The sound of machinery interrupted Yuuki's thoughts.
Behind him, the massive elevators began to open.
One after another, their enormous doors slid apart, revealing crowds of exhausted people. Families emerged carrying whatever belongings they had managed to save. Some held their children close, while others leaned on relatives for support. Their clothes were worn, their faces weary, and their eyes reflected the exhaustion of people who had endured far too much.
Yuuki turned toward them.
He immediately recognized something familiar about their appearance.
Their features, clothing, and mannerisms reminded him of Russians.
So these are the Northerners Velvet mentioned.
They were remnants of the Northern Parliament, survivors who had managed to escape the devastation on the surface and reach humanity's underground refuge.
For these people, the Ark represented a second chance.
A place where they could rebuild their lives, raise their children, and live without constantly fearing the Raptures.
At least, that was what they had been promised.
Yuuki watched as the Northerners entered the developing city, following officials who directed them toward their assigned residential districts.
Then, among the crowds, he saw a familiar face.
A little girl with dark hair walked beside her parents, holding one of their hands as she looked around with wide, curious eyes.
Velvet.
She was still young, her face free of the guarded expression she carried in the present. There was an innocence about her that made it difficult to reconcile this child with the pink haired maid he had encountered through her memories.
She looked at the enormous structures surrounding her with wonder.
Perhaps she believed that everything would be better now.
Perhaps she thought that, once they were safely inside the Ark, her family would never have to suffer again.
Yuuki watched the little girl follow her parents into the city.
His expression softened.
You were just a child...
But that brief moment of hope did not last.
As the memory progressed, Yuuki began to notice the way the Northerners were treated.
They were permitted to enter the Ark, but they were not welcomed as equals.
They were assigned less desirable housing, offered fewer opportunities, and routinely treated as second-class citizens. Their origins became a mark against them, something that followed them into workplaces, residential districts, and everyday interactions.
Some people openly looked down on them.
Others simply ignored them, as though their suffering was an inconvenience unworthy of attention.
Even when they possessed the necessary skills, Northerners often found themselves passed over for better positions in favor of people considered more acceptable by the Ark's society.
The discrimination was so deeply embedded in daily life that many had come to regard it as normal.
Yuuki's expression hardened.
Unbelievable.
Humanity had fought to survive the Raptures. People had overthrown their former rulers to secure a future for everyone who remained.
Yet, even after all that suffering, they had carried their prejudices into the very refuge that was supposed to preserve their civilization.
The Ark was meant to be a sanctuary.
Instead, the survivors had brought the old world's hatred with them.
"Some things never change, do they?" Yuuki muttered.
He continued watching as Velvet grew older.
The years passed in fragments, each scene revealing another part of her childhood.
Her family struggled to make ends meet. Her father, already weakened by illness, became increasingly unable to work. The demanding conditions of the construction period and the hardships of their new life had taken a toll on his health.
Without a stable income, the family's situation deteriorated.
Velvet began taking odd jobs to support them.
She worked whenever she could, accepting whatever employment was available to someone of her background. She performed menial tasks, endured long hours, and pushed herself beyond what should have been expected of a young girl.
Yet, no matter how hard she worked, the money was never enough.
Her father's condition worsened.
Medical expenses accumulated.
The necessities of daily life consumed what little she managed to earn.
And whenever she thought she had finally secured enough to keep her family afloat, another problem emerged.
Yuuki watched Velvet return home after another exhausting day, only to find her father struggling with his illness.
The girl stood there helplessly, unable to do anything but watch.
Her desperation grew with every passing day.
She needed money.
More than she could earn through ordinary work.
And the Ark's society had given her precious few opportunities to obtain it.
Eventually, Velvet made a decision that Yuuki could see she never truly wanted to make.
She began selling her body.
Yuuki went still.
For a moment, he couldn't bring himself to look away from the memory.
Velvet had been driven into a situation where she felt that her family's survival depended on her sacrificing something deeply personal. It wasn't a choice she had made freely, nor was it something she could accept without pain.
She had been desperate.
Her father was sick. Her family needed money. Every ordinary avenue she had tried had failed to provide enough.
And the society that claimed to protect its people had left her with increasingly desperate options.
Even then, her suffering did not end.
Because she was a Northerner, she was paid less than other courtesans.
The same prejudice that had restricted her opportunities throughout her childhood followed her into this work, reducing her worth in the eyes of people who were already exploiting her desperation.
Yuuki's hands clenched into fists.
Even here?
She had already been forced to endure discrimination simply because of where her family came from. Now, even when she resorted to something she had never wanted to do, she was treated as less deserving than others.
There was no dignity in the situation.
No compassion.
Only people taking advantage of someone who had run out of options.
Yuuki lowered his head, his expression darkening with every passing second.
He finally understood why Velvet had been so reluctant to discuss her past.
She had spent years hiding behind a cheerful smile, trying to bury memories that she could barely bear to confront herself.
Perhaps she had hoped that, if she acted carefree enough, no one would ever look closely enough to discover what she had endured.
But Yuuki was seeing it now.
The little girl who had entered the Ark holding her parents' hands, believing she had found a safe haven, had slowly been forced into circumstances no child should have had to face.
And the world around her had offered little mercy.
Yuuki looked at Velvet's younger self, his heart heavy.
"You shouldn't have had to go through any of this..."
His voice was barely audible.
He knew that he couldn't erase the past. No matter how much he wished otherwise, he couldn't reach back through time and change the circumstances that had shaped her life.
But he could refuse to let her remain imprisoned by them.
He could give her a chance to confront those memories without being condemned for what she had done to survive.
And, perhaps most importantly, he could help her understand that the things she had been forced to endure did not define her worth.
Yuuki took a slow breath.
"All right, Velvet. I'll see everything you've been carrying."
His gaze hardened with quiet resolve.
The memory shifted.
Yuuki found himself standing on a dimly lit street, watching a younger Velvet hurry home. The streets were crowded, but the girl kept her head down, clutching her belongings as she made her way through the unfamiliar faces.
She wanted to get home.
Her parents were waiting for her.
She had no idea that she would never see them again.
Before she could reach her destination, several men intercepted her. They dragged her away from the street, robbed her, and subjected her to horrific abuse. Her cries for help went unanswered. In a city where the vulnerable could be exploited with little consequence, no one came to save her.
Her fate was a tragic one.
The men eventually sold her body to a Nikke company, treating her remains as nothing more than a commodity.
Yuuki stood frozen, his hands trembling.
He had known that Velvet's past was terrible, but witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely.
Even as her life slipped away, her thoughts remained with her parents.
Mom... Dad... I'm sorry.
I wanted to come home.
That was all she had wanted.
To return to the people she loved.
To see their faces again.
To tell them she was home.
But she never made it back.
Yuuki lowered his head, his jaw clenched so tightly that it hurt.
"...Bastards."
The word escaped him in a low whisper.
There was nothing he could do to change what had happened. He couldn't reach into the past and save the girl whose life had been stolen from her.
But the memory continued.
Velvet's story had not ended with her death.
She was eventually revived as a Nikke, given a new body and a new identity. The dark-haired girl who had once struggled to support her family was gone. In her place stood a pink-haired Nikke with green eyes, her former appearance replaced by one that no longer resembled the child her parents had known.
When she finally returned home, she discovered that she had lost everything.
Her parents were gone.
The people who had once lived nearby explained what had happened after her disappearance. Her father had waited for her, hoping she would eventually return. But as the days passed without any news, his health deteriorated until he finally succumbed to his illness.
Her mother had tried to endure the loss.
She had waited, too.
But the grief of losing her husband and the uncertainty surrounding her daughter's fate eventually overwhelmed her. She fell into a deep depression and passed away not long afterward.
Neither parent had blamed Velvet.
They had never believed she had abandoned them willingly.
They had simply wanted their daughter to come home.
Yuuki watched as Velvet entered the house.
The rooms were empty.
The furniture remained, but the warmth that had once filled the home was gone. There was no sound of her mother's voice, no sign of her father resting nearby, and no one waiting to welcome her through the door.
Velvet stood in the middle of the room for a long time.
Then, she broke down.
She sank to the floor, covering her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her shoulders trembled with sobs that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside her.
She had endured so much to keep her parents alive.
She had sacrificed her dignity, suffered exploitation, and struggled through every obstacle the Ark had placed before her.
And she had still failed to return home in time.
Yuuki watched in silence, unable to look away.
The cruelest part was that Velvet had not even been given the chance to seek revenge.
After becoming a Nikke, her modifications prevented her from killing human beings. The men responsible for her death had escaped the justice she wanted to deliver herself.
She later heard that assassins had hunted them down.
They were dead.
The people who had stolen her life had eventually paid for their crimes.
Yet the news brought her no relief.
It didn't bring her parents back.
It didn't restore the years she had lost.
And it couldn't erase the memories that continued to haunt her.
Revenge had offered her nothing that she truly needed.
Yuuki's hands curled into fists.
She couldn't even choose what to do with her own anger.
Her new body had given her another chance at life, but it had also imposed restrictions that denied her the freedom to confront those responsible on her own terms.
And so, Velvet continued living.
She learned to hide her grief behind a different personality, one that was more confident, provocative, and dangerously alluring.
Eventually, she became the leader of Shade, Tetra's former special operations squad.
Her new persona revolved around seduction. She used her appearance and charm to manipulate targets, extract information, and complete assignments that demanded discretion.
But Yuuki soon discovered that her past had followed her into this new occupation.
Velvet began using her body to seduce men for information, sometimes going so far as to sleep with them to obtain what her missions required.
Again and again, she surrendered something deeply personal for the sake of an assignment.
It was a method she had grown accustomed to using, but that did not mean she wanted to do it.
Some members of her squad questioned her methods. Others judged her for them. Within the agency, people began calling her a slut, a whore, and worse.
They saw her behavior.
They saw the way she flirted, the way she manipulated men, and the way she used her sexuality to accomplish her objectives.
But they never bothered to ask why.
They never considered what it meant for someone who had already been exploited against her will to repeatedly place herself in similar situations because she believed she had no other choice.
Velvet endured their insults without revealing the truth.
She didn't do those things because she enjoyed them.
She did them because she believed she had to.
Yuuki's expression grew increasingly grim.
How many times are you going to force yourself through this, Velvet?
He watched as the years passed and the once-innocent girl continued to bury her feelings beneath a carefully constructed persona.
Eventually, she grew tired of it.
Tired of the assignments.
Tired of the expectations.
Tired of being seen as nothing more than an alluring weapon who could manipulate men into giving up their secrets.
She wanted to settle down.
She wanted an ordinary life.
And, for once, she wanted to do something simply because it made her happy.
After completing one final assignment at Coin Rush, Velvet was transferred to the Maid For You squad.
It was a different kind of work, one that offered her the possibility of leaving her former occupation behind.
As a maid, she discovered something she had almost forgotten was possible.
She could serve others without surrendering her body.
She could be useful without turning herself into a tool of seduction.
She could smile, work, and interact with people without having to make herself desirable to them.
For the first time in years, she could imagine a future in which her worth wasn't measured by what she was willing to sacrifice.
And deep inside, Velvet held on to one quiet wish.
She wanted to feel pure again.
Not because she believed her past had made her dirty, but because she wanted to reclaim the part of herself that had been denied the chance to make her own choices.
She wanted to love someone without feeling that she had to offer her body in exchange for affection, protection, or acceptance.
She wanted to meet someone she could trust with her heart.
Someone she could love dearly.
Someone with whom she could finally experience the tenderness and intimacy she had always wanted, freely given rather than demanded.
So she worked.
She tried to build a life for herself, holding on to the hope that one day she might meet someone who would see her as more than her appearance, her reputation, or her past.
Someone who would look at Velvet and see a person worthy of love.
Yuuki's expression softened.
So that's what you've been looking for all this time.
Not admiration.
Not desire.
Not another person who wanted to use her.
She wanted to be loved without conditions.
She wanted to be able to say no without fearing the consequences, and to say yes because she genuinely wanted to.
She wanted to belong to herself again.
But even after finding a place within Maid For You, fate refused to give her the peaceful life she had hoped for.
When the Raptures seized the elevator access points, the maids were stranded on the surface. With their routes back to the Ark cut off, they had no choice but to find ways to survive in the hostile world above.
They took whatever work they could find.
They moved between settlements, searching for shelter, food, and safety.
Eventually, the maids became separated.
Velvet remained with Privaty for a time. Together, they survived by taking odd jobs and doing whatever they could to keep themselves alive.
For a while, they managed.
Then the settlement they were staying in was attacked by Raptures.
The two Nikkes were captured and taken aboard a Mother Whale.
There, they remained trapped for an unknown number of years, cut off from the outside world and unable to return to the lives they had once known.
Their imprisonment continued until they eventually crossed paths with the Absolute squad and the Shipgirls.
Only then did the next chapter of Velvet's life begin.
The memories slowed.
Yuuki stood amid the fading images of Velvet's past, surrounded by fragments of a life marked by loss, exploitation, and a desperate search for something she had never been allowed to keep.
He finally understood why she had been so hesitant to reveal her history.
Why she had hidden behind her cheerful demeanor.
Why she had seemed almost afraid of allowing anyone to see the person beneath her carefully maintained persona.
Velvet had spent much of her life believing that she had to sacrifice something of herself to survive.
First, she had sacrificed her dignity to support her family.
Then, she had sacrificed her sense of safety to pursue her work.
And throughout it all, she had been judged by people who saw only what she did, never what she had endured.
Even after becoming a maid, she had continued searching for a life in which she could finally make her own choices.
A life in which she could love someone without fear.
Yuuki slowly closed his eyes.
"Velvet..."
His voice carried no judgment, only sorrow.
"You've been carrying all of this by yourself for so long."
He looked toward the fading image of the pink-haired girl, who had once dreamed of returning home to her parents and later dreamed of finding someone who would love her for who she was.
"You don't have to prove that you're worthy of love by being perfect. And you don't have to erase your past to deserve a future."
Yuuki took a slow breath.
"Your past doesn't make you any less deserving of happiness."
The last fragments of the memory shimmered around him.
For the first time, he understood what Velvet had truly been asking for when she agreed to undergo the synchronization process.
She hadn't simply wanted to escape the Ark's control.
She wanted the freedom to live without being defined by everything that had happened to her.
And Yuuki intended to help her find that freedom.
=======================
"I'm sorry..."
Yuuki turned around.
The memories surrounding him were crumbling, dissolving into fragments of light that drifted away with the wind. The streets, the empty house, and the countless painful moments of Velvet's past slowly disappeared, leaving only the endless grassy plain.
And there, kneeling on the grass, was Velvet.
Her pink hair fell over her face as she desperately tried to hold back her tears. Her shoulders trembled, and her hands were clenched tightly against her chest.
"I couldn't escape my past..." Her voice cracked. "I missed them... my parents..."
She lowered her head, tears falling onto the grass beneath her.
"Why...? Why did I have to go through all of that...?"
Yuuki approached her slowly.
"Velvet..."
She shook her head, refusing to look at him.
"Please, just throw me away..."
Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
"You wouldn't want someone as filthy as me. Not after everything you've seen. When I feel your warmth... when I feel your heart through our connection..." She pressed her hands against her chest, as though trying to contain the anguish threatening to overwhelm her. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve any of it..."
She looked up at him, her green eyes overflowing with tears.
"Please..."
Her lips trembled.
"I don't want your child to be born from someone like me..."
Yuuki fell silent.
Velvet's fears were pouring through their newly established connection, reaching him with an intensity that words alone could never convey. Every painful memory, every moment of humiliation, every instance in which she had been made to feel worthless seemed to converge upon her at once.
She had spent so long convincing herself that her past had made her unworthy of love that even the warmth of their bond frightened her.
She wanted to believe that she could be loved.
But she was terrified that, once someone saw everything she had endured, they would turn away from her.
"Master..." Velvet sobbed, bowing her head again. "I'm just a useless, cheap slut... a whore..."
Her fingers dug into the fabric of her dress.
"Humans used me again and again, treating me like an outlet for their desires. I couldn't stop them. I couldn't do anything..."
Her voice broke completely.
"And now you've seen everything. You know what I did. You know what happened to me..."
She struggled to draw a steady breath, but the tears kept coming.
"Please don't give me this warmth if you're only going to take it away. I don't think I could bear it..."
Yuuki slowly knelt in front of her.
Velvet flinched when he reached toward her, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he gently placed his hand on top of her head.
A warm, reassuring pat.
Velvet went still.
She had expected disgust.
Perhaps pity.
Perhaps even rejection.
But the hand resting against her pink hair was gentle, carrying no hint of revulsion or condemnation.
Then Yuuki drew her into his arms.
Velvet stiffened for an instant, seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening.
"Master...?"
He held her close.
And that was all it took.
The fragile restraint she had maintained finally shattered.
Velvet buried her face against his chest and began to cry uncontrollably, clutching his clothes as though she were afraid that he would disappear if she let go.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
She repeated the words between sobs.
"I wanted to go home. I wanted to see my parents again. I wanted to live a normal life..."
Her fingers tightened around his clothes.
"I tried so hard. I really did. But I couldn't save them. I couldn't even be there when they needed me..."
Yuuki said nothing.
He simply held her.
Velvet continued crying, pouring out years of grief that she had never allowed herself to express. The sorrow of losing her parents, the humiliation she had endured, the anger she had been unable to act upon, and the loneliness that had followed her through every stage of her life all came rushing to the surface.
"I don't deserve your kindness..."
Her voice was muffled against his chest.
"I don't deserve to be loved. I don't deserve to be here with you..."
Yuuki gently stroked her head.
Velvet shook as another wave of sobs overtook her.
"And your child..." she whispered desperately. "What if they find out about me? What if they learn what happened to me? I don't want them to be ashamed of having someone like me as their mother..."
Her voice dwindled into a broken whisper.
"I don't want to hurt you, Master. I don't want to bring shame to your family..."
Yuuki closed his eyes.
Through their connection, he could feel the depth of her insecurity. It wasn't simply embarrassment about her past. Velvet had been taught, through years of cruelty and exploitation, to regard herself as something that could be used, discarded, and judged.
She had internalized the words people had thrown at her until she began believing they were the truth.
Even now, when she had finally found someone who offered her warmth without demanding anything in return, she was afraid that she had no right to accept it.
You've been carrying this pain for far too long.
Yuuki tightened his embrace ever so slightly.
He didn't interrupt her.
He didn't tell her to stop crying or insist that everything was fine. He didn't try to force her to accept comforting words before she was ready to hear them.
He simply remained beside her.
Velvet cried for a long time.
The endless grassy plain was quiet except for her sobs and the gentle rustling of the grass. There was no one else to witness her breakdown, no one to judge her, and no one to demand that she put on her familiar, cheerful smile.
For once, she didn't have to pretend to be happy.
She didn't have to be alluring.
She didn't have to be useful.
She could simply be Velvet.
A girl who had lost her parents.
A girl who had been hurt by people who should never have treated her that way.
A girl who had spent years trying to survive and had begun to believe that surviving had somehow made her unworthy of happiness.
Yuuki felt every bit of her anguish through their bond.
His heart ached for her.
You never deserved any of this.
She had not chosen to be exploited. She had not chosen to lose her parents. She had not chosen the circumstances that had forced her to make desperate decisions.
And none of those things had diminished her worth as a person.
Yet Velvet had spent years blaming herself for circumstances beyond her control.
Now, she was afraid that even the child she might one day have with him would somehow be tainted by her past.
Yuuki lowered his head slightly, resting his cheek against her hair.
He couldn't undo what had happened to her.
He couldn't bring her parents back or erase every painful memory that had shaped her life.
But he could give her something she had been denied for far too long.
A place where she would be safe.
A place where she wouldn't have to sell her affection, surrender her dignity, or pretend to be someone else just to earn the right to remain.
A place where her past would not be used against her.
And he knew exactly where that place would be.
GDI.
Under his protection, Velvet would never again have to endure the same exploitation simply to survive. No one would be permitted to use her past as an excuse to demean her, and no one would be allowed to force her into doing anything against her will.
She would have the freedom to choose her own future.
If she wanted to work, she could work.
If she wanted to rest, she could rest.
If she wanted to love someone, she could do so without feeling that she owed them a part of herself in exchange.
And if she needed time to heal, he would give her that time.
There would be no conditions attached to her worth.
No price she had to pay.
No debt she had to settle.
For now, Yuuki said nothing.
He simply stayed with her as the tears continued to fall, allowing her to grieve for the parents she had lost and the childhood that had been stolen from her.
Eventually, Velvet's sobs began to weaken. She remained curled against him, exhausted from crying, her hands still clutching his clothes as though letting go would cause him to disappear.
Yuuki continued stroking her head.
He wasn't going to rush her.
She had spent years forcing herself to endure pain in silence. She deserved at least this much time to let it all out. And when she was finally ready to look ahead, he would help her take the next step.
Not because he pitied her.
Not because he felt obligated to save her.
But because she was a person who deserved kindness, dignity, and respect.
Velvet had spent so much of her life believing that her past had made her unworthy of love. Yuuki intended to show her that it hadn't.
As a Nikke, she had been denied something as simple as the right to refuse a human's demands. Her body, her abilities, and even her freedom had been treated as things others could claim whenever they pleased.
But things were different now.
She was free.
She could say no. She could decide what she wanted to do with her life. She no longer had to use her body to survive, nor did she have to endure anyone's advances simply because she believed she had no other choice.
She could finally live for herself.
And as that realization slowly settled into her heart, Velvet hugged Yuuki even tighter, pouring out the anguish she had kept buried for so long.
Yuuki said nothing. He simply held her, allowing her to cry against his chest until she was ready to speak again.
"Master..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "You won't throw me away, right?"
"No. I won't."
"But I'm filthy." Her fingers tightened around his clothes. "I'm a used woman. A dirty, used woman..."
Yuuki shook his head gently.
"Are you going to keep thinking of yourself that way?"
Velvet fell silent.
After a moment, she shook her head, burying her face against him once more.
"Please... don't ever leave me. Don't take this warmth away from me..."
"I won't abandon you, Velvet."
His hand rested gently on her head.
"Your body has already been restored in the med bay. Think of it as a second chance. You have a new beginning now, so don't throw it away by continuing to punish yourself for what happened in the past."
Velvet's shoulders trembled.
This time, however, it wasn't entirely from sorrow.
"I promise..." she whispered.
She slowly lifted her head. Her green eyes were red and swollen from crying, and tears still clung to her eyelashes. Yet beneath all that pain, a faint glimmer of hope had begun to return.
"Master... can I still be a pure girl?"
Yuuki looked at her for a moment before smiling warmly.
"Of course you can."
He gently wiped a tear from her cheek.
"To me, and to everyone here, you're still Velvet. I don't care that you're a Northerner, and I don't care what you did in your past life. What matters to me is what you choose to do from now on."
He paused, making sure she was listening.
"Your past doesn't decide your worth. And you don't have to prove that you're worthy of being loved. You already deserve that much."
Velvet stared at him.
Then, slowly, her lips began to curl into a smile.
It was small and shaky, still accompanied by tears, but it was the first genuine smile she had managed since confronting her memories.
"Then..." She sniffled, rubbing her eyes before looking at him with renewed determination. "I'll become one of your best wives, Master! No man will ever touch me again except you!"
Yuuki nearly choked.
"Pfft! Hold on a second!"
He stared at her incredulously, then let out an exasperated laugh.
"Reach Level 1000 first, and then we can talk about marriage! Get in line! You've got plenty of rivals already!"
Velvet's eyes widened.
Then she grinned.
"I promise!"
She threw her arms around him again, hugging him with a strength that was rather surprising for someone who had spent the last several minutes crying her heart out.
This time, however, she wasn't clinging to him out of fear that he would abandon her.
She was embracing him because she wanted to.
And Yuuki, feeling the change in her through their bond, smiled as he held her close.
Her past had taken so much from her.
But her future?
That was hers to decide.
"So, shall we go and claim Emma back?"
Yuuki turned toward Velvet as the last remnants of her memories faded away. The two of them were once again standing in the middle of the grassy field, surrounded by the gentle breeze and endless green plains of his inner world.
Velvet held onto his arm, leaning against him with a newfound sense of security.
"Ehee... Thank you, Master."
Her smile was softer now, no longer weighed down by the shame and anguish that had tormented her for so long.
Then, as though a mischievous thought had suddenly occurred to her, she leaned closer.
"If you want, I can accompany you in your room from now on, Master. This time, it'll be because I want to."
Yuuki let out a long, weary sigh.
"Velvet..."
"Just Vel, please."
He glanced at her, only to find her looking up at him with an innocent smile that was far too suspicious.
"Ehem. Vel, reach Level 1000 first. I don't want any casual flings, and neither does anyone else in the fleet or our squads. You're not the first person to try this, you know."
He paused before continuing.
"Besides, I don't want you becoming a target for the shipgirls and Nikkes. I can already imagine the chaos if they find out you're trying to sneak into my room. And more importantly, you don't want to compromise the bond you've only just established."
Vel's expression froze.
Then her cheeks puffed up as she pouted at him.
"Oh, fooey..."
She had thought she could take advantage of their newfound closeness, only to be stopped by his perfectly reasonable explanation.
How frustrating!
"I suppose I'll have to wait until I become your wife first, then."
Her disappointment lasted barely a moment before her familiar, carefree smile returned. She wrapped both arms around his arm and leaned against him, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
"Very well! If that's what my Master wishes, then it shall be my command!"
"Ehee!"
Yuuki could only shake his head.
It seemed that Velvet had recovered some of her mischievous spirit rather quickly.
Still, he was glad to see it.
The woman who had once believed she was unworthy of love was now teasing him about marriage, daring to hope for a future she could choose for herself.
That was already a good beginning.
"Come on, Vel. We still have Emma to retrieve."
"Yes, Master!"
Velvet happily followed him across the grassy field, holding his arm all the while.
==============
Another nine crystals remained.
Yuuki could only hope Emma's memories wouldn't be as complicated as Velvet's had been.
"Well, here goes nothing."
He reached out and touched Emma's crystal.
In the next instant, the world around them warped. A familiar sensation of being pulled through space enveloped both him and Vel as they were transported into the crystal.
When Yuuki opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in the Ark, near the elevator where the Northerners were arriving.
He blinked in surprise.
"Wait a minute. You and Emma arrived at the Ark at the same time?"
Vel tilted her head, looking equally puzzled.
"I did? I don't know. I don't really remember the details of when I first arrived."
Yuuki shrugged. There was no point dwelling on it. The memories would reveal what they needed to know soon enough.
His attention returned to the scene unfolding before them.
Among the Northerners stepping out of the elevator was a young woman with familiar peach-brown hair. She looked much like Emma did now, though her face carried the innocence of someone who had yet to experience the hardships that would eventually shape her life.
Emma had arrived with a group of orphans from the North.
Unlike some of the other Northerners, she had no parents to accompany her. The children had come together, relying on one another as they entered a place that was supposed to offer humanity safety and a fresh start.
Unfortunately, the Ark was far from the paradise they had hoped for.
The Northerners were treated differently from the rest of the population. Discrimination and racism followed them into their new home, with many people looking down on them simply because of where they came from.
Yet, despite the prejudice surrounding them, Emma refused to let bitterness consume her.
Instead, she devoted herself to caring for the other orphans.
She became the kind elder sister who would always lend an ear to their troubles, offer a comforting word, or do whatever she could to make their lives a little easier. Even when she had problems of her own, she rarely hesitated to help someone else.
Cooking, however, was another matter entirely.
Emma was terrible at it.
She would stand in the kitchen, following recipes as best she could, only to produce dishes that looked questionable at best and tasted even worse.
Nevertheless, the children would gather around her table with bright smiles.
They knew how hard she was trying. More importantly, it was the food they had, and they were grateful to have something warm to eat.
So they ate her cooking with cheerful expressions, even when their faces betrayed their suffering.
Emma, naturally, was delighted whenever she saw them enjoying their meals.
She never seemed to realize just how much they were enduring for her sake.
Watching the memories unfold, Yuuki couldn't help but smile faintly.
Emma had always been gentle and kind-hearted. She was the sort of person who would listen patiently to someone else's troubles and offer help whenever she could. Although she could be rather clumsy at times, her intentions were always sincere.
And when she grew comfortable with someone, that gentle nature often came with a playful streak. She enjoyed teasing the people she was close to, bringing a little warmth and laughter into their lives.
Unfortunately, kindness alone could not protect her from the cruelty of the world.
One day, the orphanage was caught in a Rapture attack.
The children were terrified as the building shook beneath the assault. Rubble crashed down around them, tearing apart the place they had called home.
Amid the chaos, Emma did not hesitate.
She threw herself over the orphans, shielding them with her own body as the building collapsed around them.
The children she had spent so much time protecting were spared the worst of the falling debris.
Emma, however, was not so fortunate.
She was crushed beneath the rubble, suffering devastating injuries.
When she was finally discovered, she should have received medical attention. Instead, she was transferred to a Nikke company.
Her life as a human ended there.
She was revived as a Nikke, her body transformed into a weapon for humanity's survival.
By then, the orphanage was gone.
The children she had cared for had lost their home, and the place where she had spent so much of her life had become another casualty of the Rapture threat.
Yet Emma did not allow despair to extinguish her hope.
Even after everything she had suffered, she made a vow.
One day, she would help put an end to the discrimination that divided the Ark's citizens and the Northerners.
She wanted a world where people would no longer be judged by their origins, where children like those she had cared for would have a chance to live without being treated as inferior.
It was a lofty dream, especially for someone who had just been transformed into a Nikke.
But Emma held onto it.
And she carried that determination with her when she eventually met Eunhwa.
Their meeting took place at a playground. Eunhwa was there when Emma crossed her path, and after Ingrid began searching for potential members for a new squad, Emma was offered a place in Absolute.
She accepted.
Before long, Rapi and Vesti joined them as well, bringing the squad closer to the team that would eventually become known for its exceptional combat performance.
As Absolute grew, Emma developed a deep affection for her teammates.
She treasured the squad, its pursuit of perfection, and its determination to achieve victory. To her, Absolute was more than a military unit. It was a place where she could belong again, surrounded by people she wanted to protect.
Even Eunhwa, who rarely let her guard down around others, was able to speak openly with Emma.
Their relationship had its own peculiar charm. Eunhwa could be strict, sharp-tongued, and relentlessly critical, but Emma understood her well enough to see beyond that prickly exterior.
Of course, there was one matter on which the squad had reached an unspoken agreement.
Emma's cooking was atrocious.
Everyone knew it. Everyone suffered because of it. And everyone did their best to keep her from discovering the truth.
Emma, meanwhile, remained convinced that she was improving, especially since she faithfully watched Crust's cooking show whenever she prepared a meal.
Her teammates had learned that there were some battles even Absolute couldn't win.
Eventually, Emma's story crossed paths with Rapi's once more.
When the Counters and Wardress squads found themselves in danger of being overwhelmed by Raptures at an extraction point, Absolute arrived to bail them out.
Emma was delighted to see Rapi again.
For her, it was a reunion with someone she had once considered family. Yet, as happy as she was, Emma also understood that much had changed since Rapi had left Absolute.
She had never truly held a grudge against Rapi for leaving.
Emma hadn't known what Rapi had been going through back then. She hadn't understood the pain and circumstances that had driven her former teammate to make that decision.
At the time, she had simply failed to understand her.
Now, after meeting Rapi again and seeing the person she had become, Emma finally began to understand.
And when she witnessed Rapi and Eunhwa slowly rebuilding their relationship, she felt a quiet sense of relief.
The two of them had once been teammates, bound together by their time in Absolute. Their relationship had suffered, but perhaps it wasn't too late for them to find their way back to one another.
Emma was happy to see it.
She wanted her friends to be able to move forward without being weighed down by the past.
As the final memory faded, the scene dissolved around Yuuki and Vel.
The Ark, the orphanage, Absolute, and the people Emma cherished all disappeared, leaving only the quiet emptiness of the crystal's inner world.
Emma's memories had come to an end.
Emma's memories had finally come to an end.
The two of them stood together in the quiet grassy field, the remnants of the crystal's world fading into the distance.
Emma was right in front of them.
For a while, Emma said nothing. She simply stared at the ground, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to gather her thoughts.
"Was it an impossible dream after all?" she murmured.
Her voice grew quieter.
"I wanted the discrimination to end. I wanted us to be treated like everyone else. If we had been given a fair chance, perhaps we could have had a future. Those children could have been protected. They could have grown up and lived happily..."
Her eyes grew misty.
"But we were Northerners. When the Raptures attacked us, no one came to help. We were left to fend for ourselves, as though our lives mattered less than everyone else's."
Tears began to roll down her cheeks.
Emma lowered her head, unable to hold them back any longer.
Before Yuuki could speak, Velvet stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Emma.
"Shhh... It's all right, Emma. I understand."
She gently rubbed her back.
"We're both Northerners, after all."
Emma froze for a moment before returning the embrace. The two women held each other, sharing the pain of experiences that were different in their details but painfully similar in their cruelty.
Yuuki watched them quietly before turning his attention to Velvet.
"You're a Northerner, too?"
Velvet nodded, her expression becoming slightly hesitant.
"Yes, Commander. I'm a Northerner. That is why I could converse northern language with comrade Avrora."
She lowered her eyes.
"I didn't want you to know because I was afraid. I thought you might look at me differently if you knew where I came from. I lied about learning it somewhere."
She paused, then gave him a small, apologetic smile.
"But after seeing how you treated Comrade Avrora, Diana, and Pallada, I began to understand that you wouldn't mistreat someone just because they came from the North."
Her voice softened.
"Please forgive me for doubting you."
Yuuki sighed gently and reached out to pat her head.
"There's nothing to forgive."
He glanced between the two women.
"Both of you have suffered because of discrimination. And both of you have been forced to endure things no one should have to endure."
His gaze lingered on Velvet for a moment. She understood what he meant without needing him to say more.
"Velvet was forced to sell herself to survive. Emma, you lost the children you tried to protect because no one came to help when you needed it most. Neither of you deserved what happened."
He smiled warmly.
"I'm glad to have both of you on my side."
Emma's lips trembled.
"If you couldn't find the future you wanted in the Ark, then you can find it here. In GDI, Northerners are treated as equals. No one should have to prove their worth simply because of where they were born."
Yuuki looked directly at her.
"And if we had been there when the Raptures attacked your orphanage, we would have saved those children. We wouldn't have left them behind."
Emma's eyes widened.
For a moment, she seemed unable to believe what she had just heard.
Then she covered her mouth as fresh tears welled in her eyes.
"Commander..."
She stepped closer, gently taking hold of his hand.
"I'm so glad I met you. I'm so glad I joined you."
Her voice trembled with emotion.
"After everything I've been through, I can finally feel this warmth. I don't have to keep wondering whether someone will look down on me because I'm a Northerner."
She squeezed his hand.
"Commander... would you take me with you? To a world where discrimination doesn't exist? A world where we can all live happily, without having to fear being treated as inferior?"
Yuuki smiled.
"Yes. I will."
He gently patted her head.
"Stay by my side, Emma. One day, you'll see that the world you've dreamed of isn't impossible. We might not be able to change everything overnight, but we'll keep working toward it together."
Emma gazed at him with shining eyes.
"Your heart is so warm, Commander..."
She leaned closer, her expression turning slightly pleading.
"Please... take us lonely Northerners with you. Let us have a place where we belong, too."
"Of course. You're our comrades. That's all that matters."
Emma sniffled, then seemed to remember something. Her expression suddenly became more serious, although the tears had yet to dry from her cheeks.
"Oh! There's something else I need to do!"
Yuuki tilted his head.
"What's that?"
"My cooking!"
Both Yuuki and Velvet stared at her.
Emma clenched her fists with renewed determination.
"I promised myself that I would improve my cooking. The children at the orphanage always smiled and ate whatever I made, but... I can't just assume everyone else enjoyed it, too."
Velvet's lips twitched.
She clearly had some experience with Emma's cooking and understood the gravity of the situation.
Yuuki, however, simply chuckled.
"Well, I can teach you."
Emma's eyes brightened.
"Really?"
"Sure. Although, why not learn from Georgina? She's a better choice if you want to improve your cooking properly."
Emma hesitated.
"But... would she even want to be friends with someone like me?"
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"Emma, this is GDI, not the Ark."
He gave her forehead a gentle tap.
"You can be friends with whoever you want. And I'm sure Georgina would be happy to have you as a friend. Go and learn from her. You don't need to worry about whether you're good enough to approach someone."
Emma stared at him before her expression slowly softened.
"I see..."
A smile blossomed across her face.
"Then I'll meet Georgina after this! I'll do my best to learn from her!"
"That's the spirit."
Yuuki gave her head another affectionate pat.
"And Emma?"
"Yes, Commander?"
"Be proud of being a Northerner here. You and Velvet aren't outsiders. You're our comrades. You're GDI Northerners, and there's nothing shameful about that."
His voice carried a quiet but unwavering conviction.
"Hold your heads high. You have every right to be proud of who you are."
Emma's eyes shimmered once more, but this time, her tears came with a radiant smile.
"Thank you, Commander..."
She leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"I know casual flings aren't what you want, so I won't ask for that. But I promise I'll become a wonderful woman for you."
Yuuki blinked.
Before he could respond, Velvet immediately stepped between them with an indignant pout.
"Hey! I was here first!"
Emma giggled, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
"I know, Vel. I just wanted you to know."
Velvet narrowed her eyes playfully.
"Hoo? Is that so?"
She folded her arms, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
"Then I'll just have to reach Level 1000 first and get that ring on my finger!"
Emma placed a hand against her chin, pretending to consider the challenge.
"Oh? You're planning to take care of my ring for me? Good luck with that!"
"Hey!"
Velvet puffed out her cheeks.
"Don't underestimate me, Emma!"
The two women stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Yuuki could only shake his head, amused by how quickly their earlier sorrow had given way to playful competition.
"Well, it's great to see you two getting along so well."
Emma smiled at Velvet, who was still clinging to Yuuki's arm.
Despite their different experiences, they understood each other in a way few others could. They had both come from the North, endured discrimination, and carried wounds that had never properly healed.
Now, they had found a place where they could begin again.
And perhaps, with time, the future Emma had once dreamed of for those orphaned children could become a reality for countless others.
For the first time in a long while, Emma allowed herself to believe that such a world was possible.
The three of them stood together on the grassy plain, the gentle breeze sweeping across the endless green fields.
Eight more crystals remained.
Yuuki glanced at the two women clinging to his arms, one on each side. Judging by their expressions, neither seemed particularly interested in letting him go anytime soon.
He sighed inwardly.
What have I gotten myself into?
"All right, you two. Ready to move on?"
"Yes!" Emma and Velvet answered in unison.
Emma tightened her hold on his arm, resting her head against his shoulder.
"After experiencing this warmth, Commander, I don't think I could ever give my affection to anyone else."
Yuuki's smile stiffened.
"Please have mercy on me, you two. You're not the only ones connected to me, you know!"
Velvet giggled while Emma gave him an innocent smile that did absolutely nothing to reassure him.
"Ufufu! But you did promise to take care of us, Master!"
"I promised to take care of you, not to let you two gang up on me!"
"Isn't that practically the same thing?" Velvet asked sweetly.
"No, it isn't!"
Their laughter echoed across the grassy plain.
Eventually, Yuuki shook his head and led them toward the next crystal.
The moment they arrived, Emma's expression changed.
Her eyes widened as she recognized the person whose memories lay within.
"Ah! That's Eunhwa's crystal!"
She turned toward Yuuki, suddenly looking rather nervous.
"Commander, what you're about to see... please don't judge her too harshly."
Yuuki raised an eyebrow.
"Judge her? Emma, I didn't judge either you or Velvet for your pasts. What makes you think I'd judge Eunhwa?"
He flashed them a mischievous grin.
"Besides, what's the worst thing that could happen?"
Emma and Velvet exchanged glances.
For some reason, neither seemed particularly reassured by his confidence.
"Come on," Yuuki said, reaching for the crystal. "Let's see what Eunhwa has been hiding."
And with that, he touched its surface.
The crystal began to glow, its light enveloping all three of them as they were pulled into the memories waiting within.