The army released clouds of brown smoke into the air as their countless feet stomped on the ground. The sound of their marching grew sharper and more distinct as they moved along the concrete road. As the guards and soldiers advanced onto the grassy plains, their footsteps became muffled beats.

     The Pyrovoidians cannot touch the city and its protective wall. Their numbers seem endless, but the men ward the monsters away. Gradually, the Pyro Void Monsters retreat, although some will attempt desperate charges only to meet their demise.

     As the Pyro Void Monsters multiply, the guards also multiply. Fearsome soldiers emerge from the many gateways along the side of the wall facing the grassland. Thousands of troops continuously pour out from the mighty gates.

     Oliver raised and lowered his arms alternately, causing sharp rocks to instantly form in the direction of his movements, slicing through the necks of dozens of monsters. Swiftly turning around, he stomped on the ground, causing the earth to transform into spikes that impaled three monsters, allowing nearby soldiers to decapitate them. Sweat drips from Oliver's forehead, and he wipes it off with his wrists. He summons a narrow and sharp metal blade with his other hand. Then, it flies through the necks of several opponents.

     Oliver then looks at his left shoulder and spots a wolf-like Pyrovoidian bolting towards him. He quickly jumps from the ground. As the opponent passes under Oliver, he summons a white, glittering element that cuts through the monster's neck. Oliver then lands back on the ground without harm, ready to attack more of their foes.

     Not far from Oliver, Sophia fights off tens of monsters with her long sword, swiftly spinning as she strikes. When one of the creatures leaps above her, she hurryingly ducks and uses her advantageous position to decapitate it. As the beast's head flies off, its violet blood showers Sophia, staining her clothes.

     Sophia stands tall, wiping the blood from her face and brushing her shiny blonde hair back with her left palm. She glances to her left and charges at a monster launching an attack towards her friend, Oliver. With a soaring leap into the air, she lets out a battle cry and beheads the beast, saving her friend.

Oliver swivelled around and saw the headless monster lying before him. "Woah! Thanks!" Oliver grinned at Sophia.

"You're welcome," Sophia smirked with her hand resting on her waist.

Oliver's eyes widened as he spotted a menacing monster approaching Sophia from behind. "Duck!" he shouted.

     Oliver swiftly sprang into action, launching an attack above Sophia's head. He summoned a gleaming blade, sending it through the air swiftly. Meanwhile, Sophia spun around and gasped at the sight of the incoming monster.

     As he releases the blade, Oliver watches Sophia instinctively duck for cover. However, a gust of wind lifts Sophia's flowing hair, causing it to sweep upwards and come dangerously close to the trajectory of his summoned element. With a sharp, swift motion, the blade grazes a few strands of her hair, cutting it short and leaving a clean cut.

"Ow- shoot—"

     Sophia rose from the ground. As she stood and brushed the dirt off her trousers, she saw her hair strands glistening like gold on the soil. Hurryingly, she reached up to touch her locks, only to discover they had been transformed into a short, chic bob.

"...Sophia, I—" Oliver stuttered.

Gregory showed up and stood beside Oliver. "Woah, if the Pyrovoidians couldn't kill you, she would. No one messes with a lady's hair without permission," Gregory whispered, staring at Sophia's short hair.

Sophia touched her hair as she breathed heavily. A flicker of anger blazed in her eyes, but an unexpected grin spread across her face. "You know what? This is amazing!"

"Wha—"

"I look fabulous with this new look!" Sophia beamed as she spun around before leaping forward into battle.

"...You're lucky she likes it," Gregory glanced at Oliver as he placed his elbow on his shoulder.

     Sarrah's sword slices upwards, beheading a beast in a single swift motion. Her gaze shifts to the right, spotting a man struggling on the ground. Immediately, she dashes toward the helpless man. As she reaches him, her eyes widen with realization—the man's feeble attempts at crawling are a desperate escape from a creeping towering Pyrovoidian.

     Furrowing her brows, Sarrah's gaze turns into a fierce glare directed at the menacing creature. She positions herself between the vulnerable man and the looming threat. The monster leers at her, momentarily distracted, only to bid farewell to its head as Sarrah swiftly separates its skull from its body.

     Meanwhile, Gregory and Edgar hasten across the grassland, staying near the protective city wall. Gregory quickly drops beside a man with bleeding arms and pulls the wounded man from the ground. From his cousin's sling bag, Gregory retrieves a red antidote in a small tube. Then, he hurriedly opens the bottle and places it in the injured person's mouth.

"There you go," Gregory said as he gently poured the potion into the man's mouth.

The man's wounds instantly closed and healed. Gratitude filled his voice as he rose to his feet alongside Gregory. "Thank you, mate," he grinned at him.

     Stepping aside, Gregory swiftly retrieves more potions from his cousin's bag. Gregory and Edgar then divide their paths. Gregory veers to the left while Edgar dashes towards the right.

     Gregory navigates through the area, where the number of men surpasses that of the monsters. Among the thousands of men running around, Gregory's eyes spot a person panting heavily, lying on his knees. Quickly, Gregory reaches into his pocket and hands a small vial containing a soothing blue concoction to the weary guard.

Gregory gave the blue concoction to the guard. "Take this. It'll increase your stamina," said Gregory.

     Meanwhile, Edgar sprints through the grass as his feet glide above the ground with swift strides. Spotting individuals with visible injuries, he swiftly distributes red potions, providing immediate relief to those bleeding profusely. Edgar then identifies those charging sluggishly and offers them blue elixirs to reinvigorate their spirits.

     Perched on top of the protective wall that separates the city from the expansive grasslands, a group of men and women stands, armed with bows in hand and quivers of arrows slung across their backs. Among them, Bethany leads the archers. Retrieving two arrows from her bag, she carefully positions them on her bow and glares at the distant horizon. Slowly, she pulls the strings taut, ready to release the projectiles into the air.

"Ready!" Bethany shouted as she pulled the string on her bow.

The archers pulled their bows together. "Ha!" they grunted.

"Set!" Bethany ventured, pointing her arrow into the sky.

The archers mimicked her action, raising their weapons towards the heavens and mirroring her determined stance. "Ha!" they yelled.

"Release!" Bethany commanded.

     The archery team releases their hands from the strings, shooting the arrows high up into the sky, reaching towards the heavens. Slowly, the projectiles glide downwards, descending directly upon the hordes of Pyro Void Monsters. The darts land on the monsters' eyes, causing the creatures to shriek in agony.