The sky over the Salvante estate was gray with smoke.

  As the Storm family reached the battlefield, chaos swallowed them. Swords rang out against swords. Fireballs exploded like falling meteors. Warriors roared, spells crackled in the air, and blood stained the cobblestones.

  The Salvante family was holding their ground, barely.

  Five level 6 warriors from their side fought ferociously against the DeCostas, whose own elite numbered just as many. In the center of it stood Lucian Salvante.

  He stood tall, robes fluttering in the wind, arms raised high as two streams of energy spiraled from his palms. He was casting two incantations at once, a feat only the strongest of magicians could dare do.

  “Volturis Ignis!”

  A bolt of lightning erupted from his right hand.

  “Crystallis Lumen!”

  A wave of freezing light followed from the left.

  The two DeCosta level 6s facing him staggered, barely keeping up.

  He was winning.

  The sight of the Storm family charging in brought a surge of energy to the Salvantes. Cries of relief burst through the crowd as they pushed harder.

  “They came!” one of the Salvante captains shouted.

  The DeCostas’ expressions twisted with rage.

  “Split them up!” one of their warriors yelled. “Don’t let them unite!”

  A group of DeCosta warriors broke off, aiming to intercept the Storms. But it was too late.

  “Charge!” Edric roared, and the Storm family slammed into the chaos, merging with the Salvantes like fire meeting oil.

  The tide of the battle shifted again.

  Erin drew his sword, blood already dried along its edge. Three level 2 warriors rushed him without hesitation. Their movements were sharper than the lackey forces. They were faster, cleaner, better.

  He parried one, ducked under another, and gritted his teeth as a third landed a hit straight to his side.

  Clang!

  His armor held, but it groaned under the pressure. He could feel it, another few good hits, and it would shatter.

  He didn’t have time to think.

  He spun, slashing across the first attacker’s chest. Blood sprayed. The second came at him with a spear, Erin sidestepped, rammed his shoulder into the man, and finished him with a stab through the neck.

  The third backed away, suddenly unsure.

  Kael appeared behind him and crushed the man’s skull with a brutal swing of his warhammer.

  “You’re bleeding,” Kael muttered.

  “I’ll live,” Erin replied, panting. “Thanks.”

  All around them, the battle raged.

  Daveth was throwing fire spells into enemy formations while slashing down warriors who got too close. Selene and Edric were locked in another vicious battle, two more level 6 DeCosta warriors had joined the fray.

  Now it was seven versus seven.

  And yet, Erin's parents didn’t yield.

  Selene was weaving frost and flame into barriers and blasts, supporting Edric, who fought with aggression. The street beneath them cracked with every step. Magic carved through buildings, and roars echoed through the area.

  Lucian Salvante noticed Edric and gave him a quick nod between chants. “Glad you made it!”

  “We fight together!” Edric shouted back.

  The battlefield burned.

  DeCosta forces screamed orders, but their lines were breaking. Still, they were far from defeated. They had more numbers. More warriors. And their elites weren’t finished.

  Erin dropped to one knee, catching his breath. His sword dripped with blood, and his armor had dozens of dents and cracks. He looked around.

  His family was still standing.

  So was the Salvantes.

  But so were the DeCostas.

  And the war wasn’t over.

  The battle dragged on like a never-ending nightmare. Smoke filled the air. Blood soaked the ground.

  Erin’s sword cut through another enemy’s throat, his arm trembling from the strain. The enemy collapsed in a heap, but Erin didn’t even glance down. Another opponent charged him, a level 3 with a curved blade and fast footwork.

  They clashed.

  Erin’s battered armor groaned, cracks already webbed across the chestplate. The level 3 slashed downward, and the armor finally gave out.

  CRACK!

  The blow broke straight through, tearing the chestplate in half. Pieces of steel clattered to the stone below. Erin staggered back, chest heaving. The strike had bruised him, maybe worse, but he was still alive.

  He ripped off the broken armor, tossing it aside.

  No time to stop.

  He ducked low, slashed across the warrior’s thigh, and then ran his sword clean through his gut. Another one down.

  But the tide was turning.

  The DeCostas were pushing harder now.

  Across the battlefield, Erin saw allies falling. Two Salvante warriors screamed as they were cut down by DeCosta elites. One tried to crawl away, only for a boot to slam into his back and a sword to end him.

  Another was impaled mid-spell, his body thrown aside like garbage.

  The sight made Erin’s blood boil, but it also brought a cold truth to his heart.

  They were losing.

  Even his father, Edric Storm, once so unshakable, now looked worn down. His blade hand trembled, and his movements were slower. He faced off against his level 6 opponent, trading brutal blows, but it wasn’t enough.

  “Father!” Erin shouted, but there was no time to help.

  A spear thrust aimed for Erin’s side. He blocked it, then gutted the attacker in one fluid move.

  Kael was nearby, standing tall like a beast among men. A level 3 tried to fight him head-on, but Kael’s warhammer broke through his guard, sending him flying like a broken doll.

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  Erin breathed hard, watching Kael.

  He was like an unmovable wall.

  But even with warriors like Kael, the weight of the DeCosta forces was too much.

  The Storms and Salvantes were being pushed back.

  “Fall back to the grand hall!” one of the Salvante captains yelled. “Regroup!”

  The remaining fighters, bruised and bloodied, slowly retreated. Step by step, defending each other, shielding the wounded, dragging their dead.

  They formed a rough line at the grand entrance to the Salvante estate’s grand hall, a massive structure with towering stone doors and reinforced walls. It was their final stand.

  The Storms and Salvantes stood together, shoulder to shoulder, breathing heavy.

  Their numbers were thinning.

  Their wounds were piling up.

  But their eyes still burned with defiance.

  The DeCostas closed in. They marched toward the entrance, swords raised, spells glowing in their hands.

  Erin, shirt torn and chest bruised, gripped his sword tighter.

  He couldn’t run.

  He glanced at Kael, who stood silently behind him, blood splattered across his arms and face.

  The battlefield had fallen into quiet despair.

  The Storms and Salvantes stood shoulder to shoulder at the entrance of the grand hall, backs pressed against cold stone. Every breath was heavy. Every second felt like a countdown to death.

  Then Lucian Salvante stepped forward.

  He raised both hands, palms glowing with swirling, unstable energy.

  His voice rang out like thunder. “Enough.”

  The very air trembled.

  A force exploded from Lucian’s body, crashing over the battlefield like a tidal wave. The DeCosta warriors stumbled, gasping for breath as their knees buckled.

  Pressure.

  Power.

  Something beyond level 6.

  Erin froze, eyes wide.

  Even Kael flinched.

  Lucian’s robes fluttered in the wind. His body shimmered, veins pulsing with energy.

  Level 7.

  He had hidden it, until now.

  The reaction was instant.

  DeCosta warriors turned pale. Their frontline wavered. The level 6s cursed, shouting orders, but their voices cracked with fear.

  They ran.

  The Storms and Salvantes saw the panic and pounced. There was no mercy. Erin charged forward, sword flashing. He cut through a fleeing level 3, then another.

  Selene struck a DeCosta warrior with a chain of lightning, and Edric followed up with a sword through the chest. Daveth, still scorched from earlier, summoned a burning wall of fire and trapped three enemies inside.

  It was chaos, but this time, it was their chaos.

  Victory was within reach.

  Lucian hovered slightly above the ground, magic swirling around him like a storm. His eyes burned with anger. His hand rose again, preparing a spell that would wipe out the last of the DeCostas in a single blow.

  And then it came.

  A streak of silver tore through the air like a falling star.

  A spear.

  Massive, jagged, and humming with death.

  It screamed across the battlefield toward Lucian.

  BOOM!

  Lucian barely raised his hands in time. The impact shattered stone under his feet and sent a shockwave that cracked the ground. His magic shield flickered, barely holding.

  A figure landed across the battlefield, walking through the dust.

  Cassius DeCosta.

  The true terror of the DeCosta family, a level 7.

  He wore dark crimson armor, and his eyes were colder than ice. His presence alone was suffocating, like the air was being sucked out of the world.

  “You should’ve stayed hidden, Lucian,” Cassius said, his voice calm and cruel. “Now you die here, with all your little friends.”

  Lucian lowered his shield, breath ragged, face stern. “Not today.”

  Cassius raised a hand. Magic coiled around his fingers.

  Suddenly, two more figures appeared, walking from the other end of the broken street. Behind them, a team of warriors followed in silence.

  One man wore the robes of Jade Academy, his long spear resting over his shoulder. His eyes burned with quiet wisdom.

  The other wore heavy armor, the McEnerney family crest etched into his chestplate, glowing faintly.

  Both of them radiated the same overwhelming pressure as Cassius and Lucian.

  Level 7.

  The Jade warrior stepped forward. “That’s enough, Cassius. This battle ends now.”

  Cassius sneered, lifting his hand again. “Are you here to protect these rats?”

  The McEnerney warrior spoke, voice like iron. “We’re here to stop you from tearing the city apart.”

  The wind stilled.

  The street fell silent.

  Four level 7s stood within striking distance of each other. Lucian, Cassius, and the two new arrivals.

  Cassius DeCosta’s eyes burned with fury.

  “You dare to lecture me about rules,” he growled, voice cutting through the quiet like a blade. “You stand there, after your families hid for decades while I clawed my way through blood and fire to build this city?”

  His words echoed across the battlefield. Storms and Salvantes had stopped fighting. Even the DeCosta warriors had gone still. No one moved. No one breathed.

  The level 7s stood at the center of it all.

  “They brought a level 7 to fight me,” Cassius snarled, pointing at Lucian. “So I’ll fight back. That’s only fair.”

  The Jade Academy warrior, Master Ryven, narrowed his eyes. “Lucian is a protector of this city. As are we. All level 7s are under mutual protection. You know this, Cassius.”

  The McEnerney warrior stepped forward, his presence thunderous. “We will deal with Lucian after breaking the rules. For now, you will stand down. Otherwise, your family will be wiped out.”

  Cassius laughed. “Wiped out? You think I fear that?”

  “You should,” Ryven said calmly. “This is your final warning. Leave this place and forget this feud, or face judgment.”

  Cassius’s smile twitched.

  Something in him broke.

  "You cling to your little rules like cowards," he hissed. "You’re all hypocrites. You only protect the city when it benefits you!"

  He reached into his cloak and pulled out something small, dark, and pulsing with ancient power.

  A black pendant.

  A relic.

  The same feeling Erin had felt before, worn by the strange girl who vanished in the blink of an eye.

  Now it was around Cassius's neck.

  “I warned them,” he muttered, voice trembling. “I told them I’d burn this city to the ground.”

  He clasped it on.

  A pulse of darkness erupted.

  BOOOOOM.

  A shockwave blasted outwards, sending everyone flying. The earth trembled. Clouds overhead twisted into a swirling spiral of black and red.

  Cassius roared.

  His voice wasn’t human anymore.

  A second, deeper voice layered beneath his own.

  "Finally... I am free."

  Cassius’s body shifted. His armor twisted and blackened, growing jagged. His aura erupted like a volcano, tearing cracks into the ground beneath his feet.

  The other level 7s didn’t hesitate.

  Lucian charged first, spells flying from both hands in dual incantation. Flame and frost, lightning and stone.

  Cassius didn’t even flinch. He raised a single hand and shattered the spells mid-air.

  Ryven and the McEnerney warrior attacked from both sides, a synchronized assault honed by decades of discipline. Ryven’s spear blurred like a phantom, while McEnerney’s greatsword carved the air in glowing arcs.

  CRASH.

  Cassius met them head-on.

  The collision shook the city.

  Erin stumbled as shockwaves rolled through the streets. Buildings cracked. Windows shattered. Fires burst from the ground as wild magic tore through stone and steel.

  Kael grabbed Erin and pulled him back behind cover. “Get down! You can't stand near that!”

  Up above, the sky split open with every clash.

  Lucian hurled a bolt of molten fire. Cassius countered with a scream of darkness that swallowed it whole.

  Ryven spun his spear like a whirlwind, landing blow after blow, but Cassius caught it mid-spin and threw him like a ragdoll into a building.

  The McEnerney warrior struck Cassius’s side with a blow strong enough to split a rock, but Cassius barely grunted and retaliated with a blast of energy that flung him back.

  Lucian leapt back into the air, both hands raised, chanting a incantation.

  Massive chains of light descended from the sky, binding Cassius’s arms.

  But Cassius laughed.

  He flexed, and the chains shattered.

  “No more limits,” the deep voice said from within him. “No more rules.”

  He raised a hand, and the ground erupted under Lucian.

  Lucian tumbled back, blood leaking from his mouth, but he still stood.

  Cassius charged through all three of them.

  BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

  Each strike sent craters into the earth, explosions of power ripping apart streets and rooftops.

  People screamed and fled.

  The armies scattered. Even the most seasoned level 6s retreated, knowing they could do nothing against this clash of titans.

  Erin stared from behind rubble, unable to look away.

  “This... this is what a level 7 truly means?” he muttered.

  Kael’s face was pale. “No. This is beyond level 7. That relic… it’s something else entirely.”

  Cassius stood in the center of a battlefield of destruction, the earth broken around him, the sky twisted above.

  Three level 7s surrounded him, but even together, they were barely holding on.

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