The mutated guardian roared.
The sound ripped across the bone desert like a thunderclap, shaking the unstable world around them. Its body had grown larger after absorbing the shattered skeletons. Bone plating layered across its frame like armor forged from the battlefield itself, jagged and uneven, glowing faintly with unstable violet light.
At its center—the exposed core pulsed violently. Each pulse sent ripples of energy through the creature's body.
Above them, the sky continued to break apart. Fragments of the artificial heavens shattered and fell into the desert like falling glass. One crashed nearby, exploding into shards of pale light.
Orion's voice cut across the battlefield. "...Gate integrity collapsing."
Lucien didn't look up. His eyes remained fixed on the guardian. "Then we finish this."
The creature roared again and lunged forward. This time it moved faster. Much faster. Its mutated form slammed into the battlefield with terrifying force.
Lucien intercepted it first. Golden wings erupted behind him as his blade met the creature's descending arm. The collision sent a shockwave across the sand. Lucien's boots dug into the ground as he forced the attack aside.
"Now!" he shouted.
The battlefield erupted into motion. Caelum was the first to strike. Lightning crashed from the sky as he drove his fist into the guardian's side. Electricity exploded across its armor. The impact staggered the creature slightly.
Viktor followed immediately. His crimson blade swept upward in a powerful arc. The strike carved a deep gash through the guardian's leg. Bone fragments scattered across the desert.
Helena moved with them. Her spear struck the same wound Viktor had opened, widening the fracture in the creature's armor. "Leg stability compromised!" she called.
From the rear, Orion released another volley. Three arrows of pale moonlight streaked across the battlefield. One struck the guardian's shoulder joint. Another embedded itself into the exposed chest cavity. The third struck the core directly.
The creature screamed. The sound shook the entire gate. But it did not fall. Instead—the violet light within its chest surged violently. The core pulsed brighter. Unstable.
Elias's voice remained calm. "...The core is overloading."
Lucien glanced at him. "Is that good or bad?"
"If it ruptures before we destroy it," Elias said, "the gate collapses immediately."
Lucien exhaled slowly. "Then we destroy it first."
Behind them, Garrick slammed his shield into the ground again. Stone surged outward, reinforcing the unstable terrain beneath the team. "Ground's breaking apart!" he warned.
Another piece of the sky shattered above them. It crashed into the battlefield like a falling star. Mira quickly drew another summoning circle. Spectral wolves erupted from the sigil and leapt toward the falling debris, redirecting the impact away from the formation. "Temporary cover!" she shouted.
Seris moved through the battlefield behind them, golden light flowing across the group as she stabilized their stamina and treated injuries. "Stay focused," she said softly.
Kaida raised her hand. Shadow surged outward across the desert. The darkness wrapped around the guardian's legs again, binding them briefly. "Hold it still," she said.
The creature roared and struggled. But the restraints held—for a moment.
Lucien saw the opening. Golden light flared brighter behind him. "Clear a path!"
Caelum grinned. "Gladly." Lightning exploded again as he blasted a line through the guardian's defenses. Viktor followed immediately. His crimson blade carved another deep strike across the creature's leg, forcing it lower. Helena moved beside them, spear flashing again as she widened the opening.
The path was clear. Lucien launched forward. Golden wings expanded wider than before. The blade in his hands burned like a falling star.
The guardian reacted instantly. Its massive arm swung toward him. But this time—Lucien didn't slow. He trusted the opening. He trusted the team behind him.
And somewhere behind the battlefield—Nox watched the moment unfold. The world fractured again. Possibilities spread outward like shattered mirrors.
Lucien struck the core. The guardian crushed him; dead.
Another future—Lucien missed. The gate collapsed; everyone died.
Another—Lucien hesitated. The opening vanished. The battle dragged on until the collapsing gate swallowed them; everyone swallowed.
Too many outcomes. Too many failures. But one path remained. A narrow possibility.
Nox reached for it. Reality shifted. Just slightly.
Viktor's earlier strike destabilized the guardian's balance at exactly the right moment. The creature's counterattack fell a fraction short. Lucien reached the core. His blade pierced it.
The world froze. The guardian's body locked in place. Then the core shattered.
Violet light exploded outward across the battlefield. The guardian screamed. Its entire body cracked apart as the unstable energy inside it collapsed.
Above them—the sky broke completely. The gate began to fall apart.
__
Elias's voice cut through the chaos. "Everyone to the exit!"
The battlefield erupted. Chunks of the sky fell like meteor fragments. The desert floor split open beneath their feet. Garrick raised his shield again, blocking a falling shard that would have crushed Mira. "Move!" he shouted.
Mira summoned a series of glowing platforms across the collapsing terrain. "Shortcut!"
Helena moved immediately, guiding the retreat. "This way!"
Orion fired several arrows into the sky, shattering falling fragments before they could hit the group. Seris supported the rear, golden light stabilizing the team as they ran. Caelum blasted apart collapsing debris with bursts of lightning. Viktor remained near the back line, cutting down the last skeletal remnants still moving through the chaos.
Lucien landed beside Nox as the gate began tearing itself apart. "Time to go."
They ran. The gate entrance flickered above the collapsing battlefield. The world disintegrated behind them.
One by one—they crossed the threshold.
And the S-Rank gate collapsed.