Kei stepped out of the vehicle, his movements jerky and his breathing ragged.
—Y-y-you… who are you!? —he demanded, trying to sound firm, though the fear in his voice and the terror on his face betrayed him completely.
The young man before him raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed by the interruption… until he sensed the pure fear radiating off Kei. His expression immediately shifted into a triumphant smile.
—Who am I? —he repeated mockingly, letting out a short, sharp laugh—. I am… —he raised his hand, and strands of Nexo stretched taut in the air like cursed piano strings—. Varyss Draemir.
At his gesture, the three abominations reacted in unison.
The feline beast lunged at Kei with feral speed; the humanoid advanced with calculated strides toward Arata, Yuto, and Kael; and the stone colossus moved forward with a weight that made the street tremble.
—Take this, Kei! —Kael shouted, leaping from the vehicle and tossing his sword to him.
Yuto and Arata immediately took their positions, gripping their weapons so tightly their knuckles went white, struggling to keep panic at bay.
Kei tightened his grip on the sword. The feline was a shadow of lightning, every muscle coiled, anticipating speed that defied the senses. The ground shivered beneath the creature's claws, sending debris scattering in every direction.
A few meters away, the humanoid closed in on the trio, measuring every inch to block any escape. With each step, the asphalt cracked slightly. The air felt heavier, thick with dread, and every breath was a struggle.
Kei pivoted on his heels, raising his steel in guard. The predator flanked him in the blink of an eye, eyes gleaming with almost human cunning. It didn't strike immediately, only studied him. Kei felt the shadow of the colossus looming over his back, and a chilling shiver ran down his spine.
Arata stepped between the humanoid and his companions. The enemy seemed to float between strides, using the corrupted Nexo to move with surgeon-like precision. Any hit would be fatal. Meanwhile, the rock giant, slow but unstoppable, generated shockwaves that forced the group to retreat constantly just to maintain balance.
Kei gritted his teeth. His chest rose and fell violently, but fear had no room left. Only action remained. The first clash was inevitable.
In the silence broken only by the earth's rumble, Kei realized that his true trial had just begun.
The beast arched through the air, claws spread like scalpels. Kei leaned back just in time, feeling the wind whistle past his cheek. Every second stretched painfully; instinct screamed that the slightest mistake meant death.
He spun, planting his right foot to flow with the momentum, drawing the blade from its sheath. The steel gleamed strangely, as if reacting to the desperation of the moment.
The feline gave no quarter. It shifted mid-air to anticipate Kei's trajectory, but he inhaled deeply, pushing his reflexes to the absolute limit. The blade slashed upward, biting into the creature's front paw. A guttural roar shattered the air, echoing off buildings and pavement, sending Kei's pulse into a frenzy.
The wound wasn't enough. The monster staggered just a few inches before righting itself, now angrier and fully aware of the threat. Its eyes burned like living embers.
Kei stepped back, assessing the battlefield. His movements were no longer just reactions; each slash and dodge was part of a deadly dance. Adrenaline had fused his mind and body into a single mechanism.
The blade struck the beast again, forcing it to give ground. Kei didn't falter. Every exhale, every drop of cold sweat, every pounding heartbeat reminded him: failure was not an option.
Under a sky heavy with omens, the battle had only just begun.
Arata gritted his teeth, raising his steel as he felt each step of the humanoid shake the ground beneath his boots. The enemy's movements were methodical, surgical. There was no rage in it, only a suffocating, strategic pressure.
—Take cover! —he bellowed, warning Yuto and Kael.
The humanoid extended its limbs, and strands of corrupted Nexo snaked through the air, weaving a net to trap any escape. Yuto rolled to the side, using his agility to dodge an impact that could have shattered armor. The shockwave of Nexo tried to unbalance him; he realized that even a momentary hesitation could be fatal.
Kael, summoning all his will, placed himself between his friends and the stone colossus. He raised his sword just as the giant's fist slammed into the pavement, shattering concrete. Dust and debris flew in every direction, yet Kael stood firm, deflecting the fissure that threatened to engulf them.
Arata, lungs burning, thrust precisely at one of the humanoid's joints. Every feint and movement was part of a mental calculation under extreme duress. The enemy adjusted its pace, growing more frantic as the dark threads hissed like electric serpents. Yuto leaped, responding with a swift cut that barely grazed the titan's armor.
Meters away, the rock giant advanced with destructive inertia, leaving cracks that turned the street into a chasm. Arata exchanged a fleeting glance with his friends; no words were needed to understand the stakes.
—Do not yield! —he shouted—. Every second is life!
As the trio held their ground, Varyss's shadow stretched over them. It wasn't just the brute force of his creations that terrified—it was his icy presence behind them, orchestrating chaos like a conductor before a symphony of destruction.
Panic erupted nearby. Citizens from neighboring towns fled in desperate stampedes. Doors slammed, screams pierced the air, thousands of feet pounded in unison, merging into a deafening roar. Some stumbled, dragged along by the tide of fear, while windows shattered under the vibrations. The air filled with dust and ozone, thick and biting.
Kei sidestepped another strike from the feline beast, deflecting a claw that would have ripped the pavement. Adrenaline stretched his senses; for a moment, the distant crowd sounded like a distorted echo, a cruel reminder that control had vanished.
The humanoid took a step that shook the entire block, unleashing more strands seeking to trap the defenders. Yuto intercepted a strike aimed at his leg, while Kael shattered rocks raining from the colossus above. The once peaceful city had become a warzone, and the end of the battle felt far away.
Kei retreated instinctively, dodging the predator's snapping jaws. The animal roared, claws of obsidian grazing his blade. Arata resisted the humanoid's assault, feeling numbness creeping up his arms. Yuto cut through the closing Nexo strands, while Kael acted as a human shield against the shower of debris.
The world had compressed into this instant of absolute danger. Every shadow, every tremor was a promise of death. Kei's heart pounded against his ribs, but he refused to yield. His training and resolve fused into every strike, forcing the cunning beast to rethink its hunt.
Varyss, from his altar of indifference, continued to pull the strings. Kei gritted his teeth, holding his sword with newfound determination. He knew the real test of his abilities had only just begun. The air vibrated with tension, and under the sky of a city gripped by panic, the first act of his survival had just begun.