Ame no Hi no Iris

Chapter 3 - Execution: battery=03:58:01

You really couldn't imagine the usual Volkov by the speed that he's running at now.

He dashed on the streets, rushing down the stairs, ramming into the railings, weaving here and there in the city. Lilith and I lied in his strong arms like babies, blankly staring at the night scene faraway.

After about ten minutes, we reached the bottom of a steel bridge that nobody passes by. A large river that was about thirty meters wide flowed in the darkness, while the iron bridge was above it. I could not hear any sounds of sirens, so it seems like we put quite a distance between the place where we battled the police and us.

I lost my lower body, so I could not sit normally, and could only sit on the rack of the bridge. Lilith lied weakly on the ground as well, using her left arm to tightly press her shoulder that lost its right arm, looking at the pitch black, colossal robot that stood beside us like a guarding of a temple.

"What's…… with you?"

Lilith asked in a worried tone, but he didn't answer, and just stared unblinkingly at us.

"Volkov Galosh." Lilith called his name in a low tone, "Say something."

"……" The black giant kept silent.

A train slowly passed through the iron bridge above us. Lilith's hair danced in the wind, then fell onto her shoulders again.

"…… Seriously." Lilith stood up after supporting herself on the surface of the ground wit her left hand.

"Lilith?"

"I need to get this guy to wake up."

Lilith approached him, then—

She knocked Volkov's waist.

'Hey hey! Hey hey! Anyone inside! Anyone inside!"

Lilith knocked on Volkov's waist with all her might— instead of saying knocked on, I should say that she hammered it.

"I know that there's someone inside!" She shouted threateningly, "Get out immediately!"

At that moment.

Volkov's eyes suddenly lit up. Then, his neck moved creakingly. Volkov looked at the young girl hammering his body.

And then he said with his slow tone as usual.

"Oh…… Volkov- is here- is here."

"Too slow!" Lilith mercilessly hit his arm.

"Lilith- so- violent."

"It's all your fault!" Lilith hit Volkov again. Her silhouette looked just like a girl that argued with her lover.

Lilith turned around to look at me, and shrugged while saying: "Seriously, he just brings trouble to us." In contrast with her casual remark, her expression looked more like she was relieved.

"Mnn, anyways…… Thanks for just now."

Lilith shifted her gaze shyly, muttering: "…… Thank you."

"Lilith- embarrassed."

"Shut up."

Lilith turned her head to another side, while Volkov scratched his head. Seeing their usual interactions, I was rather relieved as well. A train passed by the iron bridge above us again, and vibrations came from behind us.

After the clamoring noise stopped, I asked.

"Lilith, are you okay?"

The left part of her face was charred, and seemed to be very painful. That was the marks that was left after being shot by the police's laser gun. Besides that, the place where her right arm was supposed to be became empty.

"……" Lilith did not answer.

"Lilith?"

"Ah, mnn, I'm alright. It's just that the conditions of my auditory settings aren't that good. Instead, I should ask, are you alright?"

"I, well……"

I looked at my lower body, wires and tubes were poking out like innards.

"Ah, sorry. It's impossible that you're okay."

"The main thing is my circuits are still functioning, so it's basically okay."

"…… Is that so."

It seemed that Lilith wanted to say something else, but stopped. Perhaps she thought that it's meaningless to discuss our wounds right now.

"Then…… What should we do?"

"Mnn……"

Lilith buried her face between her knees.

"Volkov, any ideas?"

During important occasions, she would always ask for Volkov's opinions.

The giant slowly raised his head, making a 'Hmm……" noise.

"Volkov- don't- know."

"Sigh……" Lilith pressed her hand to her forehead, saying the long-expected words, "I'm the dumb one for asking you about this."

After that, she asked me instead.

"How about you, Iris?"

"Well…… I think it's better for us to hide ourselves right now."

"Mnn, it's still too dangerous for us to escape to a city nearby. Leaving would need to wait till things settle down……"

Lilith said the words that only a fugitive would say. No, we're already fugitives now.

"But staying here isn't good. Let's find a more suitable place to hide in the dark."

"Yeah."

"Volkov, carry Iris."

Volkov silently nodded, extending his arm to me.