The moment Clarice's fingertip touched the star-shaped access terminal on Marian's temple, the air in the room went taut. On the screen of the old terminal, green code began cascading down like a waterfall. Clarice's metallic fingertips connected the cable to the terminal with unbelievably delicate movements. "[serious]Injecting emergency protect. Don't blame me if this fails." Her golden eyes stared at the terminal display as if devouring it. Her light purple short bob trembled faintly. Marian's long silver hair spread out across the treatment table. Her eyes were closed, her complexion pale. Her right eye, clouded red from the corruption, was now hidden behind her eyelids. Ryou gripped Marian's left hand tightly. Cold fingers. A faintly trembling sensation. But her hand was still there, in his. (*Please...*) Sweat beaded on his forehead. His jaw ached from clenching his teeth too hard. The link band was issuing warnings. [[Corrupt Seed Erosion In Progress]] [[Second Stage — Late Phase]] [[Estimated Remaining Identity: 35%]] Every time the number dropped, his chest tightened painfully. "[cold]...Kid." Glen, who had been standing watch in the corner of the room, let out a low growl. His slicked-back hair, streaked with white, swayed slightly. The old scar on his right temple looked deeply etched under the dim lighting. His gray eyes were fixed on the hallway outside. "[serious]Did they make a move?" Ryou turned around. "[cold]Saw 'em through a crack in the outer wall. Armed group. Eight... no, more than that. There's a guy who looks like their commander, too." Glen lowered the sniper rifle from his shoulder and quickly pulled the bolt. *Clack.* The rugged metallic sound echoed through the quiet laboratory. "[scared]Missilis..." A chill ran down his spine. The engine sounds he'd heard in the marshlands. That really had been a retrieval squad after all. "[serious]I'm continuing here. You two, do something." Clarice didn't take her hands off the terminal. Her golden eyes were glued to the screen. Her voice was flat, but Ryou could see her fingertips trembling faintly. (*She's scared, and yet...*) Ryou bit his lip. That was when it happened. *BOOM!!* The sound of a door being kicked in came from the hallway. Multiple footsteps. The heavy, cold echo of metal boots striking the floor. Then, a mechanical voice came through a speaker. "[cold]This is Darc, Missilis Industry Retrieval Squad Captain. By order of Valhalla Command Article 14, we are executing the immediate disposal of the infected NIKKE and the retrieval of escaped test subject Clarice. Do not resist." Ryou's heart lurched violently. "[angry]It hasn't even been three minutes yet! The procedure isn't finished!" Clarice shouted. But her fingers didn't leave the terminal. The footsteps drew closer. How many? Three? Four? No, more than that. "[scared]Dammit...!" His hands were shaking. The strength with which he gripped Marian's hand back unconsciously grew stronger. *BAM!!* The laboratory door was kicked in. The iron door blew off its hinges entirely and slammed onto the floor. Dust billowed up. The first to step in was a soldier clad in black armored gear. His face was hidden by a full-face helmet. A stun baton in his right hand, a shield in his left. Fully armed. "[cold]Target located. Securing." The soldier's voice was devoid of emotion. Behind him, two more soldiers poured into the room. One aimed a rifle to intimidate Ryou and the others, while the other took aim at Clarice. "[angry]Hey, you, the commander over there. You were supposed to have been exiled, weren't you? Don't do anything stupid." The man who appeared to be the squad captain made his way through the soldiers into the room. Mid-forties, cropped hair, small eyes. The Missilis Industry emblem gleamed on his left chest. True to the name Darc, his build was solid, almost like a boulder. His eyes first turned toward Glen. "[sarcastic]Glen... a former commander, what are you doing in a place like this? Still flailing around in your old age, I see?" "[cold]And you're still playing Missilis's lapdog, Darc." Glen kept his gun raised, his mouth twisting. It was impossible to tell if he was smiling or making a threat. "[cold]A lapdog suits me fine. Following orders is a commander's duty." Darc spat the words out, then shifted his gaze to Marian on the treatment table. His small eyes fixed on Marian's pale face. Then, he glanced at Ryou. "[cold]So you're the useless brat I've heard about. Hand over that girl. If the erosion hasn't reached the third stage yet, she can still be used as a test subject." Test subject. Those words dropped into the pit of Ryou's stomach with a heavy thud. (*This bastard... he wants to use Marian as research material...*) "[angry]Stop!" Ryou was shouting. His body moved on its own. He let go of Marian's hand and stood in front of the soldier, shielding her. "[cold]Move aside, brat." The lead soldier raised his stun baton. Ryou didn't back away a single step. His knees were shaking. He couldn't breathe properly. His blood vessels pulsed violently, and his mind was about to go blank. But. (*I'll protect her.*) The soldier pushed Ryou aside and reached for Marian. Fingers wrapped in a rugged glove grabbed her slender arm. "[angry]Don't touch her!!" Ryou shook off the soldier's arm. "[cold]Boy... don't get in the way." The soldier swung the stun baton down— In that instant, Ryou reached for the holster at his waist. Something he'd left in his uniform pocket before being exiled. Something he'd brought with him just as it was when he escaped from the Ark. His commander terminal. Ryou held up the terminal and pressed the activation button. *Beep.* A small electronic sound. The screen glowed pale blue. [[Commander Authentication: Ryou]] [[ID: 07-39]] [[Authority Status: Active]] "[angry]By my authority as a commander, I'm placing this NIKKE under protection!! No one lay a hand on her!!" His voice was shaking. It was a pathetic voice, even he could tell. His throat was bone-dry, and he couldn't get the ends of his words out properly. But he didn't stop. "Huh...?" Darc narrowed his eyes. "[sarcastic]You're an invalidated commander who was exiled from the Ark. There's no way your commander authority is still—" "[cold]It's active." Glen's low voice resonated through the room. He held up the link band's log, showing it to Darc as if flaunting it. "The invalidation process hasn't been completed yet. At this very moment, his commander authority is legally alive. If you lay a hand on her, you'll be in violation of Valhalla Command regulations." "[angry]...What did you say?" Darc's complexion changed. It went red, then pale, then red again. "[angry]Don't screw with me! A brat like this, his authority—" "[serious]If you think it's invalid, want to test it?" Glen slowly aimed the muzzle of his sniper rifle at Darc. The room froze over. The soldiers stopped moving. Darc's face twitched. Ryou's heart kept pounding furiously. (*Did it... work?*) But this was only buying time. The stalemate wouldn't last long. If Darc checked with Valhalla Command, it would immediately be exposed as invalid. That was when it happened. Glen pointed his index finger at the ceiling, just once. Only Ryou noticed the gesture. (*What...?*) Glen had been walking around the facility since the day before. It had seemed like he was setting something up in various places throughout the old building. Now, Ryou understood. "[cold]Darc, you were always loyal to your orders. That was your one redeeming quality." Glen spoke quietly. Darc gave him a suspicious look. "[angry]What are you—" In that instant, Glen operated the small terminal in his hand. A roar. The ceiling literally came crashing down. *BOOOOOOM!!!* The iron ceiling beams on the hallway side collapsed all at once, cutting off the soldiers. The three vanguard soldiers were trapped inside the room, while the rear squad was stranded in the hallway. "[angry]Wh-what the hell is this!!" Darc shouted. The swirling dust and iron powder turned the field of vision completely white. In the midst of that chaos, Glen moved. *Thud.* The sound of him kicking off the wall. The large, white-haired figure circled behind the soldiers with astonishing speed. He pinned the first soldier from behind, twisted the second soldier's wrist, and knocked the stun baton away. "[cold]I told you not to underestimate an old man, didn't I?" Glen pressed his gun against Darc and grinned. The old scar on his right temple distorted, making it look like a devil's smile. "[scared]Y-you... a trap like this..." The color drained from Darc's face. "[angry]Gh-Glen! You bastard!!" "[cold]Get going, you damn idiot!!" Glen roared at Ryou. Ryou didn't hesitate. He scooped up Marian's body. Her silver hair swayed softly in his arms. (*So light...*) She was supposed to be a NIKKE, yet her body was shockingly light. It wasn't a matter of weight. It was as if it symbolized how lightly her life was being treated, and it made his heart ache. "[angry]I'll definitely come back!!" Ryou shouted, kicked open the escape route door, and ran. Behind him, he could hear Glen holding Darc and the others at bay. ―――― Meanwhile, Clarice did not run. She lunged at the terminal deeper in the facility and began hammering at the keyboard. Her metallic fingertips typed in code at a furious speed. (*Missilis Industry's encrypted communication standard...*) The encryption key was etched into her electronic brain. As a memory she couldn't forget, even if she wanted to. *Tap-tap-tap*, her fingers moved. With each tap, flashbacks assaulted her— A white laboratory. Cold restraints. Injection needles. Her own brainwaves displayed on a monitor. The inorganic voices of men in white coats. *'Test subject C-77, response is favorable. Continuing electronic warfare aptitude test.'* "...Ngh." Clarice bit her lip. She pulled herself back to reality with the pain. (*This isn't a system error.*) Her typing speed increased. (*This is something I decided.*) "[whispers]...This is something I decided." She murmured quietly. She made a surprised face at the words that came out of her own mouth. (*I... decided?*) Her whole life until now, someone else had always decided for her. Created as a test subject by Missilis, and even after running away, she had lived hiding and cowering. She had never chosen anything for herself before. On the terminal screen, the words [[Fake Code Transmission Ready]] appeared. Clarice typed in the final command. [[Operation Abort — Immediate Withdrawal]] [[Issuing Authority: Valhalla Command]] "[serious]...Get through." Several dozen seconds later. The terminals of the rear squad vibrated in unison, receiving the forged order. "[surprised]Wh-what!? A withdrawal order!?" "[scared]Command is... why!?" The squad's cohesion crumbled all at once. The soldiers panicked and began preparing to retreat. Darc's enraged shouts echoed through the hallway, but no one was listening to his orders anymore. Clarice stared intently at her trembling hands. Her metallic fingertips were shaking slightly, *clatter-clatter*. "[whispers]...Error." She started to say it, then closed her mouth. "...No. This isn't an error." Her golden eyes held a light of determination. ―――― Ryou kept running. He exited through a crumbling window frame at the back of the facility. The lukewarm wind of the marshlands brushed against his sweat-drenched face. The sky was still gray. But the edges of the clouds were just beginning to brighten. Dawn was near. "[pain]Hah... hah...!" He was out of breath. His thighs were screaming. In his arms, Marian's body was heavy, weighing him down. Even so, Ryou kept running. On a rocky slope, far enough away from the facility. There, Ryou finally dropped to his knees. "[gentle