Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

Lorenzo’s eyes flicked over them.

“Six total…” he muttered.

The Saints quickly recovered.

Pheasant sneered. “Where did you dig up these useless cowards?”

Savannah’s smile turned sharp. “Axel, not everyone is qualified to stand against us.”

Lilith, Sergio, and the others exchanged glances.

Lilith’s lips curled upward—slowly—into a smile steeped in bloodlust.

“You underestimated me.”

“Yeah…” Terrence muttered, his body trembling—not with fear, but excitement.

Nigel swallowed hard, fists clenched, heart pounding.

“This is so interesting—chuck, chuck!” Kenneth twitched violently, unable to restrain himself any longer.

The ground erupted.

Within a kilometer, dust and debris exploded into the air. Metallic barrels burst from the earth. Drones lifted off in swarms. Autonomous machines unfolded and assembled mid-air.

A mechanical army descended.

“Huh?!” Lorenzo and Savannah stiffened.

They had never seen a Level Five Mechanical Awakener capable of commanding this many constructs at once.

“Burning—IN FLAMES!”

Terrence roared as golden fire coiled around his body. His upper clothing disintegrated inch by inch, replaced by blinding light. His battle intent slammed outward like a tidal wave.

“Another monster?!” Pheasant’s face drained of color.

Nigel threw his head back and roared, rage and exhilaration mixing in his voice.

“I finally have something to brag about when I get back!”

A colossal Mountain Giant manifested before Axel, pounding its chest as the earth trembled.

“I don’t need protection.”

Sergio stepped forward, more serious than ever. His feather fan snapped open as violent winds gathered, lifting him into the air. He hovered inside a roaring vortex, long hair streaming wildly, eyes cold and razor-sharp.

“It’s childish,” Lilith said lightly, “but I do admire enthusiasm.”

Blood surged beneath her feet, coiling into massive dragons that lifted her upward. The blood solidified, forming a throne beneath her.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Six spatial barriers slammed into existence, sealing off the battlefield within a two-kilometer radius.

A dual-talent, peak Level Five Awakened.

The wind lashed Axel’s bangs across his forehead. He slowly raised his head, dark eyes sweeping over the four Saints.

He spread his arms.

His voice was ice.

“This battlefield was prepared for you.”

A pause.

“And this—”

His fingers closed.

“—is your grave.”

The Soul-Devouring Blade screamed as it was drawn, Axel’s Force pouring into it.

A tiger’s roar echoed across the hills.

One slash.

A massive crimson blade of light tore through the air, sweeping across dozens of meters, engulfing Savannah head-on.

“Watch out!” Lorenzo roared.

Savannah’s beautiful face twisted violently, transforming into that of a stern, middle-aged woman. Thick layers of rock surged over her body.

Clang!

The blade shattered her Force shield and slammed into her.

Savannah’s eyes went wide.

It felt like her soul was being ripped apart.

“Pfft—!”

Blood exploded from her mouth as the stone armor cracked and crumbled inch by inch.

“Watch out for his blade—!”

Her warning was swallowed by chaos as the battlefield erupted, each fighter instantly locking onto their chosen opponent.

Riding her blood dragon, Lilith cut through the air like a crimson sorceress. Pillars of blood erupted one after another, tearing viciously at Lorenzo’s position and forcing him to retreat again and again.

Kenneth howled with manic laughter, perfectly synchronized with Nigel, as an overwhelming mechanical legion swallowed Pheasant whole. Cannons roared, blades spun, and steel drowned the battlefield.

Terrence and Sergio formed a deadly pincer—one in front, one behind. Remote Storm locked Blacksnake in place, thunder and wind tearing at him relentlessly. Terrence advanced step by step like a war god, golden flames blazing as he drove Blacksnake back without mercy.

Watching her teammates forced into such brutal combat, Savannah’s expression finally cracked. Fear flickered across her face.

This was the first time—ever—that the Saints had been overwhelmed in a single exchange.

“ROAR!”

A deep, inhuman roar exploded from the distance. Lorenzo’s clothing shredded apart, revealing layers of crimson armor fused to his flesh. His aura surged violently as he forced back Lilith’s pressure.

“Blacksnake. Pheasant.”

“Demonic form.”

Blacksnake and Pheasant disengaged instantly. Their clothes tore apart just like Lorenzo’s, their bodies warping into forms reminiscent of the Infected—less grotesque, but no less terrifying.

The change was immediate.

Speed. Strength. Force output.

All skyrocketed.

Sergio’s expression tightened. Their overwhelming advantage had vanished in an instant.

“Still manageable,” Sergio said calmly. “We outnumber them.”

Even transformed, his attacks barely pierced their defenses—but his control abilities still restricted their movement.

At present, Axel and Lilith held the upper hand.

Nigel felt his chest loosen. The Saint in front of him was stronger, sure—but not the nightmare he had imagined. He tightened his grip, ready to entangle the enemy while Kenneth unleashed hell.

“They’re scions of the Five Great Families—!” Lorenzo suddenly roared.

Savannah and the others faltered for just a fraction of a second.

That was enough.

Axel withdrew instantly, black hair whipping violently in the wind. He spread his arms, Force exploding outward.

“You’re not the only ones with tricks.”

Golden flames erupted.

Burning Fighting Spirit engulfed every one of his teammates.

It felt like golden armor wrapped around their bodies. Power surged—raw, violent, undeniable.

Lorenzo barely had time to react.

Two spatial blades flashed.

His arms exploded into twin bursts of blood mist.

“Return to Origin!”

A green shield layered itself over the golden light, rapid regeneration activating instantly.

Pheasant and Blacksnake froze.

In mere seconds, their opponents’ strength had jumped to an entirely new tier.

With shields and regeneration stacked together, even landing a meaningful injury became nearly impossible.

Watching the battle turn against them, Lorenzo’s expression twisted with rage and disbelief. Four against six—he had never imagined an equal-level engagement ending like this.

“We can’t get Axel anymore,” he growled. “Find a chance and retreat!”

Humiliation burned through Blacksnake and Pheasant.

For Nigel and Terrence, though, it was pure adrenaline.

“Fuck,” Nigel laughed, now towering seven or eight meters tall. His voice boomed like it came from a cavern, smug and exhilarated. “I thought there’d be some big command or final form. This is it?”

“We clearly—” Blacksnake began.

“Shut up!” Lorenzo snapped. “Move!”

Grinding their teeth, Blacksnake and Pheasant retreated under Lorenzo’s command.

“Savanah, cover me—Savannah?”

Lorenzo turned.

Savannah—who had just been blasted away by Axel’s blade—was already sprinting in the opposite direction.

Lorenzo’s face turned livid.

“You fucking run fast!”

“Trying to escape?”

Axel’s Cloud-Chasing Boots ignited. With Burning Fighting Spirit active, his speed eclipsed Savannah’s entirely.

His figure blurred.

The distance between them collapsed in seconds.

They tore across kilometers of wasteland in half a minute.

Savannah’s body twisted, morphing into a lean, monkey-like male form, long thin legs making up most of his height.

“Axel!” she shouted. “We don’t have that deep a grudge! The acupuncture I gave you accelerated your cultivation—why chase me like this?!”

Axel was already beside her.

Savannah knew that if she kept running, she’d be cut down from behind. She reverted to her original form—

—and was met with a merciless slash.

“AH—!”

Her Force shield shattered again. Pain ripped straight through her soul.

She collapsed forward, scrambling backward on hands and knees like a wounded animal, blood smearing the ground behind her.

“Axel… don’t,” she pleaded, eyes glassy and desperate.

Axel’s expression didn’t change.

He raised the Soul-Devouring Blade once more.

Red light flared in Savannah’s eyes.

“Now.”

Her body transformed—voluptuous, flawless—an overwhelming mental assault detonating straight into Axel’s consciousness.

Even with Mental Barrier, Axel froze for a split second.

That was all it took.

A shadow burst from the void.

A short figure wearing a monkey-faced mask wrapped around Axel from behind in an impossibly twisted posture. The pressure was monstrous.

Bones creaked. Muscles screamed.

Axel’s body strained under the sudden restraint.

As he broke free from the mental shock, Savannah had already reverted to her demonic form.

Barefoot. Closing in.