Tentacles writhe. They are thicker than the pillars of giant trees, with sharp thorns and even bones growing from them.
If caught, beyond being crushed, countless mouths would grow and devour people alive. The soldiers of Tirna desperately resisted to avoid being caught by those things.
The initial surprise attack had caught them off guard as it happened unexpectedly, but under their commander's calm instructions, they formed ranks and showed an excellent response against the tentacles.
-Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat!
Bullets cutting through the night air pierced holes in the tentacles. The tentacles were repeatedly torn apart and burned by fire, yet never stopped targeting the soldiers.
When one disappeared, two appeared. When two disappeared, four appeared. Like the hydra from mythology whose heads grow back twofold when cut, the tentacles kept repeating their multiplication. Naturally, the danger level increased accordingly.
A tentacle stem cut by Sestain's sword fell with a thudding sound. The soldier continued pulling the trigger without even glancing at the tentacle that fell near his shield. Overheated cartridge cases bounced out with popping sounds and rolled on the ground.
The soldier suddenly realized something was wrong with his shield. More precisely, he felt a stinging pain in the arm holding the shield. Being in the middle of combat, with hormones pumping madly from his brain, his recognition was delayed.
'What is this?'
"Aaaahhh!"
The gloves worn on his arm barely protected him, so the misfortune of having his arm severed didn't occur. However, due to being torn by the teeth, blood gushed out madly from the wound.
"Damn it!"
"Everyone be careful! It's erosion! Those who can't handle mana, fall back further!"
The tentacles that had fallen to the floor were wriggling and extending thin, long stems like optic nerves around them. When some of the nerves touched the soldier's shield, they instantly eroded the shield, transforming the shield itself into a pseudo-corrupted entity. The erosive power possessed by outer beings applied even to inanimate objects like shields.
"It's the tentacles that fell to the floor! Burn them all with fire!"
"Flamethrower troops!"
Soldiers wearing gas masks with hoods pulled over came forward. A viscous liquid made of chemical compounds mixed with flames and swept across the floor.
The mages also burned the tentacles that fell to the floor with fire or froze them with ice.
As some of the firepower that had been keeping the tentacles in check was diverted to the debris on the floor, it became dispersed. Sestain had no choice but to swing his sword more vigorously to strike down the tentacles.
"Damn it. Even the stuff that falls to the floor causes this much trouble?"
When he just cut them down, the severed parts crawled along the floor spreading erosion. Clinging to inorganic materials and transforming them into flesh monster entities. Wasn't this more dangerous than a plague?
"I know heretics are dangerous for good reason, but this is excessive."
Sestain sheathed his sword, then unleashed foot swordsmanship at a terrifying speed.
Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish! Countless threads of light flashed in the air. Among hundreds of lines, the tentacles were sliced into pieces smaller than finger joints.
Fortunately, when chopped up this finely, even tentacles couldn't perform erosion. It seemed they needed to maintain a certain volume or mass to cause erosion.
'But if this continues, I'll tire out first. The compatibility isn't good for me.'
If he had to expend this much energy dealing with even one tentacle, he wouldn't last long in a battle like this.
'At this point, should I perform a limited release of the Ark Parts?'
Just as Sestain was contemplating this, his gaze caught a strange sight. Something was wriggling and protruding from the outer wall of Trinity Building, which had transformed into disgusting red flesh.
'Tentacles? No. It resembles a person.'
At first he thought it might be another tentacle, but it wasn't. That thing resembled a person. Only the upper body was protruding, but it was certain. A yellow ring floated above the head of that thing which resembled a withered mummy. It was a ring burning with flames.
And the moment he saw them all simultaneously reaching their hands toward this direction, Sestain felt chills running down his spine.
"Everyone evacuate!"
No sooner had his shout ended than high-temperature beams swept across the ground.
Beams of destruction moved. The soldiers reflexively raised their special shields. The magic stones embedded in the shields glowed, surrounding them with barriers made of mana. These were expensive magical engineering shields supplied only to mana users.
-Zzzzzing.
However, the beams imbued with the power of the Sun Ring tore through such barriers all too easily. The soldiers who had raised their shields widened their eyes in disbelief. That was their last moment.
Without screams or sounds, only ash-covered corpses remained where the beams had swept through. Explosions occurred one after another where the beams had passed. Shock waves containing heat burst forth, destroying the surroundings and scattering debris, causing secondary and tertiary damage.
Such situations occurred simultaneously around Trinity Building. Soldiers who weren't directly hit by the beams screamed as they suffered burns all over their bodies from the heat and collateral damage. The large, wide paved road instantly transformed into a hellish inferno.
"Damn! What the hell is that thing!"
Sestain, who had barely escaped the beam's area of effect, gritted his teeth. If he hadn't deflected the beam targeting him with his sword as much as possible, and if the Ark Parts worn on both arms hadn't activated, he too would have met the same end as the corpses scattered there.
'20 percent of our forces were lost in that single attack.'
Not just any 20 percent, but elites who had charged into the heart of the city to capture heretics. It was significant damage indeed. At this rate, they would really have no choice but to purify all of District 17.
"Move the wounded!"
"Damn! The next attack is coming! Everyone be careful!"
The corrupted entities clustered like barnacles on the building's outer wall raised their hands again. The rings floating above their heads burned fiercely as yellow energy gathered in their palms.
If heat rays like the first ones flew again during such chaotic confusion, the damage would grow to incalculable proportions.
Just as the angels imbued with solar energy were about to fire, they all raised their heads in unison. Their gaze was directed toward the pitch-black night sky.
-Crack! Crack-crack!
Countless steel bars flew through the night air, brutally piercing through the corrupted entities' torsos. As their comrades were struck down, the red angels' hands turned toward the sky.
-Whoosh!
Solar beams shot up toward the sky from Trinity Building. Illuminating the pitch-black night, the pierced night clouds evaporated, creating large holes throughout. Between those beams of light, a black shadow was flying rapidly.
"Daver! Hold on tight!"
"I'm already doing that without you telling me!"
Eren, transformed into a giant owl, was flying, and Daver, riding on top, responded while raising the Tesla Arms output to maximum.
-Zzzzzing.
Vast magnetic force spread out, forcibly extracting countless metals that comprised the building. Debris from nearby buildings damaged by the battle all floated up, drawn by that powerful attraction.
"Eat this, you bastards!"
Daver, having gathered all the metal debris, fired it all at once toward Trinity Building. Debris with violent destructive power from its mass alone flew in. The angels imbued with Sun Ring power fired consecutive beams into the air to intercept it.
-Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
Solar power exploded in the air, and melted or destroyed metal fell down. However, Daver's attack didn't stop.
Daver flew metal imbued with electric current or even shook the building several times with flame magic. Though he might be called the youngest, he was a mage. And a very excellent mage at that.
Given proper preparation, he was the one who could produce the greatest firepower among the Blood Brotherhood.
What he lacked was mobility. But Eren was helping by providing that mobility instead.
Thanks to the unintended assistance of the two brothers soaring through the sky, the Tirna city government was able to catch their breath, if only briefly.
"Let's get out of here!"
Basilio shouted.
The red angels swarming from over there seemed too much for them to handle right away.
Osian agreed with this sentiment. In such an open passage, if those things fired solar rays all at once, this side would be annihilated. He knew best since it was his own power.
"But where to?"
The witch Maia shouted in panic. This was a space eroded by Red Eternity. Even if they tried to flee, if Zaxilos set his mind to it, blocking their escape route would be child's play.
However, it wasn't completely without options.
"I'll open the path!"
Basilio scattered red diagrams in a circle on the floor. The floor of flesh chunks wriggled and then created a large passage.
"Everyone this way!"
Basilio shouted. However, just as the passage seemed to expand, it returned to its original form as if time had rewound. It was obstructed by external intervention.
"Damn Zaxilos!"
Cardinal Zaxilos, knowing that this side could use the eroded space, had begun interference. That brazenly smiling face flickered before his eyes.
Even if he tried to open the passage again, it would be useless if Zaxilos, who had stronger dominion, interfered. Atilla, the younger sister among the writhing sisters, stepped forward.
"I-I'll help."
When she slightly lifted her skirt hem, giant octopus legs poured out. Like turning on a faucet full blast, giant octopus legs squeezed and burrowed into the flesh passage that was trying to close.
-Rrrrrip!
The passage that was trying to close expanded again.
The power Atilla wielded was also the power of an outer god, just like Red Eternity. Naturally, this side could also cause erosion.
Layering erosion upon an eroded world, the reason the slithering sisters could secretly enter Trinity Building was also due to this.
"Everyone this way! You guys hurry up too! I can't hold out long!"
Krua shouted toward Osian and Martinez. Martinez left his position, and Osian immediately moved as well.
Before leaving, Osian tried to recover the Sun Ring energy from the corrupted entity he had slain, but realized he couldn't.
'The power is too weak to absorb. This isn't Sun Ring energy itself, but closer to a spark of Sun Ring energy.'
It could produce powerful firepower for a moment, but it wasn't permanent power. He understood how they could mass-produce so many corrupted entities imbued with Sun Ring power.
The burning rings were all the firepower they possessed. And that was only enough to fire heat rays a few times or create and swing solar swords.
'Of course, even that much is very threatening.'
It was power that could kill an opponent in one strike under normal circumstances. Given that it could be used multiple times, the demerit of rapid energy consumption had to be considered nonexistent.
Basilio was the first to jump down into the passage. Plimene and Maia followed him, then Krua and Atilla.
Osian picked up the fallen Delford. Due to fainting, the guy had returned to his original werewolf form. Though he was quite large and heavy, it wasn't a big deal for Osian, who was a knight.
Martinez and Osian also immediately leaped toward the writhing hole. From behind, golden solar rays were fired along with scorching heat.
No sooner had Osian and Martinez jumped down into the passage than beams filled the space above their heads.
Immediately after, the passage closed, and Osian felt a floating sensation as he fell down.
Basilio controlled the space to open a path, while Atilla performed erosion to prevent Zaxilos from interfering.
How long did they fall like that? After feeling a floating sensation for a while, they eventually arrived at a location.
Though they had fallen from a great height, no one failed to land properly. As everyone landed safely, Basilio caught his breath. Looking up, they could see the passage they had jumped through wriggling and filling up.
"Phew. That's one worry off our minds. We're far enough away now, so it should be fine."
He wanted to go further if possible, but it seemed that the closer they got to Zaxilos, the stronger the erosive power of the space itself became, making it difficult to break through.
"Hmm. Where is this?"
Just then, Delford regained consciousness. Realizing he was being carried by Osian, Delford asked for understanding and came down.
"...The fact that I'm this intact means we must have won the fight."
Of course, several unfamiliar faces had been added, but Delford didn't ask how this had happened. Whatever the case, it was good that Phillis had fallen and reliable allies had increased.
"At this level, quite a force has gathered."
Osian surveyed the people gathered in the place. Without exception, the level of the assembled people was formidable.
Two apostles of outer gods, the most talented paladin among the 13 Holy Seats, a witch of Tirna, an Outer Lich, a descendant of the ancient fierce wolf, and even a knight of heaven. Public official Plimene was on the most ordinary side among them.
"Still, we should be able to reduce the risk of attacks for a while. Since this place is safe, let's rest for a bit."
Basilio said confidently, thumping his chest with his fist.
-CRASH!
At that moment, one wall collapsed. And from there, Krollakia, Senaka, and Malina emerged as they were fleeing from countless corrupted entities.
"Th-the Blood Brotherhood again?!"
Maia screamed in horror. They were even being chased by countless corrupted entities, with monsters squeezing through the gaps in the broken wall.
Everyone's cold gaze turned toward Basilio. You said it was safe?
"No, this is unfair."