Ch.132132. Resurrection – ἀνάστασις

“…Well, I expected this. I was hoping the girl coming out after the experiment would be a docile one.”

“Hm? Hela, you’re here?”

“Voltorn. Where’s the doctor?”

“He’s quite excited. What about Elise?”

“I put her in a room. Well, if she gets suspicious, we can just threaten her. Once we use that device, control of the Core is ours.”

“I guess that’s better. Even the doctor wouldn’t destroy a kid, no matter what.”

“…Shouldn’t the doctor rescue the Boss?”

“Attacking Marina might actually be worse.”

“I see.”

“If only we had the Boss, we could deal with that madman.”

“…I wonder what the Boss saw in that lunatic.”

“Potential?”

“I don’t see any.”

“…I feel the same way. He might just be using him.”

The laboratory door opens, and two figures appear in succession.

The doctor, followed by a child with black hair and purple eyes.

“Well… I’ve finished for now. Hah… thank you both.”

“…So you’ve gone from completely insane back to half-insane.”

“What about Vine?”

“Memories are tricky to handle. I made her lose what just happened due to shock. And I made her forget everything that happened in the laboratory.”

“That’s troublesome.”

“If I handle it wrong, my test subject could break…! Experiments must be conducted with utmost care… Anyway, you ignorant fools. That young man was good.”

“Right. So what’s the plan to rescue the Boss?”

“First, we strengthen Vine. Then we deploy her. Memory manipulation will be the last resort. For now, it’s better to redirect her thought process toward intense loyalty.”

“Didn’t you do that last time?”

“No. Last time she did it of her own will, but this time… there are some modifications. I’ve replaced the brain chip to make magical operations more powerful and detailed. It can detect and analyze electrical stimuli from every dendrite, axon, and even the movement of cytoplasm and cell bodies…”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. So it works well?”

“Yes. Muhahaha…! I’m back… I couldn’t do a complete hard reset, but I did an adequate reset. She’ll be easy to use. With just one command input, she’ll become like a doll that quietly follows orders, just like now. The downside is lower combat power, but it’s better than nothing! I’ve also filled her with plenty of magical power.”

“That works for me.”

“Hela. Don’t you have another kid? Doesn’t she need to see the doctor?”

“Doctor, do you need to work on Elise?”

“That one… is already outside my interest. An inferior product, a failure that lost my interest long ago.”

“You crazy bastard…”

“Now, let’s make plans to rescue the young man.”

“Why should I follow your orders?”

“Huh? Vine.”

“Yes.”

“Take aim.”

Whiiing—!

“…Are you insane?”

“She follows my orders as the highest priority. At this distance, you can’t move carelessly, can you?”

“Fuck… Fine. I get it.”

“Vine. Lower your weapon.”

“Yes.”

“Go back to your room and lie down. Then return to your original mind and come to the conference room.”

“Yes. As ordered.”

* * *

Right.

I was wearing a hat.

That hat with Eden’s emblem.

That hat…

“Sister…”

“Yes…”

“Vine sister…”

“…”

“…Is it betrayal?”

“It’s hard to call it betrayal… I can’t say… Originally… Vine was…”

A villain.

…Why.

Why did she make such a decision?

Wearing Eden’s hat again and becoming our enemy.

What about that Boss?

One superhuman appearing to rule everyone fairly and justly?

How can that be called a happy world?

Getting obsessed with such foolish ideology…

“Ugh…”

“Sister…”

“Let’s talk with the others first.”

Each step climbing up to the dormitory feels heavy.

People welcome us as I open the door.

“Oh, you’re back? Did you have fun?”

“Yeah… We had a great ti— Huh?”

Perhaps they realized the atmosphere wasn’t right.

Yes. I was so shocked that I couldn’t say anything and just came back.

I didn’t even properly contact anyone, I just came back.

“…Vine has gone over to Eden’s remnants.”

“What… do you mean?”

“Yoonseul. Explain properly. Is what sister heard correct?”

“Sister…? Yes…?”

“Eden’s remnants have gotten hold of Elise and Vine. I’m not sure exactly how, but they seem to have been plotting for quite some time. At the amusement park, Hela… remember? That wom— I mean, that person, and they went through a warp gate…”

“There should be a tracking seal, Yoonseul. If we track that…!”

Yes, if she’s wearing the seal.

I show two black and white necklaces I brought in my pocket to Hyewon who asked that question.

A black necklace with a pendant and a white necklace.

“…Ah.”

“Then…?”

“Yes. We can’t track them now.”

“Sister…! The contract magic we did with Elise at school last time…”

“It’s been severed. I don’t know how. Probably some extreme method. Remember what Gabriel said before? The soul… Hah… how could they…”

“…So we have no means of tracking at all?”

“Well, we have… Eden’s Boss secured at Marina. If they’re a group that worships that superhuman madman, they’ll definitely come to rescue him.”

“So, what’s the plan…?”

“First… take care of Arin. Today was supposed to be a fun day with Vine. She must be heartbroken. She even took a day off from field trips…”

Sister Yuri took Arin and held her tightly in her arms.

Dejected Arin… Hah…

It really hurts my heart, but…

“Let’s say Arin is taken care of… Okay, she went back. So, can we catch her?”

Hyewon asks me while Sister Yuri is looking after Arin.

“…We’ll find a way somehow. They’ll eventually attack Marina. And we’re guarding the only entrance to Marina.”

“If we catch her… then what?”

“…Hah. That’s the question. If she appears in the media as a villain again, she won’t escape criticism. This time we might really have to send her to Marina.”

“…Vine?”

“Yes.”

“…You used your influence last time, right?”

“I had a record of saving some judges’ children. Besides that, I convinced the higher-ups by taking responsibility…”

Ugh… Hah…

“Please… if she gets caught quickly, maybe… but if she appears after destroying something… really… what should…”

“…Yoonseul.”

“Hyewon, what should I do…? Saving Vine ended up leading her back to the wrong path. I, I… with my own hands…”

“Yoonseul, no…”

“I…”

“Yoonseul. No. It’s not your fault. She was originally a villain…”

“Even if she was originally a villain…! How, how could someone like that…”

“…What’s happened has happened… Whether through dialogue… violence. Subduing. We need to make contact again somehow.”

“Hic…”

“…It’s late today. Let’s just notify the Association President, and go to the Association officially tomorrow. Why is our Yoonseul acting so unlike herself? Suddenly? You’re not usually like this.”

“…Hyewon.”

“Yes. I also have a lot to say to Vine. Really a lot… Let’s find Vine together. Besides… she didn’t even fulfill her promised month before leaving…?”

“…Okay.”

“So. We’re going. Got it?”

I couldn’t think of anything.

I just left a text message to the Association President and went to sleep.

The Association President’s calls had piled up.

I just put the phone on silent and went to sleep.

* * *

Ugh…

My head hurts.

“…?”

“Vine, are you awake?”

“Eli…?”

“We’re back.”

“…I see.”

“What… are you going to do now?”

“…Let’s go to the conference room first.”

I get up and head to the conference room.

Open the door, take the left path.

If you keep going…

“Wait, Vine…! Do you know where the conference room is?”

“…Huh?”

“If this isn’t the way to the conference room…?”

“…No. This is right.”

“…Huh?”

“Take the right path from here… then straight ahead to the large corridor. Turn at the end.”

“…Vine?”

“Yes? What?”

“…How do you know this place when you should be here for the first time…?”

“Well… because I know?”

Because I know… I just know it…?

What’s strange about that…?

“…What did the doctor do to you?”

“The doctor…? He just checked my body…?”

“Really…? Did he tell you then…?”

“Huh…?”

“Alright… let’s go for now.”

Eli looks at me with strange eyes.

Well…

When we arrive at the conference room, there’s Hela, Voltorn, the doctor.

Also some familiar Eden captains.

An empty throne in the center.

“Where are the other captains?”

“Marina.”

“…Next to the Boss?”

“They might have been annihilated. If the Core was broken.”

“Anyway… how did it happen?”

“I wouldn’t know. If exposed defenseless, it’s possible.”

“I see.”

Hela’s curt words.

Well, I’m used to it.

I take a seat.

And adjust my hat.

“Who’s chairing the meeting? The doctor?”

“The doctor has to do it for now. What else can we do?”

“I see.”

Well, sure.

Shouldn’t the smart person lead the meeting?

Even normally, if the Boss wasn’t present, the doctor would chair the meetings.

“First, I want everyone to know that gathering like this was the best option. We’ve rescued Vine and her lieutenant. What remains is the Boss and the other captains.”

“…So, Doctor. Do you have a plan?”

“The entrance to Marina is on a small island in the Pacific. Under the jurisdiction of the World Association.”

“…That’s troublesome.”

“You want us to break through there? It’ll have the tightest security.”

“Of course, our technology will support us. We’ll maximize Vine’s and other combatants’ abilities. We haven’t been idle either.”

“Is that so…? Specifically, how will you enhance my abilities…?”

“Qualitative improvement of weapons, qualitative and quantitative improvement of standard mass-produced items, and increased attack resistance for combatants. Plus, I’ve upgraded your tails, Vine. From now on, take time to practice. Getting familiar with weapons is your specialty, isn’t it?”

“Well… I understand.”

“In addition, we have equipment to penetrate the Association’s air defense network for entry, and we’ll release prepared decoy monsters nationwide. During that time, we’ll enter. We’ll avenge the humiliation of the last Ragnarok.”

Hmm…

I check the materials prepared by the doctor.

Similar to the latter part of those documents I received before.

A well-laid plan.

Rescue the Boss, and search for the ideal again.

For Eden.

“So Doctor. What’s the operation name?”

“Anastasis (ἀνάστασις).”