CHAPTER 650: [EVENT] [THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST] [30] ALL OUT AGAINST BEHEMOTH

A burst of purple Wrath exploded outward from the impact. The shockwave shattered windows in nearby ruins. A massive black horn, once part of the Behemoth’s skull, spiraled into the air and rocketed backward—piercing through a half-collapsed building a hundred meters away like a divine spear.

I stumbled as I landed, coughing up a mouthful of blood. My ribs burned with every breath, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. My eyes were already locked on the two remaining horns.

I raised my sword once more.

But before I could take a proper stance, a loud crack split the air—my weapon trembled in my grip, and then, like glass under pressure, it shattered completely. The fragments of sands scattered across the scorched earth.

"Fuck!" I growled.

Without wasting a second, I summoned Trinity Nihil.

Behemoth’s gaze snapped toward me.

Its eyes burned with raw hatred—seething and boiling.

I had to take at least one more horn. I wasn’t done. Not yet.

I gripped Trinity Nihil tight and raised it high.

"Amael!!"

My instincts screamed a fraction too late.

Suddenly, a force slammed into me, knocking the breath from my lungs. The world spun as my body was hurled away from the Behemoth’s strike zone. One of his massive horns elongated stabbing down where I’d just stood—one second slower, and it would’ve impaled me clean through.

I crashed hard into the ground, the impact rattling my bones. Dust filled my vision as I blinked through the pain.

And then—I saw her.

I froze.

"C–Celeste...?"

She was there, staggering just a few feet away, blood trailing down her side as she reached out instinctively, shielding me.

Her expression was twisted in pain, but her hand still hovered protectively in front of me, trembling.

"Arghh..." She groaned, her fingers twitching as they moved toward her waist.

What the hell is she doing here?

"What are you doing here...?" I asked, my voice strained. I didn’t even have the strength to scold her. I was too stunned.

But Celeste ignored me. Her trembling hand fumbled for the vials strapped to her waist.

Meanwhile, Behemothrose again with a guttural roar, shaking off dust and blood before turning his gaze toward us.

I pulled Celeste into my arms and leapt with everything I had, carrying her as far away from the rampaging monster as possible.

"You are dangerous," a cold voice reached my ears

"...!" My eyes widened.

Nikolas Tepes appeared beside me.

His crimson blade was already arcing through the air, aimed for my throat.

Celeste’s eyes flared open in horror.

And I—there was no time to react.

But before the blade could reach me, a shadow slammed into Nikolas from behind. A boot connected with his back in a brutal, blindingly fast kick, launching him like a meteor into the dirt with a thunderous crash.

Jefer landed there.

"You don’t look too good, man," Rodolf’s voice rang right after as he landed beside us, slightly out of breath but still smirking.

"Y–Yeah..." I gasped, the adrenaline fading fast as I fell to my knees, still holding Celeste protectively in my arms.

She was gritting her teeth through the pain, dumping healing vials onto her wounds even as fresh blood seeped through her torn clothes.

I turned my head.

In the distance, Elizabeth was back to fight head on Behemoth. Knights swarmed to support her, but they were being torn apart like paper. The Behemoth, now fully enraged, was swatting them aside with massive arms or skewering them with jagged black spikes of condensed Prana, launched like javelins from its palms.

I turned my gaze back toward Celeste, my breath catching slightly at the sight of her.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Celeste had just finished tending to the bleeding of her waist. Her hands were trembling as she lowered them, and when she turned to face me, her mismatched eyes—one a deep teal blue, the other a shimmering white—were glossy with tears. But behind the tears, there was something else too. Anger.

Without a word, she raised her hand and slapped me across the face.

"Ugh—!" The sting hit more than just my cheek.

That actually hurt.

"I... Idiot..." She whispered, biting down on her bottom lip as more tears slipped down her cheeks.

I couldn’t help it.

My body moved on its own as I reached up to gently wipe the tears away from her porcelain face—but my fingers, still smeared with dried blood and grime, only ended up streaking her cheek with crimson.

"I’m sorry..." I said quietly.

I wasn’t even sure what I was apologizing for—maybe for getting her involved, for making her cry, for the blood and the danger and the chaos. Maybe for everything.

Celeste’s hand reached out and clasped mine. Her palm was soft and warm. Just that simple touch cooled the throbbing in my hand and brought a flicker of calm to my rattled nerves.

She had no idea how much I loved her.

And maybe that was the problem.

I didn’t want her to be here. I didn’t want her anywhere near this nightmare. I didn’t want to watch her get hurt. I wasn’t sure I could take it if she did.

"You have to get to safety, Celeste," I said, gently pulling my hand away.

Her expression hardened instantly. "I can help!" She snapped, glaring at me.

"That monster... it’s like it’s invincible," I said, wiping the blood off my lip with the back of my sleeve. "It’s too dangerous."

"You can’t beat the Behemoth."

Nikolas’s mocking voice interrupted us.

He was brushing dirt from his coat, casually, as if he hadn’t just been lying flat a few moments ago..

"It’s not even at full strength yet, and you’re already struggling," he continued. "What do you think will happen when Deborah Dolphis appears?"

I scoffed, rising to my feet with a grunt. "That psycho won’t come unless you’ve got Amelia. And you don’t."

Nikolas tilted his head, chuckling. "We’ll see about that."

Suddenly, mana exploded from his body in a violent, suffocating surge. The pressure in the air rose instantly.

Jefer turned toward me and Celeste. His eyes flicked between Nikolas and the monstrous silhouette of the Behemoth in the distance.

"Can you hold him?" He asked.

I shook my head grimly. "No. Forget Behemoth—focus on Nikolas. Don’t let him reach Amelia. If he does, he’ll really bring back Deborah Dolphis. I don’t know how, but he’ll do it. We can’t let that happen."

Jefer narrowed his eyes.

It was hard to believe that Deborah Dolphis could come back from the dead after all.

"We’ll deal with the Behemoth in the meantime. Just take Nikolas down and get back to us fast," I added, stepping forward.

Jefer gave a small nodded and went toward Nikolas.

"I’m going too," Rodolf said beside me. "Jefer’s been worn out fighting Braham. I’m worried about him."

"Yeah," I replied with a nod. "Go. Watch his back."

Rodolf clapped a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We’ll take that bastard down. Then we’ll come help you finish the rest."

I gave him a tired smile. "I’ll be waiting."

With that, Rodolf turned and followed after Jefer.

"You’re not going to leave, are you?" I asked, turning toward Celeste.

She met my gaze and shook her head. "No. I won’t."

There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in her voice. That was Celeste for you—stubborn to the bone.

I let out a bitter smile. "Then I guess we’re doing this together," I said. "Let’s go kill that damn thing."

Without waiting for a reply, I uncorked another mana vial and downed it in one long gulp. The taste was sharp and metallic, burning down my throat like fire. I grimaced, tossing the empty vial aside. Almost instantly, my body started trembling—muscles twitching, veins burning, bones aching from the inside out.

I clenched my teeth and forced myself to ignore it.

"Keep attacking! Don’t let it breathe!" Brian Moonfang’s voice continued to ring.

The chaos hadn’t stopped for a second. Behemoth still towered above the rest of us—fighting off wave after wave of knights like they were no more than gnats buzzing around its ears. Only Elizabeth seemed to be doing any real damage, and even then... it was like trying to crack a mountain with a toothpick.

The beast was bleeding—yes—but it was still standing. Still roaring. Still swinging its grotesque limbs, even with one of its massive feet hacked clean off. Whatever it was made of, it wasn’t something any ordinary blade could cut through.

I scanned the battlefield, my thoughts drifting to Roda. Where was she? She had to be—

There. I spotted her—barely—slumped against a jagged rock, her hand propped weakly against it as she struggled to catch her breath. Her mask had shattered completely, revealing her face to the world, but she didn’t seem to care. Her eyes were locked on the Behemoth with quite anger and hatred.

Still... she was done. That last attack must’ve drained everything she had left. Even she couldn’t keep going after something like that. And, honestly? I was relieved. At least she wouldn’t throw herself headlong into the fight again and end up getting killed.

-BOOOM!

A sudden explosion of sound rocked the earth, and dozens—no, hundreds—of crystalline spears of ice rained down from the sky. One after another, they slammed into the Behemoth, forcing it back, inch by brutal inch.

I blinked, stunned.

I turned toward the source.

Celeste.

The knights around me let out cries of awe and relief as they spotted her standing, arms raised, mana swirling around her like a storm made of stars. Cheers erupted, their morale surging just from the sight of the new Prophetess.

The Behemoth shrieked in rage, responding with a barrage of those hideous black spikes of corrupted Prana. But before they could land, massive walls of ice burst into existence, shimmering like mirrors under moonlight—barriers that absorbed the impact protecting them.

Again, Celeste.

She wasn’t just attacking—she was defending the knights, supporting Elizabeth, and somehow holding her ground against the Behemoth all at once. Her mana output was insane.

And then I noticed it—clutched in her hand, glowing brightly—the emblem of the Prophetess.

The Holy Tree of Eden.

It was responding to her.

Lending her its power.

But how? How could she be wielding so much mana—consuming it at such a reckless rate—without even breaking a sweat?

It didn’t make sense. Unless... unless the Tree itself was sustaining her.

I narrowed my eyes, then turned to a cluster of nearby soldiers who had stopped to gape at her.

"You," I said, approaching them with a glare. "You better keep an eye on her. Got it?"

They flinched at my tone but nodded quickly, scrambling to form a protective circle around Celeste.

Good.

As for me... I had my own headache to deal with.

Elizabeth.

She was still out there, dancing around the Behemoth like this was all some kind of exhilarating game. A part of her looked far too thrilled by the danger, and that worried me. If she kept pushing herself like that, she was going to get herself killed.

I stared at my hand.

Calling out to Anathema’s Fire felt sluggish, like trying to summon heat from wet coals. Nothing happened at first. My fingers twitched, impatient, and I clenched them into a tight fist.

"Come on..." I muttered through gritted teeth.

Finally after a moment, purple flames erupted across my skin, curling and crackling.

But just as I got a grip on the fire, a deafening growl split the air. My head snapped toward Behemoth. His entire massive form pulsed with an ominous black light, shadowy tendrils of energy writhing around him dangerously.

Elizabeth was quick to react. She launched herself back, boots skidding across scorched earth as she landed several feet away.

That was my moment.

Without thinking, I bolted forward, my body moving before my mind could catch up. Everyone else hesitated. I didn’t. Maybe that was stupid—or brave. Maybe both.

Celeste took the cue and unleashed a barrage of ice lances, sharp as spears, that rained from the sky in shimmering arcs. They crashed against Behemoth’s body, pulling its attention away from me and toward the knights swarming around its feet.

I didn’t understand why its body was glowing like that—but something about it felt off, unstable. Vulnerable.

So I ran harder despite feeling my lungs burning. Something deep in my gut screamed that this was a gamble. A dangerous one.

"Wrath," I called out internally.

A sharp pain shot through my chest—then came the flashes. Disjointed images burned through my mind like lightning: glimpses of Samael’s memories, his rage, his grief, memories. I gritted my teeth and shoved the visions away.

Now wasn’t the time.

I clutched my right wrist with my left hand, trying to contain the violent surge of Wrath’s energy coursing through me. It was like holding onto a lightning bolt with bare hands.

Then—for a split second—everything around me fell silent.

And with a sound like cracking thunder, a jagged blade of pulsing purple energy materialized in my hand.

My eyes flew open.

Behemoth turned, fully focused on me now. He raised his arm, and black spikes of pure Prana once more erupted from his hand, slicing through the air like a storm of onyx needles.

I reacted on instinct.

I swung the blade of Wrath.

-BOOOOM!

The moment the blade met the spikes, they shattered into glittering particles, dissolving into the air like ash scattered in the wind. Prana couldn’t stand against it.

"I can do this."

I slashed again, this time cleaving off one of Behemoth’s monstrous fingers. The beast roared in agony. Using its own arm as a springboard, I vaulted upward toward its head, raising Wrath for another strike.

But then—

My body locked up mid-air.

Pain exploded in my chest. Something hit me from the inside—like my organs had been pierced by invisible spears.

Blood sprayed from my mouth. My legs gave out. I plummeted.

I crashed into the earth, breath knocked from my lungs. I couldn’t move.

No. Not like this...

Behemoth roared louder now, enraged. In his fury, massive black spikes burst from his body, fired like missiles in my direction.

I couldn’t stand.

Could barely breathe.

I tried to crawl, even just roll away—but my arms trembled uselessly beneath me. My fingers dug into the dirt, but my body refused to obey.

I looked up. The spikes were coming. Dozens of them.

I was definitely going to die if I took any of them.

"AMAEL!"

Celeste called me in panic.

She raised her hands, and with a cry, summoned thick walls of ice—layer after layer. The first spike shattered them like glass. So did the second. But she didn’t stop.

She kept summoning them—pushing forward—until she reached me.

Then, without a word, she threw herself over my broken body and pulled me into her arms.

"Wh–What...?! Get away!" I gasped, panicked. "Get out of here!"

"No," she said softly.

Her arms tightened around me.

"Celeste, no—!" I shouted, struggling weakly. I tried to push her off, but she was gripping me with everything she had.

And the spikes kept coming.

Fast.

Too fast.

"CELESTE—!!" I roared.

But she didn’t let go.

She wouldn’t.

"P–Please... you can’t do this," I whispered hoarsely, my voice trembling as I looked up at her.

But Celeste didn’t budge.

"I don’t care," she said, voice barely audible. She shook her head and pressed herself closer, arms wrapped tightly around me.

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist, raising it shakily toward the sky—toward the attack hurtling toward us. My body screamed in protest, my vision blurred, but I couldn’t just lie there. I had to do something.

All around us, knights were raising mana barriers but one after another, they shattered like cheap glass.

I caught a glimpse of Elizabeth sprinting toward us, her face twisted in a frightened expression I had never seen before on her. But she looked spent.

And then—like a sudden star burst in the middle of all the chaos—a brilliant flash of white flashed in front of us.

Roda appeared.

She materialized in front of us, her form crackling with raw Prana as her white eyes glowed pure white.

She raised both hands, palms spread wide.

In an instant, a radiant barrier surged forth—a dome of blinding white energy, thrumming with the Prana fused with Fate itself. It shimmered almost like a mirror.

The three enormous spikes reached us.

And they struck.

-BOOOOM!

Roda’s barrier cracked from the first blow, spiderwebs of light flashing across its surface. The second strike caused a brief ripple before the entire dome burst into a wave of searing Prana.

Two of the spikes were flung off-course, spiraling away and crashing like meteors away.

The third—broken clean in two—deflected.

But the jagged tip of it didn’t miss.

It punched cleanly through Roda’s chest.

-SPURT!

A splatter of crimson painted the ground right in front me and my face.

"...!"

For a second, time froze.

Roda stood there—still, silent—her back facing us. The brilliance of her aura dimmed into pale motes, falling like snow around her.

-Thud

She collapsed to her knees, and then forward, face-first into the earth.