A Stroke of Ill Fortune
It was simply bad luck. That was Karlad's assessment of the situation.
Spiritual veins were a vital element in maintaining a nation. The stronger the spiritual vein flowing through an area, the lower the frequency of spatial rifts. In other words, land blessed with high-quality spiritual veins was relatively safe from sudden disasters. For this reason, districts were designated based on the strength of their spiritual veins. It was only human nature to desire a stable life, so the single-digit districts naturally drew massive populations. Over time, bustling city centers formed, turning these areas into hubs of commerce, culture, administration, and transportation.
District 4. A place where the fourth most powerful spiritual vein in the country flowed. It was exceedingly rare for a spatial rift of this scale to open in such a location. Because of the high population density, even a small rift could cause catastrophic damage. Yet, they were looking at a rift that was at least Level 5. To make matters worse, its rate of expansion was highly unusual.
It was an extremely rare anomaly classified as an Overlord event. A spatial rift that expanded this rapidly would disappear just as quickly, but by the time it closed, the devastation would already be irreversible.
"First, let me ask you one thing."
The fact that a high-risk threat had appeared at the exact same time as the spatial rift was a massive headache. Unaware of the truth—that the rift had been artificially opened by reversing the power of the spiritual vein—Karlad simply chalked it up to bad luck. In a sense, he wasn't entirely wrong. It certainly was a stroke of terrible fortune.
Either of these crises would have been difficult enough to handle on its own, yet both had struck simultaneously. As a Division Captain, his priority should have been exterminating the monsters and ensuring civilian safety, but he could not simply ignore a Grade 1 threat. With the members of the 2nd Division currently cordoning off the national park and repelling the monsters, his duty as their Captain was clear: eliminate the threat.
"You are the prime suspect in the massacre at the research institute."
"That's right. I did it."
"...You don't even deny it."
It was a remarkably casual confession. But thinking about it, there was no reason to be surprised. If she had intended to hide it, she wouldn't have left behind so much evidence and so many witnesses in the first place. The girl standing before him had never harbored any intention of concealing her crimes. She was the very person who had casually waved and greeted the security cameras installed at the institute. Calling her a "suspect" was merely a formality; she was, for all practical purposes, already proven guilty.
"Your compliance makes things simple. Let me make you an offer, then."
"An offer for what?"
"You are classified as a Grade 1 threat. Surrender, and I promise your life will be spared."
Grade 1. The highest level of threat. It was a classification reserved for entities deemed too dangerous to capture alive, meaning the standard protocol was immediate elimination on site. However, the girl in the red fox mask was shrouded in complete mystery. Who she was, where she had grown up, how she had acquired such immense power, whether she acted alone or belonged to an organization, and why she had committed such atrocities—if they killed her, every clue to uncovering those secrets would be lost forever.
"Ahaha! How amusing."
Naturally, the girl met Karlad's offer with mocking laughter. Karlad lightly shook out his wrists, completely unsurprised. It was his routine. Before a battle began, or right after it ended, he always loosened the muscles in his wrists.
"Very well."
He had made the offer, but he hadn't expected her to accept it. If she were the type to surrender quietly, she wouldn't have committed such acts in the first place. She possessed the power to threaten an entire nation single-handedly, and she wielded that power without a shred of remorse. She held no respect for life and felt no hesitation in harming others. Since she had rejected surrender, her sentence was decided.
"I will eliminate you."
As a hero and a Captain, he could not leave such a dangerous element unchecked. He would put an end to her immediately.
"Try it, if you think you can."
Astaroth smiled with her eyes. Though hidden behind her mask where no one could see, her smile carried a trace of mild amusement. She had actually been curious for a while now about the strength of a Cheonmyeongdae Captain—the supposed peak of human supernatural ability. Well, at the end of the day, he's just a human. Not a Chosen One, just an ordinary human. No matter how strong he is, how tough could he possibly—
"Ugh?!"
Astaroth's slender body was sent flying through the air. A searing flash of lightning descended upon her with explosive momentum. Her deep blue eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise registering in them. Taking a sharp breath, she fiercely snapped her parasol open.
A sword of lightning thrust forward in an instant, a blinding white flash. Though she managed to deflect the rushing slashes by whipping her flexible parasol around, her small frame was helplessly pushed back.
The lightning sword formed in his right hand pressed down heavily on her parasol. Simultaneously, a spear of lightning materialized in his left. A precise, disciplined thrust aimed straight for Astaroth's throat. With explosive leg strength that seemed impossible for her slender limbs, Astaroth immediately kicked the lightning spear aside. As the spear was violently deflected, she seized the opening, twisting her wrist to parry the lightning sword away while executing a diagonal upward slash at Karlad.
However, the lightning sword clung to her parasol like a snake, throwing her weapon's trajectory completely off course. Once again, the lightning spear unleashed a rapid succession of thrusts. His movements were disciplined, yet they struck the air with a heavy, crushing momentum. Despite wielding a massive spear that would normally require two hands, his speed was astonishing. His blade traced dark lines in the air. It was as if his right and left hands were separate living entities, perfectly synchronized yet executing entirely different movements.
"...You're actually quite strong, aren't you?"
It was only a brief exchange, but that was more than enough to tell. A storm of intense sparks raged around them. She realized she could not lump the Captain before her together with ordinary humans. This man was far stronger than she had anticipated.
Boom!
The ground beneath them caved in. It didn't just sink; it fractured and split apart. Stamping her foot down with violent force, Astaroth channeled her entire body's strength into her shoulder. That power flowed down her arm, and her parasol struck the lightning spear with absurd, monstrous force. As the spear was knocked aside, she lunged into the opening. Springing off the ground, she slammed her shoulder directly into Karlad's chest. It was the same iron shoulder strike Angelica had once used against her. Back then, it hadn't caused any real damage, but with a different user, the destructive power was on an entirely different level.
"..."
Suppressing the groan of pain that threatened to escape his lips, Karlad stubbornly swung his lightning sword. He had pulled his body back at the moment of impact to avoid a direct hit; otherwise, several of his ribs would have shattered. It happened almost simultaneously: Karlad's lightning sword tore through Astaroth's earlobe, while Astaroth's parasol grazed Karlad's cheek. Despite its blunt tip, the parasol's edge was sharper than most swords. Thick blood began to smear across Karlad's face. In contrast, Astaroth wasn't bleeding at all—the moment her flesh was torn, the lightning had instantly cauterized the wound.
Both strikes would have been fatal had they been even a fraction deeper. If the lightning sword had been aimed slightly more to the right, or if the parasol had tilted just a bit to the left, their heads would have been pierced.
"Ouch, that hurts."
The girl in the red fox mask quickly leaped backward, bringing a temporary lull to the battle. Ignoring the burning pain on his cheek, Karlad glared at Astaroth as she gingerly touched the spot where her earlobe used to be.
...No wonder Angelica was defeated.
Though Angelica was a highly anticipated candidate for Captain, she was still only at the level of a Vice-Captain at best. Perhaps in the future, but for now, this enemy was far too overwhelming for her. His assessment was correct. This girl was undeniably a Captain-level powerhouse.
"To be honest, I laughed it off when Agares told me not to underestimate the Cheonmyeongdae Captains... but I guess his warning wasn't for nothing."
Even if she had let her guard down, she hadn't expected to actually get hurt. This was different from when Yujin had cracked her mask and left minor scratches. That had been a mishap because she had let him hit her on purpose. This time, she had no such intention. She had tried to block properly, and she had counterattacked with lethal intent. Yet, her ear had still been scorched. Her own attack, which was meant to pierce his head, had only managed to graze his cheek.
"I underestimated you all too much. Since it seems I can't afford to be careless, maybe I should get a little serious too?"
Every human she had encountered since coming to this world had been incredibly weak, so she had assumed the Captains would be more of the same. She had inwardly figured that even if they were exceptional, they would only be exceptional by human standards. She corrected that judgment now. He was definitely strong. Strong enough to be called the peak. The entities Agares was wary of weren't just the Chosen Ones. The Captains of Cheonmyeongdae were also enemies capable of posing a threat to the Mains.
But still.
"Can I ask your name?"
"I have no name to give to a threat, but I suppose it would be unfair if I were the only one who knew yours. I am Karlad."
"Right, Karlad. You are strong. The strongest among all the humans I've fought so far."
Even a Captain was merely a human mimicking a god. No matter how close they came to godhood, humans were still humans. And the peak of monsters far surpassed the peak of humanity.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?"
Astaroth spoke, her lips curling into a wide, wicked grin.
"Do you really think you can beat me all by yourself?"
The clash just now had been a mere warm-up, with neither of them showing their true power. Because of that, she didn't know what variables might arise once they went all out, but one thing was certain. Karlad was strong. But he was weaker than her. By a lot.
"How should I prepare you?"
Should I put a mask on him? No, a mask won't work on a supernatural user of his caliber. Then what, should I just kill him? That would be a waste... Ah, I have a great idea. I happen to need a suitable 'vessel.' The Black Knight. It would be such a shame to let him just die, wouldn't it? He was a child who couldn't control his own power. With a Captain-class body... he might even reach the realm of a Magic Beast.
"It seems you are under a misconception."
Karlad said, pointing his sparking lightning sword at Astaroth.
"The massacre at the Anti-Monster National Research Institute. The defeat of Angelica, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A at the Southern Academy. Taking all these circumstances into account, Cheonmyeongdae has classified you as Captain-level, or perhaps even higher."
"And?"
"Only a Captain can face another Captain."
This implied that if the opponent was Captain-level, even a Cheonmyeongdae Captain could not guarantee victory. When even Captains differed in strength, and the true extent of a Grade 1 threat's power remained unknown, sending only a single Captain would be foolish.
"We do not engage in piecemeal deployment."
Holding back strength against an unknown enemy only to be defeated one by one would be a tragic joke. The Captains were the asymmetric forces that sustained Cheonmyeongdae. Each one was a powerhouse whose strength defied common sense. Losing even one would be a devastating loss not just for Cheonmyeongdae, but for all of humanity.
"One round, loaded."
A white flash surged forward without warning. Reflexively, Astaroth snapped her parasol open to use as a shield. It was the right decision, as the only thing pierced was her parasol.
"Fire!"
Boom!
It was a monstrously heavy assault. Though it was only a single strike, the sheer impact was earth-shattering. The hand gripping the handle of her parasol trembled violently, smeared with blood.
"Ugh...?!"
That hurts! What is it this time? That was way heavier than Karlad's surprise attack! Astaroth stumbled backward. Standing before the girl in the red fox mask was a dark-skinned woman, her fist still extended in a punching posture. Slowly lowering her hand, she turned her head. The woman called out with a bright expression.
"Apologies for the delay, Senior Karlad!"
Clack. She clicked the heels of her combat boots together, offering a crisp, disciplined salute. Her cap was pulled down low, and the tightly fastened buttons of her uniform strained against her voluptuous chest. A fierce, righteous determination gleamed in her turquoise eyes. Although her white glove had been completely scorched by the force of her punch, she didn't seem to care in the slightest.
"Captain of the 7th Division, Kaen! Reporting for duty!"
"...Kaen. You are a Captain now too. How many times must I tell you that we hold the same rank? There is no need for such formalities."
"Understood!"
At the Captains' meeting presided over by Karlad, many opinions had been voiced, but they had reached a single conclusion: if traces of the lawbreaker Astaroth were found, at least two Captains must deploy together. It was a measure designed not only to minimize casualties but to ensure her absolute elimination without any chance of escape.
"So that kid is the fox mask? I landed a solid hit, yet she's still in one piece! Impressive!"
"Be careful. She is a formidable foe."
"Understood! I'll crush her with everything I've got!"
Kaen, the Captain of the 7th Division, shouted enthusiastically. Astaroth smiled faintly despite the throbbing pain in her wrist, arm, and shoulder. If nothing else, the woman's sheer destructive power was impressive. So she's a Captain too, huh? Well, they did say there are seven Captains, so it's not surprising for another one to show up.
"Not bad. That was a nice punch. I like you too. But you know, two of you won't be enough. If you wanted to beat me, you should have brought three."
It was a wise decision not to grow arrogant in their own strength and to coordinate with another Captain. But they were still too soft. They should have been more thorough. It would be a bit of a hassle, but the outcome would remain the same. Even against two Captains, she could easily win as long as she was willing to take some damage. She would probably have to reveal her true power. She might even have to take off her 'mask.' That would cause issues with her 'active time'... Yeah, let's wrap this up quickly.
Just then, a biting chill swept over the battlefield. The flames that had been roaring and consuming the cherry blossom trees were snuffed out like candles. A cold wave entirely unsuited to the season descended upon the national park.
Click. Crunch. Stepping onto the concrete, then onto the dirt. The rhythmic sound of combat boots echoed like a metronome. Then, stop. The footsteps abruptly halted. Simultaneously, a pristine white glacier erupted from the ground.
"What is this...?"
She folded her parasol and swung it like a sword. The glacier split apart, unleashing a swirling blizzard. Though she had sliced through it in a single strike, its durability was no joke. Her palm had already been torn while blocking Kaen's attack, and forcing out another slash in that state left her thumb dangling precariously.
"I rushed over here as soon as I heard a Level 5 spatial rift had opened in District 4... but look at this. I didn't expect to run into you here."
Fluffy platinum blonde hair. Sharp, fiercely upturned eyes that contrasted with her otherwise elegant features. She approached with long, confident strides. Her extended index finger made it clear that she was the one who had just summoned the glacier.
"Hello, little girl. I hear you took care of our Angelica?"
Isabella, the Captain of the 3rd Division, spoke in a languid tone. Astaroth couldn't even find the words to reply, her eyes merely blinking in disbelief.
"Oh... there are three of you...?"
This was going to be a problem.