Chapter 174: Crazy Awakeners

The deeper the Ashcroft family moved into Marvello, the less the city resembled the place they had entered several hours earlier.

The civilian districts had already been chaotic, but the Awakener districts were something entirely different. Mana filled the streets, relics flashed through the darkness, and abilities collided above the rooftops while defensive barriers appeared and shattered moments later.

Fire poured from one building as a wave of water crashed into it, filling the surrounding streets with steam. A spatial relic distorted an intersection while an Awakener several buildings away fired a beam through the distortion without knowing what waited on the other side.

The result was catastrophic. An explosion tore through the lower floors of a building, sending chunks of stone and glass into the street.

"Everyone, move!" Reinhard shouted.

The Ashcrofts immediately scattered into action. Yuna spread her Mana Domain across the street, catching the falling debris before it could crush a group of fleeing civilians. She then increased gravity around the largest pieces, forcing them down into an empty section of road.

Maki raised both hands, placing glowing seals across the cracked walls and damaged support pillars. The seals slowed the deterioration long enough to keep the structure standing while Lily rushed forward and pulled two frightened civilians out of the danger zone.

Emily stayed close to Reinhard, Aeon in her hand.

Above them, three Awakeners continued fighting over the burning building. One released a massive fireball while another raised a water barrier to intercept it. The collision produced another explosion, and the third Awakener emerged from the smoke with a spatial relic in hand.

His attack struck a defensive artifact, producing a shockwave that flipped several vehicles and blew out windows along both sides of the road.

Reinhard watched the destruction for a moment before sighing. "Marvello really knows how to throw a party."

Lily ducked beneath a piece of flying debris. "I hate this party."

"You’re difficult to please."

"They’re destroying the entire city!"

"That’s usually considered poor hosting."

Emily glanced at him. "Focus."

"I’m focused."

A group of C-Rank Awakeners rushed from an alley before anyone could say more. Their Mana was unstable, and several carried relic weapons. They looked frightened enough that their fear had already turned into aggression.

One pointed toward the Ashcrofts. "They’re the ones causing this!"

"Kill them!"

Reinhard stepped forward.

The Eyes of Domination activated, and the pressure of his gaze swept across the group. Their bodies buckled beneath the force. Several collapsed immediately, while the remaining few managed only a step before losing consciousness.

Lily blinked at them. "You didn’t even move."

"It was efficient."

"You just knocked them all out with your eyes."

"Also efficient."

A larger group of D-Rank Awakeners poured into the road. One launched a Mana projectile while another charged with a relic blade, and a third fired several shots from an enhanced weapon.

Reinhard released his Magic Pressure.

The attackers immediately collapsed. Their Mana projectile weakened before striking the pavement, leaving the civilians behind the Ashcrofts unharmed.

Lily stared at the unconscious group. "That’s almost unfair."

"They’re D-Rank," Reinhard replied.

Emily gave him a warning look. "Don’t get arrogant."

"Too late."

A massive explosion interrupted them. Reinhard’s Advanced Mana Perception detected the Mana fluctuation coming from the building ahead, and he turned toward it.

"Left building. Three Awakeners."

Emily moved before he finished speaking.

She kicked off the ground, channeled Mana through her body, and launched herself into the air. Mana Flight carried her above the street as a beam tore through the building toward her. Emily twisted in midair, bringing Aeon across the attack. The blade cut through its center, splitting the beam into two harmless streams that passed on either side of her.

The Awakener who had fired it stared upward.

Emily was already moving again.

She accelerated through the air, closing the distance before he could prepare another attack. Aeon’s hilt struck his chest, knocking the breath from his lungs, and she followed with a controlled blow that sent him crashing onto a rooftop.

He tried to stand, but Emily landed beside him and pressed the blade against his weapon arm.

"Stay down."

The man wisely obeyed.

Below, another Awakener launched three relic projectiles toward Reinhard. Maki stepped into their path and placed a seal in the air with a sharp movement of her fingers. A glowing barrier formed across the street, and the projectiles struck it before their momentum abruptly died.

"Reinhard, right side!"

He turned just as an attacker emerged behind him.

Reinhard kicked off the pavement and activated Mana Flight. His body shot upward, allowing the blade to pass beneath his feet. He twisted in the air and accelerated forward, crossing the distance in a blur before the attacker could turn around.

One controlled strike to the neck ended the fight.

Reinhard landed on the side of a nearby building, pushed off its wall, and launched himself toward another Awakener preparing to attack Emily from above. His fist struck the man’s shoulder, sending him tumbling away from the battlefield before he crashed unconscious onto an empty rooftop.

"That is getting convenient," Reinhard muttered.

Emily landed beside him. "You’re enjoying this."

"I’m enjoying not being stabbed."

"That isn’t what I meant."

"I know."

Another group appeared at the end of the street, this one much larger than the previous groups. More than twenty Awakeners stood together, ranging from C-Rank to B-Rank. Their abilities gathered around them as they prepared a combined attack.

A B-Rank raised both hands. Mana compressed around his body before a massive blast shot toward the Ashcrofts.

Reinhard kicked off the air with Mana Flight, changing direction before the attack reached him. He shot above the blast, then folded his body forward and accelerated toward its source.

The Awakener barely managed to raise his defensive barrier.

Reinhard’s fist shattered it.

His Combat Analysis had already identified the weakest point in the man’s defense, and his Strike That Crushes delivered precisely controlled force through the opening. The Awakener was thrown backward and collapsed without a fatal injury.

Another enemy tried to attack Reinhard from behind, but his Danger Intuition warned him before the strike arrived. Reinhard twisted aside, caught the man’s wrist, and used his momentum to throw him into the pavement.

Two more rushed him from opposite directions.

Reinhard extended his hand.

The Right Hand of God manifested beside one attacker, carrying a sword. Distance ceased to matter as the blade struck the man’s weapon and knocked it away. Reinhard closed on the second enemy at the same moment, landing a quick blow that sent him sprawling.

The remaining Awakeners hesitated.

That hesitation gave Yuna the opening she needed.

Domain: Dawn Descend.

Her Mana Domain expanded across the street, its pressure forcing the enemies to fight against an environment that no longer responded normally to their movements. When one attempted to leap over the affected area, Yuna increased gravity around him.

He dropped out of the air.

Before he could recover, she reduced the gravity beneath another Awakener and changed its direction, sending him sideways into the wall. The impact knocked him unconscious.

A third enemy unleashed a stream of electricity toward her.

Yuna raised her hand. Her electromagnetic manipulation redirected the current away from the civilians and into a metal street barrier. The barrier glowed briefly before the electricity dissipated.

"That’s enough," Yuna said.

She increased gravity around the remaining attackers, pinning them to the road. Those who resisted found their movements growing heavier with every attempt to stand.

Maki moved in while they were restrained, placing seals on their arms and weapons. The glowing markings suppressed their ability to gather Mana effectively and prevented them from immediately resuming the fight.

"Area secured," Maki reported.

Yuna released the excess pressure from her Domain. "Good. Let’s keep moving."

A sharp crash came from the next intersection.

Lily had already gone ahead to protect a group of civilians caught between two battling Awakeners. One enemy swung a heavy relic axe toward her, expecting her to retreat.

Instead, Lily stepped inside the attack.

Crimson Fang met the axe with a heavy metallic impact. The enemy’s arms shook under the force, and Lily used the opening to drive her shoulder into his chest, disrupting his balance.

Fifteen spectral swords appeared around her.

They surged forward in coordinated movements, forcing the Awakener to defend from several directions. He managed to deflect two blades with his relic, but the others changed their angles before he could respond.

One cut across his weapon arm. Another struck the back of his knee.

As he stumbled, Lily brought Crimson Fang down against his weapon, breaking its guard and forcing him to the ground.

She turned toward the second Awakener, who had been preparing to attack the civilians.

"Don’t even think about it."

He fired a wave of Mana at her.

Lily sent her spectral swords forward to intercept the attack, using their formation to split the blast and create an opening through its center. She rushed through that gap, Crimson Fang held close to her body, and struck before the Awakener could prepare a second attack.

The flat of her greatsword hit his side and sent him crashing into a damaged vehicle.

Lily immediately turned away from him and ran toward the civilians.

"Everyone behind me! Move to the next street!"

One man stared at the fallen Awakeners. "Are they dead?"

"No. But if you stay here, you might be."

That was enough to make him move.

Lily guided the civilians behind cover before returning to the fight. She didn’t chase enemies who were already defeated or waste time trying to overpower every opponent directly. Her spectral swords kept pressure on the remaining attackers while she used Crimson Fang to finish openings they could no longer defend.

Across the street, Maki was handling a different problem.

A group of Awakeners had retreated into a narrow passage, hoping to attack the family from a protected position. Maki observed their movements before placing several seals across the ground and walls.

The first attacker rushed forward and crossed the nearest marking.

A restriction seal activated around his legs, stopping his advance. He stumbled, and a second seal spread across his weapon arm before he could swing.

His companion attempted to drag him free.

Maki activated another seal.

The restriction spread between the two attackers, forcing them apart and preventing them from coordinating their movements.

"Lily, the left one is yours!"

"On it!"

Lily’s spectral swords swept into the passage, disarming the restrained Awakener before Crimson Fang struck the second man across the chest. Both fell without being killed.

A third enemy tried to bypass the seals by climbing the damaged wall.

But Maki had anticipated the move.

She placed a seal on the wall above him, and the moment his hand touched it, the marking activated. His arm locked in place long enough for Yuna to increase gravity around his body and pull him safely down to the street.

Maki approached and secured him with another restriction seal.

"You’re making this difficult for yourself," she told him.

The Awakener stared at her, unable to move.

Maki turned toward the family. "This passage is clear."

"Good work," Reinhard called.

She gave him a small nod before moving toward a wounded civilian lying beside the road. A broken piece of metal had cut deeply into his thigh.

Maki placed a seal over the wound, stabilizing the bleeding while Emily checked the man’s condition.

"This will keep him from losing more blood," Maki explained. "He still needs proper healing."

Emily nodded. "I’ll take him to the evacuation group."

She lifted the injured man carefully and used Mana Flight to carry him over the damaged section of road. Rather than attempting to fight and carry him at the same time, she brought him to safety before returning to the battlefield.

Reinhard watched her return through the air and smiled.

"You’re getting fast."

Emily landed beside him. "You should try keeping up."

"I’m wounded."

"You don’t have a scratch on you."

"Emotionally wounded."

"Reinhard."

He laughed before launching himself back into the air.

The family continued deeper into Marvello, working together as the chaos intensified. Yuna used her Domain to control the battlefield while applying gravity, motion, and electromagnetic manipulation wherever needed. Maki restricted enemies and protected injured civilians with her seals. Lily kept pressure on hostile Awakeners and cleared routes for the people trying to escape.

Reinhard and Emily moved through the air, using Mana Flight to bypass ruined streets and strike before enemies could coordinate their attacks. They didn’t remain in one place long enough to be surrounded, and whenever a dangerous attack threatened the others, one of them changed direction to intercept it.

When several Awakeners gathered inside a damaged building, Reinhard stopped above the street and inhaled.

"Everyone, cover your ears."

Lily looked up. "Why?"

Reinhard released the Demon Roar.

The shockwave tore through the building, disrupting the Awakeners’ attacks and knocking them unconscious. Several windows shattered, but the force was directed away from the civilians gathered behind Maki’s protective seals.

Reinhard lowered his head to inspect the result.

"Efficient."

Lily stared at the building. "Did you just scream at an entire building?"

"Technically, yes."

"That’s ridiculous."

"Yet effective."

Maki looked toward the fallen Awakeners. "He’s not wrong."

The family continued forward, but the streets ahead had become even more destructive. Domains collided between buildings, relic weapons discharged repeatedly, and Mana beams crossed the sky. Entire intersections had been reduced to rubble.

A massive stone beast charged down the road, forcing several civilians to flee. Another Awakener answered with lightning, and the collision destroyed the intersection.

"Yuna!" Reinhard shouted.

"I’ve got it!"

Yuna expanded her Domain, slowing the beast’s movement as she increased gravity around its legs. Its charge faltered, giving Lily the chance to send her spectral swords toward its joints. Crimson Fang followed, striking the weakened structure until the construct collapsed.

Maki immediately placed restriction seals around the Awakeners controlling it, preventing them from summoning another creature.

"Area clear!" she called.

"Good," Reinhard replied.

Emily cut through an incoming projectile with Aeon before it reached the civilians. She landed beside him, and for a brief moment, the two stood together amid the destruction.

"Still think we’re good together?" she asked.

Reinhard smiled. "I was going to say that."

"Then you should be faster."

She kicked off the air with Mana Flight and shot forward before he could answer.

Reinhard stared after her. "She’s getting competitive."

Lily ran past him. "She learned from you!"

He laughed and followed.

Then the ground shook.

The laughter disappeared.

Reinhard’s Advanced Mana Perception expanded, searching the streets and buildings for the source of the disturbance. At first, he detected only the familiar chaos of fighting Awakeners. Then his perception moved deeper, beneath the ruined roads and broken foundations.

He found it.

An enormous concentration of Mana rested far below Marvello. It wasn’t moving like an ordinary ability, and it wasn’t coming from any Awakener.

It was connected to the Black Moon.

Reinhard slowly turned toward the center of the city.

Emily landed beside him. "You found something?"

He nodded. "I think so."

Maki stepped closer. "The Heart?"

"Most likely."

Yuna looked toward the ruined streets ahead. "Then that’s where we’re going."

Reinhard stared toward the center of Marvello. The Black Moon covered the sky while fires burned throughout the city and Awakeners continued fighting behind them. Beneath all of it, something enormous waited deep below the streets.

He tightened his grip on his weapon.

"Everyone stay close."

Emily moved beside him. "Together?"

Reinhard looked at his wife and smiled. "Always."

The Ashcrofts began moving toward the center of Marvello. For the first time since entering the city, they weren’t simply trying to survive the chaos.

They were finally moving toward its source.

And beneath the burning streets, the Heart of the Black Moon waited.