Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

"Mephistopheles, retreat. You know what that explosion was." The reason Faust gave this order during the battle was not only because of the huge explosion of unknown origin, but also because he recalled what happened in Chernobog.

"It's...it's that guy from Chernobog!! This huge explosion that didn't trigger any Originium Arts reactions!"

Surrounded by monsters that had completely transformed into aliens, Mephisto felt that the formation that had withstood Ace and the others' repeated attacks was now completely unsafe.

"Why is that guy here?! Communications officer! Report back now, what's going on over there?! Why didn't Talulah tell us he was here?!"

Back in Chernobog, they only thought of him as a weirdo with an unknown origin, but he actually blew up the Reunion Movement cadres who were gathered in the square.

Talulah, who was at the very front, was seriously injured at that time. If it weren't for this, Talulah would have personally taken to the front when attacking Lungmen.

—At least that's what Talulah said to Mephisto.

"I will recuperate in the rear. I trust you about the Lungmen situation and will continue to command. Don't worry, the plan will be foolproof."

"That weirdo won't show up."

Even before he came to Lungmen, Talulah said, "Frostnova is a powerful warrior. If she were here, she could defeat even that weirdo."

"By the way! Where's Frostnova!? Where did she go? Wasn't she supposed to come and support us after confirming the monsters' whereabouts?" Mephisto and Frostnova didn't like her, but at this moment they regarded her as their savior, praying that she would lead the Yetis into the battle as usual, accompanied by the wind and snow.

“Mephisto…no, Ino.”

Faust's voice on the other end of the communication line sounded weary as he called out the other person's real name.

“Faust…why are you calling me that all of a sudden? On the battlefield, we should address each other by code names! That’s what Sister Talulah said…” Mephisto’s voice was suddenly enveloped by emotions beyond unease.

“Because it’s no longer a battle,” Faust continued. “I could see it clearly from up above. The entire plaza, along with the soldiers, was destroyed by the explosion. A team that looks like Yetis is providing support to Rhodes Island and the Lungmen Guard Bureau. And W’s communications have been cut off, though they were manually disconnected.”

"Then...what about Talulah?"

"After hearing the report, the communication was cut off."

Mephistopheles, who always used chess terminology to direct his pieces, had always experienced the feeling of manipulating pieces to checkmate his opponent.

But now, the feeling in his heart is as if an uncontrollable piece of Chinese chess from the Yan Kingdom has stormed into his chessboard, acting irrationally and without regard for the rules.

First, there was the Rhodes Island sniper who infiltrated Faust's party, and then there was that... "monster".

The burning building, originally intended to flex its muscles, is now gradually losing its flames.

What was thought to be a perfect execution ground turned into a prison that trapped them.

The roaring herds blindly formed a defensive line, resisting the operators who, recovering from the distant explosion, fought with increasing ferocity.

The arrogant performer has begun the countdown to defeat.

[Main Text] Saiyans, reporting for duty!: Chapter Twenty-Five: The Way of the Rat

Infiltrate Lungmen, find Misha, ensure your escape, draw the Lungmen-Rhodes Island forces to the ruins of Chernobog's branch city, take advantage of the situation to paralyze Lungmen, occupy it, and then wait for Talulah on the main ship of Chernobog to give you the next instructions.

Although some unexpected events occurred along the way, causing their plan to be accelerated, it should still be completed smoothly as planned!

In addition to the main force that was previously wiped out, the Yeti Squad has also been confirmed to be attacking other Reunion Squads, and Frostnova, as their leader, has naturally betrayed them.

As a partner of the Reunion Movement, the Sarkaz mercenary force was responsible for actively intercepting the group that was fighting with Shattered Bones for Misha, rather than causing destruction at fixed locations to draw fire.

Once their mission is secured, these troops can come to the front of the Guard Bureau building to support Mephisto and Faust's teams, encircling Rhodes Island's operators from both inside and outside.

But they also lost all contact with their leader W when communication was cut off.

"Alex's mission may have failed as well."

Faust, speaking the true name of the Broken Bones, continued to speculate on the possible situation based on the current state of affairs.

The Rhodes Island snipers who had infiltrated earlier rendered Faust's previously deployed Phantom Crossbowmen useless. Having exposed their positions, they were already under targeted fire and had no choice but to leave their original combat positions.

Even when using powerful explosive crossbow bolts, the man who had been fighting against Mephisto's herds would use special Originium Arts to create a huge shield for his allies—his severed hand, now a prosthetic, did not seem to prevent him from casting spells of the same caliber as those he used in the Battle of Chernobog.

In the past, Faust would not have wanted Mephistopheles to use the dangerous tactic of turning infected people into herds. Not only would these herds harm friendly forces, but more importantly, this spell would strip those affected of their consciousness, increase their infection rate, and cause irreversible damage.

Even with a significant increase in vitality and strength, they cannot return to their original state.

However, Talulah allowed Mephisto to use this move freely before the battle began.

Military orders are absolute. Even if Faust was unwilling to do so, and even if he questioned Talulah's actions, believing that such actions would only lead them further away from their original goals, he could not refute or question them, because in his view, Talulah was no longer the leader who gave people hope at the beginning.

Like tyrants and monsters, they vent their power wantonly, and no matter what they do, they always use "to end the suffering of the infected as a reason" to win over new members whose numbers far exceed those lost.

Day after day, it seemed like there was no end in sight.

"Ino, let's retreat."

Faust continued communicating with Mephisto, while also directing the crossbowmen to escape the Rhodes Island sniper operators' fire range.

Those people are formidable fighters, even in one-on-one situations.

“Faust, we’re still on the battlefield. In everyday life, you’re my most important Sasha, and I’d do anything for you. But here, you’re just a captain of equal rank to me. What I need to listen to is our leader, Sister Talulah.”

Mephistopheles could clearly feel his flock being decimated in number, one by one.

Even though the people transformed into herds can regenerate and do not tire, there are still limits.

Blows that exceed their carrying capacity, or the removal of too much flesh, can cause fatal damage to them.

Although the word "fatal" is not quite appropriate for them, whose life force has already been drained by the rampant growth of Originium crystals.

The pieces are captured one by one, which is closer to Mephistopheles's feeling.

“I don’t want to do anything on my own anymore. You used to say you hated those adults, but I did it without permission, and you looked really sad.”

However, as the player wielding the pieces, he unknowingly became a pawn manipulated by others.

"Talulah hasn't told us to leave yet, but if I leave, she'll definitely have the same expression on her face."

"Ino." Faust had arrived in front of the Royal Guard building, standing before Mephistopheles, who was behind the layers of defenses of the herd.

"Faust, why are you here! You should be providing fire support! That hateful crossbowman on the other side is no small fry!"

Mephistopheles' anger did not actually stem from Faust's violation of the battle plan.

He had been burning with an unnamed fire ever since the battle situation began to change.

"When your herd falls, do you also show a sad expression?"

Faust spoke silently, then took the nocked arrow from his crossbow and replaced it with a rarely used, non-lethal impact arrowhead.

"You'll just start looking for the next batch of people who are suitable to be herdsmen."

"What are you talking about! Faust, get to your positions! There are still plenty of reinforcements for Chernobog! My herds are invincible! Even if it's a long war, we can hold out until Sister Talulah comes to our rescue!" Mephistopheles didn't understand the meaning behind Faust's actions, but kept urging him on. "As for the herds... we don't need to turn our comrades into herds anymore. There are countless infected traitors in this city! Everything will be alright!"

"That's what she thinks too, and there are still countless 'integration movements' at her disposal."

He raised his hand and pulled the trigger.

The non-lethal impact arrow sent Mephisto flying.

He had already exhausted a lot of energy just from herding the herd, and in an instant, he fainted with an impossible expectation.

"Forgive me."

The remaining herd no longer maintained an orderly human wall, but instead opened their mouths to an incredible degree, roared to the sky, and the crystals on their bodies grew even more wildly, reaching a level that would hinder their movements. However, they still twisted their bodies and launched random attacks, but most of them were tearing each other apart.

Faust hoisted Mephistopheles onto his shoulder and stormed into the Guard Bureau building, heading towards the temporary detention area located on the basement level of the Guard Bureau.

There was no way to escape by breaking through head-on, so the only option was to use the underground passage.

Directly below the Guard Bureau is an abandoned old sewer.

This was intelligence that Faust had already gathered when he entered Lungmen earlier, pretending to be arrested to infiltrate the Royal Guard.

The Phantom Crossbowmen, under the camouflage of Faust Originium Arts, had already entered the Guard Bureau building.

They used explosive crossbow bolts to blast a hole in the floor at the bottom, exposing an abandoned passageway that emitted a pungent odor.

The sewers of Longmen are interconnected and belong to an unregulated gray area, so escaping into here can be considered safe.

"Let's go, before those people catch up."

"Where can we go?" a phantom crossbowman asked.

"I don't know, but at least it's a place where you won't hurt others or be hurt by others."

They entered the sewers and, led by Faust, navigated through a complex network of passages.

Although the pitch-black environment without any reference points could easily make one lose their sense of direction, Faust was certain that they were very close to the exit at the edge of the Dragon Gate.

But the sound of footsteps decreased as he moved forward.

The first, then the second, and when Faust realized it, it seemed that he was all alone around him.

The brightly lit areas of Lungmen belong to the Imperial Guard Bureau.

Meanwhile, the dark places of Lungmen are ruled by the "Rat King".

After the sound of the crossbow hitting the ground rang out, the sewers fell silent once more.

[Main Text] Saiyans, reporting for duty!: Chapter Twenty-Six has been exposed!?

Despite the sweltering heat of the season, this corner of Longmen was a scene of utter desolation, with a layer of white frost covering everything and no trace of human activity visible, except for a handful of figures standing there.

The blue-haired, red-eyed woman with long horns wore a smart female uniform from the Royal Guard. One hand was pressed against the sharp blade hanging at her side, stored in a bright red scabbard. But the look was not that she was planning to fight anyone, but rather that sheathing the blade after a long battle.

The green-haired unicorn woman, dressed in leather, slightly bent down from her towering height and placed the large shield, with its sharp, blade-like edges and carved with the face of a demon, on the ground to support her body.

The blonde woman with tiger stripes stood with one foot on a blood-stained meteor hammer, communicating with others through a communicator in a dialect-heavy voice.

Meanwhile, the blue-haired, cat-eared woman who had descended from the sky earlier wielding a chainsaw was walking around the area with great interest, occasionally stopping in front of some of the frozen humanoid figures.

“I recognize this face. You’re a celebrity in Ursus.” The woman with the knife deftly pulled her police badge from her breast pocket and, using the same fluent and familiar phrases, questioned Frostnova. “It’s just that you’re on the government’s wanted list, so I expect you to explain your involvement. I’m Chen Huijie, Chief Superintendent of the Lungmen Guard Bureau. Just call me Chen. You can choose to remain silent now, but anything you say will be used against you in court—we’ll leave that for later. First, thank you for your support, but please state your purpose.”

Although it's just a rumor, the fact that the Yeti Squad has joined the Reunion Movement is not unknown.

However, at this time their leader was helping the people of Lungmen and Rhodes Island repel the Sarkaz mercenaries who were "confirmed to have a cooperative relationship with the Reunion Movement".

“Maybe if we weren’t here, even that bomb maniac wouldn’t be able to escape. Being here would actually hinder your performance, wouldn’t it, little white rabbit?” The cat-eared woman poked the Sarkaz mercenary who seemed to be blinking under the ice, and said in a flippant but approving tone, while introducing herself: “Rhodes Island operator Blaze, nice to meet you.”

"It's confirmed that the Integrators who occupied the Guard Bureau were repelled by Rhodes Island operators, and the building has been recaptured. Combined with the previous report of a complete clearing of the plaza, the only remaining enemies are those stragglers wandering around." The blonde woman put her communicator back into her ornate leather bag, which was clearly not meant for the battlefield, and said, "Should I introduce myself? I'm Swire, Senior Superintendent of the Guard Bureau, and this gentleman next to me is Hoshiguma."

Hoshiguma nodded, but her brows still betrayed her distrust of Carter, who had suddenly joined the battle and easily repelled the mercenary group, not to mention that Carter was a wanted criminal from Ursus.

“I am…” Frostnova paused before continuing, pondering for a moment, before replying, “...Frostnova, the captain of the Yeti Squad. I’m currently in Rhodes Island with my men receiving treatment for Oripathy, so I’m here to provide support.”

Rhodes Island is sending patients to the battlefield?