BURNING ECHOS

The courtyard was painted in smoke, broken stone, and silence.

Elira Saelwyn, the Zenith knight, lay crumpled beside the shattered southern wall — her armor dented and arm bloodied, her eyes flickering open every few seconds but unable to move. Her sword, Evanblight, was embedded in the ground a few feet away, glowing faintly — as if weeping for her.

Nirela Quen bled beneath a collapsed archway. Her moonlit hair was streaked with dust, lips pale, ribs likely fractured. She was barely conscious — still murmuring Arslan's name in her sleep.

And ZARELLE, unchallenged, laughed in the center of the carnage.

> "So this is the resistance the humans offer?

Zeniths who bleed. Mythics who fall.

Where is your precious vessel now?"

He raised his clawed fist. The Abyssal Rats hissed in unison, shadows rippled in pools of darkness, and then—

The Second Wave emerged.

Clones.

Winged Wraiths.

Bone Chargers.

And three more Hellhounds.

ZARELLE pointed toward the city beyond the walls.

> "Burn it."

Inside the Royal Tower, King Farhan clenched the ledge of his window, his knuckles white. The Mythic Courtyard was on fire. He could see Elira barely breathing. Nirela not rising. The others bloodied, outnumbered, desperate.

The King turned toward Julius.

> "Call the Apex Knights."

Julius widened his eyes. "Majesty… that will trigger a Tier-Three alarm."

> "So be it," the King growled. "Let the devils know that this city still breathes."

The Signal of Valor was fired — a glowing sigil in the sky — golden with red edges.

Across the Echelon towers, six Apex-ranked Knights immediately stood. Armor clicked into place. Blades hummed. Wings spread. A sonic boom shook the sky.

As the second wave of ZARELLE's forces lunged for the civilians, a blazing white streak cleaved through the sky.

Kaelen of the Apex landed with a thunderous crash, blue flames spiraling around him. He cut through five Abyssal rats in a single arc.

Tyrus, the giant hammer-wielder, crushed an entire Bone Charger into the earth.

Soraya, with dual spears and teleportation bursts, spun through the air like lightning given form.

The Apex Knights cut down dozens in seconds.

ZARELLE turned slowly, his monstrous grin stretching wide.

> "Ahhh…

More meat."

He raised his arm — and used Abyssal Sever, a wide gravity-distorting strike — flinging two Apex Knights backwards with brute force.

Back in the cratered courtyard, a few Mythics stirred.

Orien Dravell coughed blood but pushed himself up. "Yuna… you still breathing?"

Yuna Solthrae groaned, her hands trembling as she pushed healing light toward Nirela. "We're not done. Not yet…"

Tharion Vale stood with a fractured leg, using his blade as a crutch. "If we die, we die buying time."

Suddenly, Seris appeared beside him, arms outstretched, shielding them with toxin walls.

"Buy time for what?" she spat. "We don't even have Arslan—"

Back outside, ZARELLE approached Elira's body.

> "Zenith... Such potential wasted."

He raised his claw to end her.

Elira opened one eye. Her blade leapt to her hand.

> "Even dying… I am still light."

She stabbed upward — a last-ditch attack.

But ZARELLE vanished and reappeared behind her.

Then he slamming her into the ground once more. Elira coughed blood — and fell still.

This time,she hurts more than the previous Attack...She left with no power even to stand.

Nirela's situation is more worse, she even just become unconscious

She has just a name on his lips "Arslan!!"

Inside the Medical Ward, Arslan's body convulsed.

His mind was drifting between shadow and flame. A dreamlike space. Darkness wrapped around him like chains.

Kar'Thæl stood beside him in the dream.

> "They fall one by one.

You sleep.

And you call yourself Mythic?"

"I am sorry, Kar'Thael " Arslan whispered

Arslan whispered, "I tried to keep them away… to not hurt them…"

"It's not a time to talk.... I am going to give you a second chance"

Kar'Thæl turned away. "They bleed without you.

Nirela… cries out your name."

A scream tore through the dream. Nirela's voice.

Arslan gritted his teeth.

> "Enough.I have to do it"Arslan growled with pain.

The chains shattered.

His eyes snapped open.

In the Medical Ward, machines crackled. A nurse screamed as dark energy burst from Arslan's chest. The floor fractured beneath his bed.

He stood — trembling — his body coated in a thin, burning aura of black.

Outside, the courtyard was chaos.

Arslan began walking.