The battlefield was filled with the sounds of clashes, roars, and the slicing of metal through dryad bark.
Thorin was grinning wildly, each of his massive fists smashing into the twisted creatures with enough force to shatter rocks.
Halzor charged around the battlefield like a lightning bolt, delivering crushing blows with his gauntlets, his red eyes glowing with excitement.
Ivy remained near the ruined fountain, her eyes still fixed on the holographic screen.
“Hey Ivy,” Thorin called out as he delivered a crushing kick to a dryad that had been trying to creep up on him.
He turned, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, though he didn’t seem tired in the slightest.
“How are our scores looking? We gotta be leading, right?”
Ivy lazily shifted her eyes from the screen to Thorin. She gave a small sigh, then looked back at the screen, swiping through a few stats with a flick of her finger.
“We’re about three thousand points behind the Reapers,”
She said, sounding as if she was talking about something as boring as the weather.
Thorin’s brow furrowed, and he cracked his knuckles.
“Three thousand? Ugh, I knew we should’ve taken out that Leviathan yesterday!”
Halzor, overhearing this, laughed as he sent another dryad flying with a powerful uppercut.
“No worries, Thorin! We’ve still got time to crush them-plenty of dryads left to smash!” Maila, gliding above them, rolled her eyes.
“If you spent less time smashing and more time strategizing, maybe we wouldn’t be trailing.”
Thorin shrugged, unfazed by her critique, and simply grinned.
“Strategy’s your thing, Maila. I’m here to make sure the monsters don’t get back up.”
Nyra, who had remained silent, appeared from the shadows again, her twin daggers glinting as she emerged from behind a fallen dryad. She sheathed her blades.
“If we fall behind, it’s because of your noise, Halzor. The Reapers are probably enjoying the silence while we struggle to hear ourselves think.”
Halzor just flashed her a grin, ducking under another vine attack with a roll.
“Come on, Nyra, admit it—my noise keeps things exciting!”
Nyra only responded with a disapproving grunt, “At least you acknowledge its noise.”
Grimm, standing like a mountain, blocked yet another attack with his stone shield, the ground trembling beneath his feet. He looked over his shoulder at Ivy.
“Ivy, any word on when the guildmaster’s going to get here?”
Ivy finally pushed off the fountain, straightening her posture as she tucked her holographic display under her arm.
She glanced skyward, she paused for a moment, as if calculating.
“She’ll be here in a few. Her aircraft should be inbound any moment now.”
Thorin chuckled, stepping back after delivering a final punch to the last of the dryads. “Good. We could use the guildmaster’s touch. Always makes the big monstars turn tail and run, making raids more of a hunt.”
Halzor, his mana raging around his body, cracked his knuckles.
“I’m ready for anything! Bring on the biggest monsters, and I’ll turn it into dust!”
Maila floated down slightly, her metal constructs forming a deadly perimeter around her as she.
“Focus on the task at hand, Halzor. The guildmaster’s presence doesn’t mean we can slack off.”
Ivy just shook her head as she resumed watching the holographic feed.
“Try not to mess things up before she gets here…”
“…wouldn’t want to embarrass ourselves now, would we?”
Thorin, the team leader, spoke up. “You know what? You’re right. It’d be best if we clear things up and catch our breath a bit before the guildmaster arrives.”
Grimm grunted as he agreed, his stone shield resting on the ground for a moment as he took a look at the area.
“Thorin’s got a point. We need to be ready to move on when she gets here. No sense in leaving a mess.”
Maila, still hovering above the group, gave a small nod. “Fine. Let’s wrap this up quickly.”
Halzor, cracked his knuckles and grinned. “Alright! Let’s smash these stragglers and show the guildmaster what we’re made of!”
Nyra, still standing in the shadows, simply nodded. She swiftly moved to dispatch the few remaining dryads.
With that, each of them took their respective roles, making quick work of the remaining enemies.
Halzor threw a barrage of fists, sending the twisted dryads flying with every punch. Thorin joined him, his powerful kicks and punches toppling the last of the creatures, while Grimm provided steady defense, ensuring no surprise attacks caught them off guard.
Maila floated overhead, her sword constructs slicing through the last dryads, while Nyra moved silently, her daggers flashing as she took down any threats left in the shadows.
Ivy watched from her spot near the fountain, her eyes lazily looking between the battlefield and the distant sky. As the last of the dryads fell, the group gathered near the ruins, breathing a bit easier now that the area was secure.
Just as they began to relax, the low hum of engines filled the air. They all turned their attention skyward, where a sleek aircraft appeared, descending slowly from the clouds. It hovered above them for a moment, casting a shadow over the ruins.
The hatch on the underside of the aircraft began to open slowly, revealing the figure within. A woman stepped forward, her purple hair catching the light, and her red eyes glowing faintly. She was clad in black and golden armor, the metal plates fitting her body perfectly, giving off both power and grace. It was none other than Anya, the Berserkers guild master.
A grin spread beneath her mask as she looked down at her team. Without hesitation, she leaped from the aircraft, crashing down with a massive thud. Her powerful impact kicked up dust and debris around her.
“Looks like you’ve all been busy…”
“Good. I was worried you’ve all been slacking off.”
The team straightened up, standing at attention as the woman-their guildmaster, Anya- took a look at the battlefield. Even Halzor, usually the most reckless of them all, seemed to stand a little taller.
Maila floated down to stand beside the others, her cold expression looking more calm. “We made sure everything was taken care of. We’re ready to move on your command.”
Anya nodded, pleased with what she saw. “Good work, everyone. Now, let’s finish what we started and show those Reapers who the real champions are.” Her red eyes narrowed as they shined brightly, as if she was looking forward to doing just that.