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BOOM!
THUD──!
The sky and earth rumbled violently.
Waves usually caused tremors akin to earthquakes, but the vibration felt now was distinctly different.
"…Hey, doesn't this feel off?"
"What? Gotta take a dump?"
"No, you idiot. Not that. It just feels weird, like something's off."
"Yeah, definitely need a dump."
"I said no!"
Even amidst battle, the warriors of the Kronos Union were seasoned enough to crack jokes. But they had yet to realize what was truly happening.
That is, until they saw the massive shadow begin to loom beyond the horizon.
"Hey, hey!"
"What? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"There! Over there!"
At the alarmed tone of voice, a Kronos Union warrior turned his head with a scowl—and saw it.
The immense shadow stretching across from beyond the horizon.
"…Shit."
There was nothing else to say in a moment like this.
The emergence of Colossal Behemoths.
Not one or two—but five Colossal Behemoths had appeared, throwing the Rose Line into chaos.
Naturally, unrest spread quickly among the Kronos Union troops.
"…Boss, that looks like the real deal. We're totally screwed, right?"
"I know, damn it."
"We shouldn't have come to Ark…"
"Yeah right. If we hadn't come, that thing would've steamrolled our caves. Use your brain for once."
"Hmm… maybe?"
They forced light-hearted banter, but the weight of the situation bled through.
"Guys! We're already screwed, so let's take at least one of those bastards down!"
"Hell yeah. If I'm going down, I'm not dying easy!"
Veteran commanders who grasped the situation quickly tried to rally their troops, but who knew how long that motivation would last?
Just the existence of a Colossal Behemoth was enough to crush morale.
"They're coming! Prep something big, fast!"
"Something big? You think one big hit will be enough?"
"It's a figure of speech! Just hurry!"
At a glance, the chain of command seemed chaotic—but oddly enough, the Kronos Union troops moved with precision, each doing what they had to.
To Staff Sergeant Alex Hope, raised within Ark's rigid command structure, it was unsettling.
'So, this is the Kronos Union…'
What would Ark have done in this situation?
There was no need to think.
Even against Colossal Behemoths, Ark had enough firepower to respond.
All Ark had to do was follow its established system and defend as always.
But…
Alex Hope knew something else.
The finely tuned system Ark so proudly relied on could collapse instantly when faced with an unanticipated force.
That was why he couldn't take his eyes off the Kronos Union, standing before overwhelming threat.
[Grrrrrrrrrr....]
The ominous groan of the Colossal Behemoths echoed along the front line.
They were closing in.
Not fast, not slow—but even so, the time left was perilously short.
"Damn it! We got nothing else? These toys won't do jack to those things!"
"Go steal something from the Ark's warehouse!"
"There's no need."
At the sudden voice, the Kronos Union warriors turned, startled.
The suggestion to "steal from the warehouse" had been a joke, not serious.
"What do you mean? What do you mean there's no need?"
"…Follow me."
Alex Hope took the lead.
If Colossal Behemoths had appeared, the Kronos Union's current firepower wouldn't be enough.
Veterans they may be, but brute force was necessary against such opponents—and they lacked it.
'They need weapons.'
Ark had been reluctant to provide powerful weapons to the Kronos Union for a simple reason:
Weapons capable of harming Colossal Behemoths—with thick hides and reinforced armor—could just as easily harm Ark's own forces, who had strong defenses.
Even while trusting the Kronos Union with a portion of the front line, Ark had quietly held the final line itself.
'But now's not the time for that.'
Alex Hope fully understood how dangerous it was to arm the Kronos Union.
But those risks only mattered if Ark still existed afterward.
'More importantly…'
From what Alex Hope had seen of the Kronos Union so far—
Though he didn't know everything about them, it didn't feel like they had come with malicious intent.
"Hey, Ark guy. Do you really have weapons that can take those things down?"
"…More than enough."
Alex Hope brought a few Kronos Union commanders with him toward a vehicle.
"Get in."
"A vehicle? Hey! We can't go far in this situation!"
"I know. But this is necessary. The armory's inside the Rose Line—it won't take long."
What would take time wouldn't be the journey—but rather, the questions.
Like whether Alex Hope's true intentions could be trusted.
"You'll need to trust me."
At his words, the Kronos Union members hesitated briefly.
Naturally so.
Getting in a vehicle now meant leaving the front line—even briefly.
Surely someone from Ark should know better than to suggest that.
"…Boss, what do you want to do?"
The one called "Boss," a Kronos Union commander, frowned.
His weathered face and tanned skin suggested he was younger than he looked.
"We go."
"You sure about this?"
"We're not taking down those things without Ark's weapons."
"Eh? Why not? Didn't we already take down a bunch of those things before?"
The subordinate's tactless comment earned him a glare from the boss—and Alex Hope overheard it too.
'…They've hunted Colossal Behemoths before?'
Given the scale of the Kronos Union, that wasn't inconceivable.
But from the way they talked, it was almost as if Colossal Behemoths were no big deal.
'Do they have something I haven't seen yet?'
Some unknown side of the Kronos Union?
Alex Hope didn't dwell on it for long.
'Even if they do… there's no such thing as too many weapons.'
This was for Ark.
It would be ridiculous to step back now, trusting others to spill blood in their place.
"What now?"
"…We go. More weapons can only help. Let's try out some Ark-grade firepower ourselves!"
"Then let's move! At this rate, our boys are all gonna die!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it."
The Kronos Union commander looked at Alex Hope.
"Let's go. Doesn't seem like we have much time."
Alex Hope nodded.
* * *
Rose Line Rose-W2 Weapons Command Center.
The closest facility to Gate Rose-15, it stored high-risk weapons, even those effective against Colossal Behemoths.
Alex Hope met with Colonel Araf Kaur, logistics officer of Rose-W2.
"Well, well. You showing up here yourself must mean the situation's dire."
"Yes. A Behemoth-class beast has appeared on the front line."
"I heard the reports. But aren't you currently running joint ops with the Kronos Union at Rose-15?"
Colonel Araf Kaur's gaze shifted to the Kronos Union warriors behind Alex Hope.
"…Yes. But the situation is critical."
"So, you're requesting the release of weapons at Level 7 or higher to the Kronos Union. Correct?"
"…Yes."
"Hmph. You do know you don't have that kind of authority."
That was obvious.
Even as Rose-15's gate supervisor, this was clearly beyond his jurisdiction.
So, Alex Hope had no choice but to reveal a different identity.
Slip─
He slowly reached for the insignia on his chest.
He was not here as a gate supervisor—but as a member of the Rose Cross Knights.
That held great significance.
The Rose Cross Knights existed to protect Ark's security—and they wouldn't hesitate to use extreme methods if necessary.
But now, Alex Hope was essentially violating that very purpose by making this request.
'Interesting.'
Colonel Araf Kaur didn't show much reaction—but he was clearly surprised.
"Staff Sergeant Alex Hope, what did you see on the Rose-15 front line?"
"…Perhaps hope. Not just for Ark, but for all of humanity."
Knowing Alex Hope as well as he did, Colonel Araf couldn't help but be stunned.
Hope.
A word long forgotten—and long yearned for, yet never attained.
"And the responsibility?"
"I'll take it gladly."
"Level 8 weapon release approved."
Weapon deployment to an external force. Even Level 7 was rare. But Level 8?
It showed just how much Colonel Araf trusted Alex Hope.
Or rather, how much he trusted a fellow Rose Cross Knight.
"Thank you."
"No need for that. If anything, I'm sorry I couldn't help sooner."
"This is more than enough."
"Good. Let's not waste time. Go. The weapons will be dispatched without delay."
"Understood."
As Alex Hope turned to leave, the eyes of the Kronos Union warriors were on him.
"…Not sure what you did, but it looks like you took a heavy hit for us."
"I just did my duty. Let's go. The weapons will arrive when we do."
"That fast?"
"Don't underestimate Ark's logistics system. Timing delivery isn't a problem."
One of the Kronos Union soldiers smirked.
"Hah, acting all high and mighty. Should've handed it over sooner."
"Hey now, cut it out. They've got their own reasons."
"Yeah, the reason being they didn't want to part with the weapons."
"Enough."
Alex Hope hadn't expected praise—and he simply offered a bitter smile.
"Anyway, let's move."
He couldn't hide his urgency.
Even with the weapons secured, there was no time to spare—not for returning, nor for deployment.
His anxiety was apparent, and one of the Kronos Union men—the one they called Boss—spoke.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"No need to shake like that. All it'll do is make you slip up."
"…I know."
He did.
But knowing didn't make it any easier.
"You're nervous because those big ones showed up—but we, the Kronos Union, aren't that weak."
"…I know."
It wasn't that he underestimated them.
He simply knew too well: Colossal Behemoths couldn't be brought down without overwhelming firepower.
"Let's see… By the time we arrive, we'll have taken out a few."
"Not a few, Boss. We're gonna wipe the floor with them."
"Yeah, maybe we will."
The Kronos Union warriors chuckled and bantered among themselves.
Alex Hope listened, managing only a wry smile.
'They're doing it on purpose…'
Because of the nervousness he'd shown.
He knew better than anyone what unwarranted anxiety could do on the battlefield, and forced himself to stay focused.
We weren't too late.
We couldn't be.
"The front line is in sight!"
How long had it been?
Finally, Alex Hope arrived at the Rose Line—and saw the weapons had arrived just in time.
"We need to install them immediately. We don't have enough personnel—Kronos Union, we need your help."
"Got it. Hey! Anyone strong, get over here and help out!"
While the weapons were being installed, Alex Hope hurriedly climbed the Rose Line's wall.
He had to see the battlefield with his own eyes.
'Please, please…'
He scanned the front—and froze.
The Colossal Behemoths were still rampaging.
But something was off.
'…Two?'
He clearly remembered there being five earlier.
There was no way the number had decreased during a wave.
'No way…'
There was only one explanation left:
They had taken down Colossal Behemoths.
Sure enough, he saw the faint silhouettes of fallen beasts scattered among the enemy horde.
He hadn't seen them at first, overwhelmed by the army's numbers—but now, it was clear.
They had hunted Colossal Behemoths.
Without Ark's firepower, and with nothing but their so-called scrap weapons.
"Did they… really hunt Colossal Behemoths?"
"See? Told you we got a few."
The Kronos Union boss had crept up beside him, grinning knowingly.
"What the…"
Alex Hope was at a loss for words—staring at a scene he never could have imagined.