Chapter 76

"──What? Do you have a stomachache? Should someone come and watch over you? Need some music?"

Although they had reunited, things had become quite lively. While observing Anis, who was still teasing Eunhwa, Moore couldn't shake off the sense of dissonance.

It wasn't a problem that they had started moving forward after the reunion, but Moore didn't feel like they were really progressing.

Perhaps it was the streets they were on. As they walked along the partially lifted asphalt roads, they passed by the wreckage of car remnants almost resembling abandoned vehicles. After walking for a while, similar-looking vehicles came into view again.

Casually, Moore took out the red fluorescent marker he had in his left sleeve, uncapped it, and drew a line on the rusty car body as they passed by.

If it was a misunderstanding, so be it. He closed the cap, put the fluorescent marker back in his pen holder on his sleeve, and firmly gripped his assault rifle.

"...I said this is enemy territory. Watch your mouth."

"Watch my mouth? How about a kiss, then?"

Anis, still her usual self, pushed her lips out towards Eunhwa. The leader of the Absolute Squad, perhaps out of anger, or for some other reason, began to tremble slightly.

It seemed fresh to witness an squad teammate who usually bested her in arguments behaving like this. While Vesti smiled.

"...Hey, Moore."

"What?"

"...Your subordinate says she'll shut her mouth with a kiss. Shut it for her."

"...Well, it's not like it matters much to me.──Anis, should I close my eyes? If you have any preferences, let me know."

"──Eh!?"

"He, here...!? Here...!?"

True to his words, Moore approached Anis completely unfazed. She blushed like a boiling kettle, and Vesti covered her eyes with both hands, seemingly finding the situation too overwhelming. However, she peeked through the gaps between her fingers.

"I-It's alright! I'll stay quiet! I promise!"

"...If you say so."

Following him, Anis, hiding behind the tall figure of Ema, hurriedly assured him. Moore, without showing any disappointment, turned his gaze toward Maxwell.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Baby? Are you going to kiss me?"

"Not really... The marking..."

The wreckage of a rusty passenger car behind Maxwell. A single line drawn with a red fluorescent marker on the car's body stood out. Moore pointed at it with his chin, took a cigarette from his pouch, and lit it with an oil lighter.

"...So, you mean...?"

"We must be walking in circles."

Responding to Anise emerging from Ema's shadow, Moore put away his oil lighter and scanned the surroundings. They should have been making progress, but...

"...Did we... wander into an infinite labyrinth or something?"

"Something like a fantasy novel can't possibly exist, right?"

〈According to the coordinates... we are indeed moving forward.〉

As Anis and Neon exchanged glances, a perplexed voice from Shifty echoed from deep inside the housing. It seemed unbelievable as an operator.

"So... the surroundings are moving in sync with our movements..."

"Is that even possible?"

When Rapi asked Maxwell's speculation, she shrugged.

"Well, it's not impossible. If this place is under Rapture's control... It might be more significant than I thought. Considering those tentacles and this place..."

"It's quite an elaborate setup."

While listening to Maxwell's speculation, Moore exhaled purple smoke from the cigarette in his mouth, expressing his straightforward thoughts. The nicotine slightly numbed his brain, sending a pleasant sensation, and he exhaled the smoke gently.

"...But it's strange. There's no need to go to such lengths. We have an operator, so wouldn't copying like this be pointless?"

"...Targeting Nikke without an operator...? It's a method that could easily induce panic..."

"Why set up such a large-scale mechanism for Nikke and the others who coincidentally entered this closed-off place? Isn't it highly inefficient?"

While observing Rapi and Anis discussing the current abnormal situation, Moore flicked the diminishing cigarette into a portable ashtray. He expelled the remaining purple smoke from his lungs, concluding his smoke break, then turned his gaze back to his surroundings.

"First of all... what is this place? Even if it's for collecting Heretic fragments, is it normal to go this far?"

"Hmm... I wonder. It's hard to believe. Maybe we should assume there's something here."

"Do you have any leads?"

Considering that squads engaged with Heretics and two squads survived in this place, Anis asked Maxwell of the Metis Squad. However, Maxwell shook her head from side to side.

"...Hmm... I'm not sure... I have a bad feeling about it, though..."

Anis frowned, and Laplace, who had been listening to the conversation until then, reacted. She stood tall, surveyed everyone, and spoke up.

"Don't worry! We are not just an ordinary squad! We are the strongest squads from Misilis and Elysion! No matter who the opponent is, we will definitely win!"

―She's ignoring us again, huh?

―It seems that way.

While Counters were still operational, they still seemed to be left out of Laplace's calculations. Moore and Rapi, sensing this, shrugged their shoulders in unison.

"Well... I admit that, but... this place is like Rapture's belly, right?"

"Just cut open the belly and get out of here!"

"Yeah... If the opponent is Rapture, we just have to kill it... There's nothing to worry about, I think."

"...Now that you mention it."

Unexpectedly, both Vesti and even Moore seemed to agree with Laplace's words, leaving Anis visibly stunned.

For the sake of caution, Moore instructed Shifty to focus on the monitor and started walking again. Shortly after, she reported back in a confused manner.

〈Everyone, is there something wrong with my eyes? Or is there an error on the monitor? Everything around you has been moving this whole time.〉

According to Shifty, only the surrounding scenery or the background was moving, while they themselves were not moving at all from their current location.

"...A moving background, huh? This situation is unprecedented, so I have no idea what to do. How about conducting a more detailed scan?"

〈It's not working. I've been trying since earlier, but the results keep changing every time. There seems to be a pattern, but... it may take some time to fully understand it...〉

"...It feels like we're running on a treadmill. ―Speaking of which, there were requests for a gym or sports facility at the gymnasium or somewhere," Moore said, using his own analogy.

Anis and Neon couldn't help but snickering slightly at his unique comparison. Setting that aside, Moore pulled out a cigarette from his dwindling soft pack, lit it with an oil lighter, and asked Shifty.

"...Has the position of the Heretic fragment changed?"

〈No, Commander.〉

"...I see. So our options are... somehow break through and recover the Heretic fragment. There's no other choice."

"...There is also the option to retreat. I suggest understanding the pattern first and then re-entering for safety.".

Rapi's suggestion made sense. Moore also wanted to agree, but he shook his head from side to side.

"If it were allowed... I would consider retreating. But... there's no guarantee of getting out safely from the moment we entered here. In fact, we're lost right now. We are free to enter, but not allowed to leave. I sense that intention."

"Umm... so, then..."

Anis counted on her fingers and summarized the situation:

1. Unable to scan.

2. Cannot grasp the pattern.

3. Background changing in real-time.

4. In this situation, they somehow need to break through and recover the Heretic fragment.

Faced with the reality of advancing the mission under these harsh conditions, Anis let out a deep sigh.

"So... it's like that?"

"It seems your brain cells are working a bit better."

"The 'strongest squad' part was missing, but yes!"

"Wow... what a perfect plan."

"...It's better than charging into a swarm of Raptures, including hundreds of Lord-class ones."

Anis sighed again, her eyes half-closed, at Moore's comparison, which was a bit out of place. Sensing her gaze, Moore shrugged his shoulders and released a puff of purple smoke from his cigarette.

"...At that time, Commander, you'll be at the forefront, right?"

"Naturally. Well, that aside... What do we do? How about we just destroy the entire background and move forward?"

"Is it okay to destroy it?"

"Yeah, it's a perfect opportunity to showcase our firepower."

"...Firepower... showcase...!"

Electricity coursed through Neon's entire body. Refined firepower. She realized that this meticulously crafted firepower could become the ultimate trump card to overturn adversity in a situation like this. As she was about to raise the shotgun in excitement, Laplace spoke up.

"It's alright! Don't worry! I can see the path!!"

"...The path to the netherworld?"

"My hero sensor is reacting! I feel like I know the way!"

What is she talking about? Moore shrugged, wry smiling. Maxwell didn't laugh it off or admonish Laplace. Instead, she kept staring straight ahead at a few small paths that were visible.

"Huh? Could it be... the one swaying to the left and right... that path?"

"―Yes! That's it! I knew it! Natural-born heroes can sense something in common!"

"No way... Drake, are you also feeling it?"

"Yeah, that's right! I can sense it!"

"Alright, let's go. I'll guide you."

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....Something felt odd.

Even Maxwell, who was supposed to be relatively cautious and thoughtful within the Metis Squad, didn't seem to notice the anomaly.

"Do you expect us to believe in such a ridiculous intuition?"

"I don't disbelieve it... but swaying to the left and right...?"

Eunhwa spat out the words dismissively, but he directed his gaze toward one of the alleys they were about to take, furrowing his brow in confusion. ― A path swaying to the left and right, but there was no such thing in sight.

"No mistake. We know the way. ― It's here."

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----Here.

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The memories clung to his mind, the events of that day refusing to fade away. Though Maxwell's voice and their voices were completely different, ― without any emotional inflections of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, the words spoken felt familiar.

Moore instinctively moved his fingers on the grip of his assault rifle, quietly disengaging the safety.

Ema slightly hunched her back and whispered something to Eunhwa's ear, which he caught in his peripheral vision. Whether she sensed his gaze or deduced that the safety was off, she turned her eyes toward him ― and immediately sent a hand signal.

― Did you notice?

Despite feeling suffocating about the silent question, she nodded in response.

Acknowledging his gesture, Eunhwa turned his face back toward the Metis Squad and urged them forward, leading the way.

"What? You want me to go ahead, and you shoot from behind?"

"Just say whatever you want, third-rate... Look at him."

Him.

Anis, pointed out by Moore with a jerk of his chin, turned her amber eyes toward him. ― Her expression tensed, her finger hovering just before the trigger.

"...Huh?"

Caught off guard by this realization, Anis appeared puzzled. Sensing the oddity in Anis' expression, Rapi, too, noticed the unnatural behavior of Moore and Eunhwa and inquired to their former comrades.

"...I'll explain as we walk."

Eunhwa prompted them to move for the time being, and the Metis Squad took the lead, with him and the others following closely behind.