Panta's parts were from an older, specialized model—one that Master Enzo didn't happen to carry.
So, Eous and No. 6 stayed behind to take care of Panta, while she and Wise went around hunting for replacements.
After posting a request on the Inter-Knot, they finally received help and tracked down a shop with the parts they needed.
Without wasting any time, the two hurried back, hoping the newly bought components would do the trick.
...
New Eridu.
Defense Force Subdivision.
"Sir, I cannot carry out that order. It's completely absurd!"
In a conference room, only two people were present. The one speaking was the officer who had once fought against Zane. He stared at the seated senior officer, barely able to hide the fury on his face.
He hadn't even been notified about the meeting. It wasn't until after it ended that he found out and rushed over to confront them.
"Following orders is a soldier's duty!"
The senior officer's expression was frosty, his tone colder still.
"Following orders? Only if the orders make sense!"
The officer's anger intensified, and he could no longer contain it. He raised his voice, nearly shouting in rage.
"Do you have any idea how many people died because of your order?!"
"The battle against that special Ethereal left our Defense Force battered and bleeding. Those were my comrades! Good men, brave and unyielding!"
"Do you know what it's like to watch them lose protection, get corrupted, and turn into Ethereals—only to be forced to kill them with your own hands?!"
"Do you know what it's like to see someone suffocate to death from ruptured organs?!"
"Or the grotesque sight of people crushed to death by their own armor?!"
How many lives, how many hopes were shattered behind that command?
He didn't even dare to imagine.
"You wouldn't know! Because all you do is sit here and dish out ridiculous orders, treating us like expendable weapons!!!"
If that Ethereal hadn't chosen to leave in the end, giving them a slim chance to survive, even a tenth of the deployed Defense Force might not have made it back alive!
Almost none of them could stay in the Defense Force after that.
He thought about that junior officer he had such high hopes for—now forced to retire after losing both legs, drinking himself into oblivion just to cope. The fire in his heart roared out of control.
"The Defense Force exists to protect New Eridu! We're not pawns or bargaining chips for you upper-echelon bastards!!!"
After nearly a full day of digging, he had finally found a lead. That's what drove him to speak out like this.
"You realize I could have you court-martialed for this?!"
The senior officer slammed the table and shot up from his seat, voice sharp with threat.
"It was that Ethereal who caused all this! Your anger should be aimed at it!"
"You're still safe and sound—do your job and stop meddling, or else…"
"The court-martial won't show mercy!"
"You can shove your court-martial! If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me—I'll send you straight to hell right now!"
That was the final spark. The senior officer's condescension ignited the powder keg. The commander's sanity began to slip, and his hand moved to draw his gun.
Just then, a calm yet commanding voice rang out from outside.
"Who are you sending to the court-martial?"
"Sounds to me like it's you who should be standing trial!"
A burly middle-aged officer strode into the room, eyes sharp and fierce like a tiger's. The chill in his gaze made the air freeze.
"Colonel."
The officer turned to the newcomer. The sight of him cooled his fury a little. He moved his hand away from the gun and spoke.
The colonel nodded to him before fixing his gaze on the senior officer.
"You idiot. You're still thinking of going after him? With what, exactly? You'll be laughed out of the building!"
"Just got word—the special Ethereal showed up in the Mars District. He broke right into the Defense Force headquarters. Not just us—even Obol Squad couldn't do a thing. Got wiped out without a fight."
"Estimates place his power on par with a Void Hunter. What now, you gonna order around a Void Hunter? You think you outrank them?"
The senior officer was stunned into silence. Shock ran through him—he never imagined the target's power had reached that level.
If he really was on the level of a Void Hunter, then no number of Defense Force troops would be enough. The only option would be to mobilize an entire military zone—but that was a fantasy.
The senior officer glanced at the colonel. Since they held the same rank, he said nothing and simply turned to leave.
But the colonel's voice rang out, cold and firm.
"You think you're just walking out?"
"When I say you're going to court-martial, that's not a joke. You are going."
"Men, take this parasite to the court-martial. Let's see if they've got the sugar he's so eager for!"
Before the senior officer could even react, two soldiers marched in. They subdued and gagged him without delay, hauling him out of the room.
"Colonel…"
The officer stood in place, stunned. Watching the scene unfold, it all felt surreal.
Just like that… it was over?
"Good work. You've been promoted. Keep it up—we need people like you in the Defense Force."
The colonel patted his shoulder.
Still, the promotion brought him no joy. His mind was still on the comrades he'd lost.
If he could trade the promotion to bring them back, he wouldn't hesitate.
"Lieutenant Xin handed these matters over to me, so don't worry. Going forward, encounters between the Defense Force and that special entity will be fewer and fewer."
"There are indeed some pests that need to be cleaned out."
"Lieutenant… Xin?"
The officer blinked, confused. Then realization hit him—and with it, shock. It had to be that Xin.
After all, outside of the Staff Guard, no lieutenant colonel had the authority to give a colonel direct orders.
The Staff Guard outranked the Defense Force by three levels. A lieutenant colonel there was equivalent to a brigadier general here.
"What's Lieutenant Colonel Xin planning to do?"
He knew it wasn't the best time to ask, but he needed to. He couldn't let what happened before happen again.
"It's not about what she wants to do. It's about what that special Ethereal plans to do."
"We don't really get a say."
The colonel clasped his hands behind his back, his expression calm.
"I told you—he has Void Hunter-level power."
"But that's only what he's shown us. No one knows how strong he really is. No one's seen his full strength."
"Frankly… with all due respect, that battle in the Cretan Hollows? He treated you like ants."
The colonel didn't mind offering more explanation. He appreciated soldiers with character like this one—and wanted to ease his concerns.
"What's more—how long has it even been since he first showed up?"
"Overwhelming combat strength, terrifying growth rate, unpredictable tactics…"
As he spoke, even the colonel couldn't help showing a trace of unease.
If it weren't for Major Xin's repeated reassurances, she wouldn't feel safe at all.
"So you see… the choice has never been in the hands of the Defense Force."