episode_0366

Several single-stage orbital vehicles shot up into the dark blue sky, lined up one after another. As their sleek bodies pierced through the clouds, the faint red glow of the Aether anti-gravity engine’s pulsations clearly continued amidst the roar of the jet engines.

[30 seconds after launch. All orbital vehicles ascending normally – altitude 15km surpassed. Optimal ascent angle maintained.]

As they broke the sound barrier, the jet engines began to transform. Soon, the scramjet-converted engines roared. To break free from the shackles of gravity, the orbital vehicles soared, tearing through the air like spears piercing the sky.

[Mach 5 surpassed. Scramjet conversion complete.]

Upon reaching the edge of the atmosphere, the jet engines, craving oxygen, became useless. The Aether anti-gravity engines also began to lose their power at the planet’s edge.

[Altitude 80km reached. Aether engine power degradation confirmed.]

At the very moment the abyss of space beckoned, the thermonuclear propulsion engines awakened. Blue lines of plasma, tearing through the darkness, pushed the single-stage orbital vehicles toward their predetermined orbit.

[Thermonuclear propulsion ignition confirmed. Orbital vehicles accelerating stably – T-180 seconds until target orbit insertion.]

Having settled into their target orbit, the single-stage orbital vehicles slowly revealed themselves, as if waking from a long slumber. Armor plates split left and right, exposing the cargo bay, and the satellites inside began to move, carried by sophisticated mechanical devices. Sliding out along guide rails, the satellites activated their self-propulsion systems one by one.

As the internal orbital adjustment mechanisms operated precisely, the satellites gradually found their proper positions.

[Cargo bay open. Satellite deployment sequence initiated.]

The blue planet shone in profound silence.

[All satellites successfully entered orbit. Mission complete.]

New overseers spread out like a net.

***

The new surveillance system was based on an alternative to the human brain. The first satellite, based purely on a human brain, carried the risk of erosion. The Foundation needed something more stable and controllable.

As the instruction came down from the confined Archmage, the magi-engineers of Magnabius, hidden across the continent, gathered one by one. The Federal Army, despite an uncomfortable past, brought out Vittorio Arcade’s Vision Prism, which they had confiscated.

Understanding of Laphlaxia’s cultured tissue and the Lestrade family’s fusion was added. Arsit’s surveillance system and aerospace power joined in.

Unexpectedly, cooperation from the Federal Air Force was also obtained.

“Why on earth did you turn the Air Force generals into shapeshifters? What did you do to the Navy and Air Force!”

“Well, the information regarding that part was omitted…”

Listening to the shapeshifter’s grumbling as he shrugged, Secretary-General Pagan felt helpless. It was because of the Navy and Air Force generals his younger sibling had turned into puppets. The troublesome act his sibling had secretly committed, only discovered later, was serious enough that if exposed, it would necessitate re-evaluating relations with the Federation.

“My goodness. What do we do?”

“…For now, we’ll proceed with utilizing them.”

Research and experiments continued day and night. The Foundation pushed its researchers to their limits, and the project costs skyrocketed uncontrollably. At the end of it all, the Foundation finally wrought a miracle. It completed the tracking network in a short time.

A new dimension of surveillance system that could perfectly track Ariel Group’s magical energy patterns without the risk of erosion.

Now, none of the avatars on the ground could evade the Foundation’s gaze.

The ultimate purpose of establishing this vast satellite tracking system was singular.

The completion of a precision strike system targeting only one collective.

After eliminating the primary target, it would be simple to merely leverage numerical superiority to eradicate the remaining collaborators.

“The Corvus virus’s airborne activity time is extremely limited. However, in return, it has secured the ability to selectively track hosts with specific magical energy wavelengths, and an overwhelming lethality that no immune system can overcome. It is the result of focusing everything on extreme killing power and target tracking.”

The completion of a smart virus strike system that could identify and eliminate targets on its own when dispersed into the atmosphere had failed.

Despite thousands of experiments, it ultimately had to be operated similar to conventional poison gas. While its lethal range was wider than conventional weapons or magic, its limitations were clear.

Laphlaxia’s scholars abandoned the development of an all-purpose virus. Instead, they proposed developing a virus with maximized lethality and a method of specific dispersal into restricted areas by pinpointing enemy locations with a precise tracking system.

The Foundation, without a moment’s hesitation, immediately put that proposal into action. The Foundation handled the hardware provision, integrating Arsit’s sophisticated satellite surveillance and tracking system.

Finally, with the cooperation of other allies, preparations were complete to deploy conventional forces in a tidal wave.

The net was perfect, leaving no escape for even a single bug.

“…An Apostle tracking and strike system… I didn’t know Arsit was developing something like that.”

Administrator Elena’s eyes gleamed on the monitor.

“It was originally planned as an anti-Apostle tracking system. However, its original purpose failed. The stealth abilities of the servants dispatched by Aidos exceeded our analytical capabilities. So, we changed direction. We judged that using it on a small number of humans would be more appropriate. What we’re currently operating is for that purpose, though it’s a bit cruder.”

At Elena’s calm words, the Secretary-General felt a chill run down his spine. Though inferior to the Foundation’s technology, Arsit had secretly established an all-encompassing assassination control system that could not be ignored.

“I’d prefer you not look at me that way. This surveillance system can only be used against the Ariel Group.”

At the ally’s remark, the Secretary-General looked on with momentary suspicion, and the Administrator added an explanation.

“Don’t forget, we could only create that because we all joined hands. It’s possible because of the unique magical energy characteristics of that avatar collective. It’s their trait of reacting and sending signals through a unique psychic wave when stimulated. The magical energy of other awakened beings doesn’t work that way. This surveillance system only reacts to that avatar collective. Didn’t I explain that was why we could modify the virus to target specific individuals?”

“…That’s right.”

Indeed, the Foundation had no room to argue. It was true, for instance, that they had taken something as difficult to control as the Corvus infection and made it a weapon.

A coincidence and a necessity converged, capable of killing only one person and difficult to do anything else, yet to outsiders unaware of the circumstances, this too would feel threatening.

‘Of course, it wouldn’t work on a superhuman far beyond the average.’

Setting aside further questions, the Foundation decided to focus on the immediate reality. Secretary-General Pagan conducted a final status check. Outside the window, the sky was overcast, as if rain was imminent.

“What about Magnabius?”

“News has been received that they are ready.”

The vanguard of the reclusive mages also made an appearance after a long time.

Director Kwabna 02, in charge of the command, coordinated the real-time movements of the allies.

“Mass production of the virus warheads?”

“It has reached the final stage.”

All preparations were complete. All that remained was to pull the trigger.

The target was the entire human residential area.

The Clans had signed the execution orders for the impurities of the system.

“As of this moment, Operation Pest Control begins.”

The warning lights in the control room ominously flickered.

***

The first thing Violet detected was a piercing noise in her head. A subtle but strangely resonating tremor.

-Zing!

“Huh?”

The minute noises constantly emitted by the orbiting satellites stimulated the network. Violet’s collective consciousness instinctively reacted, sending a response in the direction the signal had come from. The satellites captured the ground’s energy waves in real-time to calculate locations.

[Tracking complete.]

Red dots appeared on the map. The Violets on the ground looked up at the sky in confusion.

「What is it? There’s something in the sky!」

As soon as the procedure was complete, aircraft loaded with ‘pesticide’ took off simultaneously. Each aircraft clearly bore the logo of a different Clan. So many aircraft filled the sky that the air traffic control network was saturated.

[10 minutes until dispersal.]

Somewhere on the outskirts of the continent. Mages wearing opaque helmets formed a line, performing complex rituals.

“Damn terrorists. This is revenge for the last attack.”

Someone muttered as Vanguard commanders raised their staffs. A large-scale ritual by the mages unfolded. The air in the area violently shook.

[5 minutes until dispersal.]

The ramps of airships and aircraft opened. Inside, countless drones equipped with virus dispersal devices lined up.

The satellite tracking error was not insignificant. Trist’s unstable atmosphere, covered in Aether, continued to disrupt the signals. The circular error probable was at least tens of meters or more. However, the Foundation’s control algorithm assessed that the current virus dispersal range was sufficient to cover it.

[1 minute until dispersal.]

Guided by the satellites, all aerial assets moved towards the red dots. Large and small drones flew to the target areas and began their descent. The drone swarm controlled by the system exceeded 100,000 units.

The people of the Academy City looked up at the sky with bewildered expressions. Amidst the chaos of people pointing and exclaiming in surprise, Director Kwabna 02 held his breath.

How much had they prepared for this moment?

The Director uttered a single word.

“Dispersal, commence.”

The drones sprayed the thick, smoke-like virus into the air. Large bombs dropped from airships and fighter jets exploded at an altitude of several hundred meters.

By the time Violet sensed the crisis, it was already too late.

The same thing was happening simultaneously across all districts of Lustrum, and on all other continents. By the time the collective consciousness grasped the simultaneity of the situation, it was irreversible.

“Huh?”

Death was scattered from the sky.

***

The Corvus virus, targeting the avatar collective, began its action from the most microscopic extremities.

“Huh? Ugh?”

Unit 411 watched her fingers turn black.

The black poison flowing through her veins spread to her wrist, then her arm. A searing pain engulfed her entire body. Her skin slowly swelled, then crumbled into black powder.

The first phase of the operation was a large-scale dispersal using autonomous drones and guided bombs.

“Cough! Cough!”

Lustrum was instantly filled with the screams of collapsing girls. Unit 5231, carrying a delivery bag, knelt on the spot. Her eyeballs burst, and black fluid streamed out.

Her lifeless hair scattered from its roots. Her skin festered into black, then disintegrated without a trace.

Thousands of Violets collapsed one after another throughout the city.

「Aaaah! It hurts! It hurts!」

「Analyzing symptoms! What is this! Aaarrgh!」

The network vibrated violently.

The collective consciousness desperately tried to grasp the situation. Everything was happening too fast. The toxicity of the biological weapon overwhelmed the collective consciousness’s analysis speed.

「No way! We’re Awakened! Ugh!」

「Aaaah!」

Unit 212 staggered in the middle of the training ground. Black blood poured like a waterfall from her nose and mouth. Irene, witnessing the scene, started to rush forward, then stopped.

“Violet! Are you okay? What’s wrong!”

“Ugh! No! Go away! It’s contagious!”

Violet’s body corrupted into black and shattered into fragments. It scattered into the air like ash, like dust.

[10 minutes since operation began, estimated enemy damage ratio over 40%.]

As the Secretary-General and other directors watched, Director Kwabna 02 gave the order for the next phase.

“Proceed with Phase 2.”

Parts of the continent and Lustrum were enveloped in a dense black cloud. Gray rain, conjured by the Vanguard mages, poured from the sky. Virus-contaminated raindrops heavily drenched the city streets, and even Violets who had hidden to escape the drone attack collapsed helplessly.

“Ugh…”

“Aaaah! Someone! Call for help right now!”

Pedestrians who witnessed the collapsing Violets screamed in terror. Their brittle, shattered bodies scattered onto the rain-soaked pavement.

***

There were Violets who survived, or were lucky enough to avoid the virus.

「Violet Air Squadron! Contacting headquarters… Ugh!」

The intensity of the pain, dispersed across the network, was beyond imagination. Unit 9214 struggled to regain her composure.

Too many ‘mes’ were being affected. Most Violets collapsed in agony. Though the Foundation didn’t intend it, the virus inflicted extreme pain.

Amidst countless agonies, like grains of sand on a beach, the Air Squadron’s struggle shone through. The cause of the problem was quickly pinpointed.

「It’s the sky! They’re spraying poison from the sky!」

In the air, a desperate resistance unfolded. Violet fighter jets, which happened to be on reconnaissance flights, attempted to counterattack this brutal assault. The squadron charged towards the airships.

「Target locked! Counterattacking—」

-Boom!

The VTOL aircraft plummeted, turning into balls of fire.

「Aah! They’re crashing!」

The Federal Air Force’s hypersonic fighters instantly intercepted Violet’s aircraft. Interceptor squadrons from other Clans also poured out like a flood. Pilots who barely managed to turn their noses and survive the overwhelming firepower eventually fell to the ground, one by one.

「Everyone, report the attack! Status? What about the animals?」

「The animals seem fine! But… wait!」

Even in a daze, the collective consciousness tracked the drones’ movement paths. The ravens’ gaze caught the drone swarm heading towards Cascadian Airfield and Helios Clan Training Ground.

「Are we going to be discovered?」

「Re-generate! Re-generate, quickly!」

Their connection to the alliance could not be revealed. That would mean their demise. The collective consciousness desperately re-generated avatars, moving them to other areas. A moment of relief came when the drones changed direction, but the deaths of the hibernating avatars buried near major academies were unavoidable.

The virus’s influence also reached the hibernating bodies.

「Aaaah! Our buried avatars!」

「Inside walls, inside the ground, nowhere is safe!」

This artificial pathogen, like a microscopic magical beast, gained overwhelming lethality and penetration power at the cost of a short survival time. Plastic wraps were meaningless against the virus, which burrowed into shallow ground and between walls. Violets who transferred their consciousness to hibernating avatars immediately after death were plunged into despair.

Amidst it all, hope existed.

“Aaaah… I’m dying…”

Daphne’s eyes trembled as she saw her friend on the roadside, turning black and collapsing. According to her knowledge, this was clearly the plague that had been eradicated in the past.

“Corvus infection? That’s impossible!”

Without hesitation, her magic unfolded, emitting a green light and wrapping around her entire body. Her festering skin regained vitality, and her crumbling, falling limbs began to regenerate.

“Wow! I’m cured!”

“You’re not completely cured. My healing power is just faster than the virus’s cell destruction rate. If my magic stops, the symptoms will start again. Quickly, to the hospital… no, contact someone…”

Unit 6563 grabbed Daphne’s hand as she frantically fumbled through her bag.

“It’s fine.”

“Huh?”

Catching sight of approaching enemy aircraft on the tactical map, Violet stood up without hesitation.

“Daphne doesn’t know me. Understood? Yah!”

“Ah!”

Pushing her friend with both hands, Unit 6563 ran down the path. A moment later, a swarm of drones flew in the direction Violet had disappeared.

“Aaaah…”

A faint, distant dying cry. The staff fell from Daphne’s hand, rolling uselessly on the ground.

***

[Helman-accompanied stagnation corridor eradication operation in progress.]

[30 minutes since operation began, estimated enemy damage ratio over 75%.]

“Disgusting.”

The Director’s lips twisted in contempt.

“And still 25% remain? Proceed with the final plan.”

With the final declaration, the waiting allied forces began to move. Phase 3 was a powerful offensive combined with precision strikes. The most concentrated Violet signals and the outskirts of human residential areas were targeted.

The core of the operation was ruthless destruction.

“Completely burn down the suspected enemy strongholds.”

Under the unspoken approval of the Academy City authorities, a barrage of cruise missiles flew in, devastating the central factory district of Lustrum. The entire area instantly turned into a sea of fire. Residents looking out gaped in horror, their eyes wide.

The reaction of the three people who saw it up close was also identical.

Yurik gasped in shock at the terrifying destructive power.

“Aaaah! Professor! That was a bombing! You just saw it, right?! And that disease earlier… what is all this?!”

“What else could it be? The Clans have collectively gone insane. I expected special forces, but a bombing…”

Professor Albert clicked his tongue. The factory complex his student called the Violet barracks was engulfed in flames. Seeing the surging flames, it didn’t seem like ordinary incendiary bombs.

“If Violet hadn’t warned us to evacuate, we would have been in the middle of that inferno too.”

“Then… what will happen to Violet? Research is one thing, but people… like this…”

The fire glowed red on Yurik’s dazed face.

“Don’t worry. That idiot, whether he’s your boss or my student, will never die. The animals are fine, aren’t they?”

Even the professor himself wasn’t entirely convinced by his words. He had expected something like this to happen someday, but not to such a devastating extent. Still, the professor forced out what little resolve he had and feigned composure.

‘Can’t show any signs of agitation in front of young people.’

“Thanks to that fellow, we had time. All research data and important equipment were recovered or destroyed at leisure. Other facilities can just be bought again! Now, Enrica? When did that scholarship officer say they’d arrive?”

“They’ll be here soon!”

The sound of wings flapping in the distance. It was a helicopter squadron. The three flinched and retreated. A car sped around the corner. The driver’s window opened, revealing Frederick’s characteristic scarred face.

“Get in quickly! The Clan’s strike team is coming! Did everyone get their belongings?”

At Frederick’s shout, the three hastily got into the car.

A short while later, armed personnel jumped from the arriving helicopters and searched the factory complex. A Quarantine Enforcement Unit agent scanned the debris with a detector and pointed to a spot.

“Kiyyaaaak…”

“Over there!”

-Tatata-tang!

The Violet barracks collapsed.

Missiles pierced buildings in every area where signals were concentrated. Bunker-busting bombs churned up the ground underground. Clan and Federal troops poured in, digging up the earth and demolishing walls.

After dispersing the virus at close range, elite strike teams moved in to eradicate, pulling out the roots like weeds. The hideouts on the uninhabited islands were no exception.

-Boom!

“Signal extinction confirmed!”

“Not yet! Fire more!”

Lestrade’s aerial battleships violently razed the island. After the bombardment, a mixed special forces unit was deployed to comb through the debris, as if to tolerate no single survivor.

“They might be here! Dig!”

“Agh! We’re exposed!”

The red signals on the map disappeared one by one. Nearly 10,000 life signs vanished.

An hour later, the map, once red, was completely empty.

[60 minutes since operation began, estimated enemy damage ratio 100%. All presumed annihilated.]

[Helman-accompanied stagnation corridor eradication operation nearing completion—]

“Double-check. Complacency is forbidden. We might have missed something.”

The Secretary-General commanded, not letting down his guard.

Five minutes, ten minutes, thirty minutes.

Another hour passed, and no signals appeared.

Someone let out a deep breath. There was no cheering. Only heavy silence filled the control room.

“Operation successful.”

Relief flickered in the eyes of Director Kwabna as he spoke. The other directors finally sat down with hollow laughs.

“We can finally sleep peacefully for a while.”

“Indeed.”

The tension slowly dissipated, and the control room became a bit chaotic.

Secretary-General Pagan murmured.

“We won.”

They had finally eradicated the human pests threatening the human system.

The Foundation had triumphed.

***

In the middle of the vast ocean, in the Red Zone. Today, the peaceful day in the Karnak Archipelago began with an anomaly.

The black ground instantly vibrated.

-Crumble!

A pale hand shot out from the ground.

The hand desperately dug around, and soon a dirt-covered blonde girl emerged, groaning.

“Aaaah…”

As one crawled out, Violets began to emerge from various spots underground in a chain reaction. Like sprouts appearing in desert places after rain for the first time in decades, Violets bloomed from the Red Zone’s earth. Stripped plastic wrappers were scattered across the ground.

“It hurts…”

The aftermath of the infection was severe. The Violets’ faces were distressed. The dispersion of pain caused by tens of thousands of simultaneous deaths was unbearable. It was a small mercy that they didn’t completely collapse, thanks to having experienced the Apostle’s pain amplification.

“Ugh… Where… where is it…”

The Violets, writhing like sick individuals, stretched out their hands, fumbling in the air.

“Quickly!”

Instantly, large and small syringes appeared. White medicine packets also spilled out. The Violets urgently injected the medicine into their thighs or necks. As the syringes pierced their flesh, blood flowed back due to blood pressure, then was drawn into the veins along with the medicine. Every single dose was an amount of narcotic painkiller that would have instantly killed an ordinary person.

Minutes later, as the medication took effect, the Violets’ expressions brightened. The girls regained their vitality and sprang to their feet.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore!”

“I’m healthy now!”

The joy and happiness brought by the medicine were fleeting; Violet had to face reality.

They had been annihilated.

“Ugh… We were hit…”

The fear that it had almost been the end forever washed over them.

「We were hit! It was a plague!」

The Foundation had been hiding such a deadly weapon. They couldn’t help but feel shame and anger. They also felt fear for the first time in a long while. Their past complacency had caused this disaster.

「I don’t know what’s going on, but first, contact Ruzilin’s Iron Fist! And the living animals too!」

「Right! Let’s tell our friends too!」

For now, they couldn’t be complacent anymore.

The Violets began to analyze the situation. The surrounding individuals remained vigilant, pulling out their weapons.

「Another airstrike might hit!」

Time passed. One minute turned into ten, then minutes turned into hours. There were no additional attacks.

The Violets, feeling perplexed, scanned the sky. Suddenly, they reconfirmed their awakened location.

「…This was the Red Zone, right?」

「Oh, yeah? Then maybe they won’t come here?」

The collective consciousness decided to catch its breath.

Considering that the attack that struck the entire continent had bypassed this place, the Red Zone was definitely a safe haven.

Yes. Even if the sky fell, Violet would find a way to survive.

Because life always finds a way.

***

And somewhere far away, the beasts yearning for freedom also decided to find their own way.

Twelve hours after the start of Operation Pest Control, the Secretary-General, who was about to go to sleep satisfied, received unexpected bad news.

“What did you say?”

“The test subjects have revolted!”

The Foundation, immersed in the thrill of victory, faced an unexpected variable.