Sector B-4 was packed with Nam-Cheol's private soldiers, hired by the residents.
Alice, Yi Rang, and Kim Ga-Eun were patrolling their assigned section as a four-person team with one private soldier.
"...It's nerve-racking, never knowing when the enemy might hit."
The private soldier with them replied.
"Yeah. Even veterans get nervous at times like this..."
Just as they were wrapping up the patrol, the soldier stopped.
"Everyone. Before we head back, I've got a once-in-a-lifetime favor to ask..."
"?"
He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
The three tensed for a moment, only to find an ordinary sheet of paper and a pen.
"Please! Can I get your autographs?!"
"...What?"
"Alice C, you're practically an idol among combatants in Korea! Guys like me never know when we're gonna drop dead. Please, give me an autograph..."
At the word idol, the corners of Alice's mouth rose before she could stop them.
She made a mental note to start searching her own name online.
"Well~ an autograph, sure~ What should I write?
What style? Cursive? Freestyle?"
"'To Park Sang-Min. Always rooting for you,' please..."
After spending enough time with Alice, Kim Ga-Eun and Yi Rang had learned one thing about her.
She was a sucker for praise and competition...
The two pouted and eyed Alice with a hint of jealousy.
"And Kim Ga-Eun C! You too!"
"M-Me!? Why?"
"It's a long story, but... I'm a fan of Yuna Nim."
At Yuna's name, Kim Ga-Eun's face soured.
Why would one of that woman's fans want her autograph?
"Don't tell me... you have a grudge against me too?"
"No! I'm grateful, if anything.
Yuna Nim is always so high and mighty, but seeing her cry, fume, and lose her temper... Haa...
That's when I became your fan too!
I hope you keep giving Yuna Nim an even harder time!"
Kim Ga-Eun wasn't sure whether she should be happy to have a fan like this, but she seemed to enjoy herself once she started signing.
"Hey, what about me!? I'm the one who beat Chae Da-Seon in a fight!"
Yi Rang stepped forward, but the soldier looked unimpressed.
"Ah, sure. Might as well get yours too. Could be worth something if you make it big later."
"Why'm I the only one gettin' treated like this..."
After pocketing the autographs, Park Sang-Min pulled out a roasted sweet potato wrapped in aluminium foil.
"Oh, and this is for the autographs. Thought you might get hungry on patrol."
"Ooh, thanks!"
Alice ate the sweet potato—or rather, broke it down for energy.
She folded the leftover foil and slipped it into her pocket.
Then explosions and gunfire erupted nearby.
"We're under attack!"
Burly private soldiers spilled out of the surrounding alleys, weapons in hand, and closed in around them.
Yi Rang stared around in disbelief. They'd been surrounded before she could even do anything.
"How the hell'd so many of 'em get in!? What happened to the guys outside?"
"Looks like... they're tied up fighting too... too busy to stop anyone from getting this far."
Their apparent leader stepped forward.
"So... just Yu-Han's girlfriends?"
"WHO THE HELL IS THAT BASTARD'S GIRLFRIEND?!"
Alice and Yi Rang shouted in perfect unison.
One person, however, had a very different answer.
"Me! Me! I'm his girlfriend!!"
"Whatever. Don't care... Where's Yu-Han?"
The leader's voice turned cold.
Alice answered just as firmly.
"Sorry, but we don't know where that bastard went either.
And even if we did, we wouldn't tell you."
"...I'm only after Yu-Han. Tell me where he is, and I'll let you live."
"Why are you after Yu-Han...?"
"That bastard killed private soldiers from Shin Man-Su's outfit—men I'd worked alongside before!! With those Seo-An-Dang bastards!!"
"...!"
Alice remembered the day Yu-Han had gone to the Shin Man-Su Building with Shin Gi-Deok.
So this man had known the soldiers Yu-Han killed that day...?
"Then someone's going to take responsibility.
If Yu-Han isn't here, you will!"
"Ugh..."
Alice felt a pang of guilt.
Then laughter burst out beside her.
Kim Ga-Eun.
"You bitch! What's so funny?!"
"Hahaha! Oh, come on... Responsibility?
Please. Spare me the fucking bullshit."
"What...!?"
"You people kill for a living as private soldiers, don't you?
You've probably killed plenty yourselves.
But the second your own side dies, you start whining about responsibility...
If you can't handle that, don't be a private soldier. Idiot."
Kim Ga-Eun spat the words out with the same bright, gentle smile she always wore.
The leader scowled.
"You insolent little bitch... Guess nobody ever taught you to watch your mouth!
I'll keep you as a whore for the rest of your life!!"
Several burly men rushed her.
Without changing her expression, Kim Ga-Eun grabbed one and snapped his neck with her bare hands.
The rest faltered.
"Hehe... Looks like I've got no talent for being a whore. Can't seem to control my strength~"
"Y-You fucking monster...!"
The soldiers farther back opened fire.
Kim Ga-Eun's body swelled, twisting into a grotesque wolf-headed chimera.
"Shit! Use electric magic! If it's alive, electricity will work! Fire up the EMP too!"
Park Sang-Min reacted fast.
"Everyone! Put up a temporary barricade with defensive magic!"
The three used MTP to raise a combined mana barrier around themselves.
Basic electric magic wouldn't punch through it easily.
With the barrier up, Yi Rang stopped hesitating and opened fire with her semi-auto shotgun.
"Damn it! Then we use combined magic too!"
The enemy soldiers pooled their mana for a single breakthrough attack, but Kim Ga-Eun wasn't about to let them.
"You think I'm fucking blind?!"
Every time they tried to coordinate a spell, she charged in and smashed them apart.
'Damn it. If it weren't for the EMP, I'd be out there finishing this with them...!'
Alice, meanwhile, could barely move inside the barrier because of the EMP.
Same trick, over and over.
Even she thought it was pathetic.
Kim Ga-Eun glanced back and spoke through the MTP telepathy network.
[Alice C? Don't worry. We'll finish this.]
"G-Ga-Eun..."
[And maybe just stay home next time!
You only slow us down!
You'd do plenty of good as the Center's PR ambassador!]
Yi Rang broke into a cold sweat and glanced at Alice.
Alice's eyes were wide, her fists trembling.
"Don't make me laugh...!"
[Say what you want, but what are you gonna do about the EMP?]
"I've got an idea!"
Alice blurted it out without actually having one.
Then she remembered the aluminium foil in her pocket.
"If I do this... There!"
The moment 'it' was finished, everyone stared.
Her teammates, Kim Ga-Eun, even the enemy soldiers.
'It' was a ridiculous hat made of crumpled aluminium foil...!
'Good. Much easier to move now!'
Covering her exposed communications hardware with foil cut down the EMP interference.
Alice burst from behind the barricade.
She had a carbon-coated blade in one hand and a beam sword extended from her other wrist.
"She's insane?! She came out on her own!"
The private soldiers opened fire on Alice.
But Alice was an AI.
She could predict their fire from their muzzles and stances, then slip through their blind spots.
She cut one man down, used another as a shield, and carved through their ranks.
"...Third-rate private soldiers. In a real fight, all you can manage is electric magic—the easiest, most efficient option."
"Ghh...! Don't underestimate us!!"
The leader hurled one last high-voltage blast at Alice.
A massive monstrous arm blocked it.
With Kim Ga-Eun's extreme mana resistance, an attack like that barely tickled.
"Ahh, refreshing. Electric massage?"
"M-Monster...!"
That was all he got out before Ga-Eun clobbered him with her forearm, knocking him out.
Kim Ga-Eun shifted back into human form.
"He might know something. Keep him alive."
"Yeah. Ga-Eun... but..."
Alice grabbed both of Kim Ga-Eun's cheeks and yanked.
"You said I only slow you down!? Told me to go inside and play PR ambassador!!?"
"Ow, ow, ow... I'm sorry! I was only trying to rile you up...!"
"Always talking back!! Did you learn that from Yu-Han too!?"
At that moment, a portal opened in midair.
Yu Seo-Yeon stepped through, drenched in blood.
"Everyone...! Sorry I'm late! I got held up dealing with the enemy!
Is everyone okay?!"
"Some private soldiers showed up. We took care of them all, though."
Alice proudly gestured at the captured leader and the enemy corpses strewn around them.
"Huh. You handled more than I expected... But what's that on your head?"
"Um... improvised EMP protection!"
Alice hurriedly pulled off the aluminium hat.
"Then let's interrogate him now."
By the time they approached, the captured leader was awake.
And smiling.
"Talk. If your information's worth enough, we might let you live..."
"Heh. Even if I live... you'll just bury me in damages and debt, won't you?
A commander who lost his whole unit could never pay it off..."
"That's your problem."
"Yeah. Yeah, it is... Then at least I get to decide how I settle it..."
Blood trickled from his mouth.
Yu Seo-Yeon realized what he'd done.
"He swallowed poison hidden in a molar...?"
"Well... mine was stuck to the roof of my mouth..."
"Any last words?"
"You Seo-An-Dang and Cheong-Am bastards... you're going to hell!!"
The man died right in front of Alice.
Alice stared at him, stunned.
"...You'll have to get used to it. In this line of work, you'll hear that more times than you can count."
Yu Seo-Yeon closed his eyes—the least courtesy she could offer.