Translator: KJ

"Thank you, Colonel."

The Empire's east, inside a tent at the very front.

Captain Kane and Captain Heinz bowed deeply to Edmon.

"Thank you!"

Once more, in trembling voices, they voiced their gratitude. The rims of their eyes, as if they were holding back tears, had already flushed red.

Their gazes tilted for a moment and fixed on a single sheet of paper gripped tight in their hands.

「Genealogy Authenticity Certificate」

The name of the appraiser who had issued and signed this certificate was—Maximilian of the Sentinel.

"......They say it's the kind of certificate you'd be lucky to lay eyes on even once in a lifetime."

A smile of relief hung at the corner of Captain Heinz's mouth.

"The officers and men of the other regiments are very envious as well."

In truth, they had long since left mere envy far behind.

The two of them had recently been the target of open distrust from soldiers and fellow officers. It was because, even before Georgen's internal probe spread through the military, word had quietly gotten around that they were mixed-blood.

But this one thin certificate, the signature of Maximilian Ebenholtz engraved at its bottom, had dissolved every last suspicion and grievance.

At the news that Maximilian had personally certified their genealogies, the distrust within the ranks turned to awe.

"Keep it safe. That paper is worth your lives."

"Yes, sir! We'll bear that in mind!"

How could the world change so easily?

How could the power held in a single man's name be this immense?

"Loyalty!"

Watching the two adjutants salute, Edmon suddenly asked in a subdued voice,

"......D⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌o you two truly pledge your loyalty to the Empire?"

"Of course!"

Heinz answ⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌ered without hesitation. Kane nodded the same.

"That genealogy may have given you room to breathe for now, but in the end that same bloodline may keep you from ever rising higher."

The reason Edmon himself could never become a knight.

The reason he could never reach the place he wanted.

"Even so...... hasn't a new path called 'Quasi-Bloodline' opened up now?"

Captain Kane answered carefully, in a voice full of hope.

"Captain Heinz is in a slightly better position than I am. Highland mixed-bloods are classified as Aran lineage, so-"

"Kane, you're Aran too. If seven-eighths Aran isn't Aran, then who is?"

"......Thank you."

To be told he too was Aran, he answered with thanks.

The Empire's system, its ideology, had shackled even the souls of its soldiers.

"......."

Edmon quietly turned his gaze away. He looked out at the darkness beyond the tent.

Who, and by what right, had ever decided and divided this notion of bloodline? Could that lineage truly determine all of our worth?

He could make no sense of it at all, but such seditious thoughts were not to be spoken aloud.

"Go back and rest. Tomorrow's march is another long one."

"Yes. Thank you, Colonel! Loyalty!"

"Loyalty!"

The two adjutants withdrew, and silence settled over the tent once more.

Edmon quietly closed his eyes. Held fast in a darkness all his own, he turned over the word he had buried deep in his chest.

Revolution.

It boils up from the very lowest depths to burn the world, or it descends from the very highest heights and stains the world through.

But there is only one way to make a revolution. At least, that is how it is in this Empire.

......And yet to Edmon, who until now had thought in no other terms, all at once.

Maximilian's words came back to h⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌im.

─I'm right behind you.

What had Maximilian meant by that?

─Now, you can reach the place you’ve always wanted.

He had spent his adolescence at my side; had he perhaps already sensed the depths of my heart? Had he faintly made out the intent I harbored?

Edmon sank slowly into endless anguish.

* * *

Rien, a city in the Empire's west.

Into this little town, into the very fabric of its daily life, a brood of snakes had coiled themselves.

──They are traitors, plotting insurrection within the Empire and scheming to overthrow its very order.

Maximilian's voice, circling in their ears.

In the early dawn, the operation unfolded in secret.

Led by Cliff, with Mia, Jeffrey, and Lukas. The four knights and a small band of elite agents infiltrated in plain clothes.

──Their stronghold is an ordinary private home and a small clinic nearby.

The revolutionary forces are always like this. They burrow into the gaps between the Imperial Subjects, into the ordinary spaces among them, using the places where innocent civilians live out their lives as a shield.

──We strike those locations, capturing or killing only the key personnel. Civilian casualties must be kept to a minimum.

The knights split into units with the agents and strike the target points all at once.

A detached house, a small clinic, a hardware store, and a fish market.

They concentrate their full strength on the spots Schatz had marked out in advance.

──Bear this in mind.

But an operation never unfolds entirely as planned.

KA-BOOOM───!

A sudden blast shook the street. The explosion, triggered the very instant the knights slipped into the clinic, threw the whole area into chaos.

──When cornered, they will always try to provoke civilian casualties to scatter your attention.

The moment the revolutionary bastards realized they were surrounded, they burned their crucial documents along with the clinic, and out of the flames the key figures came bolting.

"Don't let them get away! After them!"

Cliff shouted. The knights gave hurried chase.

An alley where Imperial Subjects, jolted from sleep, screamed, and gusts laced with mana came whirling through.

The moment the knight Mia was closing the gap on them.

"KRAAAH──!"

With a roaring war cry, a massive figure blocked the middle of the alley.

The brute, easily over two meters tall, swung his mace and knocked Mia flying.

"Move!"

Mia rushed in sharply and loosed her blade, but the mace's mana beat back her Aura Blade.

WHOOSH──! WHOOSH──!

He swept the mace out in long arcs. Every object caught within its radius was torn away.

In the instant Mia faltered,

"Stand back!"

Cliff leapt and drew his sword. It was no standard-issue weapon.

A misshapen thing, like two greatswords forced one atop the other.

A custom armament made to hold the full measure of Cliff's signature destructive power.

VWOOOOM──!

Deep-blue mana clotted across the massive blade as though bursting into being. Before the giant could even set himself to defend, Cliff's huge frame plunged straight down out of the air.

───SCHRAAAKK!

The sound of a body being torn apart. Cliff's greatsword split the enemy open from collarbone to belly. He tumbled to the ground in two pieces.

"Keep up the pursuit. Don't let a single one slip away."

Cliff flicked the blood from his greatsword and gave a nod. Mia nodded curtly, then made to sprint on past the giant's corpse...... and stopped short.

There was no need.

Her gaze rose to the sky. So did Cliff's.

SHWOOOOO───.

Pure-white moonlight, cleaving the heavens as it fell. The instant 'he', who looked at a glance like a meteor shower, touched the ground......

───FWOOOOOM!

A wind of immense mass tore through the whole city as though ransacking it.

.......

The operation succeeded cleanly. Several valuables the revolutionary forces had stashed in the hideout were recovered, and the core cadres were for the most part taken alive or gunned down on the spot. Civilian casualties, too, were nearly nonexistent apart from the initial explosion.

And a few days later, the topmost floor of the Sentinel Knight Order.

Knight Commander Chiron's office.

"Congratulations, Cliff."

Cliff stood before Chiron. The golden nameplate reading「Knight Commander Chiron」still felt a little strang⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌e.

"The operation report. Have you read it?"

"No. Not yet."

Chiron smiled with satisfaction and handed over the papers.

"Then you ought to. Maximilian wrote it himself, and he says your contribution was considerable."

Cliff took the papers, but his expression stayed stiff and his answer was curt.

"......I only did my job."

"Ha ha. Same as ever, aren't you."

Chiron laughed heartily and leaned back in his chair. Even his manner of speech had changed to suit his rank.

"Word came from the palace. A decoration is to be awarded for this achievement, so I'm to tell you to look forward to it."

A decoration. It was a clear honor for a knight, yet Cliff's expression scarcely changed.

"What's more, the way this operation was carried out, and its tactics, have become an excellent model in their own right. They'll likely be entered formally into the next knight's manual."

The strike team stays on the ground, and to prepare against any contingency, a knight of exceptional descent skill is stationed up in the open sky.

"The operation name is「Revolution Strike」. What do you think?"

"It's a good name, Commander."

Cliff bowed his head and added respectfully,

"But the junior knights who braved the danger alongside me deserve more credit than I do."

"Ah, that goes without saying. Mia, Lukas, Jeffrey...... you led the junior knights well."

"Thank you."

Cliff came out having awkwardly weathered that unfamiliar shower of praise, and there before him.

"Well done, sir!"

"Well done, Sir Knight!"

Mia, Jeffrey, and Lukas. The three junior newcomers cried out as one in vigorous voices.

"......It was nothing."

Cliff cleared his throat, looking sheepish, and avoided their eyes.

"Go and rest."

"Yes, sir!"

"Rest easy, sir!"

Cliff himself meant to head back to his own office and rest, but a visitor had gotten there first.

Maximilian.

The man walked slowly toward him. A faint smile hung on his composed face.

"Well done, Sir Cliff."

He said it gently and offered his hand.

Cliff hesitated a moment. It was shame at the man he had once been.

The day he had, all on his own, misjudged Maximilian over Anton's downfall and turned hostile toward him for no reason at all.

"......."

But Cliff knew now.

Just what efforts Maximilian had made to protect both Anton and himself, at Anton's closed hearing and through the 14th District explosion.

"......You as well."

Cliff looked down at Maximilian's hand for a moment, then clasped it firmly.

"You've done well too."

......

——The knights of the Empire march onward.

Sometimes in threadbare plain clothes, sometimes in proud uniform; down into the low places of the common folk, or up into the high places of society.

Their authority is no longer doubted by anyone.

The Empire's military, the Imperial Guard, and the Royal Guard that safeguards the Emperor, even the nobles of the palace, all acknowledge the Sentinel's exacting authority.

And so a knight has no reason to take a bribe, no need to bow his head to an unjust favor.

The knights sharpen their blades by their own strength and conviction alone.

Clack── Clack──

As she walked the marble corridor, Hannah felt the full weight of the change that had seeped into the Knight Order.

Dare Tan and Royce had cut ties with noble society now, and Lukas had received his decoration before the very eyes of his father, once a judge.

Commoner knights had lost any reason to feel inferior about their station, and noble knights no longer bothered to flaunt their rank over them.

It was circumstance, and rank as well, that had made the man.

The knights now operate under the umbrella that is Maximilian, under the protection of Ebenholtz.

However high one's birth, none is nobler than Ebenholtz; however great one's wealth, none can match Maximilian's fortune.

And so no power, no corruption, can do the Sentinel any harm.

For the only power that runs deeper than Ebenholtz is the Empire itself.

A Sentinel knight is a place any Imperial Subject can reach, so long as they only strive for it.

The door is always open, and so for any Pure Aran of the Empire it is an opportunity to be seized by effort and talent alone.

No one covets the Sentinel's authority, and the Sentinel, for its part, keeps its flexibility and its capacity for self-purification......

And yet, now and then, in some very small place, an unexpected gap is found.

"......So that happened?"

"Yes."

Maximilian's office. Hannah reported the circumstances of how the junior knight Mia, standing beside her, had failed to infiltrate the revolutionary forces.

"'Sentinel knights do not wear wristwatches'......."

Maximilian murmured, setting the papers down with a light tap.

Just as he said, knights these days did not wear wristwatches. At the very least, any watch with a ticking second hand had by now vanished entirely from within the Sentinel.

Even the common desk clock had grown hard to find.

Which was why, whenever knights disguised themselves in plain clothes and set out on an operation, more often than not they wore no watch at all.

A culture born, in effect, of Maximilian himself.

And now and then, it seemed, this became a blind spot through which the enemy saw past their disguise.

"I'll put a suggestion to the Commander. This was something even I didn't foresee."

"Yes. Thank you."

"Knight Mia?"

"......Yes."

Mia, her face bowed low like a guilty prisoner, raised her head.

"Lift your head. It isn't your fault."

"......Yes. Thank you for understanding."

Belatedly, Mia eased her stiffened shoulders.

"You may go."

"Yes."

The two of them stepped out of Maximilian's office. Mia let out a breath first thing, while Hannah looked out through the corridor window.

Before she knew it, the colors of the world had turned vivid.

Summer already.

"Seriously...... I thought my heart was going to burst. Are you all right, Sir Hannah?"

Mia asked, still rubbing at a chest that had yet to settle.

"All right, my foot."

Maximilian. He was a hill every knight of the Sentinel could lean on, and at the same time the most fearsome man of them all.

"Same for me. Even now......"

Hannah let out a small, wry laugh and gave Mia's back a light pat.

"Anyway. Get to work. You've got a mountain of paperwork, haven't you?"

"Yes. The Hermann Fund, there've been so many donations this time that I have to process every last one......"

Hermann, who had once been their comrade. Fallen in battle against the revolutionary forces, he still lived on in the hearts of Mia and the other Sentinel knights.

Because the Sentinel does not abandon its own.

* * *

Screeeech──

One sweltering day. Sliding along the rails, a heavy hunk of iron drew near with a screech of friction.

"Spray some water in there. The stench is unbearable."

This was the borderland between the Empire and Robrus.

The guards flung cold water into the train's freight car. From beyond the bars came the mingled groans of huddled prisoners of Imperial origin.

"Here he comes."

At someone's voice, the Robrus troops lined up all around tensed as one and fell into formation.

Maximilian Ebenholtz. The most famous Imperial knight in the east.

"A pleasure, Sir Knight."

Zerov, the People's Commissar for Internal Affairs of the Eastern Alliance, faced Maximilian in a crisply pressed uniform.

"A year's gone by before we knew it, and it's summer again, Sir Knight."

Zerov offered a deliberately gentle greeting. Maximilian answered with a faint smile of his own.

"The seasons change, and yet you, Commissar Zerov, remain as full of refinement as ever."

At the brief compliment, the corner of Zerov's mouth lifted a fraction.

Had Maximilian offered some transparently false flattery about his looks, calling him handsome or dashing, Zerov too would have been displeased, but Maximilian was, as ever, different.

He had seen with perfect clarity into the very value Zerov prized above all else—his thoroughly controlled bearing, his almost obsessive tidiness!

"What do you intend to do with the prisoners you'll be taking custody of this time?"

Zerov asked slyly, tipping his chin toward the freight car. Imperial exiles and reactionaries driven out of Robrus were loaded in like so much cargo.

"Why ask, when you already know?"

At his dry reply, Zerov laughed without a sound.

"Our prisoners will be along shortly as well."

Maximilian pointed to the opposite side. Zerov tensed for a moment.

"Yes. This time, Sir Knight, why don't you call yours in first."

The ruthlessness Maximilian had let show that day, at the first prisoner exchange.

For Zerov, who had been so struck by it, there was a side of himself he was eager to show the man.

"Let's do that."

Maximilian opened t⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌he train door, and Zerov, pistol drawn from his hip, made to close in on them-

"Gah!"

He caught his foot on the rail and went sprawling.

~~~

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