The summoning circle activated at midnight.
It was not announced.
It was not celebrated.
It simply… began.
A pulse of blue light erupted from the Divine Core in the center of Moniyan's capital, spreading across the cathedral floor in intricate patterns of ancient runes. The ground trembled as if the kingdom itself feared what was coming.
Freya stood at the heart of the chamber, armored and silent.
Around her, the other four chosen champions gathered one by one.
This was the first time they stood together as the Five.
The air was thick with tension.
First to arrive was the marksman.
A tall woman clad in crimson and gold, her long rifle slung effortlessly across her back. Her eyes were sharp, calculating the kind that measured distance, wind, and weakness in a single glance.
"I suppose introductions are pointless," she said coolly. "If the Nexus chose us, it already knows our worth."
Freya inclined her head. "Name."
"Beatrix."
Confident. Controlled. Deadly.
Next came the mage.
Arcane energy crackled softly around his fingertips as he stepped into the circle. He wore deep violet robes marked with sigils of the Arcane Tower. Unlike Beatrix, his expression held curiosity rather than pride.
"Cecilion," he said smoothly. "I would have preferred research over war… but destiny rarely consults preference."
His gaze flickered toward the glowing sigil on Freya's arm.
"You feel it too, don't you?" he murmured. "The corruption beneath the light."
Freya did not answer.
Because she did.
The third arrival did not walk in.
He dropped from the cathedral's vaulted ceiling.
Landing without a sound, blades gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
A jungler.
Lean. Calm. Eyes unreadable.
"Aamon," he said simply.
No wasted words.
No nervousness.
Just lethal stillness.
The final member of the Five entered heavily armor clanking softly with each step.
A guardian from the northern walls.
Towering, broad-shouldered, shield strapped firmly to his arm.
"Tigreal," he announced with solemn resolve. "I will stand at the front."
Of course he would.
Tank. Shield. Protector.
Five roles.
Five champions.
Freya looked at each of them carefully.
Fighter. Marksman. Mage. Assassin. Tank.
A perfect formation.
On paper.
The Divine Core pulsed again.
The summoning circle ignited brighter.
A voice not heard, but felt vibrated through the chamber.
ENTER THE ARENA.
Without warning, the floor beneath them dissolved into blinding blue light.
They did not fall.
They were transported.
One breath they stood in Moniyan.
The next they stood inside the Celestial Nexus Arena.
It was massive.
Stone lanes stretched into the distance in three directions. Defensive towers rose like ancient sentinels along each path, glowing with dormant power. Dense jungle forests filled the spaces between lanes, shadows shifting unnaturally within.
And far aheadp
The enemy's side of the battlefield shimmered into existence.
Another five figures materialized.
Freya's grip tightened around her sword.
Across the arena stood warriors from the Abyss Dominion.
At their center
Alucard.
His silver hair caught the blue glow of the Nexus as he looked across the field and locked eyes with her.
No surprise.
No hesitation.
Just understanding.
So it begins.
The Divine Core above the arena pulsed violently.
And then
The towers activated.
Blue light surged upward from Moniyan's structures.
Crimson light flared from the enemy's side.
A countdown echoed through the battlefield.
Three.
Two.
One.
The war began.
Tigreal moved first.
Shield raised, he advanced down the central lane, boots striking stone with controlled power.
Freya followed close behind.
Beatrix positioned herself at the rear, rifle ready.
Cecilion floated slightly above ground, gathering mana into his palms.
Aamon disappeared into the jungle without a sound.
Perfect execution.
From the enemy side, the Abyss tank met Tigreal head-on. Metal clashed against metal, sparks flying as shields collided.
Freya surged forward, sword blazing with divine energy.
She struck fast precise.
The enemy fighter blocked, but staggered.
Beatrix fired.
A clean shot.
The Abyss mage retaliated instantly, launching a wave of dark energy that shattered against Tigreal's shield.
Cecilion countered with a spiraling arcane blast that forced them back.
For a moment
It felt like balance.
Skill against skill.
Power against power.
But then
The jungle screamed.
Not metaphorically.
Actually screamed.
A guttural, inhuman roar tore through the forest to their right.
Freya's head snapped toward the sound.
"That's not normal spawn timing," Cecilion muttered.
The ground trembled.
Trees splintered.
And something enormous burst from the jungle.
It was supposed to be a simple jungle guardian.
Instead
It was grotesquely mutated.
Twice its normal size. Veins pulsing black through glowing blue skin. Eyes burning crimson instead of gold.
Corrupted.
The creature didn't attack randomly.
It charged straight toward Moniyan's lane.
"Tigreal!" Freya shouted.
Too late.
The beast slammed into the central tower.
Stone cracked.
Light flickered.
Impossible.
Jungle monsters did not attack towers.
They followed rules.
The Nexus had rules.
Another roar echoed.
From the opposite jungle.
And another.
Beatrix swore under her breath. "They're not targeting champions."
Cecilion's voice turned grim. "They're targeting structures."
Freya's heart dropped.
The Nexus wasn't just corrupted.
It was rewriting itself.
Across the battlefield, Alucard had seen it too.
He sliced through an approaching beast with brutal efficiency, but even he hesitated when a second creature ignored him completely and lunged for the Abyss tower.
They were both being attacked.
Both sides.
The Nexus was not choosing a winner.
It was destabilizing the field.
Freya made a split-second decision.
"Aamon! Jungle control! Now!"
No response.
Of course not.
He was already moving.
From the shadows, blades flashed. Aamon appeared behind the corrupted beast, striking at the pulsating black veins running across its spine.
The creature shrieked, swinging wildly.
Freya leapt forward, channeling divine energy into her blade.
"Fall!"
Her strike split the corruption cleanly down the center.
The beast convulsed
Then exploded into fragments of dark light.
Silence fell.
But only briefly.
Because the Moniyan tower behind them
Flickered again.
Cracks spread through its base.
And then
Collapsed.
The first tower had fallen.
Not by enemy hands.
But by the Nexus itself.
A cold chill spread across Freya's skin.
This had never happened before.
Across the field, Alucard lowered his blade slowly.
Their eyes met again.
This was no longer a standard war.
This was something else.
The Divine Core above the arena pulsed erratically.
Dark veins crept through its once-pure glow.
And deep beneath the battlefield
Something laughed.
Not loud.
Not obvious.
But present.
Watching.
The Nexus had summoned them to fight each other.
But now
It seemed the arena itself had become the enemy.
Freya stepped forward, voice steady despite the chaos.
"Regroup."
Beatrix reloaded smoothly.
Cecilion's eyes burned with analytical focus.
Tigreal adjusted his shield stance.
Aamon emerged from the shadows once more.
Across the field, Alucard wiped dark blood from his blade.
Two teams.
Five champions each.
But the real war was no longer between kingdoms.
It was against the corruption infecting the very system that bound them.
And the Nexus
Was only just beginning to show its true form.