In front of her eyes, a radiant light and numerous large-caliber warheads, as well as large pellets—

The dazzling light filled the field of vision, and as she instinctively twisted her body, her right arm was the first to be burned away.

"─Guh!?"

Her posture crumbled. In an instant, a large-caliber warhead crushed the base of her left leg as she unconsciously stepped back.

She awkwardly and shamefully collapsed. At that moment, pellets gouged out the left side of her abdomen, and a torrent of red catalyst spewed out with tremendous force.

Her body was being pulverized one after another.

And yet, the self-repair function wasn't activating.

The heretic nihilist, Nihilister, keenly sensed a clear threat to her life.

"─Tch, this... is nothing compared to my feet... you insignificant pests... ugh...!?"

A heat rose from the depths of her throat, and unable to endure it, she spat out a red substance.

Feeling discomfort in my throat and tongue, she coughed violently. Meanwhile, three large-caliber warheads hit her chest, piercing through her abundant right breast.

The impact of the hits overwhelmed her entire body, and Heretic's deep crimson eyes pierced through the one who fired those shots, likely the one who pierced her right chest.

"─Hey... stop it..."

A tall man wearing a helmet, presumably human. However, he aimed a rifle, a Rapture weapon for Nikke, at his own head, and the shape of the barrel pointed towards her looked like a perfect circle to her crimson eyes.

"─Stop it... stop it, I said...!!"

They were about 15 meters apart. Yet, she keenly sensed the clear intent to kill and the imminent threat to her life.

Eyes, likely narrowed behind sunglasses, hidden behind a sharp shape, aimed at her forehead where the reticle should have captured.

Just before the fingertips tightened on the trigger again, she shouted,

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"─I'll kill her in your place! I'll kill her with these hands!! The queen of Rapture!!"

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As the play of the trigger was about to tighten and the hammer was about to drop, sakura-colored long hair descended in front of the tall youth's eyes.

"─Stop shooting, please!"

"─Huh!!"

The sight was obstructed. Reflexively, the fingers lost their strength, and the play of the trigger returned to its original position.

"─Move aside, Dorothy."

"What are you planning? Intending to snatch away the prey."

A low voice was directed at Nikke, wrapped in pure white extended armaments.

Without saying it aloud, she turned her shoulder towards the owner of the low voice, revealing her amethyst eyes.

"...I apologize for interrupting. But, could you wait for just a moment?"

"No need to listen," another low voice. The footsteps that trampled the earth ceased as they stood beside the tall youth.

"It's just a desperate struggle for survival."

"I agree."

The two commanders, with ice-blue and deep brown eyes, focused on the semi-lifeless form of the heretic. The gazes from their differently colored eyes were chilly.

However, the shooting temporarily ceased as she stood in front of him.

Nevertheless, time was likely running short.

She turned her amethyst eyes back to Heretic and asked,

"─Nihilister. How do you plan to kill the Queen when you're on the brink of death?"

Depending on the answer, it might be permissible to let her live. However, if it doesn't pique her interest—

She prompted, adjusting the pure white firearm in her hands.

Heretic, whose entire body had been shattered and who was now lying on the ground, gasping for breath, wetting her lips with red catalyst, finally managed to shake her lips.

"─I have... a plan... for a long time... I've been thinking about it...!"

"─What is it?"

She didn't need any preamble. She aimed the carried firearm at the enemy's head.

As Nihilister spat out the catalyst accumulated in her oral cavity and continued with effort, her tongue articulating the words,

"─Do you know about the body of... Lilith?"

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"Rick."

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"...Li...Li...th..."

"───Tch...!?"

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The meticulous white skin wrapped in sheets, the figure breathing peacefully, leaning against the muscular arm as a pillow and hugging the thick chest, the man continued to gaze at her without getting tired, silently holding his breath.

Perhaps out of mischief or perhaps just killing time, the man's resolute fingertips playfully tousled the bangs of the person in front of him.

"─Nngh..."

Seems she still wants to stay in the dream. Not the leader of the unit but a woman of her age, she seemed unusually exhausted.

Unfortunately, the man, who dislikes overindulgence, is not good with gentleness. However, he is not unaware. Awkwardly, he tried to behave gentlemanly towards her. Although it comes with the caveat of being somewhat awkward.

Let's hear that impression again after she wakes up.

"─Goodnight. My Lilith."

There are words that can only be spoken when the other person is asleep.

The well-shaped, moist lips touched the slightly dry lips of the man.

A woman who had given him peaceful and serene moments in a life only familiar with battles.

In a life where the only strength was in fighting—what he could only possess was being fulfilled.

Light penetrated the sterile and monochrome world, coloring it.

What to call this emotion—pondering over it, the only answer was something simple and mundane.

But saying it directly face to face was embarrassingly difficult.

Just one word—whether he is qualified to say it or not.

In the not-so-distant future, or perhaps in the midst of battle, one might meet their end.

──I'm gonna die someday.

In that case, it's not something to tell her. She might remember those words later on. Such insincere actions are not something he can do.

Death isn't frightening. Even if he meets a gruesome end on some battlefield after a fight, there will be no regrets. In fact, it would be almost joyous.

──So don't need to pray for me.

Engaging in a fight that can only be described as suicidal, he recalls the moment he received wishes and prayers, the moment he kissed the recognition ticket.

──May you not be hurt any further. It's a charm.

Though he felt a fleeting gaze from somewhere, it seems no one from the squad was peeking. If they were, the idiots would have been parading around with loudspeakers by now.

Looking down at her sleeping while clinging to his chest, he gently brushed aside her slightly disheveled bangs with his dry lips and gave a simple kiss to the Gadisium skin.

There is no future for him, and probably not for her either.

Heading towards destruction, the two of them push forward with determination.

The end is near, and it's visible.

──Why did we meet?

──Why did we get drawn to each other?

──Even though I knew we could never be together.

He held back a sigh that threatened to escape. If he didn't, he might wake her up.

──I hope this moment never ends.

──If that's the case, it would surely be the happiest.

If he were to convey this storm of emotions in his heart to her, what expression would she make?

Would she be surprised?

Or would she smile?

It's awkward to say it directly to her face.

Perhaps he is more timid than he thinks.

Because this moment of her sleeping is the only time he can express it.

"But I got for──"

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──Ugh...!!

Thump, his heart pounded. Pupils dilated, and palpitations intensified.

Breathing is unsteady.

"──Moore?"

──No. That's not my name.

"...Diff...erent...?"

It shouldn't be.

Shaw... Moore. That is his one and only name.

──No, it's not.

Intense sensations of the brain raging within the skull. Amidst the torment of pain, an unfamiliar yet familiar low voice resonates in his mind.

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──Remember.

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"...What, is...! Lililith's body...!?"

"──The precursor to the Queen, the only lingering attachment left on the surface...! If we find that... with these hands, I'll...!"

"──Counters! Hurry up!!"

His field of vision darkens, and the world shakes. No, it's his body that is shaking.

A low voice raised beside him—where did the usual cold tone go? Even that slightly unsettled voice, suggesting the urgency of the situation, sounds distant.

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──Remember.

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Once again, the repeated words. An unbearable intense pain races through the inside of the skull.

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──Your. My. Name. Is──

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Don't lend an ear.

---No, you have to listen.

Don't remember.

---No, you have to remember.

Contradictory thoughts swirl one after another.

Scenes of unknown battlefields and familiar battlefields pass through the mind.

Records of past battles, days of relentless fighting, vividly haze and appear, then vanish.

"──Wrong, I... I am...!"

"──Commander!"

"──Neon, to the Commander!!"

"──Understood! Master!!"

His arm is pulled forcefully, and guided, his body begins to move naturally.

In the hazy field of vision—three figures standing in front.

Light brown, flaxen, and sakura-colored hair—all familiar colors in different hues.

"──What have you done, Nihilister?"

"──I don't know shit about it, alright!? How the fuck could I !? More importantly... this, is this really Unchained? If we find Lilith's body... I'll definitely kill it with my own hands...! So... quickly...! Get this damn Unchained off my body...!!"

The Heretic shouts as if spitting out blood.

──Lack of judgment criteria, but not a bad suggestion.

Dorothy, concerned about Moore's condition behind, calmly began to contemplate. However, just as she started to think, she sensed a tingling sensation on her skin.

This is──

"──Get down!!"

It was a snap judgment. Without waiting after warning the Rapi and Anis standing in his way, a silent and formless entity manifested next to the near-death Nihilister.

"──Noisy. ...Why... why does everyone like talking so much..."

A quiet presence with a young face and a pale complexion—seemingly having come from the lightless depths of the deep sea—quietly appears with an overwhelming presence, still equipped with an enormous jellyfish-like extended armament, directing its gaze toward the enemies.

However, she must have lost interest immediately. She averted her gaze and grabbed the remaining arm of Nihilister, who could be aptly described as half-dead and half-alive, pulling him up.

"Commander, shall we attack?"

The chief of staff, standing next to Johan, the commander of Eden, asked.

Hearing that, he quickly analyzed the situation as much as his ice-blue eyes could capture.

"─No..."

For some reason, his entire body swayed left and right, and the commander of Ark, whose eyes were not focused, came into view.

At that moment, the burgeoning eagerness for engagement vanished.

Above all, the new forces of the Heretic that had appeared could not be analyzed. He had no intention of losing, but the possibility of being able to win was not certain.

"What we see in front of us is just the tip of the iceberg. The current forces can't handle the opponent."

"─You have a good sense."

Supporting Nihilister's body and grabbing it, the Heretic floated up, defying gravity.

While overlooking the enemies below, she slightly narrowed her drowsy eyes and spoke again.

"─With that keen mind of yours, move even lower and quieter from now on. If you wake me up again..."

─At that time, I will bury you and that paradise in the deep sea.

A cold voice, as cold as the temperature of the deep sea, echoed quietly, leaving its lingering resonance as she and her companions disappeared in a blur.

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"─Have you awakened?"

The electronic sound echoed at regular intervals. The moment he noticed it, his consciousness surfaced.

His eyelids opened, and deep brown eyes moved in all directions.

An unfamiliar ceiling—lifeless and white—spread out across his entire field of vision. As soon as that happened, a cold and indifferent high-pitched voice was directed towards him.

"...Did I lose consciousness?"

"─I heard from Johan that something happened to you since you shot Unchained into Nihilister... What about your memory?"

"...I don't remember much."

I see, the indifferent response resonated.

He shifted his gaze to the right. Apparently, he had been laid on the sickbed on his back.

Moore confirmed the situation while the one who had sat on the chair beside the sickbed, crossing long legs, looked down at him with a cold and indifferent air.

"─Unchained..."

Though his memories from the middle were vague, he remembered the scene clearly, and he clenched his fist with the strength that made it creak.

─The situation is the situation. It wasn't a bad decision.

This can be asserted without a doubt. However, whether it would justify going all the way to the surface and losing what he aimed for was uncertain.

She must have sensed his inner thoughts.

Cecil, a beautiful woman with an air reminiscent of a cool and talented woman, exhaled a sigh.

Thin, moonlight-colored hair tinged with a faint purple swayed slightly. Cecil, with a distinctive pair of earphones resembling sharp-pointed bamboo leaves, brushed her hair back with her fingertips, then looked down at him again.

"You don't seem to be in the mood to converse, so please just listen."

Don't forget to stay calm, she added. With that, she rearranged her long legs visible from the hem of the tight slit skirt and crossed them.

"...Talking to a beautiful woman is not a hardship, but what about my subordinates?"

"...If you can crack a joke, I don't need to worry then. They are safe. They're in Eden too."

A thin sigh of relief escaped from him upon learning that his subordinates were safe, just as he had heard.

As rumored by his colleague Johan, he seemed to be an unusual commander.

The evaluation he had heard about him from his fellow professionals did not seem to be wrong. Confirming this belief, Cecil continued.

"This time, I listened to everyone's conversation through the operator's communication. Especially what Nihilister said..."

Bright blue—peacock blue—eyes narrowed sharply.

"...She mentioned that there is something she desires inside your body, right?"

Remembering the conversation with Nihilister, Moore nodded slightly.

"I actually have an idea."

"An idea?"

Gazing into the peacock-blue eyes shining behind neatly trimmed bangs, his deep brown eyes narrowed in a puzzled manner as he focused his gaze.

"Yes. There was no need to open your body and investigate. I can solve the problem you are troubled with 100%. Well... I apologize for examining without permission."

With no particular injuries and having lost consciousness, an inconspicuous sigh leaked out. Cecil explained that various tests were conducted considering the urgency.

Of course, he seemed to shrug his shoulders, as if to say he didn't mind, when apologizing for conducting the examination without his consent.

"I'm glad you understand. So... it was revealed—no, as I expected. Do you know your blood type?"

"...I used to know it was B Rh−, but it seems to be different now..."

"...Is your blood type registered in the database?"

"...It shouldn't be."

"...I see. Concealing personal medical information completely is difficult, but... someone who loves you seems to have taken appropriate measures for you. Congratulations, Mr. Moore."

Unexpectedly, he was congratulated. Naturally, but for a moment, Moore's thoughts stopped, not understanding the meaning.

"...It turns out you are the possessor of the celebrated Rh X blood type. Well, should I say you are cursed?"

With these two contrasting expressions, she declared while her gaze pierced through Moore.

"...Rh X type?"

"Yes. One of the very few individuals with a blood type capable of creating Unchained. That's you."

He seems to be searching for words to respond to the assertive woman. Acknowledging his wandering gaze, a slight internal disturbance can be sensed.

"...How do you feel? Are you happy? Or... feeling disappointed?"

When she asked him lying in the sickbed, Moore eventually raised his upper body.

Using the trained abdominal muscles hidden beneath the black short-sleeved shirt, he raised his upper body and, as soon as he sat on the edge of the sickbed, started searching for something in the room.

"...I feel like having a smoke for now."

"...Smoking is prohibited here."

Feeling deflated—probably the most accurate description—Cecil sensed this and didn't forget to restrain him as he searched for a cigarette.

"You don't need to be too emotionally involved. Crying or laughing because of this constitution, there will be countless such instances in the future."

"...It's nice to hear that."

Perhaps not the most welcoming announcement, but while responding with a light remark, he observed the talented woman, whose gaze was almost level with his, manipulating a tablet.

"Setting jokes aside... I must warn you."

She showed him the screen of the tablet. It was a diagnostic file revealing that he had the Unchained—Rh X blood type.

After confirming it with him, she eventually tapped to delete with the gloved slender fingers.

"This is something only you and I should know, nothing else."

His subordinates are no exception, Cecil stated, and once the data was completely deleted, she placed the tablet she held on the desk behind her.

"Especially, that Papillon. It seems she's working for the vice-commander of a different faction than yours. Never tell her. If you don't want to become an experimental subject sacrificed for the public good."

...Experimental subject. As soon as that word echoed, a slight headache passed through the back of his mind.

An unpleasant feeling furrowed his brow, and it seemed that this actually made him imagine scenes of various human experiments being carried out, much like experimental animals.

"Understood. I'll keep it in mind."

"...You're honest; that's good."

She nodded with a faint smile and, after throwing a glance at him, withdrew the expression on her face. Cecil then stared at Moore again.

"That concludes the discussion—or I'd like to say that. However, there are several other things I need to talk to you about. Your blood... I won't go into detail since you're not an expert, but we conducted various analyses and tests from different angles. There are some results that we judged necessary to inform you about during that process."

"...Severe spermatogenic dysfunction, that's the story I've already been told. By the attending doctor."

Without much emotion—almost as if it wasn't a big deal—he responded to Cecil.

She, too, showed no signs of surprise and nodded in affirmation.

"You knew?"

"...I was informed that my genes, which supposedly carry the function of leaving descendants, have abnormalities in the chromosomes."

He revealed that he was informed by the attending doctor, Mary, during a home visit when he was recovering at the forward base after the all-out war.

"Well, I don't dislike children, but I don't feel the desire to have them. Not being able to pass on genes may be considered... biologically imperfect, but it's not something to be overly concerned about."

"...Now, there's one more thing to inform you. Please listen carefully. And—please try to stay calm."

Still more to say? He felt exasperated but, displaying his conscientious nature, turned his gaze toward Cecil.

Looking into his deep brown eyes, she opened her well-shaped lips.

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"Your life expectancy is probably at most four years, maybe around five years."

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Authr's Message: I, myself, have a body that cannot pass on genes to the next generation.

(Tl Notes: As a human being, not being able to leave descendants is one of the saddest things I've ever heard. You have my deepest sympathies, author.)