"Little" Flying Shield Coming Through~

Meanwhile, the airspace and ground surrounding Rhine Lab had swiftly been taken over by Columbia's official armed forces.

Several massive, sharply designed drones circled overhead, while the ground was sealed off by a defensive line of heavy armored vehicles and fully armed soldiers.

At that moment, their commander was snarling furiously into his communicator. On the other end was Rhine Lab's director, Kristen.

"Kristen! You're telling me that monster going berserk in your core area wasn't made by you people? You think I'd believe bullshit that even a three-year-old wouldn't buy?!"

The commander's voice was distorted by rage.

"You think the military is blind? That monster is definitely a Flame Demon! You think I don't know about your Flame Demon Project?!"

On the other end of the line, Kristen's voice remained calm and even.

"Sir, I will reiterate: this sudden incident has no connection to any official Rhine Lab research project."

"The target's manner of appearance, energy composition, and behavioral patterns all exceed the records in our current database. We are likewise victims and targets of the attack."

"[Columbian profanity!]"

"Save your explanations for the President! Right now, immediately, hand over all your research data and defense authorization access! Otherwise, don't blame us for taking necessary measures!"

He did not give Kristen another chance to explain before viciously cutting off the call.

"Damn it! A bunch of self-righteous lunatics!"

The commander cursed under his breath, turning his gaze toward the lava giant wreaking havoc amid the sea of flames in the distance.

He took a deep breath, forcing down the fear in his heart, and issued orders over the channel.

"All units, attention! Confirmed target is an extremely dangerous unregistered high-threat creature with immense destructive capabilities. Authorization granted for all necessary force!"

His voice echoed above the position through the loudspeakers.

"Execute combat protocol! I repeat, execute combat protocol!—Fire!"

The instant the order was given, the Columbia military's long-prepared firepower erupted.

Missile pods beneath the circling aircraft opened, and dozens of specially made high-explosive armor-piercing missiles streaked forward with white exhaust trails, swarming toward the lava giant like a hive of bees.

At the same time, dense Originium-etched ammunition poured down like a torrential rain, weaving a net of death through the air.

Their objective was clear—use overwhelming firepower to erase this "unstable factor" from Columbia's soil completely.

The boss, who had just fallen into a berserk state again after being infused with energy, was instantly swallowed by the overwhelming barrage.

Explosions and shockwaves completely engulfed him!

However...

"ROOOOAR—!!!"

Every attack was converted into energy once again. Not only was the terrifying monster not destroyed, it grew even larger.

This time, his roar carried not only pain and madness, but towering fury as well.

Saria watched as the situation abruptly escalated and spiraled completely out of control, her expression becoming incomparably grim.

The military's intervention had not solved the problem. Instead, it had pushed the situation into an even more irreversible abyss.

His consciousness was utterly swallowed by chaos, and the boss's sanity flickered on the verge of extinction.

All that remained in his vision were glowing insects flying all over the sky—missiles—and the ant colony in the distance—the military positions—flashing constantly as they poured hateful attacks upon him.

Every explosion, every impact, not only failed to hurt him, but forcibly stuffed more energy into his body, worsening the endless agony of being torn apart.

He wanted it all to stop. He wanted to crush the sources that kept creating all that noise and pain!

Brutal killing intent boiled and surged through his chest like magma.

He let out a roar that shattered the heavens. The earth-shaking energy within him instinctively gathered and compressed toward his arms.

[Explosive Flying Shield]

The Paladin's third skill.

It was originally an all-purpose offensive and defensive skill: raise a shield to enhance defense, then throw the shield to deal damage and inflict stun.

But at this moment, in the hands of this enormous body formed of lava and fiery energy, the skill's manifestation underwent a world-shaking mutation.

There was no physical shield. The air between his arms warped under extreme heat, while the surrounding flowing lava and scattered energy were frantically drawn in and compressed!

In an instant, a colossal sphere of lava over ten meters in diameter formed out of thin air.

It radiated heat and energy fluctuations that made one tremble. Calling it a shield would be less accurate than calling it a miniature sun about to erupt.

The distant commander saw this gut-wrenching sight as well, and an icy chill shot up his spine to the top of his head.

"That monster... it couldn't be..." A horrifying thought surfaced in his mind, making him instinctively scream.

"Evasive maneuvers!!! Everyone, ev—"

His warning did not make it all the way out—

Little flying shield coming through~~

"BOOOOOOM—!!!!!!"

The boss hurled the giant lava sphere with the motion of throwing a discus.

The moment it left his hand, the air ahead of it was instantly pierced by its extreme speed, forming a clearly visible ring of sonic-boom clouds.

The deafening sonic boom even lagged behind the sight of it, ringing out only after the meteor had flown away like a belated death knell.

There was not the slightest time to evade, nor any gap to activate defensive measures.

One moment, that meteor of destruction had only just left his hand.

The next, it descended upon the Columbia military's position like divine punishment.

Contact—

Time froze in that instant.

What followed was light and heat that devoured everything.

The colossal blast drowned out every sound in the world. A violent shockwave expanded outward in a perfect sphere, vaporizing, tearing apart, and flinging away everything it touched!

A massive crater with edges glowing like lava replaced the former position, while a churning mushroom cloud mixed with dust and flames soared into the sky.

The intense energy turbulence interfered with Rhine Lab's distant systems, causing lights in some areas to flicker wildly.

In that section of the battlefield, the clamorous war fell into deathly silence.

All attacks, all cries, all will to resist had vanished beneath that single blow.

The commander and his troops were wiped out before they had even seen the attack.

The lava giant remained in his throwing posture, his chest heaving violently as he spewed scorching flames.

Meanwhile, Rhine Lab's upper management, who had witnessed the scene through surveillance footage, all fell into a long silence.

They realized that the nature of the situation had changed completely.

This was no longer an "abnormal creature invasion" incident. It was a... catastrophe-level crisis.

The lava giant's roar, laden with pain and the desire for destruction, swept across the entire city of Trimports.

In the distance, terrified citizens looked through windows or stood in the streets, seeing the massive figure rising in the direction of Rhine Lab and the horrifying sight of it destroying a military position with a single strike.

Panic spread through the crowd like a plague. Screams, sobs, and the sounds of vehicles crashing rang out without end as order rapidly collapsed.

Saria stood amid the devastated ruins, allowing the destructive soundwaves to wash over her body covered in calcified crystals.

In silence, she connected to the encrypted line leading directly to the director's office.

Almost immediately, Kristen's voice came through, so calm it was nearly devoid of emotion. Without any pleasantries, she went straight to the point.

"Saria, the situation has exceeded controllable limits. Abandon the current area immediately and retreat to the designated safe point."

"Rhine Lab's core is its knowledge and personnel. Facilities can be rebuilt."

Saria's fingers tightened slightly around the communicator. She did not respond to the order to retreat, instead stating her own view in a low voice.

"Kristen... that Flame Demon may still be open to negotiation."

"I observed something similar to Ifrit's brief periods of lucidity after going berserk. Its actions are not driven by pure destructive intent."

Kristen's voice did not waver in the slightest at Saria's explanation.

"Director Saria, your observation is influenced by subjective bias."

"Based on the available data, the target has already caused incalculable destruction. Its energy level and threat level continue to rise, and it has just destroyed an entire fully organized military force."

"The risk of attempting negotiations is extremely high, while the chance of success approaches zero infinitely. I cannot approve of you betting your personal safety and Rhine Lab's future on an uncertain possibility."

Listening to Kristen's analysis, which prioritized efficiency and risk above all else, Saria's long-suppressed emotions finally slipped somewhat out of control. Her voice rose despite herself.

"Kristen! Efficiency and risk! Are those the only cold calculations you see?!"

"When exactly... when did you become so indifferent?!"

A long silence fell over the line. Only faint electrical static remained, heavy enough to suffocate.

Just when Saria thought the connection had been cut and bitterness welled up in her heart, Kristen's voice finally came through again.

For once, a trace of exhaustion mingled with her steady tone.

"...Tell me your plan first, Saria."

Saria's spirits lifted, and she explained rapidly.

"I need you to immediately use every channel available to contact the military's highest command, or even the President's office directly. We have to make them stop all attacks at once!"

"Any form of attack will only be absorbed and converted into its strength, making the situation even more uncontrollable! What we need most right now is to calm it down!"

Kristen calmly refuted her, pointing out the cruel reality.

"The military will not listen to me, especially after they have just lost an entire elite unit."

"They will not allow themselves to appear weak or stop before the public. They would see it as the greatest humiliation."

"You already saw the power of that last strike."

Saria's voice grew heavier again, urgent.

"That is not something conventional weapons can fight! Continuing to commit troops is nothing but sending them to their deaths for nothing. You would be gambling the lives of soldiers and the safety of the entire city on a situation with no chance of victory!"

"We should not—and cannot—allow such sacrifices to continue!"

Silence fell over the line once more. Saria could hear the heavy thudding of her own heart in her chest.

The silence lasted a long time. Saria closed her eyes and clutched the communicator tightly, as though she had exhausted all the strength in her body.

The ever-strong head of Security, who had always seemed capable of anything, spoke in a pleading voice she had almost never used before.

"...Please, Kristen."

A nearly inaudible sigh came from the other end.

A moment later, Kristen's voice sounded again, returned to its usual calm.

"...I understand. I will attempt emergency communications with the President."

"But Saria, you must understand that this will take time, and success cannot be guaranteed. Until you receive a clear signal from me... make sure you remain safe."

The call ended.

Saria lowered the communicator and looked up at the lava giant in the distance, radiating terrifying pressure, her gaze complicated.

She did not know whether Kristen's attempt would succeed, nor did she know what her near-gambling trust and determination would ultimately bring.

But she knew that she absolutely could not sit and wait for death.

You'll come back with Ifrit... won't you?

I promise!

Saria stood silently atop the ruins.

Could all readers please do the author a favor? I posted images of the four main characters in the comments, but some readers said they got swallowed, and reposting them still does not make them appear.

If any kind readers are willing, please help post the images of the four main characters. They are all skins from Soul Knight.

Boss: Paladin (Skin: Hell Axe Gregor)

Second: Necromancer (Skin: Orange Flame Demon Eye Vera)

Third: Druid (Skin: Forest Envoy Gorth)

Fourth: Vampire (Skin: Red Shadow Judgment Vane)

If you come across ads asking "Are you a real person?", just ignore them and close them. Do not scan codes or send text messages!