Chapter 68

There was nothing they could do about it. Although sending out Sakurai Sachi wasn't their team's intention, it was a fact that everyone could see that Sakurai Sachi couldn't even last three moves against Efnir.

Sakurai Sachi wasn't the strongest in their branch, but the fact that he was defeated so easily was something none of them had expected, which forced them to abandon this powerful fighting Sakurai Sachi.

For this reason, their original action plan was postponed by their superiors.

"If you're willing to take my advice, then just stay away from her; that's the best way."

Uzuki Saori snorted coldly and offered her advice.

The man glanced at Uzuki Saori, then patted Karina on the shoulder.

"Don't do anything unnecessary. Karina, leave Efnir to 'Angel.' We just need to complete our tasks. Go on, do your job."

"Clear."

Without saying much, Karina approached Uzuki Saori and carefully examined Shiina Rin, who was in Uzuki Saori's arms, by the light of the lamp.

"Put her here."

Karina pointed to an old wooden table to the side and gave an order to Uzuki Saori.

On the wooden table were two half-eaten cans of food and a pile of bottle caps. Uzuki Saori frowned slightly, pushed the clutter aside, swept the table clean with her robe, and then held Shiina Rin, who was unconscious, tightly before gently putting her down.

She looked up and met Karina's gaze expressionlessly, while Karina took out the two syringes.

What are you going to inject her with?

"Same as before, inhibitors, and a little sedative."

Karina snorted coldly, removed the safety from the needle in her hand, and expelled the air from the syringe.

She appeared to be a skilled nurse, quickly finishing the two injections and glancing at Uzuki Saori.

"If I were you, I wouldn't keep wearing that sour face. We only took you two as a burden because 'that guy' insisted on meddling. I have no obligation to play along with your nonsense."

"I'm not being silly."

"Huh? You know perfectly well how that doctor got away!"

She's dying.

"But she's not dead yet, and because of your 'mercy,' we've been exposed to danger."

Karina glanced at Uzuki Saori and the unconscious Shiina Rin with a hint of malice, casually tossing away the empty syringe, her fingers seemingly unintentionally resting on the sleeping girl's neck.

"Although I've said it more than once, I'll remind you again: she has less than twenty-four hours left. If you want to avoid her ending up as 'Dregs,' you'd better be a little more obedient."

"If I were you, I wouldn't use Rin to threaten me."

"I advise you not to try to Synchronization. If you attract agents, I'll be the first to execute you."

"Yes, you can certainly give it a try if you can do it."

Uzuki Saori squinted at Karina, her eyes locked in a sharp confrontation. As she raised her hand, she revealed a bracelet on her wrist— her Beacon. The silver light shimmering on the bracelet indicated that Uzuki Saori could enter Synchronization at any moment.

Karina frowned at the sight.

If Uzuki Saori were to Synchronization, the wave signal she generated would immediately be received by the Orderkeepers Organization, allowing them to quickly locate her location and place them in an extremely dangerous situation.

Moreover, Uzuki Saori was right. If she, as the agent, had turned against Karina and the others on the spot, even if Karina could quickly injure Uzuki Saori with the firepower of five people, the outcome of them fighting against the agents in such a small underground space with ordinary people's bodies would also be obvious.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Karina and her group are the weaker party right now.

"Calm."

The tall man holding the gun beside him spoke.

"We're here to cooperate, not to fight. I think, after what happened before, Miss Uzuki should have enough reason to believe in our sincerity, right?"

No, I didn't feel anything.

Uzuki Saori was not polite.

The man had been observing from the sidelines to ascertain Uzuki Saori's attitude, and only intervened after Karina and Uzuki Saori had sparked a conflict; his intentions were clear.

91. The End of the Road

Uzuki Saori stood in front of Shiina Rin. Both she and Shiina Rin were just high school students, and they looked too weak in front of the tall men and slender women.

But here, her power is the most threatening.

Looking at Uzuki Saori, the other four remained silent.

"It's no use talking to me like this. I'm not here to play house with you. Let those guys behind you talk to me."

Uzuki Saori spoke indifferently.

The man glanced at Karina but didn't say anything more.

Karina gritted her teeth.

Ignoring the woman's increasingly gloomy expression, Uzuki Saori gently leaned down and kissed Shiina Rin's lips, then lifted Shiina Rin up in her arms.

"Cold..."

She prayed softly and gently.

"Disgusting."

Karina gritted her teeth as she watched this scene, and muttered a curse under her breath.

Uzuki Saori as if she hadn't heard anything, her eyes remaining expressionless as she quietly and gently stroked Shiina Rin's cheek.

"Captain, something's wrong."

At that moment, Buz's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

The man in the lead frowned and put the walkie-talkie to his mouth.

"What happens?"

"I spotted two armed helicopters; they look like they belong to the Special Disaster Division."

"They shouldn't be here... Looks like we need to hurry."

"Captain, contact received!"

The captain looked at the computer in Xing's hand; a few brief messages were displayed on the screen.

His face was filled with solemnity.

"Very good, prepare for action!"

"Yes!"

Her team members quickly packed their equipment and pulled up their hoods. Karina took a deep breath, took out an electronic bracelet from her waist, and put it on.

"Don't hold us back." She gave Uzuki Saori a deep look. "Also, throw away your friend's Beacon. Don't let her get in the way at a crucial moment."

"Don't bother, I'll keep it safe for her."

Shiina Rin's Beacon was a silver pendant, which was lying quietly on Uzuki Saori's chest at that moment.

"Miss Uzuki."

The captain stepped forward, took out a pistol, and handed it to Uzuki Saori.

"I don't need this."

"It might come in handy. I hope you don't enter Synchronization before the mission begins."

Uzuki Saori glanced at the man, took the pistol from his large hand, skillfully checked the ammunition, and then tucked it into the inside of her robe.

As an agent, training in the use of firearms is also an essential part of the job.

"In addition, 'that lady' also said that she hoped Miss Uzuki could lend us a hand, and that she would repay her handsomely afterward."

The man spoke again.

"What do you need me to do? If it's to stop Efnir, then forget it. I hope you won't ask such a difficult question."

"No, our mission is very simple for you—attack the 'Boundary Stele' and destroy the 'barrier' so that our 'Angel' can enter the city. This was originally Sakurai Sachi's mission; the higher-ups went through all sorts of trouble to send her in for this purpose. But obviously, she can't be used by us now. This is where it comes in your hands."

"Destroy the 'Boundary Stele'?" Uzuki Saori frowned. "Do you know how many people will die?"

"You're still worried about this now?"

"It wasn't me, it was Rin."

The man followed Uzuki Saori's gaze and saw the girl sleeping peacefully in her arms.

"Just tell me if you're going to do it or not!"

Karina couldn't help but say.

Although making temporary contact with Uzuki Saori was a task assigned from above, and the girl was indispensable to continuing their plan, she didn't want anything to go wrong at this point.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that," Uzuki Saori said directly.

"Are you planning to do absolutely nothing?!" Karina demanded.

"No, you need to understand one thing," Uzuki Saori glanced at Karina indifferently and counted on one finger. "'Boundary Stele' exists based on powerful military fortifications, far more robust than you imagine. Destroying it from the outside is an impossible task, unless you can break through the interception of the stationed troops and the agents responsible for Defense Line, and then unleash at least three bombs powerful enough to blow up an entire building. Otherwise, it's more realistic to dream about it."

She extended her second finger.

"Secondly, entering the 'Boundary Stele' and breaching it from the inside out is a difficult task for us right now. Even agents don't have the authority to enter the 'Boundary Stele,' not to mention that I'm probably already being watched, so my identity is useless there. As for you, you don't have enough explosives, what can you do with just these toy guns? If you think your plan is reliable, then you need to provide evidence that can convince me, otherwise I won't take this risk."

"You..."

"Don't worry," the man stopped Karina from saying anything, shifting his gaze to Uzuki Saori, "Since we've gone this far, we've already planned for this."

He took out a ring and handed it to Uzuki Saori's hand.

"What's this?"

"This is a 'Beacon' belonging to the Apostle, Miss Uzuki," the man said meaningfully. "'Those people' seem to believe you are capable enough to control this thing."

"Will he become an 'Apostle'?"

Are you willing to take this step?

"I don't care."

Uzuki Saori held the ring between her fingers for a moment, tried it on her index finger and thumb, and then put it on her middle finger, where she managed to keep it on securely.

Clearly, this size of Beacon was not designed for her, but for a woman who was slightly more mature than her.

"The power of the Apostle you can now use should be no weaker than that of Sakurai Sachi. You should know that we have already invested three 'Whale' to feed this space. The concentration of 'Corruption' in this city is not much lower than that Beyond the Boundary. This is the stage for the Apostle."

The man said.

"With this strength, we have the resources for a strong attack. Of course, we don't intend to expose you to artillery fire. I believe even Apostle couldn't withstand such bombardment. You stay put, and my three subordinates will act separately to set up entry points for the 'Beyond the Boundary.' Those Erosion Entity fight for us, while Karina and I will take the opportunity to enter the garrison area. We have people there, and we will cripple their defense and counterattack systems."

Are you sure?

"You don't need to worry about that!"

Karina's words always carried a sharp edge.

The man glanced at Karina and continued speaking to Uzuki Saori.

"At that time, you will launch an attack following our signal. After you obtain the power of the 'Apostle,' defensive fortifications of the 'Boundary Stele' level will no longer be an obstacle. As long as you completely destroy the 'Boundary Stele,' then our mission will be accomplished, and victory will be ours with the arrival of the 'Angel.'"

Then, he took out a syringe and handed it to Uzuki Saori.

"And this, take this. If you feel like you can't hold on any longer..." The man tilted his head and pointed to the side of his neck with his finger, "Just give yourself an injection."

What will happen to me after this injection?

"If too much is measured, it might turn into 'Dregs'."

The man's tone was completely flat as he stated the chilling truth.

"It's really... not funny..."

"Rest assured, Miss Uzuki, 'those people' asked me to tell you that once this mission is completed and we gain control of the Ruins, all your exchange requests will be fulfilled."

Uzuki Saori glanced at the man and snatched the syringe from his hand.

"I hope so!"