It was not only Sonya. The other Ursus girls also learned of Tomorrow's Development's rise through the concise written accounts, and from them they could see the organization's current standing. From an Ursus perspective, the idea of the uninfected and the infected fighting side by side still felt strange. After all, Ursus was the nation that discriminated against the infected most severely, without exception, and Chernobog was the city where that discrimination was at its worst.
Although their feelings toward the infected were complicated, fear dominated the girls' hearts at present. Infected individuals who had once had nothing to do with their lives had taken up weapons and joined the Reunion Movement. The massacres they carried out cast a heavy psychological shadow over the Ursus girls present.
"Are you afraid of the infected?"
Ines saw their hesitation. Smiling, she rolled up her sleeve. On her fair skin were small black specks, Originium particles, the most obvious mark of an infected individual.
"Among the infected, there are also people who fight for everyone,"
Ines continued gently. "Nearly forty percent of Tomorrow's Development consists of infected. You should prepare yourselves mentally in advance."
"I still choose to join."
At that moment, Sonya was the most decisive. She turned to the others and said, "Just like Sister Ines said, there are bad people among the infected, like the Reunion Movement, and there are good people, like Sister Ines. I believe in Sister Ines."
Rosalind had no objections, and the remaining Bear girls nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Ines smiled and picked up a Clever. "Now, I'll teach you how to use Clever…"
Ten minutes later, the team, fully equipped, walked out of the apartment building. Their spirits were high, and they felt that after becoming members of Tomorrow's Development, they could punch through every infected member of the Reunion Movement. That confidence lasted until they saw their parents.
Their previously excited, proud expressions instantly fell away, replaced by uneasy looks as they faced the stern expressions of their parents.
When Sonya saw her parents, she unconsciously coughed twice. Their faces were filled with concern. "Sonya… where are you going?"
"I want to fight."
Although Sonya had gotten into fights at school before, those were conflicts among students. Joining Tomorrow's Development meant picking up weapons and fighting people far older than themselves. They were still students. Why were they making this choice?
Lada puffed out her cheeks. The parents she had finally managed to find that morning were peppering her with worried questions, asking what kind of organization Tomorrow's Development was and whether it would be dangerous.
Standing before Zoya was her father, Police Chief Ivan. Unlike the other parents, he showed neither panic nor excessive worry. He gently stroked his daughter's cheek and was surprised to find that her face felt slightly warm. What had just happened?
"Zoya, did you meet Tomorrow's Development's leader?"
"Yes."
Zoya nodded lightly. "He's a very handsome Sankta brother. He looks very dignified, more dignified than Dad… even more dignified than those nobles."
After a pause, she continued, "The others all call him the King."
Chief Ivan's eyes narrowed. King… what kind of title was that? He was well aware of the strength of Tomorrow's Development's operators. Each of them was an elite, stronger even than noble soldiers. And yet they called him a King?
In Chernobog, such a title might not mean much. People would likely dismiss it as idle chatter. But on the land of Terra as a whole?
Chief Ivan rubbed his forehead in thought. After more than a decade as a police officer, he had become a chief, yet even then his work had never taken him beyond Chernobog. Cut off from broader information, he had no idea where to seek news or intelligence about this so-called King.
"Zoya, can he be trusted?"
Zoya thought for a moment, then nodded decisively. "The others trust him very much. Without his help, Tomorrow's Development wouldn't have grown into what it is now."
Chief Ivan understood. He trusted his daughter's judgment. He looked down at the police uniform he had not taken off since the day before yesterday, now covered in dust, then at the brand-new Tomorrow's Development uniform Zoya was wearing. The design, alternately loose and fitted, made him marvel at how comfortable it looked.
He gently patted Zoya's short gray hair and smiled. "Be careful."
Zoya blinked her red eyes and softly answered, "Mm."
The other parents, persuaded by their daughters, seemed somewhat tempted, though they still worried about their children's safety. That concern lasted until Tomorrow's Development's operators emerged one after another onto the street. Men and women alike, clad in high-grade combat uniforms, they exchanged brief nods with one another and, together with Clever, dispersed toward different positions. Some merely tapped the ground and leapt onto rooftops. Some turned into black mist that swept along the streets. Others shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, cutting through clouds and fog.
Walking at the very end was still Ines. She saw the Ursus girls who had yet to leave, as well as the family members accompanying them. After a moment's thought, she understood what was happening and stepped forward with a gentle smile.
"They won't be sent to the front lines. Their duties will be evacuation, supply distribution, and guiding students. Please rest assured. We will not send minors into frontline combat."
As she finished speaking, explosions and shouts suddenly rang out from beyond the school grounds in the distance. Ines gave Sonya a slight nod, then vanished in a blur, charging toward the front.
"Let's go do what we can do."
Sonya looked at the girls. She noticed the students beginning to panic and cause disturbances, then turned to her parents. They looked back at her, reluctance in their eyes, but in the end, they nodded.
Sonya smiled and called out, "Follow me. Let's calm the students down first. While we're at it, we can ask if they're interested in joining!"
Anna, Lada, Rosalind, and Zoya followed close behind her. Natalya pressed her lips together and glanced toward the distance where thick smoke was rising. In the end, she only let out a soft sigh and quickened her steps to follow Sonya.
In the conference room, Felix looked at the city walls shrouded in thick smoke, then at the real-time map feedback coming in from the surrounding regions of Ursus. After confirming once again that no nobles or military forces were coming to the rescue, it was clear that Ursus had abandoned Chernobog. He felt no surprise. Everything was unfolding exactly as it had in his previous life.
"Loughshinny."
"Yes, Your Highness. I'm here."
Loughshinny's voice came through Clever. Felix spoke calmly. "The Lightbearers and the Emperor's Children may begin their operation. The remaining Tomorrow's Development operators are to carry out medical treatment after entering Chernobog. We will need a large quantity of medicine and supplies. Degenbrecher will lead the team, with Siege acting as deputy for this mission."
There were no questions, no demands for explanations. Loughshinny agreed immediately. She then added, "Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical's vessel has arrived outside Ursus territory. Dr. Kal'tsit has stated that they will enter Chernobog in two days."
Entering Chernobog at the height of the chaos was far from a good choice, but considering the importance of the Doctor, they had no option but to step into danger.
After ending the communication, Felix stood and looked toward the distant horizon. There, the vanguard of the Reunion Movement had already arrived. It was unclear how they had slipped in so silently. With the city already paralyzed and even the nobles struggling to save themselves, how were the remaining civilians supposed to survive?
Sonya's fist slammed into the face of a noble scion who was shouting that they were all going to die, knocking him flat to the ground.
"You… you! Even my father has never hit me!"
Tch.
Sonya spat to the side. Metal baton in hand, her voice was cold. "Undermining morale at a time like this. Tell me, what crime should that be?"
"What, you think you can really touch me, do you, ah!"
The metal baton was pressed against his throat. The noble's bravado was nothing more than bluster masking fear. The other noble youths turned their heads away. Some stood up and glared angrily at Sonya.
"What's wrong? You have the strength to fight among yourselves, but none to go to the front lines?"
Sonya's mocking remark made them clench their fists. They stared at her fiercely, yet not a single word came out.
"Why aren't you going to the battlefield? You look pretty impressive swinging that baton. In the end, you're just bullying people here!"
"You!"
Rosalind and Lada, standing beside Sonya, couldn't help but step forward to argue. At that moment, Natalya took a step ahead of them.
"That's enough."
"If you continue, you'll only be disgracing your own family further, son of Baron Stav."
Natalya's expression was calm as she met his gaze. Her tone was gentle, but her words were merciless. "Please cooperate."
"…"
When Natalya stepped in, the noble youth's expression shifted again and again. In the end, he said nothing further, not even a threat. He simply sat down in disgrace. The remaining noble youths cast strange looks at the uniform Natalya was wearing, their expressions subtly changing.
"I'll handle things here."
Natalya nodded to Sonya, who answered with an easy, wide grin before leading the others away.
That sense of being accepted brought a faint warmth to Natalya's heart. In the school life she could never return to, she had always been the one surrounded. Whenever she went out, younger girls who admired her and noble boys acting as her escorts would follow close behind. Now, however, the order of the school had long since collapsed. She might never be able to go back to that past school life again.
Standing here, the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions pulled her firmly back into reality.
The classrooms around her seemed to fade away. Looking ahead, Natalya felt dazed as she caught sight of Felix's profile. He was dressed in a crisp tailcoat, chatting and laughing with other nobles at an aristocratic banquet. He always possessed that unique charm, wherever he went, stirring curiosity and admiration among the nobility.
His presence was overwhelming, drawing countless noble youths' gazes. Boys wanted to become him. Girls wanted to marry him.
The casual glance of those golden eyes made Natalya sink into reverie. She blinked again, and the golden figure had already vanished. In front of her stood the noble students, faces filled with worry.
"My parents will be fine, right?"
"W-wah, Senior Natalya, I want to go home!"
"Lady Natalya, may I ask what exactly is going on right now?"
The anxious voices steadied her mind. At this moment, she was the student council president of Chernobog Fourth Secondary School.
"The Noble District has been surrounded for over a day now. No one knows how much longer it can hold. At present, the police within Chernobog are defending this area, while the Noble District itself is being held only by noble troops."
Natalya took a deep breath. "For now, all we can do is protect ourselves and ensure the campus is not breached by the Reunion Movement's Infected."
"But… we're nobles."
A boy snorted in displeasure. "Shouldn't the commoners be the ones protecting us while we evacuate?"
"Have you thrown all sense of noble honor and dignity out of your head, son of Viscount Rupert?"
Natalya's voice turned cold. Her gaze cut into him like a blade. "Do I need to remind you of a noble's obligations? Your grandfather once held a mobile city for half a month against the Pegasi Knights of Kazimierz. He did so to protect the civilians behind him."
The boy's face flushed red. He clenched his teeth but dared not say another word. That was the truth, and any further protest would only disgrace his ancestors.
"We are nobles. We are students. We may not be fighting on the battlefield like our forebears, but we still bear the responsibilities of nobility."
Natalya spoke softly. "Now is the time for us to truly hold our heads high as nobles."
Even the reluctant noble youths felt appeased by those words. After all, saving others was noble honor. The commoners should feel honored to be rescued by them.
With just a few sentences, Natalya calmed what had nearly become an uproar. She let out a quiet breath of relief and stayed behind to manage the noble students, directing them to move supplies and materials while guiding others to evacuate into the underground shelters. Before long, the streets would become a battlefield.
———
"This isn't what we were told. Where are the students?"
The white-haired youth kicked the corpse of a policeman who had already gone cold. Jagged Originium crystals had erupted from the man's shoulder. The youth's tone was irritated and impatient. Along the way, there hadn't been a single student in the school. This was completely different from the intelligence provided by the Chernobog Infected.
"Keep advancing. I want to see exactly where those rats are hiding."