Chapter 110
A long time ago, there were young girls locked inside an iron cage. The three girls sprawl out on the cold, hard plastic floor. The iron bars surrounding them aren’t meant for restraint. Hidden within them is the role of a transmitter to prevent the small bombs implanted all over the girls’ bodies from exploding.
「Big sis, I’m hungry.」
The youngest one mutters in a trembling voice. They are only given the bare minimum amount of food. This is to prevent them from exhibiting the special abilities and regenerative powers of Strains and rebelling. The oldest one speaks in a gentle voice to calm her down.
「Nina, it’ll be okay. We’ll get out of here someday.」
「Someday?」
The girl who returned Reina’s words with that question was sitting cross-legged with her head pressed against her knees. The cage has 「No. 1」 written on it. Her clouded eyes have no light in them at all. On the shoulders of the girl who has completely given up, there are large scars. They are traces from when she tried to commit suicide by activating the self-destruct device. Even though she could heal them if she wanted to, she never tries to do so.
Reina curls up on the opposite side of the surveillance camera. In her hands is a manga she stole from a researcher’s desk. This research lab doesn’t allow internet access to prevent information leaks to the outside. Therefore, many researchers bring in paper books for entertainment. And because they are unimportant, security is lax, and taking advantage of gaps in inspections due to the Beastkin’s track record of being controllable for many years, she succeeded in collecting them.
「Reading that won’t change anything. It’ll just end anyway.」
The girl mutters in resignation. Reina gives a wry smile and asks what kind it is. Then she drops her gaze to the manga she was holding.
「It’s a manga called ‘Operation Fallen Angel,’ and it’s really interesting.」
「I bet it’s just your favorite happy ending.」
「No, not really. Rather, a surprising number of people die. But that’s what makes it cool. You’ll be surprised, even characters who betray their allies and defect to the enemy shine brilliantly. That’s why I think, if I have to die, this is how I want to go. Shining, like the protagonist of a story.」
「A bad end is fine too, right?」
「No, but… But if that’s how it’s going to end up anyway, at least…」
This is a very old story. A tale of young girls who learned of the future’s ruin, who found out that nothing exists beyond 20 years later, before the Beastkin rebellion reached Japan. Led by Shiroinu Reina, the Beastkin rise up despite knowing despair, overcome deadly situations like protagonists, and encounter Mishima Kanji and 「HAO.」
However…
「Since it’s going to be a bad end anyway, I think it’s better if everyone dies quickly.」
Reina brutally murdered her own sister and vanished.
◇
「The listless No. 1 seems quite lively. Did you get a boyfriend or something?」
「I tried making one but he was annoying so I got rid of him. Ah, how nostalgic~」
Luck laughs with an alluring smile. Her appearance has changed greatly, but with her silver hair, beast ears, overly revealing shorts and casual clothes exposing her midriff, her black clothes are now drenched in blood. But even she is perplexed. She thought the first expression Reina would show was anger, and that she would attack with unwavering murderous intent. But what is this situation? Although her expression is grim, other emotions are mixed in.
It’s a pain, she thinks.
「Yeah, it was a pain so I killed her. If a bad end is inevitable, then it doesn’t matter what I do, I won’t be rewarded or punished. In that case, I should just live comfortably and die whenever. Even a false happiness is enjoyable enough. Nina was a test of that. But I’m not dead, so in other words, even if I kill, it’s not my fault.」
It was 100% her true feelings, and a provocation. Taunting her to come at her. Behind them, gunshots and explosions continue to echo. But amidst that, Reina clutches her head upon hearing a sound from the comm device in her ear.
As if to say that all of those things are trivial matters.
「Ah, sorry, could we have that kind of conversation like a month from now? I’m sure my schedule will be open then. Right now, an idiot did something stupid so I have to act stupid too.」
Reina’s anger doesn’t take priority. It was a strange situation. The one seeking revenge lacks motivation while the one being targeted appeals for it. This is like a clown, Luck fumes to herself. It’s as if, no, she was actually told that she doesn’t matter at all. That anger easily pushes her towards the option of violence.
Irritated, Luck draws several knives from her waist and throws them at Reina. Just throwing them, but her hand disappears leaving a sound of the wind being sliced, and the blades aim to pulverize Reina’s limbs with the momentum of bullets. But Reina easily dodges them with her Beastkin physical abilities. The knives travel an impossible distance and detonate with a roar that puts rocket launchers to shame. In terms of physical abilities as a Second Generation Beastkin they are equal, and Reina could unleash even greater violence.
「Big sis, you’re slower than me so you’ll be in big trouble if you don’t get serious~」
But Luck was already swinging a blade at her neck even faster. Her speed, like teleportation, is not just due to her Beastkin physical abilities. It’s due to making full use of her functions as a Strain for body modification. Her current body is specialized for flexibility and agility, modeled after numerous creatures.
Reina defends her neck with scales expanded using her Strain abilities, but at the same time a blade is thrust into her stomach. Ignoring the flowing blue blood, Reina grabs at Luck but she’s already gone, taking aim at residents who rushed out upon hearing the commotion.
「Ugh!」
「Big sis, you’re super strong so if you catch me I’d definitely lose. That’s why I’ve decided to keep damaging you like this while harassing you! Now, let’s see how many you can protect.」
Reina forces her legs to move, throwing her body into the path of the thrown blades. Taking advantage of that opening, Luck’s blade runs from Reina’s shoulder to her waist, coating her in blood again. The deflected knives slam into the floor near the residents and explode, creating a crater.
She tries to grab her again but it’s too late, Luck has already distanced herself and is throwing more knives. The blades smash into an armored vehicle brought by Thunder, piercing through it in a twisted mess. The members focused on laying down suppressive fire have no way to endure it and get caught up in it, red blood splattering.
「Oh? You didn’t protect the Thunder people? Because they’re killing people, it’s okay if they get killed too? That’s amazing, what a convenient logic. With that reasoning, you can kill anyone who tries to kill you! But didn’t you have a duty to stop them as someone with power?」
「I don’t have time for that kind of annoying conversation. If you have time to twist logic, to put it in Momiji’s words… We need to end this drawn-out situation quickly.」
「Drawn-out?」
「Yeah. The goal is in sight, I have what I need for threats, and I obtained the key to end this. But here I am, suddenly fighting a new face that appeared. It’s pointless. If this was a manga, they’d criticize it as just trying to fill pages. After all, you guys aren’t fundamentally necessary for Momiji’s planned operation, you don’t have any important items, but you get in the way. You’re just an annoyingly troublesome opponent.」
Currently, there is a huge gap between Reina, who needs to protect civilians and allies, and Luck, who can do whatever she wants. It may be over if she’s caught, but that’s extremely unlikely. What awaits Shiroinu Reina is death by blood loss or the demise of many allies.
And of course, with no forces capable of rivaling the Second Generation Beastkin, that alone spells the end.
「So let’s wrap this up quick. Senior, please.」
「In terms of the Order, I believe you are the senior one, Shiroinu.」
Suddenly, a gale resounds. It’s a red mass-produced Apollyon. However, unlike the exhibited ones, it’s a fully tuned machine boasting performance equivalent to Ver3.00. Its name is 「Anfangsrot.」 The unit had rushed in, kicking off the floor from the ceiling 100 meters ahead.
However, Luck deals with the assault of the MNB-equipped unit with composure. No matter how fast, that Apollyon wielding a short hammer is ultimately designed to counter Strains. It’s not meant for combat against monsters capable of supersonic maneuvers at human size.
Yet why is the hammer’s handle smashing into the body of Luck, who dodged diagonally behind? At some point, that Apollyon had rotated the hammer like a pen spin, extending its reach and accelerating its speed. Luck only realized this after being blown away. She regains her posture, letting the momentum carry her to avoid being grabbed by Reina. However, there is no pursuit, and she sees Reina flying towards the hall.
「Well then, I’ll leave it to you for a while.」
「Leave it to me. But come back soon, will you? After all…」
That red unit and voice are familiar. One of the most important individuals she was informed about beforehand. A human who defeated 10 Strains.
「Humanity’s strongest Apollyon user…!」
「I’m not very good at 1-on-1 battles.」
His infamous name is no lie.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link