Challenge: The Fool with the Surname Okayamine

Chapter 116 The Great Advance: Conflict

"Oh dear~ I didn't expect someone like you to be so focused on saving that shorty that he couldn't escape in time... That shorty doesn't seem to be one of yours, does he?"

Minerva stepped forward and spoke to Cyril, who was tightly bound by laser wires.

“That’s true, why couldn’t I help her…” Sehir said with self-deprecation.

"Waaaaah~ Saisil!"

"Damn it, Minerva! Let her go!!"

Compared to Leonora, who had already put down her sniper rifle and was clutching her head in panic, Ashley had already drawn her sword and was ready to rush over at top speed.

Facing Ashley, who was about to rush forward, Minerva simply fiddled with the laser wire in her hand, and then slowly said:

"Looks like your relationship is still as good as ever, but be careful... these laser wires can adjust their sharpness at will, just like I want them to."

The laser wire became sharp, cutting a bloody gash in the part of Cyril that was not covered by the display device.

"If you move around carelessly, your partner Sehir will be cut into pieces in an instant."

'...Hmm?'

"Tsk... They actually resorted to such an old trick as taking hostages as threats... How despicable! These guys who fight with laser wires are so annoying!"

Compared to the laser wires that covered the entire forest when they first met, Ashley thought this was easy to deal with.

"How can you call me despicable? Four against one of me, how can you even bring yourself to say that?"

Minerva grumbled, realizing that he had somehow acquired a special chip in his hand.

"What...what do you want to do? Minerva!!"

The bound Cyril shouted angrily, but Minerva ignored him and quickly inserted the chip in the center of his hand into the display device terminal in the center of Cyril's chest.

'【Hollow Dragon】Initiating verification, authentication password...password correct.'

"what?!"

Accompanied by the same intense light as when Mikie was certified, the [Hollow Dragon] that was originally on Cyril quickly disintegrated, turning back into the black box that was originally there, and was then certified by Minerva.

“How…how could this be…” Sehir said in disbelief as he revoked the [Hollow Dragon] certification, “The [Hollow Dragon] was actually taken away…If Minerva, who already possessed formidable power, had used [Ashcroft], it would have created a despairing power gap…”

"Are they here...?!"

Because the knight's lance that came with the [Unicorn] weapon was soaked, Ashley had no choice but to carry a regular lightsaber and be on high alert at all times.

But Minerva just kept laughing, immersed in the joy of gaining the power of Artemisia.

She slightly parted her pink lips, and her tongue gently touched the hard and cold armor surface of Ashcroft.

As her tongue made contact with the armor, a look of extreme intoxication and enjoyment gradually appeared on her face, as if she were tasting the most delicious thing in the world.

"Finally... I got... [Ashcroft]... um... ah~"

Seeing this, Ashley immediately used the powerful propulsion of the [Unicorn] to send the sword hurtling towards her like lightning, carrying a sharp sword aura and the sound of air being torn apart, aiming straight for Minerva's vitals!

However, Minerva displayed extraordinary reaction speed and agility in the face of this sudden and incredibly swift attack.

She swayed and dodged to the side in an instant. The sword strike that was originally sure to hit her just missed her and went straight through the only remaining wall behind her.

Surprisingly, despite successfully avoiding the fatal blow, Minerva did not seem to have any immediate intention of retaliating.

She stood quietly in place, her gaze burning as she looked at the [Ashcroft] she was wearing, then hugged herself tightly.

"Ah~ this excitement... this joy... this power...! I just want to be alone in a quiet place...! Damn it... damn Artemisia... finally... finally... with... me...!! Ah...! Ahhh!!"

In that enchanting moment, Minerva savored the tranquility and beauty, and with a swift movement, she vanished from her spot.

"Damn it...she got away! No, I have to catch up with her right now!" Ashley said anxiously, but Leonora, who was supporting Cecilia, stopped her.

"Wait, Ashley!! Cyril's injuries are serious... We should retreat first..."

"Wait a minute!!" Mikie suddenly shouted, "Please take me with you! That's our common enemy!! Now that the truth is out, let's go together..."

"Shut up, are you ever going to stop? Someone as weak as you, Cyril is only here to protect you..." Ashley said.

"I've figured it out. This is our war... and you should have your own war too, shouldn't you..."

Seraphim, who was leaning against the wall, also spoke up. Perhaps she felt that Minerva was too powerful, and even though Hyakume's proposal was tempting, she didn't want others to die because of her.

“We are enemies vying for [Ashcroft], you can't be with us. Forget about today, you only appeared to have been taken away by me. Now go back and dump everything on me, then you can return to your post…”

After saying that, Saisir and the other two flew away wearing the display device, leaving Mikie standing there in a daze, lost in thought.

"How could this happen..."

A moment later, with lifeless eyes, Mikie walked alone in the forest not far from the AST base on her way back from the outpost. "After I get back... I'll pass these things on to the AST members... That's all I can do now..."

As she walked, the girl's heart sank. "They will understand..."

"In order for Artemisia to be restored to its original state... I'm sure everyone will lend a helping hand... right?"

As Mikie walked aimlessly, a fair-skinned girl was watching her from the forest exit.

"This is Sergeant Origami Tobiichi. This is Private First Class Mikie Okamine..."

Upon seeing Origami, Mikie's eyes suddenly cleared, and she wanted to speak up, "Origami-senpai! Please...wait a minute!! I...!"

"You are a suspected defector. Please remain silent and surrender."

The same emotionless sound of origami drifted over, but Mikie couldn't calm herself down as before.

Then, the truth about Kusakabe Ryoko came to light: "What did Cecil O'Brien talk to you about at the base? And why did you inexplicably escape with her and [Ashcroft]? What are you doing, Mikie!"

Miki remained silent throughout, and was thus escorted back to the AST base by the two men.

Back at the AST base, in Ryoko's office, Miki, wearing handcuffs, stared at Ryoko sitting at her desk.

"Sigh... I never expected you to do something so absurd." Ryoko Hara said in a voice devoid of emotion after hearing what had happened.

"You should know what doing something like this means, right?"

“I…I understand. In a confrontation between two sides, to follow the enemy and leave is…a betrayal of AST.”

As she spoke, Mikie's eyes hardened. "But... I only did the right thing within my capabilities at the time..."

Then Mikie became agitated, "Captain!! They're not the enemy! Please let me explain, our real enemy is..."

"I see...it's DEM..."

Looking into Mikie's eyes, Ryoko didn't detect any suspicion of lying, and spoke as if relieved. But then a serious question arose.

“Miki... If what you just said is true, then we have to protest against DEM, but what you just said lacks strong evidence.”

"Yes, Captain! Yes! The classified documents about these secrets are right where Cecilia and the others were hiding!"

Despite Mikie's one-sided account, Ryoko poured cold water on it, saying, "I had Origami search the place, and there was nothing there."

Mikie's eyes widened. "Impossible! Those documents are clearly there! Wait... maybe those three... or Minerva took them..."

Miki looked anxious, while Ryoko frowned in thought. In the end, she simply slammed her hand on the table and delivered her verdict.

"Based on your suspicion of leaving with the enemy carrying important equipment, as the captain of AST, I hereby issue you an indefinite suspension."

Miki was locked in solitary confinement, her heart filled with resentment and the sadness of her captain, who had fought alongside her, not believing in her.

At that moment, Mildred F. Fujimura, who was extremely close to Mikie when she joined the company and was known as Xiaomi, looked through the crack in the door at the girl curled up on the bed.

"What are you doing, Miss Xiaomi?" Ryoko, who happened to be passing by and was on her way to visit Mikie, asked somewhat unexpectedly.

"Ah!!" Fujimura turned his head in surprise to look at the person who had come.

"Captain Ryoko, well... actually, I, Xiaomi, also bear some responsibility for how Mikie turned out this way. After all, I was there when she was tricked away. If I had been more vigilant, she wouldn't have been tricked."

Xiaomi tried her best to fool Liaozi, and Liaozi didn't expose her. After all, it was on the way that Miki followed Saixier, and she had watched it no less than six times and hadn't seen this person there at all.

Instead, he said with a relaxed expression, "Oh, so you were there too. You didn't report the enemy invasion to us, and you just stood there watching. Since you're so sincere in telling me, then I'll punish you by making you kneel in there for a while."

"Huh?! No need, Captain. Xiaomi still has a lot of work to do, such as maintaining the display devices. The team can't do without me."

Fujimura looked extremely panicked. Wanting to share the burden with his sisters was one thing, but if he got caught, that would be a completely different matter.

Just kidding~

After the joke ended, the two walked together on the polar corridor.

"What are you going to do with Mikie next?" Fujimura asked Ryoko, still concerned about her sister.

"Well... although her sentence is indefinite, she should be released tomorrow. After all, I'm the captain, and unless there are special orders from above, my word is law."

Liao Zi smiled and said that she had seen a certain blonde captain abuse his position for personal gain several times when she was still a team member.

"Huh?! That's such a light punishment."

"My explanation was that although there was punishment, Mikie is now an important fighting force, and the superiors' opinion on DEM has been wavering and they haven't said anything."

"Oh, really? That's really lucky."

Upon hearing Xiaomi blurt out the word "lucky," Liaozi stopped in his tracks with a heavy heart.

"Luck? That's not something that can happen in this kind of situation, or rather, it would be strange if my superior, who usually cuts off my vacation time, were so easy to talk to. Or maybe they just don't want this to escalate, though I don't know why."

"Is that so...? I see...?"

To this, Ryoko simply narrowed her eyes; when dealing with other elves, her intelligence had arguably returned to its peak.

"I feel like something's stirring up trouble right now."

"It really does exude an unusual aura. Don't worry, I've already sent agents to England to investigate. They'll find out the truth about Artemisia and [Ashcroft]."

Xiaomi arrived at her office and, watching Liaozi gradually disappear into the distance, asked one last question:

"Oh!! So you believe what Mikie is saying?"

Liaozi didn't turn around. "No, I still don't believe what she said. That's why I want to find out the truth."

the other side

On the hotel's rooftop, Minerva was meticulously savoring the [Hollow Dragon] while completely naked.

"That's great! Just a little more... just four more Ashcrofts and I can become Artemisia! How exciting!"

Minerva seemed extremely excited as he muttered to himself, his hand gently stroking the sign for "Hollow Dragon".

Just as Minerva was lost in his reverie, a dark figure silently approached.

"Oh, you want to become Artemisia?"

A male voice came silently from the doorway, and Minerva felt extremely cold listening to it.

"Who is it?!"

She immediately covered her chest with her hand, then turned around, holding the "Hollow Dragon" sign, ready to go at any moment, but there was no one there.

"Do you want to become your idol because of your inferiority complex? That's foolish and childish. Actually, if you were younger, I could understand you."

Minerva was startled by these words and shouted angrily:

"Who are you? How dare you fool me, who is about to become Artemisia!"

Minerva spoke angrily, then instantly donned the [Hollow Dragon] and circled around, his laser wires rapidly destroying the room, slicing through the walls the moment they touched them.

"It really brings back memories. This thing must have been designed by that old woman, right? Well, from SSS to DEM equipment, it'll all have passed through her hands to some extent. But... at this age, I didn't expect that old woman Mobius wouldn't have retired yet, but you have to understand..."

As the voice finished speaking, Minerva gradually went mad, "Ah!! Coward, come out! Who are you calling insecure? Come out if you dare! Let me chop you to pieces..."

Minerva's words came to an abrupt halt, and suddenly, a hand was placed on Minerva's shoulder.

Minerva's heart pounded violently, as if it would burst out of her chest. Her eyes widened, and she slowly turned her head away, her face filled with terror.

In that instant, an indescribable force tightly wrapped around her neck, as if countless slender yet incredibly strong threads had suddenly twisted together.

She felt a piercing pain in her neck, a pain that spread rapidly throughout her body like a burning fire.

Then, with a crisp "crack," her head fell off her body without any warning!

The head rolled to the ground, still bearing the expression of utter terror, eyes wide open, mouth slightly agape, as if trying to utter a final cry, but it was all too late…

The dark figure revealed its true form; it was Ming. "You're all using equipment provided by Möbius, but how can you compare to me, someone she's tormented for so long? You're just wielding it savagely."

After saying that, Ming picked up the Hollow Dragon, which had been unbound due to its master's death, examined it carefully for a moment, and then inserted a USB drive.

Then, Ming turned to look at the headless Minerva, "It's a bit of a waste to let her, the culprit, fall. How about I recycle her a little... as a small gift for Mikie to become stronger?"

Ming picked up the head that had just fallen off and put it back on his neck. Black flames rose in his palm to repair the cut, but his other hand was emitting a strange vibration.

"Then... wake up again, Minerva."