How many times had I pulled the trigger by now?
My finger ached, and my arm felt heavy.
[KAAAAAH────!]
After countless barrages of firepower, I finally stowed the heavy weapons and drew the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher and ICE-54 Plasma Cooler once again.
Zzzzzzz───!
Just as before, annihilating light and biting frost swept across the monster horde.
[Kieeek...]
[Kaaah!]
The Turncoat Rook and the Turncoat Knight unleashed barrages of bone tendrils as they fought on.
Pft!
Pft-pft!
Flying monsters squeezed between the bone tendrils, charging in.
No matter how monstrous their combat stamina was, even the Turncoats couldn't easily deal with this endless flood from all directions.
Before long, the Turncoat Rook and Turncoat Knight were surrounded.
Naturally, I didn't just sit and watch.
I quickly stepped in, unleashing support fire with the BLT-47 and ICE-54.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The battle raged.
The vanguard that once blanketed the sky gradually thinned under our relentless assault.
["...I'm getting sick of this."]
"Couldn't agree more."
Esther voiced what we were all thinking.
Even so, this was only the vanguard.
The main force was still approaching.
Truly a tiresome ordeal.
"...My body feels stiff after all that stretching."
The Turncoat Rook grumbled.
The Turncoat Knight ignored him completely.
Apparently, he had tried to make small talk and was stonewalled.
"Tch, prickly as always."
The Rook laughed it off, unsurprised.
After all, given his past deeds, he probably felt he deserved it.
"No time to stand around."
"Hm? Ah, right."
The Rook agreed quietly.
We didn't have time to waste.
Barely any downtime was given between assaults.
"We'll head down."
Without delay, we descended to the ground.
"Hmm..."
The first thing that greeted us was the endless sea of monster corpses.
Some still twitched, clinging to life, but they were quickly finished off by the Turncoats' bone tendrils.
From here, the task was simple.
"Devour them."
At my command, Janus, Horus, the Turncoat Rook, and the Turncoat Knight began feasting on the remains.
Chomp──
Slurp, slurp!
Hundreds of bone tendrils wriggled, greedily consuming the field of death around us.
Even I, familiar as I was with this grotesque sight, found it unsettling.
If anyone from the Ark were here, they would have fled screaming.
["Our little bone boys sure have healthy appetites."]
"..."
Esther, watching proudly, made a smug remark.
I said nothing.
Perhaps due to the energy spent in battle or their increased strength, Janus, Horus, and the Turncoats devoured the monsters voraciously.
If the Ark had a "Monster Cleaner" occupation, they'd be perfect candidates.
'Though they'd probably be hunted down first.'
Speaking of hunting—
I thought about the Turncoat Hunt being organized in the Ark.
A consequence of my earlier assault on the Navy Line.
'Turncoat Hunt...'
During that incident, the Turncoat Knight and I had obliterated not only the Navy Line's defenses but also their police and special task forces.
Two monsters had stormed into the Ark, rampaging unopposed.
Naturally, the Ark viewed us as grave threats.
'We'll have to be careful.'
The Ark now understood our strength.
Any future hunt would be organized accordingly.
'Even though the Ark's resources are stretched thin, if they really want to, they'll make it happen.'
Ark's Turncoat Hunt forces.
I couldn't afford to underestimate them.
'And then there's the Belov Family.'
The Navy Line's losses were severe, but for the Belov Family, it was personal.
Ivan Belov, the former heir, had been utterly ruined.
Though Tatiana Belov's rise was technically beneficial, there was no way the Belov Family could see it that way.
'Still better than killing Ivan outright.'
If I had followed the original plan and killed Ivan Belov, the Belov Family would've sworn Vendetta.
Not just the Ark, but the Belovs themselves would have waged total war against me.
'Thankfully, that didn't happen.'
No soldiers or family members had died during the Navy Line assault.
Thus, while the Belov Family considered us enemies, they stopped short of full retaliation.
'Anyway...'
While I mused, Janus, Horus, the Turncoat Rook, and Turncoat Knight finished their gruesome feast.
The field was left unnervingly barren.
"Incoming."
And sure enough, I spotted it — the main body of the monster horde.
The short rest was over.
Click───
I drew the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle, switching it to Railgun Mode.
Its energy reserves were full.
"Eat this."
The Railgun's barrel hummed violently.
Crackle-crackle!
With a flash, it unleashed a beam of light that pierced the darkness.
FWEEEEE────!
The projectile traveled faster than sound.
The noise of its passage came after it had already torn through the horde.
"...Amazing, no matter how many times I see it."
The Turncoat Rook muttered in awe.
The Ark-34 Railgun defied conventional logic.
"Save the admiration."
"Of course."
The Rook laughed viciously and drew his bone axe.
He activated his full-body bone armor.
["...Protect... kin."]
The Turncoat Knight raised a forest of bone spikes over his body.
The difference was palpable.
This time, we faced the enemy with complete combat readiness.
["Ugh... there's so many."]
Esther moaned.
The main force of the horde had arrived.
Darkness itself seemed to be rushing toward us.
But we held firm.
Click─
I fired the Ark-34 again, loading A-985 Explosive Rounds.
The shot tore through a flying beast's wing, then exploded its companion's head.
BANG────!
The trigger was pulled again and again.
Smoke and fire filled the air.
Yet the beasts pressed through.
They were nearly upon us.
But I had my escorts.
"Hmph."
"..."
The Turncoats, bristling with bone tendrils, flanked me.
SWISH!───
WHOOSH!
Bone tendrils and axes slashed through the flying beasts.
Meanwhile, I holstered the Ark-34 and drew the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher and ICE-54 Plasma Cooler.
Zzzzzzzz─────
Brilliant red light and freezing cold sprayed across the battlefield.
Waves of monsters were incinerated or frozen solid.
"URAAAAAH!"
The Turncoats howled as they unleashed bone tendrils against the incoming tide.
Though they fought fiercely, they couldn't stem the horde alone.
Wave battles were wars of attrition — sheer numbers always threatened to overwhelm.
'Esther, support them.'
["...Will you be alright?"]
'I'll be fine.'
["Sigh... alright."]
Ether burst from Esther, shaking the battlefield.
[Stay! AWAY───────]
[Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block.]
[How DARE you──!]
Meanwhile, I summoned the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun and CRN-842 Hemp Rocket Launcher, securing them with Janus's tendrils.
At this point, it had become a combat ritual.
The battle raged on.
Though the numbers were daunting, it was manageable.
'If needed, I could activate Ankelenth's Domain and retreat into it for rest.'
The Turncoats might find the Domain unpleasant, but it was better than death.
At that moment—
["...Kin... in danger..."]
"...Hm?"
The Turncoat Knight tensed.
The Turncoat Rook as well.
The cause was obvious.
A colossal presence was approaching.
'That...'
Bone tendrils wrapped her elegantly like a ballgown.
Curved lines so graceful they seemed crafted by an artist.
An ornate bone mask covering her eyes.
I knew who she was.
No — there was no way not to know.
"Should I say... it's a pleasure to meet you?"
The Turncoat Queen had arrived.