Eh? You want to try the humanoid girl's iron fist too?

"Did you set all these little traps? That's interesting, but it can't stop an expert."

Lily listened to the girl in front of her, who seemed to be the team leader, say:

"If you decide not to use the delay they create to kill the enemy, then please do not plant grenades and explosives indiscriminately. These little gadgets will cut off your retreat, so think carefully before using them in the future."

"Oh."

Rose responded, but she didn't sound very bright.

"I don't know which unit you belong to, but it's really bad to send you out to carry out such a high-risk mission without providing the corresponding training... Be more careful in the future."

“This was an accident. Our original mission here was to assist the United Nations Office for the Management of Monuments and Sites in dealing with the ELID infection incident caused by the Shinobuyama site, but we were stranded here for some complicated reasons,” Lily explained.

"So, it's been two years?"

"Yes, in April 2028, the construction work damaged the protective layer of the site."

Raphael used his mind network to ask Rinne and Asuka if they hadn't received these messages in the remaining months of the year, right?

"Yes, memory retrieval complete. No corresponding briefing found. —Asuka's reply."

"I have no recollection of it. We only had one job back then, when Raphael dealt with a cult. —Rin's reply"

This is a big problem, Raphael thought, but he didn't know where things went wrong.

Book 1: The World Before the Great War: Chapter 149 How about we pack up and run away?

As he retreated along the path he had come from, Raphael recalled an old joke.

A man bought eggs with dollars, boiled them, and then sold them for the same price. When other market traders asked him what the point was, he replied that first he got the water to boil the eggs, and secondly, he participated in the market transaction.

She seemed to be the same way, not only giving up the eggs,

They haven't received the benefits they deserve.

The only benefit she gained was that she at least participated.

She was acting as a supporting character, that was true, but she thought it wasn't a bad position for someone who didn't have any capital to support themselves.

The worst outcome is that they completely lose their value and can no longer be used; that would be a truly tragic result.

Raphael glanced back at the two young ladies and said that it was too conservative for their leader to be impatiently waiting for their return.

Too many signs pointed to the unusual nature of these two individuals, who were compelled to disregard all external factors, arrive at the designated location on time, and complete the rendezvous mission.

All of this seems like a spur-of-the-moment decision—but in reality, it might have been planned all along. The purpose of the tactical doll group is simply to perform according to a script.

Raphael's intuition told her that from the moment she arrived in Japan, she was already bound to an invisible and complex rope.

Or maybe we should just grab the bucket and run away.

……

The car stopped in front of the research bureau's main entrance. Director Harry checked his watch, got out of the car in a hurry, and headed straight for the director's office on the third floor.

Just past nine and a half in the morning, every corner of the room had been cleaned, and the documents and emails awaiting review were piled high on the desk. Harry sat in a high-end leather swivel chair, gazing through the window at the newly built, expansive atrium of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, while sipping the fine coffee his secretary had brought him and smoking a Cuban cigar.

Once he has had his fill of the tasting, the bureau chief's busy day will begin.

First, he browsed through the pile of documents on the table: personnel changes at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, research budgets for various research labs, applications for overseas business trips or exchanges...

After reviewing each item, I stamped it with my approval or disapproval seal and left my name in pen.

In addition, there are meeting notices from the Ministry of National Defense, as well as internal work adjustment announcements related to staff. There are only two days of leisure time a week, and even those are spent chasing after miscellaneous tasks.

Even more outrageous is that the only privileges the bureau chief enjoys are an extra monthly allowance and a dedicated car.

However, if he can demonstrate his administrative talents, he might be able to get rid of this position where he has little real power and has to beg for everything during the next reshuffle.

For Harry, it was an obsession that had lingered in his heart for a long time.

A knock came at the door; it was the director of the newly established bionic neuroscience laboratory.

"Are you free now? I'd like to discuss adding research equipment with you."

After he finished speaking, he placed a thick stack of ledgers on the table, listing the names and prices of the equipment in detail. The ledgers included the latest MRI scanners, radiological diagnostic equipment, and hypothermic anesthesia devices.

Harry quickly glanced through the ledgers and said, "Take this to the Minister of Logistics first, and bring it back to me after he's finished reviewing it. Minister Galif has more experience with facility procurement, no matter what."

Although the director has the final say in the research bureau, everyone understands the necessity of winning over the logistics manager.

Harry made the decision quickly.

Respect is something that is given to each other; it cannot be begged for by groveling.

"Then I will go to the logistics department immediately and ask Minister Galif to take a look first."

The newly appointed lab director left the room, and immediately the secretary came in.

"Miss Raphael's call has been connected from Japan; she's waiting to contact you."

“I’ll be right there. You go and check the security of the line first.” After saying that, Harry stood up from his chair, walked across the large central courtyard, and headed towards the research bureau’s private communications room.

The fact that they went to great lengths to contact him, thousands of kilometers away, instead of establishing contact with the CIA or the Okinawa naval base, clearly indicates that they encountered trouble.

"It looks like it's going to be tricky," Harry thought.

The place he was going to was not a research lab in the research bureau, but a special underground safe room with a special purpose that could temporarily serve as a command center during disasters.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, the officer on duty, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time, immediately greeted the communications controller and had the restrictions lifted.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Raphael. I was just handling some things at the station and should have arrived sooner."

"It sounds like the new house is quite big."

"You can't count your workplace as home."

Harry wore a kind and gentle expression, like an old man having a casual conversation with his granddaughter.

When the officer on duty realized that the little girl on the other end of the phone was a ruthless killer, an unprecedented shock was washing over his soul.

"...Is that so? I remember you seemed to live in the office every day, just like at home."

"The difference is still quite significant."

"is it?"

Raphael's voice was full of doubt, "These are all places for people to sleep."

"The difference may only become apparent in your future life and work experiences."

Hare paused, took the day's itinerary from the officer, and discovered that they had already made contact with the couple born from "G" as requested by the CIA.

A whole host of troubles.

Now, as a new habit, Raphael takes out his flute case, which is kept securely in the container, and the sheet music that the band used to give him, and slowly kills the time.

If you can't play a section well, work on it one by one. If you still can't play it well, try again. The key is to keep practicing until you succeed.

The dynamics, breath control, and rhythm of each note must be accurate, and the emotions of the piece must be expressed from one's own perspective. These can only be achieved through repeated practice.

It must have been tough for the two young ladies born from the "GIRUL" project, as their living space was right next to the bed with absolutely no soundproofing.

“…This should be the oboe solo, right?” Lily took a deep breath and couldn’t help but ask, “Would it be appropriate to play it an octave higher on the flute?”

Her implication was that we should be aware of the current situation, that this is not a performance or practice session, and that we should focus on our work.

"You know a lot about wind instruments?" Raphael put down his flute and looked coldly at the person who had spoken to him.

In her earlier conversation with the bureau chief, she had already made a bold guess: these two must have played a part in the reason for Nobuoyama's ascension to heaven.

There was no evidence, but her intuition told her so.

Stop excavating the ruins and invest the main funds and scientific research projects in the human program on the embryo itself, using this as a bridge to understand the dangers of unknown civilizations.

Clearly, "Lily" and "Rose" are products of such ideas. But they failed to serve as a bridge, nor did they bring humanity to the awareness of the dangers of unknown civilizations.

Raphael knew that such blame was baseless and meaningless. Yet she couldn't help but think that way, her thoughts like wildly growing weeds in a field—pulling one up only to find countless others waiting to be dealt with.

To deal with such rampant and unchecked growth of ideas, we must take strong measures.

She immediately shut down the emotion module, and the thought processes that arose from the turmoil of emotions were like a power switch being pulled, and the vibrant and thriving scene was instantly gone.

"It's not that I'm particularly interested, I just accompanied Rose to a few performances. Was that a modified version of the Porowitz Dance in Prince Igor's Music?"

"Oh, I see."

The change in her emotions vanished abruptly, and the girl seemed as if her soul had been ripped away.

Lily gazed at the girl's fingers holding the flute; they were slender and long, yet not oddly proportioned, but rather possessed a perfect balance.

Her skin was fair and delicate, and the bluish tinge of her veins was clearly visible, which was enough to show the fragility that was unique to girls of this age.

Her pert buttocks were slightly deformed by the pressure on the stool, and her clearly defined, glistening toes would occasionally curl up playfully, making her look quite...

She couldn't help but compare her to her younger sister Rose, and immediately came to the correct conclusion: she looked better when she was more mature.

No, Lily suddenly realized that her thoughts had drifted off to who-knows-where. Had she let herself go after gaining a sense of security? She couldn't help but think to herself with a self-deprecating smile.

Then, she looked again at the girl sitting in front of the sheet music, lost in thought, and tried her best to connect the scene with the armed men who had appeared at the rendezvous point the night before.

incredible.

Is it really the same person?

He easily shot down two Self-Defense Force soldiers with a pistol, and then mercilessly fired follow-up shots at the two who were still struggling.

He acted decisively and without hesitation, never making unnecessary movements; his body, under the control of his brain, perfectly became a killing machine. This was the profound first impression Raphael left on her.

The people sitting here are completely different. They don't talk much, and their emotions are rarely shown on their faces. They always have a detached, indifferent expression, as if everything is the same, without any difference.

Yes, that was the same expression she saw when she killed those two soldiers last night, hidden in the shadows.

Lily sighed, resting her chin on her hand.

The outside world was still bright, and the occasional shops or hotels passing by were full of life. The continuous, shrill howls, combined with the sound of fuel exploding inside car engines, somehow seemed to match.

Lily rubbed her bangs, which sometimes obstructed her view.

"Hey... why do we need to practice now?" she asked.

"Because today is the scheduled day for the competition."

So calm and devoid of any emotional fluctuation, Lily couldn't help but shudder.

"Contest?"