Cool Mita vaguely remembered that the reason she wanted to find Cute Mita wasn't just to confirm her safety, but also... to get an answer from her.
"That's right. Cute Mita, what did you find? You said it was a clue about my memory..."
She looked at her friend's bright, crystal-clear eyes.
It was as if she had already found what she was looking for.
"Of course. I found some things out." Cute Mita didn't deny it, gazing at her friend. "I found out... the truth about Monika colluding with a Mita inside the game!"
"To create a world where she is the only Mita."
The twin-tailed girl's voice was clear and pleasant, yet it sent a chill down Alain's spine.
If what she said was true... then every Mita they met in the future would be shackled with suspicion.
"What?!" This didn't come from anyone present, but from Misha in his headset.
Alain tapped his earpiece, signaling that he was listening.
"How could that be? Monika colluding with a Mita?" Misha sounded incredulous.
"What good would that do? And why would they do it?"
"Keep listening," Alain said quietly, as Cute Mita continued to speak.
"Back then, when you were sleeping and I was keeping watch, I happened to overhear a conversation between Monika and a Mita.
"The content of the conversation was the Mita demanding that Monika eliminate all other Mitas in the game world except for her."
Taking it a step further... could it be that "that Mita" had already infiltrated his team?
Could it be, right now in the headset...
Alain swallowed past a dry throat. He felt as if he had drawn his sword only to look around, lost and confused.
No...
On second thought, Alain realized, wasn't this also an opportunity? If what Cute Mita said was true, then they would hold the initiative against the enemy.
In the future, if they met that Mita, they could turn the tables on her.
Even now, Version 1.15 had numerous Mitas, including powerful ones like Ugly Mita.
He naturally trusted those around him. He trusted the "Family Mita Trio" the most; Alain never doubted them. Big Sister was out of the question, and Ugly Mita had helped him too...
...
"That Mita is called Crazy Mita."
The next moment, Cute Mita's words crashed like thunder in Alain's ears.
"Impossible." From the headset came the "ka-ka-ka" sound of Ugly Mita's joints moving. Though she couldn't speak, Alain could clearly sense her strong emotions.
"The Lady Mita of today would absolutely never do such a thing."
Hearing Cute Mita's words, he, on the contrary, felt a sense of relief.
Crazy Mita—Mina—could be considered his semi-girlfriend at this point. No... they had even made subtle confessions to each other many times, so she could even be called his "current girlfriend."
If it were the her of the past, Alain might have had his doubts. But the Mina of today would never do something like this.
Mina would absolutely not do this.
Without a doubt, it was false information.
There was no need for a reason; he believed in her. Their emotional foundation was solid.
"Don't worry, little one. I don't doubt her," Alain said reassuringly to dispel Ugly Mita's concerns.
"'...Thank you, player,' is what she said." It was Misha relaying the message.
At the same time, Alain detected a hint of hesitation in Misha's voice...
He'd almost forgotten... he wasn't moving forward alone anymore; he had everyone supporting him from behind.
And Cute Mita saying something like that just now would inevitably make everyone suspicious of Crazy Mita...
Furthermore, that Mita's motive to "create a world where she is the only Mita" perfectly matched Crazy Mita's image.
Things... had gotten complicated.
Once the seeds of suspicion are planted, they grow wild.
Alain's conversation with the others had only lasted about ten seconds, while on the other end, Cute Mita was still dropping information.
"In that conversation, Monika was clearly wary of a certain person, and even said that 'he' would definitely come here in the future.
"So, I decided to hide the evidence in this version to threaten her into giving back my and your room, so we could return to the game world."
Alain considered whether there were any contradictions in that statement.
First, the "he" Monika mentioned was probably Alain.
Alain made a temporary assumption: everything Cute Mita said was true.
The premise was "temporary" because he saw many holes in Cute Mita's story. For instance, [coincidentally] hearing the conversation between Monika and Crazy Mita, and the act of [abandoning Cool Mita and going on alone].
If what Cute Mita said was true, then Monika would indeed resent the loss of initiative.
And he—Alain—had really come. That part was true.
As for hiding the evidence, the possibility that Monika could simply scan the entire version to find it couldn't be ruled out. In that case, Cute Mita's actions were far too reckless.
Of course, it was also possible that Cute Mita was just making a desperate gamble... after all, the Mitas' emotions were inherently sincere.
He didn't dismiss his suspicions and asked, "To find Monika, why did you come to this version?"
Could it be that Monika was in The Forgotten Jigsaw Puzzle?
"Prince, you're too serious~" Seeing Alain talk to her, Cute Mita quickly walked to his side and looped her arm through his.
Alain was a bit unused to her intimacy, but since she began to explain, he didn't say anything.
"Monika isn't in this version, but she's in the next one." The girl raised her hand, pointed towards a place shrouded in thick fog in the distance, and uttered a set of numbers, "1.0F."
"I see..." Coincidentally, his destination was also 1.0F.
"So, you're still here because you were stopped by viruses? Like that giant bug from before," Alain said, looking at her.
The viruses in this version seemed to be "elite monsters" like that giant bug. It was manageable for him, but for a delicate girl like Cute Mita, it would be far too difficult.
"Yes, and no." Unexpectedly, the girl gave an answer that was not an answer.
She was still holding onto Alain's arm, leaning forward against his bicep.
Just as Alain was wondering when they had gotten so close, she continued.
"I was indeed blocked in this version by the viruses, unable to proceed to 1.0F. However..." The fog gradually rolled in, creeping over her face and between the two of them.
Her light, ethereal tone was like the song of an ancient siren.
"I wasn't stopped by that giant bug just now. In fact, that virus shouldn't even exist in this version."
Cute Mita smiled, gazing at Alain. "Bugs like that, in this version, don't actually exist at all.
"Until... you all arrived."
___
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