Chapter 415 – It Can’t Be Closed Yet (1)
Rumble!
A surge of intense mana erupted, shaking the entire building and its surroundings.
The knights hesitated, stepping back cautiously. It wasn’t just the pressure of the mana an ominous feeling surged from deep within their hearts.
“W-What is this?”
“What kind of mana is this…?”
“We need to fall back for now.”
The knights spread out, encircling the building while continuously scanning their surroundings.
“Why… aren’t you all running away?”
Something was clearly wrong with the people nearby. Just as Lucas had told Ghislain, they seemed far from normal.
In such a bizarre situation, fleeing would be the natural reaction. Yet, they all remained, their faces blank, simply staring at the crumbling building.
Ghislain glanced back and spoke.
“They’ve already been consumed. They’ll mutate soon, so kill them all.”
Crack! Crackle! Crack!
Sizzle!
Before Ghislain even finished speaking, the people began to mutate. As soon as their transformations completed, they lunged at the knights.
Shhhk!
“Damn it! I knew this would happen!”
Thunk!
Lucas shouted and swung his spear, decapitating a mutated being.
The other knights followed suit. As long as they avoided the acidic venom splashing from the corpses, dealing with the mutants wasn’t particularly difficult.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
In an instant, dozens of mutants lay dead. And then, the rift finally revealed itself.
Rumble!
The building, unable to withstand the mana surging from below, completely collapsed. A grotesque mutant, ironically named ‘Sera,’ was crushed beneath the rubble, bursting apart.
Crack!
Suddenly, above the debris, a bright light burst forth as a fracture appeared in thin air, as though space itself was tearing apart.
“W-What the…?”
The knights stared in awe, utterly captivated.
Cracks were forming in the void, shattering like glass a phenomenon none of them had ever witnessed before.
Crack! Crack!
True to its name, the ‘Rift’ spread out like fractured glass, expanding with a sacred light emanating from within. The sensation was entirely different from the initial ominous feeling, leaving everyone bewildered.
The cracks in the air widened, creating a gap as if shards of glass were falling away.
Inside the rift was filled with a dark purple haze. As the knights watched cautiously, they involuntarily held their breath.
“W-What is that…?”
“There’s something inside.”
“A monster?”
Suddenly, a demonic eye emerged, glaring out from within the darkness.
Grrrrr…
A faint, beastly growl echoed from behind the eye. Something clearly desperate to break free seemed to be lurking beyond the tear.
Then, from the widening gap, countless tiny particles of light began to seep out, scattering around them.
“Destroy those things! All of them!”
Ghislain shouted. The particles could only be eliminated by those capable of manipulating mana.
Despite their bewilderment, the knights responded to his command and sprang into action.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
The particles burst easily upon impact. There were simply too many, but they weren’t particularly difficult to eliminate.
As the knights continued to destroy the particles, one asked:
“What… are these things?”
“Mutagens.”
“Huh?”
“If those enter a human body, they turn into mutants. Don’t let a single one escape.”
“Ugh! Disgusting!”
The knights, now visibly repulsed, drew upon their mana even more, determined not to let a single particle slip past them.
While capable of manipulating mana themselves, ensuring they wouldn’t easily mutate, the very thought of contamination unsettled them.
Though Ghislain could have used his abilities to dominate the space and eradicate the particles at once, he instead focused on building power within his Aura Blade.
And beyond the steadily widening rift, something massive was beginning to take shape.
Tat-tat-tat-tat!
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from behind. It was the city’s magistrate, leading a squad of soldiers.
“Count of Fenris! What is the meaning of this? Why are you causing such chaos in someone else’s territory?!”
The magistrate was visibly enraged. No matter how influential a noble Count Fenris was, storming into another lord’s domain in this manner was crossing a serious line.
Ghislain glanced briefly at the magistrate and asked:
“Have you evacuated the civilians?”
“Before that, explain what’s going on here!”
“I asked have you evacuated them?”
“I… Ugh!”
Gritting his teeth, the magistrate glared at Ghislain before shouting:
“You have no authority here! I am the one who governs this city!”
“You received a formal order from Marquis Branford to cooperate in matters related to rifts, didn’t you?”
“But there are procedures! I must report this to my lord and properly inform the Royal Faction”
“You fool.”
“What did you say?!”
Ghislain spoke to Gordon, who had followed the mayor.
“Gordon.”
“Yes!”
“Subdue the mayor immediately, then lead the soldiers to evacuate the people nearby.”
“Understood!”
Thud!
“Kehek!”
Gordon kicked the mayor’s shin, forcing him to his knees.
Then, pressing his sword against the mayor’s neck, Gordon growled.
“Lead the soldiers and evacuate the people around here! Now!”
The mayor’s guards were at a loss, but as Gordon’s blade dug slightly deeper, drawing blood, the mayor gestured to his men.
“Quickly! Evacuate the people nearby!”
The soldiers began moving, clearing out the onlookers who had been watching from a distance.
Now, only Ghislain, the Fenris knights, the mayor, and part of the city’s forces remained near the rift.
Still glaring at Ghislain, the mayor demanded, “What on earth are you doing?”
“Locking it down.”
“What?”
“Everyone, back up further!”
At Ghislain’s sudden command, the knights retreated. Even the mayor and his forces were pulled back, caught off guard.
The rift had now widened enough for a massive monster to emerge. However, the eyes that had been visible earlier were gone, leaving only a swirling void of violet darkness.
No one knew what was happening, all eyes fixed on Ghislain and the rift.
Ghislain raised his sword, gripping it with both hands as if preparing to strike something.
His blade still burned brightly.
Though they didn’t understand why, everyone present instinctively held their breath under the weight of the atmosphere.
At that moment, something burst out from the rift.
Fwoosh!
Ghislain swung his sword, as if he had been waiting for it.
Kwaaaaaang!
A brilliant light flared out, illuminating the surroundings.
As the light faded, the knights tensed, gripping their weapons as they stared at what stood before Ghislain.
“W-What is that…?”
What emerged from the gate was a massive beast.
It stood firmly on four legs, its gray body clad in golden armor that shimmered with a radiant glow.
Multiple blue horns jutted from its head, and a thick, powerful tail extended far behind it, thinning as it reached the tip.
Sharp spikes protruded along the tail, and its claws and fangs looked just as deadly.
From its gaping maw, endless streams of blue smoke spilled out, spreading across the area.
Its sheer size and overwhelming presence were so majestic it seemed like a creature straight out of myth.
Ghislain stared down the beast and spoke.
“Equidema.”
In his past life, scholars had called it the “Harbinger of the Apocalypse” and gave it the ancient name, “Plague Beast.”
It was the creature that always emerged first when a rift opened, reducing everything nearby to ruin.
Kwaaaaaah!
As soon as it emerged, Equidema let out a deafening roar, clearly displeased by Ghislain’s attack. Though a long wound was visible on its body, it seemed unbothered, as if the injury had only fueled its rage further.
The knights instinctively stepped back, trembling.
That single roar sent a primal fear through their bodies, as if their very souls had been frozen.
“W-What kind of roar…?”
“What is that thing? It took Lord Ghislain’s attack and it’s still standing?”
“A d-dragon…?”
The Fenris knights, despite their fear, still managed to speak. They were known for their reckless bravado, after all.
However, the soldiers who had accompanied the mayor simply dropped their weapons and collapsed, some even wetting themselves in terror.
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Ghislain stomped his foot.
Thud!
“Get a hold of yourselves!”
Equidema’s roar had an effect similar to a dragon’s fear aura. It paralyzed those exposed with sheer terror.
Only when the knights barely managed to steady themselves and clutch their weapons tightly did the rift surge again, more creatures spilling out.
“Kaaaah!”
“Wh-what now?!”
The ever-dramatic Lucas shouted, eyes wide. Dozens of bizarre monsters had begun pouring from the rift.
They were humanoid in shape, but their skin was gray, and their arms were unnaturally long. Their eyes burned red, and they were completely hairless. Long, sharp teeth jutted from their mouths, and their skeletal ribs were visible beneath their emaciated torsos.
In short, they looked like grotesquely distorted humans.
In his past life, Ghislain had called these creatures “Riftspawn.”
Ghislain shouted again.
“Riftspawn! Don’t let them spread! I’ll handle the beast!”
“Kaaaah!”
The smaller Riftspawn scattered in all directions, inevitably colliding with the knights surrounding the area.
“Ah, screw it!”
“You disgusting freaks!”
“Kill them all!”
The knights unleashed their mana in full force. The overwhelming sense of primal dread surging from deep within compelled them to use their strongest powers from the start.
Kwoooom! Kwang!
Kaaaah!
The Riftspawn were incredibly swift, and their attacks were razor-sharp. Though they didn’t use mana, their physical prowess rivaled that of novice knights.
Drooling excessively, they attacked every visible target without discrimination.
The city’s soldiers, still disoriented despite Ghislain’s warnings, were torn apart in moments, unable to mount a proper defense.
“Aaargh!”
Screams of agony echoed from all directions as the Riftspawn began feasting on the flesh of the fallen soldiers.
Seeing this, the mayor trembled violently, stumbling back as he shouted.
“H-Help! Help Count Fenris!”
At the mayor’s desperate cry, the city’s knights and soldiers finally joined the battle. Though the Riftspawn had initially numbered only a few dozen, they were now surging out of the rift in the hundreds.
Realizing they would all perish if they couldn’t hold the line, the city’s knights and soldiers swung their weapons frantically, driven by sheer terror.
Kwoom! Kwang! Kwang!
Kaaaah!
“Aaargh!”
The screams continued from every corner. Yet, thanks to the Fenris knights unleashing their full strength, the Riftspawn were at least contained within the immediate area.
Even amidst the chaos, Ghislain and Equidema remained locked in a tense stare, each carefully observing the other.
Grrrrr…
Equidema shifted sideways, circling Ghislain while studying him closely. It was wary of the man who had managed to wound it.
Ghislain, meeting its gaze, smirked.
“It’s been a while.”
Of course, he had no delusions that the beast could understand his words.
In fact, it was highly unlikely this was the same creature he had killed in his previous life. Equidema always appeared when a rift opened.
But he had long anticipated facing it again.
It was inevitable.
“This time, things will be different.”
When Ghislain had first faced this beast in his past life, the world had already been on the brink of collapse.
No one had been prepared for the rifts. No one had even imagined their existence.
But now was different.
He had prepared extensively for this era of calamity. With Lavierre’s help, he had already closed far more rifts than he had in his past life.
Others, too, had begun to prepare against the schemes of the Salvation Church. While it wasn’t perfect, at least the lords were more vigilant, assembling armies in advance.
Things would be different. They had to be.
“This time, I’ll erase you all from this world completely.”
Fwoooosh!
Ghislain’s eyes flared red as a dark crimson aura surged around his body.
A long, blood-red aura blade extended from his sword, crackling with raw power.
Grrrrr…
Equidema, still watching Ghislain, crouched low. Its powerful muscles swelled as if they were about to burst.
It had realized the opponent before it was no ordinary foe.
Ghislain and Equidema circled each other slowly, both focused, waiting for the slightest opening to strike.
Then, the blue smoke seeping from Equidema’s mouth thickened, momentarily obscuring their vision.
Fshk!
In that instant, both Ghislain and Equidema lunged at each other simultaneously.
KWOOM!