(MC POV)
I reached out my hand and clenched my fist, manipulating all the Space Quarks within the room to move and forcing them to close up the portals.
I directed my senses to the obelisk, trying to find out the cause of such a phenomenon.
Not good.
It seemed to be running on the Space Quarks that are present within the room.
The obelisk absorbs them and uses it to open rifts to somewhere else and lets these monsters come pouring out of them. Judging from how they kept growling and trying to claw at us when getting through, they aren't here for a social visit like what Luna has said.
I managed to isolate the rest of the Space Quarks from being absorbed into the obelisk but the structure itself already houses a significant amount of it.
I might be able to destroy the obelisk itself but something tells me that if I did, it would create something even worse since the already absorbed Space Quarks within would burst out catastrophically.
Right now all I'm doing is shutting off the portals as soon as they appear but the amount of energy within the obelisk isn't depleting at all. Even killing one of the monsters on the other side didn't affect the energy levels at all.
Wait, does that mean…
I let one of the rifts stay open and a monster managed to claw its way out.
It looked like some kind of dog-bear bipedal hybrid with an elongated muzzle and thin arms that ended in razor sharp claws. Their bodies were black as tar and it had no eyes as far as I could tell.
Just as the monster came through the portal, I noticed the energy within the obelisk deplete, just a little. It was equivalent to a single drop of water in a lake though, so maybe if another few billion more passed through those portals the obelisk would stop functioning.
The monster tried to lunge at me but its head was pierced by an icicle before it could, courtesy of Luna.
Even with an icicle through its head, it tried to walk forward a few steps before dissipating into black smoke and disappearing.
I'd thought Luna would start another long tirade about our current situation but a quick glance behind me showed that she was completely absorbed in her fighting stance.
I suppose that's to be expected of someone with her experience.
"What is the plan… Master?" Rina asked, switching back to a more polite tone with me.
"It seems like these portals will keep on opening until enough of these things come through them. I can redirect them somewhere else but… Unless the energy is depleted, the rifts won't stop opening and I can't keep doing this forever…"
"Outside the city," Luna suggested immediately. "The area outside was cleared out for sieges in mind, is husband able to keep them here for the next ten minutes? I will rouse the city to fight them."
I pursed my lips and closed off another twenty rifts, "I should be good for that… Are these monsters supposed to be strong?"
"Individually? No. Their strength lies in their numbers and their inability to feel pain. At least that's what I could tell from them so far."
"Then we'll go with that plan. I'm sorry but can you get Muon here?"
Luna stared at me, "Muon? What is your relationship with Muon? Is husband also interested in her? Husband can't you know? She's not interested in males and she is a really devious person too. She may look nice on the outside but in reality she's the main culprit in helping me catch my political enemies you know? But if husband really wants her… I… I…"
"I'm not, ok?" I assured her. "She's just able to help me with these portals. Please, Luna, you're the only one I can count on now."
Luna's eyes widened, "Husband… Is relying on me? I will go right away!!"
The Matriarch stepped into the teleportation inscription and disappeared in a flash of light.
Rina looked at me with narrowed eyes, "You don't happen to be a playboy now… Are you?"
I gave her an offended look, "I assure you, I am very serious in all my relationships. If by the end of this Luna still wishes to follow me… As long as my disciples accept her, I will too."
"... I will hold you to your word. If you break her most gracious Majesty's heart… I will kill you, even if I have to die trying."
Without a second glance back, she turned and stepped on the inscription that sent her back to Luna's room, leaving me alone with Xun Guan.
"Master… Is that true?" Xun Guan asked. "Wasn't she the one who tormented you in your previous life?"
I sighed, "Exactly, it's in my previous life. I shouldn't let what happened there cloud my opinion of the people in this new life. As long as they have not given me any reason to hate them in this life, I will not judge them for their other self's actions."
Xun Guan was silent for a moment, "Master truly is benevolent… I am fortunate to have met Master in this life."
"I would say you're exaggerating but I suppose if I never saved you, you would still have been used by Elder Feng."
"Yes… I will still continue to be in your care, Master."
"Likewise."
I closed another thirty or so portals before the area behind me lit up again, revealing a rather confused Muon standing there.
"S… Senpai? What is… What is going on?"
I gestured to the obelisk, "To put it simply… We seem to have activated an artifact that opens rifts to the Damnation Plane or whatever it's called. I need to keep the rifts closed until Luna organises the city's defenses."
She looked at the rifts that kept opening and closing before any monsters could get through them.
"Ok… And what can I do to help Senpai?"
"A little bit of fate manipulation where we get all the help we need wouldn't hurt. Judging by the energy present in the obelisk, we're going to be facing at least several billions of them before it stops."
"Ah, that's simple enough. With Senpai here, the fate of such an outcome should already be predetermined so I wouldn't even need to do much."
"Please do."
Her eyes glowed blue and I could feel something changing in the air. I'm not sure how to describe it but it felt like the feeling you get when taking two pieces of string and entwining them together.
"There, I increased the possibility that Senpai would receive all the help you can get so--"
A rift opened up before I could close it, allowing someone I never thought I'd see appear in front of me.
"Nauei! Kuyayou taaan wo surukemit took ga kideta! Shosi in kahoriemaus!"
Oh god, why are you here?! What do you want?! How did you even get here?!
Why is the crazy girl that got me into this mess in the first place standing there and smiling at me like it's no big deal?!
Are you sure you manipulated fate correctly Muon?!