Read Novel Full Chapter 588- Demonic City (3)
Chapter 588: Chapter 588- Demonic City (3)
Bob was worried that they would fight again, even during such a situation.
Reinhardt did not say much, his expression complex, had already locked onto someone else.
There, standing at the forefront of her knight order, was a woman clad in deep crimson armor that gleamed like freshly spilled blood.
Her cloak flowed behind her like a burning banner.
A greatsword crafted with a unique material and etched with ancient runes rested against her shoulder with casual ease.
She had dark black hair with scarlet highlights, cascading wildly behind her back and framing sharp, confident features.
The woman wore a helm over her face; however, even with that, one could see her deep, piercing crimson eyes filled with battle-hardened fire.
Additionally, her presence was like a fierce lioness out on a hunt, one that made even seasoned knights shudder in fear.
Even standing still, she radiated an overwhelming presence.
The woman with immense charisma who had carved her name into battlefields across continents was none other than Erza Crimsonstar.
The world gave her the moniker, Crimson Knight.
One of the Three Heroes of the Kingdom of Nocturnium, a knight who rose to fame almost at the same time as Reinhardt did.
She had been sent here for the same reason as him. To uncover the truth behind Lunaris.
Noticing his eyes, the lioness too gazed at him. At the same time, a fierce battle aura erupted from her. It was natural, whenever the two met, conflict followed suit.
Even after so many years, the woman was unable to forget him or what happened in that dungeon.
Still, Reinhardt brought his knights near.
Just when everyone thought that a battle was inevitable, the two knights stood before each other.
The fight they expected... did not break out.
The two Commanders simply stared at each other in silence.
He could tell that it was a great restraint on her part not to lash out at him. Make no mistake, the woman still held a grudge, but she was putting the bigger picture first.
And so, the two of them stood in their place with neither Reinhardt nor Erza speaking for a long moment.
The wind swept across the plains, sweeping their capes. It continued like that before Reinhardt broke the silence.
"Sigh, it looks like fate has brought us together once again. Although I know you hate me, the matter right now takes priority. After this has been solved, I will gladly indulge you."
Erza’s eyes twitched; there was something about Reinhardt’s words that she did not like. However, she was too prideful to point it out.
She simply huffed and refused to comment. Only she knew what she was thinking or feeling inside.
Seeing the woman willing to listen, he sighed a breath of relief.
"Well then, how about we exchange some information. You and your Order of the Crimson Revenants picked a different route from us. Did you gain any insight into what went down here?"
And so, the two of them started sharing information, putting aside their long-standing tradition of fighting each other at first sight.
"Fair enough. What did you see on your way here?"
Erza demanded, taking out her helm and flipping her hair.
The woman was not only blessed with peerless martial talent but also unparalleled beauty. If not for the fact that he knew how explosive her personality was, he really would have enjoyed the sight.
Nonetheless, he opened his mouth and shared his information first. Somebody had to initiate this talk, or else it wouldn’t go anywhere.
"We saw ghost towns. Although the places seemed ransacked, nothing seemed to be looted, just empty. There were no traces of any people or citizens. For a moment, I thought maybe Lunaris evacuated its population, but the further I traveled, the more obvious the truth became."
When Reinhardt was done speaking, Erza folded her hands.
"That matches our findings. Those people weren’t evacuated. The signs indicate a struggle. The citizens of those cities must have put up some resistance. Though in the end, they were still dragged off dead or alive."
Saying that, Erza’s crimson eyes shifted toward the massive dome encasing the capital.
She raised a gauntleted finger and pointed directly at it. "Most probably, they were taken inside it. If it is what I believe it is, then they have all been devoured by it."
GURGLE... GURGLE...
As if in tandem, the dome like thing pulsed and squirmed.
The knights nearby exchanged uneasy glances.
Reinhardt kept his eyes on the dome and sighed.
"I was hoping you had a different conclusion."
However, Erza shook her head.
"No chance."
Her answer was indisputable.
As someone who had also participated when humanity launched the allied expedition into the Tainted Lands, she was not only one of the survivors, but she had also seen the terrors that lay deep in those lands.
The Abyss Nest might just be in its embryonic form, but that oppressive demonic energy, the size, and the scene from back then when that thing reaped life in the hundreds with its sprouting tentacles.
There was no way she would mistake it.
A brief silence later, Erza opened her mouth and spoke with certainty.
"That thing is an Abyss Nest."
The words landed like thunder.
Several nearby knights stiffened visibly.
Most were still showing a look of confusion.
However, to the older knights, the well-informed ones, the name Abyss Nest was synonymous with doom and destruction.
Legends described that thing as a living, walking fortress with terrifying powers.
A colossus whose shadow could cover entire cities and a spawning cradle capable of birthing entire legions of demons.
It was said that hundreds of years ago, when one of those things approached a nation, their doom was almost certain.
No wonder the knights looked so rattled.
"We cannot allow an Abyss Nest to be born this close to our kingdoms."
Erza’s hand tightened on the hilt of her sword; her eyes burned with a fierce resolve.
"It needs to be erased. Right now, it’s still in its embryonic form. Its shell hasn’t fully formed yet. If we combine my strongest technique with yours, concentrate enough destructive force, we can shatter the nest before it completes maturation. Though the city..."
She did not complete her sentence. There was no need to; the underlying meaning behind her words was enough.
If she and Reinhardt used their strongest skill, it was not impossible to kill the Abyss Nest which was still forming with a single move.
However, in doing so, the sheer destructive force would also take out the city below.
Although her words sounded cold and cruel even, it was the most rational choice.
As a commander and a hero responsible for the future of humanity, she was capable of separating her emotions clouding her judgment.
She understood what needed to be done.
There was silence for a while.
Reinhardt did not nod immediately. Instead, he slowly tapped into his [Dimensional Storage] skill and took out the Origin Seed.
"What are you doing?"
Erza raised an eyebrow and looked at the thing that was on his palm.
A seed?
Reinhardt held out his palm and explained curtly.
"It’s a seed of the World Tree."
At this moment, the seed reacted. A powerful pulse of light surged through it, vibrating violently as if responding to something nearby.
Reinhardt’s eyes contracted. This resonance... it was stronger than he had ever experienced.
There was no doubt now.
He slowly lifted his gaze and looked at the capital of Lunaris, or what was left of it. The person he was searching for, the High Elf Priestess, was in that city.
Wind blew, ruffling his golden hair.
At that moment, he made up his mind.
"We cannot simply erase the city. There are still people inside. People hoping to be rescued."
"You serious? Are you telling me you want to deliberately walk into the mouth of the Abyss Nest?" Erza scoffed.
Was this man insane?
Fighting inside the stomach of an Abyss Nest was completely different from fighting it from outside.
Not to mention having to face endless demon legions, just the seemingly viscous amount of demonic energy inside was enough to make a high ranking knight dizzy.
Heading inside the mouth of that thing was not only putting his life in danger but also his order’s.
"Guess we are doing this the hard way."
Reinhardt did not continue arguing with Erza.
Instead, he turned to face the knights of his order.
Looking at the undeterred faces of his subordinates, their armor gleaming platinum, he issued his commands.
"Knights of the Temple of Light, right before us is a living nightmare. An abomination that has killed numerous knights through history. And we are going to enter right into its mouth"...
"History has waited hundreds of years for this hour. The calamity thinks we are fuel for its fire; let us show it we are the cold steel that puts it out. My mighty soldiers, blades up! We are going to march into the center of calamity to end it."