Ark Chess Player.

Amiya stared at the civilians being slaughtered by the Reunion Movement ahead, gritted her teeth, and remained silent.

"Amiya, it's too late no matter what we think, and besides... the other side doesn't intend to let us go."

The view changes depending on where you stand. Dobermann agreed with the Doctor's decision; with Rhodes Island's current strength, it was impossible to save everyone. Even if they did their best to save every civilian they saw, what then? They couldn't take the civilians with them; when the cataclysm struck, everyone would die.

"Watch out!" Nearl shouted a warning, "Reunion soldiers have appeared at all exits of the open area simultaneously!"

"E4 Squad, charge! Rout them! Everyone, follow!"

Lin Lu's voice was incredibly firm, as cold and hard as a rock.

"Radiant Knight, I obey Your Majesty's command."

Lin Guang lowered his warhammer, and the axe blades on both sides of the warhammer descended along the mechanism, transforming into two wings of light.

Her weapon is her staff, which, in the name of light, illuminates this murky land and drives away the enemies of our Lord.

A shield of light surrounded Lin Guang, and the golden phantom of a pegasus condensed into a phantom behind her, spreading the halo to every corner.

The dazzling light fell upon the enemy, transforming into scorching flames. The light also bathed our forces, becoming a warm current. Weakening the enemy while healing our own wounds, Nearl is called the Radiant Knight not merely because it is her knighthood in Kazimierz, nor simply because it is an affirmation of her noble character and immense power.

Nearl's title is closely related to her Originium Arts, which are often accompanied by a noticeable glow when she uses them. By unleashing these mysterious Originium Arts, Nearl can heal her comrades on the battlefield and inspire everyone to continue fighting.

"How dare these mere thugs stop us!!"

"Oh oh oh!!"

Team E4 was in high spirits, and it wasn't just them who were excited; the other teams were too.

In this endless night shrouded in natural disasters, Radiant Knight Nearl is more than just an excellent heavy armor operator.

Everyone yearns for the warmth of light, and Lin Lu is no exception. He paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on his lips.

Unfortunately, that smile didn't last long.

"—!"

An invisible pressure descended from the sky, and all those infected with Oripathy felt a stinging pain in the areas where they were infected with the source stone.

Lin Lu's eyes widened, his mind going blank for a moment. The pain that had been locked within him spread with the burning sensation, and his strong will could no longer suppress it. It was as if he had fallen into a sea of ​​fire, every inch of his skin burning, his breath reeking of acrid smoke.

"Near Light, come back."

Lin Lu used almost all his strength to utter those four simple words. He staggered and half-knelt on the ground.

"...Doctor, what's wrong?"

Amiya, who was also feeling extremely unwell, struggled to support the Doctor and found him clutching his chest and breathing heavily.

"Retreat, Amiya, tell everyone to retreat—"

Lin Lu said with difficulty that in his data-driven vision, the Spirit Realm was filled with an overwhelming number of crimson squares.

Every person, every item, even the pebbles on the ground, are described with two bright red words: Warning!

Lin Lu tilted his head back, his gaze fixed on the sky, and he held his breath slightly.

The surging flames swirled within the burning clouds of disaster, and the distorted sky was taut to its limit like a bowstring drawn to its fullest extent.

Originally, there was only half an hour left before the natural disaster struck, but it was forcibly erased using Originium Arts, bringing the curtain of doomsday to fall ahead of schedule.

"Ha, ahahaha..."

The soldiers of the Reunion Movement halted their advance.

Some people stretched out their arms, some hugged each other, some shouted, and some laughed wildly.

Each of them felt a burning pain within their bodies, and this flame would surely ignite everything.

"coming."

"They're here! They're here!!"

"Our salvation has finally arrived!"

"When this land is reddened again, everything will return to the origin."

"We will no longer be different from one another, no longer alone, we are all... all part of the Reunion Movement!"

Chapter Twenty-Three: Talulah

Chernobog Central Town.

The kingslayer narrowed his eyes slightly, a burning pain spreading through his body, as if flames were about to burst from his throat.

She sat on the rooftop of a high-rise building, swinging her long legs in mid-air, and looked up at the celestial cloud that was right in front of her.

“Tallulah…”

The kingslayer flipped the short blade in his hand, muttering to himself, "You lied to us, saying that the Law was dead and would never return. I refused to believe he was dead and kept searching for him. Just when I was about to resign myself to my fate, I encountered him in this city that was about to be destroyed. Were you truly unaware, or did you have this planned in advance?"

"Ugh, so annoying. I should have bitten him a couple more times when we parted."

The kingslayer, his cheeks flushed red without him even realizing it, watched as the distorted clouds unleashed a calamity-bringing meteorite.

Below this high-rise building lies a desolate square, where Chernobog citizens captured by the Reunion Movement are surrounded.

She stretched out her hand, pointing at the huge source stone falling rapidly from mid-air, her fingertips lightly touching the void and gently tapping the throng of people.

"...The festival begins."

The regicide spoke softly, his eyes revealing no emotion.

The desolate plaza had become a living hell. When the burning Originium rained down, it was too late for these people to escape. The first meteorite instantly wiped out a third of the population, and the spreading Originium fragments washed over everyone like a jet of water, embedding Originium into the bodies of those closest to the meteorite. However, this might have been a good thing; at least that person died instantly, spared the agony of being engulfed in flames.

The crowd on the periphery cried out, trying to escape the square, but the Reunion Movement soldiers guarding the various exits swung their swords without explanation, blocking the fleeing crowd.

"Are you all insane! Don't you want to live too?! Natural disaster! Natural disaster! We're going to die, everyone's going to die!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please let me go! I'll give you anything you want! Money, or whatever, I'll give you anything you want!"

"I don't want to become infected, I don't want to die, I don't want to!!"

"..."

A soldier from the Reunion Movement watched their comical antics with indifference, slowly raising his arms...

"Would you let us go?!"

Some people were overjoyed, and tears welled up in their eyes.

The soldier guarding the exit, who had raised his arms, slowly stretched his lower back, raised his hands high, and pointed his middle finger.

"Go to hell."

"Ah, ahhh... ahhhhh!!!"

The desperate crowd physically assaulted the Reunion soldiers at the exit, while some gave up the struggle, staring blankly at the sky, recounting their lives.

They all knew in their hearts that Chernobog was finished.

Natural disasters will erase their existence, and the end for this once great city is more ridiculous than imagined. Who could have imagined that Chernobog would not be destroyed in battles against Yan Kingdom, the Colombian Federation, and the Victoria Kingdom, but would be overthrown by tiny infected people?

Meteorites rained down from the sky, not just ravaging the desolate square, but also collapsing buildings along the street and causing secondary damage. Countless fragments of rock poured down like a landslide and tsunami, threatening to engulf everyone. Scorching flames, fueled by the wind, quickly climbed onto people's clothes, eroding everything in their path and burning everything to ashes.

Whether they were Chernobog residents or soldiers of the Reunion Movement, all beings were equal in the face of natural disasters and faced death.

The difference is that one side is crying and wailing, while the other side is laughing wildly and making a ruckus.

Amid the frenzied crowd, a former high-ranking Ursus official stared blankly at everything unfolding before him.

Hours earlier, his arrogant words had angered the Reunion Movement, and he was forced by their soldiers to swallow a piece of Originium, becoming one of them. In his despair, not a single one of his fellow countrymen was willing to lend him a hand; they even despised, scorned, and ostracized him, no longer accepting him. He was excluded from the group, yet unexpectedly, he survived because of it, and the meteorite did not fall on his side.

From perpetrator to victim, no one could have imagined that in just three hours, their lives would go off track.

"Heh, hehe, hehaha, hahahaha—"

Three hours is enough time for a person to think about many, many things.

Based on his past position, his past role in politics, and his past perspective on people and things.

He thought about many things. At first, he couldn't understand why the Ursus military and police couldn't defeat the mere infected. Later, he changed his perspective from the infected's point of view, and many of his questions were answered. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and the more his body trembled uncontrollably. Eventually, everything calmed down.

"it's time."

He dragged himself along like a walking corpse, stumbling and falling with the fleeing crowd, toward the still-burning cluster of Originium.

He smiled, chuckled, laughed loudly, laughed maniacally, blood seeping again from his festering tongue and broken teeth, like a madman.

He stopped in front of the Originium Cluster, turned to look at the crowd that was running around despite knowing there was nowhere to go, and grinned widely.

"Am I the only one like this, or has the world gone mad?"

He muttered to himself, slowly opening his arms and throwing himself at the cluster of Originium stones covered with jagged, sharp points.

……

"—The earth fell silent; fear took away their voices."

"The enormous Originium lowered its head—"

"—It fell, it fell into the scorching shadow of death."

A clear, cool voice drifted across the rooftop of a high-rise building. A woman with silver hair and black eyes softly chanted verses of unintelligible meaning as she gracefully approached, her steps elegant and graceful. She was tall and slender, exuding captivating charm with every movement. She wore a black dress, as if attending a banquet, or perhaps… a funeral.

"Tallulah."

The king killer hesitated for a moment, then stood up from the edge of the fence and gave the newcomer the respect due.

Talulah smiled slightly, standing beside the Kingslayer, looking down at the tragedy unfolding in the desolate square.

"A-Shi, you look very listless, what's wrong?"

"nothing."

“Nothing…?” Talulah’s smile faded, and she said calmly, “Mephisto reported to me that a team of more than thirty people traveled from the energy core area under your jurisdiction all the way to the outer area of ​​the central city. I need an explanation.”

The Kingslayer frowned slightly, the image of Mephistopheles's sullen face flashing through his mind, instantly worsening his mood.

"It was just an infected organization that had nothing to do with Ursus. I didn't think it would pose a threat to our operations, so I let it go."

“Is that so?” Talulah placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. “Then why did Mephisto tell me that this organization rejected his offer to stay and even went so far as to kill our fellow countrymen? If this is the result of your momentary impulse, I hope you can provide an explanation for our people and prove it with your actions.”

"I will not plead guilty for Mephisto's twisted sense of humor," the Kingslayer said calmly.

Is this your answer?

Talulah gripped the sword hilt, black crystals slowly seeping from the back of her hand.

"...Perhaps they can survive the natural disaster." The Kingslayer frowned, his tone somewhat helpless. "I will deal with the ones who slipped through the net."

"Go."

"Yes."

The Kingslayer raised his short blade and activated Originium Arts.

She raised her arms, stood on tiptoe, and leaped into the air from the forty-meter-high rooftop.

Talulah watched indifferently as the Kingslayer landed safely, vanished like smoke, and disappeared without a trace.

"Don't disappoint me... Kingslayer," she whispered, turning and disappearing into the flames that swirled around the entire skyscraper.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Reunions Always Come So Suddenly

"Nearlight, answer me, Nearlight!"

Lin Lu lay on the ground as a meteorite streaked across the sky above him, crashing into the buildings on either side. It appeared to be a restaurant; as the meteorite struck the building, scattering countless fragments, it also ignited the restaurant's gas, creating a dazzling burst of flames.

The surging air blast shattered the windows, and shards of glass embedded themselves in the soldiers of the Reunion Movement, felling a group of people like wheat being harvested.

The E4 squad, which initiated the charge, did not venture deeper into the area under Lin Lu's urgent order to retreat; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Lin Lu was extremely anxious. His spiritual domain, severely damaged by the unknown Originium technique, was gradually restarting, at least slowly regaining its ability to think. With unwavering willpower, Lin Lu propelled his battered body, slowly propping himself up and maintaining steady breathing to ensure his brain received sufficient oxygen.

"Lin Guang received the message and is retreating."

Lin Guang's voice came through the communication headset, which made Lin Lu feel a little more at ease.

"Hmm--"

A familiar sound came from nearby. The girl from Felin, who had been thrown over by the impact, lay curled up at the foot of the dilapidated building. Her small body was caught in Originium fragments, and blood gushed from her wounds like small snakes. Powder and gravel continued to fall from the eaves above her head, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the rock walls.

Even though Lin Lu's spiritual domain had not been fully restarted, he knew how dangerous the girl's situation was.