"…"
"…"
The room fell silent as the kids and I turned our attention to the angel named Eskieth Eden.
There were countless things I wanted to ask, but for now, I decided to focus on the more immediate concerns.
"Luna, Ray, what are you two planning to do now?" I asked, realizing it was time to find a new home for them.
Luna and Ray pondered the question deeply, now left without a home or guardians to protect them.
Joining me wasn't an option either.
I wasn't merely aiming for a normal, cozy life in this hellish world; I was determined to fix this crisis by doing impossible tasks.
Like figuring out how to kill that creepy worm, for example.
"It's alright, little lab rat. We have that all sorted out," Eskieth interjected.
"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, curious about what she meant.
"It's simple, really. Do you think Luna and Ray are the only kids finding themselves in perilous situations?"
"..."
Silence hung in the air as I absorbed the bitter truth.
My head drooped as I was reminded of the world's horrible state and the bleak future ahead.
Just like the underground bunker I had encountered with Scarlett, there were more places scattered across Trestkania, still waiting to be discovered.
Either they eventually be invaded by Eldians as the Dead Zone expands...
Or fall victim to Morzen cultists that owned the cities, marching towards a crueller fate.
"It's okay, sister. Big sister Eskieth told us she found us a place to live, hehe." Luna held my hand tightly as she noticed my tense expression.
"That's correct—an orphanage, to be exact," Eskieth added.
"And because we have more than enough resources, I can guarantee that we will treat them to the best of our abilities." She smiled confidently and tapped her chest.
Hearing that, I decided to trust her and sighed in relief, looking at the kids who smiled back at me.
...Their smiles were still stiff, but I hoped that with time, their wounds would heal, and a good environment would help with that.
I think it's about time I wrap it up now.
"...Alright, before I talk with you, Eskieth," I said.
I turned to Ray, who was still conflicted, contemplating what he would do in the future.
He was still young—someone who shouldn't have to bear such thoughts.
But if I stopped him now, it wouldn't bring him peace; it would only lead to a life filled with regrets.
"I'll stay here in Trestkania for who knows how long, but when we meet again... don't disappoint me, Ray." I ruffled his hair.
"H-Hey! Stop that!" Ray protested, trying to push my hand away.
Which he did easily, as my body was still frail.
"Heh, that's more like it," I smirked, wanting him to be strong enough to fight for himself.
"When we meet again, I promise that I will protect my sister, no matter what!" Ray said, gripping his sister's hand tightly, as she was all he had left.
Then his face turned red as he looked at me, clearly flustered.
"A-And you too! I'll protect you as well, so... m-make sure you eat properly!" He bashfully looked away.
Luna tilted her head in curiosity, and Eskieth watched us with interest.
For me... I smiled with a mix of pity and fascination at his blatant affection.
"That's a good attitude... but I'm truly sorry again," I said, shaking my head.
"W-What do you mean?" Ray asked, confused. "Why am I apologizing?"
I'm sorry that your first crush was a former man—
That's what I wanted to say.
But I decided to keep that secret to myself for life—except for Erina, since she already knows.
I don't want people to know that a former guy is acting like this, haha…
=======
"Can I speak now, little lab rat?" Eskieth waited patiently for the kids to leave the room.
Now that they were gone, it was just the two of us.
"Yeah, what is it?" I stood up and stretched my cat-like body.
My body still hurts really bad, but I had grown accustomed to the pain and decided to move around a bit.
"Fufu, are you really that eager to touch my body now that we're both alone~?"
...
...
...
"…" I closed my eyes, choosing not to respond as I continued to stretch, ignoring her advances.
"Tch… boring." Eskieth sighed, placing her arms below her chest.
…I couldn't tell her that I was on the verge of digging my nails into my skin.
It was better not to mention it.
Since I was surrounded by girls and had even become a girl myself, I could suppress these thoughts for now.
"Now then, do you have any more questions for me?" Eskieth finally asked, getting herself comfortable after standing for too long.
—Ving…!
She used her levitating wings to sit down, crossing her legs as we looked each other in the eye.
I was supposed to discuss important details with her... But I couldn't help but let my gaze linger on her wings.
Wings that function as extra pairs of limbs…
Trestkania, what have they been doing for the past six years?
"Are you interested~?" Eskieth smirked mischievously.
—Vooowp!
"W-Whoa!" I flinched as one pair of her wings was sent flying directly toward my face.
Since she has four pairs of mechanical wings, she chose to show me only one of them.
I was hesitant at first to examine it, but my curiosity got the better of me.
"If you want to know how our 'wings' work—fufu, I'll tell you when you agree to become my lab rat~" She kept insisting that I become her experiment.
Ignoring her, my hands instinctively reached out to take a closer look, even trying to touch it.
—Sheen...!
As I expected, her wings were made of 100% metal, with gaps here and there to allow for movement.
I wanted to learn more about how they could levitate, how they enabled flight, and what other functions they might possess.
Because I'm sure these wings weren't made for mere flight...
But rather to exterminate Eldians and humans alike.
"This appears quite intricate... I suppose your wings have more than just flight capabilities. Is there an additional hidden function within them?"
—Clink...!
As I caressed it as if it were precious, I found myself leading to an awkward situation.
"E-Eeek!"
"???"
In a panic, I stopped after she yelped out of nowhere.
"A-Are your senses linked to your… wings…?" My eyes twitched, unable to believe this could be true.
To test my theory, I gently stroked my finger across the top of the wing, causing her to emit more suspicious sounds like an idiot.
"S-Stop…! Mggh…!" Eskieth quivered in her seat, shuffling around her crotch area.
…
…
"My apologies." I lowered my head and gently pushed her wings away from me.
Any more than that, and the situation could become dangerous.
"Haaah… haaah… It's okay, I don't mind~" Eskieth took a deep breath and looked at me weirdly.
"A-Ahem! Q-Questions... I have a question for you!!!" I tried to change the topic, clearly mortified by this situation.
"I told the kids about it, but where is Scarlett, really?" I asked, curious about her whereabouts.
In an uncharted territory, I know nothing.
The only new information I had came from Orion's perspective, knowing only the location of the Exitium Stone and the current state of Trestkania.
If I wanted to obtain all the Exitium Stones, Orion mentioned I needed to meet an Overseer of Trestkania, who he directly serves—leaders of the nation similar to the Grand Council in Demiurge.
"…Haha! You're quite interesting, aren't you?" Eskieth smiled, but her expression shifted dramatically when she realized I wasn't reacting to her advances.
"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling skeptical about her sudden change in demeanour.
"Hahaha… it's nothing." She quickly wiped the smile off her face.
Satisfied with my response, Eskieth stood up and moved toward the door.
"Boss was right; you are something else, little lab rat~," she teased.
—Fwoosh!
She opened the door with her ID on the side panel.
"If you want to know more, follow me. Scarlett is resting at our temporary base with the squad." She waved her hand, urging me to join her.
"…Mmm, alright." I nodded hesitantly.
Though we had only met once, it felt like we understood each other's personalities well.
Eskieth was unpredictable, a maniac I shouldn't reason with unless it was about something serious.
And for her… I was a potential lab rat, a specimen that piqued her curiosity, and she would take me by any means necessary.
'It'll all go downhill from here now that people know about my unnatural abilities…' I instinctively covered the engravings on my left arm.
As if it weren't obvious enough, I was sure she knew something about me that I hadn't revealed to anyone.
And I was certain she wasn't the only one.
—Tap, tap, tap...
Leaving the room, we walked through a glass-paned hallway that revealed the world beyond.
Compared to Demiurge's half-traditional, half-modernized buildings, Trestkania looked straight out of the future.
Skyscrapers rose into the sky, showcasing their impressive infrastructure cultivated over the years.
Airships hovered above, currently on standby.
Despite such technological advancement, the city here felt... abandoned, unable to reclaim its former glory.
The only human activity in the area was a group setting up a camp.
The difference was that all of them, except for the kids and me, had wings like Eskieth.
"There aren't many of us because most of us are always on missions," Eskieth understood what I was thinking.
"Oh… then how many of you, uh, angels are there?" I recalled the legion of angels I had seen flying in the sky.
"Hmmm, if you combine both Angels and Seraphs… probably around 13,500-ish?"
"13,500!? That much?"
"On paper, that is indeed true... hah, you'll see for yourself soon."
Eskieth pointed after we made a sharp turn, revealing something I didn't want to see.
"O-Oh... n-no..." My eyes shook in disbelief as my expectations shifted from amazement to dread.
Piles of bodies, half-robot and half-human, were gathered in one area.
Numerous people tended to the injured; some of their limbs were dyed black, an unnatural consequence of the pitch-black rain that fell when the Sentinel appeared.
It was a grotesque tragedy, something no one should have to witness.
Despite this adversity, everyone here—even those who were injured—had soulless eyes, accustomed to this grim reality.
'What the…' I thought, my eyes shaking as I struggled to process it all.
"—When we came to save you, two hundred of us were dispatched. Sixty percent were severely injured, and twenty percent died within seconds." Eskieth looked at me with a smile.
It was a smile devoid of comfort or malice. It felt like a façade, a way to make me believe that everything was alright.
"Forty of us died, little lab rat. We started with twenty thousand, but our numbers have been reduced to nearly half in just two years."
—Crunch…!
Eskieth clenched her fists, holding multiple dog tags that she held this whole time—people she likely knew or cherished.
"We learned that numbers weren't enough... against that—thing. We were like flies, barely able to pose a threat."
"…I see." I couldn't say anything more, teetering on the edge of an endless spiral of guilt, until she grasped my face.
"Before you blame yourself, don't you dare think about it," Eskieth said, looking me straight in the eyes.
'…Ah.' I got to see what her true feelings were, this time showing anger as she held my cheeks.
Eskieth wasn't blaming anyone for this, and her eyes were fixed on where the monster had last been, seething with anger.
A gaze that belonged to someone trying to hold it together.
"We are all victims of that monster and all of this mess, remember that," she said, marching ahead.
"If you plan to fight the Eldians alongside us in this near decade-long war... be prepared to lose those around you, Aria."
"…I know that." I closed my eyes, silently praying for those who had sacrificed themselves for me.
…
…
…
"AH!" Eskieth yelled again as she slowly turned around.
It was as if the conversation we had moments ago repeated itself, and she wore that silly grin again.
"Before we continue, I want you to be... um, careful around my fellow squad members." She scratched her head.
"What about them?" I forced a smile, feeling uneasiness creep in.
"Mhmm, I didn't want to be one, but I'm the temporary leader of the squad because I was the only one qualified."
"…Wait, you? The leader of the squad?" I gasped in horror.
"Hey, it's rude to assume that I have a screw loose in my head, y'know~?"
…Hah? Did this woman say that?
Am I supposed to agree and think she wasn't a little bit insane to begin with?
And her squadmates are worse?
"Oh, you've met Orion, right?"
She turned to look at me, curious about my answer.
"Orion? Yeah, he's the one who gave me the emblem, after all." I smiled genuinely at the thought of him, the only sane person I've met in this world.
"Then that's good. To spare you the details, Orion is the squad's official leader. But due to our director's orders, he's currently on a mission as an ambassador to Demiurge at the moment." Eskieth looked at me and grinned.
"Fufu, that's why, instead of being a vice-leader, I'm now the temporary leader of the squad. So make sure to mind your tone with me, alright? Little lab rat~"
"…" I remained silent, holding back the urge to hurl insults.
"Still, Orion as the leader, huh? I can't say I'm surprised." I nodded in agreement.
"You're going to make me mad if you ignore a maiden like me after saying something you dislike, you know?"
The atmosphere cooled as we discussed a few things, walking in silence. Eventually, we reached an elevator leading down.
After discovering we had nothing in common, we continued to walk for a few more minutes until we arrived at an abandoned warehouse.
This may be a temporary shelter… but why does this place have to be farther than others?
"We're here~! Don't forget what I said, alright? Make sure to take cover when you see a certain pink-haired girl."
"…I'll keep that in mind," I nodded, struggling to recall if she mentioned that earlier.
—Thud Thud Thud!
We stopped in front of a door. My suspicions intensified as I noticed the exterior was battered and reinforced multiple times.
A small sign reading "Xero Squad" was displayed above the door.
The problem was that I wouldn't have been able to read it without my enhanced vision.
Everything about this place—and I mean everything—was a red flag.
"Ready to meet them?" Eskieth smiled, seemingly unfazed.
"…Mhmm." I gulped and gave her a thumbs-up as she prepared to open the door.
—Creak...!
The door opened slowly, and I could hear the noise grow louder.
…
…
…
Should I turn back and go to Demiurge instead?
It's not like anything would explode after I—