Kohta leapt up when he heard the news, and all but ran to the doorway, where the soldier still stood. Being Kohta, he didn't really think, immediately grabbing the woman by her collar and forcing her against the wall, a crazed look in his eyes.
"Where is she?! Where is Nyu?!" he shouted at the soldier, who just looked at him with an expression of pity. The college-age man obviously wouldn't be much of a match if the soldier got serious, but she let him have his way in any case.
It was not her orders to hurt them, after all. Quite the opposite.
She raised his hands, grinning in an effort to calm Kohta down. "Keep it down, she's perfectly safe. May I please come inside so I can tell you what you wish to hear?"
Kohta glared at her for several seconds, frozen in place, before sighing, letting the soldier go and nodding curtly. "Fine." he said, walking inside, though he kept an eye on the visitor.
The woman nodded and followed behind him, and within a few minutes, everyone had gathered in the dining room, staring at her.
She laughed nervously, removing the combat helmet she wore in what was probably intended to be a sign of peace, and shook her head to spread out the short, obviously dyed brown hair, its original color difficult to discern. She glanced at Nana. "Oh, you're one of them, aren't you?" he asked.
Nana growled at her. She may not have been actively hunted by the forces, but she still didn't have to trust someone working for the institute. She didn't know who this new Director was and didn't trust him as much as she'd trusted her Papa.
"Yes, I am, and I have a lot more range than-" She was interrupted by the soldier waving a hand.
"There is no order out to reclaim you, Number 7." Nana grit her teeth at the title. "The new Director has no desire to take back escaped Diclonii, barring Lucy, of course, but she is a special case, though I can't say I know the details. I'm just a soldier, after all."
"Where is Nyu-chan?" Mayu asked. The soldier looked at her and nodded.
"She is at the Diclonius Research Institute, recovering from wounds she suffered during her last fight. I cannot tell you where the institute is, as the information was not disclosed to me, but you may be receiving another visitor soon who can give you more complete information."
Kohta sighed. "And how is Lucy?" he asked. The soldier glanced at him, before shaking her head.
"I do not know, I have only enough information to confirm for you that she is alive and safe. Her true status will be disclosed to you if your next visitor actually decides to show up." The soldier showed the first sign of emotion at that, chuckling quietly to herself. "She's not known for her punctuality, so it may be a while."
She stood up, groaning as she did so as she stretched her joints. "Now, I am sorry, but I must report back that I have contacted you. Saori Kohta-san, I suggest that you do not attack her if she comes. I am under direct order by the Institute not to hurt you or any of the residents here, but she is under no such obligation." She shook her head and sighed. "And if anything, her temper is as short as a Diclonius' is, and I'd rather take on a Diclonius than her when she's angry."
Yuka shuddered at the idea, knowing the power the race of horned humans had after the battle that had revealed Lucy's identity. "Someone as powerful as Lucy is?" she asked fearfully.
The soldier laughed, pulling her hair so she could reattach her helmet to her head. "In terms of skill, she's closer to Number 2, whose strength is estimated at about a quarter that of Lucy's. But in terms of experience...Let's just say her kill count is in the triple digits. For reference, Lucy's current confirmed record is 67 deaths."
Kohta barely registered the kill number, or hardly anything else the woman had said. All he could think about was that Lucy was alive. He didn't know how, but he promised that he would somehow find a way to see her again, even if he had to personally attack this Diclonius Research Institute, wherever it may be.
The soldier nodded. "Well, thank you for your time." she said, nodding and beginning to head out.
She stopped at the door and looked up as if she'd forgotten something, then looked back at them. "Oh, I almost forgot. If your other visitor does actually show up, please tell her that Doctor Tatenashi wanted to speak with her. I don't know what about, but I can't directly contact her because she doesn't like associating with us lowly soldiers."
With that, she was gone, the door closing behind her, leaving the four residents speechless as they processed what she'd told them
Mayu was the one who spoke first, smiling in the innocent way she often did. "So, Nyu-chan is still alive. That's good. I hope she's alright…"