Author's Note:
Recently, there's a popular app where AI can draw illustrations, you know? Since I have no artistic talent, I tried using it to draw an image of Captain Moore. Well, it didn't work out. I was like, "What is this?"
Drawing is difficult, isn't it?
And before I knew it, I've surpassed 100,000 UAs... I'm both happy and embarrassed that so many of you have read my posts... I don't know how to express it, but once again, I want to thank everyone who has been following me up to this point.
-----
"Emma uses a really large weapon, yeah?"
"Yeah, this weapon has excellent firepower, you know?"
(Tl Notes: ....Is it just me, or the author purposefully leads to THAT topic?)
"!!"
As two squads moved toward their destination through the wilderness stretching from the city outskirts, Neon reacted to Ema's words.
It was clearly high in firepower—a scaled-down version of a Vulcan cannon, typically used for aircraft or low-altitude anti-aircraft purposes, with six barrels bundled together. Ema, carrying it, spoke in a calm tone. Nevertheless, the ammunition used wasn't small caliber.
Neon, responding to the term "firepower," asked Ema about the specifications of her special therapist weapon. However, Ema seemed uninterested in that topic.
Seeing Neon disheartened, Ema seemed to sense her mood and started discussing her faith and beliefs, using the housing attached to Moore's ears for communication. For a brief moment, noise buzzed in Moore's ears.
[Everyone seems oddly friendly. I was quite worried, you know. I've heard that the Absolute members are not ordinary.]
"I see."
Judging from the lack of reaction from the others, Moore deduced that the communication was directed only at him, coming from Shifty. Perhaps she was getting bored with just navigation. While considering this, he noticed something glinting at the edge of his vision. He stopped, knelt down, and took out his binoculars.
The sandstorm that had been near was now gone. The visibility was excellent.
[But... the commander doesn't mingle much, yes? By any chance, are you shhy?]
"...If you think so, maybe it is. But more importantly, there's something that's been bothering me since earlier..."
Just as Moore was about to explain, Shifty seemed to have misunderstood something. However, Moore's lackluster response only fueled her misunderstanding.
[It's bothering you... could it be... Ema!?]
"...Huh?"
[Yes, isn't it? She's quite... mature, in various ways.]
Why did her voice sound so...flustered?
Moore felt like sighing, but just as he noticed something glinting through his binoculars, his dark brown eyes narrowed.
"...There's something out there."
"Huh?"
"It's related to us."
Stopped in his tracks, Moore's concern piqued the curiosity of the others. Eunhwa approached and, dropping to one knee, aimed her sniper rifle through the scope. On the other side of Eunhwa, Rapi was also present, and they began a conversation through hand signals.
---8 o'clock direction. Distance 2.5 km. 3 individuals, arms unclear. Sniping is possible.
---Not now. Let's draw them closer.
Moore secretly observed their hand signals and understood their meaning correctly. Moore had learned the hand signals from Nikke and her colleagues during his one-month vacation. They occasionally used hand signals at the forward operating base, and he had learned all of them by asking for lessons.
His eyesight was exceptional, though. Was there a sniper? Moore knew there was something out there, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact number of people.
Through the binoculars, Moore strained his eyes, barely managing to discern what seemed like multiple figures shimmering in the distance.
After watching the two who seemed to have finished their discussion heading back to the front, Moore also stood up. As soon as he put away his binoculars in his pouch, there was a noise inside the housing.
[Despite all the conflicts... in battle, they rely on their comrades' backs, aren't they?]
"...It wasn't really a conflict, more like one-sided."
Moore responded while holding the microphone between his fingertips. Shifty's wry smile faintly echoed. Moore couldn't help but wonder how Shifty was observing their situation.
[Oh, Commander, do you know about Absolute and Rapi? Rapi used to—]
"...Shifty."
With a sigh mixed in, Moore's voice made her notice. It wasn't proper to talk about someone else's past without their consent.
[Y-Yes, you're right. It's not good to talk about others without permission.]
"...That's true."
[...By the way... um... did you have a fight with Rapi?]
"...We didn't fight. Let's keep moving."
Moore unilaterally cut off communication and started walking again.
Although there had been a few small-scale skirmishes with Rapture, the Elysium's strongest squad, Absolute, had joined them. Everyone remained unharmed as the sun set beyond the horizon.
-----
Stars began to twinkle overhead, prompting Anis to complain absentmindedly.
"We've been walking for quite a while... what time is it?"
"8:10 PM."
"...Commander, you didn't even check the time. How careless... Huh, really? What?"
"...I can tell the time by the position of the stars."
Anis, still half in doubt, checked the current time using her internal functions. What Moore had said matched precisely with the information she retrieved.
...Is this something they learn at officer school?
Anis wondered vaguely, but Eunhwa, who overheard their conversation, furrowed her brow.
(...Even when I was there, there was no such training.)
Eunhwa had graduated from officer school and become a commander. Even she—despite her experience—hadn't acquired such a skill.
Moore hadn't even been out of officer school for half a year. Yet...
Just as she was pondering this, a communication came in from Shifty.
[There's a 2 km-deep fissure ahead. No Rapture activity detected at the bottom of the fissure. I recommend camping with the fissure at your back.]
"...Roger. You guys, deploy the decoy."
"Us?"
Anis and Neon exchanged glances, and Anis hesitantly spoke up.
"Us?"
"...Yes, you two."
"Now?"
"...Now."
"Why?"
"...We're setting up camp."
"Camping?"
"..."
Anis kept asking, and each time, Eunhwa would respond. Eunhwa initially replied dutifully, but as Anis' lips gradually curled into a teasing smile, Eunhwa seemed to realize she was being made fun of. Anis, noticing the raised eyebrows and widened eyes, began demonstrating a skillful smirk to Vesti.
"Tsk! Hurry up...!"
"Yes, yes, I'm going. Neon, Rapi, Commander, are you coming?"
Anis shrugged her shoulders, glancing at her squadmates and him while casually checking the condition of her grenade launcher. Moore nodded in agreement, preparing to follow while slinging his assault rifle over his shoulder.
"No... Rapi and this guy will stay. Just the two of you go."
"...Well, that's fine. We'll go, so want us to gather some stories for you?"
"Huh? I want to join too!"
"We'll talk later~. Well then, Commander. We'll be off."
"...Take care."
Deciding whether to accompany them or not was supposed to be Moore's decision, but being given orders without his input was slightly uncomfortable.
With her sunglasses off in the night, Eunhwa turned her deep brown eyes toward him, her chin tilted up.
"...Rest once we secure the camp. You're human, after all."
"...Understood."
---Her way of caring, perhaps.
It was hard to tell since her demeanor remained unchanged. Following the four others, all dressed in similar black outfits, they arrived at a ruin.
The concrete ruin, exposed to the elements, might have been a bunker at some point.
Perhaps due to some attack, the entire ceiling had blown off, allowing a clear view of the night sky with its twinkling stars.
No enemies were in sight. Acknowledging this, when they all sat down, he sat against the opposite wall.
He spread the folded backpack and laid out a woolen blanket, relying on the light of stars and the moon. Swiftly, he began disassembling the assault rifle and grenade launcher in order. Using a brush, he removed the dirt caused by the gunfire during encounters with Rapture on their journey and then lightly oiled the components before reassembling them in order.
After conducting a thorough check of the operations, he reloaded the bullets that had been removed into the magazines and slammed them into the assault rifle's insertion port. He folded the blanket and packed it back into the backpack.
He didn't load the first round into the chamber, instead leaning against the wall, pushing the backpack against it. He wore his helmet, pulling it low over his eyes.
"...I'm going to sleep for a bit."
Stretching out his legs, his right hand still gripped the assault rifle's grip, Moore's head drooped.
He resembled a lifeless body, and Eunhwa and the others felt that way about his posture.
"...He can sleep like that?"
Emma asked Rapi, who nodded in response.
"...Doesn't his body hurt...?"
"...I think he stays like that because he can respond immediately if attacked."
Vesti, showing concern, of course, sleeping lying down would be more restful. However, when Rapi offered her speculation on why he slept like that, they couldn't help but agree, despite her worry.
"...Hey, Rapi. Did something happen between Captain Moore and you?"
"Huh?"
"Because he never talks to you at all. He talks to Neon and Anis, but never makes eye contact with you~."
"... ..."
"If it's alright, could you tell us?"
It seemed Emma had noticed. Realizing this, Rapi let out a small sigh.
"...I don't know if you're aware, but during the meeting, the Commander said he would become the personal guards for both Instructor... ---President and Vice Commander Anderson, in exchange for their support."
"...I heard the same story from Ingrid. How did they react?"
"...Both of them... didn't seem opposed to the idea."
Rapi understood the intention behind his attempt to sell himself in that situation. His value as a human with physical and combat abilities that could rival Nikke, and most importantly, the fact that he was fundamentally different from them - because he didn't have NIMPH, he wouldn't hesitate to kill. She understood the values he had set for himself.
Anderson and Ingrid had their fair share of enemies. Whether as bodyguards or, hypothetically, if they were to assign him dirty work, finding someone more suitable for the task would be extremely difficult.
"...I couldn't stay silent."
He would do anything to protect Rapi and her subordinates. That's why he made such a proposal and pitch. She understood that too.
That was something Rapi couldn't overlook.
"...He's a kind person. I worry about him. He's the type of person who would think, 'if someone else is going to get hurt, it should be me,' I guess. If the conversation had continued as it was... surely..."
.
.
.
.
This gentle person would keep fighting for us until his last breath, stained with blood on both hands if necessary.
.
.
.
"So, you admitted that the memory erasure didn't work and pretended Moore's pitch didn't happen, right?"
Emma was probably aware of it anyway. She's perceptive. Even if she hid it, she felt instinctively that it would be exposed. Rapi nodded in response.
.
.
.
.
A feeling of discomfort arose.
Looking at Moore sleeping against the opposite wall. And recalling his actions just before falling asleep, that sense grew stronger.
He should be sleeping while gripping the assault rifle with both hands. However, he was only holding the grip with his right hand, and his left hand was relaxed on his knee.
Moreover, he hadn't maintained or disassembled the handgun he used before falling asleep - even the fine particles of sand and dust blowing in the city and wilderness would have a detrimental effect on the gun, something Moore should be well aware of. Yet, he had completely neglected the maintenance of the handgun and fell asleep.
Above all, he fell asleep without eating. When Rapi remembered that, she became certain of her suspicions.
Commander, are you awake?
Eunhwa, Ema, and Vesti probably hadn't noticed. But Rapi had been with him for quite a while. That's why she felt this slight sense of discomfort.
This clumsy person...
In addition to pretending to sleep, he was eavesdropping. It wasn't a commendable act, but he wanted to know too. He was gentle, but he was also stubborn. Even though he had prepared himself to be a sacrifice for us and made that kind of deal, it was ruined - no, that wasn't the case.
She didn't consult with Moore, perhaps believing that admitting the memory erasure didn't work was the best way to use it as a trump card. It was a mistake on the side that didn't consult - no, it wasn't a mistake. In the first place, the choice to consult didn't exist.
...You're probably angry because...
"...the Commander might be angry with me because... I didn't consult with him."
The words spoken to her former comrades around her were probably thought to be directed at them, but Rapi was addressing Moore.
...He, lying there, shows no response. But his silence seemed like the ultimate affirmation to her.
"Hey, Rapi. If things don't work out with Captain Moore... do you have any intention of returning to Absolute Squad?"
"Don't say whatever comes to your mind."
When Ema voiced her tempting words out of concern for her, Eunhwa, who had been inspecting her sniper rifle in silence, responded with a clearly resolute rejection, her voice tinged with anger.
"Absolute Squad became even more perfect after the trash left there. Do I look like someone who would welcome back someone who left us on a whim?"
"...Well, you don't seem like a saint, that's for sure."
Maybe she didn't have to outright agree. Eunhwa felt indescribable emotion when Ema affirmed readily. After finishing her inspection, Eunhwa, holding her sniper rifle, hugged it.
"...Absolutely not."
"Rapi, Sh-she's saying that, but... Eunhwa is the one who misses you the most. She kept glancing at your position during the entire operation. Y-You."
"...Be silent..."
Today, Eunhwa, who was unusually defiant, was glaring at Vesti, but Vesti had no intention of backing down. Trembling subtly, she tried her best to convey her feelings.
"I, I also... want Rapi to come back...! B-Because the way you and Eunhwa cooperated... was really... cool...!"
"...I told you to be silent!"
Eunhwa's sharp reprimand made Vesti flinch. While catching that in her peripheral vision, Rapi directed her gaze at Moore, who was sleeping against the opposite wall.
Despite all this noise, he didn't wake up or even issue a verbal warning.
It was confirmed.
"...I have one question."
Trying to somehow gather her jumbled thoughts, Eunhwa, after reprimanding Vesti, turned her sidelong glance towards Rapi, scratching her black hair.
"...Why? Why did you abandon us... ---Shit. Why did you suddenly leave?"
Eunhwa asked while choosing her words carefully. Confronting the fact that she had been abandoned brought intense pain. While enduring that, Eunhwa urged Rapi with her words, but she just clenched her own arm with her hand, maintaining her silence.
...Come to think of it, I haven't told anyone about this either.
Was it her own bad habit? She decided on her own without consulting anyone. Since when had she been like this?
...You must be angry as well.
---...Heh...Commander might be angry with me because... I didn't consult with him.
She thought her words were directed at her former comrades, but Rapi was actually addressing Moore. With a sigh filled with resignation, annoyance at herself, and acceptance, Rapi breathed out softly.
"...Do you remember the operation when five Tyrant-class machines appeared near the Ark?"
Rapi asked her companions slowly. Naturally, they shouldn't be unaware. It was the operation in which Absolute Squad was deployed. They were the parties involved.
They nodded in agreement; it had been a fierce battle. Rapi and Eunhwa's presence had undoubtedly prevented things from becoming extremely dire.
Realizing that, Rapi glanced slightly at Moore, who was sitting across from her, as she remained seated.
What would he think of this? She was expressing her concerns and fears with this revelation.
.
.
.
"...At that time... I killed a human being."
.
.
.
As she uttered those words, meaning difficult to grasp enveloped her companions in silence. Recalling the scene from that time, she gripped her one arm tightly, continuing.
"...It was a stray bullet. But the fact remains that someone died."
"...An accident during the operation involving non-combatant civilians is..."
Rapi shook her head left and right, cutting off Ema, who was about to continue, asserting that such incidents were always possible and they wouldn't be held accountable.
"I understand. But you know, when I saw that person, half of their body gone, bleeding... what do you think I felt?"
She directed her emptying crimson eyes at them, then fixed her gaze on Moore, who remained motionless, and spoke.
.
.
.
"... 'Don't make me write an incident report,'..."
.
.
.
Rapi described the moment she broke. Her head and heart — things that were supposed to be made to protect humans — felt it was bothersome to deal with human death. She felt something was 'wrong' in her own words, as if she had doubted her own existence.
"...That's why I quit. I didn't want to be someone who doesn't know what they are anymore."
.
.
---At that time, ...you said I looked 'human.' Even if you said I looked like a 'monster,' I would have felt a sense of security, just knowing I existed, not being human, not being Nikke."
.
.
The words exchanged in the makeshift twilight at the outpost and the sight of Moore resting his head on her lap, vulnerable, were vividly recalled in Rapi's narrowing crimson eyes.
"...So you became a wandering third-rate mercenary?"
In the midst of this, Eunhwa's voice, tinged with anger, reached Rapi's ears from the other side, sandwiched between Ema.
"...Without considering our feelings at all, just based on your own thoughts? Without a farewell, casually leaving. ...Seeing the documents... What do you think my feelings were when I learned that you left the squad?"
Eunhwa finally stood up and moved in front of Rapi, who remained seated. She looked down, lifting her eyes. The scene from that day was vividly remembered.
If she suspected that she left for such a self-centered reason, Eunhwa's patience had reached its limit.
"What were we to you...?! Answer me! What were we to you?!"
"...Precious... comrades..."
When Rapi uttered her reply, probably something from her heart, Eunhwa, too, reached the limit of her patience. Impulsively, she grabbed Rapi's collar, lifting her up and glaring at her. She forgot that this was enemy territory and shouted.
"...Don't screw with me!! Who...! Who treats...! Precious... com...rades... like that?! Were we such a frivolous existence to you?! Were comrades such a trivial matter to you?!!"
A sob filled with more sorrow than anger. Rapi, confronted so closely, had no words to return, simply being shaken by Eunhwa while her collar was grabbed.
"Look at yourself now...! You're doing the same thing again!! Without consulting anyone, just deciding on your own—"
"...What are you screaming in the middle of the night for?"
Suddenly, amidst the passionate cry, cold water was poured.
Surprised, Eunhwa turned around, only to see Anis and Neon walking towards them from the darkness.
"Are you planning to invite Rapture again?"
Despite receiving verbal warnings from Moore through Vesti just a few hours ago, here she was, repeating the same mistake.
Anis' words, reaching Eunhwa's ears, were more than enough to abruptly calm her down.
"I'm sorry... I lost my temper..."
Releasing her grip on Rapi's collar, Eunhwa pressed her hand against her forehead, taking deep breaths.
"...Huh, she can apologize too."
"Have you finished setting up the decoys?"
"Yes. I set them all up... but I found something strange on the way back."
As soon as they said that, Anis and Neon dragged three strange things — no, Nikke — to the ground.
In the moonlight, their true forms were revealed. Eunhwa and the others looked puzzled, or perhaps they frowned in discomfort at the unexpected presence they had been tailing.
"...Metis...?"
"Hey~?... Oh, looks like the battery's dead."
The Nikke and the others — Metis Squad — remained motionless. Moore was nowhere to be seen among the group surrounding Metis Squad.
Rapi, realizing Moore was probably still pretending to sleep, moved away and approached him.
At first glance, it was impossible to tell if he was asleep or awake. However, upon close observation, something seemed different.
She reached out to his shoulder and gently shook him.
"...Commander."
Calling out to him felt strangely unfamiliar, as if it had been a long time since she had done so. He lifted his hips, still wearing his helmet deep over his eyes, not looking at Rapi. While watching Eunhwa and the others tending to the fallen Metis Squad on the ground, he pulled a soft pack of cigarettes from his pouch and held it in his mouth.
But he didn't show any signs of lighting it with his oil lighter.
"...Commander?"
"...Aren't you going to light it?"
She felt like he was waiting, but his crimson eyes blinked several times.
"...Huh?"
"...Aren't you going to light it?"
At the second prompt, Rapi finally caught on. She took out the turbo lighter from her pocket and held it out to him. Moore covered her hand with his left hand.
He slightly bent over, hiding the lighter and her hand. Rapi, realizing his intention, pressed the button.
Even a small fire is noticeable from a distance at night.
He probably knew that.
He covered the tip with the turbo lighter, carefully hiding it, and lit the cigarette. With the lit cigarette in his mouth, he exhaled purple smoke, still concealing the tip with his left hand.
"...Thank you."
"...No."
She couldn't determine if his gratitude was for lending him fire or for... She couldn't decide.
A silence fell between the two standing side by side. In that silence, only the scent of the purple smoke from the cigarette hung heavily in the air.
"...I'm still angry, you know."
He muttered quietly out of the blue, and Rapi turned her gaze to the left. Despite the helmet covering his eyes, Moore was taller. Despite being hidden, his profile illuminated by the cigarette's flame was easily discernible.
"...Yes."
Suddenly, Eunhwa's words came to mind.
"...Was I trying to do the same thing again?"
Upon realizing this, she lowered her crimson eyes and let out a small sigh.
"..Fuuuhh..."
Carefully choosing her words, Moore inhaled deeply, the sound of his quiet exhale vibrating in her ears.
"...I understood your... concern. ...From now on, I want you to consult with me beforehand. I can at least listen to what you have to say."
"Yes."
That was the most she could manage in response. Moore glanced sideways at her, his quick cigarette finished, and flicked it into a portable ashtray.
Once he put it away, it seemed like the Metis Squad's battery replacement was just finished.
Watching them restart, he took a step forward.
At that moment, Rapi felt a light tap on her back.
With his right hand.
"Let's go."
"...Yes..."
Nothing extraordinary. Just a signal to keep moving forward.
But being tapped on the back even for a moment by the hand that never let go of the assault rifle made her inexplicably...
.
.
.
.
.
Happy.
Author's Note:
Recently, there's a popular app where AI can draw illustrations, you know? Since I have no artistic talent, I tried using it to draw an image of Captain Moore. Well, it didn't work out. I was like, "What is this?"
Drawing is difficult, isn't it?
And before I knew it, I've surpassed 100,000 UAs... I'm both happy and embarrassed that so many of you have read my posts... I don't know how to express it, but once again, I want to thank everyone who has been following me up to this point.
-----
"Emma uses a really large weapon, yeah?"
"Yeah, this weapon has excellent firepower, you know?"
(Tl Notes: ....Is it just me, or the author purposefully leads to THAT topic?)
"!!"
As two squads moved toward their destination through the wilderness stretching from the city outskirts, Neon reacted to Ema's words.
It was clearly high in firepower—a scaled-down version of a Vulcan cannon, typically used for aircraft or low-altitude anti-aircraft purposes, with six barrels bundled together. Ema, carrying it, spoke in a calm tone. Nevertheless, the ammunition used wasn't small caliber.
Neon, responding to the term "firepower," asked Ema about the specifications of her special therapist weapon. However, Ema seemed uninterested in that topic.
Seeing Neon disheartened, Ema seemed to sense her mood and started discussing her faith and beliefs, using the housing attached to Moore's ears for communication. For a brief moment, noise buzzed in Moore's ears.
[Everyone seems oddly friendly. I was quite worried, you know. I've heard that the Absolute members are not ordinary.]
"I see."
Judging from the lack of reaction from the others, Moore deduced that the communication was directed only at him, coming from Shifty. Perhaps she was getting bored with just navigation. While considering this, he noticed something glinting at the edge of his vision. He stopped, knelt down, and took out his binoculars.
The sandstorm that had been near was now gone. The visibility was excellent.
[But... the commander doesn't mingle much, yes? By any chance, are you shhy?]
"...If you think so, maybe it is. But more importantly, there's something that's been bothering me since earlier..."
Just as Moore was about to explain, Shifty seemed to have misunderstood something. However, Moore's lackluster response only fueled her misunderstanding.
[It's bothering you... could it be... Ema!?]
"...Huh?"
[Yes, isn't it? She's quite... mature, in various ways.]
Why did her voice sound so...flustered?
Moore felt like sighing, but just as he noticed something glinting through his binoculars, his dark brown eyes narrowed.
"...There's something out there."
"Huh?"
"It's related to us."
Stopped in his tracks, Moore's concern piqued the curiosity of the others. Eunhwa approached and, dropping to one knee, aimed her sniper rifle through the scope. On the other side of Eunhwa, Rapi was also present, and they began a conversation through hand signals.
---8 o'clock direction. Distance 2.5 km. 3 individuals, arms unclear. Sniping is possible.
---Not now. Let's draw them closer.
Moore secretly observed their hand signals and understood their meaning correctly. Moore had learned the hand signals from Nikke and her colleagues during his one-month vacation. They occasionally used hand signals at the forward operating base, and he had learned all of them by asking for lessons.
His eyesight was exceptional, though. Was there a sniper? Moore knew there was something out there, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact number of people.
Through the binoculars, Moore strained his eyes, barely managing to discern what seemed like multiple figures shimmering in the distance.
After watching the two who seemed to have finished their discussion heading back to the front, Moore also stood up. As soon as he put away his binoculars in his pouch, there was a noise inside the housing.
[Despite all the conflicts... in battle, they rely on their comrades' backs, aren't they?]
"...It wasn't really a conflict, more like one-sided."
Moore responded while holding the microphone between his fingertips. Shifty's wry smile faintly echoed. Moore couldn't help but wonder how Shifty was observing their situation.
[Oh, Commander, do you know about Absolute and Rapi? Rapi used to—]
"...Shifty."
With a sigh mixed in, Moore's voice made her notice. It wasn't proper to talk about someone else's past without their consent.
[Y-Yes, you're right. It's not good to talk about others without permission.]
"...That's true."
[...By the way... um... did you have a fight with Rapi?]
"...We didn't fight. Let's keep moving."
Moore unilaterally cut off communication and started walking again.
Although there had been a few small-scale skirmishes with Rapture, the Elysium's strongest squad, Absolute, had joined them. Everyone remained unharmed as the sun set beyond the horizon.
-----
Stars began to twinkle overhead, prompting Anis to complain absentmindedly.
"We've been walking for quite a while... what time is it?"
"8:10 PM."
"...Commander, you didn't even check the time. How careless... Huh, really? What?"
"...I can tell the time by the position of the stars."
Anis, still half in doubt, checked the current time using her internal functions. What Moore had said matched precisely with the information she retrieved.
...Is this something they learn at officer school?
Anis wondered vaguely, but Eunhwa, who overheard their conversation, furrowed her brow.
(...Even when I was there, there was no such training.)
Eunhwa had graduated from officer school and become a commander. Even she—despite her experience—hadn't acquired such a skill.
Moore hadn't even been out of officer school for half a year. Yet...
Just as she was pondering this, a communication came in from Shifty.
[There's a 2 km-deep fissure ahead. No Rapture activity detected at the bottom of the fissure. I recommend camping with the fissure at your back.]
"...Roger. You guys, deploy the decoy."
"Us?"
Anis and Neon exchanged glances, and Anis hesitantly spoke up.
"Us?"
"...Yes, you two."
"Now?"
"...Now."
"Why?"
"...We're setting up camp."
"Camping?"
"..."
Anis kept asking, and each time, Eunhwa would respond. Eunhwa initially replied dutifully, but as Anis' lips gradually curled into a teasing smile, Eunhwa seemed to realize she was being made fun of. Anis, noticing the raised eyebrows and widened eyes, began demonstrating a skillful smirk to Vesti.
"Tsk! Hurry up...!"
"Yes, yes, I'm going. Neon, Rapi, Commander, are you coming?"
Anis shrugged her shoulders, glancing at her squadmates and him while casually checking the condition of her grenade launcher. Moore nodded in agreement, preparing to follow while slinging his assault rifle over his shoulder.
"No... Rapi and this guy will stay. Just the two of you go."
"...Well, that's fine. We'll go, so want us to gather some stories for you?"
"Huh? I want to join too!"
"We'll talk later~. Well then, Commander. We'll be off."
"...Take care."
Deciding whether to accompany them or not was supposed to be Moore's decision, but being given orders without his input was slightly uncomfortable.
With her sunglasses off in the night, Eunhwa turned her deep brown eyes toward him, her chin tilted up.
"...Rest once we secure the camp. You're human, after all."
"...Understood."
---Her way of caring, perhaps.
It was hard to tell since her demeanor remained unchanged. Following the four others, all dressed in similar black outfits, they arrived at a ruin.
The concrete ruin, exposed to the elements, might have been a bunker at some point.
Perhaps due to some attack, the entire ceiling had blown off, allowing a clear view of the night sky with its twinkling stars.
No enemies were in sight. Acknowledging this, when they all sat down, he sat against the opposite wall.
He spread the folded backpack and laid out a woolen blanket, relying on the light of stars and the moon. Swiftly, he began disassembling the assault rifle and grenade launcher in order. Using a brush, he removed the dirt caused by the gunfire during encounters with Rapture on their journey and then lightly oiled the components before reassembling them in order.
After conducting a thorough check of the operations, he reloaded the bullets that had been removed into the magazines and slammed them into the assault rifle's insertion port. He folded the blanket and packed it back into the backpack.
He didn't load the first round into the chamber, instead leaning against the wall, pushing the backpack against it. He wore his helmet, pulling it low over his eyes.
"...I'm going to sleep for a bit."
Stretching out his legs, his right hand still gripped the assault rifle's grip, Moore's head drooped.
He resembled a lifeless body, and Eunhwa and the others felt that way about his posture.
"...He can sleep like that?"
Emma asked Rapi, who nodded in response.
"...Doesn't his body hurt...?"
"...I think he stays like that because he can respond immediately if attacked."
Vesti, showing concern, of course, sleeping lying down would be more restful. However, when Rapi offered her speculation on why he slept like that, they couldn't help but agree, despite her worry.
"...Hey, Rapi. Did something happen between Captain Moore and you?"
"Huh?"
"Because he never talks to you at all. He talks to Neon and Anis, but never makes eye contact with you~."
"... ..."
"If it's alright, could you tell us?"
It seemed Emma had noticed. Realizing this, Rapi let out a small sigh.
"...I don't know if you're aware, but during the meeting, the Commander said he would become the personal guards for both Instructor... ---President and Vice Commander Anderson, in exchange for their support."
"...I heard the same story from Ingrid. How did they react?"
"...Both of them... didn't seem opposed to the idea."
Rapi understood the intention behind his attempt to sell himself in that situation. His value as a human with physical and combat abilities that could rival Nikke, and most importantly, the fact that he was fundamentally different from them - because he didn't have NIMPH, he wouldn't hesitate to kill. She understood the values he had set for himself.
Anderson and Ingrid had their fair share of enemies. Whether as bodyguards or, hypothetically, if they were to assign him dirty work, finding someone more suitable for the task would be extremely difficult.
"...I couldn't stay silent."
He would do anything to protect Rapi and her subordinates. That's why he made such a proposal and pitch. She understood that too.
That was something Rapi couldn't overlook.
"...He's a kind person. I worry about him. He's the type of person who would think, 'if someone else is going to get hurt, it should be me,' I guess. If the conversation had continued as it was... surely..."
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This gentle person would keep fighting for us until his last breath, stained with blood on both hands if necessary.
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"So, you admitted that the memory erasure didn't work and pretended Moore's pitch didn't happen, right?"
Emma was probably aware of it anyway. She's perceptive. Even if she hid it, she felt instinctively that it would be exposed. Rapi nodded in response.
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A feeling of discomfort arose.
Looking at Moore sleeping against the opposite wall. And recalling his actions just before falling asleep, that sense grew stronger.
He should be sleeping while gripping the assault rifle with both hands. However, he was only holding the grip with his right hand, and his left hand was relaxed on his knee.
Moreover, he hadn't maintained or disassembled the handgun he used before falling asleep - even the fine particles of sand and dust blowing in the city and wilderness would have a detrimental effect on the gun, something Moore should be well aware of. Yet, he had completely neglected the maintenance of the handgun and fell asleep.
Above all, he fell asleep without eating. When Rapi remembered that, she became certain of her suspicions.
Commander, are you awake?
Eunhwa, Ema, and Vesti probably hadn't noticed. But Rapi had been with him for quite a while. That's why she felt this slight sense of discomfort.
This clumsy person...
In addition to pretending to sleep, he was eavesdropping. It wasn't a commendable act, but he wanted to know too. He was gentle, but he was also stubborn. Even though he had prepared himself to be a sacrifice for us and made that kind of deal, it was ruined - no, that wasn't the case.
She didn't consult with Moore, perhaps believing that admitting the memory erasure didn't work was the best way to use it as a trump card. It was a mistake on the side that didn't consult - no, it wasn't a mistake. In the first place, the choice to consult didn't exist.
...You're probably angry because...
"...the Commander might be angry with me because... I didn't consult with him."
The words spoken to her former comrades around her were probably thought to be directed at them, but Rapi was addressing Moore.
...He, lying there, shows no response. But his silence seemed like the ultimate affirmation to her.
"Hey, Rapi. If things don't work out with Captain Moore... do you have any intention of returning to Absolute Squad?"
"Don't say whatever comes to your mind."
When Ema voiced her tempting words out of concern for her, Eunhwa, who had been inspecting her sniper rifle in silence, responded with a clearly resolute rejection, her voice tinged with anger.
"Absolute Squad became even more perfect after the trash left there. Do I look like someone who would welcome back someone who left us on a whim?"
"...Well, you don't seem like a saint, that's for sure."
Maybe she didn't have to outright agree. Eunhwa felt indescribable emotion when Ema affirmed readily. After finishing her inspection, Eunhwa, holding her sniper rifle, hugged it.
"...Absolutely not."
"Rapi, Sh-she's saying that, but... Eunhwa is the one who misses you the most. She kept glancing at your position during the entire operation. Y-You."
"...Be silent..."
Today, Eunhwa, who was unusually defiant, was glaring at Vesti, but Vesti had no intention of backing down. Trembling subtly, she tried her best to convey her feelings.
"I, I also... want Rapi to come back...! B-Because the way you and Eunhwa cooperated... was really... cool...!"
"...I told you to be silent!"
Eunhwa's sharp reprimand made Vesti flinch. While catching that in her peripheral vision, Rapi directed her gaze at Moore, who was sleeping against the opposite wall.
Despite all this noise, he didn't wake up or even issue a verbal warning.
It was confirmed.
"...I have one question."
Trying to somehow gather her jumbled thoughts, Eunhwa, after reprimanding Vesti, turned her sidelong glance towards Rapi, scratching her black hair.
"...Why? Why did you abandon us... ---Shit. Why did you suddenly leave?"
Eunhwa asked while choosing her words carefully. Confronting the fact that she had been abandoned brought intense pain. While enduring that, Eunhwa urged Rapi with her words, but she just clenched her own arm with her hand, maintaining her silence.
...Come to think of it, I haven't told anyone about this either.
Was it her own bad habit? She decided on her own without consulting anyone. Since when had she been like this?
...You must be angry as well.
---...Heh...Commander might be angry with me because... I didn't consult with him.
She thought her words were directed at her former comrades, but Rapi was actually addressing Moore. With a sigh filled with resignation, annoyance at herself, and acceptance, Rapi breathed out softly.
"...Do you remember the operation when five Tyrant-class machines appeared near the Ark?"
Rapi asked her companions slowly. Naturally, they shouldn't be unaware. It was the operation in which Absolute Squad was deployed. They were the parties involved.
They nodded in agreement; it had been a fierce battle. Rapi and Eunhwa's presence had undoubtedly prevented things from becoming extremely dire.
Realizing that, Rapi glanced slightly at Moore, who was sitting across from her, as she remained seated.
What would he think of this? She was expressing her concerns and fears with this revelation.
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"...At that time... I killed a human being."
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As she uttered those words, meaning difficult to grasp enveloped her companions in silence. Recalling the scene from that time, she gripped her one arm tightly, continuing.
"...It was a stray bullet. But the fact remains that someone died."
"...An accident during the operation involving non-combatant civilians is..."
Rapi shook her head left and right, cutting off Ema, who was about to continue, asserting that such incidents were always possible and they wouldn't be held accountable.
"I understand. But you know, when I saw that person, half of their body gone, bleeding... what do you think I felt?"
She directed her emptying crimson eyes at them, then fixed her gaze on Moore, who remained motionless, and spoke.
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"... 'Don't make me write an incident report,'..."
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Rapi described the moment she broke. Her head and heart — things that were supposed to be made to protect humans — felt it was bothersome to deal with human death. She felt something was 'wrong' in her own words, as if she had doubted her own existence.
"...That's why I quit. I didn't want to be someone who doesn't know what they are anymore."
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---At that time, ...you said I looked 'human.' Even if you said I looked like a 'monster,' I would have felt a sense of security, just knowing I existed, not being human, not being Nikke."
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The words exchanged in the makeshift twilight at the outpost and the sight of Moore resting his head on her lap, vulnerable, were vividly recalled in Rapi's narrowing crimson eyes.
"...So you became a wandering third-rate mercenary?"
In the midst of this, Eunhwa's voice, tinged with anger, reached Rapi's ears from the other side, sandwiched between Ema.
"...Without considering our feelings at all, just based on your own thoughts? Without a farewell, casually leaving. ...Seeing the documents... What do you think my feelings were when I learned that you left the squad?"
Eunhwa finally stood up and moved in front of Rapi, who remained seated. She looked down, lifting her eyes. The scene from that day was vividly remembered.
If she suspected that she left for such a self-centered reason, Eunhwa's patience had reached its limit.
"What were we to you...?! Answer me! What were we to you?!"
"...Precious... comrades..."
When Rapi uttered her reply, probably something from her heart, Eunhwa, too, reached the limit of her patience. Impulsively, she grabbed Rapi's collar, lifting her up and glaring at her. She forgot that this was enemy territory and shouted.
"...Don't screw with me!! Who...! Who treats...! Precious... com...rades... like that?! Were we such a frivolous existence to you?! Were comrades such a trivial matter to you?!!"
A sob filled with more sorrow than anger. Rapi, confronted so closely, had no words to return, simply being shaken by Eunhwa while her collar was grabbed.
"Look at yourself now...! You're doing the same thing again!! Without consulting anyone, just deciding on your own—"
"...What are you screaming in the middle of the night for?"
Suddenly, amidst the passionate cry, cold water was poured.
Surprised, Eunhwa turned around, only to see Anis and Neon walking towards them from the darkness.
"Are you planning to invite Rapture again?"
Despite receiving verbal warnings from Moore through Vesti just a few hours ago, here she was, repeating the same mistake.
Anis' words, reaching Eunhwa's ears, were more than enough to abruptly calm her down.
"I'm sorry... I lost my temper..."
Releasing her grip on Rapi's collar, Eunhwa pressed her hand against her forehead, taking deep breaths.
"...Huh, she can apologize too."
"Have you finished setting up the decoys?"
"Yes. I set them all up... but I found something strange on the way back."
As soon as they said that, Anis and Neon dragged three strange things — no, Nikke — to the ground.
In the moonlight, their true forms were revealed. Eunhwa and the others looked puzzled, or perhaps they frowned in discomfort at the unexpected presence they had been tailing.
"...Metis...?"
"Hey~?... Oh, looks like the battery's dead."
The Nikke and the others — Metis Squad — remained motionless. Moore was nowhere to be seen among the group surrounding Metis Squad.
Rapi, realizing Moore was probably still pretending to sleep, moved away and approached him.
At first glance, it was impossible to tell if he was asleep or awake. However, upon close observation, something seemed different.
She reached out to his shoulder and gently shook him.
"...Commander."
Calling out to him felt strangely unfamiliar, as if it had been a long time since she had done so. He lifted his hips, still wearing his helmet deep over his eyes, not looking at Rapi. While watching Eunhwa and the others tending to the fallen Metis Squad on the ground, he pulled a soft pack of cigarettes from his pouch and held it in his mouth.
But he didn't show any signs of lighting it with his oil lighter.
"...Commander?"
"...Aren't you going to light it?"
She felt like he was waiting, but his crimson eyes blinked several times.
"...Huh?"
"...Aren't you going to light it?"
At the second prompt, Rapi finally caught on. She took out the turbo lighter from her pocket and held it out to him. Moore covered her hand with his left hand.
He slightly bent over, hiding the lighter and her hand. Rapi, realizing his intention, pressed the button.
Even a small fire is noticeable from a distance at night.
He probably knew that.
He covered the tip with the turbo lighter, carefully hiding it, and lit the cigarette. With the lit cigarette in his mouth, he exhaled purple smoke, still concealing the tip with his left hand.
"...Thank you."
"...No."
She couldn't determine if his gratitude was for lending him fire or for... She couldn't decide.
A silence fell between the two standing side by side. In that silence, only the scent of the purple smoke from the cigarette hung heavily in the air.
"...I'm still angry, you know."
He muttered quietly out of the blue, and Rapi turned her gaze to the left. Despite the helmet covering his eyes, Moore was taller. Despite being hidden, his profile illuminated by the cigarette's flame was easily discernible.
"...Yes."
Suddenly, Eunhwa's words came to mind.
"...Was I trying to do the same thing again?"
Upon realizing this, she lowered her crimson eyes and let out a small sigh.
"..Fuuuhh..."
Carefully choosing her words, Moore inhaled deeply, the sound of his quiet exhale vibrating in her ears.
"...I understood your... concern. ...From now on, I want you to consult with me beforehand. I can at least listen to what you have to say."
"Yes."
That was the most she could manage in response. Moore glanced sideways at her, his quick cigarette finished, and flicked it into a portable ashtray.
Once he put it away, it seemed like the Metis Squad's battery replacement was just finished.
Watching them restart, he took a step forward.
At that moment, Rapi felt a light tap on her back.
With his right hand.
"Let's go."
"...Yes..."
Nothing extraordinary. Just a signal to keep moving forward.
But being tapped on the back even for a moment by the hand that never let go of the assault rifle made her inexplicably...
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Happy.
