Chapter 122

The footsteps approached again, then stopped outside the door.

The narrow window was pushed open.

That voice sounds so familiar...

Awakened by that clear, melodious voice, Uzuki Saori slightly opened her eyes, a glimmer of light rising from the depths of her dark pupils.

"Saori ..."

The girl's voice whispered in my ear like a gentle breeze at the end of summer.

"Cold?"

As if struck by lightning, Uzuki Saori suddenly looked up and saw the girl she had been longing for day and night, and the girl's face with tears in her eyes.

"Saori ..."

"Cold!"

Saori suddenly stood up, the shackles on her ankle making a grating, grating sound. She was pulled so hard she almost bumped into the door.

"Rin... am I in a dream... is it Rin...?"

She murmured, reaching her hand towards the open window, but the handcuffs caught her there, preventing her from touching the girl's tear-stained face.

"It's me... Saori, I've come to see you..."

Shiina Rin leaned over the door and gently tugged at Uzuki Saori's cold fingers.

The two looked at each other silently, joy, guilt, surprise, and sadness fermenting in Uzuki Saori's heart. After the joy that filled her heart, a strong sense of grief surged up.

Uzuki Saori lowered her gaze and gently rubbed her cheek against Shiina Rin's clean, slender fingers.

A sob escaped from her nose, and warm tears soaked Lin's sleeves.

"Rin... I'm sorry... I did that... I'm so sorry..."

Shiina Rin looked at Saori behind the heavy iron gate, biting her lower lip and trying to suppress the urge to cry.

"Saori... can I see you? I have so much to tell you, to tell you in person..."

Uzuki Saori sat on the cold chair, slightly raising her eyelids to look at the two people in front of her.

Her only obsession, and also her closest friend, Shiina Rin.

And her former commander, Masaki Hina.

Masaki Hina leaned against the door, still wearing her crisp military overcoat, arms crossed, her clear eyes quietly gazing at her.

"Haven't seen you for a long time."

"Commander..."

Uzuki Saori pursed her lips, unsure how to face Masaki Hina, or what to say. She simply lowered her gaze and softly apologized, "I'm sorry..."

Masaki Hina did not respond to Uzuki Saori's apology, as if she hadn't heard it.

She gently lifted her toes, the heels clicking on the ground.

"You two talk, I'll come back in ten minutes."

After speaking, Masaki Hina's figure disappeared outside the door. Uzuki Saori stared at Masaki Hina's back, her former boss, and slowly withdrew her gaze to the girl in front of her, Shiina Rin.

Shiina Rin was holding a plush toy in her arms.

That was a gift from Uzuki Saori to her on her birthday, and she had always kept it with her.

"Saori ..."

The handcuffs clicked crisply. Shiina Rin held Uzuki Saori's hands in hers. Saori's gaze flickered slightly, and she gently raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of Shiina Rin's eyes.

She lowered her gaze slightly and saw a faint silver glimmer on Shiina Rin's neck.

That was Shiina Rin 'Agent Beacon, a silver pendant that shimmered faintly in the pale light.

Looking at the pendant, Uzuki Saori's words suddenly got stuck in her throat.

She opened her mouth slightly, paused, and then asked:

"Rin... is your body... alright now?"

Her voice changed tone, Uzuki Saori bit her lip, trying to appear calm.

"The doctor has already cleared me for discharge, so everything's fine..."

Shiina Rin pursed her lips, lowered her eyelashes, and wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

Shiina Rin sniffed lightly and continued.

"My current Corruption rate has dropped to 37.9%, which is within a safe range..."

Shiina Rin's Corruption rate once reached over 60%, which was already a very dangerous red line zone.

Generally speaking, once the Corruption rate reaches 50%, there is a very high probability that it will be completely assimilated and turned into Dregs, and the same applies to agents.

The only difference is that ordinary people have no means to reduce the rate of Corruption, while agents protected by the Order Force are different. As long as they are not infected by high concentrations of Corruption Energy and their bodies are not directly Mutation, agents can slowly use the Order Force to clear the Corruption Energy remaining in their bodies and reduce the Corruption rate.

Efnir's eye injury is a typical example. The Order Force within her body gradually expelled the Corruption Energy, but her eyeball, instantly Mutation by the Angel's violent Corruption Energy, could not be saved.

"But... you're still an agent... is it alright for you to come to a place like this?"

"It's alright, the commander gave me permission to come..."

"The Commander...?"

Uzuki Saori's eyes dimmed.

She was no longer qualified to call Masaki Hina "Commander".

"It's so good that she's not hurt..."

"Um..."

The air between them fell silent, their fingers clasped tightly together, unwilling to let go.

"Cold..."

"Um?"

"I heard that you were hospitalized... Is she... alright...?"

"Senior Efnir?"

"Um..."

"The senior was seriously injured and just left the hospital two days ago..."

Shiina Rin answered truthfully, gazing at Uzuki Saori's unspeakable expression. After a pause, she slowly spoke again.

"Our senior... she can't see with her right eye..."

"..."

Shiina Rin didn't speak, her head still hanging down. She released Shiina Rin's hand, her knuckles turning white from clenching it.

"Can it... be restored?"

"Ms. Nishiki said that with current technology, there's no way..."

"Um..."

"Saori ..."

Shiina Rin gently enveloped Uzuki Saori's icy hand in her soft palm, gazing into her friend's pale eyes.

Uzuki Saori's face had never shown such an expression before.

She raised her hand and gently brushed aside Uzuki Saori between her fingers.

"I came here to tell you that I've returned to my post..."

"Yes, I know..."

Shiina Rin's silver necklace wasn't deliberately hidden, and Uzuki Saori could see it clearly.

"I will carry your wishes and fight on."

"..."

Uzuki Saori kept her gaze down, her lips bitten until they turned white.

"Can't I not act as an agent...?"

"Saori, do you remember the first time we met...? Do you remember the wish we made?"

"..."

Saori remained silent.

"Running away won't solve anything, that's what my senior taught me, Saori... Your wish hasn't been fulfilled yet, this city is filled with your past, and I simply can't let go of everything we fought for..."

Shiina Rin leaned down and gently embraced Uzuki Saori's neck.

Their hair intertwined, Shiina Rin spoke softly.

"Thank you for taking care of me all this time... You showed me what resilience is and taught me what love is. Every day I spend with you is a gift from this world. You are the most important person to me, and always will be."

But I... will forget you...

"It's okay, I don't mind."

Shiina Rin's voice grew increasingly choked with emotion.

"I don't care..."

176. The Abyss Within and Without [Second Update]

When Shiina Rin left, she placed a ring on Uzuki Saori's ring finger.

"This is an agreement..."

With that, Rin left, and the cold, heavy iron gate closed once more, leaving behind the unique, faint fragrance of Shiina Rin in the air.

Uzuki Saori sat against the corner of the wall, hugging her knees, staring blankly at the silver diamond ring on her finger.

"But... I'm no longer worthy to stand beside you..."

Uzuki Saori buried her face in her hands and sobbed softly.

Everything... is probably coming to an end like this...

"It's really beautiful... it probably isn't cheap."

A sudden, childlike voice appeared in Saori's ears.

"--!?"

A nerve twitched; the habits left over from long-term training made Saori tense her body alertly, but then she slowly relaxed.

She already knew who it was.

She raised her eyes and met the gaze of Masaki Hina had appeared in front of her at some point.

"Commander... didn't you leave...?"

"Don't you welcome anyone other than Rin to visit you?"

"No... it's not... it's just..."

Uzuki Saori looked away.

She simply didn't know how to face her former boss.

"I thought you wouldn't want to see me again."

"Indeed, I don't really like seeing you so gloomy and dull now. The old you, who loved to laugh, was much more interesting."

"..."

Uzuki Saori pursed her lips, hesitating as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed her words. The silence between the two lasted for a moment before Masaki Hina broke it first.