Narrator:Nikolai has now gotten into a bad situation in his mission. Let's go back to how he's doing after he fell off that cliff.

*Nikolai awakens under a pile of snow, he managed to get out of the snow*

Nikolai:"Brr..."

Nikolai(mind):So cold...where am I?

*Nikolai looks around, and sees the collapsed rapture that the Absolute squad destroyed*

Nikolai:"Hah...ugh!"

*Nikolai looked up where he fell, but he couldn't see anything as the snowy storm clouded his vision*

Nikolai(mind):How am I going to make it back now?

*Nikolai suddenly heard another rapture heading straight towards*

Nikolai:"You're kidding me..."

Nikolai(mind):I'm...not going to make it back, am I?

Nikolai:"...I'm sorry, everyone."

*Nikolai closed his eyes. However, he didn't get hit by the rapture. Instead, he heard a loud thud*

Nikolai:"Huh?"

*Nikolai opened his eyes, and saw the rapture on the ground. It had a large bullet hole through its center*

Nikolai:"W-What the?"

*Nikolai then heard a sniper shot, he looked towards the direction of the sound, and saw a girl with long white hair and hazel eyes standing in front of the collapsed rapture*

???:"Not this one either..."

Nikolai:"Uh...hello? Are you a Nikke?"

???:"Huh? Who are you?"

Nikolai:"Oh, um...I'm Nikolai, a commander from the Ark. Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

???:"...Call me Snow White, I'm what you'd call a Pilgrim."

Nikolai:"Pilgrim?"

Nikolai(mind):So the document I have is a sighting report of her? What's so important about her?

Nikolai:"I've heard of the Pilgrims before."

Snow White:"Of course, if you're a commander they would've taught you about us."

Nikolai:"Yeah...I didn't go to the training school. I've heard about the Pilgrims from a girl named Modernia-"

Snow White:"You know about Modernia?"

*Snow White reached for her sniper and aimed it at Nikolai*

Nikolai:"Whoa! Wait, wait! What's wrong with Modernia?"

Snow White:"What do you know about her?"

Nikolai:"Uh...that she lives on the surface, has a really weird way of speaking, and that she used to be part of the Counters squad."

Snow White:"The Counters squad...you know them?"

Nikolai:"Yes, they are part of my squad."

Snow White:"I see...does that mean that commander Y/N is..."

*Snow White lowered her weapon*

Nikolai:"Huh? Oh, he's still alive."

Snow White:"What? Why hasn't he visited?"

Nikolai:"Uh..."

Nikolai(mind):So this girl knows about Y/N too. What's up with Y/N getting involved with these people?!

Snow White:"Forget it. So the Counters squad are with you now?"

Nikolai:"Correct."

Snow White:"If you care to answer, how are they?"

Nikolai:"They've been a big help to me and trying to make me seem like a legitimate commander."

Snow White:"Are you not a commander?"

Nikolai:"I don't deserve to be one, that's for sure."

Snow White:"I see."

Nikolai:"But don't worry, I'm taking care of them and making sure that they are safe from danger."

Snow White:"That's a relief. Now then, may I ask why you're here?"

Nikolai:"Oh, a retrieval mission. That rapture separated me from my current squad."

Snow White:"Understood. So that landslide was from the rapture. Very well, I'll help you find and return back to your allies."

Nikolai:"Really? Thank you very much!"

*Snow White started walked away, and Nikolai followed her*

Nikolai:"Brr..."

Nikolai(mind):It's still freezing.

*Snow White glanced at Nikolai, and sighed. She then tossed a piece of clothing to him*

Nikolai:"Whoa, what's this?"

Snow White:"It's a heating cloak. Use it to warm yourself."

Nikolai:"Oh, thanks!"

*Nikolai covered himself with the cloak, and continued following Snow White. After an hour later of walking through the snow, the weather started to clear up, and the sun started to set*

Nikolai:"Finally, I can see clearly."

Nikolai(mind):That blizzard was horrible.

*Nikolai handed the heat cloak back to Snow White, but she refused it*

Snow White:"Use it again if you ever find yourself back in this area."

Nikolai:"Really? Thank you so much."

Snow White:"It's nothing, I should be leaving now though."

Nikolai:"Huh? But I thought you said you'd escort me to my squad?"

Snow White:"You can fine them easily now. Besides, I shouldn't be anywhere near Nikkes from the Ark."

Nikolai:"Why? They're not going to shoot you."

Snow White:"They will, that's the new protocol against Pilgrims."

Nikolai(mind):So Pilgrims are seen as the enemy? But she helped me, she's not an enemy to the Ark, so why would we shoot them?

Nikolai:"I see...I'll be fine then. Thank you very much for saving me."

Snow White:"Until we meet again, Nikolai."

*Snow White walked back into the blizzard, and Nikolai started searching for his squad. It only took a few minutes before he saw a flare in the sky*

Nikolai:"That must be them!"

*Nikolai rushed towards the flare, and saw the Absolute squad sleeping*

Nikolai:"I made it..."

*Nikolai fell to his knees, which had woken up the girls*

Eunhwa:"Nikolai?! What the hell are you doing?"

Vesti:"N-Nikolai? Are you sure it's really him?"

Nikolai:"Jeez, I'm just glad to see you again!"

Emma:"We were worried sick. Eunhwa was searching for you in the blizzard for hours."

Nikolai(mind):Guess I was unconscious for a while.

Eunhwa:"I was looking for your body. Better to bring in the corpse of a commander than to report him as 'MIA'."

Nikolai(mind):Not even admitting for a second that she was worried about me...

Nikolai:"Whatever you say...let's go home."

Vesti:"B-But what about the mission?"

Nikolai:"I have the documents, we're all set."

Emma:"Oh my, good job Nikolai."

Eunhwa:"Alright, let head back to the Ark."

Nikolai(mind):Wait...we have to hike again, ugh...

*Nikolai and the absolute squad made it back while encountering only weak raptures*

Nikolai:"Alright, Andersen. Here are the documents."

Andersen:"Good job today, commander Nikolai. I've heard from the Absolute about what happened during that mission. It's a miracle you survived that fall."

Nikolai:"Well, I did fall on the snow. I'm sure it cushioned the fall."

Andersen:"Thankfully, because that fall could've easily killed a person."

Nikolai:"Wait, really?"

Andersen:"Indeed, but you've survived it, and that's all that matters."

Nikolai:"Ok then, I'll be taking my leave then. Excuse me."

Andersen:"Get some rest, commander Nikolai."

*Nikolai left Andersen's office, and headed to his dorm. He immediately fell asleep on his bed*

Narrator:And that was Nikolai's second mission. We're going back to Nikolai's daily life on the Ark...in the next one!

Hey bros, it's me, the author! I'm somehow still finding time to write this story with college, so hopefully it continues like this. Game-wise, I've finished the school arc. That's all I've got for announcements, so here's the meme of the week:

Unga bunga! And I'll see you guys next time!