Sand Soldiers' Nightmare
The Inazuma Raid Team blinked in disbelief.
"What the hell is that...?"
"A flame mage? Nah, he's a summoner?"
Sand soldiers resembling Zeon stood around him.
Though made of sand with blunt, featureless faces, their builds perfectly mirrored his own lean frame.
Sand Soldiers.
Troops forged from sand.
Zeon had summoned exactly as many as there were Inazuma members.
"Let's get started."
No sooner had Zeon spoken than the Sand Soldiers charged at the Inazuma Raid Team.
"You think we're gonna lose to these summons?"
"Hyaah!"
The Inazuma team unleashed their skills, striking at the Sand Soldiers.
Krunch!
Byron's axe buried deep into a Sand Soldier's chest.
The soldier flailed briefly before collapsing back into a pile of sand.
"Heh heh! That all you got?"
Byron bared his teeth in a grin.
Then, something unbelievable happened.
The sand pile reformed into the Sand Soldier, rising once more.
"What?"
Thud!
The Sand Soldier slammed into the defenseless Byron.
He flew nearly ten meters before crashing into the ground.
"Guh!"
Byron staggered to his feet, face twisted in frustration.
Another Sand Soldier was already barreling toward him.
'No fear, no emotions. As lifeless summons, they know no terror of death.'
That was why Zeon favored them.
Byron wasn't the only one in trouble.
"Damn it! They come back no matter how many times I smash 'em."
Wind mage Yuri gasped in horror.
She'd shredded one with her blade winds, yet it had reformed perfectly.
Shuhan and Comain were in the same bind.
Shuhan, trying to gauge Zeon's full power, found himself cornered by a Sand Soldier—only for Comain to bail him out.
Comain's ability was Blink.
A rare skill allowing instant teleportation to anywhere in his line of sight.
But it wasn't unlimited.
His rank and mana dictated the distance and uses: about thirty times within twenty meters.
That was Comain's daily limit.
He'd used just ten against the Hell Moles, but already fifteen fending off these Sand Soldiers.
Five left.
Comain yelled at Kouji.
"Boss! Do something!"
"Shit!"
Kouji spat a curse.
He never imagined getting pushed back by mere summons, not even Zeon himself.
Sand Soldiers that regenerated no matter how many times they were smashed—it was a nightmare.
"There has to be a core."
All inorganic summons had one.
Kouji closed his eyes, heightening his senses.
He activated Human Body Detection, a swordsman's skill.
Not sure if it'd work on lifeless constructs, but better than nothing.
Luckily, he pinpointed the core.
"Right flank, under the ribs."
Slash!
He cleaved the Sand Soldier in one stroke.
With the core destroyed, it didn't regenerate.
"Got it!"
"Right flank!"
His team targeted the spot.
Slash!
Core shattered, the Sand Soldiers crumbled to sand—and stayed down.
"Hah! Hah!"
"Fuck! Thought I was done for."
Yuri panted raggedly; Byron sheathed his axe with a curse.
Comain and Shuhan downed theirs too.
They glared at Zeon.
"Your turn now."
"We'll strip you to the bone."
Having struggled against his summons, their rage pierced the heavens.
While they fought like mad, Zeon had watched calmly, arms tucked in his robe pockets.
Even with all Sand Soldiers reduced to sand, his expression didn't flicker.
"Against Awakeners, this is their limit, huh?"
He hadn't expected Sand Soldiers to match Awakeners in combat prowess.
No matter his will guiding them, they couldn't think and adapt like living fighters.
That gap showed now.
All his summons were gone; the Inazuma team closed in.
Whoosh!
Kouji's katana screamed through the air.
Yuri's blade winds squeezed from all sides.
Byron's axe trailed behind, with Comain Blinking in for the kill.
Zeon saw it all crystal clear.
He muttered without a hint of urgency.
"If five won't do... what about twenty?"
Twenty Sand Soldiers rose around him.
"Crazy bastard!"
Kouji's eyes shook mid-swing.
Five had nearly killed them.
Four times that? His heart plummeted.
"What are you? What the fuck are you?!"
Kouji's cool facade shattered.
His true face twisted in terror.
Zeon studied it closely.
"You charged in without knowing?"
"You little shit..."
Boom!
Sand exploded outward.
A Sand Soldier had body-blocked Kouji's katana.
The others nullified every attack.
They tanked hits, exploded without care.
Throwing themselves at Zeon’s defense.
Inazuma targeted the right-flank cores—but felt nothing.
"Core position changed."
"Damn it!"
Shattered Sand Soldiers reformed instantly, counterattacking.
To them, pure nightmare fuel.
"Gah!"
Shuhan screamed first, collapsing.
Weakest fighter, first out.
Next, Comain.
Blink exhausted, easy prey.
"Kk!"
He fell screaming, still forever.
Kouji, Yuri, and Byron's eyes bloodshot.
Comrades' deaths stripped their reason.
Raid teams, once formed, stuck together for life.
They knew each other inside out, bonds deeper than blood.
Losing family like that? Eyes rolled back in fury—understandable.
They charged, ignoring defense.
To Zeon, they looked like moths to flame.
Diving to death.
He unleashed hellfire.
"Fire Rain!"
Orders of magnitude deadlier.
Plus Sand Soldier assaults.
Kaboom!
The explosion rocked the entire dungeon.
＊＊＊
Rumble!
The massive quake threw Jack and his team off balance, forcing them to their knees.
"Guh!"
"What? Dungeon collapsing?"
Dungeons sometimes sent shockwaves on collapse. But this? Like an earthquake swallowing the area—unprecedented.
"What's going on? The people inside?"
Collapse meant everyone inside vanished too.
Had to evac before then.
Jack's voice trembled.
"They didn't make it out?"
"What do you mean, didn't make it?"
A voice from behind.
Old man Clexy, strapped to his back.
"Combination Master!"
"Handed the market to Se-hee ages ago—still calling me that?"
"Glad you're safe."
Jack hurriedly set Clexy down.
Clexy shook his head.
"What're you talking about?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't make it out? Who?"
"Well..."
Jack hesitated.
Clexy pressed.
"What happened? I remember the Hell Moles grabbing me—how'd you save me? Your team's not strong enough."
Regaining wits fast, his mind razor-sharp.
His own elite team had failed that dungeon. Jack's weaker squad saving him? Didn't add up.
"That is..."
"Spit it out straight."
Jack confessed everything.
"Truth is..."
Clexy tsked after hearing it all.
"So you left Zeon behind?"
"Sorry."
"Se-hee's call?"
"As Combination Master, no choice. Awakeners stretched thin on other dungeons..."
"So you teamed with Shaorun? That snake's too cunning. Way beyond Se-hee's league."
"Technically Tajik, not Shaorun..."
"Shaorun's protege, trusted aide. His spitting image. Biting that bait? Shouldn't have handed over the market so soon."
No worry for Zeon.
Intriguing, sure—but not worth his granddaughter.
Regret was Se-hee's greenness in accepting Tajik's offer.
"Pity. Guy had more use."
Clexy tsked, picturing Zeon.
He was certain Zeon was dead.
Slum vs. Neo Seoul Awakeners? Vast gap.
Inazuma was solid even by city standards.
No matter Zeon's strength, their teamwork would crush him—Clexy's bet.
As Clexy gazed wistfully toward the dungeon...
Whoosh!
A dust pillar erupted skyward from it.
"Huh?"
"What's that?"
Others murmured.
Something burst from the dust plume.
It rocketed straight for Clexy's group.
Clexy’s eyes widened.
"No way?"
Jack and his team gawked too.
A bird-like object soared closer.
Seconds to realize: human.
Thud!
It landed lightly before Clexy and Jack's team.
"H-how?"
Their voices quavered.
The figure? Someone they knew.
Clexy addressed him.
"You're alive? Zeon!"
The flyer was Zeon.
Zeon grinned.
"Oh? You're awake?"