.
Then, just as Thomas opened his mouth to speak, a new voice came through the interface.
"Thomas, this is Marcus. You there?"
Thomas straightened. "Yeah, I'm here."
"Listen, we've got your back," Marcus said. "Me, the Hayashi twins, and the Hounds are already mobilizing. We're heading to District 6, Hope City. We'll handle the boss there. You're in Graves City, right? Focus on finishing the one in front of you."
Thomas's grip eased, the tension in his shoulders loosening. The Hayashi twins were Rank 2 and 3 on the current leaderboard, both reliable and lethal in battle. With them and the military on-site, Hope City had a real chance.
Relief washed over him, though the pressure didn't disappear completely. He exhaled and looked back at the battlefield ahead. "Copy that. Do what you can to stop that Boss Fade. I'm trusting you with this."
"You just handle Graves," Marcus replied. "We'll take care of District 6. Marcus out."
The connection ended.
Thomas let out a slow sigh. The weight on his chest didn't vanish, but it lightened just enough for him to breathe again. His eyes were calm now, focused, and ready for what came next.
But instead of charging forward into the fight, Thomas suddenly turned and sprinted back toward the safe zone.
His crew stared after him in confusion as he disappeared behind the barricades. Inside, he veered toward a nearby wreckage site, digging through the debris like he knew exactly what he was looking for. Whatever plan he had, no one else could guess it, and probably wouldn't understand it even if he explained.
Outside, the battle raged on. The bee-like Fades swarmed in tight formations, their sharp limbs cutting through the air. The Orphans and Dante's elite guards fought with everything they had, protecting their loved ones inside the safe zone. The pressure was heavy, but none of them backed down.
Then Thomas came back after a minute or two.
He marched straight into the chaos, his massive Oni frame now covered in something completely out of place, a thick yellow fabric, gloves, and a mesh veil covering his face.
Bryan, circling overhead, spotted him and nearly dropped out of the air. "Thomas Aike what is that?! No. no."
Thomas adjusted the veil like it was armor. "I feel safer."
Nevin sliced a Fade across the chest and glanced over. "That does nothing, man. They're not even real bees."
Thomas grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Psychological advantage."
And with that, he cracked his neck and charged straight back into the swarm, an Oni in a bright yellow beekeeping suit.
Before Bryan could say another word, Dante's voice rose from behind them. "Warriors of the safe zone! Today, we… UGHH"
His speech ended with a loud crash. A massive Royal Guard bee Fade dive-bombed him from above, its armored body slamming into him with brutal force. The impact sent him flying into a nearby wall, the sound echoing through the battlefield as dust and debris scattered around him.
The Royal Guard hovered for a moment, wings beating rapidly before turning its focus back to the fight, its stinger twitching in warning.
Thomas, sidestepping a bee warrior's strike, glance in Dante's direction. "Didn't even get to finish his line."
Dante groaned, pushing himself off the wall. His body ached, but more than pain, it was irritation burning in his eyes. He had been caught off guard, nothing more. As another bee warrior lunged at him, he sidestepped sharply, his blade cutting through the creature's torso in one clean motion.
He wasn't out yet. Not even close.
Nearby, Bryan fought his own battle in the air. His strikes were sharp and controlled as he hurled whatever he could find, broken steel bars, wooden beams, and shattered debris, at the flying Fades below. Each throw hit hard, piercing through wings and armor, but the swarm didn't slow down. For every one he dropped, more rose to take its place. Their limbs swung wildly, and the constant buzzing filled his head, making it hard to think.
A larger worker lunged at him, mandibles snapping just short of his face. Bryan twisted in midair to avoid the strike, wings flaring as he pulled higher into the fog. The pressure was building fast.
Too many, he thought. I can't hold the sky like this.
He climbed higher, scanning for an opening, but there was none. The swarm filled the air.
"I need more firepower," he muttered.
Then it hit him.
The Pink Fog around his wings pulsed, pulling inward like a held breath. He felt it gather inside him, not around him, pressing against something deep within his chest.
I've tried this before, he thought, wings steadying midair. I could never hold it together. It always scattered.
But this time felt different. The pressure, the chaos, the need, it all pushed him past the hesitation.
The fog responded.
It swirled closer, dense and alive, forming shapes under his control.
"Let's see if it works this time. Arrowheads," he muttered.
Before now, he had thrown whatever he could grab, broken spears, rusted bars, anything heavy enough to hit. One at a time. Slow. Wasteful.
But this wasn't the same.
The fog condensed in front of him, first as arrowheads, then full shafts, each one shaped clean and sharp by his will. Five, maybe six, hovered in front of him, solid and bright.
For a heartbeat, the air went still.
Then they launched.
The first volley tore through a cluster of drones, punching through their armor with pinpoint precision. The next cut down a group of airborne workers, shredding their wings and sending their bodies crashing into the ground below.
A Royal Guard aimed its stinger at him.
Too slow.
Bryan's next volley ripped straight through its chest, the impact bursting amber fluid across the ground.
Hovering above the field, Bryan caught his breath, eyes wide. "Holy…"
Nevin, nearby, had just cleared a group with his energy boomerang when he saw the destruction overhead. His swing froze mid-motion.
"What the?! Since when can you do that?!" he shouted, half amazed, half annoyed.
Bryan allowed himself a smirk, but only for a second. The sky was still full of enemies.
The Queen Bee shrieked.
A sharp, unified buzz followed as the entire swarm reacted. The glowing sacs along her back flared violently, signaling the activation of one of her skills.
A thick mist burst from her body, spreading fast across the battlefield and coating every Fade within reach. The effect was immediate. The swarm's eyes lit up with a fierce glow as their bodies pulsed with new strength. Their movements became faster, their strikes heavier, their coordination tighter, as if sharing the same mind.
Her own form changed too. The chitin plates covering her body hardened and fused into a dense shell. Venom dripped from her mandibles, and her wings beat harder, sending waves of air that knocked fighters off balance.
The swarm surged forward, now stronger, faster, and more relentless than before.
Nevin gritted his teeth. "She's using her skills. She and her minions are getting stronger by the second. We need to take her down now."
He drew in more fog energy, gathering it in his hands until a massive sphere formed, humming with unstable power. He threw it straight at the Queen Bee, sure it would hit.
But he forgot one thing.
But the Queen Bee was massive, yes, but an easy target? No. She could fly.
With a powerful beat of her wings, she launched upward, dodging the blast. Before Nevin could react, she darted forward, closing the distance faster than his eyes could follow.
Her massive claw swung, catching him in the chest. The impact threw him across the field, his body smashing through the ruins of a collapsed building.
"Nevin!" Iris screamed, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Thomas's expression hardened. His fists tightened. He'd had enough.
He charged forward, his massive frame crashing through the swarm straight toward the Queen Bee. She turned to face him, mandibles clicking, her glowing eyes fixed on his approach.
"Come on then," Thomas growled. "Let's finish this."
The Queen Bee advanced, her sheer size and aura pressing down on the battlefield. Her glowing sacs pulsed brighter as a deep, piercing shriek shook the air.
Thomas barely had time to brace before she lunged. She was faster now, more aggressive. One of her bladed limbs slashed toward him, cutting through the air with a sharp WHOOSH as he ducked under it.