(IV) Invasion

Jackson's small frame groaned underneath the weight of both the cart and the deceased mule on top of him. His senses had not been battle-tested, and his body was in complete shock in the aftermath of the explosion.

Similar events were happening throughout Duskgate as explosives brought the city to its knees. The blasts destroyed everything around them and spread flames to the nearby buildings. People screamed in terror as they rushed away from the explosions.

Jackson's ears were ringing loudly as his heart pounded in his chest. Adrenaline was pumping rapidly throughout his body as he struggled to move, his vision disoriented from the blast's shockwave. A small trail of blood dripped down his hair from the impact of the hard stone.

He began crying and screaming for help as he attempted to crawl out from underneath the cart. His cries for help were drowned out by the screams coming from the streets.

Immediately things went from bad to worse when all four of Duskgate's primary gates were sprung open, and raiders began flooding into all directions, unleashing even more carnage and sowing discord throughout the city.

The Climbers desperately attempted to defend the city, but unimaginably, the raiders soon started to unleash skills and sling spells in retaliation. Sirens were blaring throughout the city as more Climbers arrived via God's Tower.

The raiders blockaded all passageways from God's Tower and began to pillage and kidnap people, immediately fleeing once they had obtained their goods. Thousands of raiders hit the city, and destruction swathed through the outer regions of the massive city.

Jackson continued screaming for help as his vision had finally returned, and shortly afterward, the ringing in his ears stopped, and the screams came rushing in. His heart began beating faster as he hyperventilated, looking around at the destruction.

As he looked around, crying harder than before, his tear-filled eyes locked onto the raging fire coming from the remains of the tiny hut his grandmother was in.

"NOOOO!!!! GRANDMAAAA!!!" Jackson screamed as tears freely flowed down his face as he crawled out from underneath the cart. He scrambled against the ground toward the debris, repeatedly yelling at the top of his lungs for his grandmother.

"Hey! Commere, punk!" A masked man shouted as he pointed to Jackson, ran over, holding a bent metal bat with nails through the end, and kicked him over onto his stomach.

Jackson began coughing and gasping for air as he cried loudly, "Please!!! Help my grandma!!"

"Shut it, brat!" The man shouted again as he picked up Jackson, hooked him under his arm, and began to flee toward the city's exit. The young child started screaming for help as he began flailing, trying to break free.

The raider fled away from God's Tower and ran for his life toward the exit. Overhead an arc of lightning danced through the sky, supercharging the clouds and instantly creating a torrential downpour putting out the fires throughout the city.

Bystanders turned to God's Tower and started pointing and screaming in happiness, "It's Zander! The Rank One Climber! He's here to save us!!" A woman shrieked, and other bystanders started excitedly chatting amongst themselves.

Zander was a tall and slender man with frayed blonde hair and black streaks. He had two lightning bolt tattoos coming down his cheeks to his jawline. He wore a black sleeveless vest with two blue lightning bolts going down each side and metal bands on his biceps.

He had a long chain hanging around his waist and baggy black shorts that stopped just below his knees, with sizeable black combat boots.

From over his shoulder, a fireball in the shape of a bird flew at a blinding speed and began rapidly killing the Raiders as it erratically changed directions.

"Can't let you have all the fun, Z." A woman with flowing red hair said with a sultry smile. She wore a black coat that ended just below her breasts with a large mane around her neck and a revealing crimson red dress and high heels.

"This isn't a game, Abellona! We're here to save Duskgate!" Another woman with a short braid over her shoulder scolded as she pressed her glasses up the bridge of her nose before throwing her hand out and releasing a gust of icy wind from her palm that flew down another main street and began to freeze the rain into spikes that began killing the Raiders.

Onlookers began cheering excitedly, "I can't believe it's Amihan and Abellona!"

"I can't believe they teamed up! Frostforce and Hellfire Angels have been competing for the second-best guild for ages!"

"Neither of them is remotely close to beating Lightning Guard, though!"

Seeing more rankers appear, the civilians relaxed and began cheering as their reactions wholly flipped.

The Raider carrying Jackson was immediately disintegrated by one of Abellona's Inferno Hawks as he tumbled across the ground, kicking up dirt into the air.

The young boy groaned as he struggled to lift himself off the ground before he collapsed, unconscious.

The rankers quickly mopped up the remaining resistance by the raiders and began organizing the remaining climbers to sweep out and start looking for the wounded.

"Back off, Abellona! Z doesn't need you here; Frostforce and I will handle the rescue operations. You're a little too hot-headed and might kill a civilian!" Amihan said with a smirk, adjusting her glasses as she placed her other hand on her hip.

"As if, Ami! Hellfire Angels are going to be the ones who rescue those people! You'll just get in the way!" Abellona retorted, flipping her hair and turning around as she briskly walked away in a huff.

Amihan pursed her lips together with a smug look before she turned around and walked away.

Abellona, in her rush, failed to notice the unconscious child in her path and stubbed her toe against his head, kicking him away as he grabbed his forehead and began groaning in pain.

Turning to see the young child, she knelt next to him and reached her hand out, "What do we have here..? Little boy, are you alright?"