On a television with a large chunk of its screen shattered, a recorded broadcast from Chernobog TV was still playing.
"The situation is under control. Most abnormal incidents have already been suppressed. At present, Chernobog's military and police have surrounded the rioters entrenched along Vashuk Avenue. As you can see, this reckless attack will soon come to an end. Please do not panic. Remain indoors and await another victory for Chernobog. The glory of Ursus blesses His Majesty and his people."
Felix pushed open the shattered door, glanced briefly at the Ursus civilians inside who had chosen to end their own lives, then walked away in silence.
With the addition of adventurers who could not truly die, Reunion's overall strength had doubled. Ironically, the Chernobog military collapsed first. Most of the soldiers were redeployed to the Noble District to build defensive positions. In reality, the ones fighting Reunion's Infected head-on were ordinary police officers.
His hand brushed against the sword hilt wrapped in his palm. Golden eyes swept past the Rhodes Island squad that had just secured another small victory, then turned toward the interior of the buildings.
The Doctor was kept firmly behind the formation by Amiya, issuing unfamiliar and somewhat awkward commands. When facing these Infected rioters, Rhodes Island's operators occasionally fell into brief stalemates, but with Instructor Dobermann and ACE anchoring the line, no serious accidents occurred.
ACE had originally come with the intention of training his people, but at this point he was holding nothing back. Anything less would have been irresponsible toward his team.
Since awakening, aside from relying heavily on Amiya, who showed her nothing but kindness, the Doctor's gaze often lingered on Felix. His earlier display of power had clearly left a deep impression on her. During combat, she stayed close behind him, instinctively seeking a sense of security.
She had once quietly asked Amiya whether Lord Felix was a Rhodes Island operator, only to receive a negative answer. That left her a little disappointed and regretful. It felt like such a waste that an angelically handsome man like him was not one of their own. Yet when she learned that he was one of Rhodes Island's shareholders and also the leader of another faction currently on good terms with them, she immediately perked up again.
The way she reacted made her look exactly like a high school girl. She was nothing like the cold, ruthless commander of the Babel era. At least, that was how Felix saw it. The contrast was jarring. This girl who looked like an ordinary JK student was supposed to be the Doctor of the past. Who would believe it? If not for the hood she wore, one might think she was a student from Chernobog No. 4 Secondary School.
"Um… Lord Felix, did you notice something?"
The Doctor asked in a low voice. Her eyes had been on him the whole time. Seeing him look in that direction, she followed his gaze, though she saw nothing at all.
"It feels like someone is watching us."
Felix thought for a moment. In the next instant, flames burst up from cracks in the ground. Blue fire surged toward the depths of the building. With a dull explosion and a heavy rumble, part of the structure collapsed.
The sudden commotion startled the other Rhodes Island operators. ACE narrowed his eyes, lifted his shield, and walked toward the fallen three-story building. After carefully inspecting it, he shook his head. He had found nothing.
"The enemy's Originium Arts are strange, and they move fast," Felix said calmly. "But they are not strong. Probably just a scout."
"That's a relief," the Doctor said, finally letting out a breath.
At that moment, ACE noticed approaching footsteps. Dobermann also sensed something amiss and quickly called out, signaling the operators to stay alert. There might still be remaining Infected nearby.
But in the next instant, they realized the newcomers were not enemies.
"Your Highness, are you unharmed?"
The one who arrived was Nearl, guided here by the position data from the drone. After being granted freedom of action, Nearl had mostly worked alongside Shining, helping injured Chernobog civilians and searching nearby buildings for those who had been infected but left untreated. Their emotional states were unstable. Some wanted to end their lives, others stared blankly and said nothing at all. Still, under anesthetics, they soon fell asleep. After becoming Infected, they could no longer perform heavy labor or strenuous activity. Any such exertion would only worsen Oripathy.
After escorting the wounded out through the southern gate, Nearl wanted to support Felix, so she followed the drone's location and coordinates to find him.
Standing beside her was the Lion King, Siege, gripping her warhammer. She wore the protective uniform of Tomorrow's Development, with several members of the action group behind her. After helping the police repel a wave of Infected, they had followed their mission orders to rendezvous with Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals.
With communications cut, Rhodes Island had not even known such reinforcements were on the way.
Dobermann visibly relaxed. Individually, these Reunion rioters were not strong, but their numbers were overwhelming. Some fought with complete disregard for their own lives. Several Rhodes Island operators were already wounded. If they had to face a few more waves, Dobermann was not sure how they would manage.
Of course, with Felix present, she felt the most at ease. He was also the true trump card of their entire group.
"Siege, lead the action group and support Rhodes Island."
Siege saluted Felix crisply. Behind her, each member of the action group silently followed suit. They were all clad in anti-infection protective suits, their safety measures taken to the highest standard.
Kal'tsit compared the equipment of Rhodes Island with that of Tomorrow's Development and quickly realized the gap was undeniable. Most of Rhodes Island's operators wore thick clothing, relying purely on layers of fabric for protection. Aside from vests meant to stop bladed weapons, many did not even have helmets. By contrast, Tomorrow's Development operators were equipped with helmets, face masks, and protective gear designed to prevent exposure to Originium dust. In both safety and combat readiness, Rhodes Island was clearly a step behind.
Perhaps another trade order with Tomorrow's Development was necessary. Yet Rhodes Island's available funds were indeed limited at the moment. Kal'tsit lowered her gaze.
Felix exchanged a few words with Siege, who gave him a concise report on the action group's movements. After that, they seamlessly integrated into Rhodes Island's formation. Siege soon met with Dobermann, and the two formed a preliminary assessment of each other. In the following encounters, with the Doctor's assistance, Siege and Dobermann swept through the battlefield like a storm, ending each fight decisively.
The Rhodes Island operators could not hide their amazement at the strength of Tomorrow's Development's action group. Compared to themselves, those operators had clear divisions of labor and standardized equipment. Sometimes, a single command from the Doctor was enough for them to immediately understand how to act. At other times, they even moved to cover directions where Rhodes Island's line had been breached.
The operator codenamed Siege fought at the very front. The warhammer in her hands had already shattered countless Reunion masks into powder, striking fear into all who witnessed it.
———
In the shadows, the woman codenamed Crownslayer tore away her burned clothing, teeth clenched tight. Her injuries were not limited to burns. When the building collapsed, her shoulder had taken a heavy blow. Her already hoarse breathing suddenly turned ragged as she forcibly wrenched her dislocated arm back into place.
Cold sweat poured down her body. Crownslayer recalled that fleeting moment. She swore she had only glanced once at the Sankta with a golden crown halo above his head. Yet in that instant, he reacted. The moment his golden eyes met her in the shadows, blue flames erupted.
Too fast. Far too fast. Sweat slid down her face. The stealth she prided herself on had been seen through as easily as a child's game. The realization struck her hard. At the same time, another thought surfaced. Was the leader truly a match for that Sankta?
The flames of those two felt far too similar.
Her brow furrowed again. Ever since entering the city, Reunion's upper ranks had led separate squads in clashes against the Ursus military and police. She could still maintain contact with most units, but Mephisto's team had descended into chaos. Likely due to his Originium Arts, the Infected under his command had gone berserk, attacking indiscriminately and turning an entire area into a dead zone where anyone who entered would be assaulted.
Where was Mephisto?
Crownslayer frowned. She had never liked that brat. Under Alina's guidance, he had once been a relatively normal boy, but ever since Alina was sidelined to the rear, Mephisto had begun to change, and not for the better.
She had no interest in managing a child's problems, but he was a commander of equal rank. Talulah should be aware of this.
As for Faust, who was always inseparable from Mephisto, he was nowhere to be seen either. Yet the marks left by the Phantom Crossbowman could still be found. What, exactly, had happened?
Crownslayer felt that Reunion's advance into the city had met a brutal counterblow. First came the astonishing number of adventurers. Reunion's own adventurers had been outgunned in direct exchanges. Then, out of nowhere, Tomorrow's Development appeared, sealing off the school district so tightly that every Reunion offensive ended in failure.
The burned areas of her body still throbbed with searing pain. She clenched her teeth and made no sound, slipping swiftly into the smoke. She needed to find Talulah and report the situation.
———
The sky grew darker. Felix looked up. At some point, the clouds had sunk low, pressing down until the air itself felt suffocating.
With the Catastrophe imminent, Chernobog still had not moved. No, even if it did now, it was already too late. The city would soon fall into utter devastation. No matter where one went, there would be sources of Originium contamination.
Shining's voice came through the drone. "Your Highness, evacuation of the civilians is eighty percent complete. We are preparing to reenter the city to search for any possible survivors."
"…Understood. With the Catastrophe approaching, use your own judgment."
"Estimated time until Catastrophe: fifty-seven minutes."
ACE clenched his teeth. "I never expected Reunion to use a Catastrophe as their revenge… damn it. There are still so many civilians in the city we never managed to save."
"We've already done all we can."
Amiya spoke softly in consolation. "Tomorrow's Development has done everything within their power as well. These are the consequences of Reunion's actions. There is nothing more we can do."
Nearl cast a searching glance at Felix. He gave a slight shake of his head. Seeing this, Nearl withdrew her gaze and turned toward the Reunion fighters emerging ahead. "We need to move faster."
"All squads, prepare for battle!"
Dobermann called out again. Her voice was hoarse now, heavy with exhaustion. The Rhodes Island operators were just as worn down, but this was not a place where they could afford to stop.
The group quickened their pace, retreating toward the southern gate. When they spotted Tomorrow's Development adventurers evacuating at full speed ahead, the tension on Rhodes Island's side eased somewhat. Fighting as they withdrew, they soon linked up with a small unit from Tomorrow's Development.
"Your Highness, this area is far too dangerous. Withdrawing immediately is the best course of action."
Ines emerged from the shadows and saluted Felix. "The civilians have mostly evacuated beyond the southern gate. We encountered a group of Infected who called themselves Azazel. They showed no hostility toward us or the civilians of Chernobog."
At the mention of that name, Felix nodded slightly. His gaze shifted to the Ursus girls led by Zima nearby. "Rhodes Island's mission is complete. Everyone, evacuate Chernobog."
"Yes, sir!"
Tomorrow's Development began an orderly withdrawal. Felix looked up at the sky. Fine fragments of Originium were already beginning to fall, streaking through the air before slamming into the suffering land below. Lava and molten rock followed. Reunion members wailed and cried, scrambling to take shelter inside buildings.
Yet even buildings could not withstand a Catastrophe of this scale. Even the smallest Originium meteor, accelerated by gravity, was enough to shatter reinforced structures. Hiding inside was nothing more than digging their own graves.
"The scale is too large… at this rate, the entire district will be completely destroyed!"
"Quick, spread out!"
"Doctor, over here!"
"Mom, I don't want to die!"
Dobermann shouted sharply. Some Rhodes Island operators collapsed to the ground, their limbs trembling uncontrollably. In their eyes, the sky itself was falling.
Ines's face went pale. Together with Nearl, she dragged the terrified Ursus girls into nearby cover. Siege's thunderous roar snapped Tomorrow's Development operators back to their senses, sending them scrambling for shelter.
Black robes fluttered in the wind as Felix stepped forward under everyone's gaze. He raised his head toward the storm and the falling meteors, then drew the sword at his waist.
Pale-gold horns, the mark of the Teekaz, appeared above his head like a radiant halo. A golden tail unfurled behind him as well.
Blue flames surged upward, sweeping into the sky. Within them shimmered a faint trace of gold.
Between the pitch-black meteor storm and the heavy sea of clouds, a blue sword scar suddenly appeared. It was deep, as if it had pierced the heavens themselves, carving a vast rift that separated gold from black.
Felix's strike.
He severed the sky.