It had once been some sort of warehouse. The decaying roof had partially collapsed, and the warehouse, with excellent ventilation, resounded with the sound of metal tools being used.
"Alright... I can move somehow," Snow White said as she finished her maintenance and weapon check, and the warehouse fell silent.
"...Human, are you okay?" She asked Moore, who was leaning against the wall and repeatedly clenching and unclenching his left hand.
"...No, it's not. I can't feel my fingertips. It seems like my skin and subcutaneous tissues have died," he replied, sighing.
"That guy," he muttered a curse, followed by a click of his tongue. It was a way of showing gratitude to the Talkative who had even politely removed his gloves.
His left hand, except for the thumb, had turned black up to the first joint near the fingertips. Moore had also checked his legs after taking off his boots, but fortunately, his natural left leg was fine.
However, it was a somewhat troublesome situation that necrosis had occurred in his non-dominant hand.
"...It might affect changing the magazines," he said with a sigh as he pulled out a pair of gloves, freshly dried this morning at the research base, from his backpack and carefully put them on.
Even more pessimistic thoughts wouldn't have been surprising, but Moore's reaction was so indifferent that Snow White couldn't help but give him an exasperated look.
"Let me make it clear, we can't treat it here."
"Yeah, I know. At this rate, it'll be amputation when we return to the Ark. Another prosthetic to add."
"...Again?"
"I transplanted Nikke's body, but here and here are prosthetic legs and a prosthetic eye."
He pointed to his right leg and right eye in turn with his right hand. ....Snow White recalled the sight of Moore's right leg bleeding profusely from a distance when she first saw them. THough, she hadn't expected that his right eye was also a prosthetic.
"...Your attitude of not caring about your own body is more Nikke-like than any other Nikkes'."
"If I can still fight, anything goes. But you also are pretty beat up too, right?"
"I haven't received proper maintenance. The last time was probably during the First Rapture Invasion, although I don't remember it well."
"...Over half a century ago,huh."
"---Don't ask any more than that. I don't want to talk about it."
"I see. I'm sorry about that."
With a plain response, Moore rummaged through his backpack again. It seemed like they would depart soon, so he decided to have some calories before that and tore open the packaging of a combat ration.
...---Food!
(Tl notes: Hello, Luffy!)
Snow White's gaze was involuntarily drawn. She was eating cans that had long exceeded their expiration date, spoiled with age, or even spiders and mice. She might have been greedy when it came to food from long before she became Nikke, but from after the First Invasion, she couldn't remember having a decent meal. There might have been some, but she had forgotten, perhaps due to a change in mindset.
Moore, who had torn open the packaging, continued by opening a pouch and scooping up the cold, solidified chili con carne with a synthetic resin spoon. It still had an ordinary taste.
While chewing expressionlessly, Snow White walked closer. Inadvertently looking up, he noticed drool at the corner of her lips.
Moore, sensing where her gaze was directed, offered her the pouch with the synthetic resin spoon still in it, even though he was in the middle of eating.
"...Are you sure...?"
Her golden eyes gleamed as she accepted it with lightning speed.
Although there was no need to rush, she sat down, used the synthetic resin spoon to vigorously scoop chili con carne into her mouth.
With heavy breaths and busy chewing, it was evident that she was quite hungry—strictly speaking, Nikke didn't get hungry, so she must have been starving for the sensation of food. Moore guessed, observing her busy eating.
Though she hadn't touched much of the combat ration yet, Moore handed her the whole package.
"...You can eat all of it."
"Gawbuhshu."
(Tl Notes: she mean thanks. She really is female Luffy.)
"When you speak, make sure your mouth is empty first."
"YESHH?"
...She really doesn't get it.
While watching her busily move her mouth like a cheek pouch, Moore lit a cigarette. Exhaling purple smoke, he then took a thermos out of his backpack.
Opening the lid and taking a few sips to moisten his dry throat, he also offered it to her.
He didn't know if Nikke would choke on it, but it was combat ration, cold and solidified. It would be somewhat easier to eat with water.
Accepting the offered thermos and drinking while making swallowing noises, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if savoring the aftertaste of a meal she hadn't had in a long time.
"...I appreciate it. Thank you."
"It's no big deal. ...The base meals are combat rations too. I'm starting to get tired of them."
Moore didn't mind Snow White treating the meal as a calorie intake operation, but he had recently realized the importance of variety in his diet.
"...Human. What's your name?"
It might be a bit late to ask now. Moore, squinting his deep brown eyes, replied to the belated question while exhaling purple smoke.
"...I'm Moore. Lieutenant Shaw Moore."
"I see. I'll remember that."
"Please do. ...Also, You should wipe your mouth."
Even a child wouldn't make such a mess, but Moore just shrugged his shoulders at Snow White, whose mouth was stained red with chili con sauce remains.
----
"Rapi, Anis! Is this...?"
"Commander's clothes! Over there, there's a helmet and body armor!"
The wolves were doing an excellent job. They were using their extraordinary senses to their fullest, tracking his traces that had been nearly impossible to follow.
When they reached their destination, scattered body armor, helmets, and combat clothing indicated that there had been a confrontation here.
When Anis lifted the body armor containing unused magazines and a fighting knife, along with sunglasses, the wolves rushed ahead again.
Lured by their movement, the girls followed behind and soon found a cigarette butt on the snowy ground.
"This cigarette butt..."
"Yes, it's the GODDESS cigarette brand that the Commander smokes."
Rapi nodded after a quick glance at the cigarette butt. It was unmistakably a familiar brand. Anis also nodded while putting on Moore's sunglasses.
The wolves led the way again, and ahead, another cigarette butt was left as a marker.
As they continued running while picking up the cigarette butts, Anis chuckled.
"It's like the fairy tale where they leave breadcrumbs as a trail."
"The cigarette butts are safe because birds won't eat them. But it's still littering."
"Yes, you're right. Let's make sure to collect them."
They continued running, hoping that he was still alive.
----
The blizzard was intensifying. This streak of bad weather seemed to have lasted forever.
Amidst the blowing snow that even swallowed up his white breath, Moore noticed Snow White's golden eyes focused on him.
"What's up?"
"Why were you captured by the Talkative?"
"Isn't that something you should have asked sooner?"
Even though it seemed too late, Moore sighed once again and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with an oil lighter.
He had used the remains of cigarrete as a trail marker, an act unbefitting a smoker. He worried whether his subordinates would manage to find them, but his urge to smoke was too strong.
"I don't know the reason. It wanted to take me somewhere. I tried to ask, but well... you were aead of me."
"....Hmm,there seems to be something going on. Well, if we ask them, we'll find out."
"True. This time, I'll Namasu that basta*d alive."
"Namasu?"
"Namasu. It's a dish where you eat meat or fish raw. Haven't you heard of it?"
"My Nikke self has no problems, but there are parasites. Eating raw food for you is dangerous."
(Tl Notes: A certain gourment screaming, IT'S RAWWWW!!!)
"Yeah... you're right."
A reasonable point, but not in that sense. It seemed that jokes or metaphors didn't quite reach her.
While puffing on his cigarette, he looked at the Tolkative's footprints left in the snow at his feet. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the blizzard wiped out their traces. He was concerned that Snow White wasn't picking up the pace.
Just before asking if she was worried, he heard her inhale.
"In truth, I don't know much about them either. But one thing is certain: they are directly under the Queen, and if we follow them, we can meet her."
"...I was curious about this, but who is this Queen?"
"The Queen of the Rapture. Killing her might bring back the era of humans."
Moore couldn't help but wonder if Raptures existed in a social structure similar to ants or bees.
While the actual details were uncertain, what Snow White mentioned about defeating the Raptures to restore the era of humanity, Moore found it hard to agree with.
As he puffed on his cigarette again, this time, he asked her.
"Where did you first encounter the Talkative? You seemed to have been searching for them for quite some time."
"At first, I was just destroying Raptures indiscriminately to get closer to the Queen," she began.
However, there was no progress to be made with that approach. She explained that Raptures, for the most part, lacked language and even their internal data was quite ordinary.
She continued to recount these days of repetition, but one day, if Snow White's memory was correct, she encountered a "great pillar of light" rising from the Ark, near the Ark itself, and that was when she came across the Talkative.
"...A great... pillar of... light...?"
"Yeah. Talking Raptures. immediately, I felt like I could see hope."
They were entities capable of extracting information to reach the Queen. However, she explained that she had no experience of having a proper conversation with them until just recently when they tried to escape in various ways.
"...I thought this time, for sure... but an unexpected interruption showed up."
"That Heretic Nikke, who is she?"
Her tone grew rough, likely due to deep regret. Moore sensed this and asked her about the identity of the Heretic.
"...A traitor. A loser. I don't want to talk too much about them. But one thing I can say for sure is that they are undoubtedly enemies of humanity. And they are also the key to reaching the Queen."
The conversation had gone on for a while. As if to signal that, Snow White sprinted ahead. Moore followed her.
---
However, the blizzard continued to intensify as if intentionally obstructing their path. Despite being careful with their actions, Moore couldn't help but feel as though he had been abandoned by the god who controlled the weather.
----(Yeah, I don't like you either, God.)
He muttered this to himself, a testament to the extent of his frustration. However, when Snow White had covered about three kilometers, she slowed down, noticing Moore's delay.
"...Are you okay?"
"I'm... fine. I can still run."
It seemed that his physical endurance was also beginning to take a toll. Although his gaze remained sharp despite his labored breathing, Snow White realized that he was nearing his limit and let out a sigh.
She started to walk away, apparently planning to leave him behind, but she immediately stopped.
"...Are you sure?"
"I'm... sure. I can still... run."
His exhaustion was becoming evident. Even though his eyes still held determination, Snow White realized she needed to slow down.
"Even though I've spent a long time on the surface, I'm still a Nikke. I can't just abandon a dying human..."
She turned back and approached Moore, attempting to offer him her heated mantle, but he raised his hand to stop her. It was a clear declaration that he didn't need it.
"Low body temperature can be fatal."
"That's why... I have to keep running... to maintain my core temperature..."
----What a foolishly stubborn man.
What was he saying, with sweat pouring down his forehead? As if to say that, her golden eyes were fixed on him. In response, he chuckled and took deep breaths to regain his composure, sweat streaming down his temples.
"I appreciate your concern and kindness... because that's what's kept me going this far."
"I see... that's the driving force that's brought me here as well."
"I see..."
He responded briefly as oxygen slowly returned to his brain, making his thoughts clearer, and then he continued.
"Why are you so fixated on the surface? Have you ever thought about going back to the Ark?"
"No... We haven't accomplished anything yet."
"I see..."
If that was the case, there was no helping it. It wasn't something he could force.
"Perhaps we would be welcomed back at the Ark. But we don't want that. A comforting welcome means nothing to us."
"Because it would negate all your efforts and actions, making you feel miserable?"
"Yes."
As the blizzard subsided slightly, Snow White nodded while her silver hair fluttered.
Raising his head to take in her demeanor, Moore narrowed his deep brown eyes.
"And we don't know the Ark. What kind of world is it? What kind of environment? We have no idea. So we can't go to the Ark... We are nothing more than Pilgrims, wandering the dead surface, searching for fleeting hope."
He felt respect for her resolute demeanor and determination. However, he couldn't help but see Snow White as a lost child trying to find her way back home after getting lost.
While he did have some sympathy and empathy, Moore extended his right hand, gripping his assault rifle, and reached out with his gloved fingers to lightly stroke her silver hair.
She initially tried to brush his hand away, but for a moment, her golden eyes glistened as she looked up at him.
"...Big brother..."
The whispered words, spoken softly, didn't reach Moore due to their low volume.
"Did you say something?"
"I... What am I...? How long are you going to...?"
Slightly dazed by her reaction, Moore tilted his head, and Snow White, who had blinked her golden eyes several times, lightly brushed away his left hand.
"Don't treat me like a child. I'm older than you. Let's hurry."
Snow White started running again, but strangely, she didn't feel bad about having her head patted.
It had once been some sort of warehouse. The decaying roof had partially collapsed, and the warehouse, with excellent ventilation, resounded with the sound of metal tools being used.
"Alright... I can move somehow," Snow White said as she finished her maintenance and weapon check, and the warehouse fell silent.
"...Human, are you okay?" She asked Moore, who was leaning against the wall and repeatedly clenching and unclenching his left hand.
"...No, it's not. I can't feel my fingertips. It seems like my skin and subcutaneous tissues have died," he replied, sighing.
"That guy," he muttered a curse, followed by a click of his tongue. It was a way of showing gratitude to the Talkative who had even politely removed his gloves.
His left hand, except for the thumb, had turned black up to the first joint near the fingertips. Moore had also checked his legs after taking off his boots, but fortunately, his natural left leg was fine.
However, it was a somewhat troublesome situation that necrosis had occurred in his non-dominant hand.
"...It might affect changing the magazines," he said with a sigh as he pulled out a pair of gloves, freshly dried this morning at the research base, from his backpack and carefully put them on.
Even more pessimistic thoughts wouldn't have been surprising, but Moore's reaction was so indifferent that Snow White couldn't help but give him an exasperated look.
"Let me make it clear, we can't treat it here."
"Yeah, I know. At this rate, it'll be amputation when we return to the Ark. Another prosthetic to add."
"...Again?"
"I transplanted Nikke's body, but here and here are prosthetic legs and a prosthetic eye."
He pointed to his right leg and right eye in turn with his right hand. ....Snow White recalled the sight of Moore's right leg bleeding profusely from a distance when she first saw them. THough, she hadn't expected that his right eye was also a prosthetic.
"...Your attitude of not caring about your own body is more Nikke-like than any other Nikkes'."
"If I can still fight, anything goes. But you also are pretty beat up too, right?"
"I haven't received proper maintenance. The last time was probably during the First Rapture Invasion, although I don't remember it well."
"...Over half a century ago,huh."
"---Don't ask any more than that. I don't want to talk about it."
"I see. I'm sorry about that."
With a plain response, Moore rummaged through his backpack again. It seemed like they would depart soon, so he decided to have some calories before that and tore open the packaging of a combat ration.
...---Food!
(Tl notes: Hello, Luffy!)
Snow White's gaze was involuntarily drawn. She was eating cans that had long exceeded their expiration date, spoiled with age, or even spiders and mice. She might have been greedy when it came to food from long before she became Nikke, but from after the First Invasion, she couldn't remember having a decent meal. There might have been some, but she had forgotten, perhaps due to a change in mindset.
Moore, who had torn open the packaging, continued by opening a pouch and scooping up the cold, solidified chili con carne with a synthetic resin spoon. It still had an ordinary taste.
While chewing expressionlessly, Snow White walked closer. Inadvertently looking up, he noticed drool at the corner of her lips.
Moore, sensing where her gaze was directed, offered her the pouch with the synthetic resin spoon still in it, even though he was in the middle of eating.
"...Are you sure...?"
Her golden eyes gleamed as she accepted it with lightning speed.
Although there was no need to rush, she sat down, used the synthetic resin spoon to vigorously scoop chili con carne into her mouth.
With heavy breaths and busy chewing, it was evident that she was quite hungry—strictly speaking, Nikke didn't get hungry, so she must have been starving for the sensation of food. Moore guessed, observing her busy eating.
Though she hadn't touched much of the combat ration yet, Moore handed her the whole package.
"...You can eat all of it."
"Gawbuhshu."
(Tl Notes: she mean thanks. She really is female Luffy.)
"When you speak, make sure your mouth is empty first."
"YESHH?"
...She really doesn't get it.
While watching her busily move her mouth like a cheek pouch, Moore lit a cigarette. Exhaling purple smoke, he then took a thermos out of his backpack.
Opening the lid and taking a few sips to moisten his dry throat, he also offered it to her.
He didn't know if Nikke would choke on it, but it was combat ration, cold and solidified. It would be somewhat easier to eat with water.
Accepting the offered thermos and drinking while making swallowing noises, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if savoring the aftertaste of a meal she hadn't had in a long time.
"...I appreciate it. Thank you."
"It's no big deal. ...The base meals are combat rations too. I'm starting to get tired of them."
Moore didn't mind Snow White treating the meal as a calorie intake operation, but he had recently realized the importance of variety in his diet.
"...Human. What's your name?"
It might be a bit late to ask now. Moore, squinting his deep brown eyes, replied to the belated question while exhaling purple smoke.
"...I'm Moore. Lieutenant Shaw Moore."
"I see. I'll remember that."
"Please do. ...Also, You should wipe your mouth."
Even a child wouldn't make such a mess, but Moore just shrugged his shoulders at Snow White, whose mouth was stained red with chili con sauce remains.
----
"Rapi, Anis! Is this...?"
"Commander's clothes! Over there, there's a helmet and body armor!"
The wolves were doing an excellent job. They were using their extraordinary senses to their fullest, tracking his traces that had been nearly impossible to follow.
When they reached their destination, scattered body armor, helmets, and combat clothing indicated that there had been a confrontation here.
When Anis lifted the body armor containing unused magazines and a fighting knife, along with sunglasses, the wolves rushed ahead again.
Lured by their movement, the girls followed behind and soon found a cigarette butt on the snowy ground.
"This cigarette butt..."
"Yes, it's the GODDESS cigarette brand that the Commander smokes."
Rapi nodded after a quick glance at the cigarette butt. It was unmistakably a familiar brand. Anis also nodded while putting on Moore's sunglasses.
The wolves led the way again, and ahead, another cigarette butt was left as a marker.
As they continued running while picking up the cigarette butts, Anis chuckled.
"It's like the fairy tale where they leave breadcrumbs as a trail."
"The cigarette butts are safe because birds won't eat them. But it's still littering."
"Yes, you're right. Let's make sure to collect them."
They continued running, hoping that he was still alive.
----
The blizzard was intensifying. This streak of bad weather seemed to have lasted forever.
Amidst the blowing snow that even swallowed up his white breath, Moore noticed Snow White's golden eyes focused on him.
"What's up?"
"Why were you captured by the Talkative?"
"Isn't that something you should have asked sooner?"
Even though it seemed too late, Moore sighed once again and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with an oil lighter.
He had used the remains of cigarrete as a trail marker, an act unbefitting a smoker. He worried whether his subordinates would manage to find them, but his urge to smoke was too strong.
"I don't know the reason. It wanted to take me somewhere. I tried to ask, but well... you were aead of me."
"....Hmm,there seems to be something going on. Well, if we ask them, we'll find out."
"True. This time, I'll Namasu that basta*d alive."
"Namasu?"
"Namasu. It's a dish where you eat meat or fish raw. Haven't you heard of it?"
"My Nikke self has no problems, but there are parasites. Eating raw food for you is dangerous."
(Tl Notes: A certain gourment screaming, IT'S RAWWWW!!!)
"Yeah... you're right."
A reasonable point, but not in that sense. It seemed that jokes or metaphors didn't quite reach her.
While puffing on his cigarette, he looked at the Tolkative's footprints left in the snow at his feet. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the blizzard wiped out their traces. He was concerned that Snow White wasn't picking up the pace.
Just before asking if she was worried, he heard her inhale.
"In truth, I don't know much about them either. But one thing is certain: they are directly under the Queen, and if we follow them, we can meet her."
"...I was curious about this, but who is this Queen?"
"The Queen of the Rapture. Killing her might bring back the era of humans."
Moore couldn't help but wonder if Raptures existed in a social structure similar to ants or bees.
While the actual details were uncertain, what Snow White mentioned about defeating the Raptures to restore the era of humanity, Moore found it hard to agree with.
As he puffed on his cigarette again, this time, he asked her.
"Where did you first encounter the Talkative? You seemed to have been searching for them for quite some time."
"At first, I was just destroying Raptures indiscriminately to get closer to the Queen," she began.
However, there was no progress to be made with that approach. She explained that Raptures, for the most part, lacked language and even their internal data was quite ordinary.
She continued to recount these days of repetition, but one day, if Snow White's memory was correct, she encountered a "great pillar of light" rising from the Ark, near the Ark itself, and that was when she came across the Talkative.
"...A great... pillar of... light...?"
"Yeah. Talking Raptures. immediately, I felt like I could see hope."
They were entities capable of extracting information to reach the Queen. However, she explained that she had no experience of having a proper conversation with them until just recently when they tried to escape in various ways.
"...I thought this time, for sure... but an unexpected interruption showed up."
"That Heretic Nikke, who is she?"
Her tone grew rough, likely due to deep regret. Moore sensed this and asked her about the identity of the Heretic.
"...A traitor. A loser. I don't want to talk too much about them. But one thing I can say for sure is that they are undoubtedly enemies of humanity. And they are also the key to reaching the Queen."
The conversation had gone on for a while. As if to signal that, Snow White sprinted ahead. Moore followed her.
---
However, the blizzard continued to intensify as if intentionally obstructing their path. Despite being careful with their actions, Moore couldn't help but feel as though he had been abandoned by the god who controlled the weather.
----(Yeah, I don't like you either, God.)
He muttered this to himself, a testament to the extent of his frustration. However, when Snow White had covered about three kilometers, she slowed down, noticing Moore's delay.
"...Are you okay?"
"I'm... fine. I can still run."
It seemed that his physical endurance was also beginning to take a toll. Although his gaze remained sharp despite his labored breathing, Snow White realized that he was nearing his limit and let out a sigh.
She started to walk away, apparently planning to leave him behind, but she immediately stopped.
"...Are you sure?"
"I'm... sure. I can still... run."
His exhaustion was becoming evident. Even though his eyes still held determination, Snow White realized she needed to slow down.
"Even though I've spent a long time on the surface, I'm still a Nikke. I can't just abandon a dying human..."
She turned back and approached Moore, attempting to offer him her heated mantle, but he raised his hand to stop her. It was a clear declaration that he didn't need it.
"Low body temperature can be fatal."
"That's why... I have to keep running... to maintain my core temperature..."
----What a foolishly stubborn man.
What was he saying, with sweat pouring down his forehead? As if to say that, her golden eyes were fixed on him. In response, he chuckled and took deep breaths to regain his composure, sweat streaming down his temples.
"I appreciate your concern and kindness... because that's what's kept me going this far."
"I see... that's the driving force that's brought me here as well."
"I see..."
He responded briefly as oxygen slowly returned to his brain, making his thoughts clearer, and then he continued.
"Why are you so fixated on the surface? Have you ever thought about going back to the Ark?"
"No... We haven't accomplished anything yet."
"I see..."
If that was the case, there was no helping it. It wasn't something he could force.
"Perhaps we would be welcomed back at the Ark. But we don't want that. A comforting welcome means nothing to us."
"Because it would negate all your efforts and actions, making you feel miserable?"
"Yes."
As the blizzard subsided slightly, Snow White nodded while her silver hair fluttered.
Raising his head to take in her demeanor, Moore narrowed his deep brown eyes.
"And we don't know the Ark. What kind of world is it? What kind of environment? We have no idea. So we can't go to the Ark... We are nothing more than Pilgrims, wandering the dead surface, searching for fleeting hope."
He felt respect for her resolute demeanor and determination. However, he couldn't help but see Snow White as a lost child trying to find her way back home after getting lost.
While he did have some sympathy and empathy, Moore extended his right hand, gripping his assault rifle, and reached out with his gloved fingers to lightly stroke her silver hair.
She initially tried to brush his hand away, but for a moment, her golden eyes glistened as she looked up at him.
"...Big brother..."
The whispered words, spoken softly, didn't reach Moore due to their low volume.
"Did you say something?"
"I... What am I...? How long are you going to...?"
Slightly dazed by her reaction, Moore tilted his head, and Snow White, who had blinked her golden eyes several times, lightly brushed away his left hand.
"Don't treat me like a child. I'm older than you. Let's hurry."
Snow White started running again, but strangely, she didn't feel bad about having her head patted.
