The soldiers stared at the newly emerged Rift Breaker.
For several seconds—
None of them moved.
One soldier's face went pale.
"...No way."
His grip tightened around his rifle.
"...Another one?"
A second soldier looked toward the hole.
"...We just killed one!"
His voice rose in disbelief.
"...How is there another?!"
Then—
A second massive silhouette began climbing out.
The soldier's expression completely changed.
"...Wait."
His eyes widened.
"...There's another one!"
Panic spread through the formation.
"Another!"
"There's more coming out!"
"How many are down there?!"
The adventurers nearby stared in disbelief.
One of them slowly lowered his weapon.
"...Another one?"
His companion shook his head.
"...No way."
"...There wasn't supposed to be more than one."
A third adventurer stared toward the crater.
"...So it wasn't just that one..."
His voice trembled.
"...There are multiple Rift Breakers?"
Another enormous hand emerged.
The ground cracked beneath it.
**CRAAAAACK...**
The adventurers took several steps backward.
"...Two more..."
"...Two more!"
The Golden Claw Guild Master remained on the distant balcony.
His expression had become completely serious.
"...This is bad."
His eyes remained fixed on the creatures.
"...One of those things caused this much destruction."
He glanced toward the ruined streets.
Buildings had collapsed.
Entire sections of the district had been destroyed.
Military vehicles lay scattered across the roads.
"...And now there are two more."
His jaw tightened.
"...No."
He looked toward the airships.
"...This is much worse than I thought."
---
Lady Onoria didn't move in the slightest.
Her gaze remained fixed intently on the creatures.
Then—
Her eyes flickered toward the airships.
"...They won't be able to fire again."
She frowned.
"...They just fired their strongest attack."
"...Those weapons need time to recover."
Her expression darkened.
"...They can't immediately fire another full-power barrage."
She looked back toward the crater.
"...And now we have two more Rift Breakers."
A pause.
"...This is bad."
---
On the rooftop—
Illyria stared toward the hole.
Her expression was no longer calm.
"...So..."
Hannah looked at her.
"...It really happened."
Illyria nodded slowly.
"...A Rift has been opened."
Hannah's eyes flickered.
"...A Rift?"
"...Yes."
Illyria's gaze remained fixed on the creatures climbing from the darkness.
"...Everything we've seen until now..."
"...was only the beginning."
Another claw emerged.
Then another.
Dark Abyssal mana poured from the hole.
Illyria's voice became quieter.
"...Those creatures will continue coming."
Hannah stared.
"...One after another?"
"...Until the Rift is closed."
Illyria's eyes narrowed.
"...If it can even be closed."
Silence.
The meaning of her words settled between them.
Hannah looked toward the city below.
Thousands of people were still inside.
Soldiers were scrambling to reorganize.
Adventurers were gathering their weapons.
Mages were raising barriers.
But none of that changed what was happening.
The hole remained open.
And something was moving inside it.
Illyria slowly shook her head.
"...This city is doomed."
Hannah's expression tightened ever so slightly.
"...You really think so?"
Illyria didn't look away.
"...If the Rift remains open..."
"...It won't stop at this city."
She finally turned toward Hannah.
"...The creatures will spread."
"...The corruption will spread."
"...And eventually..."
Her eyes hardened.
"...The entire region will become a battlefield."
Hannah remained silent.
Below them—
Another roar shook the city.
**ROOOOOAAARRR—!!**
Illyria looked back toward the Rift.
"...This isn't the aftermath of a disaster."
Her voice was almost a whisper.
"...This is the beginning of one."
---
Inside the lead airship—
The atmosphere had completely changed.
Only moments ago, the officers had been celebrating what they believed was a successful attack.
Now—
Every face was tense.
An officer hurried toward the captain.
"...Captain!"
The captain turned sharply.
"Report."
The officer swallowed.
"...Two Rift Breakers have emerged from the crater."
A brief silence followed.
The captain stared at him.
"...Two?"
"Yes, sir."
"...You're certain?"
The officer nodded.
"...Confirmed."
Another officer stepped forward, his voice unsteady.
"Captain..."
"...There's movement inside the hole."
The captain's expression darkened.
"...How much?"
"We can't determine the number."
The officer glanced toward the viewing window.
"...But there are still signs of movement."
Several officers exchanged uneasy looks.
One clenched his fists.
"...How is this possible?"
"We just eliminated one."
Another officer spoke quietly.
"...Apparently, eliminating one doesn't stop them from emerging."
The captain's jaw tightened.
"...What about the cannons?"
The officer responsible for weapons control hesitated.
"...That's the problem, sir."
The captain turned toward him.
"Report their condition."
The officer took a breath.
"...All three ships fired their maximum-output barrage."
He looked down at the readings in his hand.
"...The lead ship's main cannon is currently undergoing emergency cooldown."
"...Its mana chamber is overheated."
The captain frowned.
"...How long?"
"At least several minutes before it can safely fire again."
Another officer immediately continued.
"...The second ship is in a worse condition."
He looked toward the captain.
"...Its main cannon suffered internal damage during the last discharge."
The captain's eyes narrowed.
"Can it fire?"
A pause.
"...Not at maximum output."
"...If we force another shot..."
The officer swallowed.
"...The cannon may rupture."
Silence filled the command room.
The captain slowly turned.
"...And the third?"
The final weapons officer stepped forward.
His expression was grim.
"...The third ship's cannon remains functional."
The captain's eyes briefly brightened.
"Then prepare it."
The officer immediately shook his head.
"...There's a problem."
"...What?"
"The cannon is still cooling."
"...How long?"
"...Longer than the first."
The captain stared at him.
"...How long?"
The officer hesitated.
"...We cannot safely fire it again yet."
Several officers lowered their heads.
One quietly muttered—
"...Then we have no full-power cannon available."
The captain's expression hardened.
Outside the viewing windows—
The two Rift Breakers continued emerging from the crater.
Their enormous bodies towered above the surrounding buildings.
One officer looked toward them.
His hands were trembling.
"...Sir..."
The captain didn't answer.
The officer continued.
"...If more of them emerge before the cannons recover..."
He swallowed.
"...What are we supposed to do?"
No one answered.
The captain stared through the window.
His hands slowly tightened around the railing.
"...We hold the line."
An officer looked at him.
"...With what?"
The captain's eyes remained fixed on the creatures.
His expression hardened.
"...Everything we have."