Smoke drifted upward through the storm as shattered debris scattered across the battlefield. The sudden appearance of the massive military aircraft above the city completely changed the atmosphere. Powerful floodlights swept across buildings and roads while machine guns rotated slowly toward Lucien’s forces.

For the first time since arriving—Lucien no longer looked calm.The black-coated soldiers immediately repositioned around him while several enhanced users activated dark markings across their arms defensively.

Meanwhile everyone on Arata’s side remained frozen briefly while trying to understand what was happening.

Yuna blinked upward at the enormous aircraft overhead. "...There are actually military survivors?"

Reina narrowed her eyes slightly. "That’s definitely not normal military equipment."

Kaede quietly observed the aircraft carefully. "...Advanced armor plating. Modified propulsion system. Probably post-collapse technology."

Yuna slowly looked toward her. "...Why do you analyze everything like a robot?"

"...Because emotional screaming lowers survival probability."

"That somehow sounded insulting."

Another voice echoed from the aircraft speakers above afterward.

"Black Flag commander Lucien. You are violating quarantine restrictions and unauthorized mutation research laws."

Lucien’s expression became colder instantly. "...They found us faster than expected."

Then suddenly—Several ropes dropped from the aircraft.

Figures rapidly descended through the rain toward the streets below.Armed soldiers, Around twenty of them.

All wearing dark gray combat armor marked with a silver wolf insignia across the chest.

Unlike ordinary survivors, these people moved with discipline, Precision, Experience.

The moment they landed, they immediately formed defensive positions around the battlefield while aiming advanced rifles toward Lucien’s forces.

The soldier standing at the front slowly removed her helmet afterward.

A woman, Around mid twenties, Sharp red eyes, Short black hair soaked slightly by rain.

A scar crossed part of her neck while a long military coat moved behind her in the storm.

Her expression remained completely cold.

Then her eyes shifted toward Arata, And narrowed instantly.

"...So you’re the target."

Akari immediately frowned. "...Can people stop talking about him like he’s an object?"

The woman ignored her completely.Instead she calmly spoke toward Lucien.

"Withdraw immediately."

Lucien quietly smiled afterward. "...Commander Elena." His golden eyes sharpened slightly. "Still pretending your organization is saving humanity?"

Elena’s expression never changed.

"At least we’re trying."

"By kidnapping survivors and weaponizing children?"

Silence followed briefly, Then Elena’s eyes became colder.

"We learned from your mistakes."

The atmosphere instantly became dangerous again.

Arata quietly watched both sides while black energy still flickered faintly around his body. His mind remained unstable after hearing the truth about his parents moments earlier.

Nothing felt real anymore, His father, The system, The experiment, Everything connected somehow.

Akari suddenly grabbed his sleeve softly afterward, He looked toward her slightly.

Her violet eyes remained worried.

"You okay?"

The question felt strange, Because honestly—Nobody asked him that in years.Before he could answer— Lucien suddenly raised one hand.

Every enhanced soldier moved instantly.

"Kill the witnesses."

Chaos exploded immediately afterward.

Gunfire erupted across the flooded streets while enhanced soldiers rushed forward violently through the rain. The military forces instantly responded with precise formation movements while bullets and explosions illuminated the battlefield.

Reina immediately charged directly into combat with both blades spinning violently through the storm.

Yuna fired continuously while shouting, "Why is everyone insane today " .

Kaede’s arrows pierced through rain and smoke with terrifying accuracy while Elena calmly drew twin pistols before shooting an enhanced soldier directly through the head.

But even after the bullet hit—The soldier kept moving.Elena’s eyes narrowed slightly. "...Regeneration."

Lucien calmly stepped backward through the battlefield afterward while watching Arata carefully.

Then suddenly—One enhanced soldier rushed directly toward Akari, Too fast.

Akari barely raised her baseball bat in time before the impact sent her sliding backward through the flooded street.

"Akari!"

Arata moved instantly, The moment rage surged again—Black energy exploded around him violently.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

The ground beneath his feet shattered as he intercepted the enhanced soldier mid-attack.

CRACK!! One punch, That was all.

The soldier’s entire body flew through a concrete wall hard enough to collapse part of a nearby building, Everyone nearby froze briefly, Even Elena noticed, Her sharp red eyes locked onto Arata afterward.

"...So the reports were true."

Another enhanced soldier attacked him immediately afterward, Then another, Then three more simultaneously, Arata moved like something inhuman now, Too fast, Too powerful.

Black energy followed every movement while rain exploded around him from sheer force alone, He blocked one blade barehanded.

Shattered another weapon instantly.Then drove his knee into a soldier hard enough to crush armor.

Blood mixed with rainwater across the flooded road.Meanwhile Akari stared at him silently, And fear slowly appeared inside her chest again, Not because he might lose.

Because he looked like he no longer cared about himself at all.

Lucien quietly observed the battlefield from the shadows afterward while smiling faintly.

"...Synchronization continues increasing."

Elena immediately heard him, Then aimed one pistol directly toward his head.

BANG!!

Lucien tilted slightly, The bullet barely missed his face.

"...Rude," he muttered calmly, Elena fired again instantly.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Lucien dodged every shot effortlessly before disappearing into the rain, Too fast, Elena’s expression darkened.

Then suddenly—Lucien appeared directly behind her.

A black blade formed from dark energy within his hand instantly.

CLANG!!

Reina intercepted the strike just in time with crossed combat blades.Sparks exploded violently.

Lucien smiled faintly. "...Fast."

Reina smirked back dangerously. "Flirting during battle is weird."

Then kicked him directly backward.

Meanwhile Yuna ran toward Akari afterward while firing continuously at approaching infected now flooding into the battlefield from nearby streets.

"WHY ARE THERE ZOMBIES TOO?!"

Kaede calmly shot three infected through the head consecutively. "...Because life hates us."

"That’s fair honestly."

The battlefield descended into total chaos.

Military soldiers fought enhanced humans while infected flooded through the rain-covered streets from every direction. Explosions illuminated buildings while screams echoed endlessly beneath thunder and gunfire, And in the center of everything—

Arata kept losing control, The black markings had spread farther now across portions of his chest and neck. Every heartbeat made the dark energy stronger, Faster, More violent.

He tore through another enhanced soldier before noticing terrified expressions from nearby military forces, They feared him too.

Just like the monsters, Then suddenly—

A terrified scream echoed nearby.

"AIRI!"

Arata instantly turned.Several infected had broken through the defensive line near the office entrance where Airi protected the little girl.

One infected lunged directly toward the child.

Arata disappeared instantly.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

The infected exploded apart before reaching her.But Arata didn’t stop there.

He slaughtered every infected nearby with terrifying brutality, Too brutal.Even after they died— He kept attacking, Again, Again and Again.

The little girl stared at him fearfully afterward.

Arata slowly froze afterward while staring at the fear inside her eyes.Rain continued falling softly around them.

Then suddenly—A small warm hand touched his arm carefully.

Akari.

She stood beside him despite the terrifying energy surrounding his body.

The little girl immediately hid behind Airi afterward.

Arata’s expression darkened slightly seeing that reaction.

"...Move away," he muttered quietly toward Akari. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

She frowned instantly. "...No."

"You should."

"You think I’m scared of you?"

Silence, Because honestly—Yes, He did.The black markings continued spreading slowly while dark energy distorted the rain around him unnaturally, Arata looked away afterward.

"...I can’t control it properly."

Akari stepped closer instead.

"You protected everyone."

"That’s not the problem."

His voice sounded rough now, Unstable.

"...I was enjoying it."

The confession shocked her briefly.Arata’s eyes slowly lowered afterward while rainwater dripped from his hair.

"When I fight like this..." His voice became quieter. "...everything disappears." Silence followed briefly. "Fear. Pain. Thoughts." His hand slowly tightened at his side. "...It feels easy."

Akari quietly stared at him, Because for the first time—He genuinely sounded afraid.

The battlefield continued raging around them while explosions echoed through the city.

But for several seconds—Everything felt distant.

Then Akari suddenly flicked his forehead.

He blinked slowly. "...What was that?"

"You sounded stupid."

"...Excuse me?"

"You’re acting like becoming stronger automatically makes you evil."

Akari crossed her arms afterward while staring directly into his eyes.

"You know what monsters actually do?" Her voice softened slightly. "They stop caring about people."

Rain continued falling quietly around them.

Then she gently grabbed his hand again despite the dark markings covering his skin.

"But you still came running to save everyone."

Warmth spread strangely through his chest afterward, Small warmth, Human warmth.

Akari’s expression softened slightly too.

"So stop acting like you’re already gone."

Before Arata could respond—BOOOOOOOOM!!A massive explosion suddenly erupted across the battlefield.

Everyone instantly turned.One of the military tanks exploded violently after being struck by a massive mutated infected charging through the streets.

The creature towered nearly four meters tall now while black armor-like flesh covered portions of its body. Multiple distorted arms extended from its torso while glowing red eyes illuminated through the storm.

Even Lucien looked surprised briefly.

"...That mutation survived?"

Elena’s expression changed instantly. "...Everyone fall back!"

The giant mutation roared violently before smashing through military lines like paper.

Soldiers flew across the streets while vehicles overturned from sheer force alone.

Yuna’s face lost color instantly. "...WHY IS THERE ALWAYS A BIGGER ONE?!"

Reina grinned dangerously while spinning her blades again. "Now this looks fun."

"That sentence concerns me emotionally."

The mutation suddenly charged directly toward the battlefield center afterward, Toward Akari, Her eyes widened instantly.

The creature moved too fast, Arata reacted immediately, But before he reached her—

Another figure intercepted first, Elena.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

The military commander blocked the mutation’s attack using reinforced mechanical gauntlets hidden beneath her coat.

The impact shattered the flooded street beneath her feet instantly, Everyone froze.

Elena gritted her teeth while holding back the massive creature physically.

"...Move!"

Akari immediately jumped backward while Arata arrived beside Elena seconds later.

Together—They forced the giant mutation backward.

The creature roared violently.

Then suddenly—Its glowing red eyes locked onto Arata specifically.

The system flickered violently before his vision again.

[Unique Mutation Detected]

[Target Recognition Confirmed]

[Warning: Devourer-Class Mutation]

Lucien quietly observed from the shadows afterward, Then softly smiled.

"...Perfect timing."