I was still standing there, staring at the smoke rising into the sky.
That explosion had completely destroyed their supply point.
"Arche."
I snapped out of it.
"...Ah."
"Stop daydreaming."
"Sorry."
Reina let out a long sigh.
I immediately checked my equipment.
Splitfang.
Still intact.
Cinder-9.
Still safe.
Magazines.
Ammunition.
Thermal scramblers.
"Eight left."
"Correct," Reina replied.
I pulled out the wire hook.
Still usable, though a little loose.
Then my prosthetic arm.
I flexed my fingers.
Normal.
"Overclock hasn't been used yet," Reina said. "As far as equipment goes, you're in perfect condition."
I nodded.
"What about their reinforcements?"
Reina immediately fell silent.
Her eyes lit up.
Scanning.
"...Two."
I turned.
"Two?"
"Four."
I froze.
"Six."
"Reina?"
"Nine."
My heartbeat accelerated.
"Thirteen."
I immediately tightened my grip on the rifle.
Reina sounded panicked.
"This isn't just a shift rotation anymore!"
I quickly turned toward the signal source.
"What do you mean?"
"They've deployed a hunting unit!"
A chill ran down my spine.
"They want to sweep the entirety of F-02!"
I forced myself to stay calm.
"Then?"
"RUN!"
I moved immediately.
Running away.
Splitfang in hand.
Bag on my back.
"Arche! They're searching for you!"
I kept running.
"Keep scanning the area!"
"I already am!"
Ruins flashed past on either side.
My pace grew faster.
"Their movement?"
"Slow. But they're sweeping the entire sector."
I regulated my breathing.
"What if I keep going straight?"
Reina was silent for a moment.
Then—
"Ahhh!"
I immediately turned.
"What?"
"They're herding us!"
"...What?"
"Toward the main road!"
I understood immediately.
An open area.
The route leading to Firmament.
Nowhere to hide.
I cursed under my breath.
"Damn."
"They're forming a sweep line!"
I kept running.
My breathing was getting heavier.
"Then another route?"
"There is one!"
I waited.
"But it leads to F-05."
I fell silent for a moment.
F-05.
I had never been there.
"You sure?"
"No."
An honest answer.
I almost laughed.
"Good."
"Huh?"
"I'm not sure either."
Reina fell silent.
Then sighed.
"All right."
A holographic line appeared before my eyes.
Blue.
"Turn west."
I immediately changed direction.
Following the route.
"From here on, we enter F-05."
I turned and immediately ran along the holographic path displayed by Reina.
The route headed west.
Toward Sector F-05.
"Throw a thermal scrambler toward the main road in F-02."
I immediately pulled out a chip.
Then threw it far in the opposite direction.
A few seconds later—
"Distance from the reinforcement unit: thirty meters."
I kept running.
"Thirty-three meters."
Good.
"Forty-one meters."
They were starting to lose my trail.
I adjusted my breathing.
But a little while later—
"Twenty-nine meters."
I immediately looked back.
"Huh?"
"Twenty-seven meters."
Then silence.
A few moments later—
"Thirty-five meters."
Then it dropped again.
"Thirty meters."
I frowned.
The pattern was strange.
Reina suddenly fell silent too.
"Reina?"
No answer.
"Why are you quiet?"
Her eyes glowed.
Then her face immediately went pale.
"Arche..."
The tone of her voice sent chills down my spine.
"What is it?"
"The Green Serpent emblem."
I stopped instantly.
"What?"
"They regularly change the encryption codes of all their members."
I froze.
Reina continued.
"I modified that emblem using an old code."
Her voice began to tremble.
"And now they've detected one emblem that's still broadcasting an outdated ping."
Damn it.
I immediately looked behind me.
Empty.
No one there.
But—
GRRRRRRRRRRR.
I instantly looked forward.
Four mechanical wolves emerged from behind the ruins.
Growling.
Then they charged toward me.
"Arche!"
Reina raised her voice.
"One heat signature is approaching!"
"How far?!"
"Twenty-one meters!"
My heart pounded.
"Twenty meters!"
My eyes widened.
"He's entered the detection radius!"
I immediately looked behind me.
A man stepped out from behind the ruins.
His gaze was fixed directly on me.
His hand moved toward his A.R.M.
"RUN!" Reina shouted.
Too late.
They had already found me.
I immediately raised my prosthetic arm.
Fired the wire hook.
CLANK!
The hook pierced the man's leg.
"What—?!"
"Reina!"
"I know!"
My body suddenly moved on its own.
Reina took over.
The wire hook motor roared.
The man was dragged forward.
"AAAARGH!"
Then Reina spun my body around.
And—
WHOOOSH!
The man was flung through the air.
Straight toward the four mechanical wolves.
"WHAT—"
CRASH!
His body landed right in front of them.
The wolves immediately pounced.
A scream erupted.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
I didn't wait.
I ran immediately.
Jumping past them.
Leaving the man behind.
The sound of flesh being torn apart echoed behind me.
I didn't even look back.
While running, I pulled out the Green Serpent emblem.
Then threw it away.
The emblem landed near the pack of wolves.
"Good!" Reina shouted.
I kept running.
Running.
And running.
Until eventually the sounds behind me disappeared.
I stopped.
Bent over.
Catching my breath.
My entire body was drenched in sweat.
"Status?"
My breathing was still heavy.
Reina scanned the surroundings.
A few seconds passed.
"They're moving away."
I let out a relieved sigh.
"At least for now, we're safe."
I leaned against a ruined wall.
But suddenly—
"Hmm?"
I turned.
"What is it?"
Reina didn't answer.
Her eyes lit up again.
Brighter.
"Strange."
"What's strange?"
"I'm detecting a glitch."
I immediately became alert.
"A glitch?"
"In the ruins ahead."
I looked where she indicated.
There was nothing there.
Just an ordinary collapsed building.
"No heat signatures."
"Then?"
Reina switched scanning modes.
Her eyes blinked several times.
"Frequency sensor activated."
A few seconds passed.
Then her expression changed.
"...I found it."
"What?"
"Someone is hiding behind that glitch."
I tightened my grip on the Splitfang.
"Green Serpent?"
Reina paused for a moment.
Then shook her head.
"No."
"Then who?"
"The frequency doesn't match Green Serpent."
I raised my rifle.
Slowly aiming it toward the ruins.
And at that exact moment—
A woman's voice came from behind the glitch.
"If I were you, I wouldn't point a weapon in this direction."
I froze instantly.