Vortex Origins
Chapter 76: The second creature wave - 5

Chapter 76: The second creature wave - 5

Kaius cut through another ravager, wind snapping at his heels as the creature’s body collapsed. But they kept coming. More claws. More teeth. No end.

He raised his hand—gusts swept out in a wide arc, scattering the pack.

He took a breath.

Another one leapt at him from the flank.

Before he could react, the ravager’s skull exploded mid-air. It dropped, limp.

Smoke trailed from Max’s blaster barrel as he stepped in beside him.

"You need to send your guys to the wall,"

Max eyes scanning the battlefield.

"The Spinecrawlers got through."

Kaius eyes narrowed.

"Not my problem. I told you I’m not babysitting that deadweight. He chose to fight."

Max didn’t blink.

"I’m not worried about Ash. He can fight. I’m worried about your companion. Julia. He can’t protect her and deal with those things alone."

That made Kaius pause.

He turned, following Max’s gaze.

Far on the wall, Ash plunged his blade through a Spinecrawler’s skull, its twitching body falling off the rampart. Julia stood behind him, hand raised in hesitation—ready, but unmoving.

Kaius jaw tightened.

He didn’t speak. Just turned his head toward the other two Galeforce members.

Osric—the man with multiple hats and Horthgar—the guy look look like a giant.

They fought back-to-back, a storm of motion and power. One sliced clean arcs of air through thick armor. The other... broke things.

Kaius shouted.

"Osric!Horthgar! Get to the wall! Protect Julia—don’t let anything reach her!"

Horthgar turned sharply.

Two ravager skulls cracked in his grip like fruit, ichor dripping from his massive fists.

His eyes widened.

"Julia’s in danger?!"

He dropped the corpses and bolted, legs pounding like falling trees.

Osric groaned, slicing another creature apart before sprinting after him.

"Horthgar! Wait! We’ve talked about this—she doesn’t like you!"

"I don’t care!"

Horthgar shouted back.

"I like her!"

He crashed through a crowd of beasts, swatting them aside like flies.

Osric caught up, barely dodging a stray claw.

"You always say that."

"She smell like rain!"

Horthgar beamed, pounding his chest.

"Nice smell!"

"Focus,"

Osric muttered, forming another razor-thin blade of air with a flick of his fingers.

"Try not to get rejected again while we save her."

They vanished into the fray, making a beeline for the wall.

Kaius turned back to Max, wind building at his heels.

Max didn’t say anything. He just gave a short nod before raising his weapon again and diving into his next attack.

Another ravager lunged.

Kaius hand shot up.

Wind burst from his palm like a cannon, hurling the beast back mid-air. Before it even hit the ground, his fingers twitched—thin air shifted, condensed, and became a volley of invisible spears.

They tore through the sky.

The ravager hit the earth, already dead.

Kaius exhaled slowly, eyes scanning the scorched wasteland ahead. Heat waves shimmered over the ground, warping the horizon.

His body stiffened.

In the distance, fire lit up the battlefield.

Not a spark. Not a torch. An inferno.

Kael stood in the center of it.

Ravagers surrounded him like a sea of teeth and claws—but they didn’t matter.

What mattered was the towering horror of vines and flame, petals twisting with faces that screamed.

The Scorchbloom.

Kael reached up, grabbed one of those cursed petals, and ripped it off.

Flames burst from his hand, incinerating the thing to dust.

The Scorchbloom shrieked.

Kael didn’t flinch.

He grinned.

Then leapt back into the fire.

Kaius watched, silent.

"...Is he enjoying that?"

A thunderous crack boomed behind him.

He spun around, startled.

Horthgar had arrived.

His massive hand was still embedded in the wall—fingers gripping the shattered skull of a Spinecrawler. The beast’s body dangled like a broken toy.

Osric appeared behind him a moment later, wind still curling around his blades.

"For the last time, don’t punch the wall," he snapped. "That barrier is the only thing keeping what’s out here from getting in there. You punch through it, and people die."

Horthgar glanced at the hole in the stone, blinking.

"...Oops."

He turned to Julia.

"Are you okay? That bug didn’t hurt you, right?"

Julia didn’t blink. Her head tilted slightly, gaze steady.

"No. But your hand must’ve taken damage."

Horthgar held up his palm. A hairline crack ran across his knuckles, bleeding a little.

He smiled.

"Ah, don’t worry. It’s just a tiny scratch."

Then he stood tall, still looking at her like she was the only thing on the battlefield.

Osric rolled his eyes.

"You big idiot..."

Horthgar didn’t hear him.

Or maybe he did.

He just didn’t care.

Ash narrowed his eyes at the group standing beside him.

The girl with the vacant stare.

The giant who smiled too much, eyes full of innocence.

And the man with not one, but three hats stacked on his head like some kind of walking joke.

His gaze lingered on Osric.

’Seriously... is this what Team Galeforce is made of?’

His thoughts shattered at the sound of fast, clicking steps.

He turned.

His heart jumped.

Spine Crawlers. Dozens of them.

They were scaling the wall like ants on a hive, bony legs scratching stone, their hollow eyes locked on the top.

"Damn it."

Ash stepped forward.

"Can any of you knock them off from up there?"

Julia answered without hesitation.

"I’ll try."

She raised her hands.

The wind responded.

It screamed down in wild arcs, slamming against the wall with enough force to shake it. Ash shielded his face as the gust surged outward like a living thing. The first row of Crawlers were ripped from the wall, spinning mid-air before crashing to the earth.

But others held fast.

Their limbs dug into the stone, refusing to fall.

Osric growled.

"They’re not letting go. What now?"

Hrothgar raised his hand like a student in class.

"What if I punch the wall? That always works."

Osric groaned and slapped a hand across his face.

"No! You’ll just tear a hole through the wall, you massive idiot!"

Ash didn’t respond. He was locked in.

One of the Spine Crawlers reached the top.

It reared its head and let out a bone-chilling screech.

Then—snap.

A sharp spike of stone burst up through its skull.

The creature twitched once and hung limp, impaled like a trophy.

Everyone looked up.

At the edge of the wall stood a man in a dark uniform, arm still raised.

Tim.

Commander of Ironhold’s guards.

He didn’t say a word. His glare cut through the battlefield like a blade.

More guards stepped out behind him, rifles raised, barrels humming.

Tim dropped his hand.

"Fire."

Blasts erupted in perfect rhythm.

Laser fire tore through the Spine Crawlers like thunder. Bodies fell from the wall in chunks, trailing ash and blood. The ones that didn’t die immediately screeched and clawed at the air, only to be gunned down in waves.

Ash didn’t move.

He watched as the wall lit up in fire and noise, the Crawlers being butchered with ruthless precision.

Then—he heard it.

The click of bone on stone.

He turned.

More Crawlers—this time on the ground.

Dozens, maybe more.

He drew his blade.

"They’re not done."

The others turned with him.

No more talking.

Just breath And battle.