Story Reader / Arcade Anima / Land of Bliss / Story
<color=#ff4e4eff>32 days</color> have passed since Group 013 of the Kurono Special Force arrived at Seaside Town.
The second to last line of defense collapses after yet another battle.
The three Constructs have retreated deeper underground with the surviving refugees. All of them are wounded.
There are no more cracks to let in sunlight this deep underground. Like how the polar night induces depression, the surviving refugees have all sunken in a gloomy mood—and the three Constructs are not faring any better.
Compared to the tension from two days ago, the relationship between Vera and Hey has softened ever so slightly.
The suspicion and wariness between both sides persist, manifesting as a disinterest in speaking to each other.
But from Hush's perspective, this is just the two of them sulking.
Hush has probably racked her brain for new topics, but the young Construct has no life experiences outside of Kurono unfortunately. In the end, she inevitably returns to her "beautiful homeland".
She starts rambling on—
I, have a, gwood, suggestion...
Go ahead. I'm listening.
Vera also glances over.
Want to, know... Ve-wa?
Fire away.
W-we...
Use your bot to "speak". I don't want to figure out the translation myself.
Vera taps the bot beside Hush.
...
<i>"I can take you two to see that island when we have time later. We can go to the Rainbow Beach..."</i>
Shut it. Go play somewhere else.
...
You "shut up" too.
Vera slaps the bot again, switching it off.
<i>"..."</i>
...Stop messing with her, Hound.
Hey seems to have sensed Vera's contempt and offers her a piece of salted fish before Vera can deliver any sarcastic remarks.
The townsfolk just gave this to me. There's not much to eat these days, and dried fish is as good as any.
Take it... if you don't mind it.
Tch.
Vera reaches out and snatches it, tossing it into her mouth.
It really doesn't taste good. There's so little salt I can barely taste anything with this frame.
...
{226|153|170}.
Despite being told off the whole day, Hush still appears quite happy.
The vibe within the team seems to have eased up a bit more than usual.
A few days later, Vera watches as Hush presses her fingers against her mouth and whistles a peculiar sound.
BEEP—
The sound reminds Vera of the numerous distressing alarms from the past few days. Likewise, several refugees also turn to look this way.
What are you up to now, Moth?
Text begins to flow across Hush's bot:
<i>"This is a whistled language commonly used by fishermen in my hometown."</i>
Whistled language?
<i>"When I was still human, my vocal cords were underdeveloped, so I became quite familiar with our whistled language instead."</i>
Hmm.
<i>"Do you want to know what it means?"</i>
Vera looks at Hush quietly, meeting her bright and glistening eyes.
...
For once, Vera holds back her typical indifference and nods, gesturing for Hush to continue.
H-humbound.
<i>"Homebound."</i>
A single word appears on the bot's screen, accompanying Hush's unique articulation.
<i>"Homebound."</i>
<i>"When the fishermen were done fishing, they would whistle this sound to relay messages to the shore."</i>
<i>"So people on shore knew when to prepare meals for their return."</i>
<i>"Vera, we'll be homebound soon too."</i>
W-we'll... be, homebound, soon, too.
Hush insists on finishing the last sentence with her own voice.
...
...Your hometown sounds pretty nice.
Mmm-hmm!
Cough. If the opportunity arises... it's not entirely impossible...
For who? Us?
Vera cuts in forcefully just as Hey is about to say more.
Enough with this **** about being homebound. If you want to survive, keep fighting. Everyone needs to find a way out of here.
Stop staring! Those of you over there, quit standing around and reinforce the defenses! You don't get those rations for nothing!
...
Hey does not continue the conversation, lowering her head to adjust her gear instead. Her frame and weapons have suffered considerable wear and tear after days of combat.
The same has happened to Vera—Hey has keenly noticed that Vera has been rotating her left arm with a pained expression lately.
Ve-wa? Your, arm?
But before Hey can voice her concern, Hush has already asked the question.
My arm? It's none of your business.
Is that an old injury?
It was forcibly ripped off before. Happy?
...Sit down.
You want to beat the hell out of my bad arm?
Why do you always talk with such hostility? No one here owes you anything. Sit.
Hey pulls Vera before her, and Vera is instantly on alert. Just as she expects another brawl to break out—
Hey takes out a maintenance kit and gently patches up Vera's slightly fractured old wounds.
Catching the hint, Hush passes over human-use gauze and wraps it around Vera's arm, more or less securing it in place.
?
This arm is too badly damaged, so don't move it for the time being. Don't worry about the defensive preparations ahead. "Moth" can take over for now.
It's clearly an old injury, so why does it look like it's never been properly maintained? You need to see this maintenance technician I know after we go back and ask him to take another look...
Hey suddenly pauses halfway through. Vera reckons Hey just remembers that she will not be going back with them.
...
Sure. I'll make sure to get myself some proper maintenance after we ALL go back.
Hey shows no changes in her expression as if accustomed to Vera's taunts. She simply packs up her equipment and leaves.
Vera's eyes, however, continue to follow the deserter's retreating figure.
Vera has been trying to recall the details from when they first arrived at their mission location and pondering where things went wrong—this place should not have had Corrupted in such numbers.
It is as if... someone deliberately lured them here.
<color=#ff4e4eff>32 days</color> ago, Group 013 of the Kurono Special Force first set foot in this coastal town.
They have endured numerous setbacks along the way, having gone through multiple intermediaries and attracted plenty of trouble before finally managing to find clues about their target—in this black market, surprisingly.
Skeptically, they try searching for their target in the black market. Strangely enough, Hey actually finds the spot mentioned in the clues quite quickly.
The merchant readily agrees to the deal for the price of a few bottles of serum.
Even as the mission objective is gently placed into Vera's palm, none of them feel like they have "completed the mission" yet.
This is the "Key"?
I-impressive!
Vera holds the tiny access card between two fingers as Hey watches hesitantly, confident that she can easily snap it in half with a bit more pressure.
Could it be that no one knew what valuable treasures the "Key" could unlock after it went missing...?
That's why it was sold as an authorization sample from the late Golden Age... at such a ridiculously low price.
Hey temporarily dismisses her suspicion. After counting their remaining funds, her face shows utter disbelief.
This is the first time I've encountered such an easy mission. There were no competitors, no Corrupted, no subterfuge... They even accepted our first offer without haggling. It just fell right into our laps.
Hey weighs the remaining serum in her hand as if she cannot quite grasp the reality of completing a mission so quickly.
And this Seaside Town... We're not returning to Kurono for another two days. This almost feels like... a vacation.
The team follows Hey's gaze, taking in the market street before them in its entirety.
The Punishing Virus has mercifully spared this small town at the edge of the world. Compared to the apocalyptic landscapes Vera and the others have witnessed, life here is almost stable and prosperous.
Residents set up stalls along both sides of the road, trading supplies. Some even display decorative trinkets—luxuries only valued in times of prosperity. The "Key" they just purchased was mixed in among these items.
A calm sea comes into view at the end of the road, with sunlight pouring down to create a glittering expanse of dancing reflections on the water.
P-pretty!
Hush gives a thumbs-up.
According to the mission deadline, we still have quite a bit of time left... We can afford to stay in a place like this for two days.
This is like...
Like forgetting the crushing pressure of Kurono and returning to a normal life as ordinary people.
Like—my h-home!
Hush's companion bot chirps to life as text appears on its screen. This is the first time she mentions her hometown since she joined Group 013.
<i>"It was also an island town."</i>
<i>"It was not as prosperous as the big cities of the Golden Age, but life was comfortable enough."<i>
<i>"It was a lot like this place, with similar streets, and the ocean nearby. Everyone lived a peaceful life."</i>
The screen on the bot pauses momentarily before displaying a final sentence.
<i>"I want to go home and see it again."</i>
...
Moth.
Before Vera can let out a mocking laugh, Hey slaps Hush's bot with her palm, forcibly shutting it down.
Remove all text data from your bot immediately.
W-we...
The higher-ups take desertion very seriously, so you better erase anything that might arouse suspicion. Even the smallest seed of doubt is dangerous—getting rid of you is as simple as assigning you a mission.
Remember Group 009?
One of their members was executed just two months ago for selling internal information. The rest of the squad was imprisoned, and they still haven't been released.
Hey's voice gradually lowers as she continues speaking.
...Actually, I only guessed that they were "imprisoned". The entire squad disappeared.
Every squad is subject to tracking and monitoring at all times during a mission nowadays. Refusing means being labeled as "uncooperative".
Even Babylonia has its Purifying Force, and their deserting Constructs meet a similar fate. There's nowhere good for Constructs to be in this world.
Hey grips Hush's shoulders firmly.
Do you understand me, Moth?
...
Hush nods, confused. The young girl has been under Hey's guidance since joining the squad, and "desertion" is a concept she knows but does not grasp. Right now, she is simply intimidated by Hey's intensity.
Unlike Hush, the other member understands everything completely.
Hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Vera points at Hey, doubling over with laughter.
—After all, it is quite funny that the real deserter is earnestly warning others not to risk desertion.
Vera never expects that she will be assigned a mission to eliminate her teammate shortly after being transferred to Group 013 before she gets to know Hey and Hush.
So, my real mission is to eliminate Hey?
"Hey"? That's "Hummingbird", your captain.
Try not to keep giving people nicknames... Anyway, keep your eye on Hummingbird for now. We've discovered that she has been in contact with Daedalus, but we don't have evidence of her desertion yet.
The "Key" in your cover mission is something Daedalus is also looking for. Execute her immediately if she shows any intention of transferring or backing up the "Key".
What about the other one? Hush.
She seems very attached to Hey. What do I do if she gets in my way, thinking I'm about to take out her precious captain?
...Just focus on monitoring and taking care of Hummingbird. If Moth joins her in resistance, execute them both.
Vera does not seem surprised by this response.
Don't you think it's wasteful to just kill Hush like that? She's one of your better operatives, after all.
That's not for you to consider. Do your job, Hound.
The higher-ups trust you because your mission completion rate has always been 100%.
...
Hahahaha...
Are you done laughing?
Hahaha... Do you really think Kurono would be so kind as to assign us such a relaxing mission?
Getting rid of you is as simple as assigning you a mission.
...
Vera's unbridled mockery and her pointed words put Hey on high alert.
Perhaps that is the moment distrust begins to ferment within the team.
This is the action report of "Hound". Communications are extremely unstable, so this record might be kept in local storage temporarily.
According to my early assessment, Hey... "Hummingbird" may have aligned with Daedalus long ago, deliberately leading Daedalus to seize the "Key".
The current situation matches the assessment.
However, Hummingbird shows no obvious intent to desert based on my personal observation.
I can't perform the elimination mission without further evidence.
Vera looks at the recorder on her body. She does not know if these messages will transmit back from deep underground or if Kurono will come to rescue her.
Perhaps Kurono will not send reinforcements until her mission is complete.
Or perhaps Kurono has already decided their entire team does not warrant rescue.
Hah, I don't know what the higher-ups think about Group 013 right now, but I'm not Moth. I'm going to prioritize conserving my stamina—staying alive is what matters most right now.
Vera has always been indifferent to the Kurono deserters. She knows her superiors assigning her this sudden task is likely a test of her loyalty—having seen through everyone's intents, she finds it all the more tedious.
If that is the case, how should she choose in this "tedious charade"...?
Vera suddenly looks at her arm, bandaged by Hey and adorned with an elaborate butterfly knot tied by Hush.
There is still half of a comically small piece of salted fish left uneaten in her pocket—it is truly too unpalatable, even as a gesture of goodwill from Hey.
And...
And then there is that comical invitation no one has taken seriously—"We'll be homebound soon", "let's go to that beautiful island together".
...
...Adjusting strategy and priorities is necessary on a rapidly changing battlefield. The higher-ups would have no grounds to criticize me even in hindsight, right?
Vera finishes speaking and turns off the recorder. Once she escapes, these voice recordings will serve as evidence that she has attempted to complete her secret mission.
Afterward, Vera yanks off the recorder and crushes it viciously underfoot.
Oops, I accidentally broke it. What a shame.
Don't worry. I'll handle things my way from here.
Vera mutters to herself over the completely ruined recorder, using her other hand to retie the bandage her teammates just applied.
A knot like this won't hold at all... Those two idiots.
...Such obvious intentions are impossible to hide.
Hush, with her sensitive audio module, hears the clattering of things breaking and peeks into the room.
Mind your business. My recorder broke, that's all.
Call Hey in here. I've integrated and analyzed the data collected from our recent operations, and it mostly aligns with her assessment of the breach points. We might find an opening in that direction with some luck.
Besides, we're almost out of supplies. If we don't get out soon, everyone will die down here.
It's time to break out of here.
