Ascenders Rift

Chapter 258: A Disastrous Change, A New Hope?

On a different side of the battlefield, a fierce battle between those of the Clover Squad against a horde of Flesh Mutators was currently in progression.

Phera, the green-robed mage, spun her staff before casting a spell that uprooted vines from the earth; these vines then swooped towards the enemies and smacked a few of them away before binding the others.

Immediately after, a series of gunshots were heard as two specialized submachine guns modified by Cline's RDF sector, fired away in rapid succession. The bullets fired by this weapon glowed in bright lights as they tore through the flesh of the trapped Flesh Mutators before breaking apart their bodies.

Julez now stood a few meters behind Phera with his machine guns in both of his arms, firing away at the Flesh Mutators without the slightest hesitancy.

Before him, the scene was no different from a grinding ground, filled with fresh corpses that flowed in a constant stream. Suddenly, a giant Flesh Mutator pushed through the sea of corpses with unstoppable momentum.

The vines that tried to bind it snapped apart as bullets fired only bounced off its skin. It charged like a footballer looking to tackle his enemy on the field as its eyes shone in a murderous light.

"Crap, we can't stop it."

Julez said with a look of alarm on his face.

"Julez, stop acting like a bitch and keep firing!"

Phera said as she mocked and kept on using her plant powers.

"Pssh, whatever!"

Julez snapped back as his arms repeated reloaded the clips in his submachine guns before continuing to fire away. Soon, the giant Flesh Mutator was only moments away from impacting with them, but as if someone was ready for it, a voice sounded from nearby.

"I'll take care of it, focus on the others."

"It's about damn time, I hear and obey," Julez said as he promptly hurried off to the different side of the battlefield.

"Be careful, Reil," Phera said as she waved her staff, causing a vine to wrap around her slender waist and pulled her away.

Reil, who now stood in their previous position with a large sword in his arm, stared at the direction of the incoming menace with sharp eyes as he spoke as if speaking to himself.

"I won't let any of you fuckers have your way, die to my Clover Sword!"

Reil charged towards the massive Flesh Mutator's body with his shout, his body glowing in a green light, which formed the illusionary image of a clover behind his figure.

Instantly, after a sharp cry of his sword, Reil appeared behind the back of the massive monstrosity. His unguarded back facing it as it halted in confusion, feeling smug, it turned around and released a savage roar to the heavens as it prepared to crack open his puny skull. Yet, that wish was but only a fantasy.

With a sound of guts spilling, the Flesh Mutator's body fell hard onto the ground as it laid lifeless in a pool of its blood. Typically, this would be when its other tissues would squirm together to reform into something else, but sadly, due to a strange but giant clover mark on its chest area, its fate was already doomed.

Reil looked back at the giant corpse behind with a cold but somewhat exhausted look on his face; he wiped the sweat from his forehead, gazing around at the chaotic battlefield were the cries from fallen comrades and enemies sound.

'It truly is the end of the world... sigh... I wonder what those fellows are doing right now?'

Reil thought as he recalled Evan's party. After thinking for a bit, he shook his head, focusing his attention once more on the battle at hand, he was moments away from sending aid to a separate party, but this was when he noticed a strange change up above.

'Huh? What the hell is that?'

Reil thought with a look of alarm on his face as his eyes stared in the direction of the largest Horde Carrier.

"Holy shit, you've got to be kidding me!" Julez said with a look of shock.

Phera remained silent, but it was clear that she too was shaken up, very much like even the relatively distant Susie and Nadia who battled on another sector.

As many other Ascenders also seemed to notice the change above, most took a second to catch a glimpse of what seemed like a complete fantasy despite their grueling battles.

"What the hell? What are they doing now?" Hank and Thomas said in alarm.

Alan, on the other hand, looked at the scene with flashing eyes.

"Instructor, should we continue with the suggested plan?" Angeline asked with a slightly hesitant look; Nelly and the others on the ship also gave Alan a look waiting for his choice.

Alan sighed before showing firm eyes that stared at the changing scene as he replied, "It doesn't matter. We can still make do regardless of what comes. If I'm correct, this is the change that Evan had warned us about with regards to those Horde Carriers, for now, tell Reaper to be ready with that machine. As for the rest... we will take care of it together with the main force."

"Understood." Angeline relied as she started to send a few details on a tablet in her hand.

"When are Sector Chief Sigor and the remainder of the other empires core forces going to arrive?" Nelly asked from the side.

Alan looked at him and replied, "Sigor is only a few minutes on route to us, as are the others, but as for Erickson III, we are uncertain. It was, however, said that he was making his way here with his armada."

Nelly made a pensive expression as he stared at one side before replying, "I see. Then, what about them? Should we try to use those Cluster Bombs to impede their actions?"

"No, we've tried it before; those Eight Destroyers aren't that simple; it's best to wait for Reaper to launch that machine, then we can truly begin, for it wouldn't matter what they send at us," Alan said with a confident look on his face.

Nelly said nothing more, Allan seeing this turned his attention towards the source of danger once more. He sighed as he spoke in a soft voice, "I sure hope that those brats are having an easier time than us... it's going to get hellish from this point onwards."

Following his eyes into the horde of Flesh Mutators, one would see a scene that could only be described as a disaster. All of the most prominent Horde Carriers gathered together around the central most carrier shrouded from all vision.

Not long after, a strange scene occurred as the outer Horde Carriers had started to break down as a ray of red light shone from the primary carrier onto their surfaces.

They instantly broke up, forming into colossal Flesh Mutators that stood over a few dozen meters tall, each with a shiny metallic surface. Each had dull looking giant eyes as if they were lifeless, but all changed in the next followed scene.

Xakkok had a sinister smile on his face as he stared at each of the Eight Destroyers and spoke, "Go, like you've all suggested, we'll crush these humans with our full power. Mother would be pleased knowing we annihilated them with the Ultimate Destroyers!"

"Haha! We'd have done so without your command; let's go!" Hugrils shouted in a brute-like manner as he mounted one of the colossal monsters.

"It's good when you listen to others for a change," Candrons said before leaping from the summit of the main Horde Carrier, unfurling his wings, which led him to glide onto a separate Ultimate Destroyer.

Much like, Candrons and Hugrils, Khenul did the same, along with Ekver, who said nothing in the end. Only Xakkok stood atop the main Horde Carrier, staring at the battlefield from above like a god above all beings.

"Candrons... just you wait, once this is all over, I'll find a way to deal with you..."

Xakkok thought as he glared at Candron's who left, his eyes soon after turned to the human airships in the distance as he chuckled and raised one of his arms that glowed in a dark light before his fingers spread apart like tentacles.

Moments after, they plugged into the Main Carrier's core, which then lit up across the entire sky as he spoke in a voice that sounded in the whole battlefield.

"Go, my destroyers, kill them all!"  

As if they heard his voice, each of the Ultimate Destroyers had glowing red lights in their eyes as if an unusual skill had just awakened them. Those of the Eight Destroyers that mounted them stood atop of them with vicious looks as they started to move towards the human party, shaking both the heavens and earth with each of their steps.

The battlefield grew silent as everyone looked up at a distance with shock and horror; one person even dropped to their knees and spoke out loud.

"We... we're finished."

A few others shared his sentiment, but some had firm looks, whether it was Susie's party or those of the Clover Squad and the other mighty Ascender Parties, they faced the sky with their arms clenched tightly and fighting spirit boiling to its peak.

"No, it's not over yet!"

Each thought to themselves, refusing to give up at the last moments.

Much like them, Alan and the others watched this with serious expressions, but rather than showing fear. The looks in their eyes were mostly that of a fierce battle intent.

Alan took a deep breath and paused for a short while before he opened his mouth and roared, "REAPEEEER!"

His voice sounded across the battlefield, stirring all who heard it. The wind grew heavy as if it could feel something rising, and very much like the wind, a voice sounded in reply, filling all who heard it with a newfound feeling, hope.

"Reaper Version X, online!"