A silver ripple suddenly spread outward from his body, cutting across the battlefield and striking the eleven phantoms fighting his force. The moment the ripple touched them, their bodies were violently dragged toward him as if an invisible force had seized them.
Ragnar grinned.
They flew through the air helplessly, pulled directly into his reach.
He swung the club.
The first phantom burst apart like shattered glass.
The second followed an instant later.
Ragnar began swatting them one after another with brutal precision, each strike landing like a hammer blow. The sounds echoed across the asteroid as his club rose and fell in quick succession.
Eleven swings.
Eleven kills.
Crimson mist erupted from his body as the remains of the phantoms collapsed into drifting deathmist. The mist didn’t linger long. It was pulled toward Ragnar and devoured as the energy was absorbed into him.
Then he turned his attention to the abominations rushing across the battlefield.
His knees bent slightly.
The ground beneath his feet cracked as his massive body exploded upward, launching into the air above the swarm of creatures charging below. For a brief moment he hovered high above them, his shadow stretching across the twisted mass of bodies gathering beneath him.
He shifted his grip on the club and held it with both hands.
The weapon rose above his head.
"Giant Smash."
The club began glowing with a faint silver light as space itself rippled around the descending strike.
Then Ragnar brought it down.
The impact detonated across the asteroid.
A massive explosion erupted from the point of contact, the force tearing through the charging abominations like a violent storm. The ground shattered outward as the creatures were crushed beneath the overwhelming force of the blow.
When the shockwave finally faded, the swarm was gone.
Only a giant crater remained where they had stood, its surface stained with scattered blood and fragments of bone spread across the broken rock.
When the last of the abominations collapsed into the crater he had created, Ragnar lowered his club and looked across the asteroid.
The tower still stood, though several nearby structures had been shattered by the battle. The soldiers who had come with him were already moving through the remaining buildings, clearing the interiors and securing the base just as they had been instructed.
Ragnar rested the club against his shoulder and walked toward the portal platform.
The leading demon commander approached quickly and stopped a few steps away.
"General," the demon said.
Ragnar nodded toward the tower.
"Take over the base," he said. "Secure the tower and establish the communication channel exactly as Primus instructed. Leave your soldiers here."
"Yes, General."
Ragnar didn’t wait for further confirmation. He stepped onto the portal platform and activated the ring. The gateway flared and swallowed him instantly.
A moment later he stepped out onto Abor once again.
The teleportation hub had become even busier than before. Soldiers moved between the circles while administrators tracked the progress of the operation. Ragnar’s massive thirty-foot form immediately drew attention as he emerged from the portal, his towering body casting a long shadow across the plaza.
One of the demons assigned to record the progress of the assaults looked up from his slate.
He gulped.
"G-General," the demon stammered, quickly straightening.
Ragnar rested the club on the ground and glanced down at him.
"How’s the progress?" he asked.
The demon quickly checked the markings on the slate.
"Sir, you are currently ranked third in closing the bases."
Ragnar raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
The demon nodded nervously.
"Sir Billion is first. He has already closed thirteen bases."
Ragnar chuckled deeply.
"Sounds about right."
"The second is—"
Ragnar raised a hand.
"No need to tell me who is second."
The demon froze mid-sentence.
Ragnar lifted the club onto his shoulder again and turned toward the next portal ring.
Then he vanished.
Two minutes passed.
The demon was still standing there, nervously marking updates on his slate, when another portal flared nearby.
A figure stepped through.
Silver.
He landed lightly on the stone surface, folding his wings behind him as he looked around the hub.
The demon straightened immediately.
"Sir, your ranking is—"
Silver raised a hand.
"No need."
He stretched his shoulders slightly.
"I’m not interested."
Before the demon could respond, Silver had already turned toward another portal.
He stepped into the circle and vanished.
The hub grew quiet again.
Ten seconds later another portal activated.
Lyrate floated out of the gateway, her red dress flowing gently as she drifted forward. Her red eyes swept across the plaza before settling on the demon standing nearby.
The demon quickly looked down at his slate.
Then hesitated.
He said nothing.
Lyrate stopped in midair and frowned slightly.
"What are you standing there for like a statue?" she asked sharply. "What is my rank?"
The demon immediately straightened.
"Ma’am, your rank is fourth."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Who is above me?"
The demon swallowed.
"Sir Ragnar."
For a brief moment Lyrate said nothing. Then she turned toward the nearest portal ring. Space rippled around her as she vanished, already moving toward another base.
The demon wiped the sweat from his forehead. For a moment he considered stepping away from the portal hub to catch his breath, but before he could move another circle flared to life behind him. The portal rippled and a figure stepped through.
The man was completely covered in the black robes of the Order of Absolute. The fabric concealed him from head to toe, and even his face remained hidden beneath the shadow of the hood. Only the faint outline of his posture revealed the calm composure of the person standing there.
The demon straightened instantly.
"Sir Ash."
Ash gave a small nod as he stepped forward.
"Rank?" he asked.
"Second," the demon replied quickly.
Ash remained silent for a moment.
"What is the gap?"
"Three bases," the demon answered.
Ash nodded once. Without another word his body vanished, space folding around him as he moved toward another portal.
The demon gulped. The moment Ash was gone another portal behind him flared to life again.
I stepped out of it.
The demon snapped into a salute so fast it almost looked painful.
"Sir Billion."
"Hey, Dable," I said casually as I walked toward him. "How’s it going? I hope they’re not giving you too much trouble."
"N-no sir," he said quickly.
I reached over and took the slate from his hands, glancing down at the markings.
"Oh," I said with a small chuckle. "Would you look at that. Ash is second."
Dable nodded eagerly.
"Yes sir, Ash is really fast."
"He should be," I replied with a nod. "He’s strong and his sealing laws are very efficient for clearing structures."
I handed the slate back to him.
"Alright," I said with a small smile. "Let me increase my speed slightly. There needs to be a respectable gap between them and me."
Dable nodded vigorously.
"Yes sir."
I turned toward the next portal circle.
Before stepping into the portal, I paused and turned back.
"Dable, any news from the outside world?" I asked.
He nodded immediately.
"Yes, General Kharzun reported some movements," Dable said, his tone turning serious.
I grinned and turned around. A moment later space rippled around me and I stepped forward, disappearing into the gateway as I moved toward the next base.