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“Are they truly the first survivors of the battle that you have discovered?” said Zeff.

“So far.”

“But if the battle ended when the storm did, then that was days ago. How could no others have made contact by now?”

Again, Graves merely returned a somber, uncertain look.

Really? Those generals couldn’t be the only ones to make it out alive, surely.

Unless, perhaps, it had been another decisive victory for Abolish. Another devastating loss for the Vanguard, just like Uego...

Despite how little love he held for them right now, Zeff was not at all eager to believe that. “And where was your Titan during all of this? You didn’t mention him.”

At that, Graves made no response. His expression returned to a more neutral one, however.

Of course he wouldn’t share such information. That was no surprise.

But a part of Zeff had to wonder if Graves even could share it. If he even knew. It certainly hadn’t escaped Zeff’s notice that the Crystal Titan had been mysteriously absent for the duration of this entire war. And now, apparently, it was winding down, yet there was still no obvious sign of Sermung on the world stage? Even after such a furious battle with nigh-apocalyptic fallout? The exact kind that the strongest man in the world would typically try to protect everyone from?

Something was very wrong in the Vanguard. Not that that was news, of course, but still. Perhaps the situation was somehow even worse than Zeff had thought.

Sermung, Sanko, and Lamont all MIA? Carson recently killed? And Jackson taking a backseat when he would normally be the one stepping up?

That meant everything was falling onto the shoulders of Kane, Grant, and Graves. The entirety of the war effort.

If Jercash was truly all that remained, then perhaps that was fine, but if that wasn’t the case...

Zeff let the silence linger a bit longer while he mulled all this information over. Then he felt compelled to ask something. “...What if you’re wrong about the battle?”

“In what way?”

“What if... there’s no other unseen factor? What if it really was just the clashing of known powers that caused the storm?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

“I’m just thinking... might that be even worse?”

Graves made no response.

“If, as you said, no other battle in living memory has matched the destruction of those from the ancient world, then... would this not mean that Dozer and Morgunov, who were apparently both present, have now reached a level of strength that is comparable to that of the old emperors in antiquity?”

Graves sighed. “Are you trying to make me depressed?”