EDWARDS RAINSTORM

Hagan rushed toward Edward, his powerful legs pounding against the earth as he closed the distance. Edward's bowstring sang as he loosed arrow after arrow, each shot slicing through the air like a razor-edged gust of wind. Hagan, undeterred, deflected them with his massive cleaver-like blade, the weapon's steel ringing each time it met the deadly projectiles. Sparks flew as metal clashed against the whistling force of the arrows.

Within seconds, Hagan had reached him. He stopped just a few feet away, his hulking frame casting a shadow over Edward. A smirk stretched across his face.

"What are you going to do now that I have you in close combat?" Hagan taunted, gripping his weapon tighter.

Edward exhaled, his dark eyes steady as he slightly lowered his bow. A smirk of his own tugged at his lips.

"You think I'm just an archer?" His voice was calm but firm. "I'm not the kind that only fights from a distance."

Before Hagan could respond, Edward's fingers blurred across the bowstring. Three arrows shot forward, forcing Hagan to sidestep and deflect. Edward seized the opening, darting to the side, his movements swift as he fired another. Hagan twisted his body, bringing his blade up just in time to block.

The fight was relentless. Edward fired without pause, even at close range, his arrows slicing through the air with violent gusts of wind, leaving behind white, swirling trails like miniature clouds. Hagan pressed forward, swinging his cleaver with crushing force, each strike meant to split Edward in two. Edward dodged with razor-thin margins, pivoting and weaving between each attack. He fired point-blank, forcing Hagan to block yet again, but the sheer force of the arrow's wind pressure pushed the beast-man back a step.

Still, Hagan had him on the back foot. The relentless beast was closing the gap with every swing, pushing Edward further and further toward the edge of the cliff. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, Hagan's cleaver came down in a brutal arc. Edward twisted to avoid the full impact, but the blade still caught him, slicing across his ribs. The force sent him hurtling backward, his body slamming into the ground.

Edward coughed, struggling to push himself up as Hagan loomed over him, raising his blade for the final strike.

But instead of scrambling to his feet, Edward did something unexpected—he leaped backward off the cliff.

Hagan's eyes widened. "Coward." He spat, watching Edward plummet.

Then, something changed.

Mid-fall, Edward flipped his body, drew his bow, and pulled the string with all his might. The very air around him trembled. Wind surged, twisting violently around the arrow as it formed into a spiraling tempest. Clouds coiled into the gusts, drawn by the power of the shot, swirling like a storm trapped within a single arrow. The pressure howled, and then—

He released.

The arrow exploded upward, cutting through the sky like a divine spear. The sheer force cracked through the air like thunder. The wind twisted violently behind it, spiraling in a monstrous vortex as it soared toward Hagan.

Hagan barely had time to react. His instincts screamed, his body tensed—

Too late.

The arrow punched through his chest. A deafening boom followed as the wind burst outward in all directions. Blood splattered against the rocky ground. Hagan staggered, his mouth opening, but no words came out. His weapon slipped from his fingers, clattering to the ground.

He fell to his knees, eyes wide in shock, before collapsing onto the dirt—lifeless.

Edward, still falling, twisted his body again, landing against the cliffside. He grabbed onto a jagged rock, halting his descent. Then climbed down .

Storm and Rain moved as one, a blur of ice and fire. They were twins, bound by blood, instinct, and battle. They didn't need words—one movement flowed into the next, a perfect harmony of destruction. Born to fight together, their techniques complemented each other like two halves of the same force.

Vekta came in first, his curved daggers flashing. But before he could reach Rain, Storm was already there. Her scythes sang through the air, meeting his attack before he could blink. She pivoted smoothly, slipping past him, her blade carving through his side in a glacial arc. Ice bloomed instantly from the wound, spreading like veins of frost, slowing his movements.

Selka lunged for Storm, clawed gauntlets aiming straight for her throat—but Rain intercepted. She twisted midair, her flaming fist colliding with Selka's claws. A burst of heat forced Selka back, but the leopard beast landed gracefully, snarling as she swiped again. Rain ducked, allowing Storm to flip over her back, scythes slicing through the air in a deadly blur. Selka barely had time to react as one of the blades carved across her shoulder, freezing the wound instantly.

Zorrel, the antelope beast, saw his opportunity. He tried to spear Rain from behind, but before the tip could reach her, Storm spun in sync with her sister. Without looking, Rain ducked, and Storm's scythe lashed out, severing the spear's shaft in two. Zorrel's eyes widened, but he had no time to process—Rain had already twisted back up, slamming a flaming uppercut straight into his chest. His body lifted off the ground from the sheer force, flames searing through his torso.

The twins pressed forward, their strikes in perfect sync. Storm darted around their opponents like a ghost, cutting through limbs, freezing wounds solid, locking them in place. Rain followed right after, her fists glowing bright, fire building at her knuckles with every step. Their rhythm was flawless—born from years of training, of fighting side by side, of understanding each other down to their very breath.

Vekta, Selka, and Zorrel were cornered. Their bodies trembled, their wounds frozen and burning at the same time, pain and exhaustion slowing them down. But the twins never slowed.

Storm disappeared from sight, moving faster than the eye could track. When she reappeared, she was already past them, standing behind them, her scythes extended. The three beasts froze in place. Thin lines of ice formed along their bodies, spreading outward. Their movements slowed… then stopped.

Rain took a deep breath, power surging into her . Flames surged violently around her fists as she leaped into the air, hovering for a brief moment as heat crackled through the battlefield. The three enemies, barely able to move, looked up.

Rain descended.

Her fists struck the ground in front of them. BOOM! A shockwave of fire exploded outward, consuming them instantly. The sheer force of the impact rattled the earth, sending flames and debris spiraling into the sky. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained but ash.

Silence.

The battle was over.

Edward's squad wasted no time. The resource base was set ablaze, thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Their mission was complete.

"Fall back!" Edward ordered.

The squad vanished into the mountains, their work done.