["Uh, um, well... Long time no see, Commander. "]
Esther, who had been hiding behind me like a shield, hesitantly revealed herself.
She had been concealing her presence among the ether, but now it was impossible to continue doing so.
'...So, I got caught after all.'
To be honest, I had hoped that at least Esther's presence would remain unnoticed, but that was far too optimistic when facing the Commander of the Shadow Order.
If Esther hadn't been bound to me, the Commander wouldn't have detected her. But if that were the case, she wouldn't have been with me in the first place, so it was a meaningless assumption.
"Wait a minute... Esther? You mean Esther was here?"
Unlike the Commander, the Turncoat Rook was visibly shocked to learn of Esther's presence here.
It made sense since Rook's perception of ether wasn't particularly exceptional, unlike the Commander's. That only proved how remarkable the Commander's abilities were.
"Why are you there?"
When the Commander's gaze fell upon her, Esther hesitated and spoke with difficulty.
["...Let's just say there were circumstances I couldn't explain. Anyway, that's how it is."]
"Come back, Esther. You're essential for fulfilling our long-cherished goal."
["I... I want to, but... it's not possible right now."]
"Because of that?"
I could feel it.
The Commander's gaze was slowly shifting toward me.
'Damn.'
Even amidst the ongoing battle, I couldn't help but turn my eyes toward the Commander.
Partly because the Commander had granted us a brief moment of respite, but mostly because I felt like I'd die if I didn't look her in the eyes right now.
"Shall I take care of it for you?"
Her words, impossible to ignore, echoed through the air.
The Commander was smiling as she looked at me.
'...Damn.'
I knew that smile all too well.
It was the smile of someone who could crush human lives like swatting flies.
To the Commander, I was nothing more than an insect to be trampled on.
["No, don't!"]
Esther screamed in a high-pitched voice at the Commander's words.
To be honest, I was worried for a moment that she might nod in agreement with her, but thankfully that didn't happen.
It wasn't that Esther wished for my survival—it was just that if I died, she would perish too.
As I already knew, Esther's survival instinct was remarkably strong.
"Why not?"
["Just... No, absolutely not."]
"Then why? You should at least give me a reason."
Unlike the cold smile she gave me earlier, the Commander's expression when speaking to Esther was indescribably gentle.
Considering Esther's significance to the Commander, it was only natural for her to react that way.
["Well, it's just... "]
Esther's lips trembled slightly, unable to continue.
My fate was about to be decided by what she said next.
It wasn't exactly the most pleasant situation for me.
'If only I had a stack of [Nine Lives], it would be different.'
The [Pacifism] trait allowed me to acquire the [Nine Lives] skill, which would literally allow me escape death.
Naturally, it was effective even in situations like this. If I had it, I wouldn't be stuck leaving my life to others' decisions.
'If the Commander and Turncoat Rook had arrived just a bit later, I could've gained a stack of [Nine Lives]...'
As proof of that, the accumulation of the [Pacifism] was still steadily progressing.
['Pacifism' has been activated.]
[Lives Saved: 56]
It was just frustrating for me.
While I was lost in thought, Esther seemed to have made up her mind. Her tightly closed lips finally opened.
["I... I'll die without this man."]
"...Oh my."
The Commander's expression turned genuinely surprised.
Rook, standing beside her, also looked equally taken aback.
"Ahem, ahem..."
Perhaps realizing something was off with the conversation, Esther's face flushed red.
I'd noticed before that she often displayed these unnecessary gestures as if to feel alive.
["No, that's not it! I mean I'll literally die without him!"]
Esther screamed in a panicked voice, belatedly clarifying.
"I know. I was just teasing you for a moment."
The Commander chuckled softly.
It was a smile fundamentally different from the one she had given me.
["...What?"]
"I know. It's because of that man, right? Carl Marcus. What the hell is going on?"
["...I don't know. It just turned out this way somehow."]
"Hmm..."
The Commander's gaze turned back to me.
But this time, it wasn't the same smile.
Her face was expressionless, showing no emotion at all.
Oddly enough, I felt relieved.
It meant that some of the Commander's previous composure had faded.
"You must know quite a lot about us if Esther's like that."
"Is that what you think? Your trust in your comrades seems rather flimsy."
The Commander's shoulders shook slightly.
For someone who cherished her subordinates so dearly, Esther was an especially important existence.
But just now, the Commander's question was laced with doubt toward Esther.
["...Commander, I haven't told him anything."]
Esther's shoulders slumped down.
Even if it was just an act to deceive people, it was effective enough.
"No... I didn't mean to doubt you, Esther."
I didn't trust Esther's deception, but it seemed the Commander was genuinely shaken.
That worked out well for me.
"..."
The Commander stared at me again.
Though her expression appeared as neutral as before, I could sense it—there was a hint of unrest in her eyes.
"Release Esther."
Her demand was straightforward.
Of course, my answer was already decided.
"Denied."
"You'll die for it."
"If that would've solved the problem, you would've done it long ago."
Esther's existence was bound to me.
In other words, if I died, she would also vanish.
I knew it well—Esther was indispensable for achieving the Shadow Order's long-cherished goal.
This negotiation was inevitably in my favor.
Now, I held the knife by the handle.
"Don't try to bargain like a fool. You think I wouldn't have a way to break this?"
"Let me repeat myself. If you had a way, you would've done it already."
As far as I knew, the only way to break the binding was for the binder to release it willingly.
No matter what they tried, Esther couldn't be set free.
We were steadily walking the path of a shared destiny.
"...No other choice then."
A chilling glint appeared in the Commander's eyes.
"Rook."
She didn't call him by the name Luke that she had revealed to me, but as Rook—a sign that she no longer intended to hide his identity.
"Kill him."
The Turncoat Rook narrowed his eyes.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"In that case..."
Rook turned his gaze toward me.
Right now, I was sitting on the gun turret of NOA-44 Eraser, holding off the advancing beast horde.
In other words, I was relatively defenseless from behind.
["W-Wait! Commander! Are you serious? You'll just kill him? Don't do it! If he dies, I die too!"]
Esther's desperate scream rang out, but the Commander shook her head.
"Sorry, Esther. But it can't be helped."
["Rook!"]
Rook, too, remained unwavering.
"You know the Commander's orders are absolute."
So that's how they're playing it...
Then I have a plan of my own.
'Esther.'
["Tell them you'll release me right now! If you don't, we'll both die!"]
'Shut up and take over NOA-44 Eraser.'
["What?"]
'Right now.'
Although the NOA-44 Eraser boasted immense firepower, pulling the trigger itself didn't require much strength.
In other words, even Esther could easily pull the trigger of the NOA-44 Eraser.
The reason I hadn't done so until now was that, despite being Esther, it was impossible for her to control the NOA-44 Eraser while holding back the beast horde pouring into as many as fifteen sectors.
["Ugh... I don't know anymore."]
Following my instructions, Esther took charge of the NOA-44 Eraser.
In the brief moment of transition, the beast horde that I had barely managed to fend off started climbing up the walls one by one.
If I didn't take control again immediately, sectors R17-1 through R17-15 would fall to the beasts.
That would mean the collapse of the eastern front of the Red Line.
'I can't waste any more time.'
The opponent was formidable.
Time was running out.
It was truly a desperate situation.
"Are you just going to leave it like that?"
The Commander sneered.
As she said, the moment Esther took over as the gunner of NOA-44 Eraser, the frontline began to collapse rapidly.
"It's kind of funny to hear that from the one who caused it."
"Then just release Esther. Wouldn't it be nice if we could both go our separate ways peacefully?"
"You sure talk a lot for someone who has no intention of doing that."
Despite the hopeless situation, the reason I continued to resist was simple.
'She doesn't really intend to kill me. Probably just trying to scare me.'
The fact that the Commander was ordering Rook to handle it instead of stepping in herself was evidence enough.
Of course, the problem was that the Commander's idea of "just enough" could mean losing a few limbs.
"This wasn't part of the plan, but... take up your weapon."
The Turncoat Rook spoke.
Despite the Commander's order, he had shown the utmost consideration by not ambushing me right away.
'A monster with a sense of honor.'
Since Skull Turncoats were born similarly to Skull Knights, using humans as hosts, they inevitably retained some of their hosts' traits.
'Makes sense.'
Rook, despite being labeled a Turncoat, was more of a knight or warrior—someone who wouldn't resort to backstabbing unless absolutely necessary.
'Unlike me.'
This place was Ark.
The last stronghold of humanity, Ark.
If my opponent had no real intention of killing me, I had plenty of ways to escape this situation.
For example... calling reinforcements.
I raised the Ark-15 automatic conversion rifle.
The muzzle pointed toward the sky.
"What are you—"
Before Rook could even voice his suspicion, the gunshot rang out.
Piuuuuuuuuung──!
The bullet I fired was a signal flare.
A call for reinforcements.
"...What did you just do?"
"Can't you tell? I called for support from Ark."
"You're asking for help in a sacred duel?!"
"Seems like you've got it twisted."
Why would I bother fighting you?
Even if I fought, I wouldn't gain anything.
At that moment, movements from the reinforcements inside Ark were detected.
As expected from Ark—quick to respond.
Not only because of the signal flare, but also because the frontline itself was collapsing, prompting them to urgently dispatch forces.
"Are you going to continue?"
At my question, Rook glanced at the Commander.
If they wanted to, they could kill me right now and escape, but that would also mean Esther would vanish with me.
That left subduing me as the only option, but there wasn't enough time before the reinforcements arrived to restrain and threaten me.
[Kigiik!]
As proof of that, Janus took a battle stance, and Esther, now in control of the NOA-44 Eraser, stirred the ether around me.
In this state, no matter how strong the Commander and Rook were, it wouldn't be easy for them to take me down.
"You think I can't handle a few reinforcements?"
"Of course not. But are you planning to fight alongside them?"
"Hmm, that would be a bit troublesome. But you know what? I could just accuse you of treason and have you executed. Do you think those reinforcements are really coming for you?"
That was certainly possible.
Considering the Commander's status within Ark, it wasn't an empty threat.
There was a reason why the Commander was called "Lady" within Ark.
However, I had a weapon of my own.
"Then I'll reveal that you're the leader of the puppet group Shadow Order, planning to overthrow Ark."
"...Hah. Esther, you liar. You said you didn't tell him."
["H-Huh? I really didn't! What the hell, how did you know?!"]
The Commander's gaze shot toward Esther, but no matter how hard she glared, nothing would come of it.
"Do you think Ark will believe your words? It's obvious they'd trust mine more."
"That would depend on the credibility of the information."
"You sound confident. You must know quite a bit about us."
"I know at least enough to understand your objective. I'm also aware that you're trying to create division within Ark's inner factions to achieve it."
Just saying this much was enough.
If I said any more, the Commander might decide to kill me outright, risking everything to eliminate the threat.
"...Interesting."
The Commander, realizing how strange the situation had become, looked both dumbfounded and intrigued as she stared at me.
"...You're more amusing than I thought. No wonder Esther's taken a liking to you."
["Commander!"]
"Oh, were you listening? Of course, I was just kidding. I'm not ready to send our girl off to get married."
["...I'm older than you. And who's taken a liking to whom?!"]
"Oh my, really?"
The Commander exchanged some meaningless banter with Esther before looking back at me.
"Alright, let's do it this way."
She took a step toward me.
Janus roared and thrust its bony tendrils toward her, but the Commander bound them with ether, immobilizing them completely.
"Stay still."
Like soothing a restless beast, she restrained Janus's bone tendrils effortlessly and approached me.
"Carl Marcus."
The Commander slowly raised her hand, palm open, and extended it toward me.
It wasn't an attack.
It was... a gesture of invitation.
"Join us."