Rinne

Bmm, bmm... Bmm...

A low sound echoed in its ears, and it woke up. In its hazy vision, the world was dyed blue. As its murky consciousness became clearer, it realized its whole body was submerged in liquid. It felt pleasant, neither too hot nor too cold. Even so, an icy sensation in its abdomen brought feelings of discomfort. There was a stabbing pain, and when it looked to its abdomen, there was a tube from below attached there—

—!?

Suddenly, pain coursed through its whole body. It tried to twist around to remove the tube, but its body wouldn't listen at all.

Boom, boom... Boom...

Its ears were ringing. Even louder than before. A sharp pain assailed its body, like being stabbed with needles.

Ga-chunk. Ga-chunk...

There was a feeling, like some other creature walking around in its head. Each time that creature wriggled about, the pain surged. Instinctively, it sensed its own death.

No, I don't want to die!

As it thrashed in sheer desperation, a figure appeared beyond the rising bubbles. It drew closer to the figure with all its might. The figure was a woman with tears at the corners of her eyes. Her expression was a mixture of shame and regret, her lips pressed tightly together as if suppressing a voice boiling up from within.

Help—me, he—lp—

It moved its lips to beg the woman for help, but its pleas wouldn't reach her. Its strength finally exhausted, it drifted in the liquid, thin arms hanging limply.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

A shrill electronic warning rang through the cylindrical room. Nothing in particular changed. Each researcher engaged in their work made a face that said, "Again?" as they stared at the source of the sound. It came from one of the many Ω-shaped cylinders lined up in the room. A woman in a white coat was checking the inside from the glass top of the cylinder. A child's figure floated powerlessly in liquid that had been dyed red.

"...Confirmed death of Subject 006," she said plainly, trembling slightly. She pretended to adjust her glasses and managed to stop the tremors from spreading through her whole body.

"What's the response?"

"Eee!"

The woman in the white coat heard the head researcher's voice behind her, and tried to explain without letting her discomposure show.

"U-Unclear. Most likely, the subject's body could not withstand the erosion."

"Let's purr-epare another subject right away," the head said, then sighed deliberately. "Dr. Ibis has high hopes fur us. We can't betray that trust. Get results. You don't want to join the test subjects too, do you meow?"

Just then, there was a small electronic beep. The woman could hear the head speaking to someone behind her.

Their conversation ended quickly. The head seemed to be moving farther away, so she asked "D-Dr. Lavina, where are you going?"

"Sounds like something happened outside the city."

Lavina left the room, grumbling, "Why me...?"

Left behind, the woman put her still-trembling finger to the word "Discard" on the console.

The discarded Subject 006 floated through the sewers outside the city to arrive at the sluice gate outside the purification facility. Here, research subjects were broken down at the molecular level and purified. However, there was always a waiting period before a complete purification could be carried out. Until the "traffic jam" cleared out, the sluice would double as a storage tank.

Fshhh... Fshhh...

Whenever the next subject was sucked inside the facility, the water level rose and fell dramatically. The sound of water and test subjects sloshing against the walls echoed eerily through the pitch darkness. Suddenly, something floating in the water emitted a faint light.

Pshhh!

Surfacing from the water with a splash was Subject 006, who should have been dead.

"..."

006 had no idea what had happened, and checked their body, bewildered.

"Why...am I...?"

They should have died a horrible death, like something had torn them apart from the inside. That feeling was gone. Now, all they felt was a sense of floating, and the chill of the water.

"— — — —"

"!?"

Something seemed to whisper from inside their head. 006 couldn't understand the words exactly, but they felt them: "You have been reborn."

"Okay, got it."

006 stretched the tentacle-like sensory organs at the nape of their neck left and right, touching the other subjects floating in the water. The subjects slowly integrated with the sensory organs—and transformed into clothing that wrapped around 006. Then, they stretched the organs upward. When they caught on the edge of the gate, 006 leapt out of the sluice, escaping the purification process.

"Done. Now what?"

No matter how intently they listened, the whisper wouldn't reply.

"..."

006 had no particular attachment, however, and began pulling at the threads of their memory about what happened to them. However, the only image that came to mind was the view from inside some kind of container, and a woman looking at them.

"Don't get it. What do I do?"

As 006 stared blankly at the sky, they spotted a band of light stretching toward the sky further back.

"Feels like I was there."

Even 006 had no idea why they thought that. It felt like their instincts were saying it. Having found a place to go, 006 set off following the waterway toward the one ray of light in the darkness.

"...!?"

Just then, 006 felt their hair stand on end, and turned around.

There was nothing there. Even so, they had definitely felt something. 006 leapt over the waterway and ran madly.

All to find the answer beyond the darkness.

006 moved, guided by their senses, and ended up saving people from being attacked by a group of men. Their names were William and Irene, a boy and girl who looked just a bit older than them.

"Um, what is your name?"

When Irene asked that, 006 realized they didn't have a name. When they explained that, the pair were deeply sadded, and offered a name just for them.

Rinne.

Apparently, it was a reference to the author of a picture book Irene liked. For Irene, who normally gave names to fairies and fictional characters, it probably wasn't a big deal. But for Rinne, it felt special.

"Rinne. Rinne. Rinne..."

Each time Rinne hummed the name to themself, a warm feeling slowly spread through them.

"Rinne!"

Rinne didn't know why they felt that way, but a smile naturally rose to their face. At the same time, they thought, I've gotta do something for those two. Rinne decided to ask, "So hey, where are you two going?"

In the world shrouded by darkness, there was no need to ask—and sure enough, it was the same place Rinne was heading.

"I know it," Rinne said, and the pair's faces flooded with relief.

Good. That made them happy. Rinne felt warmth fill their body once again.

"You know that place, Rinne?"

"Yep. 'Cause I used to live there."

Rinne couldn't remember anything about it. They had only followed their instincts, but Rinne figured saying it that way would make them happier.

"If you lived there, then...there must be a town under the light, right, William?"

"Yeah. Maybe we'll find some clues there."

"Lemme lead the way," Rinne said.

"Wow, really? Please do, Rinne!" Irene replied.

And so, the three of them set toward the base of the light that stretched to the heavens.

----------

Some time later...

The three finally arrived at the base of the light. There, they found a city surrounded by huge, gently sloping walls. The towering walls prevented them from knowing what was inside, but the glaring neon lights on the buildings peeking over the walls created a strange spectacle.

"Come this way."

As William and Irene gawked at the dazzling buildings, Rinne tugged on their sleeves and started walking away from the walls. They arrived at the entrance to a culvert, an underground waterway. Thanks to the mix of wastewater and domestic water that passed through, a unique smell often lingered in the air. Here was no exception—the moment Rinne opened the door, the stench assaulted their noses.

"Whoa!?"

"Eugh...mm...guh!"

William adapted quickly, but it seemed to be quite intense to Irene. She tried her hardest to endure it, covering her nose and mouth with her hands as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"Irene, you okay?" Rinne asked.

"..."

Irene nodded weakly.

"Okay. Follow me."

With Rinne in the lead, the group stepped into the huge cavity. The three of them walked along an inspection pathway that ran through the culvert. The water level at their feet was low, and the temperature was warmer than outside. They arrived at their destination about ten minutes after entering the culvert.

"Climb here and you'll come out on the street."

A large ladder was set against the wall next to Rinne. A faint light leaked through a long hole at the top. William put a foot on the ladder and tried climbing a little. It seemed quite sturdy, and didn't make any strange noises.

"Yeah, it seems fine."

Irene nodded at his words and gingerly reached for the ladder, then began her slow climb.

"..."

What now? Rinne thought as they watched the pair climb the ladder. They had only said they would guide them to the city. They had already fulfilled that duty. What kind of face should I make at times like this?

There was no answer in Rinne's memory. Rinne decided to see them off with an ambiguous expression, neither happy nor sad.

"Rinne, aren't you coming?" William called.

"Huh?"

Rinne's face flicked up at William's voice. The pair had stopped climbing and were returning to Rinne.

"You're...sure? I can come with?"

"Yeah. That was always the plan... Were you just gonna leave without saying anything?"

"..."

Rinne never expected to hear those words, and didn't know how to respond, only making an inscrutable expression with drooping eyebrows.

"You aren't going anywhere, are you, Rinne?" Irene asked.

"No," Rinne whispered, so softly the word almost disappeared.

A beautiful smile blossomed on Irene's face. "It's a big relief to have you with us!"

"I feel the same way," William said. "It's up to you to decide what to do."

Ripples wavered in Rinne's red eyes.

"I want to go with you!"

At that moment, a new wish was born within Rinne.

What greeted William and the others when they climbed the ladder to the surface were high-rise buildings decorated by colorful neon lights and fog. Its inhabitants were a race of humanoid beastmen with animal characteristics called "Anthro." When the group couldn't hide their wonder and excitement, the beastmen bore their fangs and attacked. Then, a certain someone appeared when they were in a predicament. Her name was Gigi. She was a mechanical doll who worked for one of Neon Nebula's powerful rulers.

Gigi had led them through the district ruled by Anthros and into the district ruled by her master, Momo. In contrast to the countless buildings in Neon Nebula with their chaotic architectural styles, Momo's estate was built with a distinct sense of order. Its uniform ivory walls and warm lighting made it feel completely isolated from its surroundings. In William's world, it could have been a high-class hotel for the wealthy.

"This way."

William hurried into the elevator at Gigi's urging. They arrived at the top floor, where ornate double doors waited at the end of the hallway.

"Momo, I have brought guests."

The doors beeped and slowly opened in response.

"I wonder what kind of person they are," William said.

"My heart's pouding..." Irene said.

Engulfed in the grandiose atmosphere, the three wore tense expressions. In an effort to distract himself, William tried to picture Momo in his head.

A hotel with this ambience, and a mechanical doll... The boss controls a huge part of the city, like something out of a gangster movie... I bet they've got a stern face. Maybe the name "Momo" is to trip up enemies who let their guard down.

There, behind the open door, was—

"Hm?"

The room was rather barren. It was spacious, but there was nothing of note besides a desk and chair in the center, and a sofa. What was more, the person who should have been there was nowhere to be found.

"No one's...here..." Irene spoke up.

"What's going on?"

Ignoring their confusion, Gigi walked up to the desk and bowed her head to it.

"Momo, from the right, our guests are William, Irene, and Rinne."

"Mmm. Good work!" came a high-pitched voice from somewhere.

"Um, where is Momo?" Irene asked.

"Hey now, I'm right here!"

"Wha—huh!?"

Irene spotted a small chair at the back of the shelves atop the desk. Sitting in the chair was a small...thing, like a head with one large eye that had sprouted ears and a body.

"What!?"

"Whoa..."

"?"

As William and the others each reacted in their own way, Momo leapt into the air, crossed her arms, and laughed heartily. The golden earring on her right ear emitted a dim light.

"Keheh, fun bunch, arent'cha?"

"Y-You're Momo!?"

"You got that right—Momo here!" she said, twirling around in place. At the sight of her pure white coat fluttering in the air, Rinne muttered, "Cute!"

"Isn't she!?" Irene exclaimed, delighted that Rinne shared her love of cute things. As they joined hands and laughed together, William warned them:

"Hey—calling the boss cute is rude!"

"Keheh, your eyes say a lot more than your words, boy. I know you're wondering about my body, yeah?"

Momo added, "Look!" and spun around in front of him. Involuntarily, William followed her with his gaze, then suddenly met Momo's big round eye.

"Ahhh!"

"The hell're you yelling for?"

William finally realized that he had seen Momo on one of the advertisements around town. He also realized the source of his déjà vu back then. Having just barely stopped himself from saying, "There's talking clione in this world," he quickly changed the subject.

"I—I saw you on an ad on the street."

"'Course you did. Neon Nebula's ruled jointly by three powers."

Momo began to speak in a low tone, straight to the point. "Now, from your reaction to me...like I thought, you lot aren't from this world."

"H-How can you tell!?"

"I-Irene! If you say that, then—ah."

"Keheh, not too good at the whole 'keeping secrets' thing, eh?"

William determined there was no point to hiding any further information, and disclosed where they had come from.

"Mmm, so you were fighting in that sand world when you were suddenly transported to this world. That's an awful lot to believe," Momo said, then stopped and sighed. "Or so I'd like to say, but from your sudden appearance at the observation point and the things you lot are wearing, you've convinced me."

Momo looked back and forth between William's belongings on the desk, and Irene. Her distinctive hair was unseen among the Humans of Neon Nebula.

"You got any clue why you shifted?"

"No," Irene answered.

"I see. Well then, who are you?" Momo asked, sitting down in her chair and swiveling toward Rinne.

"Rinne saved us from an attack at the dam and guided us here," William explained.

"We owe them our lives," Irene added.

Rinne nodded eagerly along with their words.

"Gigi told me we'd have three guests, but you..."

Momo seemed to have an inkling about Rinne's escape. Even so, she muttered, "eh, whatever," and put the conversation back on track. "Like I thought, if we want to find out why, we'll have to follow the other response."

"The other response...? Wait, you mean..."

"That's right, one of the responses we detected outside Neon Nebula's turned up somewhere else."

"No way..."

"He's here..."

William and Irene were visibly panicked. Irene had turned especially pale.

"We won't know if it's the person you're thinking of 'til we check. Gigi, how's your progress?"

Gigi, who had been silent at Momo's side, opened her mouth to speak. "Unclear. Ibis has already seen to the observation point. However, there have been no reports of such a person."

"I see."

"However, if they are a visitor from another world, perhaps they are moving through the mountains or hiding within the city."

Momo gave Gigi instructions. "Gigi, feel free to bring guards with you. Whatever it takes to find 'em."

"Understood."

"Please wait!" Irene cried hurriedly before Gigi could leave the room. "That man, he...twisted Miss Velwitschia's neck right in front of me. Please, Miss Gigi, be careful."

The image must have sprang back into her mind. Irene pressed a hand to her lips and crouched down.

"Irene!?"

"You okay, Irene!?"

Even with Rinne supporting her body, Irene looked weak enough to topple over at any moment.

"Momo, can I ask a favor?" William spoke.

"What's that?"

"Irene's been on the run all this time. She needs somewhere to rest safely. And if it's not too much, some food and clothing, too."

Momo sighed deliberately and looked at William in astonishment. "You're a greedy one, aren'tcha? What do I get in return, eh?"

"Information. I'll tell you anything about the world I came from. If that's not enough, you can put me to work."

William knew it was hardly a fair exchange. Still, he had nothing else to give.

"Use me too!" Rinne piped up.

"One more brat doesn't make much difference," Momo said. "But...it's true that three freeloaders won't hurt my wallet."

"Then..."

Momo accepted his request.

"Gigi, show these two to a room below."

"Understood."

With that, Gigi lifted Irene in her arms and left the room with Rinne. William tried to follow, but Momo's voice from behind stopped him.

"Is there something else?" he asked.

"A contract. Don't you make them in your world? Or are you all pushovers who rely on spoken promises?"

"Oh..."

Momo leaned back in her chair and operated something on the armrest, projecting the text of a contract in front of William. He couldn't read the letters at all, but Momo took the trouble to explain it verbally so he could understand. Once he had finished listening to all of it, he signed the image.

"Now the contract's established."

"Thank you, Momo. I won't let you down," William said, extending his hand to her.

"The hell's that?"

"It's a handshake. In my world, we use it as a greeting or to make an agreement—it means you trust each other."

"Oho?"

Momo flew toward William and placed both hands on his thumb.

"How's that?"

"Good."

Her hands were cool to the touch. William couldn't know what she really thought about them. Even so, he was sure he conveyed his true feelings. Hoping their relationship would last a long time to come, he once more said "thank you" to Momo.

As Momo's guests, William and the others received special treatment. Despite the stipulation of Momo's supervision, they were treated exceptionally well. In addition to food, clothing, and shelter, she would even provide currency if needed.

After William formed his contract with Momo, he went to the room where Irene and Rinne waited. He had expected them to be in separate rooms, but when he told Momo that, she glared daggers at him, saying, "And what happens if you're not by her side!?"

With that, William decided to stay at Irene's side.

"Wow...pretty big room," he remarked.

The rooms on this floor were apparently reserved for special guests, and spaced quite far apart. Guards were posted in the hall to protect them. William walked down the hall and greeted the guards, finally arriving at the room's entrance. The door opened silently. The interior of the room was as extravagant as a luxury hotel in Megacity Libra, if not more so.

"There's no way my part-time work would cover a stay at a hotel in Libra, and here I am..."

He felt something brush against him and looked down, where he saw Irene and Rinne's shoes lined up in a row. He took his shoes off accordingly, and headed to the living room. The two of them were nowhere to be seen in the spacious room.

"They must be pretty tired. Sleeping already, maybe?"

William walked down the hall and found the bedroom not long after. However, they were not there.

"Irene! Rinne! Where'd you go!?"

"—!"

He thought he heard Irene scream. He followed the sound with his eyes and noticed another passage at the back of the bedroom.

"Irene!"

William had just run past the bed when—

"Oh, William! Welcome back!"

"Hiya!"

He heard the sound of splashing water, and Irene and Rinne emerged from the other end of the hall, soaked from head to toe.

"...U—Um!?"

The two of them were stark naked and hopping around, carefree.

"This room is incredible, William!" Irene exclaimed. "There's so much hot water!"

"Wh—hold on!" William cried, turning his face away and squeezing his eyes shut as they approached him. "Y-You two put some clothes on!"

"What's wrong, William?"

"Your eyes hurt?" Rinne asked.

I'm not looking. I didn't see anything!

William scolded himself to get it together!, but the image of their skin, Rinne's pink and Irene's pale, peeking through the gaps in the silver hair that clung to her body, wouldn't leave his head.

"W-Why did you come out naked!?"

"We were taking a bath! You'll see if you join us—you'll feel great, like all your fatigue's been blown away!"

"Wanna join?" Rinne added.

That was not what William had meant by his question, but it was hardly the time to explain all that.

"I get it, it's great!" he screamed. "Just go dry off right now and put some clothes on!"

After the two of them responded to William's desperate plea, he explained the proper etiquette when taking a bath. Frantically, he explained not to be naked in front of others, not to run and fall, not to flood the room. Once they had left the bath, William bathed alone, washing the dirt from his body. The bathtub seemed awfully large for humans to use, perhaps intended for a large beastman.

"What a day..." William sighed.

As he stared idly at the steam-clouded ceiling, William found a moment of peace.

----------

After the bath, William left the bedroom and headed for the balcony, careful not to wake the other two in their sleep. The balcony was wide, with enough space to hold a little party if you set up some tables and chairs. The view was too wondrous for William to put into words. Its beauty made him realize once again that he had truly wandered into a different world.

"Can we really get back to our own worlds...?"

He sighed and took a deep breath in. The cool breeze eased his flushed skin.

"...William, how was your bath?"

"Oh... Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Don't worry about it," Irene said calmly, standing next to him. "Want to chat?"

Atop the balcony lit by neon lights diffused through the fog, the two of them confided in each other about things they hadn't spoken of in a long time. The conversation turned to the underground city Irene lived in.

"I'm glad I understand why you were so happy about the bath, Irene."

Learning about her living environment explained a lot of things about her. In her world, there was a rule that large groups had to shower together to conserve electricity. There was no such thing as a bathtub for individuals or small groups.

"Sorry for making a mess of it. And I'll be careful not to run around naked," she said.

"Y-Yeah..." William stuttered bashfully. "Well, let's set that aside."

Unable to bear the topic any longer, he changed the subject. About his own world. About friends. There was no shortage of conversation topics. They each were especially interested in picture books and movies. William asked about the picture books Irene read. Irene asked about the movies William liked to watch. By detailing the emotions those creative works made them feel, they could put together the puzzle pieces of each other's histories.

"I wonder why...when I hear you talk, Irene, you don't seem like a stranger."

"Heh, I was just thinking the same thing."

Neither knew why they felt that way about the other, but they were both brimming with curiosity. After they laughed for a moment, William lowered his voice and asked a deeper question.

"Irene...do you want to go back to the world where your mother is?"

"...Yes." Irene took a deep breath and confessed the feelings she had almost given up on. "I want to see her again. And find out what happened in Solaris that day."

Her voice was trembling. William didn't say a word as she revealed her feelings. There were plenty of things he could say to console her, but he knew none of them would solve the heart of the matter.

A silence fell over them both. However, it was not a painful, heart-wrenching silence, but a comforting one.

"Is there anyone you want to meet?" Irene asked, breaking the silence.

William thought for a moment, then simply said, "The one I want to—no, the one I have to meet...is a bad guy."

"Bad guy...?" Irene asked, cocking her head at the strange phrase.

William had expected that reaction, and a self-deprecating smile crossed his face.

"I first saw him when I was still little," he said. "He has the power to control a glowing silver liquid and change its shape."

Then, he stretched his index fingers out from the sides of his head, imitating him. "And his head curves up like a boomerang."

Irene couldn't help but break into a grin at the gap between William's earnest expression and his goofy appearance.

"U-Um, why do you want to meet him?" she asked.

"I want to ask him something. About what he did to my father that day, and about my eyes."

William was still a young child back then. His father was the type to get totally absorbed in his research, and sometimes wouldn't come back from the lab for days at a time. William had very few memories of his father playing with him or giving him attention. One day, he happened upon a "bad guy" who controlled a shining silver liquid. Surely, he thought, that would make his father interested in him. When he went to tell him about it, his father's face paled, and he suddenly went into hiding.

"It was a long time before I saw him again, and then he was like a totally different person. So I want to find that 'bad guy' and ask what he did to him."

"What does that have to do with your eyes?"

"I can see strange things."

He told her about the men who attacked them at the dam.

"Do you remember when I asked you if you saw anything back then?"

"Oh, yeah..." Irene muttered as she glanced toward the sky.

"Yeah. They looked like normal people to you, but their heads looked half transparent to me."

"Huh?"

"The same way you have the power to move through space, I have the power to see strange things, and touch them."

"So then, maybe that 'bad guy' you saw..."

"...Was something only I could see," William finished, a faraway look in his eyes. He tried not to sound gloomy, but she seemed to get what he was saying.

Irene spun around in place, as if she had thought of something.

"I-Irene?"

"How do I look to you, William?"

She blinked her eyes and looked up at him. Her wide eyes sparkled, melting together with the neon city lights to form tiny nebulae. If he kept looking into them, he felt he could get sucked in.

"...you're..."

"What did you say?"

"I said you're prett—uh, never mind! Forget I said anything!"

William felt a sudden heat in the center of his face. Before he could burst into flames, he turned away and put both hands on the railing. Then, he buried his face in the gap between his arms and sighed deeply.

"William?"

He turned back to her and grinned wide. "Thanks for cheering me up, Irene."

"I'm...not sure what I said...but I'm glad you're feeling better."

The two of them decided on new goals to survive in this world, where they could hardly tell left from right. William would find that "bad guy" and ask about his father and his eyes. Irene would return to Solaris to find out whether her mother was safe, and what happened on that day.

William's world, Irene's world, Wasteland, and Neon Nebula. There were probably more worlds out there that neither of them knew about. Finding a way home from here might be incredibly difficult. Even so, they were sure they would find clues someday. They believed that if they resolved all their questions one by one, then someday, surely, they would be able to move forward.

"By the way, William, what's your father's name?"

"Oh...I never mentioned it, huh? His name is Eve—"

As William was about to say his father's name, he narrowed his eyes at the holographic advertisement playing opposite the balcony, seeing an unnatural glint.

"What's wrong?"

"There was something over there just n—"

Scrrreeeeeech!

An ear-splitting high-pitched sound suddenly rang out. William and Irene were assaulted by relentless waves of sound and fell to their knees, holding their heads.

"Ah...!"

"Ngh...what's...!?"

"Hmmm? Pawfully tenacious for a couple of Humans!"

A woman's voice came from the sky. His face scrunched up, William looked upwards to see a beastman riding a flying saucer, leaning back with a provocative grin on her face.

As William and Irene set new goals for themselves on the balcony, they were suddenly attacked by a female beastman. She pointed her paw pads at William and shouted haughtily.

"The name's Lavina Kitten! Genius head researcher at the IDC! Invaders from another world, purr-epare for your lives to—mrow!?"

There was no one there to listen to her words. When she started to introduce herself, William and Irene had disappeared into the living room, carried by Rinne.

"D-Don't ignore me, you...you little rats!"

As Lavina shouted, her saucer fired sound waves toward the living room. However, the building's defense system blocked them easily.

"Nyaaah!? Urgh, I told him not to attack on his own! This is why I hate Humans!"

She stamped her feet on the saucer, then immediately regained her composure and launched a drone to intercept the defense system.

"There's no getting away from meee!"

Meanwhile, William and the others fled from the bedroom to the living room, where they heard a scraping sound behind them. They leapt into the hallway where the guards stood. The lights were low, making it quite dim. A rectangular barricade was set up outside the room and a guard waited with his gun at the ready. When he noticed them, he shouted in a panic.

"Why are you outside? It's dangerous; get back inside, quick!"

"Can't! Room's under attack!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing Rinne's awkward explanation, the guard leapt into action. He lifted the metal barricade with one hand, said, "I'm headed to the basement, where Momo is," and started walking.

William, who was finally starting to feel better, asked, "What's going on?"

"A single Human is attacking us. We thought we could handle him easily, but it seems he's breaking through all our defenses with a strange power."

A strange power. There was only one person that came to mind. A memory flashed through Irene's head of the brown-skinned man who attacked her. He had appeared at Velwitschia's home before she spent even a full day there. And despite her escaping into the desert with her teleportation ability, he followed her so precisely.

"W-Why is he so serious about finding me...?" she lamented.

Booom!

Just then, the wall along the hall leading to the elevator collapsed into rubble. A piece of rubble hit the guard who led the way, smacking him hard into the opposite wall.

"Gah...!"

"Are you okay!?"

As William moved forward to help him, he was interrupted by a shrill, hair-raising voice.

"Nyahahaha! Where d'you think you're going?"

Lavina's figure emerged from the collapsed wall.

"Kh...!"

"Too slow!"

A mechanical arm emerged from the base of her saucer and approached William. As its four-pronged hand nearly grabbed at him—something stopped it cold.

"Nyah!?"

Rinne blocked the way between Lavina and William. Their sensory organs shone with a faint light as they grabbed the mechanical arm and refused to let go.

"I got it, William," Rinne said, their voice no longer bright as a bell, but somewhat cold.

"Rinne...?"

"Rinne!"

"No time, hurry!" Rinne insisted.

William replied, "Got it," and propped the guard up over his shoulder before heading back.

Rinne watched him and Irene leave, then turned back to Lavina.

"Th-Those sensory organs...what's a test subject doing here!?"

"You know me?"

"Wanna know how? Be good fur me and hand over the Humans!"

"Can't." Rinne smiled with glassy eyes, expanding the sensory organs left and right. "I'll protect them."

"You've got some real nerve!"

Lavina extended all the arms at once to attack Rinne. As the two grappled with each other, they disappeared beyond the wall.