Chapter 314 - General K’in

Alonso had to admit—the platform felt like something straight out of a sci-fi film or book.

He gazed at the landscape far below, their craft floating more than six kilometers above the ground. The platform’s underside was layered with camouflage mesh, and the whole thing was masked against both visual and EM-based detection.

It even used wind drag to its advantage, converting it through embedded disk systems. And the power? That came purely from the EM control of those onboard.

Alonso let Houston handle the output while he took time to recover from the sparring match, letting his mind settle as he enjoyed the sweeping view beneath them.

Behind him, the Azcoyatl priests remained fully focused—draped in ornate robes that looked utterly impractical for combat. Still, they were contributing, and that’s what mattered. Chiara’s standing within the Azcoyatl clearly came with benefits, and this kind of manpower was one of them.

Then there was Arjun—somehow even more of a loner than before. He reclined in his seat, his long-barrel rifle resting lazily against his shoulder, eyes half-lidded in what looked like sleep. But Alonso didn’t miss the weight behind that stillness.

He felt a kind of quiet pity for the man.

Living with a different time perception than everyone around you… the fact Arjun remained sane at all spoke volumes about his mental strength.

When Arjun had spoken to him about Imani, he hadn’t hidden anything. He admitted he’d tried to stop him. No excuses. Just the truth.

And Alonso understood that. Everyone had something they’d put above the rest.

For Arjun, it was his daughter on Earth. His wife. His family.

He’d been reckless back then—but now?

Alonso exhaled slowly.

If it were someone else in danger, and the odds of saving them were basically zero… would he still go for it?

Ayu, sure—no question.

But anyone else?

Would that really be bravery? Or just selfishness in disguise?

It was easy to risk your life when it only belonged to you. But when that life was shared with someone else…

He took a deep breath.

He stood up and walked toward the main control.

The craft reminded him of a boat—only one floating silently through the sky instead of water. Its deck was open, lined with minimal seating bolted to the reinforced alloy base, each one fitted with magnetic anchors to keep it stable during high-altitude shifts. The central frame curved slightly at the edges, designed to guide airflow and reduce drag, while an angled antenna extended near the front, tuned for long-range pulse transmissions.

Most of the structure was made from lightweight yet highly conductive alloys, its surface engraved with faint EM channel lines used for stabilisation and energy conversion.

Despite its size, the whole thing had been built for efficiency—not comfort. Everything unnecessary had been stripped away, and it relied on the passengers themselves to be skilled enough to ride and control it on their own.

As he approached, Mei stepped toward him with a faint smile.

“We should be arriving a couple of hours earlier than expected at this rate,” Alonso transmitted via pulse—much clearer than words at this speed.

“Yes. Current ETA is three hours and sixteen minutes. I’ve already contacted General K’in. They’ve made arrangements to receive us upon landing,” she replied calmly.

“Good. By the way, if you don’t mind me asking—how does your Awakening work, exactly? I know it’s related to EM waves, but…”

“It allows me to transmit across a broader frequency spectrum, especially at the higher end. That makes my output stronger through constructive interference, and I can also target band gaps in the target's bandwidth.”

“Cool,” Alonso nodded.

He knew a bit about the new Seven Awakenings, but Mei’s name came up often. She seemed capable—even if she was starting to sound like a lesser version of Chiara. Then again, they were mentor and disciple, so it kind of made sense.

He also remembered something Ayu had mentioned. Some gossip about Mei and Wang—maybe something was going on there. He wasn’t sure how Ayu always seemed so up-to-date on these things. Apparently, her sharp instincts worked just as well outside of battle, or maybe it was just a girl thing.

All things considered, it made sense that most of those without partners back on Earth had started forming couples inside the Tower.

It wasn’t easy, carrying the pressure alone for so long.

Alonso kept staring around the vessel, eventually locking eyes with the last member—Camila.

He remembered her from the music band. She’d always been easygoing, lighthearted—one of those people you didn’t mind being around. Ayu had spoken well of her too. They weren’t best friends or anything, but they got along well.

“How’s Ayu doing?” Camila asked, catching his gaze.

“Pretty good. Next time we see her, she might be in the Third Pillar State,” Alonso said with a small smile.

“Neat! She’s really awesome.”

He nodded. “Yeah. She is.”

Now… what was Camila’s Awakening again? It was EM-based too, but—whatever.

He shrugged it off and went to sit next to Arjun.

Neither said a word for a long while. Alonso finally leaned back, trying to think of something to break the ice.

“How’s the progress with Sun Pulse?”

“Slow. Not even at 9% yet.”

Maybe not the best icebreaker.

The journey went on with a bit of casual conversation here and there, but Alonso mostly let his mind settle. He enjoyed the ride, taking in the views and the quiet, while learning a bit more about Camila, Mei, the Azcoyatl drones and Meca systems, and everything Lukas had been tinkering with lately.

Time passed quickly.

Before long, the Ajnal fortress appeared on the horizon.

“You guys stay here on the platform,” Alonso told Mei. “I’ll let you handle positioning and timing—do whatever works best. When I engage the Warden, we’ll cut communications. I’m pretty sure they’re smart enough to pick up on our pulses, and that might give away your location. So… I’ll fight in melee alone. You act based on what you think is best.”

Mei nodded.

Alonso also felt a brief confirmation pulse from Arjun.

Then he leapt off the platform, letting his body dive through the air. Gravity dragged him fast, but he adjusted the speed, channelling EM into both his swords and internal mini-capacitors.

He landed with a soft thud in front of a group of Ajnal, led by what he assumed was a Sun Bearer.

After a brief exchange of formalities, they escorted him to the fortress—an imposing structure carved directly into the ridge, layered with angular stonework and metallic veins that glowed faintly with EM circuitry.

There, Alonso met General K’in for the first time.

The man stood tall, clad in ornate armour that showcased the finest of Ajnal craftsmanship. Intricate gold-and-jade-like inlays traced careful patterns across his chest plate and shoulder guards, while his dual swords—broad and curved—rested sheathed at his sides, their hilts wrapped in obsidian-threaded leather. His face was sharp and weathered, clean-cut, and his eyes held a quiet intensity.

Around him, a steady EM domain pulsed outward.

“Welcome, Outsider,” the man said, his voice low and resonant. “I am K’in Tohtal, General of the Western Front. Your aid is valued—in the name of my people, I thank you.”

“General,” Alonso offered a measured bow, shallow but respectful. “We stand united in these troubled times. The Xok’al are a spreading pest—and if we do not contain them now, it may soon be too late. This is a duty we share.”

“Then let us speak directly,” said the General, stepping forward, arms folded behind his back. “When the first Warden appears, I will face it.”

Alonso gave no response—only held the man’s gaze.

“But we expect another,” K’in Tohtal continued. “A second Warden may reveal itself once the battle begins in earnest. If it does not, you remain unseen. If it does, your task begins.”

Alonso inclined his head. “We engage the second?”

“Yes,” the General said. “Your task is to ensure I do not face two at once.”

He paused, his tone tightening. “If you cannot destroy it, then bind it. Keep it from me at all costs. Should both converge upon my position, I will fall—and with me, this line will break.”

He turned toward a map etched in the wall behind him, the faint glow of the magnetic veins outlining the vast stretch of the Western Front. His voice deepened.

“This fortress is not a city. It is a gate. If it falls, tens of thousands of my people in outposts, villages, and mountain stations will be slaughtered before reinforcements can cross the divide. The balance of our defence will collapse. And only one general, Noh, will remain.”

Alonso's reply was firm. “We’ll take care of it.”

K’in Tohtal studied him for a long moment, then gave the faintest nod. “So be it.”

No further words passed between them.

After they finished, Alonso was escorted to a guest chamber—a well-decorated room where he was served an array of delicious treats. It felt good, for once, to be treated like a VIP.

Some time later, he contacted Arjun. “Did you find a good spot?”

“Yes.”

Coordinates reached him almost instantly, accompanied by a 3D pulse-map of a narrow crevice high in the mountain range. Arjun was nestled inside, crouched and ready, sniper rifle in hand, his camo cloak rendering him nearly invisible.

“Good.”

He checked in with Mei next. The platform remained stationed high above—over six kilometres up—to avoid early detection.

And like that, Alonso closed his eyes, stepping into his inner world.

He trained.

He sparred with Darius, again and again, sharpening every reflex, testing angles, drilling paths until the echoes ran clean and frictionless.

Hours passed in silence until—

His eyes opened.

“They have arrived.”

The pulse came from General K’in himself.

Alonso nodded once and moved.

His body surged forward, a blur slicing through the fortress corridors, past stone, light, and sentries—until he reached the top of the walls in an instant, boots scraping against the frosted edge of the overlook.

And there they were.

The land writhed with motion.

What began as a line grew into a field, and what looked like a field turned into a wave. Thousands of Xok’al emerged over the snowy rise, their dark, sinewed forms distorted by frost and heat shimmer. They came in shifting ranks, their bodies lean, tails twitching behind them.

Thousands of two-tailed and three-tailed ran on all limbs, sharp metal limbs cutting through snow, while the four-tailed advanced in loose triangular wedges. They didn't charge in a single unified horde—they swarmed in fractured formations, spread out.

Shortly after… It started.

The EM cannons fired.

From atop the fortress, massive pulse-barrels lit the sky with crackling blue lances of energy, each blast ripping through snow and flesh alike. Dozens of creatures vanished into clouds of blood-mist and dismembered limbs. Every strike gouged the earth with thunder, but for every pocket cleared, five more Xok’al took their place, racing forward with blind instinct and perfect synchronization.

Alonso remained still, gaze locked, heart steady. His orders were clear—observe, wait, strike only when the second Warden revealed itself.

So he watched.

The battle below shifted gears.

Thousands of tails rose in perfect unison.

Then the air howled.

A barrage of projectiles rained down from the Xok’al line. The base shields sparked with impact. Explosions of rock and energy lit up the outer walls. Defense teams along the battlements responded with full coordinated fire, waves of counter-pressure crackling through the frozen wind.

And then they came closer.

The Xok’al reached striking distance—only meters away from the wall—and the melee began.

The ground quaked.

From the forward defense lines, the Sun Bearers rose. Their bodies shimmered with capacitor energy, sparks dancing across their blades and armor. Each movement discharged brief arcs of heat and charge, leaving blackened footprints and cracking trails in the air.

They didn’t wait.

They jumped.

Dozens of them launched from the walls and slammed into the enemy ranks with thunderous force, cracking bones and shattering chitin with every strike. Sparks danced as EM-charged weapons split Xok’al bodies in brutal, brilliant arcs. The four-tailed met them in kind—heavier, tougher, relentless. Each sharp limb whipped through air like a scythe, each step a quake.

It was a chaos of roars and pulses, blood and white mist, ground torn apart under their weight.

And yet—

Above it all, General K’in stood still, unmoving atop the central wall.

Arms folded. Eyes narrow.

He hadn’t moved since it started. His expression didn’t shift. Until—

A ripple passed through the Ajnal formation. Bodies dropped.

Three Sun Bearers fell before they could even react.

A large, blurry shape tore through their line, flowing with unnatural speed. It didn’t run—it sliced the air as if reality itself parted to make way.

The first Warden had arrived.

Its four bladed limbs were wet with blood before anyone registered it.

Heads rolled. Sparks bled into the snow. Screams caught in throats.

And in a blink, General K’in moved—his armor aglow with a storm of sparks, his twin blades humming with deadly charge, his entire form lit like the echo of a forgotten god.

A flash of light, a burst of force—then steel met hunger.

And the silence shattered.