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Staff Sergeant Alex Hope did not slow his hurried pace.
Though the urgent task of delivering Anti-Behemoth weaponry had been completed, that didn't mean his primary duty—defending the front line—was finished.
'If anything, the Colossal Behemoths are only a small part of this massive wave.'
Wave.
In particular, the true terror of a multi-wave attack lay in the unending swarm of beasts and monsters.
And the longer it dragged on, the stronger the incoming enemies would become.
This made the front line the place where Alex Hope was most needed.
"Ah, there you are. We received the weapons. You've done a great service, Gate Officer."
The Kronos Union commander chuckled as he patted Alex Hope on the shoulder.
"Has everyone familiarized themselves with the Anti–titan-class weaponry?"
"Yes. It was simpler than expected—likely thanks to your team's excellent explanation."
"That's good. Do you require any further support?"
"Not yet. If anything comes up, I'll send someone."
"Understood."
Concluding his brief conversation with the Kronos Union's commanding officer at Gate Rose-15, Alex Hope left the command center with his weapon in hand.
There was nothing more for him to do there.
His eyes turned to the battlefield.
The Kronos Union detachment was locked in fierce combat with the final remaining Colossal Behemoth.
If only to support them, he had to lend a hand—any hand.
'Come to think of it… I don't see Carl Marcus. Don't tell me he's left Ark again?'
That Carl Marcus would discreetly leave Ark during every wave wasn't exactly hard to track for organizations like the Rose Cross Knights.
While it was impossible to trace his exact movements—given how elusive he was—one thing was certain: Carl Marcus never appeared on Ark's front lines during the waves.
'Could that be why the front line's more manageable than expected?'
This wave had been projected as an unprecedentedly massive multi-wave event.
If that were true, then even the number of flying beasts and monsters at the vanguard should've defied all reason. But in reality, their numbers had been much lower than predicted.
Most telling of all: many of the initial flying beasts had already been injured or burned when they first appeared.
'To face a wave outside Ark… is that even possible?'
He hadn't witnessed it himself, so there was no way to know how Carl Marcus had faced the wave—or if he had at all.
It was still just speculation.
For all he knew, Carl could be on vacation somewhere inside Ark.
'Unlikely, but still…'
The Rose Cross Knights had long paid close attention to Carl Marcus and his movements.
And they'd reached one conclusion:
Carl Marcus had an obsessive attachment to Ark—an attachment that, so far, had served Ark's security well.
So, no, the idea that he would be vacationing while a wave bore down on the city was unthinkable.
Carl Marcus was suspicious.
He consistently accomplished things that no single individual should be capable of—and continued to do so.
But what mattered was that those actions, for now, were undeniably beneficial to Ark.
That's why the Rose Cross Knights, despite their extreme vigilance, had not taken action against him—only kept watch.
Of course, there were still some elements of his behavior that raised red flags—but none urgent enough for intervention. At least not yet.
'Still, this isn't the time to be dwelling on that.'
The war wasn't over.
* * *
Beasts came rushing in from all directions.
Not just one or two—but legions of them, swarming in like a flood.
[KIEEEEEEEEK───!]
[Grrrr… Grrrgh!]
The sight was enough to drive any ordinary person to despair, but none of the warriors present gave in.
"Lania!"
"I know, I know! Stop yelling, I've got this!"
"Then stop talking and do it!"
"I said I'm doing it!"
Just moments earlier, Lania had crushed a beast's skull with her bare hands. Now, a storm of raw Ether began to surge around her.
[Grab, uh...?]
[Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull. Pull.]
[Draw───]
Lania's Ether seized the wings of the incoming flying beasts and slammed them down to the earth.
THUD──!
KUUUUNG!
The sky rained beasts as their screeches filled the air, crashing into the ground.
[KAAAAAH!]
[KIEK, KIEEEEK!]
"That's it!"
"Knew you had it in you!"
"Shut up already!"
Lania and the Kronos Union warriors seized the moment.
Amid such chaos, chances like this didn't come often.
"Now's our chance!"
Lania Marcus created a platform of Ether and leapt onto it. The Kronos Union detachment followed closely behind.
Step by step.
They precisely mirrored Lania's invisible Ether platforms as if they had rehearsed it all.
Of the five Colossal Behemoths, only one remained.
If they could take it down, there might finally be a sliver of hope for this battlefield.
"Only one left!"
"I know, dammit!"
Lania and the Kronos Union detachment charged the final Colossal Behemoth.
This was the center of the battlefield.
Any hesitation here meant instant encirclement by the horde, so their movements were swift and urgent.
"Lania! More incoming!"
"I know! My ears are ringing, so don't shout!"
"Damn woman, can't stop yelling, huh?!"
Violet flames ignited from Lania Marcus's hands.
Even her comrades, fighting back-to-back, didn't fully understand what those flames were—but one thing was clear: they were highly specialized for slaying beasts and monsters.
FOOOOM!───
The flames spread like a curse from another world, an unnatural violet burning through the enemy lines.
[GRAAAARGH!]
[GAK, KAAAH...!]
At last, Lania and the Kronos Union detachment reached the final Colossal Behemoth.
They stood before it.
Grade-1 Named Behemoth: Bearagon the Spewer.
A monster infamous not just in Ark, but among the Kronos Union as well.
Neither side had managed to defeat it—until now.
GGRRRRRRRR───
True to its name, Bearagon spewed radiation and toxic sludge from its gaping maw.
If an unprotected human got too close, they'd melt away without a trace.
But Calvin and Luis were exceptions.
"Ugh… That's disgusting!"
"You think you're any better?!"
"I'm clean, thank you?!"
Calvin and Luis, both enhanced soldiers from Heshbon, exchanged words as they climbed onto Bearagon's back.
Even with Lania's Ether support, their acrobatic ascent defied human limits.
ZIIING...!
The R-1 Plasma Swords in their hands began to glow.
Now their prized weapons—acquired after forming an alliance with Ark.
TSSSSHH!
The twin R-1 Plasma Swords sliced open Bearagon's hide.
Said to cut through anything, their sheer destructive power spared no one—not even a Grade-1 Named Behemoth.
[GGRRRRRRRR───!]
Bearagon's massive body jerked in pain.
The damage wasn't severe yet, thanks to its thick hide—but this was just the beginning.
"Told you they cut clean!"
"Wouldn't be Ark-grade if they didn't!"
Calvin and Luis danced across its body, shouting with excitement.
But with every movement, Bearagon thrashed—and nearby beasts charged toward the pair.
The detachment wasn't just fighting the Colossal Behemoth—they had to fend off the rest of the horde as well.
"Colin!"
"On it!"
Colin was once a priest of the Church of Morte.
He had sought salvation through them—but due to his lingering humanity, he eventually escaped.
No longer a follower, yet the blessings he'd received remained.
SSSSHH──
Colin's body, blessed by the Serpent, continuously regenerated its radiation-melted skin.
And his Wind blessing created a barrier, repelling incoming flying beasts.
[KAAAH!]
[GAK! GAGK!]
The rest of the detachment fought with everything they had to bring down Bearagon.
If they could take it down, the front line would improve drastically—and victory would be within reach.
"Calvin, Luis! How much longer?!"
Hunting a Colossal Behemoth amid this battlefield was no easy task.
About half of the detachment was barely managing to hold back the surrounding beasts.
"Guh… It's gonna take a bit!"
"What?! Hurry it up!"
"This bastard's stupidly tough! We're not even hitting the soft tissue yet!"
"Goddammit!"
Calvin and Luis cursed.
Bearagon was tougher than any Colossal Behemoth they'd fought before.
And its radiation and toxins made it hard to get in a proper strike—even with plasma swords.
At this rate, the detachment would be overwhelmed before they could finish it.
"Just die already!"
Had they been at full strength, this might have been easier.
But after slaying four Colossal Behemoths, their resources were running dry.
Even the Kronos Union's best couldn't take down five of them without cost.
"DIIIIIIIIIIIIE──!"
Calvin and Luis drove the R-1 Plasma Swords down hard.
But powerful as they were, the swords had serious issues with durability and reliability.
Their glow flickered—and died.
Fsssssh....
Their faces paled.
Each of them had brought three R-1 Plasma Swords.
That had been their last.
They still carried sidearms—but those would be useless against a Colossal Behemoth like Bearagon.
"…Damn it."
"Shit...!"
Even as they cursed, the beasts continued to attack.
"Fall back! We have to retreat!"
Their means of slaying the Colossal Behemoth were gone.
It was disappointing—but now was the time to fall back and rely on concentrated fire support.
"We need to—"
Just as they prepared to leap from Bearagon's body—
FOOOOOM!
Violet flames began to shimmer across its skin.
That flame—foreboding and dreadful—was unmistakable.
"Lania!"
Hope returned to their faces for the first time.
Lania Marcus—who until now had been supporting from the rear—was finally stepping into the fight.