With Horus and the Turncoat Knight formally joining the fray, the Turncoat Rook and I stopped our frantic evasive maneuvers and began reforming our formation.
At a glance, it seemed as though our numbers had only grown from two to four, but from a tactical perspective, it was the difference between heaven and earth.
"...Ho."
The Turncoat Rook chuckled in amusement at Horus and the Turncoat Knight's arrival.
As mentioned before, there was bad blood between the Turncoat Rook and the Turncoat Knight.
Long ago, the Turncoat Knight had nearly been devoured by the Turncoat Rook — not figuratively, but quite literally.
"..."
Thus, the Turncoat Knight did not seem entirely pleased about the Rook's presence, though he didn't openly show it.
After all, whether they liked it or not, they were now in the same boat.
"Hmm… Looks like you're finally ready to accept me as kin?"
["..."]
The Turncoat Knight gave no reply.
Instead, he unleashed a storm of bone spikes toward the approaching monsters.
Fwwsshh—!
Like a porcupine flaring its quills, the scattered bone spikes pierced the wings of the flying beasts.
Though the raw destructive power wasn't massive, the sheer spread made them devastating against the winged types.
"Tch, so prickly."
Not to be outdone, the Turncoat Rook conjured massive bone axes and hurled them fiercely.
Vuuuum—!
As I already knew, even though they were both Turncoats, their use of abilities differed greatly.
They had survived in very different environments, so naturally, their fighting styles evolved differently.
The Turncoat Rook and the Turncoat Knight.
Now, powered further by Janus, they had surpassed even Grade-1 Named monsters.
'Of course, they're still nowhere near the level of a Region Master.'
"Transcendent class."
Region Masters and beings like the Turncoat King could not be easily measured by normal means.
It was precisely why, even knowing the locations of those monsters, I didn't dare approach them recklessly.
'Messing with them without a plan could plunge the Ark into catastrophe.'
Of course, that didn't mean I intended to leave them be forever.
If the Region Masters made a move toward the Ark, it would spell disaster, and I intended to strike them down before that could happen.
That's why I was gathering powerful assets like the Turncoat Rook and Turncoat Knight now.
'But that's a problem for later.'
While the Turncoats rained down attacks, I mounted Horus and folded Wings of Ankelenth.
Soon, the Turncoat Rook and the Turncoat Knight naturally took positions at my sides.
'Solid.'
To think I now had two of the most infamous Turncoats among Defense users serving as my escort...
At this rate, I could unleash my firepower without a care.
['Rift Space' has been activated.]
I reached into the [Rift Space] and pulled out the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun and the CRN-842 Hemp Rocket Launcher.
Among the weapons I possessed, these two offered the most devastating sustained firepower.
"...Hmm?"
The Turncoat Rook blinked in surprise.
"...What's that?"
"Think of it as a sort of warehouse."
"Oho... Looks pretty damn convenient."
Ordinarily, revealing this to a Turncoat would've been a huge mistake.
But it no longer mattered.
For all practical purposes, the Turncoat Rook was now one of my own.
"Don't tell anyone."
"Why? It seems like it would be pretty useful."
"The more hidden cards you have, the better."
"Hmm… fair enough."
The Turncoat Rook nodded easily.
Unaware that he had already been completely bound by Janus's will.
["Master! Incoming!"]
"I see them."
Still astride Horus, I readied the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun in one hand and the CRN-842 Hemp Rocket Launcher in the other.
Sssss──!
Bone tendrils extended from Janus, fusing the NOA-31 to my left arm.
Handling such a heavy weapon one-handed would normally be impossible — this made it feasible.
'Same for the other hand.'
Another set of tendrils tied the CRN-842 to my right arm.
Thus armed, I was ready to fire the rocket launcher like a sidearm.
Preparation complete.
All that remained was the hunt.
Click─
I pulled both triggers at once.
RATATATATATATA!────
Fwshooom! Fwoom!
Beams from the machine gun and rockets from the launcher tore through the air, blasting apart the flying monsters.
BOOOOOM───!
Massive explosions bloomed in the sky.
Hundreds of rounds ripped through the chaos, turning the battlefield into a flaming inferno.
Ordinarily, it would've been impossible to concentrate fire this way.
The sheer numbers of monsters would've overwhelmed me instantly.
But not now.
I had not one, not two, but three mighty defenders holding the line around me.
[KROOOOHHH!]
"Where do you think you're going?"
Bone spikes erupted from the Turncoat Rook's body, skewering a cluster of Grade-6 flying beasts.
Creatures that powerful couldn't even resist.
"Protect... kin."
The Turncoat Knight swung a long, whip-like bone weapon, ripping the wings from more monsters.
'Efficient.'
Before, even atop Horus, it was difficult to maintain focused fire due to the constant harassment.
Now, things were different.
Thanks to my Turncoat escorts, I could unleash hell without restraint.
Of course, even the Turncoat Rook and Turncoat Knight couldn't stop the entire wave alone.
But I had more defenses left.
[Kiheeeet───!]
With a shrill cry, Horus released a devastating sonic shockwave.
The monsters recoiled instinctively — recognizing a predator's roar.
And that wasn't all.
["Where do you think you're going, you bastards!"]
With Esther's fierce cry, Ether energy erupted across the field.
[You dare…]
[Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out.]
[STAY AWAY────!]
An imperfect Ether barrier formed by Esther successfully stalled the monsters, and Janus seized the opportunity.
[Screek!]
Bone spikes erupted from Janus's body, striking down the immobilized creatures.
Fwwsshh!
Fwwsshhh-fwwsshh──!
Already restrained by Ether, the monsters couldn't resist.
The battle was utterly one-sided.
Even if it was just the vanguard, with the Turncoats holding the formation, the monsters fell from the sky like rain.
And it wasn't just the sky we attacked.
With fire concentrated overhead, I had enough breathing room to direct part of my firepower at the ground forces too.
RATATATATATA!────
BOOM-BOOM!
The battle raged on.
A brutally one-sided slaughter.
* * *
Meanwhile, on the Navy Line front—
Despite her new title as the Commander of Navy Line's defenses, Tatiana Belov fought on the frontlines herself, wielding an R-1 Plasma Sword.
SWISH──!
[Kaaaaaah!]
Her lieutenants and officers repeatedly tried to pull her back, but Tatiana refused.
She needed a way to vent the boiling anger inside her.
「"From today, you are my successor, Tatiana."」
Not long after Ivan Belov's downfall, Tatiana became the heir of the Belov family.
Replacing the stain left behind by Ivan's disgrace.
At first, she didn't want it.
But Carl Marcus' words had seized her heart.
She accepted her fate to gain true freedom.
Since then, everything had changed.
Tatiana had become the Belov heir, tasked with defending the Navy Line.
Ivan Belov — once her proud brother — had become a ruined man.
「"Hee... Heeheh..."」
It was a sight even Tatiana hadn't expected.
She had only wanted freedom.
Instead, what came was tragedy.
「"Ivan..."」
Now addicted to some street drug, Ivan was locked away in a wing of the Belov estate.
Seeing him like that tore Tatiana apart.
Before the burden of inheritance, Ivan had been a good brother.
He had simply failed to live up to Anton Belov's impossible standards.
As she lived the life of a Belov heir, Tatiana realized something.
The burden Ivan had carried all along had been too heavy.
"..."
Tatiana swung the R-1 Plasma Sword without hesitation, cutting down beasts left and right.
The R-1, flawed as it was in energy efficiency and durability, sputtered out frequently.
But she simply drew another from her waist and kept fighting.
[KAAAAAH───!]
[Guh, guhhh...!]
Gazing toward the Navy Line's battered front, Tatiana saw the monster horde approaching like a wall of storm clouds.
Yet she didn't flinch.
Instead, her thoughts drifted toward two particular beings she might someday encounter beyond the horizon.
"...The Turncoats."
The Turncoat Pawn and the Turncoat Knight.
The ones who had ruined Ivan Belov.
Was it hatred she felt? Or something else?
Tatiana didn't know.
But she did know one thing.
"One day... I will kill them."
Gripping her R-1 Plasma Sword tighter, Tatiana vowed.
One day, she would kill the Turncoats.