The alleyway became a kill box. The four remaining Syndicate assassins moved with practiced coordination, their serrated blades weaving a net of steel meant to trap Alvian. They were fast, Level 45 Elites, specialized in close-quarters combat.

But Alvian was faster.

"Valeria, block the alley!" he shouted.

Valeria slammed into the alley entrance, her tower shield expanding to block the path of two assassins trying to flank.

"You shall not pass!" she roared, channeling her Titan strength to hold the line against their furious assault.

Alvian focused on the two in front of him. One lunged low, aiming for his femoral artery. The other leaped high, aiming for his neck.

"Predictable," Alvian muttered.

He didn't dodge. He used [Void Step].

He teleported one meter straight up. The low attack hit empty air. The high attacker found himself suddenly chest-to-chest with Alvian.

"Hello."

Alvian drove his knee into the assassin's chest.

"THUD!"

The assassin was launched backward, crashing into the brick wall with bone-shattering force. Before he could slide down, Alvian threw his Lance.

"Pin."

The spear pierced the assassin's shoulder, pinning him to the wall like a butterfly.

[-8,000!]

The low attacker recovered, slashing at Alvian's ankles. Alvian landed on the blade. His [Shadow-Stride Boots], reinforced with Adamantite soles, sparked against the steel. He stomped.

"CRACK."

The blade snapped. The assassin looked up in horror.

"Goodbye."

Alvian grabbed the assassin's head and slammed it into his knee.

[Double Kill.]

Meanwhile, Valeria was holding her own. The two assassins were fast, but they couldn't penetrate her defense. Every strike bounced off her shield or her plate armor.

"Seraphina! Now!" Alvian called.

From the rooftops, a rain of daggers descended. Seraphina had positioned herself perfectly. The daggers struck the distracted assassins in the gaps of their armor—necks, armpits, knees.

"ARGH!"

They stumbled. Valeria seized the opening. She swung her shield like a giant fist.

"SHIELD BASH!"

The two assassins were sent flying out of the alley, landing in a heap in the main plaza.

"Clear," Alvian said, turning to Elara.

The young mermaid was pressed against the wall, shaking. She looked at Alvian—a man in black robes, surrounded by dead bodies, holding a spear that smoked with dark magic. She looked terrified.

"I... I..."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Alvian said, his voice softening slightly. "I'm with Master Thorne."

At the mention of Thorne, Elara's eyes widened. "The... the Old Master? He sent you?"

"In a manner of speaking," Alvian said. "He taught me his Art. And right now, you are being hunted. The Syndicate wants your blood to open a door that should stay closed."

"The Seal," Elara realized. "Lady Ola warned me. She said the currents were changing."

"They are," Alvian said. "And we need to get you to safety. Where is Lady Ola?"

"She's at the Sea Temple," Elara said. "Preparing the evening ritual."

"Good. That's a defensible position."

Suddenly, the ground shook. A massive explosion rocked the plaza.

"Alvian!" Seraphina shouted from the roof. "Look at the Palace!"

Alvian looked up. The Royal Palace of Azureus, the seat of the City Lord, was burning. Green fire poured from the windows.

"A diversion," Alvian realized. "They hit the heirs here to draw the guards, then hit the Palace to cripple the leadership."

"It's a coup," Valeria said, joining them. "They're taking the city."

"Not if we stop them," Alvian said. "But we can't save everyone. We need to prioritize."

He looked at Elara. "If they get you, they release the Draconic Legion. That's game over for the whole ocean."

"So we protect the girl," Valeria nodded.

"We take her to Ola," Alvian said. "The Lady of Chains is the only one with the power to lock down the city's transport grid. If we can get to her, we can stop them from moving the other hostages."

He offered a hand to Elara.

"Come with me if you want to live," Alvian said, realizing how cliché it sounded, but not caring. It was efficient.

Elara took his hand.

"Let's move," Alvian ordered. "To the Temple."

-----

The run to the Sea Temple was a gauntlet. The Syndicate had dropped all pretense of stealth. Mercenaries openly battled the City Watch in the streets. Mana blasts lit up the water, creating a strobe-light effect of violence.

Alvian led the way, his [Lance] clearing a path through any foolhardy enough to block them. Valeria covered the rear, her shield acting as a mobile fortress for Elara. Seraphina scouted ahead, marking ambushes and safe routes.

They reached the Bridge of Tears, a long, suspension bridge connecting the commercial district to the Temple District. It was blocked.

A barricade of debris and magical wards had been erected. Guarding it was a massive, crab-like construct.

[System: Siege Crab (Construct)]

[Level: 46]

[Status: Guard Mode]

"They blocked the bridge," Valeria said. "We can't get through that without a siege engine."

"I am the siege engine," Alvian said.

He checked his mana. Full. He checked his [Thundergod Bracers]. Charged.

"Valeria, protect Elara. Seraphina, suppress the snipers on the towers. I'm going to open the gate."

Alvian stepped forward. He didn't run. He walked.

The Siege Crab saw him. It raised a massive pincer, charging a hydro-cannon.

"Target Locked."

Alvian smiled.

"System. Activate [Thundergod Bracers]. Max Output."

Lightning crackled around his arms, arcing to his lance.

"[Void Step]."

He teleported. Not to the crab. Above it.

He fell like a thunderbolt.

"[Glacial Void Pierce] + [Lightning Strike]."

He combined the void energy of his lance with the lightning of his bracers. A beam of black ice wrapped in blue electricity shot down.

"KABOOM!"

The beam hit the Siege Crab. The ice froze the metal shell, making it brittle. The lightning surged through the conductive frame, frying the internal circuits. The void energy ate the mana core.

The construct exploded.

[-35,000! Combo Damage!]

Alvian landed in the wreckage, smoke rising from his shoulders.

"Path clear," he said.

They crossed the bridge. The Sea Temple loomed ahead—a massive structure of white stone and gold chains, suspended over a deep abyss.

At the entrance stood Lady Ola. She was a tall, imposing woman with hair like floating seaweed and eyes that held the weight of the ocean. She held a length of golden chain in her hands, whipping it through the water to decapitate a Syndicate assassin who had tried to rush her.

She saw Elara.

"Child!" Ola cried, her stern face softening.

"Master!" Elara ran to her.

Ola looked at Alvian and his team. She saw the blood on their weapons, the grim determination in their eyes.

"You brought her back," Ola said. "Who are you?"

"I am Alvian," he replied. "Master Thorne sent me. We need your help. The Syndicate is trying to break the Draconic Seal."

Ola's eyes widened. "The Eighth Race... If they wake them..."

"Azureus falls," Alvian finished. "We need to secure the city. We need your Chains."

Ola nodded slowly. "My Chains can bind the city's gates. They can lock the transport grid. But I need time to weave the spell. And I need protection."

"You cast," Alvian said, turning to face the bridge where more Syndicate troops were gathering. "We'll kill."

He stood at the top of the temple stairs, looking down at the army marching toward them.

"This is a good spot for a defense," Alvian noted. "Narrow choke point. High ground."

"It's a meat grinder," Valeria corrected, hefting her shield.

"Exactly," Alvian grinned. "Let's turn the handle."

[Quest Updated: Defend the Lady of Chains.]

[Objective: Hold the Temple for 30 Minutes.]

Alvian gripped his lance. The real battle for the city was just beginning. And he was ready to make the ocean run red

-----

The bridge leading to the Sea Temple was a narrow choke point, a suspended arch of white stone spanning a dark, bottomless abyss. On one side stood the majestic, tiered structure of the temple, glowing with the golden light of Lady Ola's mana. On the other side was a sea of enemies.

The Syndicate had mobilized their troops alongside the traitorous Sea factions. Hundreds of mercenaries in powered dive-suits, accompanied by squads of Hammerhead Sharks and Naga warriors, surged forward like a tidal wave of steel and scales.

Alvian stood at the apex of the bridge. He looked down at the charging horde.

"They brought siege beasts," Valeria noted, pointing her sword.

Behind the infantry, massive, shelled creatures—Siege Crabs similar to the one Alvian had destroyed earlier, but larger—were lumbering forward. Their backs were mounted with mana-cannons that glowed with unstable red energy.

"Target-rich environment," Alvian said calmly.

He checked his status. His mana was full. His [Tear of the Infinite] hummed in his chest, a reactor waiting to go critical.

"Valeria, hold the stairs. Don't let anything past you. Seraphina, pick off the officers. I'll handle the heavy artillery."

"On it," Valeria said, slamming her visor shut. She activated [Titan's Bloodline]. Her armor expanded, glowing with golden light as she braced herself against the stone railing.

"Try to leave some for us," Seraphina said, vanishing into the shadows of the temple pillars.

Alvian didn't wait. He walked forward. He didn't run. He walked straight toward the rushing army.

"FIRE!" a Syndicate commander shouted.

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