"You… are really willing to go?"
Given Kelsey's personality, she normally wouldn't confirm the same thing three times.But this question had already left her lips for the third time in the past ten minutes.
"I already said—I'll obey the order."
Revy sat with his head down, maintaining his firearm. He didn't even look up."As a Rhodes Island Operator, I'll follow your orders and Amiya's. If you want me to take orders from the Doctor—fine by me."
Kelsey said nothing.
She didn't trust the Doctor.But neither did she trust the man standing in front of her.
Still…Amiya's team had been out of contact for over 24 hours.And if anyone could turn the tide in such a perilous environment—It was probably this man.
(Assuming… he doesn't lose control after seeing the Doctor again.)
Revy didn't notice Kelsey's hesitation.
He remained focused—meticulously oiling the black-and-white pair of pistols in his hands.His careful movements made it seem like he was handling something far more delicate than weapons—almost like a pair of fragile twin sisters.
Kelsey watched the guns with a complicated expression.
"Firmament and Felony," huh?
(So you really stopped using a sword… that's why.)
"…It's nothing," Revy murmured."I just stopped finding any thrill in cutting through flesh with a blade."
He finished assembling the pistols and locked the safety before slotting them into the holsters at his side.
"Is the aircraft that's taking me ready?"
"Yes."
"Alright, then I'll head out now."
"—Wait."
Just as Revy slung his tactical backpack over his shoulder and prepared to depart, Kelsey called out.
He didn't turn back, just paused and tilted his head slightly, signaling that he was listening.
"…To be honest, I don't trust you—just like I don't trust that person."
"But right now, we need him. And we need you, too—so please, bring Amiya and the Doctor back safely."
Revy stood still for a moment, then let out a low chuckle.
"'On the chessboard, it's always the player who matters—not the pieces.' I get it. Same as always… Time for the show to start."
!!
Kelsey's eyes suddenly turned sharp—then dimmed the next second.
Upon hearing that familiar line, she had an urge to summon Mon3tr.But she held herself back.
Because—this man never went back on his word.
The silver-haired Feline woman gazed toward the figure already boarding the aircraft in the distance, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.
(Amiya… bringing him back to Rhodes Island… was it right? Or a mistake…?)
————— Scene Break —————
Meanwhile—
The Rhodes Island squad still trapped in Chernobog faced yet another wave of danger.
Although their surprise charge last time had broken through the encirclement of Mephisto's forces, they could never quite shake their pursuers.
The enemy clung to them like stubborn gum—If the team ever stopped moving, they'd be swarmed by waves of enemies.
"This is bad… with weather like this… Don't tell me—"
The sky was growing darker, but the temperature was strangely warm.There was no wind on the ground.
Amiya remembered what Revy had said:This kind of eerie calm often came just before an extreme Catastrophe.And once such conditions appeared—it meant the next Catastrophe could strike at any moment.
In other words, it could happen literally the next second.
"Anyone with sense knows we shouldn't keep fighting here. We should be preparing for the storm instead."
Dobermann looked grim."But the enemy just won't let up… Whether they're buying time or just that stubborn, I can't tell."
"Most Reunion troops are mindless brutes, and not especially strong," Nearl added."But they have numbers. And many infected from Ursus have nothing to lose—they don't fear death. Some even welcome it."
"They're clearly in a frenzy now. They'll attack anyone who's not one of their own—even other persecuted infected."
Amiya bit her lip.
"Azazel's squad was ambushed, and the rest of the members are missing… If we don't retreat soon, we'll be in the same situation."
"We don't have many options," Ace summarized."A direct assault is reckless, but trying to slip past them puts us in even greater danger."
"At this point, let's leave it to the Doctor to decide."
The young girl who'd been called out looked around in panic.
"M-me?"
Ace sighed and stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I know—given your memory loss—just leading the fight is already a struggle.""But right now, everyone here needs the Doctor's wisdom."
"Please—make the call."
"I…"
"Wait—everyone, look! The sky—!"
Amiya's terrified cry cut the girl off mid-sentence.
The sky, which had only been overcast moments ago, suddenly looked as if it had been splashed with blood-red paint.
The black clouds churned with flames—Twisting like malevolent demons laughing from the depths of hell.
And then—Massive chunks of Originium began to rain down from the sky—
As if divine judgment had come down upon the suffering city below.