December Double Drop!
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"…Surrender, Lady Cocolia. You've lost. There's no need for more conflict in this coup."Gepard led his team forward, his expression stern and unyielding.
"The Tribunal will determine your sentence. If you show true repentance, there may yet be a path to redemption."
Beside him, Pela and Bronya watched in silence.
Pela had seen Cocolia pass judgment on others countless times. Now, it was Cocolia herself facing the judgment of Belobog's people.
Bronya, on the other hand, felt neither the satisfaction of victory nor any sense of accomplishment. All she felt was sorrow and regret; this wasn't something she could so easily come to terms with.
Having committed such a "rebellious" act, she knew she no longer had the right to be Guardian. All she wanted now was to fulfill her duty as a protector of the people.
Seele caught Venti's gaze, mouthing a subtle "Nice job."
The bard merely shrugged, a mischievous smile on his face as he pretended innocence, like a student caught goofing off in class.
Serval, standing just behind him, looked on with a complex expression—relief from breaking free of an old nightmare, mingled with sorrow over a friend who had lost her way.
Surrounded by guards, Cocolia murmured to herself, "…This is the nature of humanity, an ugly thing that endures even in the face of the apocalypse. From childhood, your vision has been narrow, unable to see beyond the walls of this city, unworthy of the evolution you refuse to understand."
"—I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to discuss the philosophy of humanity with the Tribunal officers in prison."
With a stony expression, Gepard personally secured the same cuffs he'd used on Serval earlier that morning around Cocolia's wrists.
"Until then, please prepare your arguments and conclusions while you're detained."
If they left Cocolia here any longer, the furious crowd might decide to hang her on the spot.
That would only complicate Bronya's new leadership and breed procedural injustices. They could use the rules but not trample on them.
Cocolia lowered her head, muttering to herself, her tone slipping into an eerie cadence, like someone speaking to herself in a fractured inner dialogue.
Bronya's expression grew heavier, although the scene she had feared—Cocolia lashing out in a final act of violence—never materialized.
Instead, as she stepped toward the dark confines of her cell, Cocolia seemed to regain a fleeting moment of clarity.
She turned back to Bronya, her gaze both a warning and a reminder: "—Bronya. The cold is far from over. If you truly wish to save Belobog and its people, you will one day face the same choice I did. I hope… you won't regret it."
As Bronya's expression flickered with surprise, Cocolia's gaze grew empty again, her words descending into a muddled ramble that grated on the nerves of all who heard it.
Thankfully, her broken monologue wasn't enough to disturb the Silvermane Guards, and she was swiftly escorted to her cell by Gepard.
Only once she was out of sight did Venti, his gaze somber, seem to shake free of his thoughts when Seele's bright voice reached him.
"Minstrel. The plan worked, didn't it? So why the serious face?"
"...No, Seele. Cocolia was never the real threat. The true danger hasn't been dealt with yet."
Venti shook his head, showing little pride in this coup, even though it would likely become a defining event in Belobog's history.
"If the Stellaron is allowed to spiral out of control, humanity's future remains on the brink. All we've done is pull back one foot from the edge of the cliff."
"Right, as Venti said. One thing we know for certain now is that Belobog is about to step onto a path more difficult and treacherous than any we've faced."
Bronya joined in, her tone thoughtful.
The shackles of an old era may have been broken, but the road to a brighter future lay far ahead, and they hadn't yet addressed the immediate threat.
This was merely a milestone in a long journey—not an end.
And for the people, there was no telling whether tumbling over the cliff would bring more pain than facing the vast unknown shrouded in uncertainty.
No one could guarantee the outcome, but at least now, humanity's fate would be decided by their own hands—not twisted by the Stellaron into a pitiful display, a puppet on strings manipulated for its own ends.
Bronya looked at those gathered, bowing her head deeply in a gesture of camaraderie and respect.
"—To all of you who share my resolve, please lend me your strength."
"Enough with the thinking. If we don't get moving, we'll be in even bigger trouble. You don't want to rule over a pile of ruins, do you?"
The purple-haired girl, her smile teasing, nudged Bronya. After all, this coup had only been the appetizer; the "miracle" Venti spoke of was still far off, and she wasn't one for halfway victories.
Bronya offered a sheepish smile.
"Sorry. I underestimated everyone's resolve."
She had thought reconciling with Seele would be near impossible, but Seele's willingness to leave the Underworld to help her, to aid Venti, and protect Belobog showed a determination she hadn't anticipated.
"So, Lady Bronya. As for the battle against Stormterror, what's our best course of action?"
Pela interjected, her timing impeccable.
Gepard and the other Silvermane Guards turned their attention to Bronya, their silence expressing their trust.
"The situation at the front lines is unclear, but either way, we need to support them as soon as possible. The refugees from the eastern district need proper shelter, and a team must be deployed to monitor the damaged wall; otherwise—"
"Uh… Lady Bronya, I have something to report…"
As Bronya methodically issued orders, Pela raised her hand, her expression oddly sheepish.
"Oh? What is it, Intelligence Officer Pelageya? Do you have a suggestion?"
Fortunately, the new Great Guardian was unoffended by Pela's breach of protocol, her tone remaining gentle.
"…You might not believe me, but the eastern wall isn't actually damaged."
Pela's voice was tentative.
Bronya blinked, momentarily taken aback. "I'm sorry, I must have misheard. Could you repeat that?"
"Well, the story I gave Cocolia about the wall being breached and the civilians fleeing into the administrative zone was, well, half-true at best."
Pela adjusted her glasses, her cheeks tinged pink as she explained to her baffled comrades.
"It's true the dragon's attack caused quite a scare, and many people were frightened by the tremors. But in reality, it was just a small bit of mischief from our colleagues over at Belobog's greenhouse climate control system."
Belobog's structure was like two large disks connected together: the upper city handled administration and trade, while the lower city managed energy supply and resource extraction.
The greenhouse heating system provided geothermal warmth throughout the city, linking the upper and lower levels with central furnace conduits.
Anyone familiar with the system could trigger a city-wide reaction by putting the climate control system into diagnostic mode, momentarily activating the geothermal pipes. This would create mild tremors and release clouds of heated vapor through the vents.
As the steam cooled in the freezing air, it condensed into thick, mineral-laden fog that floated over Belobog—a phenomenon locals called "surge mist."
With Belobog shrouded in night, the surge mist covered most of the walls, while the storm winds summoned by Stormterror struck the outer defenses repeatedly. From a distance, it looked as if the walls were being destroyed.
But realistically, if Stormterror had truly broken into the city with such devastating force, there was no way the city's weakened barrier would have held, nor would the tremors have subsided so quickly.
It made sense that Pela and Seele would have arrived together, given Cocolia had assigned Pela to investigate Seele's actions.
After discovering the enormity of the situation, Pela, with her quick mind, likely deduced Cocolia's intentions and anticipated this encounter.
But how could Pela have reported on the far side of the city?
And besides, who would run toward the administrative zone in the midst of a raging storm? It would be as foolish as courting disaster.
If anyone else had delivered a report like this, Cocolia likely would have caught on to the deception immediately.
But Pela, as the intelligence officer, had served for years and was exceptionally capable and trusted.
Both Bronya and Cocolia were used to relying on her reports, using her findings to shape their decisions.
It was a carefully crafted trap, exploiting existing assumptions and Pela's credibility, woven together with the kind of logic that can only arise from intense concern.
And, with the grim predictions layered in—an imminent crisis, the near extinction of humanity—it had ensured that no one questioned Pela's report.
As a result, not only Cocolia but also Bronya, Gepard, and the rest of the Silvermane Guards initially accepted the information as accurate.
Only when Pela, looking slightly sheepish but with a hint of pride, explained, did Bronya put a hand to her forehead and murmur, dazed.
"…So it was just a false alarm?"
The Silvermane Guards around them visibly relaxed. After all, defending a breached wall and an intact wall were two entirely different tasks.
The former would require ten times the casualties to keep the Fragmentum creatures from overrunning the city.
But Serval, who hadn't been on the scene, was left with her own doubts.
"If the wall wasn't breached, then was Stormterror's rampage a fabrication as well?"
This question brought everyone's attention back to Pela, their eager stares almost overwhelming. She quickly waved her hands to diffuse the pressure.
"No way! Stormterror's no character from my imagination. Just because I say something doesn't mean it'll happen."
"Then that means—" Serval clapped her hands together in sudden understanding.
"So Stormterror really is out of control… and then crash-landed?"
"Not the quickest deduction, but yes, exactly," Venti said with a sigh, shaking his head at the drawn-out confusion.
"If we don't hurry, though, Pela's lie might just become a reality."
The others shot him confused glances, already guessing the question on everyone's mind.
After all, wasn't it Venti who brought Stormterror here?
With the ability to call in such a powerful ally, surely he could communicate enough to stop the creature's destruction, right?
Unfortunately, Stormterror's "loyalty" was no longer entirely in Venti's hands.
The Fragmentum seed embedded in its neck was corrupting Stormterror's wind elemental power, and if it continued to spread, Tewarin's will would be stripped from Venti's influence by the Stellaron entirely.
To prevent that disastrous outcome, Venti had to focus on counteracting the Fragmentum energy. Bringing Stormterror to a halt would be up to someone else.
And so, a round of exchanges followed that went something like—
Bronya: "Stormterror should still be under your control, right?"
Venti: "Ehe?"
Bronya: "At least stop it from causing more destruction?"
Venti: "Ehe?"
At the end of this exchange, everyone stared blankly at Venti, the heat of their gazes nearly scorching him.
Seele and Pela reached over to pinch his cheeks, Gepard held his head in exasperation, Serval laughed uproariously, and Bronya folded her arms, brainstorming their next move.
Not that anyone truly blamed Venti…
After all, without Stormterror, the coup could never have succeeded, and Belobog would have been dragged toward ruin under Cocolia's rule.
With a quick huddle, the team made up of Gepard, Bronya, Seele, and Pela prepared to head out to Stormterror's location, hoping to subdue it quickly and give Venti the chance to calm the dragon.
Serval joined as well, planning to check on the frontline defenses to ensure the energy core wasn't affected by the large-scale disturbances.
They soon reached the site of the dragon's rampage, where numerous Silvermane Guards worked to reinforce the fortifications, with Lieutenant Dunn directing the effort.
"Lady Bronya?! And Captain Gepard—so it's true… all of that really happened?"
Dunn asked with a heavy expression, though before either could answer, he sighed and continued.
"Of course, I'm not here to pass judgment on either of you. Since Lady Cocolia abandoned her people, it's only fitting she should face this end.
"However, the aftermath of this coup will be severe. If we can't stabilize the situation, Belobog will soon face internal strife, and ambitious opportunists will no doubt rise, hoping to reclaim the Guardian's power."
Bronya nodded solemnly and asked, "That's why we're here. Now, tell me the current situation at the front."
"Stormterror hasn't breached the defensive lines yet. We're fortunate. It landed in the direction of the Fragmentum and seems to be heading deeper into the Echoing Corridors, as if something there is drawing it in."
"Most likely, it's the connection between the Fragmentum zones," Venti remarked. "If it becomes embedded with more Fragmentum seeds, dealing with it will be even harder."
"Then we shouldn't waste any time. Let's move out!" Bronya ordered, her expression grim.
"You, Captain Gepard, and Intelligence Officer Pela… all of you are risking your lives for this mission?"
Instinctively, Dunn wanted to dissuade them, but upon seeing Venti in the group, he hesitated, then nodded resolutely.
"Until you return, we'll defend this spot with everything we have. The future of Belobog rests in your hands!"
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