Stefan weaved his gunship between Corvalla’s buildings, dodging the flying Saurids as the military clashed with their forces in the streets below. Once Azura’s location came into view, he pulled the gunship above the rooftops and launched the same missiles he had used in the last battle, clearing the sky with a series of explosions.

  Vivian was the first to deploy. She rappelled down with her cannon, with Matis and Emeric following close behind to cover her.

  While Vivian set up to provide explosive fire support, Cassius was dropped off near Terak, who had advanced ahead of Azura to lead a Saurid assault. Finally, Stefan dropped Luna and Rody onto the roof of a short building not far from Azura and the pit she had created. He kept the gunship hovering out of sight, waiting until Luna and Rody were in position.

  “Now!” Stefan ordered as he fired his missiles and chain gun at the flyers near Azura, knocking them out of the sky. Vivian fired an explosive round at the group of Saurid, obliterating the small horde. At the same moment, Cassius leapt from the rooftop and brought his hammer down, slamming Terak’s head into the street with a thunderous blow.

  “Azura! You need to stop this!” Luna burst through the smoke with her katana drawn.

  Azura drew her swords and greeted Luna cheerfully. “I’m so glad you came! Everything is ready now!”

  Before Azura could cross swords with Luna, Rody appeared from behind and unleashed his Frost ability, freezing her in place. Luna ignited herself and her sword in Teal flames. With a shout and a powerful downward strike, she brought her blade down, slicing Azura cleanly in two.

  Time stood still for the Gladius. Their hopes for a quick victory vanished when Azura began to laugh again. The ice around her hissed into steam as she reconnected her body and lunged at Rody, slashing without hesitation.

  “You’re gonna need A LOT more than that!”

  Rody attempted to freeze Azura again, but her flames overpowered his Teal Frost. Luna rushed over to help as he struggled to keep up with Azura’s quick strikes.

  Meanwhile, Terak recovered and violently jerked his head upward, throwing Cassius and his hammer off of him. The beast stomped the ground, bracing himself for a duel with Cassius.

  “Terak fight for Queen Azura!”

  Cassius jumped out of the way of the spikes that Terak hurled at him. “This beast talks!”

  “No beast, Terak Saurid!” Before Terak charged with his horns, he showed Cassius his serpent form.

  “I am Prince Cassius Elerian! I fight to honor my bloodline!” Cassius electrified his hammer and charged to meet Terak head-on. He landed several punishing blows, but the beast refused to yield. Terak countered by launching spikes from his back, forcing Cassius to retreat and create space. As he did, Terak whipped his spiked tail around and struck Cassius hard, slamming him into a nearby car.

  Terak roared and charged, ramming Cassius with his horned face and pinning him against a wall.

  Meanwhile, the Saurid horde began to recognize Vivian as a major threat. Hundreds swarmed her position, climbing over one another in a frenzy. Matis and Emeric fired desperately into the crowd, trying to hold them back. Each time Vivian launched an explosive round into the Saurid ranks, the creatures would regroup, pressing closer with every wave.

  Unbeknownst to the support team, Saurids had been clawing away at the building’s foundation. Without warning, the structure tilted and collapsed, crashing into the adjacent building. Buried in the rubble, Vivian, Matis, and Emeric pulled themselves free and began fighting for their lives.

  “There are too many of them! We need help!” Vivian cried out on the Comm Channel

  “I’m going! Luna! Rody! If you can stop Azura, I believe all of her creatures will stop as well! We have to contain her as soon as possible!” Stefan shot down a few flyers and made his way over to Vivian.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Luna blocked Azura’s strike. “We’re trying!”

  Still pinned against the wall, Cassius could hear the other’s call for help. He pummeled Terak’s neck with his hammer until he could see Terak’s serpent body wrapped around the neck bones. Cassius called down Teal lightning from the sky, channeling its energy into his hammer.

  “Be gone, beast!” With a final blow with his Teal electrified hammer, Cassius fried Terak’s serpent body, killing him.

  “I’m on my way!” Cassius rushedrushes to the others as Terak’s empty corpse fell over. “Luna, I was able to kill the large beast with a Teal attack, try that on Azura!”

  “Thank you Cassius! Rody! I’ve got an idea! UseThe Phalanx to back me up!” Luna shouted over to Rody.

  “Let’s try it!” Rody disengaged and began forming spears out of Teal fragments, hurling them at Azura one after another.

  Azura showed off her skill by crossing swords with Luna while simultaneously deflecting Rody’s spears with swift, precise movements. “Oooo! What a cool technique! Hahaha!”

  “You won’t be laughing when it cuts you to pieces!” Luna retorted.

  “Yes I will! ‘Cuz pain is fun! Watch I’ll show you! Darlings! Tear those two boys and that girl to pieces for me! Hahaha!” Azura ordered her Saurids.

  “No, stop!” Luna swung at Azura, but her strike was blocked. The Saurids renewed their assault on the three trapped Gladius. Vivian had lost her cannon and already used all her grenades; she was left with only her pistol. Matis and Emeric stood in front of her, blades drawn, ready to face the oncoming horde.

  “Luna… Damn this is embarrassing… I’m sorry about the tournament… I should have taken you up on that training offer… I’m gonna turn my mic off… Don’t think we’re getting out of this… You’re the strongest one of us left… Protect the city, Luna…” Emeric called out to Luna over the Comm Channel. He and Matis turned off their mics as the Saurids cut them down, protecting Vivian.

  “Emeric! Matis! Guys hold on! Help is coming!” Luna replied frantically, but there was no response.

  Vivian shouted for help as a Saurid slashed her arm. She stumbled backward, firing her pistol as she fell. A nearby explosion distracted the creatures just long enough for Cassius to charge in, hammer in hand. He positioned himself between the monsters and Vivian, then slammed his hammer into the ground, sending a surge of Teal electricity through the earth. The energy tore through the front ranks, killing scores of Saurid instantly.

  Stefan flew overhead, mowing down the remaining Saurids with the gunship’s chaingun. He dropped a rope from the side, allowing Vivian and Cassius to climb aboard.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get her in time…” Cassius lamented.

  Vivian shook her head. “It’s not your fault, thank you for saving me…”

  “Don’t thank me yet, the night’s not over,” Cassius helped Vivian up.

  “We’re not going to waste anyone’s sacrifice tonight. We’re going to win this!” Stefan reassured Vivian as she strapped into her co-pilot’s seat. She gave Stefan a sad, but determined nod.

  When Emeric and Matis didn’t respond, Luna’s anger flared—and deep down, she knew the worst had happened. “Rody! Switch with me!”

  Rody obliged and jumped back into fighting Azura with his sword. Luna began bouncing around Azura and off the surrounding buildings, hurling Phalanx spears.

  “Aww! Luna’s a bunny rabbit now! Hahaha! Little bunny’s made her friends get all torn up!” Azura taunted Luna.

  “I’ll show you who’s all torn up! Rody protect yourself!” Luna shouted as she launched herself off a building, hurtling straight toward Azura. Rody jumped back, shielding himself with a layer of ice. As Luna closed in, Azura pointed her swords outward, leaving herself exposed in anticipation of the strike.

  Luna slashed at Azura, who simply moved out of the way and laughed at the failed attempt. Luna frowned at Azura and clenched her fist. While darting around the battlefield, Luna had secretly left fragments of Teal scattered around Azura without her noticing. Now, with a surge of power, she forged them into spears. They shot toward Azura all at once, violently driving her into the ground. Azura coughed up blood as the spears pinned her in place.

  “That was a fun trick!”

  Luna pounced on Azura and drove her blade into the side of her neck, targeting the place where her serpent form emerged. “This isn’t fun, Azura! You’re hurting people!”

  “The fun is only just starting, Luna! Hahahaha!” Azura continued to laugh as Luna wrapped herself in Teal flames.

  She unleashed the flames just as she had during training with Rody. Stefan and the others could see the towering blaze erupting around her, flames roaring out of control. Luna shouted as Azura’s body was consumed in the inferno. When it was over, she collapsed to her knees, exhausted. “Yes! We did it!”

  Luna’s flames burned away Rody’s ice, freeing him. “Great job Luna! You did it!” Rody walked over to Luna, who was catching her breath on all fours. “Let me cool you off.”

  “Thank…You… Rody…” Luna panted. “Ow… Ow… OW! OW! OW!”

  “Luna what’s wrong?” Rody frantically searched Luna for the problem and saw Azura’s serpent form slithering along her back.

  “Rody.. Help…!” Luna struggled as Azura coiled around her neck.

  “Hey! Stop!” Rody reached for Azura, but she was too fast, vanishing beneath Luna’s skin before he could stop her. Luna’s eyes fluttered shut, and she began to collapse.

  . “Luna! Luna! Wake up!”

  Rody caught her before she hit the ground, pulling her into his arms. He called out to Stefan over the Comm Channel. “Stefan! I don’t know what happened! Azura became a snake or something and she wrapped around Luna’s neck, now she won’t wake up!”

  “We’re on our way to you!” Stefan replied. “We’ll figure it out!”

  “Thank you… Rody…” Luna got up and walked away from Rody.

  Rody sensed something was off. “L-Luna…”

  Luna turned around to face Rody, her eyes glowing with the green of Teal. “She was so nervous with you around that she let her guard down! Now I have the perfect body! Thank you Rody!” Luna grinned at Rody, but it was not her usual kind and warm smile. Instead, it was the sharp-toothed grin of Azura