I Can See Evolution Paths

Golden feathers continued drifting through the ruined street.

Every Spectral Goblin remained kneeling.

Every Goblin Statue lowered its head.

Stone Guardians stood silently.

No one moved or one spoke. Only the sound of flames burning through ruined buildings filled the air, casting flickering orange light across the crystal streets.

Forax grinned as he slowly dragged his burning claws across the street, and the stone melted beneath them. Silverline calmly smiled, dozens of crystal spikes slowly growing around her.

She looked at Vedas. "You’re the one that made this city troublesome again."

Forax laughed. "Good," he said. "Now we can kill the one responsible."

Vedas said nothing while those behind him.

Suri and the other Goblin Hunters stood in ancient golden armor with calm expressions.

"Nothing?" Forax said. "A pity. Maybe you will speak when you’re broken before them." He slowly laughed.

His body suddenly erupted into lava and soon the streets began melting beneath his feet, and buildings closest to him ignited simply from the heat.

Silverline smiled, her crystal covered body beginning to glow. The crystals spread across the street while entire buildings became crystal.

Behind Vedas several Goblins instinctively tensed.

Suri tightened her grip.

One Hunter whispered, "Chief."

Vedas calmly raised one hand and the Goblins immediately relaxed. Then Forax disappeared, becoming nothing more than a streak of molten fire. At the same moment Silverline swept her tail and countless crystal spikes erupted from every direction.

The attacks arrived simultaneously.

The entire district disappeared beneath lava and crystal.

For a few seconds nobody could see.

And then to the Chiefs surprise, there was a golden barrier surrounding Vedas. The molten lava slid harmlessly away while the crystal spikes cracked the moment they touched it. Behind him not one Goblin had been injured and even the ones close to Vedas.

Forax’s smile disappeared. Silverline narrowed her eyes.

The barrier slowly faded and Vedas calmly took one step forward.

Forax and Silverline roared as they both struck again. But Vedas simply open his mouth as they both got close and then release an ear-splitting roar.

[War Cry]

The sound echoed through the area and froze both of the Chiefs. None of them could move, it felt like chains were wrapped around them and forcing them still.

The Goblin children and elders watching stared in complete disbelief. The monsters that had terrorized them before were now standing completely helpless.

Vedas slowly walked toward Forax without rushing. He stopped directly in front of him, golden light gathering around his fist.

[King Aura]

The air itself bent beneath the pressure as Vedas felt the strength in his fist doubling from the golden aura around it.

Vedas quietly said, "This is for every home you burned."

He then blasted out with his fist.

It crashed into Forax’s chest before slowly going forward and forward as a cracking sound rang out. The Fire Lizard couldn’t even blink before the armor covering his chest exploded apart. The flames surrounding his body were extinguished instantly.

His ribs bent inward.

A golden shockwave erupted from his back.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

Forax disappeared in the next moment as he smashed through one burning house. Then another, another, and soon two more before stopping. Every building he crashed through was one he had set ablaze only minutes before.

The buildings collapsed down on him.

Silence fell in the area.

As all the goblins tried to comprehend what they are seeing.

The same Beast Chief who had laughed while smacking around the Spectral Goblins, humiliating the Goblin Statues and burning down the buildings.

Had disappeared with a single punch.

One Goblin slowly rubbed both eyes. "...That..." His voice trembled. "...was the Fire Lizard Chief?"

Vedas said nothing as he twisted his body before slamming down his fist onto Silverline. The moment the golden fist crashed down on her skull, she released a scream. And then her face was smashed into the ground, creating cracks that spread out.

Vedas slowly stood up before waving his hand and staring down as if he was waiting.

For several seconds... Nobody spoke.

One Goblin woman blinked. "T-That’s the... the Chief?"

Another Goblin slowly drop to the floor. "...He punched him across multiple buildings. And also smashed the other into the ground..."

The rubbles shaken before Forax burst out with a glare. Before then coughing up lava as he felt his brain was shaking and not being able to understand what just happened.

Silverline burst out of the rubbles and immediately created distance. She refused to panic and instead she went all out.

Silverline screamed before the crystals over the area began to tremble and then burst apart before forming themselves. Vedas looked up to see dozens of crystals rising up in the area and then more began appearing.

And those crystals changed.

Vedas saw them.

Crystal wolves.

Crystal spears.

Crystal snakes.

Crystal birds.

Every crystal she had created during the invasion was now being summoned and ready to be unleashed on him. The area itself is covered by them, making the goblins flinched and some of them step back.

"...It’s over..." Silverline smiled. "You should have never come here!"

Every crystal descended.

Vedas quietly raised his sword, golden light traveling along the blade.

[Armor Piercing]

He swung once.

Nothing more.

And then every crystal attack split apart.

One crystal spear split in half, then another, and then another. Like dominoes, every crystal attack shattered under the massive golden explosion and then the shockwave that swept through after.

One swing ended everything.

Crystal fragments rained through the street like shattered glass. Every Goblin instinctively looked upward as just moments ago. Those same crystals had covered the entire street and now, not a single one remained.

One little Goblin slowly smiled. "They aren’t much to our, Chief..."

Silverline’s eyes widened and for the first time fear appeared.

Forax’s body erupts into even hotter flames, the lava beneath him becoming white hot. Silverline joined him and both attacked together again.

Forax roared as his burning fist descended.

Golden light flashed.

A Cronwell Goblin Hunter suddenly appeared in front of Vedas.

CLANG!!

The Hunter planted his shield into the ground before the molten fist slammed against it. The shield cracked and the Hunter was forced back and smiled. "Now!"

Vedas sword slashed down and it slashed Forax’s shoulder. A gash was formed from the golden blade and Forax screamed before he punched out again in fury.

Golden light flashed again.

Another Goblin delayed the attack for three seconds before vanishing. Forax’s punch continued forward but Vedas was already gone.

Silverline whipped her crystal tail.

Another flash.

A second Hunter appeared above her with his spear crashed downward. Silverline instinctively blocked as she stopped her tail swing and moved it front.

But the Hunter vanished before the attack could connect.

And then Vedas appeared directly beside her with his sword glowing.

[Magic Explosion.]

BOOOOOOM!!

Silverline shot sideways through the walls, one after another.

The Goblins watching all of this in awe, they had seen the Goblins from behind Vedas were always appearing near him and then back.

Vedas began walking.

Forax rushed first as his claws carved burning lines through the road. Vedas took one step and the claws missed. Then he swung his hand, smacking Forax in the face which force it onto the ground again.

Silverline attacked from behind before crystal blades erupted upward. Another step before every blade struck empty air. Then he lashed out with a kick that smashed it straight into the ground.

Forax punched again but Vedas slightly tilted his head. The burning fist passed beside his face before he blasted out with a fist and sent Forax rolling through the streets again.

Silverline created another crystal spear and Vedas kept walking. The spear scraped harmlessly across his golden armor before a fist crashed into Silverline’s face.

Forax roared out as he turned into a stream of flame before rushing back. Vedas evade the attack before side-stepping a beam of fire and then tilting his head away from a punch that destroyed another building.

Then once again Vedas smacked Forax down to the ground.

The Goblins slowly stopped watching Vedas. Instead... They began watching the Beast Chief because every failed attack made them look more ridiculous. Their breathing became heavier, and movements turned sloppier.

All of this made them begin wondering, why were they scared of these two before? Why did they struggle against these two.... Embarrassments?

Vedas grabbed Silverline’s tail before smacking her into the ground over and over. And when Forax came rushing over, he hurled the Crystal Lizard towards him, making both of them roll on the ground again.

The Goblins watched slowly and felt a warmth through their chest. Every time he evaded an attack he would humiliate the two Chiefs and then beckon them to come again.

It was a marvelous scene for them

More footsteps echoed.

Goblins from nearby streets slowly gathered. After realizing who was here and what was happening, none of them wanted to miss what happened next. The street slowly became filled with witnesses to not a battle but to justice taking place.

The Spectral Goblin, Goblin Statue and Suri with the other nine Goblin Hunters stood as guards to these goblins.

Vedas finally stopped, his golden eyes quietly meeting theirs and his voice remained calm. "You hunted children," he said.

For the first time neither Beast Chief laughed, mocked, or even smiled. Everything they had done was now being spoken back to them and in front of the people they had tried to break.

One step.

"You burned the homes of my people."

Another step.

"And then destroyed the Walls that were filled with Goblin names."

The Goblins behind him lowered their heads.

The street became silent.

One elderly Goblin remembered watching the home that he had just called today being burned.

A Hunter remembered dragging wounded children through the smoke.

One Healer looked toward the ashes that used to be the walls of name.

The names carved into those walls would never return.

A little Goblin quietly held his mother’s hand tighter. No one spoke and simply watched because every word Vedas spoke was one they had wanted to say themselves.

Then Vedas disappeared as Forax swung.

[Magic Explosion]

Forax flew through another street.

Silverline attacked but Vedas evaded it before slashing down with his spear that cut through the crystals and into her a bit.

[Armor Piercing]

And then he grabbed onto her face as he opened his mouth.

[War Cry]

She froze before Vedas began slamming her down into Forax who tried to attack. And then he began using the Crystal Serpent as a whip that kept crashing into Forax. Over and Over was being smacked all around before Vedas hurled the snake into Forax and the both of them crashed together again.

The two Beast Chiefs rolled across the broken street before finally stopping.

Silence.

Then—

"YES!"

One Goblin Hunter threw both fists into the air. "He hit them!"

Another slammed his spear against his shield.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The sound spread down the street.

More Hunters joined.

Even exhausted Healers smiled.

Children began laughing.

One little Goblin jumped up and down. "Chief Vedas is winning!"

The fear that had gripped the street was fully disappearing

The battle had completely changed. The Beast Chiefs who once toyed with Dawn could no longer touch its King.

Forax collapsed to one knee. Lava dripped from the cracks covering his body. Every breath was painful. Beside him Silverline struggled to support herself with her shattered crystal tail. The once proud Beast Chiefs looked completely broken.

Silence filled the ruined street. Golden feathers drifted between them.

Vedas slowly walked forward. Neither Chief moved. Neither Chief had the strength.

He stopped before them, golden light gathering along his sword.

Neither Chief begged. Neither apologized. They simply stared at the Goblin King.

Vedas calmly spoke, his golden eyes glowing. "Kneel and beg the children for forgiveness," he said. He slowly raised his sword. "Or die."

Forax roared. Even now he refused to kneel. He gathered every remaining flame inside his body. Silverline poured every fragment of crystal into one final attack. The two Chiefs charged together. One last desperate gamble.

Vedas disappeared. One golden flash. The street became silent. Forax’s eyes widened. Silverline froze. For a moment neither moved.

Then a deep golden line appeared across both of them.

Booooooooom!!

A massive shockwave tore through the area.

The street split apart.

The burning buildings behind them collapsed.

Forax’s flames vanished and Silverline’s crystals shattered into glittering fragments. Then the Fire Lizard collapsed first as his burning claws scraped weakly across the stone and then stopped. Silverline tried to stand but her shattered crystal tail cracked apart and she fell beside him.

Neither Beast Chief moved again.

The ruined street became completely silent. Golden feathers slowly drifted between the broken buildings.

Then...

One little Goblin cautiously stepped out from behind his mother. "...Did... we win?"

Then a little Goblin shouted, "The King won!"

Another voice answered, "We survived!"

Cheers erupted with all of the Goblins laughing and crying. Even the Goblin Spectrals had a faint smile while the Goblin Statues nodded their heads. .

Everywhere across Dawn the battle stopped for just one moment. Not because every Beast had been defeated but because hope had won.

Then a pillar of golden light erupted beyond the western horizon. It shot into the darkness above, so brilliant that every person in Dawn instinctively turned.

Suri looked up.

Gruk frowned.

One of the Goblin Hunters shivered.

Vedas narrowed his eyes and he immediately recognized that aura. "Mephistopheles," he said.

For the first time in the entire battle concern crossed his face. "Don’t tell me," he said, "you’re in trouble."

Silence.

Then a dragon’s roar echoed across the sky, not one usually filled with arrogance but of pain. Every Goblin instinctively looked beyond city walls.

A second later.

Boooooooooooom!!

A gigantic stone fist made of rubble descended from beyond the walls.

The impact shook the entire street.

Dust rose into the darkness above and even from this distance everyone could see something enormous was fighting.

Suri’s eyes widened. "What is happening out there?" she said.

Vedas never looked away and his expression hardened. "The war isn’t over," he said.