Chapter 515: Make Them Suffer
The massive ship’s loading ramp descended with a hydraulic hiss and a woman stepped out from the darkness inside.
She wore a black military uniform that looked like it had been tailored specifically for combat.
A red armband wrapped around her left sleeve, stark against the black, displaying two letters in bold: MP.
Her visor cap sat perfectly straight, casting her face in shadow.
She walked down the ramp with measured steps, her boots hitting the ground with authority.
Then she stopped in front of Icarus and Zara, her hand snapping up in a crisp salute.
"Chief Inquisitor Vraka Scarlet, reporting to take the prospective Inquisitors to the A rank Giant portal region in the far north."
Her voice came out cold and clipped, each word precisely enunciated.
Icarus returned the salute, his expression grave.
"Chief Inquisitor, the candidates have not received training in any Military Police specialized skills yet. I’m afraid sending them to an active combat zone without proper preparation might–"
"The High Command understands this clearly, General."
Vraka’s interruption was smooth and absolute, leaving no room for argument.
"But my orders are to transport all candidates to the northern region immediately. Whether they will be deployed into active combat immediately is not my decision to make."
Her head turned, eyes scanning the assembled candidates.
Her gaze paused on Damian for a fraction longer than the others, something unreadable passing across her features.
Then she continued, her voice carrying across the field.
"Besides, war itself is the best training ground there is, don’t you think?"
Nobody spoke, the question hanging in the frozen air without answer.
Icarus’s hands clasped behind his back, his jaw working slightly.
"I understand."
He turned toward the assembled candidates, his voice becoming harder.
"All candidates, board the transport in your assigned squads. Move quickly and maintain formation."
****
After boarding, Chief Inquisitor Vraka had ordered everyone to change into the Military Police uniforms that had been prepared in advance.
Now Damian stood alone in a small changing room, bare-chested in front of a mirror.
His reflection stared back at him.
Two meters tall, well-defined muscles built from actual combat.
He held a knife in one hand, the blade moving across his jaw as he shaved away the stubble that had started growing.
The scraping sound filled the small space, rhythmic and steady.
He rinsed the blade under cold water, then splashed his face.
Water dripped from his chin as he looked up, meeting his own crimson eyes in the mirror.
’In both your lives, after everything you’ve been through, every torture, every failure, every moment of helplessness...’
His hands gripped the edge of the sink.
’Here you stand, about to face the first nightmare that was shown to you.’
He reached for the black shirt laid out on the bench, the fabric sliding against his skin as he pulled it on.
’For so long, you’ve only been reacting... Surviving their plans.’
His fingers moved to the buttons, fastening them one by one.
’You watched as others decided your fate, moved you like a piece on their board, used you for their games.’
The tie came next, his hands working it into a perfect knot.
’But that ends today... Your suffering ends today.’
He pulled the knot tight against his collar, the pressure settling around his throat.
’From now on, you will make them suffer instead! You will make them pay the price!’
The coat followed, military cut that emphasized his frame, the MP armband already attached to the left sleeve.
’They want war? They’ll have it!’
Each button fastened with controlled movement, his reflection watching with eyes that blazed brighter.
’They want blood? I’ll drown them in it!’
He adjusted the collar, ensuring everything sat exactly right.
’Every giant that stands in my way! Every genius who thinks their strength makes them untouchable!’
The visor cap settled onto his head at the precise angle.
’I’ll devour them all!’
He looked at his reflection one final time, his expression completely serious with conviction carved into every line of his face.
A seventeen-year-old boy wearing the uniform of the Military Police, about to walk into a war that would determine humanity’s survival.
’Khra’gath.’
The name burned in his mind like a brand.
’And everyone standing in my way.’
His hands opened and closed.
’I’m coming for you.’
****
[Across the Federation]
Chaos had descended on every major city simultaneously.
The news about Lufen Portal’s fall couldn’t be contained, spreading through communication networks faster than any official channel could suppress it.
Thousands dead in a single attack.
War declared by the unified Giant tribes.
And buried beneath the immediate panic, another truth was emerging through leaked military documents and whistleblower testimony.
Hell Portal had been sealed for months.
The S rank portal that housed some of humanity’s strongest warriors had been completely inaccessible, and the military had hidden this fact from the entire Federation.
Protests erupted in Capitol City, crowds demanding answers from the government.
Stock markets crashed across multiple regions as investors fled to safer assets.
Emergency meetings convened in every major city, Mayors struggling to maintain order as citizens demanded evacuation plans and protection.
The decades of relative peace, the comfortable assumption that portals were containable threats, shattered overnight.
And in the middle of it all, hundreds of millions watched through broadcast media as a press conference unfolded.
****
[Lufen Portal Entrance]
Thousands of military personnel stood in formation behind security barriers, their weapons ready, their faces grim.
The portal entrance loomed behind them, a massive dimensional tear that pulsed with unstable energy.
And in front of it, at some distance, stood Major General Thaddeus Kane, his uniform crisp despite the chaos, his expression carefully neutral.
Dozens of reporters crowded against the barriers, cameras pointed, microphones extended, voices overlapping in a cacophony of demands.
"Major General! Why was the Hell Portal sealing hidden from the public?!"
"How many soldiers died at Lufen?!"
"Is it true the defensive perimeter was overrun in less than an hour?!"
"What about the families of the deceased?!"
Kane’s hands clasped behind his back, his jaw working as he stood silent.
’How do I answer questions I don’t have good answers for?’
His thoughts came bitter and exhausted.
’We have no clear estimate regarding how many soldiers died at Lufen, many were still alive before the last batch of survivors rushed out.’
A reporter’s voice cut through louder than the others.
"Major General Kane! Are the rumors true about the greatest geniuses of all fourteen Giant tribes leading this war against us?"
Kane’s mouth opened, then closed.
Then he nodded slowly, his voice emerging flat and professional.
"Yes, that information has been confirmed through survivor testimony and intelligence reports."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"Fourteen young chiefs have been identified so far, one from each of the major Giant tribes. All of them represent the greatest prodigious talent their respective tribes have produced in generations."
Whispers exploded through the assembled press.
"Fourteen chiefs?!"
"How many worlds are even involved in this war?!"
"How will we handle that many elite enemies?!"
"Our A rank awakeners can’t match that kind of threat!"
Another reporter pushed forward, her voice sharp with urgency.
"And there are rumors of a unification leader appearing among the Giant race. Can you tell us what that means?"
Kane’s expression became even more grave, his hands tightening behind his back.
"It means..."
He took a breath.
"The most monstrous genius in the entire history of the Giant race has appeared."
Silence crashed down for a heartbeat.
"And all fourteen young chiefs answer to him as subordinates."
The whispers became a roar.
"A genius strong enough to unite all fourteen tribes?!"
"Who among our younger generation could even face one of those chiefs, let alone their leader?!"
"This is genocide! They’re going to wipe us out of all the A rank portals!"
"Where are our prodigies?! Where are the Imperial heirs?!"
Just as the chaos was building toward a breaking point–
The portal behind Kane began to shimmer, its dimensional barrier showing signs of instability.
Energy crackled across the surface, patterns shifting and reforming.
Everyone’s attention snapped toward it, cameras tracking upward.
The portal was opening.
****
[Giant Portal Region - Far North]
The MP transport ship descended through clouds, landing gear extending outward.
Damian stood among Squad Ten as the boarding ramp lowered, cold northern air rushing into the compartment.
They filed out in formation, boots hitting frozen ground.
The landscape stretched out around them, covered in snow and dotted with military installations.
And everywhere, portals.
Dozens of them, maybe hundreds, dimensional tears of various sizes creating aurora-like distortions across the sky.
Helena’s voice emerged beside Damian, carrying awe despite her usual enthusiasm.
"Most of the A rank and below Giant portals should be concentrated in this region, right?"
Regulus nodded from behind them, his black eyes tracking across the installations.
"This is the region with the most dimensional tears connecting us with Giant worl–"
Suddenly, soldiers began running past them, moving with urgent purpose toward a specific direction.
Damian’s hand shot out, grabbing a passing Captain by the shoulder.
"What’s happening?"
The Captain barely slowed, his words coming rushed.
"Sir! Another survivor just came out of Lufen Portal! You should also come!"
He pulled free and kept running.
Sicar’s pink eyes found Damian’s face.
"A survivor? After this long since the portal fell?"
Kaelen Hayes adjusted his glasses, his sniper’s analytical mind already working.
"Statistically, anyone still alive in there should have been captured or killed by now. If someone’s escaping this late..."
But Damian was already moving, his boots crunching through snow as he followed the running soldiers.
"Hey! Shouldn’t we wait for Chief Inquisitor Vraka’s orders?!"
Regulus’s voice called after him.
"We should follow our squad leader."
The Sword Demon’s raspy voice cut through the hesitation.
"Something tells me we won’t want to miss whatever happens next."
Squad Ten moved as one, following Damian through the chaos.