Thompson was astonished at the falling rain. Such a number, it filled the area without a gap to spare. Not only Thompson and Skyler but also Pascal and Isamaya were obviously within its range.

However, the arrows started to draw a strange curve.

All of them avoided the Osprey floating higher in the sky, changing their trajectory to rush only towards two points. Directly at Thompson and Skyler.

"Gasp!"

Thompson raised his prosthetic arm, with all the installed tendrils springing out. He surrounded himself with an aura for protection, kneeling to minimize his target area.

It was the best defense posture he could assume at the moment.

However.

Boom-!!

The earth resounded with the noise of a torrent of arrows, but these were no ordinary arrows.

"Cough! Choke! Argh...!"

The whirlwind generated by his prosthetic arm couldn't push away the arrows. The prosthetic itself couldn't block all the arrows either. Through the gaps, a merciless attack pierced Thompson.

Thompson crouched down even more, covering his face with his prosthetic arm like a turtle.

It was a pitiful sight, but he had no energy to think about that. He buried his face in the ground, clenched his teeth, and waited for the pain to stop.

Blood flowed from between his clenched teeth, staining the ground. The blood he bled smeared his face pressed against the ground.

...The barrage of arrows continued for a long time, and after it passed, Thompson lay on the ground like a rag.

His clothes were torn and blood flowed from the attacks that penetrated his aura.

"Ugh, Phew, Huff...!"

Thompson made strange noises. That single attack had almost completely wiped out his aura. Despite using his prosthetic arm, drawing on all his strength, and his clothes being excellent armor, he was still in this state.

If that attack came again, then.

Trembling, Thompson lifted his face. As he expected, Isamaya was unharmed. Miraculously, she didn't have a single injury within that torrent of arrows.

"Huff, Huff...!"

Isamaya must have been convinced by this attack. Those arrows would never target Isamaya. They only aimed at enemies, a skill unfairly biased.

Thus, within the next torrent of arrows, Isamaya would attack him relentlessly. The combined attack of the arrows and Isamaya. Thompson had no chance of defending against them.

'That's right, Skyler is...!'

Thompson spotted Skyler far away, below the cliff.

Skyler wasn't much different from what I could make out from this distance. He too was on his knees, unable to move properly. Support from this side was impossible.

'No. Like this, the plan here has failed. I have to run away. Escape and then, think of the next operation.'

Thompson thought. An utterly unexpected, yet fatally decisive attack.

'Run. Don't think of anything else. If you misjudge now, you'll just fall into the enemy's trap. You're smart. Be cool. Stay cool.'

Thompson realized what the enemy, that is, the Frondier, was thinking right now. His plan wasn't just to inflict damage on Skyler and Thompson.

The bastard surely knows more than what Indus thinks. Whether it's because of a traitor or something else, right now, there's something more important.

'I have to run!'

Thompson let out a silent scream.

'Cain!!'

* * *

"That's as far as you go."

As I was preparing the next arrow, an unfamiliar voice sounded. No, perhaps a voice I've longed to hear.

A girl approached me, the one drawing the bowstring.

She was extending her hand towards me. It was an aggressive stance.

"If you don't lower that bow, you're going to lose your head."

"You're scary, Cain."

I said the girl's name. Her eyes widened.

But soon, those eyes settled down and began to show a killing intent.

"As expected, there's a leak of information."

The keyword 'traitor' seemed to be firmly embedded in Cain's mind.

Cain looked at me as if saying 'I've found you.'

But the feeling was mutual.

"Lower the bow, now."

Cain warned me.

I did as she said, slowly lowering the bow. I never intended to kill them anyway. They were incapacitated enough as it was.

From the start, my plan was to make them hostages. Hostages to lure in Cain. Someone among them might have guessed my intention, but at this point, it doesn't matter.

Now that Cain has come before me.

The cliffs just behind you. Give it up for now.

Cain told me. Indeed, she was right, as I could see her arrows pointed at the cliff behind me. I was put in a position where I couldnt run away for the time being.

But then why.

Has Cain not killed me yet?

It was worth confirming this.

I looked at Cain and asked her.

Do you know Kraken?

Dont try to trick me like that.

She knows him.

I heard from him that Im to be a sacrifice for the revolution of Indus.

Cains eyebrow flinched. I guess she didnt like the fact that Kraken told me something like that on his own accord.

Given Krakens arrogant nature, who originally likes to talk nonsense and disparage humans, it was something he would naturally say, but in Cains head right now, there was the keyword traitor.

So? You dont want to be a sacrifice? You want to make a deal like that?

Hahaha, no way.

Kraken is trying to instill fear in me. Theres no doubt about it. People are generally scared when they are called a sacrifice, especially after an unidentified being like Kraken comes and tells them this.

But to me, it was just another piece of information.

Im just curious.

About what?

How important I am. How valuable I am as a sacrifice. Can the sacrifice be replaced by someone else?

?

Cain tilted her head.

She seemed to not understand what I meant.

Thats good. It means Im one step ahead of her.

I smiled at Cain. A sudden smile from the other person briefly halts your train of thought. I learned that from Selena.

While that happened.

W-what are you doing-!

Ignoring Cains shout,

I threw my body towards the cliff.