Chapter 30: Her

"The test results are in."

A woman in a researcher's outfit, sporting vibrant purple hair and square-framed glasses, spoke up. Beside her stood a dark-haired female staff member.

"Tell me everything. I’m the one who found her; I have a right to know."

"Very well. First things first..."

She locked the door leading out of the room. With a sharp hiss of escaping air, the dark-haired staff member suddenly downed the contents of the container in her hand.

It was alcohol.

"Ahh..."

"Pwah! God, I can't take it anymore! How am I supposed to handle a mystery box like this on my own!?"

"Wait, don't tell me... are you Rabia the Drunkard?"

Anyone with ties to the research department knew the name Rabia. She was a notorious boozehound who had physically sabotaged her own resistance organs just to feel the effects of alcohol. She had been recalled for infections countless times before finally perfecting a way to break her body so that it failed to process nothing but liquor.

"If it were another Phantasm Girl, it would be fine, but you’re on duty right now, aren't you?"

"Huh? It’s fine. I’m at my absolute best when I’ve got a little liquid courage in me, you brat!"

"Just give up. She's always like this," the researcher added.

I felt a headache coming on, but there was no denying her competence. I decided to keep quiet and listen.

"First, let's talk about the wounds. What the hell happened? It looks like pieces were gouged out, but the circuits aren't bent—it's like those specific sections were just deleted. It was likely caused by a high-output Trauma Attribute."

The Trauma Attribute. I knew of it in theory, but this was the first time I had encountered it in person.

"How many Phantasm Girls are actually capable of using that?"

"Hmm, it’s basically impossible unless you’re on Alter’s level. We’re talking S-Class Slayers. Apparently, years of lived experience are vital for it, and we still don't fully understand the logic behind how it works."

S-Class Slayers. They were supposed to exist in a state of mutual harmony, never coming into conflict. Their power was enough to halt world wars or cause the collapse of entire nations. If that pact had been broken, what on earth had happened?

"Is she conscious?"

"She’s lucid, but... I have her sedated for now. She’s still identifying as A46, but I’ve managed to keep the other staff at bay, limiting them to X-rays and CT scans."

"Why are you hesitating? Why haven't we opened her head to see what's inside—"

"Hey." I cut in. "Is there a problem? Surely even you can understand how much Paradise would benefit from the sacrifice of a single mass-produced unit?"

"Rabia... why are you against opening her head?"

"Call me a researcher to the core, a drunken demon, cold-blooded, or a mad scientist—whatever you want. But even I have feelings. Asuna-senpai took incredible care of me back when she was active, and I’m the one who’s been handling her maintenance all this time. Even if she has developed a personality, I want to be able to look her in the eye and congratulate her as a friend, not as a research subject."

She didn't look like she was lying.

"You should head back for now. As for the results... we found an expansion part in her head that looks like it was forced in. I haven't looked at the contents, but it's likely an optical memory medium from another mass-produced unit—a brain memory. Between the slight damage to her head casing and the shock to her system, she went into a pseudo-reboot state. Right now, it's possible a physically different personality has taken up residence in there."

She added a disclaimer that she didn't know the intent behind such a procedure, then urged me to leave, saying there was nothing more to discuss.

"One last thing. I want to see her before I go."

Through a thick pane of reinforced glass, I saw her. Her entire body was locked down by heavy restraints.

"Listen."

I turned toward Rabia, but she whispered, "Just keep listening to me without looking."

"Senpai’s eyes... they've been replaced with something unnatural. I think she’s been using that power to pull off everything she’s done so far. Our more fanatical researchers tried to remove them, but they were blocked by a physical barrier. They couldn't even make a scratch. I suspect Senpai’s consciousness is still residing in those eyes. It’s a long shot given the current situation, but I swear I’ll find a way to save her."

"Did you... tell Alter about this?"

"I did, but... there was no response."

As if to signal the end of the conversation, she tilted a bottle nearly the size of her own head and walked away.

"I’m not giving up. You better keep your promise."

POV - Themis

"Who the hell was that...?"

I won. Today, I protected the balance of the world and passed judgment on a rebel. And yet...

"I can't accept this."

To ensure she couldn't counter my Transcendent Acceleration: Tachyon, I was supposed to drain her energy with the first shadow, leaving her to be cut down and die miserably by the weight of her own sins. That was the plan.

And yet, A37 killed all sixteen Shadows of Sin. Despite being tattered and broken, she remained standing even after she lost consciousness.

No, could that even be called losing consciousness? Even as I aimed for her neck, she managed to twist away. Bleeding enough to kill any normal being, she somehow made it to Kazuto Amane’s side before collapsing.

"I’m hungry."

If she ever stands before me again, I’ll just finish the job then.

Clad in clothes that didn't have a single speck of dust on them, I headed off to find some breakfast. Already, the events that had just transpired were fading from my mind.