"Reporting to Your Grand Knight Commander, the detention of all prisoners has been completed."
"Thank you for your hard work. I can manage the rest of the way on my own."
"Yes!"
Tap... tap... tap...
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed through the metal corridor. Ignoring the curses coming from the rooms on either side, Russell quietly continued downwards.
After an unknown amount of time, Russell stopped and quietly watched the figure in the prison cell.
"I never imagined that we would meet in a place like this one day."
Stop pretending.
Czarny raised his head and looked coldly at Russell.
"If I hadn't turned myself in beforehand, I would be either crippled or a corpse now."
"The Adeptus Sprawiedliwy will only detain you." Russell's expression remained unchanged.
"Provided you do not resist."
Chanel sneered again, but Russell remained unperturbed and calmly said:
"Don't worry, compared to others, your crimes will only result in a few years in prison."
"As for its assets... the Adeptus Sprawiedliwy will use them for compensation to victims and the construction of new blocks."
"... Should I thank you?"
Czarny's facial muscles twitched; even someone as shrewd as him felt a pang of pain at the impending financial loss.
But thinking about his next plan, his expression calmed down again.
Observing his reaction, Russell's brow furrowed even more deeply.
Even now, she still can't understand why Chanel and the others surrendered. Even if they learned about their plans through an insider, these people could have easily escaped from Kazimierz much earlier.
There's no doubt about their ability.
With the Business Federation's roots spread throughout Kazimierz, even though the city is still in motion, escape is still possible.
The only reason they're staying here is because they believe they still have a chance to turn things around.
But what gives them their confidence?
Russell stared intently at Czarny, observing his reaction, and quickly processed several possibilities in his mind.
Private army of the Business Federation?
Even if they did, a squad of Silverlance would be enough to quell the rebellion.
Betrayal by some knightly families?
With Cyril around, there's nothing to worry about.
Or are they preparing to exert pressure through external forces?
It can still be done after leaving; there's no need to risk your life...
The sound of a metal valve opening interrupted Russell's thoughts. He turned around to see a prison squad escorting several people.
Who are these people?
"Report! They are Assassin from the Armorless Union!"
"... put them in shackles."
Russell waved for everyone to leave, unaware of the hesitant expression on the face of the blue-haired Kuranta.
Looking at Czarny again, even though his subordinate, the Armorless Union, had been captured, Charne still showed no reaction.
"Still considering, Your Excellency, Knight Commander?"
"..."
Knowing he could no longer obtain information from Czarny, Russell shook his head and turned to leave.
"Russell."
Czarny called out to Russell, who did not turn around.
You'll never know how much I love this city.
"... If you truly loved her, there would be no way we would have met here."
With a regretful sigh, Russell left the prison.
The sky outside the building had turned inky black, and the neon lights of the Grand Knight Territory had begun to shine. Gazing at this starless night, Russell's mood gradually calmed down.
"Which match is it in?"
"This is the 11th match already." The secretary next to him took out a terminal.
On the screen, the crimson knight wreaked havoc, his valiant performance causing Russell to raise an eyebrow slightly.
"A famous competitive knight?"
"No, it seems they've only been in Kazimierz for a short time."
"... Recruit them after the match; the new Kazimierz needs talent like that."
"Yes."
With a wave of his hand, the secretary withdrew, and Russell also activated the connection on his headset.
"Has the evacuation of residents been completed?"
Most residents have returned home, while a small number of those still wandering have been taken to temporary shelters.
"Then... let's begin."
[Receive.]
As Russell's instructions were issued, the entire city became restless.
[Silverlance is in position; the entire East District is now under surveillance.]
[The city's garrison is in position and ready to take over.]
[C6 Block, Knight Squad attack, no insignia found, suspected to be a private army of the Business Federation.]
[Persuade them to surrender; those who resist may be killed.]
Everything is progressing as planned.
Russell got into the vehicle and headed towards the designated command post.
[Grenade--!]
The headset blared, and the voices on the channel were filled with panic.
[They used Originium grenades! In the direction of the commercial district! Originium dust is spreading!]
Russell's blood rushed to his head in an instant.
"Place!"
[The commercial street—no, they're heading towards the knights' arena!]
"Stand at your post; other troops and personnel are in the arena."
[Yes!]
Russell breathed a sigh of relief; as a gathering place for the public, the Knights' Arena had the most stringent security measures in place.
But elsewhere...
Russell turned his head; from this angle, he couldn't see the commercial street, but he could see the lights shining in that direction.
The column of smoke, tinged with an ominous orange glow, looked particularly menacing against the neon-lit night sky.
"Casualties among the city defense troops."
[Statistics in progress--]
"Civilian evacuation progress."
[The announcement was issued two hours ago, and most people have evacuated to safe areas, but some remain in the core area of the commercial street.]
"Silverlance Squad, move to the commercial district and prioritize controlling the spread of Originium."
"The city defense forces will establish an outer perimeter blockade, prohibiting any non-combat personnel from entering the contaminated area. Healers, proceed to the East District assembly point."
A confirmation came through the channel, but Russell knew that no matter how fast the reaction was, there would always be people who wouldn't have time to evacuate.
The commercial street is the most bustling area in Kazimierz at night, and even with advance notice, some people still feel that the danger won't befall them.
[Intense fighting in the third district! The enemy is using buildings to resist.--]
[Silverlance Fourth Squad has broken through the eastern defense line and is currently clearing out the remaining forces--]
[Note: The enemy possesses heavy ballistae, whose firing arc covers the main street. Requesting spell support--]
The battle reports pounded on his eardrums like a barrage of raindrops, and Russell forced himself to refocus.
Before she could give any further orders, a familiar voice rang out.
[Take it easy.]
Russell's fingers tightened suddenly.
"Cyril?"
[It's me, I just happen to be nearby.]
The sound of explosions can be heard in the background, followed by the mournful cries of buildings being demolished.
[Enemy commander confirmed to be incapacitated! Attack from -- javelins? Where did these javelins come from?]
A profound sense of security enveloped Russell, Cyril's gentle voice rang out once more:
How does it feel? It's been a long time since we fought side by side.
"... Stop grinning, we're still fighting."
The battle ended faster than expected, with the Business Federation's private army offering almost no effective resistance.
Those mercenary knights who were usually so arrogant were like paper in front of real Campaign Knight, and their defenses collapsed one after another.
[It went too smoothly.]
In the headset, Cyril and Russell shared the same concerns.
At the same time, another battle report arrived.
[Some rioters are causing trouble in Block E5. Should the suppression efforts be diverted?]
Russell frowned. The E5 area was in the suburbs, and it was too far to provide support.
[Help me, you're not alone.]
Cyril reminded Russell, who hesitated for a moment before dialing the terminal.
On the other side...
"The battle has begun."
As Gregor gazed at the distant energy fluctuations, his attention kept wandering.
Thanks to their secluded location and the noise inside the tavern, no one noticed the changes in the city.
After chatting with him for a while, Jian slumped onto the table, seemingly having fallen asleep.
SilverAsh and the others broadened their horizons with the old man in the tavern, while Maria, hearing that her master was going to modify the vehicle, set off in search of him.
For a moment, Gregor hesitated whether to tell them what was going on.
Fortunately, someone made the choice for him.
"Professor Gregor, Ms. Russell is calling."
Margaret answered the call and informed Russell of his request.
"I'll go, you and everyone else continue celebrating."
Gregor stood up and waved to SilverAsh and the others, indicating that they didn't need to worry about it.
"No, please let me go with you."
"... Let's go."
A few thugs can't cause much trouble.
Just as Gregor had expected, the battle ended quickly.
"I'm sorry, we just wanted to find some food..."
Looking at the thin, Infected in front of them, Gregor and his companion fell silent.
Not only in Block 0, but also in the lower layers of other areas, there are some Infected lurking.
They survived by scavenging garbage from the upper levels, but clearly they couldn't always find enough to eat, so they took advantage of the chaos to steal some food.
When people commit crimes due to hunger, to whom should that crime be attributed?
With a sigh, Gregor made compensation on behalf of the Infected.
After informing them that a special zone for Infected would be established soon, those who were suspicious were sent back to the lower-level area.
After Gregor finished, Margaret was still standing in front of the passage leading underground.
"Do you care a lot?"
Gregor approached the girl and looked down into the darkness.
Below, the industrial waste below scorches the sun, while above, buildings block out the sunlight.
The oppressive darkness is the dominant color here, and the chaotic environment is a rare haven for those with meager wages.
This is the lower level.
"I'd heard Maria talk about this place before, but I never imagined... the suffering of the crawling people was far more profound than I could have imagined."
The girl sighed; she hadn't yet toured like in the story, but she already bore a resemblance to the champion.
"Then let's try to let your light shine in more places." Gregor ruffled the girl's hair.
"Isn't that why you participated in the competition?"
"Yes, you're right."
Margaret patted her face. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she should do something more practical.
The girl raised her head and gazed up at the starry sky.
Even if you can't be the real sun, being a guiding star in the darkness is not bad either.
"... Star?"
The girl suddenly realized why she could see stars at night in the Grand Knight Territory.
At the same time, Gregor noticed something was wrong.
The nights in Kazimierz are never quiet, but this time it was unusually quiet.
As the price for the Star Moon Eyes, the beacon of the Grand Knight Territory was extinguished like waves.
In the blink of an eye, a tranquil darkness embraced the entire city.
"Major power outage?"
In the garage next to the tavern, Maria and her apprentice retrieved an oil lamp from a cabinet.
The warm, bright light swayed gently, and Maria sighed:
"This is the first time I've ever experienced a power outage. Is there a problem with the circuit somewhere?"
"No, a blackout of this scale is not an electrical problem."
Kovar gazed into the distance from the second floor, where everything in sight was shrouded in darkness.
"That's strange, why would a major power outage happen at this time?"
"What's the difference between a major power outage and a normal power outage?"
"Of course there's a difference!"
Carefully holding onto the handrail as he descended the stairs, Kovar then retrieved a few oil lamps to take to the neighbor next door.
"The Grand Knight Territory is a super-large city formed by the combination of four Mobile City. Major power outages will only occur when some of the cities close or separate."
"But after improvements were made many years ago, major power outages have not occurred for a long time."
"Only old folks like us are used to having some oil lamps on hand."
"Kovar! Still haven't found the oil lamp!?"
"What's all the noise about?! They're on their way!"
The burly polar bear grumbled and left, but Maria's gaze was drawn to the junk she had unearthed.
"This is..."
The girl crouched down and picked up a map.
Surprised by the weight in her hand, Maria curiously unfolded the map.
The map in front of me is divided into four sections, which merge together by the intersecting lines of a cross to form an overhead view of the Grand Knight Territory.
But unlike the regular maps Maria usually sees, the map in front of her is drawn based on the basic structure.
"Huh? Why did you dig this out?"
When Kovar returned after delivering the oil lamp, he saw his apprentice lying on the ground studying it.
"Master, why is this map different from the ones I've seen before?"
"Of course, these are the structural design drawings for the Grand Knight Territory. Back in the day, your master was also a famous designer."
"Hey? Then why are you so poor, Master?"
"... At least try to put it more tactfully."
The polar bear sighed for a moment, then, seeing Maria's interest, simply sat cross-legged on the ground to explain to his beloved disciple.
"See this? I designed this insulation layer; it hasn't been replaced in over ten years."
"And here, the connecting point between the two cities. Back when the two cities were closing in, a lot of buildings would collapse. It was I who made the improvements."
"And what about this cross?"
Seeing Maria point to the dividing line on the map, Kovar answered casually.
"That's Great Partition that divides the city; it's not used for normal separation, so it's normal that you haven't seen it."
"Oh... I see."
After a brief moment of reflection, the girl asked her master about the mechanical structure again, Kovar answered her without hesitation.
Although the map of the city's structure was considered a secret, the person in front of him was his own beloved disciple, not to mention a descendant of the Nearl Family.
More than the city's layout map, he was worried that this little pony was eyeing his own car.
As Kovar explained, Maria's questions gradually decreased, and she frowned, lost in thought.
Is that all? Your enthusiasm's waning a bit too quickly...
Just as Kovar was wondering what was going on, Maria suddenly looked up.
"Master, where is your pen?"
"Huh? Here."
Maria instinctively handed over the pen from her pocket, and marked it on the map.
"Master, are there any problems with these locations?"
Hmm, let me see.
Looking down with a puzzled expression, Kovar took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes.
"Wow, little Maria, you've found all these structural points!"
Kovar looked at his beloved student with approval.
"You know, even an experienced craftsman like me would take a while to find one. You really have a talent for this."
Maria did not smile as usual when she heard her master's praise; instead, she trembled unusually.
"Master... what if these places are destroyed?"
"Destroyed?"
Kovar was momentarily stunned, then subconsciously continued to think.
"Due to damage to the hub layer, a brief power outage will occur to prevent the furnace core from overheating..."
Kovar's voice gradually faded, and Maria said nervously:
"Then what?"
"... If power is not restored in time, the connection will come loose due to tension, and then... etc."
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. Kovar suddenly stood up and ran outside, but fell down in the sudden tremor.
Rumble--
Accompanied by a continuous, thunderous roar, a colossal steel curtain rose from the city.
The Grand Knight Territory, this vast, Mobile City, has been divided into four sections by a dark cross.
"Great Partition!? At a time like this!!!"
The steel walls rose again after many years, but Kovar showed no emotion at seeing the old things and scrambled towards his plane.
"Master! What will happen next? You haven't finished telling me yet!"
"[Kazimierz curse!] No time to explain!"
Clutching the communicator tightly, this usually humorous and composed man could hardly hide his anxiety.
"Damn it, connect it already! What are those bastards in the Engineering Department doing?!"
The phone kept ringing, but no one answered for a long time; only the occasional static of electricity could be heard.
"Master! My communications have also been lost!"
Maria put down the terminal and asked anxiously:
"There's a communication problem! Master, please tell me quickly, I need to relay this message to my sisters!"
Kovar angrily slammed down the terminal and rubbed his head in frustration.
"Great Partition definitely leads to separation!"
"Separation... Mobile City!?"
The girl's face turned deathly pale.
If it were a normal separation between people from different cities, it wouldn't be a big deal. But over the years, the girl has experienced many separations and reunions.
Even if there is an emergency separation due to Catastrophe, it is nothing serious; at most, it will cause some losses.
Unfortunately, the city is currently in motion.
In other words--
Kovar rushed into the garage and frantically started his car.
"Hurry up! We can't wait for others, we have to solve this ourselves!"
"Solve it? Just the two of us!?"
"There's no other way! We have to race against time!"
The vehicle started, allowing the girl only a fleeting, bewildered farewell before speeding towards the city.
"What if it's too late..."
Kovar took a deep breath and floored the accelerator.
"The whole city will be smashed to pieces!"