"You trust her that much? Aren't you worried she'll just run away?" Toland suddenly spoke as he watched Platinum's silhouette disappear into the distance.
"I trust that she'll make the right choice. If she had any say in it, she wouldn't want to stay with the Unarmored Union anyway."
Platinum was fundamentally different from the rest of the Unarmored Union. She still had her own code of conduct. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been marked for death by the Union and ended up rescued by Rhodes Island.
In the original story, Platinum spared the Plastic Knight's family—she even let Czarny go. When she first joined the Unarmored Union, her assassination targets were people of great sin. Even later, during her missions, she continued selecting targets who "deserved to die" whenever possible.
Anyone else—say, even slacker king Roy—would never have let such people off the hook. But Roy's slacking was of a very different nature from Platinum's.
After she joined Rhodes Island, Platinum was eventually trusted by Kal'tsit—not without reason. Daniel didn't trust her completely just because she had joined the island. There were plenty of people on the island with ties to other factions.
But Platinum wasn't just a regular new recruit. She eventually became part of Rhodes Island's secret operations team, SWEEP. That alone said enough about her trustworthiness. Kal'tsit was rarely wrong when it came to judging people.
"Alright, if you two don't have any other questions, I'll go take care of the other two Ferrum. If they've caught wind of things and made a run for it, they'll be harder to track."
The Unarmored Union's operation this time was massive. The other two Ferrum were almost certainly monitoring the situation. Judging by their style, if they suspected things were going sideways, they'd probably flee without hesitation—very much in the Muzan Kibutsuji style.
"And what if they've already escaped? You've wasted a lot of time here," Toland said.
"That's possible. But it's also possible they think their identities are perfectly concealed. For example, the two of you—there's a decent chance you could be the remaining two Ferrum."
Daniel looked at Toland, his tone suddenly shifting.
"Whoa, whoa—this isn't funny at all! I'm definitely not qualified to be a Ferrum!" Toland waved his hands defensively, then turned to Młynar. "Hey, he just said the two of us might be Ferrum. Aren't you going to deny it?"
"There's nothing wrong with his suspicion. The two of us, plus that Kuranta earlier... that does make three," Młynar said calmly, as if acknowledging the claim.
"Damn, you're right," Toland replied, realizing the coincidence. "Considering how big this Union operation was, having all three Ferrum in the field isn't out of the question. The Kuranta, us two—yeah, that adds up."
"I don't know much about the Ferrum," Daniel said, "but I've heard a particular rumor: that one of them is a legendary Sarkaz. And as luck would have it—you're a Sarkaz."
"Come on! Sure, I'm a Sarkaz, but I'm no legend!" Toland looked genuinely flustered now. That rumor, coupled with the current scene—it did look suspicious.
"Haha, no need to panic. I was just joking. I don't know your background, but I believe in Margaret Nearl's family. I doubt any of them would be involved with the Union."
"Anyway, jokes aside—Sir Młynar, please do us a favor and inform Grand Knight Russel. I'll take my leave now."
Daniel appeared beside the Kuranta—who was nearly encased in stone—and both vanished together.
"You'll never get anything out of me," the Kuranta growled. "But go ahead—wait for the Unarmored Union's revenge. You might be strong, but what about the people around you? From now on, every second of every day, someone will be watching them."
"Nice threat. But unfortunately, you're not qualified to threaten me."
What made the Unarmored Union so terrifying was their willingness to use any means necessary. Even if some weren't afraid of them personally—what about their families? Friends? The Union didn't just use ambush tactics. Poison was part of their arsenal, too. Monique once threatened Shining using that very method.
As he spoke, Daniel placed his right hand on the Kuranta's head and activated his Full Transfer ability.
"A knight killer… the original Ferrum. So you're one of the 'Immortals'?"
"Hm… everyone says the Unarmored Union started as a resistance against knights, only changing recently. I figured they were dragons turned tyrants. But no… they never changed. They were always just assassins."
The most widespread legend about the Unarmored Union was that they'd been knight slayers—liberating Kazimierz from the rule of corrupt knights.
The current Commercial Union was formed by the squires of that knightly era. Knights focused on training and left administrative tasks to their squires. Eventually, those squires banded together, and—thanks to the Unarmored Union—overthrew the old knightly system.
Knights today held a low social status primarily because the Commercial Union deliberately maintained that narrative—to protect their power.
But even so, knights still had influence in Kazimierz. Families like the Rust Knights or Greyhill of the Red Pine Order were still considered noble.
This proved that the "revolution" was never about justice—it was a power grab. Today's Kazimierz was the result of compromise.
Under the Commercial Union, things were better than they were under knightly rule. But that didn't mean they were good.
Just like how allowing infected knights to compete didn't mean the Union treated the infected well. Of course, to the Union's elites, even this was a benevolent act. "At least it's better than the Sarkaz throwing them into mines," they'd say.
That's why they considered the Red Pine Order's actions so insolent.
Margaret Nearl hadn't returned to restore knightly rule. Her goal was to revive the ideals of chivalry. In this world, many things can become outdated—but virtue never does.
Her family's creed: "Fear neither hardship nor shadow."
"…Looks like he really ran. But if he thinks that's enough to stop me—he's sorely mistaken."
In a medium-sized but elegant and quiet villa, Daniel searched every room. No one. The vault in the secret room was also empty.
The intel from the Kuranta's memories had led him here, but he'd arrived too late. Clearly, the other Ferrum had been watching from afar during the park incident and fled at the first sign of trouble.
But the intel did confirm that the Ferrum trio were real—and one of them was a Sarkaz. He was also the original Ferrum.
That ballista device? He'd brought it from Kazdel—allegedly discovered in a ruin there.
Kazdel had many ancient ruins. Much of modern tech came from there. For example, the staves that severely wounded Exusiai's sister and caused Mostima's fall—they were discovered in Kazdel.
Many mysterious places dotted Terra. Like the underground labyrinth beneath Rim Billiton that held the Rhodes Island. Even Kazimierz had its secrets—like the Ringed Highland Plains where Knight Treasures were said to lie hidden beneath Dripping Water Village.
Others included: the shadows lurking in the northern tundra, the darkness that devours the deep seas, and the ancient catastrophes buried beneath the earth.
"Bakudō #58: Kakushitsuijaku."
Though he found no one, Daniel wasn't in a rush. He located a piece of clothing left behind, inscribed spiritual coordinates onto it, and used Kido to trace their location.
"…Didn't leave Kazimierz? Still clinging to the Union's assets?"
The trace led him to a small village outside Kawalerielki, the Grand Knight's city. Daniel immediately set off with the Kuranta in tow.
"…Filed down his Sarkaz horns. Impressive. No wonder he stayed hidden so long in Kazimierz."
Despite all precautions, the Sarkaz didn't expect Daniel's Mirror Dimension, which pulled him in before he could do anything to the villagers he might've considered using as hostages.
"It's you," the Sarkaz growled upon entering the Mirror Dimension.
"Kill him."
Daniel ignored him. With a wave, the Kuranta nocked an arrow and fired. In Kazimierz, knights had various specializations: Guard Knights, Sniper Knights, Shield Knights, and so on.
"You—"
The Sarkaz tried to speak, but his voice was drowned out by golden arrows. The Kuranta's skill wasn't to be underestimated—he was a Ferrum and a sniper at that.
The Sarkaz Ferrum, on the other hand, was a Guard-type. Against a sniper like this, he stood no chance in close combat—especially while having to remain wary of Daniel.
"Wood Dragon Art."
As the battle raged, Daniel finally intervened. He had let them fight to gauge their strength—now that he knew, there was no need to waste time.
With the capture of this Ferrum, only one remained. That last Ferrum, in terms of raw combat ability, was likely weaker than Platinum. His strength lay in poison.
"Quite cunning. If not for me, they might've succeeded."
With the Ferrum captured, Daniel turned to the Union's assets. Over the years, the organization had amassed considerable wealth and controlled three companies—one per Ferrum.
These companies were even members of the Commercial Union. Of course, in Kazimierz, that wasn't a big deal. Thanks to the Union's grip, it was impossible for a company to survive without joining.
The Ferrum had hoped to consolidate the three into one group and gain a seat on the Union board.
"Sir Russel, I take my leave."
After organizing the Unarmored Union's assets, Daniel went to see Grand Knight Russel, Kazimierz's top authority. He proposed a preliminary cooperation.
Though Russel was wary, that didn't prevent collaboration. For the Judiciary, this was a rare opportunity.
"Well well, Mr. Mackie. You're looking rather pleased today. Do you really think those two will stop her?"
At the Flame Razor Arena, Daniel smiled at Mackie, who looked fatigued. On stage, Maria Nearl faced her final match—alone against the corrupt and decaying twin Sarkaz knights.
Technically, this was a 2v2 match—but Maria had no teammate.
Mackie glared coldly at Daniel and said nothing.
A series of "accidents" had thrown the Commercial Union into disarray. Daniel had plenty of ways to eliminate board members—just as they once "accidented" infected, he now turned the same tactic on them.
Sure, a thorough investigation could reveal the truth. But the Union couldn't allow the Judiciary to investigate—that would mean giving them power.
Half of the incidents were "accidents." The other half were "murders"—arranged with Russel's help, to justify deploying the Campaign Knights.
Though the Union had officially rejected the proposal, several directors were starting to support it. The Union was just a union, after all. As the bodies piled up, the surviving members started looking for protection. With the Union's death squads gone, only the Campaign Knights could provide that.
It wouldn't be hard to recreate a group like the Unarmored Union—but it would take time.
"By the way, Mr. Spokesman—I've got news I think you'll like. Guess what? The Radiant Knight has returned. Look—she's here."
As Daniel spoke, a beam of golden light shot down onto the stage. When it faded, the figure within was revealed—Radiant Knight Nearl.
For a moment, the audience was silent. Then they erupted in cheers. The situation almost spiraled out of control, until Margaret activated her Originium Arts, filling the arena with golden light and calming the crowd.
This had all been planned—Daniel had discussed it with the Doctor. The Doctor supported Nearl's ideals, but if Nearl could stay with Rhodes Island, that was even better.
Now came the next phase: Kazimierz needed a symbol—a hero. And Radiant Knight Nearl was that hero.
Daniel had held back certain actions specifically to wait for Margaret's arrival. For example, the situation at Area 0—if he exposed it, it would be shocking. But if Nearl did it, it would shake the world.
"The board approved Radiant Knight's eligibility to compete? Why?"
Technically, she had no right to participate—she was still an exile. Yet the board quickly granted approval.
That, too, was Daniel's doing. After destroying the Unarmored Union, he quietly took control of several directors. One by one, he would expose scandal after scandal, until the Union's reputation was ground into dust.
In the shadows, anything was possible. But once brought to light—everything changed.
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