I hear a screech that grabs my attention, then I scream, “There are more!”
The final gates open. All the remaining Cryptfiends flood the arena.
It becomes a war, and several things happen simultaneously.
Jet nulls entire waves of fiends, leaving them twitching and powerless, ready to be slaughtered.
Zeke coats the sand in ice spikes, turning the arena floor into a death field.
Zane breathes fire—draxon fire—incinerating anything that gets too close, his skin glowing like embers.
Nathan teleports in bursts of flame, cutting through enemies with brutal efficiency.
Oren summons lightning from the sky, calling it down and striking the Cryptfiends dead where they stand.
And Torren…
Torren fights like he was made for war—matching Oren strike for strike, killing as fast as the others, his eyes never leaving me.
“Where the hell did Ubel go?” I whisper to no one. Did Torren kill him? Was I delusional?
Selene calls for reinforcement.
Archers aim carefully.
And then Jet raises both hands.
For a heartbeat, nothing happens.
Then every guard in the arena—every archer, every mounted soldier—loses their power all at once. Their weapons clatter. Their abilities fizzle. Nothing better than human now.
I hear a scream of protest, then grab my head in pain.
Fucking Kristine.
I drop to my knees, eyes squinting in pain, and see her and her men drop onto the sand.
She approaches, smirking, my men too busy to notice her.
“It’s time to end you, bitch.” She motions to Evan, and I know I only have seconds.
Her eyes widen as I drop my hands from my head and stand with ease. “It’s time for someone to die, but it’s not going to beme.”
I’m too powerful for her ability to touch me now. Four streaks of fire ripped from the palm I raised in their direction. The first three hit each of her Faction before they even had the chance to scream, bodies igniting, skin splitting, then poof—gone—nothing but drifting ash.
“This one's for Jet,” I muttered as the final flame found Kristine. She briefly met my gaze, a quick succession of shock, disbelief, and fear crossing her face. Flesh blistered, hair curled away, her shriek swallowed by the roar of heat until she crumbled into falling gray dust.
“I guess I was too hot to handle,” I smirk, wishing I had the time to piss on her ashes.
I hear a massive roar, and turning, I see Zeke and Zane transform into massive Draxon.
I’m in complete shock, and by the crowd's reaction, I don’t think I’m the only one.
Ice and fire collide.
Stone ruptures.
Pillars crack.
