The battlefield had lost its shape long before anyone realized it. The once endless stretch of grass was now a shattered landscape, marred by deep cracks, scattered craters, and patches of scorched earth that still smoldered faintly, thin trails of smoke curling into the strange green sky above.
In the midst of this devastation stood Sage and his companions, their formation holding but visibly strained. Their breaths ca heavier, movents slowed, and eyes sharpened as the swarm of green wolf-ant beasts began to shift again.
Their bodies crouched low, glowing eyes flickering with an unsettling intelligence that no ordinary magical beast should possess. For a brief mont, a fleeting second, chaos paused, like the calm breath before a storm breaks.
Then everything erupted once more.
A deafening BOOM tore through the air as a massive fire explosion erupted right in front of the formation. The heat blasted outward, forcing several beasts to retreat, their green-scaled bodies thrown back.
So crashed into others, limbs twisting as green blood sprayed across the ground. Just behind that explosion, a slicing sound ripped through the battlefield, as a colossal wind blade, easily the size of a small hill, sliced forward in a straight line. It cut through multiple wolf-ants at once, their bodies splitting apart cleanly before the blade finally dispersed into the air.
At the center of it all stood Sage, his robe fluttering wildly as mana surged around him like a storm. His eyes glowed faintly while spell after spell ford and fired without pause.
His hands barely moved anymore; magic circles appeared one after another,larger and more intricate each ti,layered and overlapping, glowing with vibrant colors as fire, wind, and lightning answered his call simultaneously.
Though his face remained calm and almost bored, there was an unmistakable spark of excitent in his eyes.
"Don’t break formation!" he shouted over the chaos as another circle ford behind him and unleashed a burst of lightning.
KRAAAAAACK!
Striking three charging beasts at once. They dropped instantly, their bodies convulsing before collapsing in heaps with smoke rising from their charred shells.
In front of him, Mina slamd her massive shield into the ground with a loud BANG! Golden light erupted from it as she held back three beasts simultaneously. Their claws scraped against her shield, sending sparks flying everywhere.
Her small fra pushed back slightly but her feet dug deep into the ground; she refused to budge as sweat trickled down her face and her arms trembled from exertion. "Is that all you’ve got? Co on!" she shouted defiantly.
Beside her stood Brutus, swinging his weapon in wide arcs. Each heavy strike smashed into the beasts with resounding force, knocking them back even as deep claw marks marred his armor, so still dripping with green blood.
Breathing heavily, he muttered under his breath, "These things hit harder than they look," before blocking yet another incoming strike with a grunt.
Leona moved smoothly between them; her steps were light yet precise as she adjusted their formation every second, pushing Mina slightly to the left and pulling Brutus half a step back.
Her voice was calm but firm: "Don’t overcommit; hold the line and let them co to us." In one fluid motion, she cut down a beast trying to slip through their defenses; her blade flashed once before its head rolled across the ground.
Behind them, Gregor moved like a green blur, his long hair trailing behind him as his blade sliced through the air again and again.
He followed the openings that Sage created; every ti a beast was pushed back or staggered, Gregor was already there, his sword flashing.
SHHHHK!!!
As another body fell. His movents were sharp and precise, but his eyes kept darting back to Sage, a hint of worry lurking beneath the surface.
Vanthrice stood slightly off to the side, her bronze spear moving with deadly precision. Each thrust aid at a weak point; her movents were calculated and efficient.
She killed without wasting motion, muttering softly to herself, "Left side tightening... adjusting," before shifting position and striking again.
Closer to Sage, Caelis focused intently as he tid his support perfectly. His hands glowed as he reinforced Sage’s spells, amplifying their power and ensuring the flow of mana remained smooth.
"Three incoming from the right... five seconds..." he warned just as Sage turned slightly and unleashed a burst of wind that intercepted the approaching beasts before they could reach them.
The battlefield had devolved into pure chaos: fire scorched the ground, wind howled through the air, and lightning flashed repeatedly.
BOOM! CRACK! BANG!
As bodies fell, limbs scattered, and green blood stained everything. Yet despite this destruction, the swarm did not relent; instead, it adapted.
Sage noticed it first. His eyes narrowed as he observed the beasts’ movents; his mind raced with calculations even while he continued casting spells without pause. Sothing felt off, their attacks had shifted from reckless charges to sothing more strategic.
"They changed formation..." he murmured under his breath.
And indeed they had.
The swarm began to split: so continued charging straight at the frontline to keep Mina, Brutus, and Leona occupied while others widened their approach, circling carefully for openings in their defenses.
A third group held back entirely.
They watched and then suddenly surged forward. A cluster of beasts broke away from the main swarm like green streaks of light racing towards their target: Sage.
"Behind!" Caelis shouted urgently but it was too late.
One beast slipped through a gap in the frontline with alarming speed,its body low to the ground and claws extended,as it lunged for Sage with an intensity that seed to tear apart the very air around it.
Sage turned just in ti to lock eyes with it; a spell ford on his lips but there wasn’t enough ti for him to cast it.
Then... BANG!!!
A golden blur collided with the beast mid-air, a force so overwhelming that it sent the creature flying across the battlefield before crashing down hard and rolling several tis until finally coming to rest.
Mina stood firm between Sage and danger, shield raised high despite her small stature.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she glanced over her shoulder at him and said with a smug grin. "You’re too slow, petty uncle Sage."
Sage blinked once, then exhaled softly, his lips twitching slightly before he said, "Focus."
Mina grinned and turned back just as another wave of beasts crashed into the frontline. The impact shook the ground.
BOOOOM!!!
The pressure mounted once more. But now, everything had shifted.
Sage could see it clearly. "They’re targeting ..." he murmured, narrowing his eyes as more of the beasts adjusted their movents, no longer just attacking the formation but actively searching for ways to break through to him.
That’s when it hit him: this wasn’t rely a fight. It was a test. The ground beneath him cracked again as another explosion erupted, filling the air with heat, smoke, and the tallic scent of blood.
The sounds of battle echoed endlessly around them, yet Sage stood firm and steady. His mind raced ahead, already plotting his next move as his mana surged stronger around him; magic circles grew larger, brighter, and more intricate.
Because this... this was just the beginning.
Just then, the swarm suddenly pulled back, not retreating entirely but creating space. Their bodies shifted to form a loose circle around Sage and Mina’s group. Their movents slowed and beca more cautious; glowing eyes locked onto Sage.
And then... the ground trembled.
Not from the swarm itself but from five massive figures stepping forward from behind them.
These creatures were larger than any they had faced before; their presence alone made the air feel thick and suffocating as the remaining swarm instinctively parted to make way for them.
The Elite wolf-ants had been watching all along.
And now...
They were stepping in. The real battle was about to begin.
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