While Alice and the girl remain unconscious, Arthur notices the chaotic state of the house, likely abandoned for a long time. Determined to make it more livable, he begins cleaning up.
To lighten the mood, he plays "Love Never Felt So Good" and starts tidying the place. He goes through the rooms, makes the beds, organizes the wardrobes, tackles the piled-up dishes, and finally, the bathroom.
— Two hours later...
Arthur collapses onto the couch, completely exhausted.
"Damn... that was rough, but worth it. The house is sparkling!" he says, satisfied.
At that moment, Alice wakes up. She slowly gets up, walks to the living room, and looks around with some surprise.
"It actually looks great. Thanks, Arthur," she says, in a softer tone than usual.
"You okay? And... wow, you're thanking me? That's rare," Arthur teases, crossing his arms with a smirk.
"Hmph... whatever. And the girl? Is she awake?" Alice deflects, changing the subject.
"She's in the basement. We can go check now," he replies, extending his hand.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asks, suspicious.
"You're hurt. I just want to make sure you don't fall on the way," he says, slightly blushing.
Alice stares at his face for a moment, then accepts the gesture. Together, they go down to the basement, where the girl is now awake, still tied up and agitated.
"You have no idea what you're doing... you better let me go now!" the girl yells, struggling against the chains.
"We came to question you. And you'd better cooperate... or you'll regret it," Arthur says firmly.
Alice approaches, crouches in front of the girl, and gets straight to the point:
"Name. How your anomaly works. And everything you know about Humans Upper."
The girl spits in Alice's face and laughs mockingly.
"Hahaha... you really think I'll talk? Pathetic…"
Alice wipes her face with the back of her hand, unfazed. Then she grabs one of the girl's fingers and bends it violently backward. A dry crack echoes. The girl screams in pain, her eyes filling with tears.
Alice watches as the finger slowly regenerates.
"Regeneration? Interesting..." she murmurs coldly. Then she gives a dark smile. "Gonna talk now... or should I go one by one? Then hands, arms... legs?"
The girl remains silent. Alice breaks four more fingers without hesitation. The screams echo through the basement, now mixed with sobs.
"F-Fine! I'll talk! Just... just don't hurt me anymore..." she begs.
Arthur touches Alice's shoulder, signaling her to stop. The girl was about to give in.
"Speak," Alice commands, as cold as before.
The girl takes a deep breath, looks Alice in the eye, and begins:
"My name is Hanna... my anomaly allows me to create melee weapons from my body. Knives, swords, hammers... whatever I want. I also have regeneration. Every time I create a weapon, it tears through my flesh... but it heals right after."
Arthur's eyes widen.
"A perfect combat anomaly... But is there a weakness?"
Hanna hesitates.
"There is... creating the weapons hurts. A lot. Every time it feels like my bones are breaking from the inside. Even the regeneration is torture…"
Arthur feels the weight of her words. It was hard not to sympathize.
"So why does Humans Upper want to retrieve test subjects they themselves discarded?" Alice asks, suspicious.
"Because they started rebelling. They're uniting against the organization. That's why they send agents like me — to capture or eliminate. And if we refuse... we die. I didn't want to come. But if I didn't obey... they'd kill me," Hanna confesses, looking directly at Arthur.
Alice sighs, about to end the interrogation.
"We'll let you go, but you'll stay under surveillance. Locked in a room until we decide—"
"N-No! Please, don't let me go!" Hanna cries in panic. "They'll hunt me down! They'll kill me! Or turn me into a test subject again... for failing. Please... let me stay. Don't send me back!"
She screams and sobs, consumed by despair.
Arthur can't take it. Ignoring Alice's warning, he approaches and kneels beside Hanna. Then, he hugs her.
"Arthur, no! She can create blades and kill you!" Alice warns, alarmed.
"Trust me," he says calmly.
Hanna freezes. For the first time, she feels something that isn't pain, fear, or commands. Her screams stop, and she relaxes in Arthur's arms.
"Easy... no one's taking you back. I promise," he whispers.
"Arthur?! Are you crazy? She's still with Humans Upper! She could be faking it!" Alice shouts.
"Look at her, Alice... she was forced, like all of us. How many people have suffered at the hands of that organization? I can't ignore that. And I swear... I'll destroy that damn Humans Upper."
Hanna stares at him, eyes wide. Something inside her shifts.
"And how are you gonna do that, idiot? You don't even know how to fight," Alice says, arms crossed.
"But you said you'd teach me, remember? And who knows... maybe in the middle of all this, my anomaly awakens?" Arthur replies, smiling confidently.
Alice rolls her eyes and sighs.
"Uugh... fine, fine. In the end, I never have a choice anyway. But now I'm going to rest. I'm still in pain," she says, throwing a sharp look at Hanna. "You coming, Arthur?"
"I'll be right there. Just letting her loose first."
Arthur carefully removes Hanna's chains. The three of them climb the stairs. Alice, still wary, keeps her eyes on Hanna the whole time.
As night falls, the three prepare to sleep.
Tomorrow, new challenges will come. And maybe... a new alliance too.