The Core of the Holy Relic
From afar, the sight was grotesque yet, in a way, beautiful. The wave of black mist that had ravaged the kingdom now blanketed the area around the royal castle, rendering visible to ordinary eyes the spherical holy spirit barrier that no one would normally even notice.
But once the chilling screams began erupting from the people trapped within layers of that black mist, no one could simply admire its beauty anymore. More than half the citizens of Ortus were likely outside the castle walls.
"No!!!"
Tiny, arriving near the royal castle, couldn't help cursing under his breath.
"You fucking...!! That goddamn beast!!!"
It was the worst possible situation.
'Did it decide to just kill everyone?'
But when he glanced toward the sea, the Kraken's main body was submerged in the mist thick with its own demonic energy, no longer moving. Whether it deemed its revenge complete or was plotting something else, Tiny hoped for the former.
And fortunately, he quickly realized the situation wasn't as dire as it seemed.
'The demonic energy in that mist... it's weaker than I thought?'
As he drew closer, the power of the black mist became even clearer. Compared to the overwhelming aura that had seemed to blanket the sky, the demonic energy within it was strangely diluted.
'Even ordinary people could endure this level of poison.'
Of course, standing unharmed would still be impossible, and the elderly or infirm might be at risk, but it was far weaker than expected.
At that moment, Wolrang sent a signal that only deepened his confusion.
- Woof!
The information conveyed through Wolrang's senses.
'Most of the citizens are still alive?'
Even for Wolrang, sensing every individual soul from this distance was impossible, but he could tell countless souls were clustered around the castle.
'What the hell is this?'
What had the Kraken done?
As questions flooded his mind, Jenas—his face equally grim—shouted.
"Damn it, they're all dead! Sir Tiny, we need to head straight into the castle...!"
Only then did Tiny snap back to reality. He had no idea what was really happening, but what needed to be done was clear.
"No!"
"What?"
"Most of the citizens are alive!"
Jenas's face filled with bewilderment. How could the citizens survive a direct hit from mist brimming with such immense demonic energy? Tiny could practically read the man's disbelief, but there was no time to explain.
"Not the inner castle—head to the surrounding mansions! The demon worshippers can't enter the barrier, so they're hiding nearby!"
"Wait, suddenly...?"
Of course, a superhuman-grade black mage or demon soldier might breach it, but even in his past life during the demon worshippers' uprising, he'd never heard of any superhumans appearing. So the conclusion was...
"They're just waiting for the Kraken to destroy the holy relic!"
Conviction rang in Tiny's voice.
'Protecting the holy relic was truly the best move.'
The Kraken had ultimately chosen to honor its promise from the Mythic Age. The black mist was probably its way of venting rage. That was Tiny's guess.
And if so, there was no need to rush to the relic. If the Kraken kept its word, there'd be no reason to "move" it.
"The Kraken intends to keep its promise! So let's just deal with the ones outside the castle!"
His confident expression finally convinced Jenas.
Crash!
Bursting through a wall into the mansion, the first thing they saw was a chaotic sprawl of collapsed people amid blackened, melted corpses—and a few still standing, clutching their throats.
It was startling, but...
"Woof!"
Wolrang's report confirmed Tiny's suspicions.
'Demon beasts that hunt other demons! The legend was true.'
He'd need proper analysis to pinpoint the cause, but the scene alone unraveled all the mysteries.
"Sir Jenas! The ones still standing are all demon soldiers!"
"How convenient."
Exchanging grim smiles, Tiny and Jenas tore through the mansion like arrows, dispatching the remaining demon soldiers.
A moment later, the bloodied pair with sword and hammer reunited.
Numerous fallen people littered the mansion. Many looked in bad shape, but there was little Tiny and Jenas could do right now. Their best option was...
"They all seem similarly afflicted—perfect opportunity. Let's clear this area!"
At Tiny's shout, Jenas—who'd effortlessly slain several demon soldiers—scanned the surroundings with a curious glint.
"The Kraken's doing?"
"Of course. And the work of Gail Anderson, the mage of the tides."
"You mentioned him earlier. But I heard he died."
"He traded his life for this achievement."
Tiny now genuinely respected the mage he'd never even spoken to. Jenas, clueless about the details, could only look puzzled.
"...We'll hear the full story later."
No time for explanations now.
"If they're all in similar states, it'll be easy to spot them. I'll take this side."
"Then I'll go right."
Exchanging nods, they swept through the mansions around the castle in opposite arcs, targeting upright demon soldiers and half-melted black mages.
Tiny showed no mercy, swinging Stamp relentlessly.
"Die!"
"No...!"
Boom!
Gurgle.
An Expert-grade demon soldier shattered before it could even defend itself.
"My... curse..."
Thud!
A 4th-circle black mage, unable to control its surging demonic energy, met a futile end.
'Filth!'
Every one reeked of corrupting energy, rotting away. Tiny produced a trail of their worthless corpses without a shred of pity, charging onward.
- Awoo!
Wolrang, sent ahead to scout the demon soldiers, was rampaging just as fiercely. Since mastering the spirit user's 3rd stage, Power Link, Wolrang's speed had surged, making short work of foes too weakened to even stand.
Then, a sudden realization hit.
'...Why are these guys—who can't enter the barrier—gathered here?'
Why? A question he should have asked from the start. The moment it dawned on him, Tiny realized his fatal mistake.
"...Husel!"
He'd forgotten that one. A demon worshipper without demonic energy could operate inside the holy spirit barrier.
If these were waiting for the disguised, infiltrated Husel to act, it made sense they'd cluster nearby.
'Sir Liam isn't in the inner castle right now either! Damn it...!'
Glancing toward the inner castle in alarm, it was already too late.
Rumble.
A distant crashing sound, like something collapsing.
Whoooosh.
The holy relic's barrier began shaking violently.
"Damn it! You idiot!"
Cursing himself, Tiny smashed through the mansion wall and leaped out.
'I was the fool, damn it!'
He bolted toward the inner castle.
"Wolrang!!!"
Leaping from the grand mansion's third floor, Tiny's roar echoed across the grounds.
"Woof!"
Boom!
A massive wolf burst through a wall, leaping to catch the falling Tiny on its back.
"Awooooooo!"
Under the dim moonlight of the darkened night sky, Wolrang howled thunderously, charging through the air. Activating Space Step, it burned mana for the shortest path to the inner castle—wolf and rider racing ahead.
But then.
"Vile holy relic... But victory is mine. Heh heh heh heh!"
A grating, metallic voice scraped from within the inner castle, and the glowing holy spirit barrier seemed to float upward into the sky.
No—it was definitely rising, alongside a distant figure in a black robe crackling with dark lightning.
The demonic energy was chilling even from afar, but doubt struck first.
'Not Husel?!'
The unexpected intruder was shocking, but Tiny soon grasped something far graver. A demon worshipper wielding demonic energy inside the barrier...
'A superhuman?! No way!'
The assumption he'd taken for granted shattered.
Had he been too complacent? Or were his past-life memories wrong?
In the brief moments of aerial flight, thoughts swirled chaotically, but there was no time for more.
"Begone!"
With that rasping command, the holy relic barrier—no, the relic's very essence—hurtled eastward toward the Kraken.
'The core of the holy relic!?'
Whoooosh.
"No!!!"
Tiny and Wolrang instinctively veered toward the receding barrier.
Where the glowing spherical barrier had once protected the inner castle, black mist now crept in.
"W-what is this?"
"Who's that up there...?"
As the castle's citizens and knights reeled in confusion,
"The time to usher in a new era has come. Vanguard of the new age, rise! Slay the symbols of the old era! Kuhahaha!"
The triumphant laughter laced with glee soon turned to bewilderment.
"What the hell are you all—!?"
A silver-infused stone shot like lightning toward the black robe.
Boom!
The stone shattered against the crackling dark lightning but drew his attention.
"Who dares?!"
"Fool who sold his soul to demons, come face me!"
Below, a red-haired man with his lower face masked by cloth aimed his sword upward.
* * *
"Faster! Faster! Hurry!"
Tiny's gut burned as he raced after the holy relic flying eastward. But Wolrang's Space Step wasn't omnipotent. Mana drained rapidly the faster they pushed through the air, but he had no choice.
'Just a bit more... just a little...'
His eyes fixed on the eastern sea.
A superhuman black mage in the inner castle was dire, but the bigger issue was...
- Grooooar.
The Kraken stirring again.
"Hold on just a little longer, please!!"
But contrary to his plea, its six legs began to move slowly—toward the castle.
With the barrier gone, any reason to honor the Mythic Age promise had vanished.
Even so, confident in Gail's legacy, Tiny believed the legs targeted not the citizens but the 7th-circle black mage hovering above.
'His demonic energy prickles even here.'
Still, he doubted the mage could handle the Kraken.
'That's the real problem.'
Grit.
Tiny ground his teeth, glancing at the writhing legs overhead.
'If those crash down on the castle, everyone below dies!'
Could the colossal Kraken distinguish mage from civilians? Would it even try?
He had to act first.
"Faster! Restore the barrier!"
"Woof!"
Grind.
The silver wolf and rider accelerated, streaking like a beam of light.
Just as the black mage's hurled relic—the massive crystal housing Humanitas' core for millennia—neared the sea, they caught up.
Only then did something feel off.
'Why didn't he destroy it...?'
Perhaps even a superhuman black mage, with his frail body, couldn't fully endure and shatter the relic's barrier.
Yes, that made sense. The core was the holy relic's essence, guardian of the world.
In that fleeting moment, thoughts raced.
"Got...!"
As Tiny desperately reached out, the core nearly in hand—
"Kyaoooo!!"
With a roar, a massive black shape erupted from the sea.
Nearly 5 meters long, its swirling waters thick with viscous mana, its gaping maw lined with razor teeth shimmering blue.