Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

At the rear of the retreating group, a single man wielding a massive sword ran backward, facing the horde. Each time he swung—

A crescent of blade energy tore through the battlefield. Weaker beasts detonated into bloody mist. Even Level Six monsters staggered, their advance forcibly halted.

Energy blasts and ranged attacks shrieked toward him—but dissolved before touching his body, as if swallowed by an invisible barrier.

Zephyr’s pupils contracted. It was this man. He alone was holding back an entire tide. Without him, Geoffrey’s team would already be dead.

Whose expert is that? Reinforcements? But… there were only two unfamiliar faces among them.

“Vanguard Fifth Battalion! North Gate Artillery Positions Three and Four—fire support!” Zephyr barked. “All other vanguard units return to the city and stand by!”

The Fifth Battalion specialized in long-range suppression. They responded instantly. Energy rifles roared. Awakened abilities flared. Portable energy cannons unleashed concentrated beams that ripped into the beast horde in brilliant arcs of destruction.

Under the sudden barrage, the pressure on Axel dropped sharply.

“Move!” Geoffrey roared. His squad ignited their Burning Fighting Spirit and surged forward in a final burst.

“Inside! Now!” the Fifth Battalion soldiers shouted, holding open a narrow slit in the alloy gate—barely wide enough for one person at a time.

Geoffrey and his men shot through like bullets. The instant the last of them crossed the threshold—

“Close the gates!” someone yelled.

“Don’t close them!” Geoffrey spun, voice raw. Outside—

Axel was still there. Even if that swordsman wasn’t one of theirs, he was clearly their ally. Closing the gates now was a death sentence.

Saka frowned when the soldiers hesitated. In the next instant, he blurred. He reappeared beside the gate control console. He knew the city’s defensive system layout.

With a pulse of Force, he shoved the stunned sergeant aside and slammed his hand onto the control.

“No!” Geoffrey’s roar echoed across the courtyard.

The massive alloy gates ground shut. With a thunderous boom, they sealed completely.

A second later, the defensive energy shield flared to life, enveloping the entrance in a solid barrier of light.

Geoffrey didn’t waste time arguing. He sprinted up the inner stairs toward the wall, shouting hoarsely, “Mr. Zephyr! Open it! He’s strong enough—he can make it in within a second!”

Zephyr turned slowly. His gaze locked onto Geoffrey’s. Cold. Hard. “Geoffrey,” he said quietly, “do you wish to be court-martialed?”

“At a time like this, what the hell are you talking about?” Zephyr snapped, veins bulging at his temples. “With the density and distance of that beast tide, how could we possibly reopen the gates?!”

Geoffrey watched Axel’s figure gradually disappear into the black mass of mutated beasts below, jaw clenched so hard it hurt. “Sir… he’s Axel—”

Before he could finish, a wave of shocked cries erupted from the wall.

“What?!”

“He’s flying?!”

Geoffrey spun around instinctively.

A dark silhouette rose from the heart of the beast tide. Step by step, as if walking on invisible stairs, the figure ascended through the snow-lashed air, treading lightly in midair. Calm. Unhurried.

In the blink of an eye, he crossed the final stretch and landed beside Geoffrey on the wall.

“Sigh,” Axel said, brushing snow from his shoulder. “Didn’t last as long as I expected.”

Geoffrey nearly spat blood. “Axel! What the hell are you doing?!” he barked. “You could fly this whole time?! Is it fun scaring people half to death?!”

Axel grinned sheepishly.

The B-grade Original Instrument he’d taken from Quinlan—Riding the Wind—didn’t boost speed much, but it allowed true aerial movement. Free flight.

He hadn’t used it earlier because he’d wanted to squeeze every last drop of value from the battlefield—cut down stronger beasts, harvest more life crystals. Opportunities to fight freely and retreat safely didn’t come often.

If he hadn’t been juggling constant combat while maintaining buffs on Geoffrey and the others, he would’ve stayed out there even longer.

“Sorry, Mr. Geoffrey. Forgot to mention it,” Axel said lightly.

Zephyr stepped forward, eyes sharp. “You… are Axel?”

Axel blinked, confused. “Yeah. I am—”

“Take him down!” Zephyr roared.

Geoffrey’s face drained of color. The Ministry of Defense didn’t hesitate. Steel rang as blades were drawn. Rifles snapped into firing position. In perfect coordination, the soldiers surrounded Axel.

Axel’s brows furrowed. This was the welcome he got?

The instant killing intent locked onto him, his Force and mental energy exploded outward. A shockwave rippled through the air. The soldiers—already far weaker than him—collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. Weapons clattered across stone as bodies went limp, consciousness crushed under the dual impact.

“Axel!” Zephyr thundered. “Are you resisting arrest?!”

A phantom suit of armor materialized around Zephyr, dense and imposing, radiating crushing pressure.

Natal Treasure. Axel’s pupils tightened slightly. It looked strikingly similar to Zachariah’s Thick Earth Armor—but far more refined. The patterns were denser, the structure more solid. As expected of Silverwyn’s long lineage, their cultivation of the technique far surpassed what Axel had seen before.

Axel inhaled slowly. Force and mental power fused. Above his head, the phantom of an ancient tree erupted into existence—vast, towering, roots unseen but presence undeniable.

A heavy silence fell. All Awakened above Level Five felt it instantly. His aura… was actually on par with Zephyr’s. Zephyr’s expression shifted.

“Geoffrey,” Axel said quietly, not even sparing Zephyr a glance. “I’d like an explanation.”

Geoffrey felt bitterness crawl up his throat. If that report was true… no matter how much Axel had done for Northern Spiritual Town, he couldn’t overlook it.

“An explanation?” Zephyr sneered. “You want an explanation?” His voice cut like a blade. “What about the Awakened you killed? What about the soldiers and civilians trapped by the beast tide because of you? What explanation do they deserve?”

Axel’s gaze sharpened. “So that’s why you asked me in the valley,” he said to Geoffrey. “About whether I’d done anything to wrong Krythos.”

Geoffrey said nothing. That silence was answer enough.

A strange smile tugged at the corner of Axel’s mouth. “Well?” Zephyr pressed coldly. “Nothing to say?”

“You betrayed your fellow Krythos. You murdered your own people. You lured mutated beasts to our northern defenses and nearly caused total collapse.” His aura flared. “For crimes like that… do you still intend to resist?”

He was waiting. Waiting for Axel to make the slightest aggressive move. One excuse—that was all he needed to suppress him openly.

Axel’s expression, however, remained calm. “Where’s Zachariah?” he asked.

Zephyr didn’t look surprised. “Ha?” he replied icily. “Didn’t expect any survivors?”

“If Zachariah hadn’t made it back,” Zephyr said coldly, “we’d never have known about your cowardly betrayal. We wouldn’t have known a powerful enemy was closing in. The beast tide might have smashed through Northern Spiritual Town while we stood there blind and unprepared.”

Axel let out a low chuckle. “Interesting… I really underestimated his limits.” His eyes sharpened. “So. Can you answer me now?”

Zephyr’s voice turned glacial. “You think you can silence him? You don’t have that ability.”

“Silence him?” Axel scoffed. “Am I an idiot? I’m here to confront him.”

His gaze was steady. “Zephyr, is this how you enforce the law? One-sided testimony. No witnesses. No evidence. You execute Whisper on a single report?”

Murmurs rippled through the gathered Awakened. Even if they trusted Zephyr, that… was dangerously domineering.

Zephyr knew he had been rash, but there was no way he would back down now.

“Hmph. You’re despicable. You know Zachariah is severely injured and can’t stand here to confront you. That’s why you’re acting so fearless.”

“Despicable?” Axel tilted his head slightly. “Does law enforcement depend on whether someone’s despicable? You’re a general, yet you argue like a child.”

“Don’t try to morally blackmail me.”

“Convict me?” Axel’s tone turned cold. “I’ll say it one more time. Produce solid evidence. Otherwise, stop wasting everyone’s fucking time.”