The air around the main square trembled with the sound of chaos—crumbling walls, roaring kobolds, the distant clash of steel. Omina and Yoshiya charged through the smoke-filled street, their boots slamming against cobblestones slick with soot and debris.
The square opened before them like a scar on the city: collapsed stalls, burning rooftops, civilians scrambling through narrow alleys. And at the center of it all loomed one of the remaining kobold chieftains, its jagged iron club dripping with blood, its yellow eyes locked on a group of trapped townsfolk huddled behind overturned wagons.
"Baboar! LaBoar!" Omina shouted.
The two boars didn't need further instruction. With fierce squeals, they thundered ahead, tusks lowered like living battering rams. They struck a flank of lesser kobolds first, scattering them like leaves in the wind, then positioned themselves between the civilians and the towering chieftain.
Yoshiya planted his staff into the ground, layers of light forming a protective barrier spell. "I'll keep the path open! Omina, cover their escape!"
"Got it!" she replied, tightening her grip on her sword.
But the chieftain wasn't about to be delayed. With a guttural roar, it lifted its massive club high, the air whistling around the weapon. The two boars braced, tusks gleaming—but the blow came down like a falling boulder.
CRAAACK!
The sound echoed through the square as the club slammed into both boars simultaneously. They were hurled backward, their bodies smashing into the cobblestones. A plume of dust and blood followed.
"Baboar! LaBoar!!" Omina's scream tore through the din.
She stumbled forward, eyes wide as the two creatures—her partners, her friends—lay motionless, their breaths shallow and fading. Something inside her snapped.
Yoshiya saw the change immediately. Her aura began to distort, silver light twisting into a deep crimson. Her breathing quickened. Her hands trembled—not with fear, but with fury.
"Omina—!"
But it was too late.
A violent red aura erupted around her, merging with the radiant edge of her sword. The ground beneath her cracked as the sudden surge of energy burst outward.
Her voice came out like a growl. "I'LL KILL YOU."
She charged.
The chieftain swung again, but she was faster—blindingly so. She parried with reckless strength, sparks exploding from the collision, then countered with a flurry of savage blows. Each strike landed with bone-shattering force, driving the beast backward.
Yoshiya held his ground, weaving healing and barrier spells to protect any civilians still escaping, but his eyes stayed fixed on Omina. She wasn't fighting like herself—she wasn't calculating. She was pure wrath.
The chieftain roared and lunged. Omina didn't dodge. She took the hit on her shoulder, gritting her teeth, then buried her blade into its side. A second slash severed its arm. A third broke through its guard entirely. She pushed forward, relentless.
The fight devolved into a brutal, bloody dance. Her sword hacked through the creature's defenses, each blow more violent than the last. Finally, with a roar that shook the square, she leapt, brought her blade down with both hands, and split the chieftain's chest open.
The monster toppled with a thunderous crash. Third chieftain—dead.
But Omina wasn't done. Her Berserk state was still raging. Her red aura pulsed wildly as she turned toward the nearest kobolds.
She lunged at an elite kobold, cutting it in half before it could even scream. A rider next—she shattered its mount's spine with a single kick, then stabbed through both rider and beast. She carved through everything within reach—no hesitation, no mercy.
"Omina! Snap out of it!" Yoshiya shouted. He tried to approach, but her wild swings forced him to back away. She wasn't distinguishing friend from foe anymore—just targets.
He gritted his teeth, circling carefully, searching for the right opening. Her movements were powerful, but unpredictable. He couldn't risk getting close without a plan.
Then—
A familiar voice rang out. "Stand back!"
Lia Shinsei landed beside him, her blue adventurer's robe flowing like water despite the chaos. Her staff pulsed with azure light as she raised it skyward.
"Blue Magic: Moonlight's Cleanse!"
A wave of pale blue energy burst from her staff and surged toward Omina. The berserk aura resisted at first, flaring violently… then cracked like glass. The crimson light shattered, dissipating into the night air.
Omina staggered, her sword dropping from her trembling hands. Her eyes regained clarity just as her knees buckled.
Yoshiya dashed forward and caught her before she hit the ground. She was still conscious, but exhausted, tears streaming down her cheeks as she whispered the boars' names.
Lia approached, her expression grim. "The city's situation is worse than we thought. North Gate's collapsing. More kobolds are pouring in from the northern forests. Reinforcements from Reflynne are en route, but they won't make it in time unless we hold the center."
Yoshiya clenched his jaw, glancing around the burning square. The smell of blood and smoke filled his lungs. He squeezed Omina's hand gently. "Then we hold it."
The sounds of distant war drums echoed from the north.
The battle was far from over.