episode_0236

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Doraji was watching all of this.

She had anticipated that the 13th Unit’s group would attack this place anyway.

She had no way of knowing it would be today, but as long as Apple was on their side, this was bound to happen.

‘I wanted to bring Apple to our side if possible.’

Like Rahe, Apple’s brain must have been directly implanted with a program using Dorothy’s brainwashing device.

So, originally, Apple should have been able to be manipulated and brought into our hands, but that couldn’t be done.

Apple’s ability, “Master of the Electronic Brain,” is the power to manipulate all kinds of electronic devices and data within her range of perception.

She must have used that ability to block external signals and prevent them from being manipulated arbitrarily.

‘If that’s possible, she should be able to free herself.’

Is there a reason why she can’t, or does she want to stay the way she is?

Doraji has no way of knowing. And she doesn’t want to know.

For now, “Dawn,” which she was using as an external window, was certainly a useful force, but it was clearly insufficient to stop the veteran heroes who were invading now.

Moreover, Ashe was on the opponent’s side, two of them.

“Everything is as expected.”

It’s okay. After all, she expected that they wouldn’t be able to stop them.

If they could tie their feet even a little, if they could exhaust them even a little, that would be enough.

Next, it’s time to bring out the real cards.

“Now that that’s settled, is the preparation complete, Slave Number 2?”

In response to the call as she turned around, a faint answer was heard from the darkness.

The Advisor was standing there.

Shining silver hair that seemed to be made of moonlight. Peach-colored eyes.

But those eyes no longer have the same spark as before.

Her will has been taken away, turning her into a doll.

And after a while, the Advisor disappeared from Doraji’s location.

Following Doraji’s instructions, she left to intercept the intruders.

Rahe also moved after receiving instructions a little while ago. She will soon encounter the intruder she is in charge of.

“──Do… Doraji…”

“Oh my. Sister?! You’re awake?”

In the quiet space where everyone had left to intercept, Doraji was startled and approached when she suddenly heard a voice calling her.

There, her sister Dorothy was sitting bound in only her underwear.

Her hazy gaze was probably not just because she hadn’t fully woken up.

Since the day Dorothy was betrayed by Doraji’s rebellion, she had hardly been in her right mind.

If she came to her senses, she would immediately criticize Doraji and try to run away, but more than that, she hadn’t fully made that heart Doraji’s yet.

That’s why Doraji was slowly melting Dorothy’s body and mind over time.

Of course, she’s treating her very respectfully, unlike the other test subjects, so as not to harm her body or intelligence. It’s only natural. It’s her beloved sister’s matter.

“Sister, just wait a little longer. It’ll all be over soon.”

“………..”

“Sister, you still have lingering feelings for that man, and for the Abyss, right? I’ll end all those lingering feelings today. Then, I’m sure your heart will come back. You won’t think unnecessary thoughts anymore. You’ll be mine alone.”

Dorothy is quietly listening to Doraji’s words.

She tries to say something while breathing heavily, but perhaps because of the drugs, she drops her head again.

Even that appearance is so lovely.

Doraji takes a deep breath and looks at her sister like that. She kisses her forehead as she pleases, caresses her small, demure chest, and pushes her tongue into her ear.

After tasting and enjoying her beloved sister like that for a while, Doraji regains her energy and stands up again.

Yes. Good. From the beginning, there was no fear or anxiety, but now I am even more invincible. Doraji confidently says so and stands in front of the main controller and monitor that controls everything in this building again.

On the monitor that shows each area through the CCTV inside the building, the figures of each intruder are visible.

It’s almost time.

It’s almost time, they will arrive at the designated place…!

* * *

The reason the 13th Unit noticed the anomaly can be said to be thanks to the bonds with his colleagues, strictly speaking.

Specifically, it’s thanks to the memories with the Advisor. Thanks to the time spent with the Advisor.

He knows the Advisor’s abilities and magic, has watched it from the sidelines for a long time, and has seen how it can be used in any situation.

That’s why at this moment, he couldn’t miss the sense of discomfort he suddenly felt in the shadow at his feet.

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

The 13th Unit shouted, grabbed Apple, who was running side by side, and rolled to the side.

At the same time, pillars of black shadow shot up from the position where he was standing, and from the feet of the remaining two heroes.

Fortunately, the second attack didn’t come. He knows it won’t come. The Advisor has a problem with her magic capacity, so continuous attacks are difficult.

Instead, a new figure appeared at the end of the hallway. The 13th Unit lightly groaned when he saw the figure.

He hoped this wouldn’t happen if possible.

But that hope was relentlessly betrayed.

“Advisor.”

“………..”

The person who appeared at the end of the hallway was the kidnapped Advisor.

Kidnapped by Doraji, and Dorothy had guaranteed her safety.

She would never manipulate the Advisor. She was just a hostage. She would just send her back safely when everything was over.

Dorothy had promised that.

Was that a lie? Or did something else happen?

The Advisor, with her eyes losing their light due to manipulation, is directing a gaze filled with clear hostility towards the 13th Unit and the intruders.

“Dorothy and that sister of hers, I’ll definitely make them cry. I’ll mess them up completely.”

I’ll make them pay the price.

Daring to do such a thing to my precious subordinate, to the Advisor who trusted and followed me. I can never forgive them.

Leaving the 13th Unit trembling with anger behind, Spade and Mabel each rush towards the Advisor.

Even in that situation, the Advisor is calm.

“I will eliminate the intruders.”

The moment she muttered that.

The lights in the hallway went out all at once, and the entire area was dyed in darkness.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the time when the 13th Unit and his group encountered the Advisor.

The footsteps of the two Ashes, who were diligently organizing the main members of “Dawn” by gathering them together, finally stopped.

Until now, no one had been able to stop the two of them, and the two of them had never been able to stand still for even a few seconds.

But with the appearance of the final boss that has appeared now, they had no choice but to stop. They had no choice but to be careful.

“…Rahe.”

Was that the voice of Future Ashe or Present Ashe?

The friendly voice is directed towards the opponent who is blocking the front of the only staircase leading upstairs in this passage.

There is no answer from the opponent even to the call.

She is simply holding a sword expressionlessly, with her head turned this way wearing some kind of helmet or visor.

With a cold metallic sound, her beloved sword revealed its pure white blade.

Not only that, but cold air like the wind of midwinter wraps around the blade. The Ashe standing a little distance away can clearly feel the coldness.

Even Future Ashe, who had been relaxed without ever changing her expression, was tense when she stood in front of Rahe.

“Hey, younger ‘me’. Do as we talked about. Can you do it?”

“I’ll do it myself, so stop nagging. I said I’ll do it somehow.”

“I really don’t know why I was so rude at this time… But I believe you’ll do well. Because you’re ‘me’.”

“Is that self-praise? Is that it?”

“Just accept compliments happily. Don’t be cynical.”

They lightly exchange words and each take a stance.

A handgun in one hand, a dagger in the other.

The way they hold their weapons, and the posture they take while holding them, the two are just alike.

Not only their appearance, but also such details ultimately seem to indicate that these two are the same person.

Thus, the battle began here as well.

* * *

He hugged Apple and looked around in the darkness.

Mabel and Spade, who had rushed out, also lost track of the Advisor in the darkness and had now returned near the 13th Unit.

Both of them are standing back to back, guarding him and Apple.

The Advisor’s ability is “Shadow.” She can use shadows to move from place to place, attack, and sometimes create puppets by shaping shadows.

In the case of puppets, they are only for distraction purposes with almost no attack power, so there’s no need to worry about them now.

Attacking by shooting thorns from the shadows like a little while ago has a premonitory symptom just before. If you know they’re going to attack, it’s not difficult to avoid them.

The Advisor’s technique to watch out for is “Movement” through shadows.

Until now, the 13th Unit has been helped by that technique many times. From a department store far outside to the hideout, it was possible to transfer to a location several kilometers away.

Of course, there are limitations to such convenient abilities, and the consumption of magic power is also high.

But transferring herself and moving from one place to another in this place full of darkness didn’t require much magic power.

The reason why Spade and Mabel missed the Advisor a little while ago was also because of that. There’s no way the Advisor, who doesn’t have high physical abilities, could have simply avoided the attacks of these two veteran combatants.

‘If I were the Advisor…’

In this darkness, she can appear anywhere.

If she has such an ability, she’ll definitely aim for assassination.

Rather than the two of them, who have good senses and a possibility of being counterattacked──

It was then.

Something silently shot up from below the 13th Unit’s feet.

But in a situation where the darkness doesn’t allow for a clear view, the 13th Unit doesn’t notice the silent appearance at all.

Following that, the silent assassin shoots up from the shadow with a knife in her hand.

“…There!”

Just before the knife was swung, Spade stretched his foot towards the place where he felt the presence.

The foot that was thrust out slammed into the floor with a thud! But the Advisor had already disappeared.

Spade, who thrust his foot out, frowned at the empty feeling in his hand.

“I’m sure she was here…”

“─13th Unit, 13th Unit…!”

Apple’s worried voice is heard.

He looked back at the 13th Unit in the darkness. He was groaning softly.

“…It’s okay. I just got cut on the leg.”

“………..”

“More than that, protect Apple. It seems like Apple is the target.”

“…Tch.”

Spade’s reaction a little while ago was very fast.

Nevertheless, it seemed that the Advisor had clearly succeeded in the attack.

‘No, the target just now was Apple.’

‘If I hadn’t put my leg forward, Apple would have been stabbed….’

As expected.

The Advisor must know that it’s meaningless to aim for the 13th Unit. Because he has “Resurrection.”

Spade and Mabel are also in danger of being counterattacked if they make a mistake.

If so, the target naturally becomes Apple alone.

Targeting the weakest and easiest opponent is strategically natural.

The 13th Unit raised his tension even more and glared into the darkness.