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In the next moment, Linus was gone, as was Longvin--both disappearing in a flash of light.

Truth be told, Zeff had been skeptical of bringing the Linebreaker with them. Regardless of the man’s prowess, Zeff couldn’t help be suspicious of just about any non-Rainlord in their party. Having Leo with them was bad enough already, and now this guy presented another potential point of betrayal.

But even so, it was impossible to ignore how useful the man might prove to be here.

Having such a powerful light-wielder of their own in this battle was a fantastic boon. As obnoxious as light-wielders were to deal with from the enemy, they certainly made for great backup as allies. And if they managed to free Rayen Merlo soon, then their potency would double.

In the moment, however, Zeff was thinking none of that. He was focused purely on the battle, on trying to keep track of everyone positions and movements. Who among his kin needed help? Who among the enemy needed to be dealt with?

Enemy reinforcements were soon to arrive, no doubt, so he had to be on the lookout for those, too. The chamber only had the one entrance, but that was no guarantee, Zeff knew. The enemy could arrive from anywhere.

And indeed, when an enormous tremor arrived, he was not surprised. It shook the entirety of Cell Block Y with enough force to cause a momentary cessation of the battle as everyone tried to collectively understand who or what the source of it was.

Before a clear answer could be discerned, the ceiling cracked open like an egg and got sucked up into the sky, revealing a vast blanket of dark clouds. Zeff could already see a half-dozen twisters out there, surrounding the compound and crackling visibly with lightning.

Was that from the battle with Vanderberk? Or enemy reinforcements? Maybe both?

Impossible to tell for certain, but the reinforcements, at least--those had indeed arrived.

Axiolis recognized three of their soul signatures, making the fourth one easy to guess. Riev, Jorga, and Mikas were all obvious, so the last was almost certainly Raga Marda.

And Riev was coming straight for him.

Zeff had been expecting as much. He had a history with Riev Moros, the Stalker of Agvehl. They’d clashed once before, in Lyste. It had been one of the most grueling one-on-one fights Zeff had ever experienced, and even though he’d technically come out victorious in the end, it hadn’t felt that way, considering how much destruction the Stalker had wrought while still managing to escape.