When the group finally crawled out of the underground drainage tunnel, most of them were already gasping for breath.
Normally, none of these citizens of Jacinto would ever dare to enter the sewers. Even though Jacinto was protected by a layer of granite that the Locust couldn't break through, that didn't mean they couldn't invade. In truth, everyone always feared the possibility of running into the monsters down there.
Fortunately, luck was on their side this time.
"All right, move it. This isn't the time to rest."
Seeing his exhausted companions, the man at the front frowned and barked out the order.
"I already arranged it—someone's waiting to take us to the Inquisition. But he's only staying until dawn! If we don't hurry, we'll be left behind!"
"Ugh…"
The others exchanged weary looks but gritted their teeth and pushed on.
Ever since they'd decided to flee Jacinto, there had been no turning back. Infected with the plague, they could no longer live in the city; only the Inquisition offered even a sliver of hope.
Before long, they reached a ruined district not far beneath Jacinto and entered a dilapidated garage. The place was pitch dark, but as soon as the leader stepped inside—
—Click!
A blinding light flared, shining straight into their faces. In the glare, they saw two massive armored soldiers raising their weapons, aiming right at them!
"You're… GEARs?"
Seeing the familiar emblem, the man's face turned pale. He immediately raised his hands.
"We're not spies! We just want to leave this place! Damn it, do you really have to hunt us down like animals?!"
"…"
The two soldiers glanced at each other, then slowly lowered their guns.
At that moment, another figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Calm down. They're not here to arrest you—they're travelers too."
"What do you mean?"
The man stared blankly at the vagrant merchant he had made the deal with earlier.
"You mean… they're also going to the Inquisition?"
"That's right! Now get in the truck. I don't plan to linger here!"
Urged on by the merchant, the man and his companions nervously climbed aboard the truck, keeping a wary distance from the two soldiers as they sat down.
The soldiers climbed into the back as well, and soon the engine roared to life. The vehicle sped off into the night.
Inside the rattling truck, no one spoke. The refugees huddled together in silence, while one of the soldiers—buzz-cut, square-jawed—held a pendant in his hand, rubbing it absently. His companion, a man wearing a bandana, sighed quietly as he watched him.
"To be honest, Dom, I'm not sure this is the right move," he muttered.
"I know. But as long as there's even a lead, I won't give up. You understand that, Marcus."
Dom's voice was calm but resolute. His gaze dropped again to the pendant in his hand.
Marcus only shook his head and said nothing.
The truth was, these two were no ordinary GEARs—they were elite members of Delta Squad, heroes of the recent Imulsion Blitz operation. Soldiers like them weren't allowed to leave Jacinto without explicit orders.
But Dom had no choice.
He was searching for his wife—Maria.
Before the Locust War began, Dom and Maria had raised two children together. But both had died in the war. Stricken by grief, Maria had suffered a mental breakdown. She convinced herself the children were still alive, wandering the ruins to find them.
Two years after E-Day, while Dom was away on a mission, Maria had vanished.
Ever since, he had been searching for her—certain she was still alive, even though he'd found no proof.
That changed only recently.
After the Inquisition appeared, stormed the underground Locust hives, and rescued prisoners, some GEARs had returned to Jacinto with reports. Among them, Dom heard mention of a woman who looked very much like Maria—now living under the Inquisition's protection.
Dom had wanted to go immediately, but duty held him back. Only after the Imulsion Blitz was over did he finally use his contacts to find a vagrant caravan traveling toward the Inquisition—and struck a deal to join them.
To the COG, his actions would be considered desertion. But Dom didn't care. Finding Maria was all that mattered. Completing the Blitz had been his final service to the government.
Marcus, unable to let his brother-in-arms go alone, had come with him. Together, they slipped out of Jacinto in secret, heading for the legendary Inquisition.
Through Dom's connections, they found a caravan willing to take people there. Normally, such travel was perilous—but since both the Inquisition and COG had struck devastating blows against the Locust, the beasts now cowered deep underground. Trade and transport flourished once more.
For the vagrants, ferrying people to Inquisition territory had become a profitable business.
These convoys weren't run by the Inquisition itself, but they still benefited from its growing influence. The organization's power brought safety—and with the plague ravaging many regions, more and more people sought refuge under its banner. The caravans simply charged passage fees to deliver them there.
And so it was this time.
After two days and nights on the road, they finally arrived—at the place of legend.
"This… this is the Inquisition…"
The man stared up at the five-meter-tall city walls. Black-armored soldiers stood guard at the gates, their weapons gleaming under the light. Carved into the walls were symbols of skulls and warhammers.
He swallowed hard, then began to cough violently. Two days of travel had taken their toll; he could feel the plague gnawing deeper into his body.
There was no turning back now.
"Let's go!!"
Gritting his teeth, he led the others toward the gates—only to be stopped by two towering black-armored warriors.
"Who are you? What business do you have here?"
"We—we're here for help!"
The man looked up at the towering warriors, their presence suffocating, and stammered,
"We want to live… we're infected with the plague. You can cure us here, right?"
The two soldiers exchanged glances. Then one pointed to the side.
"Go there. Someone will tell you what to do."
"Phew…"
The man exhaled in relief. On the way, he'd considered lying about their condition, but it was pointless—the infection was written all over them. If the Inquisition really could cure it, he'd take the risk.
And it seemed he had chosen right.
They followed the direction indicated and found themselves in an empty courtyard. On the other side stood another black-armored warrior—and beside him, a strange statue shaped like a hammer resting on a skull.
"If you wish to enter," the warrior said, "pray to it. Once you've finished, you may proceed inside."
"...Pray?"
As citizens of Jacinto, they were used to bureaucratic entry forms, not prayers. Confused, they exchanged looks, but obediently approached the statue and began to pray.
The man clenched his fists and closed his eyes.
Please… please save me. I'll do anything—just cure me!
"———!!!"
In that instant, he felt his whole body tremble. A cool sensation spread from within, washing away the burning pain and fever that had been devouring him.
It was… gone?
"This… this is…"
He opened his eyes wide. He took a deep breath—and for the first time in weeks, it didn't hurt. The air was fresh, his lungs strong, his body filled with energy.
Impossible.
Could a simple prayer have cured his plague?
Just like that?
Was it an illusion?
He turned to his companions. Their astonished, tearful expressions told him it was no illusion. They too had been cured.
"How… how is this possible?"
He looked at the armored warrior and asked, trembling, "Our sickness… it's gone?"
The soldier merely nodded.
"Remember the mercy of the Inquisition. You may go."
Without another word, the warrior turned away.
The man and his companions huddled together, dazed.
"What do we do now?"
"Are we really cured?"
"I can't understand it. Why? How could prayer heal us? I've prayed my whole life—why now?"
Their feelings were complicated. They had come ready to suffer, even die, for a chance at life. They'd expected rejection, trials, sacrifice.
But in the end—it had been this easy.
Just like that.
Now what were they supposed to do with all the resolve they'd built up?
"…"
Amid the murmurs, the man fell silent for a long moment. Then he lifted his head.
"I've decided. I'm going back to Jacinto."
"What?!"
The others stared at him in shock.
"Why?"
"Because the others are still suffering! We've found the cure—how can I leave them to die?"
He clenched his fists.
"I'm going to save them. I won't let them be slaughtered by the COG like animals!"
With that, he spoke his resolve aloud.
(End of Chapter)