Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"I know your hatred. If you were still alive, I wouldn't stop you from seeking revenge, but that doesn't mean I should seek revenge on your behalf..." Noah shook his head. "Not to mention that I don't have any hatred towards Kal'tsit, and I'm not a Sarkaz. Besides... hatred only breeds more hatred. I'm sorry, I can't help you with your revenge."

"...Revenge, if you help us with our revenge... we will give you all our power..." The Sarkaz souls continued to roar, and they even made a promise, "With our full support, even without the Demon King's crown, you will have the power to rival the Demon King!"

Noah could feel the resentment, pain, and distortion of the Sarkaz souls. After all, they were in his body, and it was very difficult to appease them.

The long-standing hatred has long been forged into chains that tightly bind their hearts. They have lost the chance to turn back and can only let the anger of revenge burn their souls, causing them pain and anger.

"I refuse." Noah shook his head again. "I am your grave. A grave has no need to avenge the dead, right?"

"...The wrath of the Sarkaz is endless, we will not find rest..." The souls of the Sarkaz thirst for revenge and destruction. Noya's power cannot soothe their hatred, but Noya is telling the truth. It doesn't matter whether they are Sarkaz or not, she will bury them all equally. Her existence itself is a living grave that can accommodate everyone's soul and save them from struggling before death.

She did this not to gain power, but simply because she couldn't bear to see them die in pain.

Therefore, it is meaningless to tempt her with power. She never craves for power, and she never wants to abuse her power in such a place.

"I will not avenge anyone."

"I won't ask you to give up revenge either."

"I'm very sorry."

After Noah reiterated her position once again, she finally broke away from the space of consciousness. The roar of the Sarkaz souls seemed to still be in her ears, but she had already opened her eyes.

"Awake! Doctor! Doctor! The patient is awake!" The nurse was still changing the dressing. After seeing Noah open his eyes, she immediately called the doctor excitedly. The doctor hurried to the bedside and conducted a series of examinations. After putting down the stethoscope, he couldn't help but sigh.

"You're truly blessed. Despite such serious injuries, you were able to regain consciousness in such a short time. This is beyond medical common sense."

"I'm in good health," Noah replied with a smile. "Can I ask what the current situation is? Is there any movement over in Ursus?"

"We don't know the specifics. After all, this is the rear, and we're already overwhelmed just dealing with the wounded. There's no need for us to know what's going on at the front," the doctor answered frankly. "There are quite a few rumors, but it's hard to tell whether they're true or not. What we do know is that while you were unconscious, Da Yan's reinforcements had already arrived and seemed to have engaged in several head-on battles with the Ursus troops... As for the outcome, I'm not sure."

"Dayan..." Noya hadn't been unconscious for long, indicating that the Dayan army was almost at full speed. It was obvious that Yan Kingdom actually cared about Longmen and was providing full support. However, judging by Wei Yanwu's attitude, he might not be happy about the arrival of the Yan Kingdom army... However, compared to the Longmen Guards, the Yan Kingdom army was actually a truly regular army. "Where is Commander Chen? Since the front battlefield is now under the supervision of the Yan Kingdom troops, Commander Chen should be in the rear?"

"He came to visit you yesterday. That fruit basket was brought by Commander Chen," the doctor said, pointing to the fruit basket by the bed. "But Commander Chen seemed very unhappy."

"So... when can I be discharged?" Noah asked immediately, sensing that the situation had changed again and that he couldn't just stay in bed like this.

"That requires a detailed examination..." The doctor looked embarrassed. "You've only just recovered. There's no need to be so anxious."

"Then... could you help me contact Amiya and Kal'tsit? It would be better if Commander Chen could also help me contact them and tell them that I'm awake and need to talk to them about something." Noah knew that it was indeed a little too early to be discharged from the hospital, so he changed his mind.

"That's no problem. When is it?"

"ASAP."

-

After receiving the news that Noah had woken up, they all rushed over immediately, regardless of whether they had anything else to do. Not only did they come, but Amiya, Kel'tsit, and Chen Huijie, but there was even an unexpected person accompanying her. Noah blinked and called out the other person's name in surprise. "Tallulah? Why are you here?"

"What do you think... After you came back from your injury, this girl came to our military control zone within a few days. If I hadn't been there, she would have started a fight with us," Chen Huijie said angrily. "We finally met, and we almost came to blows. I'm really impressed. This girl is just as reckless as she was when she was little!"

"When I went to look for Noah, I found the camp empty. I must have been worried." Tallulah was a little embarrassed. "But I'm glad you're okay. Actually... I had been planning to come look for you."

"Bullshit, I've been in Longmen for so long, and you haven't sent me a single letter!" There seemed to be an inseparable relationship between Chen Huijie and Tallulah. If it were in the past, Noah would definitely keep her mouth shut and watch the show, but now her gossipy heart could only regretfully fail.

"Um... could you tell me what the situation is like?" Noah reluctantly interrupted their bickering and asked, "The Yan Nation troops have already entered the battlefield, but Ursus has no intention of retreating?"

"Yes, after you single-handedly killed the enemy commander, Ursus immediately sent in a new commander. They used the commander's death as an excuse to launch an invasion even larger than before. The Yan Kingdom troops arrived just in time and joined the battle immediately. The fighting was intense... They even used heavy weapons. If I'm not mistaken, I even saw the Imperial Guards on the battlefield..."

"Imperial Guards..." Although Noya didn't know what the Yan Kingdom's Imperial Guards were like, they were likely on par with the Internal Guards. The fact that they could dispatch Imperial Guards showed that Great Yan was fully prepared to fight.

"Not only that, we in the Reunion Movement have been conducting guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines, but the Ursus army has been ignoring us—as if there's something in Lungmen they're determined to get."

"There's something Ursus is determined to get..." Noah tilted her head. "Tallulah, you know Ursus better. What do you think it is?"

"Longmen... But to be honest, this is the first time I've seen Ursus go to such great lengths to replenish its troops," Tallulah replied. "Alina said it's rare for Ursus to act this way. If it were just Longmen, it might not be worth it..."

"What Ursus wants..." Kel'tsit also spoke at this time. As a former lord of Ursus, she also knew Ursus very well. "Perhaps it is far away in the sky, but it is also right in front of us."

Kal'tsit's eyes fell on Noah. Noah dodged to the left, and then Kal'tsit's gaze followed him like a shadow, as if locked. Noah stretched out his finger and pointed at himself, "Me?"

"Yes." Kel'tsit nodded. "Do you remember killing those guards before you went to the camp?"

"Of course, but so what... I can't let excess explode in a place like that, right?"

"But do you know what the disappearance of seven inner guards means to Ursus?" Kal'tsit's eyes were filled with helplessness. "If only the inner guards had died, it would be fine, but these inner guards simply disappeared. Not only did Ursus not find the remaining [country], they couldn't even find the inner guards' bodies. Only seven source stone pillars were found at the marked location... If you were the newly enthroned emperor of Ursus, what would you think?"

"...Longmen has mastered some kind of power that can restrain the inner guards...?"

"You guessed right. The Inner Guard is one of Ursus' fundamental strengths. Ursus will never allow anyone to possess this ability." Kal'tsit shrugged. "Of course they want to find out what it is and embed their Inner Guard into the pillars."

"...So it's all my fault?" Noah pulled the corner of his mouth and smiled helplessly, "I didn't expect it to be so serious."

"It's not just because of you." Kel'tsit looked at Tallulah beside the bed, "Isn't there a second reason?"

"......?" Tallulah blinked, not knowing why the topic had turned to her. "What's wrong with me?"

"You are a Draco, with the blood of the Yan Kingdom's royal family. Your adoptive father is the Grand Duke of Ursus—" Tallulah explained Tallulah's identity like a treasure. "With you and Noa, it's normal for Ursus to use any number of troops here."

Chapter 29: Rabbit's Great Victory

Tallulah and Noah were speechless for a moment.

So Ursus went crazy because of these two?

However, Kal'tsit clearly wasn't targeting these two people; she was simply explaining the current situation from an objective perspective. Having spent considerable time in Ursus, she had a certain understanding of the nation. Ursus wasn't so much a country as it was an old engine forcibly screwed together. Only war could continuously inject new blood and wear away the old parts; this was the way Ursus existed.

This twisted way of existence makes Ursus like a swordfish, which can only breathe by swimming desperately, and will die if it stops.

The emergence of the Reunion Movement in the snowy plains of Ursus is no surprise. The high-pressure domestic environment, coupled with the harsh treatment of the infected, makes Ursus like the great demon from a classic fairy tale. In such an environment, where there is oppression, there will inevitably be resistance. Even if it's not the Reunion Movement, it will be other violent groups. The Reunion Movement under Tallulah's control can even be considered moderate. Ursus is now a powder keg, and it feels like it will explode if anyone throws a spark...

When the fireworks explode, I'm afraid the entire Terra will tremble...

Kel'tsit certainly considered this, but she couldn't stop those crazy people in Ursus, even though she was once a lord of Ursus...

"Come to think of it, the Patriot also told me about the specific situation in Ursus... To be honest, according to Ursus' tradition, it's almost impossible to stop Ursus. Unless..."

"Unless their emperor suddenly passes away... That's how they ended the war last time." Chen Huijie grumbled, picking up Tallulah's words. "But that's unlikely. The current emperor is in his prime."

"The situation has really taken a turn for the worse." Everyone present sighed in unison. Tallulah said, "We can't come to any conclusions right now, so why don't we get down to something practical? How is Miss Noah's injury?"

Tallulah finally brought the topic back to the topic, and everyone remembered that they were actually here to visit a patient. Amiya, who had been unable to get a word in before, finally spoke up, "Yes, about Miss Noah's injury..."

"I'm fine. I'll only need a week to recover at most." Noya's estimate was conservative. Her physique was incredibly good, so perhaps she wouldn't even need a week. "I'm sorry to have worried you."

"After you recover, I also have something to discuss with you. Regarding the information you told me... I must confirm it clearly." Kal'tsit also spoke at this time, "But everything can be discussed after you recover. I won't force you to question me while you are bedridden."

"The Reunion Movement has settled down in Longmen now. Although Wei Yanwu is old-fashioned, he still has some feelings for the old times. And Aunt Wen Yue is also speaking for me. If you have any problems, you can always come to me." The fact that Talulah and the Reunion Movement settled down in Longmen actually happened in the past few days. Although the situation is a bit delicate, Dayan unexpectedly did not get too involved in Longmen's internal affairs, especially the guy who came to support and called himself Zuo Le. Although he was a bit old-fashioned, he was very respectful to Wei Yanwu.

Taking the current situation into consideration, Tallulah and Alina chose to settle in Longmen first. After all, they were still camping outside, which was a bit like an old man eating arsenic, and they had lived enough.

In the face of the mad Ursus army, the Integration Movement is really no match for them.

Even if there are patriots, it is the same. Although patriots are powerful, they are by no means invincible.

As one of the few remaining Sarkaz, his existence itself is quite sensitive, so settling in Longmen also took this into consideration - the term Sarkaz is still a taboo on Terra.

The visiting hours passed quickly. Except for Amiya, everyone else said goodbye. Soon, only Amiya and Noah were left in the ward. Looking at Amiya's eyes, Noah knew that he couldn't escape.

"...Ahem, Amiya, do you have anything you want to ask me?" She decided to take the initiative to confess, "Or should I tell it myself?"

"...No, Ms. Noah, I know you must have your own ideas. But I still think...you can just tell me you're awake." Sure enough, after seeing what they had just said, Amiya couldn't be so foolish as to think Noah was still in human-machine mode, but Noah didn't see the need to hide it. "That's right, Ms. Noah, when did you become conscious?"

"...Well, I was actually already conscious before I got out of the sarcophagus," Noah explained awkwardly.

But at this moment, Amiya immediately thought of the scene where she took advantage of someone in distress. In an instant, the little rabbit's face turned red and began to steam. Her voice became as thin as a mosquito, "Then...then...then what I did afterwards..."

"Well... I understand your feelings, Amiya, and I don't mind." Noah scratched his cheek and said frankly, "To be honest, I also think that as a child, it's normal for you to want to act like a spoiled child in front of adults."

"I'm an adult!" Amiya protested loudly. This was probably the loudest thing Amiya had ever said to Noya. Shame and anger mingled, she felt as if a switch had been flipped in her brain, a broken jar in her grasp. "Miss Noya, don't you understand? I'm an adult! I'm an adult who can decide what to do! I can already... can already... have a relationship!"

"Yes, Amiya has grown up." Noah was still smiling. She wanted to reach out and touch Amiya's head, but Amiya slapped her hand away. Her face flushed red as she stared at Noiya's cheek. "...Uh, Amiya, don't look at me like that. I'm a little..."

"Miss Noah, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid I'll eat you?" Amiya was truly losing control. Her mind kept replaying the scenes of herself taking advantage of others. Even after all this, why didn't Miss Noah understand her feelings? Was her brain made of wood? And why, even after she expressed her affection like this, did Miss Noah still think she was a child? She was clearly an adult!

She was ripe! Ripe! Ready to be picked! She suddenly felt that if she didn't do something extraordinary, Miss Noah wouldn't understand.

I don't know if this is a rebellious phase, but Amiya has always been a sensible child. Perhaps it was only at this moment that she lost control, deciding to do something out of the ordinary! So, with Noah's surprised eyes, Amiya moved closer and closer, exuding an aura that refused to be refused. For a moment, Noah didn't know how to respond. It wasn't until Amiya finally pushed her to a dead end that she finally begged for mercy.

"Okay, Amiya, it's my fault. It's my fault for treating you like a child..." Noah was really a little panicked, but Amiya obviously didn't intend to stop. She had already sat on Noah's body, looking down at Miss Noah under her with a condescending attitude. She seemed to have never looked at Miss Noah from this angle before. When she saw Miss Noah's obvious panic, she even had a sense of success. Miss Noah had always been a hero in her eyes, but she didn't expect that a hero would be so helpless.

"Ms. Noah... this is your fault..." she whispered, opening her mouth. Noah tilted her head to avoid the warm breath, but it felt like it blew directly into her heart, leaving her with a strange sense of guilt. She had always treated Amiya as a younger sister who needed care, similar to Maria back in Casimir... no, even more so, treating her like her own daughter.

But... now it's clear that Amiya doesn't seem satisfied with her ecological niche...

The bed creaked softly, Noah sinking deep into the soft mattress. Amiya's body trembled slightly with nervousness, yet she stubbornly maintained this ambiguous position. The air between them seemed to freeze, only the mingling sound of their breathing being distinctly heard in the quiet ward.

"Ah... Amiya..." Noya's plea for mercy was cut short by a soft, awkward touch. Amiya's trembling lips clumsily pressed against hers, carrying the youthful innocence and determination of a young girl. The kiss was so sudden that Noya could clearly feel her rapid breath on her face, taste the sweet scent of strawberry lipstick lingering on her lips, and even hear their frantic heartbeats, resounding loudly in the silent hospital room.

This was clearly Amiya's first kiss—perhaps Noah's, too. This realization sent Noah's mind blank. She had kissed Amiya's forehead countless times, treating her like a treasured possession; she had held her in her arms during nightmares, soothing a frightened cub. But now, this girl, whom she had cherished like a sister, even a daughter, was overturning all their established relationships in the most direct way possible.

Amiya's eyelashes trembled nervously, and her fingers unconsciously clenched Noah's hospital gown. This bold move seemed to have exhausted all her courage, so much so that after the kiss, she didn't even dare to look Noah in the eye, but buried her hot cheeks deep in his neck.

Noah felt lost. When had the little bunny, who would tug at her clothes for candy, grown up to the point where she would actively seek this kind of "adult" intimacy? She instinctively wanted to reach out and stroke Amiya's head, as she had done countless times before, but she froze in mid-air—any soothing gesture at this moment would likely be misinterpreted as tacit approval.

The bed's springs creaked softly, and Noah realized he was being pinned down by Amiya in a near-confinement position. The girl's warm body heat filtered through the thin fabric, blending with the faint scent of shampoo and her still-unsettled breathing, creating a disturbingly ambiguous atmosphere.

"I..." Amiya finally raised her head, a stubborn light flashing in her moist eyes, "I'm not a child anymore." These words were like a key, suddenly unlocking all the neglected details in Noya's memory - those hesitant eyes, those deliberately prolonged hugs, and the way Amiya pursed her lips every time she praised others.

Noah suddenly realized that perhaps this "raid" had been brewing in Amiya's mind for too long.

Amiya has already mustered up the courage, so what about me?

Do I really want to turn a blind eye?

What are my feelings towards Amiya?

Noah was shaken, more shaken than ever before. She looked at Amiya, who seemed to be weeping, and her mind suddenly went blank. She suddenly realized that she had been avoiding it, because she had never felt worthy of happiness, and she had spent her entire life atoning for the sins she had committed at age thirteen. But Amiya was much braver than she was. She could feel Amiya's trembling warmth at her fingertips. The child who once had to bend over to touch her head could now stand on tiptoe and touch her soul.

Noah's sigh softly fell in the silent ward, and Amiya's slender shoulders trembled. The girl's knuckles turned white as she clutched the hem of her clothes. She could clearly hear her own rapid heartbeat—the panic and anxiety unique to first love.

Amiya's eyelashes fluttered nervously. Of course she was afraid—terrified of seeing the resistance or pity in Noah's eyes. This budding emotion was so pure, so pure that she could only clumsily express it in the most straightforward way, like a young animal reaching out its tentative paws to the world for the first time. But behind this clumsiness was a determination that put all her courage on the line: she didn't know how Noah would respond to this feeling, but she chose to risk everything and expose her most vulnerable part.

She could have been smarter, but love is like a sudden gust of wind that blows a girl's heart. Such sudden things should not be thought about too much.

Amiya has given all her courage.

"Amiya..." Noya's voice was so gentle that it was almost a sigh. "I never thought that you would have such feelings for me."

"Hmm..." Amiya didn't dare to look up, only responding softly with a nasal voice. She felt her courage slipping away bit by bit, like the waves at receding tide.

Noah stared at the stubborn girl before him, her shoulders trembling slightly with nervousness. The girl in his memory who needed his protection had now grown to the age where she could bravely express her feelings.

"I know how much courage this takes," Noah said softly. "You're always like this. You never lack the determination to move forward at the critical moment."

"Hmm..." Amiya's voice became softer. She could almost foresee the rejection that was coming.

"I also..." Noah paused, a rare shyness in his voice, "I have never been in a relationship, let alone with a girl. So..."

Amiya's heart sank little by little. This sentence sounded like a prelude to rejection.

"So..." Noah suddenly reached out and gently lifted Amiya's chin, allowing her to look directly into his eyes. "We should be more tolerant of each other, right?"

Amiya's eyes widened. Those eyes, always filled with a gentle smile, now stared at her intently, filled with emotions she had never seen before. The girl suddenly realized that Miss Noya could also show such a bewildered expression, and blush slightly with nervousness.

At this moment, Amiya finally understood that love does not have to be so passionate, it can also be such a gentle and clumsy approach to each other.

Chapter 30: Secret

Noya took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Yes, Amiya was already an adult—this realization rang like a wake-up call in her mind. Her little bunny was no longer the child who needed her to hold his hand to cross the street. He was now an independent-minded adult who could take responsibility for his own life.

"Affection..." Noya muttered the word silently, feeling a strange sweetness on her tongue. She had to admit that, over their long time together, Amiya had already held a special place in her heart. All those days and nights they'd shared, all those heartwarming moments of mutual support, had planted a seed deep within her heart. But she had never imagined that this seed would suddenly burst forth today.

As Amiya's guide, Noya instinctively wanted to protect this pure love. She knew that Amiya's heart, offered without reservation, was as crystal clear as the first drop of morning dew. Any harsh rejection would likely leave a permanent scar on her heart.

But the problem is, Noah herself is a fledgling in the world of love. Raised in a strict chivalric upbringing, her understanding of love is still stuck in the vein of ancient chivalric novels—those elegant, restrained descriptions of love that flow from emotion and are tempered by propriety. Real-life intimate relationships, to her, are like a book written in an unfamiliar language, filling her with both curiosity and trepidation.

"I..." Noya opened her mouth, only to find her speech system completely disorganized. It was as if her brain was running too many programs simultaneously, each vying for control. The reserve of a knight, the sense of responsibility of an elder, the throbbing in her heart, and the fact she had deliberately ignored for so long—unnoticed, Amiya had gone from a child in need of her protection to a being that made her heart beat faster.

Not to mention her, even the other Miss Noah who was watching the show on the side had crashed. To be honest, if she encountered this situation, it would be okay, after all, she already had a lover, but the Noah Kyrielight in this world was a serious virgin, a pure white sheet of paper who had never been exposed to love.

She looked at herself lying on the hospital bed. Her face was as red as a shrimp, the kind that had been fried out of the pan, and she was already shaking to the point where it was visibly visible to the naked eye.

This reaction was laughably clumsy, but Noya no longer cared about maintaining her appearance. She felt her cheeks burning, like a tea kettle on fire, ready to whistle at any moment. And Amiya's expectant eyes left her with nowhere to hide.

——However, she had to make a decision now, a decision that would not hurt Amiya and would not make her regret.

Whether it is delaying or avoiding, it is too indecisive and does not conform to the actions of a knight.

So she held Amiya's shoulders and said those words.

After she finished speaking, not to mention Amiya's tears of joy, she had already cleared her mind. Anyway, the matter was done, and she was mentally prepared for whatever happened next.

It has come to this point. There is no point in struggling. It is better to enjoy it.