I gazed up at the dreary, darkened sky.
The massing black clouds could easily be mistaken for an approaching storm, but what was coming wasn't something so trivial.
The Wave.
It was now the 14th disaster faced by the Ark.
This Wave wasn't a boss stage with a territory master like The Rotting Body, Opacum nor was it a multiple Wave occurrence where several Waves overlapped.
Even so, it couldn't be taken lightly — this was, by far, the strongest among all the standard Waves I had experienced.
["...Seriously, there are just so many."]
"Yeah, no kidding."
"Huh? What's no kidding?"
With Esther hidden, the Turncoat Rook gave me a strange look.
"I was talking with Esther."
"Ah."
Only then did the Turncoat Rook nod as if he understood.
"Still sneakily lurking around, huh, Esther?"
["Shut up."]
Esther materialized, sticking out her tongue.
"And your attitude's just as nasty."
["None of your business."]
While Esther and the Turncoat Rook bickered, I kept my eyes fixed beyond the horizon outside the Ark.
Beyond the edge of sight, the frontlines of the oncoming war gathered.
From the Orange Line stages onward, monsters and beasts capable of long-range attacks had started to appear in earnest.
I had encountered some of them during the multiple Wave incident, but I hadn't faced them properly, having left early for other matters.
But now, it was different.
This time, I would have to face the 14th Wave head-on — without tactical nuclear weapons.
And this Wave would be unlike anything before.
'Let's go.'
There was no need to worry.
The Wave might be different — but so was I.
For one, I was no longer alone.
"Let's move."
"Understood."
The Turncoat Rook naturally followed behind me, not even realizing how strange it was.
"Janus."
At my call, Janus's mouth stretched wide open at my chest.
[Screeeeeeech────!]
With a tremendous roar, the sky itself seemed to tremble.
I had summoned Horus.
"...Impressive."
"Don't be surprised just yet."
Leaving the amazed Turncoat Rook behind, I stepped forward and unfurled Wings of Ankelenth.
Since the Z-74 Jetpack hadn't been repaired yet, my mobility would be slightly compromised, but this would still be enough to reach the battlefield.
"Wings, huh... Somehow, it feels like I could do it too."
"Then try."
"Gladly."
Fshhh!
Bone tendrils gathered on the Turncoat Rook's back, soon forming wings made of bone.
It was an ability transmitted through Janus — just like it had been with the Turncoat Knight.
Though his bone wings were smaller and cruder than Wings of Ankelenth, they seemed adequate for flight.
It wasn't something the Turncoat Rook could have achieved alone.
"It's a gift."
"A gift?"
"Yeah. We're family now, aren't we?"
"When... No, wait, during the healing?"
"Exactly."
The Turncoat Rook narrowed his eyes at me.
"...You sure took liberties."
"It's a gift."
Had he not been bound by Janus, the Turncoat Rook would surely have bared his teeth at me by now.
After all, no one would enjoy someone tampering with their body without permission.
But instead, his reaction was calm.
He didn't even realize how unnatural it was.
"Tch... It seems useful enough. I'll make good use of this gift."
"Good."
As expected, everything wrapped up smoothly.
Esther, watching nearby, clicked her tongue in disbelief.
["He's shameless..."]
'Just don't mention this to anyone in the Shadow Order or Isabel.'
If Esther ever blabbed that I had enslaved the Turncoat Rook, it would create a massive headache.
["Am I crazy? If you die, I die too, remember?"]
'Good point.'
["But seriously, Master... What did you do to Rook? That stubborn mule's acting all obedient now."]
'We just became closer, that's all.'
Even if that closeness had been very one-sided.
["Closer, my ass..."]
Esther shook her head in exasperation.
"Then... let's move."
As I gave a rough flap of Wings of Ankelenth, the Turncoat Rook followed suit.
Though his bone wings were inferior, he gritted his teeth and flapped them powerfully.
Whoooosh──!
Each beat of the wings carried us swiftly across the landscape.
Soon, we reached a point that could be considered the border of the frontline and stopped.
Bzzzzz...
Clack, clack, clack──
I drew out the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle, switching it to railgun mode.
As always, this was the perfect way to herald the start of a real battlefield.
Ooooooooo───
From beyond the horizon, a deathly horde surged toward the Ark.
This was the grim reality I would keep facing as long as I lived in this cursed world.
And I intended to shatter that reality with my own hands.
Clack─
I pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Swaaaaaaa────!
A railgun round shot out faster than sound itself, streaking toward the approaching black clouds.
It was like a lone ray of light piercing through darkness.
Except, unlike sacred light, the beam I fired was meant to pierce through blood and flesh — not just darkness.
KABOOM KABOOM KABOOM KABOOM───!
The beam ripped through the flesh and blood of the monster horde.
[You have slain Grade-8 Insectoid, Giant Fly.]
[Damage against Grade-8 Insectoid, Giant Fly increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain Grade-6 Insectoid, Red-Eyed Giant Dragonfly.]
[Damage against Grade-6 Insectoid, Red-Eyed Giant Dragonfly increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain Grade-6 Aerial Beast, Green-Feathered Harpy Warrior.]
[Damage against Grade-6 Aerial Beast, Green-Feathered Harpy Warrior increases by 0.05%.]
.
.
.
[You have slain Grade-10 Aerial Beast, Red-Beaked Sparrow.]
[Damage against Grade-10 Aerial Beast, Red-Beaked Sparrow increases by 0.05%.]
Fragments of monsters and beasts rained down from the sky.
But I didn't plan to stop the long-range attack yet.
'They're coming.'
The monster horde beyond stirred violently, enraged by the preemptive strike.
Rumble───
Just watching them could make an ordinary person crumble into terror and despair.
But I wouldn't falter.
This was my duty.
[SCREEEEEECH!────]
[KIIEEEEK, KIEEEEK!]
The shrieks of monsters echoed like thunder.
Their vanguard closed in.
'Persistent bastards.'
I slung the Ark-34 over my shoulder and drew new weapons from my arsenal.
The BLT-47 Plasma Launcher and the ICE-54 Plasma Cooler.
They were practically extensions of my own arms now.
BZZZZZT!────
The BLT-47 Plasma Launcher and the ICE-54 Plasma Cooler unleashed waves of destructive light and freezing cold simultaneously.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Flashes of light and bursts of ice swept over the vanguard, incinerating and freezing them alike.
Although I wasn't using the two weapons at maximum efficiency, it was more than enough for these fodder units.
'The freeze-burn combo takes too much time. Not suited for hordes.'
In other words, no need to bring a cannon to a chicken fight — especially when there were mountains of chickens coming.
Even as I thought, the devastation continued, carving swaths through the enemy ranks.
It was powerful.
But the overwhelming size of the monster horde could easily make one question whether any of it mattered.
"...Incredible."
The Turncoat Rook, standing silently beside me, murmured in awe.
For a monster branded a Turncoat to react that way said enough about the scale of firepower I had unleashed.
"Carl Marcus, why didn't you use those weapons when we fought?"
"There was no need."
The Turncoat Rook's expression twisted slightly.
It might have bruised his pride — but there was no need to worry.
"...Yeah. Guess a loser like me has no right to complain."
Just as expected, the Turncoat Rook accepted it readily.
Even if I said it, the power of subjugation was far stronger than anticipated.
'The ability to deceive even free will... if only I could use it against beings beyond Turncoats.'
Currently, Janus could only enslave monsters related to bone symbiosis.
Had it been usable on humans or other monsters, the potential would have been vast.
'Well, no helping it.'
The slaughter continued.
Each swing of my arms unleashed bursts of plasma and cold, mowing down wave after wave of monsters.