Sharp steel has the power to drive away evil.
Of course, that doesn't mean it truly has such power, but at the very least, the object Kalakin held was more than capable of doing so.
The weapon Kalakin would one day use to hunt demons.
A weapon meant solely for Kalakin, one that only he could wield.
'Moonlight Sword (月光劍).'
That was what now shone brilliantly.
A destructive radiance so chillingly sharp that just looking at it was enough to send shivers down one's spine, as if it could slice through everything in its path.
"This should be sufficient."
Kalakin's voice was as cold as the sharp blade's aura.
It sounded as though he was ready to charge at me with the 'Moonlight Sword' at any moment.
"Has my qualification been proven?"
At those words, Kalakin eased the menacing energy he had been directing at me and spoke.
"…It is sufficient."
"And you?"
As I shifted my gaze to Iris, her shoulders flinched.
"…It's enough."
"Good. But let me make this clear—I'm only here as a mercenary and a tactical director for this team. I can offer some advice and guidance, but I have no intention of leading this team."
"…Understood. My apologies."
And with that, the tense situation that had unfolded earlier came to an end.
Though the process may have been somewhat extreme, in the end, nothing serious had actually happened, so it didn't matter.
"What? What happened? What did that barbarian do?"
Dmitri, the only one in the group who was completely disconnected from etheric sensitivity, was utterly clueless about the situation.
Of course, Kalakin also lacked etheric sensitivity, but he made up for it with superhuman instincts and an array of tools that more than compensated for it.
"Dmitri."
"Oh, Kalakin. Have you finally decided to answer me?"
"Shut up."
"…What?"
Dmitri's face twisted in anger.
The truth was, even though Kalakin was a highly regarded soldier, his social status within the Ark wasn't particularly high.
For Dmitri, a noble of the Red Line with an immense sense of pride, it was only natural to take this as an insult.
"How dare you—!"
"Dare? I wonder who here truly doesn't know their place."
"You—!"
"Enough, both of you!"
It was only when Hildegard stepped in that the situation barely managed to settle down.
Then again, even if she hadn't intervened, it likely wouldn't have escalated much further.
No matter how prideful Dmitri was, he wasn't foolish enough to attack Kalakin in the middle of such an important mission.
'…What a mess.'
It felt a little ridiculous to be the one saying that, considering I was one of the people responsible for this mess.
But it wasn't as if I had started this in the first place.
'Hmm.'
I could sense fear in Iris's gaze toward me.
It was only natural.
The ether I had released just moments ago wasn't something that could be dismissed as ordinary—it had been pure malice itself.
And—
Iris wasn't the only one wary of me.
Even Kalakin, who had faced me directly, and Dmitri, too, now regarded me with clear vigilance.
The only oddity was Hildegard, who looked at me with an unreadable expression.
'This is troublesome.'
I had planned to maintain good relations with the playable characters, but now my plans had completely fallen apart.
It was one thing for Hildegard and Dmitri, whom I already knew, but I had barely met Iris and Kalakin, and I was already halfway alienated from them.
'Sigh.'
I shot a sharp glare at the cause of this situation.
'You're going without food for three days. How dare you bare your fangs without permission?'
[Kiit…]
One of the culprits behind this incident, Janus, let out a small whimper that only I could hear.
But I couldn't entirely blame Janus either—because even I hadn't expected it to affect my ether.
'Hmm.'
One likely factor was the absence of 'Esther', who had been controlling my ether until now.
This kind of phenomenon had never happened when 'Esther' was managing it.
'A monster suppressing another monster, huh…'
It was almost laughable in a way.
'And that Moonlight Sword…'
I subtly glanced at the 'Moonlight Sword', now sheathed at Kalakin's waist.
It was undeniably an enticing weapon, but it wasn't something just anyone could use.
More precisely, only those from Kalakin's bloodline could wield it.
'Well, it's more useful to Kalakin than to me anyway.'
After all, I had something even more efficient for neutralizing ether—Experimental Bullet GHOST-157.
There was no need to risk getting close for melee combat.
Looking at the still-dazed investigation team, I spoke.
"Let's move on."
"…Ah, yes!"
The only one to respond was Hildegard.
It couldn't be helped.
That was how oddly tense the atmosphere within the team had become.
'Sigh…'
For some reason, I found myself missing Kurilta today.
* * *
Kalakin absentmindedly ran his fingers over the hilt of the Moonlight Sword, recalling what had happened just moments ago.
He never let go of the hilt, always keeping his hand ready to draw at a moment's notice.
That was how deeply shaken he had been by what had just transpired—even he had felt a chill run down his spine.
'There was definitely malice in it.'
And Kalakin knew exactly what kind of ether carried such malice.
'Specter Types.'
But he couldn't understand it.
Carl Marcus was human.
So how could a human possibly wield Specter Type ether?
'…Impossible.'
He already knew that Carl Marcus was ether-compatible.
But manipulating Specter Type ether was something far beyond the realm of ordinary compatibility—it was outright unnatural.
Even Kalakin himself couldn't comprehend it.
'What in the world is he?'
He had heard before joining the investigation team that Carl Marcus was a man full of secrets.
But even taking that into account, everything about him felt alien.
'I need to keep an eye on him.'
Kalakin's gaze fixated on Carl Marcus's back as they moved forward.
* * *
["What? What's going on? Why is the atmosphere so tense here?"]
Just as Esther's words suggested, when she returned, the investigation team was enveloped in a chilling stillness.
'Forget that. Did you do what I asked?'
["Yes. I made sure they followed us without being noticed."]
'Well done.'
["No, but seriously, what's going on here? Did you guys fight or something?"]
Flinch—
["…Wow. You really fought? How old are you people, brawling out here like kids?"]
…She had an uncanny sense for these things.
No, wait—wasn't she technically a ghost?
'It's nothing like that.'
["Nothing, my ass. Just look at them—they're awkwardly tiptoeing around like someone got into a full-blown brawl. Tsk, tsk."]
Watching her click her tongue like some grizzled old sage in that tiny form of hers made my stomach churn.
'Ugh…'
I missed it.
Kurilta's straightforwardness.
["But seriously, why did you have that bag of bones follow us? Planning to ditch everyone and escape alone if things go south?"]
'…No.'
["Oh, come on. You just had a fight. The moment the beasts swarm, you're totally gonna leave them behind and run, aren't you?"]
'I have no such intention.'
["You sure?"]
'…Positive.'
["Really?"]
'…'
Honestly, I wouldn't have minded ditching a few of them here.
But considering the future of Ark, that wasn't an option.
More than that, my role here wasn't just to complete this mission unscathed.
In fact, since I already knew the true purpose of this mission, my focus needed to be elsewhere.
["Master! Over there!"]
'Right on time.'
Beyond the horizon, a sizable horde of beasts was on the move.
The wave hadn't fully begun yet, but it was obvious where that horde was headed.
"...Over there!"
At last, the investigation team spotted the incoming beasts and crouched low.
They moved just as they had been trained in Ark.
"What should we do?"
As if on cue, Hildegard and the others all turned to me.
Like it or not, they were leaving the decision in my hands.
In that case, I had no choice but to live up to their expectations.
"We don't run from the beasts."
"What?"
"Huh?"
"..."
A flurry of different reactions erupted at once.
But perhaps due to the earlier incident, the team hesitated briefly before Hildegard spoke up on their behalf.
"...Why? If we can avoid them, wouldn't that be better?"
"In peacetime, sure. But you all know a wave is coming, right?"
"That's exactly why we should—"
"Those beasts will attack Ark in the next wave. Are you planning to just let that happen?"
Hildegard shut her mouth.
"...But we have a mission to complete."
"I know that. But you also know that Ark's safety is more important than any mission."
I continued speaking.
"Of course, I'm only here to guide you—I have no intention of leading this team. But keep this in mind. Every spot you leave empty on the front lines of Ark… will be filled by someone else's blood."
"..."
To be perfectly honest, this mission wasn't that important to me.
I already knew the outcome.
My real objective was to use our position outside Ark to disrupt the wave and give this team some actual battle experience.
The stronger they become; the fewer casualties Ark will suffer.
Even if they had to struggle a little now, it would be worth it.
"Carl Marcus."
The one who spoke up was none other than Kalakin.
"What is it?"
"Is that really all there is to it?"
His gaze bore into me as if trying to see through my very soul.
"Yeah. That's all."
"...Understood."
"Kalakin!"
Dmitri shouted, but Kalakin paid him no mind as he spoke again.
"You do as you please. But I'll follow Carl Marcus's plan."
With that, Kalakin firmly gripped his weapon—an Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle.
It had clearly been upgraded.
Since the Moonlight Sword was a close-combat weapon specialized for dealing with ether-based or specter type entities, choosing a firearm made sense.
'Not bad.'
I remembered how much effort it took for me to upgrade mine.
'Still, mine's better.'
Not to brag, but my Ark-15 had been enhanced three times by none other than Maybell Pilgrim.
["...What are you grinning about?"]
'Nothing.'
As Kalakin rose to his feet, Iris followed suit.
"...Iris?"
"Ha. Damn it."
Then Dmitri.
And lastly, Hildegard.
"Hey, barbarian."
"Speak."
"I hope your choice was the right one."
"Just don't slow me down."
Dmitri's face turned red, no doubt remembering their previous scuffle.
"You—!"
"Save it. Eyes forward."
"What?"
True to my words, the beast horde had already closed the distance.
It wasn't like we'd been hiding or anything—of course they noticed us.
"They're coming!"
With Hildegard's shout, the beasts lunged toward us.
[KIEEEEKKK!]
[KRIK, KRIK KRIK!]
[KYAAOOO!]
'Time to suffer a little, you bastards.'
* * *
Before assembling the investigation team, Lieutenant Colonel Banol had secretly summoned Kalakin and given him a task.
'Keep a close eye on Carl Marcus. If you notice anything suspicious, report it immediately.'
Kalakin understood what that meant.
It was possible that Carl Marcus was a spy—whether for Kronos or some other faction.
But now, watching Carl Marcus in action, something about his behavior was undeniably strange.
'…For the sake of Ark?'
At first, Kalakin had suspected this was just a ploy to use the chaos as an opportunity to wipe out the investigation team.
Otherwise, why else would he risk engaging in such an unnecessary battle with the beasts while on a critical mission?
But as he watched Carl Marcus take the vanguard position, facing the incoming beasts without hesitation—Kalakin was forced to reconsider.
'…What the hell is he?'
His thoughts grew increasingly tangled.