Malum
Just before Tiny and Jenas charged toward the royal castle, in the heart of the inner citadel guarded by the royal knights.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Damn it! Should've prayed more diligently."
"They hassle us for money every time we go to the temple—what do you mean pray!"
"...You seriously saying that right now?"
Unlike the other areas swarming with panicked crowds, this place was defended solely by royal knights. The king's order to shelter as many citizens inside the castle walls as possible didn't apply here—to the underground passage leading to the relic. Until moments ago, everyone here had questioned the command, but now they all understood the king's intent.
"That monster can't attack because of the barrier, right?"
"Yeah, don't worry! This is protected by a relic."
The knights emphasized "relic" to reassure each other. It was astonishing, considering most had doubted its very purpose not long before. The problem was that this change stemmed from facing a disaster threatening the kingdom.
As the knights comforted themselves while staring at the menace hovering in the sky, an unfamiliar man appeared before them.
"Whoa, knights. Hard at work, I see."
An utterly ordinary face, devoid of any striking features. The knights sighed faintly and waved him off sternly.
"Go back!"
"This is the royal sanctuary—restricted area."
By protocol, they'd have seized and punished him on the spot, but not now. With hordes of citizens flooding the castle, too many were wandering into wrong paths.
"I-I... got scared and hid... and ended up here... Sorry, sirs. Please forgive me..."
The man cowered as if terrified by their threats, yet edged closer. The knights frowned subtly.
"Don't come any nearer—go back! We've said hello."
The knight's tone was icy. How could it not be? The sight of a colossal Kraken tentacle floating in the sky relentlessly stirred the primal fear buried in every human heart. Even knights lacked the mental leisure for it.
But the man only drew nearer, sniffling pathetically.
"N-no! If a lowly one like me erred, I must make proper amends... Don't cast me out."
Only then did the knights catch on to his scheme.
He just wants to stay here where it's safe.
The moment their thoughts aligned, action followed.
Ching.
"Step back! Our duty today is guarding the relic—not protecting citizens!"
"Go find other knights. Come closer, and we'll cut you down."
The knights warned menacingly, even drawing swords. Experience told them most commoners fled at this point.
But the man's response differed.
"Tch, not going down easy, huh."
He tilted his head with a smirk, steps unhalting.
"What?"
"What'd he say?"
"This bastard!"
The knights bellowed more threateningly, but he ignored them.
"Figures the barrier blocks bewitchment. Annoying..."
With an incomprehensible mutter, black lightning crackled around him, his body suddenly darkening.
"...This aura's irritating too."
A grating, metallic voice followed as the black lightning intensified, clashing violently with surrounding light rays.
Pzzt-zzzt-zzzt.
Grrrrrr.
A deafening clamor erupted, black energy swelling from him like ink forcibly pushing back pristine white light.
The knights reacted instantly.
"Y-you bastard!"
"Enemy!"
"...Demon worshipper!"
Eighteen knights—three squads—drew swords in unison. Six vanguards charged him simultaneously.
But.
Crack-crack-crack.
Flash.
Boom!
As black lightning rippled, the charging knights exploded.
Splatter-splatter-splatter.
Blood and flesh rained as fragmented metal clattered disgustingly. The rear knights froze, black energy creeping from their ankles, paralyzing their lower bodies.
They could only scream hoarsely with swords still gripped.
"Enemy!"
"Demon worshipper sighted!"
"Protect the relic!"
They realized their current force couldn't match him.
But.
"Useless. Your screams reach only my ears."
The ordinary man was gone, replaced by a robed enigma mocking them in a voice like scraping metal.
* * *
Rooooaaar!
The Kraken tentacle resumed motion, instilling unbearable terror in all onlookers. A small mercy: it plunged not into crowded areas, but the city's outskirts.
But.
Kuuuung.
Rumble-rumble.
The ensuing quake was no less threatening.
"Aaaagh!"
"Grab on!"
"Pillar—no, under the table!"
"Gods, please...!"
Citizens outside the inner barrier huddled behind pillars or under tables in buildings, praying they wouldn't collapse. At that moment, Tiny outside sensed another peril.
"...Damn it! Sir Jenas, faster!"
"What!?"
"Kraken's about to make landfall!"
He'd detected the monster's main body—exuding horrific malice—rising from distant seas.
With that cry, Wolrang and Tiny accelerated. Jenas's face hardened.
Now his senses caught the ominous, colossal presence too. Glancing seaward, an immense form too vast to discern pierced the surface—enough to chill spines and avert eyes: the beast's true body.
Damn it all!
Jenas whipped his gaze forward, chasing Tiny. To suppress creeping dread, his mind wandered to lingering doubts.
Sensed the Kraken's landing before me? An Expert?
The boy sprinting ahead. Jenas, hailed genius since learning swordsmanship and mana circulation, prided himself on mana sensitivity above all—even now a Challenger. Yet this three-ranks-lower kid sensed it first?
Does that even make sense?
Clinging to incredulity to quell fear, he stoked rivalry.
"Let's see how much more you can surprise me, Tiny."
His speed toward the castle surged.
Meanwhile, chaos reigned among castle crowds—especially commoners sheltered in outer mansions.
"Wh-what's that?!"
"Aaaah!"
"G-guhk."
As a black shadow rose over distant seas, witnesses screamed or foamed at the mouth, fainting.
Not mere panic.
"Damn, knights—circulate mana! It's Fear!"
Dispatched knights outside the barrier bellowed everywhere.
"Don't look at the sea!"
"Avert eyes from the monster!"
Fear. The intimidating aura beasts or monsters emitted to threaten prey, freezing victims in terror. Here, it spanned vast distances, knocking people out.
"Goddamn! Not even targeting us, yet just looking does this? Ridiculous!"
A knight ground teeth, sweat streaming, as commoners collapsed. Amid them, some stared fixedly not seaward, but castle-ward—as if expecting it.
Exchanging info via covert hand signals, fixated landward—until spine-chilling screams erupted behind.
"Aaaagh, what's that?!"
"Something's coming!"
"Monster's casting magic...!"
Screams piqued even signalers' curiosity.
Commander-rank demon riders or black mages with scant Kraken knowledge glanced back inevitably. Seeing black energy pour straight from the mountain-like head over sea, darkening skies toward them—their faces blanched.
"Wh-what's that?!"
"What the hell!?"
A grand yet ominous sight: a massive black river flowing heavenward, endpoint seemingly here.
"Sh-should we dodge!?"
...How? Someone cried, unanswered.
Soon, pitch-black smoke engulfed everywhere, slamming their location.
Rumble.
Crash!
Hiss...
No massive shock, but every mansion window shattered, black fog invading indoors instantly.
Result.
"G-guhk!"
"C-can't... breathe...!"
"N-no!"
Screams burst as foaming faintings surged.
Among them.
"Gaaaaah!"
Some melted horrifically, bodies liquefying like wax into black sludge. This shocking scene plunged already anxious bystanders into panic.
"Aaaagh!"
"Demons!"
"Monster sent by devils!"
As black fog seeped into screamers' eyes, noses, mouths.
"G-guhk."
Even holdouts fainted one by one.
But more terrified than commoners were the 'organization' members.
Frantic signals flew, but commander-ranks clutched throats, screaming soon enough.
"G-guhk. Uh... N-no..."
Black smoke invaded bodies. A familiar yet terrifying 'superior aura' melted their 'inferior' forms from within—vividly felt.
"Th-this can't...!"
Why Kraken did this was unknown, but one certainty:
Plan's gone wrong—fatally!
Sturdier commanders barely stood, signaling amid inferno.
In that hellscape.
Crash!
Amid shattering glass and thinning fog, two figures leaped in.
And.
"Sir... Jenas! All standing are demon riders!"
"Tch, easy to spot."
With grim voices, blue and silver lights streaked the mansion like lightning.