No Matter What, the Trial World Follows Its Original Flow
Ludenberg Lavante knew that fact all too well. No matter how one tried to alter the flow, the past that had already unfolded was unchangeable. It was something he couldn't twist at will.
Today, no matter what happened, Ashytara—standing anxiously by his side, gazing at the erosion—would die. But did that mean he should do nothing and just stand idly by?
No.
Ludenberg shook his head. Even if catastrophe was inevitable, he had no intention of sitting still. This was, after all, another trial. A test from Raha to temper him. In that case, he had to move without being shackled by fear. He had to make every attempt to save her. Surely Liberatus had done the same.
Ludenberg looked at Ashytara.
"Tara."
"...Yeah."
Ashytara wiped the bewilderment from her face and met his gaze with resolute determination.
"I need a sword."
"The guards on duty right now should have one."
"Right."
"That outfit okay?"
"No time to fuss. You?"
"I can't swing a sword, but I can use saint laws."
"...Right."
"Let's go, Lud. Let's fulfill our duty."
"Yeah."
The two moved swiftly. Returning to the banquet hall, they surveyed the chaos inside. The erosion beasts hadn't breached the interior yet, but with the confusion this severe, the moment even one slipped in, the carnage would be unimaginable.
"Everyone, calm down."
But that worry proved unfounded. Here too, the emperor—Ashytara's father, Rajeta Solenute, standing in for those around Ludenberg—calmed the crowd. Once order was restored, he turned to Ludenberg.
"Ludenberg. Assess the situation and deploy the knight order to hold back the erosion."
"Understood."
"I'll go too."
Rajeta hesitated at Ashytara's words but nodded.
"...Very well."
"Yes."
Ludenberg and Ashytara moved quickly. They evacuated those without combat ability to safety, gathered the guards and knights holding the line, formed ranks, and ordered them to defend the city and palace. The guards and knights sprang into action. Some knights remained at the palace, while others headed out to protect the city.
Soon, erosion beasts tearing through the sky came into view. From colossal ones to tiny swarms, their numbers were overwhelming—far worse than the previous Solemnute raid. Among them, the highest-grade erosion beast, presumed the strongest, crashed directly into the palace garden.
"I'll take that one. Help the knights around it. Leave the highest-grade to me."
"...Yeah."
Ludenberg didn't hesitate at the sight of the highest-grade beast. He kicked off the ground. Vitality surged through his body. But the omnipotence he'd felt before was absent. This was the stark reality of operating in the past. His current body was far stronger than his own, yet it paled against the all-encompassing power of Liberatus's body from the first trial.
Still, this should be enough to face a highest-grade erosion beast. Believing that, Ludenberg recalled his conviction and began reinforcing his body and sword. The unyielding belief that he had no limits awakened the latent vitality within him. Conviction was the power of the mind. The spirit he'd honed all this time now shone brightest.
He felt fierce vitality coursing through him—almost like the early days of the first trial, when he'd first felled a highest-grade beast in Liberatus's body.
Without slowing his charge, Ludenberg barreled toward the massive highest-grade erosion beast. Mimicking a human form, it stomped heavily.
Boom!
The palace garden shattered outright, the ground erupting. Rocks covered in turf flew at Ludenberg, but he'd already sharpened his senses. He slipped through every gap in the barrage, evading them all.
As Ludenberg dodged, the beast unleashed a ferocious punch, as if waiting for the moment.
Whoosh.
The air tore with savage winds. Even facing a blow that could hurl him away, Ludenberg didn't flinch. He twisted his body, diving under the fist, then swung his sword upward.
He knew from countless trials the beast's durability. Confident this strike would sever its wrist, he attacked.
Slash.
Without a millimeter's error, the fist severed cleanly and plummeted into the half-ruined garden.
Thud.
Its immense size shook the earth with a thunderous crash.
This is just the start. Focus.
Urging himself on, he pressed forward. The beast's strengths were rapid regeneration and mimicking absorbed humans' movements. Keeping that in mind, he dodged and parried its assaults, closing to point-blank range.
Up close, he spotted its leg swinging at him. True to form, it ignored its own dismemberment. But regeneration just meant more slicing.
Kaboom!
Its overwhelming mass pulverized the ground as the kick barreled toward him. In that instant, a flash erupted.
Crunch.
Fierce resistance met his blade on impact. Recognizing its easily severed fist, it had reinforced its leg denser still. Taut muscles bulged visibly beneath the hide, taunting him to try cutting it.
But Ludenberg was no stranger to self-belief. His conviction began with trusting himself.
No matter how tough you make it, doesn't matter.
Gripping tighter, he knew there was no reason he couldn't cleave it. He understood his limits weren't this low. He'd sliced devourers before. Weaker now or not, that experience lingered in his mind.
Switching from one-handed to two-handed grip, he hacked through the colliding leg entirely.
Rrrrip!
The hide shredded, flesh parting with a wet tear. A messy slice followed, and the leg came off clean. Ludenberg immediately severed the opposite leg as it lost balance, then plunged his sword into the heart of the toppled beast.
All before it could regenerate. His accumulated experience let him instinctively know how to dispatch highest-grade erosion beasts. He'd surpassed mere swordsmanship growth or physical conditioning—he now understood effective hunting tactics against them.
Not over yet. Plenty more erosion beasts out there.
Ludenberg checked on Ashytara first. Fortunately, she was unscathed, wielding saint laws amid the knights to fell beasts.
But something was off. Instead of Solem's flames, she exuded a thick, dark aura.
...Amora's power? Makes sense. Just as I'm using Liberatus's abilities, she's wielding Amora's.
Yet that black aura felt familiar. Like something he'd seen before. The memory surfaced easily.
...Prisper's divine power?
It resembled the dark-red saint law used by the one called Karema during the Solemnute raid.
What's going on?
Why did Amora's power feel like Prisper's saint law? And why was Prisper's divine power so devastating against erosion beasts? A high-grade beast melted away the instant the dark aura enveloped it—more effective than even Solem's flames, the strongest against erosion.
This was the most pressing question from his trials. But Ludenberg shook it off. He'd uncover it gradually through the trials. Raha's existence alone raised countless doubts. Time would reveal it.
Focus on the trial now.
He headed to Ashytara. She seemed fine, melting high-grades effortlessly, but knowing her death at this story's end, he stayed as close as possible.
"Tara. You okay?"
"I'm fine. You?"
"Me too."
"...Good."
"For now... we've cleared most inside the palace. Let's head to the city."
"Got it."
Ashytara nodded at his words.
"Knights can handle up to high-grades, so we'll focus on highest-grades. There are a lot of them."
"Hold on. First... let me call some priests."
"Priests?"
"Yeah. We need a barrier on the palace. Our forces will thin out when we leave for the city."
"Right."
It didn't take Ashytara long to summon the priests. With chaos everywhere, they were already combating erosion beasts. At the high priestess's call, they gathered swiftly.
"High Priestess. How can we assist?"
"Erect a barrier to keep more erosion beasts from entering the palace."
"Understood."
Ashytara absorbed their divine power, then launched black aura skyward. It expanded into a hemispherical dome over the palace, forming a night-sky barrier.
"...Done."
"Leave minimal forces to guard the palace. The rest, follow me."
"Yes, Captain!"
Ludenberg ordered the knights, then turned to Ashytara.
"...Let's go."
"Yeah."
The two exited the black-barriered palace and stepped into the city.