While Gleren remained trapped inside the gate, the chaos outside began to settle, though the tension in the air remained heavy. No additional demons emerged, and the colossal demon's movements were sluggish, its energy visibly waning. The minotaur and its smaller companion had already been subdued, leaving only the towering behemoth still standing.
"Have you found the Eminence yet?" Matthias's voice cut through the relative calm, sharp with urgency. His composure, usually unshakable, was now fraying at the edges.
"Not yet, sir Saint. But…" one of his subordinates began hesitantly, shifting uncomfortably.
Matthias turned to him, his face grim. "Say it," he commanded, though his voice betrayed the hint of fear gnawing at him.
The man hesitated, his gaze flicking to the pulsing gate in the distance. "Sir… I doubt the Eminence is here anymore."
"Don't," Matthias snapped, his voice suddenly cutting and raw. "Don't say it." He already knew. Deep down, the truth was clear: if Martha wasn't in the underground base when the scouts arrived, then she had most likely entered the gate. The weight of that realization settled on him like a vice, but before he could voice his thoughts, another soldier came running toward him, his face pale and drenched with sweat.
"Bad news, sir!" the man shouted, stumbling to a stop.
Matthias grabbed him by the shoulders, steadying him with a firm grip. "Calm yourself and report clearly," he ordered.
The soldier swallowed hard, his chest heaving as he fought to regain his breath. "Sir Saint… the HARMONIA headquarters. Chaos has erupted there. It's… it's like nothing we've seen."
"What are you talking about?" Matthias demanded, his mind racing to make sense of the statement. But then, before the man could elaborate, an explosion erupted in the distance, cutting through the night like a deafening roar.
A crimson aura poured forth from the direction of the headquarters, swirling into the sky like a malevolent storm. The oppressive energy bore down on everyone, thick and suffocating. Matthias instinctively tightened his grip on his sword, though it felt pitifully inadequate against the overwhelming force.
From within the roiling red light, a figure emerged, silhouetted against the full moon. Wings as dark as the void stretched wide, their shape unmistakably batlike. The figure's movements were slow, deliberate, and disturbingly elegant, as though every step was part of a calculated dance.
"What… what is that?" Matthias whispered, his voice betraying his awe and terror.
"It's her," someone muttered behind him, the words trembling with both disbelief and dread.
Matthias's heart sank. He was strong—one of the strongest in their ranks—but in the presence of this being, he felt like a grain of sand before a tidal wave. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to move.
***
The explosion at the HARMONIA headquarters had reduced the once-structured command center to nothing but rubble. Smoke rose in thin spirals, carrying the acrid scent of destruction. Kyouka stood at the center of what remained, a translucent barrier shimmering faintly in front of her.
"That… that was miss Maria, wasn't it?" Varvara stammered, her trembling voice barely audible. Relief and fear warred within her, leaving her pale and shaken.
"I wish I could say no," Kyouka replied, her tone strained as she funneled mana into the barrier. It held, but only just—cracks spiderwebbed across its surface, each one a reminder of how close they were to disaster. "But we need to focus on surviving first. Questions can wait."
Reina's sharp eyes scanned the rubble-strewn battlefield. "Gleren's not back, and we still don't have confirmation of the situation. We're flying blind here," she said grimly. Her usual composure was tinged with frustration. "Chisaki, can we fix this mess later? If not, even getting out alive won't mean much."
Chisaki, usually the picture of confidence, stood frozen, her face pale as a sheet. She clenched her fists, forcing herself to move past the fear gripping her heart. "Leave it to me!" she said, her voice wavering but resolute. "I'll clean this up when it's over. Promise."
Reina nodded, though her gaze lingered on Chisaki for a moment. "Good. Now let's get out of here. Dealing with the demon was one thing, but Maria—or whatever she is now—that's a fight I'm not eager to pick."
***
Above the city, Maria hovered, her presence dominating the skyline. The flames that had ravaged the Vatican earlier had been extinguished, but the scars they left remained. Below her, the city's survivors scrambled like ants, their movements chaotic and frantic.
Maria closed her eyes, her focus narrowing as she extended her senses. Her sixth sense, honed through years of battle and amplified by her transformation, reached out in all directions. She heard every sound, felt every movement—a living map of the city unfolding in her mind.
"He's not here," she murmured, her voice cold and distant. Her brows furrowed in irritation as she strained to push her senses further. But her concentration was abruptly shattered by the guttural roar of the colossal demon below.
Maria's eyes snapped open, her gaze narrowing into a glare that could pierce steel. The demon's bellow had been loud enough to disrupt her search, and she did not take interruptions kindly.
"Silence," she commanded, her voice barely above a whisper but filled with an authority that made the demon falter. It hesitated, its massive hand freezing mid-motion as if caught in an invisible vice.
"You're a nuisance," she continued, her tone icy and final. "Be gone."
With a graceful wave of her hand, the demon began to crumble. Its body disintegrated piece by piece, the ashes scattering in the wind like sand through fingers.
***
Watching from the ground, Matthias and the others stared in stunned silence as the colossal demon, their greatest adversary, was reduced to nothing before their eyes.
"What… just happened?" Alice whispered, her voice barely audible. The bravado that usually colored her words was absent, replaced by raw fear.
"Don't move," Edelweiss warned, her voice trembling. She gathered the group closer, her usually steady hands shaking. "Any sudden movement could be the last thing you do."
Suddenly, the air shifted. Before anyone could react, Maria appeared behind Edelweiss, her presence silent and suffocating.
"I need answers," Maria said softly, though her words carried the weight of a blade pressed to their throats. "Where is he? The one who woke me?"
No one responded. The question was too vague, and fear gripped them too tightly to allow speech.
Maria's piercing gaze lingered for a moment longer before she turned, disinterested. "If you won't answer, I'll find him myself." Without another word, she vanished into the night, leaving only the faint echo of her presence behind.
***
As soon as Maria disappeared, the oppressive atmosphere lifted, and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
"I thought I was going to die," Serene muttered, collapsing onto her knees, her voice trembling.
"I'll never complain about training drills again," Xian Xing added, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I'm eating every single one of my favorite snacks when this is over," Alice said, her usual haughty tone reduced to one of shaky determination. "If I survive another encounter with her, that is."
Kyouka stood in the middle of the shaken group, surveying the scene with sharp eyes. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she processed the destruction around them, her mind already calculating their next steps. The devastation was overwhelming, but if they hesitated, it would only grow worse.
"Nothing's going to happen if we just sit here scared out of our wits," she said, her voice firm despite the underlying exhaustion. "Listen up. We need to regroup and start the cleanup."
She began to assign tasks. "Chisaki, you'll lead the reconstruction team. Edelweiss, handle security. Cho-hee, you're in charge of support and communication."
When her gaze landed on Matthias, there was a moment of hesitation, but only a moment. "And you," she said, her tone cooler, "I assume you'll be going after your leader?"
Matthias straightened, meeting her eyes. "That's right. Gleren's inside the gate, and if what you're implying is true, Martha's there too." His voice was steady, but the tension between them was palpable.
"Then take Reina with you," Kyouka replied, her tone neutral but edged with a subtle challenge. "She can help you manage the gate and whatever's waiting inside. But don't expect me to babysit the rest of your men."
Matthias's brow furrowed, and for a moment, he said nothing. Then he inclined his head slightly, his expression guarded. "We'll handle it. Don't worry about us."
"Good," Kyouka said, her words clipped. She turned her attention back to the rest of the group. "Everyone else, move to your posts. We've got work to do."
"Yes, ma'am!" came the unified response, though the group's voices lacked their usual enthusiasm.
As Matthias gathered his subordinates and prepared to head toward the gate, he cast a glance back at Kyouka. "You're not half bad at this, you know," he said, the faintest hint of grudging respect in his voice.
Kyouka didn't turn to face him. "Save the compliments for after you all survive," she replied, already focused on the tasks ahead.
Matthias smirked faintly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. With a nod to his team, he set off toward the gate, the weight of the mission pressing heavily on his shoulders.
Once Matthias and his team were out of sight, Kyouka stood quietly for a moment, her steely demeanor softening ever so slightly. She glanced toward the distant gate, her fingers briefly tightening into a fist before she let out a soft sigh.
"Sir Gleren, you big dummy," she murmured under her breath, her voice barely audible. "You better come back in one piece."
Shaking off her moment of vulnerability, Kyouka turned back to the others, her commanding presence returning. "Alright, everyone, let's get to work. We're not done here yet."