Dorothy naturally knew about Harran's grudge: she had suffered under Mo Chen's hand—nearly killed, her prized sniper rifle taken.
If there was anyone in Eden who might stand with Dorothy, it would've been Harran.
However, to Dorothy's surprise, Harran didn't side with her.
"Sure, if Mo Chen dies, I might actually be happy. But still... I don't want to be looked down on, seen as some coward who only hides in the back to take kill shots."
Johan turned and looked directly at Dorothy.
"...Did you hear that? That's how it is."
The smile on Dorothy's face stiffened, fading slowly. Her gaze swept over the others, and then she gave a quiet laugh.
"...Hah."
"Why are you all acting like this all of a sudden? Did someone implant NIMPH into your heads back in the Ark? We finally found a scapegoat, paved the way for everyone, and you're still not satisfied. I don't get it."
"And have you all forgotten something?"
"Taking down Nihilister doesn't mean it's over. She's not the only elite under the Queen's command—others are even stronger. They all see Eden as a thorn in their side."
"That's why I came up with a way to minimize our losses."
Dorothy, uncharacteristically angry, looked indignant—part grievance, part frustration. She truly believed she was doing this for everyone's sake, yet no one understood her.
"And don't pretend you don't see it. If every human becomes like him, then what hope do Nikkes have? What purpose do we serve? Have any of you thought about that?"
Mo Chen was an outlier—a human of flesh and blood with power rivaling that of Heretics.
It created a fundamental conflict with the existence of Nikkes.
Maybe it wouldn't be a problem in the short term, but Dorothy thought long-term.
There was one thing she knew but didn't want to admit: if humans ever gained their own combat force, the first to be abandoned would likely be the Nikkes.
At that moment, Harran suddenly spoke.
"...Dorothy. The reason we follow you is because you've never acted in a way that betrayed our pride."
Noah nodded beside her.
"She's right. Slander, schemes, traps—fine. But at least stay within our bottom line, yeah?"
"...Besides, that man," Isabel cupped her flushed cheeks, her expression soft, "he said he wants Nikkes and humans to stand on equal ground, with the same rights and status. If I'd met him earlier... I might never have come here. I'd have chosen the Ark."
"The Ark..."
Dorothy's eyes flared with anger, as if someone had touched a raw nerve. Even her tone turned icy.
"Nicely said, Isabel. Don't you all look down on everything from the Ark?"
She turned her gaze to Johan.
"Especially you, Johan. You hated the Ark the most. Everything you did for that place was completely denied. That so-called commander? He's nothing but a dog of the Ark, a cog in its decaying machine. So what if he dies?"
She knew Johan hated the Ark more than anyone.
He had once been the Ark's brightest star, its most outstanding commander. But after being crushed and betrayed by its rotten leadership, he barely escaped with his life and ended up in Eden.
But after a moment of silence, Johan spoke coldly.
"I used to think that way. But your actions... made me realize something."
"The thing I truly despise isn't the Ark, nor the people within it—it's the disgusting mindset you're showing right now."
Dorothy's beautiful face instantly turned ice-cold, the fire in her chest barely restrained.
"...What did you just say?"
And him and the Ark... are not the same.
Johan didn't respond to Dorothy's question. He simply turned around and walked away.
"If there is any hope for humanity, it's not the Ark... and not Eden, either. It's—"
At that, Johan's steps halted.
"His beliefs."
His beliefs?
What a joke!
Dorothy bit down hard, her eyes, once clear as autumn waters, now flickered with a barely contained flame. Her face flushed—not from shyness, but from fury.
All it took was a few sweet words and empty promises, and these Nikkes were suddenly willing to risk everything for him?
Fools. Absolutely foolish.
Johan turned and walked toward the blazing horizon.
"Let's go."
Noah jogged to catch up with him.
"Got it. Sheesh, finally time to stretch these legs."
Isabel had already spread her wings, turning into a streak of light as she flew toward Mo Chen's position on the distant horizon.
As for Harran, after a moment of hesitation, she looked once at Dorothy, then followed Isabel.
Everyone had left.
Only Dorothy remained.
She stood there, alone, as if completely abandoned.
Dorothy clenched her fists and bit down on her blood-colored lips, eyes locked with resentment on the figures disappearing into the distance.
"You'll regret this..."
She didn't know why, but suddenly, she felt an odd sense of loneliness.
As if... she'd been left behind.
Meanwhile, 20 kilometers away, Mo Chen and Nihilister were locked in fierce combat.
"Hahahahaha—!"
"Yes! This is thrilling!"
Nihilister had already transformed into a towering figure nearly 20 meters tall.
A twin-headed fire dragon.
Her body was forged from deep black alloy, covered in intricate mechanical patterns and glowing red lines that pulsed like molten veins. Her terrifying heads spewed searing flames, while the heavy autocannons on her flanks roared with fire like erupting volcanoes.
The surrounding temperature had already reached over 1000°C.
Hot enough to melt metal.
Nihilister unleashed her power without restraint, while Mo Chen found himself temporarily on the defensive, weaving through a barrage of missiles and magma particle blasts.
Thankfully, the nanosuit's short-range teleportation allowed him to keep up—otherwise, he'd have been overwhelmed by now.
Just moments ago, Mo Chen had successfully bisected Nihilister at the waist.
But the Heretic's absurd regenerative abilities had kicked in and in under a few seconds, her body reconnected itself.
Not only that—Nihilister had erupted with even greater power. Her form had shifted into a twin-headed dragon, and her combat ability had increased drastically.
Even Mo Chen, in his current state, had been forced into a corner.
"ROOOAAARRR—!"
With a roar, a massive beam of energy burst from her maw!
Everything in its path was instantly vaporized by the several-thousand-degree heat—even the air distorted violently!
Its speed was blinding, like a bolt of lightning—there was no time to think.
Mo Chen's nanosuit activated instant teleportation, just barely avoiding the attack. As he dodged, his anti-gravity boosters kicked to full throttle, and he surged forward like a streak of light.
Taking advantage of the brief stiffness in Nihilister's movement, he raised his arm—his nano-blade surged with amplified energy, morphing in an instant into a massive 20-meter-long sword.
And he brought it down.