*Rumble!*

“Tsk. Looks like he still lost control in the end.”

Said Richard.

He was standing in front of a body which laid in a puddle of blood. This body was Serket. Richard stooped down and looked at the body.

“Looks like he attacked her heart directly. He probably used his ability to sneak attack her.”

He said while examining the body. He placed his hand on the back.

“Her heartbeat stopped. Looks like she entered a state of suspended animation. I think one of her animus allows her to temporarily die in return her regenerative abilities will boost.”

He said before starting to shake her.

“While I think it’s great that you’re getting some beauty sleep, your son is out there about to destroy this country. I’ll appreciate it if you could stop him, so I don’t have to do it myself. I don’t want to reveal my true identity yet, after all.”

He said while shaking Serket.

*BOOM!*

At that moment a large explosion occurred near him.

“Well….That can’t be good.”

He said.

At the same time, Rory’s anima caused meter wide cracks to spread throughout the city. The wall surrounding it came down like snow in an avalanche.

“What crazy power!”

“Is this the true power of the man hailed as the Devil King?”

Amelia and others witnessed the destructive caused by Rory. The scariest thing was that a scream from him was enough to cause the city to crack open.

“What about those hidden underground?”

Reina asked Amelia.

“I’m trying to bring them back to the surface before he crushes them to death.”

Amelia said.

A hole opened up in the ground and people were seen running out of it clearly frightened. Amelia rose those who couldn’t move to the surface herself as well.

“What should we do about him?”

James asked.

“First, we need to evacuate. There are too many injured among us.”

Liam looked at his brother.

“You included. Your animus is keeping you standing, but your injuries are severe. You could drop dead any second.”

He said.

“It’s the same for all of us.”

Christi said.

“But where can we evacuate to? He looks like he’s about to destroy the entire city.”

“I don’t know, but we need to evacuate. Father is in a bad state as well. “

Liam said.

*Boom!*

Another wave of anima came from Rory, and everything around him started to be crushed in waves, one after the other. It looked rings of destruction were forming around him.

“Shit!”

Seeing that, everyone became pale.

“Hah!”

At that moment both Reina and Amelia released their full power and formed a barrier to block Rory’s power.

*Bam!*

A massive wave of anima hit the barrier and cracks started to instantly appear.

“Ugh!”

The two gave it their all to withstand the overwhelming power.

“Ahhh!”

The markings on their faces started to glow a burning color, as they released beastly roars. The barrier suddenly became strong and was barely able to withstand the wave of power until it faded away.

“Wow, they actually blocked it.”

Liam said in shock.

“Those two really are amazing.”

Christi said.

Meanwhile, Reina and Amelia were both breathing heavily and had their hands on their knees.

“I don’t think I can do that again, you?”

Amelia asked Reina.

“No way. I don’t even know how we were able to withstand that in the first place.”

Reina replied.

“Hot…..My body feels like it’s overheating.”

Amelia said while she wiped the sweat from her face.

“Me too. My blood feels like it’s boiling in my veins.”

Reina replied. The two didn’t seem to realize that the markings on their faces were of burning color, and that some marks were appearing on their necks. Even though they were barely visible.

“Huh? He’s on the move.”

Reina said.

They saw Rory turned his back to them, and started to move in the opposite direction.

“Is he leaving?”

“That would be the best thing we could ask for.”

Said James.

“Raah!”

Rory suddenly clenched his fist and threw a punch in front of him. Everyone there swore they saw ripples appearing in the air for a split second.

*BOOM!*

Suddenly a devastating force rush forth and flattened everything in one direction. It destroyed the earth and left a gigantic trench in its wake. No, it was better to call it a gorge.

“…..!”

Everyone could only scream in silence, since no sound could come their mouths when they saw the power Rory just displayed. No matter how far they looked, they couldn’t see the end to the gorge. It looked like it stretched on for forever.

They saw Rory jumped and started to walk in the gorge. He walked and no longer paid them any attention.

“…..Did he just create a road for himself to walk on?”

Amelia asked.

“Even when out of control, his haughty personality is still the same.”

She said.

“This is our chance! Take the injured and the weak to hide in the mountains. It was attacked earlier but at least it looks safe now!”

James suddenly ordered.

“Yes!”

The frightened soldiers regained their wit when they heard their commander’s voice. Even those who betrayed him and sided with church followed his orders so naturally that no one found it out of place.

“The princes should go back with them and treat your wounds.”

Black bull Omar said.

“Nonsense. We can still keep going.”

Said James.

“Keep going? You intend to chase after Rory?”

Liam asked.

“That’s right. If he’s left like that, he’ll deal serious damage to the country. We have to stop him.”

Said James.

“That’s madness. Please return.”

Omar said.

“Liam, Christi; our parents aren’t here. Is this the time that we, their sons, protect the nation in their place?”

James pleaded to his brothers.

“Go back, Christi.”

Reina suddenly said.

“This cat and I are the only left who can still fight. We’ll try to stop Rory.”

She said.

“That’s dangerous.”

Christi replied.

“True, but it’s the choice that makes the most sense. Besides, I doubt he’ll kill her.”

Reina pointed at Amelia.

“If there’s anyone who can stop him, it’s her. I’m just going to back her up.”

She said.

“Let’s go.”

Amelia didn’t say anything and deactivated her animus and chased after Rory. Reina simply nodded at the princes and followed her.

“What should we do?”

“Let’s just leave it to them. We need to protect our people and our father.”

“Guess we have no other choice.”

The princes said before retreating to the mountains.

Elsewhere, Rory was randomly destroying everything around him.

*BOOM!*

He swung his arm to the side, and a forest a mile away was blown up.

He stomped the ground and cracks spread for miles causing countless landforms to crumble or be alter in some way.

He stretched his hand above his head and black clouds covered the sky. He swung down his hand and bolts of lightning descended from the sky and struck and ended countless lives.

Suddenly, giant twisters slowly descend from the sky and rampaged through the lands.

“I heard that you could alter the weather with anima, but this is first I’ve actually seen someone do it.”

Reina said. She and Amelia were following behind Rory, but they were unable to get even a mile near him. Too many destructive forces surrounded him.

“With this level of strength, he might be able to destroy the country by himself.”

Amelia said.

This was her first time seeing someone wield such terrifying power. She started to wonder if Rory was on the path to godhood he told her about a while back.

‘Only someone on the path to become a god can be this strong.’

She thought to herself.

“This isn’t good. We shouldn’t be admiring him. We should find a way to stop him.”

She said.

“I know that, but just how do we do that? My instincts tell me that if we go any closer we’ll die without leaving a corpse behind.”

“……..”

Amelia couldn’t respond to Reina’s question. She also had no idea how to stop Rory. She didn’t even know if she could.

“Maybe if I can get the chance to talk to him?”

She asked herself.

“Huh? Looks like he encountered some people.”

Reina said.

“What? Is it a village? A lot of citizens stayed at their homes after all.”

Amelia asked.

Reina shook her head.

“This….This is an army, and it has the church’s insignia on their banners?”

“What?”

Meanwhile, not too far away from Rory.

“Lord Dex! Someone is approaching us!”

A soldier reported to Dex.

“If it’s not one of us, kill them!”

Dex mercilessly ordered.

When Dumah sounded a sudden retreat, Dex along with Father Timothy realized that things went south and quickly retreated. They, however received orders from the church’s higher ups to return to the front lines and kill Rory.

The two wanted to disobey the order, but if they did, they would be executed as traitors. Luckily, the higher ups weren’t completely heartless. They sent reinforcements that they had been stationed in the neighboring countries as a precaution.

These reinforcements plus the soldiers, who were left in the rural areas by Dumah, made the total size of the army nearly 10,000. With such a huge number, Dex was confident that they could kill Rory.

“Fire!”

The soldiers listened to Dex and fired all of their weapons at Rory who was approaching them.

*Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!*

Loud explosions echoed in the area.

“This is bad! If they attack him like this, we won’t be able to bring him to his senses!”

Said Amelia.

“Should we help him?”

Reina suggested.

“Do you really think we can do anything against that number? We just have to hope that Rory can do something about them.”

Bullets, lasers, and explosives bombarded Rory without mercy. The army didn’t hold back in the least. They fired everything they had to eliminate the enemy in front of them. They became even more aggressive after they saw their target was still approaching them.

“That’s him! That’s Rory! Kill him with everything you have!”

Timothy roared. He already guessed that his son had perished and wished to destroy Rory and this blasted country.

The army’s attacks however didn’t seem to affect the current Rory. They hit him point blank, but his steps didn’t slow down, and there was no damage seen on his shadow like body.

“Is he a monster?”

Dex’s skull felt numb as he watched Rory tanked the countless attacks. That’s when Rory suddenly stopped.

“Is he finally going to fall?”

Dex asked excitedly.

Rory silently lifted his left hand in front of him and pointed a finger at them. A black light started to gather at his finger tips.

Meanwhile lightning bolts hit the army, along with his twisters. The army tried their best to stay strong but against disasters of this level, that was easier said than done.

“Keep firing! It’s only one mortal! He’s not a god!”

Dex roared frantically.

However, what happened next was like the heavens mocking him.

*Bam!*

A lightning bolt him directly and made his skin melt and charred. He fell dead on the ground and never spoke again.

The black light gathering at Rory’s fingertips formed an orb the size of a fist by this time. Those in army saw it, they also saw a smile appear on Rory’s shadowy face.

And then-

The world blacked out.

*Flash!*

Suddenly the world around Amelia and Reina had lost its color completely. The world was now a colorless drawing. There was no sound or sense of feeling either. It was like reality itself had crumbled.

They looked and saw the church forces, who now looked like sketches, bend out of shape before disappearing completely. After a while, color returned to the world.

“……….”

When they looked in front of them, Amelia and Reina were so shocked that their brains had stopped processing what their eyes saw. It took a while before they could understand what they were looking at.

In front of them only Rory could be seen. There was no army in front of him. In fact, there was nothing in front of him. Only an abyss like hole which stretched as far as the eye could see. In the abyss, a black static could be seen every now and again. Other than that, nothing else could be seen in it.

After a while the two finally accept they reality before their eyes.

Rory had erased 10,000 people along with the very ground they stood on from existence.

They finally understood that they just witnessed the power Rory wielded in his prime, and why he was so terrifying in the eyes of the world back then.

The man in front them was beyond common sense, yet this man and his comrades lost to a single person back then. The two couldn’t even imagine how powerful that person was then, much less now.