Chapter 28: Lairois Apocalypse
Lanthaba stood frozen on his feet, his breath uneven as his eyes remained locked on the sky. The world felt wrong, deeply wrong, as if reality itself had been disturbed. The Thawai in the air twisted unnaturally, bending and shifting like something unseen was forcing its way into existence. Above him, the sky cracked like a mirror, thin fractures spreading endlessly across space. "…What is this?" he muttered, trying to understand what kind of phenomenon he was witnessing, but before he could think further, the crack suddenly shattered. A dark figure fell out from the broken space and landed heavily on the ground. It was a Lairoi, its form unstable yet clearly humanoid, holding a long spear in its hand. For a brief second, everything felt still, like the world had paused.
Then a scream tore through the silence. Lanthaba's head snapped toward the sound, but he was already too late. The Lairoi had moved in an instant, thrusting its spear forward and piercing straight through a civilian's chest. The impact was sharp and sudden, and the person collapsed immediately, eyes wide in shock. Lanthaba's expression froze as his voice trembled, "…No…" The Lairoi slowly pulled its spear out, dark energy trailing behind it, and turned its head toward Lanthaba. Its presence wasn't overwhelming, but there was something unstable and dangerous about it that couldn't be ignored.
Lanthaba's fists clenched tightly, and without another word, he rushed forward. Activating his tank technique, his body hardened like steel as he closed the distance. The Lairoi reacted quickly, thrusting its spear again, but this time Lanthaba blocked it directly with his arm, the collision ringing out like metal clashing. "You…" he said in a low voice as blue flames of Meiraton ignited in his hand. In one swift motion, he struck the Lairoi across its torso, the flame bursting on contact and forcing it to stagger backward. Lanthaba didn't stop. He stepped in immediately, his eyes sharp, and drove his flame-covered fist straight into its core, saying under his breath, "You're not getting another chance." The impact shattered the Lairoi's unstable body, blue flames spreading instantly as it let out a distorted sound before dissolving into fragments of dark energy.
Silence followed, heavy and suffocating. Lanthaba stood still, breathing deeply as his gaze slowly shifted toward the fallen civilian. His jaw tightened, and he looked away, muttering quietly, "…Too late." But the moment didn't last. Another crack echoed above, and Lanthaba looked up again, his expression turning serious. The fractures in the sky were spreading faster now, wider and deeper, and from within them, shadows began to move. "…This isn't over," he said quietly.
While chaos began to spread beneath the shattered sky, far away in Litan village, the atmosphere remained calm for a brief moment. Yaikhomba stretched his arms as he walked beside Michael Jajo, letting out a small sigh and saying it was easier than expected, while Michael replied casually not to let his guard down just because it felt easy. Yaikhomba smiled and suggested that it might be time for Michael to ask for a rank upgrade, but Michael stopped walking and simply said no. Confused, Yaikhomba asked why, but Michael only replied that he didn't need it and told him to drop the topic, leaving Yaikhomba with no choice but to agree awkwardly as they continued walking.
The quiet road suddenly felt different as both of them stopped at the same time. Yaikhomba slowly asked if he felt it, and Michael confirmed. A faint trace of Thawai lingered in the air, and it wasn't fading. Yaikhomba pointed out that it was strange since they had already exorcised the Lairoi, and Michael warned him to stay alert. Suddenly, a rush of air came from behind, and Yaikhomba shouted as both of them dodged instantly. A powerful fist slammed into the ground where they had been standing, cracking the earth. Turning back, they saw a Lairoi standing there, its body more solid, heavier, and far more aggressive than usual. Yaikhomba noted that it felt different, and Michael identified it as an evolved Lairois Hui.
Michael told Yaikhomba to step back, assuring him he would handle it. As the Lairois Hui charged forward, Michael waited until the last second before moving with precision. His spear pierced straight into its chest, followed by a powerful kick that sent it crashing to the ground. However, the creature stood up again, its wound healing before their eyes. Yaikhomba was surprised, but Michael remained calm, saying it was expected. Realizing normal attacks wouldn't work, he closed his eyes and began to sing. A low, steady melody flowed from him, carrying a deep and ancient weight. The Thawai around him responded, gathering and intensifying as his aura surged. When the Lairoi charged again, Michael moved faster than before, striking repeatedly with his spear, each hit infused with amplified Thawai. The creature couldn't keep up, its regeneration failing under the pressure until Michael delivered a final strike that pierced its core completely, causing it to shatter and disappear.
After the fight, Yaikhomba asked if his technique was singing while using a spear, but Michael denied it, saying it wasn't the real technique and refusing to explain further. When Michael tried to report the situation, his device had no signal. He tried again, but it remained unreachable. Both of them realized something was wrong, especially when the Thawai trace still hadn't disappeared. This meant there was something else present, or someone else entirely, and the atmosphere grew tense as they prepared for whatever was coming next.
Back in the ruined city, Lanthaba stood among the destruction, the remains of multiple Lairois already gone. The sky above was still broken, and the situation had only worsened. He muttered to himself how many had come out before quickly shifting his focus to the civilians. Without hesitation, he rushed through the damaged area, but the silence around him felt unnatural. Slowing down, he called out, searching desperately, but then he felt it—a presence. It was different from the Lairois, more controlled, more human. Realizing this, he immediately moved toward it at full speed, but when he arrived, he froze.
Bodies lay scattered across the ground.
Civilians.
All of them had been killed by someone.
The air was heavy with Thawai, and standing in the middle of it all was a man.The man with blonde hair, stylish Jacket and black jean, addidas shoes. He turned slowly toward Lanthaba, observing him calmly before casually remarking that another one had arrived and that he looked like a modern sorcerer. Lanthaba's fists trembled as he asked if he was the one who did this, but the man ignored the question at first, asking if Lanthaba could even see him. Anger surged through Lanthaba as he demanded to know why he killed them, and the man answered calmly that he had to, explaining that it was to fulfill a Binding Vow he made with someone. Lanthaba rejected the justification immediately, saying that sorcerers don't kill innocent people, but the man simply replied that he wasn't from this period and revealed himself as a reincarnated sorcerer who didn't care about mortals.
Shocked, Lanthaba asked for his name, and the man introduced himself as Taiyai Yumthouba. The name alone was enough to shake Lanthaba, as he immediately recognized him as a ruthless dictator from the past who ruled Thawai Leipak and was known for his unpredictable and violent reign. Taiyai Yumthouba, his period is also known as Taiyai Yumthouba matam, reign 932 to 959 A.D. Lanthaba stated that he shouldn't even be alive, but Yumthouba calmly replied that yet he was, criticizing the current era as weak and disorganized before offering Lanthaba a chance to join him in conquering Meeyoileipak.
Lanthaba rejected him without hesitation, firmly stating that he would never follow someone like him. For a brief moment, silence filled the air, and then Yumthouba moved. In an instant, he disappeared from sight. Lanthaba's eyes widened, but before he could react, a sudden pressure froze his body for a split second. Yumthouba appeared behind him and delivered a single punch. The impact was overwhelming, sending Lanthaba flying through multiple houses before crashing into the ground as debris scattered everywhere. Dust filled the air as Yumthouba lowered his hand and calmly told him to at least respect his elder.
Far away, Yaikhomba and Michael stood still as the air around them shifted once again. A new presence emerged, stronger and heavier than before. A voice echoed arrogantly, declaring that they should not compare him to the weaker ones and that he was not something they could defeated that easily. The wind shifted as a figure began to appear, signaling that the next battle had already begun.