Chapter 415

Boom!

A surge of powerful mana erupted, shaking the surroundings and causing the very building to tremble.

The knights hesitated and instinctively took a step back. It wasn’t just the oppressive force of the mana—it was the foreboding sense that clawed its way up from the depths of their souls.

“What... what is this?”

“How can the mana be this overwhelming...?”

“Retreat! We need to fall back for now.”

The knights spread out, forming a perimeter around the building, their eyes darting nervously as they scanned the area.

“You all... why aren’t you running away?”

The people around them weren’t behaving as they should. Just as Lukas had mentioned to Ghislain, something about them seemed... off.

In situations like this, fear should have driven them to flee. Yet the townsfolk stood frozen, their faces expressionless, their gazes fixed solely on the crumbling building.

Turning to look back, Ghislain murmured coldly, “They’ve already been consumed. They’ll transform soon. Kill them all.”

Crack! Snap!

Sizzle!

Before Ghislain’s words even fully registered, the people began to change. Their bodies twisted grotesquely, shedding their human forms. As soon as their transformations completed, they charged straight at the knights.

Sssssk!

“Damn it! I knew this would happen!”

Thwack!

Lukas shouted as he swung his spear, cleaving the head off one of the creatures.

The other knights quickly adjusted, striking down the mutants with precision. As long as they avoided the acidic venom spraying from their blood, dispatching the creatures wasn’t particularly difficult.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Within moments, dozens of the mutated creatures lay dead. It was around then that the Rift began to reveal itself.

Boom!

The building, unable to withstand the force of the mana surging from beneath, collapsed entirely. The grotesque creature with the ironically beautiful name "Sera" was crushed under the falling debris, its body bursting apart.

Crackle!

Amidst the rubble, a tear appeared in the air. From it, a radiant light spilled forth as if the very fabric of space was being ripped apart.

“W-what the... what is that?”

The knights stared in astonishment, their expressions blank with disbelief.

The sight was utterly surreal—a fracture appearing in empty space, expanding outward as though glass were shattering.

Crack! Crackle!

The Rift lived up to its name, the fissures spreading outward in jagged patterns. It resembled shattered glass, but the radiant light spilling from within carried a strangely divine aura, in stark contrast to the foreboding atmosphere earlier.

The fractures widened, and shards of the air seemed to fall away, revealing an inner void filled with dark violet light.

The knights, transfixed by the sight, gasped as they realized what was emerging.

“What is that...?”

“There’s... something inside.”

“Is it a monster?”

Behind the void, an ominous, glowing eye emerged, glaring at them with a predatory intensity.

Grrr...

From deep within the Rift came the faint growl of a beast, its tone carrying a mix of impatience and rage. Something on the other side desperately wanted to escape.

Then, tiny motes of light began to seep through the Rift, scattering into the air.

“Destroy those things immediately!” Ghislain’s command rang out, breaking the knights’ trance.

The motes of light were dangerous—only those capable of wielding mana could neutralize them.

Even as fear lingered in their hearts, the knights moved, swinging their weapons at the glowing particles.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The particles shattered easily, but there were far too many of them.

“What are these things?” one knight asked.

“Mutagens,” Ghislain answered curtly.

“W-what?”

“If they enter a person’s body, they’ll turn into one of those mutants. Don’t let a single one escape.”

“Ugh! That’s disgusting!”

Despite their revulsion, the knights poured mana into their strikes, obliterating the motes. Though they knew they wouldn’t easily mutate themselves, the thought alone left them uneasy.

Ghislain, his blade radiating a fiery aura, stood unmoving, gathering his strength. He could have obliterated the entire space and the motes within it with a single, overwhelming spell, but he bided his time.

Meanwhile, a massive silhouette began to emerge from beyond the Rift.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted the knights. The town’s mayor, flanked by soldiers, stormed onto the scene.

“Count Fenris! What in the blazes is going on here? Why have you brought such chaos to another man’s territory?”

The mayor was visibly furious. Regardless of Ghislain’s noble rank, this was an outrageous breach of protocol.

Equidema’s roar carried an effect akin to Dragon Fear, paralyzing its victims with primal terror. But Ghislain’s commanding presence snapped the knights back to their senses.

As they regained their composure and tightened their grips on their weapons, more figures began to pour out of the Rift.

Screech!

“W-what is it this time?”

Lukas, ever the dramatic, widened his eyes as dozens of grotesque creatures leaped into view.

They resembled humans in form, but their gray bodies, elongated arms, and crimson eyes marked them as something else entirely. Their skin was hairless and stretched taut over bony frames, with ribcages protruding grotesquely. Sharp claws and fangs completed their monstrous appearance.

These abominations looked like humans twisted into nightmarish forms. In his past life, Ghislain had learned to call them "Riftborn."

Raising his voice, Ghislain shouted, “Those are Riftborn! Don’t let a single one escape! I’ll handle the beast!”

Screech! Screech!

The smaller Riftborn scattered in all directions, colliding with the knights encircling the area.

“Ah, damn it! To hell with this!”

“Disgusting freaks!”

“Kill them all!”

The knights unleashed their mana in explosive bursts. The overwhelming revulsion they felt toward the Riftborn pushed them to fight with all their strength from the outset.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Screech!

The Riftborn were incredibly agile, their sharp claws and fangs making their attacks deadly. Though they didn’t wield mana, their physical abilities rivaled those of mid-level knights.

Drooling profusely, the creatures attacked indiscriminately, tearing apart anyone within reach.

The local soldiers, still dazed and unprepared, were easy prey. Within moments, many had been ripped apart, their blood and flesh consumed by the ravenous monsters.

“Ahhhhhh!”

The air was filled with the screams of dying soldiers. The Riftborn feasted on their flesh, ignoring all else.

Watching the chaos unfold, the mayor trembled violently, stumbling backward as he cried out, “H-help them! Assist Count Fenris!”

Spurred on by the mayor’s desperate plea, the city’s knights and soldiers reluctantly joined the fight.

What had started as a few dozen Riftborn quickly grew into hundreds as more poured out of the Rift.

The soldiers fought frantically, driven by the fear that failure here would mean their own deaths.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Screech!

Amidst the chaos, the knights of Fenris stood as a bulwark, their explosive mana and relentless strikes keeping the Riftborn contained.

Despite the carnage, Ghislain remained focused on Equidema, their gazes locked in mutual challenge.

Grrrrr...

The massive beast moved slowly to the side, circling Ghislain while observing him cautiously. The man who had injured it was no ordinary opponent, and Equidema’s predatory instincts warned it to proceed carefully.

Ghislain, in turn, watched the beast’s movements with a wry smile. “It’s been a while.”

Of course, he didn’t expect the creature to understand him. This Equidema likely wasn’t even the same one he had fought in his previous life. Every time a Rift opened, a new beast emerged to wreak havoc.

But Ghislain had anticipated this encounter for a long time. It was inevitable.

“This time, things will be different.”

When he had faced Equidema in his previous life, the world was already crumbling. No one had prepared for the Rifts, let alone the horrors they unleashed.

But now, things had changed.

He had spent years preparing for this moment, laying plans to counter the calamities of the Rifts. With Raviel’s help, he had eradicated countless Rifts in advance, far surpassing his efforts in his previous life.

The lords of the realm had also begun taking precautions, mobilizing armies in response to the Salvation Order’s schemes. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.

This time, it would be different. It had to be.

“This time, I’ll wipe you and your kind off the face of the earth.”

Whoosh!

Ghislain’s eyes glowed a vivid red as an ominous, crimson-black energy enveloped his body.

The blade in his hands flared to life, its aura extending into a blazing crimson arc.

Grrrrr...

Equidema crouched low, its muscles tensing as if ready to spring. It had realized the man before it was no ordinary prey.

The two circled each other slowly, each waiting for the slightest opening to strike.

Then, the blue smoke pouring from Equidema’s mouth briefly obscured their view of each other.

Flash!

Both Ghislain and Equidema lunged simultaneously, their attacks aimed with lethal precision.

Boom!