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...The ritual relies on Oripathy infection, and the caster's peculiar understanding of Originium.

The chaotic energy is seeping out of the Originium core, spilling out and enveloping the entire block.

I can't even imagine how the potent tempest at the center of the ritual would affect a living being.

It wouldn't know the difference between friend or foe... any living thing would be slowly pulled apart by the waves of energy.

It doesn't seem useful for modern combat. The cost far outweighs any potential gain.

'Cannibalism.'

The phrasing may seem alarmist, but that's how this ritual is called.

It's not surprising that the device at the center of the ritual is called an altar, considering how horrifically destructive it is. That the uninitiated refer to this as 'witchcraft.'

I... I don't think ordinary Sarkaz mercenaries know how to use these kinds of Arts.

You would have to have extensive Arts knowledge and combat experience from Kazdel to be able to pull off this ritual. And you wouldn't actually need to be a caster.

But he... he's only a Kazdel Sarkaz. Not one of the descendants of the ancient Sarkaz still wandering around the world.

...Dr. Kal'tsit, is this second layer of protective equipment designed to protect against the Sarkaz Arts?

Not entirely. The amount of energy the ritual is producing exceeds the maximum tolerance of our equipment.

This ritual can only be completed successfully in a city lost to Catastrophe.

Our gear will not negate the effects of the ritual. Its power derives from antiquity, and cannot be separated from it.

All we can do is mitigate its lethality, and destroy it after clearing the area.

A Sarkaz ritual is not only a challenge to modern technology.

It's almost as if it's standing to once again challenge the other civilizations of this world, as the Sarkaz have plotted throughout history.

It's a metaphor.

Yes. But Sarkaz history is more than metaphorical.

The Reunion element guarding Chernobog is not a typical group. I've said as much already.

Reunion may very well rely on 'hubs' in 'neural networks' to operate as a single unit on a large scale.

But for today's purely push-strategy driven environment, Reunion would be something of an anomaly.

Imagine if soldiers who could not deal with the Infected, with no training in how to fight Sarkaz, infiltrated the core city...

They would suffer a crushing defeat.

...Right.

Then... let me think...

...Dr. {@nickname}, Dr. Kal'tsit.

The places where the enemy performed the Sarkaz rituals must be important locations, or critical transport hubs.

They're much more familiar with the terrain than we are. They would have mapped out all the paths long before we could... They must have had defenses in place before we even started our operation.

The only advantage we have is our intelligence. We know how they're deployed, and they know nothing about us.

...So we move quickly to wipe out the enemies guarding this area. The faster we do it, the safer we'll be. Don't let them alert the other guards.

Don't even think about an ambush. We can't waste time here.

Right. I will help with the assault.

Hm, okay... I think...

Dr. Kal'tsit, look, I think, if...

—Alright.

If you don't need my assistance, Dr. {@nickname}.

Huh?;......;Is there something I can help with?

Please help Amiya command the operation.

You will evaluate the progress of the battle.

Roger!

Rosmontis, we're moving out!

We'll vacate the area after this battle and head to the core city surface!

Rosmontis... at least it'll be sunny.

Sunny~

(Heh. Look at them.)

(The rest is up to you, Dr. {@nickname}. I know you won't let us down.)

Kal'tsit, we won't see that disappointment again.

You never step into the same river twice. There won't be a second time.

Even with the same person, the same thing... in a different time, we'll have a different outcome. This world... will change.

You believe it, don't you?

Yes... It makes sense that you wouldn't.

But I believe it. Dr. {@nickname}, a person like that... I know... if it wasn't this time right now, Dr. {@nickname} would be different.

I've seen a lot, so very many... Even if everyone else won't, I can understand.

Kal'tsit... Kal'tsit.

If... we had a little more time... you and I...

(You can prove you're not the Dr. {@nickname} that was stuck in the past.)

(In this time...)

(No matter how, Dr. {@nickname}, you have to.)