The canyon narrowed, cliffs towering on either side, fractured shards glinting in pale light. Dust swirled around jagged stone, carrying the metallic tang of blood and the acrid scent of shattered shard-metal.
Zero moved along a jagged ridge, knives flashing like dark lightning, void threads trailing from every arc. His eyes, normally deep black, flickered with a faint silver shimmer, reflecting sharpened instinct as he calculated each step and strike.
Mikhail lunged with a corrupted greatblade. Sparks hissed where steel met void-thread, black veins streaking Zero's arms from backlash. One strike tore shards and flesh, but another slammed into his side. He recovered midair, knives spinning in precise arcs, silver glint dancing in his eyes, instincts honed under relentless combat.
Boris attempted a flank from above, but Zero pivoted, knives slicing through gauntlets and shard-thread armor. Sparks erupted as limbs collided with blades, black veins burning along his forearms. He ducked under a swinging shard-arm, snapping void threads across Boris's blade and sending him crashing into a jagged ledge.
Dust and debris churned around them. Sparks scattered, stone cracked under footfalls, shards ricocheted. Zero spun, knives finding gaps in Mikhail's defenses again and again. Each strike left blackened streaks on both arms and armor. Silver-tinged eyes glimmered with heightened awareness and instinct.
From the canyon floor, glimpses of Law clashing with Viktor flared—twin blades spinning against the corrupted axe, sparks flying. Their duel sent shockwaves through the cliffs, dust and shards scattering, yet remained separate from the Five's coordinated efforts to protect the survivors. Law's golden eyes reflected awareness and precision, Viktor's fury pulsing with dark corruption.
Nysera tore through the remaining Hunters, amber eyes blazing, fur bristling. She lunged at one Hunter, claws tearing through armor, teeth snapping across gauntlets. Sparks hissed, dust stung her eyes, yet her movements were precise, predatory, controlled.
Nearby, Liora's crystal-blue threads coiled around mid-leap Hunters, bending shard-metal, snapping limbs against stone. Each motion was deliberate, her eyes shimmering faintly with growing awareness.
Laura's golden ripples froze tumbling boulders, holding falling debris just long enough for survivors to clear the path. Muscles trembling, blood and sweat streaking her skin, she maintained focus, pale-blue eyes flickering with subtle instinctual growth.
Zero spun again, knives snapping with deadly precision. Mikhail lunged, corruption pulsing violently. One strike tore through his armor, shards scattering. Another slammed into Zero's side, veins flaring, yet he twisted, silver glimmer in his eyes tracking every move, every opening, instinct sharpened to lethal perfection.
Nysera lunged again, teeth and claws flashing, intercepting any Hunter attempting to flank. Sparks hissed, blood and dust mingling. Liora's threads snapped, bending shard-metal, flinging another Hunter against jagged stone. Laura's ripples froze debris, ensuring survivors moved safely through the chaos.
The canyon trembled with every strike. Dust and shards swirled, blood streaked stone, sparks erupted where claws met steel, threads struck armor, knives arced through the air. Amber, crystal-blue, pale-blue, and silver eyes flickered faintly across the battlefield—reflecting instinct honed, awareness sharpened, and Pathpower awakening under relentless pressure.
At the canyon's center, Law's blades met Viktor's corrupted axe in brief, violent collisions. Sparks flared, shards arced across stone. Golden eyes reflected awareness, instinct, and skill sharpened by unyielding combat. Their duel remained separate yet echoed across the gorge, a storm of steel, corruption, and phantom echoes.
Every motion, every dodge, every precise strike was survival incarnate. The canyon itself seemed alive, trembling under the weight of combat. The Five pressed forward, guiding survivors through chaos with lethal precision, instincts and powers growing stronger with every heartbeat.
The battle raged, chaotic and relentless. Sparks, shards, claws, threads, and corrupted steel collided. Dust swirled thick, blood coated jagged stone. Every heartbeat was a test of survival. The canyon roared, alive with violence, yet the Five remained unbroken, each step, strike, and pulse a testament to instinct honed and awareness sharpened under fire.