Mobius frowned as she studied the child before her.
She had yellow hair, twin horns, and the distinct traits of a Sarkaz.
Yet, the blood test report clearly identified her race as Savra.
What puzzled her even more was this—other medical staff could approach her without issue, as long as they removed their white coats.
She, however, had already swapped her lab coat for casual clothing in warm tones, yet the girl's reaction was far more hostile toward her.
"Did she sense my ill intent?"
No—that was unlikely. Her control over her body was absolute. She couldn't possibly detect anything.
"Then… could it be because of the Diablo fragments in her body?"
Mobius slowly set the pills and cup of warm water down, masking her thoughts with an awkward smile.
"It seems this child may not be very fond of me."
"It's alright, Dr. Mobius. You've done well… Ifrit, calm down. Dr. Mobius won't hurt you."
The reassuring voice came from a Liberi woman—Olivia Silence. One of the few Infected who had chosen to remain at Rhine Lab, she was also one of its researchers.
"I heard this child was rescued from the ruins of a laboratory?"
Mobius took the investigation report from her hands and noticed Saria's signature at the bottom.
"Yes."
Silence's tone was stiff—after all, the woman before her was a senior figure who had overseen many of Rhine Lab's most important projects. She had to be approached with caution.
Furthermore, with her expertise, Ifrit's treatment would undoubtedly become more reliable.
Even so, as she watched Mobius carefully sort through Ifrit's case details, she found herself glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.
The warm-toned clothing she wore softened her appearance, making her seem almost like the gentle "big sister next door."
She had even heard rumors from a Feline colleague —that Dr. Mobius was romantically involved with Director Saria.
"Still… why is Ifrit so afraid of her?"
---
"That horrible woman is finally gone."
The moment Mobius left, Ifrit curled up tightly in Silence's arms.
She didn't understand it herself—why just seeing Mobius had filled her with such an instinctive fear.
Silence, who had initially been about to scold her, instead gently stroked her head.
"Relax, she's gone now… But why are you so afraid of Dr. Mobius? She just got here."
"I… don't know," Ifrit murmured. "It's the first time I've ever seen her, but I'm just… afraid. Afraid of her…"
"What exactly are you afraid of?"
"I'm afraid she'll eat us all."
"That's impossible. Dr. Mobius isn't some monster from a fairy tale. You really should stop reading so many scary picture books."
---
"Oh~ My loyal bodyguard, meeting you here truly must be fate's blessing."
In a quiet corner of Rhine Lab, Mobius—who had clearly been waiting—greeted Saria with a sly smile.
"…"
Saria could only sigh inwardly. Mobius was getting more and more shameless—standing in plain sight, pretending to "run into her by chance," when it was obvious she had been waiting for her on purpose.
"Don't be so serious. Smile. You know, a friendly smile can greatly improve your relationship with your subordinates."
"My responsibility is to protect the safety of Rhine Lab, not to waste time on meaningless and worthless social activities."
"It's just a smile. Look, just lift the corners of your mouth slightly with the tiniest bit of effort, and your image in their eyes will be greatly improved~"
"Mobius."
Saria stepped forward until the distance between them was less than a meter—close enough that, if she wanted, she could beat Mobius into the floor right now.
"You're really good at pissing people off."
Her fists clenched.
"Don't be angry, don't be angry~ I just haven't seen you for a long time, and I might have gotten a little… speechless~"
Mobius tried to retreat, attempting to put space between them, but quickly found herself backed into a corner.
In such a confined space, escape was nearly impossible unless one destroyed the terrain.
And against an opponent with top-tier Originium skills and flawless combat techniques like Saria, this range was more than enough for her to dismantle her completely.
Kashchey—still possessing Mobius's body—was, in truth, very afraid of pain.
But the smile on Mobius's face remained light and mocking.
"Making Saria angry… that's such a wonderful thing~"
Bang!
The wind from Saria's fist swept past Mobius's cheek.
"If you talk to me in that tone again, it'll hit you in the face next time."
Her voice carried a sharp warning.
Mobius always had a knack for getting under her skin with infuriating ease.
"Director Saria, um… I'm here to inform you that the new round of interviews for the Defense Department personnel is about to begin. I've been looking for you for quite some time… I hope I didn't disturb you and Dr. Mobius."
A Feline researcher suddenly appeared from the corner.
To his eyes, the usually composed and impartial Director Saria was now "domineeringly" pinning Dr. Mobius against the wall.
"I won't bother you. I'm leaving now."
He turned on his heel, clearly intending to flee from this dangerous scene.
"You can't leave."
Saria's voice stopped him in his tracks.
Both she and Mobius instantly understood the situation—he had completely misunderstood.
Though Saria was often teased for being as rigid as a diamond, she was perceptive enough to see the problem immediately.
"…Things are not what you think."
"I know, I know! I saw nothing, I know nothing!"
"I hope that no rumors within Rhine Lab arise that are detached from reality and affect the daily work of our employees."
"Yes, Director!"
The Feline man bolted like a frightened cat.
For the first time, Saria felt her fists were truly powerless.
You couldn't just… bury the witness.
Seeing Mobius looking at her with that amused expression—like she had just told a joke—Saria felt an inexplicable surge of anger.
Bang!
---
That's too much.
Mobius ended up in Rhine Lab's internal medical room.
She had originally planned to report Saria to the Commander-in-Chief for assaulting a colleague.
But Saria… that woman actually punched her, then quietly healed the injury herself.
Now, all that remained on the left side of her face were faint bruises.
The medical team diagnosed her with minor injuries.
"If you'd come a little later, it might not even have been classified as a minor injury,"
said the staff member on duty.
Mobius felt a flicker of genuine irritation.
After all, she really did hate pain.
Fine then, Saria… I'll make you a little trouble.
Mobius could be quite petty when she wanted to be.
---
"Do you know what I saw today?"
"Tell me."
"Old rules first."
"Relax, we'll keep it a secret."
"We even checked the area—no surveillance equipment."
"The brothers and sisters from the Defense Department are here too, so don't worry."
"Good, good. Then listen carefully."
"Hmph… allow me, the one who knows all the gossip in Rhine Lab, to tell you what I witnessed today. I saw Director Saria take Dr. Mobius and—"