Chapter 7: The Secret Code

Noah meant, ‘We’re clearly comrades, so why did you order your men to attack me?’

But the man in black just sneered, raised his hand, and pointed his long blade at Noah.

“What, you actually thought we were your allies? You don’t even know that my answer to the secret code was wrong, and you’re still pretending here?”

‘The secret code… was wrong!’

Noah was startled.

She hadn’t expected them to be so cunning.

She knew the first half of the code, but not the answer!

After the man in black answered and showed goodwill, she really thought she had bluffed him.

But he had hidden a trap: ‘I gave you a wrong answer, and you didn’t react at all. I don’t know who you are, but you’re definitely not from our organization.’

“I don’t care where you got that code…”

The man in black quickly assumed a combat stance.

“All I know is that anyone who defiles our faith must die!”

Noah immediately raised her gun and fired.

There was no point in further conversation.

But the man in black was stronger than she imagined.

He swung his blade, deflecting the bullets she shot, then signaled his men to attack her.

Noah fired two shots, but the man’s underlings dodged them both.

Cold sweat dripped down her back as she retreated, shouting at Aurora, “Stop staring, you bastard! Use your magic to attack!”

Calling Aurora out had two meanings: first, you’re a mage, so you should at least know some offensive moves; second, don’t just watch the show, or we’ll all die!

“I don’t know any offensive magic! I’m a support mage!”

Aurora shouted from behind a shipping container.

“What good are you?”

Noah was furious but had no solution.

The man in black’s men had already caught up.

Noah raised her dagger to block a slash.

Just as she tried to step back, she instinctively tilted her head, avoiding a fireball that flew from behind.

That fireball struck one of the man’s underlings squarely, sending him flying.

Noah felt cold sweat soak her back.

She quickly stepped back and yelled at Aurora in anger.

“I thought you said you couldn’t use offensive magic?!”

Noah was beside herself.

Aurora had clearly said she couldn’t use attack magic, but that fireball had nearly blown her head off.

She didn’t know if Aurora had aimed at her or just missed, but for now, she couldn’t start a fight with her, or she’d have no chance of escaping.

But Aurora replied in a matter-of-fact tone, “Fireball isn’t an offensive magic!”

Hearing this, Noah got even angrier.

She would rather believe Aurora had missed than believe that nonsense.

She shouted furiously, “How is it not?!”

“It definitely isn’t!”

“I don’t get you mages at all!”

When the man in black saw Aurora’s face, he was startled.

His voice turned noticeably serious, and he sneered, “You’re her companion? I see… You’re from the Sin Organization…”

‘What? What organization?’

Before Noah could understand, the man in black was already in front of her with incredible speed.

In a single exchange, he knocked the dagger from her hand.

He grabbed her neck with one hand and, with a swing of his blade, severed the hand holding her pistol.

From behind the container came Aurora’s scream.

They were completely wiped out.

The feeling of suffocation slowly crept up.

Noah grabbed the man’s arm with her right hand, trying to pry it open, but it was useless.

She finally realized her mistake: she had talked too much.

Whether she had initially bluffed him or not, she should have used every means to kill him directly—ambush or all-out attack.

As long as he was alive, she couldn’t get through.

With that thought, Noah used the last of her strength to laugh.

The man in black didn’t understand why she was laughing, but he didn’t care.

“Any last words?”

“That blade of yours… not bad…”

The suffocation gradually overwhelmed her.

She struggled, speaking in a fading voice.

“You wait for me… That blade… I’m taking it for sure!”

“What a madwoman…”

The man in black didn’t understand what she meant.

He sneered, raised his long blade, and stabbed it through Noah’s heart, mocking her in a contemptuous tone.

“You want my blade? Then I’ll give it to you…”

[“With utmost fear and reverence, the Xagai Squad is at your service, great Madam Ghrothes!”]

The world fell into darkness again.

Noah opened her eyes, and the magnificent starry sky appeared before her once more.

She felt her consciousness clearer than last time, but she still couldn’t control her body.

She closed her eyes again, quietly waiting for Death Return.

［“Tell me, how many moons are there in the sky?”］

A distant voice emerged from the void.

Noah quickly opened her eyes.

She found herself still in that splendid starry sky, with no one else around.

She strained to look around, trying to see who was speaking, but to her disappointment, the space held nothing but stars.

“Who are you?”

Noah was confused.

Every time she underwent Death Return, she heard Its voice, but she didn’t think It meant her harm; otherwise, she would have ceased to exist long ago.

［“Tell me, how many moons are there in the sky?”］

The voice didn’t answer her; it simply repeated the question.

Knowing it was pointless to press further, Noah thought carefully, then shook her head and sighed.

“I don’t know.”

She truly didn’t know.

Aurora’s answer was one, and the man in black’s answer was three, but both were wrong.

Noah didn’t think this was a simple numerical question.

She looked at the starry sky, waiting for the mysterious voice to give the answer.

［“The answer is: there are no moons in the sky.”］

Noah was stunned.

She remembered that during her last Death Return, the voice had given the answer, but she hadn’t heard it clearly.

She asked, puzzled, “No moons…? Why?”

［“Because that thing isn’t called a moon.”］

Noah thought the answer was odd.

“What kind of answer is that? If it’s not called a moon, what is it?”

But the voice didn’t seem inclined to reply.

It merely said, softly,

［“If someone asks you why, just say that.”］

An uneasy feeling stirred in Noah’s heart.

She didn’t know if she should trust this voice from nowhere.

She hesitated for a long moment, then raised another question.

“Can you tell me who you are?”

The voice was silent for a moment, then spoke again.

［“Time’s up. You should go back.”］

“What? Wait…!”

A strange halo flashed again.

Noah found herself back in room A0135.

She looked up to see the same mirror in front of her.

A moment later, intense pain wracked Noah’s heart and left hand.

She pressed her right hand tightly against her chest, gritting her teeth to keep from making a sound.

She didn’t want to reveal anything to Aurora and arouse suspicion.

What surprised Noah was that this time the pain wasn’t as unbearable as before, and it faded quickly.

She breathed lightly, feeling her heart gradually calm.

Just then, she heard Aurora teasing from behind.

“Heh, what’s the matter, beautiful? Did you get captivated by your own reflection?”

Sure enough, Aurora repeated that same joking line.

She tilted her head, glanced at Noah’s hand, and said with a mischievous grin.

“Come on, beautiful. No matter how much you squeeze it, it won’t get any bigger.”