Vria was escorted by Captain Faron through the base.
They walked down a long hallway lined with portraits of Imperial heroes. The paintings stood tall along the walls, each one carrying the weight of history. Vria slowed his pace, studying them carefully. His eyes lingered when he reached one portrait that was larger than all the rest.
Captain Faron noticed where Vria's attention had gone and spoke.
"That is Nozaron Imperial, the founder of this country."
The two continued until they reached a reinforced door. Captain Faron stood before it and called out, "This is Captain Faron Smith. Sir Vladimir, may I enter?"
Silence.
He tried again, his voice louder, "This is Captain Faron Smith. Sir Vladimir, may I enter?"
Once again, there was no reply.
With a faint frown, Faron opened the door anyway. The room inside was empty.
"That is strange," Faron muttered. "I have not received any word from the general."
Before Vria could respond, the ground shook violently. A massive explosion erupted outside, its force rattling the entire building. Dust fell from the ceiling as the walls trembled.
Vria staggered and clutched the wall for balance, his face tightening in worry. "What was that?"
Captain Faron hardly flinched. "An attack."
A soldier burst through the hall, panting as he delivered his report. "Captain Faron! Monsters have spawned inside Imperius!"
Faron's expression hardened, though his tone remained calm. "I see. Tell Loefi to dispatch his team to the west sector. Prioritize saving the civilians. Then return and update me on the situation."
"Yes, sir!" The soldier saluted and ran off.
Vria stepped forward, his voice uneasy. "Shouldn't we join them, sir?"
Captain Faron turned to him. "Follow me. There is something I want to show you."
A few minutes later, they entered a secluded chamber deep within the base. The air was heavy and quiet.
Vria looked around in confusion. "What are we doing here?"
Before he could react, Captain Faron moved behind him. With cold precision, he drew his weapon and slammed the hilt into the back of Vria's head. Vria let out a pained gasp before collapsing to the floor, unconscious.
Faron exhaled slowly, gripping his weapon tightly. "He was right. This boy's sigil is useless if he cannot see his opponent."
He stared down at Vria's unconscious form, then lifted his eyes forward. His jaw tightened, his resolve clear. The choice he made weighed heavily, yet he did not falter...
[East District]
The Bounty Hunter Association was stationed in East District, which was fortunate for the civilians who managed to survive there. Bounty hunters were scattered through the streets, pulling people from rubble and cutting down demons.
Danslief was in the middle of the fight, hacking away at a demon while shouting to the others.
Danslief: "What the hell are these things?"
Baron: "They're demons. Usually, they spawn inside dungeons... but I don't understand why Nico triggered them. Whatever the case, we should leave this to the Police. They'll be here any second."
Danslief: "Leave? There are still civilians out here!"
Baron: "True, but Ishia's injured. I'll take her outside before she bleeds out."
Several Imperial officers were already pulling survivors out of danger. One officer paused when he spotted a man lying motionless on the ground—dead.
Danslief narrowed his eyes, muttering: "This is strange... Where's Vria?"
Another officer came across Jaime, half-dazed on the ground. He tried to hoist him onto the support caravan, but Jaime refused. Before the argument escalated, a massive stone hurtled through the air.
A demon had thrown it. Jaime stepped forward, his body hardening like steel. The stone shattered on impact, leaving him without a scratch.
Officer: "...Okay, damn. You can fight. What are you, some kind of tank class?"
Jaime: "Yes."
He marched toward Danslief, who stood frozen in the chaos, still trying to piece together the situation.
Jaime: "Hey! You're Jeonne's teammate, right?"
Danslief: "Yeah."
Jaime: "Good. Then let's back up our buddy. I'm a Defender. We stick together, figure out what the hell's happening, and shut this down!"
Danslief: "...Great."
[Outside the Battlefield – Survivor Camp]
Makeshift tents were hastily raised for survivors. Dozens of injured civilians and Imperial soldiers lined up, their groans filling the air. At the center, Xinyu from Zephyrion Tech knelt, hands glowing faintly as he healed wounds one after another.
He had already healed nine soldiers and fifteen civilians. His hand trembled, the skin bruised from channeling his sigil too many times in rapid succession. Another officer tried to stop him.
Officer: "Sir! You've been doing this nonstop! You're pushing your limits—you'll endanger yourself!"
Xinyu: "No! People are suffering right now. If I stop, some of them may not live to see tomorrow. This is my duty, to bring life and hope when all seems lost. I won't abandon them!"
Officer (thinking): "...He's so damn cool."
In the background, another officer snapped in frustration: "Where the hell are the reinforcements? Where's Captain Faron? Someone needs to take command!"
Suddenly, an officer burst in, carrying an urgent message.
Officer: "Message from unknown caller! Three cocoons have formed in the district. If we don't destroy them soon, demons will keep spawning endlessly! You have to believe me!"
Officer 2: "What? Did you ask him who he was?"
Officer: "No. He just said that if we dont do a public announcemnt about this, an enemy so powerful will bring an amount of death you cannot fathom!"
The camp fell silent for a moment. The officer who received the message tightened his grip on his weapon, already preparing to act.
[East District]
Rosetta Fluer and two other bounty hunters pressed further into the battlefield. Before them towered a four-meter demon boss wielding a massive axe.
[Announcement through Public Speakers]
"Attention! To all warriors fighting inside the domain, destroy each cocoon located in the East, West, and South to stop demons from spawning. Currently, we have received reports that the Cocoon 1 is currently being destroyed by Bounty hunters, the 2nd Cocoon is being dealt with by the Imperial Police. However, we have no one in the 3rd Cocoon. We lack the squads to deal the 3rd one. The reinforcemnts are in their way."
Rosetta: "Cocoons? So that's what this monster is guarding!"
She narrowed her eyes at the weapon. "Something's wrong with that axe... I'll need to be careful."
Before she could strike again, Danslief and Jaime rushed in.
Danslief (furious): "Rosetta! You left me behind!"
Rosetta (smirking): "Not my fault you're slow. Go claim your prize next time."
Danslief: "This isn't the time! We should be working together—like Vria said!"
Rosetta: "Speaking of Vria, where is he? Shouldn't he have reported back by now?"
Danslief: "...I don't know. Something's off."
The demon's axe suddenly glowed, gravity distorting and dragging Rosetta toward it. Before the boss could strike, Mondar unleashed a blazing fireball, forcing its attention away from her.
Danslief phased through the demon's swings with his sigil, but his strikes lacked the force to damage such a massive foe. Rosetta cut down its summoned minions but couldn't close in—the boss's magic lashed out at anything within reach. Jaime drew its focus, taunting and tanking to give his allies room. Mondar hammered it with fire, but its magical resistance blunted his efforts.
Then, from a nearby rooftop, a woman simply watched. Long purple hair spilled from beneath her ornate sorcerer's garb.
Danslief (shouting): "Hey! You! Help us out!"
Venna (pointing to herself): "...Me?"
Danslief: "Yes, you! Unless you want us all to die!"
Venna (teasing): "What's in it for me?"
Danslief: "What do you mean what's in it for you?! Just get down here!"
Venna (grinning): "Ooh, foul-mouthed. I like that. Fine, handsome—give me your number later!"
Danslief: "...Is this really the time!?"
Venna raised her hands. Dark scythes materialized out of swirling Zeit energy, wrapping her body in an armor-like aura.
Danslief (wide-eyed): "...Zeit energy?"
Venna: "Call of the Void: Rampage!"
She launched herself into the fray like a storm, dual scythes carving through the demon's defenses. When it summoned lightning, the bolts fizzled uselessly before reaching her.
Rosetta (stunned): "What the hell...?"
Venna laughed, hysterical but thrilled, winking down at Danslief.
Danslief: "...Hell no. I'm not going near that lunatic."
Her blades tore into the demon boss.
Venna: "Call of the Void: Deadly Dash!"
With a blur of motion, she cleaved the boss across its upper body.
Demon Boss (staggering): "W-what...? I haven't even given my all... Forgive me, Lord Kyrgos... At least, I'll take them down with me—!"
The demon collapsed. Rosetta wasted no time, destroying the cocoon it had guarded. The black dome flickered away—revealing a seventy-meter serpent coiled in the center of the battlefield.
Everyone froze, horror spreading across their faces.
Meanwhile, the demon's axe shrank to human size, pulsing with malignant energy.
Mondar's eyes gleamed with greed. Ignoring the obvious danger, he reached for it.
Venna (alarm): "Wait-don't touch that!"
Too late. The moment his hand closed on the weapon, a surge of energy blasted through him. It ricocheted into Danslief and Venna, then into Rosetta. Jaime, standing close to Rosetta, shoved forward to shield her.
"Totem of Tortoise: Ironclad Fortress"
Rosetta: "What just happened?!"
They looked around. Mondar was stone, petrified where he stood. Venna and Danslief had survived, but their minds weren't intact. Both thrashed on the ground, consumed by visions of dread.
Danslief (screaming): "No! Stop! Don't do this! I'm begging you!"
Venna (sobbing): "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Please!"
Rosetta (horrified): "...No. What's happening to them?"
Jaime (grimly): "...I don't think they'll recover from this."
[West District]
Jirou: "What? The dome disappeared. I heard there are bounty hunters responsible for destroying the cocoon in the east district. But, who destroyed the South? We had no soldiers there."
Police: "Sir, I just received a report. There was a person who destroyed the cocoon all by himself. Some survivors say that she was wearing a mask that hid her face."
Jirou: "All by herself? That's absurd. Whatever, where is she now? We need to gather the strong and hold this place."
Police: "She disappeared after she destroyed the cocoon sir!"
Jirou: "Let's just rendezvous with the Bounty Hunters so we'll increase our-. Speak of the devil."
Jeonne, Jaime, Rosetta come out from an alley to talk with the Imperial Police.
Jirou: "Where's the others?"
Jaime: "What do you mean? It's just us."
Jirou: "You mean, you three destroyed the cocoon?"
Jaime: "Yeah."
Jirou: "Let's do something about that. Is there anyone who knows something about that? What the fuck happened?"
Jeonne: "Listen, sir! That slithering creature, it came within my friend."
Jirou: "What?"
Jeonne: "A demon or what not had been living inside my friend Nico, but something triggered it to manifest randomly in a crowded place. It was not his intention so let me save him."
Jirou: "Save him? Your friend killed hundreds of people. Also, he might be already dead!"
Jeonne: "No, I believe its something more than that."
Geldric: "Yo, bitches. It's not time for that. You should worry about whats in front of us"
Jirou: "Oh shit!"
Imperial Officer: "H-how do we fight against an enemy that's 30 meters tall?"
Jirou: "That's obvious. My sigil is built for huge enemies."
The Imperial officers were excited to see their superior go all out. One of them says, "Ohh. We will see the strength of Lieutenant Arciris"
Jirou: "However, I need-, No. We need a destructive strength. I may be capable of producing a vast attack, but I dont have anything to defend its huge area attack-"
Geldric then dashes towards the enemy without hesitation.
Jirou: "Stop! That fool! Ah fuck it. ALL UNIT DIVIDE INTO TWO GROUPS. UNIT 1 WITH ME AND UNIT 2 WITH THESE TWO BOUNTY HUNTERS.
Jirou: "This is the dumbest shit I will ever do. But that bitch taunted that monster before we ever had to make a plan. Survive and Attack! "
Jaime: "What? That's our plan? Van, we should-"
Geldric's superhuman stats gave him advantage to mobility, allowing him to dodge and counter Kyrgo's. However, he couldn't do anything against the enemy's relentless tentacle attacks.
Jirou: "We can do this. I hate to admit it, but that man is strong. He will be our Vanguard in the frontline while we do something to attack its blindspot. His sigil must be something that enhances his physical capabilities."
The slytherin giant keeps out its attackers using hands that elongate that crushes anyone who gets caught. Imperial officers start dying one by one because they were crushed and torn apart by their hands...
[Jirou, Imperial Police, Geldric, Jeonne, Rosetta, and Jaime vs Nico Dunebarren's morphed body]
Imperial Officer: "H-how do we fight against an enemy that's 70 meters tall?"
Jirou: "That's obvious. THis man said a monsetr came from within his friend. The person in its head is the life source. If we just cut him off, this monster will die. My sigil is built for huge enemies."
The Imperial officers were excited to see their superior go all out. One of them says, "Ohh. We will see the strength of Lieutenant Izanami."
Jeonne: "What do you mean, cut him off? We're going to kill him?"
Jirou: "However, I need-, No. We need destructive strength. I may be capable of producing a vast attack, but I cant reach its head. We need to make that thing, fall down!-"
Geldric then dashes towards the enemy without hesitation.
Jirou: "Stop! That fool! Ah fuck it. ALL UNIT DIVIDE INTO TWO GROUPS. UNIT 1 WITH ME AND UNIT 2 WITH THESE TWO BOUNTY HUNTERS.
Jirou: "This is the dumbest shit I will ever do. But that bitch taunted that monster before we ever had to make a plan. Survive and Attack! "
Geldric's superhuman stats gave him advantage to mobility, allowing him to dodge and counter Kyrgo's. However, he couldn't do anything against the enemy's relentless tentacle attacks.
Jirou: "We can do this. I hate to admit it, but that man is strong. He will be our Vanguard in the frontline while we do something to attack its blindspot. His sigil must be something that enhances his physical capabilities."
Geldric barely dodges its attack while gaining height leverage. he leaps building to building to reach the blindspot of this creature, and with his katana, he was ready to slice, however, at the back, of this creature, several opened which surprised geldric, and then the creature relased another hand and smashed Geldric away.
The slytherin monster keeps out its attackers using hands that elongate that crushes anyone who gets caught. Imperial officers start dying one by one because they were crushed and torn apart by their hands...
Jirou: "Fuck this shit! I'm going all out! Geraldo! I want my coffin to float in the sea."
Geraldo (Imperial Officer) :"What? Sir? What are you talking about!"
Imperial Officer: "Sir! At this rate, we'll be wiped-out. And then Kyrgos moved and charged a powerful laser pointing towards some Imperial Officers and Jirou. The laser had a huge area attack. No matter how fast they run, they'll still get hit."
Imperial Officer: "Oh, no. It's the end."
Kyrgos shoots a powerful energy blast towards the ground, and then Jaime arrives to protect them. Jaime activated his skill, "Totem of Tortoise: Ironclad Fortress"
Jaime endured this conitnous blast of energy. However, the energy was so powerful it slowly cracked Jaime's shield.
Jaime: "SHIT! MY SHIELD IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH! I CAN ONLY BLOCK PHYSICAL.
Jeonne: "WHAT ABOUT THAT SHIELD YOU DEPLOYED FROM THE EXPLOSION!"
Jaime: "I CAN'T DEPLOY THE SHIELD THAT KIND OF STRONG! I DON'T HAVE THE STAMINA FOR IT! DO SOMETHING!"
Jeonne tries to activate his sigil but he was out of juice. He coudn't.
Jeonne: "NO! NOT AT THIS TIME!"
Imperial Police: "We're all going to die!"
Jirou: "I cant do anything against the attack. Fuck! Ive got to do something."
Jaime: "I-I cant. hold on much longer."
After a few seconds, Jaime's turtle shell broke and in that moment, they were all going to die...-
-EPISODE 20: END-