The aftermath of Princess Yurei Skyfall's attack left the district in stunned silence.
Hiro stood frozen where he was, staring at the empty sky where dozens of Abyssals had been only moments before.
Dust drifted lazily through the air, illuminated by fading strands of white Aether.
'So this… is the strength of an Imperial soldier.'
The thought echoed through his mind as his heart pounded wildly in his chest. He had grown up hearing stories about the Imperial Army, about their Blessings, their techniques, their dominance over the Gates but witnessing it in person was something else entirely.
It was overwhelming.However, before relief could truly settle in, the ground beneath them began to tremble.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each impact was heavy. Rhythmic. Closing in.Princess Yurei's posture stiffened instantly.
"This is bad," she muttered under her breath.
Hiro, who had been staring at the sky moments earlier, looked at her in confusion. For the first time since he had seen her fight, he noticed something unsettling.
Her left hand was trembling.If someone as powerful as her was quivering…
Then whatever was approaching had to be beyond her strength.
"Let's ru—"
She never finished the sentence.A monstrous shape descended from above, crashing down several dozen meters ahead of them with earth-shattering force.
The impact sent shockwaves through the street, cracking asphalt and shattering nearby windows.
When the dust cleared, Hiro's pupils shrank in pure terror.A gigantic violet Abyssal spider towered before them.Unlike the others, this one was colossal easily the height of a small skyscraper. Its legs were thick like pillars, muscles bulging beneath hardened chitin. Six massive eyes gleamed with intelligence far beyond the mindless hunger of the lesser Abyssals.Cruelty radiated from them.
But what truly suffocated the air was its aura.A thick, malignant pressure poured from its body—dense, violent, brimming with unrestrained killer intent. The mere act of standing in its presence felt like drowning in tar.
Hiro's knees buckled.He fell backward onto the pavement, unable to control his body.
"What… what is that?" he whispered.
Before panic could consume him completely, Yurei grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back to his feet.
"Close your eyes," she ordered sharply.
He stared at her, confused.
"When I say run, we run like hell."
Her spear ignited with blinding brilliance.
She shifted into stance, feet firmly planted, spear angled toward the sky.
"Longinus Spear Art: Dazzling Brilliance!"
The weapon erupted in radiant white light, far brighter than before.Instinctively, Hiro squeezed his eyes shut.A massive flash detonated outward, engulfing the entire street in pure, blinding illumination.
"Run!!!"
On cue, Hiro bolted.He ran as if his life depended on it—because it did.Behind him, he could hear the enraged screech of the colossal Abyssal.But his speed was nothing compared to Yurei's.Within seconds, she caught up to him and grabbed his hand, dragging him forward. His feet struggled to keep up with her pace.
"Why are we running?" Hiro shouted between breaths. "You can totally beat that overgrown spider!"
Even as he said it, he knew the creature would haunt his nightmares.
"That 'overgrown spider' is a Class Five Abyssal," Yurei snapped. "Fighting it alone is akin to suicide—especially when I'm running out of Aether!"
The words hit him hard. 'Running out of Aether?'
"What about your Beast Slave?" he asked desperately. "Maybe with—"
"I don't have one," she cut him off coldly.
Hiro nearly tripped.
She didn't have a Beast Slave?
What kind of Imperial soldier, what kind of Princess—fought without one?
The thought barely formed before a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his abdomen.
"Ah—!"
A cramp.Of all times. Yurei clicked her tongue in irritation. Without slowing down, she scooped him into her arms in a princess carry, clamping her spear between her teeth.
Then she accelerated.Her speed rivaled that of a speeding car, wind whipping violently against Hiro's face. Buildings blurred past as she leapt across debris and broken streets.
Hiro risked a glance behind them.
The monstrous spider was no longer visible.
Phew… we're safe—
The thought never finished.
A massive shadow engulfed them both.
Yurei stopped instantly.They looked up.
Descending from the sky, like a falling meteor of violet chitin, was the Class Five Abyssal.
Yurei reacted immediately.She hurled Hiro several meters to the side before launching herself in the opposite direction.
BOOM!!!
The Abyssal slammed into the ground where they had stood moments earlier, flattening everything beneath it and creating a massive crater.Concrete, cars, and streetlights were crushed like paper.
The creature's six eyes shifted.They locked onto Hiro.One of its enormous legs swung toward him with devastating force.
"Longinus Spear: Extend!!!"
From Yurei's position, her spear elongated unnaturally, stretching across the battlefield in an instant. The shaft struck Hiro squarely, knocking him out of the attack's path.
BOOM!!!
The Abyssal's leg struck the ground, carving out another crater. Hiro rolled painfully across shattered asphalt.
'If that had hit me… I'd be paste' a flash of terror went through Hiro's eyes.
Yurei was already moving. Leaping across scattered debris with inhuman agility, she launched herself upward, landing directly atop the Abyssal's head. She met its six glowing eyes without hesitation.
Her spear glowed gold this time, brighter, denser.
"Longinus Spear Art: Reaper Slash!!!"
She swung. A massive arc of golden energy tore through the air, striking the Abyssal's head directly. The shockwave extended far beyond the target, slicing two nearby buildings cleanly in half.
Concrete collapsed in distant crashes.
For a brief second, hope ignited in Hiro's chest.
But when the dust cleared—
The Abyssal remained unharmed.Not a single crack marked its body.It opened its massive jaws. A torrent of green, corrosive fluid erupted from its mouth. The spray struck Yurei midair.
She was blasted backward, crashing violently into a distant building. The structure partially collapsed upon impact.
The Abyssal's attention returned to Hiro.
Its mouth opened again.The same green liquid began to gather.
'Crap. It's over' Hiro seriously regretting waiting with Brad.
The spray launched toward him.But before it could reach him—
Bandages shot from nowhere, wrapping tightly around his waist. He was yanked sideways just as the corrosive fluid struck the ground where he had stood.
Ssssss!!!
The pavement melted instantly. Nearby cars dissolved into bubbling sludge where stray droplets landed.
"That would have turned me into porridge…"
Heart racing, Hiro looked up.
Standing atop a streetlight was another Imperial soldier.She had a slender build and long black hair tied neatly behind her head. One golden eye stared down at him calmly, while the other was hidden beneath a black eyepatch.Her expression was dull. Almost bored.
"Why the hell are you outside during a Gate breach?" she asked in a slow, almost depressed tone.
"Do you have a death wish or something?"
"I was heading to a bunker!" Hiro protested. "Miss Yurei was protecting me and—"
The Abyssal screeched and began charging toward them. The girl glanced at it, unimpressed.
"A Grade Five… no wonder Captain was struggling," she muttered.Her bandages tightened around Hiro again.
"I'll keep this thing busy. You go check on the Captain. Think you can manage that?"
Hiro opened his mouth. "Well, I think I—"
"Good."
Before he could finish, she spun him around like a sling projectile and hurled him toward the building where Yurei had crashed.
He flew through the air uncontrollably his fate unknown.
Behind him, the girl landed lightly on the street as her bandages unfurled around her like living serpents.
The colossal Abyssal loomed before her.
She let out a tired sigh.
"I'm so going to die like this," she muttered.
"This is so depressing."