The 100 Operators Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really love you

Chapter 28

*Edited change Horn's cat ears to fox ears*

1700 December 8 1096
Victorian Royal Army's HQ Private Room
Victoria

"Sergeant Bagpipe reporting for duty!" A female with waist-length orange hair and two horns near her ears, salutes in front of a female with waist-length yellow hair and fox ears on her head.

"At ease." The fox ears nod before continuing, "The reason I called us is that we received a letter from researcher Ceylon to escort her to Rhodes Island."

Bagpipe's eyes widen before furrowing her eyebrows, "Eh? Why us? She does know we are from the army?"

The fox ears sigh as she leans back in her seat, "She didn't specifically request us, more like her professor asked my superior to escort her there. The details weren't shared with us, unfortunately."

Bagpipe sighs as well before blinking as she remembers, "Oh right, you said Rhodes Island right?" Seeing the nod as confirmation, she continues with an increasingly giddy tone, "That means Ashura should be there! We could take this chance to ask him why he hasn't written us any letters now."

The fox ears nod in agreement, "I know, that's why I volunteered both of us to escort her. Get ready now and we will head out at eight o clock in the morning by the VTOL."

Bagpipe squeals before pouncing on the fox ear female, who tries to keep the former away but fails, "Hurray! We can go see him again! Thanks Horn."

Horn sighs before patting Bagpipe's head, "Yeah yeah now get off of me before I court martial you."

1800 December 6 1096
Medical Wing Private Room
Inside Rhodes Island

"...Where am I?" Ashura looks around, only seeing that his surroundings are white with nothing else in sight, "...Atalanta?"

"Save your breath, me. You can't access that connection you have with her." Ashura flinches at the same voice sounding out with an echo.

"...So I was right, you're him." He looks around then up to see an eye staring at him, making him flinch at the weirdness.

"Hmmm, not exactly but true in a way, "The voice, Doctor, cryptically says, making Ashura frown.

"Stop it with the riddles. Just say it straight."

"Why should I? But, I am in a good mood, so I'll indulge you for a bit." The eye blinks while a cough sounds out, "But first, tell me how did you come here?"

"You mean how I came to inhabit the body?" The eye looks up and down as a sign of yes, "Why should I?"

"Well, I would need to know if we share the same origin or not, no? But anyway, I was once a normal guy in the past life, albeit a weeb, and reincarnated into a boy in a Sarkaz village, escaped that place, worked at Victoria to make a living, finished my studies, killed the original doctor and replaced him, made plans to used Babel and Theresa, got myself almost killed by stupidly falling into that trap... Then you came in and stole my body."

"...What? You, you, you are the same as me?"

"I guess. Although, I am betting that we are from different world, since there can't be two of the same person in a world, your world did learn about the multiverse theory right? Or whatever it's called."

"..."

"Oh the silence treatment? That's fine, I'll just assume yes. Makes it easier for me to treat that you know what I'm talking about. "Doctor coughs, "Anyway, on my first almost death experience, I met him again and rolled that stupid skill gacha, got the SR skill of soul clone, which helped me escaped the situation... And it's still helping me now."

The eye looks up, "You know, after you came here, I was pretty angry at you, at the douche bag old man, then I thought about it and at first, I decided to just go out of here since I hated Arknights... But you know what I found out? I can't escape. I am stuck in this mind... So now, I decided I will take my body back, thank you very much." The eye looks right at Ashura now with an imaginary smile.

Ashura widens his eyes as he steps back, "Woah, woah, hold on. Can't we just talk it out and fight later?"

"Hmm... Let me just motivate you a little. I helped you a little just now by strengthening your emotions and it was hilarious watching you spout out all those ideals. Like, you can't escape from this world's cruelty! This world will eat all of the innocents and spit them out a different being, the worst version of themselves. So, why not just give up your resistance and give me back my body since you are too afraid of taking a life. Maybe the old man will give you a retry?"

Ashura grits his teeth as he glares at the eye, "You had your chance! And fuck you for making me say those words to Ata!"

"What do you mean by making you say that? You said all on your own, I merely intensify your emotions and you let them spill out."

"You bastard! I never meant to say those words to anybody! I was –"

"Suuuuureeee. Remember, you were the one that thought about it since I can only intensify or get rid of emotions while controlling the dreams here."

Ashura doesn't say anything but tightens his hands as he looks down. He continues to look down for a long time before looking up with a hardened look.

"Tell me, why did you treat everyone as expendables? I kept hearing how terrible you were when you commanded them, even though you were hailed as a genius tactician. You didn't have to sacrifice their lives; you could have saved their lives!"

The eye closes while the Doctor doesn't say anything. Ashura keeps looking at the eye while waiting for his answer.

Eventually, the eye opens, and a sigh rings out, "I could have. But I didn't."

"You fucking –"

The surrounding starts to collapse, "Looks like we are out of time. Actually, convince me that you can lead them better than I did. Only then you can keep the body." With that parting remark, the eye closes and turns into a white ceiling that shows cracking.

The piece detaches itself and falls on top of Ashura before he could do or say anything.

He opens his eyes while breathing heavily, only to see that he is in a room and Nian is sleeping on a chair near his bed. Looking down, he sees that he's wearing the nauseating green cloth for patients and bandages are wrapped all around his body.

Ashura looks to the side to see his helmet on a desk, prompting him to raise his hands that are aching to try and grab it. He pauses then lowers his hands.

"I... Don't know what to do..." He dejectedly mutters as he gazes at the helmet then to Nian, "I didn't even get the chance to ask him about his soulmates..."

A low grumbling sound comes from Nian, who slowly opens her eyes then blinks again and again to get rid of her sleepiness. She yawns before opening her eyes to see Ashura wide awake and staring at her.

"DARLING!" Nian pounces on him with her chair clanking on the floor. She tightly hugs him, almost making his bones snap again, "You're alright!"