The rhythmic footsteps echoed through the lifeless corridor.

Soon, those footsteps came to a halt in front of a door in a solitary room.

Following that, the summoning buzzer resonated from inside the room.

"─Dorothy here. Lieutenant, are you in?"

---Yeah. a low and composed voice replied. He seemed to be in the room.

Having been granted permission to enter, she pressed a button next to the door. As it slid open, the interior was revealed.

"You were reading?"

"─More precisely, reading while doing my workout."

A young man, wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, sat at the edge of the bed, holding a dumbbell with a 40kg plate in one hand. He lifted it up and down without using any momentum.

With his free hand, he flipped through the pages of a book on a small side table. It seemed like a negligible load for him.

Without much surprise, she, Dorothy, entered the room and conveyed the message.

"A message from the commander. There's a briefing in an hour."

"It could have been done through intercom or broadcast... Ah, I see. I apologize for bothering you."

"No need. ...Ikaros, isn't it?"

Dorothy noticed the book the young man was flipping through—a book about Greek mythology.

In an illustration, wax-molded wings melted, depicting a figure falling.

"What do you think?"

"What do you mean?"

In response to the abstract question, she asked back, and he shrugged casually.

"Well, what... It's about you, the intelligent one. You know the lesson of this myth, right?"

"The lesson that human arrogance leads to their own destruction, is it not?"

Dorothy nodded at the man's words and then closed the book he had been reading.

"It's a story symbolizing arrogance and hubris. However, I think challenging and resisting is also a privilege of humans."

"...You're a romantic."

"No, just ignorant of one's own limitations. Otherwise, there's no way a mere human like me could engage in one-on-one combat with the Tin Can Bastards."

The word 'reckless' seemed mild. It would be someone with a death wish.

With a self-deprecating snort, the young man placed the dumbbell he had been gripping on the floor and stood up.

"The briefing is in an hour. ...Do I have time to run on the deck a bit?"

"It'll invigorate you. Exercising at a time like this..."

"─Exactly because it's this time."

A wristwatch wrapped around his left wrist as if encasing the dial. Dorothy responded with a mix of exasperation to his muttered words.

It seemed like these peaceful few days of well-deserved rest were not remembered by him—no, by them. She thought they either didn't know the concept of resting the body, or perhaps not moving made them feel suffocated.

"─Unlike you Nikkes, I'm human. ...I know I'm somehow considered 'self-proclaimed human'..."

"Is it appropriate to treat Lieutenant and everyone else as human...?"

Her words were too straightforward. He shrugged, then bent down and retied the laces of his tanker boots.

"I am human. Unlike you, I have to keep training to maintain combat capabilities. Fortunately, a little rest will recover my stamina. To continue fighting, I have to keep putting in effort. ...Otherwise, they might turn into ghosts and come out."

Having finished tying his shoelaces, he walked casually towards the table inside the room. Then, he picked up a bottle that was on the table and uncorked it, pouring about half of the deep red wine into the two glasses that had been left there.

"...Drinking wine during the day..."

"─I won't get drunk anyway. Besides, I have to deal with the rest... I'm not good with wine, though."

He gulped down the wine in one go, forming deep vertical wrinkles on his forehead. Sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere, Dorothy realized that the young man's words about disliking wine were indeed true.

However, just before the briefing was about to begin, the conversation shifted to the topic of running on the deck, even though he claimed not to get drunk.

An exasperated sigh escaped her. The young man, witnessing her reaction, seemed aware of his faux pas and awkwardly shrugged his shoulders.

----

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Meanwhile, in a wild expanse, an armed vehicle raced through, kicking up dust.

The road conditions were not favorable. Although the suspension helped absorb some shocks, the vehicle still shook and rattled.

The speed of the armed vehicle decreased, and it eventually came to a stop in the shadow of towering rocks in the wilderness. Shortly after the engine was turned off, the doors on all sides of the vehicle were opened from the inside, revealing four figures.

"How is it?"

"For now, it seems to be running, but..."

Among the group, a notably tall young man, with sandy-colored hair, asked his subordinate while slinging the assault rifle attached to a sling belt around his body.

She—Anis—carried a grenade launcher as usual, but in her slender hand, she held a device that seemed like an information terminal.

"Commander, are you really okay trusting something like this?"

"─It's based on engagement data, so it shouldn't be completely useless."

"─It seems to have an effect similar to a ley line detector."

Continuing, a melodious voice calmly spoke to her in a comforting manner.

Then, the mentor, Moore, to his disciple Neon, who had uttered words of reassurance, wore a faint wry smile.

"...If Johann and Cecil were associated with dowsing, it would be unbearable."

"Isn't that pseudo-science?"

This wasn't a suitable topic for discussion. Lips pursed, Anis—gazing once again at the machine she held in her hand—directed her sandy-colored eyes to it.

In her hand was a detector developed by Eden's scientific prowess to track Heretics. It seemed to have a function that emitted an electronic sound when detecting a strong reaction in a certain direction.

Whether this would be useful or not was doubtful, but it was better than nothing.

He glanced at Rapi by his side, prompting her to take the lead. As if fully aware of the situation, she nodded back and stood at the forefront of the squad, carrying her assault rifle.

"Squad, prepare to advance. Move forward."

A calm, low voice issued the command, and Lapi took a step forward. Just as each member began to advance with intervals, the banter between Anis and Neon behind Moore resounded.

"─What should we say if we find a Nihilister?"

"─Hmm... let me see..."

Anis, emitting a faint groan, seemed to be envisioning the situation in her mind.

"─How about saying, 'Those who can breathe fire are those prepared to be punched'─or something like that?"

"─I see. Then I'll go with 'A fire dragon with bound teeth. My firepower is quite painful.'"

"─Hahaha! What's that!"

"─...Don't get too relaxed."

It was probably because the two of them were making a ruckus without restraint. The leader of the squad, advancing at the front, couldn't help but sigh with exasperation.

"Even if she's weakened, it's still Heretics. Carelessness is forbidden."

"I know."

Over her shoulder, she noticed that her crimson eyes were forming an expression of exasperation. Anis shrugged in response.

"What about the commander? What will you say if you encounter a Nihilister?"

"...Don't involve me."

"Oh, come on, it's fine."

"Is it still the same? As a mentor, wouldn't you say something like, 'It's been a while, young lady,' with a cigarette in his mouth?"

---...Seriously, what do you think of me?

He didn't immediately say it—such an honest response couldn't be claimed. The leader of the efficient squad advancing ahead seemed on the verge of sighing with exasperation, heavily laden with frustration.

As the squad moved through the wilderness, the scattered mechanical parts—originally of unknown origin—gradually became more noticeable.

Whether remnants of Rapture or something entirely different, Anis was about to speculate in her mind when a tall young man ahead raised his left arm to shoulder height, clenched his fist, and signaled to halt.

"─Commander, what's wrong?"

He must have noticed that his footsteps, as well as those of Anis and Neon, had paused a bit. Rapi turned to Moore, inquiring about the situation.

He knelt on one knee, lowering his posture, and as soon as he did, he slightly lifted the housing of the headset covering his left ear—beneath his helmet. Without relying on machines, he used all his senses to survey the surroundings. Sensing this, Anis and Neon also crouched down.

"...Strange sounds."

"Huh? Isn't it the sound of the ley line detector?"

Neon tilted her head while pointing at the detection device Anis was holding. However, Moore shook his head as he put on the helmet covering his left and right ears.

"No, it's different. Not like electronic sounds, but..."

Trying to find the right words, he was interrupted. A heavy, crushing, and grating noise, resembling tearing or crushing, resonated through the air, causing their ears to vibrate.

If one were to compare it, it might be similar to forcibly stripping thick bark from a tree.

However, there was also a metallic resonance. Yet, it was different from the drive noise emitted by Rapture.

Where was this sound coming from—upwind, perhaps?

"Anis, which direction has the strongest reaction?"

"Um... it's over there."

Swinging the handheld device in her slender hand from side to side, Anis indicated the direction where the electronic sounds were most pronounced.

He glanced at Anis and, after confirming the indicated direction, slowly stood up, returning the raised housing to its original position.

Two fingers of his left hand aligned, he gestured forward.

About 20 minutes had passed since they resumed their advance.

Until then, various mechanical parts of different sizes had been scattered on the desolate ground, but the conspicuous ones seemed to have diminished.

Contrastingly, the grating noise, reminiscent of forcibly stripping thick bark, was becoming louder.

"...Parts rolling around in such a wasteland..."

"─Probably, there's a high probability that it's debris from Rapture or maybe..."

"...You don't need to say it. I can imagine to some extent."

Moore interrupted Lapi's words midway. It would either be fragments of Rapture or components of something like a Nike. He didn't want to think about the latter any more than necessary.

After a faint sigh, he turned his gaze over his shoulder to Anis. She also noticed and, blinking her round hazel eyes, tilted her head.

"─Make sure the signal flare gun is ready to fire at any time."

In response to his instruction, Anis nodded slightly.

In the area where Nihilisters were suspected to be lurking, the concentration of Ebra particles was high, causing interference with radio communication. Therefore, they carried signal flare guns as a primitive means of communication. If they discovered Nihilisters, they were to launch signal flares to report to the other units.

Before departing from Eden, Moore had entrusted it to Anis, given to him by Johann.

He acknowledged her understanding through gestures, and once again, they resumed their advance.

"─Halt."

A low voice issued a warning. Reflexively, the movements of the women came to a stop.

With a click, the safety of the assault rifle was disengaged, perhaps as a precaution. The knob of the bolt forward assist was struck with the palm, locking the bolt carrier and chamber forcefully.

As Moore, with the assault rifle aimed and looking through the ACOG optical sight, emanated a sense of combat readiness and vigilance, the women also noticed.

Due to the rocky terrain, their discovery was delayed, but there was something in their line of sight.

──Nihilister.

There was no mistaking it.

However, whether due to the effects of recent battles or the desire to repair the damaged body, the Nihilister was picking up various scattered parts around it. Skillfully, it crushed, bent, and tore them apart, absorbing them into its body.

"Hide," he signaled using hand signs.

Swiftly, the women also took cover behind the nearest rocks.

The moment they did so, the previously audible sounds of repair abruptly ceased.

Had it noticed them?

Anis signaled Lapi with hand signs, asking if they should launch a signal flare. Lapi shook her head left and right in response.

The distance was too close. If they fired into the sky, the location would be revealed, and the attack would commence.

In any case, let's confirm the situation first.

Anis, carefully and almost impatiently, attempted to peek out from behind the rocks.

"──Huh!? W-wait a minute...!"

Perhaps her attention was elsewhere. The moment the detection device pointed towards the Nihilister or the Heretic, it detected some signal or anomaly directed at herself. To indicate the reason for its existence, it produced an electronic sound.

Unable to read the situation, this wreck of a machine, and Anis hastily turned off the detection device. Machines were too honest. No, machines don't lie, so it's only natural.

However, the timing was still the worst, so to speak.

"──Dodge!"

Sensing something rapidly approaching, Moore issued a warning.

Both the women hiding reflexively leaped to the side and fell to the ground, and in that instant, the rock that had been hiding them exploded into fragments.

"──I thought I felt some strange glances earlier... Tch. These small fry bastards managed to infiltrate this far. How did you bastards... find my location..."

Fine fragments of rocks rained down from above, hitting his helmet and producing a clattering collision sound as he stood up and rummaged through the pouches of his body armor.

"No, once you all found me, worrying about that is useless. ─Right, human?"

"Yeah, I agree. It's been a while, miss. Good to see you're doing well."

──He really said it.

──And even a cigarette...

──...The cigarette isn't lit.

With the assault rifle raised and the muzzle directed, he shook the soft pack he pulled out, bit on a cigarette, and lit it while holding it in his mouth.