Absolute Zone Zero: I am a Succubus in Six Points Street

The tone and pronunciation of her next words were completely different from before, but they felt very familiar to [Charon] and Zhe.

"...I would have ended my speech here, but it seems that you all like what I said, so I will say a few more words.

You agree with my words simply because you feel that you have a way to put aside your pain. The living are always like this. In order not to be suffocated by the death of others, they always seek some excuses to unload the burden and start life again.

This is New Eridu today. A massive disaster has engulfed the old capital, and those who remain, desperate to forget this nightmare, constantly numb themselves with phrases like "cherish the present" and "start afresh."

Zoe sharply accused everyone present. In her opinion, the brave died in the waves of corpses, but the cowardly could survive to this day.

She believes that these people choose to forget the pain of their deceased loved ones, making their sacrifice meaningless.

The soldiers nearby saw that something was wrong and wanted to step forward to persuade her to come down, but Zoe ignored them and continued to speak.

"Touching the open wounds actively, letting your senses remember this piercing pain forever—this is the true meaning of [Wound Healing Day]!"

"I do not think so!"

Zoe is facing away from the light with her face in darkness, while Trigger is facing the light. It's a very interesting composition.

[Charon] spoke and stepped forward, and Zoe feigned surprise at this.

"[Charon], I didn't expect you to attend the [Healing Day] event. Is the search going smoothly? It seems like you have something to say."

"Some of those standing here raised their daughters with the pensions left by their husbands; some successfully continued their lives thanks to their children's final efforts; and some were influenced by their sisters and established their life goals.

The will of the deceased lives on in every person here. Their lives today are the future that the soldiers who fought for when the old capital fell risked their lives.

In the past, I might have agreed more with what you said... But someone told me that pain and suffering can also lead to hope. Someone showed me that hope is passed on, not destroyed with the passing of life.

Therefore, I believe that what our deceased friends left us is neither a broken wound nor a heavy cross... but music.

Each of us has a harmonica on which we play music, and while it may be awkward at first, it eventually becomes smoother, acquiring our own style, until it becomes one with our souls.”

[Charon] was no longer as hesitant as before, but instead strengthened her belief in her heart. However, Zoe looked at her coldly after hearing this.

"You seem quite certain of this view. Then could you please tell me what kind of melody the music left behind by the deceased sounds like?"

"I'm not sure, and I can't imagine a specific melody at the moment. But I believe in the answer I chose, and I believe in everything I saw and heard."

"Heh... a vague and light answer, isn't it?"

The scornful and disdainful laughter confirmed Zoe's opinion.

"[Charon], I was right about you... From the moment I saw you, I knew we were destined to never understand each other."

“…I’m sorry, too.”

Afterwards, Zoe left the lecture venue without looking back, leaving behind a group of listeners and defense forces who were still confused about the situation.

[Charon] looked in the direction she left, looking thoughtful, and Zhe did the same.

The two of them had the same opinion about Zoe's identity. They came here openly and left in a swagger.

If nothing unexpected happens, the other party will try to contact them again soon.

As I was saying this, my phone suddenly rang. I answered the video call and saw the shepherd.

He looked flustered and seemed anxious to speak, but after seeing the background of Scott's sentry battle, he stopped talking and cleared his throat.

So, to cut a long story short, I told the two of them the content of the message that the client had sent. It was a location message and a photo of several people who were tied up and unconscious.

That was an entrance to the cave of Episode. At this point, the shepherd had no other requests except that they would be careful.

"Hollow location plus hostage photos? Looks like they've lost their patience... The Corpse Vulture wants to finish us off."

"[Charon], what are you going to do? Now that things have come to this, no matter what you choose, I will be with you!"

Charon didn't answer immediately. She pulled out the harmonica she used to play music and looked down at it, as if she was making some kind of decision.

Finally, she put the harmonica back to her chest.

"I've made up my mind, Ropemaker. Please allow me to make a formal request to you—assist me in reaching the deepest depths of the cavern, rescuing the client and the other hostages, and bringing this incident to an end."

It is up to me to stop the Corpse Vulture and her heavy cross that threatens to crush everything in its path."

……

She bid farewell to the day of healing with Charon and returned to the video store. She cleaned her gun several times and kept adjusting her breathing... The decisive battle was about to begin.

"Ropemaker, thank you for accompanying me here. For the upcoming battle, I'm sure the Corpse Vulture has already set a stage full of traps... We may need to prepare ourselves for a tough fight."

In a duel between snipers, the one who fails to occupy the best sniping point and exposes his position is always the loser.

But [Charon] believes that there is still hope. In the previous battle, she felt the pride of [Corpse Vulture] as a sniper... and anxiety.

Although it is not clear where the anxiety comes from, that pride can definitely be used by her.

"To win this battle against such overwhelming odds... please trust me, Ropemaker. I need you, my companion, to be my support."

[Charon] looked solemnly at Zhe in front of him, who nodded and spoke at the same time.

"So does [Charon], trust me with your back."

"Yes... I will. I will protect you, so please guide me."

Then Charon set out with Ies.

Chapter 414 The Final Battle

Just like the tragic ending in a movie, it started to rain in the cave. This was not the right weather for snipers, but it was suitable for a duel between snipers.

It was another communicator, and [Charon] stepped forward to pick it up.

"As a sniper, being too expressive is not a good habit."

"Really? I think it's good for your mental health to be able to observe your target's struggle and despair in real time."

“Is it really necessary to use a specially processed voice to talk to me at this point? I thought you had no intention of hiding anything, Zoe.”

As she spoke, the voice on the communicator paused, and then Zoe's real voice came out.

"You're right. It seems there's no need to hide anything now. Nemesis Squad's sniper, Corpse Vulture, whose real name is Zoe, sends greetings to you."

"Zoe... no, [Corpse Vulture]. You, like me, were part of the advance team sent into Hollow Zero to suppress the fall of the old capital.

Team Noct, Team Cartes, Team Impera, all the victims so far were members of these teams... members of the teams that were originally scheduled to enter the hollow to reinforce the advance troops.

Nemesis... your squad, lacking reinforcements, lost all but yourself in the fall of the Old City. You blamed the absence of reinforcements for your teammates' deaths and sought revenge against them—that's all I can deduce.

You and I, like each other, have become alone because of the fall of the old capital."

[Charon]'s words silenced [Corpse Vulture] for a moment.

"...A sniper, a sole survivor, a forsaken figure abandoned by the military. Don't you think we're alike?

The Impera team member named Nathan - the person you are looking for - begged me to spare his life when I was about to kill him. He said he had to see you no matter what, and that's how you came into my sight.

I spared his life and extracted all sorts of information about you. Because I was so curious about you, I even set up a trap and approached you disguised as a victim.

Haha, it turns out our experiences were exactly the same! We even had the same post-traumatic stress symptoms. Years later, the image of my teammate before his death is still seared into my mind and cannot be erased.

[Corpse Vulture] was somewhat gnashing its teeth, anxious, and angry.

"It's just that you've numbed yourself with ridiculous fantasies and embarked on a journey to pursue the phantom of your teammate... and I can't be as naive as you.

One night, when I was tormented by the deaths of my companions to the point of vomiting and crying, I finally figured out the meaning of their appearance in front of me.

They begged me. They begged me to take revenge on those who had abandoned us, to destroy the sickening hypocrisy of the new order of New Eridu."

So the [Corpse Vulture] began to kidnap targets, leaving them to be sniped, eroded, and die in despair within the void.

Taking out the anger caused by the feeling of powerlessness in the face of natural disasters on others is itself a form of impotent rage.

[Charon] does not approve of such behavior and is even angry at the behavior of [Corpse Vulture]. Both sides cannot agree with each other's point of view.

"Because you and I are so similar, this hypocritical and cruel attitude is even more unforgivable to me!

After my first conversation with you, I was convinced. I must kill you with my own hands to prove that I was right!

"That's exactly what I want to say to you. Because we've suffered the same pain, I can't accept your choice of the path of destruction."

[Corpse Vulture] did not point its gun at the highest level of the military who misjudged the situation, the high-risk corpses who killed their teammates, or the culprits who caused the fall of the old capital, but instead pointed its gun at the easiest target to kill.

"[Corpse Vulture], you are no longer qualified as a sniper of the Eridu Defense Force. To protect the will and hope left to me by my teammates, I must end your actions here."

"Just what I want... A sniper should let his gun do the talking. Make it to the deepest part of the cave alive! I will treat you with the most blatant hostility."

……

Finally, [Charon] reached the deepest part of the cave in one breath, and was about to face the final decisive battle, but...

"You really can only be described as stupid! What sniper would actually confront his opponent head-on?! I've already prepared a gift to receive you!"

As [Corpse Vulture] spoke, a high-risk skeleton appeared before [Charon]. It was created by the former by kidnapping and corroding a high-ranking military officer.

But this alone is not enough to pose a threat to [Charon]. After she solved the problem of Gao Wei Yi Hai, she was also forced into a dead end by [Corpse Vulture].

The cold muzzle of the gun was pointed directly at Charon, and she would be hit instantly if she showed her head.

[Charon] took a deep breath to calm himself, and at this moment, the wind direction changed.

She noticed a large advertising flyer with only two fixed corners left on an abandoned building nearby, which was being blown towards her by the wind.

Sensing an opportunity, she quickly fired, and the flyer flew off and floated between the two of them, blocking their view.

I will step over you - and play my own melody!

[Charon] found the right opportunity and quickly left the cover and fired in the direction of [Corpse Vulture], but the latter was experienced and also adjusted its aiming direction.

Just use the wind... as the beginning of the melody!

After two gunshots, both sides were shot and fell to the ground at the same time.

Zhe was shocked when he saw this and immediately came to Charon's side. With his concerned call, the latter regained consciousness, his chest heaving violently and gasping for breath.

Then he reached out and took out a bullet-ridden harmonica from his left chest...

After the gunshot, the void returned to dead silence, leaving only thousands of piercing raindrops. Countless attempts were made to wash away the bloody smell emanating from the loser's wounds, but countless attempts failed.

The loser paid no attention to her fatal injury, but only looked towards the vague horizon, as if her salvation could be found there.

At some point, the winner had climbed up the steel bars and stood in front of her.

While the loser still has the strength to speak, they will begin their final conversation.

During the conversation, [Charon] learned that it was the [Corpse Vulture] who took him away from Hollow Zero.

While evacuating, she encountered five people who were guarding a girl whose eyes were corroded and who was exhausted and unconscious.

They told the Corpse Vulture that 'she was beyond saving and if she wanted to retreat, she must take the girl with her.'

She couldn't possibly refuse the last wishes of a group of brave soldiers who were about to die in battle...

"Your teammates entrusted your lives to me. I was the one who rescued you from the Hollow."

"..."

[Charon] gasped in amazement but said nothing, and then [Corpse Vulture] continued his weak words.

Later, both of them woke up and left the army. [Corpse Vulture] suffered from PTSD, and when it was serious, he couldn't even have a normal conversation.

But the biggest blow to her was the death of her teammates in battle. For her, an orphan, they were like family.

This is the same as [Charon], or as [Corpse Vulture] said, they are almost like two identical people, but facing completely different endings.

In fact, the [Corpse Vulture] had already made up its mind long before this decisive battle.

"I can kill you, or you can kill me. Either way is fine... No, after witnessing your growth, perhaps I would rather let you step over my dead body. This is the final answer."

"……Why?"

"Empty and vacillating."

[Corpse Vulture] pointed its gun at its former colleagues. After its hatred and anger were satisfied, all that was left was nothingness.

"But you are different. You have a rope maker who trusts you unconditionally, and you have the courage to fight deep into my traps... Sooner or later, you will have a melody that is uniquely yours.

My faith was shaken. I finally remembered... my teammates are actually just as stupid as you.

You're right, they definitely didn't want me to become like this. Speaking of carrying their cross... I actually didn't inherit their will at all.

Well... just take the hostages and leave. Evildoers stained with the blood of others deserve only a miserable death. I'm eager to see... how long you can protect everything before you."