Chapter 359: Fighting Against Countless Soldiers And Machines!

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BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!

The undead roaming nearby were instantly blasted into smithereens. Soldiers, guards, and scientists close to the reactors were caught by the explosions as well, disappearing beneath fire, debris, and collapsing structures before they had any chance to escape.

Riven could not afford to wait for them to evacuate or reorganize their defenses. He also refused to risk drawing Willheim there by delaying the attack any longer. The reactors had to fall immediately, even if the strike alerted every surviving soldier across the second floor.

"W-What’s happening?!" a soldier screamed, falling backward as the ground shook beneath him.

"T-The reactors! They’ve been destroyed!"

"Who did that?!" another guard shouted, turning toward the enormous hole in the barrier.

"Something attacked us from afar! No, someone attacked us!"

"OVER THERE!"

The soldiers panicked and screamed at one another, struggling to understand what had happened. Then, they noticed Riven’s moving silhouette and opened fire. Bullets and beams crossed the ruined settlement as he blurred forward, using Abyssal Shift to move between shadows and patches of darkness. Every time they thought they had surrounded him, he disappeared and emerged closer, carrying Daniela and Label safely behind him.

Meanwhile, Daniela activated Weapon Throw and rapidly hurled dozens of explosive SS Rank weapons at the defenders. Blades, spears, and heavy hammers streaked past Riven before detonating among the soldiers and robots. Each explosion carved another crater into the floor, while colorful flames erupted through damaged buildings and blocked the roads behind them.

Label attacked from the other side, unleashing her own destructive power. She fired explosive potions over Riven’s shoulders, aiming them at groups of advancing machines. The bottles shattered on impact and engulfed entire buildings, setting off dozens of chain explosions as stored ammunition, fuel, and magical equipment ignited one after another.

Enormous machines were blown to pieces before they could surround them. Whenever one managed to catch up, Riven swung Atlas without slowing down, splitting through armor and metal as if they were nothing. Each swing carved a gigantic scar into the walls and floor of the dungeon, scattering wreckage across his path while he continued advancing toward the sealed Boss chamber.

CRAAASH!

CRAAASH!

CRAAASH!

Dozens, no, hundreds of enormous machines began flying toward him from every side, filling the sky above the ruined settlement with engines, lights, and raised weapons. Riven cleaved through the first group with ease, splitting their armored bodies before they could fire.

He then reached for the additional weapons he had brought and summoned Azrael as well, wielding it together with Atlas. With both Giant Axes in his hands, he unleashed immense long-ranged slashes and wide-range attacks in every direction, cutting through entire formations before they could surround him.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

"Kaaaaahhhh!"

"Run! Get away from him!"

"Uuuaagh!"

"Noooo! My unit!"

"Terrorists...! This is a terrorist attack! All scientists and workers, please evacuate immediately! The army will handle this!" A General among the forces stationed there charged toward the front lines and confronted Riven. He piloted a massive humanoid machine fueled by several Spirit and Mana Engines, its reinforced hands gripping a huge, glowing spear. The engines roared as the machine landed in Riven’s path, crushing debris beneath its feet. "Halt right there, you terrorist scum! I know exactly why you people are doing this, but your attempts are futile! You cannot stop the great Claymore..."

SLAAAAASH!

An umbral, black-colored horizontal slash cut through the machine before the old man could finish speaking. The enormous construct was instantly bisected from one side to the other, including its cockpit. Its Mana and Spirit Engines ruptured a second later, exploding from within and tearing apart what remained of the C Rank Hunter inside.

BOOOMMM!!!

"...!"

"..."

"...?!"

The remaining soldiers piloting the machines in his squadron were left speechless. For several seconds, none of them moved or fired. Their eyebrows twitched as they stared at the two halves of their General’s machine burning on the ground, unable to understand how a C Rank Hunter had been killed before completing a single attack.

They could not even gauge Riven’s true Rank because he was hiding his power completely. Despite that, he was unleashing complete chaos across the settlement while fighting alone, carrying two girls on his back as if the entire army surrounding him meant nothing.

"Y-You bastard!"

"BASTARD!"

"DIEEEEE!!!"

Some soldiers lost their minds and charged him, firing every weapon their machines carried. Riven did not even turn toward them. His Spell reacted automatically and summoned his Domain around the battlefield, spreading darkness across the ground beneath the advancing squadron. Dozens of Abyssal Blades emerged at once and cut through everything like guillotines.

The machines were diced into pieces in midair, and the pilots inside their cockpits were finished within seconds. Broken armor and burning metal crashed across the ruins, clearing another path in front of Riven as he continued moving forward.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

As he moved, the world around him became a garden of slashing attacks, filled with blades that descended like guillotines. The massive axe he carried overflowed with several elements fused into one, while the deep black scythe beside it emanated death itself.

Every swing sent another wave across the battlefield, cutting through machines, weapons, and the ruined structures behind them. The soldiers could barely follow his movements, much less predict where the next attack would appear.

To them, it almost felt as if they were facing the Grim Reaper himself, who had come to harvest their pitiful lives after everything they had done or helped others do. Not everyone there had personally carried out Claymore’s worst crimes, but none of them were entirely innocent or free of guilt.

They worked for a massive and abusive enterprise that continued destroying the planet while exploiting the population. Behind its guarded facilities, Claymore also experimented on kidnapped innocents, usually people from poor families or those who were homeless and unlikely to be searched for. Some soldiers had ignored the rumors. Others had seen enough to know they were true and had chosen to remain anyway.

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