Chapter 412: The only solution

Daina was someone who received her directives directly from Lord Apollo himself. And yet, there were things being revealed here that, despite aligning with what she knew, had never been brought to her attention.

The being standing before them was said to be the wisest existence, one who would guide humanity away from the impending doom. Slowly, Daina was beginning to understand why such words had been used to describe him.

"What can we do to prevent it?" Lamia, Athena’s apostle, finally asked the question that mattered most.

After all, knowing the nature of the threat was far less important than understanding how to stop it. From everything they had heard so far, it seemed Kyle had summoned them for precisely that reason.

There was a brief pause before Kyle answered.

"Truthfully, the best way to protect the Veil would be to prevent them from reaching this side in the first place. Unfortunately, that is no longer possible. One of their Monarchs has already made contact with me, and they are aware of what we intend to do."

"And what would that be?" Gallard asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ethan frowned as he looked around the hall. "Who do you think is responsible for the sudden surge in awakenings?"

"Huh?"

Confused murmurs and startled gasps spread throughout the hall.

For once, Amanda nodded in appreciation of Ethan’s statement before adding, "Unlike most of you, who have been occupied with your own affairs, Kyle has already taken steps to ensure that more and more people awaken their Genesis and become capable of protecting this realm."

Kyle inwardly sighed.

They just needed an opportunity to praise him.

He quickly steered the discussion back to the matter at hand. "Well, there’s no denying that the growing number of awakened individuals is helping strengthen the Veil. But our enemies aren’t simply going to sit back and let that happen."

Just then, Arthur made his move.

He raised a hand, and a moment later, a phone materialized before every person in the hall.

Its design was remarkably simple, almost primitive by modern standards.

"This device will allow us to communicate with one another, regardless of where we are. I’ll use it to send coordinates whenever major Rifts appear throughout the realm. Once you receive them, head to the designated locations, secure those fronts, and deal with any threats before they can spread."

Alya was the first to pick up her device and examine it, curiously turning it over in her hands.

Surprisingly, no one questioned how Kyle intended to know about the Rifts before they appeared. He had already demonstrated that he was no ordinary existence by arranging their meeting through their respective patrons. Compared to that, this was hardly worth questioning.

Maya was the first to raise a concern regarding the proposed strategy.

"Um, what about the other apostles? Surely, the few of us here can’t be expected to cover every corner of the world."

Kyle gave her a reassuring nod. "They’ll be provided with the same devices."

Yumiko raised another concern. "But will we be enough to handle those forces?"

Kyle shook his head. "No. I don’t believe so."

Dominic let out a snicker. "Then what’s the point of informing us?"

It was somewhat surprising that he hadn’t challenged Kyle’s earlier claims, choosing instead to question the practicality of the proposed arrangement.

Kyle understood their concerns. There was little point in knowing where danger would strike if they lacked the strength and manpower to deal with it. Information alone wouldn’t be enough to protect the realm.

Fortunately, he had already accounted for that possibility.

Raising his arm, Kyle said, "Don’t worry. You’ll have help."

The space beside him suddenly distorted, and something enormous materialized into existence.

SCREECH!

"Ah!"

"What the fuck?!"

"What... in the seven hells?"

One after another, people scrambled to their feet, their chairs scraping against the floor.

Shock and horror were written all over their faces. Even Veronica, who remained seated, couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the sudden appearance of the Sentinel beside Kyle.

Although it wasn’t anywhere near its actual, monumental size, the creature was still an imposing sight. Its towering frame and overwhelming presence were enough to make even the bravest among them uneasy.

Some of those present had fought against these creatures themselves, while others had only heard accounts of what the ancient guardians were capable of.

Either way, their reactions were entirely justified.

Kyle, however, remained perfectly composed. He glanced at the startled faces before explaining, "They’ll always come to your aid when needed. However, there’s one limitation you should be aware of. They cannot distinguish between an actual attack and a trap."

"Trap?" Araya asked, visibly surprised.

Kyle nodded, his expression turning grim as he explained, "Once the other side realises that the Sentinels have begun protecting the fronts, they might try to keep them occupied at the Rifts while sending their forces directly towards the Temples. And if they manage to reach a Temple..." He paused briefly. "The Veil would suffer catastrophic damage."

There wasn’t a single person in the hall who didn’t know what lay within those Temples. More importantly, they understood precisely why Kyle needed their assistance.

If the Sentinels were lured away to deal with a supposed threat at a Rift while another force attacked the very Temple they were meant to protect, the consequences would be disastrous. It would practically be game over.

"That’s still an enormous responsibility to place on us. You’re entrusting far too much to people you barely know," Araya remarked.

After all, handing them control over a Sentinel was practically equivalent to giving them a weapon capable of eliminating almost any inconvenience they might encounter. It was no small matter, and she wasn’t particularly comfortable with the implications.

Kyle, however, didn’t seem bothered by her concerns.

"I don’t trust you," he said bluntly, before continuing with an almost reassuring smile. "But I trust the ones guiding you. So don’t worry. Whatever happens, I won’t hold any of you accountable."

Kyle was doing what he could to ensure that when the disaster befalls, he could have one of these apostles present there.

Not because he hoped for anything from them.

No, his intentions were entirely different. And something Kyle could never reveal.

’Let’s hope this works until I can fully manifest my first heart.’