“They’re here…”

“Judging by this hurricane bearing down on us, it looks like they really did get on that train of death.”

The gale made the loosely fitted mechanical parts on aside’s body clatter.

A host of killer bees stood behind aside, like row upon row of silent walls.

aside stood calmly in the middle of the tracks, facing the oncoming train, and spoke as if it were nothing.

“Go on. Give her a taste of what’s coming.”

As soon as aside finished speaking, one of the killer bees stepped out from the shadowy darkness behind aside.

Like a soundless ghost, it glided forward, raised its great mace high, then swung it down savagely at the train hurtling toward it.

In an instant, an enraged slash came crashing down like lightning.

The slash, like the Grim Reaper swinging to reap human lives amid a bloody storm, struck straight into the roof of the onrushing train.

The sound of its steel frame cracking apart rang through the heavens, like the crashing, explosive notes of a shattered pipe organ.

This primeval beast of steel was cleaved clean in two, from end to end, by the lightning-fast blow.

The two halves of the train lost power.

The terrifying force sent them careening into the tunnel walls on either side.

In an instant, dust and debris flew everywhere.

As the haze of dust cleared, Turing’s figure came into view.

She stood atop the train wreckage as if nothing had happened.

She tilted her head slightly and looked down at the band of half-angels aside had gathered, as if silently questioning aside’s failed sneak attack.

“Long time no see, Turing.”

“Whenever I see you, I can’t help remembering those days I spent treating your brain illness in the illusion.”

“You overcame such a difficult challenge through your own courage and intelligence. It made me see your potential—and I even foolishly thought I could use you to defeat Oedipus.”

“Now that I think about it… you are, after all, Oedipus’s child.”

“Your excellence is just another reflection of Oedipus’s cunning and danger.”

aside paused. When Turing said nothing, aside continued.

“What about Merka? Where did he go? Don’t tell me he turned to dust along with the train.”

aside’s hoarse voice gave nothing away—not a trace of lightness or sorrow.

“Oh, well… as long as you die, it’ll all be over.”

aside spread both arms. The machinery throughout his body rang with surging power.

“Two thousand years later, here we are again. Long time no see, battlefield!”

“Turing, let our battle begin!”

aside seemed brimming with fighting spirit. Facing Turing, he took up a stance of readiness.

But all he got in return was a sudden scoff from Turing.

“Did you get something wrong?”

“Talking about the battle beginning… What unbelievable arrogance!”

As she spoke, Turing slowly raised her right hand to her chest, curled her middle finger, and took aim for a snap.

“Wasn’t our battle… over just now?”

As Turing finished speaking, a sea of blue chains erupted from behind her and shot straight toward the space behind aside.

“I can kill you with a snap of my fingers.”

Turing’s voice suddenly came from behind aside.

That scorching figure seemed to vanish into thin air, slipping through the layers of killer bees surrounding aside and appearing here.

She raised a finger toward the back of aside’s head.

“What…?”

Shock and disbelief filled aside’s voice.