Chapter 159: The Overly Frank, Sand Sculpture Version of Kaguya
Meanwhile, inside the archive room of the research base.
"Found it!"
The moment Yuuki Asuna picked up a file bag, her phone chimed. The screen displayed a notification from the eye icon app.
[Congratulations, Player Yuuki Asuna. You have obtained Ajin related experimental data (Unique Clearance Item). You may submit it at any time. Upon submission, you will complete the clearance and officially begin the clearance settlement.]
Just like in the zombie Dungeon, obtaining the required item did not trigger an instant clear. The official clear would only happen after tapping Confirm Submission in the eye icon app.
"Wait…"
Yuuki Asuna had been about to submit immediately so every surviving Player could clear, but just before her finger touched Confirm Submission, she stopped.
Then she turned to Iwanaga Kotoko and Kato Megumi.
"Let's go help Leader. I don't know if he's already dealt with Sato, but we have to make sure Sato is handled. We can't leave that kind of danger behind."
"Agreed," Kotoko said at once.
"I agree too," Kato Megumi added calmly.
They all understood how dangerous Sato was. If he became a Player, it would get even worse.
"Chika. Take these."
Yuuki Asuna pulled out the pistol and automatic rifle she had collected from the mobile unit members. She handed the pistol to Fujiwara Chika and the automatic rifle to Hayasaka Ai.
"No one should come in, but if someone does, no matter who it is, shoot immediately. We're going to help Leader, so we can't leave anyone behind to protect you. Hold on for a bit."
Fujiwara Chika nodded with a simple, sweet smile.
"Okay. Go quickly."
Chika's personality could be strangely abstract at times, and she did plenty of shocking things, but her emotional intelligence was not low. She was not unreasonable.
Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and the short haired girl she did not know were teammates who trusted Asagiri and had entrusted their lives to him. Going to help him now was only natural.
In the end, even if Chika and Yuuki Asuna were friends, Yuuki Asuna had no obligation to save her. Getting them this far was already kindness. Asking for more would be shameless.
Just as Yuuki Asuna and the others were about to leave, Kaguya Shinomiya, who had been resting against the file shelf, suddenly grabbed Yuuki Asuna's wrist.
Her beautiful red eyes were dim. Her voice was weak, and she had lost her usual pride and composure. Instead, it came out soft and sweet, almost clingy.
"Are… are you going to help Asagiri…?"
Hayasaka Ai's expression tightened.
This was bad.
Kaguya normally stayed alert and rational, constantly thinking at high intensity. Whenever she got sick, she would slip into an overly frank, and extremely clingy state.
This time, her mental and physical strength had been drained to empty. It was like a high fever, maybe even worse. Her defenses had collapsed completely, leaving only the honest core.
Yuuki Asuna was stunned for a moment.
Seeing the usually arrogant Kaguya clinging to her like a little girl and speaking in such a spoiled tone was almost unreal.
Then Yuuki Asuna smiled gently, crouched down, and stroked Kaguya's head as if soothing a child.
"Shinomiya, yes. We're going to help him. We'll come back soon, okay?"
"Is… is he in danger…?"
"If we don't go quickly, he might be."
"Oh… I see…"
Kaguya nodded slowly, as if the words were difficult to process.
Then she raised her right hand.
A ring appeared in her pale palm.
She pushed it toward Yuuki Asuna, voice soft and sweet.
"Take this… and help him…"
Yuuki Asuna did not understand at first, but the moment her fingers brushed the ring, her phone displayed its information.
[Ring of Conversion (Quality: Purple: Excellent)]
[While wearing this equipment, you may consume mental strength to restore physical strength, or consume physical strength to restore mental strength.]
Yuuki Asuna froze.
The function was simple, but the value was enormous. A conversion accessory like this could drastically improve endurance. For a combat oriented class like Yuuki Asuna, it could effectively act like an extra bar of stamina if used well.
"This…" Yuuki Asuna swallowed. "This is too precious. I can't…"
"Go, go. Don't be polite."
Fujiwara Chika scooped the ring right out of Kaguya's palm and placed it in Yuuki Asuna's hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Help him first. We'll talk about everything else later."
"Then… alright."
Yuuki Asuna knew time mattered. If she delayed, even one minute could mean another Player dying.
"When we return to the real world, I'll return the ring to you."
Then Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Kato Megumi left the archive room and shut the door behind them.
Fujiwara Chika sighed softly, then pulled Kaguya's head into her embrace like a gentle mother.
Her tone was emotional, but her eyes were filled with anticipation.
"Ah… when you wake up and realize you actually called Asagiri by his name, and even handed over something that valuable to help him, what will your reaction be?"
Chika's smile turned bright.
"I can't wait to see you try to act tough."
...
On the other side, inside an operating room within the research base.
"Kei."
On the operating table, a humanoid figure wrapped completely in bandages with only his mouth exposed heard Sato's voice and spoke weakly.
"Mr. Sato… is that Mr. Sato…?"
"It's not just me. Tanaka is here too."
Sato bent down and spoke close to Nagai Kei's ear.
"Are you ready to leave this place?"
"Yes… please. Take me away…"
"Okay."
Sato was already wearing the black mobile combat suit. He drew his pistol and fired at Nagai Kei's head without hesitation.
After Nagai Kei revived and his injuries healed, Sato removed the bandages for him.
"Mr. Sato…"
Nagai Kei, seeing light again, was about to speak when a violent explosion sounded in the distance. Even the floor beneath them trembled.
"Are they here…" Sato murmured.
He shoved a pistol into Nagai Kei's hand, smiling.
"No time for explanations. Just remember this. A powerful enemy is blocking us. If you want to leave, you work with me and Tanaka to eliminate him."
"Huh? An enemy even you can't defeat? Who could that be…"
Before Nagai Kei could finish, a girl with blue twin tails rushed into the room. Her cute face was twisted in manic laughter.
"Found you~"
"Hm?"
Sato's expression shifted. It was not Human Asura. Not Asagiri.
He immediately raised his automatic rifle and fired at Crazy Mita.
Bang bang bang!
He used controlled three round bursts, the most stable way to shoot. But Crazy Mita dropped low with agility beyond human limits, slipping under the bullets. She surged forward with a buzzing chainsaw and drove the blade straight into Tanaka Koji's shoulder.
"Ah!"
Even though Tanaka Koji was also an Ajin who had endured inhuman experiments, having half his body torn open still ripped a scream out of him. Blood sprayed across the room, turning the operating space into a slaughterhouse.
Just as Sato tried to re aim at Crazy Mita, Asagiri stepped through the operating room door.
In his hand, an Ice Spear radiated biting cold.
"Ice Spear."
Sato's pupils constricted. He instantly summoned his IBM in front of him, but before it fully formed, the black particles were struck by the Ice Spear.
Boom!!!
After killing Tanaka Koji, Crazy Mita raised the chainsaw and charged at Nagai Kei, who still did not understand what was happening.
"No… don't…"
Nagai Kei stumbled backward and fell onto the floor. The chainsaw dropped toward his head. He could only throw up his arm to block on instinct.
Then black particles condensed in front of him, forming a black figure in an instant.
"Eliminate… experiments… I am a hopeless person…"
The figure muttered words that made no sense. It grabbed Crazy Mita's chainsaw and snapped it apart by force.
In that opening, Sato finally got a clean shot.
This time, the bullets hit Crazy Mita's head.
But there was no spray of flesh like he expected.
Her head snapped back, and beneath the torn skin, mechanical structure was exposed, along with the neat hole where the bullet passed through.
Her eyes changed too.
They became cold, red glowing mechanical eyes.
In the next second, Crazy Mita pulled a grenade from her pocket. She did not care that she would be caught in the blast as well. She yanked the pin and rushed toward Sato and the others, holding it high.
Her voice carried a delighted laugh.
"Interesting, too interesting!"
.....
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