The wind howled as if it was about to tear the tents from their place by the crater and carry them skyward. With these weather conditions, a couple of hundred people in jeeps set out in search of something unusual in the crater. Few understood what they were looking for, but the orders clearly stated a certain threat, identified by the Marquis - a face unknown to anyone, rumored to be the most enigmatic and peculiar figure within the empire.
Due to these orders, many were now scouring the vast pit instead of providing aid for disasters. Many were dissatisfied, finding this venture pointless. Among them was Dietrich. His intentions were visibly clear; anyone in his group saw his discontent.
After hours of searching and finding nothing, suddenly, a human body appeared before their group. It was Arlok, in the process of recovery. Aria attempted to activate the light reflection modules to turn them invisible, but they were damaged by Kali's attack.
"There's a person!" People began to flock towards the body at the center of the crater.
"It's amazing, how did he end up here?"
"Perhaps the Marquis was right? Maybe there's something truly dangerous here that prompted all of us to be summoned," said Dietrich's young aide, Johannes.
"It concerns me; how precise this 'Marquis' is in predicting events, much like with the recent plague," said Dietrich, slowly approaching Arlok.
Carnage still hadn't removed his helmet; he was in a 'combat' state. At least Aria had prepared the suit's final resources for incredibly extreme conditions.
"Is that really a person?" Dietrich didn't touch Arlok, just stood nearby, gazing at him. His body was covered by a cloak, coiled into a ball.
"Surround and prepare the vehicle," Dietrich glanced around, signaling the soldiers, who hastily obeyed.
"Could it be that the Marquis knew something?" Johannes asked, whispering these words to his friend.
"I don't know. The Marquis was in the far north, and we're in the center of the continent; it's impossible to know what happened here on the same day... We found out about the crater a couple of days later, and it's much farther from the capital," he said, heading towards the vehicle, planning to continue their movement.
"We're like toys in his hands!" Johannes continued to whisper.
"We're toys for everyone, even my father sees us no more than simple soldiers, and as for the Marquis, he's a strange man."
"How long will we have to live like this?"
"Do you want me to start a rebellion, along with my brothers and sister? Have you forgotten who my father is, the war wolf - the true emperor? Had my uncle, his cousin, not died from a shell, my father would have been the emperor," he settled into the jeep and lit a cigarette.
"But aren't we like some sort of slaves, especially with the Marquis's words? He's thousands of kilometers away, yet we have to endure this stormy weather," he sat beside his friend in the jeep.
"Do you think it's that bad?"
"I assure you, Dietrich, if we continue to just sit and linger, the entire younger generation will either rot in trenches or drown themselves!"
"Johannes, should we even care about them?"
"You speak like your father, don't be him. You're the future duke, and I, the count—we can change this country together," Johannes sat behind the wheel and started the car, glancing around, back and forth.
"Have a drink and calm down," he offered a bottle of rum to his friend.
"No, thanks. I'm driving," Johannes harshly replied.
"So, my answer didn't satisfy you... But what can we do sitting here, in a jeep, in the middle of the depths of the Nork Republic?"
"We can incite rebellion!"
"You're forgetting, my friend. Father isn't just a former soldier; he still holds both the empire and the peace in his iron grip," Johannes handed a card to Dietrich. "What? Democrats? Are you out of your mind? They want to hang all aristocrats!"
"By joining forces with them, we can incite rebellion in the army, while they work in the cities and factories! We could redirect funds from the military to shelters and more, we could help the people!" Dietrich listened while looking at the card, swallowing hard.
"Even though I despise my father, I'm the future duke, Johannes. I won't betray the royal family just out of impatience."
"That's foolish, my friend..." Johannes watched as Dietrich crumpled the card and pocketed it deeper...
Several soldiers approached Arlok's body; they brought stretchers and a few tools, assuming Carnage's body had become part of the earth and needed extraction.
"Threat detected—assessment of physical state—assessment completed—transitioning to combat mode!" Two eye holes on Carnage's mask began to glow red.
His body rose like a doll; Aria only controlled his suit, which snugly wrapped around him, except for his left hand—the glove had been lost during the battle. Soldiers attempted to draw pistols, but Carnage's sword appeared in his right hand much faster.
Aria quickly assessed the distance; two strikes, and two men fell dead. A blow landed straight on the carotid artery. The movements were swift and decisive. Aria self-evaluated and acted; one by one, soldiers of the empire were defeated.
Aria didn't use the Eden, as light as needed a huge amount of Eden for healing. This was a "primitive" sword fight, relying on sheer physical strength of the body and suit.
"What's happening here?" Dietrich yelled as he ran out of the car. The wind was blowing so fiercely that he could barely hear himself, let alone others.
But he heard something—shouts, cries, bodies falling here and there. Electric whips started forming around his hands—this was his Eden Technique, which he hadn't fully realized or mastered yet.
"Do you think you can unleash like that?" Yes, he could do it.
Although Aria controlled his body, the evolution of Dietrich's body made him lose the powerful body like Arlok's era humans. That's why a man with a broken rib and "burning" lungs could kill "enemies" with pinpoint strikes without unnecessary movements.
Electricity gathered around Dietrich—he was the only one on this planet among Arlok's residents who could use the Eden Technique. He had reached the Eighth Rank.
"Area analysis request—denied—continue protecting the master!" Aria stood ready for battle upon seeing Dietrich.