Hua's teeth chattered.
She knew she was terrified. Her limbs felt numb, her breathing constricted, a heavy weight pressing down on her chest. Her head spun.
This wasn't the first time she'd seen a corpse. In just a few days, death had become commonplace. But familiarity never meant indifference—especially not to death.
Moreover, this was the first death of someone Hua actually knew.
Well... "knew" wasn't quite the right word. They hadn't spoken much. In Hua's eyes, the woman known as "Doctor" held a high position, rarely speaking to others, and when she did, it was usually with an air of authority.
But now she lay on the ground, small and insignificant, like a withered blade of grass.
The stark contrast made Hua feel like she was in a dream. But a warm hand on her back brought her back to reality.
"Big Brother... Mikael?"
Hua expected Mikael to offer some comfort or a lighthearted joke, as he usually did.
But she was wrong. His response was unusually brief:
But for some reason, she could feel his hand trembling slightly.
A belated wail pierced the silence. Hua covered her face, embarrassed—not for herself, but for Carole.
Elysia, holding the sobbing Carole, stood beside Mikael.
"There, there! Don't cry!" She shone her flashlight on Carole's face. "Look, your face is already dirty. Your tears will make it even worse... Hey, why is your face still so smudged?"
Carole cried even harder.
"Alright, Elysia, this isn't the time for jokes." Mikael patted Hua's shoulder. "Stay here, both of you. I'll go buy... We'll handle this."
He snapped his fingers, and powerful spotlights suddenly appeared, illuminating the entire western city as bright as day.
Under the bright lights, Mikael cautiously approached Mobius's body, while Elysia searched further afield—Klein was also missing.
Mobius lay sprawled on the ground, face down, suggesting she had either been attacked from behind or had collapsed while running.
The latter seemed more likely.
Mikael didn't touch her directly. He created a pair of rubber gloves, then, as an extra precaution, a thin layer of Imaginary shielding, before turning Mobius over.
He checked her pulse, breathing, and body temperature.
"Target confirmed deceased." He spoke the words matter-of-factly.
He began to examine the body.
She wasn't wearing her usual lab coat and green shirt, but a blue bodysuit with white modular components on her shoulders and abdomen.
Mikael waved his hand, and a lab coat appeared. He was about to cover Mobius's body, but then remembered—he was the only male here.
The lab coat vanished.
Her green hair was damp. He pinched the fabric of her bodysuit, which was saturated with some kind of fluid. A drop of clear liquid oozed out.
Mikael quickly sniffed it.
It was odorless, seemingly just ordinary nutrient solution.
His hands trembled as he examined Mobius's arms, finding three pairs of needle marks on the insides of her forearms.
When he'd first heard Mobius was missing, he hadn't been concerned. He'd almost forgotten, since Mobius disappearing was nothing new.
When he found her here, less than a kilometer from where Śeṣa had died, he'd suspected something.
But he'd still held onto a sliver of hope.
"Yes! She's dead! She's actually dead!"
Mikael jumped up, clapping his hands together.
He kicked Mobius's body angrily.
"I told you not to experiment on innocent people, not to avoid using criminals! With global security so bad, there are plenty of death row inmates. It's not exactly humane, but..."
"Did you have to be the first test subject?! Huh?!"
"Why not me?! Why not me?!"
Mikael didn't understand what had possessed Mobius to do this, to give him this... gift, with her life, just when he'd thought the MANTIS project had stalled.
He didn't know her reasons... perhaps it wasn't because of his self-righteous yet irresponsible words at Ruruye. Perhaps it was just a whim...
But he preferred to believe the former.
So, his anger wasn't directed at Mobius, but at himself. He grabbed her by the collar of her bodysuit, pulling her up.
His hands fell limply, and Mobius's body slumped back to the ground.
The undeniable truth hit him—Mobius was dead.
No matter how much he regretted it, no matter how much he cursed, Mobius was dead. Biologically dead.
"No! No, no! Mobius can't be dead! What's Śeṣa's power? What power did Mobius gain as a MANTIS? How can she be dead?!"
He slapped her twice, but she didn't react.
Another truth settled upon him—
Mobius was dead. Mobius was dead.
Mobius was dead. Mobius was dead.
Mobius was dead. Mobius was dead.
Mobius was dead. Mobius was dead.
Mobius was dead. Mobius was dead.
Mobius was dead, but maybe she wasn't.
Mobius might not be dead, but she was dead now.
Elysia appeared on the rubble pile. She saw Mikael shouting at the familiar corpse, then retreating until he collapsed amidst the debris, curling up as if trying to bury himself.
Hua and Carole stood nearby, trembling.
"I found an underground laboratory, probably built by Mobius in secret. There's a lot of equipment I don't understand. Klein is alive, but severely injured. Electrocution, in a state of suspended animation. No heartbeat or breathing, but not completely dead. I've encased her in crystal. We can save her."
"And I found some samples in the lab. Tissue from Śeṣa's body, from when you blew it up."
Elysia stood beside Mikael, speaking softly.
Suddenly, Mikael jumped up, muttering, "Yes, yes, yes! Electrocution can cause suspended animation! Elysia, quickly check..."
Something shattered. A faint yet distinct sound drew their attention to Mobius's body.
Cracks appeared on her pale skin, like a broken porcelain doll.
Black mud oozed from the cracks, spreading across the ground.
"Get back! Run to the shelter! Get Captain Himeko!"
Mikael shouted at Hua.
But the black mud flowed towards him, as if with a purpose.