The monster, which could barely be identified as humanoid, was destroying everything in the academy.
It left devastation in its wake; the classrooms and training grounds, built at such great expense, were being reduced to ruins by this creature.
“He is Fals!”
Herya pointed at the monster. She hadn’t expected the Cult Leader to discard Fals so easily.
Now, Herya felt incredibly lucky.
‘If he hadn’t, that monster definitely wouldn’t have been Fals, but me.’
Sephine and the others rushed out of the alley.
The crowds had already been evacuated, and the streets were now filled with soldiers and knights arriving for reinforcements.
Among them, Sephine spotted a familiar face.
“Asphar, what are you doing here?”
The old man’s bones looked like they were ready to fall apart, yet he was still draped in polished armor, riding a white stallion to the front lines.
Sephine didn’t know what he was thinking, especially since he had only recently retired.
“Grand Chancellor, please leave first. This is our battlefield.”
Asphar gripped his sword and charged toward the academy.
He wasn’t here seeking glory; he was here for one thing only.
He wanted Astrid’s spirit in heaven to see that he, Asphar, would never surrender to these cowards who only dared to hide in the shadows.
Even an old official had his integrity.
More and more soldiers surrounded the academy.
The Demon King stood at the academy entrance.
Every time the monster moved or swung its limbs, it whipped up a whirlwind.
Fortunately, the creature seemed unconscious, acting solely on instinct.
“Demon King! We can’t even get close to this giant. How should we attack?”
“Defend for now and find its weakness. Deploy the [Restriction Magic Circle] and don’t let it out.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The Demon King had a headache.
She had never personally commanded a subjugation battle against a large-scale enemy.
Usually, Seth was in charge of tactics, and she just provided the muscle.
Asking the Demon King to use her brain now was a bit of a tall order.
Suddenly, twinkling lights appeared in the sky, resembling stars.
However, it was broad daylight, so there shouldn’t be any stars—and the points of light were growing larger.
“Find cover!” the Demon King roared. She instantly deployed an [Absorption Magic Shield] 100 meters above the city.
The moment the points of light hit the shield, violent explosions erupted.
If not for the Demon King’s shield, half the city might have been leveled by now.
‘There are others supporting this monster… or perhaps this monster is just a distraction meant to draw our attention?’
“Reporting to the Demon King! The residents have finished evacuating!”
“Good! Prepare to counterattack!”
The Demon King did not retract her shield, keeping it active in the sky to prevent any surprise attacks from above.
“Where is the Knight Order? Why aren’t they here yet?”
“The Knight Order is on its way, but the Knight Commander’s whereabouts are unknown. The Vice Commander is currently in charge.”
‘Tsk, dropping the ball at a critical moment.’
The monster itself wasn’t a major threat yet; the magic attacks coming from all directions were the real problem.
They had to storm the academy to find the casters.
“Freyja! Get me a map of the academy!”
Freyja didn’t have a map on hand, but fortunately, she had the layout memorized.
Picking up a pen, she began to sketch a simplified map on paper, including all the core locations.
“Here!”
“Take another copy to the Great Witch. Deliver it yourself; you don’t need to return.”
“Understood!”
The Great Witch Catherine was responsible for maintaining the [Restriction Magic Circle] around the academy so the giant inside wouldn’t break out and cause more damage.
However, this type of barrier required a constant, massive stream of Magic Power.
Only the Great Witch was fit for such a task.
“Has the disaster rating been determined? What level is this monster?”
“Currently a B-Rank. It lacks subjective aggression and should be easy to resolve.”
“Send a portion of the knights in to attempt an attack.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
A small gap was opened at the main gate, allowing the knights to enter the academy grounds. The monster’s movements were completely illogical.
The knights tried attacking with magic, but they could only inflict minor flesh wounds. To make matters worse, the injuries healed after a short period.
During this time, the attacks from the sky struck again. This time, they were even more fierce and faster than before.
Fortunately, the Demon King’s shield was exceptionally strong and wouldn’t be breached under normal circumstances.
While the situation here was stagnant, Sephine’s side wasn’t faring much better.
Although the aerial attacks were blocked, a [Teleportation Circle] that could bypass the shield appeared directly below the point of impact through some unknown means.
Skeleton soldiers were being poured out of the circles continuously.
“Avoid engaging them as much as possible. I’ll take you to a safe place, then I’ll head to the front lines to help.”
“It’s too dangerous for you to be alone, Lady Sephine!”
“Don’t forget about this cloak.”
These skeleton soldiers had no eyes. Their logic for tracking enemies relied entirely on sensing the scent of Magic Power.
Once she donned her cloak, the skeleton soldiers couldn’t detect her at all.
“The Imperial Palace should be safe. I’ll leave you here.”
Upon reaching the palace gates, Sephine didn’t plan to go inside.
There were plenty of soldiers guarding the entrance—enough to protect the three of them.
Sephine borrowed a horse from the knights. She leaped onto the white horse, which was much taller than her.
At the same time, she informed the soldiers and knights that skeleton soldiers were roaming the streets, ordering them to dispatch a unit to deal with them.
“I’m going with you!”
Herya shouted, stopping Sephine before she could turn to leave.
Herya knew many inside secrets and might be a big help.
Sephine hesitated for only a moment before signaling Herya to get on the horse.
The two of them galloped toward the academy.
There was a sword on the horse, which allowed Herya, sitting in the back, to help clear the skeletons wandering the streets.
Some skeletons had already begun trying to break into residential houses.
If they weren’t cleared soon, something terrible might happen.
Back with the Demon King, cultists wearing red robes had begun to reveal themselves within the academy.
They charged manically at the soldiers and knights, screaming, “FOR THE DIVINE LORD!”
The Demon King wasn’t going to let more people die in vain.
She drew her sword, spread her wings, and aimed at the giant’s body.
“Attack with everything you’ve got once the giant is dead.”
Leaving those words behind, the Demon King vanished from her spot.
Immediately after, everyone present saw the giant’s body sliced into dust, with no sign of it ever regenerating again.
“Seize everyone inside! Dead or alive!”
The soldiers and knights outside swarmed in, intending to finish everyone off in one go.
After they entered, a white figure slowly walked out of the library.
“Cultists! Show them your resolve!”
But the moment those words left his mouth, his body was cleaved in two.
“Too much nonsense.”
The Demon King descended from the sky, smashing a large crater into the ground.