Chapter 120: Awakened Tournament Crisis (26)

Only minutes ago, tens of thousands of people had gathered to witness the conclusion of the National Awakened Tryouts. They had come to watch the most promising young Awakened in the country compete, hoping to witness the birth of the next generation of S-Ranks.

Now, they were running for their lives.

The enormous black skull that had emerged from beneath the battlefield continued to release waves of Abyss Creature Essence, its crimson eyes illuminating the destruction spreading throughout the stadium. Countless spiked tentacles stretched from its grotesque body, tearing through concrete, crushing support structures, and smashing entire sections of the spectator stands apart.

The protective barriers flickered desperately.

Every time a tentacle struck them, the resulting shockwave rattled the remaining structure. Cracks of light spread across the barriers before the reinforcement systems desperately attempted to repair the damage.

But the barriers had been designed to protect spectators from the destructive power of Awakened combat.

They had never been designed to withstand an invasion of this magnitude.

And so, it was only natural for it to break under such enormous pressure.

"EVERYONE, MOVE TOWARD THE EMERGENCY EXITS!"

"KEEP THE CIVILIANS AWAY FROM THE TENTACLES!"

"HEALERS, PRIORITIZE THE INJURED! ANYONE WHO CAN STILL WALK, HELP THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU!"

The remaining Association forces were working frantically to organize the evacuation.

The situation was already terrible enough, but it was made significantly worse by the absence of the majority of the Association’s Silver Wing strike team. Neville and Levi, along with most of their strongest personnel, had been lured into separate S-Rank Gates through Null’s Shadow Seal.

The stadium’s emergency response had consequently been left with only a fraction of the combat strength it normally would have possessed.

And that fraction was now being stretched to its limits.

Some Awakened were carrying injured spectators toward the exits, while others used defensive skills to shield fleeing civilians from falling debris. Several healers had established makeshift treatment stations behind the remains of the stadium walls, desperately trying to keep up with the growing number of wounded.

Nobody had time to celebrate the tournament anymore.

Nobody cared who had won the semifinals.

The only thing that mattered was getting as many people out alive as possible.

Yet even amid the chaos, one gray-haired Awakened stood atop the remains of a shattered wall, staring toward the center of the ruined stadium.

His name was Kael.

And he had a very important mission.

At least, according to the version of events currently playing inside his head.

Kael tightened his grip around the two golden Essence blades in his hands. The weapons gleamed brightly against the darkened sky, their edges radiating the power of his Judgment Blade skill.

He had reached Peak A-Rank by now.

Under ordinary circumstances, that would have made him one of the most powerful Awakened in the immediate vicinity.

Unfortunately, Kael’s greatest weakness had never been his strength.

It was his brain.

More specifically, his brain’s persistent refusal to acknowledge that he wasn’t the protagonist of every situation he found himself in.

His gaze remained fixed on the battlefield.

Or, more accurately, what remained of it.

The enormous tentacles had swallowed the arena in a tangled mass of black spikes and writhing flesh. He could barely make out the original shape of the battleground anymore, and the destruction was so extensive that he couldn’t even tell where the contestants had been standing when the attack began.

But somewhere in there was Eden.

His dear friend.

His precious comrade.

The person who had unknowingly become the central character of Kael’s latest imaginary epic.

Kael lowered his head.

"...Eden."

His voice trembled.

He could already imagine it.

The battlefield would be burning. The enormous monster would be roaring in agony, having finally encountered an opponent worthy of its strength. The remaining tentacles would be scattered across the ruins, and the crimson light of Eden’s Essence would illuminate the sky.

And there, standing at the center of it all, would be Eden.

Wounded.

Exhausted.

Barely conscious.

Waiting for someone to save him.

Kael’s eyes glistened.

’Don’t worry, my friend!’

He slowly raised his golden blades.

’Your protagonist has arrived.’

He bent his knees, preparing to launch himself from the wall.

Then a voice shouted behind him.

"KAEL!"

Kael’s shoulders stiffened.

A member of the Association’s strike team came sprinting toward him, his face covered in dust and sweat. He nearly slipped on the rubble before stopping a few steps away.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Kael turned his head.

The man pointed toward the evacuation routes.

"Our leader gave us explicit orders! No matter what happens, our first priority is evacuating the civilians! We’re not supposed to charge blindly into the abyss creature!"

Kael stared at him.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he placed one hand over his chest.

"That is precisely what we are going to do."

The other Awakened blinked.

"...What?"

Kael gestured grandly toward the ruined stadium.

"Look around you! The civilians are in danger. The injured need assistance. People are desperately trying to escape, and there are monsters everywhere!"

He raised one of his golden blades toward the tentacles.

"And what do you think our duty is? To stand here and watch?"

"That’s not what I—"

"Exactly!"

Kael pointed the blade at the man.

"You understand perfectly."

"I literally didn’t say anything!"

"Then stop wasting time arguing with me!"

The other Awakened looked as though he were about to suffer an aneurysm.

Kael, meanwhile, had already decided that the conversation was over.

He stepped forward and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder.

"I am entrusting the evacuation to you."

"...You’re what?"

"You will lead the others. Make sure every civilian is evacuated safely. Help the wounded, organize the healers, and keep those tentacles away from the exits."

Kael’s expression grew solemn.

"I believe in you."

The man stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Then why are you—"

"Because I have someone I need to save."

Kael turned toward the battlefield.

"Eden is waiting for me."

The other Awakened opened his mouth in confusion.

"Who???"

Kael ignored him.

Because, naturally, he didn’t need evidence.

He had something far more reliable.

His imagination.

In Kael’s mind, the scene was already unfolding.

He would cut through the tentacles with his golden blades, demonstrating the overwhelming power of his Judgment Blade skill. He would arrive at the center of the battlefield at the very last moment, just as Eden was about to be crushed beneath the weight of the enormous Abyss Creature.

Then, with a single magnificent strike, he would save his dear friend.

Eden would collapse into his arms.

"Kael..."

His voice would be weak and trembling.

"Y-You came..."

"Of course I did, my friend."

Kael would smile heroically, a single rose somehow appearing between his lips.

Eden’s silver eyes would fill with tears.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..."

Snot would run down Eden’s nose as he clutched Kael’s clothes.

"You’re the real main character, Kael! I was wrong! I always thought I was the protagonist, but now I understand! It’s you! It’s always been you!"

Kael’s imaginary self would gaze into the distance.

’No, Eden.’

’The protagonist’s role is not something one claims.’

’It is something one earns.’

A single tear would roll down Eden’s cheek.

"KAEL, YOU IDIOT! GET DOWN!"

The voice snapped him out of his fantasy.

Kael blinked.

He was still standing atop the wall.

The stadium was still collapsing.

And the person who had just yelled at him was no longer standing behind him.

Because Kael had already jumped.

"KAEL YOU BASTAAAAAAA—"

The wind roared past his ears.