"It shouldn't be mealtime yet, right?"
Vinani trembled violently at the sound of footsteps approaching the door, her hand instinctively touching her weather-beaten stomach.
She was certain it wasn't mealtime yet; otherwise, her body would have reacted earlier. Moreover, the footsteps were hurried, and judging by the sound, there were more than one person.
Vinani's face paled instantly as she frantically searched for a place to hide.
This unexpected development couldn't be good for her. She had been wondering if they had forgotten about her existence, but now it seemed they had simply been too lazy to bother with her—they had no immediate use for her, so they had casually cast her aside.
It was likely they would now use her as leverage against others, and these footsteps belonged to those coming to take her away.
Vinani scrambled to an abandoned Gardemek, crawled inside, and crouched down.
During this time, Vinani had certainly not been idle. She had been tirelessly devising ways to evade the search, and her ultimate plan was to hollow out the scrapped Gardemek.
As the sound of footsteps drew closer, Vinani's heart pounded with anxiety.
If she were discovered this time, she would truly have nowhere left to hide.
But if they found her again, she likely wouldn't get another chance.
Vinani clutched a sharp metal shard in her hand, its edges meticulously sharpened.
This wasn't meant as a weapon against the Masked Man. She knew her strength couldn't match his, even with this makeshift blade.
Instead, it was for ending her own life. Even in death, Vinani refused to cause further trouble for others because of her existence.
The footsteps drew nearer, followed by the creak of the door opening.
Vinani's nerves tensed instantly. Now that they were closer, she could roughly gauge their numbers by the sound of their footsteps.
Three of them!
They absolutely must not notice me here!
Vinani prayed silently. At that moment, the footsteps paused briefly before scattering in different directions.
One set of footsteps grew closer, causing Vinani's anxiety to intensify.
Suddenly, all the footsteps stopped simultaneously, plunging the area into an eerie silence.
Vinani's nerves snapped taut. Her hands, gripping the metal shard, trembled slightly as her eyes remained fixed on the entrance, ready to end her life at the slightest sign of movement.
To her surprise, however, the trio made no further moves. She waited and waited, but they remained motionless.
Just as Vinani was about to investigate, a deafening roar shattered the stillness, momentarily deafening her and leaving her mind blank.
Violent tremors followed. Vinani lost her footing and crashed to the ground along with the Gardemek's outer shell, which immediately fell apart around her.
What was that?!
As gentle light flooded her vision, Vinani knew she had been exposed.
Before she could even lament her terrible luck, Vinani instinctively clenched her fist, paused for a moment, and then frantically searched for the metal shard she had dropped.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She spotted where the shard had fallen, but the next moment her body trembled violently. A Masked Man stood nearby, facing her, as if calmly observing her.
A chill ran through Vinani's heart.
It's over. She couldn't even take her own life now.
The thought of falling into their hands and causing immense trouble for others made her close her eyes in despair and anguish, awaiting her fate.
Yet after what seemed like an eternity, she heard no approaching footsteps. Puzzled, Vinani cautiously opened her eyes, only to see the Masked Man still standing motionless in the same spot.
Confused, she carefully studied the figure, then glanced at the other two Masked Men stationed elsewhere. She quickly averted her gaze in panic.
A moment later, Vinani began tentatively approaching the Masked Man nearest to her.
At first, she took small, tentative steps, but her movements grew bolder as she advanced.
Finally, when she retrieved the metal shard, Vinani confirmed that the Masked Men had abruptly stopped for some unknown reason.
Vinani glanced at the open door, her eyes suddenly blazing with fierce determination.
An opportunity!
But just as she was about to flee, she hesitated.
What if they reactivate mid-escape? I wouldn't get far before they catch me.
The best course of action would be to eliminate the threat entirely while they remained incapacitated.
With that thought, Vinani tightened her grip on the metal shard, then quickly relaxed it.
I can't do this after all.
Giving up, Vinani removed the Masked Man's mask before leaving. She froze in shock.
Beneath the mask was an ordinary face, but the eyes were utterly lifeless, as if the soul had fled.
Vinani had seen a similar condition in Lofan earlier. She wondered if there was any connection between the two cases.
But there was no time for pondering. Vinani immediately called out to a corner:
"Little Henry, we have to go!"
"Woof!"
At Vinani's call, a limping figure emerged from a trash-strewn corner.
Despite being a heavily damaged combat-type Mechanical Dog, Little Henry retained a surprising amount of speed.
Vinani grabbed Little Henry and burst through the storeroom door.
-
On the other side, as the light gradually dimmed, the young man's figure had completely vanished without a trace. In its place was a massive crater, dozens of meters in diameter, revealing the complex metal structures and various gears with distinct functions within the wreckage.
Simultaneously, seawater began surging through the breach, pooling on the ground and steadily rising.
Arlecchino dispersed the Fire Elemental Power around her, her expression slightly grim.
Even she hadn't anticipated that the enemy would plant such a powerful bomb within his own body.
If she hadn't pulled Navia back, given the latter's distracted state, she likely would have been in grave danger.
The enemy was indeed a formidable madman.
It was a pity—she hadn't had a chance to carry out her final probing attempt before this catastrophe unfolded.
In truth, Arlecchino suspected this was another elaborate act orchestrated by the enemy himself. She had intended to question him during his final moments, but now that opportunity was gone.
"Monsieur Henry!"
Navia glanced at the spot where Lofan's body had been, but the explosion had ravaged the area, leaving no trace of him behind.
A fresh wave of sorrow washed over Navia. Why did someone with a heart as radiant as gold meet such a swift and tragic end?
Meanwhile, having finally subdued his imposter, Neuvillette sensed an abnormal surge of energy below. He immediately addressed Arlecchino and Navia:
"We must evacuate immediately. The Pneumousia Energy has completely destabilized due to the explosion. We don't have much time left."
With those words, Neuvillette intensified his power, unleashing a torrent of surging currents that relentlessly drove the false "Neuvillette" deeper into the secret base.
By this point, the assembled Clockwork Meka and chimeric monstrosities had long since ceased functioning after their master's demise, making them easy targets for Neuvillette to dispatch.
Having dealt with these threats, Neuvillette immediately approached the two women.
"Miss Knave, please guide your Fatui to evacuate."
"Miss Navia, please wait at the breach where the seawater is flooding in. I'll come immediately after finding Vinani."
"If Miss Knave chooses this route as well, I can offer you some protection."
"The force of this explosion will be unimaginable. Perhaps taking the waterway would be safer."
Arlecchino didn't hesitate. After nodding to Neuvillette, she immediately returned to Lyney and Lynette. Navia, however, refused Neuvillette's suggestion.
"I'm going to find Miss Vinani too. At a time like this, every extra person increases our chances."
Seeing Neuvillette about to protest, Navia immediately cut him off.
"Don't try to dissuade me, Monsieur Neuvillette. I can't just sit in safety and wait for news of Vinani."
With that, Navia turned and strode away. Neuvillette hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly and chose a different direction to search for Vinani's prison.
Navia frantically darted through the labyrinthine corridors, the earlier scenes replaying endlessly in her mind.
Lofan had sacrificed himself to create such a favorable situation for them. If she failed to find Vinani and bring her out safely before the explosion, she wouldn't know how to face Lofan's memory.
Navia pushed her physical limits relentlessly, yet reason cautioned her to conserve some strength—she needed enough energy to carry Vinani out.
Suddenly, she spotted a small sphere and a battered Mechanical Dog ahead. She paused briefly, surprised.
Could there be other innocent people imprisoned here besides Vinani?
With this thought, Navia immediately quickened her pace and gave chase.
Hearing the commotion behind her, Vinani mistook it for the three Masked Men catching up. Terror gripped her, and she desperately tried to run faster.
But her speed increase was minimal. Perhaps due to prolonged inactivity, Vinani felt her body heavy and sluggish; she was already gasping for breath after barely running a short distance.
Clearly, Vinani's short legs couldn't outrun Navia. She was quickly overtaken.
Vinani froze, startled by the sudden figure before her. She tried to stop, but her brakes failed, sending her tumbling across the ground until she rolled to a halt at Navia's feet.
Navia stared in bewildered confusion. Is this Fontaine's latest performance art?
Little Henry, equally puzzled by Vinani's actions, could only imitate her in confusion.
Thus, the utterly humiliated Vinani saw her own mortifying spectacle reflected in Little Henry's actions.
Vinani had never dreamed that she would suffer a social death before her physical demise!
"Are you a Melusine who was captured here too?" Navia asked, her proximity allowing her to finally discern that the creature resembling a "ball" was indeed a Melusine.
Amid her surprise, Navia felt a surge of anticipation. Perhaps she knows something...
"Do you know if there are any other innocent people imprisoned here? Is there another Melusine like you, named Vinani?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Vinani froze for a moment, then lunged toward Navia with fervent excitement.
"I'm Vinani! Miss Navia!"
To Vinani's shock, Navia not only dodged her but also pointed her claymore at her.
"M-Miss Navia, what are you doing?"
Vinani was completely bewildered, unable to understand why Navia was pointing her weapon at her.
Hearing Vinani's confused question, Navia scoffed, her anger turning to amusement.
"If you're going to try to fool me, at least try to look more like her. Do you even know what you look like? Is there even the slightest resemblance between you and Miss Vinani?"
"Though your voice is somewhat similar to Miss Vinani's, I can't be fooled by mere sound."
"Speaking of which, with such heavy security here, how were you able to move so freely all by yourself?"
"Your body is so bulky... are you strapped with explosives?"
"You were just trying to pounce on me when my guard was down and detonate it, weren't you? How many times do you people have to try these tired tricks before you get bored?"
Though the imposter appeared weak, Navia remained on high alert.
In this place, no amount of caution was excessive.
It was precisely this vigilance that allowed Navia to effortlessly evade the imposter's clumsy ambush.
"If you don't want to die, speak now! Where have you imprisoned Miss Vinani?!" Navia demanded fiercely, pressing her claymore forward.
Vinani responded in a voice trembling on the verge of tears, "Miss Navia, I really am Vinani!"
"You won't shed a tear until you see your own coffin!" Navia snapped. Seeing the imposter stubbornly cling to the charade, she grew frustrated. Yet she remembered the woman was a crucial lead. Searching aimlessly for one person in this massive base would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
This woman likely served under the bastard No. 6. If Navia could break through her psychological defenses, she might finally uncover Vinani's location.
With that thought, Navia pulled out a group photo from her pocket showing Vinani, Lofan, Melus Silver, and herself. Pointing at Vinani in the photo, she demanded with utmost seriousness, "Is this you in the photo?"
"Yes, it's me!"
"Are you absolutely sure this is you in the picture?!"
"Yes, I was much thinner back then."
"That's not you!" Navia snapped, her voice rising with genuine anger at the other woman's audacity.
"But it is me!" Vinani sobbed, pulling out an identical photograph from her chest pocket.
Seeing the photo, Navia's eyes turned cold. She pressed her claymore against Vinani's throat, demanding:
"Why do you have this photograph?"
"Where is Miss Vinani right now?"
"What have you done to her?!"
Hearing Navia's accusations, Vinani's tears cascaded down her face.
"I am Vinani, Miss Navia! Why won't you believe me?!"
"Besides, I don't have any bombs on me. I'll even take off my clothes to prove it!"
With clumsy movements, Vinani began unbuttoning her blouse, already torn open at three points.
But to her surprise, even after going this far, Navia's expression only hardened into a mocking sneer.
"The bomb must be implanted inside you."
"I've seen this trick before. Try something more original next time. Don't think you can fool me so easily!"
"My patience is limited."
"If you don't honestly reveal Miss Vinani's current location right now, don't blame me for getting rough."
With that, Navia unleashed an overwhelmingly fierce aura, proving her words were more than just empty threats.
Vinani felt an unprecedented mix of emotions: gratitude towards Navia for coming to her rescue, and anger and frustration at Navia's complete refusal to believe she was Vinani.
"Where's Monsieur Henry?"
"If Monsieur Henry were here, he would recognize me immediately!"
"Has he been rescued yet?"
Upon hearing Vinani mention "Henry," Navia's gaze turned even colder, her patience finally reaching its breaking point.
Little Henry watched their interaction, tilting his dog head back and forth in apparent confusion.
Suddenly, Little Henry's eyes flickered a few times, and a video began playing.
"How dare you even mention him? I..."
Navia was about to teach the Melusine a harsh lesson when she suddenly noticed a video playing nearby. The person on the screen was none other than Vinani, the one from the photograph.
Navia's heart leaped with joy, thinking the Mechanical Dog was about to guide her to Vinani's location. But then she watched in horror as Vinani's body in the video began to inflate like a balloon, swelling until she looked exactly like the Melusine standing before her.
Navia: "..."
The video continued. The balloon-like Vinani rapidly shrank back down to her photographic appearance, after which the footage began looping repeatedly.
"Little Henry, stop it! Stop the playback!"
Vinani sobbed, desperately trying to stop Little Henry from twisting the knife emotionally. It was then that she finally understood why Navia hadn't recognized her—and that her sudden weight gain wasn't just her imagination. The truth, however, was painfully cruel in its simplicity.
Seeing this, Navia silently sheathed her claymore and offered Vinani an awkward but polite smile. "Miss Vinani," she began.
"Miss Vinani, I was only joking earlier..."
Upon hearing Navia's words, Vinani's tears burst forth like a dam had broken, cascading down her face...
-
Spynote - Fatty