Diabolos X was a female human weapon named Lilith, a silver-haired beautiful girl from the Lohengrin family. However, this beautiful girl seemed to have personality issues…
Leaving the special experimental laboratory engulfed in flames, I descended to the fifth floor via a private elevator.
I thought we’d take the elevator down to the first floor, but Marika-san headed in a different direction.
“Where are we going?”
“The outer perimeter of the building. There are windows, right?”
“You’re not going to jump, are you? This is the fifth floor.”
“We’re jumping. Just leave it to me.”
I wonder if she’ll use the Flying Squirrel Technique.
Lilith made a confused remark.
“Since you saved me, you better take responsibility! It would be a loss to the world if a beautiful girl like me died!”
“Kanata, silence that self-proclaimed beautiful girl.”
“It’s impossible, Mom. This one won’t be silenced unless she’s dead.”
“Good grief, what a pointless mission.”
We reached the outer perimeter, where a large window was located.
Even the thick tempered glass couldn’t withstand Marika-san’s angry kick.
“This height should be fine.”
Marika-san said so and scooped me up.
It was a chaotic situation: Marika-san holding me, who was holding Lilith in a princess carry.
Marika-san jumped out the window, carrying us.
She then deployed multiple Psyche-Barriers towards the ground like stepping stones, and landed safely while leaping left and right.
I ran desperately after Marika-san, who was heading towards our escape route.
We encountered enemy soldiers a few times, but Marika-san took care of them.
The southwestern watchtower was in the midst of intense gunfire.
Under Gen-san’s command, the No. 0 Unit’s thugs were securing our escape route.
Soldiers attempting to climb the watchtower became merciless prey for Natsume.
“Let’s go!”
We charged into a horde of enemy soldiers.
We ran through as the enemy soldiers were confused by the surprise attack from behind.
Pain shot through my side. I must have been shot.
But I didn’t stop my feet. If I stopped, I would die.
Seeing us charge, Natsume and the others jumped down from the watchtower to provide support.
Marika-san once again carried me and jumped to the watchtower like hopping on stepping stones.
Seeing us ascend the watchtower, Natsume threw a smoke bomb and then rejoined us.
“Gen-san, what’s the situation?”
“Shuri and Hotaru are already gone. Many are injured, but no one is dead.”
“Excellent work. We’re getting out of here. Natsume, cover our rear.”
We descended the watchtower and ran into the forest.
At the edge of the forest, Axel-san and the Rigger team were waiting.
“Welcome back, Kanata. You look like a prince, bringing such a cute princess.”
“You’ll be retracting that statement soon. She’s cute, but not likeable.”
“Stop talking nonsense and get in already! Axel, get everyone in and move out immediately!”
We hurriedly got into the command vehicle. As soon as everyone was in, we took off.
Marika-san communicated with Shuri in the reconnaissance vehicle.
“Shuri, sonar at full power. Watch out for helicopters. We’ll take the route through the valley and rendezvous with Mai Shiranui.”
“Yes, Mom!”
Then Marika-san came over to my seat.
“Kanata, you were shot in the side, right? Let me see.”
“It’s fine after we get back to Mai Shiranui. The bleeding has stopped.”
“Just show me.”
I lifted my military uniform shirt to reveal the wound.
“The bullet is still inside. Someone! Bring me tweezers.”
Lilith, who was sitting next to me, pushed aside her long silver hair.
“I’ll do it. Marika, you have a tumbler with you, don’t you? Get it out.”
Marika-san silently took a tumbler from her pocket.
Lilith opened the lid of the tumbler and sniffed it.
“Single malt, Geishu, 20-year-old. You have good taste.”
She can tell the brand just by the smell? What kind of child is this?
“Lilith, you’re a minor. What on earth…”
“Shut up!”
With a sharp retort, Lilith sprinkled whiskey on her silver hair.
Then, a few strands of Lilith’s hair entered the wound on my side.
This kid can do tricks like Gen-san!
“Hey, Lilith, you’re…”
“Don’t talk, don’t move. Stay still.”
Her hair then entwined with the bullet inside my side, grabbed it, and extracted it.
“It was shallower than I thought. Corporal, you seem to have good skin armor. Just like they say, ‘thick-skinned’.”
“I can’t compete with you in thick-skinnedness, Lilith. I’m grateful you removed the bullet. And please call me Kanata, not Corporal.”
“You want me to call you by your name?”
“Everyone in the unit calls me that.”
“Then I’ll stubbornly call you by your rank.”
This perverse little girl!
Marika-san, with a stern expression, questioned her.
“Lilith, what else can you do with that hair?”
“It can be used as a monomolecular whip… Don’t make that scary face. I won’t do anything strange. I’ll just get killed by you.”
“You understand well. Don’t do anything strange.”
Lilith casually threw the extracted bullet and was about to bring the tumbler to her lips.
“Alcohol is for you when you’re twenty. Try it in ten years.”
Marika-san took the tumbler away.
“Stingy! It’s fine, just a little!”
“Kanata, the child-minding is your responsibility.”
Marika-san, getting fed up, ran away.
We headed towards the rendezvous point with Mai Shiranui, with the command vehicle leading. There were no pursuers so far.
We were severely depleted. I hope we can rendezvous with Mai Shiranui without further incident.
…Speaking of which, where were the children we saved kidnapped from?
“Hey, Lilith, can I ask you something?”
“What is it, pseudo-circumcised Corporal?”
“I’m not pseudo-circumcised!”
“Then, circumcised Corporal.”
“It’s gotten worse!”
“An adult getting angry at a child is unsightly, don’t you think?”
“You’repicking a fight, Lilith, aren’t you?”
“It’s just a little joke.”
“Your joke is full of malice and lacking in dignity.”
“Oh, really? I’ll be careful, but I won’t change. So, what did you want to ask me?”
“Change it! What kind of upbringing did you have!… Were you and the others kidnapped to that laboratory?”
“Can you call it kidnapping? They’re all war orphans. They were brought in legally under the guise of being fostered out from facilities for children who lost their parents in the war.”
“Losing parents in a war, they’ve already suffered enough from the war! And then to use them for human experiments, what are they thinking? It’s unbelievable!”
I understood why Lilith felt she couldn’t let the researchers live. Those people in the laboratory had victimized the children who were victims of the war even further. It was unforgivable.
“Don’t get so excited, Corporal. Anger won’t change reality.”
“Why can Lilith be so calm? You’re involved with these double victims!”
“What I’m talking about now is about the other children, not me. I’m different.”
Lilith’s lonely blue eyes as she said that looked somehow familiar.
Where have I seen them before? Where…
“…Why were you at that laboratory, Lilith?”
“…Do you want to know?”
“I know I’ll regret it if I ask, but I believe some regrets are worth having.”
“…I was sold by my father. For his advancement.”
…I see. That’s why they looked familiar.
…When I looked in the mirror in my previous world, I saw… my own eyes looking like that. The eyes of a child abandoned by their own kin.
“…It seems you don’t get along well with your parents either, Corporal.”
“…I wasn’t sold, but it’s similar.”
“Yes, we’re the same kind, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, the same kind.”
Lilith and I smiled at each other. It was an empty smile.
Thanks to spending all of Sunday writing, I’ve secured the draft for my submission.
