A heavy sigh slipped through the air as a pale woman stepped beside the King.
She was regal, undeniably so. Long moonlight-black hair cascaded down her back, framing unexpected, luminous purple eyes that carried both exhaustion and resolve. Her purple and gold queen's gown clung elegantly to her curvaceous figure, gemstone inlays catching the cathedral's dim light, while a golden crown embedded with multicolored jewels rested atop her head like a symbol of burdens long carried.
"Dear..we have done this summoning process over a hundred times now," she said quietly, voice tired but sharp. "And the results have been the same each and every time. What makes you think this one will be any different?"
"The Queen has a point, my Lord."
A tall knight clad in blackened armor stood behind them, flanked by two robed Mages. His voice was firm, but the cracks of fear were impossible to hide. "At this point, we may as well surrender. Our numbers have dwindled too far. The Demon King's forces are overwhelming. Every so-called SSS-Ranked swordsman..every self-proclaimed Almighty God..all of them were slaughtered."
The King didn't respond immediately.
His expression remained solid—unyielding—but beneath the hardened mask, stress gnawed at him relentlessly. He was tired. So tired. He brushed medium-brown hair away from his face, dark green eyes dulled by sleepless nights yet still burning with stubborn defiance.
"This will be the last summoning we perform, Erin," he said at last. His voice was steady..until the end. "If this doesn't work..then I fear surrender will be our only option." He exhaled slowly. "Seraphina. Milliana. Begin the ritual."
"Yes, my Lord." the two Mages replied in unison.
Thin and fragile hope tightened their chests as they raised their staffs.
Blue light flared.
The summoning circle ignited beneath their feet, intricate runes spinning into motion as mana surged violently through the air. The cathedral hummed. Vibrated.
The King closed his eyes.
Please..
For our kingdom.
For my people..
The circle glowed its familiar blue..
Then something changed.
The mana began to scream.
The circle vibrated violently, light distorting as the blue hue warped into something deeper..richer..golden.
It expanded.
And expanded.
And expanded.
The King's eyes snapped open. "Seraphina, Milliana, what's going o-!"
BOOOOOM!
A thunderous explosion ripped through the cathedral.
A violent shockwave blasted outward, hurling everyone off their feet as hurricane-force winds tore through the chamber. Stained-glass windows shattered. Chairs and stone benches were flung like toys. The air itself seemed to tear as the summoning detonated into raw force.
Silence flooded the surroundings.
Dust drifted through the air as debris settled.
"My Lord..My Lady.." Erin groaned as he forced himself upright. "Are you both-"
He froze.
A shadow loomed over him.
Slowly..painfully..he raised his head.
Glowing crimson slit-pupiled eyes stared down at him.
A nine-foot-tall, muscular golden shadow werewolf stood before him, black spiked armor covering its massive frame from the neck down. In its clawed hand rested a colossal greatsword. Purple and red energy pulsed along its edge, humming with enough power to cleave mountains in half.
The creature's lips peeled back into a wide, sharp-toothed grin.
"Well well well-" Its voice was deep, raspy, crackling like grinding stone. "Looks like we've got a knight on the menu tonight, huh boys?"
Erin's blood ran cold.
Only now did he notice them.
More golden shadow werewolves. Dozens. Hundreds. Each towering, armored, armed with ethereal weapons glowing in violent hues. And behind them..even more.
"Looks like it," another chuckled, licking his lips. "The fear in his eyes is intoxicating.."
Erin instinctively raised his sword, stance locking as sweat trickled down his spine. His gut twisted violently.
Where in the hell did a horde like this even come from?!
"Now you overgrown greedy bastards-"
A feminine voice cut through the tension.
Smooth. Deep. Commanding.
A seven-foot golden shadow werewolf stepped forward, wearing a black armored combat dress, war hammer strapped across her back, heavy black boots cracking stone beneath her steps.
"Stop scaring the piss-poor knight," she snapped. "And bring him to Master Terrence."
"Aww, c'mon, it was just jokes!" one laughed. "Feels good being summoned into a world like this."
"..Wait." Erin stiffened. "Summoned? Are you all the summoned heroes?"
"Yeah," one of them grinned. "A tiny portion of us, knight boy. Come on. Follow us. You'll meet our Master soon enough. The rest of your people are already there."
Erin realized that somehow he was no longer inside the cathedral.
A wall had been obliterated.
He swallowed hard and nodded, following the female werewolf as dozens no, hundreds of golden eyes watched him pass. It felt like walking through a living ant hill made up of Werewolves.
He heard these Werewolves call their Master, Terrence and judging from their appperance they looked like divine summons..
For the first time in years, hope flickered.
Maybe just maybe..they finally had a chance against the Demon King and his overpowering monster waves.
Back inside the ruined cathedral-
The Queen's eyes trembled open.
Her vision blurred as she blinked, dizziness washing over her.
When her vision finally cleared-
She was staring directly into massive black insectoid eyes.
Her scream never came.
A powerful golden clawed hand clamped over her mouth.
"Miss," a calm voice rumbled. "I wouldn't recommend screaming."
She turned her head-
More eyes.
Ten pairs.
She fainted instantly.
The towering golden roach shadows, each over ten feet tall and heavily muscled, looked at one another in confusion.
"..Did we do something wrong?" one muttered.
"Well, maybe it's because not everyone's used to seeing big ass mutated roaches," a voice drawled.
They turned to see an eight-foot golden Nobody Hunter, black assassin garb wrapped tightly around his frame. White light glowed from beneath his hood as an arrogant grin stretched across his face.
"Just saying," he shrugged. "Come on. Master Terrence is waiting."
Elsewhere
Terrence was shaking the King.
Hard.
"Yeahh, T, I think he's a lost cause.." Eiselle sighed, adjusting her grip on her new weapon. It was a massive white and black scythe glowing softly. It resonated with her soul, like it had always belonged to her. "You've been at it for a minute."
"Don't you hear those snores, Master Terrence?" Ariel giggled, pulling out her weapon she named Everchangeling. It was currently shaped as a massive crimson rocket launcher. She aimed it directly at the King's face. "I can explode him awake if you want."
"You might have to." Terrence laughed.
A thud caught his attention.
He turned-
And burst out laughing.
It was Treasure.
Out of every weapon imaginable, the System had given her Hulk Hands.
Yknow the ones we used to play with as kids?!
[Can't go wrong with the classics! And she loves them.]
Treasure was beating the hell out of a seven-foot Goblin Shadow while others formed a cheering circle. She ducked under a club swing and drove a glowing punch straight into its chest.
"Beat him senseless, Miss Treasure!" a Roach Shadow shouted.
"I can tag in!" a Goblin yelled.
"I can end him in one slash." a Nobody Hunter said far too seriously.
Terrence smiled, until he felt a poke.
He turned.
A massive skeletal golden finger slid through a shattered window.
It was obvious that it belonged to a Lower Rend Guardian.
The finger gently reached into the King's armpit.
Tickle.
"HAHAHAHA-!"
The King shot upright, laughing uncontrollably.
Guess his ass was ticklish as well.
The finger vanished.
Terrence swore he heard laughter echo from somewhere unseen.
"..Yeah," he muttered. "That tracks."
It was time to talk to the King now and see what the hell was going on.