“Monster incoming.”

Spoken words that under normal circumstances shouldn’t have been a cause for alarm in such a prominent large city, surrounded by massive 50-meter-tall walls. The guards moved as if a literal fire was lit under their asses. What could possibly raise such concern from them?

The answer came to him a moment later, in the form of the ground shaking for a mere second, followed by more shaking. A monster was coming. A beast so large and heavy, it literally shook the ground as it traveled. Faint compared to the earthquake, but Kai could easily feel the increasing intensity as it drew closer.

“Everyone, begin evacuating the city. Anyone who can fly, begin by bringing others outside the city walls on the southwest side. All others, head for the southern gate immediately.”

Up in the Royal booth, the king and many others took flight and quickly vanished from sight as they went east where the Ashbourne mountains stood. Opposite of the direction given to the evacuates.

The arena was tucked away in the northeast side of the city, which happened to be on the same side of the Ashbourne mountains, where all the knights, nobles, and royalty began flying toward.

Hundreds of people began flying away carrying someone, most likely a family, meanwhile there were still tens of thousands just inside the arena.

If they are evacuating everyone… does this mean they have no hope of stopping the monster from getting into the city? The thought chilled Kai’s body. Even in his past life, when everything was half-assed and rushed, monsters barely made it through city or town walls. And that was with wood and regular stone. Ashstone was without a doubt better than regular stone, especially since they had used it to build a wall next to an infamous monster infested mountain range.

The next second Nicolas yelled something, as a man wearing a royal guard’s armor teleported next to him. Nicolas’ arm extended towards Kai in a hopeless gesture as he was forcibly flown away and out of sight a few moments later.

Looking around awkwardly, Kai wasn’t sure if anyone was coming for him. If his brother was going to help him leave the city, then he should have come to him by now. No one was even paying attention to him anymore. It was every person for themselves practically. He would have to rely on himself to find a safe way out. Already half the stands had emptied, as people piled in and rushed through the exits.

Sheathing his sword, Kai kept the mace in hand since he didn’t have a place to store it. Running through the waiting area his armor returned to normal weight. Akane followed closely. She didn’t display any of her usual signs of goofiness and gluttony which he appreciated.

Exiting the arena, the area outside was a madhouse. People were streaming from the auditorium seating sections. Most were collecting onto the one main road that led to the central square and out of the southern exit. Others were taking side roads, and while Kai thought of following them, to escape the crowd, there was no guarantee they were heading straight out of the city. Kai wasn’t confident enough in his navigational skills to make it through the side roads.

Above him, the lights were gone. Sometime between when he entered the waiting area and left the arena, the enchantments giving artificial light had been turned off. The sky that had been blocked was now visible. Dark angry clouds covered the city, an ominous sign of the coming apocalypse. In the distance, the Ashbourne Mountains were unusually dark. Smoke was billowing into the sky, merging with the dark clouds above. It looked absolutely sinister. Kai felt a terrible foreboding.

“Let’s get out of here Akane,” Kai called out. Picking the fox up so she didn’t get stepped on, he waded into the crowd. No one dallied as they all ran south.

The thumping intensified. People were growing more frenzied as they started pushing others to get by. It was absolute anarchy as tens of thousands of people were hurdled onto one street, all trying to escape.

Then everyone stopped. Kai’s hands flew to his ears, trying to block the horrifying roar. Louder than anything he had ever heard. For a moment he thought he turned deaf as he removed his hands. It had turned silent. Looking at his hands, they were shaking uncontrollably. It wasn’t the volume of the roar that had terrified him. No, there was something instinctual laced into it that frightened him. He wasn’t the only one. As if the sound had only just returned, people began panicking as they screamed loudly. Children cried as they took their hands off their ears only to find them soaked in blood. The situation had turned even more chaotic as everyone struggled to escape with renewed fervor.

A woman’s frightened scream rang out, followed by the sound of a collapsing building nearby. Emerging from the rubble, an ashen winged man shot into the sky back to the east. Kai could have sworn it looked like the king, or one of his sons.

Kai watched the top of the eastern walls for any signs of fighting. Even though it was far away, his enhanced senses allowed him to see it clearly. The pounding of the earth had paused only for a few extra moments before it continued once again. Monstrous sounds arose from the unseen side of the wall. A battle of epic proportions was taking place, the likes of which he had never seen or experienced before.

He didn’t know what he expected to see as its visage began appearing over the southeast walls. Scales as black as the darkest nights were his first sight, followed by the rest of its head. Golden eyes stared down its elongated snout as it peered over the city walls.

[Crodilion - ???]

Kai hadn’t been expecting to see its level. But judging by the fact he could identify it from here meant it was absolutely massive if that wasn’t obvious by the fact it was already towering over the walls.

The monster continued to rise, high and higher until a mane of gold that almost seemed to be made out of living lava was in sight. Following, unusually long crocodilian arms, came into view as it pressed down against the top of the walls, its claws gripping the edge as it for balance.

Why? Why is it coming to the city? Something of this size, of this power, attacking the city had to be intentional. Something or someone must have baited it. Wait. Could someone even bait a creature of such immense strength? This monster probably lived in the mountains among the lava and flames, even if the volcano had erupted because of the earthquakes, it probably wouldn’t have been bothered by it.

More screaming echoed around him as the massive walls came crashing down. Once though impenetrable, they hadn’t even lasted half a minute since the creature had appeared next to the wall. Its bipedal body shuffled through, making the hole in the wall larger.

Magic exploded all over its body. Hundreds of humans were fighting it, but their attacks were ineffective, as if they were throwing pebbles at a boulder. Still, some attacks actually looked like they managed to hurt the bipedal crocodile lion monster.

Arms swinging so fast that to Kai’s eyes they were a blur, impacted and turned the defenders into paste. Even without its magic, the Crodilion’s physical prowess was a sight to behold. Knights and royal guards that were probably the pinnacle among the soldiers in this kingdom were turned into fodder before the great monster. People who had spent 20, 50, and 100 years leveling, were killed in a matter of seconds. All their gains and effort, for naut against a seemingly impossible foe.

Akane snorted watching the monster rampage through the city. The only thing that could impress her was food apparently. But Kai was plenty impressed. Terrified actually.

From below in the city, magic splashed against the monster. It was difficult to tell if the magic being shot at it was doing any damage to those dark scales or just merely scratching an itch. Responding to the attacks, the creature’s mouth opened incredibly wide, an orange glow emerging inside of it, followed by lava. A volcano all on its own, it blanketed multiple city blocks in lava. Kai imagined the houses and cobbled ground had turned into a molten wasteland. All those who hadn’t been able to escape the area were gone without a doubt.

It was mesmerizing and horrifying to watch the battle unfold. There was no holding back against the colossal beast. Crowds of what it probably considered insects swarmed around the it. Running down its back, a swordsman had pierced the scales as he dragged his sword across its body. But what was a one-meter-deep wound to a creature larger than the palace?

The air surrounding the creature was blurred as if the air itself was burning. Without even being directly attacked, dozens of people fell out of the sky, crashing out of sight, all most likely dead. Fire countered, streaming from multiple sources, as it washed across the monster’s scales. A deep guttural laugh resounded from the Crodilion before it snapped its jaws extremely fast, catching someone who had been flying too close.

The battle had gotten close enough for Kai to hear, “Fire is completely ineffective!”

“Get back Griffin!”

“Watch out! It’s spraying lava again.”

“Your majesty, please escape!” screamed a soldier nearby desperately.

In the air in front of the monster, Kai spied the king, bloody and bruised in a ripped robe floating with demonic looking ashen wings. His dexterous hands flowed so fast and gracefully, as spears created of ash and magic pierced into the Crodilion one after another. It wasn’t until one pierced its eye, that the creature became angry.

Claws slashed through the air, barely missing the king as he dodged. More and more strikes followed. The power behind each strike was enough to destroy the houses below just from the wind coming off it.

Between the monster and the dozens of fighters remaining, the city was on its way to quickly being destroyed. And if he didn’t escape it would be his turn. The southern exit was no longer an option, the Crodilion was too close, and it was growing closer. Every step it took crossed half a block.

The western exit. It’s my only hope. Running down a side path, he hoped he could navigate himself to the western exit. The problem was that it was the furthest exit from his current location, even running at a quick pace it would take an estimated twenty minutes to get there, assuming he didn’t get lost on the way. Just make it to the wall and follow it down, he thought, hopeful of escaping this nightmare situation. Lightfoot was coming in clutch as he sprinted down street after street. Many others were doing the same, apparently all having the same idea as him.

Kai kept moving for the exit of the city, the sounds of the great battle loomed behind him. Even at his peak, he would have been fodder in this battle.

Thump. Thump. The footsteps grew closer, faster than he could escape them.

The most inhuman menacing voice echoed through the capital. “Too long... has this city... been encroaching on my home. You cause the shaking. You cause the noise... I will kill you all!”

Letting out a high pitch yell, Kai watched horrified as the Crodilion’s mouth opened once more. Instead, of a specific target, massive chunks of lava splattered into the air, arcing deeper into the city. Kai ducked. It was stupid and pointless, but it was his first instinct to make himself smaller. Blankets of lava soared over his head as it crashed down nearby. He watched as the lava engulfed people. Screams were suddenly cut short as their bodies literally vanished. Houses disappeared. The city was turning into a molten pool of lava.

The area’s temperature had turned unbearably oppressive. He was having trouble breathing. His armor was thriving as it absorbed all the heat, lightening itself. Around him, his path had been blocked off by lava. His only path was to retreat back to the monster and find a way around the lava, and fast. If he didn’t escape, he would suffocate.

Akane was still curled around his neck protectively. She remained oddly silent as the ensuing chaos happened all around them.

It took a few minutes to find a makeshift path past the lava. In the meantime, the remaining fighters hadn’t given up.

Just when Kai thought he was in the home stretch to the western gate, a human collided with the cobbled road, sending stone everywhere.

Having recognized him, Kai ran to the old man. “Professor Dravenport!”

Sitting up, Professor Dravenport screamed in a panicked voice, “No! Stay back, Kai!”

Stopping, Kai’s eyes widened. His wizened-looking professor was missing his arm, and part of his skull. The man’s brain was literally exposed to the outside air, yet the Dravenport looked unbothered as if he wasn’t yet aware of the fact that his brain was unprotected. Kai realized at that moment two things. One, the old man before him wasn’t marred by fire or burns. And two, he had fallen from the opposite direction of where the Crodilion was currently.

From above he heard someone call out. “A student? Oh! I recognize you. You’re that shit commoner who managed to climb his way to the finals. I was thoroughly impressed by you, considering this shithole of a kingdom is so full of trash.”

In the sky, floating in the air was the academy’s headmistresses, Lynn. His instincts screamed enemy as if that wasn’t obvious by a glance.

Drawing his sword, he knew it was a futile gesture against people of their power.

“Professor, your head,” Kai whispered when Dravenport stood.

“I know,” he said patting the exposed area. “She snuck up on me.”

Ash covered the man, taking the shape of a knight’s armor. On each arm were four whips of ash, floating out into the air before him.

“Listen, Kai,” his voice was deeper under the ash. “She has been hiding everything. She’s an illusion and void master. Everything is her fault. The monster, the earthquakes, the bears. She must be working for the Hart Empire.”

A historical laugh rang out. “Well… You are almost right. I guess you can say that I am doing this on behalf of the Hart Empire, but that’s not who I am working for.” She seemed happy as her nasally voice grated on Kai’s ears. She wasn’t even looking at them though, his eyes were focused on the Crodilion in the near distance. From the increasing reverberations in the ground, it was coming towards him again. Who knew if anyone remained to stand against it?

“Who are you working for?!” Dravenport yelled questioningly.

Cocking her head, her mouth widened in a disgusting grin. “What does it matter? Dead man tells no tales.”

“You need to find people and tell them. We can’t let her get away with this. Run as fast as you can. I’ll buy you as much time as possible!” The professor turned ashen knight, vanished from the ground, and instantly appeared next to the traitor.

Kai didn’t even spare them a glance. He shot off, across the ground. Turning on the next street. His optimism soared when he saw the western gate in the distance. He ran full speed down the straight empty road until he crashed full force into air.

Shaking his head, he placed his hand in front of him. He felt something solid as if the very air had turned into a wall. Magically appearing against his hand was a house in his path. Not just in his path, but his entire surroundings had changed. He had been caught in an illusion. He had thought he was home free, but in actuality, he was being played by the headmistress, if her maniacal laughing from above was anything to gauge from.

“Oh, that was too easy. You low realm trash are too stupid to know any better,” she gloated.

Crashing onto the ground next to Kai was a body belonging to Professor Dravenport. The elderly man was dead. A massive gaping hole was now where his chest and stomach used to be. 30 seconds hadn’t even passed. If she was able to kill someone who had been alive almost 1300 years so quickly, what did that mean for her power? The seventh realm? The eighth? Or maybe even higher. He stood absolutely no chance.

“Well, you weren’t really my target, but you know, sometimes you’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I can’t exactly have you telling everyone it was me. Not that they would believe you. But you’re just sitting right there. Ah sorry, I didn’t mean to keep talking, sometimes it’s so much fun to narrate as I kill others,” she gave Kai a wicked smile. Lifting her palm up, an orb of void magic spawned in it. “Don’t worry, you won’t feel a thing… probably.”

Kai couldn’t help the whimper that escaped from his mouth. There was nothing he could do or say to fix the situation. He had heard and seen too much. And killing him would be as easy as swatting a slow moving fly.

He was about to die again. There was no way to know if he would get another chance at life. His thoughts turned to his parents, his siblings, and even Akane who remained warmly curled around his neck. He hadn’t been able to spend much time with them, but he didn’t regret it for a minute. They had brought joy to his bleak and fractured heart.

“Well. I guess I have no choice but to help,” came a smooth feminine voice from inside his mind.