The center of the ruins was nothing but a wide, open battlefield, flat sand, broken tiles, and a constant storm of corrupted creatures rushing in from every direction. The air trembled with the roars of beasts and the clash of the heroes fighting together, each one moving on instinct, survival, and resolve.
A Sand Serpent burst out of the ground first, lunging straight toward Lila. She didn't even flinch. Her sword flared with boiling heat as steam wrapped around the blade.
With a smooth swing 'Boiling Edge Surge' she sliced through the serpent. The impact exploded into steam and fire, throwing the creature aside in a burning wave.
Another beast leaped from behind. Without turning, she spun her blade, mixing flame and water until they formed a spiraling vortex 'Tideflame Spiral' which swallowed two more beasts trying to flank her.
To her right, Adrian stood still for a moment, his eyes glowing faintly.
A Needlestrike cactus-beast fired a volley of thorns at him, but he had already seen it coming. His body moved seconds before the attack happened, stepping to the side as if guided by invisible strings.
His sword lit up with bright light.
He swung once 'Chronolight Cut' a clean vertical strike.
The beast was sliced.
Moment later, a second slash appeared out of thin air its future echocutting it again.
Doran's voice boomed nearby. "Coming through!"
He slammed his hammer into a charging Gravibull, letting the beast's full force crash into the weapon. He braced himself, absorbing the shock into the metal. The hammer quivered before releasing the stored power in a single burst.
Shatterplate Rebound.
The Gravibull flew backward like a ragdoll, knocking down two more beasts behind it.
Sera stepped forward, her hands glowing a calm, soft green. Wounds on nearby allies closed instantly as she released Verdant Bloom Mend, petals of light floating and fading around her.
A Sand Serpent tried to coil around her, but vines erupted from the ground around her feet 'Verdant Bloom Protect' forming a protective circle. The serpent slammed into the vines and stiffened as they tightened around its body.
Rok sprinted past, wind streaking behind him. He slammed his crowbar into the serpent as he moved, sand bursting from the strike 'Dustwake Blitz' and the creature fell limp.
"Not slowing down yet!" Rok shouted as another group of beasts rushed them.
He spun with a wide arc, wind pressure mixing with slicing sand around his crowbar. Desert Reaver Swing cut down several smaller beasts in a single sweep.
Rosa dashed in beside him. Her dual hook swords glinted as she crossed them mid-strike. The curved blades twisted around a Mournwing's leg 'Serpent Twin Bind' and she pulled sharply, slamming the creature to the ground where Rok finished it with another burst of sand.
To the left, Anya faced two Nightmauls rushing at her. Her broadsword slammed into the ground first 'Freezing Drop.'
A spike of ice shot upward, impaling one of them instantly.
The second tried to leap at her throat, but she swung horizontally.
Her blade glowed with cold as it sliced through the air 'Winter Cleave' freezing the beast mid-pounce.
Roland burst forward at the same moment. He punched a Grothfrog with the full force of Breaker Combo, the final hit breaking through the monster's thick hide. He landed beside Anya, breathing hard but steady.
"You good?" he asked.
"Until they start coming from the sky," she answered.
"They already are," Elric yelled from overhead.
He dropped down with his rod spinning, releasing circles of slicing wind around him 'Tempest Baton Whirl'. The rings shredded a group of Mournwings trying to swoop down.
A second later he jumped again, letting a gust lift him upward 'Airwalk Pulse' before smashing down on a Crustmaw with a downward wind blast.
In another part of the battlefield, Adriana raised her massive hammer as a Dreadmane horse-beast charged straight at her. She steadied her stance.
The creature slammed into her hammer.
Instead of flying back, she absorbed all of its power into her body. Her weapon vibrated violently as she redirected the force.
She swung with a roar 'Reversal Impact' sending the beast skidding across the battlefield like a broken puppet.
"Nice one," Gepa muttered before jamming his crowbar into the ground.
A glowing line of electricity shot across the sand 'Voltage Tripwire'.
A Venmaw Catfish slid right over it, its body convulsing as lightning shot through it.
"Deigo!" Gepa called.
Deigo was already charging, synthesizer-axe humming. He swung once 'Pulsebreaker Swing' sending an energy wave that cut the stunned creature in half. Sparks crackled around his shoulders as he dragged the axe across the ground, building power.
A massive shock-blast shot forward 'Overcharge Riff' taking down another line of beasts.
Near the center, Iria released a thin beam of pure light 'Radiant Beam' piercing through three beasts in a straight line. Dark blood splashed onto the sand, evaporating in the heat of her magic.
When a pack of smaller beasts circled her, she expanded a glowing barrier 'Dawnshield Burst' blinding them and pushing them away.
Tovren shot through the opening she created.
A single heavy uppercut 'Titan Knuckle Uproot' sent a Scorvex flying so high it vanished into the sky.
He inhaled sharply, activating Frenzy Time.
Then he disappeared.
In the next second, four rapid punches hit a Grothfrog from different angles. A fifth hit crushed its skull. The beast fell before it even understood what struck it.
The ground shook from every direction. New swarms ran in. Some dove from the sky, others crawled from the sand, others sprinted straight into the group.
But the fighters didn't move back.
They formed a loose circle, each one watching a different angle, defending the others without needing orders.
Rok cracked his knuckles again.
Anya raised her sword.
Elric spun his rod.
Deigo rested his axe on his shoulder.
Adrian narrowed his eyes, seeing fragments of the next wave's movements.
Sera's green light glowed brighter.
Lila's blade burned.
Tovren smirked.
Rosa twirled her hooks.
Gepa rolled his shoulders.
Roland stepped forward.
Adriana lifted her hammer.
Iria steadied her hands.
The battlefield rumbled.
A new roar echoed across the ruins.
The beasts charged again, hundreds of them.
Lila whispered, "Let's push them back."
No one needed to reply.
They all moved at once.
Fire, wind, light, ice, thunder, fists, steel, and magic exploded across the center of the ruins as the entire group fought side by side, holding the endless wave of corrupted beasts with everything they had.
Together.
Relentless.
Unbroken.