Chapter 27. The Infiltrator, No. 7 (4)
Unlike No. 7, who was completely overwhelmed by the powerful smell of kimchi, Yukgap was perfectly fine.
Gripping his dagger, he leapt in front of her in an instant.
“I was waiting for the moment your concentration slipped!”
With those words, Yukgap drove his dagger into No. 7’s shoulder.
Already disoriented by the smell of kimchi, No. 7 screamed at the sudden attack.
“Aaaah!”
Yukgap mocked her.
“Looks like even your precious cloaking ability is useless against kimchi.”
“S-Shut up! This much... this much is n-nothing...!”
At that moment, Victoria rushed in.
Without warning, she slammed her fist into No. 7’s side.
“Take this!”
“Ghk!”
The blow landed squarely on a vital point, forcing the air out of No. 7’s lungs.
Yukgap grinned in triumph.
“See? You didn’t even notice Victoria attacking from behind. How does it feel having your sense of smell sealed off?”
“Ugh...!”
Humiliation and fury surged across No. 7’s face.
Until moments ago, she had been toying with them.
Now the prey she had looked down on was turning the tables.
She was clearly losing her composure.
“Want to hear one more piece of good news?”
Yukgap deliberately straightened his back.
His waist was now firm and flexible, almost like a predator preparing to hunt.
He filled both hands with daggers and faced No. 7.
“The spine you broke just finished healing.”
With that, Yukgap raised his blades.
The daggers in both hands looked like the opened fangs of a beast.
“Damn it!”
Realizing the situation had turned dangerous, No. 7 quickly activated her cloaking suit.
Her body began fading from sight.
But even that brief instant was enough for Yukgap.
“Too slow, too slow, too slow, too sloooooow!”
Yukgap roared and began moving both arms at incredible speed.
Four slashes per second.
Eight.
Sixteen.
Thirty-two.
Sixty-four.
One hundred and twenty-eight.
Normally, No. 7 could attack from anywhere without warning, leaving Yukgap helpless.
But things were different now that she was directly in front of him.
He could clearly feel her presence being brutally torn apart beyond the tips of his blades.
“Aaaaaaah!”
No. 7 could not resist Yukgap’s relentless assault.
No.
She did not even have time to resist.
Her head was already spinning from the fermented kimchi smell filling the air.
All she could do was be swallowed helplessly by the wave of blades.
“Hup!”
After carving through her at tremendous speed, Yukgap raised one hand while breathing heavily.
The tip of his monomolecular cutter was aimed directly at No. 7’s neck.
She would die.
If he drove the blade in now, No. 7 would die.
That single fact crossed Yukgap’s mind.
His arm stopped in midair.
“...What are you doing?”
No. 7 asked between ragged breaths.
Her entire body was covered in blood from Yukgap’s attack.
But if he gave her enough time, she would regenerate.
If he let this chance slip away, he might never get another opportunity to kill her.
“...”
Even so, Yukgap’s raised arm did not move.
No. 7 asked again.
“I asked what you’re doing.”
Yukgap lowered his head weakly.
Then he answered in a barely audible voice.
“I don’t want to.”
“What?”
“To kill you.”
No. 7 stared at him in disbelief.
“Why? You’ve done it plenty of times before.”
More than anyone, she knew how many people Yukgap had killed.
And now he suddenly claimed he did not want to kill anymore.
“I know. But I don’t want to now.”
Yukgap did not take it back.
His arm slowly fell.
No. 7 continued with a self-mocking smile.
“Idiot. You’re supposed to take the chance when you have it. If not now, when do you think you’ll ever get another opportunity to kill me?”
There was something deeply lonely about her expression.
“I’ve done enough terrible things that I never expected to die peacefully. But if I died by your hand... that wouldn’t be such a bad ending.”
No. 7 slowly closed her eyes.
In a strange way, she looked almost relieved.
“Go on. Drive your dagger into my heart before I finish healing and counterattack.”
Even now, her body was rapidly regenerating.
If she recovered completely and attacked again, there was no guarantee Yukgap would ever gain this kind of opportunity again.
Still, he did not change his mind.
“I won’t.”
He said it almost like a stubborn child.
No. 7 sighed and spoke as though lecturing him.
“Zeta, I’m not stupid. Today, I let my guard down because of that disgusting thing you call kimchi. Next time will be different. I’ll prepare some kind of countermeasure.”
Yukgap knew that painfully well.
“And then you’ll come after me again. I have no way to see through your cloaking, so eventually you’ll kill me.”
“You understand well.”
No. 7 did not deny it.
