"…So now, you guys are all good to go. The investigation is over now." Blue said.
The mechanical humanoid leaned on his blade outside the station building in front of the three of them, who were just surprised that the investigation took even less than an hour, given the mood inside.
"Really?"
"Yes. The only thing I'm still not sure about you personally is how you three all have top-tier Unique Resistance, when paired with that of an ordinary human, that is."
"Well, I'm a retired Agent, for one. I can't speak on behalf of these two, but I used to be quite the heavy-handed physical combatant in my heyday." Harlock replied.
Blue raised an eyebrow.
"An Agent? …That reminds me, I think you three should take an [Aptitude Test]. It could be that the Unique Resistance that you two have as ordinary humans, unlike Mr. Retired Agent here, stems from an abnormally high Corruption Value. And, if that truly is the case, you guys might become corrupted at any moment."
Hara stared at his palm for a hot second.
"…Well, I don't sense anything wrong with me. Is it okay if we can take it another day?"
"I agree with that sentiment. Besides, an Aptitude Test takes far too long for it to be worth doing at this time of day." Redrich said.
Blue sighed.
"I forgot about that. Then, make sure to come take it whenever you're ready. I'll be waiting for you."
Hara quickly nodded, before his eyes drifted off to his hand again. He wondered for a brief moment about something.
'…Maybe, just maybe, I'll take this chance to become an Agent as well! I've heard talks about heroes like them since the day I was born!'
He clutched his hand and looked straight at Blue.
"I… I want to become an Agent!" Hara declared, much to Blue's surprise.
But then, Blue chuckled.
"You sure? I'm sure the retired Agent next to you knows exactly how dangerous being an Agent is, and can tell you all about it. No matter how much you get paid, no matter how many things you can do, no matter how many people you can meet, there's no point in any of that if you die."
Hara's eyes darted at Harlock for a second, who caught his gaze and shrugged, as if saying: "This is your choice to make", before he turned back to Blue and firmed his stance.
"I want to become an Agent. I want to become a [hero]."
Blue grinned.
"Good. An Agent should have at least that amount of bravery to succeed. But, you're gonna need a little more than that, too, if you truly want this."
"You can only truly triumph in a battle with both strength and tenacity, after all."
Redrich smirked, knowing exactly the fact that those words first came out of the mouth of A-Rank Agent "Steeled Fire" Hiroshi Miyamoto.
'Excellent. I think he's gonna shape up nicely. But, for him to realise these words fully, he must first enter a "real battle".'
Blue checked the time through his internal systems and rubbed his face in annoyance.
"Those two are coming back soon. If you stay here any longer, there's gonna be a whole lot more holographic Corrupted Beasts lurking around the place than just the one you saw with Rosemarie. Now's the best time for you three to go."
Harlock shook his head.
"We'll see you around, Blue."
And then, the three of them left, ready to explore the rest of the city. In the meantime, however, Blue turned back around to face the building and wasted no time heading back in.
He headed to the room that Rosemarie was in, with a sneaking suspicion that something was wrong. And, as it was with the scene before him, he was fully correct.
The room was a mess, with small craters littered everywhere from the walls to the ceiling, and Rosemarie herself was lying on the remains of a broken metal table, injured, but not severely.
"Damn it… only now you noticed, Blue…?! The cultists are already far and gone now!" She said, stumbling to get up.
"…That cultist… What cult did he belong to?"
"…Ugh… from the investigation, he said that his cult was called the [Numinous Sacred Hall]. And that they were the culprits behind the Experiments, though the Lotus Garden was involved too."
"And… he also said that they were planning on releasing their first [Illuminant] soon, deep in that forbidden Chasmic excavation site."
"I tried deciphering what it all meant, but that cult member, who seemed afraid and shivered in front of me at first, became still, as if it was all an act, and then I was knocked out for a moment."
"…And then…"
"Yeah…"
Rosemarie glanced around.
"I woke up and attacked him, alongside the other cult member who freed him. But, even individually, they were strong. The one I was investigating used some sort of special red sword, and that sword created multiple illusions of himself, it was too hard for me to keep up…"
She looked at Blue, who seemed furious. Even a mechanical construct like himself could feel intense emotions from time to time, and at this moment, he was boiling with rage.
"…Damn it… Then, we need to initiate a city-wide hunt immediately. If those Experiments are just test subjects for the real thing, it's probably on par with the Named Corrupted Beasts, particularly the more monstrous ones."
"And then, as some of our Agents scour the city, we'll head to the Chasm. Since this might be a real danger to the entire city, we'll have to treat it like one. I'll talk to the Chief immediately."
Blue helped Rosemarie up and left as quickly as he entered, leaving Rosemarie time to fix up her wounds.
'…This is bad. Even the Chief himself is only a C-Rank, but in the worst possible situation, we're looking at a Named Corrupted Beast with possibly higher levels of Corruption Value than that… I hope things aren't as bad as I think they are right now…'
Meanwhile, as the panic began to settle into the station building, a slightly broad-shouldered man began to approach the edge of one of the tallest buildings around in the city.
An individual with a mullet and a large, black leather coat draped on his back. This person could almost pass as a vampire lookalike, apart from his fiery eyes.
"…Even as I take off my mask, I still feel the burden. The Numinous Sacred Hall beckons for my righteous service, and so, at its call, I shall deliver the hearts of those who defy us. The Illuminant is ready. Although it is not even close to the level I expected, I will finish things off myself, so there's no need for me to worry."
"Now, I should just sit back and enjoy the carnage… oh, right. I forgot… that woman, Wingless, asked me for a favour. To kill a specific young lad."
He raised the red sword that materialised in his hand and pointed it at the city down below.
Delusion Spell: Deathly Gaze.
"As soon as the clock strikes midnight, this sword will pierce your heart, whoever you are. Because "my" eyes have already landed on you."