Even though he had been demoted to Major, Moore was still Moore. When he returned, the mass-produced Nikke staff at the forward base and her fellow Counters warmly welcomed him.
When Anis playfully called him "Major-sama," he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
Having completed training at the Central Government Army Headquarters—officially completed, as he claimed—on the night he returned, Moore volunteered for guard duty at the last minute. According to him, he wanted to sort out his thoughts.
"Isn't it the commander's job to take duty for such things?"
"Well, it's okay to have a weirdo once in a while. Eagle, take the passenger seat. I'll drive."
As soon as they left the guard post, the leader of the mass-produced Nikke, who was accompanying Moore, shrugged his shoulders. Moore also shrugged his shoulders in response, and they boarded an armed vehicle for inspection.
The leader Nikke and others boarded other vehicles, and they were about to set off.
The time had already passed midnight. Night patrols are eerie, commented Eagle, who sat in the passenger seat with a mixture of teasing.
"... Is it that bad?"
"It's scary. Haven't you heard? Seeing a white shadow during midnight patrols, thinking the elevator came up suddenly, and no one was inside, or hearing a girl's laughter..."
"Oh, I remember Sun talking about it. I haven't seen it myself, though..."
"Between us, I think it might be ghosts..."
"... I find Rapture scarier. By the way, you're using the Ghost patch."
"It's fine. It's cute."
Moore pointed out a deformed ghost illustration stuck on the front of Eagle's body armor, different from the helmet Moore wore. Moore shrugged his shoulders at the response, adding that humans are scarier. Eagle chuckled in response.
"... Well, ghost stories are inevitable in a place like this."
"There have been various incidents since I was assigned to this forward base. I laughed them off at first..."
"Have you seen it?"
Eagle, speaking in a pretentious manner, asked as Moore continued to drive. Unlike Moore, who wore a helmet, she covered her head with armor that had large cutouts on the sides.
"Yes, I saw it. Oh, right around here..."
Just as Eagle was about to tell him exactly where it was, a person-shaped white shadow crossed the paved road illuminated by the headlights.
Instinctively, Moore hit the brakes. The recoil was strong enough to make the seatbelt dig into the body armor as the armored vehicle came to a stop.
In the midst of the unusually loud engine vibrations, both Eagle and Moore, sitting in the front seats, looked at each other.
—Did you see it?
—I saw it.
They confirmed with just their eyes. It seemed that neither of them was mistaken.
"Get off. Let's check."
"R- Roger."
They moved the vehicle to the shoulder, turned off the engine, and Moore, holding a submachine gun, got out first. Eagle followed, a bit slower.
The lever was pulled, and then the bolt-forward assist was struck, resonating in the vicinity of the late-night shooting range.
"It didn't look like Rapture, but..."
The person-shaped white shadow had headed for the shooting range beyond the gentle slope.
Moore lowered the night vision goggles attached to his helmet over his eyes, acknowledging the green tint in his field of vision. Then, he descended the stairs built into the slope.
They quickly reached the shooting range, but at this time of night, no one was using it. Not only at midnight but also when using it for training, they needed permission from Moore or Rapi, but there was no such report.
—Was it a mistake?
Just to be sure, Moore searched, but of course, there was no sign of anyone, let alone enemies.
"... I'll make a report just in case. Eagle, let's go back. Eagle?"
He called out to the subordinate who had been trailing behind him, but there was no response. Feeling suspicious, he turned his shoulder to look, and she was undoubtedly standing right in front of him.
"Eagle, didn't you hear me?"
Perhaps there was a malfunction in her auditory sensors. However, if that were the case, there should have been a report.
Feeling uneasy, Moore approached Eagle while securing the safety device. However—
"—Who... are... you?"
—This was not the subordinate Eagle.
It was challenging to explain, but her aura was different from usual. Sensing this, he stopped two steps away and lifted the night vision goggles he had on, exposing his naked eyes for observation.
"...Lonely..."
"Lonely?"
"...Alone... and died..."
Clearly, it wasn't Eagle's voice. An echoing voice resonated as if it were an echo.
"...Alone... hated it... lonely..."
"...Were you alone all this time?"
While Moore didn't believe much in ghosts, this situation could only be explained by either Eagle playing a prank, which was immediately ruled out. She would never engage in such childish mischief.
Whatever had taken over Eagle began to sob. Tears streamed from her eyes, and eventually, she collapsed on her knees, throwing away her helmet and clawing at her hair.
"...No one... noticed me!"
"You were alone... that's sad."
Unconsciously or reflexively, Moore's fingers were about to release the safety, but he noticed and pulled his hand away. Moving beside Eagle, he knelt down and rubbed her back.
"Where is everyone?"
"──What's your unit name?"
"...Unit...? ...Don't remember..."
She shook her head. Communication seemed possible.
"Can you stand?"
She nodded. Moore supported her back to her feet, picked up her helmet from the ground with one hand, and guided her towards a vending machine just set up in the shooting range. Seating her on a bench meant for breaks, Moore took out some credits from his pocket.
"Is there anything you want to drink? There isn't much variety..."
"...Something sweet..."
Nikke seems to have a sweet tooth. With a lingering question mark, Moore bought the juice she requested and pressed the button for his own canned coffee.
First, he opened the tab of the juice and handed it to her.
Sobbing and sniffling, she took it, put her lips to the can, and tilted it.
"...Delicious..."
"That's good."
It was good that it suited her taste. Normally, such things were strictly prohibited during patrols, but he didn't mind. He opened the tab and, subsequently, lit a cigarette with an oil lighter.
"Are you... the commander?"
"Yeah."
"...You don't seem like a commander."
"...I get that a lot."
Exhaling purple smoke, Moore shrugged his shoulders. He had mentioned it to Eagle before they started the patrol. It was okay to have such an eccentric person.
"...My... commander... was not kind..."
"...I see."
"...A commander like you... would have been nice."
That murmur was probably the true feelings of most Nikke. Or perhaps— even if not kind, at least in their treatment, please.
"...Who are you guys?"
"—Eh?"
Suddenly, she looked up at Moore. However, her gaze—was not directed at him but behind him.
"You guys," the term she used caught Moore's attention, and he checked behind him. Naturally, there was no one there.
"Superior...subordinates...yes..."
"...Is someone there?"
"...Many...are there."
The specific number was not disclosed.
"...You're not alone, please tell him that..."
"Well...I don't mind being alone, but..."
"...Always... watching..."
—Would he have such diligent acquaintances?
Unfortunately, Moore didn't have deep or broad friendships. A question mark hung over his head.
Eventually, she finished the juice, stood up unsteadily, and walked towards Moore. More precisely, she started walking towards his back.
"Come with us..."
"...Are you okay? Are they weird people?"
It was a strange concern, but just to be sure, he asked. She squinted her eyes and smiled in response.
"...Kind... people..."
"...So, is it okay?"
Involuntarily, he tilted his head. He didn't know what kind of individuals they were. Moore couldn't see them, but she probably could.
"...Huh?... Yeah, one more thing...I want you to tell him..."
"—What?"
"...To keep fighting, until the final judgment."
As purple smoke gently rose into the makeshift night sky, words were conveyed from her. It was a message from unknown individuals. Moore had no obligation to heed it, but—
"—Until the final judgment."
As soon as that reply slipped out, her body collapsed to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
----
.
.
.
"Commander, is it okay not to sleep?"
"Even if I want to sleep, my thoughts won't come together."
The day after the guard duty ended. Returning to the base headquarters building, Moore found Anis looking bored and assigned her a special mission.
However, it was nothing special—a simple haircut. Setting up a chair in front of the main entrance of the building, Moore sat down, wrapped a cape around himself, and had his haircut by Anis.
It had grown to the point where he felt it was time to cut it, and he had planned to ask Anis after the training was over.
According to Eagle's explanation after regaining consciousness, she had no memory from a certain point onwards. It was hard to believe that she was lying. If not, then—what was that thing last night?
"...There are many things in this world that I don't understand."
"For example?"
"...How to teach Anis to develop habits of organization and cleaning."
"That's impossible. Give up."
The clippers buzz as they cut through the black hair. Amid the scattered fine black hair falling onto the cape, Anis lets out a wry smile, and Moore shrugs his shoulders.
"Ah, wait a moment, don't move."
"...Sorry. —How's Marian?"
"Marian? There's nothing particularly different. While Commander was on training, various examinations were conducted in Elysion, including simulated combat training in simulations, but there weren't any significant issues..."
"I've heard the reports."
As Moore changes the topic, Anis reports information she should already know. He nods in response, letting out a small sigh.
The results of simulated combat in simulations were outstanding. They received a certification that there were no problems deploying her into combat at any time. That was fine, but the problem lay with the examinations.
Firstly, it seems the titanium-matter injection needle couldn't pierce her skin.
According to Marian, it was because she didn't like injections, so she involuntarily tensed up. When she relaxed, the needle pierced through, and the collection of body fluids was successfully completed. —This also meant that if she wished, titanium-matter needles wouldn't work.
Organ tissue examination failed to leave any traces as attempts to collect hair or saliva immediately evaporated. Although a small amount of skin tissue was eventually collected, it felt as if something was intentionally hiding her existence.
The result of examining the collected skin with M.M.R. revealed that Rapture-derived elements were mixed into the components that originally constituted Marian's Nikke, appearing as if they were melting and merging.
Not Nikke, not Rapture. Something else.
Skin tissue that was also muscle and keratin. It could change hardness freely and, if desired, reach a hardness that even titanium-matter needles couldn't pierce, as mentioned earlier. Conversely, it could change into a flexible state like human skin.
While technology using Nikke's artificial muscles—similar to the one Moore wears on his prosthetic limb—exists to induce muscle contractions through electrical signals from the brain to achieve appropriate contractions according to the scene, this seemed to be a more advanced technology. If analyzed and mass-produced, it could shorten Arc's technological development by a hundred years—according to M.M.R.'s opinion.
"...A hundred years..."
"...Huh?"
"...It's nothing."
—If, if they analyze it, Arc's technology can advance by a hundred years...!
The words of Birmingham that resurfaced in his mind were more than enough to furrow Moore's brow with vertical wrinkles.
—Information is leaking.
"Marian came back not long ago, about a month ago... It's going to get busy from now on."
"It's already quite busy now."
Certainly, he tried to nod in agreement, but he couldn't stand being scolded by Anis again. Quietly sitting still, he felt her behind him stop the clippers, and he sensed that she was grabbing the black hair on the top of his head.
"...Hm?"
"What's wrong?"
"...Commander... Has your white hair increased?"
"...I have some white hair."
"Really?... 1... 2... 3... Quite a lot?"
"...I've been busy lately. That might be why."
If he says so, then that's probably the case.
Anis continues without much concern, restarting the clippers and cutting through not only his black hair but also the scattered white hair.
---
Don't try to communicate with ghosts!
And... the time has finally come...
Even though he had been demoted to Major, Moore was still Moore. When he returned, the mass-produced Nikke staff at the forward base and her fellow Counters warmly welcomed him.
When Anis playfully called him "Major-sama," he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
Having completed training at the Central Government Army Headquarters—officially completed, as he claimed—on the night he returned, Moore volunteered for guard duty at the last minute. According to him, he wanted to sort out his thoughts.
"Isn't it the commander's job to take duty for such things?"
"Well, it's okay to have a weirdo once in a while. Eagle, take the passenger seat. I'll drive."
As soon as they left the guard post, the leader of the mass-produced Nikke, who was accompanying Moore, shrugged his shoulders. Moore also shrugged his shoulders in response, and they boarded an armed vehicle for inspection.
The leader Nikke and others boarded other vehicles, and they were about to set off.
The time had already passed midnight. Night patrols are eerie, commented Eagle, who sat in the passenger seat with a mixture of teasing.
"... Is it that bad?"
"It's scary. Haven't you heard? Seeing a white shadow during midnight patrols, thinking the elevator came up suddenly, and no one was inside, or hearing a girl's laughter..."
"Oh, I remember Sun talking about it. I haven't seen it myself, though..."
"Between us, I think it might be ghosts..."
"... I find Rapture scarier. By the way, you're using the Ghost patch."
"It's fine. It's cute."
Moore pointed out a deformed ghost illustration stuck on the front of Eagle's body armor, different from the helmet Moore wore. Moore shrugged his shoulders at the response, adding that humans are scarier. Eagle chuckled in response.
"... Well, ghost stories are inevitable in a place like this."
"There have been various incidents since I was assigned to this forward base. I laughed them off at first..."
"Have you seen it?"
Eagle, speaking in a pretentious manner, asked as Moore continued to drive. Unlike Moore, who wore a helmet, she covered her head with armor that had large cutouts on the sides.
"Yes, I saw it. Oh, right around here..."
Just as Eagle was about to tell him exactly where it was, a person-shaped white shadow crossed the paved road illuminated by the headlights.
Instinctively, Moore hit the brakes. The recoil was strong enough to make the seatbelt dig into the body armor as the armored vehicle came to a stop.
In the midst of the unusually loud engine vibrations, both Eagle and Moore, sitting in the front seats, looked at each other.
—Did you see it?
—I saw it.
They confirmed with just their eyes. It seemed that neither of them was mistaken.
"Get off. Let's check."
"R- Roger."
They moved the vehicle to the shoulder, turned off the engine, and Moore, holding a submachine gun, got out first. Eagle followed, a bit slower.
The lever was pulled, and then the bolt-forward assist was struck, resonating in the vicinity of the late-night shooting range.
"It didn't look like Rapture, but..."
The person-shaped white shadow had headed for the shooting range beyond the gentle slope.
Moore lowered the night vision goggles attached to his helmet over his eyes, acknowledging the green tint in his field of vision. Then, he descended the stairs built into the slope.
They quickly reached the shooting range, but at this time of night, no one was using it. Not only at midnight but also when using it for training, they needed permission from Moore or Rapi, but there was no such report.
—Was it a mistake?
Just to be sure, Moore searched, but of course, there was no sign of anyone, let alone enemies.
"... I'll make a report just in case. Eagle, let's go back. Eagle?"
He called out to the subordinate who had been trailing behind him, but there was no response. Feeling suspicious, he turned his shoulder to look, and she was undoubtedly standing right in front of him.
"Eagle, didn't you hear me?"
Perhaps there was a malfunction in her auditory sensors. However, if that were the case, there should have been a report.
Feeling uneasy, Moore approached Eagle while securing the safety device. However—
"—Who... are... you?"
—This was not the subordinate Eagle.
It was challenging to explain, but her aura was different from usual. Sensing this, he stopped two steps away and lifted the night vision goggles he had on, exposing his naked eyes for observation.
"...Lonely..."
"Lonely?"
"...Alone... and died..."
Clearly, it wasn't Eagle's voice. An echoing voice resonated as if it were an echo.
"...Alone... hated it... lonely..."
"...Were you alone all this time?"
While Moore didn't believe much in ghosts, this situation could only be explained by either Eagle playing a prank, which was immediately ruled out. She would never engage in such childish mischief.
Whatever had taken over Eagle began to sob. Tears streamed from her eyes, and eventually, she collapsed on her knees, throwing away her helmet and clawing at her hair.
"...No one... noticed me!"
"You were alone... that's sad."
Unconsciously or reflexively, Moore's fingers were about to release the safety, but he noticed and pulled his hand away. Moving beside Eagle, he knelt down and rubbed her back.
"Where is everyone?"
"──What's your unit name?"
"...Unit...? ...Don't remember..."
She shook her head. Communication seemed possible.
"Can you stand?"
She nodded. Moore supported her back to her feet, picked up her helmet from the ground with one hand, and guided her towards a vending machine just set up in the shooting range. Seating her on a bench meant for breaks, Moore took out some credits from his pocket.
"Is there anything you want to drink? There isn't much variety..."
"...Something sweet..."
Nikke seems to have a sweet tooth. With a lingering question mark, Moore bought the juice she requested and pressed the button for his own canned coffee.
First, he opened the tab of the juice and handed it to her.
Sobbing and sniffling, she took it, put her lips to the can, and tilted it.
"...Delicious..."
"That's good."
It was good that it suited her taste. Normally, such things were strictly prohibited during patrols, but he didn't mind. He opened the tab and, subsequently, lit a cigarette with an oil lighter.
"Are you... the commander?"
"Yeah."
"...You don't seem like a commander."
"...I get that a lot."
Exhaling purple smoke, Moore shrugged his shoulders. He had mentioned it to Eagle before they started the patrol. It was okay to have such an eccentric person.
"...My... commander... was not kind..."
"...I see."
"...A commander like you... would have been nice."
That murmur was probably the true feelings of most Nikke. Or perhaps— even if not kind, at least in their treatment, please.
"...Who are you guys?"
"—Eh?"
Suddenly, she looked up at Moore. However, her gaze—was not directed at him but behind him.
"You guys," the term she used caught Moore's attention, and he checked behind him. Naturally, there was no one there.
"Superior...subordinates...yes..."
"...Is someone there?"
"...Many...are there."
The specific number was not disclosed.
"...You're not alone, please tell him that..."
"Well...I don't mind being alone, but..."
"...Always... watching..."
—Would he have such diligent acquaintances?
Unfortunately, Moore didn't have deep or broad friendships. A question mark hung over his head.
Eventually, she finished the juice, stood up unsteadily, and walked towards Moore. More precisely, she started walking towards his back.
"Come with us..."
"...Are you okay? Are they weird people?"
It was a strange concern, but just to be sure, he asked. She squinted her eyes and smiled in response.
"...Kind... people..."
"...So, is it okay?"
Involuntarily, he tilted his head. He didn't know what kind of individuals they were. Moore couldn't see them, but she probably could.
"...Huh?... Yeah, one more thing...I want you to tell him..."
"—What?"
"...To keep fighting, until the final judgment."
As purple smoke gently rose into the makeshift night sky, words were conveyed from her. It was a message from unknown individuals. Moore had no obligation to heed it, but—
"—Until the final judgment."
As soon as that reply slipped out, her body collapsed to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
----
.
.
.
"Commander, is it okay not to sleep?"
"Even if I want to sleep, my thoughts won't come together."
The day after the guard duty ended. Returning to the base headquarters building, Moore found Anis looking bored and assigned her a special mission.
However, it was nothing special—a simple haircut. Setting up a chair in front of the main entrance of the building, Moore sat down, wrapped a cape around himself, and had his haircut by Anis.
It had grown to the point where he felt it was time to cut it, and he had planned to ask Anis after the training was over.
According to Eagle's explanation after regaining consciousness, she had no memory from a certain point onwards. It was hard to believe that she was lying. If not, then—what was that thing last night?
"...There are many things in this world that I don't understand."
"For example?"
"...How to teach Anis to develop habits of organization and cleaning."
"That's impossible. Give up."
The clippers buzz as they cut through the black hair. Amid the scattered fine black hair falling onto the cape, Anis lets out a wry smile, and Moore shrugs his shoulders.
"Ah, wait a moment, don't move."
"...Sorry. —How's Marian?"
"Marian? There's nothing particularly different. While Commander was on training, various examinations were conducted in Elysion, including simulated combat training in simulations, but there weren't any significant issues..."
"I've heard the reports."
As Moore changes the topic, Anis reports information she should already know. He nods in response, letting out a small sigh.
The results of simulated combat in simulations were outstanding. They received a certification that there were no problems deploying her into combat at any time. That was fine, but the problem lay with the examinations.
Firstly, it seems the titanium-matter injection needle couldn't pierce her skin.
According to Marian, it was because she didn't like injections, so she involuntarily tensed up. When she relaxed, the needle pierced through, and the collection of body fluids was successfully completed. —This also meant that if she wished, titanium-matter needles wouldn't work.
Organ tissue examination failed to leave any traces as attempts to collect hair or saliva immediately evaporated. Although a small amount of skin tissue was eventually collected, it felt as if something was intentionally hiding her existence.
The result of examining the collected skin with M.M.R. revealed that Rapture-derived elements were mixed into the components that originally constituted Marian's Nikke, appearing as if they were melting and merging.
Not Nikke, not Rapture. Something else.
Skin tissue that was also muscle and keratin. It could change hardness freely and, if desired, reach a hardness that even titanium-matter needles couldn't pierce, as mentioned earlier. Conversely, it could change into a flexible state like human skin.
While technology using Nikke's artificial muscles—similar to the one Moore wears on his prosthetic limb—exists to induce muscle contractions through electrical signals from the brain to achieve appropriate contractions according to the scene, this seemed to be a more advanced technology. If analyzed and mass-produced, it could shorten Arc's technological development by a hundred years—according to M.M.R.'s opinion.
"...A hundred years..."
"...Huh?"
"...It's nothing."
—If, if they analyze it, Arc's technology can advance by a hundred years...!
The words of Birmingham that resurfaced in his mind were more than enough to furrow Moore's brow with vertical wrinkles.
—Information is leaking.
"Marian came back not long ago, about a month ago... It's going to get busy from now on."
"It's already quite busy now."
Certainly, he tried to nod in agreement, but he couldn't stand being scolded by Anis again. Quietly sitting still, he felt her behind him stop the clippers, and he sensed that she was grabbing the black hair on the top of his head.
"...Hm?"
"What's wrong?"
"...Commander... Has your white hair increased?"
"...I have some white hair."
"Really?... 1... 2... 3... Quite a lot?"
"...I've been busy lately. That might be why."
If he says so, then that's probably the case.
Anis continues without much concern, restarting the clippers and cutting through not only his black hair but also the scattered white hair.
---
Don't try to communicate with ghosts!
And... the time has finally come...
