Chapter 59: Dull pain

Ephnel glanced at her, then looked away.

Seeing Yukina’s slightly nervous expression, she, as an older sister, naturally took Yukina’s hand.

Yukina didn’t pull away.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Ephnel asked.

“N-no, not really…”

Yukina shook her head.

“It’s just that my chest is a little tight. It started this morning and hasn’t gotten any better, but it hasn’t gotten any worse either.”

Yukina clutched her chest.

It felt like her heart, or maybe somewhere else.

The pain wasn’t obvious, just a faint ache, so she couldn’t pinpoint it accurately.

“It’ll be alright. I’m here with you.”

Asking wouldn’t get any results. Ephnel could only offer comfort.

Yukina looked up and saw Ephnel’s beautiful profile and her concerned expression.

“Mm.”

Ephnel’s hand was soft, yet it held hers tightly, as if afraid she would run away.

From that soft palm, Ephnel’s warmth was transmitted.

Her slight nervousness dissipated with this warmth.

Although they were just holding hands, a distance that should have been very normal for siblings, Yukina felt a leap of joy from the bottom of her heart.

This had happened when she was little, too.

Then, at some point, her “Onii-chan” had started to avoid her.

Holding hands with her sister again after so long, Yukina suddenly realized that the height difference between them was no longer enough for them to touch each other’s palms like they used to.

She had been growing up, but her sister’s age seemed to have been frozen in time.

Yukina carefully pulled her fingers away, then slid them through Ephnel’s, their fingers interlocking tightly.

Her heart pounded.

This way of holding hands brought them closer.

From fingers to palms, then to wrists, they intertwined like the stems of a morning glory.

It was as if they could hear each other’s heartbeats through their tightly clasped hands.

Ephnel didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps she didn’t care.

Even so, Yukina’s palms were sweating with nervousness.

Something seemed to have changed, yet everything was the same.

When she came to her senses, Yukina realized she would get excited and her heart would race just from holding hands.

Her feelings for Ephnel went beyond that of sisters.

After realizing this, she could no longer casually brush aside this feeling.

…

It had to be said, it was a bit noisy near the experimental area.

After all, the machines for observing the phenomena of Order and Erosion were still not fully developed.

Their massive size also produced a noise that couldn’t be easily ignored, which couldn’t be completely masked even through walls and thick glass.

Ephnel disliked this kind of noise.

It was hard to imagine how people who worked here could calm down, but it was said that Nishizaki Yuuki herself had requested to move her office here.

Many people didn’t understand, and Nishizaki Yuuki didn’t explain.

In short, in the eyes of others, Nishizaki Yuuki had always been a bit of a strange person, but undoubtedly a true genius.

Click—

The compound fingerprint lock made a soft mechanical sound.

Nishizaki Yuuki pushed open the office door and welcomed Ephnel and Yukina inside.

As soon as she entered, Ephnel smelled the faint scent of smoke in the air.

Nishizaki Yuuki’s office was as casual as she was.

Various papers were piled on the desk, a chair was placed crookedly, with a white lab coat draped over it, looking as if someone had slept there.

“Ah…”

Nishizaki Yuuki slapped her forehead.

“I forgot to tidy up… Sorry, it’s a bit messy, but please don’t mind and have a seat.”

Nishizaki Yuuki had no assistant and never allowed others into her office, so unlike other doctors or researchers, she had no one to help her clean up.

If she didn’t do it herself, it was only a matter of time before her office became a mess.

Closing the door, Ephnel and Yukina sat down on the sofa, while Nishizaki Yuuki operated her computer.

“To ensure accuracy, I gave Yukina a full-body examination, and also tested her Erosion rate and sync compatibility, among other things.”

“Thank you, for asking you to do this when you’re so busy.”

…

“Don’t mention it.”

Nishizaki Yuuki gave a rare smile.

“As a specially appointed researcher and doctor, my duty is to study and eliminate the hidden dangers left from your battles. Yukina is not only your sister, but also an Agent candidate who has synced once. She is entitled to this.”

That Yukina was an “Absolute Accommodator” was something Nishizaki Yuuki had only learned today.

After the news of Ephnel’s suspension spread, Ephnel had posted that confession on her social media account.

Although Ephnel had omitted some information and didn’t state it explicitly, as Ephnel’s friend, Nishizaki Yuuki of course guessed it immediately.

After all, Ephnel had never deliberately hidden anything from Nishizaki Yuuki.

“Yukina’s situation is extremely rare. I haven’t found any similar cases, so my final conclusion is just a bold guess. But before I give my final explanation, you can take a look at this.”

She paused, pulled out a few sheets of paper covered in dense data tables from her clipboard, and handed them to Ephnel.

“This is Yukina’s physical data. I’ve deleted the electronic file. This is the only copy.”

Out of concern for the enemy lurking within the organization, Ephnel didn’t want to leave any information about Yukina behind.

So, after completing the tests, Nishizaki Yuuki had completely deleted the records.

Ephnel took the documents, quickly glanced through them, and immediately frowned.

She was not a researcher, but as an Agent, she had come into contact with these data countless times.

If it were a common problem, she could tell at a glance where the data was abnormal.

In the data before her, Ephnel found one obvious anomaly.

The result for the Erosion rate was 11.3%—in other words, significantly high.

“This is Yukina’s?”

Ephnel frowned.

“I remember… my last test was only a little over seven percent. I don’t know why.”

Yukina answered, not lying.

In order to manage the infected population uniformly and effectively, residents of the city were required to undergo an annual Erosion rate check and census.

Every city was extremely strict in this regard.

Ephnel remembered that Yukina had been attacked by an Erosion Organism a year ago, so her Erosion rate had reached seven percent.

Since then, it had remained stable at that level for a long time without any change.

“I tested it twice. There’s no problem. This is Yukina’s true result. As for why or when her Erosion rate increased, I don’t know. Yukina herself doesn’t seem to have any clue either.”

Nishizaki Yuuki glanced at Yukina and continued.

“But dwelling on these things now is pointless. Ephnel, you know that an Erosion rate below five percent is considered relatively normal. Over ten percent requires caution.”

If it exceeded fifty percent, there was an extremely high risk of turning into a “Remnant,” requiring isolation and close observation.

Once rapid physical decline and transformation into a Remnant were detected, they would be killed immediately.

In a bygone era, these people were called “Numbered Ones.”

After the Human Federation perfected and gradually implemented the Boundary Monument system and established the cities, the term “Numbered One” was abolished.

But the “Numbered Ones” did not disappear completely.

Instead, their numbers dropped to a certain level, no longer posing a major threat, and they became controllable research subjects.

They were confined to specialized institutions and facilities, where researchers continued to study them tirelessly, hoping to find other means of combating the Erosion.

In the central provinces of the Human Federation, there were still many laboratories dedicated to these individuals.

“Your sister’s situation obviously cannot be taken lightly. But don’t worry too much. She has synced before, so she’s half an Agent, in a way. As long as you pay more attention from now on, it won’t be a problem.”

Nishizaki Yuuki said.

…