Memoirs of the Returnee

In Trick City, a place brimming with and mysterious things, I am here with soliette.

“lt seems to be somewhere around here…”

Sheron had given us these coordinates.

“But, Candy, if it’s a person, wouldn’t it be difficult with just coordinates? People move, don’t they?”

We were here to find a subject for human experimentation.

“Exactly. Hold on, Jelly.”

“…Can I just be Candy instead?”

“Shh.”

I pulled out my phone and dialed someone.

Ring-ring—ring-ring—

—Who is this?

“Ah, yes. Sheron, it’s me, Shion.”

It was Sheron.

…What now? What is it?

“What do you mean what is it? Didn’t you get what you wanted?”

…

No response.

That probably means she did.

“lf you got what you wanted, we’re currently at these coordinates.”

I texted our current location to Sheron.

“ls the person matching the frequency around here by any chance?”

…Huh?

“Could you check it for us?”

—Are you insane?

Sheron let out a baffled chuckle.

“Come on. You arranged everything, just help us out a bit. We’ll just see them once, okay?”

…

Again, no response.

Maybe she doesn’t want it to end with just one meeting, maybe she wants to meet two or three more times.

—Wait a sec.

I waited briefly.

Soon, Sheron spoke.

—Eh? There. You guys are standing right next to them?

“…Right next to us?”

“Wha?”

Soliette and I quickly looked around.

There was a street vendor right beside the road where we stood. A middle-aged man with bushy hair had piled up fruits on his stall.

—Hey. But you, can you arrange another meeting later? That fortune-teller seems really powerful.

“…Just a moment.”

—It's not just a moment, that fortune-teller was right. He knew who my internal spy was. That person is really incredible—

I hung up the phone and slowly approached the vendor.

“…”

The middle-aged man just looked at us without saying a word.

“Um…”

He immediately pointed at the fruits.

“Three for 3 Ren.”

“No, we’re not interested. Ah, I do have cash here though.”

I pulled out a wad of cash from my wallet.

“lf you answer some questions honestly, I’ll give it all to you.”

“…Questions?”

“Yes. It’ll be about 5000 Ren.”

5000 Ren. The middle-aged man’s expression showed a flicker of interest.

“What do you want to ask?”

“…Well, about that…”

It’s an awkward question to ask someone for the first time, but there’s no time to beat around the bush.

“Have you ever participated in human experimentation?”

…

“I don't know what you’re after, but this isn’t something to discuss on the street.”

I was formally invited to a cabin in the forest outside Trick City. The middle-aged man—Jekyll—was telling us as I listened with soliette.

“I don't know where it was exactly. I was blindfolded and taken there.”

He showed his palm with each statement, signaling he wanted money.

I handed him a 1,000 Ren bill.

Soliette asked, “ls there anything else you can remem ber?”

“I was injected with a syringe full of some unknown drugs. But they didn’t explain what it was.”

Jekyll reached out his hand again.

I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

“Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?”

“There wasn’t much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. That’s all I know. I don’t know about the others.”

Jekyll reached out his hand again.

I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

“S0, how did the experiment end?”

“There was an accident.”

“…An accident?”

“Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, the lab was almost split in half.”

I handed him 3,000 Ren.

“HOW did it split?”

“I don't know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy… and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?”

I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

Knightmare.

“Anyway, I ran away from there. That's the end of it.”

1 'ffcffrtVicif'YnIM Shovi ie’iu:i7wV7vAliXti~otiiT

“Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?”

“There wasn’t much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. That’s all I know. I don’t know about the others.”

Jekyll reached out his hand again.

I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

“S0, how did the experiment end?”

“There was an accident.”

“…An accident?”

“Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, the lab was almost split in half.”

I handed him 3,000 Ren.

“HOW did it split?”

“I don't know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy… and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?”

I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

Knightmare.

“Anyway, I ran away from there. That's the end of it.”

1 'fftffrtVicif'YnIM 3hoVi ie’iu:i7wV7O*’liXti~otiiT

“Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?”

“There wasn’t much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. That’s all I know. I don’t know about the others.”

Jekyll reached out his hand again.

I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

“S0, how did the experiment end?”

“There was an accident.”

“…An accident?”

“Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, the lab was almost split in half.”

I handed him 3,000 Ren.

“HOW did it split?”

“I don't know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy… and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?”

I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

Knightmare.

“Anyway, I ran away from there. That's the end of it.”

1 '^fd’AVicirri'llM 3hoVi i^iU:i7/X7vAlIXti“Otn.T

“Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?”

“There wasn’t much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. That’s all I know. I don’t know about the others.”

Jekyll reached out his hand again.

I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

“S0, how did the experiment end?”

“There was an accident.”

“…An accident?”

“Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, the lab was almost split in half.”

I handed him 3,000 Ren.

“HOW did it split?”

“I don't know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy… and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?”

I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

Knightmare.

“Anyway, I ran away from there. That's the end of it.”

1 '^f'd'AVicirri'llM 3hoVi i^iu:i7/X7vAlIXti“Otn.T

“Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?”

“There wasn’t much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. That’s all I know. I don’t know about the others.”

Jekyll reached out his hand again.

I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

“S0, how did the experiment end?”

“There was an accident.”

“…An accident?”

“Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, the lab was almost split in half.”

I handed him 3,000 Ren.

“HOW did it split?”

“I don't know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy… and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?”

I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

Knightmare.

“Anyway, I ran away from there. That's the end of it.”

1 '^f'd'AVicirri'llM 3hoVi i^iu:i7/X7vAlIXti“Otn.T

“Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?”

“There wasn’t much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. That’s all I know. I don’t know about the others.”

Jekyll reached out his hand again.

I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

“S0, how did the experiment end?”

“There was an accident.”

“…An accident?”

“Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, the lab was almost split in half.”

I handed him 3,000 Ren.

“HOW did it split?”

“I don't know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy… and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?”

I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

Knightmare.

“Anyway, I ran away from there. That's the end of it.”

1 '^f'd'AVicirri'llM 3hoVi i^iu:i7/X7vAlIXti“Otn.T

“Can you describe what happened there, maybe a detailed schedule?”

“There wasn’t much of a schedule. I was just locked in a room and injected with the drug three times a week. After each injection, they took my blood. That’s all I know. I don’t know about the others.”

Jekyll reached out his hand again.

I handed him another 1,000 Ren bill.

“S0, how did the experiment end?”

“There was an accident.”

“…An accident?”

“Yeah. One day, there was a huge noise. Screams and something tearing apart. It was chilling, like something being ground up in a blender. I hid under the bed, and right after that, the lab was almost split in half.”

I handed him 3,000 Ren.

“HOW did it split?”

“I don't know. I was hiding under the bed. But, clearly, a guy who was normal until the night before suddenly went crazy… and when he swung his hand, walls were sliced through?”

I looked at soliette, and she nodded.

Knightmare.

“Anyway, I ran away from there. That's the end of it.”

StflVthe'Soliette of now."

“You. Just now… what did you do?”

“Ah, that? I tried to imitate what Shion did.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Remember the sword technique you showed before? I tried to adapt that… Shion. You really wield an incredible technique. It’s extremely powerful.”

ls it really something you can just imitate?

Well, it’s originally soliette’s, so I guess she could imitate it.

“Are you hurt?”

“Yes. I got a deep cut on my shoulder, but thanks to Shion, I survived.”

She smiled at me.

“Shion. That sword was more destructive than Arkne’s techniques. Won’t you teach me?”

“…NO.”

“Why not?”

“lf I say no, then it’s a no. Don’t try to imitate it either.”

“Hmm. Why?”

Soliette crossed her arms. I sheath my sword and retorted bluntly.

“ITI sue you for copyright infringement. Imitate it if you have the money.”

“What… No, more importantly. What do we do about this person?”

She pointed at Phine. I let out a light sigh.

“lndeed. We’ve killed a Balancer.”

Fortunately, our identities haven’t been exposed.

I'm Candy, and soliette is Jelly.

“Let’s get out of here. We’ll ditch these identities.”

“Yes.”

Soliette immediately turned around. I quietly followed her as she skillfully surveyed the surroundings and made her escape.

The next day, I went to work as Killian.

Due to the fierce battle the night before, my whole body felt as if it had been hammered by a hammer, but well, today was an important day nonetheless.

“l’m at work.”

There was no response.

Dr. Vito was deep in thought, something placed on the table in front of him.

“…Dr. Vito. What are you doing?”

“Ah, Dr. Ki Ilian.”

Vito pointed at the object with a twitch of his eyebrow. It was a human arm.

“Is that a human arm?”

“No. It’s a doll.”

“…A doll?”

“Yes. A doll. Have you ever heard of Akane from Selfless Coffin ?”

I was taken aback.

Akane, of course, I knew very well.

“Uh… not really sure.”

“She’s the greatest doll maker of our era. I once commissioned her… It’s truly fascinating. How can she make dolls that seem just like real people?”

“Ah… It does indeed look quite human.”

I casually played along. Vito chuckled and pushed up his glasses.

“Well, that’s that.”

Then he lifted a lever in the corner of the laboratory.

Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!

A loud noise echoed as the Bottles of souls were revealed. Now there were no bodies, just overwritten souls, sparkling as they were trapped inside the bottles.

“Let’s get ready for commercialization.”

“Yes.”

I carefully recorded the scene on video.

The time for me to act as a whistleblower was drawing near.

[The streets are getting cleaner… The serial disappearance of the homeless]

Riley was reading the news while communicating with Vancheon.

“…These incidents, they’re linked to Libra’s AI?”

—Yes. Evidence has been captured.

Riley scanned through the evidence they had sent.

Scenes of Libra’s agents kidnapping sleeping homeless people or luring them under the guise of free meals… It all looked suspiciously foul.

Riley bit her lip slightly.

“…lt’s a dangerous mission. Derek’s future is at stake.”

But the risk of approaching was too great.

Since this was the mission Derek was most focused on, just getting close would attract suspicion from all sorts of Chasers.

—It's also a perfect opportunity to bring Derek down.

“What about me?”

…

Riley bit her lip again.

“lf we bring Derek down, am I expendable?”

—Owl. That's not what I mean.

“…”

Riley quietly closed her eyes, sinking into her chair and taking a deep breath.

—What happened to the researcher you were close with?

Dr. Killian suddenly came to mind.

Dr. Killian’s words echoed in her ears.

—Artificial intelligence… It’s going to be a whole new technology. But you'd better stay away from it if you can.

He had warned her to stay away.

Dr. Killian definitely knew something. There was clearly a deeply inhumane conspiracy involved with this Al.

“…ITI provide more details later.”

Riley ended the communication.

Then, she picked up her smartphone.

There were quite a few messages exchanged with Dr. Killian.

As a member of [VancheonJ , she had a role to fulfill. To do that, she needed to deal with this man first.

“…A lot of homeless people have disappeared, you know? Isn’t that a good thing?”

Riley practiced her lines.

Since Derek’s Al was surely related to the serial disappearance of the homeless, she had to pretend to be just like them to extract information.

“The homeless who are of no help to the continent might as well disappear sooner rather than later…”

Lines to share with Dr. Killian. Riley nodded as she typed the dialogue into her laptop.