Girls' Frontline: My Apocalypse with Dolls

Page 391

P.S.: We'll see Jaime's story as a side story in the future; it's quite long, and we'll learn about Paradis's dark vision then. Please look forward to it.

599 Shame

The agent went to the warehouse in the back alley to deal with the miscellaneous items, but after learning that there was a disturbance at the bar, Chris immediately returned and told Yingque not to go back to the bar lobby for the time being. Then she began to clean up the mess with Carmen, such as cleaning up the bloodstains and replacing the furniture.

Meanwhile, Yingque and Shina enjoyed the night breeze on the second-floor balcony. Shina would occasionally improvise a piece there, and Yingque was happy to listen. The exquisite violin solo, played in the artificial broadcasting room formed by the buildings, resonated even more than the vinyl records on those old-fashioned record players.

Tonight is no different, with Shina performing and Yingque listening from the sidelines.

"Today's classical style was also fantastic, truly admirable. Even the song recognition app couldn't find the answer; these are all your original compositions..."

"Yes, once the rest of the orchestra arrives tomorrow, we can have a small family symphony performance, and then we'll have even better pieces to play."

The conductor and Rosalia had just gone to the theater to welcome the rest of the orchestra. They should be able to move into the bar loft together by tomorrow. If they had known this was going to happen, they would have prepared the beds and furniture. Although it might be a bit cramped, it would be just about right. At least they wouldn't have to use steel-framed dormitory beds yet.

When new friends come, Yingque naturally welcomes them. However, she doesn't know when it started, but she seems to no longer care that all her new friends are women. On the contrary, if they are other strange men, it would make her more uneasy.

It's not just that Yingque is naturally a bit shy; it's also because there have been more troublemakers lately and the White Eagle incidents have been frequent. Being around people like them, who are the same gender, friendly, and capable, makes her feel much more at ease.

"However, the balance of gains and losses..."

The bow in her hand suddenly stopped, swung in the air a few times, and then returned to the girl's hand. Every time the onlooker's attention returned to the bow itself, the golden spiral guard would suddenly reappear...

That was actually a rapier that could be used as a violin bow...

PS: The following text suggests playing "Back to the Future 1999 BGM: Forget-Me-Not Speech: The Past of Mistletoe" by Xander Pierre (the music title is that long because it's an in-game BGM that was posted by someone else, but I highly recommend everyone to listen to it. The piano at the beginning really has a heart-touching feeling, and this song will be used frequently in similar situations in the future).

......

"what happened?"

“I’m just a little curious,” she smiled. “Do you know what all the people around you are doing?”

Shina's tone was usually light and cheerful, and the sudden switch was like a split personality, catching Yingque off guard.

Yingque had considered this, but as Luo Fan's lover, she was indeed ashamed to bring it up...

"I don't know, they didn't tell me... Why do you ask?"

Shina is a friend of Luo Fan's from a long time ago, and he had hoped that she would know something about this, but it seems that Shina is also completely clueless about it.

"You don't know... That's right, how could he possibly let you know? He tried so hard to protect you, and he longed for your understanding and love, so he used a method that wouldn't hurt you, but would leave him heartbroken..."

Shina muttered to herself, her words indistinct and rapid, and her fragmented speech piqued Yingque's curiosity. She wasn't sure if she actually knew something.

Just as she was about to ask a question, Shina shook her head again, maintaining her smile: "I'm just a little envious of you. To make him go to so much trouble to protect you, even though there are so many people doing those shady things together, he really managed to keep it all a secret, so you didn't notice a thing."

"What clue? What are you talking about?"

Now Yingque was certain that Shina had a considerable understanding of Luo Fan's work, but neither of them intended to tell her. However, she did want to know, she should know, she wanted to share her lover's burdens. If she didn't do so, the sorrow of knowing nothing might be more tormenting than knowing everything.

but......

"Well...!"

Whenever similar topics are mentioned, I experience severe headaches, almost like an operant conditioning reflex. It seems that whenever I think about wanting to know the background of Luo Fan, I get headaches, difficulty breathing, tension, anxiety, unease, and... inexplicable psychological suggestions...

"Don't you have the answer yourself?" His smile hadn't changed, but his kindness seemed to diminish in an instant: "What you resisted the most before, what he was most worried about you knowing, why he didn't tell you many things, and the content of your recent nightmares—it seems he's already told you everything you wanted to know."

What? How did she know...?

Yingque has never told anyone about the content of her recent nightmares. She doesn't believe in dream interpretation, and besides, the content of her dreams would only make others think that she has delusions caused by excessive psychological stress.

But I am indeed deeply worried about this...

In her dream, she could only see strangely shaped shadows writhing in her field of vision, whispering obscure words, but when she extracted the comprehensible parts from them, they were her thoughts on all the possibilities.

He's afraid you'll know something... He's avoiding you... He's resisting something that could hurt you, but that's precisely what you resist most, what your values ​​despise most... He's afraid of you...

Yingque's first reaction to these statements was resistance; she did not agree with the content they conveyed. However, upon careful reflection, she realized that this was actually what she had been guessing but had never dared to be sure of.

"...I have no answers. The biggest fact I am certain of is that I know nothing."

Yingque didn't seem to care why the other party knew this, and chose to answer in this way.

This answer surprised Shina. Instead of expressing surprise or anger, she chose to sincerely state her attitude.

"No wonder he fell for you. You've been remarkably calm. A normal person would have been furious if their sore spot was exposed like that."

Ying Que just smiled and slowly shook his head: "This fact is not shameful, but if we are to talk about shame, there is indeed one thing: I know nothing about my lover's actual career. I asked him but got no results, and he and his friends were unwilling to tell me either, as if they all insisted that the truth would cause me great harm."

600 out of control

Have you ever considered a possibility, a possibility that you absolutely cannot allow, find unbelievable, and have never considered before?

Why would there be a possibility of 'I absolutely will not allow it'? I don't think I would resist the occurrence of certain established facts."

"That's right. Perhaps that's a given fact that you've never considered. You've ruled out the correct outcome from the very beginning."

Shina's words made Yingque frown. The topic seemed to have shifted beyond casual conversation and turned into a more acute and complex truth.

Suppressing her headache, Yingque looked up at the girl in front of her. The alluring aura revealed by her light pink hair and the undisguised provocation in her eyes made her feel uncomfortable. Normally, she would choose to avoid her and try to avoid communicating with such a person, but for some reason, she was being guided by a certain thought that made her openly display her confrontation.

"So, you know the outcome?" Ying Que said in a deep voice.

"I don't know, or rather, I only have a vague understanding..." He plucked the strings with his index finger, playing a heavy harmony: "But based on my understanding alone, I think you might find it difficult to bear the consequences of knowing the reality."

"You will question him, question yourself, grow distant, feel disgust, regret, and ultimately destroy yourself, overwhelmed by grief over the past..."

As if an electric current had been suddenly grounded, Yingque felt a strange chill run down her spine. Had she guessed correctly? Or was she slandering her? Otherwise, why would she have such a strong reaction?

Is there something I haven't guessed, or do I actually already know but am just denying reality? No... that's not right... there has never been any clue pointing clearly to reality, and no one has ever told me. I must still be kept in the dark.

But do I resist this feeling? It seems not...

Sometimes a bird feels that the gold and jade surrounding it is everything it deserves, a safe haven that its beauty deserves. But when the bird begins to question it all, when it questions whether it was actually deceived from the beginning by a beautiful fantasy, intoxicated by the adoration of the onlookers...

"No, that's not right," a sharp pain shot through his body, a suffering that Luo Fan had also experienced: "You're guiding me, you want me to question him...?"

Shina was still smiling, her eyes narrowed, but she unconsciously took a step back: "Why should I guide you? This is a fact you have the right to know. As his lover, you should know everything he faces, shouldn't you?"

"Impossible... I've never suspected him so much... You're deliberately leaving these clues for me, what are you trying to lead me to...?"

The girl's voice grew lower and lower, and her body slowly weakened due to the pain. But the weaker she became, the more obvious her backward steps became.

She still spoke up: "It's not about guiding you. You've been thinking this way for a long time, otherwise why would you react this way?"

You are denying yourself...

......!

puff

A dark shadow appeared behind Yingque, then formed a twisted giant hand that gripped Shina's neck.

"You're lying... You're stopping me. I love him so much, why am I so suspicious of him?! Is he being threatened by you? He must be... Otherwise, you wouldn't want me to doubt him for no reason..."

Shina was sweating profusely, and her hand, which had been trying to grasp the bow, began to weaken, but she still smiled: "No one questions your love, but you also need to understand... uh... what you're loving..."

"shut up!"

The girl's voice began to hoarse, but the shadow seemed to respond to her anger, its originally deformed body instantly adjusting and expanding, forming a kind of near-human "being." Although she couldn't see those eyes, Shina could still intuitively feel that countless eyes were staring at her.

"Ugh...!" After a painful cough, Se-na finally cried out hoarsely, "Come quick, I can't... hold on much longer..."

The words had barely left his lips when a dark figure lunged forward, slamming his fist into the shadow behind Ying Que. The immense impact forced the shadow to release Shi Na from its grasp, causing Ying Que to stumble slightly. However, the shadow merely dented the area struck, then twisted and flipped, forming a more "distinct" shape: eyeless, mouthless, with only two downward-curving gray lines visible where its face should be, as if a manifestation of an emotion...

"...It seems to be coming sooner than expected."

Morse adjusted his stance, adopting a wary posture towards the shadow before him, but the shadow simply stood motionless behind Yingque, as if it too was scrutinizing him for the next step.

Soon, Chris staggered to the balcony, only to be stunned by the sight before her.

Ying Que gritted her teeth, knelt down on one knee, her white nightgown stained black, and her right eye turned into a distorted curved surface. With just one glance, one could feel an extremely strong emotion overflowing uncontrollably.

"You're supposed to provoke her with words, not attack her!"

Chris yelled at Sena, but this only provoked a more vehement retort from Sena: "I didn't attack her, I just said something she didn't want to hear!"

"So what exactly did you say?"

"Uh...about Mr. Luo's work..."

......

That's really bringing up the very thing I shouldn't have said...

601 Staff Member 1

P.S.: The following recommendation is *Aldritch, Devourer of Gods* --- *Dark Souls 3*

"So, did Aitherel ever explain what that monster lurking in the shadows is?"

Chris, being an ordinary person, was already considering quitting. The current situation was clearly beyond her control and might even make things worse.

“Yes, Gagsherav mentioned her conjecture to me…” Morse nodded, then wrapped the bandage around his hand: “These shadows are the embodiment of the Queen’s inner self; they are the Queen’s omnipresent advisors, and also her sharpest claws…”

"They are omnipresent, all-encompassing, irrepellable, and untouchable; only beneath their light lies a realm completely beyond their reach..."

Shina added with a wry smile, realizing that she had inadvertently led the situation into the most complicated state. With the conductor still at the theater, it was uncertain whether she and the bishop alone could control her.

The shadowy claws seemed to respond to Shina's words, writhing like ghosts before taking a stance with a speed too fast for the naked eye to catch, and then stabbing out in an instant!

"Turn on all the lights!"

Morse roared and immediately put his hands in front of his chest to block, intending to use this first defense to get a preliminary understanding of the monster's strength. However, this one blow sent it flying back several meters. If it weren't for Shina's piano music, she might have smashed through the wall behind her.

The balcony space was already small, but fortunately it was enclosed with windows that blocked out the outside environment and limited the monster's movement. Now, the task was to solve the problem as simply as possible...

With all the balcony lights on, the shadows were instantly dispelled. The monster's face was expressionless, but its contorted body suggested that the light was causing it pain.

But it wasn't over yet. There were still shadows in the backlit areas of everyone present, which meant that this was still the monsters' range of activity. Sure enough, the monsters' claws were not as big as before, and their range of activity was much more limited.

Shina, who was standing to the side, temporarily focused her attention on Yingque, trying to find a way out of the situation, but the girl kneeling on the ground just stared at her, then clenched her right fist.

"...!"

The shadows between the two of them suddenly became three-dimensional. She saw a knight's helmet, a shadow that looked like cloth, and a pair of arms like blades rushing towards her at high speed!

"Sergeant, get out of here quickly! Urge the commander and the others to hurry up!"

"Wait, hold on a little longer!"

While issuing the warning, Sena swung her bow, thrusting it sideways to block the monster's hands, then turned to dissipate the force, before the monster could react...

“MARCH”

A piercing echo spread out, and the monster's left arm was forced back by the heavy blow, but the effect was not significant. Soon, a second counterattack came again, and Morse picked up a chair from the ground and threw it, successfully attracting the monster's attention.

"That's her..."

Before the monster could change its target, a delicate, low, yet chilling whisper could be heard. Yingque's gaze remained fixed on Shina, and the monster's head, which resembled a knight's helmet, immediately turned back.

"Uh..." Shina took a step back, somewhat embarrassed. "You don't have to hold a grudge like that. I was just joking..."

But the monster's attack gave her no chance to delay, and Sena had to pull the strings again to fight back.

After several rounds of probing, Morse realized the difference in strength between them. In a direct confrontation, he was evenly matched with this creature, and his range of movement was limited when the light was on. However, it would never leave his side unless the light remained constantly above him; otherwise, the shadowed side would always exist...

Furthermore, this monster seems to be immune to pain and fatigue, so the only thing that can be affected is Yingque itself...

Morse glanced at Shina to the side; she was still trembling with the monster. They weren't facing the same entity, and Gagsherav referred to these monsters as "them," so perhaps there were some others yet to appear...

As the monster raised its claws to charge again, Morse dodged to the side, twisted the monster's body behind it, and stared at the girl who was only a few meters away. Her gaze was still on Shina. With neither of the monsters around, it was a perfect opportunity!

With his left hand outstretched in a grasping motion, just as his arm was about to touch the girl's soft skin, his eyes instantly turned and stared intently at Morse.

For a fleeting moment, Morse seemed to feel his thoughts being influenced by that eerie eye...

"Don't think about it!"

Yingque whispered, and then the shadow beneath him instantly expanded, reaching right in front of Morse. As seen just now, the shadow began to take on a three-dimensional form, twisting and shaping, eventually forming a near-human-shaped individual.

This time, however, it was even more bizarre. Its hands were of different sizes, its head was small and lacked facial features, it wore a strange spiral, and its massive body had an extremely ugly giant mouth that was twitching towards Morse. Morse was stunned. She did not expect that such an ugly and huge monster could appear in an instant. Its larger left hand swung up like a pendulum and smashed at Morse from the side.

"Roar......"

The monster growled, shielding Yingque beneath its body. The first monster to engage had already turned back and delivered a heavy blow to Morse from behind, knocking him to the ground.

"Bishop, are you alright?!"

Unexpectedly, Morse fell first, but soon the monster in front of her forcibly drew her attention. Unlike the powerful and heavy monster Morse faced, this monster was much faster and its posture was more standard and orderly. Was that head, which resembled a knight's helmet, a symbol of some kind of identity?

"Uh, it's nothing..."

Morse quickly got up, unharmed, but the situation was far from optimistic. The monsters were protecting Yingque very well, giving them no chance to get close. Two large creatures were blocking their way, while Shina had to face another, even faster knight. The two of them alone were completely outmatched...

Before he could catch his breath, a black crescent-shaped shadow rose from the ground in the shadows to his side, about the same height as Morse's leg, and was rapidly approaching. He had no choice but to quickly dodge to the side, but with his position restricted, another big guy rushed up again. The two coordinated perfectly, leaving no chance for Morse to take advantage.