Government Center of Hibiza City, Wolvord.
A man and a woman stood upright before a large desk. Behind it, a man sat while examining a row of holographic images floating in the air.
Images of monster carcasses were displayed clearly—massive bodies sprawled across the ground. He remained silent, observing them carefully.
"These monsters… did they truly appear in two cities?" Kozack finally asked.
"Yes. We and the forces from Asteria have taken care of them," Barner replied calmly.
"Seriously, why did they appear in such numbers? The amount doesn't make any sense. Good thing Barner managed to wipe them out."
Mirach's tone was blunt, far different from Barner's composed politeness. Yet both Barner and Kozack seemed long accustomed to the way she spoke.
The crimson-haired girl muttered again, "Our troops were overwhelmed. At first, we planned to deal with the rebels, but instead we had to switch gears and exterminate monsters."
"And what about the rebels?" Kozack asked.
"Most of them have been dealt with. A few managed to escape. And also…"
"…?"
"…Avelion sent infiltrators."
Kozack frowned. "Avelion?"
"Yes. They deployed several elite units. An Elemental Master, Arsenal, and even a Core-1st user were involved."
"What? Even Asteria's Shield?"
"No, not Andy. A girl—a former member of the Black Robe."
Hearing that, Mirach shot a sharp glance at Barner.
"Black Robe? Why would Jasmine recruit someone from there?" Kozack muttered.
"I suppose… because she's talented. She even managed to evade my large-scale attack."
"Is that so?" Kozack let out a long breath, leaning back while resting his chin on his hand. "So Avelion is truly serious. I thought Jasmine was merely bluffing about deploying her elite forces."
Barner fell silent for a moment, as if recalling something.
"By the way, Lord Kozack. I heard from Mirach… Has Core-5th been activated?"
"Yes. But Rena still hasn't regained consciousness, even though her physical condition has improved."
Mirach added, "We need to stay vigilant. Core-5th is like a double-edged sword. If we fail to control it, it will control us instead."
"Yes, I know. We must make use of Core-5th's power."
Kozack fell silent again. He projected two new holograms: Princess Avra and Princess Jasmine.
A faint smirk formed on his face.
"To defeat Asteria and Avelion."
—
※ ※ ※
—
The two walked down the corridor after finishing their audience with Kozack.
The hallway was empty. No one else was around. Their footsteps echoed across the floor, partly illuminated by sunlight streaming through tall windows along one side.
"By the way, could you explain more clearly about that Core-1st user earlier?" Mirach asked.
Barner glanced at her briefly, then looked straight ahead again. "Didn't I already explain?"
"Yes, but I'm still curious. Escaping your attack—doesn't that mean she's on par with Andy?"
"I don't think so. She still hasn't reached Andy's level. But…"
Barner began recalling their battle in Ascorfield.
"Even though she had only recently begun using Core-1st, she was clever. She split her shield into three parts to move more agilely. Her acceleration even nearly matched Lady Carina's."
"Hm… I see."
"One day, she'll become a formidable fighter. She might even surpass Asteria Shield."
Mirach studied Barner's face for a moment before giving a faint smile.
"You look so happy, Barner."
"…?"
"Your expression says; 'I've finally found another strong opponent.'"
Barner did not answer immediately.
"Are you still thinking about Andy?"
"…Since he left Asteria, I've never met him again. I heard he became one of Avelion's secret forces. And now, they're deploying their best units."
"That means there's a chance you'll meet him."
"Ya. But…"
Barner's thoughts drifted back to the battle in Ascorfield. A subtle smile curved his lips.
"I think I've found something even more interesting."
—
※ ※ ※—※ ※ ※
—
Avelion Headquarters Research Center.
Inside the dimly lit room—contrasting sharply with the white toga she wore—Naira stood before a research table. A chunk of flesh lay upon it, currently being scanned. It was a sample from the giant serpent monster she had brought back from Ascorfield.
Its surface was covered in silver scales, faintly gleaming under the laboratory lights. Yet its interior resembled ordinary fresh meat.
Several seconds passed. A hologram of data appeared in the air. Naira stared at it intently.
"How are the results?" asked the man in a white toga standing behind her.
"…This is strange. Their DNA is extremely similar to humans."
Professor Denis stepped closer and observed the data projection.
"…Yes. You're right."
"Are they hybrids?" Naira asked.
"I don't think so. If they were hybrids, the DNA structure wouldn't look like this. It appears more like… a mutation from humans."
Naira frowned. "A mutation?"
"Yes. As if humans transformed into various forms."
She fell silent for a moment, then jolted.
"Wait! Isn't this like—?!"
The Professor stared at the screen, his expression hardening.
"Yes. Very similar to the Ereshkigal outbreak."
"Impossible! Wasn't that gate still sealed?!"
"Yeah." He crossed his arms, thinking. "Naira. Were these the only monsters that appeared in the city?"
"I don't think so. Many also appeared in Atala. And what puzzles me… they only attacked humans. The animals nearby were ignored."
Silence enveloped the room.
"…I have a bad feeling about this," Professor Denis muttered.
"…?"
"When they appeared, did the number of rebel troops drastically decrease?" he asked.
"Yes. Some were defeated by Wolvord's forces. The rest disappeared without a trace. It's impossible they remained in the city with both royal troops and that many monsters present. But if they fled, we should have seen them."
"I see…" he murmured softly. "That only strengthens my suspicion."
"Huh?"
He looked at Naira seriously.
"There's a possibility someone is turning humans into monsters."
Naira's eyes widened instantly.
"What?! But the rebel troops were attacked too!"
The Professor reanalyzed the data on the screen.
"Ya. But I don't believe they are the culprits. There is another group taking advantage of this chaos. From what I see in the data, the monsters' transformations occurred very rapidly. Some of their cells are still unstable."
"That means…?!"
The Professor's eyes sharpened as he spoke words that drained the color from Naira's face.
"They are attempting to recreate the Ereshkigal outbreak."
—
※ ※ ※—※ ※ ※
—
Central City Hospital—Historia, Asteria.
Morning sunlight streamed through the window, stirring the thin curtains with the breeze.
On a hospital bed lay a small girl with bandages wrapped around her head. Her long hair spread softly over the pillow. She looked peaceful.
A girl in a white robe stood beside her, watching with a calm gaze.
After some time, the little girl's eyelids fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the light before finally regaining full awareness.
"You're finally awake," Carina said with a gentle smile.
"… Where... am I?" Her voice was extremely weak.
"You're being treated at Asteria's royal hospital. We found you buried under rubble in Atala."
"..."
"What's your name?"
"Name…?" The girl looked confused. "Mi… sha…"
"Misha, right? Do you have a family?"
"… No... I don't."
Carina fell silent. She had intended to contact the child's family. But the answer tightened her chest.
"Where do you live?"
Misha only shook her head slowly.
Carina stiffened. That meant the child had been living on her own.
In a region often struck by conflict, such cases were not rare. Her heart ached imagining Misha running from monsters, only for the building she used as shelter to collapse on her.
It was fortunate she survived—perhaps because she was a Genesta—though several of her bones were broken.
"All right. For now, you'll stay here until you recover. After that… you can live at Asteria's royal orphanage. Okay?"
"… Ya."
"Good. Get some rest. I'll visit you often."
Carina gently stroked Misha's head before stepping out. She gave a small wave before the door closed.
But her steps halted in the corridor.
Her smile slowly faded. A warm yet painful feeling surfaced. The girl reminded her of the past.
Long ago, both her parents had been killed by monsters. She was the sole survivor. When she opened her eyes in a hospital room, the first thing she saw was the relieved smile of a girl her age.
That girl listened to her story—then cried alongside her.
"In that case, stay with me. I'm sure Avra will agree too."—That was what she offered Carina.
Since then, Carina had been raised by Asteria's royal family. The two princesses treated her like a sister. She owed them deeply—especially one name that was no longer in the palace.
"…Jasmine…" she whispered softly.
Carina drew a long breath, steadied her heart, and walked away.
—
※ ※ ※—※ ※ ※
—
"What? A mutation?" Ryo exclaimed in shock.
Now he and Carina stood before Princess Avra.
The Princess displayed the latest research results through a hologram in the air.
"Yeah. The cause is a virus deliberately injected into human bodies. Our forces found this evidence."
Photographs of human corpses were shown—parts of their bodies transformed into bats. Others resembled wolves, tigers, even crocodiles. The sight left Ryo and Carina frozen.
"So… the ones we killed back then… were humans?" Carina whispered.
"The autopsy results showed injection marks. The virus forced the body's cells to mutate. And what's unusual… none of the victims were Genesta."
Ryo unconsciously stepped forward. "Isn't this similar to the Ereshkigal outbreak?"
"Yes. It's possible they're testing something." Princess Avra clenched her fist. "First the Ereshkigal gate, and now an imitation of its outbreak. Who exactly are they?"
Her anger was restrained, mixed with unease. Problem after problem kept emerging. The kingdoms would surely grow suspicious of one another. But the most important matter was the ultimate goal behind all this.
"…Princess, I want to ask something."
"What is it, Ryo?"
"Did those monster corpses produce core energy?"
Princess Avra fell silent, then startled.
"I haven't examined that far yet."
"If they truly produce cores, this is dangerous. They could repeat that disaster," Ryo said.
"Then why are they also trying to open the Ereshkigal gate? Wouldn't focusing on one be enough?" Carina began to suspect something.
"…Perhaps they're different groups. But their objective is the same—to open that cursed gate."
Silence fell once more.
"Princess… if that outbreak truly happens again, should we form an alliance with the other kingdoms?"
Carina's question made Avra remain silent longer.
An alliance was not impossible. But it would mean meeting her sister again.
And that was what made her hesitate.
It would be impossible to ally only with Wolvord. Though both kingdoms were powerful, their weaponry still lagged far behind Avelion.
While the Princess wrestled with her doubts, Carina watched her—feeling sorrow at seeing Avra still trapped within her own stubbornness.
※ ※ ※ (Chapter—12) ※ ※ ※