Chapter 416
Claws lashed toward Jack’s face with terrifying speed.
The Big Four leader stared at the claws racing for him, genuine shock flashing across his face.
’Too fast.’
Taking a single step backward, Jack vanished from view.
He didn’t teleport.
No. He had simply moved so fast that it created the illusion of teleportation.
Orvak’s claws tore through the space the man had occupied a heartbeat earlier.
SKRRRRRRAAAAAK!
The air split apart with a shrill screech.
The ground yawned open beneath the strike, a massive ravine ripping across the earth and stretching for dozens of metres, swallowing roads, smashing through buildings, and nearly catching those who hadn’t escaped in time.
Chunks of concrete erupted skyward.
Dust and shattered debris billowed into the air like a storm.
Screams rippled through the shelter as people ran helter-skelter, desperately trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the battlefield.
"Tsk."
Orvak clicked his tongue as he slowly straightened his back.
His glowing yellow eyes pierced effortlessly through the thick cloud of dust, a grin still plastered across his face.
Jack appeared several metres behind the Abberant.
Only then did his eyes fully register the creature’s back.
’Si-Six Spines? Th—’
His thoughts abruptly froze.
Something felt... wrong.
Instinctively, Jack raised a hand to his cheek.
His fingers brushed against warm liquid.
Pulling them away, he found a smear of crimson blood staining his fingertips.
’How—?!’
He hadn’t even seen the attack connect.
At that exact moment, Jack looked up.
Orvak was already there.
The Six-Spined Abberant had crossed the distance again with impossible speed, appearing right before him as though space itself had folded.
Jack’s gaze instinctively flickered toward the civilians still trapped inside the shelter.
Then back to the claws racing toward his face.
Grinding his teeth, power gathered beneath his fingertips as he prepared to defend.
Alas...
Orvak suddenly stopped.
His claws hung mere inches from Jack’s face.
The Abberant stared at him for a brief moment before slowly lowering his arm.
Taking a single step backward, he swept his gaze across the battered shelter and the countless frightened humans watching them.
"Hpmh. I want to fight you at full strength, and that won’t be possible if you’re constantly worried about these humans," Orvak said calmly.
Jack remained silent for a second.
Without taking his eyes off the Six-Spined monster, he pressed two fingers against his ear.
"How long will it take to rebuild the shelter?"
One of his bodyguards, positioned several metres away, answered immediately.
"Five months under normal circumstances. But with our family’s resources... one month at most."
Jack gave a slight nod.
Then he straightened his back.
"Evacuate everyone."
His calm voice echoed across the area.
"Get them as far away from this place as possible."
His gaze never left Orvak.
"In fact... abandon the shelter entirely. I want everyone at least a dozen kilometres away from this battlefield."
His tone sharpened.
"Now."
The surrounding Iron Corps members immediately sprang into action.
"...Help them too," Jack added quietly through his comm device.
His bodyguards moved without hesitation, spreading through the shelter to organize the evacuation.
Orvak simply turned around.
Without a trace of concern, he walked toward the wreckage of the destroyed Mother Ship.
Reaching a broken section of its hull, he casually sat down atop the twisted metal as though he were waiting for an appointment rather than a battle.
Seeing that the terrifying Abberant had truly stopped attacking, the civilians didn’t wait for further instructions.
Parents grabbed their children.
Others supported the elderly.
Thousands surged toward the exits as panic spread throughout the shelter.
The Iron Corps quickly stepped in, directing the terrified crowd, separating routes, calming those who had fallen, and preventing a deadly stampede from breaking out.
Chaos swallowed the shelter.
Shouts.
Crying children.
Boots pounding against the ground.
The desperate cries of families searching for one another echoed throughout the massive underground refuge.
Jack’s bodyguards continued guiding wave after wave of civilians outside.
Even after the Abberants had slaughtered countless people during the initial assault, there were still thousands remaining within the enormous shelter.
It would take time to move them all.
Jack’s eyes never left Orvak for even a second as the evacuation proceeded.
’A Six-Spined Abberant, huh? Can I do this alone? During the First Great War against the Abberants, my father and the first Meta-humans had to join forces just to hold back a Five-Spined Abberant... and even then, they couldn’t kill it.’
Tilting his head slightly while studying the seemingly nonchalant Orvak, Jack’s brows twitched.
’...Could this be that same Abberant... only much stronger now? He somewhat matches the description. If that’s true... can I really do this alone?’
Jack lowered his gaze to his own hands, determination slowly filling his eyes.
’Am I strong enough to battle a Six-Spined Abberant... or do I need to call for assistance from the other families?’
Orvak could be heard groaning every now and then.
The Abberant looked unbelievably bored, his tail lazily swaying behind him like that of a dog waiting for something entertaining.
His yellow eyes calmly tracked the fleeing humans whose numbers continued to dwindle.
Even so, the evacuation was taking far too long for his liking.
His bones practically itched for a worthy fight.
When the leader of the Abberants had suddenly ordered an invasion—not a full-scale war, merely a test of humanity’s strength before the next great conflict—Orvak had shown little interest.
Another member of the Big Five had originally been chosen to lead the assault.
That changed the moment intelligence reached them that one of humanity’s Big Four Legacies would be present on Alcatraz because of the Aspirants’ graduation ceremony.
Orvak became interested immediately.
The Big Four were infamous throughout the Abberant race for their overwhelming strength.
He had fought them before...
Many years ago during the First Great War.
Back then, it had been four against one.
Even so, he had managed to hold them off before barely escaping with his life.
Now...
He possessed one additional spine compared to that battle.
And he was eager for a rematch.
Especially since the other members of the Big Five refused to spar with him, denying him the chance to test his newfound strength.
Now, that opportunity had finally presented itself.
He would be a fool to let it slip away.
Minutes crawled by.
Soon, nearly half an hour had passed before the last few dozen civilians finally disappeared into the distance.
Letting out a slow sigh, Orvak rose to his feet with that same wide grin plastered across his face.
He stretched leisurely.
Bones cracking one after another as if they were popping into place.
The smile on his lips never faded.
The shelter had finally been evacuated.
Only the corpses of fallen Abberants and humans remained scattered across the ruined streets.
The shelter itself was enormous, stretching for nearly fifteen kilometres.
The largest shelter in all of Wall Steel.
Countless buildings stood within its protective walls.
Now...
It was as silent as a graveyard.
The afternoon sun blazed overhead.
A gentle breeze drifted through the empty streets, rustling between the two figures standing several metres apart.
"Ah... now—"
Orvak opened his eyes while smiling.
Only to suddenly find Jack standing directly before him.
His entire arm crackled with brilliant white energy.
Tiny sparks danced wildly around his fist.
His eyes burned with killing intent as he glared directly into the Abberant’s.
"Oh?"
That was all Orvak managed to say before—
BOOOOOOM—!
The streets violently shuddered.
The air itself collapsed beneath the impact.
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