Chapter 228: Strange Creatures
"Karna, you're back. What's the situation?"
Still unable to dispel the divine power of the Inari, Hikigaya Hachiman could only continue wearing the fox mask as he spoke with Karna.
"My apologies. In the end, Caster escaped…"
Kneeling on one knee before Hachiman, Karna admitted with a trace of guilt.
He had not anticipated Caster's escape skills to be so formidable, and along the way Caster repeatedly captured civilians to hinder him. By the time Hachiman called for him, all Karna could do was watch helplessly as Caster vanished into the night, powerless to stop him.
"Well, don't blame yourself. Honestly, this outcome was within my expectations."
That Karna had failed to eliminate Caster didn't surprise Hachiman in the slightest. After all, Caster had been the one to provoke them tonight; it was only natural he would have prepared an escape plan.
What was unexpected was that Hachiman had managed to eliminate Caster's Master—an unexpected bonus.
"You mean to say Caster's Master has already been slain by you?"
Upon hearing this, Karna did not look pleased. Instead, he frowned. With the kind of madness that pair embodied, it was unlikely they would risk themselves without a deeper purpose.
"Yes, I fear this may also have been part of Caster's plan…"
Hachiman nodded gravely, agreeing with Karna's unease.
As they spoke, a massive surge of magical energy suddenly erupted from another part of Fuyuki City.
"That magical energy—Caster's?"
Hachiman and Karna exchanged a look, both recognizing the weight of what they sensed in each other's eyes.
Without hesitation, after Hachiman gave a nod, Karna leapt onto a nearby building and immediately sped toward the source of the magical disturbance.
Meanwhile, Hachiman summoned a giant white fox. Lifting Sakura onto its back, he too mounted, and the fox bounded off in pursuit of Karna.
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.
.
Fuyuki City Center.
The busiest district of the city at night was now drowned in a chorus of screams.
Countless beasts prowled the streets and buildings, hunting down flesh and blood wherever they could, then planting their eggs into the still-living victims.
On the rooftop of a high-rise, Gilles stood silently, watching the hellscape unfold below. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Ryuunosuke Uryuu… my Master, my dearest friend! To think you would leave me first…"
As Gilles mourned, he sensed that the monster king hatched from Ryuunosuke's body had also been destroyed.
"In that case, the sacrifices are complete…"
He opened his grimoire and turned directly to its final page.
As Gilles began chanting in his deep, resonant voice, the once-clear night sky became shrouded in gray mist.
On the ground, the cacophony began to fade. With time, only Gilles's voice echoed throughout the space.
No one knew how much time had passed.
A bull-drawn chariot flying through the sky was the first to arrive at this strange domain.
"What on earth happened here?"
Waver leaned over the railing, peering down at the scene below.
The streets were clogged with abandoned cars and scattered belongings. Yet their owners had all vanished.
"Let's go down and take a look."
Iskandar's expression grew grim as he surveyed the ground. But the thick mist hanging in the air severely limited their vision.
He had no choice but to guide his chariot into a slow descent, landing atop the roof of a three-story building.
The instant they leapt down, however, the rooftop suddenly collapsed beneath their feet. From below surged countless tentacles, lashing out to seize them.
Caught off guard, Waver had one leg ensnared.
With a panicked scream, he was dragged toward the gaping fissure.
"Hey, boy!"
Drawing the sword at his waist, Iskandar hacked through several reaching tentacles. Spotting his Master caught, he immediately commanded the chariot to unleash lightning, reducing the writhing limbs to charred husks.
He grabbed Waver by the collar, hoisting him up, and leapt back onto the chariot, which rose swiftly into the air.
"Phew… that nearly scared me to death…"
Kneeling in the chariot, Waver shuddered at the narrow escape.
"Rider, what were those things?"
Turning to Iskandar, he wanted to ask, but then froze—the King of Conquerors wore a deadly serious expression as he drew his weapon once more and advanced on him.
"W-what's wrong?"
Seeing the stern face, Waver felt his heart stop. He scrambled backwards in panic, stammering for an explanation.
"Don't move, boy…"
Iskandar pressed firmly on Waver's shoulder, then reversed his grip on the sword and drove it hard toward Waver's calf.
"Ahhh!"
Terrified, Waver screamed at the sight.
But the pain of being pierced never came.
When he finally dared to look down, he saw the sword's tip impaling a writhing creature clinging to him—something like a small octopus, squirming frantically.
"W-what is that thing?!"
Waver flipped over in fright, leaping behind Iskandar. Yet, curiosity compelled him to clutch the King's cloak tightly, peering around from behind.
"Only Caster would know for sure…"
Iskandar casually flung the creature away, then hoisted Waver back onto the railing of the chariot. He crouched before him and gestured for Waver to lift his leg—the same one the tentacles had grabbed earlier.
"As I thought…"
The fabric around his calf was covered in dense clusters of tiny white objects, like insect eggs.
Before their eyes, several of the "eggs" split open, hatching into small, octopus-like monsters just like the earlier one, only smaller.
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