["What in the world are you thinking... I'm really curious, Master. Would it be too much to ask to hop into your head and take a look?"]
"Shut up."
I casually tossed the arm of the turncoat-look-alike lying on the floor into the [Rift Space].
Since it was part of a named Skull Turncoat, I was planning to use it as feed for Janus later.
'The gains from this battle are far from satisfying... but it can't be helped.'
The fierce battle came to an end,
And both the Turncoat Rook and Sart of the Shadows faded from atop the Red-17 Gate's walls.
Unfortunately, it was still far too early to relax.
The wave trying to consume the Ark was still ongoing.
[Kyaaaaaaah!]
[Kiiieeeek!]
I quickly rushed to the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun and grabbed the controls.
In my right hand was the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun.
In my left, the CRN-842 Hemp Rocket Launcher.
It was the most powerful and durable heavy weapon combo I had available at the moment.
Clack, clack─
My primary target was the horde of beasts currently occupying the top of the wall.
There was no need to hesitate.
I immediately pulled both triggers with each hand.
Kugugugugugu─!!!
Pheeeew!
Bang! Bang!
With Esther's support, my right and left hands moved busily, unleashing a torrent of firepower upon the monsters atop the wall.
[Kekheng!]
[Grooowl!]
While I had been fighting Sart of the Shadows and the Turncoat Rook, the Red-17 Gate's frontlines had already collapsed for the most part.
Thanks to the battle's aftermath, most of the beasts that approached this place had been wiped out, but even so, it wasn't enough to fully hold the line.
'At least I managed to guide them strategically... if I hadn't paid attention, the damage would've been far worse.'
Indeed, while battling the Turncoat Rook and Sart of the Shadows, I did my best to lead their attacks toward the beasts climbing the wall.
My own attacks followed the same tactic, of course.
Even so, the frontlines ended up collapsing in the end.
'If I declare Ankelenth's Domain, I could stall them here for a bit... but that would only increase the burden on the other gates.'
It was like robbing Peter to pay Paul.
The beasts that came here had to be dealt with here.
[Kaaaagh!]
[Kiiiiiieeeek!]
The beasts' grotesque screeches filled the air.
I answered their howls and screams with the deafening roar of gunfire from the muzzle.
Naturally, the beasts didn't just stand by—they spewed grotesque sounds and lunged at me.
But they couldn't overcome the overwhelming firepower.
"Haa...."
["Why are you sighing like that? You were the one who let me go. I should be the one sighing here. What on earth are you thinking...?"]
"That's not why I sighed."
Esther narrowed her eyes.
["Then what is it? "]
"It's nothing."
["If it's nothing, why does it feel like something to me? Am I imagining things? "]
"Because it is nothing."
["Ugh...."]
As Esther and I exchanged pointless chatter, reinforcements from the Ark appeared atop the Red-17 Gate's walls.
Among them was the Red Line's Special Mobile Strike Unit, who had intercepted the colossal monster with me not long ago.
"What in the world...."
Major Arden, who already knew me, frowned at the sight of the corpses of soldiers and beasts strewn across the wall.
But there was little time for reflection.
Beasts that had somehow made their way up the wall were already charging at the reinforcements.
"To your positions!"
The reinforcements quickly filled the gaps in the frontlines, and battle resumed at once.
However, beasts had already begun spreading not only on the Red-17 Gate's walls but across the walls of other gates as well.
Restoring the frontlines would clearly take time.
'Red Line must've taken considerable damage from the beasts that already broke through.'
Of course, there were additional defensive forces stationed around the perimeter of the line besides the Red-17 garrison.
But those were merely reserves for emergencies—and they weren't enough to completely repel the beasts that had infiltrated the Ark.
'…It's a shame the Ark took damage, but that ship's already sailed.'
All I could do now was hope the Ark hadn't suffered too much and prevent any further attacks from the beasts here.
Drrrrrrk─
The NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun whirled violently as it spewed fire from the barrel.
Though I felt slightly self-conscious with the new reinforcements watching, they were too busy focusing on their own fights to pay me much attention.
'I guess I can keep going a little longer.'
The barrel lit up with flames again.
Continuously.
Relentlessly.
And then...
As the frontlines began to stabilize again, Major Arden finally found the time to approach me.
I let go of the NOA-31's trigger and turned to face him.
After all, it would definitely seem strange to keep firing that beast of a gun while someone was trying to talk to me.
"...What in the world happened here?"
"There was an ambush."
"An ambush? What kind of ambush?"
"Monsters of unknown origin. From my judgment, they were at least Grade-2 Named Monsters."
"Grade-2 Named Monsters... you say?"
"Yes."
Arden's face grew grim.
The frontlines hadn't simply collapsed—they had been overwhelmed by a sudden ambush of second-class named monsters, wiping out the soldiers.
It was no wonder he reacted that way.
"Are you alright? If they were Grade-2 Named Monsters, they wouldn't have been easy to deal with."
"I barely made it out alive."
"...I see."
Though for someone who claimed that, I looked unusually fine.
Still, Arden didn't seem particularly suspicious.
After all, he had fought alongside me against a first-class named colossal monster before—he likely trusted in my ability.
"Then, I'll be on my way."
"Alright."
As Arden returned to the frontlines, the wall that had been devastated by the Turncoat Rook and Sart of the Shadows was slowly being brought back under control, thanks to the reinforcements.
But that wasn't all.
"Just hang in there a little longer! The wave's almost over!"
Just as Major Arden shouted, I could feel that the endless stream of beasts had started to dwindle at some point.
It wasn't just the Red-17 Gate either.
Other gates also began regaining composure, pushing forward with counteroffensives against the monsters.
At last, this dreadful wave was nearing its end.
"Hold the line!"
A desperate voice rang out.
Soldiers on the wall were pouring every ounce of strength into resisting the wave.
'Tch.'
I looked at the corpses of the soldiers atop the wall.
Perhaps because these reinforcements had been dispatched in a rush, the casualties were even higher than usual.
Including the original soldiers who'd fallen to the Turncoat Rook and Sart of the Shadows, the loss was immense.
'This is bad. Really bad.'
Of course, the Ark, having suffered relatively few losses until now, was capable of enduring this sacrifice.
But what if this happened again?
Even just once more?
'Then the effects will definitely start to show on the frontlines too.'
This meant such an incident must never be repeated.
'If there's one small piece of good news... it's the reaction from the Turncoat Rook.'
At first, I couldn't understand why he reacted the way he did.
But as time passed and I thought about it, I began to get an idea.
'If my theory's correct... then this ambush wasn't just a loss.'
What remained now was to compensate for the losses with gains of equal or greater value.
The battle—no, the war—was far from over.
The beasts that had broken through the Red-17 Gate were finally being eliminated, and new reinforcements were appearing from the rear.
Even the wave right before me was approaching its end.
* * *
Everything felt like it was over.
The monsters that had suddenly stormed in so effortlessly slaughtered the soldiers stationed atop the Red-17 Gate.
Because of that, a massive gap was torn in the frontline, and it was only a matter of moments before the beasts and fiends overran the defenses of Red-17.
Lieutenant Imosha despaired.
She truly believed that this could be the end of everything.
However—when did it start?
In the place where she thought all was lost, a familiar back once again stood in defiance.
Carl Marcus.
The very man who had saved the Ark numerous times before was once again standing alone against the tide of monsters.
The beasts were immensely powerful, as if trying to prove their strength by wiping out the soldiers on the wall in an instant.
So much so that Lieutenant Imosha didn't even dare to stand before them.
And yet, Carl Marcus did not yield—not even a step.
He fought fiercely against these overwhelming enemies.
The brutal combat continued until Carl Marcus at last defeated them.
Lieutenant Imosha couldn't believe her eyes.
In the moment she was about to fall into despair, Carl Marcus once again saved the Ark.
"Ah… Aah…"
Though she wanted nothing more than to rush to him that very moment, she clenched her teeth.
Because she still had her own duty to fulfill.
"Everyone… get up!"
Her voice, broadcast through the radio, reached the ears of the soldiers stationed at the Red-17 Gate.
* * *
"Haa…"
["Another sigh, huh."]
"...This one's from exhaustion."
Amid the echo of relentless gunfire and monstrous howls, surrounded by screams and chaos, Major Arden's R-1 Plasma Sword cut through the last of the beasts.
At last, the wave that had felt like it would never end—finally did.
"I-It's over…"
"Hah…"
In a normal battle, the cries of victory would ring out across the field.
But now, the soldiers had no strength left for such a thing.
This was a war that drained them of every last ounce of strength—over and over again.
And it was finally over.
+
[You have cleared Red-08 Stage!]
[Contribution points accumulated.]
[+141,251 Contribution Points]
[You have saved the Ark from danger! Additional Contribution points awarded.]
[+80,000 Contribution Points]
[You have driven off a long-standing threat to the Ark! Additional Contribution points awarded.]
[+60,000 Contribution Points]
[Current Contribution Points: 318,125]
+
The system message confirming the end of the wave echoed in my head.
But I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the numbers.
'Hm?'
The Contribution points were unusually high—perhaps because the Turncoat Rook from the Shadow Corps and Sart of the Shadows were also counted among the wave's monsters.
'Technically, I didn't defeat them… but I did fend them off, so I guess it counts.'
With this much Contribution built up, it felt like the perfect time to find a replacement for my Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle.
The Ark-15, though it had gone through two upgrades, was starting to feel insufficient for the enemies I would soon face.
'Well then… guess it's time to move on.'
Just as I was about to leave the area, Major Arden approached.
His body was stained with blood—whose, it was impossible to tell—and his Level 5 combat suit was ripped in several places, the injuries suggesting how brutal his fight must have been.
"Carl Marcus. I have something to ask."
"What is it?"
Arden glanced around cautiously, then leaned in slightly, as if about to share a secret.
"What do you think… of the current state of the Ark?"