Maybe it was because we were finally outside.
The Young Lady—no, Isabel—seemed to be gradually recovering the more time passed.
The once-dried-up well of her ether was slowly being replenished, and with it, her physical reinforcement abilities were also returning.
"Hm, hm~"
She even hummed a tune as she walked, proof that she was feeling significantly better.
In fact, the way she took long strides—each one covering what would be twenty steps for a normal person—suggested her strength had recovered quite a bit.
"What are you doing? Hurry up already."
"…You're just too fast."
"Don't be such a baby."
Isabel grinned playfully.
At first, I had been walking well ahead of her, but at some point, she caught up and then overtook me.
"You were the one making a fuss about rushing earlier."
"I said you're the one who's slow."
"Yeah, sure~"
How should I put this…
Whether she had become genuinely more cheerful or just plain cocky, it was clear that Isabel was talking a lot more than before.
On the way back, we did encounter a few monsters and magical beasts, but there wasn't anything worth worrying about.
The moment they tried to pounce, Isabel glared fiercely, her ether surged, and the beasts were driven away.
"What are these things? Scram, will you?"
[Kreeeekkk!]
[Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.]
Screeeeeeeeeeeech!
[Kyaaah!]
[Screech! Screech!]
If anything, the return trip was surprisingly smooth—thanks to her.
"Ah, look over there."
Isabel raised her head, and I followed her gaze.
And then, we saw it.
VROOOOM───!!
With a loud sonic boom, a massive, familiar figure rapidly approached from the sky.
Sure enough, it was Horus.
[Screeeee!]
Along with Horus's shrill welcome, Esther revealed herself, having finally returned.
["I'm back."]
"You did well."
Esther glanced at Isabel and me with those ever-suspicious flounder eyes.
["Nothing happened while I was gone, right?"]
"What would even happen?"
["If nothing happened, fine."]
Though her words said one thing, her suspicious glare didn't quite disappear—but I chose not to address it.
"So, you're Horus?"
When Isabel smiled gently, Horus trembled instinctively at the presence he sensed.
Had it been just a short while ago when she had no strength left, he might not have reacted this way.
But now that she had recovered a considerable amount of ether, even Horus—a Grade-1 Bone Parasite—found himself on edge.
[Squeeek!]
"Cute. Now that I think about it, I remember hearing something about you from Luke."
[Squeeek…]
Whether it was just my imagination or not, Horus seemed to shrink somehow.
"Let's get going. The Wave will be here soon."
Naturally, I mounted Horus and called down to Isabel, who stood awkwardly below.
"You too, Isabel. Hop on."
"Ah, okay."
Just then, I felt a cold chill creeping up behind me.
When I turned around, I saw Esther glaring at me with her signature flounder-eyed stare.
["…Isabeel?"]
Her eyes darted toward me.
["Commander! What is this? How does that nasty guy know your name?!"]
Even Isabel, who had regained much of her power and confidence, shrank under Esther's sharp tone.
"Well…"
["Well?"]
"I told him."
["What?! Why?!"]
Isabel glanced away, feigning disinterest.
["What the heck? Why are you looking away? What does that mean? Just what happened while I was gone?!"]
"…Just because."
["Just because? Just—because?!"]
Esther looked like she wanted to keep pressing, but Isabel hurriedly scrambled onto Horus.
"Alright, let's go!"
["We're not done talking! You can't just take off like that!"]
"Eh, forget the little things."
["Commmandeeeer!"]
Ugh…
So, exhausting.
* * *
When the support unit returned, the mood in Ark couldn't have been any better.
An alliance had been successfully formed with Kronos.
On top of that, the unit had completed an extremely dangerous mission without any casualties, making their return even more triumphant.
But that joy didn't last long.
The Young Lady leading the support unit was nowhere to be seen.
"The Young Lady… went missing? And the support unit just returned without her? And this is what you bring me as a report?!"
BANG!
Lieutenant Colonel Banol slammed his desk, his fury erupting in a way that was completely out of character.
That was how serious the current situation was.
"…I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Do you think a mere apology is enough for this?!"
He was right.
It wasn't just that the Young Lady had gone missing.
The unit had returned without her, essentially abandoning her.
If House El found out, how would they ever contain that fury?
No—considering House El's intelligence network, they probably already knew the moment the unit returned.
And that wasn't even the end of it.
The Young Lady was one of Ark's most powerful ether users.
Losing someone like her wasn't just unfortunate—it was a major blow to Ark's overall strength.
Moreover, she wasn't just powerful. Her status and abilities made her a symbol within Ark itself.
In fact, the only reason she was deployed this time was because of that symbolic presence.
And now she was gone?
This wasn't a minor issue.
"Hoo…"
Lieutenant Colonel Banol pulled out a cigar.
If he didn't smoke one now, the stress alone might knock him out.
"Send out a search team immediately. Reinstate Major Arden as the Tactical Strike Officer and put him in charge of the operation."
"Understood."
Ark scrambled to form a search team with elites from every division.
But realistically speaking, the chances of finding the Young Lady were slim to none.
If she'd been swallowed by the Sand Devourer, she might as well be dead.
Anyone else would've been dead a hundred times over.
The only reason Ark clung to even a shred of hope was because the Young Lady was an exceptional ether user.
Those with a certain level of ether were, quite literally, capable of miracles.
That was why Ark hadn't given up yet.
'Even if she's alive… if the Wave hits, it's over.'
Even if she'd miraculously survived being swallowed by the sand, what if she encountered a Wave on the way back?
Could she survive that too?
Lieutenant Colonel Banol didn't think so.
No matter how powerful her ether, surviving both the Sand Devourer and a Wave seemed impossible.
And yet, Ark was sending a search party.
To cling to that very last thread of hope.
"One more thing you should know."
"Speak."
"After the Young Lady disappeared, a mercenary followed her into the collapsing sands."
"A mercenary?"
As far as Banol knew, there was only one person in the support unit who could be called that.
"…Who was it?"
"Carl Marcus."
Lieutenant Colonel Banol's eyes widened.
"Carl Marcus went missing with her?"
"Yes, sir."
Why?
Why was it that, upon hearing that name, Banol felt an inexplicable sense of relief?
Even he didn't understand why—but he couldn't deny the feeling.
"…In any case, dispatch the search team as soon as they're ready."
"Yes, sir."
"You may go."
Once he was alone in his office, Lieutenant Colonel Banol lit the rest of his cigar.
Thick smoke filled the room.
* * *
Red-17 Gate.
At that place, Lieutenant Imosha gazed out past the horizon, where an ominous air was stirring.
When she heard that Carl Marcus had disappeared, Lieutenant Imosha felt, inexplicably, as if her heart had stopped.
Why?
She couldn't say.
But one thing was certain—Carl Marcus had somehow become an incredibly significant presence in her life.
"…Carl Marcus."
She found herself muttering his name without even realizing it and was startled by her own voice.
Seriously, what was she doing, murmuring a man's name to herself like this?
"…I must be losing it."
At that moment, someone approached Lieutenant Imosha.
It was the commander of the search team.
"You're the gate officer? I'm requesting access through Red-17 Gate."
"Ah, yes. I've been informed. I'll open it right away."
"Good."
There was no need for further conversation.
There wasn't enough time for it anyway.
As the search team swiftly passed through Red-17 Gate, Imosha's eyes naturally followed their retreating figures.
"..."
The team, consisting of nearly two full platoons, was made up of individuals who clearly weren't ordinary.
It seemed the rumors were true—they had gathered elite members from across Ark's entire force.
Unfortunately, even with such a powerful team deployed, the chances of success were slim.
After all, the mission was already based on the faint hope that the Young Lady might still be alive.
"..."
Imosha stood silently, lost in thought as she watched the horizon.
She was always on watch duty, but given the current circumstances, she couldn't afford to let her guard down.
"…Huh?"
And then she saw it.
Dark clouds were gathering beyond the already unsettled horizon.
A sign of an incoming Wave.
"…Damn."
Things had taken a sharp turn.
No matter how skilled the search team was, it would be impossible to force their way through a Wave in the open plains.
"Open the gate!"
Imosha gave the urgent order.
If a full Wave had begun, the search team would soon return.
And once they did, there wouldn't be time to fumble with the gate.
Wheeeeeeng──
At her command, the gate began to slowly open, and Imosha stood in tense anticipation, hoping they would make it back in time.
But strangely, the search team was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, dark shapes—presumably a horde of beasts—could be seen approaching from the horizon.
Rrrrrrrumble───!
A tremor passed underfoot, as if a small earthquake had struck.
A far too familiar sensation.
The Wave had begun in earnest.
"Has the search team arrived?"
"Not yet!"
The situation was becoming dire.
If the team didn't return soon, Imosha would have no choice but to close the gate.
Meaning she would be sacrificing the entirety of Ark's elite search unit.
'Please… hurry…'
She bit her lip hard, willing the team to appear—but there was still no sign of them.
In the end, Imosha had no choice but to make a decision—for her duty and for Ark's safety.
"…Close the gate."
Guuuuung──!
With a loud clanging of metal,
Red-17 Gate shut tight.