Chiiiiiik...
No matter how much I tried to manage the heat, the barrel of the NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun had turned red-hot from pulling the trigger for so long.
Though it would recover over time thanks to its auto-restoration ability, it was clear that I couldn't use it right now.
The overheating didn't just affect the NOA-8 Heavy Machine Gun.
The TITAN-17 Anti-Behemoth Rocket Launcher and my main weapon, the Ark-15 automatic conversion rifle, were also overheated and completely unusable.
That's just how it was when dealing with endless waves of monsters and beasts.
'No other choice.'
I slung the Ark-15 automatic conversion rifle over my shoulder and prepared to dive into hand-to-hand combat alongside Horus, Janus, and Esther.
There was no way to keep using firearms for the time being.
["They're coming!"]
"Then block them!"
["I'm already doing that!"]
A brief exchange with Esther passed by.
[Kieeeek!]
Horus let out a monstrous scream, his roar spreading toward the approaching monsters and beasts.
I, too, tightened my grip on Ankelenth's Spear, slashing and stabbing without rest.
Shraaaak───!
Thud! Thud, thud!
[Kyaaak!]
[Kieeeee!!!!]
Ankelenth's Spear, which had pierced even the Reverse Scale of Ouroboros, the lord of this territory, was not something ordinary beasts could withstand.
[Kikik!]
Janus also supported my movements while handling the monsters charging toward me.
['Hardening' activated!]
['Steelization' activated!]
And that wasn't the end of it.
Swish, swish───!!
Like a hedgehog bristling with spikes, Janus's entire body sprouted bone spikes as he roared.
['Bone Spear Barrage' activated!]
Then, as if waiting for the right moment, bone tendrils scattered in all directions.
Shooosh───!!
Shwshwshwshwish!!!
[Kehk!]
[Grooo!]
Flying beasts charging recklessly had holes punctured in their wings, causing them to plummet to the ground.
Though it was a powerful ability, the cost of overuse was high.
But there was no need to worry about that here.
After all, the battlefield was overflowing with prey for Janus.
Shwshwshwish!
After scattering the bone tendrils, Janus stretched them out again to snatch up nearby beasts and monsters.
Chomp, chomp─
Horus, another bone parasite monster, was doing the same.
[Kieeeek!]
If there had been any monsters or beasts here capable of posing a real threat to Horus and Janus, I wouldn't have dared to do this in the middle of the battlefield.
But all the high-ranking threats were either dead or fighting elsewhere.
Moreover, I kept moving to buy time for Janus and Horus to finish their meals.
[Graak, Gaaak!]
[Grrr!]
Eat, kill, eat again.
This grotesque routine continued endlessly, the fierce battle showing no sign of stopping.
My hands had lost all feeling.
It wasn't just my imagination.
I had killed as many monsters and beasts as the number of strikes I made with my spear.
"Ugh!"
As proof of the brutal battle, the longer the fight continued, the more large and small wounds accumulated on my body.
It meant that Janus's protective abilities had reached their limit after such prolonged combat.
[Kieee...]
And Horus was no exception.
Even without any immediate high-ranking threats, numbers alone could still overwhelm.
Cough! Cough!
How long had we been fighting?
At some point, the number of monsters and beasts charging at us had noticeably decreased, and soon, they weren't visible at all.
Of course, the ground was still crawling with beasts and monsters, but they no longer posed a threat to us.
Finally able to catch my breath, I looked around and saw that Horus, Janus, and I were all covered in wounds, without a single spot unscathed.
"Ugh... Hah!"
With trembling hands, I jabbed a narcotic painkiller into my thigh and took a deep breath.
When I was wildly firing heavy weapons and A-985 explosive rounds, I barely got injured, but once I dove into melee combat, the wounds piled up quickly.
'Still not good enough.'
Despite it all, I survived.
Right in the middle of a multi-wave.
Surviving such a thing was nothing short of a miracle, but it was made possible thanks to Horus, Janus, Esther, and my seemingly endless ammunition.
'And... it looks like the Ark has almost finished cleaning up too.'
Although I had been in the heart of the wave, I wasn't fighting the entire monster legion alone.
Strictly speaking, the legion's target was always the Ark, while I was just causing trouble on their path.
'Of course, even that much made a difference.'
As proof of that, the Ark had managed to hold back the wave much faster than expected.
Despite being a multi-wave assault, the defense speed was only slightly slower than usual.
This meant that my persistent hold on the flying beasts, the most troublesome for the Ark, had been a tremendous help.
["Haa... Is it finally over?"]
"Mostly."
There weren't many monsters left on the Ark's front line.
Considering the firepower of the Ark, the remaining stragglers would be taken down in no time.
'I guess we managed to hold out well enough.'
An unexpected multi-wave.
But thanks to enduring with a body covered in wounds, the Ark's damage was far less than anticipated.
And finally...
The message signaling the end of the war appeared before my eyes.
[Red-05, 06 stages have been cleared!]
[Contribution points are accumulating.]
[+184,887 Contribution points]
[Multi-wave cleared! Additional Contribution points have been accumulated.]
[+80,000 Contribution points]
[Outstanding performance in the heart of the battlefield! Additional Contribution points have been accumulated.]
[+30,000 Contribution points]
[Current Contribution Points: 455,308]
Looking at the accumulated contribution points, I couldn't help but feel a bit stunned.
'...Hoo.'
Nearly 300,000 contribution points all at once.
Normally, that kind of contribution could only be earned in the later stages, but I had managed to rack it up here, in just the Red Line stage.
'Considering the previous contribution points were earned using the fixed artillery, Eraser... this is pretty incredible.'
In addition to what I had already accumulated, the total Contribution points now amounted to an absolutely staggering figure.
'450,000 contribution points.'
With this much, it was more than enough to purchase a Blaster-class weapon, which boasted overwhelming firepower compared to conventional weaponry.
Moreover, I was now an honorary citizen of Ark, so I had all the qualifications I needed.
'Gedwin's going to be pretty shocked.'
Supply Officer Gedwin had the ability to read the unique Ether that corresponded to contribution points.
Naturally, since the Ether around me would be teeming with an amount proportional to my contribution , it would be a miracle if he didn't faint on the spot.
'If he really does faint, it's going to be a hassle for me.'
Anyway, now that the job was done, I turned Horus around.
Even though Horus was thoroughly exhausted, there was no way I was going to walk all the way back from this distance.
"Let's go."
It was time to go home.
* * *
"Huff, huff..."
Even though the war had just ended, Lieutenant Imosha walked along the defensive zone on top of the wall, her legs trembling.
Despite having received the reports, she insisted on inspecting each point herself to assess the damage and the current situation firsthand.
"Oh, y-you're here..."
"Corporal Renel! Take immediate action—"
"Guh!"
"..."
Of course, during that process, Lieutenant Imosha had to witness countless deaths.
Soldiers who had fought without hesitation to protect Ark until the very end.
Yet their numbers continued to dwindle with every wave.
"Ah, you're here, sir."
Of course, some were relatively unharmed among them.
But that was only relatively speaking; even they didn't look unscathed.
"How's the damage situation?"
"Just as reported, sir. Out of a total of 17 personnel, five are dead, three are critically wounded, and... two are missing."
Considering that this wave had been an unprecedented multi-wave, it was an unbelievably low casualty count.
Nevertheless, Lieutenant Imosha couldn't bring herself to feel relieved.
There were just too many who had died and vanished to celebrate the small number of survivors.
"Any traces of the missing? Have you found anything?"
"We're still investigating, but... honestly, sir, I can't guarantee anything."
That was the reality.
To be missing from atop Ark's wall was practically equivalent to a death sentence.
It meant that not even their corpses could be found.
"...I see."
But Lieutenant Imosha didn't have the luxury of mourning each and every loss.
This was just one wave.
Before long, another wave would inevitably come.
'How long... will this keep happening...!'
She bit her lip.
Every time she witnessed her soldiers' deaths, memories of a distant past overlapped in her mind.
The Black Line.
The events that took place there.
* * *
["Bone Buddy looks really tired today. Why is he so slow?"]
[Kieet...]
Just as Esther pointed out, Horus's wing movements were sluggish and slow.
But I couldn't rush him.
It wasn't just Horus—both Janus and I were seriously injured as well.
'If I try to push the speed, it'll just make the wounds worse.'
While Horus and Janus, being monsters, could manage somewhat, I was the real problem.
I had given myself temporary treatment with painkillers and bandages, but proper care would have to wait until we returned to the hideout.
'It's not a bad idea to get treatment at Ark, but... it's better not to show these kinds of injuries there.'
When waves occurred, the proportion of severely injured survivors was surprisingly low.
After all, soldiers who could suffer severe injuries usually died before they could receive treatment.
Of course, Ark wasn't an ignorant group that neglected medical facilities or technology just because of survivor bias.
But the issue was that the nature of my wounds would undoubtedly raise suspicions if I showed up at Ark.
Honestly, anyone could tell just by looking that these wounds came from fighting directly against the monster legion.
'Well, it probably won't be an issue.'
There were a few things that concerned me, but I decided to stay optimistic.
Surely nothing troublesome would happen at a time like this—or so I hoped.
Maybe that's why...
I didn't see the projectile flying up from the ground.
'Something's coming.'
It was a spear.
But something about its shape looked oddly familiar.
'...Bone spear.'
A spear made of bone.
That could only mean one thing.
[Kieeeeeeek!]
["Bone Buddy!"]
The bone spear pierced right through one of Horus's wings.
Thwack!
Already struggling to stay airborne, Horus's body began to plummet rapidly.
"Damn it."
If it had been the usual Horus, he could have easily dodged or blocked it.
But the current Horus was exhausted and wounded, and no matter how much he had replenished his nutrients by devouring monster corpses, the deep fatigue couldn't be erased.
"Esther!"
["...I'll try my best!"]
To minimize the impact of the fall, Esther and I quickly gathered what little Aether we had left.
[Slowly?]
[Catch it, catch it, catch it, catch it, catch it, catch it, catch it...]
[I'm running out of strength...]
Horus and Janus didn't stay idle either, raising bone tendrils around their bodies to form armor and reduce the impact.
But no matter what we did, it was just to lessen the crash damage, not to avoid crashing altogether.
Before long, we hit the ground.
BOOOOM───!!!
Amid the thick cloud of dust, I heard a familiar voice.
"It's been a while, Esther. You're there, aren't you?"
Esther revealed herself.
If she had chosen to remain hidden, they might not have found her, but since they already knew of her existence, there was no point in trying to hide.
["You..."]
As the dust settled, familiar eyes fixed on me.
"I came for your answer, human."
The Turncoat, Rook.
He had come for me.