Chapter 22

Volume 1, Episode 4

"──Mihara! Found something!"

Suddenly, Yuni called out her partner's name with excitement.

The cityscape, where buildings stood in ruins, unintentionally replicating a ghost town atmosphere, strangely amplifying the sound of her voice.

Following Mihara's words to continue on foot, they had disembarked from the car they had used for the most comfortable but not entirely pleasant hour-long journey.

They had encountered a group of Raptures and fought them about ten minutes ago, but with no significant losses. While they continued walking, Yuni, who was at the front, suddenly raised her voice.

"Well done, yuni."

"Hehe. Will Yuni get a reward?"

"That's for later. You're not at "worthy" enough to receive it~~."

Did he have any painkillers like aspirin in his backpack? The camaraderie within the Wardress Squad was evident, but listening to their conversation made his head hurt. It wasn't as though a low-blood pressure condition was forming, but it still felt peculiar.

"What's this? Footprints?"

"Yeah, Yuni found them."

What did she find? When they approached and checked, they saw shapes on the ground that looked like large footprints. Although Moore had the largest feet among them, the footprint was about two to three times larger.

"Chasing Raptures with footprints in this day and age...!? Are you, like, a caveman?"

'We're almost in the next century'. Anis looked at Mihara and Yuni with a skeptical gaze, as if saying that. Depending on primitive tracking methods in an era when sensors were advanced was indeed surprising.

"It's not something to mock it though. Discovering and analyzing traces is the basis of tracking... The width of the foot..."

"Even Commander..."

Moore knelt with one knee clad in kneepads and began a simple measurement with his thumb and pinky finger. The footprint didn't speak, but information was left behind.

"The "Chatterbox" is not caught by the signal sensor."

"Chatter...? Is that the name of the Rapture we're chasing?"

Neon inquired about the unfamiliar term, and Mihara nodded and began explaining in more detail.

"Yes. Code name: Chatterbox. A special individual that doesn't fit into any Rapture category. That's our purpose for being here."

"... What's the reason for that?"

Rapi encouraged her to elaborate further, while never bother to hide her hostility in her face. Mihara only shrugged at her.

"I don't know. I was just ordered to catch it a few months ago."

They didn't understand Syuen's intention either. Rapi asked about the special individual's characteristics and their experiences in combat, but the answer was that they didn't know. Rapi's bewildered gaze conveyed the irony that one was ordered to track and capture despite the lack of information.

"I see. So it's like looking for a needle in a boiled stone mountains."

"In that case, it's like searching for water in dry grass?"

(Tl Notes: both of them are speaking about the idioms. I'm sure you know the originals.)

"...Neither of you are right."

They really were carefree. While Neon and Anis spoke incorrectly, Rapi sighed, but she also felt a sense of incongruity.

Moore, who would surely react immediately to such matters, remained entirely unresponsive.

Since being assigned to the forward base, she felt that she had touched on all aspects of his character that were previously unknown. He was rather easygoing.

Yet, he was unresponsive, and that was odd. Gazing at the ground, Moore diverted his eyes from the footprints and stared into space.

"Commander?"

"...Feels quite disjointed... The depth of the footprint suggests weight, but the size of the foot doesn't match... It's not a dinosaur, so why the gait that lifts the heel... A body that looks like it's overtrained with unbalanced chicken legs... even slightly hunched... needs some correction..."

"Commander? Is something wrong?"

Staring into space, he muttered something. His dark brown eyes narrowed, and his lips moved while his expression remained emotionless.

As Rapi reached out and lightly tapped his shoulder, his voice, which had been muttering until then, disappeared as if it were a lie, and Moore turned around, looking up at her.

"──What's wrong?"

"...Oh, it's nothing. We should move forward soon."

"I see."

He nodded, lifting his hips and lightly tapping the mud on one knee's kneepad to shake it off.

Fortunately, Moore appeared as usual, but what was that earlier? Was there some kind of problem?

Disregarding her concern, he took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it with an oil lighter. Considering the distance between him and Mihara and Yuni, who had resumed walking at the front, he blew purple smoke to the side, showing his usual consideration.

"Why were we deployed for tracking?"

"Well, who knows. Maybe they were bored? Or maybe it's just a whim."

As Rapi, who walked alongside Moore, inquired, he responded while staying alert to their surroundings. However, she couldn't be satisfied with the prediction he gave in response. Despite "that" attitude, she was a CEO responsible for a part of the three major corporations. His deployment should have had a proper reason, stemming from some calculation.

"──Because you two seemed capable."

It seemed that Moore and Rapi's conversation was overheard. Or perhaps she intentionally directed her auditory sensors towards them. Mihara calmly threw in the question.

"──Do you know the probability of a Commander dying in their first mission?"

"...Around 70%."

Beside Mihara's question, Rapi responded. Moore was inwardly surprised by the higher probability than he had expected. If ten people were deployed, seven of them would be killed. Of course, it was a matter of probability, not certainty.

"Very well answered. And the mortality rate increases even more in the next mission."

"I see. So... our Commander is the one who conquered that impossible probability... and that's why the Syuen or 'Shucream-what not' is manipulating us?"

(Tl Notes: it's a japanese that means bread filled with cream ones. Really delicious.)

"Correct."

"Oh my... Commander, did you hear? This is your fault, you know?"

"...Is it my responsibility?"

"──On top of that... could it be that Commander's.."ability" also one of the reasons? Truly... an enigma in itself."

Anis playfully teased, and he, with the cigarette still in his mouth, added another wrinkle between his eyebrows. This was still a sign of confusion, but then Mihara turned around and, looking over her shoulder, gazed meaningfully at Moore's assault rifle hanging from a sling on his shoulder. A second vertical wrinkle was added to his forehead.

"How many Commanders have been expendable for tracking and capture operations?"

"...I don't know for sure, but it should be over forty."

"Is our Commander were planned to be the next expendable too?"

"Who knows? Isn't that a question of whether or not a miracle will happen?"

While Mihara shrugged, Rapi looked at her with a somewhat scornful gaze. Amid her silent hostility, Moore's hand lightly tapped her back. He didn't say anything, but it was as if he was saying "don't worry about it."

"I wish I was a CEO too. I'd like to try ordering people around at least once."

"Shall we start a company too?"

"...What kind of business will it be?...Ah, probably a security company."

"Oh, that might work somehow. Let's do it."

While Anis and Neon joked or maybe even discussed it seriously, Moore responded earnestly beside them. Meanwhile, Rapi lowered her head slightly.

"...Commander, I apologize, but what if we refuse the mission..."

"CEOs of the three major corporations are special entities in Ark. They can even intervene in the military's chain of command."

"Yes. A mere Commander and squad are not entities that can influence much. If we were to refuse..."

"I've made her cry and even pee their pants. Well, I understand that's the limit. It's quite frustrating... but we have no choice but to continue this operation. I don't mind what happens to me...but---"

──This person is too kind.

He was grumbling enough to reject participation in this mission, yet he was bending his will for a reason for their safety. Rapi, who understood this, let out an inward sigh.

It's not that she was uncomfortable. To say the opposite would be a lie. However----

This was fatal.

"──Rapi."

When he suddenly called her name, she turned her gaze towards him.

Moore pointed to the headset he had placed under the helmet he himself wore. With the housing covering both ears, he lightly tapped one side with his fingertip without a word.

──Try to contact Shifty.

Even without words, she understood the intention, and she subtly nodded to indicate her agreement.

It could almost be called telepathy. Having recognized that through a glance over her shoulder, Mihara's lips slightly relaxed with a meaningful expression.

Following the footprints, a full-fledged pursuit began.

With the initiation of the pursuit came an inevitable encounter and battle with the Raptures. The probability of encountering Raptures within one hour on the ground was 100%. There was no need to mention the feeling of being reminded of that fact.

However...

"...The footprints disappeared."

The traces left by the so-called "Chatterbox" that were embedded in the ground had suddenly vanished.

The footprints that had been sporadically continuing up to this point disappeared. While it was unnatural, Mihara accepted the fact and calmly instructed everyone to retrace their steps.

"Hold on."

"Yeah, something's strange."

Almost simultaneously, he and Yuni raised their voices. While Moore carefully observed the footprints left just one step ahead on the ground, Yuni surveyed the surroundings.

"The footprints pressed down strongly here, as if it were about to jump."

"Ah! Mihara, over there!"

If it could be called a toe, the direction of the toes in the footprints had captured the gaze of him and Uni at the same time.

Holes had been punctured in a regular pattern on the external wall of the building, which was on the verge of collapse, and it appeared to be leading towards the rooftop.

"A Rapture capable of such movement..."

"It's unthinkable. Raptures are fundamentally quadrupedal."

"So that's why it's a 'special individual.' Unthinkable is unthinkable. There are exceptions to everything."

Facing Lapi and Anis' comments, he stood up and as if to agree, Mihara nodded.

"Yes, new information. Chatterbox can move along walls. Also... it's aware of our pursuit."

"Right. It's like a bear or deer's 'stopping step.' "

"...What's that?"

"...It's a technique used by wild animals when escaping from predators or hunters... Don't you know?"

Catching his casual expression, Mihara and the others shook their heads. In turn, this time, he tilted his head.

──Come to think of it, why do I know about this?

"Mihara! A reward! A reward!"

While he was trying to solve the question that had come to his mind, yuni was begging for a reward from Mihara as she jumped around. As if considering her a helpless child, Mihara signaled to Yuni, who then sat on her knees.

And then...

"Mihara... does it hurt? How is it...?"

"Yes... haa, haa... it hurts a lot... ahh... it's really... haa, ahh... PAINFUL!"

With Yuni's slender fingers, she was raising her exposed thigh in a deliberate manner, and Mihara's voice, resembling a sigh or a coquettish tone, resonated as she scream...loudly.

"Uhm, hmmm... I'm REALLY confused..."

"... Sensei, what on earth... is happening?"

"...Don't ask me. Even if I were to explain briefly, I'd have to talk about the differences in preferences between S and M."

"...You seem to know well. About that... "aspect"."

"...I just have that knowledge."

"Huh? What do you mean by that... aspect?"

Neon seemed to have an intellectually curious nature, but he probably didn't intend to provide detailed answers. Turning his back as if to divert his gaze from the scene unfolding between Mihara and Uni, he placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.

----

Author's note: Oh? Lieutenant Moore's behavior... (Like in Pok*mon)