Black Badger

Yun and Yehyeon snapped their heads up at the same time.

They were near the portal device, receiving treatment. They had just finished and were about to rush back into the battlefield when Ska’s order came down.

Fear surfaced in Yehyeon’s eyes.

“...No way.”

He had been gripping the back of Yun’s neck, telling him to stay and rest a little longer while guarding the portal device. Now his hand loosened.

“Rampage?”

The two of them sprinted toward the end of the ramp.

And soon, they found the two knights standing in the middle of the battlefield. Spotting Hildebert was far too easy. There were still no clouds above the swordsmen’s heads. A violent vortex swirled around them as well.

Yun put on the bulletproof lens he had recently acquired.

As he increased the magnification, the battlefield came into sharp focus.

“It’s started.”

All color drained from Yehyeon’s face.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words as he watched the Swordmasters clash.

Then he formed a blade using a morphing weapon.

“You stopped it last time.”

“Hildebert might be able to stop. The problem is, as long as Kyle doesn’t stop, Hilde will keep rampaging too.”

“If we can just drag Hildebert into the Core—”

Yehyeon muttered, staring at the two swordsmen.

“...Would that solve it?”

“No. Even without rampaging, they’ve already smashed Core devices before. In front of those two, Core devices mean nothing.”

“If I tell him I’m launching a nuke at Kyle’s location and that he should stop the rampage and come back... Hilde will never forgive me.”

“He might only refuse to forgive you.”

Yun replied flatly.

“If he snaps, wipes out all of humanity, I wouldn’t even be surprised. You remember when he beat the hell out of Jaeyeon, don’t you? You’ll be facing something far worse than that kind of fury.”

“...Yeah. Probably.”

“If you want human extinction, go ahead and try.”

“...Let’s find another way.”

Yehyeon said quietly.

“There has to be something.”

At the very front line, Jonathan Kudo and Ricardo Sordi had also grasped the situation.

They couldn’t see Hildebert’s sclera burning as the Creatures surged in, but they didn’t need sight. Their senses told them both swordsmen had entered rampage.

A shockwave on an entirely different level slammed into them. The ground trembled endlessly, as if struck by an earthquake.

Buildings collapsed one after another.

The grotesque sound of constant absorption echoed without pause.

Ricardo pierced the face of a human-faced spider with a silver thorn and frowned.

“Isn’t there a way to lure them into a space where they can’t absorb anything, even for a moment~? They said they could last for days until everything burns out, so if we prepare properly, maybe we could cut it off midway....”

“Wouldn’t it be enough to let the black-haired one rampage alone?”

Jonathan muttered as he cut down a Creature in front of the silver thorns.

“Leaving Hildebert outside the Core doesn’t solve anything either.”

His eyes, as he muttered, held the same unease and impatience as Ricardo’s.

BANG!

The Creature lunging at Jonathan while he was distracted—focused on Hildebert’s direction—had its head blown apart.

Jason Trevain was the one who fired.

He didn’t stop pulling the trigger until the magazine ran dry.

BANG! RATATATATAT!

The blond Badger tossed aside the empty magazine.

“You think that’s something that’ll stop easily?”

The two from the second generation didn’t respond. They just kept pushing back the Creatures.

Trevain bit his lip and muttered.

“We tried everything back in the First War. And none of it worked. Not a damn thing.”

Back then, humanity had poured in every possible force—everything short of using nuclear weapons—before they had barely managed to burn that thing’s body.

Until its body finally began to break down piece by piece, Trevain had been forced to watch the battlefield in helplessness.

Soldiers dying like they were being fed into a meat grinder.

“If that half-baked bastard wasn’t holding it back like that, we’d already be dead.”

Trevain raised his weapon, now loaded with fresh rounds.

“Be grateful there’s someone on our side who can hold that thing back. He jumped into that battlefield risking his life too.”

BANG!

Only now did Jason Trevain recognize Hildebert not as a Creature, but as a true Black Badger.

He had no intention of dropping the nickname “half-baked,” but he had clearly seen Hildebert’s resolve.

It was no different from the resolve carried by Richard Green and the other Badgers.

“...But it’d be nice if we could stop that and still save Hildebert.”

Sophia shot down the witch’s cannon aimed at Trevain.

BOOOOM!

The cannon exploded right next to them. The Badgers didn’t even spare it a glance as they continued fighting the Creatures in front of them.

The black-haired Badger shifted her aim and added,

“Just like with Johan and Richard. It would’ve been much better if there had been a way to save them.”

RATATATATAT!

No one opposed her words as she muttered while firing.

Standing at the front line, pushing the Creatures back step by step, the Badgers fought with their lips bitten tight.

As they fought desperately, they waited for orders and situation reports coming through the communication devices.

Deltei also had a communicator in her ear.

She had received it through Yoow. Before passing through the portal, Ska had politely asked Yoow and handed him the device as their representative.

‘It’s an unreasonable request, but... could you help us?’

And so, everyone who had rushed into the battlefield now wore a Black Badger communicator.

She hadn’t had time to learn how to use it, but Deltei clearly heard Ska’s order transmitted to all Badgers.

Her heart clenched tightly.

“...They rampaged?”

She grabbed Yoow’s arm as he spat out a thick curse.

“Both of them?”

“It seems Kyle deliberately triggered it.”

Yoow said in a low, ominous voice.

The tactician fired his gun.

RATATATAT!

Even with a suppressor, the sound was deafening. Deltei flinched at the blast but bit her lip and refused to step back.

She wanted to cry.

Perhaps she already was.

Deltei struggled to steady her mind.

Igor had already rushed into the battlefield with the Badgers and was no longer visible, and the other knights he had urgently gathered had followed him.

But Yoow remained here.

Beside Aide-de-Camp Ska Owen and Deltei.

Rose remained in Center Core. Yoow had deliberately left her there. She would be standing near the circular barrier Meierbold had erected.

He said it was in case of emergency. Rose was a highly skilled individual even the tactician acknowledged, so she would be able to respond to emergency communications flawlessly.

An emergency.

That was now.

“Isn’t there any way?!” she shouted.

“If we leave Hilde outside the Core, they’ll both burn to ashes and die!”

“We need to move them somewhere where there’s nothing left to absorb.”

Yoow replied, his brow tightly furrowed.

“If we don’t force them into such a place, Kyle will keep rampaging. That’s why he came out like this!”

“Where is there a place like that?!”

Deltei stared toward the direction where Kyle’s intense presence could be felt.

“Even if there is, can we drag those two there?”

“I’ve been thinking about that, but I can’t find an answer.”

The tactician’s voice was full of urgency.

“In the Empire, when the Children of the World Tree went berserk, the knight order led by a Swordmaster would be deployed. But two who are themselves Swordmasters rampaging...”

Deltei had to suppress the urge to run forward.

If it were up to her, she would run straight to where they were fighting and shout at them. She wanted to tell Kyle—please stop fighting and jump beyond that dimensional gate.

The living have to live, don’t they? Sir Rei wouldn’t have wanted this.

Who will take responsibility for the people who crossed over?

Stop being so cruel to Hildebert.

To yourself as well.

BOOOOM!

Debris flew toward them.

Ska struck aside the steel plate flying at Deltei and Yoow. He caught the heavy fragment with his spear, then grabbed Deltei just as she staggered.

The aide pulled her behind him.

“Once we adjust the Core boundary, they’ll try to stop the rampage.”

He muttered without taking his eyes off the battlefield.

“He will never abandon Hilde. So until then, please help us close the Core.”

The Saint nodded through tears.

She didn’t ask how. She simply chose to believe there had to be a way.

After watching the battlefield for a moment, she spread both hands.

Wooooong!

She invoked consecration.

A cool wind swept past Ska.

White light seemed to brush across the surroundings. Even seeing it twice, Ska Owen still couldn’t believe the scene of consecration before him. The red-haired Saint’s blessing was even harder to believe than Hildebert’s sword strikes.

But there was no time to observe it closely.

The Level 10 Creature humanity feared had reappeared, and an emergency alert had been issued across the Core. All civilians would have halted their daily lives and retreated into safe zones. The few Badgers who had remained inside the Core would now be rushing toward the Portal Zone under emergency mobilization orders.

The Level 10 Creature humanity feared had reappeared, and an emergency alert had been issued across the Core. All civilians would have halted their daily lives and retreated into safe zones. The few Badgers who had remained inside the Core would now be rushing toward the Portal Zone under emergency mobilization orders.

A few hours earlier, they had barely managed to secure the top-floor Portal Zone.

In the end, they failed to find the boy summoner, but the Badgers succeeded in halting the Creature wave for a brief moment.

They did not miss the gap when the Creatures stopped appearing.

By Gilbert’s command, bringing John Mühlen to the Portal Zone had proven to be a brilliant move.

John Mühlen was, in effect, the one who had brought the First War to its conclusion.

Escorted by Black Badgers, the man had climbed up through the chaos, walked straight to the portal device, and activated it as casually as if he were booting up a computer.

Then, without a hint of concern, he created a small Core.

It was thanks to that small Core that they were able to enter the portal, even while ignoring the swarm of Creatures that began pouring out again at some point.

Ska ground his teeth and looked out over the distant battlefield.

Just moments ago, he had received a report that aircraft carrying Core devices had taken off.

They were scheduled to arrive at a location far enough away to not be too affected by the shockwaves caused by the two Swordmasters...

THUD!

It seemed their blades had collided.

RUMBLE...

The ground shook.

Even the portal device trembled violently.

They had only exchanged a single blow, yet even from this distance, their battle could be felt vividly. Ska could now understand why the hardline politicians of the past had argued that Titans should be eliminated the moment they were no ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) longer needed on the experimental table.

How could anyone allow such calamities to roam free on Earth?

[We will keep pushing them back.]

“Maintain distance from Level 10!” Ska ordered.

“Do not enter their range under any circumstances!”

The cargo plane’s estimated arrival time—

WOOOOOOONG!

“Too late!”

Ska shouted as he saw the cargo aircraft appear overhead.

“Spitfire!”

[My apologies.]

Erich Erhart responded.

[We’ve been rather occupied on our side as well. We brought sufficient Core devices, so please bear with us. Ah, we also received a portal device from Wei.]

“A portal?”

Too late.

He didn’t voice the thought that rose instinctively. More portals were never a bad thing. He knew that.

And in truth, it was thanks to Spitfire that the Core devices had been secured this quickly in the first place.

Ska watched as the cargo aircraft descended and landed in a suitable position behind the portal machinery.

THUDUDUDUDU!

The wind kicked up by the aircraft battered his body violently. Being so close, he had to firmly hold onto the Saint to keep her from being blown away.

Just in case, he also grabbed the tactician and ordered the Badgers in the rear to help unload the Core devices.

The first to run forward were Luke Lyle and Nana Dol, who had been stationed at the very back.

New Black Badgers.

Luke saw the faces of the people pushing cargo out of the aircraft and let out a sound without realizing it.

“...Oh.”

Two men briefly cast their gaze toward him.

They were the ones he had seen in the building where he had been kidnapped.

A pale man with red hair tied halfway back.

And a stern-looking East Asian man.

The red-haired man tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment.

Luke nodded back once before running toward the device. It was heavy, but with their enhanced bodies, each of them could carry one.

Luke spoke.

“We’ll take it from here.”

He knew that the two of them—whose roles he didn’t even fully understand—were far stronger than himself or Nana.

They belonged at the front lines, not the rear.

“If you could...”

“Sorry, but I can’t go.”

The red-haired man said.

“I need to head back soon. Leaving that lunatic alone once was enough back in the First War.”

He must be talking about the platinum-blond cult leader.

There was no explanation, but Luke understood well enough.

Since neither of them were Badgers, Luke simply nodded, but the red-haired man added,

“This one will go.”

The black-haired man drew his gun.

At that point, Luke lost interest in them. It was enough to know that one more powerful fighter had joined the battlefield. People he cared about—including Hesh—were out there. He wanted to reestablish the Core somehow and reduce casualties.

At the same time, he hoped Hildebert would return safely.

First, they would need to keep him outside the Core...

“Nana.”

“I’m on it!”

As he called out while grabbing a Core device, her voice came from the distance.

Nana was already running, carrying one.

“Hurry!”

Lee Seunghyun overtook the young Badger, Luke Lyle, who had just started running after her.

Then, in a single burst, he passed the portal device and plunged straight into the battlefield. He had heard that the line had been pushed all the way back to the device itself, but after reinforcements arrived, the tide seemed to have turned.

He quickly reached the edge of the slope and took in the battlefield at a glance.

The Badgers had managed to push the swarm of Creatures somewhat outward beyond the slope.

But that was as far as it went.

Those at the very front could not push them back any further.

If they advanced even a step more, they would enter the combat range of Hildebert and Kyle.

...So they’ve rampaged.

Lee Seunghyun assessed the situation.

No one can interfere now.

From here on, everything depends on Hildebert.

Kyle intends to burn himself for as long as possible.

And Hildebert will stand in his way—preventing the flames Kyle has set upon himself from consuming the Earth.

Relentlessly, until the fire goes out.

Is there any way to extinguish Kyle’s flames?

Seunghyun thought, but found no answer.

His thoughts did not go any further.

The moment he saw Hildebert and Kyle, only a single thought filled his mind.

Only that white-haired enemy, who had stood alone on the battlefield while burning his entire body...

***

So this is all or nothing.

I thought as I received Kyle’s blade.

Then I’ll go all the way too.

CLANG!

I knocked away Kyle’s sword as it came rushing in, burning through his nerves, and created distance.

While searching for an opening to charge again, I exhaled deeply.

I won’t give up.

I still hadn’t come up with a way to stop Kyle’s rampage, but giving up was never an option.

The frustration of failing to stop it had long since been cast aside.

In fact, having fallen to the absolute worst possible situation, I even felt a strange sense of relief—there was nowhere left to fall.

It’s already come to this. Nothing else to be done.

No matter what, I would win.

And then, somehow, I would stop Kyle’s rampage—and throw him to wherever our kin had gone.

CLANG, CLANG!

I blocked his sword twice in succession. Now our blades carried so much force that every clash made the ground tremble.

Swallowing the bile rising up my throat, I looked at Kyle.

You think I can’t stoop low?

I’ve been pathetic from the very beginning.

I twisted the angle of my sword.

First, this.

「What?」

Looking into those blazing golden eyes, I began to pour my emotions onto him.

Regret, longing, resentment—raw, unfiltered emotions spilled out like a flood.

Kyle was struck by the torrent of emotion I unleashed.

For the first time since we met on this battlefield, he couldn’t hide his shock.

「Why.」

And I smiled at him.

「Because there’s nowhere left for me to fall in front of you anyway.」