Odyssey || ArknightsXPunishing: Gray Raven (OLD BOOK)

Chapter 21: Plans

A military airship carrying the insignia of Babylonia can be seen parked in the middle of the desert, the howling desert winds scraping at its paint. A tall girl was standing in the hilltop, binoculars in hand as she scoured the ruins in the distance. Occasionally, faint flashes of red could be observed in the distance, indicating that the place had corrupted.

"Commandant..." A voice spoke behind Anastasia, pulling her out of her thoughts. She lowered the binoculars and looked at the construct behind her. The pale moonlight made her eyes glow a fiery red, like a demon staring at it's prey. She brushed off the thought and took one last look behind her, before walking away.

"Lucia, progress report." Anastasia replied monotonously, her voice as cold as ice. She descended down to the hillside as Lucia walked by her side, matching her pace along the way.

"Bianca found faint but strong traces of Punishing Virus in the cabin, but don't worry Commandant, we already made sure to disinfect the place." Lucia added and reassured her. "Also, there is a possibility that the target was wounded, as the evidence of used gauze and bandages were found. The target might have taken refuge at the ruins 2 kilometers from our current position." Lucia informs her as they entered the cabin, the metal door making a screeching sound as it closed.

Just as Anastasia entered...

*thud*

She felt someone heavy collide with her body, making her stagger a bit, given that constructs were made mostly from heavy duty materials. She felt a small amount of pain forming on her right arm since it took the brunt of the impact.

"Commandant! You're their new Commandant right!? Nanami wants to conduct experiments with you!" Anastasia looked down, only to see a short ponytailed construct tugging at her uniform, her head barely reaching her chest.

"Nanami! Don't rush Commandant that hard." Liv stood up from the couch and went beside Anastasia. She had a concerned look on her face and she began checking Anastasia's arm. "You know humans aren't built as...hard as constructs. Commandant might get injured."

"It's okay, Liv. I'm not so frail. Besides, I wouldn't be here if a mere collision with someone would hinder my basic capabilities." She gave Liv a reassuring look before patting Nanami's head. Her hair was smooth to the touch, almost like a real hair.

"Oh, headpats! Nanami likes headpats!" Nanami smiled and moved her head forward ever so slightly. She seemed to really like headpats, but for Anastasia, it was a whole new experience for her. She only deduced on the spot that Nanami was the type to like headpats.

"Alright, that's enough headpats for today, and once we get back to Babylonia, I'll consider going along with those... experiments of yours." Anastasia said and retracted her hand, before leaving the giddy Nanami to her own world.

"Amazing... Commandant already knows how to deal with Nanami..." Liv said in a low voice, surprised at how quickly Anastasia dealt with Nanami's behavior.

"...Yeah..." Lucia replied, murmuring as she was lost in thought. She suddenly remembered their former Commandant, and how he treated them like family. Unfortunately, for some... unexplained reasons, he was transferred out to logistics as per Commader Nikola's request.

"Lucia." She heard Anastasia's stern voice, and saw her looking at her intently. "Is something bothering you? You look a little off. This mission is of utmost importance, but if it affects my subordinates, I would gladly call it off if you're not in the right condition." She said. Lucia was taken aback by what she said and shook her head.

"I'm alright, Commandant. I just...remembered our former Commandant. Watching you just now, I was overwhelmed by a familiar feeling. I felt that you...have the same caring attitude as him..." Lucia said and her complexion softens. Those heartwarming memories they made at the dorms were engraved in her memories. How they would hang out after finishing a long mission, or just be completely immersed in writing daily reports with each other's company.