Smoke coiled over the ravaged forest, the sky above stained with streaks of burnt-orange dusk and flickering Solena residue. Judgment squad, bloodied and panting, stood their ground—but more stalkers began to emerge from the trees like wraiths. Reinforcements—and dozens of them.
Tsuki's chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. "Dammit," she hissed, stepping back into formation. "Didn't expect this many…"
Geo slammed his fists together, his knuckles popping with frustration. "No kidding. How many goons does it take to kill one squad?"
From the back, Hatori laughed—a low, rare sound. "Apparently all of them."
But just before the swarm hit—
A black blur slithered from the tree line—then erupted into a massive obsidian snake.
Its scales shimmering like oil in moonlight. It devoured one stalker whole in a flash, then whipped its tail like a battering ram, sending two more hurling into trees.
"What the hell—" Tsuki started, before hearing a familiar voice.
"Sorry for the delay!" Naru's voice boomed as he stomped out from the woods, grinning like a madman. "We let Neko read the map. Big mistake."
Neko popped up behind him, still chewing on jerky. "Okay, for the record, someone reversed the orientation. First number is north-to-south, not east-to-west! One of you dyslexic clowns flipped it."
Makoro cracked his knuckles. "Eh. We here now. We punch now."
Naru grinned. "Couldn't agree more." He extended a hand. "Viesanoo."
Viesanoo was a beautiful scaled beast. Whatever sunlight could sneak through the forest reflected off of the natural battle armor, and it's eyes were piercing. It let out a deep hiss, then spun in a wild circle—kicking up a cyclone of dust and leaves, shaking the very earth.
"Enzumaki!" Naru barked. "Stay with Makoro. Keep him from going full berserker."
Enzumaki leapt onto Makoro's back without hesitation. "Gladly. Kick their ass, Makoro!"
"YEAH!"
Makoro launched into the fray like a living battering ram. A stalker fired a thin Solena beam at him, which scorched part of his arm—but he didn't flinch. Makoro roared and body slammed the soldier through the base of a tree.
Neko pulled out his infamous Jackbox, grinning. "Let's see what fate's got for me today…"
He pulled a large pinfruit from the bag.
"…You've got to be shitting me."
Naru shouted, "You're a miss this time! Hands only, Neko!"
A small pout overcame his face, but he responded immediately. "Right!"
Neko dropped the fruit, cracked his neck, and dashed into combat—dodging a plasma strike before landing a clean jab to the jaw of another Stalker.
Tsuki wiped sweat from her brow, eyes blazing. "We can't let them have all the fun."
Geo grinned beside her. "Right behind you, Tsuki."
Judgment squad charged forward—Solena exploding in waves as the battlefield lit up once more.
Watching from a crag above the carnage, Feranir seethed.
"Pathetic," he growled. "Multiple Stalker squads wiped by two damn Memento teams."
His black eyes narrowed. "The academy's purpose must've been entertainment."
He dropped from his perch with fluid grace, boots crunching onto cracked stone.
"Enough games. I'm ending this myself."
Makoro spotted him and roared, charging like a freight train.
"Like hell you are!"
Naru shouted, "Makoro—wait!"
Feranir simply smiled. "Unholy Mandate," he whispered, bringing his palms together.
A shimmering black sphere bloomed around him—silent and eerie. Makoro's body looked and felt normal but he couldn't move a single muscle.
"Reject."
Makoro was violently launched back, slamming into a thick tree with a sickening crack. Enzumaki hit the ground beside him.
"Makoro! Enzumaki!" Geo yelled. His hands came together as a rock wall formed around the two.
Naru clenched his fists. "That sphere…"
Hatori's voice cut through the air. "It's a domain. A sphere of control. Anything within it obeys him."
Feranir chuckled darkly. "Ah, how clever. But I am… far more complicated than your summaries."
Feranir stepped forward, smirking. "You really think numbers will save you?"
Geo gritted his teeth and circled wide. "Spread out! Hit him from behind!"
Geo swept behind Feranir and slammed his palms into the ground, raising a jagged rock pillar beneath him—aiming to crack his footing or force him off balance.
Feranir didn't move. The rock pillar shot straight up—and passed right through him.
Tsuki's eyes widened. "Geo—he stepped back into his own domain!"
The shimmering sphere behind Feranir flickered for a fraction of a second as he phased fully inside it, like slipping behind a veil.
Geo cursed. "He can retreat into it whenever he wants?!"
Feranir appeared a few paces away, half his body sliding out of the domain's edge like a shadow peeling off a wall. "Correct."
He lunged—fast—forcing Geo to leap aside as the domain expanded outward like a pulse.
Hatori muttered under his breath, "He can attack, then pull his body back into the sphere to avoid counterstrikes… annoying bastard."
Feranir smiled.
"And now… let me show you something delightful."