Sound of the Battle

It was early in the morning, but the sounds of battle and his stomach had awoken Hyde from his nap.

The first thing that came to his mind was making a decision.

Should he find food? Or should he check out whatever makes that sound?

He was starving, so it was logical to find anything to eat instead of investigating the sound. However, Hyde thought otherwise.

In a place that seemed to have been abandoned for a decade, could he find any food that was safe to eat? Even canned goods wouldn't last that long.

At most, Phantasm's meat was the only thing he could eat in this place.

However, unlike in the game, consuming meals made from the Phantasm's products was the last thing Hyde wanted to do. While it tasted good in the game, the same could not be said now. Even more so when the cooking system didn't exist.

It was all good before. Hyde only had to gather ingredients and let the automatic 'cooking craft' do its job, and boom—a plate of appetizing meals ready to eat popped up.

But without that convenient tool, he was skeptical about eating the Mirage's cuisine unless it was made by someone who knew what they were doing—a professional Resonant chef.

That was why, instead of searching for food in this ghost city—which could end up with him eating raw Phantasm's meat—Hyde thought it was maybe better to investigate the sound.

'People! I can find people if I go there... hopefully. Even if it turns out to be Phantasms fighting over territory, please make one of them animal-looking with juicy and tender meat and safe to consume raw! Then let that one be the loser!' Hyde prayed, his hands clasping tightly.

Deciding to investigate the sound could be the best decision he made.

There was a chance Hyde would meet other people and ask for food!

'If it's people, it is better if they are Resonants.'

Hyde packed up his belongings and tried to locate the direction the sound came from.

Gunfire cracked in the distance, mixed with the clash of metals against rocks and ice shattered. When a deep roar reverberated, Hyde finally located the direction of the battle.

"Southwest, huh."

Without wasting more time, Hyde immediately headed to the battle location. The corner of his mouth curled up, knowing they were people after hearing the gunshots.

Well, unless there was a Phantasm that was capable of using it. Which was impossible.

He arrived a half-hour later, finding the battle was nearing its climax as he watched in the distance.

***

Flames raged through the ruined city, casting a bizarre violet glow over the battlefield.

Standing in the center of the destruction was a large Phantasm. Its entire body was encased in a shell of jagged rocks and violet rifts. Where its legs should have been, there were only blazing flames.

Miniature versions were born from its flame. The Phantasm sent them forward soon after they came into existence, making its enemies busy as it prepared for a big attack.

Resonants were its opponents. There were four of them. But other than the woman who stood at the back while clasping her hand, they looked weak.

Bang—!

A bullet passed through the air and obliterated four summons in its path.

"More of them are coming!" The woman with a sniper shouted, her voice cut through the air.

After informing her comrades of the situation, she slid down from the ice platform, repositioning herself on another platform to the right.

She pulled the trigger and killed some more before shouting again.

"Don't let it escape! Surround it with ice!"

"Understood!" A man in a white cloak responded. He glanced backward. "I'll leave the defense to you."

"Go. I won't let any of them touch our Divine Lady," a reply came from a man in full armor, thrusting his shield to the ground.

Then, the man draped in a white cloak dashed ahead. Smoke steamed beneath his feet, and when he leaped, the ground froze. Upon touching the freezing ground with his feet, platforms were raised for him to glide, creating ice walls surrounding the Phantasm's flank.

Meanwhile, the full-armor guy was slaughtering the approaching mini Phantasm. Every swing was done with a wide stance that posed a risk if the enemies were more agile.

The Divine Lady stood apart from the others, her hands glowing with divine energy. The air around her hummed as she raised her arms, summoning a hammer of pure light.

On the other side, the large Phantasm had also completed its preparations.

It stood amidst the infernal glow, its rocky interior crumbling as violet flames devoured it. Its form was now a writhing mass of molten shadows, shifting and reshaping like liquid darkness. Jagged obsidian bones jutted from its limbs, and its eyes burned like untamed fire.

With a growl that sounded like it came from the depth of the earth, the Phantasm released a scorching heat wave to the surroundings, melting the ice walls and forcing two Resonants—the sniper woman and the ice element user—to retreat from the center of the battlefield.

Not stopping just there, it started casting multiple flame pillars that approached the Divine Lady and her protector at a rapid pace.

Several parts of the armor that belonged to the protector had melted, even his sword. But he didn't run away. Instead, he was ready to sacrifice his body to receive the Phantasm's flame.

"Good job," a soft whisper escaped the Divine Lady's mouth.

At last, after the first light hammer materialized above her, she deftly conjured two more on either side. With a swift flick of her fingers, the three radiant hammers struck simultaneously, crushing the Phantasm from three directions.

The impact of the three radiant hammers created shock waves that flattened out the buildings in a radius of a hundred meters.

Hyde almost became a victim of her. Fortunately, he had already run into an open space before the hammers collided.

"Huh? What? Who are you?"

However, he was spotted by the sniper woman.

"I'm—"

GROOOAAAAARRR—!

Before Hyde could say anything, the Phantasm let out an agonizing howl before erupting into a burst of violet flames and vanishing entirely between the hammers.

***

After the battle...

Hyde looked down at the broken road. Now that he looked at it, it seemed oddly aesthetic. That piece of the pavement, he had never felt like he wanted to grab and bring it home—

"So, who are you, kid?" a woman's voice snapped him out of his delusions.

Hyde blinked, looking up at the four battle-worn Resonants staring at him.

"Oh, me? Just a humble connoisseur of fine pavement. That crack there? Exquisite."

The sniper woman rolled her eyes. "Right."

"Well, also watching! You guys were pretty cool. All flashy swords and divine smiting—very cinematic. Not bad, not bad."

The man in a white cloak stepped and crossed his arms over his chest intimidatingly.

"Alright, enough with the joke. Seriously, who you are?"

Instinctively stepping back, Hyde raised his palms, gesturing for peace.

"Hyde. Just Hyde. Professional bystander and occasional—" he paused, rubbing his chin. "No, mostly just bystander, sir."

The Divine Lady in the back covered her mouth and laughed softly.

"Haha. He's cute."

Beside her, the protector whose armor melted in a few parts let out a forced chuckle.