Banteon took a step back from Rohan, who had raised both hands and clapped. History had deemed the words of the mage—who once claimed to be a psychic-type Esper—as lies. For hundreds of years, no similar case had ever emerged apart from that man. And so, his claim was dismissed as nothing more than the delusional rant of a royal assassin.
It wasn’t just due to the lack of trust in mages. The very concept of a psychic-type Esper was buried because people knew how dangerously such a power could be misused. Now, Banteon was feeling the weight of that suppression more acutely than ever. If that mage had possessed such an ability, it made perfect sense that the previous generation would want to erase every trace of it from the records.
Banteon’s vigilance intensified. If Rohan was telling the truth, then he also knew why the existence of psychic-type Espers had been forbidden and hidden. But if that was the case, why was he so readily sharing that secret with Banteon?
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I liked you. The moment I saw you, I knew you were someone I needed.”
Banteon’s brow furrowed at the cliché line, tension tightening around his eyes.
“That’s a pretty tacky way to hit on someone.”
“Ouch, harsh. Don’t treat it like a joke. I’ve never been this serious in my life.”
When Banteon scowled in contempt, Rohan feigned a hurt expression. His casual demeanor made it hard to believe a word he said.
“Honestly, I’d love to take you away right now, but it’s still too early.”
“And you think I’d come along quietly?”
“Just wait a little. Once everything’s ready, I’ll come for you.”
Rohan only said what he wanted to say. When Banteon lifted his head to look around, the people nearby were still lost in their own little worlds, oblivious to the two of them.
“Right. Last time we met, I gave you a small gift. I figured it’d be rude to show up empty-handed again, so I brought something this time too.”
A small gift? Banteon had no memory of receiving anything from Rohan. In fact, after Rohan left, the entire village had suffered from a monster outbreak… Monsters?
“It was you who summoned those monsters back then, wasn’t it?”
“Pretty entertaining show, wasn’t it?”
Instead of answering Banteon’s accusation, Rohan raised two fingers. As his index and middle fingers snapped together with a crisp crack, a blaring warning siren echoed throughout Yasen.
— Beep. Beep. Beep.
“All those flashy explosions and destruction… it was quite the spectacle.”
The shrill alarms blaring from every direction were coming from the belts of passing Espers. Not just one or two—every Esper and Guide within sight had received the same alert. It was the Royal Esper Center’s emergency call signal.
Even amid the earsplitting noise, people continued their conversations and danced without a care. They raised their glasses and chatted as if nothing were amiss.
With a look of disbelief frozen on Banteon’s face, Rohan gave a satisfied nod.
“Well, this is the capital. The scale has to be grander, don’t you think?”
There was no need to step outside to know what was happening. The same disaster from that village was now unfolding out there. The unblemished sky would be tearing open with cracks, and monsters would burst out from the ground and the air. Their razor-sharp claws would shred through everything in their path.
“What’s your goal?”
“Huh. You’re calmer than I thought. I expected you to bolt right out.”
“Answer the question.”
Ignoring the deafening alarm, Banteon kept his eyes locked on Rohan. If Rohan was the one summoning the monsters, then taking him down would be the key to ending all of this. But as Banteon showed no sign of wavering, Rohan sheepishly raised one hand.
“Well, the inside of the building’s kind of dangerous, you know? I’d rather you go outside. But hey, if you won’t… can’t be helped.”
Rohan raised his hand toward the sky and snapped his fingers again. The eerie stillness around them broke as if life had been injected back into the air.
The blurry, sluggish people suddenly regained full clarity, jolting in shock as they looked around in confusion.
A few quick-witted Espers immediately shook their heads and scanned the area. Upon noticing the intensifying alarms, they sprang to their feet. Amidst the confusion, Rohan grinned slyly and flicked Banteon lightly on the cheek.
“Even your Esper might have a hard time with this one. Uncontrolled power in a dense city like this tends to backfire. It might cause an even bigger mess. So you’d better get yourself to a safe place.”
“What?”
“See you next time, young master.”
Rohan kissed his fingers and blew it into the air before strolling out leisurely through the crowd of frantic Espers. The moment Banteon moved to follow him, panicked people rushed about and blocked his path. He watched as puzzled Espers began tapping their devices in confusion.
“It’s already been five minutes since the alert started?”
“What the hell? Is this thing broken?”
Banteon pushed his way through the disoriented Espers, heading for the exit. Now even those inside the room were spilling out in a panic, making it nearly impossible to move through the swelling crowd.
Even if he was a psychic-type Esper… could anyone really control this many people at once?
He knew neither the true identity nor the purpose of the man. He wasn’t outright hostile to Banteon, but he clearly harbored animosity toward the kingdom. When Banteon finally reached the exit, he flung the doors wide open. The guards who’d been stationed at the entrance were already gone.
All that greeted him was a sky dyed in deep crimson and black.
The sky was drenched in red. Violet smoke billowed up from the ground, filling the air with a choking haze and deafening noise. At the center of it all, hundreds of glowing lights sparkled like stars—each one the eyes of descending monsters.
Only then did the gravity of what had just happened finally sink in. The moment of eerie isolation when he and Rohan were the only ones unaffected, standing amidst a crowd entranced like puppets. A chill crept into his body, and Banteon hugged his arms tightly.
People inside Yasen began to pour out behind him, screaming as they fled in every direction. Amidst the chaos, the head of security spotted Banteon.
“We must get you to safety, now!”
The security chief handed over Banteon’s belongings from a car’s storage. Just like the rest of the Center staff, Banteon’s personal terminal was blaring alarms. His eyes remained locked on the sky, but his hand moved mechanically to activate the device.
[WARNING. Unknown gate detected 10km from the capital. Disaster level S. All Esper personnel are to return to base. Guides must evacuate to shelters.]
The urgency was clear in the brief, clipped message. Although Yasen was located a bit outside the capital, and no monsters had yet reached the area, it was only a matter of time.
As the security chief rushed to escort Banteon to safety, Banteon grabbed his arm and asked,
“Someone must’ve come out before me. Did you confirm?”
“You were the first to exit after the alert, Sir Banteon.”
It was no longer surprising. Rohan had vanished again, like smoke. Clenching his teeth, Banteon climbed into the vehicle. They sped off toward the shelter located behind the Center.
The vehicle rattled as it drove along the open road. It was a specially fortified car, built for maximum ride stability and defense—yet even it shook from the tremors. Banteon stared out the window, lips pressed tightly together.
The capital center was already engulfed in red flames. The roads, once smooth and pristine, cracked and split beneath the increasing swarm of monsters. Fist-sized chunks of stone launched into the air. Reinforced glass clinked and thudded under the barrage of debris. As the shaking grew worse, Banteon gripped the interior handle tightly.
“Sir Banteon, I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can go any farther.”
The security chief’s voice was grim as he pointed ahead. A massive slab of what looked like a wall had collapsed across the road, blocking the entire path. The surrounding alleys were no better—there wasn’t enough room for the car to pass through. The shelter was still several dozen kilometers away. Banteon glanced down at the terminal in his hand, unsure what to do.
If they contacted the Center, emergency reinforcements might be dispatched. But the flood of incoming data had rendered the terminal completely unresponsive. There was no choice but to escape under their own power.
“We’ll disembark and assess the area first. Please keep the protection stone tightly in hand.”
Those seated up front exited the vehicle and took positions around the windows, scanning their surroundings defensively. Through the partially open door, the sounds of explosions and screams spilled inside. If they were audible all the way out here on the capital’s outskirts, then the city center must have already turned into hell.
“Drop me on the other side. I’ll take the back roads.”
“Ah—Captain! Gremlins over there!”
The half-open door slammed shut again. From the other side of the collapsed wall, a single gremlin waddled forward, reaching about waist-height on a human. One on its own wasn’t a major threat—but gremlins traveled in packs. And sure enough, more grey gremlins began to emerge in a steady stream behind it.
“I’ve requested additional reinforcements from the family. If we can just hold out a little longer, they’ll be here soon.”
The head of security tried to sound hopeful, but his tone was heavy. Reinforcements had been requested to ensure Banteon’s safety. His protection would be the highest priority, so backup should arrive swiftly—if the request had gone through properly.
The Esrante estate was located near the heart of the capital, in a prestigious, bustling district. Occupying some of the most valuable land, it had always been a source of pride for the Esrante name. But now, that also meant it was sitting dead center in the inferno.
Of course, the estate was heavily staffed with Espers, and nearly half of the Esrante family members were Espers themselves. They would protect it—somehow. But had the emergency call truly gotten through? With the Center’s own terminals already crashing, that hope felt faint. The security chief’s face darkened, aware of all this, even as he tried to reassure Banteon.
