NIKKE: Max Bonded but System Gone

After their antics, Anis and Neon went back to their own activities.

"During vacations, nothing beats a glass of soda..."

After getting her favorite drink from the fridge, Anis snapped the cap of her favorite soda and gulped down.

"Glug glug glug— Puah! And a giant Porta Pie!"

Anis then realized something when she first opened the fridge.

"Wait a minute, where did the snacks I just bought go?"

Anis opened the fridge, only to find her snacks had vanished without a trace. Anis, without even having a second guess, already traced the culprit.

"Neon! It was you, wasn't it?"

"Oh~ According to my analysis, Anis's firepower has increased tenfold at this moment, and it's still rising!"

"That was my hard-earned grape-flavored Porta Pie! Give me back my Porta Pie!"

"It's too late to talk about that now, Anis. Last night, it was already in my stomach."

"Ugh, my Porta Pie!"

With a clatter, the two broke into a playful scuffle.

Rapi, standing off to the side, shook her head helplessly. Having two shamelessly silly friends sometimes made her feel a bit embarrassed, especially in front of her beloved, ahem, respected Commander, but there was nothing more she could do other than just ignore those two. In the end, she brushed away the fleeting emotions in her mind.

Rapi turned to Green and suddenly asked, "Commander. Any news about Marian?"

Green shook his head. "Not yet but I think it'll be soon. Just be prepared for any news."

Just as Green was wondering if Ingrid was going to contact him, a transmission from the Elysion channel came through.

"Wait a moment, Rapi, I have a call to take."

"Understood, Commander."

Green stepped into the dormitory hallway, inserted his in-ear communicator, and connected the call from the Elysion channel.

[It's Ingrid.]

A holographic projection flickered to life, revealing a commanding woman with chestnut hair and blue eyes, dressed in Elysion's signature white uniform. This was Ingrid, the current CEO of Elysion and a high-ranking officer in the central government, equivalent to a deputy commander. She was one of the most prominent figures in the Ark.

"Good evening, CEO Ingrid." Green greeted her politely.

Ingrid nodded in acknowledgment.

[Good evening, Green. Let's skip the pleasantries. Marian's mind sweep procedure has been completed. Tomorrow morning, I will personally bring her to the outpost base. As for the other details, we'll discuss them in person.]

"Understood. Thank you for your assistance, CEO Ingrid."

[No need for thanks. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll end this here.]

Beep!

The call ended just like that, prompting Green return to the dormitory and inform the three about Marian's imminent return to the team. Hearing the news, the atmosphere in the dormitory grew heavy.

"Marian probably won't remember us now, will she?" Anis lay on her bed, munching on a Porta Pie as she spoke. "After all, the Commander said Elysion had to completely wipe her memory to prevent the erosion from destroying her brain. After the procedure, Marian is practically a blank slate."

"... ..."

Anis quickly realized the somber mood in the dormitory. Clearly, no one wanted to dwell on the topic. For Nikkes, erosion is like cancer.

Once infected, unless their memories are erased immediately, they are as good as gone.

Sensing the awkwardness, Anis hurriedly swallowed the pie and apologized to Green and the others. "Ah-ha! sorry, Commander, everyone. I didn't mean to bring this up. J-just pretend I never said anything."

Green shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Anis."

Neon smiled. "That's right~ After all, Master isn't the type to be easily shaken. Besides, aren't we planning to find the antidote? If we can get the formula from the Pilgrims, we won't have to worry about erosion anymore. Thinking about it, the antidote is the ultimate firepower!"

Anis tousled her messy hair and rolled her eyes at Neon. "Ugh, you're such a dreamer, Neon. If that so-called antidote were easy to get, the Ark would have already crushed the Raptures and reclaimed the surface. Even if we did get the formula, I bet we wouldn't live long. The higher-ups in the Ark would send professional Nikke assassins to snap our necks before we could do anything with it!"

Anis then started imagining her last days with her best friends and her beloved Commander, "So, Rapi, Neon, Commander, I'm glad to be your friend. If souls exist in this world, let's stay ghost friends even after we die... Hehehe..."

Anis's dramatic description startled Neon, who was maintaining her weapon who nearly dropped a component.

"Anis, can you not say such scary things?"

"Huh? Was it scary? I was just laying out the worst-case scenario. Who knew Neon was such a scaredy-cat?"

"I'm not a scaredy-cat."

As the two bickered, Rapi walked over and gently held Green's hand.

Green's furrowed brow relaxed as he looked at her worried face. "Rapi?"

"Commander, I just wanted to say, please don't worry. Because I believe souls do exist in this world. We, as Nikkes, may have our memories erased by the Ark someday. But if you're willing to accept us, those memories buried deep in our souls might awaken at some point."

Green gazed into Rapi's jewel-like, serene eyes. He took a deep breath and beamed a smile. "Rapi, I understand. Thank you."

"It's nothing, Commander. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do."

Rapi only then realized she had instinctively grabbed Green's hands. Blushing, she withdrew her hands, only to find Anis and Neon glaring at her.

Anis yelled indignantly, "Rapi! I thought you were a decent person. But now you're holding the Commander's hand in front of us!"

Neon placed her weapon components in a drawer and adjusted her glasses. "Rapi, immediate execution is necessary!"

Flustered, Rapi stammered, "Anis, Neon, I..."

"No explanations! I want a turn too!" Anis tumbled off her bed and hugged Green's other arm. "Ah, Commander, you smell so nice—huh? Is that alcohol?"

Green stiffened. "What alcohol? You must be mistaken."

"Detective Neon is on the case! I want to smell too!" 

Neon leaned in, grabbing Green's other arm and taking a sniff. "Hmm—Master does smell like alcohol. It's the kind of scent you'd get from a very fancy cocktail." 

Hearing Neon confirm the alcohol scent, Rapi's gaze grew suspicious. "The Commander usually doesn't drink, does he?" 

The three of them exchanged glances before immediately coming to a unanimous conclusion. 

"Then there's only one answer left." 

"Commander, who did you go on a date with this afternoon?"