The sun had risen above the mountains, its faintly golden light replacing the pale blue of the predawn sky and taking command of the land.
Ging, wearing a felt hat, directed the fortress's hastily assembled guards as they set fire to the mountain of monster corpses before them.
Soon, flames roared skyward with a hiss. The choking stench sent the temporary guards running off with torches in hand and their noses covered.
It had been Gido who warned them.
The diseases carried by the corpses might prove even more terrifying than the monsters themselves, especially inside the fortress, which was already like a pressure cooker.
Ging took her advice. During the time the sun was rising, there had been no warning of a monster attack for once, so he had brought a team down to burn the bodies.
Koukou's little birds and List's mechanical flying balls circled nearby. If they spotted an enemy, they would send a warning from the control center.
For the moment, the area around the fortress was safe. The trouble was, things inside were somewhat unsettled.
Fortunately, the unrest had already been put down, and Ging had also received good news from the control center.
Before long, the man at the heart of that good news—Gelman—came walking over from a distance. Behind him followed a new group of survivors he had rescued.
A red-eyed mechanical flying ball bobbed and danced ahead of them, leading the way.
Besides Illumi, Kajin Dorudo, and Meleoron, more than thirty survivors followed Gelman. They were all exhausted and terrified, but didn't dare fall behind.
They had seen the strength Gelman and Illumi had shown along the way. Without the two of them, they likely wouldn't have survived this long.
If they lost sight of them, they would once again be plunged