Even Kalakin, who had maintained his composure all this time, couldn't hide his shock this time.
"…What did you just say?"
"Depart. There's no time."
If they hesitated any longer, the survey team would be swept away by the horde of beasts before they even reached the canyon.
No, to be honest, it was already dangerously close to happening.
"That's… Understood."
Kalakin, well aware of the situation, didn't argue further and moved immediately.
A swift decision, fitting for Kalakin.
"Let's go."
"Kalakin! Are you really okay with this?"
At Hildegard's cry, Kalakin turned back without hesitation.
"It's the tactical director's decision. This isn't for us to debate."
"But..."
"And… We'd only be in the way if we stayed."
"What?"
"We leave now."
As Kalakin departed, he shot me a brief glance before heading off.
"Barbarian… Don't die."
"Be careful!"
"...."
Dmitri, Hildegard, and even Iris followed after Kalakin.
["Left all alone, huh?"]
'This is more convenient.'
["Heh."]
To be honest, about half of what I had said earlier was just an excuse.
Was there really a need to fight off the horde of beasts just to escort a mere survey team to a split cliff?
And yet, the reason I insisted on staying behind to deal with the beasts was none other than the wave.
'It'd be best to thin their numbers a bit here.'
Considering the battle just now, I wouldn't be able to perform at full capacity while with the survey team.
I'd have to be mindful of my bullet count, and Janus—who accounted for nearly half of my combat power—was effectively sealed.
'Besides, this is a chance for the survey team to gain experience away from my protection.'
Even if I held the beasts back here, the road through the canyon to the cliff wouldn't be easy.
They would inevitably face more hordes along the way, and they'd have to handle them on their own, without my help.
'They'll feel the difference firsthand.'
Of course, if I thought the situation was truly dangerous, I would have followed.
But from my perspective, it wasn't that bad.
Just the right level of difficulty for the Chronos survey team to barely scrape through.
For me, it was a win-win—I could handle the wave while also ensuring that the key figures of Ark stumbled their way to the cliff.
["Why go through all this trouble…?"]
'Because it needs to be done.'
And besides, it wasn't like I was the only one struggling here.
'They're going to have a much harder time than me anyway.'
Though the number of beasts I faced couldn't even be compared to theirs, the situations we were in were vastly different.
["That part I can appreciate."]
Esther grinned slyly.
She had already foreseen the hardships awaiting the survey team.
["Oh, but aren't you going to call Bonehead?"]
'Not yet. No need for that.'
More than anything, considering the distance to the survey team, the moment I took to the skies on Horus, I'd risk exposing myself to them.
If they saw someone riding a flying beast, soaring through the sky while bombarding the battlefield with plasma beams and explosives, what would they think?
'It'd be as good as admitting I'm the Turncoat Pawn.'
So, I stood my ground before the advancing horde of beasts.
Compared to the one the survey team had faced earlier; this army was incomparably greater in both quantity and quality.
Still, I had no intention of retreating.
[Grrrrrrrrroooaaaaaaaaar—!!!!]
With the roar of a monstrous beast, its size as massive as a house, the darkness spread as the horde surged toward me.
* * *
"Are you really okay with this?"
At Hildegard's words, dripping with concern, Kalakin gave a short reply.
"Maybe."
"…So, you're not sure."
Hildegard clenched her teeth.
She understood why Kalakin was saying this and why Carl Marcus had made such an unbelievable choice.
'Because of us…'
Kalakin knew Carl Marcus was throwing himself into danger, yet he followed his decision.
Because he knew it was the best choice.
Carl Marcus was sacrificing himself to buy time for the survey team to escape.
Otherwise, they would all be slaughtered.
Everyone here carried that burden—his sacrifice, and their own resolve to accept it.
That was why Hildegard struggled to endure the crushing helplessness pressing down on her.
"..."
It wasn't the first time she had been powerless.
Ark had always been tormented by enormous threats, and within it, Hildegard had been a small, insignificant existence.
However—
That didn't mean she could just stand by and watch.
"…No. We have to go back."
"You're mistaken."
At Kalakin's words, Hildegard turned to him with a puzzled expression.
"The ones in danger… are us."
"What? What are you talking abou—"
"Look."
Following Kalakin's gesture, Hildegard's gaze shifted.
And then, she saw them.
A horde of beasts.
Their numbers were fewer than the ones they had faced before, but that didn't mean they could be ignored.
"That's…"
"Prepare for battle."
At Kalakin's curt command, Dmitri muttered in frustration.
"Dammit… My wounds haven't even healed yet."
Hildegard, who had been frozen in place, let out a strained chuckle.
"…Keep whining, and this time you might lose something for real."
"I know that."
As Dmitri and Hildegard bickered as usual, Kalakin's expression remained grave.
'…This won't be easy.'
He knew.
In the last battle, Carl Marcus's presence had been immense.
And now, after exhausting much of their ammunition against the previous horde, the survey team could no longer rely on ranged suppression like they did in Ark.
That meant—this fight would inevitably become a close-quarters battle.
"Everyone, get ready."
With Kalakin's words, tension spread through the once-rowdy survey team.
"Iris."
"…Yes."
"I might need to ask too much of you."
At Kalakin's words, Iris nodded with determined eyes.
"I understand."
As if in response, ether began to stir around her.
[Want me to help?]
[Help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help, help…]
Seeing this, Kalakin stepped forward.
"Then… let's do this."
He attached the Moonlight Blade to the lower part of his Ark-15 automatic rifle.
The Moonlight Blade cuts through magic.
Normally, he would have used a Smell Workshop knife, but choosing this meant he viewed the situation as that serious.
"…No other choice, huh."
But it wasn't just Kalakin who had steeled his resolve.
Hildegard, now locking eyes with the approaching beasts, quietly shut her eyes.
And then—blood tears began to trail down her cheeks.
"Hey, you—!"
Dmitri, alarmed, started to say something, but Hildegard, eyes still closed, pressed a finger to her lips.
"Quiet."
Her Insight surged into overdrive, analyzing everything in the vicinity.
The total number of beasts.
Their positions.
Their types, strengths, weaknesses…
With all of that processed, Hildegard slowly opened her eyes.
"I'll relay the information."
And then—she began detailing everything about the battlefield.
* * *
["Behind!"]
"You block it!"
["I said that because I don't want to!"]
Even as she said that, Esther swiftly ensnared the demonic beasts lunging at me from behind.
[Kiheeek!]
Immediately after, the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher unleashed a blinding flash at the immobilized beasts.
The plasma beam not only pierced through the throat of the first beast in an instant but also impaled the ones behind it in succession.
It was as if the demonic creatures had been skewered on a massive pillar of light.
Even as my eyes were momentarily drawn to the spectacle, the beasts continued to attack relentlessly from all directions.
But even if I had no eyes in the back of my head, Janus did.
[Kigik!]
The bone tendrils erupting from my back instantly skewered the approaching creatures.
[Kueek!]
[Kkiik!]
Having consumed the blood and flesh of countless demonic beasts and monsters, Janus' power had now surpassed even mid-tier Grade-1 monsters.
Creatures below Grade-6 had no chance against us.
Thunk!
Pupupuk─!
The bone tendrils that had impaled the beasts absorbed their flesh and bones.
The creatures struggled in vain, but before long, their bodies, drained of all fluids, collapsed like desiccated mummies.
As Janus' power grew, so did its hunger.
Shaaak─!
Demonic beasts attacking from a distance fired venomous projectiles.
But their poison couldn't penetrate the Sky Whale Cloak that I was wearing.
As expected of its composition, such weak attacks were completely ineffective.
If things continued like this, we would clear them without much trouble. Unfortunately, there was one critical problem.
The BLT-47 Plasma Launcher.
Ssssshhhhh...
'It's getting hot.'
Judging by the heat at my fingertips, it was clear that I couldn't keep using the BLT-47 any longer.
It needed time to cool down.
'As expected, its endurance is garbage.'
The only reason it had lasted this long was because Maybell Pilgrim had upgraded it.
Without her modifications, it would've overheated and turned into scrap long ago.
Since I couldn't afford to push it any further, I reached for my other primary weapon—the Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle.
Clack-
I switched the Ark-15 to shotgun mode and pulled the trigger at the incoming beasts.
BANG────!!!
At this close range, using A-985 Explosive Rounds was too risky.
I had no choice but to rely on standard rounds to keep the creatures at bay.
'Not enough firepower.'
With no other choice, I had to turn to Esther for help—whether she liked it or not.
'Push them back for a moment.'
["Ugh, I told you I'm exhausted! You keep working me like this without even feeding me!"]
'As if you even need to eat.'
["Ugh... Fine."]
Ether rippled violently.
[Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push. Push.]
[Get lost...]
[Stay awayyyyy────!!!]
Ether surged, combining with the power of Esther, a former Grade-1 specter, releasing an overwhelming force.
KUUUUUUUUUUUUUNG────!!!!
As the ether storm radiated outward from me, I swapped my magazine for A-985 Explosive Rounds.
KABOOM!!!
The muzzle spewed fire, and the heads of the surrounding beasts burst apart one by one.
[Kyaaaak!]
[Kkiiieeek!]
Enemies, enemies everywhere.
But there was nothing to fear.
'Janus!'
[Kigik!]
Bone tendrils erupted from Janus' body, spreading like a hedgehog's spines in all directions.
Pabak!
Pababababak─!
But it didn't last long.
Even after using A-985 Explosive Rounds, the distance I had created with the ether burst was closing again.
"Tsk."
Just as expected—not enough firepower.
When I had the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher, it was fine.
But in a situation like this, surrounded from all sides, the Ark-15 alone wasn't enough to turn the tide.
If I let myself get completely trapped, things could get very dangerous.
There was only one choice.
'No need to hold back.'
Without hesitation, I pressed the button on my Z-74 jetpack.
With a roar of flames, the jetpack sent me soaring into the sky.
The demonic beasts surrounding me could do nothing but stare up at me like dogs chasing after a bird.
[Kiek!]
[Kaaaaak!]
I hadn't been able to bring heavy weapons like the NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun or the TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher, but I had plenty of alternatives.
I pulled the trigger on the NO-13 grenade launcher mounted beneath my Ark-15.
"Eat this."
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
Not too fast, not too slow.
Death rained down from above.