"Carl Marcus? Who is that?"
Kalakin hadn't expected to hear that name here, but he forced himself to respond calmly.
There was no way he could reveal his information when he had no idea who this person was or what their intentions were.
"Hmm. Is that so?"
Despite Kalakin's immediate denial, the unidentified figure let out a low chuckle.
"But you see… your comrades seem to think differently."
Only then did Kalakin notice Iris' pale, stricken expression and Dmitri's look of betrayal.
Their reactions were opposite, yet both were enough to confirm that his party and Carl Marcus had some sort of connection.
"You don't seem willing to talk, so for now, you're coming with us."
"…No one can take us anywhere."
"That works too. I don't mind this kind of persuasion."
Click—
With astonishing speed, the muzzle of a gun was suddenly aimed between Kalakin's brows.
It was a Kronos-made anti-materiel sniper rifle, the CRN-444.
While Ark's equipment was generally superior to Kronos' at the same tier, that only applied when comparing gear of the same class.
The CRN-444 before him was in an entirely different league compared to the Ark-15 automatic conversion rifle.
In other words, if the trigger was pulled, Kalakin would definitely die.
"What the hell!"
Hildegard, Dmitri, and Iris immediately pointed their guns at the snipers concealed beneath their camouflaged ponchos.
"Are you coming along? Or are we killing each other here?"
Dmitri spoke up.
"Go to hell."
"You have quite the foul mouth, young master."
Kalakin felt an unsettling sense of unease.
It wasn't just because of the unseen snipers lurking in the shadows.
There was no trace of fear in the man before him, even with gun barrels pointed at him.
As if he had something up his sleeve.
'No way.'
The moment Kalakin tightened his grip on the Moonlight Blade, sensing something off—
[Kik, kikik…]
[Let's play.]
[So fun…!]
[Keeekekek!]
Ether surged from the surroundings, instantly binding Kalakin and the rest of the investigation team.
'An Ether Adept!'
If Kalakin had been free to swing his Moonlight Blade, it would have been one thing, but with a gun barrel pressed against his forehead, he couldn't take such a reckless risk.
No, if that were the only issue, he might have moved anyway—but what truly concerned him were the unseen snipers still lurking nearby.
'Iris?'
With his movements restricted, the only one who could counteract the enemy's Ether was Iris, another Ether Adept.
Kalakin placed his hopes on her, only to abandon them immediately.
He saw the trickle of blood running down her lips.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Don't push yourself. You already look like hell."
The masked figure sneered.
Even if Iris had been in perfect condition, there was no telling whether she could have done anything against Ether of this magnitude.
That was just how massive—and threatening—the Ether binding them was.
"…"
Kalakin clenched his teeth.
It felt like this was all his fault.
'If it were Carl Marcus instead…'
The moment that thought crossed his mind, he was startled.
He, who had never relied on anyone in his life, was now hoping for someone else.
At that moment—
"You cursed bastards…!"
"They call it the Blessing of the Soul over in Ark. Ridiculous, isn't it?"
"Shut up! You bastard!"
Dmitri growled, but a beast already shackled could not even bare its fangs.
Ether moved once more, constricting Dmitri's throat.
"Kuh…! Khhkk!"
Before long, his body went limp.
He wasn't dead—just unconscious.
"Dmitri!"
Iris screamed at the sight, but she too was soon strangled by the masked figure's Ether.
"Kuh…! Khhkk!"
One by one, they fell.
"Stop! We'll come quietly!"
Kalakin gritted his teeth, blood trickling from his lips.
"An arrogant little cat needs a proper hawk to tame it. Take them all. We have a lot to find out."
* * *
[Kieeek!]
As I soared into the sky atop Horus, the vast canyon that had seemed endless now unfolded beneath me in a single sweeping view.
'As expected, nothing.'
Even at this altitude, there was no trace of the investigation team.
Considering the time it would take to physically escape this area, their absence was impossible.
'They haven't had enough time to leave this vicinity. They're still somewhere nearby, that much is certain.'
That left only one possibility.
The investigation team had moved to a location invisible from the sky.
In other words, they had taken shelter in some kind of hiding place.
'But not by choice.'
From their perspective, there was no reason to ignore my instructions and leave the rendezvous point.
And the fact that they hadn't left behind even a single trace meant they had no time to do so.
'No… they didn't even leave any signs of having reached the rendezvous point at the split cliff in the first place.'
That meant the investigation team had been forced to go somewhere else before they could even get there.
Or, they had been killed without leaving behind a single body.
'The latter is unlikely.'
If that were the case, then some traces of them should have been left near the remains of the slain beasts.
But no matter how hard I searched, I found nothing.
I pieced together all the information I had so far.
The vanished investigation team.
The bodies of the beasts that had died in their place.
No visible signs of resistance.
No traces of the team, even from above.
'Some external force intervened.'
And in this area, there was only one group capable of such a thing.
No—considering what the investigation team had come here searching for, it was even more obvious.
'The Kronos Union.'
Strictly speaking, they were better referred to as the remnants of Kronos now, but what mattered was that the team had likely encountered them.
"Tsk."
I hadn't ruled out that possibility entirely, but with the circumstances being what they were, I had no choice but to leave it unchecked—and now, this was the result.
I wasn't sure whether to chalk this up to sheer bad luck or my own inexperience.
'Or maybe this is for the best.'
Given the nature of this mission, I would have had to cross paths with the Kronos Union sooner or later.
If they were coming to me first, then in the grand scheme of things, this wasn't necessarily a bad outcome.
'The fact that Kalakin's group is being held hostage is a bit concerning, but… it's still fine. For now.'
If the Kronos remnants had already reformed into a structured organization, things would be different, but right now, they weren't yet a direct enemy of Ark.
That was precisely why Ark's approach had been so passive—strictly observational.
Which also meant the Kronos remnants wouldn't recklessly harm Ark soldiers like Kalakin's team.
'If the Kronos remnants are anywhere in this region right now… it has to be there.'
Beneath the canyon's split cliffs, countless caves dotted the landscape.
Some of them connected to tunnels within the cliffs themselves, and after losing their homeland, the Kronos remnants had turned those places into temporary shelters.
A place commonly known as the Ant Nest.
'Negotiation will be necessary.'
Of course, the Ant Nest was structured like a labyrinth—once inside, getting out was no easy feat.
But that didn't apply to me, someone who knew every twist and turn of its maze-like tunnels.
'And if push comes to shove, I can just dig my way out with Janus.'
I tightened my grip on Horus' reins.
Then, without hesitation, I steered him downward, diving toward the canyon below.
["I'm here."]
'Did you find them?'
Esther grinned.
["Of course."]
* * *
When Kalakin regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was the cold bite of chains restraining his body.
His protective suit, which had always shielded him, had been stripped away. More than that, his Moonlight Blade and all his equipment were completely gone.
"You're awake?"
Only then did Kalakin shift his gaze to the figure sitting in the darkness across from him.
A familiar voice.
No—rather than the voice itself, it was the resonance of it that felt familiar.
The masked figure before him was someone he knew.
"…You're doing this even though you know we belong to Ark?"
"Surprising. I didn't take you for the type to recklessly throw your weight around just because of your affiliation."
The masked figure chuckled.
"Well, whatever. Why are you here?"
"You think I'll tell you?"
"No, but you don't need to. I can always ask someone else. Which finger do you like best? I was thinking of giving it to you as a gift."
"…"
Kalakin shut his mouth.
The advantage was already lost, and his captor wasn't someone who could be reasoned with.
Saying the wrong thing could very well lead to his teammates' fingers being sent to him as a message.
"You're not talking? Well, I have a pretty good idea. Looks like our movements have been bothering you quite a bit."
With those words, Kalakin finally realized who his captor was.
No—rather, it would be more accurate to say that the masked figure had deliberately revealed it.
"…Kronos remnants."
"Drop the remnants part. We may have abandoned our homeland and fled, but I won't have people like you calling us that."
The masked figure's voice was firm.
"Aren't you curious about what we're doing? Want me to tell you?"
"…"
Kalakin didn't ask.
He knew that the moment he heard it, his chances of surviving would disappear completely.
Still, the masked figure didn't stop speaking in that taunting tone.
"We're going to build a new alliance. The Kronos Union—uniting the ruins of fallen cities under one banner."
"What…?"
Even Kalakin, who rarely lost his composure, couldn't hide his shock.
If the remnants of these destroyed cities were to unite into a single force, they would become an entity that could never be ignored.
No—Ark had deployed an investigation team simply because the Kronos remnants had made a few noticeable moves.
And now, they were talking about forming an entire union?
"I don't care what Ark's mission is. But if you plan to get in our way, we won't sit idly by."
Even Kalakin, who prided himself on his composure, couldn't help but feel tense.
He had to inform Ark.
Something huge was happening.
Which meant he had to survive this, no matter what.
Even if it meant submitting—for now.
"…Why are you looking for Carl Marcus?"
The moment the name Carl Marcus was mentioned, the masked figure, who had held complete control over the conversation until now, subtly reacted.
"Do you need to know that?"
"Maybe we could help you."
"Hah! You were baring your fangs at us just a moment ago, and now you want to help?"
The masked figure sneered.
"Well, I'll tell you one thing. Carl Marcus… he is my—"
But the masked figure never got to finish their sentence.
A sudden, overwhelming tremor shook the ground beneath them.
"…Huh?"
And then—
KRRRAAAAKKK—!!!
With a deafening explosion, the ceiling of the Ant Nest collapsed.