Meanwhile, the airspace and ground outside Rhine Lab had swiftly been taken over by Columbia's official armed forces.
Several sleek, formidable drones circled the area, while heavily armored vehicles and fully armed soldiers formed a defensive line on the ground.
At that moment, their commander, his face pale with fury, was growling into the communicator, addressing Rhine Lab's Director—Kristen.
"Kristen! You're telling me that monster going berserk in your core area isn't something you cooked up? You think I'd believe such nonsense that even a three-year-old wouldn't fall for?!"
The commander's voice was distorted with rage.
"Do you think we're blind in the military? That monster is definitely a Sarkaz! You think I don't know about your Sarkaz Project?!"
On the other end of the communicator, Kristen's voice remained eerily calm:
"Sir, I reiterate—this emergency incident is unrelated to any official research projects at Rhine Lab."
"The target's appearance, energy composition, and behavioral patterns all fall outside our existing database records. We, too, are victims and targets of the attack."
[Expletive in Columbian!]
"Save your explanations for the president! Now, immediately, hand over all your research data and defensive permissions! Otherwise, don't blame us for taking necessary measures!"
He didn't give Kristen another chance to explain, cutting off the communication harshly.
"Dammit! A bunch of arrogant lunatics!"
The commander muttered a low curse, shifting his gaze to the distant lava titan wreaking havoc in the sea of flames.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and issued orders over the channel:
"All units, attention! The target is confirmed as an extremely dangerous, unregistered high-risk biological entity with high destructive capabilities. Authorization granted to use all necessary force!"
His voice echoed over the loudspeakers, reverberating across the battlefield:
"Execute combat protocols! Repeat, execute combat protocols!—Open fire!"
The moment the command was given, the long-prepared Columbian military firepower erupted in unison.
The missile pods beneath the circling aircraft opened, and dozens of specially designed high-explosive armor-piercing rounds, trailing white contrails, swarmed toward the lava titan like a horde of bees.
At the same time, dense volleys of Originium-etched ammunition poured out like a torrential downpour, weaving a net of death in the sky.
Their objective was clear—to erase this "unstable element" from Columbian soil with overwhelming firepower.
The boss, who had just plunged back into madness from the renewed surge of energy, was instantly engulfed by this deluge of attacks.
Explosive flames and shockwaves consumed him completely!
Yet…
"ROOOAAR—!!!"
All attacks transformed into energy once more, yet the horrific monster was not destroyed—instead, it grew even larger.
This time, its roar carried not only pain and madness but also a fury that surged within.
Saria stared at this abruptly escalated, now uncontrollable situation, her expression grim to the extreme.
The military's intervention had not only failed to resolve the issue but had plunged the situation into an even more irredeemable abyss.
Consciousness was utterly swallowed by chaos; the "Boss's" reason flickered like a dying flame.
His vision was filled with only the glowing, swarming insects (missiles) and the distant ant-like formations (military positions) spitting continuous flashes of fire and hateful assaults.
Each explosion, each impact, far from causing harm, forcibly pumped more energy into his body, intensifying the endless tearing agony.
He wanted it all to stop. He wanted to crush the source of this incessant noise and pain!
Ferocious bloodlust boiled and churned in his chest like molten lava.
With a sky-shattering roar, the earth-shaking energy within instinctively gathered and compressed toward his arms.
*[Explosive Flying Shield]*
The Paladin's third skill.
Originally intended as an all-purpose technique: raise the shield to enhance defense, then hurl it to deal damage and stun.
But now, in the hands of this massive body composed of magma and fiery energy, the skill's manifestation underwent a dramatic, aberrant transformation.
No physical shield existed. The air between his arms distorted under extreme heat, while the flowing magma and escaping energy around him were frantically drawn in and compressed!
In an instant, a molten sphere over ten meters in diameter materialized.
Radiating terrifying heat and energy fluctuations, it resembled a miniature sun on the verge of eruption more than a shield.
The distant commander also witnessed this blood-chilling sight, a frigid dread instantly shooting up his spine.
"That monster... it couldn't be..." A horrifying suspicion surfaced in his mind, making him instinctively roar out—
"Take cover!!! All units, eva—"
His warning never fully left his lips—
The tiny flying shield is here~♡
"BOOOOOOM——————!!!"
The molten sphere was hurled by the Boss with the force of a discus throw.
Upon release, the air before it was instantly pierced by extreme speed, forming a clearly visible sonic boom ring.
The deafening crack of the sonic boom even lagged behind the visual impact, echoing like a delayed death knell only after the meteor had flown.
There was no time to evade, no opportunity to activate any defensive measures.
One moment, the destructive meteor had just left his hand;
The next, it descended like divine retribution directly above the Columbian military's formation.
Contact—
Time froze in that instant.
What followed was light and heat that devoured everything.
A tremendous roar drowned all sound, and a violent shockwave expanded in a perfect sphere, vaporizing, disintegrating, and hurling away everything it touched!
A massive crater glowing with molten edges replaced the original formation, while a churning mushroom cloud mingled with dust and flames soared into the sky.
Fierce energy turbulence interfered with Rhine Lab's systems in the distance, causing lights in some areas to flicker madly.
The clamorous battlefield, within that zone, fell into deathly silence.
All attacks, all shouts, all will to resist—vanished under that single blow.
The commander and his troops were wiped out, annihilated before they even saw the attack.
The Molten Fiend held its post-throw stance, chest heaving violently, spewing scorching flames.
And the higher-ups of Rhine Lab, witnessing this scene through surveillance screens, fell into prolonged silence.
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My : https://[email protected]/Noctra418
In Arknights: Soul Knight (78 Chapters – Ongoing)
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They realized the nature of the incident had completely changed.
This was no longer an "Abnormal Creature Invasion" event, but a crisis of... catastrophic scale.
The soundwave of the Molten Fiend's roar, laden with agony and destructive desire, swept across the entire city of Trimounts.
In the distance, panicked citizens glimpsed through windows or on the streets the colossal figure rising in the direction of Rhine Lab and the horrifying spectacle of an army formation obliterated by a single strike.
Panic spread like a plague among the masses—screams, cries, collisions of vehicles—as order rapidly crumbled.
Standing amid the ruins, Saria let the devastating soundwave wash over her body, now clad in calcified crystals.
In silence, she activated an encrypted communication line straight to the Chief Executive's office.
Almost instantly, Kristen's voice—cool, almost devoid of emotion—came through, cutting straight to the heart without preamble:
"Saria, the situation has exceeded manageable scope. Abandon the current area immediately and retreat to the designated safe point."
"Rhine Lab's core is knowledge and talent. Facilities can be rebuilt."
Saria's fingers tightened slightly around the communicator. She did not respond to the retreat order but instead offered her own perspective in a low voice:
"Kristen... that Ifrit Fiend—there might still be a possibility for negotiation."
"I observed it experiencing brief moments of lucidity similar to Ifrit's outbursts. Its actions are not purely driven by destructive will."
Facing Saria's explanation, Kristen's voice showed no fluctuation:
"Director Saria, your observations carry subjective bias."
"Based on existing data, the target has caused incalculable damage. Its energy level and threat continue to rise, and it just annihilated an entire military unit."
"The risk of attempting negotiation is extremely high, with success probability infinitely approaching zero. I cannot approve of you gambling your personal safety and Rhine Lab's future on an uncertain possibility."
Hearing Kristen's efficiency and risk-prioritized analysis, Saria's suppressed emotions finally slipped a little. Her voice couldn't help but rise:
"Kristen! Efficiency and risk! Is that all you see? Just cold calculations?!"
"When... when did you become so detached?!"
A long silence followed on the other end, only the faint buzz of static, heavy enough to suffocate.
Just as Saria thought the line had cut, a hint of bitterness rising in her heart, Kristen's voice finally returned.
Her steady tone carried a rare trace of weariness:
"...Tell me your plan first, Saria."
Heartened, Saria spoke rapidly:
"I need you to mobilize all channels immediately—try to contact the highest military command, even the Presidential Office directly. We must get them to cease all attacks at once!"
"Any form of attack will only be absorbed and converted into its power, making the situation more uncontrollable! What we need most now is to calm it down!"
Kristen rebutted calmly, pointing out the harsh reality:
"The military won't listen to me. Especially not after they just lost an entire elite unit."
"They won't allow themselves to appear weak and cease action in front of the public—it would be seen as a disgrace."
"The power of that strike just now—you saw it!"
Saria's voice grew heavier with urgency:
"That's not an entity conventional weapons can handle! Continuing to deploy troops is just sending soldiers to their deaths for nothing—gambling soldiers' lives and the city's safety on a hopeless scenario!"
"We cannot, and must not, allow such sacrifices to continue!"
Silence again. Saria could hear the heavy thump of her own heart in her chest.
The silence dragged on. Saria closed her eyes, gripping the communicator as if mustering every ounce of strength.
The usually steadfast, seemingly invincible Head of Defense spoke in a near-pleading tone she had rarely ever used:
"...Please, Kristen."
From the other end, an almost imperceptible sigh.
A moment later, Kristen's voice returned, restored to its usual calm:
"...Understood. I'll attempt an emergency communication with the President."
"But Saria, you must understand—this will take time, and success is not guaranteed. Until you receive my explicit signal... ensure your own safety."
The line cut.
Saria lowered the communicator, looking toward the distant Molten Fiend emanating terrifying pressure, her gaze complex.
She didn't know if Kristen's attempt would succeed, nor what her own near-gamble of trust and persistence would ultimately yield.
But she knew she could not stand by and do nothing.
[You'll bring Ifrit back with you... right?]
[I promise!]
Standing silently amidst the ruins, Saria said no more.
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A favor for our readers: The author posted images of the four main characters in the comments, but some readers reported they were taken down, and reposting doesn't show them.
If any kind readers could help repost images of the four main characters, all skins from Soul Knight:
Boss: Paladin (Skin: Hellfire Axe · Gregor)
Second: Necromancer (Skin: Orange Flame Demon Eye · Vera)
Third: Druid (Skin: Forest Emissary · Gus)
Fourth: Vampire (Skin: Scarlet Shadow Judge · Wayne)
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