​"Um... hi," Yuki said nervously staring back over his shoulder.

​How the hell did he get behind me without making a sound?!

​"Hello, small one. Are you alone? And are you coming from the third forward camp?"

​"Uh-huh."

​"...Is that an answer to coming from the camp, or to being alone?"

​"Both," Yuki replied, sweating slightly. "No—wait. I’m not alone. I have my familiars!"

​"I see... So no one else survived the attack, then?"

​"Three others did... but they chose to stay behind," Yuki said, his mood darkening instantly as the memory resurfaced.

​"I see. That’s a shame," the knight said, letting out a heavy, solemn sigh. "Round one, can you fight."

​"A little."

​"What’s your combat style?"

​"Hand-to-hand and claws."

​"Hmm. Not bad. I can work with that," he nodded in approval. "What about your familiars? Can they fight?"

​"One of them can... I’m not really sure about the other," Yuki admitted, blinking slowly.

​"I see, I see. Not bad. Not bad at all. Well, there’s no time like the present, small one! I’ll be training you and your familiars."

​"Yeah... thanks?" Yuki squeaked. "Um, if you don’t mind me asking... what rank are you?"

​"I am at Rank 5," he answered casually.

​"...What?" Yuki froze.

"Rank 5?!"

​"Yes, yes. I heard you. I’m just surprised—you don’t look that strong, you know? I would think a Rank 5 would be a walking calamity."

​"I am very good at hiding my strength. There is no need to show it off unless I am actively in battle."

​"Wait... does that mean Lykagon is Rank 7?!"

​"Yes, she is," the knight nodded firmly.

​"So she’s genuinely capable of wiping a whole nation off the map?! I thought people were exaggerating! Are you telling me she caused all this destruction without even using her full strength?!"

​"Yes. Precisely."

​"Then what’s stopping her from marching straight onto the Citadel and completely flattening it?!"

​"The Citadel is an impenetrable fortress," the knight explained calmly. "Even for a Rank 7. Many of the most powerful combatants in the entire kingdom are stationed in this region. If she tried a direct assault, she would be walking straight to her death. Plus, this isn’t her territory. If she overstays her welcome, the other regional Calamity will attack her."

​"Then why are you out here?" Yuki asked, tilting his head to the side.

​"I am out here to locate survivors and execute any monsters that stray outside their hunting grounds. I’ve already slain over thirty-nine Rank 3 beasts."

​Thirty-nine Rank 3s?! Yuki gulped, his mind racing. Rank 3s are even more powerful than Malakai—the guy who literally leveled an entire living city!

​"So why haven’t you Primarchs formed a hunting party to kill her?" Yuki pressed.

​"It’s not as simple as it sounds. Most Primarchs have their own specialized domains. I am a direct-combat specialist, so I can go toe-to-toe with Lykagon for a short time. Most other Primarchs cannot—they would die. And while we could assemble a full vanguard party to hunt her, doing so would leave the entire region completely exposed to secondary invasions. Besides, Lykagon rarely lingers in one place for long. She has already retreated to her primary domain, over 130 kilometers from here."

​"Then what rank is the monster that destroyed my forward camp?"

​"What does it look like?" the knight asked.

​"Tall, hideous, covered in glowing eyes across its torso, with a massive razor-toothed maw and huge, clawed arms."

​"Ah. You must be talking about Bahameth, the Primordial Sin," the knight said casually, as if recalling an old acquaintance. "I hate that thing. If it fought you, that means it’s still prowling around this sector. It will serve as a perfect training partner for you."

​"That thing ripped me apart like I was nothing—and it was holding back!" Yuki protested loudly, finally spinning around completely to face the towering knight instead of looking up over his shoulder. "I don’t want to die!"

​"If you survived the first encounter, you’ll be fine the second time."

​"I really don’t think that’s how that works!"

​"It’s fine. Now, where are your familiars stationed?"

​"Why do you even want to train us?!" Yuki groaned. "I’m not even Rank 1 yet! I can’t do anything against those monsters!"

​"I need more warriors who actually want to fight up close instead of just swinging a oversized blade around. You seem like that type."

​Yuki shook his head in disbelief. What is wrong with this guy?

​Extending his hand, Yuki summoned his spatial cube and opened the portal to his pocket dimension. Wasting no time, the Primarch stepped straight into the portal.

​Inside, he immediately spotted Vee and Kasumi.

​"Quite the beauties," the knight remarked, nodding in approval. "Tall, thick, and well-built. Perfect physical balance for a warrior."

​"Umm... I’m not a fighter," Kasumi offered nervously, taking a subtle step back to distance herself from the situation.

​"No problem at all," the Primarch replied smoothly. "I will teach you all the same."

​He turned back to Yuki, his deep, resonant voice echoing through the space.

​Does this guy only have one tone of voice? Yuki wondered, staring at his impassive visor. Why is he so ridiculously relaxed?

​"If you don’t mind me asking... what’s your actual name?" Yuki asked.

​"I do not have a proper name—only a numerical designation, which is 03. But you may call me Iron. Everyone simply calls me that."

​"Iron... I’m Yuki. This is Vee, and this is Kasumi," Yuki said, introducing the group.

​"A pleasure to meet you all," Iron replied, bowing warmly despite his imposing armor.

​Without delay, Iron began their training regime inside the pocket dimension, periodically bringing them out into the wilderness to witness his combat prowess firsthand against local high-tier monsters. Yuki’s mind remained thoroughly blown as he watched Iron casually unleash physical power comparable to Malakai’s—and that was just him going light on them.

​Far away from the Citadel and their location, Lykagon moved through her frozen domain with absolute conviction.

​The Citadel had been a thorn in her side for far too long, and now, the perfect opportunity had finally presented itself. The Primarchs were all scattered and distracted—exactly as she had planned. Soon, they would fall, and the Citadel would crumble along with them.

​Everything was proceeding flawlessly.

​The only variable that could disrupt my design is if the second Calamity—the Sky Terror—decides to betray our accord and strike, Lykagon thought, her eight luminous eyes scanning the icy heavens above. But he has nothing to gain from turning against me now...

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