Just as night fell and all things sank into slumber, lightning suddenly struck from high above.
Rumble!
Silver-white light flashed as a forest of lightning descended. Every bolt carried an intense aura of destruction. They tore the night apart, filling the street with a savage presence so powerful it felt almost tangible. Silver snakes danced wildly, raining down in dense volleys all around.
They struck at the demigod of the Iron and Blood Cross Order, at Ince Zangwill, and at the imposing figure hidden within a windowpane.
Silver-white lightning struck Dean Wengris, and electricity coursed through his body, instantly jolting him awake from his deep drowsiness. His entire body burst into flames at once, scattering into fiery blossoms that shot in every direction, preventing the lightning from striking him again.
Ince Zangwill spread his hands, and his surroundings abruptly turned cold and gloomy. One strange, translucent figure after another appeared above his head. These illusory figures shielded him from the lightning while he moved swiftly, dancing between the bolts. Whenever he could not dodge, he sacrificed a few spirits as cannon fodder.
Klein had an even easier time. As the lightning tore through the night, the Nightwatcher's Requiem was weakened. By the time a bolt struck the window, he had already awakened. His figure leaped between the shards of glass, quickly retreating somewhere safe.
By the time the Thunder Forest disappeared, the street had become a ruin. Scorch marks and cracks covered the ground, flames engulfed the houses, and wisps of smoke rose everywhere.
The scattered flames converged once more, forming Dean Wengris in his red clothes and red hat. The demigod of the Iron and Blood Cross Order held his hat in place with one hand and looked up, spotting a burly figure in the sky above Damir Port.