The sound of the wind accompanied the sight of monstrous beasts collapsing one by one, prompting Kalakin's sharp gaze to scan his surroundings.
'A suppressor.'
With no gunshots ringing out, it was difficult to determine the direction from which the shots were fired.
Had all the shots come from a single location, Kalakin might have pinpointed the source, but the bullets had been fired from multiple directions.
'Where?'
Among the investigation team, Hildegard was the only one capable of discerning that, but unfortunately, she was currently too occupied fending off the beasts.
'…Could it be Carl Marcus?'
If it were, that would have been ideal, but Kalakin dismissed the possibility.
No matter how skilled Carl Marcus was, he couldn't possibly have fought through or shaken off the horde of monstrous beasts and arrived here in time to provide support.
It wasn't about underestimating Carl Marcus—it was simply a matter of physical impossibility.
'Then…'
Even as Kalakin mulled over various possibilities, the silent gunfire continued, mercilessly picking off the beasts.
[Kyaaak!]
[Ghak!]
Whoever was shooting had the precision of highly trained snipers. The once-terrifying creatures were dropping like flies.
Judging by the sheer power of the bullets, most of the shots had been aimed at vital points.
'…They're not just some nobodies.'
Had these unknown benefactors rescued them with overwhelming firepower, it would have been one thing.
But these shooters weren't even revealing themselves. They were taking down the beasts from long range with only sniper fire.
It was an unsettling situation.
'…I need to regroup with the team.'
Scattered as they were, issuing coordinated commands for whatever came next was impossible.
Unfortunately, even that wasn't an option in their current predicament.
Dmitri and Iris were still struggling in the midst of the enemy forces, completely surrounded by beasts, and Hildegard was barely managing to hold her ground.
"Eek!"
"Ghhk!"
Even with the support from afar, the investigation team was in no position to relax.
Dmitri's reckless actions had already thrown their formation into disarray, making things even worse.
'…No choice, then.'
Kalakin drew the blade of the Moonlight Sword across his own palm.
As his blood seeped onto the blade, the surrounding beasts flinched and instinctively recoiled.
A primal fear.
The Moonlight Sword in Kalakin's grip was making the beasts tremble in terror.
'Now!'
Not missing the opening, Kalakin bolted toward Hildegard first.
"Fall back!"
"Huh? Wh-what?"
Conventional wisdom dictated that melee weapons were inefficient against these creatures.
Yet Kalakin, wielding the Moonlight Sword, cut through two beasts in a single strike, as if mocking such logic.
"Break through to where the others are!"
Momentarily dazed by his command, Hildegard quickly steadied her Ark-15 automatic conversion rifle.
"Understood!"
Under normal circumstances, breaking formation like this would have been an unwise decision.
However, with Dmitri's reckless actions already compromising their formation, and the unknown snipers providing unexpected support, Kalakin and Hildegard pressed forward, cutting down the beasts in their path.
[Kehhek!]
[Kyaaaargh!]
The light within the Moonlight Sword began to fade.
As if waiting for that precise moment, the beasts, which had been cowering in fear, snarled and lunged at Kalakin once more.
"Behind you!"
Just as Hildegard's scream rang out, a gust of wind sliced through the air.
A bullet pierced straight into a beast's forehead.
[Ghak…]
Hildegard's gaze instinctively followed the trajectory of the shot.
"…Are they allies?"
"We don't know yet. Did you find their position?"
"I did, but… it's not just one or two."
"Figures."
Kalakin let out a bitter chuckle.
Whoever these snipers were, they had their sights trained on the team.
And yet, from Kalakin's side, there was no way to counterattack—not when they still hadn't figured out their opponents' exact numbers or intentions.
The lives of his team were now hanging by a thread of mere luck.
'…If only Carl Marcus were here.'
The thought startled Kalakin.
Even though he had only known Carl Marcus for a short while, the man had already performed feats beyond belief.
'…I can't afford to rely on anyone else anymore.'
Carl Marcus' survival was still uncertain.
In such a situation, waiting for someone else to save them was not an option.
Gritting his teeth, Kalakin swung the Moonlight Sword once more.
At long last, they managed to reunite with Dmitri and Iris.
"Haa… Haa…"
Dmitri, having fought relentlessly, was now utterly drained.
Iris, who had been supporting him to keep him from collapsing, was in no better shape.
Even in their near-broken state, they clenched their teeth and continued to swing their weapons and pull their triggers.
Who knew how long the battle had raged on?
At last, the final standing beast collapsed, bringing an end to what had felt like an endless fight.
"Is it… over?"
Dmitri, still in disbelief, slumped to the ground.
Iris followed suit.
"I… I think so."
"…Hmph."
"..."
But Kalakin and Hildegard didn't relax.
They were aware of the snipers, still lurking somewhere, watching them.
"Kalakin! Over there!"
"I see them."
Almost as if waiting for the battle to end, figures cloaked in colorful camouflage ponchos emerged before them.
Three in total.
But there was no way that was all of them.
Kalakin eyed the figures that had just saved them and opened his mouth.
"…Who are you?"
"You're not the ones who should be asking questions."
An expected response.
These unknown figures were not friendly.
Moreover, their voices, distorted by their masks, made it impossible to tell their identities—or even their genders.
"Are you from Ark?"
At that question, Iris visibly flinched.
The figure caught the reaction immediately.
"I see. So, it is Ark… What is Ark doing here?"
"..."
Iris' face turned pale.
Though, to be fair, the blame wasn't solely on her.
The investigation team's protective suits clearly belonged to Ark, and few other factions had the resources to deploy a team like this.
Iris' reaction had simply confirmed a logical deduction.
"…Are we obligated to answer?"
"You don't have to. There are plenty of ways to make you talk."
"Is that a threat?"
"Don't be mistaken. You have no choice in this matter, Ark soldier."
That much was true.
Here and now, Kalakin and the investigation team had no control over the situation.
"Since you're from Ark, I'll ask you this. Ah, don't bother with whatever your mission is—I'll hear about that in due time. What I do want to know is…"
The next words made Kalakin doubt his own ears.
"Do you know a man named Carl Marcus?"
* * *
Ziiiiiing—!!!
The BLT-47 plasma launcher swung wildly in all directions.
Though it was originally designed for a different purpose, the searing flashes of plasma now cut through the air like a sword, burning and slicing the beasts around it.
Chwaaaaak—!!!
The heat management was under control.
In other words, this alone was more than enough to clear out the remaining monsters.
[Kieeeeek…!]
[Kraaaaagh!]
Some let out horrifying screams, while others were incinerated before they could make a sound.
This was the sheer power of a plasma weapon without energy restrictions.
["…That's downright brutal."]
Even Esther, a Grade-1 Specter, clicked her tongue in disbelief at the scene.
That was how absurdly overwhelming my firepower was.
[You have slain a Grade-9 Beast-type "Poison Claw Raptor."]
[Damage against Grade-9 Beast-type "Poison Claw Raptor" increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain a Grade-8 Beast-type "Mutated Scale Serpent."]
[Damage against Grade-8 Beast-type "Mutated Scale Serpent" increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain a Grade-10 Insect-type "Diligent Worker Ant."]
[Damage against Grade-10 Insect-type "Diligent Worker Ant" increases by 0.05%.]
.
.
.
[You have slain a Grade-8 Insect-type "Giant Fly."]
[Damage against Grade-8 Insect-type "Giant Fly" increases by 0.05%.]
The BLT-47 Plasma Launcher danced in my grip, sweeping the area with merciless precision.
Relentless. Unstoppable.
Sssssss…
Finally, as the plasma launcher's heat built up again, I realized that there were no more beasts left alive.
["Whew…"]
'That should do it.'
["Should? No, I'd say that was pretty damn thorough."]
Clearing out this many monsters in one go would significantly reduce Ark's burden during the next wave.
For now, we could afford to shift our focus elsewhere.
'Though I'll probably have to clean up again when I get the chance…'
But first, I needed to catch up with the investigation team.
["I've been wondering… Just what are you? Plasma weapons aren't supposed to be fired like that."]
'Not your concern.'
["Come on, we're in this together. Can't you share something?"]
'You're the one who said you'd snitch to the commander.'
["…You're still holding that against me? Damn, you're petty."]
'Good that you know.'
Even as I bantered with Esther, my steps didn't slow.
I would've preferred to fly using the Z-74 jetpack, but unfortunately, it was drained.
Technically, I could still use it, but the power would run out almost instantly, only delaying the inevitable recharge.
'I'd ride Horus if I could… but that's out of the question.'
In the end, I had no choice but to travel on foot again.
Riding Horus for a short distance and then dismounting was an option, but I decided against it. Just in case.
'…Maybe I should buy a hovering bike.'
Considering I already had Horus, that would be a total waste of credits, but right now, it actually seemed like a useful investment.
'I'll think about it if I have extra credits to burn later.'
Sigh…
With no time to rest after the battle, I pressed forward.
Given the distance, I needed to keep moving.
'There shouldn't be any problems… right?'
Before parting ways with the investigation team, I had already checked the situation along the route.
Based on their combat abilities, they should've made it through—barely, but alive.
At least, that's what I thought…
'…What the hell?'
Nothing.
I had reached the canyon's fractured cliff—the location I had told Kalakin about—but there was no trace of the investigation team.
Which meant they had never made it here in the first place.
'They couldn't have been wiped out by monsters.'
If that were the case, I would've seen some kind of evidence along the way.
Instead, all I found were the corpses of beasts and monsters.
'What the hell happened?'
One thing was clear: something had happened to the investigation team.
But what, exactly, was still a mystery.
"Esther."
["…You're not about to tell me to go find them, are you? No way. You wouldn't."]
"Smart."
["…"]
"What are you waiting for? Get moving."
["You're so damn petty…"]
"Interesting way of saying I'll hurry."
["AARGH!"]
With a scream, Esther's form blurred and vanished.
As expected, she was already searching for traces of the investigation team.
'I can't just stand here either.'
As soon as I willed it, Janus responded to my intent, calling for Horus.
If it had been a greater distance, this method wouldn't have worked, but at this range, Janus could summon him just fine.
[Kiiiiiiiiieeeeehhh—!!!]
A massive shadow loomed overhead as a piercing screech echoed through the sky.
Horus, who had been circling above, finally revealed himself.
"Let's go."
[Kiihet!]