The shaky truce hung by a thread, thinner than a shadow blade.
Haru Cyrius and his ragtag crew—Clara, Leonhardt, Wildane, Luna, Mireille, and Rhaizen—stood in a loose circle on the cracked island, breaths ragged, weapons still humming with leftover power. The crimson sky throbbed like a heartbeat, mocking them. Visions fresh in their heads, turning allies into suspects.
Haru wiped sweat from his brow, golden chains on his arms glowing dim. "We can't just stand here jawing. The seal's cracking—we fight the game, or it eats us."
Clara nodded, holy spear tight in her grip. "My sister's curse... it's tied to this Void Eater thing. We win, but on our terms."
Leonhardt growled deep, lion eyes scanning the horizon. "Honor demands we hunt the puppeteers."
But before anyone could spit a plan, the sky ripped open again.
Golden thunder boomed. The announcer's voice hit like a hype storm:
"VISIONS GOT YOU SHOOK? GOOD! TIME FOR ROUND TWO—FURY WAVE! BEASTS AMPED WITH DIVINE JUICE! FIGHTERS, SHOW US YOUR SOULS! TOP KILLERS GET A PEEK AT THE GODS' SECRETS!"
The ground erupted. Not regular monsters this time—god-touched freaks. Dragons with armor of living gold. Wolves bigger than houses, fur crackling with lightning. Swarms of shadow birds that screamed visions into your head.
And they weren't random. Each beast targeted fighters like heat-seeking missiles, drawn by the monolith's truths.
The scoreboard flashed wild:
FIGHTERS REMAINING: 3,112 TIME LEFT: 18:31:22 BONUS: SURVIVE THE WAVE, UNLOCK HIDDEN CREST POWERS!
Haru's group got hit first.
A golden dragon dove from the clouds, wings blotting the sun, roar shaking bones.
Wildane leaped up, wind magic exploding. "Tempest King's Wrath—Full Gale!"
He surfed a massive tornado, sword slashing arcs of razor wind. The dragon banked hard, but Wildane tagged its wing—gold scales shattered like glass, raining molten fire.
The beast countered, tail whipping like a comet. Wildane flipped mid-air, but the impact sent him crashing into a rock pillar. Blood sprayed.
"Prince!" Luna yelled, silver moonlight barriers snapping up. "Silver Eclipse Wave!"
Waves of lunar energy crashed into the dragon, stunning it mid-dive. The beast roared, eyes glowing with godly rage.
Mireille dashed in elegant, rapier a silver blur. "Silver Thorn Strike—Rose Cascade!"
She thrust a dozen times in a heartbeat, each hit blooming red thorns on the dragon's hide. It thrashed, poison spreading.
Rhaizen charged, sacred blade blazing. "Light Purification Burst!"
Holy light exploded from his sword, piercing the dragon's chest. The beast screeched, divine energy leaking like gold blood.
But it wasn't down. Claws raked at Rhaizen—missed by inches.
Leonhardt tanked the next hit, broadsword clanging against scales. "Lionheart Awakening—Pride's Fury!"
Golden shockwave rippled out, cracking the dragon's armor. He roared like thunder, muscles bulging mythical.
Clara flanked, spear spinning holy. "Sanctum Reversal—Divine Pierce!"
She thrust deep, healing her allies mid-stab while reversing the dragon's wounds into explosions.
Haru went airborne, Celestial Breaker fully charged. Chains shattered completely now—golden spiritual energy erupted like a star going supernova.
"Celestial Breaker—Hero's Reckoning!"
He rocketed down, fist slamming the dragon's skull. Slow-mo impact: Scales crumpled, divine light fractured, beast's roar turned to a whimper.
The dragon exploded in golden mist, points flooding their Crests.
The announcer went nuts: "TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK—BUT THAT DRAGON'S A NIGHTMARE! DIVINE SEED SQUAD JUST DROPPED A GOD-BEAST!"
No time to celebrate.
Across the battlefield, other legends amped up the epic.
On a lava island: Christine, the Eternal Champion, faced a phoenix swarm. Red hair whipping, divine flames her own.
"Phoenix Ruinburst!"
She erupted in fire hotter than hell, birds vaporizing in a blaze. Her scarred eyes burned—hundred-year curse fueling every strike. She moved like a myth reborn, flames twisting into dragon shapes that devoured enemies.
The announcer hyped: "THE ETERNAL CHAMPION BACK FOR ROUND TWO—SHE'S COOKING LITERALLY! WHO SURVIVES HER INFERNO?!"
In a storm dome: Elara Mooncrest, the Last Moon Elf, weaved starlight threads. Wingless but graceful, lonely eyes focused.
"Lunar Binding Threads!"
Threads lassoed a lightning wolf pack, pulling them into a knot of exploding energy. She fought warm and wise, each move a dance of lost elves. Beasts howled as stars pinned them down.
Announcer: "MOON ELF'S LAST STAND—THREADS OF FATE SNARING BEASTS! WILL SHE REBIRTH HER RACE?!"
Shadow forest: Suyin Hua, back from elimination edge, ribbon-blades whirling.
"Shadow Waltz Step!"
She danced deadly graceful, ribbons slicing wolves in elegant arcs. Socially innocent face hid killer instinct—clan betrayal fueling her.
Beasts fell in silent heaps.
Farther out: Akira Qadrawi floated in rune chaos, cursed magus vibes maxed.
"Arcane Cataclysm—Overload!"
Runes detonated like nukes, elemental storms deleting a gold-armored golem horde. His reserved genius cracked—visions pushing him to the edge.
Azra rampaged nearby, Eclipse Beast Mode full savage. Claws tore divine beasts apart, black fire consuming souls.
Yura shadow-stepped through, void blades decapitating with cold precision.
Xyphira whipped from above, temptation energy turning beasts against each other.
Yuna dashed wind-thief style, daggers snatching beast cores mid-fight.
Lady Sakura bloomed crimson slashes, petals a deadly storm.
Yuzde froze pillars, ice dominion crushing.
Armane released calm voids, wind erasing.
Farah wove nightmares, illusions blooming horror.
Khaleed miraged clones, daggers flirting with death.
The entire Ascension Trials turned into a legendary battlefield—slow-mo clashes everywhere, signature powers clashing in fireworks of gold, shadow, light, wind.
Back with Haru's squad, the wave amped harder.
A pack of lightning wolves swarmed—ten strong, fur crackling divine thunder.
Wildane summoned gale walls. "Hold the line!"
Luna's barriers shimmered silver.
Mireille fenced thorns, rapier dancing.
Rhaizen burst light, purifying shocks.
Leonhardt roared pride, sword carving arcs.
Clara reversed wounds, spear holy fury.
Haru dove in, fists golden meteors.
One wolf leaped at Clara—she parried, but thunder shocked her back.
Haru caught her. "Gotcha!"
He spun, punching the wolf's jaw—boom, lightning exploded harmless.
Another wolf phased through Luna's barrier, jaws on Mireille.
She twisted elegant, thorn strike to the eye.
Rhaizen blasted it off.
Wildane hurled wind blades, slicing two at once.
Leonhardt tanked three, awakening shockwave scattering them.
The fight dragged epic—sweat, blood, roars mixing with announcer hype.
"THIS SQUAD'S UNSTOPPABLE! BUT THE WAVE'S GOT MORE TEETH!"
A mega-wolf boss emerged—alpha with godly crown, thunder crown crackling.
It howled—visions assaulted everyone.
Haru saw his thief again—hood slipping, godly eyes mocking.
Clara screamed her sister's face twisted.
Leonhardt relived brother's murder.
They staggered.
The alpha charged.
Haru shook it off first. "Not today!"
He rallied them—Celestial Breaker uniting.
They attacked as one: Wind boosted light bursts, thorns laced lunar threads, lion roars with holy reversals.
Slow-mo finale: Haru leaped highest, fist charged max.
"Hero's Reckoning—Full Break!"
Punch connected—alpha shattered in thunder rain.
The wave broke.
Points maxed. Crests unlocked hidden glows—power boosts teasing.
FIGHTERS REMAINING: 2,845 TIME LEFT: 17:45:59
The group collapsed, laughing ragged.
Haru grinned. "We might just slay some gods."
But the sky whispered darker—seal cracks widening.