I can't control these Magivores.

I already tried, but it doesn't work. This is clearly an arrangement of Ciel's, considering her knowledge of my Leviathan Status.

'Is it because she already has them under Existential Compulsion? I can't override her control because she has a more defined existence? Or is it something else?' Regardless, I can't dwell on it at the moment and simply have to kill these beasts.

First thing out of the way—

'I don't know what kind of special ability these Magivores possess. Their large size clearly indicates great strength and durability. I also saw them running across the plains within the Sanctuary, and they were incredibly fast. But these are all natural abilities. What about the Special Ability of Cadre 3 Direwolves?'

Considering there are still over forty of them in my presence, this feels like a good opportunity to glean that information.

Of course, this will be done while I kill them all!

WHOOSH!

I charge forward, quickly becoming a blur of darkness, distorted from vision.

A special quality of the Midnight Garb.

Its evasive and defensive properties are top-notch, not only providing me with great durability, but also allowing me to appear as a shadow to my enemies whenever I make fast-paced movements.

This distorts their perception of me, allowing them to strike more easily.

Wasting no time at all, I expertly swing my blade, creating a brilliant whitish blue arc in the air. In an instant, frosty energy spills from my weapon, lopping the head of the Direwolf and encasing its lower body in ice.

BOOOM!

A powerful, yet invisible blast charges towards me, but I swiftly dodge, slithering away like a serpentine shadow. I quickly observe the blast, easily identifying it as a condensation of wind.

'So they shoot out wind blasts…'

Once the invisible pressure-filled blast hits the ground, it shatters into pieces, scattering all the snow and destroying the icy corpse that stood there. My eyes twitch mildly as I am forced to acknowledge the lethality of this attack.

'Not only is the Compressed Wind Blast invisible, but it also has this much destructive power?!'

If I add the physical acumen of these Cadre 3 Magivores, I have to admit that they must be an elite species among Cadre 3. I'm only faster than them at the moment because I consumed Potions. Without that additional boost, I'd only be able to barely keep up.

And I am a High Rank Knight.

Now I am worried about the dangers of Cadre 4 Direwolves.

It was only briefly, but I saw them when I first visited the Sanctuary. They were colossal, as tall as houses—bungalows, of course.

They would either have a much more powerful version of these blasts or some other more powerful ability. Perhaps even both.

Indeed, from Cadre 4 upward, Magivores can possess more than one Special Ability.

The Flesh-Blood Tree of Rot that causes the Royal Academy Incident could not only dye the sky red, but it could also drain the blood of others, and it also created Rot Worms. All of these are Special Abilities that are difficult to deal with in their own right.

Even a High Rank Knight like Balric Wolfshade could not take it down on his own.

Well, to be fair, he only had C Grade Armaments at his disposal. He was also focused on containing the situation and saving as many civilians as possible.

Although the latter is also my current concern, I currently have two effective B Grade Armaments, one for offense and one for defense, that can help me in this fight. My Potions should also grant me a solid boost, and if I use Obsidian Steed properly, I can likely match, perhaps even surpass, the speed of the Cadre 4 Direwolves.

And all of this isn't factoring in my Fragmented Conceptions.

With Fronftlow, the difficulty should sharply decline, but since I have to consider what I will have to do during cooldown, I must be perfectly capable of taking the Cadre 4 threats without the help of my Leviathan Powers.

WHOOOSH!

I hurriedly evade even more of the compressed air blasts, turning into a shadow that constantly flows in the air like inky mist.

There are too many Direwolves, so when all of them shoot their Air Blasts, it's hard to close in on them. However, it only takes a while before I notice their patterns, and utilizing my Martial Technique, I start to close in on them while avoiding their attacks.

'Just think of each Air Blast as a sword strike from the enemy…' With this thought pounding in my head, I swirl in the air and become one with the wind.

I embody the true nature of the Superior Aditi Martial Technique.

Everything becomes a blur.

Even for me.

I simply flow, as though I am a drifting fabric in a storm, weaving through the chaotic maelstrom of compressed wind cannons.

Then, I close in on my first prey.

"Die."

SWISH!

I mercilessly slice its body, feeling my blade easily cut through it in the blink of an eye. Before the creature can even fall to the ground, its entire body is encased in a block of ice.

Then, I turn towards the other Direwolves, who seem to have run out of ammunition for the time being. Right now, they're on cooldown. This is crucial because, unlike Cadre 2 Magivores, those in Cadre 3 don't experience immediate cooldown, and this moment of respite is rather brief.

In essence, I must have endured their barrage for much longer than expected.

Also, this is a rapidly shrinking window of opportunity.

I don't have a lot of time.

VWOOOM!

Like a hurricane, my shadow-like body blows past the obstacle of distance, and I reach the bedazzled opponents in the blink of an eye.

Without speaking, and not wasting any energy on unnecessary movement, I make a swift descent from above, swirling to slice through as many opponents as I physically can. One by one, they become blocks of ice.

They fall, only to shatter.

After getting rid of all the Direwolves in that section, I cast my attention to the ones behind me.

A cold expression completely shrouds my demeanor.

Then, my mouth opens.

A sharp exhalation leaves my lips, and for a moment, I am still—observing the number of enemies I have left and the trajectory required to save the most time. Most importantly, I calculate the expenditure of energy required to complete this with as much efficiency as possible.

All of these only take a moment, before my gaze rests on the Magivore closest to me.

"Next."

BOOM!

The ground shatters beneath me as I charge, completely unhindered like a force of nature.

"HOOWWWLLL!!!"

The creature tries to strike me with its claws, but I easily evade the strike, feeling the wind brush past me. Then, I slice through its side before using its frozen body as a foothold, kicking it to launch myself forward—towards the next target.

SQUELCH!

My blade pierces it right in the head, instantly freezing its brain, and then the rest of its body.

Several Direwolves strike towards me at the same time, but since I already expected this, I launch powerful counters at all of them, forcing them to stagger backwards.

Then, I take the initiative to strike.

"Die!" I kill one by slicing its throat and swiftly charging at the next opponent.

"Fall!" I decimate the next one by slicing both of its limbs, then letting the unbreachable frost paralyze the rest of its powerless body.

"End!" I eviscerate the three others that come at me at once by completing a Cycle of the Aditi Martial Technique, creating a perfect arc that cuts through all three of them at once.

"Des—"

Before I can finish, more wind blasts charge towards me, signaling the end of the first window of opportunity. But this doesn't move me, and I expertly return to the defensive, slithering through the battlefield by reading the atmosphere with clear precision.

'They recovered faster than expected…' I let out frosty breath, my eyes darting in multiple directions to calculate the trajectories of the attacks before they even appear.

There is no need to panic.

I just have to be patient, whittling down their numbers while also waiting for another window to appear. This time, I will kill all of them before the chance runs out.

'I hope you can see all of this, Ciel!' My eyes turn bloodshot. 'Watch as your precious Magivores are being cut down by me and tremble in fear.'

Because I don't plan to stop here.

'I will kill all your precious Magivores, and then I will come for you.'

************

Minutes later, the fight ended.

I won.

I take a moment to look at the pathetic group that stands a short distance from me. They appear dazed, likely unable to fathom how I made such short work of the enemies in such a short period of time.

Dustin especially looks shocked.

He is a Knight, but even he must have never thought such movements were possible.

My physical prowess has been heightened by Potions, certainly, but they also reflect my natural skills as a Knight. The extent of my current abilities isn't something that a Low-Rank Knight like him can possibly understand.

"Many more Direwolves are crawling all over this mountain, so you all should find a secluded place around here to hide. Once everything is over, I'll come back to get you."

The moment I say this, their expressions pale.

"W-what? You're leaving us?!

"Please stay!"

"N-no! Let us come with you to save everyone else!"

I shake my head the moment they say this, immediately dismissing the notion of having them tag along with me. As for the idiot who wanted me to stay, I'll just ignore those words and forgive his delusions.

"You will slow me down. Take care of them, Dustin."

I notice his eyes widen in shock, likely surprised that someone like me would know his name.

Even now, he doesn't know it's me.

Not only have I taken all the precautions to hide my identity, but even the Superior Aditi Martial Technique that I used in this fight bears no resemblance to the Aditi Martial Technique, which he never got to learn.

There's no way he would know that it is Javier Aditi under this mask.

"I… understand. I will take care of them with my life." Although he has a crestfallen countenance, I can see resolve burning in his eyes.

I'm certain he'll do his best to protect everyone in my absence.

If he fails and they die, then I can't feel too bad about this outcome, considering I have done my best to protect them. Their deaths would be unavoidable, considering how it would be unfathomable to take them with me or stay with them when there are even more people I need to protect—people that actually matter to me.

Seraphina… Seth… heck, even Professor Justin Bieberlake and Earl Balric Wolfshade.

All of them are in the other group.

I can't be complacent.

"Farewell—"

"Please… what is your name?" Dustin suddenly asks, his eyes pleading for all kinds of answers.

I stare at him for a moment, silent.

'Dustin, I hold no grudge against you. Although your blade scarred me in my past life, and you were an annoying pest I had to deal with, you eventually left the Aditi Household seeking glory and died in an unremarkable way. You are an ordinary man with talent only exceeding the ordinary. At the moment, your existence is insignificant to me, and I don't think I will ever speak to you after this moment. But… a name, huh?'

After contemplating for a brief moment, a fitting choice appears within my mind.

A highly prestigious name that perfectly suits my current self.

"Evernight."

The moment I utter those words, I vanish from the audience, with my shadow only leaving a small trace of inky fog before completely disappearing.

[A/N: I quite enjoyed this chapter. Tell me your thoughts, and whether you'd like to see more scenes like this. And Evernight, huh? Interesting choice of words…]

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