I tilted my head slightly at her words, totally confused at whatever I was supposed to be sensing.
"Hone your senses, use your power if you have to. Tell me when you sense it," ordered Artoria.
Rushing my divinity into my eyes and ears, I concentrated on expanding my senses. An immense pain rushed throughout my mind at first before it faded slightly, accepting the influx of divinity.
Every little sound became more pronounced and louder; the soft footsteps of civilians appeared to be loud stomping. A small pin drop now assaulted my ears as if it were an explosion. I slowly opened my eyes, feeling a burning sensation; they were beginning to tear up at the pain.
But for the brief moment of clear vision, I saw a single petal flowing throughout the winds miles away as if it were in my grasp.
"It hurts… But I've expanded my senses, although I don't think I can hold it much longer."
"It's fine. Focus on the loudest incoming sound; you may be able to see it."
"It?"
Artoria didn't respond to my question, wishing for me to find out the answer myself. I did as she asked, blocking out all other sources of sound around me, then slowly reintroducing them to my ears, starting with the surrounding meadows. It didn't take long before the thunderous footsteps of some unknown beast reached my ears.
Swiftly turning my vision to the sound, I concentrated on expanding my vision until I saw it.
"What is that?!" I shouted uncontrollably.
The monster approaching Grandheart appeared to be forsaken, but it was different in my eyes; it was just a ball of death embodying nothing but destruction and unbridled misery. It was a small creature, but its movements only showed its vast amount of combat experience and the millions of souls hanging around its neck.
The forsaken was something of a mix of a gorilla and wolf, its muscular legs and arms propelling it forward at a staggering speed. From the bloody crimson claws, it had seen countless deaths and eaten from the blood of angels and devils.
Its black, tattered fur with countless scars running along its fur wasn't the most unsettling thing about the monster; a line of azure flames ran along its spine. A single spark covers carnage in the surrounding area, swallowing the meadows in a sea of flames.
Its scarlet eyes were solely locked onto Grandheart; its target was clear, but why would a creature of this power travel all the way to the top of Grandheart for a measly capital city?
"It's the Sixth Primordial Terror, the Wolf of War, Morgrave. The Primordial Terrors are the creation of the Horsemen of War and only hers to command; they don't respond to anyone else."
"I don't care who sent it! It's dangerous!" I exclaimed.
Terror was overcoming my mind; I hadn't seen such an insurmountable force harboring only the cardinal desire to kill and ravage. Pestilence wasn't anything like this monster; this was a savage beast that held such immense power that its presence could be felt from miles away.
A single thought was replacing all others in my mind: kill or be killed. Whether it was out of fear or bravery didn't matter anymore; the only thing I wanted was to see this beast dead!
I slashed wildly with crescents of light at the watchtower, replacing it with a flat light platform, elevating myself in the air. This act obviously gathered the attention of every soldier on the wall; they watched on at my outburst with curiosity but also disdain.
"I have to eliminate the threat before it eliminates me! Edict of Light, Gate of Elpis, Thousand Fold!"
"Evernight!" shouted Liliana.
Her eyes ran rampant with blatant fear and confusion, their crimson gleam dulling as her fears ate away at her mind. I ignored her desperate pleas, focusing my sole attention on the incarnation of death swiftly approaching.
Thousands of shimmering portals of pure light reared out of the sunlight, littering the sky. I'd vastly improved my spell after my battle with Karravok. I could hold it for longer in its normal state, but this was different. I could only get a few bursts from the thousand-fold version before collapsing.
I pointed at the beast, letting loose my arsenal of weapons made of pure light. Unlike my previous version, this one used multiple types of weapons, ranging from spears to lances.
My weapons launched forward at a thunderous speed, making thousands of shockwaves ripple throughout the air; my fear only increased their strength. Despite the extremely long distance, my blades made contact in a matter of nine seconds.
"You idiot! Pull back your blades before they impact with the terror!" shouted Artoria.
Artoria's face wasn't filled with indifference; it was riddled with horror and unyielding fear. A shining star of light bloomed on top of the monster. For a moment, I thought I'd slain the beast. But the same oppressive terror still filled the air in my lungs. It wasn't dead.
Suddenly, the beast appeared directly in my face, slashing at my face with its colossal claws.
"It can flashstep!?"
My power instinctively acted on its own, activating my own flashstep and distancing myself from the beast, just barely avoiding harm, but it wouldn't let up, matching my flashsteps, continuing its relentless pursuit.
It had found its prey, it was me.