Screams echoed through the town as winged beasts descended upon the city, their shrieks blending with the chaos below.
A young Imperial soldier lunged forward, tackling a child to the ground just as a creature swooped overhead. He rolled to his feet, blade flashing from its sheath, and slashed the beast from the sky in one clean arc.
"Civilians, move!" he shouted. "Find a bunker and evacuate—now!"
On the western side of the city, an Imperial structure rumbled with movement. Creation and earth mages worked quickly to reinforce its walls.
"Soldiers with enchanted arms, take the high ground and return fire!" barked a grizzled commander. "Everyone else—eliminate any monsters that breach the perimeter!"
But the horde was relentless. Creatures tore through those too slow or too far from the safety of the Empire's walls.
"Get the merchants! The nobles too!" soldiers yelled, dragging people toward guarded exits.
A young imperial paused, troubled. "But sir—what about the others?" he shouted over the chaos.
The commander grabbed his arm, eyes steely. "There are too many. We can't save everyone. Do your job—secure the nobles!"
The young imperial hesitated—then turned and ran toward the gates.
Suddenly, a monstrous roar split the sky. A huge beast rose from the streets, fire spiraling in its throat—only to explode mid-snarl as a cannon shell struck it. Shrapnel tore through the air, catching civilians in the blast.
"Damn those adventurers," the commander growled. "They're behind the stolen Crystia—I know it!"
An elderly man stumbled, cornered by a beast. As its jaws snapped shut, a hand reached out—
The monster collapsed.
The young soldier blinked. A white-haired boy—Kaito—stood where the creature had been, guiding the old man to safety.
Kaito scanned the street, eyes narrowing. Empire soldiers were only rescuing certain people.
He clenched his fists, summoning his magic. Barriers of shimmering light formed in the air, shielding the trapped and terrified.
"This is Empire business, child! Stand down!" the commander bellowed.
"Shut up!" snapped a voice. Rika hurled her giant boomerang, striking a beast mid-pounce. "You're only saving the rich!"
Dante ran up, panting. He froze, staring at the destruction. "What can I even do here?" he murmured. But then he straightened, voice rising. "Follow me! I'll lead you to the evacuation sites!"
Together—reluctantly or not—Imperials and adventurers held the bridge. The outer wall trembled, bending beneath the weight of more powerful foes.
Above, the winged monsters swooped low, snatching people into the sky.
But Kaito was ready.
With calm precision, he brought each one down before they could escape.
Dante looks around from the inside of the town, the western side is in immense danger. Multiple phantasmal creatures rush across the bridge before the empire could even react,
Dante runs back to Kaito wondering what they can do, with quick thinking he reluctantly pulls together a plan through his scrambled thoughts.
"Kaito we have to destroy the other bridge!" Dante shouts at him. Kaito looks confused. "We have to stop the monsters from attacking both sides. The monsters coming from the western bridge are much more powerful and this city will be destroyed!" Dante shouts.
Kaito nods quickly. Rika pops up behind them. "You guys got a new plan?!" Rika asks, between her ragged breaths. The empire is beginning to lose the battle.
Dante pulls the two closer. "Alright, the bridge on the other side of town is being held up by support beams, Rika if you can fly Kaito under there and you guys can somehow destroy it, we can stop the monsters from coming from both sides." Dante explains.
"If you guys do it then the empire can focus all of their efforts on the entrance bridge and stop the attack, before more people die!" Dante puts together the plan quickly.
Rika nods and then thinks. "The empire usually carries explosives, so we just gotta take some from the convoy!" Rika tells them.
The plan would work, but the empire would never come up with a plan as desperate as this, the cost to fix this would be a huge loss even if it would call for the safety of the people inhabiting the city.
Kaito nods. "Come on Rika!" Kaito says. "I wish I could help you guys but I'd just get in the way." Dante says. Kaito puts his hand on Dante's shoulder with a big smile. "You helped a lot already!" He says.
Rika and Kaito soared above the chaos on her massive boomerang, wind ripping past their ears as the city blurred beneath them in streaks of color and smoke.
"Passenger, please excuse any turbulence!" Rika shouted over her shoulder, her voice nearly lost to the roar of rushing air. "I'm not used to having extra baggage on this thing—it's a little harder to steer!"
Kaito grinned, gripping the edge tightly. "I prefer the term 'valued companion,' thanks!"
Rika let out a wild laugh, banking sharply as they dove through a narrow gap between buildings, startling pedestrians and imperial troops alike. Down below, the streets churned with panicked citizens and soldiers shouting over each other.
She spotted a soldier fumbling with a pack of explosives. In a blur of motion, Rika dipped low, snatched them from his hands mid-flight, and tossed them backward.
"Catch!"
Kaito reached up and barely managed to snag them, nearly losing his balance. "Got 'em!"
With a powerful swoop, they ascended once more, rising toward the great stone arch of Veloria's second bridge. Kaito leaned out slightly, the wind blasting through his hair, and couldn't help but grin like a kid in a candy store.
"This is so cool..." he muttered, half to himself, "...but I've always wanted to fly like this."
As the towering bridge loomed ahead, Rika cupped a hand to her mouth and bellowed, "Hey, Empire losers! You might wanna clear out—we're about to turn this bridge into rubble!"
Gasps echoed up from the ground, followed by a cacophony of alarmed shouting.
"You cannot destroy one of the great bridges of Veloria!" one soldier cried out.
"Begone and allow the Imperial Army to do our job!" another barked, already signaling for backup.
Rika glanced back at Kaito, a mischievous fire in her eyes. "You know we're gonna get in so much trouble for this."
Kaito just laughed, loud and fearless. "Yeah, but. I'm always in trouble."
That reckless spark in him—so utterly Kaito—made something stir in Rika. Even in the middle of enemy territory, even while riding a weapon of war through chaos and fire, he could smile like this was just another adventure. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Alright, boss!" she yelled, and dove into the storm.
They wove past snarling monsters clambering up the sides of buildings, through clouds of ash and smoke, and dropped to the underbelly of the bridge—where twisted steel and stone pillars were crawling with even more beasts.
Kaito leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "Alright, let's do this…"
He hurled the first explosive at one of the main support beams—and missed by a mile. It clanged against a pipe and bounced harmlessly into the water.
"Are you serious right now?" Rika shouted, incredulous. "What the heck are you even aiming at?!"
"I've got it, I've got it!" Kaito muttered, clearly flustered. He tried again. Another miss.
"Dude! Just use your new bow!"
Kaito winced. "I can't pull the string back! It's too heavy!"
Rika looked at him, frustration rising—until she saw the tightness in his jaw, the way his hands trembled slightly as he readied another explosive. He wasn't just messing up. He was worried. Frustrated. Trying.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and him.
"Hey, Kaito." Her voice softened, cutting through the panic. "It's okay. Slow down. Breathe. You've got this, alright? Just... block everything out and focus."
He met her gaze, the noise around them momentarily fading into a dull hum. Then he closed his eyes. For a moment, everything was still.
When he opened them again, the frustration was gone—replaced by something sharper. Determination.
He pulled his arm back, steadied his aim... and let the explosive fly.
It struck true.
A thunderous BOOM cracked through the city like a god's roar. The support beam shattered, followed by another explosion as the remaining charges detonated in sequence. The entire bridge groaned—and began to collapse in on itself.
Monsters shrieked as they tumbled into the churning sea below, swept away in the chaos. Imperial troops scrambled to retreat as the last stones of the once-great bridge plummeted into the water.
Rika and Kaito pulled up just in time, the wave of dust and falling rubble chasing them like a beast with jagged teeth.
They landed roughly near the city edge, skidding to a stop. Dante ran up, wide-eyed but grinning.
"Let's go, guys!" he called out.
Kaito and Rika glanced at each other, their faces lit by the fires still burning in the distance. Without a word, the trio bumped fists.
"The empire and the other adventurers can take it from here," Rika said, breathless but proud.
"Yeah," Kaito added, "we did our part."
"We gotta get out, but now the only way is through," Dante sighs. "The cursed forest."
He was already cursed enough, but now he has to go through the cursed forest!
Rika sniffles. "I'll mourn you after we get out." She says clenching her fist. Dante whacks her head! "That's not funny!" He shouts.
Rika stands up her legs shaking violently. "I ain't scared of no cursed forest." Rika says clearly shaking.
Kaito smirks. "Your legs are shaking."