"Humans are creatures with short memories—whether joy or suffering. Without reminders, they easily forget their past. Even their saviors, those who once rescued them, will gradually fade from their minds over time, won't they?"
Dorothy's voice was melodious, her tone gentle.
Her gaze remained fixed on the Ark, now ablaze with fire and chaos, yet her expression was as calm as an undisturbed lake, showing not a single ripple of emotion.
Isabel, resting her chin on her hand, looked down at the scene below with boredom, listening to the distant screams and cries for help.
"So, what you're saying is… you're planning to step in only when the Ark is on the verge of destruction? By then, wouldn't most of the humans already be dead?"
Dorothy glanced at Isabel with a meaningful look, her words carrying an undertone of something deeper.
"Isabel, you came all the way here in such a hurry… but I doubt it's because you're concerned about the humans being attacked by the Raptures, is it?"
"Oh? And why would you say that?" Isabel turned to face Dorothy, smiling. "Saving humanity, eliminating Raptures—that was the original mission of Eden, or rather, the original mission of the Goddess Squad, wasn't it? Ah, I suppose that was something I shouldn't have said, wasn't it?"
Dorothy's expression remained utterly unchanged. That serene, breathtakingly beautiful smile stayed on her face, unshaken by Isabel's not-so-subtle provocation.
"Indeed. Saving humanity was once the duty of the Goddess Squad. But that squad no longer exists. It's nothing more than a distant honor now—a beautifully crafted but meaningless title, isn't it?"
A deafening explosion suddenly echoed from below, followed by a violent gust of wind surging upward.
Isabel's expression shifted slightly. Gone was her teasing demeanor—her gaze was now locked onto the battlefield below, tension in her eyes. Even someone completely inexperienced in emotions could see that she was visibly unsettled.
Dorothy, on the other hand, only smiled even more, her gaze filled with amusement as she glanced at Isabel.
"What's the matter? Feeling the urge to go down and rescue someone? Is there someone among the humans down there that you care about?"
Isabel's body trembled, and she turned to look at Dorothy, eyes wide with shock. She took two steps back, pressing both hands to her cheeks, which had suddenly flushed a deep red.
"How… how do you know that?!"
Her flustered reaction—her panicked, girlish embarrassment—was such a stark contrast to her usual seductive and mature appearance that it was almost impossible to believe it was the same person.
Dorothy's eyes gleamed with amusement as she watched Isabel, a teasing smile playing at her lips.
"Is it that human commander?"
"Aah! Y-you knew?!" Isabel gasped, covering her face in embarrassment.
Dorothy's lips curled into a soft, upward arc—a smile so beautiful that it could captivate anyone.
And yet, it carried a distinct mocking undertone, as if she were either ridiculing or laughing at Isabel.
"If I remember correctly… you haven't even had a proper meeting with him yet, have you?"
Isabel fidgeted, her cheeks flushed red, looking just like an inexperienced young girl.
"B-but… the moment I saw him, I knew—he's the one I've been waiting for all this time. I'm sure of it."
Dorothy's eyes flashed with a hint of ridicule, yet the bright smile on her face remained unchanged.
"Don't worry. You, him, and us… we'll be meeting very soon."
Meanwhile, inside the Ark, on the front lines against the Raptures—
The Lancelot Conquista, swaying unsteadily in the air, finally lost its ability to ascend and began plummeting from the sky.
At the critical moment, a figure dashed forward like a bolt of lightning, leaping high into the air.
Just as the mech was about to crash, a hand reached out, catching it mid-fall. The downward momentum was instantly halted, and the mech slowly, gently descended.
It was Mo Chen!
"Commander—!"
The mech's cockpit opened, and Marian practically threw herself into Mo Chen's arms, overflowing with joy.
Seeing that she was unharmed, Mo Chen let out a small breath of relief.
"Let's go."
Without hesitation, he carried Marian and charged directly into the Rapture horde, one kilometer away.
With a flick of his wrist—
Ryūjin Jakka unsheathed itself.
The blade let out a dragon's cry, like a sea serpent diving into the abyss, its shimmering edge reflecting a deadly light.
Standing before him was a Master-class Rapture with its shield fully deployed like an impenetrable fortress.
Even high-explosive rounds wouldn't be able to break through those defenses.
But in the next moment—
A blurred afterimage flashed, followed by a glint of light from the blade.
Mo Chen had already appeared behind the Rapture.
A nearly imperceptible thin line emerged down the center of the Warhammer's massive frame.
And then—
"Boom!"
The Master-class Rapture exploded into a fireball, torn apart from within.
In a flash of lightning, the blade's arc tore through the air. It was like the thread of death sweeping across the battlefield.
The moment it flashed by, every Rapture along its path erupted into explosions, engulfed in flames.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Mo Chen's gaze swept across the battlefield like a hawk.
In an instant, he had already locked onto the location of the Counter Squad.
His figure blurred, leaving only afterimages in his wake. Within just a few breaths, he had already appeared in front of Anis.
Raising his blade, he cleaved the Rapture in front of her clean in half.
"Wake up. Come on, wake up…"
Mo Chen lightly patted Anis's face, trying to rouse her. She had clearly taken the full brunt of the sonic attack, and her eyes were still dazed, her mind unfocused.
The moment she saw Mo Chen, though—she threw herself into his arms.
He sighed in relief: at least she wasn't seriously hurt.
Then he noticed her hands reaching for the buttons on his shirt, trying to undo them.
Mo Chen: "…?"
He grabbed her wandering hands before she could go any further.
A bad feeling crept into his mind.
Was she… mentally scrambled from the attack?!
He patted her face again. Anis's eyes remained hazy, a dreamy look clouding her expression as if she wasn't fully awake yet.
"Commander… why are you in my dream? Hehe… Well, since you're here, don't blame me for taking advantage of the situation."
Anis grinned mischievously, both hands reaching toward Mo Chen just like a street thug.
Mo Chen was speechless.
What the hell is this girl thinking all day?!
Without hesitation, he pinched her arm.
"Ahhh!"
Anis yelped, jumping back like she'd been electrocuted.
She pouted angrily, rubbing the sore spot on her arm, then punched Mo Chen in retaliation, glaring at him.
"What the hell was that for?!"
The effect was instantaneous—she was fully awake now.
Seeing that Anis had recovered, he breathed a sigh of relief before moving on to rescue Neon and Rapi.
Both had been affected by the sonic attack, but thankfully, they were only unconscious—there were no further complications.
But in just these few minutes, the Raptures had completely surrounded them.
Above them, Storm Bringer had also locked onto Mo Chen.
Anis, still shaken by the sheer size of the colossal Rapture, felt a chill crawl up her spine. She scratched her arm nervously, swallowed hard, then forced a shaky smile as she turned to Mo Chen.
"Commander… uh… y-you don't think… it's into you, do you?"
Mo Chen: "?"
"I mean… why else would it keep staring at you?"