For a heartbeat after Caelan’s shout, the plaza held its breath—then panic snapped back in.

  “Move in—now!” Solara barked, shoving herself to her feet. Several of the jackets started forward on instinct.

  Keira, rubbing the bridge of her nose, raised a hand. “Everyone just wait. Trust me—it’s dumber than you think.”

  Solara stared at her, then at Caelan, then back again. “Oh my god. He really is an idiot.”

  Out in the open, Caelan and the emerald crashed together in a blur of steel and green. Each impact sent shudders through the shattered marble. Caelan let the creature drive him back step by step, grinning like a lunatic as he parried.

  “One day!” he shouted between swings. “In fact—no, five minutes! Five minutes and wham—fuck you, Caelan! Ahh, just die already!” It became clear that his outburst had nothing to do with the fight itself—he was furious because the emerald’s blade had nicked his sleeve, leaving a small tear in his favourite jacket.

  “At least he might take care of this one,” Solara muttered.

  Elyria stood beside her, arms folded, eyes wide. “I can see why you haven’t slept with him,” she said dryly. “Too busy being his mum.”

  A vein popped in Solara’s forehead. “He is not like this every waking moment,” she hissed through her teeth.

  Aidan strolled up with his hands laced behind his head, perfectly relaxed. “That’s the last of Ravon’s men eliminated,” he reported. “And while we’re on it—why lie? You enjoy chasing after everyone. Even when you’re shouting at them, you’re smiling.”

  Milo slipped in behind Solara. “Well, it works. Since you’re so old, Sol—”

  Solara spun and kicked him square in the chest, sending him crashing into Takeshi, who was still parked on the ground.

  Milo wheezed, then burst out laughing. “Hey, Takeshi! Trying to keep up with the Captain at lunch again?”

  “Just one normal day,” Takeshi muttered. “Please. Just once. Recruit one normal person.”

  Solara turned back to Elyria with a sigh. “But to answer your question, he is a complete screw-up. But he owns it. Every time he—”

  “FUCK YES!” Caelan whooped, charging the emerald again. “WANT TO PLAY DIRTY? GIVE IT TO ME, YOU BITCH!”

  Solara froze mid-sentence. Something in her finally snapped.

  “WILL YOU STOP EMBARRASSING US?” she roared. “WHAT, JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE ACTING ALL HERO, YOU THINK YOU CAN ACT LIKE AN IDIOT? JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET YOU HOME—WE’LL SEE HOW MANY TEARS I CAN GET OUT OF THE CRYBABY CAPTAIN TONIGHT!”

  Her voice tore across the plaza. Even the emerald hesitated, blade hanging in the air. Every eye swung to her.

  Caelan stared at Solara, stunned—then his face split into the broadest, cheesiest grin.

  “Solara,” he called back, “for the last time—we are not having sex, okay? I know it must be hard, being tempted by this pure temple of sexiness, but come on. You know I couldn’t mount someone as tall as you.”

  The plaza went dead quiet.

  “OOOOOH, snap,” Keira said eventually. “Elyria, get those sparkly hands fired up—Solara just got burned.”

  “In your dreams, small fry!” Solara shot back, cheeks blazing. “Never happening. What—me and a grease ball like you and that gods-damned ponytail? Alright then, Captain Ponytail—what’s taking you so long, Mr ‘I can think really quickly and plan anything’? Huh? I can’t hear you!”

  At some point between the shouting, the emerald had surged back in. Caelan met its blade, one-handed now, the other arm hanging loose as he fought and muttered under his breath.

  “What?” Solara called. “I can’t hear you!”

  “My arm’s sore,” Caelan mumbled.

  “ONE MORE TIME!” Solara yelled.

  “My arm’s still sore!” he shouted back.

  “And what—your plan is to just keep fighting it until you figure out how to do it with one arm?” Solara demanded.

  “See?” Caelan laughed. “Legit plan.”

  Solara exhaled hard, gave up, and dropped down to sit beside Keira. She carefully lifted Mynxi out of Keira’s arms and settled the girl in her lap. “Go on then,” she said, glaring out at Caelan. “Keep being an idiot. I’ll wait.”

  “Thanks, Solara! Love you!” Caelan called, ducking another swipe.

  Solara couldn’t help the small smile that escaped. She looked down at Mynxi instead. “If you’re going to be around us for a while, you’re going to need a good role model,” she said. “Not those two monsters.”

  Mynxi reached up, lifting a lock of Solara’s hair and holding it against the red skin of her hand. “Auntie Solara’s hair is the same! Look!”

  Solara softened, the stress melting for just a moment. “It’s very pretty,” she said.

  Aidan glanced toward the chaos. “Sis?” he said.

  Keira’s grin sharpened. “On it.” She swung her sniper up, sighting the stand where Pael was helping Aurex to his feet. “Just you two wait there. You wanted to meet him? Best not keep him waiting as you made me today.”

  Both men froze, hands shooting up.

  Keira muttered under her breath, eyes still on Caelan, “Should’ve been me. Gets to do all the fun stuff. Idiot.”

  Out in the plaza, steel rang again as Caelan met the emerald head-on.

  Caelan slipped and wove through every strike, the emerald’s attacks cutting through the air around him as he kept his eyes locked on the monster. Each move was a blur of motion, his body working on instinct even as his mind rambled.

  Honestly, this is a bit annoying. Why are its priorities like this? Its basic combat set is so fixed, yet it can prioritise targets on the fly. But no, of course, Caelan, you had to jump into this shit with a busted arm. He twisted under a heavy swing, parrying with his good arm. Yeah, that’s it. Pretty sure I’ve punctured a lung too. But you know what? Worth it. Saved that awesome girl Mynxi. I hope there aren’t more kids her age out there. And is she like a legit demon? Wait—shit—

  Three fog arms split from the emerald’s back as it lunged. Instead of retreating, Caelan planted his front foot. The hardened fog blade came first; he deflected it right, then ducked as the emerald drove in close. The creature lifted its knee, but Caelan dropped low, rolling under its arm and shield. His katana slashed clean, severing the emerald’s left leg at the knee.

  The creature screamed, a sound that rattled the plaza. Before Caelan could pivot behind it, the three fog arms lunged—one carrying a spear, another an axe, the third a knife. They came from every side: spear to his right, axe for his head, knife for his left.

  Crap, got cocky, he thought, slicing through the fog arm’s spear. Need distance. He kicked the emerald’s remaining leg, nearly tripping it. The fog arm holding the axe recoiled, reforming into its body, wrapping around the severed limb. In an instant, the leg reattached.

  “Unbelievable,” Caelan grunted. He swapped his katana to his left hand to deflect the knife—but his arm gave out. The blade fell. The knife struck deep into his forearm.

  “Fuck—this arm—shit, that hurts!” he hissed, but the emerald was already moving. Its high kick smashed into his head, sending him flying through the air and into a crumbling building.

  Mynxi, perched on Solara’s knee, pointed toward the dust cloud. “We help funny man?”

  Solara hugged her gently. “Don’t you worry about him.”

  Keira placed a hand on Mynxi’s head. “My big brother’s just playing silly. He’ll be fine, I promise.” She flashed a thumbs-up.

  Mynxi grinned and copied her, holding both thumbs high toward Keira.

  Elyria watched the smoke warily. “Are you sure about that? This monster doesn’t seem like a joke.”

  Aidan dropped onto the ground with a sigh. “Please. If you’d known him as long as we have, you’d see—this is just him blowing off steam. Shame about that arm, though. It might’ve worked if he had it.”

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  Garron approached, arms crossed. “His chaotic approach might work on humans, but these things don’t respond to that. If he just focused…”

  “I don’t know,” Lumi said, tilting her head. “The jacket’s really making him stand out, I think.”

  Veyra groaned. “How are the jackets even helping?”

  “Looking cool as hell points!” Lumi replied with a wink and a thumbs-up.

  Braen trudged over, Takeshi dangling under her arm.

  “Just leave me here to die,” Takeshi mumbled. “Can’t go on any further.”

  “Aww, stop moaning, little Takeshi,” Braen teased. “Our Captain’s probably drunker than you, and look at him.”

  Milo perched on Braen’s shoulder, grinning. “Shit, wonder how much of this place will be left when he’s done.”

  Elyria watched as laughter and chatter rippled through the group, all of them cheering Caelan on while the fight raged. She glanced at Solara. “Aren’t you afraid? You’ve all pledged yourselves to him. What if he…”

  Solara didn’t look away. “He’s got this. Honestly, I think he’s completely off the rails—but the further he goes, the more it makes sense. If he wants us there, he knows we’ll be there.”

  Elyria clenched her fist, eyes fixed on the rising dust where Caelan had vanished into the building.

  As the dust from the impact finally began to settle, movement stirred within the building’s broken facade.

  Caelan stepped out of the rubble, swaying slightly, a low laugh bubbling out of him. The knife was still lodged in his left forearm, his jacket torn and smeared with dust, but his grin hadn’t shifted an inch.

  Around the edges of the plaza, people who had been trying to evacuate slowed and stopped. A crowd began to form behind the line of black jackets.

  “How can he move that fast?” someone whispered.

  “Are those the ones that came from the lights the other day?” another murmured.

  “How are people meant to fight those things? This isn’t some war game by the Goddess—it’s a slaughterhouse.”

  Elyria glanced back at the growing crowd, then at the fighting ring. Solara’s words from the gates echoed in her head—day after day, he doesn’t preach about it, he just keeps going, making days a little better than before.

  Is he really that different? And that motto… what am I missing here?

  Caelan’s laughter grew louder, snapping her out of it. He walked fully into view, right hand pressed to his forehead as if to hold the laughter in, left arm hanging limp at his side with the knife still jutting from it.

  Across from him, the emerald stood waiting in the ruined centre of the plaza, sword and shield raised. A fog arm unspooled from its back, lifting a spear and levelling it along the line of the shield.

  Caelan grinned at it. “Fuck me, what a day, man. So you pieces of shit level up in here too, huh?” He exhaled slowly, tilting his head, eyes locking on the monster. “Should’ve let you get your fill a little more. Might’ve been an interesting show then.”

  Without flinching, he grabbed the knife in his arm and ripped it out in one sharp pull, tossing it aside. “And she thought I wouldn’t love having two swords,” he said, almost fondly. “Tut tut, Sis. You should know by now—the only thing I take less seriously than these idiots…” his gaze sharpened on the emerald, “…is myself.”

  He drew the sword Solara had given him. The blade cleared the sheath with a boom that rolled across the plaza, rattling loose stones. For a heartbeat, everything was quiet—just a single pebble skittering down from a cracked balcony.

  Then both of them vanished.

  They collided in the centre of the plaza at full speed, blades flashing too fast for most eyes to follow. Every movement went for the kill; every time Caelan struck, steel met either shield, sword, or spear. Every time the emerald attacked, Caelan slipped aside in some cocky half-step, laughing as sparks exploded around them.

  They locked blades and shoved, boots grinding on broken marble. The clash blew them apart.

  Caelan caught his footing first. Before the emerald’s feet even touched the ground, he was already moving—accelerating so hard the air popped behind him. He blurred past the creature instead of striking, boots finding purchase halfway up a nearby wall. Stone shattered under his weight as he kicked off, launching himself back down, sword drawn behind him.

  The emerald barely had time to turn. It yanked its shield up just as Caelan came down.

  For an instant, no one saw what happened. One moment, they were a tangle of motion; the next, they stood back to back a few paces apart.

  A fine seam opened along the emerald’s hardened shield. It split cleanly in two and fell—its right arm dropping with it, severed at the shoulder.

  The fog arm on its back immediately reacted, snatching up the fallen pieces and hurling a spear at Caelan’s head. He tipped his chin just enough; the spear whistled past.

  “So that’s how it is…” Caelan said softly, half-turned, his sword pointing lazily toward the monster. He rolled his neck. “You want me to grind you into pulp. That Goddess really knows how to give a man a good time.”

  The emerald turned fully to face him again. This time, its stance changed—sword in its right hand, held forward, shield pulled back by its head. Fog poured from its body, wrapping the shield and breaking it into floating shards. The fragments spun, then snapped together in an instant, reforming into a second sword.

  Caelan stared at it, then groaned. “Shit. I’ve got blue balls so fucking hard right now.”

  The fight roared back to life as the emerald unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes. Caelan deflected or slipped past each one by the narrowest margins, the monster’s blades grazing him more often now. Blood streaked his torn sleeve, but his expression never changed—eyes locked, jaw set, grin still carved across his face.

  Every breath, every movement, he kept his right side turned toward it, waiting. When the emerald finally raised its left arm for a heavy strike, Caelan smiled. He lunged forward, slamming into the creature, wrapping his arm around its torso.

  “Wonder if you fuckers get winded,” he muttered, driving his knee into the emerald’s ribs again and again. He pulled back and kicked it square in the chest, sending it crashing to the ground. A thin crack splintered across the creature’s chestplate.

  Caelan straightened, breathing hard but still smirking. “We’re reaching your limit, pal? Come on—let’s get it over with then.”

  He barely finished when his weight shifted, and he found himself half-leaning, someone steadying him. He looked down—one of the emerald’s fog arms had stabbed clean through his jacket from behind, a spear poised to impale him. Elyria had nudged him aside just in time, her hand still gripping his.

  “Get back over—oh, shit!” Caelan shouted as the emerald spun toward them, attacking both at once.

  The monster’s wild flurry forced them into motion. Elyria moved like water, spinning and sidestepping with effortless grace. Caelan barely kept up, deflecting attacks and watching her at the same time. Every swing that came for her was turned aside as if it were nothing.

  Who the hell is she? he thought as she tugged him backward, pulling him out of the way of another strike.

  “Caelan… Caelan… IDIOT, WILL YOU STOP DAYDREAMING?” Elyria yelled, spinning him out of range.

  He laughed breathlessly. “Oh yeah, right. Wait—what the fuck are you doing, and how can you even keep up with me?”

  “First off, you’re not that special, smartass,” she shot back, vaulting over the emerald’s blade. “Second—you said you haven’t won because of your arm, right?”

  “Oh no, no, no—piss off!” Caelan ducked another swing. “My fight! If I wanted help from an angry woman going through her midlife crisis, I’d have asked!”

  “You can’t say ‘midlife’ with a hairline like that,” Elyria snapped.

  “Says the grey head,” Caelan fired back.

  “It’s white!” she shouted, twisting midair. “Sorry, must look different with the light so far down here!”

  Across the plaza, Solara was playing with Mynxi, trying to keep her calm.

  Keira smirked. “Where’d you find that one?”

  Solara sighed. “Long story. Picked her up while shopping.”

  “You see it?” Keira asked.

  “Took me thirty seconds,” Solara replied.

  Back in the fight, Elyria grumbled, “Stop being a child and let me heal you!”

  “Bite me,” Caelan said, grinning.

  The emerald swung at her—she dropped low, spun, and reached Caelan’s left side as they both slid backward. She grabbed his hand.

  “I told you—OW! What the fuck?!” Caelan yelled as she bit into his already mangled arm.

  “Fine, you’ve had your fun,” she said calmly, glowing faintly. “Now keep dodging. The area between my hands needs to stay steady for twenty seconds.”

  “First, I was joking. Second… fine, you win.”

  They moved in sync, dodging blow after blow, spinning together. “Just your arm, and you’ll handle the rest?” she asked.

  “Ehh, maybe my ribs too—if it works like that,” Caelan said.

  The emerald’s attention shifted. It started targeting Elyria instead, each strike heavier than the last.

  “Watch your hand, Caelan,” she warned. “Graze me again and see what happens.”

  “Fine, fine—this’ll be easier. Uh… Takeshi, mate?” Caelan called.

  Elyria’s eyes widened. “Wait—”

  Too late. Flash grenades erupted all around them, blinding the emerald. The creature screamed as Caelan pulled his jacket over Elyria’s head to shield her from the light.

  When the flashes faded, she looked up at him, his arm still wrapped around her. “You can let go now,” she said.

  He blinked, sheepish. “Right. Sorry.”

  “So you’ll finish this now?” she asked, stepping back.

  “Yeah. But you’re coming for drinks after? There’s this place on the edge of the city—I owe you a proper thank-you.”

  “Just finish this,” she said firmly. “I’m leaving the moment it’s over.”

  As she turned to go, Caelan caught her sleeve. “No deal. Drinks, or I walk right now.”

  “You’re not serious.”

  “Try me. Not every day you meet the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen.”

  She met his gaze for a second—then the emerald roared, charging again.

  “Fine,” she muttered. “One drink.”

  He released her hand just as the emerald’s sword tore through the space between them.

  The fight reignited—blades flashing as the creature pressed between them, strike after strike. Caelan waved to her from across the chaos. “Hey! Keep him busy for a sec—I need my sword!”

  “You’ve got one!” Elyria shouted.

  He was already running for the fallen katana Keira had given him. “Not the point!”

  Elyria sighed, dodging the emerald’s attacks. “Just be quick about it. I don’t even like fighting that much.”

  “Elyria—now!” Caelan yelled.

  She rolled away as the emerald’s blade crashed down, and in the blink of an eye, she was back with the others. Solara said nothing, just watched.

  Elyria crossed her arms. “What? The idiot needed help.”

  “I’m not saying a word,” Solara replied.

  “Fuck, I will!” Keira shouted. “Get a room, you two!”

  Milo snorted. “Isn’t your room next to Cap’s?”

  Keira froze, groaning. “Oh god.”

  The conversation cut off as a sonic boom split the air. Caelan stood at the south gate, both swords drawn.

  “Come on!” he shouted. “Don’t fluff a man if you’re not gonna finish the job! Time for the main course!”

  The emerald slowed, mirroring his stance, twin blades gleaming. The city went silent. Every bystander leaned forward, breath held.

  Then Mynxi stood up on Solara’s shoulders, fists raised, and yelled at the top of her lungs, “FUCK!”

  Caelan grinned. “Shit, she’s amazing. Right—let’s give her a show.”

  He launched forward the same instant the emerald moved. The buildings around the south gate shattered from the force of his speed. Debris fell like rain as Caelan thought, Right, don’t fuck this up, asshole—you’ll never live it down.

  They met in the centre of the plaza. The emerald tried to block—Caelan’s twin blades struck from left and right, carving through it in a blur.

  A hush fell. Then the creature’s fog body split, its movement slowing to nothing.

  Caelan landed behind it, both swords extended.

  “SHIT!” Milo yelled as a shockwave ripped across the plaza, knocking everyone to the ground.

  Caelan laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “That wasn’t too bad. Definitely think I can take two of them.”

  Solara pushed herself up, hair wild, and pointed at the half-ruined plaza. “WELL DONE, CAPTAIN! You promised not to destroy the whole place—so I’m guessing half was alright then?!”

  Caelan just smiled and struck a pose as Mynxi bounded over, leaping straight into his arms.

  He caught her, laughing. “You alright, little buddy?”

  Mynxi beamed, her tail whipping excitedly. “So cool! So cool! Auntie Keira was right—so cool!”

  Caelan hugged her tight. “So—ready for that food, then?”

  “FOOD!” Mynxi cheered, throwing her fist in the air.