Luck has never been on my side.
From the day I became a Forest Guard,
from the moment the Arctic Route Union plunged into crisis,
I knew luck would never find me.
Your timing is impeccable, Forest Guards!
You're one to talk about timing! What's your game, waking up at a moment like this?!
Atop a bionic whale, Fyodor's dagger clashes with Diana's spear tip, their duel one of countless identical battles erupting across the controlled pod.
The Forest Guards turn the terrain against their foes, leaping onto the bionic whales. Yet for every warrior that lands, swarms of Corrupted pour from the whales' chambers in defense.
Amid the surrounding chaos, Dr. Mina guides Derek forward with steady purpose.
Good! Keep pushing! Position the other whales as barriers!
—!
Dr. Mina, computational resources are ready.
Stop rushing me! Almost there!
We can't let them succeed! Fire torpedoes!
Don't you dare!
I'm no warrior, yet here I am, forced into duels all day... Woman, what's your name?
Specter of the past, you're not worthy of knowing my name!
Diana drives her spear at Fyodor once more. In response, he draws a second blade with a flash of irritation, catching the spearhead between his crossed knives.
...Manners are truly a lost art these days.
—!
Copy that! Blast the structure for new cover!
Leave it to me!
Dr. Mina's team will reach the designated point in two kilometers. [player name], are you prepared?
Ready at any moment!
Asimov's words leave the entire frontline on edge, nerves wound so tight that even the searing sensation from the red aurora seems to dull.
Then, from within the heart of the Hetero-Creature swarm, a piercing, ripping sound erupts.
Hahaha, excellent, excellent!
The figure, until now pinned beneath the massive Hetero-Creatures, suddenly erupts with force. It sends countless monsters hurtling through the air; they crash down onto the ice, shattering into bloody pulp.
Playing dead paid off. Who knew I'd find something so close to "Phylotree's Sefirah" besides Zack.
Construct, you've caught my interest too. Hand over that power!
The words are still in the air when the Ascendant lunges forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Hey, anyone who can move, protect Rosetta!
On it!
Stay back! Just keep your distance!
I have a strong feeling now... that I can defeat her.
One kilometer to go!
As the words hang in the air, Duryodhana's fist slams into Rosetta. This time, she is not sent flying. She braces herself, driving the armored plates of her skirt into the earth, and meets the Ascendant's blow with her crossed blades.
I thought we settled this!
It's only over when one of us is dead!
Hah, well said!
800 meters remaining.
Hearing Asimov's update, Rosetta buries her twin swords in the ice. As Duryodhana's fist comes hurtling toward her, Rosetta catches the wrist, uses the woman's own momentum against her, and spins to smash her into a fractured section of wall.
You...!
Commandant, please strengthen the M.I.N.D. connection. I'm going all out!
She yanks her dual swords free and charges. Duryodhana meets her advance with a savage swipe, her claw ripping through the air in a piercing shriek. The displaced air whips ice particles into a vortex of spinning blades.
So instead of running, you charge, Construct!
You really think that whale will reach its destination?!
Derek has been intercepted by Hetero-Creatures 500 meters from the target point!
What?
The shocking news comes at the worst possible moment. Duryodhana seizes the opening, driving her fist straight into Rosetta's abdomen.
You might've stopped Fyodor's whale, but now no one's left to handle my Hetero-Creatures!
As the words leave her mouth, Duryodhana launches another punch, forcing Rosetta back into a defensive stance.
No good. I can't reach them either. We'll have to rely on satellite tracking to locate them.
So the op's a bust.
No, it's not over yet. Dr. Mina, Derek, and the others are still fighting.
Fighting? In your dreams! Soon, my Hetero-Creatures will swarm that whale. Once I've subdued you, all that power will be mine!
That's assuming... your Hetero-Creatures can actually defeat Dr. Mina's team, Ascendant!
Construct!
Duryodhana's mechanical arm surges with energy, its power multiplying as it arcs toward Rosetta, nearly engulfing her completely, yet she stands her ground.
Dr. Mina and the others promised they'd make it. So I have only one task: trust them, and be ready when the time comes!
You really think you'll be that lucky?!
Duryodhana unleashes her accumulated power, aiming straight for Rosetta's head. It is her most devastating strike yet; if it connects, the battle will end in an instant.
Ahem, ahem.
—A male voice suddenly cuts into the channel. Behind his words lies a faint, rhythmic backdrop: the chirping of bionic machinery, or perhaps the sound of open sea and sky.
We're the fleet accompanying the Forest Guards... Our hastily assembled attack vessels are in position. Command will be transferred to the Gray Raven Commandant shortly.
A cluster of allied signals flickers to life on the tactical display. The next move is suddenly, perfectly clear.
Hm?
Distant tremors and whale songs resonate in a sudden, eerie chorus. A moment later, Dr. Mina's voice returns, her transmission still garbled and broken.
[player name], order Rosetta to initiate transformation now!
Wait, you haven't reached the designated position. If something goes wrong again...
It is certainly a risk, but to defeat Duryodhana now, you cannot wait for Derek's arrival signal. Instead, you must trust that they will reach the target position just as Rosetta activates Malkuth.
Asimov's concern, however, is well-founded. If something goes wrong and Rosetta's consciousness collapses like before, the consequences would be unimaginable.
You think I'll just let you succeed?!
To stop Rosetta, Duryodhana's pupils contract sharply as her fist descends with lethal intent.
Bastard!
Rosetta blocks the blow at the last critical second. She doesn't yield a step, even as Duryodhana's attack presses down with overwhelming force.
Commandant, I want to win. I need to win this!
Rosetta's resolution is unmistakable. Her passion, transmitted through the M.I.N.D. connection, signals that the right moment has arrived. If that's the case—
The words might sound theatrical, but they surge from a wellspring of conviction in your heart—a promise to carry this resolve, intact and burning, straight to Rosetta.
In that moment, time slows. Beneath the crimson aurora, Rosetta is haloed in white light. Her eyes blaze, not with determination alone, but with a final, absolute refusal:
To break from her perpetual streak of misfortune. To safeguard this single chance amidst the desperation. To honor every second she has endured to make it this far.
At last, she seizes her luck.
<i><size=45>—Codename Malkuth, all systems operational, array deployed.</size></i>
<i><size=55>—I will smash through every obstacle in my way!</size></i>
