Deep in the heart of the Whispering Wilds, the ground trembled. Hector had awoken.
The death of Carna echoed through the forest, stirring the Demigod of nature. Vines slithered, roots twisted, and branches whispered. Hector stood at the center, tall, calm, and terrifyingly still. A sphere of thorned vines coiled around him, pulsing with green light. He moved slowly, controlling the Wilds as if it were his body. The forest obeyed.
Far off, Eleanor and Katya flew low between the trees, streaks of gold and green flickering through the dense canopy as they raced toward the chaos of Ziza's battle.
Eleanor's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Katya! I spotted another Demigod!"
She pointed ahead. "He's the one controlling the vines. He's hiding inside some kind of living sphere."
Katya halted mid-flight, hovering. Her expression darkened.
"So he's the one isolating us, separating us so the others can pick us off one at a time." Her fists clenched. "Sneaky jerk."
Eleanor landed softly on a branch, her axe glowing faintly. "We need to stop him. Now."
"Whoa, whoa. Hold up, Sunshine," Katya said, dropping beside her. "What, you trying to die on your first real mission? This guy's got serious trickster energy; I can feel it."
Eleanor smirked. "So you do care."
Katya rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Sunshine. I just don't wanna be the one Ascendants chew out when you end up cut in half. That's all."
Before they could argue, the sphere of vines shifted.
A section peeled back, showing Hector's calm face. His golden eyes met theirs.
"Hmph," he said with a small nod. "You've found me. Mariam's will demands your destruction. Each of you has a Demigod assigned. Lyn has other duties, making sure no one escapes our net."
"Lyn? Who is she, another Demigod?" Katya asked, but Eleanor had already vanished. "Huh? Eleanor?"
Too late.
Eleanor was a golden streak, wings aglow, axe raised. A thick vine exploded from the ground, slamming into her. She grunted but flipped mid-air, using her wings to land in a crouch.
Katya scowled. "What the heck, Sunshine!? Don't go charging in alone like that!"
Eleanor gave a sheepish shrug. "Mmm. Yeah. Noted."
Katya turned her attention back to Hector. "Alright, nature boy. What's your plan?"
But the ground behind Hector erupted.
Spikes of ice burst up, grazing Hector's arm as he twisted away. He actually flinched.
A new figure stepped from the shadows: tall, battle-worn, and smirking.
"Aw man," Gail said, resting her massive sword over one shoulder. "You weren't the power I felt earlier, but you definitely look like a problem."
Katya's jaw dropped. "G-Gail?!"
Eleanor's eyes lit up. "You're okay!"
Katya blinked. "Wait, how did you catch him off guard like that?"
Gail casually twirled her sword once and smirked. "Divine Art: Shiverburst Mirage."
"...Whoa," Katya muttered, visibly impressed.
"You two alright?" Gail asked.
Eleanor wiped a smudge of blood from her temple. "Hit my head. But still kicking."
The three angels now stood together, weapons ready, power swirling around them as vines hissed in warning.
Hector exhaled, stepping forward, green light gathering in his palms.
"So. Three of you now."
The vines around Hector pulsed. The sphere of roots opened enough to show his upper body: a serious expression, a moss-draped black cloak, and faintly glowing golden eyes. A slow wind circled the clearing.
Gail landed lightly next to Katya and Eleanor, her expression calm.
"He's not too flashy," Gail muttered, eyes narrowing. "But he's got the whole forest in his back pocket. Watch your feet."
Eleanor flexed her wings. "Noted."
Katya adjusted her gauntlets. "Alright nature boy, let's see what you do when we bring the heat."
Before anyone could charge, Hector raised his hand slowly. The ground beneath them trembled. Thick vines burst upward from the soil, trying to wrap around their legs. Gail leapt back with agile precision, slicing through the vines with a slash of her nardachi.
Eleanor ignited her Sunfire. Katya slammed her fists together.
"Split up," Katya barked. "Don't give him an easy target."
Gail took to the left, Eleanor darted right, and Katya moved straight down the middle, charging with raw power.
Hector didn't flinch. The ground rippled like water. Thorned vines sprouted walls, forming narrow corridors, isolating the angels.
Gail skidded to a stop. "Damn, he's caging us!"
Eleanor cut apart the vines with quick strikes. "Katya, status?"
"Still moving!"
Katya ducked barbed tendrils and burst forward. "Divine Art: Pulse Breaker!"
The energy blast ripped through a wall of vines, creating a small opening, but Hector reacted. Vines wrapped around his arms and flung them forward like giant whips, crashing into the ground before her.
Katya shielded her face as bark and leaves exploded. "Yeah, he's definitely annoying."
Meanwhile, Eleanor pressed forward from the right. She rose above the brambles, scanning for Hector.
"Gail, can you freeze the vines near his feet? Might slow his reaction."
Gail was already ahead of her. She pressed her blade into the ground.
"Divine Art: Glacial Rootbind!"
A patch of earth surrounding Hector's feet froze solid. Icy tendrils locked his lower half in place.
Hector's eyes finally widened.
"Now!" Gail shouted.
Eleanor didn't hesitate. Wings burning gold, she dove through the air. "Divine Art: Sunflare Drive!" A straight line of holy energy carved through the battlefield. At the same time, Katya charged from the front. "Divine Art: Meteor Knuckle!"
The two strikes were perfectly synchronized.
But Hector wasn't out of tricks.
Bark peeled from the trees, wrapping around his body like armor. A dome of enchanted wood formed just before Eleanor's axe struck. Her blade slammed into the defense, exploding in golden flame.
BOOM!
The dome shattered, sending Eleanor tumbling backward. Katya's fists punched through the remains, striking Hector squarely in the chest. He flew backward, crashing into thornbushes.
"Did we get him?" Gail asked, panting.
The silence that followed was deceptive.
A soft rustle echoed.
Then...
Vines shot upward like spears beneath Katya, forcing her to jump high. A second wave coiled around Gail's legs, slowing her.
And from the wreckage, Hector emerged again, scraped but not broken. Vines stitched wounds across his chest, leaves swirling around his body like armor.
"Clever," he said calmly. "But not enough."
He lifted both arms, and the forest itself responded. Dozens of roots exploded from the ground, forming a labyrinth of shifting wood and twisting corridors, rearranging constantly.
"He's making it a maze," Eleanor said, frustrated. "He's stalling us."
Katya took a deep breath. "Then we need to break the maze. All at once."
She knelt, charging energy into her fists.
"Eleanor, cover me. Gail, freeze the left quadrant. We hit him from three sides; he can't defend them all."
Eleanor nodded. "Got it."
Gail planted her blade. "On your go."
Katya closed her eyes. Then shouted.
"Go!"
Eleanor surged forward, radiant wings glowing. She launched fireballs of divine heat, burning open paths through the vines. Gail swept her sword wide, a sheet of ice freezing the roots on her side. The forest cracked and groaned.
Katya rocketed forward.
"Divine Art: Heaven's Shatterfist!"
She tore through the last of the walls, striking Hector dead center with both fists. A massive shockwave erupted, snapping vines, uprooting trees.
Hector let out a strained grunt as he hit the ground hard.
Silence.
He didn't rise.
The roots twitched, then fell still.
The forest grew quiet again.
Gail approached cautiously. "Is he… done?"
Eleanor stared, breathing hard. "I think so."
Katya exhaled deeply, shaking out her hands. "Tough bastard."
As the dust settled, the vines shriveled. Hector's body faded into green mist, disappearing like Carna's before him.
Two Demigods down.
But the battle wasn't over.
Back at the first battlefield, Ziza stood untouched, eyes fixed toward the canopy. A faint smile curved her lips.
And somewhere far, far away, thunder rolled across a clear sky.
A golden-haired demigoddess stood in the center of a ravaged battlefield. Scattered across the ground, the forms of leftover scouts and Guardians were already fading to dust.
This was Lyn, the Lightning Demigod.
"Tch. Hector and Carna lost. What were they thinking? Mariam told us not to play around." She huffed, a flash of annoyance crossing her face. "Looks like I'll have to finish this myself."
She turned, walking straight ahead and away from the edge of the Wilds, a chilling determination in her stride.
A storm was coming.