he feels an unbearable discomfort.
If he turns your one-eyed gaze to the left, Rapunzel is sitting on the floor with her legs crossed.
The field of view is still narrow, but when he moves his face slightly to the right and checks, Scarlet is sitting with one knee raised and sitting down.
And── In front of Moore, three steps away, Snow White was sitting with a long sniper rifle in her arms.
Each of them has a different iris color, and Moore throws the shortened cigarette into a portable ashtray, exhaling the purple smoke that remains in his lungs along with a sigh.
"──Well, bocchan. Would you mind telling me your story?"
Is it the composure of someone older? He understands that there is a difference between physical age and mental age, but for a moment, he thinks, "Isn't it okay not to treat me like a young man?" But he quickly dismisses that thought.
Prompted by the closeness of their shoulders touching.
──Why do you seek Unchained to eliminate NIMPH? Scarlet asked that.
"...Hmm.. where should I start?"
"...You can start from the beginning. Or is it difficult to talk about? I thought you would desperately try to persuade me... how surprising. Oh, or──do you not need Unchained as much as I thought?"
A cold, but provocatively sounding remark echoed from the right. Turning slightly towards the right, he captures the figure of Scarlet sitting next to him.
With a nonchalant attitude, she keeps one knee raised and looks at Moore with amber-colored eyes.
──He's not good at talking that much.
He is what you would call a person who is not good with words. Teaching and explaining are no problem, but when it comes to persuasion, the situation is different. Despite having decided on it himself, he can't help but feel inadequate now.
"──Commander, I'll talk."
When Moore let out a faint sigh, Rapi, who had been waiting, spoke up. Considering his personality, he probably wouldn't be good at persuasion, so she thought of doing it himself instead.
However, it was coldly rejected, not by him, but by Scarlet, who was sitting next to him.
"──No, I want to hear Bocchan's story from his mouth."
Looking back over her shoulder, Scarlet, sitting along the wall in the living room, especially directed her amber gaze towards the members of the Counter's lineup──especially towards Rapi, throwing a look with a restraining meaning.
"The one who said he wanted to find Unchained was Bocchan, right?"
"...Yes."
He nods in response. Whether she noticed it at the edge of her field of vision or not, Scarlet once again turned her face towards Moore.
"Then you'll have to prove it more urgently. That what Bocchan is trying to do is right. That──it should be the Commander?"
──My ears hurt.
A frank and merciless statement resembling admonition is painful. Feeling that again, he unconsciously rummages through the pouch of his body armor and takes out a soft pack and an oil lighter.
Sitting next to each other with their shoulders touching, it seems rude to disturb them, but he seems desperate to smoke. He lights the cigarette in his mouth with an oil lighter, letting out a light purple smoke, and then──Moore suddenly turns his face towards Kurenai.
"──Can I have some of that?"
"Hmm? ...This?"
He shifts his gaze from her intense brown eyes towards the white porcelain bottle hanging from Kurenai's waist.
Realizing its destination, she grabs the bottle, and a faint sound of water is heard as she lightly shakes it.
"...Just a little."
"...Alright, understood."
Scarlet removes the cork, hands over the bottle, and Moore, holding it with one hand, removes the cigarette from his mouth, bringing his slightly dry lips to the opening.
He wonders what the ingredients are. He feels that the scent of alcohol is stronger than the alcoholic beverages he consumes in the Ark.
Normally, he never engages in the foolish act of drinking during a mission. Even if he has a constitution that doesn't get drunk, considering the dulling of his thoughts and the possibility of losing strength in the fingers pulling the trigger due to the influence of alcohol──drinking is out of the question.
However,──compared to what he is about to talk about, a few sips of alcohol are nothing significant. If he justifies it to himself, fortunately, he won't get drunk.
Having broken the agreement he made with himself, he──as if celebrating that memorable day, brings his slightly dry lips to the opening and tilts the bottle.
The taste of the flowing alcohol into his mouth──unless it's a conversation that will make his stomach and headache in the future, he sincerely feels it's delicious.
After swallowing one sip, two sips, and letting the third one permeate through his oral cavity, tongue, throat, and stomach, he separates his lips from the bottle.
"...How does it taste?"
"...It wasn't bad. I'd like to drink it in a place that feels a bit more delicious next time.──Thank you."
He should have said it more straightforwardly. Scarlet shrugs her shoulders as she takes back the returned bottle and seals the opening with the cork.
Phew, he lets out a faint breath with a hint of alcohol and then places the cigarette he had been removing back to his lips.
"...First, I learned about the existence of NIMPH──including its name and effects, later. The catalyst was the mission to capture Chatterbox, that chatty bastard. After the mission failed, the memory erasure sentence handed down by Enikk became the trigger."
"...Hmm..."
Moreover, at that time, he had just lost his right eye, in addition to the amputation of his right leg, and his face's right half was covered in bandages. He was in a state of unconsciousness while hospitalized due to physical exhaustion.
The sentence was passed while he was asleep, and as a result, both Mihara and Rapi, the leaders of the Counters and Nameless squads, respectively, received memory erasure sentences.
Mihara underwent memory erasure, and Rapi──at an unknown time and place, was exposed to Unchained, and her NIMPH was removed.
In hindsight, the moment he sensed that, on one side, memories remained, and on the other, they returned to a relationship starting with a "nice to meet you"──
"...It was sad, wasn't it?"
"...I can't explain it well in words. But... yeah... I'm sure that's how it felt. We shared life and death battles, even if it was just once. It's not like there was no sense of camaraderie. But when you realize that the relationship with that person is back to the beginning..."
I see, Scarlet says, choosing her words carefully while sensing Moore's nuances as he tries to express the difficult-to-verbalize emotions, and mentally piecing together his thoughts.
"──But, so what? Isn't it common in the Ark?"
"...Yeah, that's right... I've heard that."
To Scarlet's words, which even sound cold, he has no grounds for denial. He nods and lets the purple smoke from the cigarette he's holding waft.
"People in the Ark want to control Nikke and fear Nikke's change of thought. When a change of thought occurs, the gun barrel that should be aimed at Rapture might be turned towards themselves."
Scarlet states the undeniable fact in a matter-of-fact tone.
Nikkephobia──those who belong to the community that discriminates against and advocates the exclusion of Nikke also have fear at its root.
Humanoid weapons that are capable of independent thinking and action.
The independence is troublesome.
They are not mere machines or robots that can only perform actions programmed into them. They are not beings that can only do what is commanded.
Nikke is──to put it in an extreme way, under independent thought and judgment, with output and durability greater than that of a human, and with the willingness to kill humans if they so desire. If there is a change in thought and it becomes irregular, there is a high probability that it becomes possible.
The root, or the latent fear, whether knowingly or unknowingly, drove them to the movement of exclusion. It's not necessarily foolish. No one can resist latent fear.
"Did you think you should get rid of NIMPH just by seeing Nikke who had undergone memory erasure, bocchan?"
"...No, what was more decisive was... this was before I knew about NIMPH or Unchained. The moment I reunited with her, who had turned into a Marian, a Heretic... I can't forget it. She still won't let me forget."
The scene burned strongly into the retinas and memories remain vivid.
The moment of reunion──when the black protector fell off, revealing her true face, is unforgettable. There was no joy in that reunion. He didn't even feel the intense pain of becoming a one-armed man, numb to the burning rays. Why, how, Moore recalls, wondering what emotions probably dominated that moment.
His brain won't let him forget that scene for even a moment.
"Well... I did manage to rescue that girl in the end, but fundamentally, if there hadn't been NIMPH, there would have been no erosion, and she wouldn't have become a Heretic."
Scarlet gives an affirmative nod to his words.
That's understandable. If there hadn't been NIMPH, there would have been no erosion, and there would have been no need for memory erasure.
She demonstrated a certain understanding of Moore's perspective, but nevertheless, Scarlet countered.
"──Does NIMPH really have a detrimental effect on Nikke only?"
"...What do you mean?"
He with the deep brown monocle narrowed his single eye and turned his face to the side.
Her amber eyes also narrowed as she looked straight at Moore.
"──Many girls choose memory erasure to escape from the fear and sadness of the battlefield."
Her words caused Moore to close his lone eye. With his monocle lowered to the area below his eyelid, he made a few small nods, as if pondering the meaning of the words one by one.
"Above all, NIMPH gives Nikke 'eternity' itself. That eternity sometimes dilutes the fear of the battlefield and gives the courage to undertake reckless operations. ── Don't you think people like them need NIMPH?"
He couldn't provide an immediate answer to that question.
He remained silent for about ten seconds.
Eventually, a small sigh escaped him, and then his right hand rose. As he skillfully removed the knot of the bandage with his fingertips, the wrapped fabric loosened.
"...There is no such thing as eternity. Even if it exists, it's only temporary. Only pseudo. ...I'm probably... a heartless person. Even after hearing that, I'm still seeking information on Unchained that can remove NIMPH."
The loosened bandage was unraveled by Moore's hand. The closed eyelid of his right eye, with nothing in the eye socket, revealed the sunken state. Because the bullet had grazed his eyebrows, the area where the skin and eyebrows were gouged showed a missing eyebrow and a scar. There was no bleeding. It seemed to have fully healed.
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"...Even if there were memories of being frightened, dominated by sorrow, and trembling with anger due to humiliation... those are not for anyone else. Those are privileges that only the person involved should possess, sacred territories that should not be violated. That's how it should be."
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He rolled up the unraveled bandage and stowed it in the pocket of his combat pants. Then, he pinched the cigarette with his fingertips, took a deep breath, and inhaled the purple smoke.
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"...Even if experiences of repeating meetings and farewells wear down the heart... those experiences and memories should not be entrusted to anyone's hands. For me... even if the memories were full of pain to the point of crawling, I wouldn't want to forget a single one. Forgetting is probably... the most painful thing."
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After filling his lungs with the inhaled purple smoke, he exhaled it along with a sigh.
The monologue Moore delivered──hearing it, Scarlet nodded a few times, and then Rapunzel, who was sitting on the opposite side, leaned toward his left hand and lightly gripped it.
Perhaps because it was unexpectedly gripped, Moore was slightly surprised. He unintentionally turned his lone eye toward her. At the end of his gaze, there was a golden saint who, with her forget-me-not-colored eyes lowered, pondered.
"I see... But... not everyone is as strong as Bocchan. What do you think about that?"
"Strong?... Don't make me laugh. What of a person in this state do you think is strong?"
"..."
Before answering Scarlet's question, he dismissed her expression of being strong. Holding the cigarette in his mouth, he turned his face toward her and poked the area above his eyelid with his fingertip.
There was nothing in the eye socket──thanks to that, the fingertip penetrated surprisingly deep into the back of the eyelid.
However, the monologue he spoke was, in essence, equal to the theory of the strong.
Grief, anger, responsibility─ it may be a kind of privilege that only those who can bear everything possess, or perhaps something even more different.
Moore is tasked with the mental care of Nikke and is well aware that the philosophy he holds is difficult for others to accept.
"…Let me answer your question. I don't want to forcibly administer Unchained to them. I don't desire that. It's all about the power of choice."
As the word "choice" echoed in the room, Rapunzel, Scarlet, Snow White, and Lapi all turned their gazes toward Moore.
"Oh... the power of choice."
Unexpectedly, Scarlet, representing everyone, showed a reaction. Fortunately, the tone of her voice wasn't negative.
"...Whether to live eternally in equal time or live with a limit on time. If Nikke had a future and world where she could choose the path of her own free will... At least for me, I think it would be a world worth fighting and dying for."
A world worth fighting and dying for─ when Rapunzel and Scarlet heard those words, they directed their gazes to him from both sides as if they were bounced.
However, he didn't seem to think much of that expression, or perhaps he felt it was only natural. He just emitted purple smoke from the cigarette he had smoked more than half of.
─Hehe...He doesn't change, is it?
While holding Moore's left hand, Rapunzel closed her forget-me-not-colored eyes, feeling a kind of resignation and even a faint joy blossoming in her heart.
"─So, you want to use Unchained as the key for that."
Snow White, who had remained silent until then, spoke up. It might have been better not to use such poetic expressions, but there was no error in what she intended to convey. Moore nodded in agreement as he threw the shortened cigarette into a portable ashtray.
"A world where Nikke can choose her own future, huh..."
Scarlet tried to imagine the world he described.
Unfortunately, it wasn't vividly conceivable. The difficulty of imagining it might have been the cause.
"Hahaha, that is truly a dangerous statement and ideology."
However, she slapped her knee and laughed. She didn't know what kind of future and world he was talking about. But─ at least it wouldn't be a stifling one.
"If it were not strangers like us in front of bocchan but the Ark's young ladies, bocchan's head might have been chopped off long ago."
While chuckling uncontrollably, Scarlet glanced to the side. Moore, who seemed to need more smoking, was seen lighting another cigarette with an oil lighter.
"...There's no value in this head."
He formed a knife hand with his right hand, lightly tapped his neck, and laughed with a snort. Even at that sight, Scarlet couldn't help but suppress her laughter.
"─Really... Nikke chose for herself. It's an idealistic thought that's quite distant from Ark's system seeking stability through control."
"...Don't tease me too much. I'm aware I'm saying something impossible."
He lightly scratched his right cheek with the fingertips of his right hand, looking troubled.
While Rapunzel smiled and sarcastically added her remarks, she observed the young man in front of her with forget-me-not-colored eyes.
There had been a misunderstanding that he was a realist, but it turned out to be a complete mistake. He was not someone who would be embarrassed anywhere─ he was an idealist.
And she thought this way:
Surely, even in a world on the brink of destruction, he would continue reaching out toward his ideal dream until the very last moment, even if it were in the midst of despair.
Whether that was a proper way to live as a human being or a way of existence equivalent to a madman, unfortunately, she couldn't distinguish.
But even if that were the case─
"──But strangely enough... I like Brother's ideology."
With deep emotions, she squeezed his large left hand.
"So... I want to support it."
"...I thought you might refuse."
"...Mouu... Do I seem that heartless? I just want to leave memories of the past not as mere traces but as keys to the future."
There had been some harsh words. She puffed her cheeks a bit, showing an indignant expression. In response, he shrugged lightly, exhaling purple smoke from his cigarette.
Leaving that aside, Rapunzel turned her gaze to Scarlet, and then to Snow White.
"What do you think, Scarlet and Snow White?"
"I agree too. I think it's fine to tell him."
"...I thought you were against it?"
"Bocchan? Do I seem that heartless to you?"
She had some harsh words to express her feelings, but despite wanting to respond with all her heart, it turned out to be quite a harsh expression.
"...This is what I think. No matter how much we hide, it will eventually be known, and I don't want to stop the changes of the times with my own hands."
"...Is that so."
"Yeah, that's right."
Scarlet nodded calmly. If possible, she felt like having a drink and talking, but unfortunately, she liked alcohol but was fatally prone to getting drunk. She strongly felt the premonition that valuable talking time would be wasted if she became completely drunk, so she desperately stopped her hand from reaching for the bottle.
"What about Snow White?"
"...Even though both of you agree, do you still need my consent?"
The silver pilgrim, who had been redirected with water by Rapunzel, questioned with a puzzled expression. She had been the one who had adamantly refused to provide information about Unchained.
Certainly, Moore couldn't help but wonder about the current situation.
"Of course. Only when Snow White agrees will the majority of us agree, right?"
When Rapunzel spoke of "us" and "majority," the Counter sisters, who could only watch the situation unfold, unintentionally formed invisible question marks above their heads.
"Dorothy... probably has no interest in such things anymore, and Red Hood... Lillith... Commander... are no longer here now..."
The golden saint mentioned the names of her former companions with a lonely expression.
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Red Hood.
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When that name struck her eardrums, the reserved Rapi lifted her hips.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Suddenly, Snow White called out. Ahead of her was the sweat-soaked figure of the young man pressing his head with his right hand.
"Brother?"
"Bocchan?"
"I'm... fine... I'm just tired..."
His voice, confidently stating that there was no problem, involuntarily trembled.
After repeating rough breathing several times, he eventually seemed to calm down and took a deep breath.
Uncomfortable with the concerned glances from both sides, Moore picked up a fallen cigarette from the floor and held it to the corner of his lips.
"Before answering, let me ask you one thing. ─Why? Why do you go to such lengths? NIMPH has nothing to do with reclaiming the surface. Even if you have NIMPH, even if memories are erased, Nikke and the others will protect you. ─Because you're human."
"..."
He couldn't respond to Snow White's question, nor could he deny it. Perhaps because he understood that it was an undeniable fact.
"Yet, why do you risk your life to obtain Unchained?"
"...No more..."
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"...Nikke's damaged brain should be disposed of according to the rules. ...By military law, the commander must carry out Nikke's disposal."
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"...Commander. You need to do it quickly, or there's a possibility of irregularities..."
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"...Commander... here... at...s..."
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"...Commander... bandage... glad..."
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"──No more... I don't want to sacrifice my precious subordinate just because "I have no choice." ."
This might be a selfish desire. Throughout, it seemed to be an unreasonable, one-way wish driven by nothing but extremely self-centered emotions, equivalent to an unruly child adhering to its whims, or even beyond that.
However, in his confession, Moore couldn't help but convey his true feelings.
"...Regarding the surface reclamation... it indeed might have no relevance. I've said this much. Let me be honest without sugarcoating it anymore. ─Honestly, I couldn't care less about surface reclamation."
It wasn't only Snow White who found his words surprising. Rapi, Anise, and Neon widened their eyes.
Moore, who continued to fight even after his right leg, right eye, and left arm were crushed, was thought to be the one most passionate about surface reclamation. His statement was indeed peculiar.
"...Even if we reclaim the surface, what awaits us is the desolation of the land, the reconstruction of civilization, and, just as in the history of humankind, an era of conflict driven by land, resources, religion, race, and various other reasons. I could almost make a prophecy about it."
Despite the human population dwindling to 10 million, the internal conflicts within the Ark continued unabated. Moore sometimes felt like he was being shown a condensed version of human history.
Even if the surface is reclaimed, humanity would likely continue repeating the same cycle. Humanity is such a species.
"...Sometimes, I think this way. Humanity should have perished. We should have acknowledged defeat honestly and descended from being rulers of the Earth. That's what I believe."
"Do you really think so?"
Rapunzel asked, her one-eyed gaze showing a hint of shadow in its iris.
"...I do think that way at times. But... I am also one of those humans. Unable to give up, embarrassingly, stubbornly resisting the fate of destruction. ─Even if it means fighting until the last judgment. I feel okay with that. I can't deny it."
It's an irredeemable race, humanity.
Continuously ensnared by desires, pursuing them, eventually perishing without realizing it. Even though they understand this, humans persistently reach out for hope.
"...Snow White. I don't have a reason to fight to the death. It's not because of the grand cause of surface reclamation. Of course, I want to protect my subordinates. The reason for not wanting to shoot my subordinates, my comrades, is not a lie. But... everything else is just added-on reasons. Just things I said in my own way."
"...Then, what's the fundamental reason behind it all?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
The golden-eyed gaze felt like it was probing. Understanding that, Moore plucked the cigarette he had finished, tossing it into the portable ashtray.
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"...Because I don't want to lose."
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Stripping away all the unnecessary embellishments, this single phrase summed up the fundamental reason behind his willingness to stake his life.
"Simple, isn't it?"
"Much better than trying to cover up and dress it up. It's good when you can understand the true nature."
Perhaps it was reasonable.
As Snow White was about to nod, Rapunzel raised her voice.
"...Isn't it more than just that, Brother?"
"...It's not a lie."
"Yes, I know. I understand that it's one of the reasons. But... is the only reason you, as a human, hold a gun and fight on the battlefield, just that?"
Rapunzel questioned. He remained silent, unable to comprehend the question.
Whether he himself hadn't realized it or wanted to keep it hidden.
"...Brother... do you harbor a sense of disgust towards the existence of Nikke?"
As both a confirmation and inquiry, the golden saint asked once again.
For Moore, who treated Nikke as a human, this sentiment would likely feel too distant.
Anise couldn't help but want to laugh it off, but the person in question maintained silence. He hadn't denied it.
"...Commander-sama?... It's a lie, right?"
"..."
Unable to get a denial from him, Anis, who could only see his situation from behind, spoke with a trembling voice. She wished it were a lie, hoped it was a mistake.
Yet, even to that, he continued his silence.
---
Author:
Chapter 2, Episode 5:
"...Don't make me laugh... What's the point of surface reclamation?"
From Moore's scornful words, everyone could vaguely sense his lack of interest in surface reclamation.
he feels an unbearable discomfort.
If he turns your one-eyed gaze to the left, Rapunzel is sitting on the floor with her legs crossed.
The field of view is still narrow, but when he moves his face slightly to the right and checks, Scarlet is sitting with one knee raised and sitting down.
And── In front of Moore, three steps away, Snow White was sitting with a long sniper rifle in her arms.
Each of them has a different iris color, and Moore throws the shortened cigarette into a portable ashtray, exhaling the purple smoke that remains in his lungs along with a sigh.
"──Well, bocchan. Would you mind telling me your story?"
Is it the composure of someone older? He understands that there is a difference between physical age and mental age, but for a moment, he thinks, "Isn't it okay not to treat me like a young man?" But he quickly dismisses that thought.
Prompted by the closeness of their shoulders touching.
──Why do you seek Unchained to eliminate NIMPH? Scarlet asked that.
"...Hmm.. where should I start?"
"...You can start from the beginning. Or is it difficult to talk about? I thought you would desperately try to persuade me... how surprising. Oh, or──do you not need Unchained as much as I thought?"
A cold, but provocatively sounding remark echoed from the right. Turning slightly towards the right, he captures the figure of Scarlet sitting next to him.
With a nonchalant attitude, she keeps one knee raised and looks at Moore with amber-colored eyes.
──He's not good at talking that much.
He is what you would call a person who is not good with words. Teaching and explaining are no problem, but when it comes to persuasion, the situation is different. Despite having decided on it himself, he can't help but feel inadequate now.
"──Commander, I'll talk."
When Moore let out a faint sigh, Rapi, who had been waiting, spoke up. Considering his personality, he probably wouldn't be good at persuasion, so she thought of doing it himself instead.
However, it was coldly rejected, not by him, but by Scarlet, who was sitting next to him.
"──No, I want to hear Bocchan's story from his mouth."
Looking back over her shoulder, Scarlet, sitting along the wall in the living room, especially directed her amber gaze towards the members of the Counter's lineup──especially towards Rapi, throwing a look with a restraining meaning.
"The one who said he wanted to find Unchained was Bocchan, right?"
"...Yes."
He nods in response. Whether she noticed it at the edge of her field of vision or not, Scarlet once again turned her face towards Moore.
"Then you'll have to prove it more urgently. That what Bocchan is trying to do is right. That──it should be the Commander?"
──My ears hurt.
A frank and merciless statement resembling admonition is painful. Feeling that again, he unconsciously rummages through the pouch of his body armor and takes out a soft pack and an oil lighter.
Sitting next to each other with their shoulders touching, it seems rude to disturb them, but he seems desperate to smoke. He lights the cigarette in his mouth with an oil lighter, letting out a light purple smoke, and then──Moore suddenly turns his face towards Kurenai.
"──Can I have some of that?"
"Hmm? ...This?"
He shifts his gaze from her intense brown eyes towards the white porcelain bottle hanging from Kurenai's waist.
Realizing its destination, she grabs the bottle, and a faint sound of water is heard as she lightly shakes it.
"...Just a little."
"...Alright, understood."
Scarlet removes the cork, hands over the bottle, and Moore, holding it with one hand, removes the cigarette from his mouth, bringing his slightly dry lips to the opening.
He wonders what the ingredients are. He feels that the scent of alcohol is stronger than the alcoholic beverages he consumes in the Ark.
Normally, he never engages in the foolish act of drinking during a mission. Even if he has a constitution that doesn't get drunk, considering the dulling of his thoughts and the possibility of losing strength in the fingers pulling the trigger due to the influence of alcohol──drinking is out of the question.
However,──compared to what he is about to talk about, a few sips of alcohol are nothing significant. If he justifies it to himself, fortunately, he won't get drunk.
Having broken the agreement he made with himself, he──as if celebrating that memorable day, brings his slightly dry lips to the opening and tilts the bottle.
The taste of the flowing alcohol into his mouth──unless it's a conversation that will make his stomach and headache in the future, he sincerely feels it's delicious.
After swallowing one sip, two sips, and letting the third one permeate through his oral cavity, tongue, throat, and stomach, he separates his lips from the bottle.
"...How does it taste?"
"...It wasn't bad. I'd like to drink it in a place that feels a bit more delicious next time.──Thank you."
He should have said it more straightforwardly. Scarlet shrugs her shoulders as she takes back the returned bottle and seals the opening with the cork.
Phew, he lets out a faint breath with a hint of alcohol and then places the cigarette he had been removing back to his lips.
"...First, I learned about the existence of NIMPH──including its name and effects, later. The catalyst was the mission to capture Chatterbox, that chatty bastard. After the mission failed, the memory erasure sentence handed down by Enikk became the trigger."
"...Hmm..."
Moreover, at that time, he had just lost his right eye, in addition to the amputation of his right leg, and his face's right half was covered in bandages. He was in a state of unconsciousness while hospitalized due to physical exhaustion.
The sentence was passed while he was asleep, and as a result, both Mihara and Rapi, the leaders of the Counters and Nameless squads, respectively, received memory erasure sentences.
Mihara underwent memory erasure, and Rapi──at an unknown time and place, was exposed to Unchained, and her NIMPH was removed.
In hindsight, the moment he sensed that, on one side, memories remained, and on the other, they returned to a relationship starting with a "nice to meet you"──
"...It was sad, wasn't it?"
"...I can't explain it well in words. But... yeah... I'm sure that's how it felt. We shared life and death battles, even if it was just once. It's not like there was no sense of camaraderie. But when you realize that the relationship with that person is back to the beginning..."
I see, Scarlet says, choosing her words carefully while sensing Moore's nuances as he tries to express the difficult-to-verbalize emotions, and mentally piecing together his thoughts.
"──But, so what? Isn't it common in the Ark?"
"...Yeah, that's right... I've heard that."
To Scarlet's words, which even sound cold, he has no grounds for denial. He nods and lets the purple smoke from the cigarette he's holding waft.
"People in the Ark want to control Nikke and fear Nikke's change of thought. When a change of thought occurs, the gun barrel that should be aimed at Rapture might be turned towards themselves."
Scarlet states the undeniable fact in a matter-of-fact tone.
Nikkephobia──those who belong to the community that discriminates against and advocates the exclusion of Nikke also have fear at its root.
Humanoid weapons that are capable of independent thinking and action.
The independence is troublesome.
They are not mere machines or robots that can only perform actions programmed into them. They are not beings that can only do what is commanded.
Nikke is──to put it in an extreme way, under independent thought and judgment, with output and durability greater than that of a human, and with the willingness to kill humans if they so desire. If there is a change in thought and it becomes irregular, there is a high probability that it becomes possible.
The root, or the latent fear, whether knowingly or unknowingly, drove them to the movement of exclusion. It's not necessarily foolish. No one can resist latent fear.
"Did you think you should get rid of NIMPH just by seeing Nikke who had undergone memory erasure, bocchan?"
"...No, what was more decisive was... this was before I knew about NIMPH or Unchained. The moment I reunited with her, who had turned into a Marian, a Heretic... I can't forget it. She still won't let me forget."
The scene burned strongly into the retinas and memories remain vivid.
The moment of reunion──when the black protector fell off, revealing her true face, is unforgettable. There was no joy in that reunion. He didn't even feel the intense pain of becoming a one-armed man, numb to the burning rays. Why, how, Moore recalls, wondering what emotions probably dominated that moment.
His brain won't let him forget that scene for even a moment.
"Well... I did manage to rescue that girl in the end, but fundamentally, if there hadn't been NIMPH, there would have been no erosion, and she wouldn't have become a Heretic."
Scarlet gives an affirmative nod to his words.
That's understandable. If there hadn't been NIMPH, there would have been no erosion, and there would have been no need for memory erasure.
She demonstrated a certain understanding of Moore's perspective, but nevertheless, Scarlet countered.
"──Does NIMPH really have a detrimental effect on Nikke only?"
"...What do you mean?"
He with the deep brown monocle narrowed his single eye and turned his face to the side.
Her amber eyes also narrowed as she looked straight at Moore.
"──Many girls choose memory erasure to escape from the fear and sadness of the battlefield."
Her words caused Moore to close his lone eye. With his monocle lowered to the area below his eyelid, he made a few small nods, as if pondering the meaning of the words one by one.
"Above all, NIMPH gives Nikke 'eternity' itself. That eternity sometimes dilutes the fear of the battlefield and gives the courage to undertake reckless operations. ── Don't you think people like them need NIMPH?"
He couldn't provide an immediate answer to that question.
He remained silent for about ten seconds.
Eventually, a small sigh escaped him, and then his right hand rose. As he skillfully removed the knot of the bandage with his fingertips, the wrapped fabric loosened.
"...There is no such thing as eternity. Even if it exists, it's only temporary. Only pseudo. ...I'm probably... a heartless person. Even after hearing that, I'm still seeking information on Unchained that can remove NIMPH."
The loosened bandage was unraveled by Moore's hand. The closed eyelid of his right eye, with nothing in the eye socket, revealed the sunken state. Because the bullet had grazed his eyebrows, the area where the skin and eyebrows were gouged showed a missing eyebrow and a scar. There was no bleeding. It seemed to have fully healed.
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"...Even if there were memories of being frightened, dominated by sorrow, and trembling with anger due to humiliation... those are not for anyone else. Those are privileges that only the person involved should possess, sacred territories that should not be violated. That's how it should be."
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He rolled up the unraveled bandage and stowed it in the pocket of his combat pants. Then, he pinched the cigarette with his fingertips, took a deep breath, and inhaled the purple smoke.
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"...Even if experiences of repeating meetings and farewells wear down the heart... those experiences and memories should not be entrusted to anyone's hands. For me... even if the memories were full of pain to the point of crawling, I wouldn't want to forget a single one. Forgetting is probably... the most painful thing."
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After filling his lungs with the inhaled purple smoke, he exhaled it along with a sigh.
The monologue Moore delivered──hearing it, Scarlet nodded a few times, and then Rapunzel, who was sitting on the opposite side, leaned toward his left hand and lightly gripped it.
Perhaps because it was unexpectedly gripped, Moore was slightly surprised. He unintentionally turned his lone eye toward her. At the end of his gaze, there was a golden saint who, with her forget-me-not-colored eyes lowered, pondered.
"I see... But... not everyone is as strong as Bocchan. What do you think about that?"
"Strong?... Don't make me laugh. What of a person in this state do you think is strong?"
"..."
Before answering Scarlet's question, he dismissed her expression of being strong. Holding the cigarette in his mouth, he turned his face toward her and poked the area above his eyelid with his fingertip.
There was nothing in the eye socket──thanks to that, the fingertip penetrated surprisingly deep into the back of the eyelid.
However, the monologue he spoke was, in essence, equal to the theory of the strong.
Grief, anger, responsibility─ it may be a kind of privilege that only those who can bear everything possess, or perhaps something even more different.
Moore is tasked with the mental care of Nikke and is well aware that the philosophy he holds is difficult for others to accept.
"…Let me answer your question. I don't want to forcibly administer Unchained to them. I don't desire that. It's all about the power of choice."
As the word "choice" echoed in the room, Rapunzel, Scarlet, Snow White, and Lapi all turned their gazes toward Moore.
"Oh... the power of choice."
Unexpectedly, Scarlet, representing everyone, showed a reaction. Fortunately, the tone of her voice wasn't negative.
"...Whether to live eternally in equal time or live with a limit on time. If Nikke had a future and world where she could choose the path of her own free will... At least for me, I think it would be a world worth fighting and dying for."
A world worth fighting and dying for─ when Rapunzel and Scarlet heard those words, they directed their gazes to him from both sides as if they were bounced.
However, he didn't seem to think much of that expression, or perhaps he felt it was only natural. He just emitted purple smoke from the cigarette he had smoked more than half of.
─Hehe...He doesn't change, is it?
While holding Moore's left hand, Rapunzel closed her forget-me-not-colored eyes, feeling a kind of resignation and even a faint joy blossoming in her heart.
"─So, you want to use Unchained as the key for that."
Snow White, who had remained silent until then, spoke up. It might have been better not to use such poetic expressions, but there was no error in what she intended to convey. Moore nodded in agreement as he threw the shortened cigarette into a portable ashtray.
"A world where Nikke can choose her own future, huh..."
Scarlet tried to imagine the world he described.
Unfortunately, it wasn't vividly conceivable. The difficulty of imagining it might have been the cause.
"Hahaha, that is truly a dangerous statement and ideology."
However, she slapped her knee and laughed. She didn't know what kind of future and world he was talking about. But─ at least it wouldn't be a stifling one.
"If it were not strangers like us in front of bocchan but the Ark's young ladies, bocchan's head might have been chopped off long ago."
While chuckling uncontrollably, Scarlet glanced to the side. Moore, who seemed to need more smoking, was seen lighting another cigarette with an oil lighter.
"...There's no value in this head."
He formed a knife hand with his right hand, lightly tapped his neck, and laughed with a snort. Even at that sight, Scarlet couldn't help but suppress her laughter.
"─Really... Nikke chose for herself. It's an idealistic thought that's quite distant from Ark's system seeking stability through control."
"...Don't tease me too much. I'm aware I'm saying something impossible."
He lightly scratched his right cheek with the fingertips of his right hand, looking troubled.
While Rapunzel smiled and sarcastically added her remarks, she observed the young man in front of her with forget-me-not-colored eyes.
There had been a misunderstanding that he was a realist, but it turned out to be a complete mistake. He was not someone who would be embarrassed anywhere─ he was an idealist.
And she thought this way:
Surely, even in a world on the brink of destruction, he would continue reaching out toward his ideal dream until the very last moment, even if it were in the midst of despair.
Whether that was a proper way to live as a human being or a way of existence equivalent to a madman, unfortunately, she couldn't distinguish.
But even if that were the case─
"──But strangely enough... I like Brother's ideology."
With deep emotions, she squeezed his large left hand.
"So... I want to support it."
"...I thought you might refuse."
"...Mouu... Do I seem that heartless? I just want to leave memories of the past not as mere traces but as keys to the future."
There had been some harsh words. She puffed her cheeks a bit, showing an indignant expression. In response, he shrugged lightly, exhaling purple smoke from his cigarette.
Leaving that aside, Rapunzel turned her gaze to Scarlet, and then to Snow White.
"What do you think, Scarlet and Snow White?"
"I agree too. I think it's fine to tell him."
"...I thought you were against it?"
"Bocchan? Do I seem that heartless to you?"
She had some harsh words to express her feelings, but despite wanting to respond with all her heart, it turned out to be quite a harsh expression.
"...This is what I think. No matter how much we hide, it will eventually be known, and I don't want to stop the changes of the times with my own hands."
"...Is that so."
"Yeah, that's right."
Scarlet nodded calmly. If possible, she felt like having a drink and talking, but unfortunately, she liked alcohol but was fatally prone to getting drunk. She strongly felt the premonition that valuable talking time would be wasted if she became completely drunk, so she desperately stopped her hand from reaching for the bottle.
"What about Snow White?"
"...Even though both of you agree, do you still need my consent?"
The silver pilgrim, who had been redirected with water by Rapunzel, questioned with a puzzled expression. She had been the one who had adamantly refused to provide information about Unchained.
Certainly, Moore couldn't help but wonder about the current situation.
"Of course. Only when Snow White agrees will the majority of us agree, right?"
When Rapunzel spoke of "us" and "majority," the Counter sisters, who could only watch the situation unfold, unintentionally formed invisible question marks above their heads.
"Dorothy... probably has no interest in such things anymore, and Red Hood... Lillith... Commander... are no longer here now..."
The golden saint mentioned the names of her former companions with a lonely expression.
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Red Hood.
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When that name struck her eardrums, the reserved Rapi lifted her hips.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Suddenly, Snow White called out. Ahead of her was the sweat-soaked figure of the young man pressing his head with his right hand.
"Brother?"
"Bocchan?"
"I'm... fine... I'm just tired..."
His voice, confidently stating that there was no problem, involuntarily trembled.
After repeating rough breathing several times, he eventually seemed to calm down and took a deep breath.
Uncomfortable with the concerned glances from both sides, Moore picked up a fallen cigarette from the floor and held it to the corner of his lips.
"Before answering, let me ask you one thing. ─Why? Why do you go to such lengths? NIMPH has nothing to do with reclaiming the surface. Even if you have NIMPH, even if memories are erased, Nikke and the others will protect you. ─Because you're human."
"..."
He couldn't respond to Snow White's question, nor could he deny it. Perhaps because he understood that it was an undeniable fact.
"Yet, why do you risk your life to obtain Unchained?"
"...No more..."
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"...Nikke's damaged brain should be disposed of according to the rules. ...By military law, the commander must carry out Nikke's disposal."
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"...Commander. You need to do it quickly, or there's a possibility of irregularities..."
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"...Commander... here... at...s..."
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"...Commander... bandage... glad..."
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"──No more... I don't want to sacrifice my precious subordinate just because "I have no choice." ."
This might be a selfish desire. Throughout, it seemed to be an unreasonable, one-way wish driven by nothing but extremely self-centered emotions, equivalent to an unruly child adhering to its whims, or even beyond that.
However, in his confession, Moore couldn't help but convey his true feelings.
"...Regarding the surface reclamation... it indeed might have no relevance. I've said this much. Let me be honest without sugarcoating it anymore. ─Honestly, I couldn't care less about surface reclamation."
It wasn't only Snow White who found his words surprising. Rapi, Anise, and Neon widened their eyes.
Moore, who continued to fight even after his right leg, right eye, and left arm were crushed, was thought to be the one most passionate about surface reclamation. His statement was indeed peculiar.
"...Even if we reclaim the surface, what awaits us is the desolation of the land, the reconstruction of civilization, and, just as in the history of humankind, an era of conflict driven by land, resources, religion, race, and various other reasons. I could almost make a prophecy about it."
Despite the human population dwindling to 10 million, the internal conflicts within the Ark continued unabated. Moore sometimes felt like he was being shown a condensed version of human history.
Even if the surface is reclaimed, humanity would likely continue repeating the same cycle. Humanity is such a species.
"...Sometimes, I think this way. Humanity should have perished. We should have acknowledged defeat honestly and descended from being rulers of the Earth. That's what I believe."
"Do you really think so?"
Rapunzel asked, her one-eyed gaze showing a hint of shadow in its iris.
"...I do think that way at times. But... I am also one of those humans. Unable to give up, embarrassingly, stubbornly resisting the fate of destruction. ─Even if it means fighting until the last judgment. I feel okay with that. I can't deny it."
It's an irredeemable race, humanity.
Continuously ensnared by desires, pursuing them, eventually perishing without realizing it. Even though they understand this, humans persistently reach out for hope.
"...Snow White. I don't have a reason to fight to the death. It's not because of the grand cause of surface reclamation. Of course, I want to protect my subordinates. The reason for not wanting to shoot my subordinates, my comrades, is not a lie. But... everything else is just added-on reasons. Just things I said in my own way."
"...Then, what's the fundamental reason behind it all?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
The golden-eyed gaze felt like it was probing. Understanding that, Moore plucked the cigarette he had finished, tossing it into the portable ashtray.
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"...Because I don't want to lose."
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Stripping away all the unnecessary embellishments, this single phrase summed up the fundamental reason behind his willingness to stake his life.
"Simple, isn't it?"
"Much better than trying to cover up and dress it up. It's good when you can understand the true nature."
Perhaps it was reasonable.
As Snow White was about to nod, Rapunzel raised her voice.
"...Isn't it more than just that, Brother?"
"...It's not a lie."
"Yes, I know. I understand that it's one of the reasons. But... is the only reason you, as a human, hold a gun and fight on the battlefield, just that?"
Rapunzel questioned. He remained silent, unable to comprehend the question.
Whether he himself hadn't realized it or wanted to keep it hidden.
"...Brother... do you harbor a sense of disgust towards the existence of Nikke?"
As both a confirmation and inquiry, the golden saint asked once again.
For Moore, who treated Nikke as a human, this sentiment would likely feel too distant.
Anise couldn't help but want to laugh it off, but the person in question maintained silence. He hadn't denied it.
"...Commander-sama?... It's a lie, right?"
"..."
Unable to get a denial from him, Anis, who could only see his situation from behind, spoke with a trembling voice. She wished it were a lie, hoped it was a mistake.
Yet, even to that, he continued his silence.
---
Author:
Chapter 2, Episode 5:
"...Don't make me laugh... What's the point of surface reclamation?"
From Moore's scornful words, everyone could vaguely sense his lack of interest in surface reclamation.
