NIKKE, When the Milky Way Blossoms

Or did that guy secretly come to the outer edge of the district to develop his career?

While pondering this question, the girl took out her phone and glanced at her fragile three-person group chat.

After realizing that neither Anis nor Mihara intended to respond to his questions, the feeling of playing the clown welled up from the depths of Viper's heart.

It was initially agreed that the three of them would share it, but now I have this strange feeling that I won't even get to drink the broth...

Ding-ling-ling-ling——

The bell hanging on the doorknob rang softly, interrupting Harley Quinn's anxiety.

Captain Helen, still wearing her military uniform and with her beloved ceremonial sword at her waist, strode into the pasta restaurant and then walked straight toward the snake's seat.

Thump, thump...

The high heels tread on the bedrock, creating a rich and pleasant sound.

Faced with the blue-haired girl who appeared completely open and honest, the venomous snake, who was used to the scheming and intrigue in the outer area, suddenly became unsure of the newcomer's intentions.

She was discovered?

But she hasn't even started the investigation yet...

Thump, thump!

Helen's footsteps grew closer.

Although the snake, who continued stirring the pasta, appeared calm on the surface, alarm bells were ringing incessantly in her heart.

Could it be that there was a traitor in her intelligence network who, after providing accurate information, betrayed her whereabouts?

Thump, thump!

Seeing the girl in military uniform about to reach the table, Viper immediately pretended to be a passerby and explained somewhat embarrassedly:

"Sorry, sorry~ This seat is..."

Unexpectedly, the woman in military uniform had no intention of wasting words with her from the very beginning.

bass--!

The cold glint of the ceremonial sword instantly entered the serpent's eyes!

The next moment, the woman who was doing very well in the outer area suddenly had her pupils shrink into vertical pupils.

In a moment of desperation, the venomous snake, no longer able to hold back, forcefully lifted the iron dining table, causing the stainless steel plates, cutlery, and other utensils to fall to the ground with an annoying clattering sound.

Clang, clang, clang—!!

The moment the fighting broke out, everyone in the pasta shop, including the chefs and cashiers, calmly and quickly left the shop, thoughtfully making enough space for the two girls to perform.

……

"Which unit are you from?!"

Using the iron table to block Helen's horizontal sword strike, and sensing the unusually brute force coming from her hand, Viper knew perfectly well that her opponent was truly hers.

—Non-mass-produced Niki.

Furthermore, since Niki was able to attack her directly, she must have received orders from a commander or higher-level officer...

Clang!

Without time to think further, the woman quickly pulled out a short-barreled shotgun hidden inside her clothes, using the metal barrel as a club to barely block Helen's subsequent sword attack.

“I’m a member of the outsider unit, you…”

Clang!

Before Viper could finish speaking, Helen thrust out her sword again. Wanting only a quick victory, she remembered the lieutenant's words and refused to listen to a single word of nonsense from her target.

The humiliation of being defeated by Mihara using empathy, the shameful scene was still vivid in the captain's mind.

So we can't afford to lose face this time!

Clang, clang, clang!!

The salute gleamed with deadly light under Helen's elegant, dance-like swordsmanship.

As for Viper, poor thing, she was not good at close combat to begin with, let alone dueling a retro enthusiast wielding a rapier in the narrow confines of a shop.

In just a few seconds, the girl's body was slashed with more than a dozen wounds of varying depths by the rapier.

"I surrender!"

Knowing that continuing like this would inevitably lead to defeat, Viper became too lazy to hone his parrying skills and decisively raised the white flag, gritting his teeth and saying:

"I'm not fighting anymore! What do you want to know?!"

Snapped!

The icy, narrow blade of the sword rested against the girl's neck. Even though she had given up resisting, Helen remained vigilant and solemnly commanded:

Drop your weapons and come with me.

"...Okay, okay~ I'll go with you, why are you being so fierce!"

At the enemy's request, Viper complained incessantly, but his hands moved swiftly and decisively.

She loosened her right hand and threw the scratched short-barreled shotgun to the ground. Then she took out several special stun grenades hidden behind her waist and threw them on the ground with a clatter.

"Will you unload the bullet belts, or will I unload them myself?" The girl pointed to the shotgun bullet belts on both sides of her waist and asked.

Helen, however, was completely unmoved by her tactics. She slightly lowered the blade with her right hand, which was holding the sword, and used the snake's left shoulder as a center point to move around to the left and behind her.

"That's fine. Move forward to the hotel across the street."

Viper: "..."

……

……

The girl, covered in "blood," was escorted by Helen to the top floor of the hotel.

Upon seeing Viper's extremely disheveled state, Phoenix, who had put the metal mask back on, couldn't help but be secretly amazed by Helen's abilities.

He had assumed that the seemingly not-so-bright noble captain would be easily outmaneuvered by Viper, so much so that he had once prepared to follow him.

According to the lieutenant's backup plan, given Viper's nature, she would try to escape regardless of whether she succeeded in fighting the enemy or not. Therefore, he would secretly follow her nearby, so that he could successfully follow her into her little snake den.

who knew...

Helen actually detained him?

"I'm looking for Krau. Name your price."

Now that the first plan has been successfully reached, and considering the risk of saying too much, the person sitting in the office chair didn't waste any words and frankly stated his conditions.

“Viper, tell me where Krau is, and I will let you live.”

If you can help me lure her out, you can come to me if you ever run into trouble again. I'll do everything I can to protect you this time.

"..."

However, the snake's expression stiffened slightly upon hearing the conditions, a stiffness that even Helen could notice.

Immediately afterward, before the lieutenant could ask the question a second time, two clear tears suddenly streamed down the girl's face, and she began to sob and cry loudly in front of the two of them.

As she cried, she could hear the mournful cries of the venomous snakes.

"You heartless man! ...I, I...I helped you take care of...take care of Niki in the suburbs...you refused to see me...I came to find you, and you even...even sent people to beat me up!"

They even let someone use a sword... to cut me... to this extent.

Now you're pretending not to know me again...

burden……

What a heartless man! Waaaaah—!

Phoenix: "..."

Helen: "..."

The superior and subordinate's eyes met amidst the snarling and howling of the venomous snake, and the lieutenant's silence was the most powerful answer in its silence.

Then,

Helen silently sheathed her rapier, letting the venomous snake rush forward, wailing and pawing, gently tapping the man's shoulder with her fair, alabaster-like fist.

She wasn't worried that this Niki would hurt the lieutenant, because in Helen's understanding, apart from the Niki under the Inquisition, no other Niki had the right to harm humans.

It's about the lieutenant's private life...

Looking at the venomous snake crying its eyes out, and at the dazed look in the eyes of that unscrupulous man.

The noblewoman couldn't help but think disdainfully:

He clearly has a girlfriend, yet he's still having an ambiguous relationship with Niki. Ark law explicitly states that humans and Niki cannot have intimate relationships!

That lieutenant's private life is so immoral!!!

……

Ten seconds later,

After giving the lieutenant a thorough dressing-down, Helen quietly left the room, leaving the man and woman alone.