When morning came, Zack was still in bed.
He had slept in quite a bit…
He walked around the house, but no one was there.
"Where are they?" he wondered.
Just waiting around wasn't enough…
Suddenly, he felt something strange—
As if someone else was in the house with him.
A weird sensation… but it quickly vanished.
He decided to head outside.
As soon as he stepped out, that strange feeling returned…
He made his way toward the city center.
The Summit was only a few days away from ending.
It didn't take long before Liv appeared.
"You? What are you doing here?" Zack asked.
"I was looking for you. The Otto operation is about to begin…
But Ghost is incredibly strong, so the mission is just to inflict damage.
If possible, we'll eliminate him."
"This early in the morning?"
"Just because the operation has started doesn't mean we'll strike immediately…"
⸻
Montre City | 14:47
Krauser burst into the room.
"What's going on?" Bifrat asked.
"NWC forces have surrounded Dragonomica. They've spread across the city."
Denis:
"What about the helicopters landing in the city?"
"I'm not sure… but Jerusalem is a possibility."
Bifrat:
"What about Zack?"
Krauser:
"I checked the last traffic records…
The same car passed here a few days ago, heading to the canyon. Then it returned."
Bifrat:
"If he came back… no, it's hard to make assumptions."
Krauser:
"I think we should head back to Dragonomica.
I—"
Suddenly, sirens echoed through the air.
Then a voice announcement began:
"Residents of the city, due to the unusual energy burst detected from the canyon outskirts the other day, the Dragon High Council has declared a two-day quarantine.
This is to prevent potential health issues—please remain indoors during this period."
"Looks like we'll need to leave," Bifrat said calmly.
⸻
Dragonomica | 20:07
"Ghost's goal, oddly enough, is to find Helios.
That's why he's here.
He must've sensed the energy pulse when Helios awakened."
Zack:
"Still… why come straight to the capital city of the Nation?"
Liv continued:
"He already has followers in the other cities.
OptiPax—
It's a cult, with Ghost as their guide.
He's got a lot of men, and they far outnumber us.
But as you know… a well-trained soldier can take out ten rookies with ease."
Zack:
"So even if they outnumber us, their actual combat strength is below average. Got it."
"Exactly…
We're waiting for Ayato to contact us.
Our guess is Ghost will leave the city tonight.
He'll leave one of his most trusted men, Brody, behind.
So yeah… we're planning an assassination."
Zack:
"And you guys… are you an organization?"
"Us?"
"Yeah."
"Not exactly…
But we've got enough power to be an organization… maybe even more."
"Hm…"
Suddenly, Liv's phone rang.
"…Yes… got it. We're moving."
He turned to Zack:
"Alright, champ. You ready?
Don't underestimate Otto's power.
You still can't use Helios properly, remember?
So be careful…"
…And with that, they moved out.
⸻
File #018 – OptiPax
A cult with vast numbers.
Not very experienced in combat.
They lack a solid foundational structure.
Yet despite all this, they still exist—
All thanks to their leader…