Chapter 122: Astral Gates: Awakening
Elsewhere, Wei-Wan's battlefield had become a nightmare.
The streets that had once bustled with life were now consumed by panic. Smoke billowed from burning buildings, shattered vehicles littered the roads, and the screams of fleeing civilians echoed through every corner of the district. Upgraded Freakers surged forward like a relentless tide, tearing through barricades while members of The Stars cut off every possible escape route.
Standing at the center of the carnage, Baekho laughed loudly, his booming voice carrying over the chaos as he watched the infected swarm helpless civilians.
"This is it!" he roared. "Watch your precious city tear itself apart!"
Wei-Wan gritted his teeth as another wave of Freakers rushed toward him.
"Damn it...!"
He tightened his grip on his weapon, preparing himself for another desperate stand.
Then... something changed as a violent pressure washed across the battlefield.
BRRRMMM!
The ground trembled beneath everyone's feet. The Freakers suddenly hesitated, even Baekho's smile faltered.
A deafening roar echoed across the city.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!
A streak of brilliant greenish-blue light burst through the smoke, tearing down the street with unstoppable momentum.
It looked less like a man... and more like a dragon descending upon the city.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Champagne crashed into the battlefield without slowing down.
The moment his dragon aura collided with the front ranks of the Freakers, they simply ceased to exist.
SPLAAT!
POP!
TWHACK!
Bodies exploded, corrupted flesh vaporized and cars flipped through the air like toys. The shockwave alone blasted dozens of enemies off their feet, sending them crashing through nearby buildings.
The sheer force of his arrival scattered both Freakers and members of The Stars in every direction.
Baekho's eyes widened.
"What—?!"
He never finished as Champagne was already there, still moving, and still accelerating.
Without reducing his speed by even a fraction, he twisted his body and drove a devastating kick directly into Baekho's face.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!
The impact sounded like an artillery shell exploding.
BOOM–BOOOOM–CRAAASHH!!
Baekho's body disappeared into the distance, smashing through one building... then another... then another...
BRRRMMM!
Entire walls collapsed beneath the force of the kick until, several city blocks away, a massive cloud of dust erupted into the sky.
BOOOOOM!!
The aftershock swept across the battlefield, knocking remaining Freakers off their feet and scattering members of The Stars like leaves caught in a hurricane.
Wei-Wan stood completely motionless.
His mouth slowly fell open.
"...What..."
He blinked several times.
"...What the hell...?"
SWOOOSH!
But Champagne had already disappeared, he couldn't stop and he wouldn't stop. His momentum had become everything.
Every second he continued moving, his dragon aura grew denser, stronger, more violent, feeding off the incredible speed he had built across the city.
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!
He shot toward the Political District and toward the aircraft platform.
* * *
The evacuation aircraft sat waiting on the elevated runway, its massive engines roaring as the pilots prepared for immediate departure. Nyx remained standing beside it, clutching the briefcase tightly against her chest.
Fear still lingered within her, not fear of the enemies surrounding Playmore, not fear of death. Fear of herself.
Then...she saw it.
Far down the ruined avenue, a dragon of greenish-blue light charged toward her.
Buildings shook as it passed. Roads cracked apart beneath its feet. Everything standing in its way was swept aside.
Inside that roaring dragon aura... She saw Champagne.
Covered in blood bruised, exhausted, but yet smiling.
Not a smile born from arrogance, not one meant to reassure with empty confidence. It was the smile of someone who genuinely believed they could still save everyone. Someone who refused to surrender. Someone worthy of being called... A hero.
At the very last possible moment Champagne spun his body. With astonishing precision, he gently lifted Fah-jin from his back and threw her toward the aircraft.
SWOOO!
"Incoming!"
"...WAAAHHHH!!"
Instead of screaming in terror...Fah-jin laughed.
The adrenaline, the impossible speed, the warmth radiating from Champagne's dragon aura.
It was terrifying...yet strangely comforting. For the first time since entering Playmore, she felt completely safe.
Nyx stepped forward and caught her without difficulty.
CLUTCH!
The moment Fah-jin landed safely in her arms, Champagne was already gone, he never stopped running, and he never slowed down.
Within seconds he had disappeared into the burning city once again. Nyx remained frozen, staring after him.
Something inside her changed.
The fear that had chained her heart... simply vanished. Because Champagne had done something no one else had managed to do.
He had given her hope.
She slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again. This time... without hesitation.
She boarded the aircraft alongside Fah-jin as the hatch slammed shut and the engines roared louder.
FWOOOOOOOOOM!!
The aircraft lifted from the platform and climbed rapidly into the sky above Playmore.
As the city grew smaller beneath her...Nyx took one long breath.
"...Forgive me."
Then she activated her Savage Power.
"Astral Gates: Awakening"
For one heartbeat, then the heavens split apart.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The sky above Playmore darkened as reality itself fractured. Massive black gates materialized high above the city, each one larger than a skyscraper.
They slowly swung open with an earth-shaking groan.
KRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNK!!
People across the city looked upward in horror.
Civilians froze. Savages stopped fighting. Even the upgraded Freakers became strangely still. An unnatural silence swallowed Playmore. Then... something emerged.
These were not humans, not even Freakers.
Something....else.
Elegant figures stepped through the colossal gates with graceful movements that felt almost divine.
Yet every one of them radiated overwhelming malice.
Their forms were beautiful, trrifying and completely unnatural. Creatures born solely from Nyx's Savage Power.
A new species.
Without receiving a single command, the creatures descended upon the city.
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
They fell like black stars from the heavens. The moment they reached the streets, they attacked.
BAANG!
BOOM!
CRACK!
SMASH!
Members of The Stars were torn apart. Upgraded Freakers were hunted mercilessly. Entire enemy formations collapsed beneath the sudden assault as panic spread through their ranks. Playmore descended even deeper into chaos.
High above, the skies had become a battlefield of impossible creatures.
Far below... A single streak of greenish-blue light continued racing through the burning streets.
Champagne was still running, still fighting, and still smiling.
He glanced toward the opening gates overhead before letting out an exhilarated laugh.
"Now..."
Dragon energy erupted around him once more.
"...THAT'S more like it!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
He accelerated again, disappearing into the inferno like a dragon charging toward destiny itself.
To Be Continued...