The deafening roar of the Ark-class transports had echoed into the surroundings for the twelfth time when the third wave of enemies came. This time, they had come from all around the place, clearly intending to find an opening to attack the Mass Driver and the transport ships on it.

One of the senior Paragons said, “All defenders, take up positions all around Ark City, five hundred metres in front of the walls. Move only on my command!”

Gemini glanced at the twinkling star in the sky as the next Ark-class transport was loaded onto the Mass Driver. He didn’t know which one Lila was on, but the only thing he was hoping for was that she was already at the Crater of Purple Rain. The Demon God had clearly exerted some measure of control on the demons making up the second wave; the two groups were now equal in number.

Of course, the Constellation had expected the Demon God to no longer send in forces piecemeal, but he had been hoping that the World’s Blight didn’t care that much about his own forces. Gemini's hopes, however, were evidently not going to be fulfilled.

Thousands of qi projectiles shot outwards from the city’s defences, focusing on a quarter of the encroaching demons. The enemies slowed down immediately, raising up their barriers and sheltering behind them. A gap between the hindered demons and the advancing ones immediately opened up, widening to over a kilometre within seconds.

As one, the Paragons and senators of Ark City moved to engage. Some of them were charging into the gap at the enemy frontlines, sweeping left to flank and encircle the enemies at the left of that exactly gap.

Gemini, following the orders a senior Paragon was issuing through a sound transmission, met his own counterpart Exemplar a minute later. Without a word, the two exchanged fire, smashing away at each other with bursts of qi.

The exchange carried on for a few minutes, before alarm bells rang in his head, and on instinct, the Constellation blasted himself to the right with a local detonation of qi. Moments later, beams of qi, each as thick as a man, ripped through the position he was in a moment ago, smashing into a tower inside the city and crushing everything in its way.

Gritting his teeth, Gemini closed the distance and called to Quinn in his head. Weaving, blocking and striking back, the Constellation, with the help of his Champion Support Entity, had managed to injure his foe somewhat.

The Constellation couldn’t help but curse in his mind. Hereward’s warning still rang loud and clear in his mind. For that reason, he dared not use any of his Unique Skills unless he was forced to, in case the great god dispatched even more forces at a greater frequency.

Slashing out with a standard-issue sword, Gemini followed the entire motion through as instructed by Quinn. Qi propelled his twisting frame forward, and his two feet found purchase as they gripped onto a very vulnerable head.

Without hesitation, the Constellation coiled up and twisted his body violently, snapping the enemy’s neck entirely with a brutal crack. The qi-encrusted fist that was about to land on his unprotected back dropped to the Exemplar’s side limply, and a tinge of red coloured Gemini’s vision.

Forcing the temporary madness back down — it was a side-effect of committing hissatsu — Gemini condensed brilliant spokes of light, creating a field of them within seconds. Blasting them forward with another effort of will, the storm of Paragon-rank qi projectiles swept across the field.

Another Paragon, one of the senior ones, were already doing the same to help their allies. The enemy Exemplars burst into a flurry of erratic motions, but not everyone had made it through. In contrast, the enemy Sages had banded together in a superb display of coordination, creating a barricade thick enough to take on Gemini’s and the Paragon’s field-clearing attacks with absurd ease.

His heart sank at that sight.

For the demon Sages — the equivalent of the Five Lands’ Lords — to act in such a way could only mean that the Demon God or one of his familiar spirits were present and commanding them all. Doing so might be a stroke of inspiration or a tactic used in desperation, but the fact that they had succeeded spelled even more trouble.

As a single entity, the Sages began to coordinate their fire on specific areas of the city, their attacks crushing the senators that had been defending the area. Explosions ripped through Ark City’s walls, and the emplacements that had been suppressing an entire quarter of the demon forces fell silent in rapid succession.

The eighteenth Ark-class transport streaked down the Mass Driver, arcing into the sky at that very moment.

“Pull back! Our goal is to now defend only the Mass Driver and the two remaining ships! Degurechaff, you’ve done enough! Leave the control room! Ortega, get him out of here!”

Order after order echoed in Gemini’s ear, and he couldn’t help but look at the tallest tower in the city. The enemy Sages had already tracked the flow of qi towards it, and despite the hefty defences that surrounded it, the command tower was going to break apart anytime soon. Instead of obeying the orders given, Gemini shot towards the gathered Sages that were sieging the command tower.

As he rushed towards it, a familiar body, which had been blasted into the walls of the tower, caught his eye.

“Ortega…” Gemini clenched his fist. The Paragon that had faced off with him so many years ago had fallen in battle, but as an ally. As he took in the sight, his vision reddened over, but the Constellation suppressed his emotions on the spot. Blood rushing through his ears, Gemini’s mind spun madly in search of ways to break through the sieging Sages, who had enough qi defences to render any of his attacks null.

He arrived at a simple solution a second later.

If his ranged attacks weren’t going to cut it, then he would have to make do with melee ones. A few Exemplars fired out huge walls of qi at him as he closed in, but a familiar presence had blocked them in his stead.

“Go!” Magnus howled. “Bring him out! Don’t let Ortega die in vain!”

In the momentary stillness that followed, the Campmaster’s presence tripled in intensity as he charged towards the Exemplars that were attempting to hinder Gemini. A teeth-rattling explosion followed a moment later, and Magnus’ presence winked out like an extinguished candle. Gritting his teeth and restraining his sorrow, Gemini expelled more qi from his feet, rocketing towards the solid column of Sages.

Fortunately, whatever entity that was controlling them was apparently too focused on the towers. Unimpeded, Gemini slammed into the enemy Sages, and the sword in his hand flashed out multiple times, carving out brilliant arcs that decapitated anyone it touched.

The red hue in his vision, which was originally receding, strengthened once more, but Gemini could no longer care about that. All he cared about was making enough of an opening for Degurechaff to get out unscathed — and that was enough.

Within moments, the Sages had changed their goal, turning their focus to him instead. It took only a few seconds before punches and kicks fell on him like rain, smashing through his defences through sheer quantity, and the Constellation, in the middle of it all, began to question his decision.

He didn’t get much time to ponder it, however.

Gemini’s vision spun as a lucky punch slammed into his skull. Coupled with the encroaching madness, the Constellation abruptly lost his ability to fly, and a few more solid hits landed. His body smashed through a house, and rubble fell around him as he finally regained the ability to move.

His heart froze lightly as he took in the sight of the Sages surrounding him, deadly amounts of qi in their hands. Individually, they wouldn’t kill him, but when up against so many attacks…

Gemini looked up in silence, and readied himself for the last struggle. The nineteenth Ark-class was already launching — he could feel the ground rumbling, a familiar deafening roar with it.

The Constellation relaxed his body, calling upon all the qi he could muster. An odd calm filled him as he locked eyes with the tens of Sages on the verge of attacking.

Blinding light filled his eyes a moment later.