Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Someone was floating high up in the air.

For Master Stage experts, it wasn't hard to see his face even with his high altitude and distance from the city.

'Who is that?' Black asked himself.

Pushed back light auburn hair and blank eyes that he was sure was gazing at him specifically was all he could focus on at this moment.

To account for the possibility of surprises, Black swiftly brought his Genuine Incarnation directly above him for support while also withdrawing something from his spatial storage.

It was a small grey cube that perfectly fit in his palm. Something that gave him some reassurance about the situation... just in case.

'Ah, I can safely assume that's an enemy, right? Reinforcements maybe. No matter who they are, I can stil—'

Before Black could finish his sentence in his thoughts, his eyes bulged!

The blank eyed man who had been hundreds of meters in the air a second ago... was now standing two meters behind!

...!!!!

Black flinched and took a step back.

"What the hell?!"

Anara trembled as he felt someone behind him now. He slowly moved his head glanced at the arrival's new location over his shoulder.

'Perfect! Just perfect!'

What was going on?!

Anara dreaded the thought that this could be another enemy. As if Black wasn't enough!

Was his luck that bad?

Silence pervaded the atmosphere that had been chock full of a murderous intent just now as this man... he brought on a feeling of unease.

This same man then opened his mouth to speak.

"Ruined City. Paladin Champion. This is definitely the place. Hmmm, and then some random guy killing everyone? That old man didn't mention that bit," Skullius said, his image complemented strangely well by his clothing that was oozing of smoke but primarily undamaged from his ridiculously fast movement just now.

...!!!

His words made his position clear to Anara and Black as the former looked to almost sob in relief while Black wore an ugly expression, his body moving to utilise the grey cube in his hand immediately!

Unfortunately, he was a fraction of a millisecond too late.

By the time the last word from Skullius' sentence sounded in Black's ear, a heavy sensation had already brutally descended on his being.

*

Outside Evic, a few seconds before...

Oliviana vigilantly looked ahead while taking deep breaths.

The attack that had eaten up more than a mile's worth of ground before reaching her position in front of the civilians had nearly caused her to buckle under the stress of sure death.

It was deadly!

This was the power of a Second Phase Master with a Living type Genuine Incarnation!

Thankfully, one with power similar to this was on her side.

Bull's sturdy Perfect Aura which was still forming into an Incarnation had managed to deflect the dull green light blade, causing it to shift its course to the extended City wall on the left side, demolishing a huge chunk of it!

The short woman had breathed a sigh of relief.

Because she had recognised how outclassed she was and rushed over to protect the spawned civilians with Bull, she had been spared from having her brains messed up from inside her head.

While Brown's attack range was definitely fearsome, he didn't seem interested in assaulting the civilians or Bull whom he knew wouldn't be affected, thus Oliviana had survived along with that convenience.

Unfortunately, this fight was just beginning as from the distance, the image of Cast could be seen hurriedly drawing back while shielding itself with the tower shield from the coming army!

"Well. Here they come," Oliviana said to Bull with a sigh.

The other Knights who had split off from the frontal formation were returning to back them up but this was still a depressing situation.

'This is still better than rotting in an Academy as a tutor,' Oliviana said with a smile as she readied herself, preparing to activate her Full Body Aura.

BOOOOOOM!

First dust and rubble flew as the City wall bulged and exploded before expelling something that shot through the air while crackling with heat!

Then, the sound of the wall blowing up blasted out, almost causing those with fickle hearts a heart attack!

Whatever this expelled figure was which couldn't be seen clearly as it flew, landed among the rushing bandits only two hundred meters short of where Brown's giant mantis was with grievous storm of dust!

....!

Oliviana was immensely startled by this.

What was that?!

'Don't tell me inside the city too...?' she thought as she alternated her gaze between the torn wall and figure hundreds of meters ahead.

With a desperate wheeze and a sharp draw of air, a hand pulled an entire body from the crater made by this unidentified flying object.

It was Black.

Blood continued to gush from his mouth and his eyes that were so red that they hid his pupils!

Bits of Perfect Aura leaked from his body as after he tried to stand, he collapsed to the ground and vomited more blood, his gaze then rising to his twin brother.

Brown's face contorted dangerously as he rushed over to his brother who powered through the pain and finally managed to stand.

"What happened?! How did you get so beaten up?!" Brown hastily asked with concern.

Black sucked in a deep breath as he used his brother's shoulder as support, turned to the city and pointed.

"There's.... Someone powerful just showed up... he's dangerous... Call everyone... back... Ah!" Black grunted with a hateful stare at the hole in the wall he had come through.

Brown noted his words and whistled to the three hundred men on their side to halt their advance.

Someone strong?

Did these fools finally request an Honoured Level Knight from the Capital Service or a Mage perhaps?

Black didn't look like he could keep expositing on who exactly this enemy was. He was barely conscious.

As everyone was confusedly gazing in different directions, someone walked through the opening to the wall.

A man with light auburn hair and white eyes that did not see a thing.

He donned an edgy, yet stylish getup quite fitting for his well shaped body, a thick chain wrapping around his waist to make the edge even sharper.

His clothing, the VergeRider, was enduring as best as it could his rapid movements which caused it to produce a light black smoke that gave this man a very intimidating image.

Yes.

Skullius' appearance caused a lull.

No one needed to be told that this man, was the one who had dealt the lethal blow to Black.

Cast, who had the weight of attacks relieved from him because of the sudden development, raised a brow while retreating back as fast as he could.

Bull furrowed his brow.

Who was this? He looked more like a freelancer than the reinforcements they had called for from the neighbouring cities.

By the looks of it, he wasn't an enemy.

That was hope more than it was cool headed conjecture.

As for Oliviana...

She grew weak in the knees.

"Festos?" she said a small voice that Skullius picked up on with his keen senses, turning his head as he expressed mild surprise before turning his head back to the goal.

How... Why was Festos here?!

Oliviana couldn't believe it!

Also... did he just...? How... what?!

The individual she was stressing over ignored her presence for a bit as his eyes were ignited with [Evil Darkness] for Crude Vision.

'This is the first time I've used the gravitational effects at full power. It's much more fun than I thought,' Skullius mused while focusing his sight on Black. 'As I thought. Master Stage experts are a different breed. I packed 30,000 tonnes, my full output of weight into him and he somehow survived without fully guarding with his Incarnation. Hehe... this will be interesting.'

Brown who held his brother gnashed his teeth.

"So that's him?" he said with a mocking tone. "We won't retreat for one man, Black. "Give me the boss' artefact. I will sic our numbers at him and deliver a decisive blow while he's distracted. I'll kill him in one hit. Here, heal up."

Brown tossed a potion at Black as he spoke. A Special potion.

His giant mantis vanished and the green Aura around him grew thick.

Black hesitated for a bit before passing him the grey cube. "Be careful," he said as he downed the contents of the potion.

The hundreds of bandits awaiting the order, some with swords, some with bows and others with spears had covered almost half of the way to the city by the time Brown ordered them to stop.

Now, the twin yelled while pointing at Skullius, 'Kill that man!' to which the charge of criminals enthusiastically responded without restraint!

They had numbers on their side.

On the opposite side, Cast joined Bull and Oliviana who looked like she had something to say but couldn't say it.

Her eyes were fixated on her former student with a complex emotion.

As for this student, in response to the charge of bandits, all rushing towards him, he grinned.

BRUTALITY was on his mind.

VWOOOSH!

....!

Everyone's hair stood on end when, like a flood pouring recklessly from a wide gap, mana blasted out of the body of this 'reinforcement'!

It was wild...

It was unrestrained...

It bloodthirsty.