Aftermath

Ryujin closed his eyes tight before opening them again, hoping he was seeing things wrong.

Nope, he's not mistaken.

A blazing ball as large as a door was quickly forming inside the white-scaled monster's mouth. With its large head facing his direction, there was no doubt where that ball of fire was headed.

Why here?!

Ryujin had a feeling. If that attack directly hit him, the shield spell set around him by the mages would not hold up. Not just him, the people around him would die, leaving nothing but charred bones and ashes.

All of a sudden, a blinding light descended from the sky. In front of him, Ryujin vaguely saw the outline of a man with a majestic cape before everything turned white.

"How dare a measly lizard—!"

A large bolt of lightning zapped towards the drake's mouth, causing the ball of fire to explode inside its mouth.

Shrieeeek!

Shrieeeeeeek!

Bolts of lightning struck the three drakes like rain, their thunderous might causing shockwaves with each hit. Even with Ryujin covering his face, he could feel the blast of hot air prickling against his skin.

Roughly a minute later, the lightning abated, and it took another minute for the clouds of dust to settle. 

Hearing was yet to return to Ryujin's ears. Based on his proximity to the explosion, it might take several hours or a day for his ears to recover.

Is everything over? Are we safe…?

The moment he opened his eyes, the handsome face of the elf welcomed him. He was so close that Ryujin instinctively moved away, but the elf was gripping his forearms tightly, not giving Ryujin a chance to retreat.

The elf was gritting his teeth, veins popping out of his hands.

Why does he look pissed? What did I do wrong? It's not my fault a Rift appeared out of nowhere!

The frigid rage so obvious in the elf's dark eyes was the opposite of his real thoughts.

[Your ears are bleeding. Your face…and your arms…]

After reading his mind, Ryujin had the urge to strangle him.

Damn. If you're worried, then look worried! Your expression nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought you're blaming me for the damage. It's not like I attract monsters!

[I-I should have assigned the First Order to guard you. No, I should have come sooner.]

Ryujin belatedly understood. That lightning rain was summoned by the elf. It was him who saved everyone.

He's Awakened!

At the sight of the elf, the crowd around them began bowing or kneeling. 

The sight of the ministers showing deference cemented Ryujin's guess about the elf's identity. Those uppity old fogeys even dared to criticize and look down on their own Prime Minister. Only members of the imperial family, or other nation's royalty, would elicit such a submissive reaction from them. 

The elf must truly be a prince.

Or maybe it's not his lineage, but his strength that they respect.

They were shouting something, but Ryujin could barely hear fragmented sounds amidst the ringing in his ears. 

Up until now, Ryujin was yet to know the elf's name. After all, whenever he met the elf, the elf would only fuss over him and his health, and the subject of the others' surface thoughts never included the elf.

"Physicians, immediately attend to the injured! Guards, seal off the area while the rest help carry the—"

With the short battle over, the rescue operations began.

The elf looked like he was about to carry Ryujin away from the wreckage, but Ryujin rejected his help. It was unnecessary. He only suffered shallow wounds, not broken limbs. 

His body was sore and throbbing though. Nothing a painkiller or a full body massage couldn't fix. He would love nothing more but to lay on a nice, fluffy bed somewhere far from this wrecked room. 

The elf was visibly disappointed, but he nodded and stepped back as if in understanding.

Using the sword in his hand as a cane, Ryujin stood up and looked around to assess the situation. 

The sight before him was a land filled with craters. Nothing remained of the maze garden. The ceiling and three of the four walls of his own bedchamber had collapsed as well.

A dreary-looking Rift floated above the barren mess of the garden, and all that was left of the rampaging demonic beasts were blackened corpses. 

What kind of Awakened ability is this? Isn't he too broken?! Where's the balance patch?!

He could only cast a brief look of envy at the elf.

Ryujin didn't know when they arrived, but a troop led by a knight with a silver cape surrounded the opening of the Rift. In their midst was a sole misfit, the only person not wearing armor and instead a strange hooded cloak. 

Based on the insignia on his cloak, he should be a higher ranked mage than the ones who battled the drakes.

After laying several gemstones on the ground, they brought out an artifact and a glowing magical circle appeared in mid-air.

And then before Ryujin's eyes, the Rift slowly disappeared, as if the tear on the fabric of reality was being undone stitch by stitch.

They can close Rifts here?!

On Earth, the military had to permanently station troops to each Rift, in addition to assigning Awakened to the restricted areas. It was a never-ceasing battle between humanity and the monsters that step out of the Rifts!

If Ryujin could deliver the knowledge of this world to the researchers, then...then the apocalypse could end!