*Click—*
The heavy alloy door opened at the sound, and a tall, upright figure that completely blocked the light strode in, arriving in a few steps before the snarling, bristling little thing.
"Ugh..." The red-skinned little girl shrank back, let out a wary whimper from her throat like a wounded little beast.
To her surprise, this man did not bring out a stun baton like the others, nor did he show that look of disgust.
He simply crouched down, his gaze level with hers.
Hansen sized up her red skin, sharp fangs, and those emerald eyes full of wildness.
The fluctuations of the Cube Fragments originated exactly from her tiny heart.
"It really is you."
Looking at the adorable little monster before him, Hansen slowly reached out his hand.
However, the already stressed little girl instinctively opened her mouth and bit down.
"Ah— Wuuu..."
In the next second, a cry of pain accompanied by whimpering rang out; the little thing felt like she had bitten into an iron plate, and her eyes welled up with tears from the pain.
At the same time, a faint pressure that made her soul tremble washed over her, causing her to instinctively let go and watch the man before her warily.
"Don't be afraid."
Hansen's hand landed gently on the little thing's messy pink hair, rubbing it tenderly.
"No one will ever hurt you again."
Amidst the little girl's gradually relaxing gaze, Hansen smiled and produced a candy out of thin air as if by magic.
Peeling back the colorful wrapper, a sweet strawberry scent filled the potion-scented cell.
"Eat it, it's very sweet."
Hansen held the candy up to her mouth.
The girl was stunned.
She had never smelled such a scent.
In this cage of nothing but pain and cold, this sweet fragrance was like a miracle.
She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately unable to resist the temptation of instinct, she cautiously poked out her tongue and rolled the candy into her mouth.
So sweet—
An indescribable sweetness exploded across her taste buds.
The girl's pupils dilated instantly, and her previously tense body relaxed incredibly.
"Does it taste good?"
The girl nodded blankly, a spark of light appearing in her emerald eyes for the first time.
"Since you've eaten my candy, you're mine now."
Hansen stood up and reached out a hand to her.
Outside, the ear-piercing alarms finally arrived late; the heavy weapons on the escort vehicles swiveled in unison with mechanical sounds to point at him, but he didn't care at all.
Looking at that broad hand, the little thing instantly remembered the worn-out picture book in her arms.
She thought of the lonely monster and the prince.
Young as she was, she didn't fully understand what Hansen meant.
She only knew that the candy was sweet, and the feeling this man gave her was so warm!
The girl tremblingly reached out her small, scarred hand and placed it in Hansen's palm.
"Da...rling..."
Using awkward pronunciation, the girl spoke the word she had learned from the picture book.
It was her only name for her savior.
"Hmm?" Hansen blinked and shook his head to correct her, "No, at a time like this, you should call me 'Papa'."
The red-skinned little thing stared at him stubbornly: "Da... Darling!"
"Darling!!"
"I really can't do anything with you. Have it your way then."
Hansen tightened his grip on that cold little hand, feeling the trembling from her palm. "My name is Hansen. Your name shall be Zero Two."
"Please take care of me in the days to come."
Having a name of her own, the little thing happily narrowed her eyes and grinned.
Her two sharp little canines sparkled under the light... The Northern Ice Plains, a forbidden zone for life.
The wind and snow here never ceased, and the extreme temperatures were enough to crack steel within seconds.
However, somewhere deep in the heart of the ice plains, it was a different scene.
A layer of force field barrier, invisible to the naked eye, kept the wind and snow out.
Inside the field, it was like spring all year round, with flowers blooming everywhere.
There were no labs filled with disinfectant, no cold stun batons, and no indifferent researchers.
For the young Zero Two, this was the world depicted in the picture book.
And that man with the warm palms was the prince who had led her out of the dark forest.
Of course, it would be even better if there weren't so many strange big sisters around the prince... "Get up! Zero Two!"
From the clearing in the center of the sea of flowers came a pleasant but stern scolding.
Artoria, dressed in silver-blue light armor, held a bamboo sword in one hand. With just a casual upward flick, she sent a small red figure flying.
"Hold your sword steady, keep your back straight! A knight's glory lies in an honorable duel, not pouncing and biting like a beast!"
"Roar—!"
How could little Zero Two understand anything about chivalry? She just felt that this blonde woman before her was very annoying.
With a sudden kick of her hind legs, she shot forward like a red bolt of lightning, opening her mouth to bite Saber's calf.
Snap!
The bamboo sword accurately tapped her on the butt.
"Ugh—!!"
The ten-year-old Zero Two rolled a few times on the grass and bounced up instantly like an infuriated leopard cub.
Her cherry-pink long hair was a mess, the two small dark-red horns atop her head shimmered with a faint light, her emerald pupils narrowed into slits, and a defiant low growl issued from her throat.
"Awoo—!"
Zero Two threw away the wooden sword in her hand and pounced on all fours, relying purely on her physical explosiveness, her nails growing long like blades as she aimed straight for Saber's throat.
If she couldn't learn it, she would tear her apart with her fangs!
"That wild style again."
Artoria sighed with a headache, her ahoge drooping helplessly.
This child's wildness was etched into her bones; no matter how long she was taught, she only seemed interested in the fastest way to kill an enemy.
*Snap—!*
Before Saber could act, an invisible AT Field wall abruptly appeared. Zero Two slammed headfirst into it, her eyes welling up with tears as she squatted on the ground clutching her forehead.
"Idiot! How many times have I told you, use your head in battle! Don't just charge in like a primitive!"
Under the shade of a tree not far away, Asuka sat in a beach chair with her legs crossed, holding a game controller, looking like she was disappointed in someone's lack of progress.
"Asuka, be a little gentler with children."
Mari Makinami pushed up her glasses and said with a smile, fanning the flames from the side, "After all, little Zero Two possesses the Klaxosaur bloodline. According to the data of this world, she is an extremely excellent biological weapon specimen."
"Little Zero Two is very talented. That beast-like intuition is something even Her Highness the Princess can't match~~"
"Huh? Anta baka?!" Asuka instantly bristled and turned her head away pridefully. "I wouldn't match up to her? This lady is the strongest ace!"
Mari Makinami launched a silent sneak attack, grabbing Asuka and subjecting her to a tickle attack. "In the end, Princess, you're just jealous, aren't you?"
"Stop, stop it... you stupid glasses-girl!"
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