Transformed into Kanna in Terra

"Bad news! Kanna is missing!" Amiya rushed in from outside, panting heavily.

After making her announcement, she noticed that Kal'tsit did not seem surprised. This was unexpected because, earlier that morning, Amiya had been worried that Kanna would feel sad after Outcast left. To check on her, she went to Kanna's room early, only to receive no response when knocking on the door. Sensing something was wrong, she broke in—only to find an empty bedroom. Realizing the gravity of the situation, she immediately rushed to the central control hub to report to Kal'tsit.

"Outcast sent a report ten minutes ago," Kal'tsit explained calmly. "This morning, they found Kanna hiding in the trunk of their vehicle. After evaluating the situation, they decided to include her in the mission unit for this operation."

At this point, Kal'tsit pinched the bridge of her nose, an unusual gesture of exasperation.

"That little troublemaker never fails to surprise us. Notify ACE and his team, who were on guard duty last night—they're now responsible for cleaning all of Rhodes Island's bathrooms for a month as punishment."

Beside Kal'tsit, security footage from Kanna's room to the vehicle bay played repeatedly. Yet, not a single camera had managed to capture her movements.

"Issue a notice—rearrange all surveillance across Rhodes Island. There must be no more blind spots. I don't want this situation repeating itself."

"Heh… That kid Kanna might just have the talent to become a top-tier assassin!" A figure emerged from the shadows, speaking with admiration after reviewing all the surveillance footage.

"She must have overheard our last discussion about this mission with Outcast. It's impressive that she managed to keep her plan a secret, taking a week and a half to scout Rhodes Island under the guise of cleaning duties. She successfully discovered a route with no surveillance blind spots and then stealthily sneaked into the departing convoy. However, this also highlights major security flaws in Rhodes Island's internal oversight."

At that moment, Closure entered the room after receiving Kal'tsit's message, initially puzzled about why she had been summoned so early in the morning.

Upon reviewing the footage and hearing the details about Kanna's disappearance, she was in complete disbelief. She personally accessed all of Rhodes Island's security cameras from the previous night, yet found no trace whatsoever of Kanna's escape.

She slumped into a chair, relieved that Kanna hadn't acted with ill intentions. Otherwise, the security of Rhodes Island's entry and exit points would have been a complete joke.

After all, even SWEEP required knowledge of an intruder's presence to act. If there was no trace of an intruder, SWEEP couldn't possibly monitor every corner of the ship. If something catastrophic happened, Closure—as the chief designer of Rhodes Island's engineering department—would undoubtedly be held responsible.

7:00 AM

After leaving Rhodes Island, Outcast's team proceeded quickly toward their designated destination.

According to Kal'tsit, their mission was to retrieve several children rescued by the Melander Children's Rights Protection Foundation from an experimental accident. Among these children was a particularly special individual.

Along with Outcast's squad, TOUCH led a medical team as part of the operation to ensure safety during the retrieval process.

After traveling for a while, a sound that shouldn't have been in the vehicle reached their ears—soft snoring.

The convoy immediately stopped for inspection to ensure mission security.

Opening the trunk, they found Kanna curled up among a pile of supplies, sleeping soundly with a snot bubble expanding and contracting with her breath.

Everyone was stunned at the sight of Kanna inside the vehicle.

Fortunately, Outcast quickly recovered from the shock. She carefully lifted Kanna out of the trunk and discussed the situation with TOUCH. Given the urgency of their mission, the convoy couldn't afford to return to Rhodes Island. As a result, she sent a message to Rhodes Island, notifying them that Kanna would be joining the operation.

Although Kanna lacked real combat experience, Outcast believed that her remarkable physical abilities and Originium Arts would be sufficient to handle a low-risk mission.

When Kanna finally woke up and realized she was in Outcast's arms, she blushed in embarrassment and lowered her head.

Luckily, Outcast wasn't angry. She simply warned Kanna not to pull this kind of stunt again. If she wanted to join a field operation, she should directly request approval from Kal'tsit or Amiya, who would assign her accordingly based on the mission requirements.

After apologizing sincerely, Kanna remained seated in Outcast's lap, her excitement growing for the upcoming mission.

Since two squads were participating in the operation, it meant the mission had some level of difficulty. Compared to missions within Rhodes Island, this one was bound to be more challenging—something Kanna eagerly anticipated.

After traveling for an entire day, the convoy arrived outside a warehouse near a small town.

The people inside the warehouse were initially nervous upon seeing the Rhodes Island team but soon relaxed once they realized they were the expected reinforcements.

After a brief conversation, six or seven children were brought out. Each of them had some level of Originium infection, making them unsuitable for normal human society. They were being transferred for medical treatment.

Among the children, Kanna suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

"Oh?" she muttered in surprise.

It was a young-looking Felin—so small she seemed fragile.

At the moment, the girl was asleep, but her furrowed brows and frail body indicated that her condition was extremely poor.

As soon as she was carried out, the other children looked at her with fear, as if she were some kind of monster.

"It's Rosmontis…" Kanna thought to herself.

She knew that in the Fate/Grand Order-style narrative of Rhodes Island's history, Rosmontis was an exceptional elite operator, achieving elite status despite her young age. She specialized in siege warfare, positional combat, and annihilation tactics.

Kanna never expected that their mission in Columbia was actually to retrieve her.

The people handing over Rosmontis and the other children visibly relaxed once the transfer was completed.

Before leaving, they issued a stern warning:

"There are many people in Columbia who have their eyes on Rosmontis. If you don't want to attract trouble, it's best to leave as soon as possible."

"Can I go in the same vehicle as that big sister?" Kanna suddenly asked.

Even though she knew from the game's story that Rosmontis safely made it to Rhodes Island, this was reality—what if something went wrong?

She pointed at the vehicle carrying Rosmontis and asked to join.

Outcast assumed Kanna's curiosity had been piqued by meeting someone her age. Since no surgical procedures could be performed in the convoy, and any medical intervention would have to wait until they reached Rhodes Island, she agreed and let Kanna ride in the same vehicle.

And so, the mission continued.