As they advanced, 9S suddenly came to a halt.
He crouched down, extending a hand to pick up something faintly gleaming under the pale light.
A strand of golden hair.
For a moment, he simply stared at it, confused.
Then, activating his optical sensors, he began a detailed analysis.
But as the data began to scroll across his interface, his expression changed drastically.
"This... this can't be possible…" he muttered, disbelief in his voice.
The others stopped, watching his sudden behavior.
2B narrowed her eyes — every gesture of hers was calculated, yet there was a flicker of suspicion beneath the calm.
Sensing their collective gaze, 9S quickly raised both hands.
"Hey, it's fine! Nothing happened to me!"
His voice was nervous but sincere. He knew exactly what they were thinking — logical virus infection.
No YoRHa unit could ever afford to drop their guard against that.
"Explain," 2B ordered.
"I... found something strange," he said, almost breathless. "The molecular composition of this strand of hair... doesn't match any YoRHa unit, nor any type of android ever recorded."
He paused, eyes gleaming in sheer astonishment.
"It's not synthetic. Which means the only possible explanation... is that this belongs to a human."
The silence that followed was absolute.
Even the POD seemed to hesitate for an instant, as if its logic core itself were struggling to process the absurdity.
"A... human?" 2B repeated, her voice barely audible.
Her head tilted slightly, as though trying to comprehend the meaning of that word.
Human.
The term was carved into every line of YoRHa code — in their missions, their oaths, their very protocols.
To serve humanity.
To fight for humanity.
To reclaim Earth in the name of humanity.
For the glory of mankind.
Humans were the supreme masters.
The very purpose behind every android's existence.
And yet…
Since the day 2B was born, she had never seen one.
No unit had.
Not even the Commander, high above in the Bunker, could claim to have ever met a human.
"You've gone insane," one of the side units said tensely, stepping forward. "That can't be human! They live on the Moon — there's no way they've come back to Earth!"
"It's more likely a trap set by the machine lifeforms," another added coldly.
9S felt the weight of their stares pressing on him — eyes no longer filled with concern, but suspicion.
He took a small step back, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Wait, hold on. I know how crazy this sounds, but my analysis doesn't lie! The structure of this hair is completely organic — it's human!"
The air grew heavier, almost oppressive.
No one spoke, but they were all thinking the same thing:
If 9S was infected, his words could simply be a fabrication generated by a virus.
He knew that — and still, his gaze remained steady.
"Think about it," he said quietly. "Doesn't it make sense? For a thousand years, no human has come to Earth. But... what if one finally decided to return?"
"Return...?" 2B echoed, her distant gaze suggesting that the very idea was rewriting her internal logic.
"But why? And why hide it from YoRHa?"
9S fell silent for a moment, staring at the golden strand in his hand.
A cold forest wind blew past, making the hair shimmer beneath the gray light.
That single thread seemed to carry a mystery capable of shaking the very foundation of the war.
---
"Let's continue the mission."
2B's cold, impassive voice echoed through the silence, pulling everyone back from their thoughts.
Her tone was so firm that a single command was enough to snap the squad back to focus.
Without another word, the androids re-formed their formation and began moving again through the silent forest — their rhythmic, heavy footsteps echoing like metallic drums against the damp soil.
They couldn't afford to waste more time. Their target had vanished from detection range, and every second spent there only increased the risk of losing the trail completely.
"Judging by the speed it was moving, it could be far from us by now," 9S commented, adjusting his visor as his fingers moved rapidly across the holographic console projected by his Pod.
His tone was analytical, but irritation laced his words. He clicked his tongue, frustrated.
Moments later, he crouched and placed a hand against the leaf-covered ground.
"Hm? Wait... there's evidence of another presence."
2B approached.
"Another person?"
"Yes. Based on the trail pattern, he was... chasing something," 9S replied, eyes fixed on the readings. "The tracks are linear and fast — like a target fleeing, with someone in pursuit."
9S's Pod emitted a short beep, processing the data.
The screen displayed faint traces of residual energy — signs of recent humanoid movement.
"What was he chasing...?" 9S murmured. "A machine lifeform? Or... maybe someone from the Resistance?"
2B remained silent, observing as he continued the analysis.
Then the scanner picked up something new — impressions left on leaves, light marks on the soil.
"These footprints..." 9S bent down, tracing the outline with a finger. "They belong to someone from the Resistance. No doubt."
"So he wasn't just wandering," 2B observed.
"It seems the chase ended here…" 9S noted, scanning the area. "The footprints slow down here — firmer steps. He stopped running. Maybe he walked into a trap... there are traces of a small explosion on those trees."
The tracks led northwest. 2B tilted her head slightly, following the direction with her eyes.
Then something else caught 9S's attention. He crouched again — this time before a small fruit tree.
The leaves were torn, and there were visible signs that someone had picked fruit from it.
"There are traces of fruit being plucked…" he murmured, touching a broken branch. "And here... bite marks."
2B stepped closer, analyzing them for a few seconds.
"Human bite marks."
"Yes," 9S confirmed thoughtfully. "Not animal. And no android eats fruit. This only reinforces my theory."
The silence that followed was almost suffocating. The discovery was as absurd as it was unsettling.
Androids could imitate humans — think like them, even dream of understanding them — but they were not human.
And now, before them, was the undeniable trace of one.
They continued following the trail.
After two minutes of marching, 9S abruptly raised a hand.
"Stop. Slow down."
He focused, scanning the digital horizon.
And then, the target appeared.
A few meters ahead, between the trees, stood the silhouette of a man. 9S zoomed in.
The figure was standing still, one hand near his ear — and on his wrist, an old-model communicator, transmitting a radio signal.
"An analog radio?" 9S murmured. "Who still uses those?"
He adjusted the frequency. It was dangerous — that kind of tech could easily be hacked.
The reading showed a stable communication channel, but the voice pattern detected came from deeper in the forest.
"He's talking to someone..." 9S concluded, eyes fixed on the visor.
But before he could intercept the signal, something changed.
The curious smile on his face vanished. He froze, body rigid.
His scanner had detected another signal — not ahead of them, but behind.
"No…" he muttered, teeth clenched. "It can't be…"
2B immediately turned.
"9S? What is it?"
He raised his hand, voice grave as his sensors flashed red in warning.
"The enemy... is coming our way!"
Suddenly, multiple energy signatures flared across the radar — surrounding them.
The sound of metal cutting through air echoed through the forest, followed by a deafening mechanical roar.
"Defensive formation!" 2B ordered, already unsheathing her blade.
The white gleam of her sword sliced through the shadows between the trees, while 9S took position and his Pod began charging energy for an attack.
---
(End of Chapter)
A/N: Don't worry — Arthur will return to action soon.
This is yesterday's chapter