"A trap must remain hidden until the moment it's sprung. Only after the prey is caught does the trap reveal its true form."

That was the principle Jiekhrund followed while setting his trap. The lights filling the control room were the perfect means to ensnare the vampire progenitor, but they alone had no real physical power. They were the most fragile and flimsy of nets. If anyone among us other than Tyr made a move, they would tear through it in an instant.

Thus, Jiekhrund had prepared two other elements to fully subdue us.

One was the artificial angel, Eymeder, the embodiment of light, whose power was amplified under the dazzling lights.

The other was the elite troops hidden throughout the labor camp.

The trap couldn’t be obvious. Placing troops outside would have tipped us off. If they stationed troops where we could see them, treating the refinery like an enemy base, it would have been much harder to lure us in. So Jiekhrund hid them within the camp, disguised as laborers. All they had to do was pretend to be prisoners.

The plan succeeded. The trap was sprung, and the troops immediately moved in. The timing was troublesome for us, but it wasn’t any less problematic for them.

“The annihilation sequence has been triggered?! That wasn’t part of the plan…!”

If left unchecked, the refinery would be obliterated.

But this was also their best chance to crush us.

If they allowed the refinery to be vaporized, their strategic goals would fail. Yet if they left to stop the annihilation device, they would be abandoning the fight.

It was the Military State's dilemma: Should they aim for tactical victory or pursue strategic objectives?

As confusion spread among them, Historia, filled with resolve, stepped forward to block their advance. The troops halted.

“Historia Major…!”

The sight of one of the Six Commanders, standing in the narrow passage, caused murmurs to ripple through the ranks. These were elite soldiers, directly dispatched from the headquarters, and Historia's reputation was well known. But their hesitation was brief, for they were well-trained. They quickly reformed their ranks and faced her.

Captain Toruq, the commanding officer, clenched his fist and stepped forward.

“So, Major Historia. I never expected you to betray the Military State.”

“…Step aside. I don’t wish to hurt you.”

“Targeting the refinery, committing treason and terrorism... Just like Lancart, you too are desperate to go to Tantalus. Have you lost your mind?”

“I did it to avoid further battles. If we hadn't attacked the refinery, we would have faced a full-scale war. And if that happened—”

“You believed we would lose? The Military State's army?”

Historia remained silent. Toruq, irritated, took several deep breaths to calm himself.

“Desertion, rebellion... all deserving of immediate execution. But given the urgency of the situation, I will make you an offer.”

He raised his chin, speaking as if he held the upper hand.

“Surrender now and subdue the enemies of the Military State. If you do, I will spare your life. Not just yours, but also those of the people you wish to protect.”

It was the most efficient offer at the most critical moment—truly fitting for the Military State.

Right now, the regressor was tied up fighting Eymeder, and Tyr’s strength was greatly reduced in the blinding light, her range of action severely limited. If Historia sided with them now, the tide of battle would shift drastically.

But that wasn’t going to happen. There’s no way Historia would betray us…

“Is that your own decision, or is it the command of headquarters?” she asked.

Hey, Historia. Why are you hesitating? Why are you asking that?

“It’s the decision of headquarters. I personally disagree, but as a soldier of the Military State, I follow orders.”

“….”

Historia slowly turned her gaze toward me and Siati, a cold calculation in her eyes.

No way. She’s not seriously considering betrayal, right?

“I’d rather die than surrender!” Siati’s cry was filled with desperation, but it lacked real force. And it was completely at odds with my own opinion—I’d rather surrender than die. Life is precious, after all.

But, of course, not right now. This isn’t a situation that calls for surrender—unless Historia joins their side, things aren’t that dire.

“Historia,” I called softly.

She glanced at me, her thoughts clearly conflicted.

“This time, are you planning to bring back our corpses?”

One sentence was enough to turn her wavering heart.

Historia's body jolted as if struck by lightning. The usually calm or sharp eyes she had were now wide open in shock, and her trembling hands gave away her distress.

“You, how...”

It was a taboo in the Military State. A nightmare for Historia. The event in Hameln had left deep scars on those who had witnessed it, and those scars could never be erased.

“You can’t solve anything by just fishing bodies out of the river. The real issue, Historia, is that it wasn’t just bodies that sank to the bottom. It was our hearts.”

One of those survivors was now a Six Commander, wielding power over the Military State itself. The deaths of those children may have only changed Historia and me slightly, but in the end, they changed the Military State as well.

I wonder if those dead children would feel satisfied knowing that.

“…Stay back. If you die, I won’t forgive you,” she muttered.

“Good luck, then,” I replied.

Looking at me with both terror and fury, Historia averted her eyes. Cornered, she finally stepped forward—not so much to charge at the enemy, but more to flee from me and Siati.

‘Tch. This has become more difficult,’ Toruq clicked his tongue internally and called out to Historia one last time.

“To think someone like you would make such a foolish decision out of sentiment. Are you confident you won’t regret your choice?”

This isn’t a choice. The world doesn’t consider it a choice when you’re driven to the edge and left with no other option.

Being strong doesn’t make you emotionally invulnerable. Historia was too strong, which left her isolated. She saw the world as fragile clay, always on the verge of crumbling under her grip. She had to restrain herself at every moment, hoping that her friends would reach her. But no one ever did. As a young girl, she hadn’t understood that to bring people closer, she had to approach them first.

“…While you're regretting, you won’t have time for new regrets,” she said.

Now, there was no choice but to fight. Toruq recognized that.

Still, he didn’t tremble in fear, even in the face of a Six Commander. Part of it was his training as a soldier, but he also had reason to believe they still had the upper hand.

‘Things may not have gone exactly as planned, but it’s within expectations. The progenitor is neutralized. Eymeder will handle the boy, and the forces will subdue the others. Once we have them all, the progenitor and the boy will surrender as well.’

“The scales have tipped so far that negotiations are unnecessary. That was your last chance, Historia Major. Everyone, attack…!”

“Excuse me, officers. It seems you’re under a bit of a misunderstanding.”

There was a cracking sound.

It wasn’t loud, just enough to stand out in the noise-filled control room. But visually, it was stunning.

The light was tilting.

It was as if the sunset had arrived, and the room grew darker, as though night itself was descending upon us.

“What…?!”

“You’re right, the scales have tipped. But not in your favor.”

Even if I wasn’t sure which device was the annihilation device, I had read Jiekhrund’s mind enough to know the trap’s nature: light. I also knew Eymeder would come. Naturally, I had prepared accordingly.

All I had to do was get rid of the lights.

The principle of the lighting was simple: draw out and heat alchemic steel until it emits light. The Military State’s officers could use combat alchemy, and producing lights in a refinery like this was easy. But was it enough? Not quite.

“You did well to improvise with the lighting. But attaching it to barbed wire in a rush—now that’s careless.”

Just as I finished speaking, Aji dashed across my line of sight, dragging a large section of barbed wire with him.

Behind Aji, the regressor continued to fight fiercely against Eymeder, while Historia held her ground against the soldiers. But Aji, as usual, was unaffected by it all, casually strolling like he was on a walk. The absurdity of the scene left the soldiers momentarily speechless.

“Woof! Woof!”

Aji was biting down on the wire, dragging it as he walked.

“You’re lucky you didn’t have a passing dog tear it apart.”

Crunch.

The sight of a single dog tearing out barbed wire was utterly absurd. The size of the wire he was pulling compared to Aji’s own body was just as ridiculous. It was like watching a fish drag an entire net through the sea—completely nonsensical.

With each step Aji took, the building creaked, and the lights attached to the barbed wire popped and exploded. Whenever the tension in the wire yanked at him, Aji would shake his head in frustration, causing more of the lights to crash to the ground and burst.

Following behind Aji was the princess, covered in soot and clutching a tool in her hand, trailing after him in short steps.

Startled by the soldiers, the princess froze in her tracks. Time, which had seemed to pause, resumed once again. Toruq alternated his gaze between Aji and the princess before finally drawing his sword toward the dog.

“Stop that thing, now!”

At Toruq’s shout, the commanders and officers charged toward Historia.

They weren’t foolish enough to think they could take her down on their own, but they aimed to break through the narrow gap between her and the entrance.

They didn’t realize how impossible that task was.

With a single breath, Historia moved. She touched the walls, the ceiling, and the floor in quick succession, not lightly stepping, but bouncing with explosive energy like a rubber ball violently ricocheting off the surfaces.

When Historia landed again, no one was left standing before her. The officers and commanders who had rushed in were all scattered, knocked to the ground by the force of her blows.

One officer, hit squarely in the chest, gritted his teeth as he crumpled to the floor.

“Damn it…! We don’t have time for this…!”

“Don’t waste your breath! Just hold them off!”

With each step Aji took, another light exploded, and the control room grew darker. Without us realizing, it had already become quite dim, as though night itself had crept in.

I had to add an extra 10% of my stake for that. Thanks to you all, I might need to start considering bankruptcy.

“With Eymeder here, we just need to work together and fight!”

But the same could be said for us.

As the lights dimmed, Eymeder became more and more distinct. The once-overwhelming light he had used to corner the regressor was gradually losing its brilliance.

Now then. A creature that loves to play with shining toys is watching, and it can’t hold back any longer.

“Meow!”

Finally, Nabby leapt down onto Eymeder from above.

It was a quiet but powerful ambush. What made it deadlier was that it wasn’t motivated by hostility, but by pure curiosity and hunting instincts.

Nabby’s paws landed squarely on Eymeder. Had it been claws instead, it wouldn’t have done much, since Eymeder was made of light. But Nabby’s goal was to catch the shining light, and in that romantic gesture, the light scattered.

Thanks to Nabby, the regressor had a moment to catch her breath.

“Alright, this should work…!”

She grabbed hold of her weapon, reoriented it, and hurled it at the lights on the opposite side of where Aji was.

The wire-mesh lights attached to the concrete walls were no match for the weight of her weapon. It struck the wire, sending a ripple through the stone and steel. Fragments of concrete and steel rained down, destroying more of the lights in the process.

Before the regressor could retrieve her weapon, Eymeder, having shaken off Nabby, seized the opportunity and thrust a blade of light at her.

[You’ve had your fun. But a trap of light? How irritating.]

A beam of light shot into the darkness. The once lightning-fast movements of the beam noticeably slowed. As the lights disappeared, the darkness began to take shape, capturing the angel’s blade.

When night falls, the vampire opens her eyes. Tyr, having regained her senses, now stood before Eymeder. She cocked her head curiously at the sight of the angel, now faster and stronger than before.

[How strange. Even the angels of the Holy Temple can’t be revived so easily. What, I wonder, did you sacrifice to make this happen?]

Eymeder didn’t respond. Instead, it extended its hand.

The light spilling from the remaining lamps was sucked into Eymeder’s body, restoring its form in an instant. Tyr observed the sight calmly, murmuring to herself.

[Not even answering, huh. Very well, I won’t ask again.]

『Exterminate.』

“Tyr is free, Aji and Nabby are doing their parts, and now, Military State officers, are you finally catching on? This isn’t a trap anymore. It’s your grave.”

At this point, we had the upper hand. Even if the Phantom Choir joined the battle, it wouldn’t matter. The scales had tipped so far that they were rolling on their own.

Toruq, as a commander, must have realized this. But in front of his enemies, he wouldn’t show weakness.

“You think we’ll surrender so easily?!”

“No! Surrender isn’t necessary! In fact, we can all be winners! Let me offer you a suggestion!”

I raised my hand and pointed behind him.

“If you turn around right now and save the laborers who are currently dying, we’ll assist you in the name of humanitarian aid!”