A miracle came unexpectedly. An odd humming sound joined the roar of the Harvester engines. Kira looked up and saw the source of the sound – two Exterminators had arrived! If Sixty-Nine was famous, the Exterminators were the stuff of legends. They were the only ones who could pilot aircraft – the only technology the machines did not have –, they effortlessly ruled the sky and brought the machines death from above.

And now Kira was able to witness it firsthand. Aircraft laser beams travelled across the surface of the Harvesters, burning ragged grooves in their smooth carapaces. The Harvesters tried to shoot, but aircrafts avoided the missiles easily. Everything was over in mere minutes, the Harvesters were turned into piles of deformed metal junk.

Then the aircraft landed, and the Exterminators stepped out. One of them looked rather like a kind doctor, he was even wearing glasses. Kira felt somewhat disappointed that the Exterminator looked so plain. The other Exterminator was...

'Gin!' exclaimed both Kira and Mr Red, though the latter had a much more dissatisfied tone.

'What, didn't know I'm an Exterminator? Full of surprises, me!' smugly explained Gin, and Kira heard Mr Red sigh with annoyance.

They explored the remains of the Harvesters. Twisted metal parts, burnt plastic, and something else. Kira bent closer to examine, and smelt the unmistakable odour of charred flesh...

'There were people inside!' he realised with horror. Of course, he knew what the Harvesters did, what their purpose was, but he had felt so relieved when the Exterminators saved them, that he had completely forgotten.

'Kira, everything all right?' asked a kindly voice, and Kira looked up into the smiling, bespectacled face of Exterminator Aizen.

'You killed them,' Kira whispered, his mouth dry with fear at his daring to accuse the Exterminator, and with horror and grief at being a part of it.

Aizen said: 'They couldn't be saved, I'm afraid. They were already extensions of the machines – soulless, brainless puppets. I believe Gin told you about the second stage of mindwipe, didn't he? There was nothing we could do. So just forget about them. Now, some of this stuff might come in handy in the Society, why don't you have a good look around?'

Kira nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat, and went on scavenging in the wreckage.


So, Kiwi-kiwi-kii, was your guess about the contents of this chapter correct? ;)