The sky had split, not with thunder, but with a horrifying, crimson tear. From its jagged maw, not dozens, but thousands of the metallic, winged beings poured forth, their forms reflecting the bloody light as they descended upon the city. Below, the screams that had barely begun to subside after the first Emissary's defeat now rose to a crescendo of pure, unadulterated terror. Buildings, newly patched and scarred, crumbled again under the aerial bombardment of Qi blasts.
Xiaochen stood atop the battered wall, his black sword a heavy anchor in his trembling hand. Every muscle screamed, every bone ached, a cruel echo of the battle that had ended mere hours ago. His breath hitched, tasting ash and fear. This is it, a cold dread whispered, the end. The first Emissary had been a monumental str
