The sky above the Ark blazed with fire.
Despite the constant rise of mushroom clouds resembling the flames of hell, dozens more missiles launched from the Ark.
As if intent on burning the entire world.
BOOM!
RUMMMMMMMBLE───!
Again came the thunderous roar and blinding white light.
The overwhelming sight wrought by the missiles made one thing clear.
Tactical nuclear weapons.
Even for the Ark, deploying tactical nukes was a tremendous risk—and yet, that was precisely what was happening now.
Something was off.
'A Triple Wave is difficult, yes, but not to the point of unleashing tactical nukes like this.'
Tactical nukes were among the Ark's last lines of defense.
Resources were limited—mass production of nukes wasn't possible. Not to mention their massive side effects.
'Even with the Ark's advanced protective gear, radioactive contamination from nearby detonations can't be ignored.'
That wasn't all.
Nukes in the Ark weren't just a defensive tool.
Strictly speaking, their true strategic role lay elsewhere.
One of the Ark's final protocols involved using tactical and strategic nukes to strike the source of beast or monster outbreaks—once enemy anti-air systems were disabled.
They weren't just shields—they were spears waiting for the right moment.
And now those spears were being launched recklessly?
Aimed not far outside the Ark itself?
Knowing what they signified—and the collateral damage they would cause—this shouldn't have been happening.
That is… unless something within the Ark had fundamentally changed.
'Something's definitely happened.'
The Ark was desperately trying to end the Wave.
Wasting nuclear resources and accepting the fallout.
But why?
What is forcing the Ark to shoulder such risk to end the Wave early?
'The Shadow Order… It has to be them.'
Considering the Shadow Order's long-held ambitions, they likely saw the Triple Wave as the perfect cover to move.
'Hmph.'
I had thought the Shadow Order wouldn't act so easily.
Primarily because Esther—one of their most vital members for fulfilling their goal—was now bound to me.
Without her, achieving that goal would be impossible.
'And yet, if they are moving now, then it must be because of the Triple Wave.'
Multi-Waves were rare.
Triple Waves—three concurrent Wave fronts—were rarer still.
Uncommon events often spelled opportunity.
To the Shadow Order, this Triple Wave may have seemed like the opportunity.
'It can't be helped now.'
If there was any small silver lining, it was that the Ark's use of tactical nukes—likely in response to the Shadow Order's movement—was annihilating the Wave forces.
At the very least, I didn't need to worry about the Ark's defenses crumbling right away.
'Of course, some damage is inevitable… but given the situation, it's a necessary cost.'
I flared the Wings of Ankelenth, accelerating hard.
["…Master, where are we going? Don't tell me—you're heading into the Ark?"]
'Yes.'
["Into the Ark… right now? Has something happened?"]
Esther, perhaps because she had been with me for some time now, picked up on it quickly.
'Yes.'
["What happened?"]
'I think the Shadow Order has made its move.'
["…What?"]
Her voice trembled.
It had to.
If the Shadow Order was moving under these conditions, it meant only one thing.
["No… don't tell me… the Commander is trying to fulfill the vow right now? That's not possible! She can't without me!"]
'It's not confirmed. Just a hunch.'
["But still…!"]
She bit her lip mid-sentence.
["…Then where exactly are you going, Master?"]
'Still deciding.'
["Huh?"]
My first thought was to head directly to the White Line—the likely target of the Shadow Order.
But on second thought, I realized something important: going there alone wouldn't change anything.
'I need troops.'
And not just any troops—an elite unit capable of facing the Shadow Order.
'An elite force capable of resisting the Shadow Order…'
Unfortunately, even in this massive Ark, such units were few and far between.
Especially now, in the midst of a multi-Wave.
'…No, there is one.'
A group possessing the power to oppose the Shadow Order—and whose interests were currently aligned with mine.
'The odds aren't great… but it's worth a try.'
Destination: Blue Line.
That's where I was headed.
* * *
Under Sart's guidance, cloaked in echoes and shadows, the agents of the Shadow Order began to move.
Their target: the inner sanctum of the White Line.
Most of the soldiers stationed there had already been deployed to the Red Line and other fronts.
Few remained who could repel the intruders.
"Hmm?"
SLICE───!
The shadows moved with practiced ease.
No—they had been prepared all along.
Sart dispatched a sentry with near-effortless silence and scanned the area.
By now, the Shadow Order had penetrated deep into the White Line.
And yet, the number of enemy soldiers they'd encountered had barely reached twenty.
The reason was simple.
The plan to seize the White Line had been in the works for a long, long time.
The infiltration routes were practically flawless.
"Commander, this sector's mostly clear," Sart reported.
But Isabel only gazed calmly at the White Line's expanse.
Their long-awaited goal was nearly within reach.
Just a little further.
But Isabel did not rush.
"Let's move."
Their infiltration route was so precise that, under normal circumstances, the White Line wouldn't even realize it had been breached.
And yet—
WHOOOOOSH───!
Missiles soared from the Red Line sky.
Isabel's eyes narrowed.
These weren't ordinary missiles.
They were launchers capable of delivering nuclear payloads.
And someone had just fired them outward from the Ark… at this moment.
This could only mean one thing.
'They've detected our infiltration of the White Line.'
The Ark's decision to deploy its precious nuclear arsenal meant it was trying to recall troops from the outer fronts back to the inner lines.
Which, in turn, meant they had discovered the Shadow Order's breach.
'So, it's come to this after all…'
The carefully calculated plan of the Shadow Order had been thrown off by a single, unexpected variable.
The absence of Grade-1 Spectral Entity, Esther.
Originally, Esther would have played a critical role—disrupting the White Line's surveillance and communication systems. But without her, that part of the plan fell apart.
Now, even the Shadow Order was racing against the clock.
"They've caught on," Isabel said calmly.
Her words didn't shock the Shadow Order operatives—they had always anticipated this scenario.
After all, being discovered was one of the contingencies accounted for in the plan.
"It'll be fine. The White Line's practically unguarded right now," said Sophia.
Isabel nodded.
Only one barrier remained between them and the White Line's core.
The White Road.
A single, narrow passage, stretching 3 kilometers—yet the only path to the heart of the White Line.
Inside the core, armaments were strictly prohibited.
So, once they crossed the White Road, seizing the White Line would be just a matter of time.
As the Shadow Order set foot on the White Road, silent alarms began to echo all around.
Another cost of Esther's absence.
But the die had already been cast.
"Let's go," Isabel commanded.
She took the lead, and gradually, White Line security forces began to reveal themselves.
Even though most troops had been redeployed to the frontlines, a skeleton force remained.
But they were far from enough to stop Isabel.
[Heh…]
Ether storms rose violently.
Now that her strength had returned, Isabel's power overwhelmed the remaining defenders with ease.
[KIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE───!]
With a ghastly scream of ether, the bodies of White Line soldiers disintegrated at the particle level.
They were veterans drafted from various lines—but in the face of Isabel's power, they crumbled without resistance.
There was now nothing left to halt the Shadow Order's advance.
Or so it seemed.
"Hm… I just got back and it's already a mess. A surprise attack on the White Line, huh…"
A voice, brimming with annoyance.
And with it, a face even the Shadow Order recognized.
Colonel Melissa.
Freshly returned from a long external assignment, she stood before them.
Staring at the group cloaked by Sart's shadow, her eyes settled on one figure in particular.
"Well, if it isn't the young lady of the Belov family."
Though most of the Shadow Order remained hidden, Sophia Belov stood in plain view—brazen despite being the enemy.
Melissa found that odd… but it didn't stop her from doing what needed to be done.
"…I thought you were still deployed. You came back quicker than expected."
"Of course."
Melissa chuckled darkly.
Even with the entire Shadow Order before her, she remained unfazed.
"So, young lady of Belov, what brings you to the White Line? And who are your shady little friends?"
"Not your concern. Get out of the way—we don't have time for this."
"Now, now. I am a soldier of the White Line, you know."
"White Line? When did you transfer?"
"Eh, it happened. I don't ask about the higher-ups' decisions."
Melissa smiled savagely and added:
"Anyway, Miss Belov—and your little shadow crew—how about you cooperate for questioning? I promise I won't make it hurt."
"Funny joke. You've had your fun. Now move aside."
"Oh, I was being serious. So, I take it negotiations are off?"
"You're not moving aside, then?"
"Exactly."
A standoff, seconds from exploding.
Then, Isabel's voice rang out, low and commanding.
"Rook. Sart. Handle her. The rest of us, move."
With that command, Turncoat Rook and Sart of the Echo stepped forward.
"You're trying to stop me with just two of you? You'll need every single one if—"
But her words trailed off.
As Rook and Sart began to unleash their true strength, the calm smirk faded from Melissa's face.
"…Great. I walk back into a disaster. Should've just stayed deployed."
Melissa bared her teeth in a feral grin and launched bone tendrils in every direction.
SHHHHHK───!
The Skull Knight.
Another name by which Colonel Melissa was known.
And now, Skull Turncoat Rook and Skull Knight Colonel Melissa faced each other, their bone tendrils ready to clash.