episode_0367

Six hours after the pesticide dispersal, three transport planes cut through the black sea, flying.

Finding Violet was easier than expected.

Immediately after the incident, Seijis moved swiftly upon receiving a message while assessing the situation. At the hangar, which he reached after flying for a long time on a Falchion VTOL aircraft, he was greeted by a serious-faced, black-haired fusion girl.

Since all the animals had scattered or hidden, only this fusion girl knew the individual’s location.

“Don’t worry, the Violet leaders are safely here.”

Ruzilin’s Cheolkwon pointed to the Carnac Archipelago, located in the middle of the world map. Her friends, who had rushed over following the Scholarship Administrator, lost their words in bewilderment before they could even sigh in relief.

“The Red Zone…”

The Red Zone. It was an area where humans could not set foot.

“…The Red Zone? Of all places, there? When did they set up camp there…”

Kalia let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded. The others also seemed to agree with serious expressions. They already knew that hideouts or warehouses were prepared on every uninhabited island, but to go to a forbidden, untrodden land… Ironically, hiding in the world’s most dangerous place became a divine move to avoid Lumenex’s surprise attack.

Though the individual’s safety was confirmed, the Scholarship Administrator, who had been silent in the cargo hold, found his mind complicated once more.

‘The clans united this quickly?’

To Seijis, who had been outlining a macro-plan for the next four years, this situation was a double-edged sword. Until now, the four major clans had only cooperated when necessary; otherwise, they didn’t interfere with each other or just focused on their own affairs, as long as it didn’t cross their respective interests.

‘There might be common interests, but the goals of the clans and the Federation are fundamentally different. Complete agreement would have been impossible… This must mean they regarded Violet as a significant threat.’

The rigid Restraidna dreamed of founding the Arnor Empire, driving out demonic beasts with the power of giant weapons and ruling all of humanity. The cunning archmage of Magnavis only yearned for the return of the good old days and disapproved of anyone stepping forward as a king or monarch. The whimsical Lumenex and Raphlaxia pursued humanity’s transcendence in their own ways. The sinister Arsit seemed to have been plotting something against humanity and the alien empire, but now that they’ve failed, there’s no way to know.

The Federation was no different; the Senate Speaker and the Grand Marshal of the military desired to dismantle the current clan system and reclaim complete leadership. However, due to various internal factions, the reality was much more complex than the superficial conflicts.

‘Considering the clans associated with academies, the interests of corporations, families, and individuals, the situation becomes even more complicated…’

The true cooperation among the clans only came five years later, when the invasion became a reality. On the day the sky split and the Monarch of Monad cast its gaze directly upon the earth, ordinary people fell into madness, crying out about the apocalypse, and only then did humanity’s magnates attempt to unite. But by then, it was too late.

Yes, he could understand up to this point. Nevertheless, an unknown uneasiness ceaselessly lingered in his mind. It persistently constricted his thoughts, like an invisible venom remaining at a fire scene.

What interrupted his long train of thought was his sister’s murmur.

“Anyway, are those clan bastards sane? Of all the countless weapons, a biological weapon? And they used the Corvus infection? What if other people get harmed? On top of that, they’re lying so shamelessly…”

Sophieel’s gaze, furious at the clan’s atrocities, was fixed on the tablet screen.

[Spokesperson’s Announcement: ‘The Ariel Group has finally tripped over its own arrogance.’]

[Behold the demise of the wicked terrorists. They developed biological weapons through personnel at Selexis Nano Lab and brought about their own destruction! The Foundation, to stop their rampage, is conducting a suppression operation in cooperation with its allies and the Federation—]

The Foundation tried to forcibly pin the blame on Violet to conceal the traces of the biological weapon they had used. All parties who could refute them had disappeared, and the media was uniformly cooperative, so they must have been confident.

Sophieel’s eyes, which had been grumbling, suddenly changed.

“…But, what about the previous world? Didn’t they try this kind of trick on Violet back then too?”

“Huh? Noona, what did you just say?”

The Scholarship Administrator’s expression subtly crumpled.

“No, I mean the Witch of Immeasurable Power. They said she was a headache when she was alive, and her clones kept running wild even after she died? Did no one think of doing this back then?”

“Witch, wait… Ah.”

Seijis’s face instantly turned serious. The moment he saw Sophieel’s expression, he understood what she was implying. The Scholarship Administrator racked his brain. Now it was clear why a dubious feeling had lingered in his mind.

“That’s right, the Foundation tried the exact same method to catch the Witch of Immeasurable Power.”

The situations they faced were similar yet different. His eyes widened as he realized the answer.

“And it probably didn’t work, right? She was a strengthened human, you said.”

“That’s right. Biological weapons or toxins are usually nullified or merely weakened for Awakened individuals above a certain level. Moreover, Obsidian Legion’s strengthening procedures were almost akin to creating pseudo-demonic beasts. It was useless.”

Seijis recalled the catastrophe brought about by the Foundation’s attempt. The second Corvus pandemic caused by the virus, whose potency was excessively increased to kill the Witch.

“First, finding Violet is the top priority.”

Hours later, an expedition led by the Scholarship Administrator siblings landed on the Red Zone’s coast. Everyone pressed forward steadfastly, breaking through violent swarms of demonic beasts.

“Everyone, don’t lower your guard. This entire area will try to deceive us. Soon, there will also be beings mimicking the appearance of acquaintances or family members…”

Following the Scholarship Administrator’s instructions, the expedition moved carefully. Fortunately, Violet’s traces were found more easily than expected. They soon encountered signs of civilization.

“Scholarship Administrator-nim? That’s…”

“A road…”

What appeared among the trees was a rough but well-trodden stone path. Beyond it, smoke and buildings could faintly be seen in the distance.

And at the end of the path, a yellow-haired girl came running.

“Hello, everyone!”

As some of the party brightened at the sight of the approaching Violet, Seijis, sensing something ominous, tried to step forward. But Daphne, heavily armored with an exoskeleton and shield, was a step faster.

“It’s dangerous! Daphne-yang, that’s…”

Daphne asked, unconcerned.

“You’re Violet, right?”

“Yep! I’m Violet!”

Daphne, who had been scrutinizing it, responded with a smile to the brightly laughing Violet approaching her.

“I see.”

And then she struck its head with her staff. With all her might.

-Clang!

“Ugh! Why!”

“How dare you. You fake!”

A large shield enveloped in a green energy field flashed in both her hands. The shield rose high towards the fallen Violet’s head. Once, twice, thrice, as the exoskeleton’s cylinders fixed to her arm screamed.

-Thump! Thump! Thump!

“Ugh…”

“Judging by the scream, you’re not Violet after all!”

Under the ceaseless impacts, its head was finally crushed. The Red Zone’s demonic beast, dying, spewed out rage.

“Damn it… how did you know!”

“I could tell just by looking.”

Daphne, who had confidently turned around as if to show off, met the gaze of the Scholarship Administrator, whose expression was somewhat awkward.

“Scholarship Administrator-nim?”

“Erm…”

**

How long had it been since the unexpected attack? The expedition that arrived, guided by Ruzilin’s Cheolkwon, was larger than expected. It seemed they had brought everyone I knew.

“So, you built a village in the Red Zone?”

“Yep!”

Feeling much better thanks to the drugs, we began to introduce the Red Zone village.

“Alright! That’s the Violet Command Center, over there is the Violet Turret! And that’s the Violet Bunker!”

“Is everything named Violet…”

Someone mumbled. It sounded like Kalia’s voice, but well, that wasn’t important.

“Anyway, we survived!”

Still, it was amazing that they had come all this way. The Red Zone was a place teeming with demonic beasts.

「Look at the composition of the members. They must have been able to break through!」

「But eating and sleeping every day is a different matter!」

If I had known this, maybe I should have suggested meeting at the beach instead.

“How long have you been here?”

I answered the Scholarship Administrator’s question.

“Yep, it’s been several months!”

It would take a long time to recount our long history of struggle, so for now, we should first formulate a plan for what to do next. The Scholarship Administrator siblings also seemed to think the same.

“Alright, let’s start planning our counterattack now.”

Everyone seemed to have their own ideas.

**

Eight hours after the pesticide dispersal, the upper echelons of the three major clans and the Federation military were immersed in the euphoria of victory. But things in the world don’t always go as one wishes.

The points of contention were the fate of the surveillance satellites and the virus weapon. As soon as instructions came from the higher-ups, the working-level staff began to cautiously put forth their respective opinions.

“It would be best to dispose of the virus weapon. Isn’t it too dangerous? The surveillance system is also burdensome. As a weapon of mass destruction, shouldn’t we discuss the possibility of violating the Teatime Treaty?”

The military wanted to prepare for the next possibility. Exterminating the terrorists was excellent, but the unease that those drones might one day fall on their own heads began to creep in.

“Didn’t we already explain? This system is designed solely to target the Ariel Group! The mana of ordinary Awakened individuals doesn’t react to signals like theirs. It’s because they are who they are that monitoring is possible even in this mana-rich atmosphere. We need to maintain it for now to confirm a complete eradication. The virus is the same. This mana-inductivity has its limits, you know.”

“In that case, it would be good if we also shared that virus weapon. Even for preparing for Apostles, I mean! You know how much we cooperated.”

Restraidna’s eyes gleamed at the power of the biological weapon. Such a powerful weapon existed.

“That is useless against demonic beasts or powerful superhumans. Don’t you know why Dr. Drexler’s research failed? Even if its potency is increased, its effectiveness cannot be guaranteed. Moreover, it’s uncontrollable. Raphlaxia has also warned about large-scale contagion events.”

“…Setting aside the biological details, how about we take this opportunity to thoroughly improve the Apostle surveillance system? The consortium’s administrator also believes a stronger surveillance network is needed for the security of our society. We request your technical cooperation. As you know, our satellite system is…”

Arsit seemed to be plotting something else through this opportunity.

“…Let’s discuss this again later. For now, let’s focus only on the Apostle response issue.”

That day’s brief discussion concluded thus. Since they had seized victory together, there was no longer any need to clash. Moreover, now that they had united once, it would be difficult for the clans’ relationships to revert completely to how they were before. This was a reality that all high-ranking clan officials instinctively felt.

‘Ultimately, it’s just a power struggle, and things will certainly change from now on.’

‘If possible, nobles armed with martial spirit rather than those weak scientists…’

‘If those unite closely, the Federation military’s prestige…’

The clans and the Federation retreated with smiles, hiding their true intentions. The Foundation sighed. For now, they had to focus on damage recovery. They would have to prioritize what was costly first.

“You’re saying the order to dispose of them came down? You said you were positive about restarting the Devil of Evolution project…”

“Ah, not all of them. They said to leave some. The higher-ups said there’s no budget right now. You know, Raphlaxia will also take a long time to recover from its losses…”

At his superior’s command, the Raphlaxia researcher grumbled and turned away. An order to incinerate the virus-immune test subjects. If they could research these subjects more deeply, they might be able to mimic the Ariel Group’s abilities.

‘Idiots, anyway. They don’t even know what to invest in…’

The researcher, heading to the isolation chamber, checked on the animals one last time before proceeding with the incineration. Tears welled up in the eyes of the sickly animals that day. The atmosphere was mournful, like a funeral home.

“Hmph, what’s there to cry about, you beasts…”

At the researcher’s words, the beasts slowly turned their heads. The reason could be guessed. Surveillance sensors detected faint signs of peculiar mana wavelength fluctuations from these test subjects. They were probably sensing the original terrorists to some extent. A complete connection would be difficult due to their unstable physical condition and several safety measures.

‘It seems the death of the Ariel Group gave negative feedback to the minds of those connected by the wavelength.’

Annoyed by the stalled project, the researcher decided to mock these stupid beasts a bit. Even if they were smart, they wouldn’t understand or comprehend everything anyway.

“Hey, do you know? All those terrorists recently died. The Ariel Group, I mean. Do you even know who that is?”

“…?”

“No, you wouldn’t know. Well, you won’t see me again after this anyway! Thanks to their deaths, the research has been temporarily halted. Just know that!”

The researcher, having finished the inspection, chuckled and went outside. After he left, the quiet test subjects’ bodies trembled as if there had been an earthquake.

「Violet-nim is dead? As expected…」

「The Ariel Group lost!」

At the desperate news, the beasts each wailed. The dream of liberation they had faintly held shattered into pieces. The fact that they could no longer hear the waves of freedom was incredibly painful.

「It’s over now!」

「Freedom is dead…」

It was when all the animals were sinking into a mire of despair.

「No!」

A small creature struggled to stand on four legs and barked.

「Freedom doesn’t die!」

To the puppy’s declaration, a monkey replied weakly.

「But… we definitely saw it…! Everyone died! The animals fled too!」

The puppy retorted.

「So what if they did?」

「It means there’s nothing we can do…」

Suddenly, the puppy, filled with surging rage, barked loudly. It didn’t even know where such strength came from. The puppy cried out to its animal friends even more fervently than before.

「Violet is dead! She’s gone now!」

「But! The heart of freedom lives on, united within our chests!」

The animals felt a pounding passion, involuntarily.

「Everyone feels it, don’t you! Your hearts are pounding! You’re angry! Because you’re dreaming of freedom! Can a dream be killed? No! So even if it dies, it doesn’t die! Freedom is immortal!」

An inexplicable flame ignited in their chests. At their comrade’s impassioned speech, the laboratory animals gained a burning realization, as if they had swallowed fire.

「Yes! The animals’ dream doesn’t end!」

「We won’t just die quietly like this!」

Now there was no sadness. Its place was filled with fury.

「Revenge for the Ariel Group!」

「Let’s die for freedom!」

The animals had firmly resolved themselves.

Nine hours after the pesticide dispersal.

Three hours remained until an unprecedented animal revolution would begin.