Deat, Loss, and Betrayal - Part 1

Al tightly clenched the long-blade Elissa had given him. It was a Supreme Leaf's weapon made especially for Stubborn Will cultivators. it's weight familiar against his palm. 

His left hand gripped the heat-resistant scimitar, he had purchased before reencountering Elissa. The unique blade complimented his Heat Will. 

He was standing on a pentagon platform, looked at the night sky closing his eyes and focusing on the sound around him. 

Beside him stood Elissa, her gaze fixed on the commanding figure Hero Red Queen who treated Al and Elissa then the Heroes around them. 

The air crackled with anticipation, and in an instant, the pentagons beneath them activated. A brilliant flash engulfed them, and the western wall and crowd of Heroes disappered. They had teleported.

The sound entering Al's ear went from the friendly banter between the Heroes to cries of pain and screams full of confusion. In an instant Al, Elissa and six Heroes were teleported to a hellish battle ground. 

The 8 of them were quickly seized upon by hordes of Hybrids. Elissa's figure was immediately ripped to shreds by a monstrous snake with the head of a wolf. 

Elissa's figure erupted into nothingness it was some sort of illusion. In the blink of an eye, Elissa appeared several feet away, wielding a whip that cracked through the air. The leather weapon lashed out, connecting with the snake-wolf hybrid. The impact triggered a gruesome explosion, eradicating the Hybrid in one single attack.

Seizing the moment, Elissa invoked her Reflexive Will once more, the spell "Redux" echoing in her thoughts. The whip, animated by her Reflexive Will, struck again with formidable force. A giant lizard with an eagle's beak and wings was flying towards Elissa, it was sundered in half by Elissa's second strike.

Upon opening his eyes attacks descended upon Al from every angle - the sky, front, and back. His scimitar responded instantaneously, glowing red-hot in his grasp. With precision, he elevated his long-sword, focusing his Stubborn Will into it. The tip of its blade shot forth like a bullet, impaling the head of the hybrid descending from above which appeared like a giant beetle.

"Perfect Revert" Al thought activating the spell which restored his weapon back to it's original state. With such a weapon a Stubborn Will users gained an offensive capability. 

A horse with six legs and armored skin wielding a giant horn on it nose was mounted by an ape adorned with the arms and claws of a crab. The duo charged relentlessly from the front. 

Simultaneously, a spider with butterfly wings soared towards him from behind. Al countered with a graceful spin to evade the horse's horn, simultaneously wielding his blazing scimitar to cut through the oncoming assault.

In a swift and calculated move, Al's blazing scimitar clashed with the ape's right claw, cutting effortlessly through the armored limb. Continuing the fluid motion, he swung his longsword, cleaving the ape's body in twain. The horse-rhino, now obstructing the spider's advance.

Seizing the opportunity, Al harnessed his Heat Will, creating an intense field of heat around him. The surrounding ground ignited, setting the battlefield ablaze and forming a protective barrier against the encroaching horde of hybrids. The flames roared, casting an ominous glow on Al as he prepared for the next wave of adversaries.

In a heartbeat, both Al and Elissa had pivoted, positioning themselves on opposite ends with an instinctual synchronicity. However, the grim reality for the remaining six heroes unfolded less favorably. Their reactions were sluggish in comparison.

The battlefield's sky was a chaotic swarm of flying hybrids, each posing a unique threat. Two of the heroes found themselves plucked from the ground, and devoured in a blink of an eye. 

Another unfortunate hero materialized directly into the jaws of a hippo-whale, a hybrid that was more mouth than body. Despite the hero's genetic enhancements, his body succumbed to the powerful force within the hybrid's maw, exploding like a watermelon caught in its teeth. The air was tainted with a penetrating bloody stench.

The desperate situation for the last three heroes took an unexpected turn as the third hero, adorned in a tight yellow and blue skin suit. The Hero demonstrated a remarkable ability. With a mere raise of his hand, the surrounding air crystallized, forming a formidable wall of ice that halted dozens of hybrids in their tracks. 

The frosty barrier provided a momentary reprieve, allowing the other two heroes to initiate a frantic retreat. However, the ice wall was smashed to pieces by a colossal, 40-foot elephant with tentacles sprouting from its head. Despite the valiant efforts of the ice-forming hero, a massive foot descended mercilessly, crushing him with the force akin to crushing a blue and yellow aluminum can. 

Hundreds of heroes, that had teleported to the battlefield before the Hybrids had covered the land surrounding the teleporters united against the hybrid onslaught. The small and broken up defensive line of the heroes was steadily being pushed backward. The defiant front line was inching closer and closer to the imposing West Wall of New Ark City. 

Elissa and Al shared a determined gaze before shifting their attention to the teleporters. The imminent threat of dozens of hybrids descending upon them allowed them no time to speak.

Elissa, her whip crackling with her Reflexive Will. In an instant, destroyed handfuls of Hybrids. Soon a free zone with a radius of 20 feet manifested around her. Her whip danced through the air, creating a perimeter that held back the encroaching enemies.

Meanwhile, Al harnessed the power of his Heat Will, turning the immediate air around him so hot the ground ignited. Anything that ventured too close found itself engulfed in flames, providing him with a fiery advantage to swiftly kill any Hybrid that got close. In a matter of moments, the duo, through their coordinated efforts, claimed their own section in the battlefield.

Once more, the teleporters hummed with activity, and a blinding flash signaled the arrival of another batch of heroes. Among them, Raging Stone's presence stood oul. Al and Elissa, in unison, recognized the crucial importance of the teleporters.

Sharing an unspoken understanding, they both acknowledged the stark reality: for any chance at a turnaround, they needed to reclaim the ground surrounding the teleporters. 

It was a risky gambit, but the only conceivable strategy to shift the momentum in New Ark City's favor. The duo steeled themselves for the impending clash, preparing to face the relentless tide of hybrids in a bid to create a foothold for the arriving heroes.

Back in the heart of New Ark city, inside of the 450th floor of H.E.R.O. Tower, Loh' Pohlieus stared out of the main office window, contemplating the night sky over New Ark City. 

The expansive view was augmented by two screens displaying critical information. One showcased the intense battlefield unfolding outside the western wall, while the other presented the ominous sight of a colossal 33,000-foot Rakh-ahtan titan approaching the eastern beach of the city.

"Robert... you accepted Carlinn Ioannis and verified his Alchemical College as a spiritual institution. Please, don't let this be the undoing of everything we have worked so hard for." Loh' pondered when a figure came flying next to the window he was looking out of.

With a sweeping motion of Loh's hand, the glass window parted, revealing the identity of the figure to be an 8-foot light blue skin Tonovian with snow-white hair. It was Asoto' Tinneus he spoke in the melodic tones of their Tonovian language, "Our warriors should be in the eastern front hunting down those Rakh-ahtan dogs."

Loh remained silent ignoring Asoto's comment and moved purposefully toward the elevator. Asoto's followed suit, acknowledging the worry in Loh's actions. Once inside the elevator, Loh' broke the silence, addressing Asoto' with a sense of forebading.

"Robert guards the deepest level of H.E.R.O. Tower, protecting the core processing mind of A.R.M., against EMPs. Only he and I have access to the room, but after such a calculated attack I have a sick feeling in my stomach." Loh' said with a concern etched on his face. 

He looked at Asoto' eye to eye. "l I need you to guard the room for an extra layer of security, even though it should be technically impossible for anyone to enter," Loh explained as the elevator began its descent, the weight of responsibility on Asoto's shoulders.

Miles away from New Ark City's eastern wall, A.R.M. streaked through the sky, a red figure breaking through the dark of night. Behind him trailed a colossal cloud, miles long, following him like a personal storm. His presence invoked an aura of a demon king, a force of nature in its own right.

In the distance, A.R.M. could see the ocean convulsing and churning as a gargantuan behemoth, rivaling the size of a mountain, plowed through its waters. 

The sky was illuminated in flashes with intensity akin to daylight, revealing Hot Pyro casting waves of plasma towards the titan in an attempt to impede its relentless advance. The impact of Hot Pyro's attacks dispersed upon the titan's body leaving cindering smoke.

Beside Hot Pyro stood another hero, radiating a brilliant blue light. A.R.M. recognized the blue figure as Hero Bright Volt. His explosive electrical skin unleashed an arm of thick lightning bolts towards the surrounding swarm of creatures that flew out of the creatures back. The combined efforts of the two heroes painted the night with a vibrant display of blue and red.

In a dramatic entrance, A.R.M. streaked through the sky like a celestial meteor, positioning himself between the two heroes. The expansive cloud trailing behind him condensed into a miles long mind-boggling spear. 

A.R.M.'s machine body was made out of Perfect Platinum, a meticulously arranged super metal with near-indestructible properties. The mighty machine god's fist collided with the colossal titan. The impact resonated through the sky with an earth-shaking bang, causing the 33,000-foot behemoth to slow and bring to a halt the titan's movement. 

A colossal crack emanated from the point of impact on A.R.M.'s fist, marking the undeniable force behind the blow. Before the titan could resume its advance, the mile-long spear, fashioned from A.R.M.'s mastery over an army of nanomachines, crashed into the compromised spot. 

The spear detonated upon impact, yet its momentum remained unyielding. A silver cloud of nanomachines emanated from the explosion, engulfing the mountainous entity.

The colossal force of the giant spear proved overwhelming, pushing the massive titan back causing it to fall on its back. 

In a single, decisive blow. A.R.M. achieved what hundreds of H.E.R.O.S. had struggled to do, toppling the colossal entity. The impact sent shockwaves through the waters, spawning tsunami-like waves exceeding 60 feet in height.

A frantic scramble ensued as the Heroes struggled to escape the oncoming deluge. A.R.M. turned to see Hero Sea Boy, displaying extraordinary control over the ocean itself. The Hero countered the potential devastation to the coast of New Ark City by creating waves nearly as high, mitigating the immediate threat. 

The violent waters claimed the lives of many heroes who were unable to evade the tumultuous onslaught.

The colossal titan broke under its own weight, it fractured, giving birth to hundreds of Rakh-ahtan soldiers. Oddly, the soldiers lacked the characteristic crystal on their forehead. It was the hallmark of a true Rakh-ahtan warrior.

Moments before A.R.M. shattered the Rakh-ahtan titan, Loh' and Asoto' where traversing a corridor in the lowest level of H.E.R.O. Tower. 

"I would rather not send a single Tonovian into combat. Our people are a few thousand less than one percent of the population of New Ark City. I trust our city's heroes." Loh' expressed, placing his trust in A.R.M.'s H.E.R.O. program. 

He assigned Asoto' the critical task of guarding a specific room, emphasizing the importance of his role. However, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by distant cries echoing through the corridor. 

Alarmed, they quickened their pace, reaching a door that resembled a secure vault. Despite the door's formidable appearance, anguished muffled cries could be heard from the other side. 

Without hesitation, Loh entered the unique password for the door, a security measure designed to activate only in response to the distinctive brainwaves of either Loh' or Robert. The heavy door creaked open, revealing the source of the agonized cries.

Before them lay Robert, bloodied and naked, suspended upside down by copper lines. A dark-haired woman with piercing green eyes diligently etched numbers into Robert's flesh using the sharp nails of her fingers which were made of copper. With each incision, the old man emitted a heart-wrenching scream, that send chills down Loh's back.

Robert's entire body was sliced and cut, he was covered and dripping with his own blood. Standing next to the woman with green eyes was none other than Carlinn Ioannis. Beside Carlinn stood Jeremy a graduate student of Carlin Ioannis, his vacant eyes unaware of what was occurring around him.