I am a female swordsman.

"No."

If he hadn't heard about the degradation, hadn't known about the terrible things the company might be doing to the Shinra Warriors… no, Zack isn't that kind of man. Even if he didn't know those things, he would never stand idly by and watch someone die in front of him!

The refusal was so natural, so straightforward.

"I will never give up. I promised Claude I would save him!" A man's vow doesn't need many words; perhaps just a simple sentence is enough for him to bravely face any danger.

idiot……

Although he didn't say it outright, Cisner's subtle expression probably conveyed the same message.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you. I'll keep trying to figure something out." Zack smiled apologetically at Cisner, knowing that his continued presence was extremely dangerous for his friend. If the company investigated, it might implicate Cisner.

Zack and Cloud stood up and walked quietly toward the door without saying a word.

Cisner couldn't help but lower his head and rub his brow with his hand.

She knew this big boy wouldn't give up, just like that mission. She knew being abandoned would have been the best option, but...

“Hey, Zack. There was an abandoned company lab in Z City, which is basically a ghost town. Although it's been abandoned for several years, the people who left were in a hurry and only took the documents. Many complete pieces of equipment were left sealed on site. I think if you have data on how successfully the degradation was resolved, you might be able to try to solve it using the lab assistants. Of course, the chances of that are equally slim.”

Just as Zack was about to leave, Cisner suddenly said something like this.

Z City, a ghost town.

That place is so rarely touched by Shinra that there is no reason for the company to avoid it, as if something extremely terrifying is hidden in Z City.

Cisner had also secretly investigated it out of curiosity, but it was as if he had encountered an invisible wall, and no matter what he did, he could not find the root cause hidden in the ghost town.

"Thank you."

Zack's brain analyzed Cisner's words and he immediately realized that Cisner was telling him where to hide from the company's eyes and ears and where to conduct experiments most safely.

"You're welcome."

In this way, I've repaid some of the debt I owe you for saving my life.

Suppressing the urge to turn back and look at Zack, Cisner waited until the door closed softly before letting out a sigh of relief. Her reason and emotions had been locked in a constant struggle; managing to stay calm was already quite an achievement. If Zack had asked for her help again, she might very well have…

"Idiot, why don't you just ask me if I'm willing?"

Lost and bewildered, Cisner stared ahead blankly. After a long while, she suddenly slapped her cheeks and quickly regained her usual shrewd and capable demeanor.

Zack had a girlfriend, and they were very much in love. She, on the other hand, was simply a woman who arrived too late, unable to say anything. That's how the world is; sometimes, being just one step too late can mean being forever behind, and you can never catch up.

After regaining his senses, Cisner instinctively sensed that something was amiss with Zack.

What a coincidence!

The whole process, though it sounds thrilling, was accomplished by Zack and Cloud through a series of coincidences, leveraging their Shinra warrior identities and knowledge of the internal structure. Life in the Investigations Department made Cisner realize that something else was hidden within, and she had to investigate it herself.

Otherwise, that idiot might very well fall into a trap.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Abandoned Training Ground

With his refined and deep-set features, still retaining a touch of baby fat, waist-length silver hair, and innate aloofness, Sephiroth's perfection is undeniable.

People can't help but lament God's favoritism.

How can there be such a perfect person in this world?! God must have poured a lot of effort into creating him to make him so perfect.

So it is...

Sephiroth perhaps bestows upon him another title by some religions, different from "One-Winged Angel," but rather "Holy Son." His every gesture exudes composure and confidence, and his turquoise eyes are as serene as the starry sky; Sephiroth truly seems like a holy son walking among mortals.

Driven by some emotion, Sephiroth began to investigate the internal deterioration of Shinra.

'That woman made me do it.'

To do something for such a seemingly ridiculous reason seems a bit unreasonable. Even Genesis and Angeal felt that Sephiroth had gone a bit too far. As one of the few First Class members in Shinra qualified to team up with Sephiroth on missions, these two had only a sliver of acquaintance with him.

It's quite interesting when the three of them get together.

One is a bohemian youth, constantly humming from a poetry collection, seemingly without meaning. Another is a quiet, reserved man, outwardly resolute but inwardly gentle. And then there's an innocent monster who doesn't understand human emotions at all, observing and learning, and yearning to find meaning in life from a certain woman.

"...Have you learned what that old woman wanted you to learn?"

It was another virtual training room meeting. The artsy young man Genesis watched the silver-haired boy stroll in, and his nose easily caught the strong smell of disinfectant on Sephiroth.

Inside the Shinra Empire, there are only two places where this scent can be absorbed.

1. Medical Department. 2. Biological Department, one of the seven basic departments.

“Great poet, your manners are as valuable as your literary talent.” Sephiroth glanced at Genesis but didn’t get angry. As for Genesis’s reckless flirting with death, constantly calling a woman who looked to be seventeen years old an old woman, he was certain that one day she would be provoked and he would hang Genesis from the top of the Shinra Tower and whip him mercilessly.

"Hehe, there's no point in saying more~~"

With his mouth slightly turned upwards, Genesis's eyes held a hint of eager anticipation as he looked at this warrior who had the potential to replace him as the new No. 1.

"Degradation is still quite interesting."

The virtual training ground before him changed like the tides, and under Sephiroth's control, it quickly transformed into the space he desired.

An endless expanse of deep blue.

In a weightless space, above and below them was an unfathomable deep blue. It seemed to possess some kind of power to cleanse the soul and purify the mind. Standing in this tranquil blue, the three of them enjoyed this profound peace. After a moment, Genesis broke the silence with a light cough.

"If I had the brocade of heaven, woven with golden and silver light, and with the azure of night and the pure white of day, and the intricate interplay of dawn and dusk, I would spread this brocade at your feet..."

The artistic youth's artistic sensibilities kicked in again. Seeing such a beautiful scene, Genesis felt that he couldn't express his emotions without reciting a few lines of poetry.

"Let's begin training."

Finally, Angel, unable to bear it any longer, interrupted Genesis's lyrical outburst, which made his close friend very unhappy and he pouted.

"Let me make it clear beforehand, it's one-on-one, you and I will go first!" Genesis casually drew the crimson sword hanging at his waist, holding the sword in one hand and the scepter in the other, his whole being was like a raging furnace! From his body, materialized energy waves were radiating into the surrounding air in an ionized state!

Crimson gold flames!!

Appearing behind him with six wings, surrounded by a crown that seemed to rotate, [Ash Messenger] Genesis pointed his sword at Sephiroth without any hesitation!

A thirst for battle, a desire to clash with the strongest!

"One is probably not enough."

A flash of bright silver light suddenly obscured all the blue, and Sephiroth, his fighting spirit slightly aroused, instinctively raised his left hand to draw his sword. Shinra's No. 1—this position should have been given to someone else long ago. Sephiroth was arrogant; he felt that this position was perfectly suited for him.

Compared to Genesis's sharp and outspoken nature, radiating astonishing heat like the blazing sun, Sephiroth is unassuming and unassuming.

Sephiroth possesses an unparalleled advantage in the manipulation of energy. As taught by the Shinra Chairman, theoretically, the most powerful killing technique is one without any fanfare or frills; all energy is concentrated at the highest level, with no dissipation whatsoever, making it completely unobservable.

This is the pinnacle of swordsmanship that Sephiroth sought!

What kind of restrained sword energy could render all observation ineffective, directly bestowing life with a single strike? Perhaps, even the eternally burning flames would be extinguished by that single strike that cuts from the netherworld to the afterlife...

"Don't tear down the training ground."

Seeing the two men, brimming with fighting spirit and poised for a major confrontation, Angel began to worry about the lifespan of the virtual testing ground. The research department's constant complaints about the virtual training ground were starting to annoy the Speaker, and it was said that the relevant personnel had been bluntly told by the Speaker that either the problem would be solved, or they would be dealt with...

The battle then began.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, the virtual training ground could no longer keep up with the two's overloaded energy. The entire training ground was filled with the smoke of destruction. The battle instantly evaporated countless amounts of money!

However, for the two who stood firmly in the center of the battlefield, neither willing to back down an inch, the virtual training grounds were rendered useless merely from warm-up. Genesis himself was indifferent; after all, he was already burdened with astronomical debts, and the destruction of a dozen or so virtual training grounds was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

"Ugh, what a buzzkill!!"

The crimson sword, which had cut a golden-red arc in mid-air, returned to its waist in the blink of an eye. Genesis looked at his right hand with displeasure, which was slightly numb.

"..."

Sephiroth, as if nothing had happened, sheathed his sword and held it behind his back.

"This is really annoying. I really want to fight you no matter what. Sephiroth, that move you just used, was it taught to you by that old woman?"

Shrinking Earth - Lightning Speed!

Manipulating energy to alter the density of spatial arrangement, thereby pulling the body to achieve a teleportation-like movement. Genesis had seen Huang Quan use this technique before, and when he asked her for instructions, he only received the answer that he lacked the precision to execute it. However, he witnessed the same move again on Sephiroth.

Genesis was a little uneasy; did this mean he was inferior to this silver-haired boy?

Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Number One Under Heaven

"You can ask her yourself, if you have the courage."

Faced with Genesis's displeased question, Sephiroth retorted with a sharp and sarcastic retort. This shows he can't fully understand humans; he clearly wants to see that person and receive more affection, yet he harbors an inexplicable fear. Sephiroth has never been able to fully comprehend human emotions.

Just like how he could never see through the woman's calm demeanor to her inner thoughts.

I don't know why...

When Sephiroth thinks of Yomi, the Chairman of Shinra, his mind is always involuntarily filled with the image of his assistant, the unassuming black-haired, eye-rimmed Juma Yomi.

Subconsciously comparing the two, Sephiroth's rational conclusion was that the Shinra Chairman was superior to his barbed assistant in every aspect. However, emotionally, Sephiroth felt their relationship shouldn't be weighed in this way; he felt like something was missing.

"I will."

Leaving aside Sephiroth's rich inner thoughts, Genesis, who was slowly calming down and exuding an aura like a furnace, turned around and prepared to leave the virtual training ground.

As Genesis passed Sephiroth, he paused slightly, his gaze sharp as he fixed Sephiroth on him. Sephiroth, feeling inexplicably targeted by hostility, also turned his head slightly, his perfectly handsome, cold profile appearing almost divine in the flickering light and smoke.

They met each other's eyes, scrutinizing the depths of each other's souls.

The moment they passed each other was but a fleeting instant, yet for the two of them, that one snap of the fingers was enough to stretch out into an eternity.

"As expected, I still hate you. I always have a feeling you'll ruin the company one day." His voice was barely audible, then Genesis suddenly flashed a malicious smile. "My intuition is always right. I'll know before you do something like that..."

The voice grew weaker and weaker until it was completely inaudible.

Even without hearing what Genesis said next, Sephiroth could imagine his meaning. Sephiroth truly regretted this, as he cherished his relationship with Genesis and Angeal.

Friendship.

First-class Shinra warriors are rare enough, and those of the highest rank among the first-class are even rarer. They only acknowledge each other's right to sit together. This isn't about personal likes or dislikes, but simply about determining who is worthy of conversing with them.

"Genesis didn't say anything offensive to you, did he?"

After observing the scene for a while, Angel, whose place had still been wrecked, slowed down as he approached. He hadn't heard what Genesis said, but his eyes caught the subtle movement of his friend's lips.

“Let me not forget,” Sephiroth replied somewhat ambiguously.

"That's just how he is, don't take it too seriously. Actually, he already considers you a friend. He even saved a table for you at the bar this weekend." The company bar often hosts social gatherings, and the three of them hadn't drunk together before. After acknowledging each other's relationship, they considered it a missed opportunity.

Angel's serious expression softened; he was someone who habitually wore a stern face. But facing Sephiroth, who possessed an innate iceberg-like demeanor, he had to repeatedly break his composure in order to accommodate him.