At this moment, Yoren felt that Vina was acting strangely. He couldn't find the words to answer her questions. He knew that Frost Nova wouldn't lie to him, but he had no way to explain this trust to anyone else—especially to someone who had already lost faith in him.
Vina's cold words cut deep, leaving behind a trace of disappointment.
He liked Vina. He liked every Operator in Arknights because he knew that, three years from now, these young men and women—each carrying their own burdens—would board the Arknights with a shared belief. They would become knights, willing to sacrifice everything to protect the Ark.
In Yoren's original world, these Operators were nothing more than images on a screen, dropping onto the battlefield like reinforcements summoned from the skies with a swipe of his finger. They repeated the same motions, standing as barriers between enemies and the blue exit. When their health bars depleted, they would simply disappear.
But now, in the real world of Terra, those very Operators stood before him—alive, breathing, real.
It was only then that he realized the truth. Behind each battle was more than just a cleared stage—it was a fight for survival, a hard-won victory paid for with blood and sacrifice.
He loved Arknights. He didn't want to see any Operator suffer. This feeling was foreign, one-sided even. If he had to compare it to something, it was almost like family—an unshakable bond that only he understood.
Vina's hostility weighed on him, making him feel dejected, even a little angry.
He struggled against her grip, trying to break free, but she was far stronger than him. After several failed attempts, frustration boiled over.
"Let me go! If you don't listen to me, you'll all become infected."
"Stop acting like you're in charge," Vina shot back.
"Just let me go first!"
Kate, watching from the side, couldn't stand it anymore. She stepped in and gently pulled Vina away. Even she felt that Vina's words had been too harsh.
Rubbing his sore neck, Yoren refused to back down.
"I know you don't want to run, but you have to listen to me. We need to get out before the Ursus military arrives. Once we're out of Mandel City, you can do whatever you want with me—even kick me out of the Glasgow Gang."
No matter what, he couldn't let Vina get hurt. Even if it meant swallowing his pride. Even if it looked pathetic. This was his bottom line.
In his original world, he would argue with a cafeteria worker over two measly pieces of meat. If he saw an old man collapse on the street, he would watch cautiously from a distance, wary of being tricked. If necessary, he would even sacrifice a stranger to save himself.
That was reality. He wasn't a hero. He wasn't a villain. He was just an ordinary man, nothing more.
But this world he found himself in now—it demanded more than the heart of an ordinary man.
The moment he threw away his phone, he had made his choice. Amiya's dream was to save everyone. His was to protect the Operators he loved, even if they didn't understand, even if it came at a cost.
"Vina, trust me. Just this once—trust me, and leave."
Vina's tense expression wavered. She exhaled, pushing her tousled hair back from her forehead.
"What makes you so sure we'll get Oripathy? What exactly is this plan you're talking about?"
"The plan is—"
A sudden commotion echoed from the stairwell. ACE and the Death Squad burst into the room, with Snowsant following closely behind.
ACE was covered in blood, his breathing ragged. The intensity of the previous battle was clear. He barely paused at the top of the stairs before shouting:
"We have to move! This base is compromised."
Yoren's heart clenched. "ACE! are you injured?"
"I'm fine. Most of this isn't mine." ACE dismissed his concern with a wave of his hand. "No time to talk. If the infected surround us, we're done."
"Where do we go?"
"Anywhere but here. Just move."
Vina didn't hesitate. She grabbed her hammer and took charge.
"Take Casey with you. We're evacuating."
"Yes!"
Before following the others, she cast a glance at Yoren.
"You're coming with us. We'll settle everything else later."
Yoren blinked, then let out a short breath of relief. "Oh… okay."
"What now?" Vina frowned.
Yoren stepped forward and pressed a syringe into her hand. "Take this."
Without hesitation, Vina pocketed it.
Casey, already showing early symptoms of Oripathy, was barely conscious. Two gang members helped him up as the group rushed into the streets.
Vina took a moment to think before making her decision. "We're heading for City C. ACE, take point. Avoid fights if you can. Prioritize evacuation."
Led by the Death Squad, they moved swiftly through the ruined city. Returning to City A wasn't an option—by now, it had become a gathering point for scavengers, drawn to the Originium deposits like moths to a flame. Anyone arriving after them would surely converge there.
At an intersection, they suddenly ran into another group.
Both sides froze, tense silence filling the air before hands instinctively reached for weapons.
Vina stepped forward, gripping her hammer. If they so much as flinched the wrong way, she would turn the first ones into pulp.
Kate sidled up beside her, whispering, "Vina, they're not infected."
Vina's eyes never left the group. "Kate, take everyone and retreat. I'll cover you."
"Yes."
"If I don't catch up, lead them out of the city. Be careful."
Yoren, standing beside her, clenched his fists. "I'll stay and cover you."
Vina shot him a look but said nothing.
"What?" Yoren asked, his tone slightly defensive. "You have your choices. I have mine. I'm staying. Whatever happens, I'll deal with it."
His words weren't entirely truthful. Despite Vina's sharp tongue, he still cared for her deeply. And he didn't want to be the reason she hesitated.
If she had a choice to make, then he wanted to be strong enough not to influence it. That was his resolve—so long as he could protect her.
Vina didn't argue. She simply accepted his decision.
Snowsant hesitated before stepping forward. "Then I'll—"
"No," Yoren cut her off. "Go with Kate. We'll catch up soon."
"But—"
"There's no time! Go!"
Kate pulled Snowsant away, leading the others down the street at a sprint.
The strangers in front of them moved to intercept, but before they could take a step—
Boom!
Vina's hammer slammed into the ground, shattering the pavement beneath her feet. The force sent debris flying.
She raised her head, eyes as cold as steel. "Don't move, unless you're ready to die."
With Vina holding the line, Kate led the others and vanished at the end of the street.
The leader of the opposing group was a Kuranta man with a rugged build, a long scar carving its way across his face. He could feel the waves of danger emanating from Vina. Despite her unassuming appearance, every fiber of his being screamed that she was far more formidable than she seemed. That instinct kept him from making any rash moves.
For nearly half a minute, they stood locked in a silent standoff. Finally, impatience gnawed at him.
The scarred man pointed his long blade at Vina and Yoren.
"Your companions have already escaped. I don't know who you are, and frankly, I don't care. Let's cut to the chase—everyone's in Mandel City for Originium. Hand over everything you've collected, and I'll let you walk away."
Vina glanced toward the end of the street. Seeing that Kate and the others had truly disappeared, she exhaled softly, relieved.
Her eyes narrowed, fingers tightening around the handle of her hammer.
"This might disappoint you," she said coolly. "I don't have any Originium."
"No Originium? Then fork over anything valuable. That hammer of yours looks pretty nice."
A lackey beside the scarred man suddenly leaned in, whispering something in his ear.
"Boss, I think I recognize her... She looks like—"
"Huh? Speak up."
"I think she's Victoria's… Queen of Advance."
At those words, the scarred man visibly hesitated. Someone in his line of work couldn't possibly be ignorant of the title "King of Advancement." That name held weight—like how every chili sauce business knew the name "Lao Gan Ma."
He stood there, wrestling with his options. Finally, he scowled, raising his sword with a roar.
"Damn it! I don't care if you're the King of Advancement! This isn't Victoria—this is Ursus!"
Five minutes later.
The scarred man knelt on the ground, both hands respectfully offering up a small box.
"Big sister… we were in a hurry, so we only managed to grab these. Please… take them."
Around him, more than thirty of his men lay scattered, some groaning weakly, others eerily still. He was the only one left in any condition to speak.
Vina stood over him, her breath ragged. The battle had drained her, and she had needed to end it quickly.
She took the box from his trembling hands, opened it, and glanced inside. Six or seven pieces of mined Originium rested within.
Wordlessly, she handed it to Yoren, then planted a boot against the scarred man's chest and shoved him to the ground.
"Yoren," she called. "Let's go."
"Oh… okay."
They took a few steps before Vina suddenly stopped.
She hesitated, then spoke, her voice low. "I'm sorry. I may have been too harsh earlier. You were just trying to keep everyone safe, and I lashed out at you. Yoren… when we leave Mandel City, I won't fire you. We're… going back to Victoria together."
Yoren, still on edge from the chaos around them, barely registered her words.
"Vina, what did you say?"
"Nothing."
She reached out, took his hand, and smiled. "Come on. Let's catch up with the others."
Mandel City had plunged into complete anarchy. Armed groups, mercenaries, gangs, criminals—different identities, same goal.
Originium.
Vina pulled out her communicator, but no matter how many times she tried, she couldn't reach Kate or Ace.
Instead, another voice came through—Indra.
[Vina, Vina!]
"Got it, what's up?"
[Where are you?]
"Yoren and I got separated from the others. We're heading toward District C. What's going on?"
[The Ursus army is here.]
Vina's stomach dropped. "Details. Now."
[They've entered Mandel City from Districts A and B. At least 5,000 soldiers.]
Indra's voice was unusually grim. It wasn't a report—it was a plea.
[Vina, we have to leave. This is a regular army. They have Originium guns. Heavy weapons. We can't fight this.]
Vina shut off the communicator, her mind racing. If she could gather just a little more Originium before leaving—or steal it from another group—
Yoren suddenly grabbed her shoulders, panic written all over his face.
"Vina, we're out of time!"
"What?"
"The infected group's plan… is to wait until the entire Ursus army enters Mandel City—then detonate the infected bodies scattered across the city! They want to spread the Oripathy disease to everyone inside!"
Vina's blood ran cold.
This wasn't a fight she could maneuver around. It wasn't a battle she could escape by speed or strategy. The Ursus army she could avoid. But an airborne disease?
No one could outrun that.
She clenched her fists and made her decision.
"We're getting out. Now!"
Grabbing Yoren's hand, she broke into a full sprint.
The streets blurred past. No sign of Kate. No sign of Snowsant. If they hadn't stopped, they should've already made it out.
Thirty minutes later.
"BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM!"
A string of deafening explosions roared in the distance.
Yoren stopped in his tracks, heart plummeting.
There was no doubt.
The infected had detonated the corpses.
Vina whirled around, shouting. "Don't stop! Keep running! If you collapse, I'll carry you."
"No need."
Yoren clenched his fists and pushed himself forward.
They finally reached the outskirts, a sign reading "City C" standing ahead.
Before they could catch their breath, a group of armed thugs brandishing machetes charged toward them.
"Hand over all your Originium! Now!"
No hesitation.
Vina shoved Yoren behind her and rushed in, hammer swinging.
Yoren stood back, watching with clenched teeth. His mind raced. Indra should be fine. She was fast enough to escape. As long as Kate and Snowsant made it out—
Wait.
His mask.
His breath hitched. His fingers reached for his face—
And froze.
His mask was gone.
Maybe it had fallen when Big Bob threw that streetlamp. Maybe it had slipped off when he was running with the syringe. He didn't know. But in the chaos, no one had noticed. No one had reminded him.
Before he could fully process it, a tremor rumbled beneath his feet.
A nearby building, weakened by the earlier explosions, gave way. Cracks split its walls. Chunks of concrete plummeted toward the street—
Right toward him.
"Bang!"
A cluster of massive icicles erupted from the ground, forming an intricate, skeletal barrier above his head. The ice glistened under the sun, solid and unwavering.
The falling debris slammed against it, harmless.
Yoren turned.
Frost Nova stood there, Originium stone in hand, her body glowing a faint blue. She glared at him, furious.
"I told you to leave. Why are you still here?"
Yoren opened his mouth—but before he could answer, his knees buckled. His vision swam.
A crushing pain exploded in his chest. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, drowning out everything else. The world around him lost color.
He gasped, clutching his heart. His strength gave out.
And the sky above him turned blood red.