Meanwhile, back in the rooftop of the mall…
A group of people seemed to be busy there. They moved around with stealth, using the ice spires to avoid notice from both uninvolved people and zombies alike. Among the group, there was two people standing side by side, both wearing brilliant blue and green clothes that fluttered alongside the cool night wind.
One of them climbed up the frozen stage, examining the ice spires.
"So, you think this is the work of the Sixth?" asked one of them. She was a beautiful woman with a long brown hair and green eyes, accompanied by a floating figure wearing a tattered crimson hood.
From the long sleeves of the hood, a pair of slender hands poked out, with a hint of sharp claws on her nails. A massive longbow, along with a quiver, was strapped onto her back, giving the impression of a hunter familiar with the forest. Her face was obscured by the hood, yet, from her visible lips and chin, it was clear the figure was pale enough to almost glow in the moonlight.
"Have I ever been wrong in my assessment, Eighteenth?" the one standing on the ruined stage fired back, as he touched one of the tallest spires with a hand glowing in golden light. Upon his touch, the spire flared to life, sending traces of snowflakes falling from the top for a few moments.
The first pair was accompanied by a man wearing a robe. He held a massive grimoire bound in blue, and a pair of thin glasses rested on his face.
Behind him, there was a floating man, wearing brilliant golden armor and holding a spear. A red flag, attached to the spear, exuded a brilliant, warm glow contrasting the coldness of the area.
"No, Nineteenth, I trust you. It is just, to see the Sixth so flagrantly displaying her power like this…" she shook her head.
"Eighteenth, you know as well as I do that Sixth was never one to let reason govern her actions. She was a woman of passion, and her thoughts were as fleeting as her eagerness to chase what next thrill catcher her fancy. It would be a waste of our time if we try to divine her next move," the man pushed up his glasses and said, "However, our mission is clear. We need to eliminate the Zeroth, and restore order."
"The latter sounds like a tall tale right now, you know," the woman in red cloak replied, "Take things one at a time."
"… Yes, and in order to do that, we have to find and investigate any leads, including the Sixth," the woman said, adding to what her system avatar claimed, while shaking her head, "Keep your head cool, you will get to the Zeroth in time."
The man was stunned. The system avatar behind him was about to reply, but then, the former looked at the gold-clad warrior, prompting the latter to stay silent.
"As much as it pains me to admit, she is right. We cannot waste time on daydreams."
Then, the man took a deep sigh, and looked at the woman.
"Fine. We are done here. Let's go and report, we need to tell our leader about the Sixth's activity here."
"Alright. The Seventeenth should be done with the cleanup mission too."
Both held each other's hand. Within moments, the two people and their system avatars disappeared into a dark fog.
--
SLAP!
Before Skylar could say anything, the woman he rescued narrowed her eyes and slapped him hard. From his ringing ears, he was able to vaguely hear his system avatar's snickering.
"Heh, if I didn't know better, I would think you two are having a spat," Agrippina snickered. Seemingly unaware of her presence, the woman he rescued continued berating Skylar.
"You— What have you done? You killed them all!"
"Calm down, there seems to be some misunderstanding here!" Skylar raised his hand, and took a step back to avoid her relentless hitting. "I didn't know what happened, either!"
He proceeded to explain the basic events to her, while taking care not to mention Agrippina or the system in any way, to the latter's approval. The white-clad woman snapped her fingers, causing a notification to appear in front of his eyes.
[Oh, you are perceptive. But then again, being seen talking to yourself might qualify you for an exorcism.]
Skylar's eyebrow twitched, but he was unable to say anything. After he finished his explanation, the woman sighed, a defeated look in her gaze.
"So, you are telling me… you don't know how you managed to save me, either?"
"Yeah," Skylar nodded, "All I know was there was some ruckus up on the roof, and when I tried to defend myself, you remained alive still, so I decided to get you out of there. Oh, I'm Skylar, by the way."
"… Rachel," she replied. Her eyes were misted with tears. It seems she was unable to shake the image of her friends and her supporters getting slaughtered.
"Alright, Rachel, don't get into trouble now. I advise you to find shelter."
"Don't get hit by the lights, now," Agrippina added.
"… and don't get hit by the lights again, or you might go back to that state," Skylar added with distaste.
Rachel shook her head. She wiped the tears from her cheek and corner of her eyes, then she looked at Skylar, a pleading expression etched on her face.
"Can I come with you instead?"