Chapter 31: Departure, Waiting, and Reunion

Kidnapping?

Kidnapping? The senior is kidnapping me? Why?

‘I definitely attacked her with full force—so much so I could’ve actually killed her…’

In Kabi’s mind, the scene from just now played out faintly like a blurry panorama.

If she had been in Leilia’s place, there’s no way she could’ve dodged the Discharge Grinder

attack she had swung with all her might.

But Leilia was different.

In that brief moment, Leilia moved so strangely and quickly that even Kabi’s brain and

eyes—enhanced by Neural Overclock—couldn’t fully track it.

And then, right after dodging, a single counterpunch.

Just one punch shattered Kabi’s defense shield like a soap bubble, instantly vaporized all

the energy poured into it, and even broke her chest armor—supposedly the toughest QPD

cyberware—into pieces.

How was something like this even possible?

Especially when Leilia was still using outdated implants, far worse than the ones Kabi had

left behind at QPD?

‘Is this what they mean by a difference in skill—or talent?’

Kabi had known that Leilia was strong.

But not this strong.

When Leilia was still a “senior” in QPD, she’d seemed so overwhelmingly powerful that it

was hard to grasp how strong she actually was.

But today, after clashing fists directly, Kabi finally understood.

Ah… how foolish she’d been to think she had grown strong.

To assume she could overpower Leilia at this level—how fatal that arrogance was.

Because of that arrogance and misjudgment, she was going to die today.

Right here, on the stinking rooftop of some old slum building in Zone 9—this would be her

grave.

Even she wouldn’t have let someone weaker attack her and just walk away. They would’ve

paid the price instantly.

So what would a senior, much stronger than her, do?

To Leilia, every other human must feel like a fly.

And yet—Leilia didn’t kill her.

“This doesn’t hurt too bad, right? Even if it does, there’s no other option, so just bear with

it.”

What was this?

Mercy? Compassion? Love for humanity? Or was it just winner’s grace? Maybe whim?

Kabi couldn’t understand Leilia’s reason for trying to save her—going as far as calling it

“kidnapping.”

So she asked again, struggling to get the words out.

“Why… are you…”

But her lungs were so damaged, the words barely came out.

Leilia, who was carefully carrying her down the stairs step by step, frowned at the

question.

“Hey, do my words sound like shit to you? What did I just say earlier? Even though I got

the artificial lungs working again, they could stop at any moment, so don’t push it. Why do

you keep saying pointless crap and making it worse? You want me to hit you again? Huh?”

A chilling warning not to open her mouth again.

But even that warning had some subtle warmth and concern mixed in.

Obeying the warning, Kabi shut her mouth tight and just kept thinking—and suddenly, she

realized something.

‘Could it be… even back then?’

—“I’ll go on this mission alone. If you have complaints, say them now.”

—“That’s not fair! No matter how amazing you are, QPD is made up of five people, and the

Kyro Society told us to go together! Why do you always handle things by yourself?”

So was she just upset?

—“Upset? No, I’m just dumbfounded!”

—“If anyone should be dumbfounded, it’s me—because your skills suck. If you’ve got time

to whine, go train more. That’s all.”

 Captain! Senior! Hey! Leilia, you asshole!”

Back then, Kabi had just felt frustrated.

She’d endured the Kyro Society’s brutal battle nun training, proven her worth over and

over, and finally made it into the most elite combat unit—QPD.

But some pretty-faced woman was already sitting in the captain’s seat, taking all the

missions for herself?

Even if she complained to the other QPD members, they’d just say:

—“She’s strong, though.”

—“Dumbass, if you’re that pissed, beat Leilia and become captain. Why are you crying to

me?”

—“I’m good with it. Thanks to her, I get to slack off all the time in QPD. It’s awesome.”

‘Pathetic idiots.’

In the end, Kabi gave up and accepted it with bitterness and resignation.

Even when she tried to report it higher up:

—“Sister Kabash. We’ve received your message. However, as we’ve said before, the Order

does not directly control QPD. The Holy See simply alerts QPD when military action is

needed. Since Sister Leilia became the unit’s First Blade and has never failed a mission, we

see no need to interfere.”

Basically, they said: Leilia gets results, so we’re fine with it.

So Kabi had no choice left.

‘Then there’s only one path…’

Get stronger.

Stronger and stronger—until she could beat Leilia and become captain.

Fueled by that one goal, she trained and upgraded her implants like crazy.

Then, one day—out of nowhere—Leilia left the Order.

—“You’re really leaving?”

—“Yeah.”

—“The Order seriously just let a human weapon like you walk away?”

—“What kind of mission did you complete for them to give up on you like that?”

—“If you’re curious, watch the news tomorrow.”

Blood—still mixed with water—dripped from Leilia’s body, not yet fully washed off.

How urgent must the mission have been for her to leave right after, without even

showering?

That day, the faint bloodstains on the floor gave Kabi chills.

—“Say hi to the others for me. Or don’t. Whatever. I’m leaving.”

…Don’t go.

Why did she say that?

Kabi didn’t really know.

She just felt that if she didn’t stop Leilia now, she’d regret it forever.

So she grabbed her.

—“Don’t go, senior.”

—“What? I thought you hated me?”

—“I do. I hate you.”

Leilia was packing and clearly irritated.

—“Then why are you being annoying? I don’t have time for this.”

—“Still, don’t go. Stay and keep being QPD captain. If you leave, then what was the point of

me training so hard to beat you and take your place?”

—“You could train forever and still never catch up.”

—“You don’t know that until we try!”

Leilia, who didn’t have many personal belongings, shoved everything into a single large

bag and stood in front of Kabi, who blocked the exit.

Drip. Water fell from her soaked silver hair, echoing like thunder in the quiet basement.

—“Move.”

—“No.”

—“Move.”

—“I said no!”

Leilia sighed, tired, ran her hand through her hair—and said with her eyes closed:

—“This is the last time I’ll ask nicely. Move.”

Kabi’s heart sank in fear.

Her eyes—enhanced like every QPD member’s—glowed red.

But beyond those blood-red irises… something vast, incomprehensible was staring down at

her from another dimension.

What was that?

How could something like that be hiding inside a person?

Just as the pressure nearly suffocated her—

Leilia gently pushed past her shoulder, snapping her back to consciousness.

She tried to shout don’t go again, but her throat locked up.

Her body had learned what her mind couldn’t grasp:

She couldn’t stop Leilia from leaving—no matter what she said.

And she wasn’t nearly strong enough to stop her by force.

So she couldn’t say don’t go anymore.

All she could do was swallow her boiling frustration.

—‘If I can’t stop her from leaving…’

Drip.

Blood trickled from her lip, bitten hard in fury.

—‘Then I’ll just bring her back.’

But how?

—‘Get stronger.’

Strong enough to never lose anything she truly wanted again.

She made that vow…

“Oh wow. I left you alone for a while and you didn’t even try to run? You liked becoming

my tegomma that much?”

“Where would I even run to? Even if I ran back to the Circuit Rams hideout, you’d just

smash your way through from the front door to the rooftop and drag me back.”

“That’s true.”

Leilia nodded exaggeratedly.

“Anyway, enough useless talk. So what were you even”

“Whoa, calm down. Why the hell are you screaming?”

“That’s a corpse, right? You seriously killed someone in Zone 9 while I was gone?!”

“A corpse? This?”

Leilia raised Kabi’s limp arm.

“You even brought her into the car? You couldn’t just dump her in some alley? The junkies

would’ve dismantled her clean!”

“You little punk! That’s my perfectly alive junior you’re insulting!”

“This might be the second or third time I’m saying this… but seriously, if you get hit wrong

by one of Leilia’s flicks, you could die…”

“Then don’t say stuff worth getting hit for?”

‘What is this situation even?’

Despite her fading consciousness, Kabi couldn’t believe this absurd back-and-forth.

‘The Leilia I knew—who didn’t have an ounce of humanity—is joking?’

“Anyway, she’s still alive now, but give it an hour and she’ll probably die. Her artificial

heart’s smashed.”

Why?”

“Because I hit her.”

What?”

Way turned to inspect Kabi’s body more closely.

“You punched her? With your fist?”

“What kind of punch punches a hole through someone’s chest? She looks like she got run

over by heavy machinery.”

“My punch is stronger than getting hit by a truck.”

“…And you’re proud of that?”

 That’s true though! Why hit me again?!”

“This time it wasn’t because of what you said.”

“Then why?!”

“You peeked at my junior’s chest, you perv!”

Leilia shouted while using torn suit pieces to cover Kabi’s chest.

“I did not! There’s barely a chest left to peek at with that hole punched through!”

 You just looked again, didn’t you?!”

“No! I swear I’m not a pervert!!”

“Then get the car moving. We need to get her to the Kage safehouse and operate.”

“A heart surgery? Can’t we go to a regular hospital?”

“Nope. I meant full implant reset.”

all three people in the car fell into stunned silence.

‘Implant reset? Why reset my implants?’

What’s with the face? Got a problem with that?”

Why does she need such a terrifying operation again?”

“Told you. She’s my junior.”

don’t tell me she’s being chased by the Order again?”

“And it’s another 37-hour surgery?”

“Bingo.”

‘Chased by the Order? 37-hour surgery? What is even—’

Kabi didn’t get to finish her thoughts.

Her overworked heart finally reached its limit, entered power-saving mode, and shut down

her consciousness.

The last thing she heard before passing out…

“shit.”

Way’s resigned sigh, almost a whisper.