SHATTERED TRIUMPTH

Benji's eyes widened in pure disbelief as he watched Solomon stand amidst the fading light, his divine aura pulsing like a living force. His instincts screamed at him—this was no longer the man they had been fighting. This was something else. Something beyond their understanding.

"Leo, Rubi—RUN!" Benji barked, his voice laced with urgency.

But Leo didn't listen.

"Like hell I'm running!" he roared, his rage overcoming his reason. With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, twin blades raised high, his water energy surging as he aimed to cut Solomon down.

"No!!" Benji shouted.

But it was already over.

In the blink of an eye, a streak of blue light flashed. Solomon barely moved, yet his blade carved through the air with terrifying precision.

Leo's body froze mid-strike. His weapons slipped from his grasp. His eyes widened, his mouth opening as if to speak—only for his torso to slide cleanly from his waist, severed in an instant. Blood splattered across the ground as his lifeless halves collapsed.

Rubi let out a piercing scream. She lost herself in the moment, blind with fury and disbelief. Without thinking, she lunged straight at Solomon, her fiery aura igniting in a desperate, reckless charge.

Another flash.

Her head separated from her body before she even realized what had happened. The momentum of her charge sent her body skidding across the dirt, her severed head rolling to a stop at Benji's feet.

Benji stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat. His mind refused to process what he had just seen. His two strongest allies—cut down as if they were nothing.

His hands trembled. His legs felt like stone.

"What… what is that sword?" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper.

Solomon gave no answer. His glowing blue eyes remained locked onto Benji, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he stepped forward, the divine light around him still pulsing, still burning with righteous fury. Each step sent a tremor through the ground, his presence suffocating, inescapable.

Benji clenched his fists, forcing himself to stand his ground. He braced himself, every instinct telling him to run, to escape—but he refused. If this was how he was going to die, then so be it.

Then—

A distant roar of voices echoed through the battlefield.

"JADA SQUAD—ADVANCE!!"

From the horizon, a wave of reinforcements surged forward, the warriors of Jada finally arriving to the fray. Their battle cries pierced the air, their monstrous forms charging ahead, ready to tip the scales.

At that moment, the blue glow in Solomon's eyes faded. His divine aura receded, the Halo above his head vanishing like mist in the wind. His breath was heavy, his muscles tight, but his mind was clear.

He turned sharply toward his soldiers, his voice cutting through the battlefield like thunder, he picked up the ancient artefacts his fallen captains were using.

"FALL BACK TO FEKKA! NOW!"

The Nordian forces hesitated for only a moment before obeying, retreating in formation as Jada's reinforcements surged toward them. Solomon did not linger. He did not allow his fury to cloud his judgment. He had already lost enough soldiers today—he would not risk more before the next battle.

Benji watched as Solomon disappeared into the night, his forces withdrawing in perfect discipline. His heart still pounded. His hands still trembled.

For the first time in his life—Benji felt something unfamiliar.

Fear.

Cheers erupted from the surviving members of Jada Squads One, Two, and Three. The reinforcements had arrived just in time—another few moments, and they would have been completely wiped out. Their roars of victory echoed through the battlefield as the Nordians retreated toward Fekka, their disciplined withdrawal disappearing into the night.

But the triumph was short-lived.

The realization struck like a hammer blow.

Two alphas were gone.

As the initial adrenaline wore off, the warriors of Jada turned toward the battlefield littered with bodies, and then they saw it—the remains of Leo and Rubi. The blood-soaked ground where they had stood. The severed halves of Leo's body, the lifeless stare frozen on his face. Rubi's head lying mere feet from where her body had collapsed.

Silence fell over the Jada forces.

The weight of their loss crushed the momentary victory. These weren't just warriors. They were leaders, alphas, the strongest among them. And in mere seconds, they had been cut down like nothing.

Some warriors dropped to their knees in disbelief. Others clenched their fists, rage and sorrow warring within them. A few turned their eyes toward Benji, searching for orders, for guidance—but he stood frozen, staring at the scene before him.

His jaw tightened. His claws dug into his palms. The fear he had felt moments ago twisted into something darker.

Vengeance.

And as Jada's forces gathered their fallen, preparing to leave the battlefield behind, one thing became clear.

This war was far from over.

"Captain, what do we do now?" one of Benji's subordinates asked, his voice still unsteady from the aftermath of battle.

Benji took a deep breath, forcing himself to push aside the weight of what had just transpired. He couldn't afford to break down—not here, not now. He had a responsibility to the survivors.

"We contact HQ—well, what's left of it after the explosion—and update them on the success."

He grabbed his radio, adjusting the frequency before pressing the button. "Hello, this is Benji, Alpha of Jada Pack 1. We have successfully taken control of the border. Solomon's forces have retreated back to Fekka. We're going to need more reinforcements here immediately."

A brief moment of static filled the line before a voice came through—calm, controlled, yet carrying an undeniable weight of authority.

"This is Jeremi of the Palm Clan. I'm in charge of war operations now that the king is critically injured, and Cleon is out on a mission. I'll send over Palm Squads 1 through 5 to back you up. They'll be there within the next few hours."

Benji nodded to himself, relieved reinforcements were coming. "Understood."

"Did any Berserkers get through the border?" Jeremi asked.

Benji hesitated, glancing toward the battlefield. The sheer chaos of the fight made it difficult to be sure. "We're not sure," he admitted. "I'll request a few flyers to scope the area."

"Good. We have Bakara squads and Zula positioned beyond the border. If any enemy forces slipped past, they'll alert us."

Benji exhaled. At least there were contingencies in place.

"Did you take many casualties?" Jeremi asked, his voice firm but expectant.

Benji's grip tightened on the radio. For a moment, he didn't answer. The image of Leo's body, sliced in two, and Rubi's severed head flashed in his mind. His throat felt tight, but he forced the words out.

"We lost more than half of Jada Squads One, Two, and Three. Squads Two and Three's Alphas were both killed by Solomon."

A heavy silence followed.

Then, Jeremi spoke, his tone unwavering. "Make the necessary adjustments to the squads. Promote the remaining Omegas to Alphas and Betas to Omegas. The rest of Jada's forces are on standby here in the capital. You'll get further instructions once the reinforcements arrive."

Benji clenched his jaw and nodded, even though Jeremi couldn't see it. "Understood."

The transmission cut off, leaving Benji standing in the midst of his battered soldiers. The weight of command pressed down on him, but he had no choice but to carry it. He turned toward his troops, eyes hard with resolve.

"We're not done yet. Secure the perimeter. Get the wounded treated. And send flyers to scan the area. We hold this position until reinforcements arrive."

The surviving warriors of Jada let out a low, unified growl of acknowledgment before moving to carry out his orders. Benji cast one last glance at the battlefield—the bloodstained ground where Leo and Rubi had fallen.

There was no time to mourn.

Not yet.