Darn stepped forward, his movements slow but deliberate. As he advanced, a surge of energy erupted from his body, cracking the ground beneath him.
Sensing the sudden power, the two massive Riftborn let out deafening roars, their monstrous forms tensing as they prepared to strike.
Victor flinched slightly, an intrigued glint in his eyes. 'Oh? That's quite the energy.'
A faint glow surrounded Darn's hands as he spoke with calm resolve. "Let's not drag this out any longer."
Before he could make a move, the Riftborn vanished from his sight.
His eyes widened. 'Fast!'
A sudden force slammed into his side, both creatures had flanked him, launching a powerful strike.
As Victor observed the battle, his location device beeped.
[ Attention! Unknown creatures are attacking the Riftborn… Their appearance… skeletal? ]
Victor pressed a button on the device, responding casually. "Don't worry. I summoned them. They're helping evacuate the civilians."
[Oh! C-Copy that!]
With that settled, he shifted his focus back to the fight, just as one of the Riftborn lunged at him.
Victor sidestepped effortlessly, a dagger materializing in his hand. Without hesitation, he drove the blade into the creature's heart. It collapsed instantly, lifeless.
Unfazed, Victor barely acknowledged his fallen opponent, his attention locked onto Darn, who was now struggling.
Two S-rank Riftborn were no easy foes. Even for an S-rank Detective, facing them head-on was far from simple.
Victor tilted his head slightly, pondering. 'How strong am I, exactly? I took down an S-rank Riftborn without breaking a sweat…'
His gaze flickered to Darn's ability, Barrier Manipulation. The detective could reshape his barriers for both defense and offense, a versatile but demanding technique.
As Darn engaged one of the Riftborn, he failed to notice the second one looming behind him.
Before he could react, the creature struck, sending both of them crashing through a massive building.
[ Emergency! Energy readings from the S-rank Riftborn are spiking! Brace for a powerful discharge! ]
Victor's eyes narrowed. 'Damn it.'
A split second later, a blinding energy blast erupted from inside the collapsed building.
Victor's heart skipped. "Mr. Kelly!"
A thick cloud of dust and debris filled the air. Then... another explosion.
Darn was hurled from the wreckage, slamming into a neighboring structure with a force that shattered its outer walls.
Coughing, he wiped the dust off his coat, muttering under his breath. "Ah, shit… That thing hits hard."
The Riftborn released another earth-shaking roar, their maws opening wide as they charged up another devastating blast, aimed directly at the city.
The Riftborn unleashed another devastating energy blast straight at Darn. He raised a massive barrier to block the attack, but the sheer force sent him flying, crashing through not just one but three buildings before finally skidding to a stop.
Groaning, he pushed himself up and dusted off his coat. With a sigh, he muttered, "Damn… you guys are making me look bad in front of Mr. Noir. If they keep spamming those blasts, the city's going to be in ruins. I need to do something. "
He exhaled sharply and vanished in an instant, reappearing midair above one of the Riftborn.
"Yoh... Miss me?"
Manipulating his barrier, he shaped it into a massive spinning drill and launched it downward. The attack struck with immense force, yet it barely left a scratch on the creature's thick hide.
Darn's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
Before he could retreat, both Riftborn retaliated, unleashing another barrage of energy blasts.
Reacting quickly, he formed a spherical barrier around himself, bracing against the impact. The sheer force shook him inside his protective shell.
"Shit! Their skin is tougher than I thought!"
With a frustrated grunt, he expanded the barrier outward, forcefully shoving both creatures into the surrounding buildings.
His jaw tightened as he surveyed the damage. 'Tsk! I'm causing more destruction than I'm preventing. I need to be more precise.'
A cluster of razor-sharp barriers materialized around him. With a flick of his fingers, they shot forward like spears, piercing deep into the Riftborn's chest.
His eyes narrowed. "So that's it… Their backs are nearly impenetrable, but their underbellies are vulnerable."
The only problem? The Riftborn stood on all four legs, keeping their weak spots out of reach. He needed to knock them down first.
Summoning a massive barrier-formed hammer, he swung upward in a brutal uppercut, sending one Riftborn staggering.
Just as he was about to follow up, its tail lashed out, slamming him through the air.
His body twisted mid-flight, struggling to regain balance, only for the second Riftborn to launch another attack.
"Chrono Mark."
In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind the monster.
A smirk crossed his face. "If I can't reach your weak spot… I'll just destroy your entire body instead."
A cube-shaped barrier encased the creature, sealing it inside.
Darn raised a hand over the prison, his fingers igniting with eerie crimson flames.
"Onslaught Spell… Hell Flame."
A torrent of fire erupted within the barrier, engulfing the Riftborn completely. The creature's agonized roars echoed through the confined space, growing weaker by the second... until silence fell.
Ash rained from the dissipating barrier.
But before Darn could lower his guard, a blinding energy blast streaked toward him at terrifying speed.
Raising his right hand, Darn made a swift backward motion, redirecting the incoming energy blast straight back at the Riftborn. The attack struck dead center, yet the creature barely flinched.
Midair, he lifted his left hand, summoning thousands of razor-sharp barriers. With a downward sweep, they rained toward the monster like a storm of blades.
Just as they were about to land, spikes emerged from the Riftborn's back, unleashing a barrage of energy blasts that shattered the incoming barriers.
'What the—?'
Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed in his earpiece.
[ Emergency! Energy levels in the area are rising! I repeat! Energy levels are rising rapidly! ]
His heart pounded. "What?! How?!"
[ Warning! An unidentified Riftborn has appeared! It's right next to the one you're fighting, Mr. Kelly! ]
His stomach dropped. "What do you mean?!"
[ The system can't determine its rank! All we know is that it's twice as strong as your current opponent! ]
A sharp click of his tongue. "Tsk. What a pain!"
Without wasting a second, he charged forward, conjuring an enormous box-shaped barrier and slamming it down onto the Riftborn. Dust and debris filled the air from the impact.
But as the smoke cleared, his eyes widened in shock. The creature stood unscathed.
"What?!" His breath hitched.
A deep, guttural growl sent a shiver down his spine.
"This is... quite heavy, huh." The creature said.
Then, before he could react, an invisible force struck, sending him flying across the battlefield.
The world spun around him until strong hands caught his body midair.
"The hell happened?" Victor asked, steadying him.
"Damn it! I don't know either!" Blood dripped from his lips as he wiped his mouth. "That thing is strong!"
[ Emergency! A Riftborn of unknown rank has appeared! Its power level is off the charts! You need to evacuate and wait for the other squad! I repeat! You need to evacuate! ]
Victor's expression darkened. "This is bad."
Before they could recover, another energy blast hurtled toward them.
Darn gritted his teeth, raising a barrier, but the moment the attack made contact, the barrier shattered like glass.
"Shit!" He cursed. Without looking back, he shout. "Victor!"
"Got it." Without hesitation, Victor lifted his right hand. A massive magic circle formed in front of them, absorbing the incoming blast.
"I'll distract it," Darn said.
A brief nod from Victor was all he needed.
Darn move faster than before.
Meanwhile, Victor observed their opponent carefully. The Riftborn had doubled in size. Jagged spikes protruded from its back, now capable of firing energy blasts in rapid succession.
Charging straight at the monster, Darn braced himself as the spikes extended, all aimed directly at him. He didn't stop.
Slamming a rectangular barrier into the ground, he layered another on top, reinforcing his defense. To trap the creature, he conjured two additional barriers on either side, closing them in like walls.
Just before the barriers could strike, the Riftborn unleashed another powerful blast, this time from a much greater distance.
Darn's eyes widened. 'Shit! Its range increased?!'
A cold realization struck him. If this thing kept firing at such long distances, there was a high chance its attacks could reach the evacuation zone.
'This is bad…'
While advancing, he summoned thousands of sharp barriers around the Riftborn, hoping to divert its attention and reduce the number of attacks he had to take head-on.
But he had miscalculated.
None of his barriers pierced its hide. And to his horror, every single one of the Riftborn's attacks was still locked onto him.
His breath caught in his throat.
Not only had it grown in size, but its hide had also become even tougher.
Time seemed to slow as he watched the creature charge up every ounce of energy it had... aimed straight at him.
'Shit… this is bad.'
A bead of sweat dripped down his face.
'I'm done... it this the end... for me?'