The air within the dome was thick with residual heat, the distant echoes of clashing auras sending a constant tremor through the ground. People huddled together, seeking solace in numbers, while others moved frantically to aid the wounded.
Denwen stood frozen, his gaze locked onto the sky where two overwhelming forces clashed. The very air seemed to groan beneath the weight of their presence. He could barely fathom it—was this truly the power of a Peak Rank 3? Garrick's presence alone seemed to distort the space around him, his deep purple aura surging like a roaring tide.
"Is this what it means to be strong?" Denwen murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Jay, standing beside him, grinned and nudged Roy. "Damn, Uncle's a monster."
Roy didn't respond immediately, his sharp eyes focused beyond the dome. He saw what Denwen saw—the destruction, the suffering, the weight of battle pressing down on the people. Children sobbed, their voices raw and hoarse, as they clung to lifeless bodies. A boy, no older than eight, gripped a tattered straw hat, his tiny hands trembling while his mother wrapped her arms around him protectively.
The sight stirred something deep within them.
Nicole had already rushed off, following Mellissa and Kara as they knelt beside the injured, applying makeshift bandages, whispering reassurances through gritted teeth. Mellissa's silver hair was matted with sweat and grime, but she didn't stop. She tore a piece of her own clothing to wrap around a man's bleeding arm, her hands shaking slightly but her determination unwavering.
Roy clenched his fists. "This isn't right."
Denwen's nails bit into his palms. "We can help."
Jay cracked his knuckles. "Then let's do it."
They turned to Corbin, who stood near the damaged section of the dome, his arms raised as he poured his essence into the barrier, reinforcing it. His expression was one of focused exhaustion, but his ears perked when Roy and Jay approached.
"Let us go out there," Roy said, his voice firm. "We can take care of the remaining lynx before they regroup. That will make a difference."
Corbin didn't even turn to look at them. "No."
Jay frowned. "Why not?"
"Because you're not needed out there," Corbin replied. His voice was even, but there was an undeniable weight behind his words. "The Rank 3 Blazebane Howler might be terrifying, but Garrick is stronger. There's no need to risk your lives when the battle is already under control."
Denwen wasn't convinced. He turned his head and saw the truth outside the dome—a man trapped beneath a pile of stone, his body pinned while two lynx circled him like starving predators.
"Look!" Denwen pointed. "That man is going to die if no one helps him! We can be useful, we can make a difference!"
Corbin finally turned to them. His sharp green eyes flickered toward the battlefield, then back at them. "You're not fast enough to escape a Rank 2," he said coldly. "If one catches you, you're dead. It's that simple."
The words stung, but Roy refused to back down.
He exhaled slowly, then moved.
With a swift kick, he launched one of the fallen earthen swords from the ground. The blade spun in the air before his hand snatched it with ease—and at that very moment, his essence burst forth.
A light blue aura ignited around his body like a roaring flame, swirling with controlled power.
Corbin's breath hitched. "What—?"
"You said we weren't fast enough." Roy's voice was calm, but there was an undeniable confidence in his tone. "I'm a Rank 2. Will that convince you?"
Corbin blinked, stunned.
A sixteen-year-old in under half his first year of awakening… already a Rank 2?
His mind raced back to Garrick's words from earlier that night.
"Let them come with us. It's only a Rank 3 gate. Let them come and see the reality of life. You just keep them within the dome and let them learn. Besides… I'm sure one or two of them might surprise you."
Corbin chuckled softly. "So that's what you meant, Garrick…"
His eyes swept over the group—Denwen, Jay, Roy—all of them standing with the fire of determination in their eyes. Even Mellissa had stepped forward now, her silver hair catching the dim glow of the dome's barrier.
"I'm going too," she declared.
Corbin's expression darkened. "No. You are just a young lady, and would be much more useful in here" he mentioned and looking carefully at her he saw the unique silver hair she had: "You're from the Ignisclade Clan. If something happens to you—"
"That is right, I am a peak rank 1 Fire mage of the Ignisclade family and if you know a bit about my family you should know..." Her voice cut through the air like a blade. "My place is on the battlefield!"
Corbin hesitated. He knew her family's name carried weight—but looking at her now, seeing the unwavering resolve in her gaze…
He sighed. "Damn brats."
With a single hand signal, he gestured for Trevor. "Get them their weapons."
Denwen was given a gauntlet, Jay took a heavy mace, testing its weight with a grin.
Mellissa didn't need anything extra—her flames were enough.
"Stick together," Corbin ordered. "Roy, you lead. Handle the Rank 1 lynx quickly, hold off any Rank 2 if necessary. Denwen and Jay, focus on recovering the injured and protecting the flanks. Mellissa, stay at the back and provide cover with your flames."
The four of them nodded.
Corbin raised his hand—and a small section of the dome parted open just enough for them to step through.
The moment their feet touched the ground, the battlefield swallowed them whole.
---
Above the battlefield, inside the hovering transport…
Garrick's purple essence pulsed in the sky, clashing violently against the purple aura of the Blazebane Howler. The two beings locked eyes—one a seasoned warrior, the other an ancient disaster.
The lynx snarled, its razor-sharp fangs glistening under the moonlight as it crouched, its muscular frame coiled like a spring ready to pounce.
Garrick smirked as he caught sight of the kids stepping out of the dome.
"That took them long enough."
His grip tightened around his spear.
"Alright, you mutt," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "We've been staring at each other long enough, time to take this to somewhere else"
In a blur of motion, Garrick vanished from the sky.
The next moment, he reappeared below, using the butt of his spear to slam directly into the underside of the Blazebane's jaw.
BOOM!
The massive lynx was lifted off its feet, its body flung backward into the woods, crashing through trees like they were twigs.
Garrick spun his spear and chased after it, his deep purple aura trailing behind him like a storm.
The battle had truly begun.