Then—
His fingers tightened around the remaining core.
**CRACK.**
The crystal shattered.
Draven opened his mouth.
The fragments disappeared between his teeth.
He swallowed.
Aldric's eyes widened.
"...You damn idiot."
Draven continued absorbing.
Aldric stared at him in disbelief.
"...What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Draven finally glanced toward him.
"...Absorbing them. What does it look like I'm doing?"
Aldric's expression twitched.
"...Yeah, I can see that."
He pointed toward the shattered remains.
"...You already have enough!"
Draven looked back toward the core fragments.
"...Shut up."
Aldric frowned.
"...You're going to kill yourself before we even get out of here."
Draven wiped the blood from his mouth.
"...Then what the hell are you here for if you're just going to let that happen?"
Aldric stared at him for a moment.
Then sighed.
"...Damn brat."
He glanced toward the widening Breach.
Another roar shook the ruins.
**ROOOOOOOAAARRR—!!**
Aldric's expression hardened.
"...Just hurry up."
He looked back at Draven.
"...Because those things aren't going to wait for you."
---
High above the city—
The remaining airships had completed their preparations.
Inside the lead vessel—
The captain stared down at the battlefield.
The massive Rift Breaker was still tearing through the ruined streets below.
The cannon arrays were fully charged.
Mana pulsed through the engraved mechanisms.
An officer stood beside the control array.
"...All cannons are at maximum charge."
Another officer looked toward the captain.
"...Firing solution confirmed."
The captain slowly raised his hand.
His expression was cold.
"...Fire."
The final cannons fired.
**BOOOOOOM—!!**
The combined barrage struck the Rift Breaker.
For several seconds—
The entire district disappeared beneath a massive explosion.
Blinding mana swallowed the battlefield.
A violent shockwave swept through the streets.
Military vehicles were pushed sideways.
One armored vehicle lost control and was thrown into the side of an abandoned building.
**CRASH!**
The vehicle was crushed against the wall.
Fortunately—
The surrounding area had already been evacuated.
No civilians were caught in the blast.
The shockwave gradually weakened.
Dust and smoke filled the battlefield.
Inside the airships—
The officers stared through the viewing windows.
No one spoke.
They waited.
Slowly—
The smoke began to clear.
Nothing moved.
The crater remained.
But the Rift Breaker was nowhere to be seen.
One officer checked the readings.
His eyes widened.
"...No life signature."
Another officer immediately looked toward the captain.
"...Target eliminated."
The captain released a long breath.
"...Good."
Relief spread through the ship.
Several soldiers lowered their weapons.
Some finally allowed themselves to breathe.
Below—
The soldiers on the ground also began moving.
The captain immediately shouted orders.
"...Don't stand around!"
"...Search the surrounding districts!"
"...Find anyone affected by the corruption!"
Another officer saluted.
"Yes, Captain!"
The soldiers quickly spread out.
"...Check every street!"
"...Anyone showing signs of corruption is to be isolated immediately!"
The Black Eagle Guild also began moving.
Lady Onoria raised her staff.
"...You heard him."
Her expression was serious.
"...Spread out."
"...Help the soldiers locate the corrupted."
The guild members immediately moved.
Mages rushed into the damaged streets.
Others searched buildings and alleyways.
Some climbed through collapsed structures.
Others checked the wounded and searched for anyone displaying signs of Abyssal corruption.
The battle appeared to be coming to an end.
At least—
That's what everyone believed.
---
Several streets away—
On the balcony of a four-story building—
A figure quietly watched the aftermath.
He was a dark-feathered demi-human with the head of a black bird.
His sharp eyes remained fixed on the battlefield.
The emblem of the Golden Claw Guild was attached to his cloak.
He was the guild master.
He crossed his arms.
"...Looks like they've got everything under control."
His gaze followed the soldiers moving through the streets.
"...No reason for us to interfere."
He glanced toward his guild members waiting behind him.
"...We'll stay out of this."
The guild members silently nodded.
---
On another rooftop—
Illyria remained beside Hannah.
The former battlefield was slowly becoming quieter.
The screams had diminished.
The military formations were spreading through the surrounding streets.
The smoke was gradually clearing.
Illyria finally turned.
"...It's over."
She looked toward Hannah.
"...Princess."
"...We should leave."
Hannah didn't answer.
Illyria took a step.
Then—
She froze.
Her expression changed.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"...Wait."
Hannah looked at her.
"...What is it?"
Illyria didn't respond.
She had felt something.
A presence.
A terrifying fluctuation of Abyssal mana.
Her head slowly turned.
Then—
Hannah felt it too.
Her eyes widened.
"...Illyria..."
Illyria's gaze snapped toward the distant ruins.
"...You felt it."
Hannah nodded.
Silence.
Then—
Everyone began turning.
Soldiers.
Adventurers.
Mages.
The people aboard the airships.
One by one—
Their gazes shifted toward the enormous hole in the earth.
The officers aboard the airships stared in disbelief.
"...Impossible."
One of them rushed toward the viewing window.
"...Captain!"
The captain turned.
"...What is it?"
The officer pointed downward.
"...Look!"
The darkness inside the hole moved.
Something was climbing upward.
A massive claw emerged.
Then another.
The ground cracked around the crater.
**CRAAAAACK...**
Dark purple mist began spilling upward.
The captain's face went pale.
"...No."
A massive silhouette slowly emerged from the darkness.
The soldiers below froze.
The adventurers stopped moving.
The airships went silent.
Then—
The creature pulled itself completely out of the hole.
A Rift Breaker.
Another one.
Alive.
Its crimson eyes slowly opened.
**ROOOOOOAAARRR—!!**
The roar swept across the city.
Buildings trembled.
Dust fell from damaged rooftops.
Several soldiers instinctively raised their weapons again.
Illyria's expression became grim.
"...It wasn't over."
Hannah stared at the creature.
"...There are more?"
Illyria's eyes narrowed.
"...Not just one."
Her gaze shifted toward the hole.
"...Look carefully."
More movement could be seen within the darkness.
Something else was climbing upward.
A second massive claw appeared.
Then—
Another.
The soldiers slowly backed away.
One officer whispered into his communication crystal.
"...Additional targets emerging from the Breach."
The response came almost immediately.
"...How many?"
The officer stared into the darkness.
His face gradually lost its color.
"...We don't know."
Another enormous silhouette moved beneath the surface.
Then another.
The ground around the Breach began cracking apart.
**CRACK...**
**CRACK...**
**CRAAAAACK!**
Dark Abyssal mana poured from the opening like smoke.
The captain stared down in disbelief.
"...How many of them are there?"
No one answered.
The silence that had settled over the city disappeared.
Panic began spreading once again.
People who had only just stopped running started screaming.
Soldiers raised their weapons.
Airships began repositioning.
The Black Eagle Guild members stopped their search and turned toward the Breach.
And from beneath the city—
More Rift Breakers continued climbing toward the surface.