"My master will have his victory today."
The commander's words echoed around the ancient chamber as he made his final charge. Dimensional energy crackled around his form while reality bent to accommodate his desperate assault. Stone cracked under pressure that belonged to other realms.
Leon and Elise were pushed back by the available hunters as monsters converged on their location from every direction. Crystalline golems crashed through walls with thunderous impacts. Aerial demons dove from shattered ceiling stones. Lesser abyssal entities poured through cracks in dimensional barriers.
"Fall back to the altar," Damian commanded while parrying demon claws with his one functional arm. "Defensive circle around the healers."
Iron-fang formed ranks beside ARES survivors. Sanctuary healers shared mana with Association hunters whose interfaces had failed. Guild politics meant nothing when extinction threatened everything they'd sworn to protect.
———
