About half an hour later, Kali was still sitting quietly on the hospital bed, deep in thought.
Her severed arm had already regrown. After all, with ampoules involved, it would've been stranger if it hadn't healed.
"Let's go. Want to take a walk outside with me?"
Da'at stretched out a hand to Kali, smiling gently as she asked. For a moment, Kali was stunned once again.
In just this half-hour, she'd already lost count of how many times she'd been stunned by this girl…
The young woman in front of her, in terms of personality, was astonishingly similar to Carmen…
"…Please, show me around this City."
Kali suppressed the complicated emotions swirling within her heart. Standing up, she subconsciously reached out beside her, as if to pick up a weapon—but then, her hand froze in mid-air.
No… Though she'd already agreed to join L Corp, right now, she wasn't yet Da'at's guard. She didn't have to act as though she was protecting Carmen again…
She exhaled slowly, then quietly followed Da'at's footsteps.
Either way… first, let's go see this City.
...
About two hours later, Kali and Da'at rested at a small street-side restaurant, waiting for their food to arrive. Kali leaned against the window, eyes shut, occasionally responding to Da'at's gentle, concerned questions.
Meanwhile, Kali's thoughts drifted restlessly through her mind.
This City… It almost feels too good to be true.
This thought occurred to Kali naturally as she recalled everything she'd just seen.
Walking alongside Da'at through the streets, she wouldn't describe it exactly as a paradise—but compared to her old City, it might as well have been.
More importantly… it seemed there wasn't any trace of the Sickness of the Mind here?
Thinking this, Kali glanced at Da'at once more before quickly closing her eyes again.
Perhaps it was precisely for this reason that, despite her uncanny resemblance, Da'at never exhibited certain traits Kali remembered from Carmen… Perhaps the Sickness didn't exist here, so those aspects of her character simply weren't necessary…
In short, this Da'at was brighter, more optimistic, and carefree, free from heavy burdens or relentless pressure. She appeared like a lively, innocent girl—the kind a girl of her age ought to be.
How wonderful…
Thinking this, Kali's heart unexpectedly stirred.
Perhaps Carmen herself should have been just like this? If the Sickness had never existed, if her life had remained on the right track… wouldn't she have turned out just like this…?
With this thought, Kali slowly opened her eyes, an involuntary sadness flickering across them. Her mind wandered, haunted by memories of the day Carmen died.
Just as Kali slightly lowered her head, she suddenly felt a soft hand gently cupping her cheek, lifting her face upward. Snapped out of her emotional daze, Kali opened her eyes, only to meet Da'at's concerned gaze.
"What's wrong? You suddenly seemed so sad…"
Da'at stared at Kali, a hint of worry crossing her face. But in the next instant, she smiled brightly again, gently patting Kali's shoulder.
"Hey, cheer up. You've arrived in a completely new place… It's okay to start fresh again."
"…Mm. Mm."
Kali responded blankly with two quiet nods. Just then, their dishes arrived. Lowering her head to eat, Kali's previously clouded eyes gradually regained their clarity.
Start fresh… huh?
Then, can a smile like this be protected, this time around?
After finishing their meal, they lingered at the restaurant a while longer. During this period, Kali took the initiative to speak clearly to Da'at about something that had been lingering in her mind.
"Eh…? So, you're saying you want to become my guard?"
Da'at tilted her head in surprise, looking curiously at Kali.
"Yes."
Kali nodded firmly, her hands unknowingly clenching the hem of her leather coat.
"…Are you sure it'll be okay? I don't really know your capabilities yet, but… Won't that be too demanding?"
Da'at asked softly, carefully:
"There are actually better positions available. If you wish, after you've recovered a bit more, L Corp could help you settle back into ordinary life in the City instead…"
"No, there's no need. Don't worry about my capabilities. I'm far more capable than you might think and better suited to this role. Since I proposed it myself, it won't be a problem."
Taking a deep breath, Kali spoke solemnly.
Because this time, she had something she genuinely wanted to accomplish.
If all of this was truly like a dreamlike second chance…
Then this time, she wouldn't allow it to slip away again.
She wanted to protect this.
"If you're unsure, you can test me."
Finally, Kali spoke with utter seriousness. Da'at considered for a moment before finally nodding slowly.
"Well… all right then. Shall we head back to L Corp now? Since you have a position in mind, we'll run a quick test, and then you can officially sign your contract…"
"Yes, I have no issues."
Kali replied swiftly. Standing up closely behind Da'at, she set off toward L Corp without delay, hurried as though desperate to finally do something meaningful.
Soon, the two returned to L Corp. Da'at wandered through the corridors for a moment before decisively opening a door.
"X, I'm back!"
"And you brought someone along?"
X's calm voice resonated through the room. Kali stepped in behind Da'at, freezing in her tracks as she glimpsed the black-haired man with golden eyes before her. Her expression momentarily flickered into confusion.
In that instant, she almost felt she'd returned to the very day she first joined the Lab.
The man standing before her… at least outwardly, bore a striking resemblance to Ayin…
"Ahem. This is someone I found injured in the outskirts! After talking a bit, she said she wanted to be my guard, so I brought her here to sign a contract…"
"Da'at, don't be so careless next time. There's still too much uncertain information. You should have brought her to see me first."
X sighed lightly, closing his eyes briefly. Only then did Kali regain clarity. This X's relationship to Da'at was evidently different from Carmen's with Ayin, helping Kali ground herself in reality.
"…I can provide some proof."
Exhaling slowly, Kali spoke seriously. X glanced at her, slightly surprised.
Then, Kali's eyes settled on the Mimicry Greatsword leaning against the wall. At that moment, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
Striding forward without hesitation, she grasped the Mimicry Greatsword and turned to face them.
"How about I demonstrate with this?"