Chapter 42 Chapter 42 CPU's Zero

In the end, Toru Amuro was the only one left in the huge theater.

In the darkness, he grabbed the large cup of Coke that had not been touched beside him, slowly stood up and walked towards the door.

He had watched this movie so many times that he could clearly reproduce every frame in which Olga appeared in his mind.

Members of the organization were not allowed to take many photos. Therefore, the short ten minutes in this film were the only footage of Olga that Toru Amuro could find, aside from the ID photo in the archives.

He watched the movie over and over again, as if he wanted to see through the imaginary characters in the movie and touch the truth behind them.

But that reality no longer exists.

And he was one of the executioners.

*

Since September, Alaska has entered the polar night and is covered in ice and snow.

On Thanksgiving Eve, taking advantage of the faint light in the sky, Cornelia took a sled pulled by two Alaskan dogs to the beach, which is the most beautiful place to watch the aurora.

Sarah and Finn were preparing a Thanksgiving dinner at home. Since it was no longer the fishing season, they would spend most of the day at home. They would light a fire in the fireplace and tell Cornelia stories of their time at sea.

The scene of a family sitting around the sofa is always warm.

Two furry Alaskan dogs ran very fast, barking as they pulled the sled forward, leaving two tracks of the sled blade on the snow.

Cornelia loves the aurora borealis and watching the black and white whales swimming by the sea, dotted with floating ice. These whales are very friendly to humans, and sometimes they even approach to interact with Olga when she's out in the boat.

For some reason, Cornelia seems to have a special liking for these whales called "shark-hand whales."

Maybe it’s because of their black and white color scheme?

Cornelia was amused by her own thoughts. Indeed, animals with black and white colors were adorable, like Alaskan dogs and killer whales.

The destination was soon reached. The two Alaskan dogs stayed behind to wait for Cornelia, who got out of the car and walked towards the rocky beach.

But unfortunately, this beach, which has always been remote and deserted, seems to have been visited by someone already.

Through the aurora light floating in the night sky, Cornelia vaguely saw two figures standing there - no, three. Two of them were completely black, and only their outlines could be seen. As for the other one -

Cornelia's pupils suddenly shrank.

With a clang of wood that pierced the still night air, the third man fell straight back into the sea. Cornelia could even see the blood splattering from his chest, its shape briefly lingering in mid-air.

Her breathing also stopped with the thrilling sound.

What's this?

Shark hunting scene?

Cornelia kept backing away, unable to stop her fingertips from trembling. She stared straight at the place where the man fell, unable to look away.

Her heartbeat raced. Cornelia couldn't explain the feeling. She felt fear, both of the scene before her and of herself. But besides fear, she also felt a hint of... excitement?

“Who is it?!”

The two men in black seemed to have finally noticed Cornelia's presence. In an instant, the bright light of their flashlights shone directly at her.

Cornelia squinted uncomfortably and tried to raise her arms to block the sudden glaring beam of light.

She felt her heartbeat accelerating, followed by severe pain in her heart, almost making her cry out in pain.

Cornelia didn't know what happened before she lost her memory and was picked up by Sarah and the Finn couple. But after she woke up, she realized that she couldn't do strenuous exercise, and even couldn't have too much emotional fluctuations.

Once her heart rate was too fast, her heart would feel severe pain, which even caused her to faint several times.

"you--"

The two men in black strode towards Cornelia, and Cornelia could only grit her teeth and retreat. However, the excruciating pain was so intense that even staying standing became difficult.

"Why are you here?!"

The two men in black were only a few steps away from Cornelia, but she fell to the ground, breathing heavily in pain, and her whole body seemed to be soaked in cold sweat.

The flashlight beam shone on her face. She raised her hand to block it, but through her fingers she could see the genuine astonishment on the faces of the two men in black.

"Is that you, Alsa—"

Cornelia took deep breaths. Taking advantage of the moment when the pain eased slightly, she managed to get up from the ground and ran.

She could hear the urgent shouts of the two men in black behind her, speaking something she couldn't understand, but she just ran as fast as she could.

The cold air penetrated into the lungs, bringing a stabbing pain, and even the throat seemed to have a bloody taste.

But she couldn't stop—there were two vicious shark criminals behind her!

The moment she saw the two men in black, Conelia felt a surge of uneasiness. This sudden uneasiness was completely unreasonable, as they hadn't even started their war to kill the men yet!

As she ran, Cornelia's heart rate soared again, accompanied by a pain like a volley of arrows piercing her heart. This pain almost overwhelmed her other perceptions.

She habitually raised her weak left hand, but could only hold the front of her shirt loosely.

Yes, she had long realized that her left hand was her dominant hand. However, ever since she woke up from her amnesia, her left hand had become like a mere decoration, unable to exert any strength at all.

Her heartbeat pounded against her eardrums, and the pain washed over her like a huge wave. Fortunately, Cornelia had already spotted the sled.

She used up her last bit of strength to call the two Alaskan dogs, and then, watching them rush towards her, she climbed onto the sled in a panic, and the Alaskan dogs carried her home at the fastest speed.

Cornelia turned around. The two men in black were no longer visible behind her.

*

On Christmas Eve, the organization received a message that a girl suspected to be Olga appeared somewhere in Alaska.

It is said that two low-level members of an organization accidentally saw someone who looked very similar to Olga while performing a mission there - because of a certain movie, more and more people knew her.

Of course, most people, even most members of the organization, don't know that "Olga, who shoots movies, is the Arthas of the organization." Information about senior members of the organization always needs to be kept confidential.

only--

The two low-level members of the organization who were carrying out the mission in Alaska happened to have seen Olga before - at a manor in Japan - where they had served for several years. Therefore, they could see Olga almost every summer vacation.

Olga is easy to spot. Her red hair and green eyes are rare in the crowd. Her delicate facial features make her even rarer.

However, their discovery of Olga wasn't entirely a coincidence. During the six months that Olga had been missing, the organization had intentionally or unintentionally sent more people who had seen Olga to Alaska for missions.

Now, they finally have some clues.

*

"Have you asked your boss for permission to go to Alaska?" Vermouth looked at the person driving in the driver's seat.

Amuro Toru looked ahead with a flickering light in his eyes: "Yeah."

“But, that may not be Arthas.” Vermouth was always pessimistic when it came to matters related to Olga. “Maybe he just looks like her.”

"We have to go and see for ourselves." Amuro Toru's tone remained unwavering.

"If not, isn't it a waste of time?"

Vermouth looked out the window irritably. She took a cigarette out of the box, then, as if she had thought of something, put it back into the box.

But what if it was her? Amuro Toru thought to himself. Even if the chance was only one in ten thousand, he had to see it with his own eyes.

What's more, if that was really Olga... According to the words of the two low-level members of the organization, she didn't seem willing to return to the organization.

Amuro Toru's fingers gripping the steering wheel suddenly tightened.

If it wasn't him, but someone else, such as Gin, who went to fight Olga... he couldn't imagine what would happen then.

He needs to go there in person to feel at ease.

Amuro Toru said nothing more. Vermouth knew that he had made up his mind.

She sighed softly, "Although many people are vying for this opportunity to 'make a contribution,' I think the boss will like you more."

"oh?"

"Ever since that incident, the boss has trusted you quite a bit, Bourbon." Vermouth seemed to be sighing and lamenting.

Toru Amuro's eyes dimmed.

Yes, ever since that incident, ever since...Olga's life or death became unknown.

Because Toru Amuro's grief was tangible, his boss trusted him even more. After all, an undercover agent couldn't possibly grieve for a member of the organization. This was true from both the pro and con sides; it was almost a matter of course.

And the emotion that Toru Amuro was feeling at that time was something that even Vermouth couldn't see through. It was the most genuine sadness, coming from the heart.

As one of the four people who were with Olga at the time, Toru Amuro should have been suspected and closely monitored by the organization just like the other three, Keimitsu Morifushi.

But no.

Is this what you calculated, Olya?

Amuro Toru gritted his teeth and looked forward.

You know I will be sad for you. You also know that this way I can clear my suspicion and even gain the trust of my boss.

Olya...Olya!

Have you seen through my clumsy lie?

I lied to you time and time again, but you... were still thinking about me until the very end...

*

Amuro Toru sat in his car, looking out the misty window. Sitting on a stone pier at the end of the parking lot was a little red-haired girl, wrapped in a thick white down jacket, like a plump glutinous rice ball.

He was looking at her. Just quietly, without blinking. The car was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Amuro Toru felt as if he had been in another world. After more than half a year, he finally saw her again, fresh and alive.

"Do we need to go and bring that adult here now?"

The voice coming from the front seat of the car suddenly broke the false tranquility.