The massive behemoth stirred to life, its colossal form looming over the battlefield. As it moved, the Saints—watching from a distance—sneered with satisfaction. The Warlords had dared to interfere with their plans, but now, they would face the full wrath of the monstrous creature. The behemoth lumbered forward, indifferent to the Val troops scrambling to get out of its way.
The Behemoth didn't care; it was a mindless engine of destruction, obeying a force beyond its own will. Those too slow were crushed beneath its gigantic feet, their screams drowned by the rumbling earth.
Haruto quickly regrouped with Brig, Gale, Cohn, and Solan, his frustration evident. "What are we gonna do? That beast is being controlled by something. Are we really supposed to take it on?"
Brig's face darkened. He understood the enormity of the situation. It was a dire reality. The Behemoth was beyond anything their group could handle. This creature, perhaps one of the most powerful creatures in existence. They were scattered all over the world. But one thing was for sure. If it held the name of Behemoth, it was a force on par with the top ten members of a major guild—maybe even a Vanguard-class opponent. They had absolutely no chance of winning a direct confrontation. The Behemoth was a natural deterrent, left in the Inferno Lands by the Demon King himself as a guardian of his land. Brig's mind raced. 'Don't tell me…' he thought, piecing together a darker and larger plot.
Before he could voice his thoughts, the behemoth reared onto its hind legs. The sheer size of it seemed to blot out the sky. With a deafening roar, it slammed down, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. The earth cracked and buckled under its weight, jagged rocks shooting up like spears targeting the Warlords.
Haruto barely had time to react. The onslaught of stones left no room for error. One misstep meant certain death. "Damn it!" he hissed, his body igniting with fire magic. He launched himself into the air with a snap of his fingers, twisting in a fiery whirlwind. He rocketed downward at terrifying speed. Just before impact, he adjusted his descent, his fist glowing with concentrated energy. He channeled all his momentum into a single, devastating punch. The blast tore through the ranks of the Val troops, obliterating those caught in the immediate radius while severely wounding others further out. The Behemoth, caught in the mid-range, howled as the shockwave reached its legs, slicing them in several places and forcing the massive beast to halt its charge. It let out a bone-shaking roar, momentarily incapacitated.
Brig, Gale, Cohn, and Solan watched in stunned silence. Haruto, still unaware of the magnitude of his own power, had just decimated a portion of the battlefield. Was he truly just a mid-tier ranked fighter? His team wasn't the only group paying attention—Haruto had now drawn the eyes of the Saints.
The Saints, however, were far from impressed.
Gabriel, one of the Saints, narrowed his eyes. "It seems your assessment was correct, Raphael. That brat is no ordinary soldier. We should end him before he becomes a threat."
Raphael's expression remained indifferent. "The behemoth will handle them. They're not worth our time."
Meanwhile, Gale, refusing to be distracted by the spectacle, pressed Brigs for answers. "What were you saying before? Did you figure something out?"
Brig nodded, the gravity of his realization weighing heavily on him. "The border conflict—it's a diversion."
"A diversion?" Cohn echoed, confused.
Before Brigs could elaborate, the behemoth's back began to glow, a fiery light crawling up its spine from tail to head. Each spike along its massive form ignited in sequence.
"Uh, guys?" Haruto's voice wavered, his usual confidence shaken. "We need to move. My mana is going haywire."
They barely had time to react before the behemoth unleashed a torrent of fire and energy from its mouth. The beam tore through the air, obliterating everything in its path. Haruto's instincts screamed at him, and he shouted, "Brigs! Don't defend—run!"
The group scattered, the beam closing in on them with terrifying speed. Solan, his mind racing, resigned himself to what seemed like certain death. There was no way they could outrun it.
Just as the beam was about to incinerate them, an explosion erupted behind them. They skidded to a halt, gasping in disbelief as the beam split in two, veering off in separate directions. Where the beam had been was now a magnificent sword, embedded in the ground.
The sword was like nothing they had ever seen—its blade gleamed with ancient power, a massive crimson and orange gem at its center. The hilt was wrapped in pitch-black reptilian skin, and at its tip was a smaller gem, glowing with the same fiery brilliance. Brig recognized it instantly. "An Ancient-class or Legendary class weapon… but where did it come from?"
The Saints were no longer sneering. Raphael's face twisted in fury. "Who dares to interfere with our plans?"
The behemoth, recovering from its attack, turned once more, its focus now solely on the Warlords. Haruto's heart pounded as he glanced back at the destruction the beams had caused. Two massive craters now scarred the landscape, a testament to the behemoth's terrifying power. They had to act quickly.
"We need to slow it down!" Brigs ordered. Solan responded, conjuring intricate magical formations that subtly altered the terrain, causing the behemoth to stumble and slow.
Gale, keeping pace, turned to Brig. "I get it now. They were never after the border. Their goal was to capture the behemoth. The border conflict was just a distraction to lure forces away from here."
Brig nodded grimly. "Exactly. They didn't expect us to show up here. They wanted to avoid detection entirely."
Cohn's eyes widened as he finally grasped the full scope of the plot. "Son of a—"
Before he could finish, Gabriel landed in front of them, his expression murderous. "It doesn't matter what you know," he snarled. "None of you will live to tell the tale."
With blinding speed, Gabriel launched a deadly attack at Brigs. Brigs saw his death in the flash of the strike but was shoved aside at the last second. Time seemed to slow as he watched Cohn step into the blow, Gabriel's arm piercing straight through his chest.
Blood poured from Cohn's mouth, but he grinned defiantly, grabbing hold of Gabriel's arm. "You won't… take Brigs… so easily," he gasped.
Gabriel sneered, trying to shake him off. "You worthless—"
Cohn's body began to glow with an intense, violent light. Brig's eyes widened in horror. "Cohn, no!"
Before anyone could stop him, Cohn's mana core erupted in a devastating explosion, engulfing him and Gabriel. The shockwave sent the others flying, debris and smoke filling the air.
As the dust settled, Gale fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Cohn's lifeless body lay smoldering on the ground, a sacrifice to save them all. But a sinister laugh broke through the silence.
Gabriel emerged from the smoke, but he was no longer human. His body had transformed—leathery black skin, twisted features, and glowing orange eyes. Two horns protruded from his head, and his limbs had elongated grotesquely.
"It's just like Caron," Haruto whispered, his voice filled with dread. He knew something was off with Val's troops and the Saints.
Brigs' rage boiled over. "You know this monster?" He wouldn't let his sacrifice be in vain.
Haruto nodded grimly. "I fought someone like him before. He transformed just like this. It doubles their power. But his was still incomplete. We must assume they all can, and that means big trouble."
Gabriel chuckled, his voice twisted with malice. "Caron was nothing compared to me. He had a taste of transcendence but still couldn't take care of one village. Do you think HE doesn't know? He knows all. Your deaths will be a message to the Warlords. You should have never interfered."
With a roar, the battle erupted once again, the Warlords facing an enemy far beyond anything they had ever encountered.