Nikke, something’s seriously wrong with this evacuation point! Chapter 157 157: Goodnight

At that very instant, Red Hood suddenly let out an inhuman roar.

"GRAAAAAAHHHHH—!"

Almost simultaneously, the arm whose nerves had just been fully reconnected suddenly lashed out. The strength of a Goddess-class Nikke exploded forth instantly, seizing Snow White's fragile neck and lifting her into the air, slamming her against the operating room wall in a single motion.

"Cough… Red… Red Hood… y-you…" Snow White struggled painfully, her legs kicking helplessly in midair, but that arm – only temporarily connected through long neural cables – showed no sign of loosening its grip.

A Nikke would not suffocate to death so easily, but the pain was very real.

On the operating table, Red Hood slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head toward Snow White.

"S-Snow… White… Run… run away…"

Her left eye was still her own – a golden pupil clouded by fading consciousness – but her right eye had beco murky, glowing with a crimson blood-red light.

[I see. So this is the "corruption" symptom you were talking about.]

That gentle voice echoed through Snow White's earpiece again. Even in a situation like this, the speaker's tone remained completely calm and unhurried.

[Snow White, hold on for a bit.]

Hold on? What do you an "hold on"?!

Even soone as mild-tempered as Snow White almost wanted to complain.

But right now, she was more worried about Red Hood.

[Basically, because of these severe injuries, her willpower has weakened drastically. Her mind itself is barely conscious anymore, so how could she resist the compulsive force brought by the NIMPH? But since the problem lies with the NIMPH, then it's simple enough. Anyway, Snow White, just hang there for another two minutes.]

"??????"

For the first ti in her life, Snow White felt the urge to curse soone out.

The grip around her neck suddenly weakened. Sweat covered Red Hood's face, her expression twisted in agony. The colors of her eyes continuously shifted, as though two souls were fighting within the sa body, both struggling to beco the final survivor.

"Snow White… q-quickly…"

Tears streaked down from those golden eyes, mixed with dust and gri.

"Kill… kill …"

"N-No way!" Taking advantage of the loosened grip, Snow White desperately tried to break free. "No… I can't do it! I… I can't!"

Second after second passed.

Red Hood begged Snow White to kill her, but Snow White simply could not do it.

Part of that was because of the bond between them.

But even more than that, it was because she trusted that mysterious voice.

"GRAAH—!"

The gold in Red Hood's left eye finally dimd completely. Both eyes turned blood-red, and the arm's grip suddenly tightened again. A horrifying cracking sound nearly burst from Snow White's neck.

However–

At that exact mont, Red Hood's body suddenly trembled. The blood-red color in her eyes rapidly faded at a visible speed. Then her hand instantly released its grip, and Snow White fell to the ground, coughing violently.

"Cough cough… R-Red Hood…"

She scrambled over to her side, and only then did the voice speak again.

[Alright, done. Snow White, is your neck okay?]

"I-I'm okay…" Snow White quickly checked Red Hood and found that she had fallen unconscious once more. Only then did she finally let out a relieved breath.

[Mm. Can you continue the surgery, Snow White?]

"I-I can, but… what happened just now…"

[Ah, don't worry. I've already suppressed that thing. Corruption is essentially a kind of code, and code has always been within my field of expertise. So go ahead and keep working. Whether Red Hood can joke around with you tomorrow depends entirely on whether your hands are steady enough.]

"Yes!" Snow White answered loudly, then imdiately resud reconnecting Red Hood's limbs.

Right now, she no longer wanted to think about anything else.

As long as Red Hood could be saved, then even being attacked again would be worth it.

Though without realizing it, she had already begun to develop a sense of reliance on that unknown voice as well.

Two hours later, the surgery was complete.

[Good work, Snow White.]

"Thank you very much, Sempai!" Snow White collapsed beside the operating table, forcing a smile onto her exhausted face as she looked at the fully restored Red Hood.

[Why are you calling that?]

"B-Because… you never introduced yourself…" Snow White replied softly.

[I… well, I suppose now isn't the right ti. I should wait for a more formal occasion to properly introduce myself to everyone. For now, you can keep calling that… cute little Snow White… Snow White?]

Unexpectedly, soti during all this, Snow White had fallen asleep leaning against the operating table.

Once her mind relaxed, the exhaustion in both her body and mind hit her all at once, instantly lulling the girl to sleep.

[Well then, goodnight, Snow White. Goodnight, Red Hood.]

…

That night, since everyone was exhausted, there was no welcoming banquet.

The mbers of the Goddess Squad were arranged to rest, and the lee squad had prepared everything they needed. For now, all the Goddess Squad had to do was sleep properly.

In the main hall, Andersen observed the surroundings, his eyes filled with amazent.

"How the hell did that guy pull all this off?"

"Want to know?"

Behind him, Charon walked over carrying a paper package and sat down across the tea table. He placed the package down and unfolded it, revealing four or five cans of beer and half a roasted chicken inside.

"Holy– shit–"

Andersen's pupils shook.

"What? If you don't want it, I'm taking it back." Charon raised an eyebrow.

"No no no, leave it there. I'm telling you, leave it there. It's been forever since I've had this stuff. Let enjoy it a little." Andersen rubbed his hands together and imdiately grabbed the food without even washing his hands.

"Damn, were you reincarnated from a starving ghost?" Charon looked utterly disgusted. He casually opened two cans of beer and placed one in front of Anderson.

"That… munch munch… that Dorothy… munch munch… didn't feed . I've been starving for most of the day." Andersen looked miserable.

"…How exactly did you offend her?" At the ntion of Dorothy, Charon subconsciously recalled the feeling of holding her earlier.

So even a Nikke without her equipnt could feel this light… almost no different from a human.

"It wasn't , ********************, I just happened to be equally hated by her as the governnt representative. If I didn't have a decent relationship with you, I'd probably still be locked up on the Wings of Victory drinking northwestern wind."

"Hah. So what's the human governnt been up to lately?" Charon asked with a dry laugh.

Andersen sighed and told Charon everything about the "Ark Guardian" operation order he had received.

"What do you think the governnt's planning?" Andersen asked.

"You don't know?"

"I just want to hear your opinion."

"Most likely… the number of qualification permits they've distributed has already exceeded what the governnt believes the Ark can actually support."

"…" Andersen's gaze darkened.