Chapter 54

– Ah, beloved customer? I am contacting you to inform you that the requested… missing person investigation has been completed! –

“……”

My collarbone, struck directly by a taser, feels as if it has been ripped apart, and my head is throbbing, making the voice I hear quite irritating.

If there is any justification for this situation… it’s thanks to the phone call that I was able to regain consciousness. Is that enough?

Honestly, I can’t be sure if I woke up due to the ringing tone or if I had some strange immunity to electric shock due to the characteristics related to electricity.

…It was even harder to secretly observe my surroundings.

“…Are they using even normal police as test subjects now? Aren’t we in danger…?”

“Damn it, who said anything about test subjects?! They told us not to conduct any tests and to take them straight to the operating room, so this is a complete violation of the regulations! …Maybe it’s true that the project is nearing its end.”

The voices of the two men I had never heard before were filled with uncontained anxiety and uncertainty about the future.

They appeared to have ordinary, civilian traits, but judging by their conversation on such a sensitive topic, they too are staff affiliated with Paradise, involved in a secret project.

Even if they are closer to the upper class, it must be frightening for them to be involved in such disreputable work and have no actual authority or control.

It might be a bit strange to empathize with potential enemies, but…

Settlements and cities, mercenaries and police… laboratories and homes. This is my perspective from having experienced frequent job changes over the past month or two, whether I intended to or not.

If I could have clearly distinguished between friend and foe, life might have been much easier, but… this world isn’t so simple.

What always sweeps people along is the situation; that cruel reality decides everything.

…Those of us inside consider the best choices as a part of life.

– …Customer? Miss…? Are you perhaps in a difficult position to respond? –

So, what options do I have to choose from right now?

Lying quietly, I could sense a slight movement, so it seems I regained consciousness while being moved on a patient transport bed, just like the ones I occasionally saw during my work.

I couldn’t risk the exposure by extending my arm, hence I cautiously moved only my fingers and legs in response to the vibrations, but of course, I couldn’t grasp anything like a firearm or a device.

“…”

As I cracked my eyes open slightly to observe, I saw that these people were wearing something akin to full protective suits, making it hard for me to subdue them with my bio-taser.

– Hmm… Normally, it is not desirable to deliver data in a way that poses a risk of leakage… However, since we are still computing, if anything happens to you, it would be serious, so I will send it for now. We will wait for your quick return…? –

A report that seemed entirely unrelated to the company was transmitted regarding the settlement investigation, and the call was cut off.

…They certainly have an exceptional knack for sensing things.

With the situation getting this tangled and having already roughly grasped the project outline, does it even matter now that a few more details are being added?

If nothing else, it surely had some value in intensifying my disgust.

Residents who indiscriminately declared they would live in Metropolis.

Those who chose cheap human smuggling brokers instead of citizen ID brokers.

Wanderers who vanished without a trace.

Just in the thirty or so settlements near Harvest Planet, nearly a thousand people have gone missing in a month.

This has been ongoing for years… so the scale is at least in the tens of thousands.

While Paradise may not be involved in every disappearance, considering the scale of the visitors processed by each gate and the number of gates, and with the 24-hour monitoring system, it was terrifying to imagine how many people passed through the gates only to vanish without a trace.

Clatter…!

The smoothly rolling bed came to an unexpected halt.

“…What about anesthetics or sedatives?”

“Let’s not worry about unnecessary things, unless you want to end up worse. …If you’re really anxious, just head back to the gas chamber.”

“……I’d prefer not to.”

A rude hand suddenly lifted my body onto a metal plate that felt not a hint of softness.

Clang, clang, and a securing device that popped out from what I presumed to be the operating table tightly wrapped around my joints.

Now, as soon as these staff leave their posts, I must quickly escape and find Helena….

“Grisha? We are ready.”

“Good job. Once the person for the extraction surgery arrives, you can return to your original duties.”

…Anne Grisha was already here.

With a significantly buoyant tone, her familiar high pitch whistled through the air.

Clearly, the time left to clean up the mess caused by my mistake is not much.

“Just like Lena! Even for a collection squad, it’s hard to buy time in close quarters♪”

The trivial chatter that excited the nerves and imagination pounded against my eardrums, but I forcibly ignored it and focused.

Enduring the coldness that seeped from the metal surface against my skin, I converted my consciousness into electric signals and spread them toward the inner circuits.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have acted like this, worried about getting caught, especially without using a device or equipment that could serve as an absolute transit point, but now it was an emergency.

…Zzt!

Whether it was a miscalculation in strength, there was a slight crackling noise, but the connection was established without any issue.

…However, the scenery was somewhat unusual compared to the familiar library I usually stepped into.

In my darkened field of vision, jumbled lines appeared, and light began to form shapes.

Even without fully verifying it or describing it, I could immediately sense what kind of image was being drawn.

In this frozen, grayish-white world, the only unique colors were held by humans and signals.

My body lay neatly in the center, while a staff member sat next to the surgical equipment. A rectangular signal mass, Anne, looked at her device as if trying to decipher it.

As Anne’s fingers danced across the screen, the signal threads twisted and… changed.

I hadn’t undertaken an abyss dive out of insanity, but could this phenomenon be due to directly interfering with an already established system?

Or perhaps it appeared this way because there were so many installed CCTVs that a copious amount of video data was available?

“Ah…!”

“……?”

A staff member, seeing the surgical forceps jiggle on their own, briefly glanced at the equipment, then lost interest.

I had checked to see if hacking was still possible based on will, just in case, but this made it feel as if I had transcended physical limitations and become a poltergeist, releasing some tension.

However, I must not forget that if things escalate to a brawl, I would have no chance of winning.

Ultimately, I cannot leave my body behind in reality, so I have to significantly gain the upper hand by constructing a favorable battlefield.

In doing so… as I was examining the capabilities of various equipment that could be used as weapons, I heard a chilling threat.

“Now… Lena? Choose. If you ask me to set free those pitiful people over there, more than a hundred, I will use all my authority to safely send them outside. …However, Asha will be completely disassembled.”

…That crazy Anne.

Quickly, I buried my consciousness in search of Helena amidst the tangled signal threads.

In the blink of an eye, Helena’s appearance appeared vividly in front of me, significantly more haggard than when I last saw her.

If Helena begs, Anne will cut her off.

If Helena gets angry, Anne will rejoice.

The nightmare imposed a dilemma: to sacrifice one family member or countless others.

An absurd dilemma testing morality, self-interest, and justice.

“……?”

Then… does this mean the significance has faded away?

Though it’s her one-sided claim, coupled with the life debt owed to Old Heinrich and the shared name making things complicated, I am not Helena’s biological sibling.

Rather… I am one of many surrounding individuals with a lot to hide, just like Anne.

So the guilt that I must make a choice exists, but the trials and adversity that would ruin Helena Valentine are unimaginably insufficient.

“I’d rather….”

“Self-sacrifice means nothing here.”

Yet it’s strange.

Why is she in such agony? Why does she avoid a straightforward answer?

Helena’s anguish and torment vividly seeped into my mind, yet I could not tear my gaze away.

Could it be… anticipation? Am I secretly hoping that she chooses the heretic known as Anastasia Valentine, going against expectations? But this is…

Like Anne Grisha. It felt akin to that twisted expectation of wanting to become someone special to Helena.

“…Ugh!”

I rid myself of those murky, foolish thoughts.

How ludicrous that I would indulge in such fantasies after outright rejecting the confession of the breathtaking beauty, claiming I was unprepared.

With the carefully established backdoor maintained, I cautiously returned only my consciousness.

Since the incident with Drayfuscus, I have tried my best to conceal my alien abilities. However, I hadn’t hidden it from Helena, so I believed she would manage well even with just a small hint.

BEEP!

Before it’s too late. While I can’t speak out loud, I open my contacts and dial Helena.

“……Ha ha.”

Seeing a clear signal and an unexpected sender’s name made her laugh bitterly. …Hearing both of them say they would kill me certainly feels unsettling.

Then… I believe I have the right to vent a little too.

“…Even the heartless Lena is beautiful.”

Immediately after the command to free the innocent residents was broadcasted, I moved as soon as I heard Anne’s mutter, lost in a distorted ecstasy.

“Let’s put a stop to this talk, shall we? Anne Grisha?”

Clang!!

Before the breath could finish, all the restraints disappeared.

Before the stunned individuals could regain their senses, I jumped up and blatantly operated the surgical machine.

I abandoned all remaining power… which would cause an accident, so that was impossible, but I forcibly pulled in excess power to increase the output of the surgical laser.

And I achieved something I always wanted to try. An overwhelming display of force.

Ziiing—!!

It went beyond merely cutting through human skin; it was a death ray wavelength that melted the metal it touched and collapsed molecular bonds, sweeping across the operating room to cover the area where Anne had been sitting.

A threatening black boundary was traced in a straight line, and the glass in the path melted instantaneously, creating a new communication window. The acrid smell of burning filled my nostrils, and the previously annoyingly cold temperature of the operating room shot up dramatically.

The staff member who witnessed it first-hand curled up in a corner, expressing with desperation that there was no will to resist.

Glimpsing at the medical equipment that had completely slipped off from control and had turned into a real weapon, she stammered.

“How… how is this possible? Asha shouldn’t have any hacking implants… the device shouldn’t be here…”

“Coincidentally, I’m not quite normal either, even without implants. …Ah, was that there?”

While I didn’t care about the cheap device, my old firearm held many memories, so there was a slight relief in knowing its location.

“……”

As Anne’s eyes, previously swirling with confusion, eventually found composure and even a hint of malevolence…

“…Lena didn’t give up on you after all. Just like a vessel receiving grace, you’ve grasped the results you’d longed for.”

Considering she had lost the mind games of deception, her level of fury was remarkably difficult to comprehend.

Though Anne might feel that everything was skewed by extraordinary fate, from my perspective, it had been a precarious situation, and already….

“Operation in room 38…!”

Kwaazip!!

In a literal speed of light, the laser shot through Anne’s device while she attempted to communicate, obliterating the office wall.

It registered the major components of the machine, including the resonator, rapidly breaking down due to excessive output, but as long as I was cautious, neither the frozen man nor Anne would have any way to notice.

Fortunately, my role was simple.

To prevent the angry host from reversing orders caused by the twisted script… or to tie up loose ends myself.

“Just give up!! There are no remaining options?!!”

“…Not yet. Not yet… Asha is here! Again…!”

Clang!!

“Damn?!”

Irritatingly, Anne, who drew my firearm, fired towards me.

With half of my consciousness connected to every nearby device, as soon as I caught sight of the barrel aimed at me, I turned the surgical table upright at a right angle to deflect the bullet.

Whether it was vague or not, both sides had plans that could change at any moment; the resolve overran.

The laser, poised to pierce through one’s head at any moment, was seemingly dismissed from Anne’s mind as she continually pulled the trigger. What in the world was the source of that audacity…? Reflections were fleeting.

It wasn’t that I dismissed the actual threat. To break it down, Anne never considered her survival from the start.

“You……!!”

How ugly can a person caught in overconfidence be…?

If she wishes to proceed like that, I shall no longer hesitate. When Anne was in a frenzy while tormenting poor Helena, I expected this moment to come.

One chance was enough to set this ridiculous madwoman free.

After all, Helena must have seen Anne’s true nature… I started using the surgical equipment to mount a full assault.

Crash—!!

“!!”

The forceps, launched with the intent to shatter her neck, struck the desk, crashing towards Anne.

Seeing that I was determined to put an end to this cursed fate, she frantically tried to leap out of the office, but… that barrier had long been under my control.

I was perfectly protected behind the surgically operated device, while Anne had to dodge knives, needles, and all kinds of tools at once, and the laser that would make the outcome a one-shot deal kept her on her toes.

Realizing that her situation required using a third party, Anne commanded.

“…This is an order! Go and summon support troops…!!”

“If you don’t want to die, don’t move at all.”

“Ugh?!”

I shot a saw blade from the mechanical arm, embedding it between her legs, eliciting a strangled scream.

The staff, caught in her conflicting orders and threats, writhed desperately as if pleading not to be involved in this standoff.

…It would be similar to dying if hit, but I found her attitude of wanting to respect a murderous beam over a firearm rather gratifying.

“……”

One side had long offered their life, while the other had come to claim it now.

Would a laser literally split the room into a deadly angle unavoidably?

The power flowed freely, but doubts arose about whether the components could endure while entirely ignoring safety mechanisms and recommended output.

Ideally, the target would be aimed for a spot… a death sentence among points.

Bam!

“Asha…!!”

“This should have been the case from the beginning. Rather than burden Helena with this, I’d much rather…!”

I threw everything in the operating room, bulky items, haphazardly to block potential escape routes.

Having realized that being hit truly meant death was going to be terrifying, Anne, while still processing the concept that I couldn’t indiscriminately unleash lasers, attempted to struggle but… it merely reflected her being an isolated castaway.

Just a little… if only I could restrict her movement radius and remove any cover from her before cutting off the laser, it would be over.

“Damnit…!”

Crackling…!!

Seeing herself bound to this disappointing fate, Anne shifted toward me as if seeking an escape.

And that provided me with the clean shooting opportunity I had been waiting for.

“Sorry, but… I won’t feel sorry for you. Anne Grisha.”

“…!!”

Our gazes met.

Until the very end, neither of us intended to give up or fall into despair; rather, that madness fixated solely on chasing the objective had its merits, but at least today was not that day.

Anne’s fingers and my resolved will both prepared to pull the trigger aimed at each other, but… this intense, almost absurd standoff easily crumbled by the arrival of the one individual we both awaited.

Boom!! With a tremendous roar, the blocked door groaned under a shock from the outside.

…Had I not locked gazes with her when the first impact created the gap, I could have stopped this, but… it’s too late. Silently, I opened both doors to welcome her.

“……Lena.”

“……”

Even if it meant death, Anne’s arm, which seemed not even to think of giving up, slowly dropped.

However, Helena entered, dragging along some unlucky bearded man as if Anne never existed.

Crack!

“Cough?!”

Without warning, she twisted the jaw of the surprised staff member in the corner.

I initially thought she was furious over someone’s cunning act of knocking out a hostage, but that was not the case.

“…You were one of the hostages I caught. Once you go up, just say that.”

“No… uh.”

I wanted to explain that such a flimsy excuse wouldn’t cut through the chaos, but she didn’t appear to be in a state long enough for that.

Blood, not just from her face or suppressor suit but also the bloodshot eyes and trembling lips, conveyed the darkness that shrouded her heart.

“…Lena.”

“……Don’t call my name as if nothing happened.”

“Helena.”

Chaeng…!

Being unable to restrain herself any longer, she drew a sword with the point held desperately against Anne’s neck. …That was not the kind of scene I wanted to witness.

Today, it felt as though a few times had already seen blood trickling down the blade, remaining bright red. Soon… with her hesitation discarded, the katana was swung. Anne accepted that blow with a smile on her face.

Swish…

“……Why?”

Blood splattered. The blood that had clung to the katana following the trajectory of the high-speed swing.

What was severed wasn’t just Anne’s life; merely the neatly tied locks of hair fell apart as well.

Amidst the scattered hair on the floor, she quietly declared as she returned my firearm.

“…We won’t meet again, so you can live your life now. Don’t get involved with me… or us.”

“……”

To be honest, it could be deemed a lukewarm judgment that was not at all like Helena. However, considering it a farewell to a friend sufficed to label it as cruel.

The clumsy sound of military boots echoed against the ground.

In a daze, Anne staggered, letting go of the wall as she walked out. It was a departure so devoid of strength that it could safely be said she fled from a reality in which nothing had gone her way.

“…Helena, she might….”

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this. But… for this time, trust my decision.”

There was no way… she would just back down like this.

Unlike the masked Anne, I could confidently assert that I had been in contact with the desire-driven Anne Grisha far longer than she ever would.

Helena seemed to hold expectations that she could change, but I couldn’t shake off my skeptical mindset.

Yet… I ultimately didn’t pull the trigger aimed at her until the end.

Reason alarmed me, undoubtedly warning I would regret it later, but what could I do?

The person involved, Helena, the one facing the most challenging decision, shook her head upon seeing my weapon still trained on her.

This was… akin to disregarding anticipated disasters to respect her decision.

When watching a heroine striving through a difficult path, it’s natural to want to cheer for them, but if I were positioned to assist, would it not complicate matters?

“…Let’s go towards elevator number 3. They might not have any guards there. …And put your visor back on.”

“Ha… That’s what I should be saying. …Please hide your face.”

…While recognizing that a new identity would be needed, I worried about how to ensure the safety of the main heroine, who didn’t have any plans to break through the soldiers thronging above.

Eventually, we, including the bearded man still unconscious, arrived at the elevator.

First, I pressed the button to call for an escape route and forcefully placed Helena’s visor back on her face as she rolled around on the floor without any care.

Before we returned to the ground where fierce combat awaited, I connected to the communication channel, hoping for any information that could be useful.

– The operation to eliminate intruders has commenced; police forces are to form a perimeter until the collection team’s operation concludes. –

“…Damn.”

I had to admit it in the end. At least in the distant future, I had hoped Anne’s determination would ignite and return, but it turned out to be several folds stronger than I had anticipated.

“?! Asha, duck…!!”

BOOM——!!

The arriving elevator exploded without any forewarning.