Finchster's Lowest Point

     The lightning strike that had previously crashed down directly into the middle of the Sovereign Vanguard Headquarters’ field was now slowly shrinking and condensing into a mass of electricity, continuously drawing in flashes from the storm raging across the sky.

     “What is it this time?” a senior soldier muttered, his face tight with tension.

     “D-damn it... what is that mass?” the soldier beside him stammered, instinctively retreating a step.

     A captain at the scene immediately drew his sword and raised it toward the sky. “All Sovereign Vanguard soldiers, remain on full alert and keep your eyes fixed on that strange mass!”

     “Yes, Captain! Right away!” the soldiers answered in unison. They immediately assumed combat positions, their hands tightening around their respective weapons as wary gazes remained locked on the phenomenon.

     ZAPPP-ZAPPP~SWOOSH!!!

     A strange creature of considerable size suddenly shot out from the heart of the electrical mass. Its body was pitch-black, streaked with a blue radiance that resembled the very manifestation of pure lightning. The creature spread its broad wings, each feather crackling with electrical flashes, before circling directly above the Sovereign Vanguard Headquarters.

     KRAAA—GHAAARRR!

     The creature’s shrill cry shook the air, driving the thunderstorm above Finchster into an even faster, more terrifying spiral.

     “Impossible... Is this what they call an Elemental Monster?” the captain muttered, his jaw set hard. Realizing the threat to the lives of his troops, only one command left his lips. “Attack!”

     BANG-BANG-BANG!!!~SWOOSHHH!!! WHOOSH—BLARRR!

     A fierce battle erupted in an instant. Yet even as the soldiers unleashed volleys from the Wind Rifles renowned for their incredible speed, their movements remained hopelessly outmatched by the agility of the skyborne monster. Again and again, the wind projectiles tore through nothing but empty shadows.

     “Damn it! That monster is fast!”

     “Don’t let your guard down! Keep firing!” one of the front-line soldiers shouted.

    “Yes! Finally got you! Eat that, bastard!” another soldier roared upon seeing one of the wind bullets successfully graze the creature’s wing.

     Aggravated by the minor wound, the monster plunged downward at extreme speed before shooting vertically back into the heavens. It opened its jaws wide, drawing in air until an enormous sphere of lightning, crackling with dense electricity, gathered within its mouth. Once it reached the highest point, it spat the gathered energy downward.

     ZAPPP~DHAARRRRR!!!

     The lightning sphere shot downward at tremendous speed, tearing across the ground before slamming directly into the cluster of soldiers who were taking aim. The explosion of pure electrical energy tore their formation apart, reducing several soldiers to ash in an instant.

---

     The grand silence still hung over The Pentagon Chamber. Within the soundproof meeting room, the King and the Elite Four remained focused on observing and discussing the tactical movements displayed across the surface of the magical reflector. The King himself remained silent, staring straight ahead as he awaited the latest report concerning the disaster that had just descended upon his kingdom.

     “Asa, change the display on the magical reflector,” General Azeer ordered.

     “Yes, sir!” Asa answered promptly, his fingers moving swiftly as he activated the magical modules on the control panel.

     General Azeer stepped forward, his gaze fixed upon the trembling projection of the eastern territory. “According to the latest report from my men, this thunderstorm is not occurring naturally. That tremendous lightning strike that came crashing down earlier was the work of a Thunderbird Elemental Monster, which has just struck the main field of the Sovereign Vanguard,” he explained while presenting the latest data.

     The revelation drew a faint stir of surprise from everyone in the room.

     “An Elemental Monster... It has been ten years since the last time I personally stepped onto the battlefield to eliminate a creature of that kind,” the King murmured, his eyes gleaming faintly with nostalgia for the glory of his former days.

     “Will... will we truly be able to escape this calamity this time?” Alain ventured, restrained frustration weighing heavily in his voice from beneath his gray robe.

     At those words, General Azeer immediately straightened. He thrust out his armored chest, reaffirming the weight of his military authority. “Calm yourself, Professor,” the commander cut in, his voice booming with absolute conviction. “I guarantee this assault plan will not claim many lives. As for the Elemental Monster, leave it entirely to the Sovereign Vanguard. That creature has dared to disturb our headquarters.”

     A confident smile spread across the stern general’s face. “This Catalyst Approach has indeed erupted on a massive scale, appearing at three points simultaneously. However, the Sovereign Vanguard has already prepared an advanced solution to eliminate this threat. Our weapons are ready on the front lines.”

     “Indeed, remain calm, Professor,” Grith interjected casually, attempting to ease the atmosphere. “Our mages have also fully coordinated with the Valiant Knight on the front lines to secure the evacuation of the citizens and reinforce the Aegis Barrier. That means General Azeer’s forces can concentrate entirely on their duties in the east. Even if today’s defenses should fail, we still have another plan to fall back on, hahaha.”

---

     WHOOSH—BLARRR! BANG-BANG-BANG!!!~SWOOSHHH!!!

     Attack after attack from the Wind Rifles and magic continued without respite, relentlessly bombarding the colossal body of the Salamandra Gigants in the center of the plaza.

     “Attack! Aim for its legs!” one of the front-line soldiers shouted, his fingers clamped tightly around his sword hilt.

     “Come on!” another soldier beside him cried out.

     Just as the five soldiers surged forward to slash at the monster’s leg joints, the gigantic creature suddenly planted its enormous foot ahead.

     BOOMMM…

     The impact of its colossal foot violently shook the earth, instantly disrupting their assault formation and sending the five soldiers tumbling across the stone floor.

     “A-rghh!”

     “Damn it! We attack again!”

     With lightning speed, they sprang back to their feet and charged once more, targeting a weak point in the monster’s leg before swinging their swords in unison.

     Plup… Thrang!

     The five soldiers abruptly froze. Their eyes widened as they stared in disbelief at their blades, which had simply bounced away without leaving so much as a mark after striking the monster’s pitch-black hide.

     “D-damn it... what the hell is this?! Salamandra Gigants’s hide should be penetrable!”

     The sheer shock left them rooted to the spot, their vigilance dropping for one fatal instant amid the deadly battlefield. The next moment, that brief silence was shattered when a gigantic tail swept in from the side at terrifying speed, slamming directly into the five soldiers before they could even scream.

     Clank! Clank! Clank!

     The ringing of iron armor drew closer amid the chaos engulfing the plaza. “Report, Captain Zen! We, the Valiant Knight, have joined the battle and are ready to provide direct assistance!” Commander Bardal shouted as he arrived at the scene with his troops.

     “Bha! Good, report received, Commander Bardal. Relax, there’s no need to be formal,” Zen replied with a chuckle.

     “You really haven’t changed at all, Zen,” Bardal muttered, shaking his head.

     “Bhahaha! Come on, Bardal! Let’s take down that damn monster! I’ll go for its neck, you attack its eyes!”

     “Oii, what are you talking about? First come, first served, oii!” Bardal shot back indignantly. “You really haven’t changed, Bardal. You still refuse to lose to me, bhahaha! Come on, attack!”

     The two men now maneuvered at lightning speed through the rubble of the ruined buildings before springing into the air with astonishingly light movements. At the apex of their leap, Zen and Bardal swung their swords with all their strength, targeting the monster’s neck from opposite directions.

     Thrang!

     Their twin slashes crashed against the monster’s pitch-black hide, unleashing a tremendous shockwave that swept away the dust surrounding them. The next instant, Zen and Bardal landed back upon the stone floor, each gripping his sword hilt tightly.

     Feeling the violent vibration that left his arm numb for a moment, suspicion began creeping into Zen’s mind. Hell nah, why the hell did that bounce off? Could it be this damn monster has already evolved?

     Meanwhile, Bardal could do nothing but spit onto the ground, his jaw clenched as he restrained the fury burning in his chest. Tch, damn you, bastard monster!

     Without allowing his vigilance to waver even slightly, Zen immediately sheathed his sword. His hand flashed behind his back and drew the Fire Rifle, bringing it level with his target before pulling the trigger without hesitation.

     BANG—WHOOSH—BLARRR!

     The magical bullet charged with pure fire streaked through the air, striking directly into the cornea of the monster’s right eye before exploding with tremendous force.

     GROOARRRRRR!

     The monster roared in agony from the fiery explosion in its eye. Enraged, the gigantic creature whipped its colossal tail brutally in every direction. The violent impact reduced the rows of buildings surrounding the plaza to rubble in an instant, sending several soldiers and knights hurtling through the air.

    The monster then cast a sharp glance toward Zen, pinning him beneath its furious gaze. Just as the creature lowered its body and prepared to lunge forward in a couhesitation—Whoosh—Blar!—a fireball spell shot rapidly from a distance, striking the monster squarely in the face and enveloping it in a thick cloud of smoke.

     Zen used the opening to evade. “Thanks, John! Just as expected, the magic of the captain of Division Two really is incredible, bhahaha!”

     “Nothing special. Come on, attack that monster again, Zen!” John replied, his voice crackling from the pocket reflector hanging from the belt of Zen’s tactical armor.

     Rather than retaliating against Zen, the Salamandra Gigants turned around and began crawling rapidly toward the palace, attempting to force its way through the sturdy barricade formed by the Sovereign Vanguard forces.

     Gudoom... Zhhhhhh... Gudoom... Zhhhhhh…

     The monster’s heavy footsteps clashed with the hum of protective energy as the defensive field began to strain. At the front of the barricade, the soldiers immediately drove their iron shields into the ground. In an instant, invisible magical barrier projections radiated from every corner of those simple shields, expanding outward before interlocking and merging into a single enormous defensive wall.

     “Come at us, you damn monster!” one of the soldiers shouted from behind the barricade, the veins in his neck standing taut. “You won’t break through this defense! Come on, get over here!”

     The Salamandra Gigants immediately lowered its head and charged violently into the magical defensive wall.

     As the monster’s colossal body struggled against the barrier barricade, the knights and soldiers wasted no time seizing the golden opportunity to surround it from every direction. Their weapons came crashing down upon it once more in a frenzied assault.

     “D-damn it! What the hell is this monster?! My spear actually broke!” a knight shouted in shock as he stared at the iron spearhead that had shattered into pieces after piercing the monster’s hide.

     “Come on, don’t lose heart! You still have a sword to wield, so don’t let your guard down!” Commander Bardal shouted as he leaped between the ranks of soldiers, determined to keep his troops’ morale from collapsing.

    “Y-yes, Commander!”

     Rather than being troubled by the humans surrounding it, the monster remained focused on its primary objective: breaking through the palace defenses. The S-class creature merely stomped its massive feet and lashed its tail about indiscriminately, which was more than enough to sweep away the soldiers harassing it as though they were nothing more than pebbles.

---

      Meanwhile, in the eastern region, the battle at the Sovereign Vanguard Headquarters against the Thunderbird was growing increasingly fierce. Various barracks and infrastructure lay in utter ruin, shattered by successive lightning explosions that continued raining down from the storm churning overhead.

     “Come on, keep attacking! Aim for the electrical mass in its chest! That has to be its Elemental Core!” the division captain shouted, issuing commands amid the thunderous roar of the storm.

     The captain carefully lined up his shot before pulling the trigger. “Got you, bastard! This is payment for destroying our headquarters!”

     However, just as the fire bullet was about to slam directly into its Elemental Core, the Thunderbird suddenly merged with the thunderstorm above and vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

     “Tch, you were almost hit, and then you disappeared. Are you scared?” the captain muttered irritably before raising his voice toward his troops once more. “Stay alert! Don’t let your guard down!”

     “Yes, sir!”

     Several minutes later, the storm clouds overhead churned violently once again. The Thunderbird suddenly reappeared through a gigantic lightning strike that slammed into the ground, then immediately unleashed a brutal counterattack upon the gathered soldiers using chained electric shocks.

---

     Meanwhile, inside The Pentagon Chamber, the atmosphere grew increasingly agitated and uneasy.

     “Excuse me, Your Majesty the King. Allow me to explain the latest details concerning the current Catalyst Approach attack,” Asa said, breaking the silence.

     “Yes, go ahead, Asa,” the King replied.

      “According to the latest report from our allies at the plaza, the Salamandra Gigants has evolved once again. Both the Sovereign Vanguard soldiers and the Valiant Knight are now being pushed to their limits against it. The same applies to the Elemental Monster in the eastern region. According to the Sovereign Vanguard observation team, that creature has evolved as well,” Asa explained while displaying every section of the images projected by the magical reflector.

     “Thank you, Asa,” the King said. He drew a brief breath before forming a faint smile. “Should I personally step onto the battlefield again for one final time, before my son replaces me later?” the King joked, attempting to ease the tension.

     “There’s no need to trouble yourself, Your Majesty the King. Let us, the Elite Four, handle them directly,” Glind interjected firmly.

     “Indeed, Your Majesty. Leave it to us,” Azeer added with a decisive nod.

     “Very well, then. Do you have any tactical suggestions for dealing with all this chaos?” the King asked again.

     Grith exchanged a brief glance with Alain. “Alain and I have a proposal, Your Majesty. What if we awaken the legendary hero, Greg, from a thousand years ago?”

      The room fell silent for a moment.

     “Hero Greg? The figure so thoroughly forgotten that the people of the current era regard him as nothing more than a fairy tale? Is such a thing even possible?” The King responded with an easy expression, though his gaze sharpened. “Isn’t resurrection magic nothing more than a myth? Besides, I do not agree with resurrecting a hero who has already found peace in eternity.”

     “His Majesty speaks the truth. It would be highly unethical to disturb a hero who has long since passed away. The battle of this era is our battle,” Azeer interjected in a firm, forceful tone.

     “General Azeer is right,” Glind chimed in support.

     Alain, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke from beneath his gray robe. “But if the ritual succeeds, we will possess absolute power with which to continue facing these Catalyst Approach attacks, even if the monsters continue to evolve.”

     “That’s enough. We must not allow ourselves to become divided over this matter,” the King cut in, bringing the debate to an end.

     Grith immediately bowed his head slightly. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I was merely joking so the atmosphere of the meeting would not become too tense.”

     “Then this meeting is adjourned for now. General Azeer, Grand Mage Grith, and Head Alchemist Alain, you may return to your respective duties. Glind and Asa, remain here.”

     “Yes, Your Majesty the King,” they answered in unison, bowing in final respect before stepping out and leaving the chamber.

     Outside the door of The Pentagon Chamber, General Azeer halted for a moment and turned toward his tactical assistant. “Asa, I’m heading to the plaza now. Meanwhile, remain here and continue monitoring the situation and providing the latest reports to His Majesty the King and Glind.”

     “Yes, sir!” Asa replied, snapping into a firm military salute.

     “Then I’m off.”

     “Gate!”

     With a single swift incantation, two pillars of magical gate-light immediately materialized before Azeer with a hiss. Without hesitation, the commander stepped into the swirling vortex of energy, followed by the two pillars gradually vanishing from the palace corridor.

     On the other side of the silent palace hallway, Grith and Alain walked side by side, discussing in hushed voices.

     “Damn it... our plan was rejected outright,” Alain whispered, a sour expression etched across his face beneath his gray robe.

     “Hahaha, calm down. We must not lose heart,” Grith replied with a faint smile, his eyes gleaming with sharp ambition. “We have to continue this project for the sake of the future of the mages and alchemists. Once this grand proof succeeds, we’ll silence the King, Azeer, and Glind.”

     Alain slowly nodded, accepting the act of defiance. “Then let’s return to our secret sanatorium and begin the resurrection ritual at once.”

Chapter 2 - End

Copyright © 2026 [Rei Vo Lution] - Project Destiny's Corpse.

All Rights Reserved.

A reckless decision has been made amid the encroaching storm. What exactly will General Azeer do upon reaching the plaza now being ravaged by an S-Rank monster? And behind the sterile walls of a forbidden laboratory, will the rebellious mission to resurrect the corpse of Hero Greg succeed in bringing salvation, or will it instead summon a new calamity upon the Kingdom of Finchster?