Chapter 187

While continuing to treat Takina's bleeding, Warfarin glanced at Kal'tsit:

"Are we really going to let this guy leave so easily? Shouldn't we be demeaning ourselves by doing that?"

"In the end, there are only five people on the other side. Defeating them is enough to show our attitude... What's important now is to confirm the back of 'Medic's' head... Everyone in the Human Resources Department team can go and rest now. Also, thank you for your righteous help, Executor Operator."

"This is the latest stamped document of the cooperation agreement between the Laterano Notarial Hall and us. Also, this is your room key on Rhodes Island during your Laterano -related missions. Please confirm your address according to the dormitory area number... We apologize, but we now have another emergency patient to treat. You are free to move within the area authorized by a Senior Operator... Do you have any other questions?"

Seeing the Executor pointing to the other side, Kal'tsit looked in the direction he was pointing and saw two girls in matching pure white dresses flash by.

"Excuse me, is that girl from Feline Narcissa Matilda Bruce...? I have a will concerning her that needs to be executed..."

"Well, you can handle this matter after her guardian Nana Ivy, returns to Rhodes Island... Also, I should have said that you all need to stay in command center during the alert period..."

Watching Amiya try to deflect the teacher's questions with a silly grin, and then lean over to let Kal'tsit pet her, the white Little Cat floating beside Amiya touched its lips and said:

"The alert has been lifted... Also, I know... what that is."

Unlike the ecstatic Warfarin, Kal'tsit showed a hint of sadness upon seeing the device pointing at the back of Takina's head with Rosemary:

"Well, although it's crudely made, it should be a one-time-use consciousness tuning device... No problem, they probably used the tuning of the Artificial Angel and the No. 0 Prototype, which has no effect on anyone except Nana and her 'sisters', and is just noise to Takina."

"Warfarin, just remove it. Be careful not to let the probe deform from the violent handling just now, and don't let it cause further damage to Takina..."

Seeing that Warfarin, whose experience and skills were among the best in Rhodes Island, had taken over the treatment, Kal'tsit finally sighed:

"While this raid on Rhodes Island certainly wasn't ordered by the Führer, it seems someone was trying to curry favor with their superiors... So as long as we stay here, the number of these unwittingly sent people will only increase."

"Then why don't we leave... Ah, Nana hasn't come back yet..."

Seeing the Little Cat's slightly furrowed brows, Kal'tsit skillfully caught it in mid-air.

One hand lifted it up, while the other gently smoothed its long hair, which Amiya had probably combed again. The cloud-like Little Cat, just like Amiya who had just asked to be petted, then revealed a comfortable expression with its lips pursed.

As Rosemary was being embraced by Kal'tsit, a faint Halo of a different species flashed above her head, and Executor blinked, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

However, after being repeatedly turned down for a meeting today, the Executor, out of respect for the other party to the cooperation agreement, finally decided to turn around and leave, intending to wait for the person in charge to arrive before discussing his mission.

As for that guy everyone can't forget, he's currently driving a low-key SUV with an Originium Engine towards the Rhodes Island Landship dock.

Nana traded her damaged DBS for this car from the dealmaker. Although its radiator was destroyed and even the engine block was damaged by shrapnel, it could obviously be repaired and sold as a second-hand car through the ICA.

Nana's reason for not keeping it is simple: after this car chase, it has definitely been targeted and is very conspicuous.

Living on Rhodes Island doesn't require driving; even for field missions, Rhodes Island has its own fleet of vehicles... So, I'll sell this car to give my wallet, which has been bleeding money back home, a breather... And then...

"Waaaaah! It hurts so much!"

Mika, are you alright?

"I'm not feeling well, Zero... give me some painkillers..."

"... I already told you not to call me Zero, call me Nana."

As she spoke, she took a bottle of painkillers out of her pocket and tossed it to the passenger seat. The dried bloodstains on the pills disgusted Nana, who was driving.

After all, she was Silent Assassin who hadn't shed a drop of blood during the entire hunt, a silent Ghost of the ICA... The result was that Nana, who hadn't gotten blood on her hands during the entire hunt, ended up getting covered in blood from this guy when she picked up Mika... What's worse, only a small portion of it was the blood of the Artificial Angel that Mika had killed; most of it was Mika's own blood.

Clearly, even for someone dressed in red, it was far too difficult to fight a fearless army head-on.

Hearing the sound of the passenger in the front seat twisting open a bottle and chewing countless pills, Nana frowned and glanced at the passenger. Although Mika's signature bright pink hair and the Halo that seemed to revolve around her seemed fine, Nana was worried that this way of taking drugs might cause her to suddenly suffer kidney failure.

"Well... don't worry, my metabolism has always been very strong, and we don't know what awaits us. With painkillers, I don't have to worry about holding myself back."

Watching the pink-haired girl huff and puff while throwing punches, Nana sighed and kept the car's speed relatively consistent with the traffic. The number of people leaving the city was now about the same as those entering. Nana had barely managed to escape Atlas's encirclement with Mika; if they were discovered again, all their efforts would be in vain.

Even so, Nana felt that she probably wouldn't need Mika's fists to help her:

"Why don't you take this opportunity to tidy yourself up? You'll be passing through the checkpoint later, and it would be a huge help if the inspectors didn't see you looking like this, disheveled and covered in blood."

"Oh... is this the feeling that Zero... Nana gives off? Surprisingly, she's very human..."

As Mika spoke, she took the vanity mirror Nana handed her and began to tidy her hair, which was completely disheveled from the hand-to-hand combat. Then she took off her blood-stained shawl and dress... Because the ICA's car windows were tinted one-way, Mika wasn't worried about being seen changing clothes by people outside.

"But we can talk about your changes later. Are you just going to leave those children here like this?"

You mean Artificial Angel?

"Yes, since they're willing to listen to your advice, why not take them to Rhodes Island as well? They're very powerful; they'll definitely be of help."

"It's precisely because they're so powerful that we can't take them away... After all, the reason Lycoris was used as a sacrifice to lure me out seems to be because I displayed too much power under my manager... which is why I'm seen as a thorn in their side."

"... Nagisa seems to have said something similar, but Nana, everything you've done is for the good of Columbia... There are always people who don't know what's good for them, it's despicable!"

Seeing Mika, who seemed completely unconcerned and had stripped down to her underwear while hitting an air punching bag, Nana sighed and took out her briefcase from behind her seat... Although all the special agent equipment she had brought with her had been sacrificed to the Sacred Remains, her red outfit was still inside.

"Put on my clothes first... Also, I'm not taking the Artificial Angel with me because of the pressure on the agent. Otherwise, there will always be people who don't know what's good for me, plus a legion that will obey my orders unconditionally, which would put the ICA in a very awkward position in Columbia."

"However, the Artificial Angel's personality is very stable, and its performance in the urban environment was quite commendable... As long as it doesn't have any deep connections with us, even if it's just to suppress the ICA, the higher-ups won't give up this fighting force."

Nana's clothes were well-reasoned and logical, but for Mika, this kind of thing seemed too troublesome. The pink-haired girl scratched her head and then stuck out her tongue.

"Well, I don't really care about this kind of thing... You guys... especially you and Nagisa, just make the decisions. Call me when you need to fight! ~ I guess the only thing I can really be good at is using my fists."

Mika's rambling reminded Nana of the dilapidated auditorium and the Artificial Angel killed with various weapons in front of the thousand-page corridor.

The Kitty Army of over a hundred people left nearly fifty corpses in front of Mika. Although Mika himself said that it was only natural that the other side was poorly equipped and slow to react, in any case, the ones killed were all androids with complicated relationships with Nana and Artificial Human had the same face as Nana.

Whether it's a tacit understanding between the two, at least for now, Nana and Mika are both avoiding talking about the battle at school.

Even her dress, which was badly damaged in the battle, was torn into strips and used as bandages by Mika after she put on Nana's red dress.

The two remained silent for a moment, and as the vehicle passed the National Guard border checkpoint, looking at the faint outline of the Landship in the distance, Mika said with a hint of reluctance:

"What will ICA do next?"

"... They can't do anything... The ICA's Operations Department weren't involved in this incident at all, were they? Even if those people wanted to cause trouble, the agent should be able to handle it."

"Well... there are still many children who are not old enough, so I'm a little worried about sending them to the ICA..."

"The agent will handle it. After all, ICA already had its own talent development system before Lycoris became a school... and now Lycoris will be a true church school."

"After all, the entire school applied to Laterano for takeover under the pretext of being attacked~ It's good that it's become a legitimate school... But, without Lycoris School, Laterano's funds won't be in our hands anymore, and the ICA has also cut ties with Nana, right? How are we going to survive in the future?"

"... What do you mean by severing ties? That sounds so harsh... I'm just starting my own business!"

To correct Mika's statement, Nana wiped away a streak of black ash and blood from Mika's cheek while waiting at a red light.

"Furthermore, my agent has allowed me to establish my own logistical support department... Mika, aren't you coming?"

"Huh? Support for the assassin's work?"

"No, it's support for Rhodes Island's work, so of course I also have to be responsible for liaising with the agent... The current idea is to make use of the operating license that the agent helped me obtain..."

"Business license? What's that?"

"A coffee shop... I'll apply for a shop location on Rhodes Island, as for the name..."

With a slight smile, Nana realized that even now, she still couldn't recall any childhood connection with this pink-haired girl. However, even from the day they met again, the two were not entirely unrelated.

"Let's call it LycoReco!"

"Eh~ Lico Lico? So cute~ And it's a variant pronunciation of Lycoris?! Okay, I want to participate too! I want to be the shop manager!"

Seeing Mika instantly perk up, Nana smiled again, then connected to her Rhodes Island Terminal to submit a boarding request.

After the massive Landship sounded its horn to signal its imminent departure, Nana drove her car into the landing zone.

"Kitty Teacher!"

Waiting there was Typhon, whose arm was draped in a triangular bandage around his neck. Before Typhon could say anything, a slightly chilly figure suddenly squeezed in from Typhon him:

"Nana, have you finished your business?"

"Uh... yes..."

Seeing FrostNova's inexplicably delighted expression, Nana didn't have time to instruct Typhon and Mika on anything else. FrostNova happily grasped Nana's hands, her eyes shining, and said:

"Then come with me!"

"Ah?"

"Dinner on Christmas Eve!"

Just as Nana was dazed and about to agree, another pink figure suddenly slipped in from behind:

"Wait, wait, wait?! Nana and I have reunited after twenty years, she should spend Christmas Eve with me!"

"Mika... what are you doing?"

These words were not spoken by Nana, who was full of incomprehension, but by Nagisa, who rushed over with a group of people after learning that Nana had returned.

FrostNova was about to say, "Look, you have a date now," but before the White Rabbit could speak, the Halo Liberi- san teleported over... burying her head in Mika's arms, her wings trembling nervously, Nagisa clung tightly to Mika's waist:

"Suddenly he started talking about covering the rear! Why didn't he tell me before doing something so dangerous?!"

"Hmm? Even though Nagisa says that, wasn't it an emergency...? Ahhh, my back, it hurts so much!"

Seeing Nagisa struggling so hard that Mika cried out in pain, Nana wanted to pat her to remind her but was afraid of hurting her, so she sighed and pulled Nagisa away from Mika:

"Alright, alright... Could someone please call someone from the Medical Department to take Mika to see him? He just took a whole bottle of painkillers..."

"Ah! Wait, even if I need to go for treatment, let me finish! Nagisa--!! We're the real childhood friends, don't let Nana get snatched up by someone else--!!" (Seven)

Seeing him being held down on the stretcher and screaming so loudly with Echo, Nagisa, who had barely regained her senses, first apologized to the people around her who had been frightened by the loud noise, and then had to blush as she approached the White Rabbit.:)

"Um, please don't mind Mika..."

"... Does that mean I can take Nana out alone tonight?"

"Well... it's rare for us to reunite with Nana on Christmas Eve, and I really don't think having one more person at a family gathering is a big deal..." Lin

"... I'm not exactly an unreasonable person... but you two really are childhood sweethearts, you're not here specifically to stop me on this day, are you?" (Sobbing)

Seeing their eyes meet, Nana suddenly felt a chill run down her spine... So, after patting Typhon's head with a wry smile, Nana immediately noticed Rosemary, who seemed quite excited in Kal'tsit's arms.

Nana first bowed to Kal'tsit, who had been taking care of the Little Cat, to express her gratitude. Then Nana took the twelve-year-old lazy kitten, who still clung to an adult, from Kal'tsit's arms.

"I'm back, Rosemary."

"Welcome back, Chess Master, Baling! You've given up on your journey..."

As it spoke, the Little Cat eagerly stretched out its paw:

"I heard from Ms. Kal'tsit that Christmas is a day for everyone to exchange gifts..."

From the very first day in the city, Nana was so busy she couldn't stop until the cat reached out its paw to ask for something, and then she remembered that she had forgotten something.

I forgot to buy a Christmas present for the Little Cat!

Seeing Nana's embarrassed look, Jessica whispered to Liskarm, "Isn't it impolite to laugh out loud?" But Blaze, who was standing to the side with his arms crossed, didn't care and laughed loudly.

Fortunately, Su Sulo remembered this when she left earlier. Seeing Nana's embarrassed look, the Little Fox went up and patted the Little Cat's head:

"Alright, the Rosemary gift has been placed in the lounge..."

"Huh?! Really?"

"Really, there are also gifts for Little Peach and Little Green, and everyone's gifts will be exchanged together tonight."

"Oh!"

Watching the Little Cat happily break free from her arms and then hold hands with Amiya, who bowed slightly to Nana before running off with her friend, it seemed that Nana's problem was not yet completely resolved.

Then Su Sulo brought up the previous topic:

"So, Nana, who are you going to spend the night with? It's about time you decided, right?"

Seeing the scene descend into chaos once more, Kal'tsit shook her head, seemingly unaware of the smile playing on her lips... The head of the Medical Department simply pulled Warfarin was laughing loudly without a care for her surroundings, towards the Medical Department... After all, that child named Mika, like Seia, was an experimental subject for Non-Entropic Applications, and she needed to check on her condition to see if there were any adverse reactions.

As for Nana... well... judging from this scene, she probably won't be alone in her room this Christmas, which obviously fits the part where that woman asked her for help... isn't that good?

PS: Waaaaaaah!

↑Now I realize that the administrator's temperament is probably the most like Nana's (everyone with short hair is Nana, right? Ugh).

This concludes the storyline of Nana's return home.

Although it took a long time to write, the time frame in the story was completed within a week... I even had time to go back to Rhodes Island to spend Christmas Eve and then Christmas.

In the end, it wasn't written as a Crimson Christmas... although that was the initial plan. But if it were written that way, the manager would have to wander the world with Rhodes Island... Perhaps dying would have been more in line with the original plan.

But Nana's composition is more like Agent 47... although the killing spree in John Wick is very satisfying.

But for an assassin to be reduced to a city-wide battle royale, it's tantamount to a major failure for a 'Ghost' like the Silent Assassin.