Chapter 71 - 70: United Front
"You’re not facing this alone."
Damian’s voice cut through the chaos as he staggered into the chamber. His enhanced sword crackled with residual magic despite his mangled arm hanging useless at his side. Blood soaked through his Iron-fang armor where crystalline golem claws had found their mark.
Behind him came survivors from multiple guilds united by desperate circumstances. ARES remnants marched beside Iron-fang veterans. Sanctuary healers supported wounded Association hunters. Guild politics meant nothing when dimensional entities threatened everything they’d sworn to protect.
"Defensive perimeter around the healers," Damian commanded while raising his sword one-handed. "Nothing gets through."
Sergeant Morrison limped forward with his cracked shield. "Sir, we’ve got maybe thirty seconds before that thing breaks through the ceiling."
The commander’s rage had grown beyond containment. Its dimensional presence pressed against the chamber walls like water against a dam. Stone cracked under pressure that belonged to other realities.
Leon felt Elise’s healing magic burning through the last layers of vessel corruption. Her power blazed like molten gold as it restored his human consciousness piece by piece. But the process was killing her.
"Elise, you have to stop," Leon whispered. "You’re burning out."
"Almost there," she gasped. Blood streamed from her nose while her skin grew pale as parchment. "Just hold on."