Soaring Wings

The sky over Rongcheng burned fiercely.

In a command tent at the edge of the exclusion zone, a white-haired, red-eyed girl held a radio and broadcast over the wide-area public channel Qi Yun had reserved for her.

[Static...]

[Attention, all units. This is the Rongcheng Hero Association frontline command post. I am Messiah.]

[Magic detection devices throughout Rongcheng have registered a powerful surge. Their situation may be dire.]

Messiah paused and glanced up at the sky.

It was bright as day. Every cloud had become a blazing fire, and black raindrops fell into the concrete jungle, shattering into dusk-darkness.

Rongcheng had been completely evacuated, leaving it an empty city. But if Garuda broke through the Mindscape's defenses and entered the Mortal World, the destruction he brought would surely be even more terrifying than Jörmungandr's in Harbor City.

Messiah continued:

[...This is the frontline command post's final transmission.]

[An emergency order: all heroes in Rongcheng of S-Rank or above are to head to the battlefield immediately. Be ready to provide support at any moment and do everything possible to hold Garuda back.]

[Prepare to sacrifice yourselves. Whatever the cost.]

The radio transmission ended.

The white-haired girl looked back at the association personnel still outside the tent.

Every hero involved in supporting this operation was A-Rank or above. Their relatively powerful Psychic Abilities could keep them safe in most circumstances.

"The entire command post is dismissed. Leave the battlefield as quickly as you can. We'll handle what comes next."

"Captain, you—"

Before the speaker could finish, Messiah vanished without a trace.

On the screens inside the command tent, several tiny lights appeared across the previously quiet map of Rongcheng. They crossed the outer cordon of the exclusion zone and headed straight for the area where the flames and black rain were