Chapter 95: Elsewhere

On the opposite side of the city from Leon’s rescue operation, people were still making their way towards the shelters.

The area hadn’t suffered as much damage, but the monsters had already reached it. Emergency vehicles blocked several junctions, leaving narrow routes for the civilians while summoners watched the adjoining streets.

Cassandra Carney stood outside one of the shelters, keeping an eye on the three approaches connected to the crossing.

She had come to Sun City for an advanced field placement arranged through Grand-Phoenix Academy. Once the Red Gate broke, she and the team assigned to her joined the local response.

For now, her task was simple. Keep the junction clear until her teammates arrived to support her. She had arrived much sooner because she was faster and because she cleared her path there easier.

Responders guided civilians down a ramp into the shelter behind her. A man carried his sleeping—possibly unconscious, daughter against his shoulder, while an elderly couple followed with their hands held together, taking small steps whenever the queue moved.

Cassandra remained between them and the open streets.

She was currently using Unification. Her Grade Five Peak Drake stood around fifteen feet tall when manifested, and there wasn’t enough room near the shelter for something that large to move around without obstructing the same people she was supposed to protect.

It was simply easier to fight by herself here, and she actually loved fighting by herself.

She soon spotted another monster approaching from a near distance.

Cassandra turned as it forced itself between two abandoned cars and looked towards the civilians waiting at the crossing.

"Keep them there," she told the responder beside the ramp.

She springed forward, appearing before the monster almost in an instant as the sound of her feet scrapping on the ground when she stopped spread across the street. All the monster would have seen was a hand reaching out and holding its own arm before it was sent into a car by the side, upside down. The door collapsed around its shoulder, and before it could free itself, Cassandra struck a heavy blow to its head, blowing it open and splashing the insides over the car and nearby walls and a little on the ground.

The monster went limp immediately... this was the same Grade 4 Peak monster...

"Ugh... Should have controlled my strength a little more..." She then turned to the civilians watching. "Keep moving."

Save to say that scene alone was enough to make anyone worry more about their rescuer rather than the monsters. But at least, it gave them some courage, and for the responders, more boldness.

The responder waved the civilians across while Cassandra dragged the body away from their path and turned towards the next street just as a distant impact shook dust from the buildings around them.

She looked in that direction as she let go of the corpse, then back towards the shelter. More civilians were still arriving, so she couldn’t leave the crossing without someone taking her place.

’Come on. Where are they?’

"Carney!"

Her teammates finally appeared from the adjoining street. They spread out once they reached the junction, with one stopping beside Cassandra while the others checked the barricades and shelter entrance.

"How is it?"

"Three approaches, nothing close right now," Cassandra answered before pointing down one of the streets. "People are coming from there. Keep them on this side until they reach the ramp."

"We’ve got it."

"Good."

Cassandra waited until they had taken their positions, then as soon as that happened, she left.

That was certainly not part of the plan, but in a way, there was no point keeping all of them at the same shelter. If the impact she heard belonged to something large, she would rather face it somewhere with enough space to bring out her Drake.

She passed through the next two streets, moving between abandoned cars and closed shops. The evacuation route turned away from several storage yards, and beyond them were damaged buildings surrounding a broad road covered in broken concrete.

Another impact came from ahead so she moved to see. She had just slowed near the corner, when something rose above the warehouses.

She first saw the broad curve of its back, then the creature turned shortly after, bringing its head into view above a crushed roof.

This thing was as tall as a five-storey building.

Heavy plates covered its shoulders and body, with even thicker ridges protecting its neck. Its forelimbs hung almost to the ground, and one of them tore away a large section of a warehouse wall as it moved.

The creature was Grade Five Peak. That alone brought a smile to her face.

Cassandra checked the surrounding between them. There were no civilians nearby, no transport vehicles behind the monster, and the shelter route was a long distance away.

’There you are.’ She said in her mind as a smile appeared on her face as she released Unification.

Instantly, her summon, a Drake manifested beside her, its large feet striking the road as its body settled into place. Even at fifteen feet tall, it looked small compared to the monster ahead.

The Drake however, looked just as menacing, if not more. Its neck stretched forward following Cassandra’s command.

"Tear that thing open."

In a matter of seconds, fire erupted from its jaws.

The flames struck the monster’s upper body, spreading across the plates and pouring between its heavy limbs until the road beneath it disappeared from sight.

Cassandra watched its shoulders, seeing that they were still moving.

The monster turned towards the Drake and planted one foot hard enough to crack the road. The fire continued washing over its armour without doing much more than darkening it.

"Let’s step that up a notch then."

The Drake braced its forelegs and narrowed the flames into a more concentrated stream. Heat rolled back along the empty road, forcing Cassandra to move behind its shoulder a little.

The monster lowered its head into the attack and started walking towards them.

’Thick thing.’

Cassandra focused on the point where the fire struck. The armour had darkened, but there was still no real damage.

She directed the flames higher, towards the lower part of its neck.

"More."

The sound of the stream of flames deepened, sounding more like an engine rather than just burning fire. Loose metal near the road began glowing, while the plates around the point of impact slowly turned red.

The monster still managed another step yet.

Cassandra moved with the Drake as it adjusted its footing. There was enough open road behind them if they needed to retreat, but there was no reason to do so yet.

The fire was working.

Slowly, but it was working... if that was the limit.

"Increase it." she commanded.

The Drake increased the heat again.

The red colour spread farther across the armour until a line appeared between two of the heavy plates. The creature twisted, trying to turn its shoulder into the attack, but the Drake followed the movement without allowing the flames to leave the opening.

Its raised forelimb came down short, tearing into the road ahead of it.

"That’s it," Cassandra said as she leaned forward, keeping her eyes on the seam.

The edge of one plate started sagging, then the fire broke through.

The monster jerked upright as the flames entered its body. Its jaws opened, but before it could do anything, a streak of light crossed Cassandra’s vision and passed through its head.

Suddenly, a round opening appeared above the monster’s jaw instantly.

At almost the same time, the Drake’s flames burst out from the creature’s side.

Like deadweight, its raised limb dropped.

"Stop, stop, you’re going to burn down properties." She said, patting the Drake twice.

The Drake closed its jaws, cutting the streame of fire.

The monster remained standing for a moment before its weight shifted forward. Its legs folded shortly after, bringing the entire body down onto the ruined road.

Broken pieces of concrete bounced towards the warehouses while dust swept across the area.

Cassandra remained behind the Drake until it cleared.

A figure hovered beyond the fallen monster with flames surrounding her body.

"Alyssa?" Cassandra narrowed her eyes.

Alyssa turned towards her.

Of course it was her.

They had been classmates until Alyssa graduated early the previous year. Apparently, finishing ahead of everyone else wasn’t enough. She also had to arrive at the exact moment Cassandra finished burning through something.

Cassandra looked from the opening in the creature’s head to the burned cavity in its chest.

Both wounds looked fatal, it was hard to say which did the job before the other.

’Mine hit first.’ She said to herself.

Probably.

Cassandra folded her arms and directed the Drake towards her former classmate.

The summon turned its head before releasing another stream of fire.

Alyssa didn’t flinch as the flames covered her.

Cassandra kept the attack narrow and aimed it above the empty road. The fire struck Alyssa directly, hiding her inside the blaze, but it simply parted around her without doing anything.

She didn’t even bother moving out of the way.

Even at that distance, Cassandra could still see her figure through the flames, though vaguely. The fire around Alyssa suddenly brightened and overwhelmed the Drake’s own. Cassandra raised one hand against the light as heat distorted the air between them.

The Drake stopped attacking.

Alyssa remained in the air, looking down at her as Cassandra lowered her hand.

Without saying anything, Alyssa turned and flew away, leaving a line of fire above the ruined buildings.

"Whatever, show-off. We’ll talk later," Cassandra muttered, though no one was close enough to hear her. "Isn’t this supposed to be a Red Gate? How come its all the weaklings?"