Welt and Dan Heng couldn't help but show emotion.
"For real?"
"It was just a flash, so brief it felt like an illusion, but with Jarilo-VI's Fragmentum activity spiking…"
Himeko's brow furrowed, worry rising.
"To be safe, Dan Heng, head to Jarilo-VI immediately. Welt and I will stay to investigate the cosmos."
In Leon's route, Dan Heng left without a word.
In Dan Heng's route, it was slightly different. Leon, staying on the Express, showed a faint, enigmatic expression, as if pondering something.
A few seconds later, he set off.
But as the story progressed in Dan Heng's route, Leon never appeared.
Not until the boss fight's climax did he show up.
What happened in the meantime, where he went—nobody knew for now.
The Express scene ended with Dan Heng or Leon's departure.
The screen returned to Belobog for another cutscene.
At the frontline, countless Fragmentum monsters stirred a blizzard, surging toward the defending Guards.
Their numbers were so overwhelming that outer defenses were physically crushed.
The relentless sound of gunfire and artillery mixed with the Guards' war cries.
"Report, sir! The enemy vastly outnumbers us. Without enough firepower, they'll reach here in five minutes!"
Despite mental preparation, Gepard's pupils trembled.
Five minutes…
"Where's the backup?"
"Fire support units are eight minutes from the frontline!"
Gepard took a deep breath, his voice booming with military resolve.
"All units, hear me! We cannot let the monsters cross the lifeline!"
He charged out first, a brilliant blue light glowing in his palm.
"In the name of Landau—"
Gepard slammed his palm into the ground.
The earth quaked, and a massive iceberg rose, blocking most monsters' paths.
The camera zoomed out, showing the iceberg's scale to all.
[Cool! Gepard!]
[Who said Gepard's punch-to-kill vibe only gives teammates shields? Apologize!]
But the next second, players' praise for Gepard turned to shock.
The camera zoomed out further, revealing the sheer number of enemies.
The opening CG was just an appetizer.
Gepard clearly knew this, never stopping as he rushed between key defense points.
After raising five massive icebergs, his exhaustion was visibly evident.
Before he could catch his breath, a huge shadow loomed overhead.
He looked up, his heart sinking.
Countless Fragmentum gates appeared in the sky.
Monsters poured out, attacking anyone on the ground.
The Guards, once holding a balanced defense, began to falter.
A disrupted defense needed more command.
Gepard was stretched thin, with calls for help everywhere and fire support still minutes away.
Even when it arrived, it wouldn't last long.
The Supreme Guardian had pulled too many troops from the restricted zone, now the final straw breaking the camel's back.
Bad news kept coming, and Gepard's breathing grew ragged.
If only Pela were here to take some command load.
He hoped she could convince Cocolia to send the recalled Guards back.
"Report, sir! Alert Line 4 in the east has fallen. We're retreating, five injured, holding the lifeline!"
"Report, sir! Alert Line 2 in the west has fallen…"
"Report…"
Bad news piled up, and Gepard's face grew heavier.
Players were drawn in, their hearts racing with anxiety.
Then, another Fragmentum gate appeared in the sky.
More powerful elite monsters emerged.
Countless Guards' spirits sank, despair in their eyes, followed by a resolve to fight to the death.
Behind them was their home.
No one had a way out!
Already outnumbered, they'd relied on terrain to hold on.
Now, with these tough enemies, the Guards' position grew dire.
The fire support might not arrive before they collapsed.
Misfortune doubled; disaster never came alone.
One of Gepard's icebergs was breached…
The long cutscene was gripping, like watching an anime, tugging at players' hearts.
"It's over, they're breaking through!"
"The public release made the Fragmentum and Guard battles so epic!"
"But what now?!"
"By normal story logic, it's time for the protagonists to show up!"
Ah Xian, well-versed in such predictable plot beats, called it.
Sure enough, soon after, two of Gepard's ultimate icebergs fell.
Guard casualties surged.
"Sound the highest alert—"
With no other choice, Gepard ordered the alarm reserved for existential threats.
Guards in Belobog city, hearing the piercing citywide sound, rushed to the restricted zone.
This sound overrode all orders, including those from the Supreme Guardian and Guard Commander.
The camera showed the device blaring with blood-red light.
Then, a shadow flashed by, pulling the camera's focus.
Those grand, ornate wings revealed the shadow's identity.
Countless massive wind blades formed, striking monsters from the aerial Fragmentum gates, killing them instantly.
[So cool! Where's the Abundance vibe?!]
[A doctor who can't fight isn't a good doctor.]
[Leon: I'm a fragile doctor.]
[Not fragile at all.]
[Teasing you—some characters' in-game Paths don't match their story Paths.]
After handling the aerial threat, Leon glanced back, checking the reinforcements and his companions' positions.
His expression stilled for a moment, then he shifted his gesture. A strange mark appeared on the back of his right hand.
Wind elemental energy gathered, forming an intricate token.
Leon pinched the token between two fingers and shot it to the ground, where it rippled outward like lightning.
"Let the winds drift."
The camera showed Guards sprinting toward the battlefield. As the ripple passed through them, their speed surged.
Stelle and March 7th became gray and pink blurs, flickering to the battlefield, meeting Leon as he landed.
Seeing the trio transform from Guards to familiar faces, despite the dire situation, Gepard couldn't hide his shock.
"…It's you?!"
Leon smiled. "If we're not welcome to help, we'll leave now."
Gepard's eyes were complex, clearly aware the Trailblaze team was wanted by Cocolia.
But now wasn't the time for that.
He could feel his body's lightness, no doubt Leon's doing.
"Your aid is greatly appreciated."
"Stelle, March."
Stelle gripped her bat tightly. "My hands are itching to smash something."