The Phantom's Eternal Deceit
Even if you steal her memories and wear her face, you still couldn't dirty the essence of it. You are a fake forever.
Libera didn't yield even an inch.
She slapped Red's rough hand away and glared at her with venomous eyes, growling like a beast.
"Don't fool yourself, Red. Do you even know what you're doing right now?"
"…What?"
"That's not Elia!"
Libera bit her trembling lips, then let them go cold again.
"That's a monster. It's a Receptor wearing Elia's face. Why the hell is it wandering around with that thing? At this point, I'd rather shoot it and put it out of its misery."
"Let's clear this up first. I know Elia died too, you know. I'm not stupid enough to not realize that."
"Then why!"
"Elia fought for the Administrator until the very end. But what choice did the Administrator make? She abandoned and left her behind!"
"No, she couldn't have saved her. You know that too, right? She… at that moment…"
Libera couldn't finish her sentence. She didn't want to drag it out herself again.
While Libera's face looked like she was about to burst into tears, Red quickly regained her calm expression and continued speaking.
"That corpse still holds Elia's memories intact. This Receptor is living by using Elia's memories."
"…What? What are you talking about? You said there were no memories at all."
"Hah, how dumb. You actually believed that?"
Red shook her head in disbelief.
"Believing everything at face value. You've always been too naive, Libera."
"…"
"She has Elia's memories and her body is the real Elia. Right now she's acting like a monster, but her thought process is still Elia."
Libera swallowed hard.
"What are you planning?"
"To train and mold her. Gently coax her, completely correct her rebellious habits. I'll create the perfect 'new Elia' that fits my tastes."
"…You're insane?"
Libera opened her mouth wide in shock, feeling like an idiot for not understanding Red's words immediately.
"You're going to play with dolls against a monster?"
"Maybe. Compared to that tail-chasing Administrator lackey, I'm way more sane, aren't I?"
"You… you…!"
Her throat tightened with rage, but only air came out.
There was no turning back now. Red had completely fallen into the abyss. Libera took a few steps back, treating Red like the monster she was.
"You've truly gone mad."
"Hah. Now you're saying that after the fact. When was I ever normal? I was irredeemable from the start."
"No, you're far worse than before. You've completely snapped."
"Hah, really?"
"What would Elia think if she saw you right now? Not everyone, but she would have believed in you."
Red shrugged casually.
"Libera, do you know what a Receptor is?"
"What are you trying to say now…"
Red rolled each word around her tongue like she was savoring them.
"A being that accepts something."
She spelled it out.
"R, E, C, E, P, T, O, R."
"…"
"In other words, a receptor. It forces the real Elia's memories into you until you think you're truly Elia."
"You want to brainwash the Receptor? That's impossible."
"Do you think it's impossible? No, because it's a Receptor, it's possible."
"Stop it! Please stop!"
Libera covered her ears with both hands. If she heard any more, she'd lose her mind. Her patience had long since run out.
"If you truly care about Elia, and you don't want to violate her twice over…! You should just shoot that monster and let Elia rest in peace!"
The smile on Red's lips froze into a cold, bitter line.
"That's exactly why you can never be with me for the rest of your life, Libera."
"Don't kid yourself. I've never wanted to be with a woman like you in the first place."
Libera spat out her disgust and turned away.
Nausea rose in her throat.
She no longer wanted to be around that broken woman for even a single second.
Libera hurried away, leaving as fast as she could.
Red called after her in a gentle voice.
"Don't worry. I'll always treat our Elia nicely."
◆◇◆
It was the agreed meeting point.
Makahina, gripping my hand tightly, trotted along beside me.
"Huu~ Huuu~"
Even the little one was this happy. He sang a cheerful tune while even whistling. It was hard to believe the same kid who had trembled in fear during the spore storm was the one now.
As we entered the building, the Administrator came running over.
"You're safe, really. Thank you for everything."
"…Yeah."
Was it really okay for us to be this cheerful?
The Administrator, who had stopped in front of me, stood at attention and bowed with perfect politeness.
"Thank you for safely rescuing the child. Despite our organizations having different positions, I sincerely appreciate your selfless efforts."
It was an impeccable attitude.
She probably said that because she had lost her memories. She seemed to have already forgotten that I tried to kill her on our first meeting.
Moreover, this child was the son of a Sandrobel executive. Rescuing him was only natural. It was strange that the Administrator was thanking me.
This stiff business-partner demeanor was exhausting.
"Enough."
I waved my hand dismissively.
"It's not like I brought the kid out just to show off to your side. Don't read too much into it."
I wiped the blood off my weapon.
Between the agents, the two people I actually needed to see—Libera and Red—were nowhere to be found.
They were probably still buried in discussing my story or the Receptor's.
'Well, let them handle it.'
There was no need to worry. If I left them alone, they'd keep making the same mistake over and over.
I could just stand still.
At that moment, one of the Elysian Athens agents cautiously approached me.
"Are you really not Elia? Your voice and face look exactly the same as before…"
Really? The vibe I was giving off was completely different.
"You can think whatever you like. If you treat me as a stranger, I am a stranger. If you want to believe I'm Elia, then I am Elia."
The agent went mute, like he had swallowed honey. What kind of answer was that?
From the side, the Administrator narrowed her brows sharply at the conversation.
"Wait a moment. When we first met, you said you had no memories at all, right?"
Yeah, that's right.
I looked straight at the woman who had pushed me into a corner. I didn't feel the need to blame her though. I had my own design in it.
If I resented her, my conscience would be dirty.
"Ah, that. I remember everything."
"What?"
"That lie about having no memories was a complete fabrication."
"…Why did you tell such a lie?"
Well, there were plenty of things she would be curious about. After all, anyone in a memory-loss state would naturally have a mountain of questions.
It was more fun if she figured it out on her own.
"I don't have to explain myself to you."
Explaining everything to a woman with no memories would be pointless. My throat would just hurt.
"Even though I have no memories, I have heard about you in the records."
"So?"
"You were my deputy."
The other agents were listening to this conversation now. They could probably piece together what was happening.
"Well, it's not uncommon. A colleague from the past who has become an enemy now."
"…"
"That Elia back then wasn't stupid enough to make you want to vomit."
"…Don't speak lightly."
Eh?
The Administrator's gaze turned icy cold.
She was taking this more seriously than I expected.
"Whether you hold her memories or have her face doesn't matter. You are not Elia. You are a monster that stole her body and memories and is parasitizing it—the Receptor."
The pressure radiating from her was unmistakable. She had the presence of a true protagonist of this world.
"Although I have no memories of her, I can clearly feel how she fought for us with her heart. You are not someone I would brush off as someone who finds me disgusting."
As expected from the Administrator. Her words were perfect. I wanted to learn that kind of eloquence.
Squeak! Boom!
Right on cue, the door opened.
"We did great, our Elia~!"
It was Red. She was laughing cheerfully now that she had calmed down.
She strode over and tried to hug me with both arms wide open.
I pushed her shoulder with the back of my hand.
"Keep your business and personal life separate."
"Aww, you're so cold. Do we really need to draw a line between us?"
Us? We were just business partners.
"I'm tired. Save the small talk for later."
I pried Red off and turned to look at the Administrator, who was standing there dumbly with her mind disconnected.
The Administrator quickly steadied herself and muttered.
"Even if you steal her memories and wear her face, you still couldn't dirty the essence of it. You are a fake forever."
Hmm. That expression "fake forever" was exactly to my liking.
"Maybe? When I saw the memories in this body, there were plenty of bad feelings. Do you think Elia wouldn't have resented you until the very end?"
"…You!"
"Well, if you want to believe that, keep believing it. To me, you're a fine entertainment."
The Administrator couldn't say another word.
"Alright, let's go."
"Going somewhere?"
"Yeah. Oh right. Your birthday is coming up soon, Administrator, right? I prepared a gift for you, so make sure you open it properly."
"A gift? What is it?"
I didn't answer. She'd have to find out for herself. Probably in the drawer.
With the Administrator behind me, I turned and left the place.
Makahina and Red followed me.
We opened the door and stepped out.