Really??

„Well, he did work here longer than you. He also didn’t kill an entire squad when he first awakened, didn’t try to kill himself on my watch, and always behaved well toward his coworkers. He never even argued. All he wanted to do was blow things up.

Too bad he won’t be able to do that anymore; I really enjoyed his simplemindedness. Regarding that topic.”

I was speechless. Were we really arguing about this? After all I’ve done for her? I thought she had changed, at least a little.

“Hello? Were you even listening?” Ai asked, visibly enraged.

“Shush, girl. We’re having a little lover’s quarrel right now.” Takako said, immediately wrapping a sheet of earth around Ai’s mouth and restraining her to the ground. “You two are actually pretty similar so far. So just for you, young one: Don’t think about it.

You may be strong, but that won’t stop me from stopping you. But you felt that last time already, right? I can clearly see all that bruising hasn’t healed yet. You’re under my jurisdiction now, and I don’t tolerate things as depressing as suicide. Giving up isn’t my style.”

“Lover’s what? I’m still engaged, you know? Do you really think…” she cut me off right away.

“No? What, you don’t understand a joke? Right, I haven’t been in the greatest mood as of late. Sorry. I wouldn’t mind though…”

What happened to her? What about her coldness? Did that melt away with this fight? She more deranged than before.

When I looked down, I saw her feet still gushing blood. That must be the cause, hopefully it was just the blood loss, and this wouldn't drag any further.

“Maybe you should see a doctor for those feet, before we continue this discussion. Are you even okay, yourself? You’re paler than before, I think.” I desperately steered the conversation away from… whatever that just was.

“I am fine. That little blood doesn’t bother me. Are you bothered by it? While they won’t regrow, I’d cut them off for you if they bother you. See, girl? This is how you flirt with the person you love.”

She was clearly out of it. I reached for her dress, but a sharp pain rushed through my finger, followed by a thin needle piercing my it from below.

“Don’t! I said I’m fine, right? Just a little rest and I’ll be back up in no time. Just call for backup while I’m gone, alright? Although they should already be on their way.” As she finished that sentence, she fell back to the ground, her calves still clamped under her upper legs.

With nobody left to talk to and Ai restrained, I figured there was nothing else to do. And she definitely wasn’t fine just now. A weak vibration set in below my feet as Takako closed her eyes.

Not again. Please. I can’t do this twice in one day. I…

Just like that, I, too, fell to the ground, unconscious.

I was shaken awake by the same agent who led me to the archives, an old rifle on his back.

“Is Miss Matsumoto alright? She didn’t react to my shaking at all.”

He was genuinely worried to the core, judging by his face.

“I… think? We’re still standing, right? I hope that just means she’s managing fine. Never mind the slight vibrations in the ground, I’m sure that’s just a side-effect of her sleeping off the adrenaline.” I tried reassuring him, but I wasn’t quite certain about our current situation either.

“That’s great. I just received notice that reinforcements are currently busy elsewhere, and we’re supposed to hold out a bit longer. Miss Matsumoto’s command force is currently occupied with terminating multiple strong entities breaching through the rift in the sky.”

I thought that the rift wasn’t anything to worry about. They were breaching through right now?

“What about Ōhara?”

“He’s… dead.”

“Understood.”

We stood there in silence for a few more minutes.

Then, I heard a slight crack coming from near where Ai was laying. She somehow managed to free herself from the restraints, and tried crawling away.

“Stop right there.” Takahashi yelled, pointing his rifle at her legs.

Hearing the sound of him cocking the rifle, she stopped.

“Just stay there. Don’t move.”

“Don’t kill her, please. I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t actually be a threat to her right now.” I pleaded with Takahashi, who, surprisingly, obliged. Was he perhaps the only sane individual in the entire department?

“As you wish.” He put the rifle on his back, and walked towards Ai.

“Just kill me. Or I will, soon enough.”

He knelt down to tend to her wounds, which had healed significantly throughout the entire fight. Slowly, and with a lot of care, he wrapped her bare feet in bandages. He looked like caring for his own child, somehow.

“No, I won’t do that.” He gently fixed the bandages and got back up.

“Alright. With that done, should we maybe take care of the commander’s wounds, too?”

“Sure, that would be great. Can you do that?”

“No. I won’t touch the commander without her express wishes stated through a clear order.”

“I’ll do it, then. Can you at least guide me through it?”

We both knelt over Takako’s legs, diligently wrapping them in some more bandages he had brought. It would still need actual medical attention, but she’d manage with that.

More than an hour later, Takako was back up. She looked deeply disturbed, immediately ripping off the bandages from her feet, and stomping on the ground.

“Did you two do this? Takahashi? Answer me, right now!”

“Yes ma’am. We both agreed that there was something we had to do for your wellbeing.”

“I’ve told both of you before, right? I need my feet to be in contact with the ground directly. Most of all while I’m unconscious. Did you just forget?” She pressed her hand against her forehead and let out a sharp sigh.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. This was the only solution I could think of to at least try and attend your wounds. I will accept any and all punishment.”

“What about the girl, is she still alive?”

“Yes…” Ai muttered from the side.

“And where are my reinforcements? Surely, they must have come by now.”

“No, ma’am. It seems like there is an endless flow of entities currently emerging from the rift above the city, and all squads were mobilized to keep their spread as contained as possible,” Takahashi explained, Takako’s face returning to her usual, mostly expressionless face.

“But there’s surely someone on their way to check on our situation, is there not? Considering my importance in the department?”

“There’s rumors on the radio of Doctor Wada being on his way here, but that wasn’t confirmed by his guards yet.”

“Wada? I suppose maybe we should kill her, then. What do you think, Laura? You’ve read more than me when you were in that room, have you not? I could grant her a quick death, or she’ll suffer just as much as all of the others you read about in those files. His fingers reach deep inside every process throughout the entire department, so there won’t be any escape for her otherwise.”

What? Waste everything I’ve just been through with her? I tried so hard to save her, and didn’t even properly manage that, only for her to end up on some examination table like me?

“I’ll join you, then.”

It was Ai’s voice that said the first words after Takako’s disturbing proclamation just then.

“Join us? Really? Didn’t you just beg for death a few moments ago?”

“That was before I heard what was just said. Spiritual entities descending upon the city doesn’t sound too good to me. I still know a few people who live here, and they shouldn’t be in danger.”

“You really are a bit like her, you know? Just a tinge too compassionate for me to properly fall for,” Takako joked. “But whatever. If it’s what you wish for, sure. In our current situation, we’ll need every helping hand we can get.”

From the distance, a helicopter appeared. After landing just moments later, Satoru stepped out, making a proposition.