Following the material offensive of the three white-haired girls, Soyo, who was in a great mood, stopped giving Nagasaki Soyo the cold shoulder.
However, Soyo still had no intention of engaging with her.
Nagasaki Soyo didn't mind this at all; she was even a little happy, as she saw this as significant progress.
Perhaps in the future, she could bring Soyo back to everyone's side and reform the band together!
Led by Kiana, the group went to the second floor of the West Building and pulled the power lever for the extraction point.
[Caution: Someone has activated the Dam industrial elevator. You can now extract from the elevator entrance inside the Dam.]
The notification rang out through the headsets worn by all Special Operations Operators in Dam Zero.
Sneaking around the containers, Riri and Nijika were startled by the announcement.
They breathed a sigh of relief after confirming the sound came from the headsets they were given upon entry.
The two then left the container area with several scavenged items and followed the prompts to the elevator extraction point.
"This is the extraction point. If we wait here, can we really get out?"
Nijika, holding a box of white-packaged coffee, asked the suspicious-looking Riri beside her uncertainly.
At that moment, they were hiding behind wooden crates at the extraction point, whispering to each other.
"I don't know. Logically, we should be extracted...? After all, there's a countdown displayed above."
Riri, wearing a horn accessory on her head and holding a White Lady Sculpture, pointed at the constantly changing countdown numbers above them.
Based on her gaming experience, there was an eighty percent chance they would return to reality once the countdown ended.
Tap... tap... tap...
Just then, a series of footsteps interrupted their whispered conversation, causing alarm bells to ring in their minds.
By now, Riri no longer looked as lost and afraid as she did at the beginning.
Nijika, whose teammate had died, had already told her that dying here wasn't real death; instead, one would turn into an earthy-yellow box and return to reality.
She had even shown her a nameplate—Goto Hitori died from an obstacle collision on month XX, day XX. (Special Operations Operators will return to reality after death.)
The small text in the parentheses, which seemed like a specific hint, completely put Riri's mind at ease.
She then began to treat this place like a game, starting to wander and scavenge with Nijika.
"Hmm...?"
Entering from the entrance, Kiana noticed a tuft of blonde hair peeking out from behind the crates at the extraction point and let out a confused sound.
"Why does that tuft of blonde hair look so familiar?"
Kiana followed Kiana's gaze, a suspicious expression crossing her face as she rubbed her chin uncertainly.
Those swaying twin-tails looked just like her childhood friend, Riri.
Having known each other for so many years, Kiana felt certain she wouldn't mistake her.
"Is that Riri? She got in here too?"
Kiana showed a look of surprise; she hadn't expected to see another acquaintance here.
Moreover, it was strange—how were only girls chosen for the first test?
Were none of those experienced military personnel selected for the initial test...?
Soyo's eye twitched as she saw the swaying twin-tails and horns behind the crate.
That was definitely her teammate, and it seemed these financial backers actually knew her?
That blonde girl won't snitch, will she...? Soyo clenched her fists, a hint of worry flashing across her brow.
After all, she had called her a burden back then.
Kiana's eyes narrowed slightly as a mischievous grin appeared. Holding her CAR-15, she quietly crept over.
The two Damselettes hiding behind the crates, thinking they were being very stealthy, didn't dare move a muscle for fear of being discovered by whoever had entered.
"They seem to be getting closer... Nijika."
"Shut up... shut up... we'll be found...?"
Suddenly, Nijika and Riri felt a cold, hard metal tube pressed against their heads, followed by a playful, eerie voice:
"Little blonde girl, what are you do～ing～ hi～ding～ here～?"
"Eek!!!"
Riri, having a gun pointed at her for the first time, rolled her eyes and fainted immediately from fright.
While Nijika was also scared, seeing the friend she had finally made get scared unconscious brought out her natural stubborn streak.
"Come on! Shoot me if you have the guts! Right here!"
She stood up abruptly, threw the box of drip coffee in her hand at Kiana's chest, and then thrust her head forward, pointing at her forehead with a look of fearless defiance.
Kiana caught the box of drip coffee that bounced off her chest with one hand, her eyebrows arching slightly.
"You said it."
Aiming the muzzle at Nijika's forehead, Kiana flashed a very bright and cute smile. Her cherry lips closed, then slowly parted:
"Bang...～"
"!!!"
Nijika's heroic expression shattered instantly. She squeezed her eyes shut, pulled her neck back, and her cute little face scrunched up.
1... 2... 3
Three seconds passed, and Nijika felt no pain, nor the sensation of returning to reality... "Hahaha, Mom, look at how scared they are..."
Thwack—
A hand-chop landed on Kiana's forehead.
"What did you hit me for?!"
Kiana bared her teeth and glared at Kiana.
"???"
Nijika opened her eyes to see Kiana clutching her forehead and Kiana walking over with the box of drip coffee.
"Sorry about that, my kid caused you some trouble..."
Kiana handed the coffee back to its owner, then pulled a mechanical watch out of her backpack and offered it:
"Take this Luxury Mechanical Watch as an apology. Please accept it."
Kiana was Kiana's child, and she and Kiana were essentially the same person, so Kiana was also more or less her own kid.
Makes sense.
Slap—
Surrounded by a dark aura, Nijika swatted Kiana's hand away and glared at Kiana with furrowed brows.
"She pointed a gun at us and scared my friend unconscious, and you think you can just settle it like this? I don't accept!"
Wow... as expected of a 'little older sister' type, she's really stubborn.
Kiana scratched her cheek.
The tsundere Kiana wanted to lash out upon hearing this, but just as she was about to rush over and say something, she was pulled back by Kiana.
"Anna!"
...Tch."
Held back by her mother, Kiana turned her head away in annoyance, no longer looking for a fight.
Seeing Kiana like this, Kiana let out a deep sigh.
She bore an inescapable responsibility for the child turning out this way.
Kiana then walked to Nijika's side, gently stroked her head, and pulled her into a hug, softly patting her back.
"I'm sorry, little girl. She really scared you."
Nijika's heavy atmosphere vanished instantly, and her cheeks turned bright red.
Under the gentle offensive, Nijika gradually calmed down.
Kiana picked up the Luxury Mechanical Watch and, under Soyo's longing gaze, handed it back to Nijika.
This time Nijika didn't refuse, silently accepting the watch that displayed a high price.
She didn't yet know that the hafok coins from selling materials here could be exchanged for cash; she thought it was just an ordinary accessory.
Afterward, Kiana picked up the unconscious Riri, and as the final countdown ended, everyone returned to reality.
Once everyone had returned to reality, everything in Dam Zero seemed to rewind in time, resetting to its original state.
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