"…Huh?"
Isabel couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Carl Marcus had simply pulled the trigger.
But the outcome was anything but ordinary.
"How is this even…"
Even as Isabel murmured her confusion, the ether storm remained in motion.
Carl Marcus pulled the trigger again.
Bang!─────
Bang bang!───
The trigger was pulled in rapid succession.
It was just a gun firing bullets—yet what was happening defied all reason.
[Kuh, kek───]
[Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear. Disappear....]
At last, the colossal ether storm Isabel had unleashed vanished into thin air—utterly and inexplicably.
"Go back."
Carl Marcus's detached voice rang out.
Isabel nearly nodded without thinking.
His voice carried a strange, undeniable weight.
She looked around.
Although the ether storm directed at Carl Marcus had dispersed harmlessly, the Guardians hadn't been so lucky.
"Ugh, urgh…"
"Burk, are you okay?"
In terms of raw battlefield strength, the Shadow Order now had the advantage.
Only Carl Marcus remained.
And yet, Isabel couldn't bring herself to act recklessly.
"Go back."
His voice echoed again, firm and calm.
Isabel clenched her teeth.
She stood tall, flanked by her comrades.
"…You're the only one left. You're the one who should leave."
"I've told you. Even if you get past here, you won't achieve your wish."
"Oh yeah? And what makes you think you know anything about our wish? What the hell do you even know?"
"I know it. Probably even better than you do."
"Don't make me laugh."
Isabel growled.
There was no ether rising, but if she could, she would've torn him to pieces right then and there.
"Go back."
"You just keep saying the same goddamn thing. Like a broken record. I'm not going anywhere."
"Even if you pass through here, you won't get what you want."
"Bullshit. Don't just spout nonsense without a shred of proof."
As their conversation ran in endless circles, Carl Marcus let out a long, heavy sigh.
Then, as if reaching a decision, he finally spoke slowly.
"There's no Sail in the White Line. Even if you take it, nothing will change."
"…What?"
Isabel's face went cold.
She understood exactly what those words meant.
"What are you—"
But her question was never completed.
A new presence began to swell behind the White Road.
[It's… coming....]
The ether warned them.
The ominous force that had been sensed beyond the White Road had finally arrived.
Yet even as it loomed ever closer, Isabel's mind was stuck on Carl Marcus's words.
'No Sail…?'
How did Carl Marcus even know about the Sail?
Did Esther tell him?
No—Esther didn't know about it. She couldn't.
There were steps to the Shadow Order's wish.
Seizing the White Line, claiming Ark—those were just intermediate stages.
Even most members of the Shadow Order didn't know what the final step was.
Yet Carl Marcus had seen straight through Isabel's deepest intent.
'…Impossible.'
And yet… he knew.
'How the hell…'
Her thoughts couldn't continue.
BOOM────!
Crash!
With violent explosions, figures emerged from beyond the White Road and encircled the Shadow Order from behind.
"Yo, rude-ass Carl Marcus. Still alive? Hope we're not too late."
Brigadier General Victor said with his signature smirk.
Carl Marcus answered in a weary voice.
"Still breathing."
"That's good to hear."
One after another, soldiers in various military uniforms stepped out beside Victor.
Each one radiated overwhelming presence.
'Those bastards…'
Isabel recognized them.
How could she not?
「"Again?"」
「"Sick of these bastards… always meddling. Someday I swear I'll wipe them all out."」
They'd interfered in the Order's plans countless times.
Möbius.
They had arrived.
'If the whole Order was here, we could fight… but not like this.'
Isabel forced herself to forget Carl Marcus's words.
Whether he was right or not was irrelevant now.
What mattered was the immediate threat.
More importantly—their arrival meant they'd made it past both Turncoat Rook and Sart of the Shadows.
'We have to retreat.'
The plan had failed.
Now, what mattered was leaving without any more losses.
"Nameless, Sophia, prepare to withdraw."
"Huh? Commander! Let's just wipe these losers out! Why are we running?"
Nameless interrupted her.
"The Commander's right. It's time to pull back."
"…Yeah. The situation's already gone south. I'm worried about Rook and Sart too. We should regroup."
The order to retreat was made.
But retreating peacefully wouldn't be so simple.
Not with these people blocking the road.
"Where do you think you're going? You'll answer for attacking the White Line."
Major Arden growled, activating his R-1 Plasma Sword.
And he wasn't alone.
"Shadow bastards, huh… Big fish today."
"Time to put an end to this rotten history."
The Möbius operatives readied their weapons and closed in on the Shadow Order.
Möbius held a clear numerical advantage.
'We could fight if we had to… but if this drags on any longer, White Line reinforcements will return.'
And when that happens, it won't be about escape—it'll be about survival.
Still, Isabel couldn't act rashly.
Carl Marcus.
That unknown power he used weighed heavily on her mind.
If he unleashed that ability again—the one that erased ether itself—then it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the Shadow Order's last hope would be crushed.
'What should I do?'
Isabel clenched her teeth.
She wanted to summon her ether and blast away the obstacles in her path, but she couldn't predict how Carl Marcus would react.
In the worst case, exposing an opening might let Möbius counterattack.
"There's no need to attack first. If we just wait while keeping the net closed, reinforcements will arrive. They're like rats in a trap."
Victor chuckled, calmly assessing the situation.
He was right.
Had Möbius charged them, it might've created an opening.
But with the net held tight, there was no way out.
Then it happened.
Go.
Isabel read the subtle movement of Carl Marcus's lips.
Thought was brief—action came swiftly.
Ether surged violently around Isabel, forming a storm that enveloped the Shadow Order.
[Moveeeeee───────!]
BOOOOM!
"Brace for impact!"
Victor's shout rallied Möbius to shield themselves from the ether blast.
'Carl Marcus…?'
But contrary to her fear, Carl Marcus made no move.
Thanks to that, Isabel and her Order slipped away with surprising ease.
She couldn't hide her confusion.
'Why?'
Wasn't Carl Marcus trying to stop them?
Why let them go?
What was he thinking?
Unfortunately, that question was silenced by Sophia's cry.
"Commander!"
"Ah… yeah."
Isabel let herself be pulled away by Sophia's hand.
By the time Möbius tried to give chase, the distance had grown too great.
"Commander, there's Crux!"
They retrieved the fallen Crux the One-Eyed and Mikhail Pilgrim before pushing onward.
And soon, at the entrance to the White Road, they found Turncoat Rook and Sart of the Shadows staggering but alive.
Fortunately, Möbius hadn't dedicated much manpower to them, likely due to the urgency of the main conflict.
'Alive…'
Isabel sighed with relief and lifted Rook and Sart with ether.
Their retreat path was already prepared—escaping the White Road wouldn't be difficult.
"Phew… Thought we were dead meat."
Sophia cracked a nervous joke, but Isabel turned back for a moment.
The distance was too great to spot their pursuers.
'Carl Marcus… what is going on in that head of yours?'
She couldn't understand him.
How did he know about their wish?
And more importantly, how did he know about the Sail?
And why had he let them go?
'…I don't know.'
She didn't understand.
And that meant the presence of Carl Marcus only grew larger in her mind.
'Carl Marcus…'
Her gaze darkened.
* * *
I watched the Shadow Order flee like a beaten pack of thieves.
They'd even kicked up an ether storm to cover their escape—hardly a pursuit-friendly exit.
It had been a hell of a ride, but the worst was over.
'Well, that's one crisis down.'
Of course, the Shadow Order wouldn't abandon their ambition.
But I'd planted enough doubt in Isabel's mind to slow them—for now.
'And next time… she'll come to me.'
When that happens, we'll have the real talk.
About the Order.
And about their wish.
As I stared at the retreating figures, Victor came up beside me.
"So, the intel was true."
"Yeah."
"But at this rate, they'll get away. Wouldn't things have gone differently if you'd gotten involved directly, you rude bastard Carl Marcus?"
"You overestimate me. I have no way to deal with ether storms like that."
Of course, I did have my bullets—but that didn't need to be said.
"Hmm… That so? Still… why do I get the feeling you let them go?"
"Just your imagination."
"Hmm… if you say so."
Victor narrowed his eyes, but it was just suspicion. No proof.
"Well, looks like that's wrapped up. Time to head back to the front. It's still chaos out there."
"I was planning on it."
"Oh? Then how about this—want to return to the Blue Line together?"