Chapter 362: Quetzalcoatl, the King of the Skies

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Espers are powerful and intelligent beings that govern magic and the elements. They can come in many shapes and sizes, races and forms, yet all share the same ancestry as spiritual beings of immense power, born from the very elements of the world.

Some scholars have even theorized that they are descendants of the Authorities themselves, making them Demigods in all but name. Unlike ordinary spirits, their presence can alter the land around them. Rivers may change course, forests may grow around their resting places, and storms may gather at the mere shift of their emotions.

These powerful Demigods are usually born or come into existence within Spirit-rich areas, where elemental energy has gathered for centuries. The Spirit Beasts that serve as the cores of Spiritual Realms within Earth are also known as Espers.

However, Espers can emerge from Dungeons as well, either awakening deep within them or being drawn there by the concentration of mana. No matter what their origin, each one develops a will, personality, and purpose of its own.

The main difference between the usual Monster Bosses found within Gates and an Esper is that Espers do not obey the system’s rules, nor can they respawn once they die. Their deaths are permanent, and the damage left behind can affect an entire Spiritual Realm or Dungeon.

They inhabit Gates as rulers, suppressing even the Dungeon Bosses beneath them, and are often revered, worshipped, and feared as Deities of the Elements. After all, to challenge one is not merely to fight a powerful monster, but to threaten a living force of nature capable of thought, judgment, sometimes even divine wrath. It’s something only Hunters at SSS Rank or beyond would ever dare to do.

However, human greed had gone far enough to suppress even these majestic beasts. Instead of reasoning with them as the intelligent beings they were, or forming an alliance that could benefit both sides, humanity, or rather, the big families only thinking on profit, chose a crueler path. To these despicable people an Esper was not a guardian or a possible ally but a resource to be captured, restrained, and exploited until nothing useful remained.

And what humanity had done instead... was this.

[Quetzalcoatl, the King of the Skies (Mutated) – A+++ Rank]

"CRYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

RUMBLE!

They tricked them, kidnapped them, and drained their bodies of every trace of power until only a crazed, broken husk remained. Then, when the creature could endure no more, it would tear free from its containment and attack everything in sight, driven by pain, confusion and all the accumulated hatred they’ve gathered from years of torture.

The people who witnessed the destruction would call it a monster, never knowing what had been done to it or who was truly responsible. Quetzalcoatl, once beloved as a powerful and wise guardian, would never have acted this way of his own will. Yet now, stripped of reason and tormented beyond recognition, the King of the Skies could do nothing but scream in endless wrath, rampaging and destroying everything on his path. He had become the monster everyone feared him to be.

Their power was then repurposed to create powerful spiritual engines, machines, and equipment, or even imbued into specially made super soldiers. Willheim and his entire branch had been working with such creations for years, alongside Cid, the madman behind the complete abuse and destruction of these Spiritual, Elemental Deities.

Beings that humanity should have reasoned with and welcomed as allies were instead chained down, studied, and slowly drained of everything that made them sacred. Their bodies became fuel and their cores became weapons. Their suffering became another achievement for Claymore to claim, from many more.

But this was the world as it stood now. This was what Claymore had done, turning miracles into tools and these proud and wise guardians into nothing more than sources of power for the development of Spirit-fueled technology and bioengineering.

Riven, more than anyone, knew that he could not simply stand there and do nothing. Even if Quetzalcoatl could no longer recognize friend from foe, leaving him in this state would only allow Claymore’s cruelty to continue.

FLUOSH!

"Riven!"

"Ignias?!"

Ignias’ Spiritual Aura encompassed Riven as she surged forward, her eyes gleaming brightly through the raging currents of mana and spiritual energy spreading everywhere all at once.

"I know him...!"

"You do?!"

"Yes... he’s a great old friend of mine..."

In many ways, Ignias belonged to the same category as an Esper, and the same could be said of Noir and even Shiro. Riven thought that perhaps that connection would allow her voice to reach Quetzalcoatl where a human voice could never. If even the smallest part of his former mind remained, she was determined to find it before he destroyed himself along with everyone around him.

"Quetzalcoatl, King of the Skies! I know you are a great being! We must not fight one another! We have come to free you!" she shouted, manifesting her spiritual form so the Esper could see what she truly was. Her aura reached toward him without hostility, carrying no killing intent. Her voice only carried the desperate plea of another spiritual being. "Please, listen to me! The ones who hurt you are our enemies too!"

However...

"CRYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

A mighty cry answered her.

The massive bird spread its wings and launched itself into the air, rejecting every word she had spoken. A tornado of cutting winds followed in its wake, devastating the surroundings as blades of compressed air tore through metal, concrete, and flesh without distinction.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

What remained of the Reactor was ripped apart and scattered across the ruined chamber, while countless scientists and soldiers were lifted from the ground and sent flying.

"Nngh! Damn it, he’s completely lost all reason!"

Riven planted his feet and raised his arms against the blast as Ignias’ aura burned around him, shielding them both from the worst of the impact. There was no recognition in Quetzalcoatl’s eyes anymore.

What Ignias could see was only three things, terror, pain, and madness!

The madness that Claymore Labs had forced upon him over years of torture as all his power and very being was drained away.

"SHYAAAGGH!"

Consumed by a furious, monstrous, and uncontrolled rage, Quetzalcoatl hissed as he caught the fleeing people in midair with his claws. Some were torn apart before they could even scream, while others were swallowed whole. His cutting winds swept through dozens more, slamming them into the floor with enough force to crush their bodies.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

Blood and innards splattered across the broken ground, turning the soil red as the surviving soldiers desperately scattered in every direction. Yet the Esper continued attacking without hesitation, unable to distinguish his captors from those who had come to save him.

"QUETZALCOATL! STOP!!!"

Ignias screamed, trying to stop him.

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