With a single clash, both Ghislain and Equidema were flung in opposite directions.
The knights, who were battling the Riftborn nearby, caught a glimpse of the scene and were stunned.
'The lord was pushed back?'
'What is that monster?'
'This is insane… are we all going to die like this?'
Ghislain is one of the top five powerhouses in the kingdom. For him to be pushed back—just how strong was that beast?
Of course, the beast had also been forced back by Ghislain's power, which meant it wasn't overwhelmingly stronger.
But the problem was that monsters like this one would soon begin appearing all over the continent.
Superhuman-level monsters, numbering in the hundreds or thousands, were poised to devastate the continent.
'This really is the apocalypse.'
No other word could describe it.
Kaaaargh!
Equidema roared again, exhaling blue smoke that spread endlessly from its mouth.
Boom!
Each time the beast stomped its massive feet, the ground trembled. Those fighting nearby staggered from the shockwaves.
Wherever Equidema's feet landed, the ground gradually turned an ashen gray.
Ghislain glared at the beast and drew upon his mana once more.
'Corruption….'
In military terms, Equidema was akin to the vanguard commander. With every breath it exhaled and every step it took, it altered the environment.
Its aura allowed the Riftborn to emerge and thrive in this space.
'The longer this drags on, the worse it gets.'
It needed to be eliminated quickly. The more time passed, the more Riftborn would emerge. Even now, their numbers are steadily increasing.
Clang! Clang! Boom!
"Damn it! They just keep coming!"
"Are these things Greggs spawns or something?"
"They broke through again! Take them down!"
The knights were already starting to tire, even though it hadn't been long. Each Riftborn's physical abilities were formidable enough, but their overwhelming numbers made it even harder to endure.
Fortunately, the soldiers and knights who had escorted the evacuees were returning. The city's defense forces, alerted by the commotion, were also on their way.
This was a duchy-affiliated territory with significant resources. Despite being a small city, nearly 500 defenders had arrived.
Seeing this, the mayor shouted urgently.
"Stop them! Block the monsters! Help the Fenris knights!"
It was a surprisingly wise decision for someone who had opposed Ghislain earlier. The mayor was doing everything he could to prevent the Riftborn from spreading further.
"Hold the line!"
At the command of the defense force's leader, the knights and soldiers charged at the Riftborn.
Even the latecomers, though bewildered and struggling to grasp the situation, managed to respond calmly thanks to prior briefings about the Rift.
Still, the primary reason for their composure was the Fenris knights, who continued to fight fiercely at the forefront.
Kaaaargh!
"Die, you disgusting bastards!"
The soldiers were no match for the Riftborn in direct combat, but by holding the perimeter, they made it easier for the Fenris knights to engage effectively.
Ghislain glanced at the scene briefly.
While the others kept the Riftborn at bay, he needed to take down Equidema before it could fully unleash its power.
Drawing upon even more mana, Ghislain steeled himself. To end this quickly, he would have to unleash his full strength.
"Dark, let's begin."
— Don't die.
Dark used its ability to amplify Ghislain's emotions.
Kwoooosh!
The dark red energy surrounding Ghislain grew even more intense, spreading outward and pressing against Equidema.
Grrr….
Equidema let out a low growl, clearly displeased. Its beastly eyes turned an even deeper red, radiating pure malice and fury.
"Let's go," Ghislain muttered, stepping forward.
Boom!
The ground cracked beneath his feet. Activating his third core, amplified by Dark's influence, gave him power beyond measure.
All the negative emotions Ghislain had experienced in his life converged, burning like a roaring flame.
'I will kill it.'
His mind held only one goal. Every ounce of his anger urged him to obliterate the enemy before him.
The harbinger of the apocalypse, Equidema.
In his previous life, this monster had killed countless people and plunged the world into despair.
It had taken the lives of many comrades in his mercenary corps, along with countless other allies.
How many times had he cursed his own weakness during those moments?
How often had he grieved over his inability to protect others?
Stopping the Rift was a step toward ultimate victory, a way to save lives and minimize suffering.
But at this moment, Ghislain forgot all about lofty ideals.
He simply couldn't stand the beast before him. He wanted to kill it—no, he had to kill it.
"Die."
In an instant, Ghislain's aura blade lashed out, striking Equidema's body.
Boom!
The beast tried to evade, but the attack was too swift, slicing deep into its side.
From the gaping wound, blue smoke poured out furiously, just as it did from its mouth.
Thwack!
Ghislain's aura blade struck again, this time plunging deep into Equidema. The beast, realizing it couldn't dodge, braced itself and took the blow head-on.
Boom!
Another explosion echoed, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
The knights, soldiers, and even the rampaging Riftborn were knocked off their feet by the impact.
The Riftborn surrounding Ghislain were obliterated, their bodies torn apart by the sheer force of the attack.
But Equidema endured. It retaliated with its powerful forepaw, slashing at Ghislain.
Screeech!
The dark red energy enveloping Ghislain was torn apart in several places, momentarily exposing his body.
No one had ever managed to break through Ghislain's protective aura before, yet this beast had done so.
Though the dark red energy quickly reformed, its hue had darkened. It now carried traces of Ghislain's blood.
Trusting in his regenerative abilities, Ghislain swung his sword again.
Boom!
Equidema's body flinched. The strike was too fast and powerful for it to dodge completely.
But Ghislain was also struggling. Equidema's sheer size and strength made it difficult to avoid its rapid, devastating attacks.
A Rift beast, endowed with extraordinary power and instinct, was a natural-born apex predator.
Gritting his teeth, Ghislain swung his sword once more.
Boom!
To fight cautiously would make it impossible to land a decisive blow on Equidema. He couldn't afford to prolong the battle; his strength had limits.
Equidema showed no fear of injury. Confident in its own power, it willingly took Ghislain's attacks to launch its own in return.
Boom!
Their battle was a clash of pure savagery, driven by nothing but the intent to kill. Both Ghislain and Equidema relentlessly struck and tore at each other, refusing to back down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The crimson aura surrounding Ghislain was shredded repeatedly, scattering into the air as dark smoke. Equidema's body was covered in deep wounds, blue smoke billowing from every gash.
The mingling of their respective energies filled the space around them.
Rooooar!
Equidema let out a deafening roar, unable to comprehend why the small human before it refused to die.
Thud!
Equidema had begun retreating, step by step, each time it was struck by Ghislain.
It couldn't accept it. It couldn't admit that it was being pushed back by such a small creature.
Ghislain, observing Equidema's retreat, took another step forward.
'Come.'
He had fought this monster countless times in his previous life. No matter how powerful it was, in the end, it was nothing more than a beast.
He couldn't back down. He couldn't let himself be consumed by its momentum.
He had to push harder, press the advantage.
Boom!
Ghislain stepped forward again, swinging his sword. Equidema was pushed back even further.
A beast that realizes its claws are ineffective will inevitably resort to stronger weapons. Equidema stopped swinging its claws.
Kaaaargh!
The massive creature lunged at Ghislain in a single bound, its jaws opening wide to swallow him whole.
As Equidema's head approached, Ghislain swung his sword once more.
Boom!
One of Equidema's eyes burst, and half its face was split open. Yet, despite the pain, it charged forward, undeterred.
Chomp!
With terrifying speed, Ghislain's body was caught in Equidema's jaws. The force was so great that escape seemed impossible.
Crunch!
Equidema didn't simply swallow him. It bit down hard, trying to crush Ghislain's body within its powerful jaws.
"Grrk!"
A groan escaped Ghislain's lips as Equidema's enormous, razor-sharp teeth pierced through his shield and began pressing into his flesh.
More dire than the physical pain, however, was the blue smoke continuously pouring from Equidema's mouth.
The smoke seeped through the gaps in Ghislain's shield, invading his body. Red blotches began appearing and disappearing across his skin as his body fought off the smoke again and again.
The blue smoke wasn't a simple poison—it was closer to a disease. Ghislain's body was trapped in a cycle of repelling and succumbing to the infection.
"Urghhh…"
Gritting his teeth, Ghislain poured more power into his aura blade. Leaving only the bare minimum of mana to protect his body, he focused everything else into his sword.
Gripping his blade in reverse, Ghislain aimed for Equidema's already ruptured eye. The extended aura blade reached its target.
Shhhhkt!
Sparks flew, accompanied by a sound like metal being punctured. A little more pressure, and he could pierce all the way through its head.
Failing to kill Ghislain instantly, Equidema had no choice but to open its jaws.
'Now!'
Equidema tried to lunge at him again, but Ghislain was quicker.
Taat!
He leapt onto Equidema's head, charging toward its remaining eye.
"Now, die already."
The crimson aura that had been protecting Ghislain's body disappeared entirely. He had funneled every last drop of mana into his sword.
Slash!
Ghislain's aura blade surged with unparalleled force, piercing through Equidema's eye and reducing the beast's brain to pulp.
Roar!
Equidema reared its massive body and thrashed its head violently, but the light in its eyes had already faded.
Its organs, unprotected by its otherwise impervious exterior, couldn't withstand the aura blade.
Grrrk…
The blue smoke pouring from Equidema's mouth gradually began to thin.
With its brain destroyed, not even Equidema could escape death. Its overwhelmingly powerful body clung to life for a moment longer, but it was a hollow existence.
Unable to move, unable to fight, the beast could only await its end.
Thud!
Equidema, staggering, collapsed to the ground. No more blue smoke emerged.
Its massive body heaved a few final breaths before its eyes closed for good.
"Hah…."
Ghislain sank to the ground in front of Equidema's corpse.
Having expended all his mana, he had no strength left to fight. His bones were fractured, his muscles torn.
A faint trace of mana flowed through his body, attempting to heal him, but the wounds were too severe to heal quickly.
"Finally… it's dead."
Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible to climb onto Equidema's head.
But Ghislain had refused to back down, relentlessly pressing the beast until it was forced to expose its weakness.
Seizing that brief opening, he destroyed its brain, securing his victory.
With Equidema dead, no more Riftborn emerged from the portal. The Riftborn that were already present began to convulse.
Kaaaah!
The creatures clawed at their own bodies, clutching their heads and screaming in agony.
Those who had been fighting the Riftborn stepped back, startled.
"W-What's happening?"
"Why are they acting like this all of a sudden?"
"Have they gone mad?"
Nearly a thousand Riftborn had emerged. Just moments ago, everyone had been despairing over how to kill them all. Now, they had stopped attacking and were writhing in distress.
"This is our chance! Kill them!"
Lucas shouted, charging forward, but stopped abruptly.
Shhhh…
The Riftborn's bodies began splitting apart, disintegrating into dust.
It was as if they were never meant to exist in this world.
"What… what's happening?"
The onlookers stared in shock as the Riftborn dissolved into nothingness.
Sitting amidst the chaos, Ghislain looked around and muttered, "They're finally disappearing."
In his previous life, the saintess had said that the beings beyond the Rift were not permitted to exist in this world.
Turning his gaze to Equidema's corpse, Ghislain watched as the massive body began to crack and crumble into dust.
Seeing this, he let out a sigh.
"It would've been nice if it ended here."
Even though everything had turned to dust and vanished, the Rift itself remained, still ominously present in its place.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]