Rumble!
The force of the mana was so intense that it shook the entire building and the surrounding area.
The knights hesitated, retreating a few steps back. The power of the mana was overwhelming, but even more unnerving was the ominous feeling rising from deep within their hearts.
"W-What is this?"
"How can mana feel like this…?"
"We should fall back for now."
The knights spread out, taking up positions to surround the building. Despite their actions, they couldn't stop glancing nervously around.
"You all… why aren't you running away?"
The behavior of the people nearby was strange. As Lucas had warned Ghislain, the people didn't seem normal.
When phenomena like this occurred, it was natural to panic and flee. However, the people stood still, expressionless, staring only at the collapsing building.
Ghislain glanced back and said, "They've already been consumed. They'll mutate soon—kill them all."
Snap! Snap! Crack!
Zzzt!
No sooner had Ghislain finished speaking than the people began to mutate. As soon as they revealed their new forms, they lunged at the knights.
Shhhkk!
"Damn it! I knew this would happen!"
Thwack!
Lucas yelled loudly as he swung his spear, decapitating one of the mutants.
The other knights reacted similarly. As long as they avoided the acidic venom that spewed from the mutants' bodies, dealing with them wasn't overly difficult.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Within moments, dozens of mutants lay dead. It was then that the rift finally revealed itself.
Rumble!
The building, unable to withstand the mana surging from underground, completely collapsed. The grotesque mutant that bore the beautiful name "Sera" was crushed under the debris and burst apart.
Shatter!
Above the rubble, the air suddenly fractured, emitting a blinding light. It was as if the very fabric of space had been torn apart.
"W-Wow… what is that…?"
The knights, mesmerized, stared at it in awe.
Cracks spreading in the empty space, as if glass were breaking—none of them had ever seen anything like it before.
Crack! Crackle!
True to its name, the "rift" extended its web of cracks outward, resembling shattered glass.
From the light pouring out of the rift, a divine energy could be felt—completely opposite to the ominous aura they had sensed earlier. This stark contrast left everyone confused.
The cracks widened further, as if shards of glass were falling away, revealing a gaping fissure.
The inside of the rift was filled with a dark, purplish glow. The knights, who had been silently watching, held their breath.
"W-What is that…?"
"There's something in there."
"A monster?"
From within the rift, something resembling a demonic eye appeared, glaring in their direction.
Grrr…
Faint growls of a beast echoed from behind the eye. It felt as if something inside desperately wanted the space to open further so it could escape.
Meanwhile, small particles of light began to seep out of the cracks, scattering everywhere.
"Destroy all of those!"
Ghislain's voice rang out sharply. The particles could only be eradicated by those who could manipulate mana.
Even amidst their dazed state, the knights moved their bodies according to Ghislain's command.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The particles burst easily. The sheer number of them was the problem, not the difficulty of destroying them.
As they dealt with the particles, the knights shouted questions.
"What are these things?"
"Mutants."
"What?"
"If those get into someone's body, they'll turn into mutants. Don't let any escape—destroy them all."
"Ugh! That's disgusting!"
The knights, fearing even the slightest chance of a particle escaping, unleashed their mana to obliterate them.
Although those who could handle mana were less susceptible to mutation, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
While the knights continued their task, Ghislain focused, pouring energy into his aura blade. He could have easily eliminated all the particles at once by dominating the space with his abilities, but he held back, gathering power instead.
Beyond the ever-widening rift, a massive form began to take shape.
Thud, thud, thud!
The sound of people rushing approached from behind. It was the city's mayor, leading a group of soldiers.
"Count Fenris! What in the world is going on here? Why are you causing such chaos in someone else's territory?"
The mayor was visibly enraged. No matter how influential a high-ranking noble might be, interfering in another lord's domain was crossing a serious line.
Ghislain glanced at the mayor and asked, "Have the surrounding residents been evacuated?"
"Before that, explain what's going on!"
"I asked if they've been evacuated."
"Y-You insolent…!"
Grinding his teeth, the mayor glared at Ghislain before shouting, "You have no authority here, Count! I am the mayor of this city!"
"You were ordered to cooperate with any matters involving rifts by Marquis Branford's decree, weren't you?"
"Even so, there are procedures! I must inform my lord and formally report this to the royalist faction—"
"Fool."
"What did you just say?"
Ghislain turned to Gordon, who stood behind the mayor.
"Gordon."
"Yes!"
"Subdue the mayor immediately. Lead his soldiers to evacuate the townsfolk."
"Understood!"
Thwack!
"Gah!"
Gordon kicked the mayor's shin, forcing him to his knees.
Then, pressing his sword against the mayor's neck, Gordon growled, "Lead your soldiers and evacuate the people! Now!"
The mayor's escort knights hesitated, unsure of what to do. But when Gordon's sword dug deeper into the mayor's neck, drawing blood, the mayor finally gestured to his men.
"Evacuate the townsfolk immediately!"
The soldiers moved, guiding the onlookers away from the area.
Now, only Ghislain, the knights of Fenris, the mayor, and a portion of the city's forces remained near the rift.
Still glaring at Ghislain, the mayor demanded, "What exactly are you doing here?"
"Gate maintenance."
"What?"
"Everyone, back away further!"
At Ghislain's sudden shout, the knights and city forces stepped back instinctively.
The rift had grown wide enough for a massive monster to emerge. However, the eye that had initially appeared was now gone, leaving only the dark, purplish void.
With no understanding of the situation, everyone's gaze remained fixed on Ghislain and the rift.
Gripping his sword with both hands, Ghislain raised it slowly as if preparing to strike.
The flames of his aura blade burned brightly, illuminating the scene.
Everyone present held their breath, unable to resist the oppressive atmosphere.
At that moment, something burst out of the rift.
Whoosh!
As if waiting for it, Ghislain swung his sword.
Boom!
A brilliant light exploded outward, engulfing the area.
When the light finally faded, the knights gripped their weapons tightly, their expressions tense as they stared at what stood before Ghislain.
"W-What is that…"
What leapt out of the gate was a colossal beast.
Standing firmly on its four powerful legs, its massive gray body was clad in golden armor that shimmered in the light.
Multiple blue horns jutted from its head, and its thick, elongated tail tapered as it extended, adorned with sharp spikes at intervals. Its claws and fangs appeared just as lethal.
From its gaping mouth, a constant stream of blue smoke billowed out, spreading across the surroundings.
Its majestic size and overwhelming presence made it look like a creature straight out of mythology.
Ghislain glared at the beast and spoke.
"Equidema."
In a past life, scholars had referred to it as the "Harbinger of Doom," naming it in an ancient tongue as the "Monster of Plague."
Whenever a rift opened, it was the first to emerge, leaving devastation in its wake.
Roaaaaar!
Equidema roared loudly, clearly displeased with Ghislain, who had attacked it upon its arrival. Though its body bore a long wound, it seemed unaffected. Instead, it appeared more enraged.
The roar forced the knights to step back instinctively. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
With just that one roar, their bodies were paralyzed with fear, and even their souls seemed frozen by a primal terror.
"W-What kind of roar is that…?"
"What even is that? How is it still alive after being hit by the Count's attack?"
"Is it a dragon or something?"
The Fenris knights, while visibly shaken, managed to speak. These brash individuals, even when scared, clung to their bravado.
But the soldiers who had come with the mayor dropped their weapons and collapsed to the ground. One even wet himself in terror.
Ghislain clicked his tongue and stomped his foot as he saw the chaos among the ranks.
Boom!
"Get a hold of yourselves!"
Equidema's roar had an effect similar to a dragon fear. It paralyzed the knights with terror, freezing them in place.
When the knights finally managed to grip their weapons tightly again, something else began to pour out of the rift.
Screeech!
"W-What now?"
Lucas, ever the drama queen, widened his eyes and shouted as strange creatures emerged by the dozens.
They were humanoid in shape, but their bodies were gray, their arms unusually long, and their eyes glowed red. They were hairless, with sharp, elongated teeth and claws. Their skeletal ribs were visible, their stomachs sunken in as if starved.
In short, they looked like grotesquely twisted humans. In Ghislain's past life, these creatures had been called "Riftborn."
Ghislain shouted again, his voice ringing loud.
"They're Riftborn! Stop them from spreading! I'll handle the beast!"
Screeeeech!
The comparatively smaller Riftborn scattered in all directions. Naturally, they clashed with the knights encircling the area.
"Damn it! Screw it, let's go!"
"Get these disgusting freaks!"
"Kill them all!"
The knights unleashed their mana in explosive bursts. The visceral disgust and primal rejection they felt toward the creatures forced them to start at full strength.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Screeeeech!
The Riftborn were incredibly agile, with razor-sharp attacks. While they didn't use mana, their physical abilities rivaled those of low-ranking knights.
Drooling, they attacked anything they could see indiscriminately.
The city's soldiers, unable to regain their composure despite Ghislain's warnings, were ripped apart in moments.
"Aaaagh!"
The screams of soldiers echoed from all directions as the Riftborn began feasting on their flesh.
The mayor, trembling violently, stumbled back and shouted, "H-Help him! Help Count Fenris!"
At the mayor's command, the city's knights and soldiers joined the fray. What had initially been dozens of Riftborn had now grown to hundreds, as more poured out of the rift.
Realizing they would all die if they didn't hold the line, the city's knights and soldiers swung their weapons wildly, driven by fear.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Screeeeech!
"Aaaagh!"
The screams of men echoed everywhere. Still, the Fenris knights managed to contain the Riftborn within the area by unleashing their full strength.
Amidst the chaos, Ghislain and Equidema simply stared at each other, neither making the first move.
Grrrrr…
Equidema began circling slowly, studying Ghislain. It was cautious of the human who had managed to wound it.
Ghislain watched its movements and smiled.
"It's been a while."
Of course, he didn't expect the creature to understand his words.
In all likelihood, this wasn't the same beast he had killed in his past life. Equidema appeared every time a rift opened.
Still, he had long expected to face it again.
It was inevitable.
"This time, it'll be different from my past life."
When Ghislain first encountered this creature in his previous life, the world was already on the brink of destruction.
No one had prepared for the rifts, nor had they even anticipated them.
But now, things are different.
He had prepared extensively for the tribulations to come. Thanks to Ravier, he had been able to close far more rifts than he had in his past life.
Others had also begun preparing against the schemes of the Church of Salvation. While it wasn't perfect, many lords had started gathering armies and reinforcing their defenses.
This time, things would change. They had to change.
"This time, I'll erase every last one of you from this world."
Whoooosh!
Ghislain's eyes glowed red. Simultaneously, dark red energy began swirling around his body.
His sword emitted a blazing aura, a long crimson blade extending from its edge.
Grrrr…
Equidema crouched low, its muscles bulging as if about to explode.
It had recognized the human before it as a formidable foe.
Ghislain and Equidema circled each other slowly, each waiting for the smallest opening to strike.
Then, as the blue smoke pouring from Equidema's mouth briefly obscured their vision—
Swish!
Ghislain and Equidema charged at each other simultaneously.
BOOOOM!
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]