The explosion shook the entire plaza.
Flames roared upward from the destroyed vehicles, surrounding the Shadow Alpha in a blazing ring of fire. Smoke filled the air, reducing visibility to almost nothing.
For a brief moment—
The battlefield froze.
Then the glass building behind the Alpha began to crack.
A sharp, echoing sound spread through the structure.
CRACK.
CRACK.
CRACK.
Darius looked up.
"…It's working."
Arin stood calmly amidst the chaos, his eyes fixed on the towering structure.
"Move back," he said quietly.
The soldiers didn't hesitate this time.
They immediately retreated.
Because now they understood something important—
This wasn't luck.
This was a plan.
The Shadow Alpha roared in fury.
Its massive body twisted as it tried to escape the burning area.
But the explosion had already done its job.
The creature's balance was broken.
Its left side weakened.
Its movements slower.
Above it—
The building finally gave in.
The upper floors collapsed first.
Glass shattered into thousands of pieces, raining down like deadly shards.
Steel beams snapped.
Concrete slabs broke free.
The entire structure began falling toward the plaza.
The Alpha looked up too late.
It tried to leap away.
But its injured leg betrayed it.
For the first time since the battle began—
The predator made a mistake.
A massive section of the building crashed down directly onto it.
The impact was devastating.
A thunderous boom echoed across the district.
Dust exploded outward, covering everything in a thick gray cloud.
The ground trembled violently.
Then—
Silence.
For several seconds, no one moved.
No one spoke.
The soldiers stared at the collapsing debris in shock.
Darius stood still, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"…Did we…?"
Arin didn't answer.
He simply watched the rubble carefully.
Seconds passed.
Then—
A low rumble came from beneath the debris.
The soldiers froze.
"…No way," one whispered.
The rubble shifted.
A massive claw burst through the concrete.
The Shadow Alpha was still alive.
But barely.
Its body was crushed under tons of debris.
Blood covered its fur.
One of its horns was broken.
Its movements were slow.
Weak.
But its eyes…
Still burned with rage.
Darius tightened his grip on his sword.
"That thing just won't die."
Arin stepped forward.
"Now it will."
Darius looked at him.
Arin's voice was calm.
Cold.
"Finish it."
Darius didn't hesitate.
He ran forward, jumping across broken concrete and twisted metal.
The Alpha growled weakly, trying to lift its head.
But it was too late.
Darius raised his sword high.
And brought it down with all his strength—
Directly into the monster's eye.
The blade pierced deep.
The Alpha let out one final roar.
Then—
Its body went still.
Completely still.
The battlefield fell silent again.
This time…
It was over.
Slowly, the dust began to settle.
The flames died down.
The remaining Shadow Hounds, now without their leader, scattered in confusion.
The soldiers quickly took them down one by one.
Within minutes…
The plaza was secure.
Emergency sirens echoed in the distance.
Medical teams rushed in.
Civilians slowly emerged from hiding.
The second Gate…
Had been cleared.
Darius stood over the corpse of the Shadow Alpha, breathing heavily.
Sweat and blood covered his body.
But his eyes were focused on one person.
Arin Veyron.
The young man stood a few meters away, completely calm.
As if everything that had just happened was… expected.
Darius walked toward him.
"You knew."
Arin glanced at him.
"Knew what?"
"That building would collapse."
"Yes."
"You knew where to strike."
"Yes."
"You knew how to kill it."
"Yes."
Darius stared at him.
"…Who are you?"
Arin remained silent for a moment.
Then he said simply,
"Someone preparing for what's coming."
Darius frowned.
"And what exactly is coming?"
Arin looked toward the sky.
For a brief second…
The clouds above the city seemed to ripple.
Almost like something was watching.
"War," Arin said quietly.
Across the city, inside the military command center, the officers watched the live footage of the battle.
The moment the Shadow Alpha died, the room erupted in noise.
"We did it!"
"The Gate is stabilizing!"
"Energy levels dropping!"
General Marcus Hale didn't celebrate.
His eyes were fixed on the screen.
Specifically…
On Arin.
"That boy again," he muttered.
An intelligence officer stepped forward.
"Sir, we've identified him."
"Hm."
"Arin Veyron."
"Same individual from the first Gate incident."
The general crossed his arms.
"And he just happened to appear again?"
"Yes, sir."
The general's expression darkened.
"That's no coincidence."
He turned toward the officer.
"I want everything on him."
"Family, background, contacts."
"Everything."
The officer nodded.
"Yes, sir."
On the other side of the city…
In a quiet room hidden far beneath the surface…
A large screen displayed the same battle.
Several hooded figures stood around it.
Watching.
Analyzing.
One of them spoke.
"The deviation is increasing."
Another replied.
"The strategist continues to interfere."
A third figure stepped forward.
On the screen, Arin's image was highlighted.
"He has already altered two major events."
"His existence is now a confirmed anomaly."
Silence filled the room.
Then—
A new voice spoke from the shadows.
Cold.
Decisive.
"Then eliminate him."
The others remained silent.
Because they all understood.
The game had changed.
And now…
The strategist was no longer just a variable.
He had become a threat.
Back in the ruined plaza, Arin stood quietly as emergency teams took control of the area.
Darius approached him one last time.
"This isn't over, is it?"
Arin shook his head slightly.
"No."
Darius sighed.
"Then next time…"
He paused.
"…Don't disappear before I get answers."
Arin gave a faint smile.
"We'll see."
Then he turned and walked away.
Leaving behind a battlefield.
A city in shock.
And a world that was slowly beginning to understand the truth.
That the apocalypse…
Had already begun.