CHAPTER 38: THE BATTLE OF INVICTUS (2)

At the same moment Major Kraft was trading blows with Captain Grégoire, the fastest among Astoria’s new recruits had reached the gates of the fortress. When they stepped into the main square, they were greeted by the sight of all kinds of insect-like creatures.

For ordinary people, encountering a Calamity for the first time would have been a traumatic experience.

But these recruits could no longer be considered ordinary. The parasite had driven their brains to produce various substances that dulled fear, pain, and even awareness of their own actions.

On the contrary, the moment they saw the enemy, they were overwhelmed with boundless rage, an uncontrollable thirst for revenge that could only be quenched through massacre.

And so they pounced on the Enforcers present, like rabid dogs. All sorts of powers erupted in total chaos, making it nearly impossible to determine who possessed what resonance. Pastry dough, enchanted needles, poison orbs...

A person’s resonance depended above all on the deepest desire they held. If they passed the trial, they would obtain it. That’s why there was a saying: No resonance is useless — only the wielder is.

Naturally, for most ordinary people, few wished for pure violence. Their powers were often born from a longing or aspiration shaped by their life experiences — not from a desire to kill.

Of course, that only applied at the start. In desperate times, even a pen or a toothbrush could become the deadliest weapon — now imagine one in the hands of a lunatic high on hallucinogens.

Some of them, further gone than the others, didn’t hesitate to use their teeth, nails, swords, sticks, or any kind of sharp weapon to take down the pests.

Others, better armed, raised pistols and rifles scavenged from Astoria’s police stations and opened fire like frenzied fanatics.

Stray bullets even struck their own comrades — but not one of them blinked. The only thing that mattered to them was killing those damned Calamities.

From the Enforcers’ perspective, it began with shock — watching two of their own be killed by Captain Grégoire himself.

The same man who was known as a doting father to his subordinates, who followed orders to the letter, pushing his limits to accomplish each mission... now leaping at the major’s throat.

This scene threw them into disarray — and they realized, too late, that the horror film had begun, and they were the disposable victims meant to die at the start.

They were massacred — even though each of them was individually stronger than most of the new Initiates.

Their second mistake was failing to recognize the attackers as a threat — or realizing it too late.

They had never imagined being attacked so viciously by those who were supposed to be their reinforcements.

When the gates opened, the idea didn’t even cross their minds. Had someone voiced such a suspicion, they’d have laughed it off, assuming he was drunk.

One of them tried to calm an old woman holding a knife, seeing that she could barely grip it.

The only response he got was a blade in the eye — a funny story he might someday tell about how he went blind... assuming he lived.

Major Kraft could only widen his eyes at the carnage.

But with his experience, he kept his composure and did everything in his power to stop the meaningless chaos.

"Cease this madness immediately! Anyone who disobeys will be killed!" he shouted.

To his dismay, neither the rampaging attackers — too busy reclaiming the fortress by exterminating the pests — nor the overwhelmed Enforcers could hear him.

They were all too busy trying to survive to realize that if they stopped defending themselves, the slaughter might stop as well.

Seeing that his command had gone unheard, the major moved to intervene directly — and that was his downfall.

He had forgotten Grégoire.

The captain took advantage of the opening and landed a vicious kick to the major’s crown jewels, breaking free from his grasp.

Being a man of standard anatomy, Kraft couldn’t avoid the pain. He collapsed to the ground for several seconds.

Seeing his opponent down, Grégoire didn’t waste the opportunity. He prepared to unleash his most powerful strike.

Or at least, he tried to.

Before his attack could connect, stone wrapped around his feet, freezing him in place, while a wall of rock rose before him.

The major didn’t need to turn around to know who was responsible for the counterattack: the fortress’s other Intermediate-level Enforcer— Captain Bernard.

A man in his sixties who had spent his entire career at the fortress.

A cold-blooded veteran with a handsome moustache now turned white — not for looks, but as a mark of experience.

That experience allowed him to trust the major to deal with the rebellious Grégoire while he ran to the back gate, followed by hundreds of Enforcers stationed along the forward walls.

Bernard and his reinforcements arrived to the sound of emergency sirens — a signal that summoned all personnel, even those in the bathroom.

When he reached the battlefield and saw the chaos, Bernard could only mutter one sentence:

"This night is going to be long."

Then, he placed his hands on the ground and released a massive amount of ether.

" Carpet Roll "

The ground beneath the fortress began to shift like quicksand, undulating in waves.

This motion knocked back and tripped the parasitized Initiates, while pulling the surviving Exécutors toward Bernard.

Once a sufficient distance had been created between the two groups, he used a second technique:

" Stone Wall "

As the name suggested, a wall of stone rose where the gate had once stood.

"Captain, are you alright?" asked an Enforcer, seeing the sweat dripping down the old man’s face.

"The attack must’ve drained a lot of ether," added the young soldier.

Bernard replied with a light chuckle, glancing at the wall he’d created.

"Ho ho ho... It’s nothing. When you reach my age, these won’t be the things you worry about."

Then he asked:

"What’s the status of the gates?"

"They’re damaged. The mechanism took a hit. Repairs will take time. If we start now, we might finish by morning."

Bernard looked up at the sky and muttered under his breath:

"Not that it’ll matter..."

Then, in a loud, commanding voice, he shouted:

"This wall won’t hold for long! Grab your shields and get ready to block them with your bodies!"

He was about to stop there, but seeing a soldier with an eye injury, he added:

"Someone take care of the wounded! Patch them up for the marathon!"

"Yes, sir!" they all shouted in unison before launching into their respective duties.

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Author’s Note:

Hey there! Just a quick clarification.

In the previous Chapter, there was a mention of "coating," and this concept will come up again in future Chapters.

Please check the glossary to stay informed, as I’ve added a few explanations to help readers follow the story and the flow of combat.

Thanks for reading and for your continued support!