Chapter 147. The Weight of a Friend (2)
Heavy static rippled across Alpha’s holographic form.
Streams of incomprehensible machine code floated all around her.
Victoria recoiled in alarm.
“Alpha! Are you okay?”
A moment later, Alpha stabilized.
She grinned.
[It’s nothing.]
[I just made a small adjustment to my prophecy system.]
“How?”
Victoria stared at her.
You can actually modify something like that?
Alpha calmly answered her question.
[I removed you from my prophecy system, Victoria.]
[From now on, I can never run calculations involving you under any circumstances.]
[You are the only person completely free from my prophecies.]
[I can’t harm you through them in any way.]
Victoria froze.
“Why would you... do something like that?”
[Because you were afraid of my ability to predict the future too.]
Alpha immediately hit the mark.
Victoria flinched.
Ever since learning what Alpha could do, a persistent unease had been following her.
Now that Alpha had exposed what she had really been feeling, Victoria could say nothing.
“...”
[Don’t worry.]
[It’s only natural.]
[I understand.]
Alpha sounded as though she was already used to people reacting this way.
Victoria trailed off weakly.
She had never imagined Alpha would go so far as to seal away part of her own prophetic ability for the sake of a friend.
“Still... you didn’t have to go that far...”
Alpha forced a bright smile.
[Then let’s play cards again!]
[Now that I can’t predict anything about you, I might actually lose!]
She had just rewritten part of her own system, and the first thing she wanted was another card game.
Victoria found it a little absurd.
But right now, that hardly mattered.
She smiled back.
“Fine.”
“But don’t expect me to go easy on you.”
“So?”
No. 7 cautiously asked for an opinion.
She was wearing a thin, slightly transparent robe and, unlike usual, had put on heavy makeup.
A faint fragrance also hung around her.
Apparently, she had even applied perfume.
No. 8 looked her over in silence before answering blandly,
“It suits you well, as always.”
“Put some feeling into it!”
“Do you know how much effort this took?”
No. 7 complained.
No. 8 looked genuinely confused.
“Why are you suddenly wearing makeup?”
“No. 6 came back.”
“He did.”
“He’s currently shut inside his room, though.”
News that the runaway No. 6 had suddenly returned had caused quite a stir throughout Abraxas.
Strictly speaking, there had been Alpha’s plan behind what looked like a desertion, but that was another matter.
“I heard he brought that stupid-looking blonde with him.”
No. 7’s eyes burned with fighting spirit.
It was obvious who she meant.
The bold restaurant owner who had once poured boiling steak sauce over her.
Victoria Frankenstein, if No. 8 remembered correctly.
“Really?”
“The restaurant owner came too?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know the details, but apparently he brought her here to ask Alpha for something.”
“What does that have to do with this?”
At No. 8’s repeated questions, No. 7 snapped.
“It has everything to do with this!”
“Last time, No. 6 clearly told me he and that blonde had nothing going on!”
“Then they probably have nothing going on.”
No. 8 answered lazily.
No. 7 immediately shook her head.
“You don’t understand anything.”
“No. 6 is definitely interested in that blonde without even realizing it.”
“Men are sly, calculating creatures.”
“They never devote themselves to a woman for no reason.”
“As a fellow man, that sounds extremely sexist.”
No. 7 ignored him and continued seriously.
“Anyway, as a fellow member of the Tracking Team, I have a duty to confirm No. 6’s true feelings.”
“Is that why you put on makeup?”
“Why?”
No. 8 still looked completely baffled.
No. 7 clicked her tongue.
“Idiot.”
“If No. 6 is interested in that blonde, then obviously I need to make a move.”
She looked unusually desperate.
No. 8 shrugged.
“Then just break his arms and legs like you always do.”
No. 7 thought about that for a moment.
“I’ve realized something.”
“There are limits to keeping a man tied down with physical force.”
“Men naturally feel pressured when a woman comes on too strong.”
“I’m glad you finally realized that.”
No. 7 ignored his dry reply.
“From now on, I’m going to challenge that blonde woman as one woman against another.”
“If I can win No. 6’s heart back, he won’t keep doing annoying things like running away.”
“Sure.”
“Good luck.”
No. 8 offered what may or may not have been encouragement.
Leaving him behind, No. 7 stared toward the room containing her target.
No. 6 was inside.
That thought alone awakened something instinctive and wild within her.
Like a black jaguar stalking prey through the jungle, No. 7’s eyes gleamed as she silently moved forward.
A pleasant tension tightened around her body, just like when she was carrying out an assassination mission.
Perfect.
This is the perfect mood for a hunt.
She lightly licked her lips.
“All right.”
“Shall we begin the hunt?”
“Wow.”
“That was really fun.”
Victoria flopped onto her back and muttered.
Alpha, who had spent several hours playing with her, eagerly agreed.
