"Alert! A Rift has opened!"
The sirens continued to blare throughout the Delta Branch.
Sacred Warriors hurried through the corridors before gathering inside the main briefing hall.
At the front stood Oscar.
His usual relaxed smile was gone.
Although he remained calm, there was a noticeable seriousness in his expression.
Every Sacred Warrior stood at attention.
Oscar slowly clapped his hands.
"Alright, everyone."
The room immediately fell silent.
"As you already know, a Rift has opened."
He paused.
"But we have a problem."
"There isn't just one."
"There are two."
A wave of shock swept through the room.
Whispers erupted almost immediately.
"Two Rifts?"
"How is that possible?"
"Are we dealing with two separate outbreaks?"
Oscar calmly clapped his hands again.
"Alright."
"That's enough."
His voice wasn't loud, but it immediately silenced everyone.
"Keep calm."
"We already have a plan."
Evans glanced around the room.
Two Rifts...
No wonder everyone looks so tense.
Oscar continued.
"Based on the readings we've received, both Rifts are classified as B-Rank."
"The first is located in the center of the city."
"The second has opened in Hampton City."
The atmosphere became even heavier.
Arthur stepped out from the crowd and calmly positioned himself beside Oscar.
Oscar gestured toward him.
"Arthur and I will handle the Rift in Hampton City."
He then turned toward the remaining Sacred Warriors.
"As for the Rift here in the city..."
"Alex, Ruby, and the selected C-Rank Sacred Warriors will handle it."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"Based on its current readings, it shouldn't be too difficult."
"But don't let that make you careless."
"Rifts are unpredictable."
"We move out immediately."
Oscar and Arthur left the hall.
Shortly afterward, the names of the selected C-Rank Sacred Warriors began echoing through the speakers.
One name after another...
Fourteen C-Rank Sacred Warriors were selected.
Among them were Mike and Isaac.
Evans stood silently among the crowd.
Come on...
Please call my name.
His heart began beating faster.
Then the final name was announced.
"And finally..."
"Evans Ashford."
Evans' eyes lit up.
A grin spread across his face.
"That's what I'm talking about."
The selected Sacred Warriors immediately rushed outside.
Within minutes, they were packed into a large black van waiting outside the Delta Branch.
The engine roared to life.
The vehicle accelerated down the road at high speed.
Several minutes later...
They arrived near the Rift's location.
The moment the van stopped, the Sacred Warriors jumped out.
Evans immediately noticed the destruction surrounding them.
Buildings had been partially demolished.
Dust filled the air.
Broken concrete and debris littered the streets.
The atmosphere felt strangely oppressive.
Evans tightened his grip around his sword.
Then he noticed something else.
Several of the younger Sacred Warriors were visibly nervous.
Some were gripping their weapons so tightly that their hands trembled.
Others constantly looked around, clearly unsettled by the destruction.
Evans remained surprisingly calm.
Looks like this is the first real Rift for some of them.
His gaze hardened as he looked toward the devastation ahead.
I've already seen things far worse than this.
He slowly drew his sword.
The blade reflected the faint light above them.
Still...
Something about this place feels wrong.
Alex turned toward the group, his expression becoming serious.
"Alright, everyone. Listen carefully."
He pointed toward Ruby and several of the C-Rank Sacred Warriors.
"Ruby, you'll take eight C-Ranks and surround this area."
"Your job is to make sure that any beast that manages to escape our main formation doesn't get past you."
"You'll be Squad B."
Ruby smiled confidently.
"Don't worry. We'll be fine."
Alex nodded.
"Good."
He then turned toward the remaining Sacred Warriors.
"Squad A..."
He drew his sword.
"Move in."
Immediately, Alex led the group deeper into the devastated area.
Evans, Mike, and Isaac followed closely behind him.
As they moved, Evans glanced toward Ruby and the other members of Squad B.
So that's why there are two teams.
And I finally understand something else
Both Ruby and Alex are B-Rank Sacred Warriors.
Before he could think any further...
The entire group suddenly stopped.
Evans' eyes widened.
Ahead of them stood something he had never seen before.
A massive Rift hovered in the middle of the ruined streets.
Its outer surface shimmered with strange colors, almost as if countless lights were moving across it.
But its interior..
Was completely black.
Not dark.
Black.
It looked as though the Rift contained an endless void.
The very space around it seemed distorted.
The ground trembled faintly beneath their feet while the air felt unnaturally heavy.
Evans stared in disbelief.
"So..."
"That's a Rift."
Mike swallowed hard.
"It's..."
His voice trembled.
"Insane."
Several of the Sacred Warriors stood frozen.
Some gripped their weapons tightly while others stared at the Rift with visible fear.
Even Evans could feel the instinctive unease rising inside him.
Alex immediately snapped everyone out of their shock.
"Everyone!"
His voice thundered across the area.
"Stay alert!"
A low growl suddenly emerged from inside the Rift.
Everyone froze.
Something moved within the darkness.
Then—
BOOM!
A massive, wolf-like creature burst out of the Rift.
Its enormous paws slammed into the ground as it charged toward the Sacred Warriors.
The force of each step sent vibrations through the street.
Several C-Ranks instinctively stepped backward.
One of them raised his weapon with trembling hands.
"What the hell is that?!"
The creature raised one enormous paw.
It was about to strike.
But before it could-
Alex vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of the beast.
His eyes briefly flashed black.
The creature froze.
Its enormous body became completely motionless.
Alex calmly drew his sword.
Slash!
His blade swept through the beast's neck.
The creature's body collapsed to the ground.
Alex stepped backward, his eyes remaining fixed on the Rift.
His voice became sharp.
"Stop freezing up, you idiots!"
"Those are Grey Howlers."
The Sacred Warriors immediately tightened their grips on their weapons.
Then another growl echoed from within the Rift.
Then another.
And another.
Alex's expression hardened.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A Grey Howler burst through the Rift.
Then another.
And another.
Within seconds, countless Grey Howlers began pouring from the darkness.
They snarled and raced toward Squad A.
Evans tightened his grip around his sword.
His eyes narrowed.
So this is what a real Rift battle looks like.
He lowered his stance.
Alright...
Let's see how entertaining this will be.
Several of the Sacred Warriors were still frozen in place, their eyes locked onto the approaching Grey Howlers.
Evans clicked his tongue.
If they keep standing around like this, they're going to get themselves killed.
Without another thought, he dashed forward.
His sword flashed through the air.
Slash!
A Grey Howler's head was cleanly severed from its body.
Evans landed and calmly looked back at the others.
"Come on!"
"These aren't even B-Rank beasts!"
"Grow some damn courage and fight!"
His words snapped several of the Sacred Warriors out of their fear.
Immediately, Mike surged forward.
Green Sacred Energy wrapped around his arm, forming his Holy Armor.
He clenched his fist.
BOOM!
His enhanced punch smashed directly into the head of a Grey Howler, sending the beast crashing to the ground.
Mike glanced at Evans with a small smile.
"Dude..."
"You really know how to guilt-trip people into fighting, don't you?"
Sweat trickled down his face as he turned toward the remaining beasts.
"But I guess it worked."
One after another, the other Sacred Warriors finally joined the battle.
Swords flashed.
Sacred Energy erupted.
The Grey Howlers were gradually cut down as Squad A regained its formation.
Alex watched the warriors fighting with a faint smile.
Then he walked over and lightly tapped Evans on the shoulder.
"You're quite the inspiration."
Evans smiled awkwardly.
"Yeah..."
"But you can keep the leadership."
Isaac suddenly approached from behind and lightly fist-bumped Evans on the head.
"Just watch our backs, alright?"
He grinned.
Then he charged back into the battle.
Evans chuckled.
"Sure."
Alex looked across the battlefield.
Most of the Grey Howlers had already been defeated.
The remaining Sacred Warriors were working together efficiently, their confidence steadily returning.
Alex smiled.
"Well..."
"Looks like we're doing pretty well."
Evans' smile slowly disappeared.
His eyes remained fixed on the Rift.
"Yeah..."
"But something's bothering me."
Alex glanced at him.
"What?"
Evans tightened his grip around his sword.
"I have a feeling..."
"...the B-Rank beasts are coming soon."
Alex's expression immediately became serious.
He turned his attention back toward the Rift.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Alex narrowed his eyes.
"I guess you're right."
The atmosphere around them suddenly felt heavier.
---
Elsewhere...
Far from the battlefield...
A dark and desolate landscape stretched endlessly beneath a lifeless sky.
The area was completely silent.
No birds.
No wind.
Nothing.
Then...
A calm, unfamiliar voice echoed through the darkness.
"It's finally time."
A shadowy figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Its features remained concealed.
It walked forward without hesitation.
Ahead of it...
A Rift hovered silently in the air.
The figure stopped before it.
For several seconds, it simply stared into the endless darkness within the Rift.
Then...
It stepped forward.
And disappeared into the void.
Back on the battlefield...
Alex and Evans remained completely still.
Their eyes were fixed on the Rift.
Something was wrong.
The Grey Howlers had stopped moving.
Even the surrounding Sacred Warriors seemed to sense the change in the atmosphere.
Then—
A hand slowly emerged from within the Rift.
Its fingers curled around the edge of the dimensional opening.
Silence.
Evans' pupils shrank.
Alex's expression immediately changed.
Neither of them had ever felt a presence like this before.
It wasn't simply fear.
It was something far worse.
Their instincts were screaming at them to run.
The overwhelming pressure made their bodies feel weak, as though the battle had already been decided.
Evans' heart pounded violently.
What... is that?
Alex clenched his sword tightly.
For the first time since the battle began...
He looked genuinely terrified.
Then both of them shouted at the top of their lungs.
"EVERYONE!"
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"