[......]
RO635: And now, the spy games are over.
RO635: After what I went through this morning… none of you will escape me now!
[Zzzー!]
Doll Pursuer: …? Report… my...
[Popー!]
RO635: Goodnight, everyone.
Now, if I check their digiminds, I might be able to learn something about the Nytosー
M4 SOPMOD II: RO! Have you settled things yet? Hurry and wake up, that maid’s making a run for it!
RO635: What?
[RO635 immediately leaves cyberspace.]
M4 SOPMOD II: That maid suddenly sped up and she’s started going off her original course!
RO635: She must have sensed it...
She must have sensed her pursuers’ signals going offline, so she’s preparing to run.
Dammit, to think her reflexes were so fast. Can you catch up with her?
M4 SOPMOD II: I’m fine, but you’d better hurry up. I don’t have much confidence in my communication skills.
[At the same time]
Maid Doll: ...Faster...
Fasterー!
The signals from all the pursuers around me are definitely gone.
What on earth is this, they vanished all of a sudden…
In any case, this is to my advantage, but I can’t return to the safehouse now, I need to get away...
Maid Doll: Hngー!
[As the maid passes by the entrance to an alleyway, she is suddenly yanked inside by a pair of hands.]
M4 SOPMOD II: Caught you~
Maid Doll: Hng! Nnnh!
RO635: I’m sorry, Miss. That’s the only kind of face she knows how to make.
SOP2, uncover her mouth. Miss, please don’t scream and please don’t shout for the police.
Maid Doll: *nods in fear*
RO635: Do you know the person in this photograph?
Maid Doll: I… I don’t know...
M4 SOPMOD II: Come off it, we already know what you were doing.
Also, if it wasn’t for us, they’d have caught you long ago.
Maid Doll: Who? Was someone chasing me? I don’t know...
M4 SOPMOD II: They’re going to wake up right away! Did you really think you could avoid them all by yourself!?
Maid Doll: You… must be mistaken…
I...I really don’t know anything...
RO635: Miss, I heard them make their reports while I was hacking them.
If not for us, they’d probably have you completely surrounded by now.
They would have captured you, no matter how wide a net they’d have to cast, regardless of the means they’d have to use, and find the location of this human through you.
You and this human are now in great danger. You can continue acting coy with us, but then we’ll have no reason to protect you anymore.
Maid Doll: ...
RO635: (Her eyes have changed…)
RO635: Look outー!
M4 SOPMOD II: !
[A sharp blade springs out of the maid doll’s arm and she stabs furiously at RO’s head. SOP2 is prepared for this and she grabs the maid’s arm before pinning her face-first against the wall.]
Maid Doll: Ah!
RO635: As I thought, there’s a strength difference that no amount of remodelling can compensate for.
M4 SOPMOD II: Well, civilian dolls can’t get the good stuff from 16Lab.
Maid Doll: Let go! Let go of me!
RO635: I’m sorry, but I guess we’ll be communicating this way. It’s also a way of protecting you.
Maid Doll: ...Protecting me? Hardly any dolls in this city can match my output!
And you unknown monsters who came out of nowhere are actually saying you want to protect me!?
RO635: If we really were your enemies, you’d be scrap by now.
Maid Doll: Then how do I know that you’re not another bunch of enemies?
RO635: We’re not bad people, and we won’t hurt you.
We’re high-ranking employees of Griffin PMC. Someone told us that this human can provide information which will allow us to find another, very important human.
Given your reaction, I’m pretty sure you know the person in the photograph.
Maid Doll: Griffin…?
RO635: Anything you want to say to Griffin?
Maid Doll: I’ve definitely heard the name Griffin before.
Who is this human that you’re looking for?
RO635: Ange. Angelia. Have you heard that name before?
Maid Doll: Angelia… I once received an order that people looking for Angelia would show up, and that they were trustworthy.
M4 SOPMOD II: That’s right, that’s right, that’s us!
Maid Doll: But how do I know you’re not faking it?
RO635: If we were faking it, then we’d have hacked you and taken the information we wanted by force.
We’re trying to communicate in order to show our… goodwill.
Maid Doll: And you’re doing that by pinning me to the wall?
RO635: Maid-san, we can give you any help you need if you give us what we want…
We have reason to believe that the person in that photograph is in danger. We need to know his exact location. That’s the only way we can ensure his safety.
This is our Commander’s message code. I can close our connection and you can authenticate our identities through the Level Two Layer.
Maid Doll: Alright… I’ll trust you for now. Things are urgent now, so we’ll do the authentication later.
What I can tell you is that the person in that picture is definitely in danger. If you can help me get out of here, I’ll tell you his current location.
RO635: We don’t mind helping you leave, but we’d like you to tell us where he is first, so we’ll know how to respond in case something happens.
Maid Doll: Alright… I’ll tell you, then. But could you please let me down from the wall first? Talking like this isn’t convenient.
RO635: Let her down, SOP2.
Maid Doll: !
M4 SOPMOD II: Eh!?
RO635: Ah!
[The instant SOP2 lets go, the maid kicks RO away and runs for the street with blinding speed.]
RO635: Dammit! She was faking it all! SOP2, can you catch her?
M4 SOPMOD II: She’s too fast! If she gets to the plaza, we won’t make it in time… should I open fire!?
RO635: No… we can’t take that risk!
M4 SOPMOD II: But! Ah!?
RO635: What… what’s happening?
[......]
[The fleeing maid falls over like she had tripped over an invisible obstacle, and her momentum makes her body tumble several times over the ground.
M4 SOPMOD II: ...
Hey… this is…
RO635: This isn’t good… I have a bad feeling about this...