"That's…"
"They're still alive. Has something put them to sleep…? That thing inside is presumably the citizen they brought in from your shelter."
"… Why did something like this…" Gnashing her teeth, Iberis clicked her tongue. "Is there any way we can rescue those who are still alive…?"
"You never know where or how you're being watched… If we wander off carelessly… we could be wiped out in no time."
"…"
Iberis took a breath as though to suppress it.
"… I get it. I'm not going to get emotional."
"We are risking our life. You should discard those that can be abandoned."
"I don't fully agree with you, but I understand that if we cannot win, there is no meaning to it."
"… Right," Raffi said, stepping over the lattice and advancing on his feet. Bending down, Iberis followed suit.
"The threat of the Mock Turtle is that it can render one unperceived, to the point of being unable to recognize their surroundings. I don't know the extent of it, or if it has other abilities, but judging from what I observed last time at least, it would be more challenging than ever to deal with."
"… Even if I can't perceive her…but 'she is still there', isn't she?" Saying that, Iberis glared ahead with a dark expression. "That means… if the attack is ranged, she can be caught up in it directly…"
"Exactly. I suppose that's why that Nightmare has Stercis nearby…" Raffi made a small comment that seemed to lack confidence, then halted. Iberis also paused and looked at the rear of the vent.
There was a room lined with instruments, like a control room. The men and women of Stelcis' circle were operating the machines. Although it was difficult to discern from this position, something was being displayed on a row of monitors.
"The Mock Turtle's room was in this basement…"
Raffi whispered, and Iberis nodded in return.
"Yes… but there's a good chance she's already been relocated."
"If we don't figure out where it is, we'll be out of luck. Let's take over this room first. Can you manage that?"
"Don't underestimate me," Iberis remarked, drawing in a breath and focusing her attention on her feet. The rainbow-colored Bandersnatch flickered slightly, and a large number of small, thin spikes, like branches, surged up from her calves.
In an instant, there was a flood of them in the air vents, and they crept up the walls with immense force, impaling the necks of the people in the control room simultaneously. A series of small moans were heard, followed by the collapse of men and women powerlessly. After confirming that she had disabled nearly a dozen people at once, Iberis saw the Bandersnatch return to her legs and spoke up.
"Come on, let's go."
Kicking open the vent, the small girl softly landed in the room. After scanning the humans, who were lying around with no commotion whatsoever, Raffi raised his head at Iberis.
"What did you do to them?"
"I merely tweaked a few nerves in their necks. After a few hours, the paralysis will subside and they will be able to move. I didn't kill them."
Iberis said it as if it was a matter of no concern and approached the monitor broadly. Then she pulled down the man who was passed out in the chair and settled down.
"Raffi, look."
Her voice prompted Raffi to stop as he glanced up at the monitor. There was an image of one of the citizens, stripped naked, strapped to what resembled a crucifix and having his arm chopped off with a power saw.
Several people wearing what appeared to be anti-poison suits were carrying power saws and severing his limbs while he was still alive. Although no audio was present, the horrific sight was too gruesome to be witnessed.
"These guys…"
As Raffi gritted his teeth and cast a look around, Iberis caught her breath slightly and then restrained her head.
"Let's go calmly… Do you have any leads we can use to track the Mock Turtle…?"
"It won't take them long to figure out that communication from here is gone. Let's hurry up and search." Raffi said and leaped onto the touch panel. He pressed the buttons with his paw several times.
His black body began to glow slightly white.
"… Raffi?"
"I'm a Nightmare who can interfere with the system slightly. You know that, don't you? Right now, I'm going to trace the information left by the surveillance cameras on the Mock Turtle. Please wait a moment."
Within seconds, Raffi's body ceased to glow, and he gasped and climbed up onto Iberis' shoulder.
"I knew it. She has been relocated after all."
"At where?"
"Underground, in the opposite area from here. Looks like she's with Stelcis."
"So they already figured out…" Biting her nails, Iberis said in a strained voice. "We have to outsmart the opponents to win."
"It's not advisable to jump in head-on either. Have a look." Saying that, Raffi directed his gaze at the monitor. The image automatically shifted and a map of the shelter was displayed.
"We're here. This red dot is where we are. Our destination is this blue dot. Even though we are underground, we are higher than here."
"We'll be passing through the living blocks of… citizens."
"I'm fairly certain that there are numerous armed forces awaiting us. So I propose we take this route."
A yellow line popped up on the map. Iberis observed the yellow line on the map with some unexpectedity, but then the edges of her mouth twisted into a grin.
"… I see."
"If all goes well, we can neutralize the enemy, including that unsavory doppelganger. It doesn't matter what they're capable of."
"That's great. Then let's do it that way."
"I appreciate your speed."
Iberis stepped over the fallen man and rushed to the air vent. Then she dreaded inside. The room was echoing with the noise of a radio.
◇
"What is the meaning of this…? Stel. They're searching for us. Those Nightmares."
The Mock Turtle, in a… fireproof shelter behind a chunky door, muttered in an exasperated tone, biting her nails. Within the room, there was a bed, littered with household items. Stelcis sat on a chair, her face contorted as a nearby man delivered an urgent report.
"So they aren't the kind of people who would risk their lives. There's nothing to be afraid of, Mock."
"After all, we're going to have to eliminate them, aren't we?"
"With my abilities and yours, even the Original Nightmare would be no match for it."
Stelcis smiled, reaching out and gently wrapping her hand around the Mock Turtle's hand, which was beginning to stain with black blood.