Chapter 194: Declaration of War

The sky had turned violet.

An enormous dimensional rift floated above the ruins of an evacuated industrial zone, twisting the space around it. Bursts of energy raced along its edges, illuminating the abandoned buildings and debris-covered streets.

Standing before the opening were the six squads of the Ace of Spades.

The hunters occupied strategic positions, ready to act as soon as a threat appeared. The six sub-captains stood at the front of their respective teams, while Captain Armstrong watched the rift from the center of the formation.

Liam adjusted his grip on his weapon.

Around him, the members of his squad kept their attention fixed on the portal.

Chuck had stopped chewing gum.

Jordan stood on the front line with his arms crossed over his chest. Nora had deployed several of her small shadow creatures to scout the surroundings, while Zayn remained ready to move in any direction.

Ray and Chloe waited beside them. Lena held her weapon, while Carol and Emily gave their equipment one final check.

Lydia stood beside Liam.

"Do you sense anything strange?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head.

"Not exactly. But there’s an enormous amount of energy on the other side."

Liam looked toward the rift.

"Then don’t wander too far, sweetheart."

Lydia smiled.

A few meters away, James was checking the instruments he’d set up beside a support vehicle. Pix floated next to him, monitoring the energy fluctuations.

"The readings are still increasing," James reported over the communicator.

"The connection is much more stable than the previous ones."

Pix frowned.

"This no longer looks like a temporary connection. Something on the other side is keeping it open."

Armstrong listened to the report without taking his eyes off the portal.

"All squads, hold your positions. Nobody attacks until we’ve identified our enemy."

The sub-captains acknowledged the order.

Then the rift trembled.

A wave of energy swept through the air and slammed into the facades of the nearby buildings. The hunters immediately prepared for combat.

Something was crossing over.

And the first thing to emerge was an enormous monstrous head.

The creature shot out of the rift and crashed onto the asphalt with a heavy thud.

It rolled several meters before coming to a stop in front of the Ace of Spades’ lines.

The head belonged to a creature with grayish skin, an elongated jaw, and irregular teeth. Several of its horns were broken, and deep battle scars covered its face.

Liam’s eyes widened slightly.

’It can’t be...’

He recognized that appearance.

He’d seen it inside the altered SS-Rank dungeon, in the dimension where he and his squad had encountered creatures that didn’t belong to their world.

"It’s a Raxan," he murmured.

Chuck glanced at him.

"A creature we encountered in that altered dungeon. They were dangerous, resilient, and capable of fighting even after sustaining severe injuries."

Liam looked at the head again.

"If this is what I think it is, someone managed to defeat them."

Pix descended a few inches.

"Confirmed. The residual energy matches that of the Raxan I recorded during that mission."

James paled slightly.

"Are you saying that creature belongs to the same dimension you visited?"

"Yes," Pix replied.

"Or at least to a species that originated there."

Before they could continue, a silhouette crossed the rift.

It was a humanoid creature over two meters tall, clad in dark armor. Its arms were long, and its hands ended in sharp fingers.

The creature stopped beside the Raxan’s head.

It studied it for a moment before raising its gaze toward the hunters.

It didn’t appear angry, but neither did it seem pleased.

To it, that trophy seemed no more significant than a piece of equipment.

Then the next invaders arrived.

One after another, they began crossing the rift.

Some were humanoid, clad in dark armor and carrying weapons of unfamiliar designs.

Others had enormous bodies, thick limbs, and natural plates covering their backs.

Smaller creatures also appeared, their eyes glowing violet as they carried metallic devices.

But the most unsettling thing wasn’t their appearance.

It was their behavior.

None of them charged at the hunters.

Instead, they advanced as though following orders. The soldiers split into groups, took up positions, and formed several lines in front of the portal.

The larger units positioned themselves behind the first formation.

The armed combatants took up positions on the flanks.

And the creatures carrying those devices remained in the rear, protected by the rest of the army.

Liam watched their deployment with growing unease.

’They’re organized like a real army.’

These weren’t monsters that had emerged from a dungeon to attack everything in their path.

They knew what they were doing.

And they had prepared for it.

◇◆◇

The following minutes seemed endless.

Hundreds of invaders had gathered in front of the rift.

Their formation stretched across the entire avenue and continued into the side streets. The creatures stood motionless, waiting.

The Ace of Spades hunters hadn’t retreated, but the tension was becoming increasingly apparent.

Timothy gritted his teeth.

"How many demons did they bring?"

Maya, standing near her squad, kept her eyes fixed on the devices some of the creatures were carrying.

"I don’t know. But I doubt those things are there by coincidence."

Wayne nodded.

"They probably serve some purpose related to the rift."

Amber studied the enemy ranks.

"What concerns me most is that we still haven’t seen whoever’s leading them."

As if he’d heard her words, the invaders began to move aside.

An opening appeared in the center of their formation.

The creatures bowed slightly in unison.

Then a figure crossed the rift.

Unlike the others, he didn’t need armor covering his entire body. He wore a long black breastplate over his torso, with violet lines running across its surface like glowing veins.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and humanoid in appearance, although his grayish skin and completely violet eyes made it clear that he wasn’t human.

A dark cape hung from his shoulders.

At his waist rested a strange-looking sword whose blade seemed to absorb the light around it.

The figure advanced slowly until he stood before his army.

Then he raised his gaze toward the hunters and smiled.

"So, these are the inhabitants of this world."

His voice resonated throughout the avenue.

He didn’t need to shout. Even so, every word reached the Ace of Spades’ positions with unsettling clarity.

"I must admit, I expected to find greater resistance."

Liam frowned.

The stranger studied the hunters’ weapons, uniforms, and formations as though he were inspecting merchandise.

"But I suppose we can’t expect too much from a civilization that still relies on such primitive structures to defend itself."

Tim stepped forward.

"Hey! Who are you calling primitive?!"

Maya immediately grabbed his arm.

"Boss, don’t provoke him!"

The enemy leader didn’t even pay attention to their exchange.

"Listen carefully. I haven’t come here to waste time. Our objective is to consume this world’s energy and use it for our own purposes."

His smile widened slightly.

"Your planet possesses a considerable amount of vital energy. It would be a shame to waste it on an unnecessary war."

Liam felt something tighten in his chest.

Vital energy.

The same expression that seemed to lie behind the actions of those dimensional creatures.

The leader spread his arms as though offering them a generous opportunity.

"That is why I’ll grant you a small measure of mercy. We won’t exterminate you immediately. You may withdraw, abandon your weapons, and accept our rule."

His violet eyes glowed.

"If you don’t interfere while we consume this world’s energy, we’ll finish you off quickly. You won’t have to suffer for long."

The hunters understood that they weren’t facing someone who intended to negotiate.

That being had already decided the fate of their world.

He was merely informing them of what he intended to do.

James clenched his fists beside the support vehicle.

Pix remained motionless in the air.

"This is an invasion," she murmured.

Armstrong stepped forward.

The movement was small, but every hunter turned toward him.

The captain advanced until he stood in front of all six formations.

His coat fluttered in the wind emanating from the rift. He didn’t appear intimidated by the army before him or by the pressure radiating from its leader.

He stopped several meters away from the invader.

"Listen carefully."

His voice was firm and clear.

"This world doesn’t belong to you."

The leader tilted his head slightly.

Armstrong continued.

"I don’t know where you came from or what kind of world you left behind. Nor do I care how many civilizations you’ve conquered before reaching this place."

He clenched his fist.

"But as long as the Ace of Spades still stands, I won’t allow you to turn our home into an energy source to fuel your conquest."

The six sub-captains stepped forward and took their places beside him.

Behind them, the hunters raised their weapons.

Liam felt the tension that had been building over the past few minutes transform into something much clearer: determination.

They weren’t there to watch.

They were there to defend their world.

The invading leader stared at Armstrong for several seconds.

Then he let out a short, deep laugh.

"I see."

His hand dropped to the hilt of his sword.

"Then there will be no negotiations."

Violet energy coursed through his body, generating a gust of wind that made the asphalt beneath his feet tremble.

"If you wish to oppose us..."

The leader leaned forward.

"...then you shall have a war."

And he vanished from his position.

The ground exploded beneath his feet as he lunged straight at Armstrong.

The captain stepped forward, ready to meet the attack.

The war had begun.