TN: And we're back! sorry for the week long hiatus, it was not intentional since I had to get my right leg in a cast after tripping 3 floors down a stairwell (like an idiot ://) and be unable to use my PC setup upstairs BUT I should be OK now.
Anyways, Thanks for Arcanic Madness, WeissAkumu and WolfWTF for becoming as Supporters!,
===BREAK===
"I want to go back, huh… Then, whose will is that?"
"Who knows…"
Isabel gave a wry smile.
And the ether wept.
[Now.]
"I don't really…"
[…know.]
Isabel's voice and the ether's whisper overlapped and echoed.
What that meant was clear.
"There's no point in distinguishing between them."
"Yeah. At some point—or maybe from the very beginning—it might've always been that way."
Isabel smiled bitterly.
Whether Project Eve had succeeded was still unknown.
But one thing was certain—it had completely changed someone's life.
"Are you okay with this?"
"Maybe."
[I'm okay.]
When Isabel gave a small nod with that same smile, the massive etheric wave that had looked ready to engulf everything around them immediately subsided.
At a glance, the immense etheric force swirling around Isabel seemed like a dangerous, uncontrollable power. But surprisingly, it was perfectly synchronized with her will.
'So that's how it was.'
It wasn't as if there had never been doubts.
The lady of the White Line.
From the outside, Isabel appeared to lack nothing. So why did she want to return to humanity's home? And why did she go so far as to create the secret society known as the Shadow Order for that goal?
["Commander…"]
Now, the answer was clear.
The long-cherished desire Isabel carried was never her own to begin with. From the start, she had been driven purely by another's will to return to humanity's birthplace.
'But still…'
That raises a new question.
If Isabel's wish was not her own, then whose was it?
"If the ethers you've come to carry originated from Mount Noah, then why do those ethers seek humanity's home?"
A strange unease began to creep up from the corner of his mind.
The ethers of Sacred Mountain Noah.
If they were the product of Project Noah, then why did they yearn to return to humanity's home?
What kind of secret was Project Noah hiding?
"That is…"
Just as Isabel's lips began to move—
"Commander."
Sophia Belov, who had been lounging on the couch on the side, watching celebrity gossip, walked over to Isabel's desk.
"Oh, Sophia. What's up?"
"Well, I thought it was about time."
"Time for what?"
"You've said too much already. Even things that should've been left unsaid."
"…What are you talking about?"
Something was wrong.
No, the way Sophia Belov appeared now was far too different from usual.
As if something was mimicking her appearance.
'No way…'
At that moment, as if waiting for the cue, Sophia Belov's form began to distort grotesquely.
"Sadly, this is as far as I can give you a chance, Commander."
"…What?"
["You're… not Sophia, are you."]
Seeing that form, Isabel's face was clearly shaken.
So was Esther's.
They both realized the person standing here wasn't Sophia Belov.
"…Nameless? Don't tell me—you're Nameless? Where's Sophia?"
"Relax. She's probably at home watching celebrity gossip right about now."
Nameless.
A Grade-2 Phantom Doppelgänger and a monster serving as a scout for the Shadow Order.
And I know one more secret Nameless holds.
'The doppelgänger that destroyed the Black Line.'
Of course, that was only what Ark knew. But even so, it was undeniable that Nameless had been heavily involved in the Black Line's downfall.
What does it mean that Nameless, supposedly on a mission investigating the White Line, was here in the hideout disguised as Sophia Belov?
"Ahh… Isabel, Isabel, my dear Isabel… Why did you say something like that? If you go that far… I can't just turn a blind eye anymore."
"What are you even saying?"
"They've moved. There's no turning back now."
"They…? Don't tell me—"
At that moment—
KUUUUUNG!—
The Shadow Order's hideout, built with defenses rivaling a nuclear bunker, trembled.
What that meant was clear.
"So, you were a watchdog from the White Line. Makes sense—they wouldn't just leave the sole survivor of Project Eve unattended."
"…You figured that out too, Carl Marcus. As expected, you're dangerous. We never should've let you get close to Isabel."
"Well, to be precise, Isabel's the one who came looking for me."
"You're the one who used that to your advantage."
"I won't deny that."
As a Doppelgänger, Nameless was naturally entrusted with the most covert and dangerous missions within the Shadow Order.
Extracting information from the White Line was one such task.
That such a Nameless turned out to be a White Line agent…
'Since when?'
The questions wouldn't stop.
If Nameless had been a White Line spy from the start, then the Shadow Order's revolution I knew should've failed completely.
But in the route I know, the Shadow Order's revolution succeeded, Ark was split in two by civil war, and eventually came under the Order's control.
'Did Nameless betray the White Line midway? Or…'
Sadly, that line of thought couldn't continue.
The roof of the hideout collapsed, and the shattered ceiling and clouds of concrete dust came crashing down.
["Master!"]
"There's no need to worry."
There was no need for Esther to act. With a mere flick of the gravity glove, the collapsing ceiling halted.
Dust swirled through the broken ceiling, and unfamiliar shadows began to emerge from the mist.
At last, the White Line's troops had arrived.
'Hmm…'
The White Line knew I was here—along with Isabel, Turncoat Rook, and one-eyed Crux.
In other words, the force that just arrived had to be powerful enough to subdue the entire Shadow Order present.
'Could the White Line really mobilize that much power so easily?'
It seemed unlikely.
But that thought changed the moment I saw who had arrived.
"Ugh… look at all this dust. Can't we just knock on the door? Pretty sure they'd let us in."
"Not funny."
"You're just too serious, Brigadier."
"Colonel Emily, please focus on the mission."
"Yes, sir, yes, sir."
The Ark military uniforms and the chest full of medals.
Most striking of all were the stars—symbols that only the pinnacle of soldiers could earn.
I knew who they were.
No—there was no way I couldn't know.
Brigadier General Douglas of the Red Line, called the God of War.
Colonel Emily Croft of the Orange Line's Special Mobile Strike Unit.
Colonel Beloga, an ether adept estimated to be at least Level 7.
These titans—names always mentioned among Ark's strongest—had appeared here.
Accompanied by the White Line's personal guard, no less.
'I could believe the others… but even the God of War?'
Brigadier General Douglas.
True to his title, a legendary war hero of the Ark. A veteran of countless battles.
When he was transferred to the Red Line, many claimed Ark had wasted a top asset—he belonged on the front lines.
That's how influential and powerful Douglas was within the Ark.
"What is the meaning of this?"
As Isabel stepped forward, Douglas handed her a document.
"My apologies for the abruptness, miss. An official summons has been issued. I'd appreciate your cooperation."
"A summons? From where?"
"The White Line."
Naturally, with an official warrant and orders from the White Line, there was no use trying to invoke law and legality like we did with the Machine Cult.
In fact, they'd probably prefer that.
"For what reason?"
"Your friends here have been identified as primary suspects in the White Line raid incident. Your cooperation is requested."
The revelation that Nameless was a White Line agent also meant Shadow Order intel had leaked.
A flimsy excuse wouldn't get us out of this.
"Carl Marcus, we'd also appreciate your cooperation. The White Line wishes to avoid unnecessary conflict with the Kronos Union."
"And if I refuse?"
"You must think very highly of your own skills. But this is no time for ego."
"Do you think this will keep the White Line's secrets safe forever?"
Douglas' expression hardened.
"So, you won't cooperate willingly."
"Isn't this actually easier?"
"If words fail, then we have no other choice."
As Brigadier General Douglas stepped forward, the pressure I felt surpassed that of any being I had faced before.
Different from monsters like Turncoat King or the Bone Lord.
Objectively, he might not be stronger, but the intimidation radiating from a masterful human was undeniable.
"Subdue them."
A quiet command.
And in an instant, a muzzle I hadn't even seen was aimed at me, followed by the sound of gunfire.
TAANG!—
CLANG!
Before I could even identify the weapon, the shock rattled my head.
Though Janus' defense didn't break, the fact that some impact came through told me just how powerful Douglas' pistol was.
"Your armor's decent. But everything has its limits."
At Douglas' signal, Colonel Emily Croft, Colonel Beloga, and the White Line's personal guard began moving in perfect coordination.
These weren't beasts or monsters like the ones I had faced before.
They were highly trained soldiers.
And the trio—Douglas, Croft, and Beloga—fought entirely by human methods.
This could very well be the hardest fight I've faced yet.
'I can't use Janus… can I.'
Of course, in a situation like this, using it wouldn't be wrong—but it would also confirm publicly that I was a Turncoat Pawn.
The White Line probably already suspected as much, but suspicions were one thing; proof was another.
There was no need to hand them that proof here.
'Stay back and focus on defense for now.'
[Gi-giit!]
Even so, I intended to make full use of Janus' defensive capabilities, giving it a critical supporting role.
"Let's do this."
Muzzles pointed from all directions.
Without hesitation, dozens of bullets came flying at me.
'Janus' defenses won't fail—but there's no reason to take hits for show.'
If I over-demonstrated Janus' power, Douglas would come up with something worse.
So, I kept it in reserve, defending with everything I had.
[Bullet trajectory calculation complete.]
[Initiating position lock.]
At last, the long-awaited message came from the gravity glove's support AI. Every bullet heading toward me stopped midair.
Douglas, mistaking this for ether, gave an order.
"Beloga, dispel the ether."
"…It's not ether."
"What?"
Highly advanced science is indistinguishable from magic.
Douglas, too, seemed visibly surprised by what was happening.
But I wasn't about to let this end there.
[Reverse bullet trajectory complete.]
[Initiating position reversal.]
With a subtle flick of the gravity glove, the frozen bullets began flying back to where they came from.
===BREAK===
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