Chapter 43The outline of Mandel City had vanished completely. As far as the eye could see, a vast expanse of dark red stone stretched endlessly in every direction.

  Most of the stones were shattered, their jagged edges glowing faintly as waves of white-hot air rose from them, the heat of their descent still lingering. Every trace of the city's streets had been erased, leaving Yoren standing in the middle of a desote, smoking wastend, unable to determine his bearings.

  The air was suffocatingly hot. The waves of heat scalded his skin, and a fine powder filled the atmosphere, further reducing visibility to see anything around.

  Yoren knew exactly what that powder was—Originium residue, thick and pervasive, the aftermath of a catastrophic event. Without hesitation, he pulled up his scarf to cover his mouth. While Originium infection wasn’t a concern for him, the sheer concentration in the air made breathing a struggle.

  Lowering his gaze, something caught his eye—a small, glittering cluster of newly formed Originium. The energy in the disaster’s wake was so intense that fresh Originium deposits had already begun crystallizing.

  This pce was dead. No one could have survived at the heart of the disaster zone. He needed to get out—fast. His only hope y in reaching the outskirts of Mandel City, where he might find the Rhine Life expedition team.

  But without any clear sense of direction, Yoren had no choice but to press forward blindly. Each step through the dark red rubble felt like navigating an endless byrinth.

  He had no idea how much time had passed. By the measure of his own world, it should have been nightfall in Terra. Yet, the sky above burned crimson, casting an eerie, blood-like glow over the nd—perhaps a natural phenomenon triggered by the catastrophe.

  With each passing moment, the heat drained more and more from his body, leaving his throat parched and his limbs heavy. His insides twisted with discomfort, a sharp reminder that his mineral fever was about to fre up again. He gritted his teeth and pushed forward, knowing he had already covered a great distance. If his direction was correct, he should be near the city’s edge.

  At st, the air began to cool. A gust of wind carried away the stifling heat, rushing past a cracked boulder, revealing an open ndscape beyond.

  He had made it. He was outside the meteorite strike zone.

  Ahead, a road—its path severed by falling debris—led toward a low hill in the distance. Yoren narrowed his eyes, recognizing the terrain. It was the same hillside where they had parked the vehicle before entering the city.

  So he had been heading south all along, emerging near District A.

  As he moved forward, the sight of people gathered on the hillside came into view. A dozen massive transport pnes were parked nearby, their imposing frames casting long shadows against the fiery sky. One particur aircraft bore an unmistakable insignia.

  Rhine Life.

  Nearby stood armed personnel—likely Columbia’s response unit, dispatched to handle the Originium crisis.

  As Yoren stepped closer, several guards on the hillside spotted him. Their expressions shifted from wariness to disbelief.

  Someone had actually survived?

  Weapons in hand, a squad of soldiers hurried down the slope toward him, their Originium rifles raised. Yoren, sensing the tension, immediately lifted his hands in a non-threatening gesture.

  "Don't shoot! I’m unarmed. I’m not your enemy!"

  He had no idea what kind of reception the Colombian forces would give him, but the st thing he wanted was to get riddled with bullets over a misunderstanding.

  The soldiers surrounded him, their eyes sharp with suspicion.

  "Who the hell are you? How did you make it out of there?" one of them demanded.

  "Are you with Ursus? This territory is under Columbia’s control now."

  "Surrender and answer immediately, or I—"

  Yoren nearly dropped to his knees in frustration.

  Resist? How? In his state? And why?

  He sighed internally. They were understandably on edge, given the circumstances. Seeing no other option, he quickly crified.

  "I’m not with Ursus. I’m not here to fight. I’m a friendly, alright? A friendly."

  The soldiers exchanged wary gnces. "Friendly? You’re Colombian?"

  "Close enough," Yoren answered vaguely. "Listen, I have critical information. I need to speak to the person leading Rhine Life’s operations. Take me to them. Now."

  They hesitated.

  Then Yoren coughed violently, a metallic taste rising in his throat. He leaned forward, spitting blood onto the ground.

  "Hurry… I don’t have much time. This information… I risked my life for it."

  The soldiers exchanged looks, then relented.

  "Alright."

  They hoisted Yoren up and carried him toward the transport pnes.

  At the base of a uniquely shaped aircraft, a woman in a white coat and gsses stepped out of the cabin. Her silver hair, streaked with gray feathers, shifted slightly in the wind.

  Dr. Hemer.

  One of the soldiers saluted her.

  "Dr. Hemer, this man just walked out of the disaster zone. He says he needs to speak with you."

  Yoren barely had the strength to lift his head, but when he did, he saw her familiar face.

  Finally.

  Hemer studied him with scrutiny, adjusting her gsses. She stepped forward, peeled back one of his eyelids, then wiped a smear of blood from the corner of his mouth, sniffing it briefly.

  "Infected."

  At the word, the soldiers instinctively recoiled. Those supporting Yoren released him on the spot.

  He hit the ground with a painful thud.

  Hemer’s expression darkened. "What are you afraid of? I’m infected too. Didn’t your superiors teach you that normal contact doesn’t spread mineral fever? What kind of soldiers are you, cowering like that?"

  Yoren, groaning, managed to prop himself up. With a weak grin, he gave Hemer a thumbs-up.

  "Good scolding."

  Hemer sighed and helped him to his feet. "How do you know my name? More importantly, who are you? And what do you want from me?"

  "Yoren. I—"

  The moment he said his name, Hemer’s eyes widened.

  "Yoren? You’re the one who sent that little girl to save Ifrit? You’re alive?"

  "Huh?" Yoren was caught off guard. There was a lot to unpack in that statement.

  Behind Hemer, a small figure appeared at the cabin door.

  Snowsant.

  She clung to the frame, her wide eyes brimming with tears.

  "Big windmill!"

  In the next instant, she barreled toward him, throwing herself into his arms.

  She looked up at him, grinning through her tears.

  "You really weren’t lying. You survived. And you found me again!"

  Yoren ruffled her hair, smirking. "Told you I would."

  Hemer cleared her throat. "After the disaster, Snowsant carried Ifrit out of the ruins. I still don’t know how she protected her through all that. But she told me… when she could only save one person, you told her to save Ifrit. For that, you have my thanks."

  She bowed deeply.

  Yoren waved his hands. "No need for thanks. Just buy me dinner."

  "Deal. Ifrit means everything to me. To show my gratitude, I’ll pull every string I can to get you whatever you need."

  Yoren was about to respond when a voice rang out from above.

  A cold, familiar voice.

  "What a perfect battle."

  Yoren froze.

  He knew that voice.

  He looked up.

  Perched atop the transport pne, an axe in hand, was Frost Nova.

  Her gaze was locked on Hemer and the soldiers below, her expression unreadable.

  "Hello...Columbia..."

  "Columbia, it's been a while."

  The disaster had melted every trace of snow, yet Frost Nova’s voice was colder than ice itself.

  The moment the soldiers spotted her perched atop the transport pne, their instincts took over. Shield-bearing troops immediately formed a defensive line in front of Hemer, while others raised their weapons. Several Originium rifles from a distance took aim at her.

  Hemer turned toward the voice.

  At a gnce, the figure atop the fusege was unmistakably Ursus—a young girl, by appearances. But the sheer presence she radiated was overwhelming, as if she carried the weight of an entire army on her shoulders.

  "Frost Nova!"

  Yoren called her name instinctively.

  He had no idea why she was here. Had the Ursus military responded that quickly?

  According to Indra’s earlier report, Ursus had deployed around 5,000 soldiers to this operation. By the standards of Terra, that was a considerable force. But the sudden natural disaster had wiped them out—every single one of them, along with their weapons and equipment—turned to dust in an instant.

  A catastrophic loss for the Ursus Empire, one that would cripple them in the short term.

  Frost Nova, still crouched on the fusege, spared Yoren only a fleeting, icy gnce.

  "Yoren? Why are you here? Have you joined the Colombian Army? Or Rhine Life?"

  Yoren hesitated.

  "It's... complicated."

  "The King of Advance—she’s dead?"

  "No. Vina is alive. I just—"

  "I don’t care about your allegiances. Victoria, Columbia—it’s your business, not mine. I’m here for one reason: to find the mastermind behind this plundering war."

  Yoren scanned the area. Frost Nova stood alone. No backup, no forces waiting in the shadows.

  She came here alone?

  Then it clicked.

  Frost Nova wasn’t part of the Ursus military. The Student Autonomous Group was, at its core, a civilian organization—though one with immense influence over the Empire.

  She wasn’t acting on behalf of Ursus.

  At that moment, a tall man stepped forward, fnked by several armed soldiers. He carried himself with an air of authority, his movements deliberate and confident.

  Yoren’s eyes nded on his curved horns and the tail behind him—Vaifan. And from the cut of his uniform, a high-ranking officer.

  Even without knowing his name, Yoren could tell he was dangerous.

  The Vaifan officer lifted his gaze to Frost Nova, his expression unreadable.

  "I am the deputy commander of Columbia’s Natural Disaster Guard and the commanding officer of this operation. My name is Serege. You have entered our military security zone alone. State your business."

  Frost Nova’s eyes narrowed, her tone edged with mockery.

  "Oh? So this is a security zone? It was easier to walk into than a vegetable market."

  Serege remained unfazed.

  "That may be our oversight, but it doesn’t change the fact that you should expin your presence here. And before that, identify yourself."

  "Ursus. Frost Nova."

  The name made Serege’s eyes flicker, just for a moment. A man of his rank would undoubtedly be well-informed. He knew what the name Frost Nova meant to the Ursus Empire.

  "General Lin, then? Very well. Continue."

  Frost Nova, alone atop the transport pne, faced a fully armed military force in a heightened state of readiness. Yet, her expression betrayed not a hint of fear.

  Her voice cut through the air, sharp and unwavering.

  "Columbia has stepped foot in Ursus territory, annihited a force of 5,000 soldiers, and seized Originium resources. This is a btant viotion of the International Originium Collection Law. Should I take this as an official decration of war against the Ursus Empire?"

  The weight of her words hung heavy in the air.

  Serege met her gaze without flinching.

  "Before I answer, I must ask—do you have the authority to speak for the Ursus Empire?"

  Frost Nova didn’t hesitate.

  "I do not represent Ursus. I represent myself and its citizens."

  Snow had begun falling again, the fkes vanishing into the heat-soaked ground the moment they nded.

  Serege’s voice deepened.

  "Then allow me to crify Columbia’s stance, General Lin. First and foremost, we have not vioted the International Originium Collection Law."

  Frost Nova’s lips curled into a smirk. "Ah. You think eliminating every witness is enough to cover your tracks?"

  Serege shook his head. "No, no, no. We rely on facts. According to official records, Mandel City was under Ursus jurisdiction twenty-seven years ago. But, more precisely, it lies on what should be Kjerag’s territory. For reasons of convenience—whether political or economic—Kjerag relinquished its cim, so long as trade routes through Mandel remained open."

  Frost Nova said nothing, but her silence spoke volumes—she wasn’t familiar enough with the history to challenge it.

  Serege continued.

  "While Mandel City was indeed under Ursus rule, the international ws are clear. Any city destroyed by a natural disaster is removed from official records after one year. In other words, Mandel City is no longer a recognized city. It is merely nd. And by national borders, this nd belongs to Kjerag. Meaning our presence here is legal. If you cim we are vioting the Originium Collection Law, then so is Ursus."

  Yoren listened in stunned silence. He had no expertise in international w, but... somehow, it made sense.

  It was like pnting a field of watermelons on uncimed nd. For as long as you tended to it, you could call it yours. But if you abandoned it, the nd reverted to its original owner.

  Frost Nova’s expression darkened. "Saileach likely doesn’t even know about the disaster in Mandel City. And even if she did, Kjerag’s army would never leave the bounds of Mount Karan."

  Serege shrugged. "Then it seems the rightful owner has forfeited their cim. That makes this nd an international free zone. And everyone knows the value of Originium. Columbia has every reason to be here."

  Hemer adjusted her gsses and spoke up. "Additionally, Miss Frost Nova, I must correct you—the 5,000 Ursus soldiers weren’t annihited by us. They died in the natural disaster. Frankly, no one could have foreseen it, and we suffered losses as well."

  Yoren fought the urge to ugh. That was a bold-faced lie.

  Sure, the natural disaster had wiped out the Ursus troops, but Columbia had been fighting them long before that. And with Rhine Life’s involvement... it was clear they had pyed their part.

  Still, something else nagged at him.

  His gaze drifted to Serege.

  That name. That presence. The way he carried himself.

  Was it just his imagination...

  Or was this man somehow connected to Saria?