CHAPTER 194: HELPLESS

Like a shooting star, Bianca cut through the skies. As it was still noon, she was technically in her most powerful state. In contrast to just using Cinderglass projectiles, being able to shoot plasma cooked by the sun’s rays was leagues better.

"Elian, come on! Hurry!"

The witch’s voice echoed in Elian’s mind as he climbed up one of the buildings. Using his tentacles, the Tyrant was climbing up with impressive speed, but it still paled in comparison to his partner.

"I’m going as fast as I can."

"Tsk. I will go scout around!"she said.

Within a few minutes, Bianca covered the vast distance from the guild hall to the city gate. Crestfall had four sides, all of which had big metal gates.

These gates were used to seal the city in case of a dungeon break. They didn’t necessarily have to be impregnable. They only needed to last until reinforcements could arrive.

Elian reached the rooftop of one of the skyscrapers in the city and frowned at his mobility. There still was no substitute for flying. While he might not want to do so in battle, not having the ability was annoying.

There and then, he created a simple glider design and attached it to his wings.

It was far simpler than the wing system Bianca had him make. While her backpack wings had his metals in them, it moved by using gears and batteries. She even armed it with her own missile system! Its complexity highlighted how vast the gap between him and his lover was.

"Tsk, I just need to get from point A to point B."

Creating a large turbine, Elian ignited it for thrust; then he used an inward layer of Dominator variants to twist and turn the wings. The Tyrant’s "wings" did not look like a bird’s or even an insect’s, but like a jet fighter’s.

Looking to his destination, he gunned the jet engine on his back and ran off the ledge. Rather than glide using aerodynamics, he blasted forward with pure acceleration like a rocket.

It was a blessing that his face no longer had soft flesh parts; otherwise, those would have been sliced apart from his sudden collision with air.

Trying his best to stay on course, he made his way to the northern gate. From the corner of his eye, he could see a wave of black moving to the eastern and western gates below. A few fliers were also lingering above the armies.

There was one that flew all over the place like a firefly drunk on caffeine. As Elian was about to arrive at the center gate, the firefly flew back to meet him.

"Wow! You’re flying too? That’s great!"

Bianca’s face was radiant; far from being depressed, she had a bounce in her step, so to speak.

"You seem happy. Care to tell me why?"

The woman made a smug expression as she flexed her bicep. It reminded Elian of a rabbit trying to look tough.

"I surveyed the incoming armies. We got this. Two of them are elemental races. While the one in the center is a beast race that seems stuck in the stone age."

Elian nodded when conflicts in culture came; a country’s technological prowess made more impact than just numbers or terrain. Having to fight savages was easier as what you saw was what you got. But Elian heard an unfamiliar term, so he asked.

"Elemental races?"

Bianca nodded, "while some worlds have their identities bound in a breed or type of life forms, there are those that do so using an ideal. Elemental races are one of those. The Sylphane to the east and the Astrapheia to the west worship wind and lightning, respectively."

"Wait, does that mean that their shared culture is using wind and lightning powers?"

At Elian’s question, the woman’s smile deepened, "Yes. Much like how Averignis worships the fire."

"Mana?"

"Yep."

Elian’s face smirked in satisfaction now that he understood why Bianca was in a good mood. Weapons and his metals in general had only one redeeming quality that separated them from any other materials.

It was highly resistant, if not immune, to mana.

"So they’re helpless?"

"Yes, my Tyrant. So long as they use their mana to create the effects, they will not be able to penetrate our armor. They are unlike Averignis, who only detonates with mana but explodes using physics," Bianca reported with a smile.

Elian nodded, "Still, we should not get too cocky. Tell Alpha and Epsilon. Now that we know they are just up against mages, they should have no problems defending. What about the ones from the middle?"

Bianca turned her body and extended her rifle towards the center gate, or more specifically the massing group in front of it. Ice VII mirrors soared up above and began to gather light for Bianca’s attack.

"Gnareth seems to be werebeasts that have yet to develop a concept beyond crude caveman-like tools. Let me show you."

Without mercy, she pulled the trigger. "Fralhame Lance mk-II, mode E, firing!"

KRZZZZZ—THOOM!

A powerful shot of hot plasma shot out of Bianca’s sniper rifle. Like a river of fire raced down to her target. Elian watched as several dozen of what seemed like animal humanoid beefcakes were busy arguing. They all turned towards the blinding plasma rapidly approaching.

It was too late.

In the next moment, the light passed through them like a wave of fire. Rather than fire, it would be more apt to call it a wave of acid or lava. The plasma blast from Bianca greedily ate everything it came across. Blood, fur, bones—nothing was spared. Everything vanished.

There was no time to burn, no time to scream. Sudden death in dazzling light.

When the plasma met the ground, it proceeded to melt the dirt and soil until it ran out of steam. Smoke and dust clouds rose up in the wake of Bianca’s attack. Howls of pain, screams of anguish, and cries of despair rang out.

Even from where Elian was, he could see the werebeasts were in chaos. Confused and terrified, the survivors desperately searched for the corpses of those they had been speaking to mere moments ago.

Their bodies trembled; they fell back on their butts, and some began crawling away. With a single act, Bianca struck fear into the hearts of the invaders who came before them. Elian found them pitiful, but that pity soon vanished under one truth.

"You invaded us first."

If Earth were weaker than Gnareth, these werebeasts might have come here, enslaved and eaten her people. But because Earth butchered each other so much, the humans grew in their ability to destroy. So much that it seemed it outpaced Gnareth by several thousand years.

Elian adjusted his wings and raced down to the center gate. Bianca followed him at his side.

They arrived before the gate but went past it. Elian and Bianca charged forward to the enemy army. When they were within several hundred meters of the werebeasts, Elian finally decided to land.

"I am Elian Reed, Tyrant Candidate of Earth. Have your leader offer his head to me, and I will let the rest of you leave in peace."

His appearance was a silver humanoid covered in shark teeth armor. He stowed his wings and only carried the chainsaw tentacles attached to his back like spokes on a clock. When the Gnarethians noticed him, the survivors bared their fangs, claws, and spears at Elian.

"GRRRRRR"

Like mindless beasts, they all growled incoherently.

"Then so be it. All of you will die today," he declared in a cold voice.

[Talent: Adamant – activated. Elian Reed is now immune to fear and psychological effects as long as the Talent remains active.]

[Talent: Driven – activated. Elian Reed will never lose consciousness in the face of an enemy.]

Extending the chainsaw tentacles, they all elongated and came to life. The sounds of steel chains running at high revolutions created a lot of noise. Noise that the werebeasts were confused by.

"Bianca..."

"I know. Make it as flashy as possible, right?"

"Yeah. Make them regret coming to our home."

"With pleasure," she declared with a dazzling smile.

***

Before the Gnarethians could act, Bianca flew up to the sky in a single leap. Away from sight, she began to rain death from above. Plasma blasts, Ice VII spears, Cinderglass missiles; it was as if an entire air force had bombed the invading army with everything it had.

Limited by their technology, the werebeasts all died helplessly under Bianca’s barrage. Spears, arrows, and throwing axes could get that far. So they ran, but under the light of the sun, it made no difference.

Those who were lucky quickly noticed that there was only one part of the battlefield the monster in the sky spared. Their instincts made them run for safety. And true enough, they were no longer sniped to death once they entered the said zone.

But when they arrived there, it was hardly better.

BBBBZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz

The sound of chainsaw motors spinning at high speeds resounded. Amidst a sea of werebeast corpses and limbs, one figure stood. A silver shark that ripped apart anything that got too close. Its eyes glowed orange and seemed to peer into the soul.

"..."

There and then, all the werebeasts knew. They made a huge mistake. They shouldn’t have invaded this place. Against the monster in silver, they might as well have been children. Some of them threw down their weapons; some bowed; some even stripped naked to offer themselves.

But they all met the same fate.

BBBBZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz.

They were shredded into pieces, all while the world watched in horror.