The violet flame that bloomed from Lania's fingertips was tiny.
So small, in fact, that one would wonder if it could even burn anything at all.
Yet, it was enough to make anyone watching feel a deep, inexplicable unease.
"What… is that?"
Beasts fear flame.
And as if to prove that truth, the threat emanating from Brigadier General Caesar, who was closer to a beast than man, came to a halt.
"We should talk, right?"
"…Hmm."
"Good. You're quite obedient."
As Lania smiled and extinguished the violet flame, the icy atmosphere began to thaw.
"..."
"..."
Silence fell for a moment.
Though Brigadier General Caesar still hadn't taken his eyes off me, he could no longer maintain his previous intimidating posture.
That violet flame Lania had shown was threatening in anyone's eyes.
"Time is short, so let me be direct. General Caesar, please return to your seat."
"..."
Caesar didn't reply but quietly sat down.
His expression still showed clear discontent, but he no longer radiated the same oppressive presence.
"Indeed, Carl Marcus's proposal is a bold one. That's why, in times like these, it's all the more necessary."
"…Councilman?"
"You don't mean…"
Ganesha Tripathi's words caused murmurs among Rose Line's leadership.
"I propose the Kronos Union take full control of the front line from Rose-15 Gate to Rose-35 Gate."
At that, the mayor of Rose Line and several officers visibly flinched.
Such a statement meant Ark was willing to shoulder a significant risk by handing over an entire front line.
Diallo, too, was visibly surprised.
"…Are you serious?"
"Yes. This also demonstrates the level of trust Ark and Rose Line have in the Kronos Union. After all… we're friends now."
"Heh…"
Diallo glanced around with an expression that seemed as if he had just taken a hit.
"Ark is placing significant trust in the Kronos Union by taking on this burden. I suppose we should respond in kind."
"I agree."
Lania was the first to nod.
At first glance, she didn't seem to fit in such a formal gathering, but that was merely Rose Line's perception.
Among the Kronos Union, no one could ignore Lania's words.
"…In that case, I also agree."
With Julius voicing his approval, it didn't take long for the others to follow.
"I concur."
"So do I."
"…I'm against it. The risk is too great, no matter how we spin it."
"You're not wrong. But Ark is also taking on a massive risk. In times like this, we help each other."
A few members of the Kronos Union voiced dissent, but the momentum was already decided.
"It seems the decision has been made."
Diallo nodded.
"The Kronos Union will accept the proposal."
As Diallo accepted on behalf of the union, Ganesha Tripathi stepped forward to shake his hand.
"It must've been a heavy request. Thank you for accepting it."
"Not at all. We understand that Ark has taken on a heavy burden with this as well. But there's no need to worry—our warriors don't turn their backs to the enemy."
"That's reassuring."
Ganesha Tripathi and Diallo concluded the negotiation on behalf of their respective sides.
Of course, everyone present knew.
They all sensed the underlying tension behind this agreement.
'Tsk.'
Still, no one spoke of it aloud.
There was simply no room to worry about such things with the harsh reality bearing down on them.
"Well then, let's be on our way. Time is short."
"Ah, yes. Of course."
The negotiations were over.
What remained now was for Rose Line and the Kronos Union to prepare for the approaching disaster.
"Thank you all for your efforts."
"You too, Councilman."
"Haha, not at all."
One by one, the leaders of Rose Line and the Kronos Union exchanged courtesies and rose from their seats.
As I stood to follow, Diallo, who had already risen, called to me from the side.
"Carl Marcus."
"What is it?"
"Thanks to you, the talks ended well. If not for you, things would have dragged on."
"The outcome was already set."
"True, but it's also true that Ark could have made a different offer."
Indeed, if not for my suggestion, Rose Line and the Kronos Union would've had to carry out an uncomfortable joint operation, just as General Caesar had warned.
A dangerous plan for both Ark and the Kronos Union.
"And more than that, it mattered that you were the one who proposed it. If someone from our side had suggested it, we might've been suspected of ulterior motives."
"I'm not entirely from Ark's side either."
Technically, I was closer to Ark, but Ark's people would not have seen me that way.
Regardless of everything, I was born among the tribes near Kronos, and I was the brother of Lania Marcus, one of the Kronos Union's core figures.
"You're still not the same as us. And I've heard you've done quite a bit for Ark."
"News travels fast."
"It's not just supplies we get from Ark, you know."
Diallo smiled as he spoke.
It sounded simple, but the fact that he gleaned information from Ark's one-sided aid shipments proved his capabilities.
"You must've served Ark's soldiers some good booze."
"Not just booze."
"I see."
With a laugh, Diallo exited the command post.
I, too, had no more business here, so I followed.
* * *
After the negotiations between Rose Line and the Kronos Union concluded.
Barely had the Kronos Union's leadership exited Ark before the eastern gates of Rose Line began opening, one after another.
A few gates wouldn't be enough to accommodate the entire force of the Kronos Union.
"..."
Sergeant Alex Hope stood quietly atop the wall at Rose-15 Gate, observing the scene.
In all of Rose Line's history, this many gates had never opened simultaneously.
No, there had never been a reason to.
"…So, it's come to this."
His eyes reflected the wide-open gates of Rose Line.
Though the sight might seem majestic to others, Sergeant Alex Hope could not see it that way.
For him, such open gates evoked a very different memory.
「"S-Save us!"」
「"Close the gate! Close it now!"」
「"It's too late… we're all going to die…"」
The fall of the Black Line, long ago.
Alex Hope tried to suppress the memory, but today's scene was enough to forcibly drag that nightmare to the surface.
"..."
He wasn't the only one watching with a grim expression.
As the enormous Kronos Union force—numbering easily in the tens of thousands—began to pour through the gates, the faces of Rose Line's soldiers grew increasingly rigid.
"Is this really going to be okay…?"
Worry was clear in their eyes.
With so many troops entering, Ark's usual strict access procedures had been drastically loosened.
There simply wasn't time to inspect every soldier thoroughly.
"And if something does go wrong, who's taking the fall for this?"
"No idea. The higher-ups, I guess. Cleanup'll be on us, though…"
"Don't be so pessimistic. Thanks to them fighting with us, our chances of survival just got a little better."
"That's if those savages don't stab us in the back, right?"
"You're not wrong."
Even battle-hardened Rose Line soldiers couldn't remain calm in this situation.
The Kronos Union troops appeared more poorly armed and equipped than Ark's, but the intensity in their eyes was no less than that of Rose Line's men.
In fact, a few of them even seemed to surpass them.
"..."
As Sergeant Alex Hope watched quietly, someone approached him—so naturally it was as if they had always been there.
Clad in the same uniform as the rest of Rose Line's soldiers, but not one of them.
There weren't many who could casually step onto the tightly guarded wall like this.
"Alex."
"…What is it?"
"A message from the Order."
At those words, Alex Hope's expression hardened.
* * *
After the negotiations, I briefly visited Yellow Line.
There was someone I needed to see.
"It's been a while."
The person I sought was none other than Kalakin.
Judging by his presence, Kalakin—now a Yellow Line soldier—had grown significantly stronger.
The training I'd given him seemed to have paid off; he was developing far faster than I had originally known him to.
"…Carl Marcus? I heard you went outside Ark. I take it you returned safely."
"Yes."
"What brings you here? Don't tell me… you came to see me?"
"Nothing like that. I came to give you something."
I handed over some gear I'd obtained through the Sandstorm Company.
They were useless to me but would be of great help to Kalakin.
"These are…"
The equipment I handed him wasn't easy to come by in Ark.
Items crafted from beast and monster byproducts were incredibly expensive in Ark's markets.
"They're hard to get here. In time, they might become more available—but they're not cheap."
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"An investment."
"Investment? In me?"
"Yes."
I knew Kalakin well.
Of course I did. Kalakin was my favorite character in The Defense, and the only one who had ever led me to Stage 99.
The One with a Thousand Eyes.
The Dragon Slayer.
The Hope of Ark.
The Great Kalakin.
As the bearer of all those titles, investing in Kalakin was no different from investing in Ark itself.
He was the finest soldier I knew.
"Ah, and pass these along to Clutz, Iris, Hildegarde, and Clint."
I handed over additional equipment for them.
Dmitri was left out for a reason—among the playable characters, he was one of the few born into wealth.
Which meant anything I gave him would likely be inferior to what he already had.
"…Understood."
"Well then, I'll be off. As you know, I'm pretty busy."
"Ah… yes."
Kalakin looked like he had something to say but eventually kept quiet.
"Got something on your mind?"
"…No, it's nothing."
His hesitation caught my attention, but I didn't ask.
There were too many urgent matters to worry about every small thing.
'It's almost time.'
I turned my gaze to the horizon beyond the Yellow Line wall.
The tension rising from beyond the skyline whispered that something was coming to Ark.