Draven remained suspended in midair.
The dark crimson core rested firmly within one hand.
His crimson eyes looked down at the enormous body beneath him.
*...Kill it quickly...*
*...Don't let it enter the second stage.*
Without hesitation—
countless strands of mana spread from his body.
They shot toward the Rift-Breaker's collapsing form.
Attaching themselves to every remaining fragment.
The Abyssal mana rapidly leaking from the creature was immediately seized.
Dragged back.
Absorbed.
Folded into the endlessly compressing mass of mana within Draven.
His jaw tightened.
The colossal body visibly withered.
Cracks raced across its black, armor-like hide.
Its flesh began crumbling apart.
Large sections collapsed into black ash.
The remaining mana was stripped away without mercy.
Within moments—
the towering monster began disintegrating.
Piece by piece.
Its massive frame dissolved into drifting black fragments.
They scattered through the air.
Then vanished completely.
Nothing remained.
Draven pushed away from the collapsing corpse.
His body rotated once through the air.
Then—
he landed lightly upon the shattered stone floor.
Silence.
No one spoke.
The surrounding cultists stared blankly.
Some remained kneeling.
Others had forgotten how to breathe.
One finally muttered,
"...One strike..."
Another swallowed hard.
"...The Lord of the Rift..."
"...was killed..."
"...with a single attack..."
Disbelief filled every face.
Even the five elders stood in stunned silence.
Draven paid none of them any attention.
His eyes had already settled upon the core resting in his hand.
Without hesitation—
strands of mana wrapped tightly around it.
He immediately began drawing out the Abyssal mana contained within.
The core trembled violently.
His fingers tightened.
**Crack...**
Thin fractures spread across its surface.
Blood continued flowing from his nose.
He ignored it.
The fractures deepened.
**Crack...**
**Crack...**
Then—
**SHATTER!!**
The core exploded apart.
Draven caught the largest fragment.
Without the slightest hesitation—
he shoved it into his mouth.
Swallowed.
Then another.
And another.
Ignoring the blood spilling from his lips.
The remaining fragments floated before him.
Held in place by countless strands of mana.
One after another—
they were drawn toward him.
He consumed them relentlessly.
Never slowing.
Never pausing.
A short distance away—
Aldric watched quietly.
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"...That strike..."
He scratched the side of his neck.
"...Not bad."
Before he could say anything else—
his attention shifted upward.
Toward the Breach.
His expression immediately hardened.
"...Hey."
For the first time—
his voice carried genuine seriousness.
"...Eat faster."
He pointed toward the widening tear in space.
"...Another one's coming."
Everyone instinctively looked upward.
A second pair of enormous claws gripped the edges of the Breach.
Reality groaned beneath their strength.
The creature began forcing itself into the world.
Then—
Aldric's pupils suddenly contracted.
"...Huh?"
His gaze shifted.
To the opposite side of the Breach.
Another massive hand emerged.
It gripped the fractured boundary.
Not one.
Two.
Both creatures were forcing themselves through at the same time.
The Breach shuddered violently beneath the strain.
Its edges stretched farther apart.
Reality itself screamed.
Aldric stared for a heartbeat.
Then clicked his tongue.
"...Yeah..."
"...I don't think this is the time to eat anymore."
Draven never answered.
He remained kneeling upon the bloodstained floor.
Blood streamed continuously from his eyes.
From his nose.
From the corners of his mouth.
His hands still held the remaining fragments of the shattered core.
Strands of mana flowed endlessly into him.
He dragged every trace of Abyssal mana into his body.
Folded it.
Compressed it.
Forced it ever deeper.
The veins beneath his skin swelled violently.
Several burst apart.
Only to regenerate moments later.
Again.
And again.
His breathing had become ragged.
Each breath scraped painfully through his throat.
Yet—
he never stopped.
Not even for a single moment.
---
A short distance away—
the five elders stared at the widening Breach.
The masked elder's expression had completely changed.
"...The crack..."
His voice was unusually heavy.
"...It's still expanding."
Another elder watched the widening tear in space.
His face gradually paled.
"...The Rift-Breakers are forcing it open..."
"...If this continues..."
"...More will emerge."
His hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
"...And eventually..."
He never finished.
**RRRRRIIIP—!!**
Space screamed once more.
The Breach widened by several more meters.
Two enormous claws burst through simultaneously.
Then—
both monsters forced themselves into the chamber.
**BOOM!!**
**BOOM!!**
Their colossal bodies crashed onto the ruined stone floor.
The entire sanctuary shook violently.
Ancient pillars cracked.
Chunks of rock rained continuously from the ceiling.
The oppressive pressure doubled once again.
One of the elders clenched his teeth.
"...Opening a stable Breach..."
"...was a mistake."
His eyes never left the widening tear.
"...If this continues..."
"...it will only be a matter of time..."
"...before countless Rift-Breakers pour into this world."
Another elder slowly lifted his head.
His voice had become grim.
"...The seals beneath these ruins..."
"...will not survive."
"...This entire sanctuary..."
"...will collapse."
He lowered his gaze.
"...And when it does..."
"...Dresvalle will follow."
Silence.
Then—
one of the remaining masked elders quietly spoke.
"...That..."
"...was always the plan."
The chamber fell silent.
Several surrounding cultists slowly turned toward him.
"...What...?"
The elder's gaze never left the Breach.
"...These ruins..."
"...were never built merely to worship the Abyss."
"...They were built..."
"...to become its gateway."
Another elder slowly closed his eyes.
"...When the proper conditions are fulfilled..."
"...the seals are meant to fail."
"...The Breach expands."
"...The city falls."
"...And the Abyss gains another foothold within this world."
Several cultists stood frozen.
Disbelief filled their faces.
"...No..."
"...The city..."
"...Everyone..."
The elder answered calmly.
"...Sacrifices..."
"...have always been necessary."
Another deafening roar shook the chamber.
The two newly emerged Rift-Breakers slowly raised their massive heads.
Behind them—
the Breach continued expanding.
Its fractured edges trembled violently.
As though something immense—
Something endless—
Pressed against the boundary from the other side.
As though countless more hands...
Were already reaching...
Toward this world.