Equa stepped forward, tone cold and unwavering.
"You shouldn't draw your blades against our captain. We follow what he says."
Ryuki's jaw tightened… but after a long second, she slowly lowered her sword, letting it click back into its sheath.
"…Fine."
Orimo pushed himself fully upright, strength returning to his legs.
"Let's go."
Equa shook his head lightly.
"Don't get me wrong. I want to destroy this factory because it supplies weapons—ones capable of destroying entire countries at once."
Ryuki frowned. "So what?"
Equa's voice chilled the hallway.
"Morgan Tarek wages wars between nations just to earn more money. Peace doesn't exist because of him."
Ryuki nodded faintly as they moved deeper into the facility. Equa pointed toward a reinforced metal door at the far end.
"That's where the scientists are. We kill them."
Orimo paused, gaze steady.
"Killing them is too much, isn't it?"
Equa's face darkened.
"We're pirates. Besides… they experimented on children."
Orimo's aura crackled violently, shadows flickering across the factory walls.
"We crush them."
Suddenly—
THUD!
The entire factory trembled violently.
Equa's eyes sharpened.
"On your guard."
Ryuki's fingers slid to her sword hilts, and Orimo lifted his gaze upward.
SHRRRAAK—BOOM!
The rooftop cleaved apart and crashed down, forcing all three to leap aside as debris exploded across the floor in a cloud of smoke.
A silhouette stood unmoving within the swirling dust… tall, calm, and carrying a sword.
Orimo narrowed his eyes.
"Who—?"
The smoke thinned.
And they finally saw him.
Auransa.