Lilith’s injuries were deeper than Kanata had expected, and his heart remained heavy.
“Shion and Natsume are fine. They’re both tough with high compatibility rates, so they’ll recover without any scars or aftereffects. Don’t worry.”
Dr. Hibiki, also known as Shido, offered a sense of reassurance that Dr. Drakeel lacked. The medical equipment at the Garden was state-of-the-art, making any direct comparison slightly unfair.
“What about Lilith?”
“Her ruptured blood vessels and numerous hairline fractures are serious, but Lilith is also Bio-Metal. She should recover properly. The problem is her low brain waves and extreme weakness. It’s undoubtedly a reaction from her Demonic Form, but I’m uneasy because I can’t pinpoint the cause. So, for now, I’ll administer sedatives and let her rest. While she rests, I’ll research similar cases.”
“A-are you sure she’ll be alright?”
“Her life is not in danger. What she needs is time. Rest assured.”
Kanata realized that Lilith was in a more serious condition than Shion and Natsume, whom he’d thought were gravely injured. But Dr. Hibiki had said her life wasn’t in danger, so she would be alright.
The surprise attack by the Annihilation Unit did not materialize. Protected by Marika-san and the others who had come to meet them, they returned to the Garden. Kanata, who had also sustained injuries, had been resting in the Helicopter’s Medical Pod. By the time he woke up, they were already at the Garden.
After gazing at the sleeping faces of the three in the Infirmary’s Medical Pods for a while, Kanata returned to Private Room. It was so quiet. Lilith wasn’t in the Kitchen. Natsume didn’t poke her head out from a hole in the wall. Shion, who would scold them, was also absent. Just a quiet room.
He felt responsible for their current state. His judgment had been too lenient. He knew the Grim Reaper was a formidable enemy. He was a man feared by alliance soldiers as the “Grim Reaper of everyone’s demise”! To think he could defeat him just because he seemed like a complete amateur was sheer arrogance! At the very least, he should have decided to escape the moment Shion was counterattacked. The Grim Reaper had retaliated as if nothing had happened after taking an ice spear to his gut in a surprise attack! After confirming his inhuman power and toughness, why didn’t he choose to escape! If he had, Natsume would have been unharmed, and Lilith too…
“Kanata, I’m coming in.”
Before he could even reply, the Commander entered with Lieutenant Colonel Kurando. Kanata remained seated on his bed and gave a perfunctory salute. He expected Lieutenant Colonel Kurando to yell at him, but the Lieutenant Colonel said nothing. The Commander, seated on a computer chair, spoke.
“That was unfortunate. But you did well to return.”
“…It’s always my bad luck.”
Lieutenant Colonel Kurando, standing behind the Commander, spoke in a surprisingly gentle tone. “But you regret involving those three, don’t you? Those three would say they were glad they were with you. If it had been just Kanata, you would have surely died.”
“And how is that any consolation! If I hadn’t made the wrong judgment…”
“Kanata, that’s precisely the kind of ‘what if’ discussion that’s meaningless. We need to start analyzing the Grim Reaper’s abilities. In the operations room…”
“Later. I don’t want to think about anything right now.”
For the first time, Kanata defied the Commander. This time, Lieutenant Colonel Kurando raised his voice in anger. “Don’t be childish! The threat of the Grim Reaper could come at any moment!”
“Let’s wait until Kanata calms down. We have time.”
“But Commander Iska!”
“Listening to Kanata, who’s in sleep mode like Natto Bacteria, won’t give us any useful information. The Grim Reaper is a cautious one. After just finishing an operation and having his abilities revealed, he likely won’t make a move for a while. Kanata, please create the report immediately. We can do the analysis of his combat strength after the Natto Bacteria is back online.”
“Thank you, Commander.”
“Comma One will be on standby for a while, also serving as a period of rest. I’ll tell those thugs to leave the sulking child alone.”
With that, the Commander stood up and left the room. Lieutenant Colonel Kurando followed with a sigh. Left alone, Kanata perfunctorily typed on the keyboard and started working on the report.
“It’s quiet without Lilith, isn’t it?” Shion murmured at the breakfast table, spreading butter generously on her toast. Shion and Natsume had been released from the Medical Pods overnight. Lilith… was still not out.
“…I want to eat breakfast made by Lilith.” Natsume sighed, looking at the lopsided fried egg Kanata had made.
“Natsume, don’t be selfish! Captain, please eat. Eating is also part of the job.”
“…You’re right.” Was it the exhaustion from surviving a desperate situation, or the defeat of a crushing loss? He just couldn’t muster the energy.
He spent about three days in this melancholic mood. During that time, he barely remembered who he spoke to or what he heard. His spirit was low, his attention scattered—those were the few days. He didn’t train; the only regular activity he did was visit the Infirmary twice a day to check on Lilith’s face.
That evening, Dr. Hibiki was not in the Infirmary, where the slanting sunlight streamed in. Lilith, who should have been in the Medical Pod, was also gone. Kanata searched for Lilith and went from room to room, finally finding the room where she was resting. Lilith, who was said to look like an angel when she slept, was sleeping in the hospital bed. Kanata sat on the chair by the bed, gazing blankly at Lilith’s sleeping face. …I’m sorry. Because of my incompetence, I put you through this…
“…Why the long face? Melancholy is different from being gloomy, you know. I can’t stand it.” Lilith’s lips moved even with her eyes closed, spitting out gentle venom.
“…What’s there to stand? You have your eyes closed.” Lilith slowly opened her eyes, revealing her beautiful blue irises. “See? You still have a long face.”
“You saw through me. Are you capable?”
“I can see through anything regarding the Lieutenant. You’ve been making everyone worry by not being able to do anything, haven’t you?”
“Soldiers need rest too. …Sorry, for putting you in this situation…”
“Shut up! Stop making that gloomy face and listen carefully! Alright? I did what I had to do, or rather, what I wanted to do. So apologizing is an insult to me?”
“………”
“Hey, Lieutenant. We won, so there’s no need to be depressed. We should be celebrating, right?”
Won? That disastrous defeat? “Where is the victory in a battle where we barely escaped with our lives?”
“We lost nothing. Everyone is alive, and their wounds are healing. What about the Grim Reaper? He had his hidden abilities revealed to us.”
“There you go with your typical sophistry, Lilith.”
“And we gained experience. This experience will surely be useful in the future. If you look at it in terms of pluses and minuses, we’re overwhelmingly victorious, aren’t we?”
“Haha, you’re right. We managed to avoid the common outcome where encountering a superior opponent for the first time means the first defeat is the last.”
“You finally smiled. …By the way, Lieutenant, that line about ‘if I die with you, I wouldn’t mind going to hell’… was it serious?”
“…Do I have to answer?”
“As overtime pay for this incident, I demand a clear answer.”
“It was serious.”
“Mine too. So, let’s make a promise.”
“Another promise? After the equivalent exchange of favors, what kind of promise are you going to make me do?” Lilith spoke of the promise with a gentle smile and serious eyes. “Well, you could call it a ‘promise of a shared fate.’ I’ll bet my life for you anytime, Lieutenant. What about you?”
“I have no objections. I will do the same.”
“It’s decided. When I die, you die too. When you die, I’ll die with you. And as long as we live…”
“We’ll live together. It’s a promise.”
Hearing my words, Lilith sat up from the bed and extended her little finger on her left hand. “Pinky swears are an Izuruha custom, weren’t they?” I intertwined my left little finger firmly with Lilith’s.
“So I hear. …Kanata Amakake and Lilith Lohengrin shall live together…”
“…And die together. I swear to share all our destinies.” It felt embarrassing, like wedding vows. Lilith seemed embarrassed too, her cheeks flushed. “There, with this, you and I are of a shared fate. Meeting me was the end of your luck.”
Is that so? For unlucky me, I think this is a surprisingly lucky turn of events. “You know, I had a feeling something like this would happen since the first time we met.”
“Oh, what a coincidence. I thought so too. We just get along strangely well.” Kanata and Lilith looked at each other before bursting into laughter simultaneously.
“Now, Lieutenant, as your partner of shared fate, I’ll say this. Your moping mode is over, so get a grip! It’s time for the Natto Bacteria to revive!” It was as if Lilith’s words had injected energy into me, just as she expected. As Lilith said, we gained precious experience. We need to act if we want to survive. First, let’s analyze the Grim Reaper’s combat strength. He’s a super-humanity born from bio-engineering, but there must be a way to exploit his weaknesses!
