195 - Herald of Destruction

Having decided that he would not invade the fortress just like that, Rygar knew what he needed to do. First, he needed to break its defenses and barriers—at least some of them.

There were many ways he could use to breach the walls of the Marble Fort and initiate the attack, both magically and physically.

But he also needed to think strategically.

He did not know how many soldiers were inside the fortress. He also did not know if there were anti-magic Blocking Barriers, anti-escape enchantments, or any other hidden traps.

For that reason, for the first time in a very, very long time, Rygar would have to manage his mana consciously.

It was even a strange feeling for him.

But who could blame him? Ever since he turned ten—when his mana stopped growing at an accelerated rate—the only time he really had to worry about possibly running out of mana was during the battle against Zeroth, the Kraken.

After that, even in dangerous situations like Larax's ambush, the fight against Orsted, or the duels with Badigadi and Gall Farion, he never again had to think about slowing down his expenditure.

So it was natural that the feeling of restraint seemed almost… uncomfortable.

Not that he was at risk of completely exhausting his reserves in this battle.

But even so, he needed to conserve a good amount of energy for what would come afterward. This was a war.

This battle would not be the last that Rygar would fight—nor the most dangerous.

As his mana rose, fierce and vibrant like a thunderbolt about to strike, Rygar had already analyzed his options.

The mana reserves he carried within him were among the largest in the known world.

Among everyone he had encountered so far, he was the third most powerful in terms of pure magical capacity—surpassed only by two monsters: the Dragon God and Rudeus Greyrat.

He possessed more mana even than the Kraken and the King Dragons.

By his estimates, he could cast between five or six God-level spells before becoming depleted—which would be the equivalent of dozens of Emperor-level spells.

An absurd capacity, which was further amplified thanks to his arcane focus, the blue blade Tsukikage, which increased his magical efficiency several times over.

It was no wonder that, sometimes, Rygar felt a slight god complex.

After all, he could—literally—create or erase continents with the force of his magic if he so desired.

Which made the amount of mana of the two who surpassed him even more absurd. In terms of magical power quantity, both possessed more than double his reserves.

Rygar could not even conceive the true extent of that power if used in its entirety.

But now was not the time for musings.

To ensure that the fortress's walls and barriers would be successfully broken, he decided to use a King-level spell, and then strengthen it to Emperor level.

The spell began to unfold as he walked. The ground beneath his feet trembled, resonating like an ancestral war drum.

At the top of the walls of the Marble Fort, the soldiers began to shout:

"HE'S COMING! PREPARE!" one of them bellowed.

"KILL THE BEAST GOD!!!" another roared.

Their voices joined in a maddened chorus as Rygar was seen advancing with firm steps toward the fortress.

The tremor of the ground beneath his feet only inflamed the desperate shouts of the crusaders even more.

The sun, on the horizon, was almost setting—and the sky acquired orange and pink hues, creating a disconcerting contrast between the peaceful beauty of the landscape and the chaos that was approaching.

Rygar walked with a smile on his face. A calm smile.

The ground in front of him began to rise slowly, as if obeying an ancient order.

Two hills began to grow from the flanks of his path—one to the left, the other to the right—leaving only a narrow central passage through which he continued walking.

The elevations climbed slowly, dragging trees and roots with them. A small stream was interrupted by the sudden rise and began to pour backward, turning into an improvised waterfall.

The earth lifted as if the gods themselves were molding a new reality.

The crusaders, up there on the walls, shouted ever more.

Seeing Rygar use Earth Magic brought some relief compared to the horrors he could conjure with Fire or Lightning. But even so…the shouts gradually began to lose strength.

The earth did not cease to grow.

Two colossi began to take form—slowly, yet undeniably. Blocks and blocks of earth, clay, stone, and metals began to unite with the precision of a living sculpture.

Their silhouettes emerged gradually, gargantuan. They were as tall as the walls of the Marble Fort.

And they kept growing.

Bigger. And bigger. And bigger.

The titans' eyes glowed with an intense orange, as if magma ran through their veins. Their bodies looked as though they had been carved from a mountain. Muscles like compressed cliffs.

Rygar walked calmly in front of the two titans. When the golems finished forming, he raised his voice. A deep voice echoed like a death sentence across the fields and walls:

"Colossal Golem!"

At the same time, the two golems came to life. With a deep, muffled sound, the giants took their first step forward.

The world stopped. For an instant, silence reigned.

And then—KRRRRRRRAAAAM—the creatures' feet hit the ground, and a gigantic tremor shook the entire plain. Dust rose. Nearby trees bent.

The very wall of the fortress seemed to shudder with the impact.

The soldiers and crusaders were seized by pure terror.

Rygar was now like a harbinger of destruction, bringing with him two earth gods, molded by the fury of the world. Many fell to their knees. Others dropped their weapons, petrified.

And then, Rygar decided to play a trick.

He made one of the golems open its mouth slowly. A jaw made of rock and roots detached with the creaking of stony plates. And then, from within it, a titanic roar resounded.

"ROOOOOOOWAAAAAAAAAWR!"

The sound pierced the plain, the fort, the sky. Birds fled. Men trembled. The roar seemed to herald the end of times.

---

The fort became chaos—but still an organized chaos.

Each soldier had a function, and everyone was preparing for the inevitable collision. The Colossi would collide with the fortress walls in about a minute.

The shooters were already positioned at their ballistas and reinforced crossbows, and a hundred archers had strung their bows.

Many questioned what use there would be in firing arrows at a creature of that size…but even so, they followed their commanders' orders.

Rygar could not feel what was happening at the center of the fortress. So, he simply advanced with confidence.

In the main meeting room of the Marble Fort, all the high-level combatants stationed there were gathered.

There were almost twenty Saints present—besides two of the Ten Generals of Milis and several high-ranking mages and priests.

That was a grand meeting even by Milis's standards.

The leader among them was a bald man, with two scars forming a cross on his intimidating, imposing face.

His eyes were blue, and he wore gleaming golden magic armor, adorned with a royal blue cape.

This was Saint McEarntown, the King's Sword—a Ten General of Milis and direct commander of the King's Royal Guard.

Usually, his task was never to stray far from the monarch. But now, there he was, far from the capital, ready to fight in a war with a very high mortality rate.

They had just received the news that the Beast God had summoned two giant Earth Colossi, the knight spoke solemnly:

"The Beast God is coming…"

His gaze passed over each face in that room. Tension and fear were present in the eyes of many.

"Remember everything that was discussed. If he is killed, this war ends. If he lives… Milishion may even stand, but the country of Milis will be doomed."

A Saint warrior replied, distressed:

"But sir! You heard the report just now! This magic is far beyond what we expected! He will destroy the Barriers!"

Another added:

"Yes! That way we will have to fight that monster without any limitations!"

But then, a female knight interrupted them with a firm voice:

"So what?"

Everyone stared at her. She was an imposing woman, the second General present in the room.

Known as Flash Sword, she was different from most of Milis's knights—she wore little armor, had long blonde hair tied in a ponytail, and piercing green eyes.

The sword that hung at her waist gleamed with elegance.

She was a Sword Saint trained in Sword God Style, and also a North Saint in North God Style.

But her proficiency in Sword God Style was so great that many said she already possessed Sword King-level skill—although she had never visited the Sword Sanctuary to receive the formal title.

She spoke with conviction:

"The Beast God may be powerful, but the fact that he did not invade immediately and did not resort to close combat shows he is cautious. He is afraid. That is why he is resorting to magic."

Some soldiers grew thoughtful. McEarntown seized the moment and said:

"Leonor is right. He may be strong…but we are one of the most powerful forces gathered in the entire country! With Saint Milis guiding our blades, we will kill the Beast God here and now! We will end this war in this battle!"

His words inflamed the hearts of the elite warriors. The glow of courage returned to their once-pale faces.

Without losing momentum, McEarntown raised his voice vehemently:

"GO TO YOUR POSITIONS! Show the power of the Kingdom of Milis to that mad demon!"

With that order, everyone dispersed from the command room.

---

The Colossi were seconds away from colliding with the fortress. The ballistas fired with great force, many of them enchanted with magic in their cores.

Arrows rained down on Rygar like a desperate storm.

Rygar only laughed at the archers' futile effort from the walls.

Arrows sliced through the sky toward him like a desperate downpour, but he raised a finger and cast a small dome of wind around himself.

The arrows easily deflected, swirling around him or being hurled away like twigs caught in a tempest. Nothing touched him.

However, a subtle change made his half-closed eyes gleam. A sharp sound of mechanical tension ripped through the air.

In an instant, a gigantic ballista bolt appeared on the horizon, fired with titanic force. It was about ten meters long, flying at a staggering speed, like a bolt of lightning from the sky.

The bolt pierced the wind dome as if it did not exist.

But Rygar… simply smiled. Without even activating his Demon Eye to predict the direction of impact, he extended his arm with great speed and delivered a light punch to the tip of the projectile, just before it reached him.

The touch seemed simple, almost casual. But that was how Water God Style looked at its highest level.

The bolt, upon being struck, violently veered off course, losing its momentum and spiraling uncontrollably past its target.

It destroyed everything in its path, gouging a deep trench in the plain behind Rygar.

In contrast, the earth golems he had summoned continued forward, completely ignoring the enemy attacks. The enormous iron projectiles fired by the ballistas ricocheted off their bodies of stone and clay without even scratching their frames.

For a brief moment, the Milis shooters allowed a spark of hope to grow in their hearts.

But that was a King-level magic, empowered to Emperor level. Those colossi were not simple earth creatures.

Even the huge iron projectiles were like throwing darts at a Saint-level warrior. It was useless.

The colossi did not even stagger when arrows pierced their bodies. One raised its fist to the sky, slowly and threateningly.

The other took a step forward, the earth cracking beneath its colossal weight, preparing for a devastating kick.

Rygar prepared to advance as soon as they struck.

His muscles tensed, his body vibrating with wild Touki.

Tsukikage was already in his right hand to help him cast the spell, and then he also drew Watermirror from his waist.

The silver blade tinkled softly under the late-afternoon light.

He released his bloodlust.

Seeing the two colossal golems almost reach them, the wall's garrison panicked.

Some soldiers ran, dropping their weapons. Others threw themselves from the walls in despair. Some tried to retreat down the internal staircases. But it was too late for many.

BOOOOOOOM!

The first colossus delivered a direct punch to the wall. The impact was devastating. The marble exploded like glass under a sledgehammer.

Entire towers collapsed, guards were tossed into the air like dolls. Dust and stones flew in all directions.

Beside it, the second colossus spun its body and executed the kick.

The entire ground trembled when the blow landed. The wall's foundations gave way. Part of the terrain was torn away as if it were paper.

Debris flew, along with bodies and horses. The Marble Fort, indestructible for centuries, was now being shattered in seconds.

In the last instant before the collapse, Rygar noticed dozens of magic circles activating along the walls. They were protective Barriers, layers of defensive magic.

But they were not strong enough.

The barriers shattered immediately under the impact of the Emperor-level magics. The Magic Circles exploded into shards of light, like mirrors cast against a wall.

The colossi continued their movements, unstoppable.

Rygar finally glimpsed the interior of the fort. Hundreds of soldiers gathered in tactical formations.

They formed human walls, positioned with shields, bows, and swords. All had red eyes filled with rage, fear, and resolve.

He smiled fiercely.

His muscles were like taut ropes. His aura, like a storm about to break.

Then, he used a technique he had not performed in a long time: Burst Step.

An explosion of fire and wind coursed through his limbs. He launched himself into a sprint, executing the Wild Dash at full force.

The world around him distorted. The air exploded in a flash.

The speed was absurd, far beyond the speed of sound. The sound arrived a second late, with a sonic boom that swept everything away.

The ground beneath his feet cracked with the force of the magical explosion, sending debris and fragments in all directions.

And then, in an instant, Rygar collided with the mass of knights.

In his hands, one blue blade and one silver blade.

The sound of the massacre began.

-----

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