The Rift Breaker threw back its head.
The molten crimson fissures covering its body blazed brightly.
Then—
It roared.
**ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRR—!!!**
The sound exploded across Dresvalle.
Windows shattered.
Buildings trembled.
An invisible wave of Abyssal mana rolled outward from the crater.
It swept through the surrounding streets.
Through rooftops.
Through the fleeing crowds.
For a brief moment—
Everything became deathly silent.
Then—
Panic erupted.
"...RUN!!"
"...GET AWAY FROM THERE!!"
"...MONSTER!!"
People scattered in every direction.
Some stumbled.
Some screamed.
Others were simply too terrified to move.
A middle-aged civilian sprinted through the crowd.
His face was pale with terror.
"...Move!"
"...Move!"
"...Get out of the way!"
He had only taken a few more steps—
When his body suddenly froze.
His legs gave out beneath him.
**Thud.**
He crashed face-first onto the stone street.
"...Ah...?"
His fingers twitched.
Then—
His entire body began trembling violently.
"...W-What..."
His voice shook.
"...What's happening...?"
Crimson veins suddenly spread beneath his skin.
Starting from his neck—
Then racing across his face.
His arms.
His chest.
His entire body.
His eyes widened in terror.
"...N-No..."
"...Help..."
"...Please..."
He desperately clutched at his chest.
His nails dug through his own clothing.
"...It burns...!"
His voice rose into a scream.
"...IT BURNS!!"
The surrounding civilians immediately backed away.
"...He's infected!"
"...Stay back!"
"...Don't touch him!"
The man's screams grew louder.
His bones cracked beneath his skin.
**Crack...**
**Crack...**
His spine arched unnaturally.
His fingers lengthened.
The nails blackened.
Then split apart into jagged claws.
"...AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
His jaw stretched open.
Far wider than any human jaw should have been capable of.
His teeth shattered.
New ones erupted from his blood-soaked gums.
Sharp.
Crooked.
Monstrous.
His eyes clouded over.
The whites vanished.
Only dark crimson remained.
His skin rapidly darkened.
Patches of black scales burst through the flesh along his shoulders and arms.
Blood sprayed across the street.
The screams abruptly stopped.
Silence.
The thing that slowly rose to its feet...
...was no longer human.
Its back remained hunched.
Its limbs were grotesquely elongated.
Jagged claws scraped across the stone.
Black saliva dripped continuously from rows of uneven fangs.
Its chest rose and fell with slow, animalistic breaths.
"...Grrrr..."
One frightened woman covered her mouth.
Tears streamed down her face.
"...T-That's..."
Her voice trembled.
"...That's not human..."
A little girl cried uncontrollably.
"...Daddy...?"
The creature slowly turned its head.
Its blood-red eyes locked onto the sound.
There wasn't the slightest trace of recognition within them.
Only hunger.
It lowered its body.
Its muscles tensed.
Then—
**BOOM!!**
It lunged.
---
The rooftop remained silent.
Below—
The city had descended into complete chaos.
People screamed as they fled through the streets.
Some stumbled over one another.
Others never made it far.
A man suddenly collapsed onto the stone road.
"...Aghhh!!"
His body convulsed violently.
Crimson-black veins spread beneath his skin.
His fingers twisted into claws.
Bones cracked.
His mouth split open into an inhuman scream.
Nearby civilians froze.
"...W-What's happening to him?!"
"...Someone help him!"
The man's scream suddenly stopped.
Silence.
Then—
His body lurched upward.
His pupils had vanished.
Only dark crimson remained.
Blackened flesh spread across his body.
Jagged bone protruded through his arms.
The thing that stood there...
...was no longer human.
It threw its head backward.
**SCREEEECH!!**
The nearest woman screamed.
"...Monster!!"
The corrupted creature lunged.
Its claws tore through a fleeing civilian.
Blood sprayed across the street.
Panic instantly erupted.
"...RUN!!"
"...THEY'RE TURNING INTO MONSTERS!!"
More screams followed.
One...
Then another...
Then another.
Throughout the surrounding streets—
People began collapsing.
Those without mana succumbed almost instantly.
Their bodies convulsed.
Veins spread beneath their skin.
Bones snapped.
Flesh twisted.
Within moments—
More corrupted creatures staggered to their feet.
And the moment they did—
They immediately attacked the nearest living person.
The city dissolved into madness.
---
High above—
Upon the roof of a nearby building—
Two cloaked figures silently watched the unfolding disaster.
Princess Hannah remained motionless beneath her hood.
Beside her—
Lady Illyria narrowed her eyes at the towering Rift Breaker climbing from the crater.
Her expression had become unusually serious.
"...A Rift Breaker..."
Her voice was low.
"...It's been decades since I've seen one."
She kept her eyes fixed upon the monstrous giant.
"...A demon born from the Abyss."
Her gaze remained cold.
"...To think such a creature would appear in the middle of a city..."
She slowly exhaled.
"...This has the work of dark mages written all over it."
Her gaze shifted toward the massive hole.
"...Fortunately..."
"...There doesn't appear to be Abyssal mana continuously pouring from the opening."
She paused.
"...Otherwise..."
Her eyes narrowed.
"...The entire city would have already fallen."
She glanced toward Hannah.
"...If that's the case..."
"...Then perhaps this is the only one that escaped."
A brief silence followed.
Then Illyria spoke again.
"...What do you wish to do, Princess?"
Hannah remained staring at the distant crater.
She gave no reply.
Illyria sighed softly.
"...Personally..."
A faint smile appeared beneath her hood.
"...I vote that we leave."
Hannah's blue eyes remained fixed upon the destruction below.
Illyria continued.
"...There is no reason for us to involve ourselves in unnecessary danger."
She glanced toward the streets below.
"...The city still has its defensive forces."
"...They should be able to handle it."
Her smile faded slightly.
"...Though there will undoubtedly be casualties in the process."
She folded her arms.
"...Still, leaving would be the wisest course."
Hannah remained silent.
Her blue eyes never left the distant destruction.
---
Elsewhere—
The city's defensive forces had already begun mobilizing.
Heavy armored transports screeched to a halt across the ruined district.
Their reinforced doors burst open.
Soldiers poured out in disciplined formations.
Each carried a long mana rifle already humming with power.
"...Form ranks!"
"...Suppress the corrupted!"
Without hesitation—
The first volley erupted.
**BANG!**
**BANG!**
**BANG!**
Mana rounds tore through the charging corrupted.
Several collapsed immediately.
Others continued charging despite missing limbs.
"...Aim for the head!"
"...Don't let them get close!"
A nearby captain listened through a communication crystal pressed against his ear.
His expression steadily darkened as the report continued.
The voice on the other end spoke rapidly.
"...Confirmed."
"...Initial analysis completed."
"...The corruption spreads through Abyssal mana."
"...Individuals without mana are corrupted almost immediately upon prolonged exposure."
The captain's eyes narrowed.
The voice continued.
"...Those possessing mana are not immune."
"...If Abyssal mana comes into direct contact with their own mana..."
A brief pause.
"...Corruption will eventually spread through their entire body."
The captain's grip tightened around his weapon.
"...Understood."
The crystal fell silent.
He slowly raised his head.
His gaze swept across the battlefield.
Then—
His eyes settled on the towering Rift Breaker.
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"...Listen carefully!"
Every nearby soldier turned toward him.
"...What we're facing..."
He glanced toward the monstrous Rift Breaker.
Then toward the ever-growing number of corrupted.
"...Is not merely a monster."
His expression hardened.
"...This is an Abyssal disaster."
A wave of unease spread through the soldiers.
The captain raised his sword.
"...Do not allow physical contact with the corrupted."
"...Maintain your mana barriers."
"...Anyone whose barrier collapses retreats immediately."
He pointed his sword toward the advancing monsters.
"...Hold the line!"
His voice thundered across the ruined streets.
"...Protect the civilians!"
The soldiers answered as one.
"**YES, CAPTAIN!**"
Their voices echoed throughout the district.
Mana rifles rose.
Weapons were drawn.
Barriers activated.
The corrupted charged.
The soldiers advanced to meet them.
And above them all—
The towering Rift Breaker slowly raised its head.
Its molten eyes stared down at the city.
Then—
The first clash erupted.
**BOOOOOOM—!!**
The battle for Dresvalle...
Had truly begun.