The moment my prana was fully replenished, the energy current hoisted me above the port, propelling me higher and higher. I ascended to such a height that I could see all of Wilflaes sprawled below me in a single glance. Initially, I thought the Breakthrough would occur somewhere in the far-off metropolitan outskirts. However, the prana flow briefly suspended me at the apex before flinging my projection like a catapulted stone towards the city's northeastern district.

Upon landing, I surveyed my surroundings. I found myself in the middle of a broad avenue, one of the capital's four main thoroughfares through which hundreds of thousands of people entered or exited Wilflaes daily. "Burgundy Avenue" was legible on various signs adorning the buildings. Burgundy, being a steadfast rival of France, had long supported Novilter and remained a reliable strategic partner of the Castle. This major city artery was named in honor of this reliable ally.

Given that I was in the Break and in close proximity when the Breakthrough initiated, I was among the first to arrive at the scene. I took a more careful look around. Thankfully, it was nighttime; during daylight hours, this highway would be choked with vehicles across all eight lanes. Now, the traffic was relatively sparse. Learning from the harsh lessons of previous Breakthroughs, I immediately issued an order when another raig descended from the sky beside me.

"Leonidas!" Recognizable from my first Breakthrough, the Break Knight, clad in stylized Spartan armor, shook his head to clear it before turning to face me.

"Maestro!"

"Over there." I pointed towards a building two hundred meters away, distinguished by a specific symbol. "The police station. Get there and rally everyone! Have them shut down the avenue."

"Yes, sir!" The pseudo-Spartan responded in a military fashion before darting off in the indicated direction.

Rex touched down ten paces from me; as soon as his vision cleared, I quickly dispatched him to contact Ohrin, the overseer of all emergency services in the capital.

"Evacuation?" I heard Maya's voice behind me as soon as Rex shifted into reality.

I glanced back, studying the nine-story buildings towering along the avenue and trying to estimate the number of people residing within them.

"We won't have time," I shook my head. "However, the civil defense alarm needs to be activated - at the very least, residents should be advised to seek shelter in their basements. Yes, they should head to the basements and no one should venture out onto the streets!"

"We have five minutes before it starts." The Knight maiden assessed the strength of the wind in the Break confidently. "I'll handle activating the alarm and request assistance from the nearest military base."

"Great!"

Halley had arrived and immediately taken charge of alerting the firefighters and ambulance services. Barely two minutes had passed since the Break had brought me here, and the city's emergency services were already springing into action. Initially, the piercing sound of police sirens shattered the night's silence. Yet, they seemed like subdued background music when compared to the booming voices of the civil defense broadcast system echoing throughout the northeastern sector of the capital just a minute later.

All radio and television broadcasts were abruptly interrupted and replaced with warnings of an imminent Breakthrough. The well-oiled machinery of the state was functioning as intended. The rest was up to us. With each passing minute, more and more raigs were converging on the avenue. And all of them, guided by the currents of the Break, instinctively turned to face the north. Thanks to the accumulated knowledge on the BKDW forum, we knew that the direction of the Break's wind often indicated the location of an impending Breakthrough.

"Checkers!" I shouted.

In response to my command, thirty-nine raigs arranged themselves in a checkerboard formation across three rows, effectively blocking off the entire highway. The most seasoned raigs held the front row, the average performers were in the second, and the third consisted of either novices or those lacking talent in swordplay.

I gritted my teeth when I noticed that Dobrynya had taken a position in the front row, smack dab in the center of our formation. I would have preferred to move him to the third row, but I couldn't deny his skills. He truly was one of the best.

The twins were among the last to arrive. I acknowledged their presence with a wave of my sword just as a thunderous rumble resonated throughout the Break. The facades lining the avenue disappeared behind a thick blanket of fog, which, when it finally lifted, revealed sheer cliffs where the buildings had stood. Upon closer inspection, the residential buildings could still be seen through the illusion crafted by the Break. However, at a glance, it felt as though our line had formed within a broad gorge, flanked on either side by towering rock faces.

Approximately three hundred meters ahead of our front line, a disturbance rippled through the Break, taking the shape of a whirling tornado. A dense, opaque stream of energy that twirled with increasing fervor with each passing moment.

"It's starting," Leonidas, who had just returned from the police station, said, standing next to me.

Similar murmurs echoed down the ranks.

"I've seen this somewhere before..." Maya mumbled, her eyes locked on the vortex.

The whirlwind began to slow, widening as it did so, and then what looked like electric sparks started to crackle along its edges.

"I know!" Maya's voice rang out, cutting through the air. "I've seen this! It's an invasion from 'Starship Infantry'!"

It wasn't for nothing that the girl had spent countless hours studying and consuming a wide array of movies, books, comics, anime, and other forms of popular media. No sooner had her declaration filled the air than vaguely familiar creatures erupted from the vortex. They surged forward in a massive tide, more akin to a ceaseless, living stream than a group of individual entities.

Standing at two meters tall, each had six slender, lengthy and sharp legs, and an elongated body, half of which were massive jaws. From above, they had two more striking limbs, almost half a meter long each, terminating in sharp claws. It seems that similar creations could be born in different worlds. These creatures bore a striking resemblance to those in "Starship Infantry," a film produced in this world, which mirrored the Paul Verhoeven movie I was familiar with, based on Robert Heinlein's science fiction novel, "Starship Troopers."

"If there are plasma bugs out there, we'll need at least two attack teams!" Maya exclaimed.

In essence, what she said was accurate. The plasma bug in the movie was a colossal insect, as large as a double-decker bus, capable of propelling plasma balls over significant distances, essentially a living artillery. And Maya was right: if such creatures were to appear, we would have to break through the regular bugs to prevent them from firing.

"First row! Fall back! Break into your usual triplets! Second row, advance! Third row, cover!"

As soon as my command was given, Rex took position to my left, and Dobrynya to my right.

"Maya! Take the lead in Crixus' wedge. He won't be joining us!"

According to the "checkers" plan, Maya and Halley acted as free hunters and could replace any position on the battlefield. Previously, I played a similar role. But after numerous discussions, we agreed that my priority should be to command the battle rather than fight alone. That's why two guards were assigned to protect me if necessary.

In addition to the BKDW members who were familiar with the tactics, there were Break Knights who had never attended training and had come to counter the Breakthrough. I counted eleven of them, five of whom belonged to Masks of Novilter, and they seemed lost without their leader.

"Free Knights and Masks!" I addressed them. "Reinforce the second line! Don't rush to the front! Remember, a dead raig is a useless raig! Cover our backs!"

I barely finished my speech when a wave of warrior bugs charged at the first line. A chill ran down my spine, the urge to rush into battle was strong, but I had to resist! The first few minutes of the fight are crucial, and future victory or defeat could hinge on the right orders and proper battle formation.

Four bugs, jostling each other and opening their mouths wide, lunged at a small, delicate, girlish figure clad in a red brigandine, seemingly defenseless against them. My instincts told me to shut my eyes, but I kept them open. A fraction of a second before the collision, the entire first rank of the Break Knights simultaneously executed the same move. I watched as arthropod limbs flew in all directions and phantasmal steel sliced through the charging monsters as if they weren't made of super-strong chitin but children's origami crafts.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

A moment passed, and four beetles were reduced to near pulp.

Following the zombie Breakthrough, and after analyzing the challenges posed by hordes of essentially weak but seemingly endless monsters, I trained everyone I could in a sweeping attack, or as the French say, "mouline". Those Knights who had mastered this technique were now at the forefront.

Supported by her sister, Kael shows no sign of stopping. Her sword moves so fast it appears to form a wall of phantom steel between her and the bugs. Any beetle daring to break through this wall loses limbs, body parts, and often its head. Maintaining such speed is impossible for long. However, when Kael eventually tires, the bugs find no respite as Thora promptly takes her place at the forefront and continues her sister's work, her ghost sword becoming a blur in the air due to the speed of her swings.

Like a swarm of locusts, a wild, eerie mass of deadly alien biomass threw itself at the thin line of raigs. It collided, froze in place, strained, but could not break through and recoiled, leaving behind hundreds of convulsing, dismembered bodies.

"Hold!" I yell at the top of my lungs. "Hold formation!"

The right flank of our formation didn't immediately obey my command, continuing to advance and pulverize dozens of bugs every second.

"First team! Close the gap!"

Shielded by Quintus and Oswald, Maya instantly dashes in the indicated direction. With this order, I simply filled the opened void, not predicting the course of battle as they later claimed. I couldn't have known that just before Maya's group reached the desired point, the asphalt would explode, revealing a gigantic pseudo-worm encased in chitin. The creature immediately opened its mouth and hordes of warrior beetles surged out, as if from an open subway entrance.

Most likely, we would have suffered casualties from this unexpected attack, as our second line was composed of less experienced fighters who were momentarily confused. This momentary lapse in judgment could have cost lives, if not for Maya's squad, who fearlessly clashed with the new threat at full speed.

Maya, Quintus, and Oswald ranked among our top ten. The bugs springing from the pseudo-worm didn't stand a chance against the coordinated assault of these three. Our strike team decimated the first wave and then our second line recovered, assaulting the gigantic armored carcass of the chitin worm. By the time the first line carried out my command and returned to their positions, the creatures' breach of our rear was already contained.

"Boss," Rex, who stood to my left, practically vibrated with impatience. "May I?"

I knew it was hard for him to watch the fight from the sidelines, to stand idle while his friends and comrades were in battle.

"No!" My reply was brief and decisive.

"We wait." My Padawan muttered through gritted teeth. He was no more at ease than Rex.

At first glance, keeping excellent fighters like Rex by my side might seem unnecessary. He was, after all, the fourth best among us - or rather, the third now since we lost Crixus. Only Halley and I outranked him, with Maya now taking the fourth place. But so far, things were going well for us. Not a single Knight had fallen, and no one had suffered any serious injuries. That was why I chose to keep my reserves close.

We fended off the new wave of nearly three hundred warrior bugs with more confidence than the first. No sooner had we done this when four pseudo-worms erupted from the ground behind our second line, releasing a new wave of monsters from their gaping maws.

These new foes primarily targeted the city's free raigs. Though they were poorly trained, lacked coordination, and had little to no experience in group combat, they faced the bugs bravely. However, they were not as effective as the BKDW fighters, taking two or even three hits to down each creature. Despite initially retreating and faltering under the monstrous onslaught, they managed to hold on for the ten seconds I needed to reorganize our formation and mobilize our primary forces. My trio also had to step in, silencing one of the chitinous worms.

Clear orders and their swift execution helped us avoid casualties. None of the free raigs perished, though three of them depleted almost four-fifths of their prana.

The bugs' onslaught seemed to be directed by someone, forcing our formation to shift constantly. Waves of warrior bugs either charged at us by the hundreds from the whirlwind, or attacked us from behind with the help of their giant worms. Just as we were getting used to this rhythm, a new type of creature appeared. They were three times the size of the regular warriors, with a flexible, scorpion-like tail tipped with a one-and-a-half-meter plasma spear.

Upon spotting these monsters, I made my decision.

"It's time." I nodded to my bodyguards and then raised my voice. "Attack groups!" I lifted my sword. "Follow my lead!"

Sliding!

In a heartbeat, I was in the thick of the fight.

I could have reached these new monsters just by leaping over the heads of the warrior bugs. But, first, I wasn't sure the others could replicate such a maneuver since they didn't have anything like the Fan of Probabilities. And second, thinning out the wave of regular warrior bugs would be beneficial, as it would give the rest of the Knights a breather.

"Word" and "Purity" feel like circular saw blades in my palms. I forge ahead, not pausing for a second. Creatures that miraculously survive my initial assault are dispatched by Rex and Dobrynya.

A new monster emerges! The strike of its plasma spear is significantly slower and less precise than even the swing of Mersk's sword. I don't need my Fan of Probabilities to evade this attack. A swift double strike, and "Word" severs the tail of the overgrown scorpion. I launch upwards in a high jump. The monster's claws make a futile attempt to intercept me, only to clash with "Purity". As I descend, my two blades make a clean cut, severing the creature's head.

In just three seconds, the giant monster is obliterated.

I leap high into the air again. Maya and Halley have already taken out their respective mega-scorpions.

"Today seems somewhat easy," Rex remarks, surprised, as he dispatches dozens of the critters.

No, this Breakthrough is more challenging than the previous one with the zombies. It's just that this time we're prepared for such a battle. And for the second point, the city services, having been alerted in time, are handling the civilians instead of us.

I glance behind me. Our two thin lines, reinforced by free raigs, form a solid defense, preventing the bugs from invading the city. It seems our training has finally paid off! We're more than just a group of fighters now, we're almost a full-fledged army. The ease with which this Breakthrough is being managed clearly indicates that we're on the right track.

An unexpected flash underneath my feet catches me off guard.

I activate Sliding, but there isn't enough time, and I get blasted away by an explosive wave. My prana drops by nearly a quarter.

"Artillery on the battlefield!" Maya screams, her voice piercing through the ringing in my ears.

I survey the scene.

My "guards", though they were much closer to the epicenter of the explosion, appear to be unscathed.

"The armor holds up!" Rex shouts, giving a thumbs up.

Well, good for them! But my projection lacks armor, save for the Jedi robe! I can't afford to be hit like that again. Speaking of which, who was it that just attacked me?

A hundred meters from the whirlwind, four mega-beetles stand still, their massive legs spread wide. They're as tall as a house, with round colossal bellies that taper into a wide bell. From this bell, they launch plasma projectiles, uncaring whether they hit their own kind.

"Strike teams! Target the artillery!" I yell as loud as I can.

This time, I don't hold back. The Fan of Probabilities, true to its nature, works flawlessly during the Breakthrough. Red and orange lines alert me to danger in time. Using Sliding, I leap over the heads of the bugs without even attempting to kill them. Rex and Dobrynya, who are following me, can easily tackle this task.

The behemoth's body nearly fills my entire line of sight.

I leap up, and "Word" carves a streak across its corpulent abdomen. A brilliant light erupts instantly from the deep gash on the creature's body. In the same moment, the Fan bathes everything around me in a crimson hue.

Damn it!

Sliding.

A frantic attempt to recoil.

The artillery bug, triggered by the wound I inflicted, is detonating. I barely dodge the shards of plasma flying in every direction, but the resulting shockwave sends me sprawling, dazed. My prana dosn't drop, but there's a fog clouding my mind, preventing me from standing. Through this foggy haze, I hear Rex cursing and Dobrynya's shouts overhead.

"When their hearts are so high

That they would come to blows,

They unhook rheir heavy swords

From golden and silver boughs;

But all that are killed in battle

Awaken to life again.

It is lucky that their story

Is not known among men..."

That's definitely not Maya singing. How could I have mistaken it last time? The voice is familiar, though: I've heard it before, but I can't recall when or where!

I manage to rise to my feet, but the mound of monster carcasses surrounding me obstructs my view.

"The little fox he murmured,

'O what of the world's bane?'

The sun was laughing sweetly,

The moon plucked at my rein;

But the little red fox murmured,

'O do not pluck at his rein...'"

I scramble up a mountain of bug corpses that Rex and Dobrynya have managed to butcher while protecting me. Who's singing?

"But all that are killed in battle

Awaken to life again.

It is lucky that their story

Is not known among men..."

I shake my head. I'm done caring about the monsters. The others can handle them without me.

"Free hunting!" I command my 'guard.'

Where is that voice coming from?

"But all that are killed in battle

Awaken to life again.

It is lucky that their story

Is not known among men..."

Impossible!

The voice is coming from the whirlwind! From the very heart of the Breakthrough!

Three bugs attempt to block my path - "Word" swiftly nips their effort in the bud.

"And here's the Hive Queen!" Maya's voice rings out.

I register her warning and the emergence of a new monster, but I'm not interested at the moment. I'm drawn towards the voice because I know, I feel - this is far more significant. The bugs appear to have gone berserk, charging at me by the dozens. It's as if their primary objective isn't protecting their Queen but halting my advance. I react on autopilot, hacking and obliterating everything in my way. The creatures are too feeble to impede me.

I'm already close to the vortex. Just fifty steps away.

My left hand twitches. I relax it, allowing my palm to lift on its own, and "Purity" aligns with the central vortex. This isn't my Spark or "Purity" itself; it's the artifact in the watch Rui gifted me that's activated!

I now know where to search for the Door!

It's not exact - given the enormous and virtually inaccessible Fantasy Layer, but I sense it's somewhere in there. In that direction, not in the real world!

A step.

Another step.

The Break itself, besides the bugs, is attempting to restrain me. The currents of the fiercest wind slam into my chest.

No!

This won't deter me!

A step.

Another one.

Second.

Third.

I'm nearly there.

"Hooray!!! We did it!" The exuberant shouts of the raigs reach me.

I'm only ten paces away from the edge of the whirlwind when the tornado suddenly halts and decomposes into weightless dust. The Break smooths out. The stone cliffs along the avenue once again morph into ordinary nine-story buildings.

We've won. The Breakthrough is sealed.

But why at such an inconvenient time? I was so close... I almost reached it...

Regrettably...

"Almost" doesn't cut it.