The Extra's Supremacy

The wyvern roared, as if challenging him to make his move. Its wings spread wide, creating a gust of wind that sent debris flying. Kain braced himself, his sword glowing faintly as he prepared to act.

His mind raced through the possibilities. If he could incapacitate the wyvern—just slow it down for a few minutes—he might have enough time to escape. But how? Its scales were nearly impenetrable, and its relentless aggression left no openings.

A memory flickered in his mind.

"The joints," he murmured.

The weakest points in its armor were the joints at its wings and legs. If he could disable its mobility, even temporarily, it would give him the chance he needed.

The wyvern lunged, its claws tearing through the ground as it charged. Kain darted to the side, his movements quick and precise. He launched a blade of compressed wind at its left wing joint, aiming for the vulnerable spot.

The attack struck, forcing the wyvern to falter mid-charge. It roared in anger, thrashing as Kain pressed the advantage. He leapt onto a pile of rubble, using the height to propel himself toward its other wing. His blade connected again, leaving a faint crack in the armor.

But the wyvern was far from defeated. It retaliated with a swipe of its tail, the force of the strike sending Kain tumbling through the air. He landed hard, rolling to his feet just in time to dodge another attack.

"Not enough," he muttered, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

The rifts were growing larger, their energy intensifying as monsters began to emerge. Kain could hear the distant roars of defiled-ranked creatures, their grotesque forms spilling into the city like a flood. The ground shook as corrupted-ranked monsters followed, their hulking bodies radiating power.

Time was running out.

Kain steadied himself, his grip on his sword tightening. He couldn't afford to waste another moment. His priority was clear: get to Elara and Lily. But the wyvern stood between him and the path to safety, its presence an insurmountable barrier.

"I don't have time for this," Kain growled, his voice low and resolute. "But you're not giving me a choice, are you?"

Kain's mind raced as he recalled the chilling words of the vampire he had slain: "Our role is done. The big plan is about to begin."

A cold realization settled over him. The true nature of the vampire's scheme was beginning to take shape. First, they had somehow manipulated the Archons and Sovereign into heading to Regalia, creating an opening. Then, they had plotted to lure the Masters to the house in the woods and kill them, knowing that without the Archons or Sovereign, the Masters would be easy targets. But their plan had backfired. Kain had been the one to venture to the house in the woods—and he had killed the vampires instead.

If unexpected variables emerged in Kythera City, the vampires had intended to use them to provoke the Wyvern into action. With the Archons, Sovereign, and Masters out of the picture, it was clear now: this had all been a diversion. The vampires' real objective was to stack rifts and plunge the city into chaos.

Ingenious, Kain thought, his eyes narrowing as the weight of the conspiracy sank in. The true danger was just beginning.

Kain's mind raced as he weighed his options. The wyvern was still a formidable threat, but it was the rifts that now posed the greater danger. He had no time to waste; the monsters already spilling through the rifts would soon overwhelm the entire city.

The wyvern's deep growl echoed through the shattered streets, its eyes never leaving Kain. The creature's rage was palpable, its every movement predatory, hungry.

Kain sprinted toward a building on the edge of the battlefield, weaving between the ruins with practiced ease. The wyvern followed, its wings beating the air with a terrifying force as it attempted to cut him off. Kain's movements were fluid, his every step precise as he reached the building's edge, using it as cover.

With the wyvern briefly distracted by the destruction it had caused, Kain seized the opportunity. He turned sharply, launching a blade of wind energy toward the creatures nearest to him. It wasn't enough to destroy them, but the shockwave sent monsters spilling out, giving Kain a chance to thin their numbers. He wasn't prepared for what came next, though.

A massive black shape emerged from one of the rifts—taller than the wyvern and cloaked in weird vines. The terror-ranked creature Kain had feared. Its form was a grotesque parody of something humanoid, with too many limbs and glowing red eyes. It was monstrous, a thing of nightmare.

Kain's heart skipped a beat.

He could hear the wyvern's growl growing louder as it closed in, its jaws snapping in anticipation. Kain's pulse quickened, but he forced himself to remain calm. The wyvern and the terror-ranked creature were both too powerful for him to fight directly. His best bet was to focus on evasion from wyvern while preparing for the incoming wave of monsters.

Kain dashed forward once more, the wyvern's claws scraping against the ground in pursuit. He led it deeper into the city, toward a narrow, isolated district where the rifts were opening more frequently. The closer he got, the more the rifts seemed to pulse with malevolent energy, but he had no choice but to lead the wyvern toward the heart of the chaos.

With a final, desperate leap, Kain jumped to another building, taking in the horrifying sight of the rifts widening and the flood of monsters spilling through.

...

Chris stood frozen for a moment, the weight of the situation crashing down on him. The sight of six terror-ranked creatures emerging from the rifts was a nightmare in itself. He had only ever heard of such power in stories. To think they were here, in his city, was a crushing blow. The wyvern wasn't the only threat anymore. The city had become a warzone, and the odds were against everyone.

The chaos around him escalated rapidly. The defiled creatures swarmed the streets, their twisted forms a testament to the dark energy fueling the invasion. The corrupted creatures were more dangerous, but it was the terror-ranked ones that truly held the city's fate in their hands.

Chris had healed all the highmages and they are going towards evacuation center, but now they were nothing more than normal people, stripped of their magic temporary. The weight of this loss pressed heavily on him, knowing that Kythera's greatest defenders were powerless against the tide of destruction sweeping over the city. As an Ascender, Chris was different—he still had his energy, though it was weak and far from enough to make a difference in the face of the growing chaos.