Amphilante

Footsteps echoed down the hall, stopping just outside a door. A firm knock followed.

"Come in," a stale yet authoritative voice called from the other side.

The door opened, and the man stepped inside, stopping a few feet from the main desk. He was young but sturdy, dressed in a formal suit, his face lined with scars that told of past battles.

Across the room, a man sat facing the window, his silhouette outlined by the dim glow of the city beyond.

"I have some news, Commander Sardar," the man reported.

"Go on."

"We found a faulty Zirud bomb that failed to detonate. It's leaking radiation—badly."

Sardar slowly turned in his swivel chair, the lights gradually revealing his face. His expression was stern, but his eyes carried a sharp, interrogative gaze. Unlike the soldier before him, his features were softer, but no less commanding.

"Where?"

"Here, sir." The man handed over a tablet displaying the bomb's location on a map.

Sardar studied it, his fingers drumming lightly against the screen. "Hmmm. This is near Uzoth's Arca Zone. Why should we deal with it?"

"Well, for one, Uzoth is missing. And two, the radiation is seeping into our water supply—contaminating the river that flows straight to us."

Sardar's gaze snapped up. "Uzoth is missing? For how long?"

"Two weeks now."

"And you didn't think to inform me?"

The man shifted slightly. "With all due respect, sir, you and Uzoth aren't exactly on friendly terms. I didn't see the need."

Sardar exhaled sharply. "That may be true, but he's still a wildcard. I'd at least like to know what he's up to."

"My apologies, sir."

Sardar leaned back in his chair, tapping the armrest. "If you hear anything about him, I want to be the first to know. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"And about the bomb—assemble a small team to remove it. Make sure to include one or two RELLs for protection. Outside the Arca Zones... it can be very unforgiving."

"Understood."

"Dismissed."

The man bowed slightly before exiting.

Sardar turned back to the window, his eyes narrowing as he sank into thought.

"Uzoth, you mischievous bastard… where the hell did you disappear to this time?"

---------

Far from the structured walls of the Arca zone, deep within the untamed wilderness, a small fire crackled inside a cave.

Monty took another bite of the freshly cooked meat, savoring the warmth against the cold air. He leaned back slightly, watching the boy across from him with quiet amusement.

"This is turning out to be quite the interesting journey indeed," Monty thought, a small smile forming as he took another bite of meat.

"Who would've thought I'd run into him here? The world sure is small."

Yuri furrowed his brows. "Uh... you've been staring at me for a while...Something on your mind?"

Monty chuckled. "No, no. I was just wondering how a young, scrawny kid like you managed to survive this long outside the Arca Zones."

Yuri shrugged. "Guess I'm just lucky."

Monty's gaze shifted to the pans strapped to Yuri's waist. "Those your weapons?"

"Indeed. I found them at a destroyed blacksmith. Never let me down once."

Monty smirked. "Looked like they let you down earlier."

"That was the straps, not the pans."

"Suree."

Yuri sighed. "Why are we even arguing about this?"

"What made you to use them the way you do?"

"I got the idea from a book I found along the shores. It was water-damaged but still readable. The characters used these grappling hooks that latched onto surfaces, and air tanks would propel them forward."

"Hmmm. I see. And now that they're broken?"

Yuri let out a sigh. "I'll make some low-quality replacements until I find another orb weaver den."

"An orb weaver den?" Monty raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure I saw one a few days back."

Yuri's head snapped up. "Wait, seriously? If you're up for it, could you help me get new straps?"

Monty shrugged. "Sure. It's not like I had any other plans."

Yuri narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I've just been roaming. No clear goal, no plans—nothing."

That caught Yuri off guard. "He knows about the Arca Zones, which means he's not just a random wanderer." He thought to himself. "How did you end up outside the Arca Zones?"

Monty glanced at the fire, his expression unreadable. Then, he smirked. "I chose to leave."

Yuri's breath hitched. His eyes widened.

"You... chose to leave the Arca Zones?"

Monty nodded, poking at the fire. "Life inside was too boring, too predictable. I wanted to be free. I wanted adventure."

"Are you insane?" Yuri snapped. "You're telling me you had a good life inside the Arca Zones, but you left because it was too predictable? Cut the shit, man. Do you know how much any of us outcasted Radiants would give for a predictable life? Out here, it's not sunshine and rainbows—it's life and death. Every day, you wake up not knowing if it's your last. And you threw that away? For what?"

Monty leaned back, unfazed. "The essence of not knowing is what makes it all the more fun and interesting."

Yuri stared at him in disbelief. "My God… you are insane."

Monty grinned. "Say what you will, but my heart yearns for adventure."

"You're crazy."

Monty chuckled. "And what about you? How did you end up outside the Arca Zones?"

Yuri exhaled, gaze darkening. "Unlike you, I was born out here. My mother died before I even came out."

Monty's expression stiffened. "What? How?"

"A Zirudian wyvern tore her top half clean off- Or so i hear."

Monty's smirk vanished. "Holy shit." He hesitated. "How did you survive?"

"I was told my head was exposed after the top half fell, but the rest of me was still inside her lower half. That protected me from the elements until my father found me… days later."

Monty was dumbfounded. Flabbergasted, even. He wanted to say something—anything—but no words felt right.

Yuri simply shrugged. "It is what it is."

Monty finally spoke, voice softer. "Have you ever tried getting into an Arca Zone?"

Yuri let out a dry chuckle. "Unfortunately, my radiation levels were too high. Being born out here kinda does that to you."

Monty nodded knowingly. "The Radiant Test, huh."

Yuri leaned back, shaking off the heavy conversation. "Anyway, enough of the sad shit. How long ago did you see the den?"

Monty thought for a moment. "Three, maybe four days ago."

"Hm. We could set out now. The earlier the better you know.

Hmm. I guess that's okay. Before we go though I'll go smoke some meat for later."

"You do that. I'm gonna check on the other big thing that crawled out of the ground."

With that, they both left the cave, each handling their own tasks.

---

Meanwhile, back at Commander Sardar's Arca Zone, a small team had been assembled. Among them were two RELLs, a research scientist, and four specially trained grade 2 Radiants.

The young man from earlier stood in front, addressing them, assigning roles with crisp efficiency.

Even at a glance, the hierarchy was clear. The RELLs stood out in elaborate, almost excessive attire, while the scientist, draped in a plain lab coat, looked exactly as one might expect. The four Radiants, however, were chained together, resembling prisoners more than soldiers.

"Why the hell do I have to go?" one of the RELLs scoffed. "Isn't Lin enough for whatever you're doing?"

"Your abilities complement each other. They're the best fit for this mission," the young man replied.

"Aughh, fuck this."

"I assume everyone's taken care of their business?" He glanced around. You won't be stopping until you arrive. If you're ready, board the Ozark."

Lin, the second RELL, tilted his head. "You're not coming?" He asked the young man.

"Sardar needs me here more than out there." He handed Lin a small device. "Use this to stay in touch. Report anything that seems important."

"Affirmative."

"Tch. Let's just get this over with," Naotori,the other RELL complained.

One by one, they boarded the Ozark—a sleek aircraft engineered for both speed and cargo transport, the standard vehicle for travel between Arca Zones.

The two RELLs were the last to board. Just before stepping inside, they locked eyes for a brief moment, their glares as sharp as blades. They clearly didn't like each other.

Then, with a soft hum, the Ozark lifted off the ground, shooting into the sky and vanishing into the clouds.

Watching it disappear, the young man exhaled, crossing his arms. "I hope those two don't kill each other before they get back."

---

Back in the wilderness…

Yuri and Monty had prepared everything and were ready to disembark, engaging in small talk along the way.

"What was that earlier?" Yuri asked, leaping over a rock.

"What was what?" Monty replied, following suit.

"That thing that covered your body when you took down that great."

"Ohh, that. Don't worry too much about it."

"How can I, when I can literally see it right now, smiling at me?"

Monty froze. "Hm? What?" He turned to where Yuri was looking—sure enough, a twisted, goopy, eerie face was grinning at them from his own body.

"What are you doing??" he whispered to it, visibly frustrated.

The face slithered back into his flesh.

"Sorry about that. Uhh… it's just a random—" Monty hesitated before snapping his fingers. "Disease! Yes, it's a disease. Sometimes my flesh just… melts and forms faces."

Yuri stared at him, unimpressed.

Monty sighed. Can we just forget about that for now?

Yuri dropped it, and they moved on.

They trekked through the snow for nearly a day before finally stepping onto solid ground. As dusk settled, they decided to camp right on the border between the snow and plains.

The border looked like a straight line that divided the two. It was snowing on one side and a light rain on the other. Crossing it was like moving across two parallel words.

The temperature shift was so abrupt that even the skin couldn't decide whether to shiver or sweat.

Monty, who preferred the cold, settled on the snowy side, while Yuri took the warmer ground.

After cooking some of their preserved meat, they chatted for a while—until Monty eventually dozed off, leaving Yuri to talk to himself.

---

Morning came peacefully.

Monty scouted the area. No hostilities. Instead, he found a nearby spring nestled between the climates—hot on the snowy side, cold on the warm side.

They took a much-needed bath before resuming their journey.

Everything seemed perfect. Too perfect. The forest brimmed with life—the safe kind. No MT's for a 20km radius. The weather was just right.

Monty's instincts flared. "That's strange… You'd think there'd be at least one mutant. Could this place be… an unknown Arca Zone?"

He knelt, pressing his palm against the ground.

"No… it's radiated. What the fuck is going on here?"

Yuri noticed his puzzled expression. "Something wrong?"

"Nah, just needed a break."

"Your old body can't keep up, huh?"

"You shouldn't mock your elders—you'll get cursed," Monty smirked, standing up.

"I don't believe in curses."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's keep moving."

---

Meanwhile, the Ozark arrived at it's destination.

Earlier, the RELLs had jumped off to clear the area. By the time the crew arrived, they had already confirmed that no mutants lurked within a 20km radius."

One by one, the crew disembarked. For the non-RELLs, the sight was breathtaking—it was their first time outside the Arca Zones. The RELLs, however, were unfazed, having seen it all before.

Lin, the second RELL, took charge. "If you're not a Radiant or a RELL, take one of these." He gestured to a crate of gas masks.

The scientist stepped forward and took one.

"Oh. It's just you." Lin raised an eyebrow.

"I am the unevolved indeed," the scientist deadpanned.

"You should be proud." Lin moved on. "This operation will last ten hours or less. If we can't disarm and extract the bomb by then, we leave and try again later. Wasting more resources. We do not want that outcome. Do not fail the commander."

"Look at you barking orders, knowing damn well you're not gonna do shit about the bomb." Naotori scoffed.

Lin ignored him, focusing on the task.

"Radiants, step forward."

The four chained men obeyed. Lin uncuffed them one by one, his voice cold and sharp.

"You all know what I'm capable of. Your lives mean nothing beyond serving us. Behave, and you'll live. Step out of line, and… well, you get the idea."

With that, they got to work.

The Radiants handled the heavy lifting.

The scientist monitored the bomb's activity, ready to call off the mission if things got unstable.

The RELLs kept watch. Making sure nothing would harm the others.

Everything was going smoothly.

Lin suddenly stiffened. Something was wrong.

He crouched, pressing his hand against the ground. Then, without a word, he darted into the forest.

"Hey! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING?!"

But Lin was already gone.

"How the hell am I supposed to defend against a great now?" Naotori thought to himself. Realizing the impact of Lin's absence.

Lin was clearly disturbed by something, and he was running fast. His breathing was controlled, but his eyes darted around, scanning every shadow between the trees. He slowed once he saw a clearing in the forest, cautiously stepping forward as the ground became more visible.

Then he saw them. Far off into the distance.

People.

Suddenly a wave of radiation hit his senses. It was familiar.

"This is..." His eyes widened as his heart sank. He recognized that energy.

He immediately turned on his mic.

"How's the operation going?" the assistant asked.

Lin's voice was low, urgent. "I have some news you might wanna hear..."

---

Monty's pace remained steady, but his gaze lingered behind them, his expression unreadable. His mind, however, was elsewhere.

Then, a voice. Deep. Menacing. Rang across his mind.

"Sardar's men."

Monty barely reacted, his tone calm. "How many?"

"Seven."

"RELLs?"

"Two."

Monty's fingers curled slightly. "Who should I be worried about?"

A pause. Then, the answer.

"Lin."

Monty inhaled sharply. "Fuck." His voice was quieter now. "Who's the other one?"

"Naotori."

A tense silence.

"I see. So that's why there weren't any MTs."

Monty's steps slowed slightly, his body processing the weight of the information. "Where are they now?"

"Lin is making his way here, about a kilometer away. Naotori is with everyone else about three kilometers back."

Monty's brow furrowed slightly. "Hmm. Were they following me? Why would Sardar have any business in knowing my location?" He exhaled slowly, his thoughts racing. "It doesn't make any sense... Update me on Lin's movements. Attack when he gets into striking range."

The voice responded, dry and unimpressed. "Easier said than done. It's Lin we're talking about here."

Monty's lips pressed into a thin line. "Exactly. So don't hold back."

A low chuckle. "Alright then."

---

"I've found Uzoth."

The assistant's body tensed. "What? Where?"

"Near the bomb."

"What's he doing there? Could he have gone to disarm it himself?"

A pause. "He's moving away from it. And if that was his plan, why wouldn't he use his Umbra legion? A man of his stature shouldn't be moving on foot unless he's planning something." Lin's voice was Sharp. "Do I engage?" His grip tightening on his equipment.

"Sure. But don't fight. Just interrogate him. You can't win anyway. A short silence. "Is he alone?"

There's someone else with him, a boy."

"Hmm. He could be powerful as well. Be careful.

"Understood." The line cuts. Lin lets out a dark chuckle. The Monarch of Havoc eh? Let's just see how destructive you can be."

His fingers trace the edge of his oni mask before slipping it on, hiding the bloodthirsty grin stretching across his face.

"This is gonna be fun."