"Say that again. I didn't hear you clearly."
Loa's fingers twitched beyond his control at Bell's words. In the dim basement, he forced down his anger and sat as Stillness as a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"O-okay," Bell said with difficulty. "There are no living people left on the island. Because you arrived, we arranged for the last group of uninfected humans to be implanted ahead of schedule this afternoon."
Having said that, Bell seemed to know what awaited him. His lidless eyes silently withdrew into the mass of flesh as he prepared to die.
"Because of me?" Loa's face darkened, his eyes flickering.
He and Momonga had spoken sternly, but he had wanted to save the civilians too. Not because it was a Marine's duty, but because he was human.
Yet who could have imagined that instead of arriving as a savior, a hero, he had become the reason those civilians died sooner?
"I'm so sorry."
Several seconds passed, but the expected death never came. Bell poked his eyes out again, seemingly confused.
"Hmph. Relax. I told you that as long as you answer my questions honestly, I won't kill you."
Loa glanced at the ball of flesh and suppressed his urge to kill it. "Now, the Athos Family. Where are they?"
"O-okay." Bell had no way of knowing whether Loa meant it, but he had no choice. He could only hope Loa would keep his word and spare his life.
"Actually, I was once a member of the Athos Family..."
Fuck!!!!
Bell's very first sentence left Loa reeling.
What did I just hear? You're one of the surviving Athos Family members?!
No, you've got to be kidding me. Who would turn themselves into this thing that's neither human nor ghost?
As though he had expected this