• [Notification: Operation Chariot Clear confirmed. Synchronization with the second-world line initiated.]

• [Notification: Mission 'Retake Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant' unlocked.]

• [Notification: This notification can only be confirmed by designated personnel.]

• [ISO: Congratulations to Team Dagger for successfully completing Operation Chariot… but just ten minutes ago, a reconnaissance aircraft patrolling above New York sent concerning reconnaissance results. Approximately two battalions of Russian remnants that were not completely dealt with in the northern U.S. have infiltrated through the upper Hudson River.]

• [ISO: This force is suspected to possess items presumed to be nuclear bombs and multiple drones. Even Task Force Arikon and Violet, which were resisting at West Point, have been overwhelmed. We need your assistance.]

• [ISO: One of the main objectives of the enemies is suspected to be the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, which is still producing power. It is classified as a first-class strategic facility. If the enemies tamper with the reactor, it will not only contaminate Manhattan but all of New York beyond control.]

• [ISO: I have already informed Major Powell in San Diego. The B-1B Lancer strategic bomber is ready to transport you, so please rest as much as you can inside the aircraft. I apologize for summoning you all during such a busy time. Once this operation concludes, I will ensure that all of you can recuperate in the most comfortable place.]

“...I shouldn’t have listened to that bastard no matter what.”

After the broadcast ended, in a space devoid of Dais and Harmony.

Only those present at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant at that time could exist in this space, and Lorentina, recalling the ISO briefing that felt like a nightmare, vented her frustrations. Excluding the usually stoic Owens, Logan and Lorentina, who had particularly cared for me, shared similar expressions.

Only I couldn’t empathize. The outcome of Operation Last Order was truly devastating, but I was the one who went missing. Yet here I was, alive and well. Therefore, I could not understand their grief over the situation at that time.

So, I simply offered comfort. I shared a deep embrace with Logan and Lorentina before boarding the B-1B Lancer waiting on the Miramar runway. The hangar had been remodeled into a space that could transport people, making it comfortable for the flight from San Diego to New York.

Fortunately, this too was skipped.

After landing at JFK Military Airport, we boarded a waiting Humvee.

The time had passed 1 PM, crossing the boundary between morning and afternoon, and the Humvee sped down the deserted road for about 30 minutes. We were following the Hudson River upstream. The route took us along Route 9, passing through northern Manhattan, Yonkers, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, and Tarrytown, heading toward the nuclear power plant; the weather was truly beautiful.

It was a truly damn beautiful day. However, as we got closer to our destination, the sound of beans being roasted echoed repeatedly.

Amidst that, Logan added in a somber voice.

“If we had thoroughly eradicated the enemies in the northern U.S., we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“While you’re not wrong, it’s too late to be saying that. Let’s just be glad that the kid is alive.”

“...But why is everyone so close to me today?”

“Oh my, I didn’t know the little one left behind after being assigned to the rear would have a say.”

“I’m sorry…”

It wasn’t really my fault, but at the same time, it was. I could say I was glad to be alive, but I had driven a nail into their hearts one by one. Not that I wanted to, of course.

Anyway, there was no need for a briefing before entering the operation. Everyone, including myself, already knew what had happened at that time. The only drawback was that the number of personnel for the operation was a bit smaller than before, but that shouldn’t matter much.

After driving for about another 20 minutes, we arrived at the nuclear power plant, where ominous smoke billowed. The abandoned vehicles and corpses strewn at the entrance were truly striking. Memories of the past flashed before my eyes repeatedly. Although there was no smell due to VR, the winter air mixed with the scent of corpses seemed to linger at my nostrils.

“…I can’t believe I’m back here.”

“Whatever happens today, don’t leave my side, Yujin.”

“This time, I won’t take on the rear, so don’t worry.”

Perhaps that was why I hadn’t even brought a ballistic shield this time.

In the past, every time we embarked on an operation, the lives of real people hung in the balance, so at least one member of Team Dagger would always carry a ballistic shield. It was natural for me to be delayed, having to carry around that nanomachine-coated metal weighing over 50 kg.

Thus, it was my job to disperse the enemy's fire while buying time for my teammates to retreat safely. Because of that, I had been trapped when the ceiling collapsed right in front of me... but it was a memory I was proud of, not a memory I disliked.

Being the direct party to that was not a particularly good memory, but the sacrifice for teammates was always noble and valuable.

Anyway, it was time.

Even though I had brought the same gun from San Diego and felt a bit dizzy from the continuous battles, and although I was infiltrating the power plant with just four people, without Dais and Harmony, no one cared.

Owens, who had modified part of the operation plan on the spot, added.

“We’re going to the cooling tower. We’ll stabilize the reactor before they tamper with it.”

“I have no objections.”

“Same here.”

Then everyone turned to look at me.

I blinked for a moment before adding.

“I won’t fall behind, I promise.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

Same time, same place, different outcome.

It was time to twist and change the past.

“Here we are. It’s a pity that not all of Team Dagger is here.”

“...Indeed.”

Meanwhile.

Same place, different world line.

Those who had to leave their precious teammates amidst the concrete rubble stepped into the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant to retrieve their nightmarish memories.

“This is a waste isolation zone. It is currently sealed tightly.”

“The area is quite... disheveled. Is this also a remnant of the battle back then?”

“Indeed.”

Corpses, debris, and traces of the Icarus gear skills once used.

The Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant was filled with traces of battle, both above and below ground. The overall supervisor couldn’t distinguish if the corpses surrounding him were emaciated or rotting. A safety inspector, dressed in a radiation protective suit, hurriedly checked the sealing levels.

There was no need to worry about radiation. The Dagger team, who had flown in a hurry from Los Angeles after hearing that the construction was mostly finished, especially Logan Blameis, had widely spread shields to block any potential radiation from reaching the construction supervisor.

It was a rather late debriefing. In fact, it had been considerably delayed. A significant amount of time had already passed. However, there was no choice. Icarus had lost one exceptionally outstanding agent, and the Dagger team had lost their cherished little one. The mental stress was something no one could escape.

The supervisor, pondering that, glanced slightly around.

“…”

Logan didn’t look too good either.

She was pretending to be calm, but her slightly reddened eyes and slightly trembling pupils proved that she was a person who felt emotions, just like everyone else. And for her, explaining the situation at that moment was likely a considerable burden.

Yet, she decided to stand here, determined to see the last path of their little one, and without uttering any words, she surveyed her surroundings.

The retrieval team had already come and taken away all the enemies’ firearms and gear, so the corpses did not look too good, but it didn’t really matter. America was still suffering from a lack of supplies, and the same went for New York.

The explanation didn’t take long.

As they wandered through the facility for an hour, they finally returned to the echo left by Yujin.

“This is the place where Operator Yujin was separated.”

“If that’s the case, we need to follow the footsteps left behind after Yujin was left alone.”

“...I’ve been waiting for that very statement.”

Soon, with Lorentina joining them as they turned around, the three of them walked out.

According to the echo, the enemies were approaching the HLW, the high-level radioactive waste site, and just as he said, the walls of the facility, equipped with stricter containment procedures than any other, came into view.

After temporarily supplying power to the firmly closed wall and unlocking it with the Icarus gear, the door began to open with a strange sound. It sounded as if a giant, which had been asleep for over thousands of years, was waking up, creaking and groaning as it moved its stiff body.

The door opened.

“...It seems there was a battle here as well.”

“...”

There was no need to reply, but the scene before their eyes was truly like that.

However, no matter where they looked, Yujin's corpse was not in sight. The numerous penetrating wounds concentrated on the corpses’ necks and heads merely indicated that she had swept through the troops waiting here and moved on.

So they advanced further. The signs of battle grew increasingly fierce, and the walls of the underground facility, which were already in poor condition due to the vibration bombs, had become a complete mess from shrapnel, grenades, and the miniguns mounted on Warhound robots.

But still, Yujin could not be seen anywhere.

So how much further did they have to go?

They reached a point where they could no longer advance, yet Yujin's body was still not in sight. Instead, the irregularly arranged enemy corpses roughly proved where Yujin had headed. She had been overwhelmed by sheer numbers at one spot.

At that moment, a thought flickered through everyone’s minds.

Please let at least her corpse be intact.

But the next moment, the phrase that appeared before their eyes shattered their thoughts.

• [Warning: Anomalous physical phenomenon detected.]

• [Warning: Ultra-low and high-temperature phenomena exist ahead.]

“...What?”

The situation was entering a new phase.

It didn’t take long for the sorrow etched on their faces to transform into utter bewilderment. As a notification, never heard of since the existence of Icarus, filled the underground space, they automatically took up combat readiness and moved inward.

And a few minutes later,

“...What on earth is all this?”

Endlessly burning flames and lava.

Gigantic ice pillars, utterly transparent, that would never melt.

What greeted them was a scene beyond imagination.