Ark Chess Player.

The younger version of Iriet hugged three rag dolls whose outlines were barely discernible, and quietly squatted in the corner.

Amiya was about to step forward when the surrounding darkness suddenly deepened, as if tinged with the mist of rain, or like a drop of ink falling into clear water. This made her instinctively stop in her tracks, cautiously observing what lay ahead, ready to strike at any moment.

Drops of thick, black liquid dripped from above, gradually coalescing into a human shape, emanating an unpleasant and chilling aura.

The blurry humanoid figure reached out and shoved young Iriet, snatching the three dolls she was clutching tightly from her arms and tearing them to pieces. It didn't stop there; the figure grabbed Iriet's hands, forcibly stuffing the doll pieces into her mouth, slapping her face, and hitting her stomach, forcing her to eat them—no matter how much young Iriet pleaded or struggled, she couldn't resist, and was gradually enveloped in black mud.

Amiya felt a loud "bang" in her head.

"stop!!"

Amiya's physical body and her consciousness, which had entered Ariel's mental world, roared simultaneously. The rings on her hands instantly emitted a bright light, and her intense willpower reigned over the mental plane. Her anger transformed into countless flames, instantly illuminating the dark space and revealing the profile of a human figure obscured by shadows.

He always has a mocking expression on his profile.

Cold, dark green eyes, a fake smile playing on his lips.

"Mephisto!!"

Amiya's mind raised her hand, and rhombus-shaped magical units materialized behind her, converging into a beam of light... no, a magical arcane spell on the scale of a light cannon. She could almost hear Irie's desperate wails, she could almost hear Mephisto's maniacal laughter as he committed inhuman acts, she could hear her own heart pounding and roaring with deafening fury.

"Only you—I will never forgive you!!"

A massive black arc of electricity roared forward, carrying with it layers of surging, burning clouds of fire, as it struck at Mephisto's remaining spiritual form.

The dark shadow keenly sensed the approaching, terrifying energy fluctuations and attempted to escape from Irisviel's mental world, only to find itself unable to move. Irisviel, who had evolved from childhood to adulthood, grasped the figure's outline; her tear-filled eyes were now filled with unwavering resolve. This tormented girl, awakened from endless suffering, did not run away again, but chose to confront her deepest fears.

"Do not--"

Illie could faintly hear Mephistopheles' roar.

Blinding flames engulfed the dark, viscous humanoid figure, arcs of electricity intertwined and flowed like spindle threads, and crimson clouds disintegrated Mephisto's spiritual body. It was as if incompatible energy bodies were coming into contact, producing a violent reaction and releasing large amounts of vapor. A surge of spiritual power swept in, shattering the entire cage.

Space collapsed, and the solid walls of the mind cracked.

Cracks spread, and countless black fragments fell from the false sky.

Mephistopheles' shadow was completely obliterated, and pure white light shone down from the sky.

The sticky sludge, with nowhere to hide, was scraped away layer by layer, decomposed into ash as the airflow surged, and gradually dissipated.

"..."

Illie, who thought she would also perish in the pillar of light, turned her head blankly to look at the visitor who had come to help with the house cleaning.

In the radiant light, Amiya waved to her and smiled slightly.

"you're free."

Alice gazed at Amiya's figure gradually turning into white light and disappearing. She bowed deeply, her tears falling onto the earth of her inner world, splashing water.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Amiya slowly opened her eyes.

She was about to speak when a sharp pain shot through her head, causing her to involuntarily cover it and whimper in pain.

"Amiya?!" Gavial swung his Origin Stone Staff, looking worried. "Does it hurt? Do you need me to anesthetize you?"

"No, no, no, that's not necessary!"

Amiya waved her hands frantically to indicate that she was alright!

If you were to be physically anesthetized by Gavial, you would probably need to sleep for about three days.

At this critical juncture, she absolutely cannot rest!

"This is a side effect of overusing my brain, and I'll be fine soon."

Amiya endured the sharp, throbbing pain in her head, forced a smile, and pretended to be alright.

She looked down at Iriet's face, which was silently weeping, and felt her pure and innocent heart. A satisfied smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

"She's alright now, let's take her back to Rhodes Island."

"understood."

Gavial nodded straightforwardly, without the slightest hesitation.

Since Amiya said she was fine, she was willing to believe her.

The Kingslayer pursed her lips tightly, then wrapped her arms around Iriet's armpits and lifted her up from the ground.

"Thank you, Amiya."

"It's alright. Protecting the operators is the commander's job, it's what I should do."

Amiya slowly regained her balance, panting softly as she cooled the reddish ring back to its original blue color.

The regicide didn't say anything more. She wasn't good at communicating with people, but she would silently keep it in mind.

In a sense, the regicide is just like Lin Lu.

She will be good to whoever is good to her.

"Attention everyone, there's a new situation."

Razer spoke up, pointing behind her. In the distance, thick dust was billowing up, indicating that something was rapidly approaching.

"The Reunion Movement? They're really persistent. Just how far are they going to go? — No, wait, that doesn't seem to be the Reunion Movement!" Razer narrowed her eyes as she spotted the outline of a four-wheeled vehicle with a conspicuous crimson icon amidst the vast gray fog.

Razer couldn't suppress his surprise: "This is... the Guard Bureau?!"

Upon hearing this, Amiya was not pleased but worried, and a solemn expression appeared on her face.

The visitor is not good.

She refused the Lungmen Guard's request to hand Misha over, insisting instead on including her in Rhodes Island's squad for protection. The Guard's arrival at this critical juncture is probably not to help clean up the mess, but rather to demand an explanation.

That would be fine, but Amiya is more worried about the second possibility.

"Crench--!"

The heavy tires screeched as a multi-terrain vehicle stopped less than ten meters in front of Amiya and the others. A thick cloud of dust billowed up, obscuring their vision, and Razer instinctively raised his shield to protect Franka. The Kingslayer cradled Iriet's head, turning his back to shield her from the dust. Poor Natalie's peaceful sleeping face was covered in a layer of dust; her ruthless colleague, the iron-willed Gavial, hadn't even noticed.

"Amiya, are you alright?"

Inspector Hoshiguma jumped out of the SUV; she preferred the feeling of driving herself, no matter what kind of car it was.

The damage to the fifth district of Lungmen Outer Ring was more severe than she had imagined, to the point that the ground was rugged and full of obstacles. The other members of the special inspection team hadn't arrived yet; only Hoshiguma was speeding at near-madness across the collapsing road, showcasing her superb driving skills with the reflexes of a demon, leaving the others several blocks behind.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey..."

Amiya brushed the dust off her face, thankfully it didn't get into her mouth, otherwise the Originium fusion rate would have increased even more.

Everywhere in the fifth district of Lungmen Outer Ring is permeated with the smell of Originium. Whether it's the effects of W detonating the Originium explosives or the mist produced by the Skeleton Army, the Originium particle index in this area has skyrocketed. At least for the time being, this place will have to remain a ruin.

"Commander Hoshiguma?"

Amiya had a strong impression of this tall, imposing woman, Hoshiguma, who stood at 1.84 meters. Hoshiguma's performance during the Reunion Movement's attack the night before last was nothing short of miraculous. Even when the Doctor and the Kingkiller left the front lines to flank the enemy and carry out a decapitation strike, Inspector Hoshiguma single-handedly held off the largest gap. Wielding her uniquely designed triangular shield, she single-handedly held off hundreds of enemies until the Reunion Movement soldiers retreated.

Although Hoshiguma exudes a strong sense of intimidation, she is actually a very gentle person. When speaking to someone, she respects them, slightly bowing and maintaining eye contact. These subtle gestures demonstrate her good manners. What bothers Amiya is that Hoshiguma's gaze tends to wander when she talks to the Doctor; this scrutinizing look makes Amiya instinctively wary.

"I'm glad you're all alright. Um, did you... uh, encounter any huge... monsters?"

Hoshiguma saw three people unconscious on the ground, and traces of a fierce battle remained on the ground, as if a battle had taken place between inhuman monsters.

Judging from this, Amiya and the others must have had an extremely difficult battle here, and this place... happens to be the direction that monster left in!

Hoshiguma hurriedly asked Amiya, "It's a monster that's about two or three stories tall, with arms that are two-thirds the length of its body, no flesh or skin, half of its body covered in amber liquid, and with a bulging skeleton."

"What did you say?"

Amiya was a little confused by the question.

What's with this monster that sounds like it escaped from the film set next door?

Please, this is Toei's booth, Tsuburaya Productions is right next door!

Don't go too far, Terrans!

"monster……"

The Kingslayer murmured softly, holding Iriet tightly in her arms. Mephistopheles' wicked deeds flashed through her mind, and she quickly warned Amiya, "Amiya, this might be Mephistopheles' doing! We've been stuck here for too long, Misha is in danger!"

Upon hearing this, Amiya suddenly understood. She realized that Ariel and the others were merely pawns left behind by Mephisto, and his true purpose remained unchanged! Mephisto had his eye on Misha, and although she didn't know what he wanted to do, if his goal was to turn Misha into someone like Ariel—

Amiya grew increasingly panicked. She cried out anxiously, "Commander Hoshiguma, can we ride in your car?!"

Hoshiguma, unaware of the situation, tilted her head, but she wasn't annoyed that her question hadn't been answered. Instead, she patted the front of the car with a flourish.

"boarding!"

Chapter 319 Kiryu Battle Rabbit (4K)

"I'm sorry, Amiya... Misha has been captured."

The heavily armored operator Rock, covered in dust and dirt, lowered his head with a heavy heart. His shoulder was still padded with gauze, and blood was slowly seeping out.

When Amiya arrived in Inspector Hoshiguma's SUV, she was met with the Rhodes Island team's utterly miserable defeat.

The scene was a mess, with broken pieces and charred marks everywhere. The operators sat dejectedly in the barely clean spot receiving treatment.

The reconnaissance team was attacked, and the entire Guard squad was wounded. The heavy-armored operators held out until the very last moment. They fought until their shields shattered, using their own bodies to block attacks. If it weren't for the timely arrival of Rhodes Island's medical team, the casualties would likely have caused everyone to break down.

Initially, Rhodes Squad's defensive line was well-organized. Under Amiya's command system, even while maintaining constant movement, they were able to withstand attacks from Reunion soldiers and take care of the wounded.

Until… a nearly nine-meter-tall skeletal giant silently emerged from the thick fog. Its gigantic hand, capable of obscuring the sun, swept across the area, shattering the Rhodes Island team's tight formation. The liaison officer received the reconnaissance team's warning belatedly, but it was too late. Caught between the bizarre, unpredictable attacks of the giant and the combined assault of Reunion soldiers, Rhodes Island suffered a crushing defeat and fell into crisis.

With the Rhodes Island squad on the verge of annihilation, Misha stepped forward, moving from the heavily guarded wounded area to the front lines. Having just received an emergency injection to alleviate Oripathy, Misha was still unsteady on her feet, but she faced the terrifying monster without hesitation.

That small, thin figure was deeply imprinted in the eyes of the Rhodes Island operators, but they were powerless to do anything about it.

Misha guessed that the other party's target was her, and she also knew... that this was the only thing she could do for Rhodes Island at the moment.

As expected, the Bone Giant disappeared after abducting Misha, and the thick fog dissipated as a result. Even the Reunion soldiers withdrew, leaving only the defeated Rhodes Island squad members standing there, roaring in frustration.

"hateful!!!"

Gavial clenched his fist and threw a punch into the air, creating shockwaves as he released his pent-up anger.

Gavial didn't know if staying there would have changed the outcome. But if she hadn't rescued Natalie in time, not only Natalie, but perhaps the two from Blacksteel International, and even Amiya and the Kingslayer, would have been in danger.

There are rarely perfect solutions in this world; choosing one means inevitably losing the other.

"Amiya, what should we do now...Amiya?"

Gavial's gaze instinctively turned to Amiya, only to find that the other woman's face was pale and her expression was so solemn it was frightening.

Amiya, who had been lost in thought, was brought back to consciousness by Gavial's repeated calls and slowly nodded.

"Each squad should prioritize the care of the wounded, and provide emergency treatment for their injuries. Seriously wounded personnel should be immediately escorted back to Rhodes Island ships for treatment. Operators who are still capable of combat, please stay..." Amiya opened her mouth, but couldn't finish her sentence, and didn't even dare to look at the others.

She failed.

As commander, she failed to perform at her best, and her misjudgments led to the disastrous failure of the mission.

Amiya half-closed her eyes, something within her crumbling and dissipating. She began to doubt herself, afraid to read the operators' minds. She feared receiving resentment or even hatred; she feared being overwhelmed by fear. She... felt utterly useless.

If a PhD were in charge, this situation certainly wouldn't have occurred, right?

Even on the first day the Doctor awoke in Chernobog, in such terrible condition that even walking was a struggle, he still arrogantly demanded full command of the Rhodes Island rescue team, even insisting on sole command and forbidding anyone from interfering. His actions, true to his style, demonstrated that even in dire circumstances where they were outnumbered by several times, even ten times, the enemy, he still led the rescue team to a successful evacuation.

This Chernobog rescue operation made it clear to Rhodes Island's new operators from the past three years, as well as those unfamiliar with the Doctor, why Lin Lu was chosen as the Doctor. Unmatched by anyone, this rescue mission became the talk of the town among the operators, creating a sensation on Rhodes Island.

Furthermore, even during the Reunion Movement's nighttime raid a few days prior... while Amiya was involved in command, the focus was largely on the Doctor's initial command plan. Both the Rhodes Island team members and the Guard Bureau officers involved in the operation unanimously praised the Doctor's tactical command. This made Amiya, who subsequently took over command, seem particularly insignificant, especially since her misjudgment allowed Ethan, the leader of the Reunion Movement's Ghost Group, to successfully break through and infiltrate the Rhodes Island ship. If Rhodes Island's food hadn't been so delicious, and Reunion Movement's food so terrible, Ethan probably wouldn't have defected and surrendered politely, but instead directly destroyed the power and communication equipment.

The entire night raid almost ended in defeat due to Amiya's mistake.

No one condemned Amiya for this, but she kept it in mind. Before falling asleep, Amiya would constantly reflect on it, reconstructing the tactical map in her mind and conducting command drills, all in order to avoid making the same mistake again.

But now... she made another mistake, and paid a far heavier price than the Reunion Movement's night raid.

"If only the doctor were here."

Amiya couldn't help but have this thought; she began to doubt her competence as the leader of Rhodes Island, when there were clearly more reliable people who were more suitable for the position than she was. Whether it was Dr. Kal'tsit or the Doctor, they were both better than her.

Princess Theresa...

Why did you choose me back then?

What is it about me that makes me worthy of your attention?

Amiya jerked her head back, her body swaying violently, almost crushed by the weight of responsibility. She couldn't even hear Gavial's voice clearly. The sky and the earth seemed to be painted the same color, her vision blurring, and Amiya fell backward—

"Amiya."