Capítulo 77: Chapter 77
Author's Note:
"Sorry for the lengthy message...
Also, I would like to kindly remind you... While I appreciate your feedback, I would be grateful if it could be expressed with moderation and courtesy. Thank you."
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Things are going smoothly. Shifty, from the back of the housing, informs everyone that they are advancing toward the coordinates where the Heretic's fragment is located.
It seems they have managed to escape the peculiar space that Moore compared to a running machine. Fortunately, they are out of it. However, in Moore's peripheral vision, he notices Eunhwa, Rapi, Ema, and eventually Vesti, Anis, and Neon engaging in a conversation using hand signals.
Having understood the contents of their conversation, Moore quietly sighs. He lightly taps his assault rifle with his left hand, making a sound. Rapi and Eunhwa, following Eunhwa's gaze, see Moore's left hand moving swiftly.
---Don't have non-lethal rounds.
---Using live ammunition.
Moore's left thumb is raised, with his index and middle fingers pointing to his temple.
---Dispose of?
He gestures as if shooting himself in the head, asking the question. Rapi and Eunhwa respond with hand signals.
---We'll handle it here.
---We'll use rubber bullets.
Moore acknowledges their responses with a thumbs-up sign and adjusts his assault rifle again before speaking.
"We're close to the Heretic's fragment. Check your guns. Confirm loaded rounds."
Following Moore's verbal instructions, both Counters and Absolutes start moving. Rapi removes the magazine and pulls the cocking handle to clear the chamber of the bullet. Eunhwa performs the same procedure, observing her movements. Moore finishes his chamber check, ensuring live rounds are loaded, and takes a deep breath.
"Here it is."
They eventually reach a spacious room. Various unknown machines and equipment, even on the ceiling, line the space, a stark contrast to the previously ruined surroundings dominated by debris. Shortly after reaching this space, Maxwell, Laplace, and Drake stop, turning to face the others.
In the eyes of the Metis squad, a faintly peculiar red light can be seen. Moore couldn't help but let out a small sigh.
"Confirmed... Yes."
Ema, too, seems to have gained confidence by looking into their eyes, just like Moore. While Eunhwa, Rapi, and even Moore confirm it, Shiftiy's instructions echo from the housing.
[We have arrived at the target point. Please proceed with the operation.]
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"Understood... Fire."
With a natural motion, Moore's assault rifle is pointed at Maxwell. Simultaneously, hearing Moore's short command, Rapi and Eunhwa, each holding an assault rifle and sniper rifle, aim and pull the triggers.
The sound of two guns echoes in the spacious area, and the dull thud of bullets hitting the heads of the Metis squad members also reverberates.
"...Clear."
Rapi lowers the smoking barrel, reporting, and Moore nods, his expression tense. He lowers the assault rifle he was holding, securing the safety.
All members of the Metis squad are lying on the floor, but there don't seem to be any significant injuries.
[Why... why did you... suddenly... What happened to the Metis squad...!?]
"...Erosion."
[Erosion!? When did...!?]
They intended to give instructions to retrieve the Heretic's fragment, but what followed was gunfire directed at the leading Metis squad. Shifty, bewildered by the unexpected turn of events, becomes stunned upon hearing a word uttered by Moore.
"I didn't know~~~ When we rendezvous, they were already in an eroded state. It was vague, but... I became convinced when we arrived here."
"I see. Do you know the cause?"
"Probably, but... it's likely because of the tentacles that attacked Rapi and the others."
It's just a speculation, but Ema voices what seems to be the most probable explanation from what she heard before they merged.
Moore recalls the scene where tentacles pierced the members of the Metis squad, including Rapi, moments before the battle that caused the ground to collapse and structures to crumble. He then turns his gaze to Rapi.
"... Rapi..."
"I'm fine. I wasn't deeply pierced, so it's okay. Please don't worry. That's why I'm telling you not to."
Approaching him, Rapi lightly holds his left hand, looking up at him with her crimson eyes. Despite his thoughts on her behavior, Moore nods in response.
"Yes, Rapi hasn't been eroded. You can tell by looking at her eye reactions and facial muscle movements."
"I understand."
"That's because I'm familiar with such things."
I see. Moore nods lightly in response, avoiding further inquiry. It's evident from Ema's tone that she doesn't want to talk much about it.
Originally, the eroded state wouldn't occur in Rapi, who didn't have NIMPH—so it makes sense. Moore looks at them lying on the floor, each repeatedly saying, "Here," "It's here," "This way," like malfunctioning reproduction devices.
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—He's involuntarily reminded of that time with her, Marian.
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"...We were lured here, right? Shall we dispose of them?"
Three vertical wrinkles deeply furrow Moore's forehead, visible through the gap between his sunglasses and helmet. At the same time, Rapi, who is next to him, grips his left hand slightly tighter.
"Eroded Nikkes might become irregular, so it's a principle to dispose of them... but in the early stages, many cases have been regenerated through memory erasure. If it's within three hours... there might still be a chance."
Sensing Moore attempting to move his left hand, Rapi releases it. Moore checks the time displayed on the wristwatch wrapped around his left wrist.
"...We might manage it somehow."
"But—since they lured us here, there must be a reason for it. Operator, investigate the surroundings."
Eunhwa quickly loads live ammunition while keeping an eye on the surroundings. He removes the safety of his assault rifle, lightly placing his right index finger on the trigger.
[Central substance estimated to be the Heretic's fragment. No reaction from the Rapture so far.]
"...Suspicious. Can we just take that thing casually?"
"I wonder... The original owner seems to have disappeared... I don't think anyone would complain..."
Is it only the police who get angry when someone picks up lost items? Moore recognizes the object on the central pedestal—a machine-like entity. Ignoring Anis, who is on guard, he shrugs.
[Commander, please connect the connecting device. Confirm control feasibility—]
Following the instructions, Moore reaches for the pouch on his body armor. In that moment, Shifty gasps.
[—High-energy reaction near 1 meter! Tyrant-class or above... No, it's different! The reaction is sensed throughout the entire room!]
"...What?"
"—The whole... room... is... Rapture!"
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----They really were really inside its stomach.
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Upon hearing Shifty's warning mixed with screams, Moore was taken aback. He caught sight of all the facilities starting to operate on their own, producing an unpleasant metallic sound that filled his field of vision.
Feeling like he had wandered into a horror movie, Moore instinctively readied his assault rifle, which he had already removed the safety of, as soon as he saw the tentacles that had attacked them on the surface heading towards them.
"Watch out for those tentacles! If they get you, you'll be eroded!"
"Don't give orders! Encounter!!"
Eunhwa, responding roughly to Rapi, declares the engagement. At the same time, Ema, who had carried the Vulcan cannon this far, readies it.
The battery's power spins the barrel, and the continuous, dull gunfire of strafing soon reverberates.
"Neon! Blast those approaching tentacles to pieces with buckshot!"
"Got it!"
"Anis... Ugh... Disgusting..."
Just as he was about to give orders to the squad, there was movement right above the pedestal where the Heretic's fragment was placed.
A figure reminiscent of a giant eyeball hanging from the ceiling, with numerous long tentacles sprouting from it—a likely form of the Rapture's main body that dominates this room. Moore can't help but feel a visceral disgust at its biological appearance.
It seems that individuals of Tyrant class or higher occasionally provoke a visceral disgust with their designs, intending to crush the opponent's fighting spirit and morale.
Although it should be machine tentacles, the undulating movement resembling a biological motion is incredibly unsettling.
"Commander!? What do you mean I'm disgusting!?"
"No, it's not you! That is disgusting! Anis is cute!"
(Tl Note: Damn...Bro's casually flirting like breathing even in this situation.)
"—Take this seriously!!"
"I'm always serious!!"
Eunhwa couldn't help but rebuke Moore, but Moore retorts back while pulling the trigger of his assault rifle.
"Anis! Aim for its core! It's exposed!"
"OK!!"
Anis, who was momentarily frozen by the sudden use of the word "cute," switches gears promptly. Following Moore's instructions, she readies the grenade launcher. Peering through the optical sight, she aims at the target he indicated and pulls the trigger.
With a flat firing sound, the grenade flies—
"—It deflected it!!"
—Exploding just before reaching the core emitting a bluish-purple light. The warhead detonated upon hitting something.
Upon closer inspection, the surroundings of the spherical Rapture's main body appear distorted. Perhaps it has some kind of defensive barrier.
If that's the case, a direct attack would be impossible.
In that case—
"Vesti!"
"W-What, Commander!?"
"Aim for the tracer round! Fire!"
A single tracer round loaded every five rounds in the magazine. Pointing the muzzle towards the main body, Moore pulls the trigger, firing towards the ceiling. There's no visible enemy there.
"B-But...!"
"Just shoot it!"
"Don't give orders on your own!"
"Just one shot!"
"...Tch...! Vesti, do it!!"
He must have come up with something. Eunhwa, feeling slightly irritated by Moore taking charge without permission, cuts off one of the tentacles he captured in his reticle with gunfire while clicking his tongue. At the same time, she orders Vesti to follow his instructions.
The petite girl nodded slightly, shouldering the recoilless gun she carried. She glanced back to confirm no one was behind her before releasing the safety.
Pulling the trigger, she fired the multi-purpose grenade she had loaded.
The projectile flew straight at an incredible speed, smashing into the ceiling directly above the massive spherical Rapture main body. Upon impact, it exploded, and debris detached from the ceiling scattered and rained down on the floor.
But it didn't end there. The section above the enemy machine, shaped like a hanging form, started to collapse.
It seemed it couldn't bear the weight of the machine anymore. The ceiling collapsed, and the fallen sphere struck the pedestal. From above, additional large fragments of the collapsing ceiling fell in succession, causing physical damage.
"...This is... more than I expected."
"It's collapsing! Take cover!!"
Moore, witnessing the ceiling beginning to collapse with a louder noise than anticipated, couldn't help but wryly smile. Eunhwa sharply shouted instructions.
Both squads jumped to nearby cover to escape the collapsing ceiling mixed with dirt and debris.
Once the collapse subsided, amidst the dancing dust, Moore covered his mouth with the shemagh wrapped around his neck and stood up, still coughing.
Around him, the others stood up too, each pointing their carried firearms in the direction where the enemy machine would likely be.
The collapse of the ceiling from earlier had an impact. A large hole opened in the ceiling of the spacious room, revealing the sky.
When the dust settled from the wind blowing in through the hole, there, at the end of their gazes, was the motionless and distorted shape of the giant spherical entity.
Tens of tons of rocks, earth, and fragments fell from the ceiling, striking it repeatedly. It must have been far more impactful than any stray bullets.
"...Eunhwa, please shoot the core just in case."
In the returning silence, he made the request, and Eunhwa, holding his sniper rifle, aimed carelessly but accurately, destroying the enemy machine's core with bullets and delivering the final blow.
<Enemy functions confirmed to be terminated. No Rapture reactions within a 5 km radius. All forces have retreated. Please proceed with the recovery of the Heretic's fragment.>
"Roger."
"No, don't. Don't get closer."
"Commander?"
"...Shifty. I'm sorry, but please inform Your Excellency Andersen of the situation. If possible... request support to send a recovery team."
<Understood. Please wait.>
He entrusted Shifty with contacting Andersen and removed the shemagh, taking a moment to light a cigarette. As he puffed on the cigarette, the excitement from the battle gradually subsided.
"...Why contact and request support?"
"...I delivered the finishing blow, but... it's a Rapture that caused the erosion. Just to be sure. ...It's probably better not to approach recklessly."
"...Understood. Then, after capturing Metis, I'll check if there are any potential hazards."
"Counting on you."
"Roger."
Rapi initially looked puzzled, but after Moore's explanation, she seemed to understand and nodded. She walked over to the Metis Squad, who were still on the floor, and at the same time, Shifty's voice echoed from the depths of the housing.
It seemed she had successfully contacted Anderson and, for some reason, Ingrid as well. Perhaps Ingrid was near Andersen, or given the presence of Absolutes in the operation, immediate and substantial support was deemed necessary.
[Expecting three transport planes and two platoons to arrive within an hour.]
It was quite a lavish level of support. Moreover, this much firepower could be deployed with just a single call.
Not only Moore, but Anis and Neon were also searching for words to say. In the midst of this, Anis, a veteran in the squad, finally managed to speak.
"...It would have been better if it had started like this from the beginning. But... it's good to have support behind us."
It seemed her initial decision had indeed been mistaken. Moore acknowledged Anis's words, biting down on his cigarette with his two fingers while exhaling purple smoke.
Seeing that both Anis and Moore were in low spirits, Neon, a relatively new member, tried to change the atmosphere. She walked towards several large metal boxes sitting in the corner of the room, each box towering at least as high as Moore's waist.
"By the way... I've been curious since earlier... What are these boxes? There are quite a few of them."
"I don't know."
Neon, who approached another long metal box beside her, observed it, but Anis seemed uninterested and replied with a vague answer.
"Shifty, can I open it?"
<Sure, there are no energy readings from the inside for now.>
"Should I shoot it open with my gun? Or use my hands?"
"Do as you please."
"Then I'll open it—Sensei?"
Moore, who had approached them, pulled out the fighting knife hanging by his side. Neon inquired with a puzzled expression, but he gestured for her to step back with his eyes.
"Don't open it recklessly. There might be explosives rigged. Shifty, there are no energy readings inside, right?"
<Yes, that's correct... Huh? Wait, no, there is a slight reading!>
"...Explosives?"
<No, I don't think so, but... this is...>
Thinking it might be sufficient to give Neon a practical lecture, Moore grasped the knife again and carefully inserted the blade into a small gap between the box's body and its lid, making a complete circle.
"If there are thin wires or if you feel something touching, back away immediately. There's a high possibility it's rigged to explode the moment you open it. —Clear."
He couldn't sense anything unusual. He gestured for Neon to open the lid.
She followed the procedures to open it, pressed a button, and a hissing sound emanated from inside.
"Don't open it all at once. Just open it slightly... like before..."
Inserting the knife blade back into the gap, Moore explored the interior. As he couldn't feel anything abnormal, he told Neon to open it slowly without any worries.
"Alright, I'm going to open it. Ready... and... go!"
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Neon, having lifted the lid, stared in disbelief at the contents. Her leaf-green eyes widened as she couldn't tear her gaze away from what was packed inside.
"This is..."
"What? What's wrong—Hmm... This...!?!"
Moore too momentarily froze. Curious about the surprising reaction displayed by her mentor and Neon, Anis approached. Peering into the box alongside him and Neon, she too was left speechless.
All three of them exhibited the exact same reaction—Moore, usually the calmest among them, was also frozen in place. This caught the attention of Rapi, who had just finished restraining the Metis Squad, and she approached, concerned. The Absolutes followed, curious about the situation, and the four of them also wore shocked expressions.
"What... is this..."
"Ugh...!"
Finally, Eunhwa managed to speak, breaking the momentary paralysis that had gripped everyone. Tearful-eyed Vesti clung to Ema, who tried to comfort her petite companion by patting her head.
The contents of the box were the remains of numerous Nikkes, possibly over a dozen of them. Even Nikke's limbs, which had been broken, were crammed inside, likely in an attempt to fit as many as possible.
Neon attempted to close the lid in shock, but Moore's left hand stopped her.
"Sen....Sei...!?"
"Wait. Hold it like that."
In a calm voice, he addressed Neon, who was on the verge of panic due to the shocking sight. Moore discarded his cigarette, removed his right-hand glove, and extended his arm into the box.
His fingertips touched the head of a Nikke, the only part remaining. With wide-open eyes, he gently closed the eyelids of the Nikke, which had probably stopped moving for eternity.
Continuing, he closed the eyes of several other Nikkes. Then he gestured for Neon to slowly close the lid while supporting it.
"From now on, don't touch anything here."
"What...? Could it be... all of these boxes...!? So many!?"
There were dozens of stacked boxes of the same shape. Neon retreated in disbelief as Moore suggested that the contents of all these boxes might be the remains of the Nikkes.
"Secure this location. Wait for the arrival of the support team. Stay on standby until then."
Holding a new cigarette in his mouth, Moore scanned the group and issued instructions. He approached the stacked boxes, towering far above his height.
"...I'm sorry... for being late to pick you up..."
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....If hypothetically, there were ten Nikkes crammed into each box, considering the number of identical boxes stacked there, the total count...
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As he thought about it, a turbo lighter was offered from the side.
Rapi approached, cuddling up beside him, holding out the lighter. Moore noticed her gesture. He covered the hand holding the turbo lighter with his left hand, bringing the tip of the cigarette close to it to light it. Purple smoke slowly rose into the air.
"...Thank you."
He expressed his gratitude, and in response, Rapi placed her hand on his back.
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Approximately 40 minutes had passed. The thunderous noise of approaching transport planes, their turbo-shaft engines roaring, could be heard through the gaping hole in the ceiling, allowing the outside air to rush in.
"Reinforcements have arrived in the airspace! They will be landing at the LZ in 5 minutes!"
"Understood. It's great that the taxi arrived quickly. I wonder if they can also recover our squad's counters' vehicles on the way back."
They had left the vehicles behind, but those vehicles were valuable assets for both the squad and the forward base. They couldn't just abandon them without consideration. Perhaps he needed to discuss this with the pilot later...
"―Laplace!!"
A voice, similar to Ema's scream, came through the headset. Moore turned around, sensing that something was wrong. There, standing unsteadily, Laplace tore off the handcuffs that had restrained her.
"I am... a hero... of justice...! I won't lose... to something... like this...!"
With her eyes shining crimson, Laplace stood up, her body still clearly in a state of erosion.
In a panic, Rapi tried to load rubber bullets, but even before that, everyone was blown away by the light pouring from Laplace' entire body and the shockwave that followed her roar.
Moore rolled on the floor due to the impact. He quickly got up, adopting a defensive posture with his assault rifle.
Rubber bullets might not be effective anymore. He briefly considered using the Unchained, but it was a precious shot.
The loaded rounds were live ammunition, but unlike humans, they wouldn't die even if their limbs were pulverized. It wasn't an ideal solution, but restraining her might require this drastic measure.
Moore, with the safety off, aimed the muzzle of his assault rifle at Laplace' right leg and pulled the trigger. He fired three rapid shots, intending to crush her leg completely.
However, the shots missed Laplace and were engulfed by the film of light surrounding her as if evaporating.
"It's a plasma field! Stay away from Laplace! Touching it will vaporize you!"
"Don't worry! We're already far away!"
He wished they had said that earlier, but he wisely kept his annoyance to himself.
"I am the hero of justice...! The hope of everyone! ...Those who obstruct my path... will be incinerated by the light of justice!"
Laplace deployed her weaponry, aiming the emitter of her light cannon. The firing port began to glow, and it was aimed at three black dots in the distance—approaching transport planes.
"The transport planes are in the line of fire! They're on a direct course!"
"This bastard! Where is she aiming?!"
"Shifty! Relay the message to evacuate!"
It was unbearable to have the formation shot down. Eunhwa aimed her sniper rifle, intending to fire bullets to attract attention despite knowing they would dissolve in the plasma field. But before she could do anything, Laplace let out a scream and threw away the emitter she had been holding, starting to search her pockets.
"I am...! A hee...ro...! I can't let everyone... be in danger...!"
A pistol with blue and gold accents was pulled out from Laplus' pocket. She grasped it with her trembling right hand, pressing the muzzle against her own chin.
"I'm... sorry... forgive... me! Eun...hwa... Captain... I... leave the rest... to you...!"
As her finger touched the trigger, Eunhwa swallowed hard.
At that moment—
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"―<Stop>."
A brief voice echoed from somewhere.
Instantly, for some reason, everyone present in this place stopped moving. They didn't even flinch, frozen in place, as if they had all shut down simultaneously.
Even Laplace halted her attempt at self-destruction, and at the same time, the plasma field she had deployed vanished.
Only the sound of footsteps, belonging to the two people, echoed in the space dominated by the wind blowing in from outside and the roaring turbo-shaft engine noise of the approaching formation.
Realizing this, Moore—while questioning why he was the only one able to move—kept his gun aimed.
The figures of the two people appeared before his gaze and the muzzle of his gun. A tall figure dressed in black and a slightly shorter person.
"Don't move!"
[Commander, wait! they're the Externers squad! We've joined forces! We're allies!]
"There's no need to be cautious. The noble wolf."
As Shifty urged him to lower his gun from the depths of the housing, Moore couldn't comply so easily. However, he was taken aback when he heard the words spoken by the slightly shorter figure with blonde hair.
"Confirming cessation of movement. Guillotine, the cannon energy reaction she released still lingers. There's a risk of explosion. Isolate it."
"There's no other choice... I didn't want to use it if possible... I will now release the seal... of the demon king that sleeps in my eyes! Go ahead and rampage... One-winged Demon King!"
Covering her mouth with a mask, a tall woman with pleasant-looking black hair, adorned with a large red rose hairpin—probably Nikke—spoke to the petite girl beside her. And this girl, who also seemed to be Nikke, let out a low laughter while covering her right eye with an eyepatch.
(Tl notes: Legitimate Chuunibyou with proper background. Dayum.)
The eyepatch was removed, and when the right eye seemed to flicker like purple flames, the light remaining in the emitter Laplace had thrown away dispersed.
"Hehehe... I've done it again... Terrifying... the destruction this power will bring about..."
"Let's retreat."
"But still, I have no choice but to use this power... I, who uses a power destined for destruction, am like a firefly..."
"Le-t's re-tre-at."
Moore could only watch in astonishment as the two mismatched figures exchanged words. Nevertheless, he didn't completely lower his gun.
"―F-Fine. I'll grant your request just for today."
The black-haired Nikke urged them to retreat, and the reluctant-looking blonde Nike nodded before turning on her heel. It seemed they were indeed withdrawing, but the blonde girl with flowing hair glanced over her shoulder at Moore.
"Noble wolf. We are beings who must not be exposed to the light. The moment our existence is spoken of, the god of death will tear your soul to shreds..."
"Gui-llo-tine."
Moore found himself at a loss for how to respond, but—
"I appreciate the support. Also, I'm sorry to say I don't believe in gods. I won't be praying to myself either. If bullets work, I'd gladly kill them."
"Ugh!! Hahaha... To fear not even gods... truly remarkable...!!"
He had accidentally let something slip, but it seemed to strike a chord with the blonde Nike. While twisting her lips, the two of them quickly left the scene.
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"―<Reboot>."
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----The voice echoed once again. At the same time, it seemed time started moving for them again. Moore looked around, wondering what had happened.
"―!?... What in the world...!"
"Rapi! Shoot rubber bullets!"
Moore shouted to Rapi, who was confused by the situation. She swiftly pulled out the magazine, cleared the chamber, and loaded it with rubber bullets.
Several non-lethal shots hit Laplace' head, causing her body to slump and collapse to the floor.
"Suppression complete!"
"Understood! Well done! Shifty, it's clear!"
While praising Rapi, he reported the location to Shifty, confirming that the threat was gone.
After confirming, she soon received instructions from the arriving troops on how to proceed.
Acknowledging this, Moore, still somewhat tense, took out a cigarette from his pouch, lit it with an oil lighter, and exhaled a sigh.
"Commander... could this situation possibly..."
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"...I haven't seen or heard anything."
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Rapi, who had approached, looked up at the tall Moore and asked, but he slowly shook his head from side to side while exhaling purple smoke.
The Externers squad seemed likely to be operating covertly. Gods didn't frighten him—mundane matters were more troublesome. It might be wiser to keep his mouth shut.
"I see... understood. Let's go back."
Rapi seemed to have grasped it. She didn't press further and urged him to return to the Ark.
"Let's do that... Ah, right. Rapi, can I ask you one thing?"
"What is it?"
"It's not something major, but..."
Moore hesitated as he spoke to her. Seeing him in this state, Rapi felt she was witnessing something unusual. Eventually, she tilted her head in response to his question.
"...Do I really look like a wolf that much?"
—To that question, she had no choice but to silently affirm.
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Author's Note: At last, it's time for the final battle...!
Wait for me, Marian...
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
NikkeSimp
NikkeSimp Wolf and Red Hood. Nice pairing.
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