The people descending into the subway seemed unfazed at first, brushing off Lydia and Asura's frantic shouts as nothing more than the ramblings of lunatics. After all, it was a regular occurrence to hear warnings about the world ending, especially in a city so accustomed to chaos. But it only took a split second for them to recognize Lydia. As the head Paladin of the cathedral, she usually avoided inciting panic, knowing it always led to disaster. But today, it was unavoidable. If Jormungandr were released in the subway, there would be no one left alive.
"GO! GET OUT!" Lydia shouted, her voice cutting through the noise of the subway station. She channeled mana into her voice, sending it booming through as if she spoke through a megaphone."THERE ARE MONSTERS DOWN HERE! RUN TO THE CATHEDRAL—GET OUT OF THE CITY!"
At the base of the stairs, Asura watched as people continued on their way, oblivious to the danger, as if nothing was amiss. His face darkened with frustration. Without hesitation, he inhaled deeply and let out a roar that shook the air around them. The sound was deafening, echoing through the subway, causing the crowd to freeze in place, their faces going pale.
It was then they saw him for what he truly was. A monster. Panic erupted in an instant, and the crowd began to push toward the stairs, scrambling to escape. People trampled over one another in their desperate scramble for safety, their survival instincts overpowering any sense of solidarity. Asura's expression darkened as he watched, the bitter taste of human desperation hanging in the air. In their fear, they had forgotten their fellow man.
"Get the hell out of here, you idiots!" Asura roared, his anger echoing through the station. Amidst the chaos, a child's voice caught his attention. "Mommy? MOMMY!" The cry was heart-wrenching. Turning to his right, Asura spotted a small child huddled alone in the corner, tears streaming down his face as he clutched a small action figure to his chest. "You'll save me, right, American Man?" the child sobbed, his voice trembling as snot ran from his nose.
Asura didn't hesitate. He rushed to the boy's side, scooping him up and looking around for someone who could protect him. His gaze locked onto a large man trying to push his way past the crowd, a bald bodybuilder type, muscles rippling beneath his gym clothes. The child would be safest with him, Asura thought, his decision made in an instant.
"What the hell, man?!" the man yelped as Asura grabbed him by the arm, pulling him close. "You take this child and run," Asura growled, his voice low and menacing. "I swear, if I find out you abandoned him, I'll fucking kill you. You hear me?" The man's eyes widened in fear, but Asura didn't wait for a response. He shoved the crying child into the man's arms.
"This man will save you," Asura said, his tone softer but still firm. "Find your mother, but it's not safe here. Get out and find her when you're safe." The child's eyes went wide with shock as he was jerked around so suddenly. Asura gave him a brief smile, though he knew it wouldn't ease the child's terror. "I'll find your mom," Asura said, his voice rough.
Turning to the man, Asura pointed a large finger at him. "I'll find you. Remember that." The man nodded, sweat dripping from his brow, and turned to rush toward the exit. Asura watched them go, the urgency of the moment returning to the forefront of his mind.
Lydia caught up to him then, her eyes meeting his with a smile. "We can't waste any more time, but thank you," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos around them. Without another word, they sprinted through the underground, leaping over any obstacles in their way. They reached the tunnels that led to the tracks, and Lydia paused, glancing between the two paths before them. "Left or right?"
She waited, expecting her mana to surge in response to the quotidian presence, but there was nothing. No demonic mana—quotidian mana… Just... nothing. She looked at Asura, who had already stepped onto the tracks without hesitation. He sniffed the air, his expression serious. "Right." Before Lydia could ask another question, Asura took off. Stunned for a moment, Lydia snapped out of it and sprinted after him. "Hey! Wait up!" she called, grinning despite herself.
Asura was fast, but Lydia was faster. She quickly closed the gap, finding herself running alongside the ogre. "I'm calling, Rose! Lead the way!" She pulled out her phone, dialing her comrade's number. "They're in the subway. They want to summon Jormungandr under the cathedral to destroy it from below, collapsing the whole thing. Get your butts here now!"
With adrenaline coursing through their veins, Lydia and Asura pushed their bodies to the limit. They needed to stop the ritual at any cost. Despite her speed, Asura kept pace with her, his strides unrelenting. As they ran, Asura mentally scanned their surroundings. The tunnels were vast and winding, with occasional large openings for maintenance or construction. Where would they be? Where's the best place for the ritual to take place?
Without warning, Asura grabbed Lydia, shocking her out of her thoughts. "What—?" she began, but before she could finish, Asura dug his heels into the ground, slowing their momentum just enough to send Lydia hurtling toward a nearby wall with a spin.
Am I being betrayed right now? Lydia braced herself as she closed her eyes, ready for the impact. But nothing happened. Instead, she passed right through the wall, the sensation familiar, like an illusion. She quickly tucked herself into a roll, landing on her feet. Her eyes darted around, and she realized she had crossed to the other side of a shimmering barrier, one that mirrored the tunnel's walls perfectly.
Asura appeared behind her, emerging from the illusion. He strode into the room, his presence commanding the space. "I'm not falling for that crap twice," he grumbled. A voice echoed through the room. "Welcome, Asura. You are just in time." The voice boomed, its familiar tone sending a wave of blood-boiling hatred through his veins. Asura's lip curled. "Ah, man. It's you again. Lame... I thought I'd get to fight someone who isn't a coward who hides behind henchmen."
"Still as childish as ever," Malachi sneered.
"Yeah, well, at least I back my words up with my skills. Unlike crybaby man, who relies on his lackeys." He mockingly spat out the words. The chamber they entered was massive, carved out of stone with three large blood-filled spheres suspended in mid-air. In the center stood Malachi, flanked by the Gorgon and the Beastman.
"So, what's the plan? Summon the dude and then die?" Asura taunted. Malachi smiled coldly. "I will give you one final offer, Asura. Join us. Watch as the revelations unfold. A new world will be born—one without the stain of humanity. A place free from the existence of God.-" Before Malachi could continue, a rock smashed into his jaw, cutting off his speech. Blood poured from his mouth as he staggered back, holding his face in shock.
"I didn't come here to listen to your supervillain monologue," Asura growled, cracking his knuckles. "Fight me like a man." Malachi's blood boiled. His pride had been wounded. "You two complete the ritual," he ordered. "I'll deal with our uninvited guests." Stheno bowed, a sinister smile creeping across her face. "Asss you wish."
The Beastman seemed eager but held back, watching for Malachi's signal. "Okay, Master." The air in the room thickened as the two cultists began chanting in a language that made the hairs on the back of Asura's neck stand on end. From their chanting, the blood spheres began to merge, conjoining into a massive singular orb.
Malachi moved with a chilling grace, his form a dark silhouette against the crimson glow of the blood spheres. He positioned himself between the two heroes and the ritual, his presence a silent challenge. With a flick of his wrist, glowing hellish red circles sprung to life on the ground, encircling his henchmen and the pulsating sphere.
Lydia's eyes darted across the chamber. Three circles surrounded the chanting figures of the Gorgon and the Beastman, their voices rising and falling in an eerie rhythm. A final circle flared to life directly in front of Malachi, completing the pattern. Four circles in total.
Asura and Lydia sprang forward, their movements a blur of motion. All of their being screamed to run faster, to stop Malachi and the ritual. But Malachi simply smiled, a cruel, knowing expression that sent a shiver down their spines.
"Too late," Malachi smirked. Crimson barriers erupted from the bright hellish red circles, shooting up toward the ceiling. Malachi's grin widened as he stepped back, his presence like a wall between them and the ritual. Lydia slowed in front of the barrier, but Asura, fueled by rage, charged forward, his shoulder slamming into the barrier.
He had expected the barrier to shatter like Ash's wall, but it didn't. Instead, he groaned in pain as he slammed into the undamaged barrier. The impact sent him bouncing backward, crashing to the ground with a painful grunt. Malachi's mocking laughter echoed from the other side. "To think you were once respected," Malachi sneered. "Now look at you. A fool. Nothing." He paused before continuing. "You could be great once more, Asura. Stop aiding humans. Have they not betrayed you in the past? Forgotten you?"
Before Asura could retort, Lydia snapped her fingers. A blinding flash of golden light filled the chamber, and an angel materialized above her, its wings outstretched, its form radiating an aura of divine power. Malachi's eyes widened in shock. Lydia laughed, her voice strong and defiant. "You forgot about me!" The angel slammed its foot on the ground, its clenched fist shooting forward with incredible speed.
The barrier shattered like glass, the crimson energy dissipating with a deafening boom that shook dust from the ceiling. Malachi, despite the surprise, wasn't shaken for long. He knew the barrier would fall eventually, although he hadn't expected it so swiftly.
He watched as the angel, after a single devastating blow, erupted into flames, its form dissolving into nothingness. He recognized the fleeting nature of the summon, the telltale sign of a divine blessing. "I see now... it's your blessing," he mused.
Lydia didn't respond with words. Instead, she thrust her right fist forward, aiming to land a blow to Malachi's face. But Malachi's violet eyes locked onto hers, a cold, unsettling gaze that made her blood run cold. His eyes flickered—did they turn emerald? Compelled by an overwhelming instinct, Lydia turned her head away just as a burst of mana exploded from Malachi's eyes. The force knocked her backward, sending her tumbling a few feet.
"Shit... so that's what the book does. Lydia!" Asura shouted, recognizing the danger. Malachi had copied Stheno's gaze, just like he had copied Jormungandr's breath. How is he wielding Gorgon magic? The quotidian mana should be devouring him from the inside… Asura muttered, getting back to his feet and preparing to charge Malachi. Moving in perfect unison, Lydia sprang to her feet, her gaze locked on Malachi as she sprinted toward him from the opposite side.
But as they closed in, a crimson glow filled the chamber. The massive blood sphere pulsed with an intense molten light, its mana growing exponentially. Malachi smiled, a chillingly confident expression that sent a shiver down their spines. "And so it begins," Malachi said with a smirk. "The final hour."
Lydia's fist connected with Malachi's face from the right, Asura's from the left. The impact was explosive. Malachi's head erupted in a shower of blood and gore, his body collapsing to the floor, dissolving into a pool of crimson. Before either of them could react, the massive blood sphere descended, crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom.
Blood sprayed across the chamber, overwhelming the barriers with ease. It flowed like a living being, covering every inch of the floor. Lydia held her breath, watching in horror as a massive summoning circle formed beneath them, stretching from one end of the chamber to the other.
She slammed her fist against the ground, her knuckles cracking against the unyielding stone. The summoning circle remained intact, its glow intensifying with every passing second. Within the center of the formation, Lydia watched as something new emerged. A colossal tree sprouted from the center of the circle, its branches reaching towards the ceiling, its roots plunging into the depths of the earth. A monstrous serpent coiled around the trunk, its scales shimmering in the crimson light. The blood pulsed with renewed intensity, its glow shifting to a vibrant purple. "Shit!" Lydia shouted, grabbing Asura's arm and pulling him toward the exit. "We need to leave!"
"What are we going to do?" Asura yelled over the roar of the flames that now engulfed the chamber. "Find Rose and Mel," Lydia replied, her voice firm despite the panic rising within her. "Regroup and... I guess we fight Jormungandr." She swallowed hard, the reality of the situation hitting her with full force. "That's all we can do."
On the surface, Rose watched in horror as the city around her crumbled. Massive fissures ripped through the streets, buildings collapsing and burying countless people beneath the rubble. She and her team raced from one disaster to another, desperately trying to save as many lives as possible. But for every person they pulled from the wreckage, a hundred more perished. They were fighting a losing battle against an unstoppable force.
Wain, his voice amplified by his magic, called out to the terrified masses. "COME TO ME! IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, COME OVER HERE! I CAN SAVE YOU!" Hundreds of people surged towards him, their faces etched with fear and desperation.
Wain inhaled deeply, drawing in the smoke from his cigar, and then exhaled, enveloping the crowd in a thick cloud. Mel watched, thankful for Wain's unique ability, the only thing preventing a catastrophic loss of life. As the smoke cleared, the crowd was gone, vanished without a trace. "Where did you send them?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Outside the city," Wain replied, his voice strained. "They should be safe there. Only the center is in danger, but still... who knows what will happen after this?" Suddenly, the world went dark. A massive shadow loomed over them as a nearby tower began to collapse. "Shit!" Mel yelled, her voice filled with urgency.
They gathered the remaining survivors, pulling them close as they formed a protective circle. Rose, Mel, Kane, and Ash raised their voices in unison, the chant ringing through the chaos like a prayer woven with power. "Judex Divinum is my protector and my shield. Through Michael, the walls of heaven will not fall."
Light flared to life around them as four shimmering walls materialized around them, forming a triangular bunker. They braced for impact as the tower crashed down, the ground shaking beneath them. Wain held his breath, watching as cracks spider-webbed across the magical barriers. They held, but only just barely. The citizens huddled within the bunker, their sobs filling the confined space, certain that death would claim them before the day was over.
Wain released another cloud of smoke, the barriers groaning under the immense pressure surrounding them. The confined space filled quickly, the dense smoke swirling around them. In the next instant, as the haze cleared, Rose blinked. They were no longer in the bunker. Instead, they now stood near the cathedral.
"Where are the citizens?" she asked, her eyes scanning the area. "Out of town again," Wain replied, his voice hoarse. "I brought us here, though. Figured we could help more." Rose nodded, her agreement unspoken. There were still countless lives to save.
And then, as abruptly as it had begun, the chaos ceased. The earth stilled, the fissures stopped splitting open, and an eerie silence descended. It was the silence of the abyss, the calm before the storm, a terrifying stillness that held the promise of something far worse to come. "What's—" Wain tried to ask.
Before anyone could finish the question, a monstrous sight unfolded before them. The cathedral exploded outwards, and a colossal serpent, its scales shimmering in the moonlight, erupted from the wreckage. Its head towered above the city, its jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth. The creature's sheer size defied comprehension, its presence radiating an oppressive aura that made their skin crawl. Terror and awe were felt by all.
The serpent roared, a sound that shook the very foundations of the city. Mel's legs trembled, her fear momentarily overriding her paladin training. Wain, paralyzed by the sight of the creature, managed to whisper a single, terrified question. "How... how are we supposed to fight that?"