Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

Azure Dunes.

The sun blazed mercilessly over the barren island. Though a massive lake shimmered in the distance, its presence did little to alleviate the harsh reality. This island was one of the most challenging places to find cover or refuge.

Hidden caves lay buried beneath the sands, and small rocky hills surrounded the lake, offering minor concealment. But for Milo, Karian, and the combined forces of Team Aether and Team Dusk, none of that mattered now.

They stood at a dry patch of land in the middle of the arid terrain, surrounded by brittle grass that crackled underfoot. From every direction, enemy forces encircled them, cutting off all escape routes. The hostile army spread out across the dunes, leaving no room to maneuver.

"There are about 200 of them," Ronan, the leader of Team Dusk, said, standing beside Karian.

"Hah! It looks like they can't wait to throw their lives away," Karian replied, his greatsword resting on his broad shoulder.

Meanwhile, Zara stood next to Milo, her face tense as she glanced at the enemies surrounding them.

Milo's hands trembled slightly, and his face was pale, sweat trickling down his temples. Not from the scorching heat, but from the sheer dread coursing through him.

"Th-their numbers… th-they're way too many… Karian…" Milo stammered, his voice shaky with fear.

One of the enemies, a man riding a massive rhino-like beast, approached with the thunderous stomps of his mount, sending clouds of dust swirling into the air. He was clad in heavy armor, his expression twisted into a smug, mocking grin as he closed the distance.

"You pathetic troops! You don't stand a chance. Have you written your wills for your heirs yet?!" the man jeered.

Karian stepped forward and replied with a sharp grin.

"Funny. I think it's you who should be writing one. Because my greatsword's going to take all your heads off in one swing."

The opposing lord, a bulky man with long black hair flowing behind him, laughed heartily at Karian's boldness.

"Hahaha! I'll give you this, I admire your confidence. But don't worry, we're generous men. We'll give you an out. Turn back now. Abandon your mission. Why throw your lives away when you can walk home and rest in peace? Surely you can see that's an act of mercy on our part?"

In the Dominion Skirmish, every team has the option to abandon their battle, effectively forfeiting the island. However, this comes with strict conditions: a retreat must be declared outside of active battle mode.

Once a team retreats, they permanently lose their chance to compete for that island, marking it as surrendered.

"What a stupid thing to say! I should be the one telling you that!" Karian roared.

He stepped forward. "All of you! Leave this place now. Retreat and go back to your island. I'll give you ten seconds. If you don't… we'll go all out. And I swear, not a single one of you will walk away alive."

At his words, his troops moved as one, weapons sliding into ready positions. Their stances were steady. Not a flicker of hesitation crossed their faces, even though they were outnumbered nearly four to one.

The odds were madness. But to them, it didn't matter. Four to one wasn't a death sentence. It was a challenge.

"Ten!" Karian began counting.

The opposing lord's mocking grin twisted into a scowl.

"You fools have no respect for your own lives! Have you lost your mind? I said retreat! We'd rather not stain our hands with your blood. Be wise, turn back, and spare us the trouble of wasting our strength beheading you all!"

"Seven!" Karian barked, unfazed by the taunt.

The enemy lord's eyes narrowed. He raised his right hand, and his troops snapped to attention. In a fluid motion, they shifted into formation, surrounding Karian's force from every direction.

"There's no chance you'll win this! This is suicide!" the enemy lord bellowed. "Retreat now, and you might still live to see tomorrow!"

"Five!" Karian's voice was steady.

He stepped forward. "Four."

"I said stop!" the enemy lord snapped, frustration boiling over.

Twenty enemy soldiers broke from formation, rushing to intercept him.

"Three!" Karian called, louder this time, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Still no retreat? Do you all have a death wish?!"

"You've lost your mind!" the enemy lord shouted back. "I'll kill you before you finish counting!"

"Two," Karian said, a thin smile curving across his face.

They surged toward him.

Karian didn't so much as blink. His greatsword's hilt burned under his tightening grip as flames exploded from the blade, engulfing it in a roaring inferno.

"I said retreat!" Karian roared, his voice thundering across the battlefield. "You've brought doom upon yourselves!"

In an instant, he charged forward. His movement was impossibly fast.

A single massive slash tore through the enemy troops, the fire exploding outward like a wave, scorching the battlefield.

The strike was so overwhelming that the advancing troops had no time to react. The force hurled a dozen of them backward, their bodies colliding with the ground in lifeless heaps.

The enemy lord stood frozen, his face pale with shock as he watched Karian's raw power cut through his troops like paper.

The remaining enemy forces raised their weapons. The battlefield tensed as the troops prepared to retaliate.

Zara, standing right beside Milo, reached out and gently grasped his trembling left hand.

Milo froze and turned his head to look at her.

Zara met his gaze, and smiled softly.

"Mr. Milo, we're here together, facing the same enemy. We'll fight together. No one will be left behind. We'll protect each other and stay together until the very end. Just like Lord Atlas said."

For a moment, Milo stood in silence. The tension around them was so thick, with the others stealing quick glances at the scene.

They all saw it clearly. The fear etched across Milo's pale, and his trembling face was suddenly replaced by something…

Darker!

His stiff expression hardened, and then, slowly, a smile crept across his lips. But it wasn't a calm or reassuring smile. It was… grim, cold, and filled with unrelenting malice.

"Yeah…" Milo murmured. "We need to obliterate our enemies into pieces."

"Yes, Mr. Milo… we fight. Either we die, or they do. There is no mercy here."

"I'll crush their heads to pieces…" Milo added.

And then it happened. A dark energy began to swirl around him, cloaking his entire body in a sinister shadow. The raw power pulsed violently, causing his hair to stand on end as the energy coursed through him.

Zara released his hand and took a step back as she watched Milo transform.

Milo turned to face the advancing enemy troops, his grin widening. He began to walk toward them.

Milo tore off his shirt, revealing a body now several times larger than before. The shadow-like power wrapped around him, making him look monstrous.

"You pieces of trash… scum… children of whores," Raze growled. "I'll teach you exactly how to behave."

He bared his teeth in a savage grin.

"And your first lesson… is having your heads smashed into pieces!"

Immediately after that, chaos erupted.

Raze, now fully transformed, charged forward at an incredible speed, meeting the dozens of enemies head-on with unrelenting power.

Karian? He had already launched himself into the fray, tearing through the battlefield with brutal ferocity.

Meanwhile, Team Aether and Team Dusk held their positions, forming a defensive line to brace for the oncoming assault.

Magic spells and arrows flew through the air, weaving between shouts and the clang of weapons. They healed, defended, and maintained their ground, each member fighting to hold the line against the overwhelming enemy numbers.

Zara lifted her bow high, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.

"FOR GLORY! FOR BLOOD! LEAVE NONE STANDING!"

The troops roared back instantly.

"For Gacha Haven!" one bellowed.

"For the hunt!" another cried.

"To the last breath!" a third shouted.

A deafening chant rose from the ranks, shaking the ground beneath them.

The clash was deafening. Steel met steel, fire and shadow collided with flesh, and the battlefield erupted into utter chaos.

Victory wasn't guaranteed. Not by any measure. But there was one thing all of them knew deep in their hearts: once you step onto the battlefield, you give everything.

Fight with everything you've got, like your life depends on it.

Because it does!

Victory or nothing!