Chapter 73

Fushihara Ayaka looked at Efnir.

"If things change and you are required to participate in the battle, the battlefield command for the proxy side will be handed over to Efnir."

"No problem."

"And, Tachibana Sara ..." Fushihara Ayaka then looked at the quiet girl with light brown hair and glasses sitting to the side, "The task of deputy commander is entrusted to you."

Tachibana Sara sat upright to the side, nodding expressionlessly.

"If you leave my command system after entering the battle, please follow the orders of Efnir and Tachibana Sara. If you have any objections, you can raise them now."

Fushihara Ayaka simply assigned the positions, looked around, and no one raised any objections.

Agents operate in Erosion Disaster battlefields, where the presence of Corruption interferes with communications. If the distance between them reaches a certain level, communications will be difficult to maintain, and base station equipment and satellites will not be available. For this reason, agents usually set up a "battlefield command" when they go into battle to adjust combat plans and issue instructions in a timely manner.

As it turns out, compared to those trained within the original command system, such as Masaki Hina and Fushihara Ayaka, the commanders acting as proxies possess unique advantages. Therefore, in every mission, they implement a dual command strategy of "off-site commander" and "battlefield commander" operating in parallel. Once in battle, the orders issued by the "battlefield commander" take precedence over those issued by the "off-site commander," becoming the only orders that the proxies must obey.

Efnir is the most senior, powerful, and experienced among all the agents present. Although Efnir's command experience is not as good as Qinglan's, who has already disappeared, Efnir has a strong ability to adapt to changing circumstances. In the current situation, it is indeed the most suitable person to entrust the overall command of the battlefield to her.

As a kind of insurance strategy, Fushihara Ayaka also set up a deputy commander on the battlefield, namely Tachibana Sara.

Tachibana Sara is the agent in charge of the West District outskirts and West Line Defense Line. On one hand, as an agent, she has the second most extensive experience on the scene after Efnir. Her Order Weapon is Sword-and-Shield, a rare type that combines offense and defense, giving her a unique advantage in battle. On the other hand, as the "person in charge" of this area, she is very familiar with it and is well-suited to serve as a deputy commander, providing advice and assisting Efnir in battle. She can also take over on-site command when Efnir encounters an accident and is unable to command.

Strictly speaking, Tachibana Sara, who is very familiar with this area, should have better battlefield command qualities than Efnir in this mission. However... everyone present knows that Tachibana Sara is a rather taciturn type. She is rarely seen saying much, doesn't show much expression, and is unable to properly express her thoughts and feelings. Therefore Fushihara Ayaka judged that she was not suitable to serve as the commander-in-chief.

"So that's the personnel arrangement for your agents. I'll mainly be in charge of command and operational arrangements for the Special Disaster Division. Unless absolutely necessary, you just need to wait here."

Seeing that the arrangements were finalized, Efnir asked Fushihara Ayaka, "This mission sounds different from the past. Even you're here. Can I find out what happened?"

98. West Zone

"Of course," Fushihara Ayaka turned on the large screen and looked at Efnir, "Then I'll get straight to the point: our situation is probably not optimistic right now."

"What happened?"

"--Just thirty minutes ago, we received a call from Nishizaki Yuki, confirming her location and condition. We also obtained a crucial piece of information from her—which I think you already know—that your former comrade-in-arms, the Nishizaki Yuki, has betrayed the organization. She drugged Shiina Rin and coerced Nishizaki Yuki into taking her away. Furthermore, she made contact with someone suspected to be from the 'Apostle' side. This information was all provided by Dr. Nishizaki Yuki as crucial clues."

"Thanks to Kanade -san's help, she lent me her phone..."

Nishizaki Yuki said at this moment that her voice sounded very weak, but it was still audible after being amplified through the headset.

Efnir suddenly had a question, "Yuki, if I'm not mistaken, you were coerced, right? And then you met those people? So how did you escape?"

"I didn't run away on my own; it was Uzuki Saori who let me go..."

"Saori ...?"

Efnir's heart skipped a beat.

"Is she still there?"

"I don't know... When I left, she told me it was out of consideration for Shiina Rin..."

"Rin, do you have any news about her?"

"In their hands... to be precise, she remained unconscious, beside Uzuki Saori..."

Why did Saori take her away?

"She..."

"Alright."

Nishizaki Yuki was about to say something, but was interrupted by Fushihara Ayaka.

"We'll talk about those things later. Let's discuss the current situation first."

Uzuki Saori took Rin away for two reasons. First, she didn't want Rin to continue fighting and die one day. Second, it was a reflection of the Agent's current situation.

Even though Fushihara Ayaka is not a member of the Orderkeepers Organization, as one of the commanders of the two major organizations, she still has a basic understanding of the current situation of the agents.

Each agent is an incredibly strong girl with a willpower that is hard for ordinary people to match, but they are also human beings. They have things they like and things they dislike, they laugh and cry, and they can break down because of certain things.

Fushihara Ayaka couldn't comment on Uzuki Saori's behavior, but there was no doubt that talking about such negative things before the battle would affect every agent present. Pre-battle mental management is a very important part. Although it may be subtle, even a small influence can have an irreversible impact on the outcome of the battle. Therefore, Fushihara Ayaka interrupted Efnir and Nishizaki Yuki's conversation before it reached that point.

Efnir and Nishizaki Yuki realized they had talked too much because they were concerned about Saori, and they both fell silent.

"Sister..."

Yukina gently took Efnir's finger, and Efnir took a soft breath.

At this moment Fushihara Ayaka coughed lightly.

"Well, I'll keep it simple then. It's about the information Nishizaki Yuki obtained about the 'Apostle,' and the fact that the agent Lily betrayed the organization... Nishizaki Yuki was taken hostage by Uzuki Saori yesterday, which I'm sure you've all heard about. At the time, Uzuki Saori claimed that she had planted bombs throughout the hospital building and forced her to sign a document to discharge Shiina Rin. I also sent people to investigate, and the situation has been confirmed; it did happen. We've already arranged for people to defuse the bombs."

Fushihara Ayaka continued.

"Although there have been no casualties yet, there is no doubt that Lily has betrayed the organization. We learned from Nishizaki Yuki that after being taken hostage, she was taken to a place where she met with the Apostle who had been in contact with Uzuki Saori —four men and one woman, all wearing hoods so we don't have any portraits. The only thing we know is that they were fully armed. I'll send you some information about them later. In addition, Nishizaki Yuki overheard some fragmented conversations among them... and believes they are planning an attack."

"They mentioned the word 'Ruins'..."

Nishizaki Yuki added.

"Ruins?"

Because of Lily's betrayal, the agents' expressions were somewhat somber, and upon hearing Nishizaki Yuki's words, their gazes became serious once more.

Agents often fight on the front lines against the Erosion Entity, using Beacon to Resonance with the Order Force and gain enough strength to counter the Corruption. For agents, Beacon are the foundation upon which they rely to fight the Corruption.

The Beacon is one of the fruits of the Ruins Technology, and as agents, they certainly understand what the so-called "Ruins" really represent.

It is the legacy of a once prosperous civilization in the distant past, from an era of advanced, unexplored scientific power, and also a civilization believed to have been swallowed up by an unknown force, ultimately becoming extinct without leaving a single life behind.

From the technology left behind by this civilization, humanity successfully deciphered a part of it as a "weapon," and thus the "agent" was born.

It can be said that humanity's ability to withstand the threat of White Hole Erosion for so many years is entirely due to the Ruins. Therefore, the importance of the Ruins is self-evident. For people living in this era, they represent new hope, and the same is true for the agents. If a means to eliminate White Hole Erosion can be found, then the agents will no longer need to fight and sacrifice.

At this moment, Efnir also thought of her parents.

My parents also came for the Ruins, but according to them, they didn't believe that Xijing City would have any "Ruins." So what did the "Apostle" mean by the Ruins?

"Could you elaborate? If it involves Ruins, then this matter is probably not so simple."

Kiri Mahiru asked earnestly.

"If it does indeed involve 'Ruins,' then without a doubt, this matter is beyond our capabilities. But conversely, the other side is in the same boat. 'Ruins' are not something that terrorists from just any place can take for themselves. I have already reported this intelligence and am awaiting a response from the joint side."

"Besides..."

Nishizaki Yuki added.

"They also mentioned a name that caught my attention... If I heard correctly, it seemed to be 'Angel'..."

What is that?

"I don't know either, but I have a very bad feeling... When I escaped, they were on their way to the western Defense Line, their route was very clear, and they were armed... Based on their conversation, I guessed they might already be preparing to make their move... But I escaped in such a hurry, I haven't figured out their plans and objectives yet..."

"We have already analyzed this intelligence. We believe that the so-called 'Angel' is probably a code name, and we cannot rule out that it is something similar to the 'Apostle' that have appeared before, or perhaps a powerful weapon."

"Fushihara Ayaka said."

"Unlike us, they've probably been planning this attack for a very long time, while we can only react hastily. So we must put in our utmost effort to intercept all dangers before they can carry out their plan. I've already dispatched helicopters and special forces. Based on the time and location provided by Dr. Nishiki, we've set up a huge encirclement. It's an abandoned old town area; I think any suspicious individuals there will be quite noticeable, right?"

99. Doubts

"Then... what can we do?"

Oguri Aya asked with a serious expression.

"I don't want to see Uzuki Saori sink into despair like this. If I can, I'd like to help her!"

"That's right. If Uzuki Saori appears, can you send us into battle?"

Kiri Mahiru also volunteered.

However, Fushihara Ayaka did not grant their request.

"Please calm down, both of you. I understand how you feel, but this mission is not just an internal matter for your Orderkeepers Organization. So please remain here until I give the order to deploy."

"Shouldn't we go out together and search for clues about those people separately? Having an agent help might be faster, right?"

"Efnir asked."

"No need," Fushihara Ayaka declined Efnir's suggestion. "Please wait here with me. Our biggest problem right now is that if our forces are too scattered, we won't be able to effectively capture the target even if we find it. The enemy isn't just a fully armed special forces team, but also the agent Lily. If you encounter them alone, you will undoubtedly be in danger. So, let my men handle the intelligence gathering."

After a brief pre-battle meeting, Efnir called out to Fushihara Ayaka, who was preparing to head to the temporary intelligence processing center.

"Ayaka, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

Fushihara Ayaka looked suspicious.

By this time, everyone else had left. Yukina and Kanade Kotone were in the temporary care room when Efnir came to speak to her alone.

"Ayaka... I've wanted to ask this before, why are there students here?"

Efnir refers to the Kanade Kotone.

Although she wasn't implying any accusation, based on Kanade Kotone's words, Efnir could easily tell that she wasn't from the Special Disaster Division or the Orderkeepers Organization. Moreover, Kanade Kotone certainly didn't seem like a trained person at all; her muscles were loose, her steps were uneven, and she was a complete stranger.

Efnir frequently travels between the two sides and doesn't know everyone on either side, but she can still tell at a glance whether someone looks familiar or not.

In that case, Kanade Kotone was completely caught up in this incident by accident. She wasn't from either the Special Disaster Division or the Orderkeepers; she was just an innocent civilian who knew absolutely nothing about it.

Whatever the reason, civilians should have been immediately dispersed, but instead they are now in the temporary command post.

"I thought you were going to say something mysterious, but it turns out it's just this..."

Fushihara Ayaka shrugged dismissively. "It's too late to let her leave now. What if she suddenly runs into an enemy?"

"We should have dispersed them as soon as possible beforehand, so as not to involve irrelevant people. This is the principle of our organization."

"You're so old-fashioned."

Faced with Efnir's lecture, Fushihara Ayaka frowned. "I'm telling you, you didn't memorize all those messy rules and regulations, did you? Perseverance and meticulousness are your strengths, but being flexible isn't a bad thing."

"Alright, stop teasing me."

"I'm just stating the facts." Seeing that Efnir remained silent, Fushihara Ayaka coughed lightly. "Hey Efnir, isn't that Kanade Kotone your sister's classmate? It's quite surprising that you two know each other; such coincidences are rare."

After a pause, Fushihara Ayaka continued, "She wanted to stay herself, and she even said she had some basic nursing knowledge..."

"Any excuse will do, right?"

Efnir countered:

"You have plenty of nursing staff here, you don't need to ask a high school student for help, do you?"

"Fine... I've already told you, but you won't listen. So what do you think it is?"

"You..."

Efnir paused, then looked at Fushihara Ayaka and asked directly, "You suspect Nishizaki Yuki and Kanade Kotone, right?"

"Oh? Since you've put it that way..."

Fushihara Ayaka pursed her lips, neither denying it nor denying it, "Anyway, that's how it is."

"As expected... I always felt that everything you said in the meeting was just a facade. You weren't putting on an act for Nishizaki Yuki, were you? Just because you doubted her? What about this mission then?"

"No, not entirely, Efnir. I'm not that far off, but sitting in our position, every decision we make affects the lives of thousands, even tens of thousands of people. I have to be responsible for them, don't I?"

Fushihara Ayaka completely changed her tone, and Efnir saw the same shadow of Masaki Hina in her.

It must be said that although Fushihara Ayaka and Masaki Hina had many disagreements at times and had significant differences, as commanders, they were actually quite similar in many ways.

Efnir sighed.