"North gate!"
Taai's voice thundered across the western district.
Every nearby soldier turned instinctively.
"The second wave is approaching!"
"Split the forces!"
"First Battalion, reinforce the northern wall!"
"Second Battalion, stay with me!"
"Close the northern gate before they reach it!"
"Move!"
"YES, SIR!"
The organized retreat happened immediately.
Muscle City had survived countless invasions.
Even amidst chaos—
Its soldiers still obeyed.
Groups peeled away from the western district, racing through the city streets toward the northern defenses.
---
Kai leaned against a shattered wall.
His breathing remained uneven.
The pain beneath his skin still lingered.
Magic Circuits.
Just trying to use them had nearly crippled him.
He clenched his fist.
"...Not yet."
He couldn't rely on them.
Not like this.
A nearby explosion snapped him back to reality.
Another hybrid crashed through a building.
Guards intercepted it.
The battle resumed.
---
Then—
Something changed.
A figure appeared at the end of the street.
Walking.
Not running.
Not hiding.
Simply...
Walking.
Long silver hair.
A double-sided scythe rested across one shoulder.
Akari.
Silence spread unnaturally.
A demon noticed first.
It lunged.
The Akari never even looked.
One step.
A flash.
The demon split cleanly in half.
It hadn't even reached striking distance.
Blood painted the street.