Chapter 22: No answer

If the crisis five days ago was an accident that could be explained away by “abnormal fluctuations in the White Hole occasionally causing observation data anomalies, leading to miscalculations,” then could this unannounced Erosion still be called a “coincidence”?

Moreover, when the news of the “Erosion’s” appearance came, Yonomikenami also brought another piece of news.

A “Beacon” had been stolen.

“If the data transmitted back from the ‘Sakahi’ is intercepted, then it would be easy to know the time and location of this ‘Erosion’s’ appearance, and at the same time, use it as a cover to steal the ‘Beacon’?”

Yonomikenami’s voice came through the earpiece.

Ephnel just gave a soft “hmm.”

“I won’t make any rash assumptions… but in any case, I think it’s worth taking seriously.”

The “Beacon” was the crystallization of ancient ruin technology.

It was because of the “Beacon” that Agents were born.

It was a technology that almost transcended the boundaries of matter and energy.

It was easy to imagine that such a power, which defied common sense, would be targeted by someone.

The organization had always been strict with information control in this area.

Apart from that forgotten past, there had never been any major problems.

But that didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be any slip-ups in the future.

If the attack on headquarters last time was also part of a plan, then this matter was far from being as simple as it seemed.

“Well then, I’ll report this to the organization as it is.”

“No need. I’ll go and talk to the Commander myself later. That’s the only way to be absolutely sure… Well, anyway, let’s solve the problem at hand first.”

“You’re right…”

“Nami, the number of enemies is unexpectedly large. I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle them all on my own. I don’t plan on making any rash moves yet, just waiting and observing, so as not to provoke those things… They don’t look like they’re going to move right away. Take this opportunity to contact the Special Disaster Response Mobile Division and have them complete the crowd evacuation and shelter work as soon as possible.”

The other end was silent for a moment.

“Understood, I’ve received the situation report. Also, I just received a communication from the Commander. The Special Disaster Emergency Response Division has already arrived on the scene. At the same time, an emergency evacuation warning has been issued for the area around the central stadium. The order for other Agents to provide support has been sent. Reinforcements will arrive soon and will rendezvous with you immediately.”

“Oh, I’ve received it on my end too. Before the support arrives, I will prioritize assisting with the crowd evacuation.”

“Understood. Please be extremely cautious until then.”

“Roger. I’ll act according to the situation.”

Ephnel took a deep breath.

The deployment order had been issued.

The supporting Agents should be arriving soon.

Just then, a shriek suddenly came from above.

Ephnel looked up alertly and saw that something was amiss with the giant floating island.

Sure enough, those Erosion organisms couldn’t stay quiet for long.

The “crows” that had been circling in the sky suddenly seemed to have spotted their prey.

Their ghastly, giant beaks opened as if torn apart, and they converged on Ephnel, flying towards her.

Like water droplets forming a stream, then a river, their numbers grew larger and larger.

Suddenly, like a floodgate opening, they poured down on Ephnel like a waterfall.

Those crows were rushing towards Ephnel… or more accurately, towards the venue beneath Ephnel, and the crowd that was still stranded there, yet to be evacuated.

Already prepared, Ephnel’s gaze sharpened, and at the same moment, she leaped from the steel frame.

A “Stairway” solidified under her feet, providing her with a point of leverage.

She stared intently at the falling, dark “crows,” aimed, and quickly leaped and moved across the steel frame of the venue’s ceiling.

“Codename Ephnel, engaging in combat!”

Cutting off the earpiece, a silver light appeared in her hand, solidifying into a long spear.

All the strength in her body was drawn by the “Power of Order,” concentrating on a single point, and then, it transformed into a dazzling silver light that was thrown from Ephnel’s hand.

Like a meteor streaking across the night sky, the silver light pointed straight at the “floating island” under the huge black shadow.

‘First, I’ll deal with the big one with the simplest method, just like last time.’

But this time, it wasn’t so smooth—the dark waterfall formed by the twisted “crows” suddenly twisted its direction, heading straight for the spear.

Countless specks of starlight scattered in the air.

Ephnel’s blow almost pierced through the dark waterfall.

But that was all.

The meteor was swallowed by the darkness, eventually dissipating into nothing.

And the “waterfall” re-formed once again.

A silver light flashed, and the long spear reappeared in Ephnel’s hand.

This was the “weapon recall” ability that all Agents used.

Ephnel stared intently at the huge black shadow above her head, her gaze like a torch, her shoulders sinking slightly.

This method of attack, throwing the weapon, consumed a considerable amount of energy.

In addition, it would put Ephnel in a brief window of vulnerability before she could recall her weapon.

In battle, such an attack had to be carefully timed to avoid putting herself in a dangerous situation, and it couldn’t be used multiple times.

“How troublesome…”

Aerial combat was Ephnel’s weakness.

It wasn’t that she had no way to deal with aerial enemies, but she couldn’t achieve a decisive victory efficiently.

The longer the battle dragged on, the more power was consumed, which was more disadvantageous for an Agent.

Moreover, it was a huge threat to the people who had not yet been evacuated.

Ephnel clicked her tongue in annoyance.

If, like last time, the main battlefield had been between tall buildings, or if the main enemy was just the “Whale,” it would have been fine.

But now, Ephnel was hundreds of vertical meters away from the “Whale,” with no sufficiently tall buildings around.

And to make matters worse, Ephnel’s only anti-air attack was being blocked by those annoying “crows.”

She gritted her teeth and leaped high, a “Stairway” forming under her feet.

Using these “stepping stones,” she quickly shot up into the air.

‘There’s no other way until the aircraft are in position.’

‘Then I’ll just have to force my way through.’

In the shelter—

“Please maintain order and follow the staff’s arrangements. Evacuate in an orderly and swift manner… Please do not crowd. Please make way for children, women… please…”

The shelters were generally located at least ten meters underground.

They were massive structures, built very sturdily, like a giant cocoon.

It was said that the shelters used the same ancient ruin technology as the Sakahi and could, to a certain extent, avoid being detected by Erosion organisms.

Their defensive capabilities were also trustworthy.

In short, the shelters had never had any accidents.

It could be said that this place was absolutely safe.

Yukina followed Yonomikenami here.

She quietly squatted against a wall.

The wall behind her seemed to be made of concrete, or perhaps some other material.

A chill seeped through the fabric of her clothes and into her back.

The temperature here was much lower than on the surface.

Yukina shivered but didn’t move away, because from here, she could just see the entrance to the shelter.

Everyone who came in would enter Yukina’s line of sight.

But after all this time, she still hadn’t seen her brother.

This was the closest shelter to the venue.

Generally, most of the people evacuating from the venue would be guided here.

In that case, her brother should have come here too.

But even after waiting until no one else came in, Yukina still didn’t see Yanase Naoto’s figure.

Bright white lights shone down from above.

Yukina hugged her knees and lowered her gaze.

Her shadow was split into several under the lights, the overlapping parts turning darker and darker.

The people around her were dialing their phones over and over again.

Some suddenly burst into tears, some looked worried but then smiled.

Some were silent, just like Yukina.

After settling her down, Yonomikenami went to the side and started talking to someone on her earpiece.

It was only today that Yukina learned that Miss Yonomikenami was not just a simple manager.

Agents and the “Order” organization—this was the overlooked side of Ephnel and Yonomikenami.

They were first and foremost warriors who protected this city, and only then were they public idols and managers…

Yukina couldn’t help but wonder if she had become a burden, causing trouble for Ephnel and the others.

When she came in, Yukina had seen the nightmarish scene in the sky from afar.

It was like an island where a giant demon lived, just floating in the air.

She had never seen such a terrifying Erosion organism before.

This disaster… was probably different from the others, right?

If it was a troublesome situation, would something happen to her brother?

Why wasn’t he here?

There was more than one shelter nearby, so it was possible they had just missed each other.

And Miss Ephnel had said she would protect her brother’s safety.

But…

There were many things to worry about, confusing and unsettling.

It was hard not to think about them.

Yukina didn’t quite understand.

She just felt a terrible headache.

She lowered her brows, her beautiful eyes shimmering.

‘Onii-chan…’

She opened her phone, hesitated for a moment, and then, like the others, dialed a number.

It was her brother’s number.

Although it was underground, the shelter was equipped with a civilian signal station.

The connection wasn’t great because too many users were connected at once, but it was usable in areas not covered by the Erosion.

But she got a busy signal.

Her brother didn’t pick up.