Because I Don't Want to Give Up a Single Thing (7)

"It'd be dangerous to chase after them... If they ambush us when we don't even know who we're up against, it'll be over... Sorry. I let my guard down."

"Do you have any idea who was inside?"

Parna asked Kagami while carefully searching for any trace they might have left behind, but Kagami shook his head from where he lay sprawled on the ground.

"...The Resistance. I can't think of anyone else."

Instead of Kagami, Yuki answered with certainty.

"This Digder's technology was unquestionably created by humans. If anyone could make something like this, it would have to be... Noah."

"I considered that possibility and investigated it ages ago, but there wasn't a single Small Messiah in the Resistance's headquarters or anywhere in the facility where we woke up in Earthclear. I couldn't find anywhere that looked like it might be one, either."

Merry fell silent. With their unseen enemy's identity still completely beyond their grasp, she slammed her fist into the ground and muttered, "Damn it... So we got nothing out of this after all?"

"...No. It's probably—no, it definitely has to be someone at Noah."

Just then, Alice spoke up, sounding as though she had reached a definite conclusion...