It's almost 2 a.m., and yet, here she was, watching her commander sleep peacefully on the hospital bed, which was painstakingly transported here from the hospital. It's quite unusual; he hasn't woken up once so far. Considering the severity of his injuries—and more importantly, the fact that they just concluded a large-scale operation—it's only natural.
she gently place her gloved hand over his mouth and nose to confirm his breathing. Even though various machines continuously update us on his condition, this has become a habit she can't seem to shake.
He seems a bit thinner. Perhaps his cheeks have hollowed out slightly, and his stubble has become more prominent.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Rapi murmur softly, a barely audible whisper that gets drowned out by the electronic sounds emitted by the devices.
Suddenly, the door to the commander's office creaks open. turn my gaze towards it—two figures quietly entering the room. she recognize them immediately.
"What's wrong?"
"We couldn't sleep; we were too worried."
"In the end, we came together with Anis."
"I see."
She nod and gesture for them to come closer.
"Is the commander resting well?"
"Yes... He must be tired."
"We received lots of well-wishes for the commander in the Elysion group chat.People are hoping for a speedy recovery."
"And the same in the Tetra group chat... Everyone's praying for his quick return to health."
It appears that the participation of the mass-produced Nikkes in this operation spurred such reactions, not just from our squad and the outpost but also from members of other units. It's quite burdensome for their commander, who has unintentionally caused so much worry.
"…I'm sure Marian must be worried too… Please get well soon."
Of course, there's no response, but Rapi couldn't help but speak her thoughts.
---
When he woke up, the makeshift sunlight from the commander's office window entered Moore's field of vision.
He wonder what time it is. First, he think about that, and then he realize his throat is dry.
But today, he's fasting until evening. He just received an explanation from the female doctor Mary that he will be receiving nutrients and fluids through the drip.
Will it heal or not... Such concerns crossed his mind, but then he noticed the hospital bed was tilted slightly to the right.
He try turning my head to the right, toward the window...
"...What's the situation here...?"
He unintentionally mutter in utter confusion.
Neon is leaning against the edge of the bed, looking down, while Anis is lying on her back, sleeping.
"...Master... Firepower Dragon... is dangerous, so... need to increase... firepower more..."
Firepower Dragon, huh? He don't know what that is, but hit it with the effect shot from a 120mm mortar heavy siege.
Is it an enemy character from some game? He couldn't help but comment internally on Neon's sleep talk, which he didn't quite understand.
"...Ugh... My... butt... doesn't smell... good..."
...Well, He have no idea what to say about that.
Anis, who continues to mutter in her sleep, cleverly places only her upper body on the edge of the bed, drooling from the corner of her wide-open mouth. Before talking about the smell, the first priority should be wiping off the drool.
Behind these two, on a sofa placed near the window—Rapi sits, crossing her long legs and slender arms while making snoring sounds. She undoubtedly has the best sleeping posture. He can't help but worry if she won't hurt herself sleeping in such a position, though.
He don't know the reason, but for some reason, all three of them are sleeping together in a lump.
He quietly tried to sit up, being careful not to wake them up.
There is pain, but it's much better than when I woke up in the hospital.
The painkiller must have worn off, but even so...
"──Are you awake?"
Suddenly, a refined voice came from beside him. However, maybe due to just waking up, it sounded a bit distant to his ears.
"...Sorry. Did I wake you up?"
"No, please don't worry... How are you feeling?"
"Not too bad."
As Moore answered Rapi's question while rubbing his eyes, he tried touching his left side with his hand. He didn't feel pain when he lightly touched the area. The wound, covered by artificial muscles and synthetic skin, seemed to be slowly but surely healing.
"I'll prepare the dressing and antibiotics. ──Anis, Neon."
Rapi, now sitting up, shook the shoulders of the sleeping duo leaning against the bed, one after the other.
"──!? "
"──...Hmm?"
Neon, waking up with a start, was the first to do so. Anis also sat up, but she seemed still drowsy, rubbing her eyes with her hand.
"W-We weren't sleeping! We were just... dreaming!"
"Huh!? W-What!?"
It was a sudden loud voice from beside them that fully woke them up. Anis, a bit delayed compared to Neon, suddenly became wide awake. She shook her head vigorously, as if trying to figure out if something had happened.
"The commander is awake. Let's get ready."
"Wha!?... Ah, th-thank goodness..."
"Um... good morning, Master."
"...Good morning. ──Did you defeat the Firepower Dragon?"
"W-Why are you asking that!?"
"Heheh... Ouch..."
He couldn't help but suppress a wry smile, feeling a twinge of pain as he chuckled.
While the others started their preparations after waking up, at Rapi's prompting, he turned sideways, facing the ceiling, exposing his left side.
"...Excuse me."
Rapi lifted the light blue hospital gown, exposing Moore's left side. She slowly peeled off the dressing covering the wound, and her expression quickly clouded over.
According to doctors, the number of stitches used in surgeries like these might not be significant, but in Moore's case, how many stitches did it take? His left side, pierced and penetrated, had been almost entirely lost. The visible marks where artificial skin was sewn together with real flesh were vividly displayed before Rapi's eyes, leaving her at a loss for words.
"...Rapi, I'm ready to..."
"────"
Neon reported that the dressing and the bag of antibiotics for the IV drip were prepared. However, upon seeing Moore's surgical wound, fresh from the operation like Rapi, both Anis and Neon's expressions darkened.
He had fought Chatterbox and survived in this condition. He had managed to stay alive.
Sensing something amiss with the others, Moore intentionally spoke in a slightly brighter tone than usual.
"...It's a bit embarrassing to be stared at so intently by three beautiful ladies..."
"──S-Sorry..."
"No, it's fine."
As if shaken off, Rapi began to move, and then Anis and Neon seemed to recall what they needed to do.
Neon replaced the IV bag connected to his right arm, Anis disinfected the wound, and Rapie applied the new dressing. They divided the tasks efficiently, drawing from their training and experience in Tactical Combat Casualty Care on the battlefield. It was probably thanks to Moore that they had become accustomed to this kind of situation.
The work progressed smoothly, and eventually, with Rapi's hands, Moore's body was carefully put back into place.
"──Master, is there anything else you're concerned about?"
"I'm fine. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."
"Don't worry about it. Now, Commander, make sure to get some rest. Your job right now is to sleep."
"...Just sleeping feels quite painful, though."
If asked what he could do in his current state, Moore understood that he couldn't do much. However, lying quietly in the hospital bed didn't suit him at all.
During his hospitalization period after losing his left arm in the northern mission, on the third day, he reached his limit and remembered being scolded by a nurse for doing one-armed push-ups in the hospital room.
Just as Moore was considering if that incident might have been the reason he was kicked out of the hospital, Anis handed him his mobile device pulled from the pocket of his jacket.
"I was holding onto this. I'll give it back to you, Commander."
"Thank you. ...Oh, I have messages..."
As soon as he unlocked the device with his fingerprint, he noticed a large number of unread messages. He didn't socialize that much, so he found it strange that so many messages had piled up. Among the first messages he saw were from the members of Cafe Sweetie squad. He would need to check and reply to those later.
"It seems I won't be bored after all."
"Do your best with the replies. Oh, and don't watch any inappropriate videos, okay?"
"Yeah, I won't."
"Good. If you need anything, call us immediately, okay? Understood?"
—As if he would get excited over staged videos like that, Moore muttered in his mind. Just then, a new message arrived.
.
.
.
.
Ingrid [It's me.]
Ingrid [I brought her along.]
.
.
.
.
—Faster than he expected.
The current time was 8 o'clock. It was the start of their duties, but he wondered if they had arranged to meet him at this time.
"...What's the matter?"
"...President Ingrid came in person. She brought Marian."
"...She's here, it seems."
"...Let's go."
Fortunately, the pain wasn't too bad as long as he didn't move too vigorously. He sat up at the edge of the hospital bed, put on his boots, and tied the laces. It wasn't the most graceful sight, but he grabbed the IV stand and leaned on Rapi, and together with the others, they left the commander's office and took the elevator down to the first floor of the headquarters building.
Shortly after they arrived in the parking lot, a luxury car with the Elysion logo on its body smoothly pulled in. When the rear door opened, the first person to step out was a woman wearing a white coat.
"Major Moore, it's been a night. How are you feeling?"
"Good morning. I may not look my best, but I'm not feeling too bad."
"I see. That's good."
Ingrid glanced at the IV tube connected to his right hand and the stand holding the bag, then decided not to prolong the conversation further. She formally announced the transfer.
"As of today, Nikké Marian has been transferred from Elysion to Counters. Any questions?"
"If you have any announcements, please make them now."
Moore asked, the sound of his boots clicking as he came to attention.
Ingrid hesitated for a moment, considering how to convey her message. She approached him and whispered her concerns, her voice barely audible.
"She's calm now, but as shown last night in the video Mana sent, she was confused. Please be mindful of that."
"Understood."
"Good."
Ingrid nodded in response, then turned on her heel, returning to the luxury car where the door was still open. She signaled her companion to disembark.
Eventually, her figure became visible, and Moore narrowed his eyes.
Nostalgic— that emotion bloomed within him first.
Her outfit consisted of shades of blue and white. It was the same attire she wore on the day they first met, and during that evening, when he pulled the trigger of the gun pointed at her forehead.
Her hair and eye colors might have changed, but there was no mistaking it. She was unmistakably her.
She disembarked and took a few steps forward as prompted by Ingrid. Coming to a stop just two steps away from him, she stood upright and saluted.
However, her crimson eyes remained slightly lowered.
"As of today... I have been transferred to Counters Squad—"
.
.
.
.
.
"Welcome back."
Moore didn't let her finish her announcement of the transfer and arrival. Her eyes snapped up at the short words he spoke.
"Unauthorized desertion is usually a court-martial offense... but given the circumstances, I understand. It can't be helped. I'll overlook it under the squad leader's authority."
"Com...man...der...!"
"No need to report your arrival. Weren't you originally my subordinate? I don't recall ever relieving you of my command."
His continued words caused her crimson eyes to tremble. Droplets began to form, and as if a dam had broken, tears started to trickle down her cheeks.
Remaining in the saluting posture, she hiccupped and shook her shoulders with sobs. Moore took a step forward, extending his right hand that was still connected to the IV tube.
Seeing this, she released her salute and used her slender right hand to grasp his large right hand.
"I'm counting on you again, Marian. Even though you're stuck in this remote place, take it as a rehab, and I hope you'll get used to it slowly."
"Yes... I...I will... p-please guide and instruct me...!"
Still hiccupping, Marian continued to nod, her voice choked with tears. She trembled as she placed her left hand on his shaking shoulder, and he nodded back at her.
Watching the scene unfold, the women couldn't help but be moved. However...
"Um, by the way, in this situation, am I the senior or junior?"
"Neon, stop ruining the atmosphere!!"
Whether it was for better or worse, his disciples seemed to have no sense of tact.
Well, that's typical of Neon, Moore thought, but at that moment, he felt an odd discomfort in his left side. He released his left hand from Marian's shoulder and rubbed his wound over the medical gown.
"Marian, I'm sorry to do this right after your return, but could you take me back to the commander's office?... The wound might have opened up."
"Huh!?"
"Wait!?"
"Commander, are you okay!?"
"No, I'm fine, so don't panic like that..."
"Sh-should I carry you on my back!?"
"...I can walk, so please calm down."
Despite his reassurances, he also felt things were a bit dicey. He had beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
"Anis! Where is the commander's office!?"
"It's on the second floor! Commander, hang in there!?"
"Master! Stay focused!"
"...I won't die, so please calm down. Ingrid, President, I apologize for this situation despite your visit."
"No, don't worry about it. Please take care of yourself."
"Thank you. ...Rapi, please see her off."
"Understood."
While his subordinates were on the verge of panic, Moore calmly urged them to return to the commander's office as quickly as possible. It seemed that he, paradoxically, remained composed when everyone else was in chaos. Rapi, who was instructed by Moore to see off Ingrid, sensed that there would be no problem in this situation and accompanied Moore, along with Marian and the others, back to the commander's office.
"Did you use Red Hood?"
Once they disappeared inside the government building, Ingrid asked her disciple. Marian nodded in response.
"How's the situation?"
"I wasn't devoured. Only about 2 seconds."
"...It must have been tough."
It was an emergency situation that required activating their abilities. Both Rapi, who was fighting on-site, and Ingrid, who only heard the report, could understand the gravity of the situation.
"However, even if it was an unavoidable situation, you need to be more careful in the future. There were witnesses."
"Absolute?"
"No. It was two mass-produced Nikkes who were engaged in combat nearby."
"...What happened to those two?"
"...Memory erasure."
Ingrid stated it succinctly. Rapi's expression clouded at the outcome imposed on those two.
"I understand what you're trying to say. However... remember well, what you hold could overturn the Ark."
"I understand."
"Good."
Ingrid let out a relieved sigh at her disciple's clear and concise response. But soon, she asked about her concerns.
"So... what... did... Red Hood say?"
"There was nothing noteworthy."
Rapi conveyed exactly what the voice inside her had told her.
.
.
.
.
.
"...'Destroy the Ark,' It was the same as always."
.
.
----
Author's Notes: Red Hood's words kept me up at night, worrying about their true meaning.
And... I couldn't sleep because I was concerned about the meaning of Red Hood's words.
Also... In the 9th episode of Chapter 0, posted on November 13th last year, Marian was 'un-per-mit-ted' to leave. After about 3 months, in this story posted on February 12th, she is 'reassigned'...
...Welcome back, Marian.
It's almost 2 a.m., and yet, here she was, watching her commander sleep peacefully on the hospital bed, which was painstakingly transported here from the hospital. It's quite unusual; he hasn't woken up once so far. Considering the severity of his injuries—and more importantly, the fact that they just concluded a large-scale operation—it's only natural.
she gently place her gloved hand over his mouth and nose to confirm his breathing. Even though various machines continuously update us on his condition, this has become a habit she can't seem to shake.
He seems a bit thinner. Perhaps his cheeks have hollowed out slightly, and his stubble has become more prominent.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Rapi murmur softly, a barely audible whisper that gets drowned out by the electronic sounds emitted by the devices.
Suddenly, the door to the commander's office creaks open. turn my gaze towards it—two figures quietly entering the room. she recognize them immediately.
"What's wrong?"
"We couldn't sleep; we were too worried."
"In the end, we came together with Anis."
"I see."
She nod and gesture for them to come closer.
"Is the commander resting well?"
"Yes... He must be tired."
"We received lots of well-wishes for the commander in the Elysion group chat.People are hoping for a speedy recovery."
"And the same in the Tetra group chat... Everyone's praying for his quick return to health."
It appears that the participation of the mass-produced Nikkes in this operation spurred such reactions, not just from our squad and the outpost but also from members of other units. It's quite burdensome for their commander, who has unintentionally caused so much worry.
"…I'm sure Marian must be worried too… Please get well soon."
Of course, there's no response, but Rapi couldn't help but speak her thoughts.
---
When he woke up, the makeshift sunlight from the commander's office window entered Moore's field of vision.
He wonder what time it is. First, he think about that, and then he realize his throat is dry.
But today, he's fasting until evening. He just received an explanation from the female doctor Mary that he will be receiving nutrients and fluids through the drip.
Will it heal or not... Such concerns crossed his mind, but then he noticed the hospital bed was tilted slightly to the right.
He try turning my head to the right, toward the window...
"...What's the situation here...?"
He unintentionally mutter in utter confusion.
Neon is leaning against the edge of the bed, looking down, while Anis is lying on her back, sleeping.
"...Master... Firepower Dragon... is dangerous, so... need to increase... firepower more..."
Firepower Dragon, huh? He don't know what that is, but hit it with the effect shot from a 120mm mortar heavy siege.
Is it an enemy character from some game? He couldn't help but comment internally on Neon's sleep talk, which he didn't quite understand.
"...Ugh... My... butt... doesn't smell... good..."
...Well, He have no idea what to say about that.
Anis, who continues to mutter in her sleep, cleverly places only her upper body on the edge of the bed, drooling from the corner of her wide-open mouth. Before talking about the smell, the first priority should be wiping off the drool.
Behind these two, on a sofa placed near the window—Rapi sits, crossing her long legs and slender arms while making snoring sounds. She undoubtedly has the best sleeping posture. He can't help but worry if she won't hurt herself sleeping in such a position, though.
He don't know the reason, but for some reason, all three of them are sleeping together in a lump.
He quietly tried to sit up, being careful not to wake them up.
There is pain, but it's much better than when I woke up in the hospital.
The painkiller must have worn off, but even so...
"──Are you awake?"
Suddenly, a refined voice came from beside him. However, maybe due to just waking up, it sounded a bit distant to his ears.
"...Sorry. Did I wake you up?"
"No, please don't worry... How are you feeling?"
"Not too bad."
As Moore answered Rapi's question while rubbing his eyes, he tried touching his left side with his hand. He didn't feel pain when he lightly touched the area. The wound, covered by artificial muscles and synthetic skin, seemed to be slowly but surely healing.
"I'll prepare the dressing and antibiotics. ──Anis, Neon."
Rapi, now sitting up, shook the shoulders of the sleeping duo leaning against the bed, one after the other.
"──!? "
"──...Hmm?"
Neon, waking up with a start, was the first to do so. Anis also sat up, but she seemed still drowsy, rubbing her eyes with her hand.
"W-We weren't sleeping! We were just... dreaming!"
"Huh!? W-What!?"
It was a sudden loud voice from beside them that fully woke them up. Anis, a bit delayed compared to Neon, suddenly became wide awake. She shook her head vigorously, as if trying to figure out if something had happened.
"The commander is awake. Let's get ready."
"Wha!?... Ah, th-thank goodness..."
"Um... good morning, Master."
"...Good morning. ──Did you defeat the Firepower Dragon?"
"W-Why are you asking that!?"
"Heheh... Ouch..."
He couldn't help but suppress a wry smile, feeling a twinge of pain as he chuckled.
While the others started their preparations after waking up, at Rapi's prompting, he turned sideways, facing the ceiling, exposing his left side.
"...Excuse me."
Rapi lifted the light blue hospital gown, exposing Moore's left side. She slowly peeled off the dressing covering the wound, and her expression quickly clouded over.
According to doctors, the number of stitches used in surgeries like these might not be significant, but in Moore's case, how many stitches did it take? His left side, pierced and penetrated, had been almost entirely lost. The visible marks where artificial skin was sewn together with real flesh were vividly displayed before Rapi's eyes, leaving her at a loss for words.
"...Rapi, I'm ready to..."
"────"
Neon reported that the dressing and the bag of antibiotics for the IV drip were prepared. However, upon seeing Moore's surgical wound, fresh from the operation like Rapi, both Anis and Neon's expressions darkened.
He had fought Chatterbox and survived in this condition. He had managed to stay alive.
Sensing something amiss with the others, Moore intentionally spoke in a slightly brighter tone than usual.
"...It's a bit embarrassing to be stared at so intently by three beautiful ladies..."
"──S-Sorry..."
"No, it's fine."
As if shaken off, Rapi began to move, and then Anis and Neon seemed to recall what they needed to do.
Neon replaced the IV bag connected to his right arm, Anis disinfected the wound, and Rapie applied the new dressing. They divided the tasks efficiently, drawing from their training and experience in Tactical Combat Casualty Care on the battlefield. It was probably thanks to Moore that they had become accustomed to this kind of situation.
The work progressed smoothly, and eventually, with Rapi's hands, Moore's body was carefully put back into place.
"──Master, is there anything else you're concerned about?"
"I'm fine. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."
"Don't worry about it. Now, Commander, make sure to get some rest. Your job right now is to sleep."
"...Just sleeping feels quite painful, though."
If asked what he could do in his current state, Moore understood that he couldn't do much. However, lying quietly in the hospital bed didn't suit him at all.
During his hospitalization period after losing his left arm in the northern mission, on the third day, he reached his limit and remembered being scolded by a nurse for doing one-armed push-ups in the hospital room.
Just as Moore was considering if that incident might have been the reason he was kicked out of the hospital, Anis handed him his mobile device pulled from the pocket of his jacket.
"I was holding onto this. I'll give it back to you, Commander."
"Thank you. ...Oh, I have messages..."
As soon as he unlocked the device with his fingerprint, he noticed a large number of unread messages. He didn't socialize that much, so he found it strange that so many messages had piled up. Among the first messages he saw were from the members of Cafe Sweetie squad. He would need to check and reply to those later.
"It seems I won't be bored after all."
"Do your best with the replies. Oh, and don't watch any inappropriate videos, okay?"
"Yeah, I won't."
"Good. If you need anything, call us immediately, okay? Understood?"
—As if he would get excited over staged videos like that, Moore muttered in his mind. Just then, a new message arrived.
.
.
.
.
Ingrid [It's me.]
Ingrid [I brought her along.]
.
.
.
.
—Faster than he expected.
The current time was 8 o'clock. It was the start of their duties, but he wondered if they had arranged to meet him at this time.
"...What's the matter?"
"...President Ingrid came in person. She brought Marian."
"...She's here, it seems."
"...Let's go."
Fortunately, the pain wasn't too bad as long as he didn't move too vigorously. He sat up at the edge of the hospital bed, put on his boots, and tied the laces. It wasn't the most graceful sight, but he grabbed the IV stand and leaned on Rapi, and together with the others, they left the commander's office and took the elevator down to the first floor of the headquarters building.
Shortly after they arrived in the parking lot, a luxury car with the Elysion logo on its body smoothly pulled in. When the rear door opened, the first person to step out was a woman wearing a white coat.
"Major Moore, it's been a night. How are you feeling?"
"Good morning. I may not look my best, but I'm not feeling too bad."
"I see. That's good."
Ingrid glanced at the IV tube connected to his right hand and the stand holding the bag, then decided not to prolong the conversation further. She formally announced the transfer.
"As of today, Nikké Marian has been transferred from Elysion to Counters. Any questions?"
"If you have any announcements, please make them now."
Moore asked, the sound of his boots clicking as he came to attention.
Ingrid hesitated for a moment, considering how to convey her message. She approached him and whispered her concerns, her voice barely audible.
"She's calm now, but as shown last night in the video Mana sent, she was confused. Please be mindful of that."
"Understood."
"Good."
Ingrid nodded in response, then turned on her heel, returning to the luxury car where the door was still open. She signaled her companion to disembark.
Eventually, her figure became visible, and Moore narrowed his eyes.
Nostalgic— that emotion bloomed within him first.
Her outfit consisted of shades of blue and white. It was the same attire she wore on the day they first met, and during that evening, when he pulled the trigger of the gun pointed at her forehead.
Her hair and eye colors might have changed, but there was no mistaking it. She was unmistakably her.
She disembarked and took a few steps forward as prompted by Ingrid. Coming to a stop just two steps away from him, she stood upright and saluted.
However, her crimson eyes remained slightly lowered.
"As of today... I have been transferred to Counters Squad—"
.
.
.
.
.
"Welcome back."
Moore didn't let her finish her announcement of the transfer and arrival. Her eyes snapped up at the short words he spoke.
"Unauthorized desertion is usually a court-martial offense... but given the circumstances, I understand. It can't be helped. I'll overlook it under the squad leader's authority."
"Com...man...der...!"
"No need to report your arrival. Weren't you originally my subordinate? I don't recall ever relieving you of my command."
His continued words caused her crimson eyes to tremble. Droplets began to form, and as if a dam had broken, tears started to trickle down her cheeks.
Remaining in the saluting posture, she hiccupped and shook her shoulders with sobs. Moore took a step forward, extending his right hand that was still connected to the IV tube.
Seeing this, she released her salute and used her slender right hand to grasp his large right hand.
"I'm counting on you again, Marian. Even though you're stuck in this remote place, take it as a rehab, and I hope you'll get used to it slowly."
"Yes... I...I will... p-please guide and instruct me...!"
Still hiccupping, Marian continued to nod, her voice choked with tears. She trembled as she placed her left hand on his shaking shoulder, and he nodded back at her.
Watching the scene unfold, the women couldn't help but be moved. However...
"Um, by the way, in this situation, am I the senior or junior?"
"Neon, stop ruining the atmosphere!!"
Whether it was for better or worse, his disciples seemed to have no sense of tact.
Well, that's typical of Neon, Moore thought, but at that moment, he felt an odd discomfort in his left side. He released his left hand from Marian's shoulder and rubbed his wound over the medical gown.
"Marian, I'm sorry to do this right after your return, but could you take me back to the commander's office?... The wound might have opened up."
"Huh!?"
"Wait!?"
"Commander, are you okay!?"
"No, I'm fine, so don't panic like that..."
"Sh-should I carry you on my back!?"
"...I can walk, so please calm down."
Despite his reassurances, he also felt things were a bit dicey. He had beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
"Anis! Where is the commander's office!?"
"It's on the second floor! Commander, hang in there!?"
"Master! Stay focused!"
"...I won't die, so please calm down. Ingrid, President, I apologize for this situation despite your visit."
"No, don't worry about it. Please take care of yourself."
"Thank you. ...Rapi, please see her off."
"Understood."
While his subordinates were on the verge of panic, Moore calmly urged them to return to the commander's office as quickly as possible. It seemed that he, paradoxically, remained composed when everyone else was in chaos. Rapi, who was instructed by Moore to see off Ingrid, sensed that there would be no problem in this situation and accompanied Moore, along with Marian and the others, back to the commander's office.
"Did you use Red Hood?"
Once they disappeared inside the government building, Ingrid asked her disciple. Marian nodded in response.
"How's the situation?"
"I wasn't devoured. Only about 2 seconds."
"...It must have been tough."
It was an emergency situation that required activating their abilities. Both Rapi, who was fighting on-site, and Ingrid, who only heard the report, could understand the gravity of the situation.
"However, even if it was an unavoidable situation, you need to be more careful in the future. There were witnesses."
"Absolute?"
"No. It was two mass-produced Nikkes who were engaged in combat nearby."
"...What happened to those two?"
"...Memory erasure."
Ingrid stated it succinctly. Rapi's expression clouded at the outcome imposed on those two.
"I understand what you're trying to say. However... remember well, what you hold could overturn the Ark."
"I understand."
"Good."
Ingrid let out a relieved sigh at her disciple's clear and concise response. But soon, she asked about her concerns.
"So... what... did... Red Hood say?"
"There was nothing noteworthy."
Rapi conveyed exactly what the voice inside her had told her.
.
.
.
.
.
"...'Destroy the Ark,' It was the same as always."
.
.
----
Author's Notes: Red Hood's words kept me up at night, worrying about their true meaning.
And... I couldn't sleep because I was concerned about the meaning of Red Hood's words.
Also... In the 9th episode of Chapter 0, posted on November 13th last year, Marian was 'un-per-mit-ted' to leave. After about 3 months, in this story posted on February 12th, she is 'reassigned'...
...Welcome back, Marian.
