Siege put down her communication device and cast a meaningful glance toward Misha, who was speaking with a group of children alongside infected operators from Tomorrow's Development. Misha showed strong wariness toward the uninfected, but Tomorrow's Development never lacked infected operators. There were quite a few within the action teams as well. Siege had selected two gentle, patient female infected operators who were fond of children, and before long, Misha's guard visibly lowered, if only a little.
Earlier, however, Siege had received a call from Inspector Ch'en. Ch'en informed her that they were searching for a child whose features almost perfectly matched Misha's. Siege could not extract much concrete information from the inspector, but she did learn one thing: Misha's identity was far from ordinary.
She seemed far too mature for her age. To maintain such composure amid chaos and upheaval made it difficult to imagine what she must have endured in the past.
Ordinary children recovered quickly from emotional distress. The other infected children soon shook off the fear of being bullied earlier and began smiling brightly at the big brothers and sisters from Tomorrow's Development, their innocence returning in full.
Only Misha was different.
Her expression remained flat throughout. Perhaps her vigilance had eased slightly, but her face never changed, always calm, always distant.
Siege mentally placed a question mark beside her name.
From Jesselton, Siege had learned that Reunion possessed a group of young men and women acting as commanders. They were extremists, incited by Talulah, consumed by hatred toward everything, and driven solely by the desire for Reunion to slaughter the uninfected.
Siege had once visited the lowest level of Tomorrow's Development's prison, where Mephisto, a so-called Reunion "high-ranking member" defeated and captured by Jesselton, was being held. Judging by his age and stature, it was hard to believe his position, yet the hatred in his eyes and his incessant muttering made Siege acutely aware of Talulah's sins.
And Misha, standing before her now, might very well be one of them.
Of course, all of this was merely Siege's speculation. Perhaps Misha was simply a child forced to grow up too quickly.
Until tangible evidence emerged, Siege would not wrong an innocent person.
"Sorry we're late."
A hooded Lupo carrying a longsword emerged from the other end of the alley. Following her were another white Lupo and a red-haired Sankta.
Siege looked up and gave a small nod when she saw Texas.
To ensure smooth coordination between squads, in addition to real-time communication via terminals, there were dedicated transport teams responsible for delivering supplies and escorting personnel out of combat zones. This proposal had been swiftly approved once it reached Emperor's desk. Texas, Lappland, and Exusiai were assigned to this sector, while Sora and Croissant handled another area.
"We're here. I heard there are new escort targets."
Texas's voice was cool and restrained. With Lungmen under infiltration and attack, the transport teams carried immense responsibility. They had already transferred four injured individuals to the rear medical camp for treatment.
Siege nodded. Though they all worked within Tomorrow's Development, their duties rarely overlapped, and they were not personally acquainted, nor did they need to be.
"There are several infected children," Siege said. "We'd like you to escort them to the rear camp."
"Just a few infected kids?"
Texas wondered if she had misheard.
Siege nodded again, lowering her voice. "That girl with the calm expression. Inspector Ch'en previously relayed that they were searching for a child matching her features. Some Reunion members have already reached the slums. You're likely to encounter combat along the way."
"We're fully prepared."
Texas's voice softened slightly, yet became more serious than before.
She and Siege exchanged a look. Texas gave a slight nod. "I'll take them to the camp and ensure their safety. I'll take over from here."
Behind her, Lappland curled her lips. "If a Reunion officer really shows up, I'll just slice them into mille-feuille…"
"Lappland…"
"I'm joking, Cellinia. Don't be so serious."
Exusiai began using her terminal for navigation as Texas approached Misha and the children. Her cold expression made the children uneasy, but the warmth in her voice that followed quickly eased their fear.
"I'm here to take you somewhere safe. Everyone hold hands and don't wander off, okay?"
"Okaaay."
Lappland was somewhat surprised by the maternal side Texas had just shown. No, wait. Why did it suddenly feel like her best friend was about to become a mom any second now?
"So, uh, these past couple of days, did you do that thing with His Highness or not?"
Texas shot Lappland a wordless look of disbelief. There were kids right here. And Exusiai too. Was this really the place to start flooring the accelerator?
"No."
"Eh? I thought you were about to become a mother, wuwuwu—"
Lappland, who had gone straight into full-speed mode, had her mouth physically shut by Texas. Exusiai ended her call and looked over curiously.
"So? What's the situation?"
"I just spoke with Mountain," Exusiai replied. "He said to escort them directly to Tomorrow's Development's camp."
Texas made an OK gesture and led the children forward as they moved through the increasingly chaotic slums. Unfortunately, several dozen figures clad in white, weapons in hand, soon appeared ahead of them.
"Tch. Reunion's already infiltrated this far? It hasn't even been that long since the festival ended."
Texas clicked her tongue in irritation. She had not even had time to enjoy a moment of peace with Felix before war broke out. The thought made her restless.
"Looks like fresh recruits," Lappland said, pointing at their grips and stances with a disdainful snort. "Just look at how they're holding their weapons. I could kill this kind of trash all day."
"No problem ending this quickly?"
"Are you underestimating me, Cellinia?"
Texas pulled the children, including Misha, to the side. On Exusiai's map display, red dots were multiplying, converging on their position as if responding to some unseen command.
Lappland chuckled and drew the longsword at her waist. As the blade left its sheath, a thin layer of black mist coiled around it. With a soft whistling sound, she vanished from where she stood. In the blink of an eye, she reappeared with her sword tip buried in a Reunion member's chest.
So fast. So clean.
The children stared wide-eyed, their gazes filled with awe and admiration. Only Misha was different. Deep in her eyes flickered a hint of unease and worry.
Tomorrow's Development. That name sounded familiar. Where had she heard it before?
She searched her memories carefully. By the time Lappland had finished cutting down the surrounding Reunion members and left them sprawled across the ground, the answer finally surfaced.
Her teacher, Sister Alina, had once told them about another organization, similar yet different from Reunion, that was also fighting across the land. Back then, Misha had been too young and had forgotten about it.
Now, with everything happening before her eyes, she finally remembered.
"Hah, that was easy."
Lappland flicked the blood from her blade. "Exusiai, any more enemies ahead?"
"Yes. We're surrounded, but if we can hold out until the next action team's patrol zone, we'll be fine."
Lappland sighed. "Sigh, when the enemies are too weak, it gets boring. Fine. Let's get the brats somewhere safe first."
Texas glanced at Lappland in surprise. She had grown up with her and knew better than anyone that Lappland was a battle-hungry maniac at heart. Hearing her say something this reasonable was unexpected, and oddly touching. When did this woman become so sensible?
"I can change too, Cellinia," Lappland said lightly. "As long as you share His Highness with me a little."
"Impossible."
Texas let out a long breath. As expected, Lappland was just spouting nonsense again.
Exusiai leaned in. "Share a little? Like snacks? Is it some kind of sweet related to Brother Felix? I haven't had desserts in ages. I was planning to go to the ice cream shop at Dagu Plaza when I got back to Lungmen, but this morning they put up a notice saying they'd be closed all week."
Lappland and Texas stared at each other, then looked at Exusiai's innocent, guileless face. Lappland felt that if she said anything more, she would be corrupting this pure little Sankta's heart. She laughed awkwardly.
"I'm sure His Highness has extra ice cream at his place. Right, Cellinia?"
Texas nodded. "There's plenty in the villa's fridge. And even more in the small cold storage in His Highness's room."
"Eh? How do you know there's ice cream in Brother Felix's room too?"
Exusiai blinked her big eyes at Texas. Texas felt a faint twinge of guilt. Uh… when Texas went into His Highness's room, it was really just to get ice cream, right?
The three of them escorted the children toward Tomorrow's Development's camp, all the while noticing how the slums were growing increasingly chaotic. Even though Tomorrow's Development operatives were still holding their positions, as Reunion's numbers swelled, it was only a matter of time before the defensive line was breached.
In the slums, there was always the risk that infected residents lurking in the background would be assimilated into Reunion, striking without warning when you least expected it.
At times like this, only one's own infected allies could truly be trusted.
Before long, another Reunion squad appeared ahead of them. However, Texas's group was no longer alone. They successfully linked up with other transport teams. While they might not excel in combat, dealing with mobs like Reunion, who were far from a real army, was more than manageable.
"Caster squad, move! Take them down!"
Reunion members roared as the casters behind them began channeling various Originium Arts, manifestations forming in their hands or floating before them before roaring toward Texas's group. The spectacle looked overwhelming, but the actual power was another matter entirely.
The drone hovered in midair. As a Art shield deployed, a transparent yet solid barrier enveloped the group.
"Wha…"
The Reunion squad leader was dumbfounded. Their so-called pride, their art-based machine-gun barrage, had been blocked with absurd ease.
No way. Seriously?
The Reunion squad fell into stunned silence. Only when a figure clad in a black cloak, wearing a mask, appeared behind them did the chaos begin to settle.
"Skullshatterer, we've found the one you're looking for. They're here!"
"I heard it. I see them."
Reunion cadre Skullshatterer finally revealed himself before everyone. To be honest, if he had not appeared, the caster squad might have collapsed entirely. But even with his arrival, the outcome remained unchanged.
"Well, look who showed up. Mille-feuille."
Lappland laughed, black mist surging violently up her arm as she gripped her sword. "Texas, let's go."
"Exusiai, everyone else, watch the kids!"
Texas drew her sword. As her Originium Arts activated, the once-dim blade split into two radiant swords of light.
"Caster squad!"
Skullshatterer shouted, raising the thing in his hands… a shoddy grenade launcher?
Texas, being close to Exusiai and having studied firearms thanks to Felix, was not unfamiliar with Laterano craftsmanship. In her eyes, this was nothing more than a crude imitation, flawed in angle, force, and accuracy every time it fired. The only constant was that it carried explosives.
"Careful."
"I know!"
Before the words fully fell, Lappland had already plunged into the crowd. Like wolves unleashed among sheep, she burst forward, her laughter sharp and unhinged as her longsword reaped lives one after another. A few casters mustered the courage to cast arts at her, only for their attacks to be blocked by the drone's shield. Despair quickly set in.
Wasn't this supposed to be victory after victory once they entered Lungmen? How did it all fall apart right here? What was even the point of fighting anymore?
Filled with resentment and hatred, Reunion members fell beneath Texas's and Lappland's flashing blades like harvested wheat. The few who slipped through were picked off by Exusiai's precise long-range headshots. Firearms in Lungmen were restricted to rubber bullets, but the pain of a headshot was still enough to rob them of all resistance. They collapsed, utterly defeated.
In less than the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the Reunion forces that had surrounded them were completely wiped out by the two wolves. They never spared their enemies. Seeing Skullshatterer still attempting to resist, despite the fact that both of them had just dodged several of his explosives, Lappland tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Hm. If this one were a pretty girl, should we offer her to His Highness?" she said, rubbing her chin with a serious expression.