RUMMMMMBLE────!!!
The small cavern we were hiding in shook violently, as if to announce the approach of the Sand Devourer.
Since this space itself was an unstable one made of ether, it was especially vulnerable to such massive tremors.
"What… what do we do now?"
The Young Lady, her voice trembling with panic, gently grabbed the collar of my shirt.
I started to respond, but instead, I gave a firm answer.
"From now on, we have to hurry."
The tremors were getting closer and closer.
It meant the Sand Devourer was heading straight toward us.
"Janus."
[Kikit!]
Bony tendrils extended from Janus, and I grabbed the Young Lady's arm and pulled her close.
"Ah!"
"Stick close behind me. We're going full speed now."
I quickly gathered the sleeping bags and supplies into the dimensional pocket and began digging in earnest.
Unlike before, I wasn't trying to avoid the Sand Devourer's attention anymore.
[Kikigit!]
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE────!!
Dozens of bony tendrils from Janus dug into the ground at once, and I charged ahead with the Young Lady.
THUD!
KRRRRACK!
No sooner had we moved than the cavern behind us collapsed.
A sure sign that the Sand Devourer was drawing closer.
"Esther, where is the Sand Devourer now?"
["…In a straight line, around 2 kilometers. Almost here."]
Considering the creature's size, 2 kilometers was practically nothing.
I reached out my hand.
Then summoned the Spear of Ankelenth, now in the form of a shovel.
['Spear of Ankelenth' has been summoned!]
[Remaining summon time for Spear of Ankelenth: 64 minutes and 12 seconds.]
With the shovel in hand, I continued the excavation with Janus.
But the tremors only drew nearer.
["Only 1 kilometer left!"]
Esther's urgent voice rang out.
Even with Janus and me digging together, the distance to the Sand Devourer only kept closing.
It felt as if the creature was right on our heels.
'…No other choice.'
At this rate, the Young Lady and I would both be devoured alive—or crushed to death.
To survive, we'd have to take a more extreme approach.
"…"
I stopped digging.
I already knew we couldn't escape the Sand Devourer at this pace.
Instead, I began digging a pit.
"What are you doing? What is this?"
The Young Lady's voice, full of unease, questioned me as I acted.
Her voice was laced with fear—something that didn't suit her usual demeanor.
"Get in."
"…What?"
She tried to speak, but I cut her off.
"Esther."
["Yes."]
"Take care of her."
["…What? What do you mean?"]
BOOM───!
THUD!!!
The tremors were now right upon us.
Time was running out.
"Esther, no matter what, do what needs to be done."
["Wait! What are you trying to do?!"]
"I'm going to stop it."
["…What?! Are you serious right now?!"]
"There's no other way."
Truthfully, I had no intention of facing the Sand Devourer underground like a fool.
But things had come to this, and there were no options left.
"Then go."
"Wait—"
I shoved the Young Lady into the pit and immediately covered it with dirt.
Thanks to Esther's pre-deployed ether barrier, she wouldn't be buried alive.
["…Don't die."]
"I won't."
With that brief exchange, I turned around.
The presence of the Sand Devourer was now overwhelming—practically breathing down my neck.
RUMBLE────!
BOOM!!!
The massive tremors roared through the ground.
Regardless, I pressed forward without hesitation.
If we fought here carelessly, the Young Lady could be caught in the crossfire.
'No choice.'
By conventional logic, facing a Sand Devourer in an enclosed space like this meant certain death.
But that was only if you played by conventional logic.
'Let's see what happens.'
I looked to Janus.
"Ready?"
[Kikit!]
With the Spear of Ankelenth firmly in hand, I marched forward.
And soon, I felt the tremors begin to die down.
[Kikikikikit!]
Janus let out a wary screech.
And then I saw it.
[Grrrrrrrrrr…]
A faint light gleaming in the darkness—
And within it, a massive eye gazing straight at me.
* * *
The Young Lady.
The leader of the Shadow Order.
And known by countless other names, she crouched quietly in the darkness.
["…Commander, are you okay?"]
Esther's worried voice echoed, but the Young Lady couldn't lift her head.
It felt as though the darkness, the abyss around her, was ready to swallow her whole.
THUD!
RUMMMBLE────!!!
A massive tremor shook the ground.
Proof that the Sand Devourer was drawing closer.
"…I'm fine."
She tried to sound composed, but in truth, she wasn't fine at all.
It wasn't just because she had lost her ether abilities.
The darkness—this abyss pressing down on her—terrified her to her core.
"…"
She curled up tighter.
Facing this darkness brought back memories of a time long ago, a time she had spent in the shadows.
「"Someone, someone please get me out of here. Please…"」
It was a nightmare.
One she wished to forget, but could never erase.
「"Is no one there? Anyone…?"」
This pitch-black enclosure reminded her of that place.
That long, dark prison she had once endured.
["Commander…"]
Esther couldn't offer any words of comfort or encouragement.
She knew that nothing she could say would help right now.
RUMMMMMBLE────!!!
Then, a great tremor shook the small cavern where the Young Lady was hiding.
Even if Esther was maintaining the space with her power, it wasn't completely immune to outside impact.
["…Ugh."]
Even Esther couldn't fully withstand the shock—it showed as ether dripped from her lips.
Seeing that, the Young Lady could only open and close her mouth, unable to speak a word.
["It's okay. I'll protect you."]
And as she watched, the Young Lady recalled the face of a young girl she once met.
「"Hmm… Are you the one who called me?"」
The girl who had saved her long ago—when she was all alone, curled up in the darkness.
* * *
The search for the Young Lady was dragging on.
There was no helping it.
In the middle of the plains outside the Ark,
the environment was practically ideal for attacks by beasts and monsters.
So, the soldiers of the Ark had to do more than just search—
they also had to maintain full vigilance on all sides.
"You're here."
Major Arden faced Kalakin, who had approached him unnoticed.
Perhaps because of the brief connection they shared before,
he seemed to run into him more often than expected.
"Have you found any trace of Carl Marcus?"
"Not yet. But usually, one would ask about the Young Lady first. You're an unusual one."
Kalakin gave a small chuckle at Arden's remark.
Indeed, most soldiers would naturally inquire about the Young Lady's whereabouts first—she was the target of the search, after all.
But for some reason, he had asked about Carl Marcus first.
As if Carl Marcus held the key to this entire operation.
"You must really trust Carl Marcus. Do you think he's already found her?"
"You seem to place quite a bit of trust in him yourself, Major."
"Caught me, did you? Sharp one."
Arden let out a hearty laugh.
"Carl Marcus is a fine man. Any group would want him. Ah, but that's not to say you're lacking. You're an exceptional talent, too. I'd recruit you on the spot if I could. It's just… a difference in direction, perhaps."
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind. Don't worry about it. It's nothing important. And you're better off not knowing anyway. I shouldn't have said that."
Kalakin was curious, but he didn't press the matter.
He already knew full well—there were many things in the Ark one was better off not knowing.
"Major Arden! Please come here for a moment!"
The shout of a soldier drew a frown from Arden.
Reports like that usually meant something bad.
"Doesn't look like we have anything better to do. Let's go together."
"Are you sure that's okay?"
"Sure."
Major Arden walked toward the watchtower where the soldier had called out, Kalakin in tow.
"Please look over there."
Following the soldier's direction, Arden and Kalakin peered beyond the horizon through a specialized optical scope.
"That's…"
It looked like a swarm of storm clouds—but it wasn't.
It was a horde of flying-type beasts and monsters.
"Hmm…"
Seeing that, Major Arden could only grunt.
A sinister aura drifting in from beyond the horizon.
A clear sign of an impending Wave.
"We don't have much time."
In other words, the search operation now had a ticking clock.
If they delayed too long, the Wave would strike—and when it did, the soldiers here would be wiped out.
"What if we can't find the Young Lady before the Wave hits?"
"We have no choice. We retreat."
As precious as the Young Lady was,
to face a Wave outside the Ark was nothing short of suicide.
No commander would issue such an order—
No, they couldn't.
With soldiers gathered here from multiple lines,
any such order would spark rebellion.
"So that means…"
"It means Carl Marcus has to be left behind too."
"…I thought so."
A desperate situation.
And yet, for some reason, Kalakin couldn't shake the feeling—that Carl Marcus would come back safely.
All because of the unbelievable things he had already done.
"You believe Carl Marcus will return?"
"Yes."
"Honestly, so do I."
As Arden and Kalakin shared their idle conversation—
RUUUUUUMBLE──────!!!
A massive tremor erupted from underground.
A sign that the Sand Devourer had begun to move again.
"Knew it. That thing wouldn't stay still."
"Are you going?"
"I have to. Are you coming?"
"Of course."
Colonel Arden drew his R-1 Plasma Sword,
and Kalakin unsheathed his cherished blade—the Moonlight Sword.
The Moonlight Sword.
A blade that repelled evil.
But even if the enemy wasn't demonic,
its usefulness knew no bounds.
"Let's go."
They wouldn't be caught off guard like last time.
Not just those two—but every soldier present showed the same resolute determination.