Transmigrated as The Forgotten Extra-Chapter 128 Black Slash.

Time rewound to the moment Cain shouted his command.

Rika, who was watching his back from behind, bit her lower lip, barely holding back the irritation rising in her chest as she once again witnessed Cain acting recklessly.

Moreover, the reason Cain had removed his armor suit in the middle of a virus-infested land was still a mystery. Still, all of that was swallowed by the explosion of black energy that erupted uncontrollably from his body.

Rika’s brows furrowed as she saw small, black serpents crackling across his skin. At that moment, the space before him seemed to distort, folding like invisible fabric.

Cain’s body vanished, plunging straight into the swarm of virus beasts surrounding him.

However, instead of a fierce, prolonged battle, all Rika saw was a black shadow moving at blinding speed, accompanied by a flurry of silver blade flashes that effortlessly cleaved through the metal monsters.

The gray-haired boy fought fluidly, unstoppable, like water in motion.

For a brief moment, Rika froze, her eyes widened, unable to look away from the spectacle Cain was putting on.

Soon enough, all that remained before her were heaps of scrap metal, with black fluid spilled everywhere across the ravine floor.

Rika inhaled deeply, but unfortunately, the filter system in her helmet couldn’t completely block the stench of rotting flesh from the fallen monsters, twisting her beautiful expression in disgust.

The pungent odor stabbing into her nose snapped her out of her daze. Begrudgingly, she turned away from the battle and faced the other four.

Her red eyes swept across them.

Everyone’s gaze was still drawn toward the battle behind her, except for Senior Luna, who was locked in a standoff with the virus beasts ahead.

Seeing this, Rika’s brow twitched with anger. She let out a short breath and shouted her orders.

"Focus forward! Abel, move to the front line. Louise, support Abel, on my mark!"

She paused briefly, then glanced at the others.

"Peter, cover me. Senior Luna, please assist the vanguard from the rear."

Her sharp, commanding voice echoed through the depths of the ravine. Abel, Louise, and Peter moved immediately, their bodies responding like pre-programmed machines.

"Understood."

Answering in unison, Abel was the first to draw his sword from its sheath. His black armor suit began to glow, emitting a thin golden aura that was just enough to illuminate the dark surroundings.

A yellow flash surged forth as Abel swung his sword diagonally. The crisp sound of shattered metal rang in Rika’s ears.

Not stopping there, Abel linked his attacks together. Using his right foot as a pivot, he spun his body and executed a wide swing, cleaving two monsters across their chests and spraying black blood everywhere.

Abel’s fighting style was still far from perfect. He hadn’t yet shed the habits of Western longsword training, which emphasized rigidity and brute force.

It was a stark contrast to Cain’s self-developed, flowing combat style.

The red-haired girl narrowed her eyes as she noticed Abel focusing too much on his form, completely unaware of a monster approaching from his blind spot.

"Tch, that idiot!"

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Rika raised her rifle and aimed its muzzle straight at the enemy sneaking up behind Abel. But before she could pull the trigger, a bang reached her ears.

It came from Senior Luna.

Realizing that, Rika pulled her own trigger. The recoil jolted her right shoulder, causing her vision to sway briefly before she shouted,

"Louise, assist Abel!"

From the side, another shadow moved.

This time, a gust of cold wind followed the steps of the spear-wielding girl as she entered the battlefield. Her movements were sharp, filled with dense killing intent toward the monsters ahead.

Louise’s hands became a blur, leaving massive holes in the bodies of the monsters, so clean that they didn’t even understand how they died.

A flurry of yellow flashes and invisible thrusts pushed the enemy forces back. With Louise joining the front line, Abel’s fighting spirit ignited, evident as the golden glow around his body flared brighter.

Rika glanced to the side and saw Peter fighting several virus beasts while gripping daggers in both hands, utilizing trickery and the surrounding terrain.

She watched as one of the crab-like monsters suddenly stumbled, as if it had slipped on something. It should’ve been impossible, considering its sharp legs were firmly gripping the ground.

But Peter’s power of Earth attribute made it possible.

At that instant, Peter lunged forward and drove his dagger into the monster’s chest. The crimson glow there extinguished, and its metal body went limp before collapsing into scrap.

Rika’s attention briefly shifted to the stairway guarded by several virus beasts. She looked at Peter, then turned to Senior Luna.

"Senior, please eliminate the monsters near the stairs!"

Luna glanced sideways, locking eyes with Rika for a moment before nodding.

"Understood."

After saying that, Luna holstered her pistol and drew the longsword resting at her left waist.

Unlike Abel’s sword, with its brown hilt, simple silver guard, and silver blade tinged with orange heat waves around the edge.

Senior Luna’s blade was different.

Rika held her breath as she saw a faint blue shimmer appear along the edge of Luna’s sword. Its dim glow carried an ephemeral aura, like moonlight in the night, regal and majestic.

Luna began to move, leaving blue afterimages as she engaged the enemy. She held her sword level with her chest and, with a single swift thrust, pierced the chest of the nearest monster.

"As expected, from a senior."

Rika whispered inwardly, her eyes tracking every one of Luna’s movements.

Though Rika could follow her motions, the way Luna carried herself, her slashes, precision, and her ability to find enemy weak points had been honed to a master’s level.

Her technique alone was equal to, or perhaps even beyond, Cain’s current level.

The red-haired girl shook her head, then pressed her visor closer to the rifle’s stock, both eyes open and focused through the scope.

"Let’s get this over with, and get out of here!"

She gritted her teeth, tightened her grip on the rifle, and pulled the trigger.

The loud explosion of gunpowder shook her eardrums, leaving a slight numbness in her shoulder.

But Rika didn’t stop.

As her teammates fought to reduce the number of virus beasts, she continued providing cover fire from the rear.

At some point, the concept of time seemed to fade. The ringing scraping in her hearing blurred the boundary between reality and a dream, creating a darkness that slowly gnawed at Rika’s heart.

Her heartbeat quickened, thudding violently as if it were about to explode. Her breathing grew shallow and ragged, cold sweat pouring down her chin and dripping into her armor suit.

She didn’t even realize that her condition was caused by the intense atmosphere of the battlefield, combined with the mental pressure of enemies that showed no sign of decreasing, only increasing, shaking her psyche.

It was unavoidable.

Even though Rika and the others had combat experience, this battle was different.

Not only were the enemies numerous, but they were also far stronger than any swarm they had faced before.

It was obvious: for every one monster they defeated, two or three more awakened from their slumber, filling the dark ravine floor with terrifying crimson glows.

As Rika struggled with her wavering consciousness, she heard a ’click.’

She snapped out of it instantly, her body moving on instinct.

Her hands blurred as she ejected the empty cartridge and grabbed a new one from her waist in a single breath, loading it into the rifle.

But just as she raised the muzzle forward, a call from her teammate pulled her attention aside.

She looked toward Senior Luna, who was swinging her sword to wipe black residue from the blade.

"Rika! The path to the stairs is clear, we need to retreat now!"

Unlike usual, there was a deep tone in Senior Luna’s voice, far removed from her typically gentle and graceful demeanor.

Rika glanced sideways, and her eyes widened when she saw Peter already standing near the stairs, gripping his daggers and ready.

Without hesitation, Rika rose from her crouch and ran toward Senior Luna. She stopped, then turned her attention to the distant battlefield.

Abel, still glowing gold, continued swinging his sword tirelessly, scattering sparks and black fluid into the air.

Not far from him, Louise’s agile movements and lethal strikes forced nearby virus beasts to retreat, as if unwilling to face her.

Rika took a deep breath and raised her hand.

"Abel! Louise! Over here!"

Kieeek!

Before she could finish, a screech from behind reverberated throughout the ravine.

Everyone, including Rika, gasped as a massive pressure pressed down on their bodies from above. She lifted her head, eyes widening.

Something strange happened.

The virus beasts froze, not because of a rallying call, but because something deep within their instincts had awakened. Primal fear and survival instincts forced them to retreat, backing away from the battlefield.

What had once been filled with mechanical howls now turned into a sea of suffocating silence.

From the darkness behind her, Rika’s ears twitched as she heard the sound of metal clashing against metal.

Slowly, she swallowed, moistening her dry throat. She turned her body toward the darkness that sent chills down her spine.

A deafening silence reigned until it was shattered by another clash of steel, accompanied by the rumbling of many heavy footsteps pounding the ground.

Rika and the others stood frozen, as if their feet were bound to the earth, helpless before an overwhelming force.

They remembered this feeling.

The crushing pressure tightening around their hearts was identical to the one they felt when facing that colossal monster before; no, this was even stronger.

"Cain... what happened over there?"

She whispered his name, hoping to see what was truly happening, but the darkness blocked her view.

Cold crept into her fingertips, numbing them. Rika almost dropped her weapon until the silhouette of someone’s back appeared before her.

The red-haired girl gasped and tightened her grip on the rifle again, but stopped mid-breath when she saw a towering monster approaching at terrifying speed.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the unthinkable happened.

Cain, standing directly in the monster’s path, swung his katana, sending a barrage of black slashes raining down upon its body.

The slashes were merciless, piercing through thick iron skin as if cutting jelly, vanishing into the darkness beyond.

Cain stopped swinging.

The monster’s body split apart, no, it was minced into countless pieces that rained down upon the ravine floor.

Black blood pooled, contaminating the ground with a horrific stench that snapped Rika out of her trance.

"How is Cain?"

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Cain’s body collapsed, slumping down like a puppet whose strings cut.

But it didn’t last long; he tried to stand again, forcing himself toward his teammates behind him.

Seeing that, the stiffness binding her body finally loosened.

Rika was about to step forward, but the girl beside her moved first.

"Cain?!"

Senior Luna ran ahead, leaving everything else behind, focused solely on the battered leader who had once again performed a reckless act.

The red-haired girl let out a short sigh, unsure of what to say to her leader, who Senior Luna was now holding.

"Geez, he’s just too worrying."

Rika turned toward the others, then suddenly realized something crucial.

"...Wait. He took off his armor suit, didn’t he?!"