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Captain Alaric Voss’s voice echoed through the communications channel, his tone urgent and strained as he relayed the disturbing news from the City Planet, Zenthoris. This vast planet was home to numerous cities, each on its own island, forming a sprawling archipelago that thrived under the Kaipo Universe’s protection. But now, one of the main cities, Vandros, was under siege.
"Strange creatures have begun to overrun Vandros," Captain Alaric said, his voice filled with concern. "The mages and heroes of the city are doing their best to hold them off, but it’s getting worse by the minute. These creatures—demons—are replicating fast. They’re feeding on people, turning them into demons as well. It’s spreading like wildfire."
The room went silent as everyone absorbed the gravity of the situation.
"And that’s not all," Captain Alaric added grimly. "There’s an enormous, menacing presence with the demons. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before."
Queen Nia’s expression darkened, her mind racing with the implications of what Alaric was describing. As Captain Alaric finished, two more figures joined the call: Captain Doran Kaelmir, the Head of Hand-to-Hand Combat Division, and Captain Elowen Virellis, the Head of Healing and Restoration Division. Both captains listened intently as Alaric relayed the events unfolding on Zenthoris.
The narrator then gave a quick description: these two, alongside Captain Daichi, Captain Arcturus, Captain Alaric, and Captain Solari, were the Six Head Captains of the Kaipo Universe—the six strongest mages in the universe. They were renowned for their prowess and leadership, tasked with ensuring the safety of their universe.
Captain Arcturus Valen, ever the strategist, was the first to speak after Alaric’s report. His voice was calm but commanding. "Captain Doran, Captain Elowen—you two will head to Zenthoris immediately. Assist in defending the city and contain the demon threat."
Both captains nodded in agreement through the visual call. "Understood," Captain Doran said, his tone serious. "We’ll make sure they don’t spread beyond the city."
Captain Arcturus, through the visual call, then turned to Alaric. "Alaric, get in contact with the Sensory Planet, Anacaris, and prepare a Universal Scan. We need to ensure that this threat is localized and hasn’t spread to other regions of our universe."
"I’m on it," Captain Alaric responded, already preparing the communication.
Arcturus continued, addressing Queen Nia next. "Your Majesty, I will accompany you back to Kaipo Prime. We need to be prepared for any further developments from this attack."
Queen Nia nodded, her expression firm. "Agreed."
Finally, Captain Arcturus looked to Captain Daichi and Captain Solari. "You two should stay on Spectra. I want you to continue investigating the connection between this demon and the one Daichi encountered on Tenshin. There’s a chance this is all related."
With the plan now in place, the captains swiftly moved into action. Doran and Elowen prepared to leave for Zenthoris, Alaric was already coordinating with Anacaris, and Arcturus escorted Queen Nia back to Kaipo Prime. Captain Daichi and Captain Solari, meanwhile, returned to their analysis, determined to uncover the true origin of the demons.
The scene shifted to a vast, shadowy valley deep within the Land of Spade. The terrain was rugged, with jagged cliffs and dark mountains looming in the distance. Two figures moved silently through the landscape, their forms shrouded in dark clothing that flowed with each step. Their faces were obscured, and though they didn’t speak, the aura they exuded was palpable—one of power and menace.
They walked with purpose, their presence blending into the darkness around them, as if they were part of the very shadows that draped the valley.
The scene shifted once again, this time to the Valiant Blades. The squad was now only two days away from the location of the distress signal from Shadowfen. They had been traveling through an enormous jungle for the last day and a half, the trees towering over them, their dense canopy blocking out most of the sunlight. The deeper they ventured into the jungle, the more it seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction.
Windrider Sera looked around, her sharp eyes scanning the seemingly never-ending trees. "This jungle feels endless," she commented with a hint of frustration. "I’ve never seen anything like it."
The group continued forward, their footsteps almost silent on the jungle floor. Suddenly, Commander Aiden, who had been leading the group, came to an abrupt stop. His keen instincts flared as something felt… off.
The others immediately noticed. "What is it?" Drayke asked, his hand instinctively moving toward the hilt of his blade.
Commander Aiden narrowed his eyes, his senses heightened. "About three hours ago, I noticed a change in the wind direction."
Windrider raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"In a jungle this dense," Aiden explained, "the wind usually doesn’t shift so suddenly—especially not this deep. The trees block the air currents, and any breeze that makes it through is steady. But this change hasn’t stopped."
Sera looked around, concern creeping into her voice. "What are you saying, Aiden?"
"I’m saying," Aiden continued, his voice growing more serious, "we’ve been followed. Whatever it is, it’s been tracking us for hours. I didn’t mention it earlier because it was still far away. But now…"
The rest of the squad tensed, the weight of his words sinking in. Ashford, ever the stoic one, clenched his fists, ready for battle. "How many?" he asked, his voice low and steady.
"Thousands," Aiden said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We’re surrounded."
The chapter ended with the Valiant Blades standing in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by unseen forces, the tension in the air thick as they prepared for whatever danger was closing in on them.
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