“How did it end up like this?”
On a weekend afternoon, the pair was seated in a hamburger shop.
RyuZU said to Naoto, who was looking extremely frail, prone on the table.
“Master Naoto, do you know what the saying ‘clothes make the man’ is all about?”
“Yeah, I do. I just feel that you have some malicious intent saying this to me.”
Naoto groaned; his attire was completely different from before..
The uniform he kept using was swapped for a denim half-pants and black checkered shirt, and his cheap, worn-out sneakers were swapped for black leather shoes. Simple, yet fashionable.
His messy hair had now become refreshingly short with a little curl at the end.
He currently resembled one of ‘those popular people’, someone that could fit in amongst the high achievers.
…At least he looked like one.
“I thought something happened because you told me to wake up so early in the morning…you dragged me to the barber, and to everywhere for half a day. Now I’m really tired…”
“Master Naoto, that was a beauty salon, not a barber.” What’s the difference? Naoto lifted his head.
RyuZU, seated opposite him, garnered lots of attentions from the onlookers.
Well, this is to be expected. Naoto thought.
RyuZU was so ‘unhumanly beautiful’.
Her clear, glossy silver hair was swaying slightly, a pair of glittering golden eyes on her snowy speckless face, and her tender body as fleeting as an angel’s.
However, RyuZU paid these admiring looks no heed as she said,
“Please pardon me, Master Naoto, but it is merely a basic etiquette. I really cannot rate you when your painstakingly shabby appearance is coupled with that usual unchanging uniform.”
“Where did the painstakingly part come in…?”
Naoto sighed.
Well, it’s reasonable after all. It’ll be bad if I go around at night in uniform…and it’s not a bad thing to go to Shimamura and Unilock I always go to–”
“Master Naoto, if you wish to wear Shimumara or Unilock clothing, you have to have the face and presence.”
“Do-Don’t talk about my face…”
RyuZU ignored the shivering Naoto as she continued,
“If one with a regrettable appearance is to simply mix and match his attire, his appearance, tastes and even his monetary scene will be in doubt, and what he cannot hide will be harder to do so. I have to say however that such a paltry challenge does reeks of sacredness.”
“…RyuZU, how do you know all these even after 200 years in stasis? Did you investigate that in the manga cafe or something?”
“Yes, that is partly the reason. However, they are brands that existed since a thousand years ago, and their operations had yet to vary much while I was in stasis.”
“Eh…so they already had such recognition since 1000 years ago?”
Naoto nodded, but suddenly tilted his head.
“Speaking of which, it may be a little late, but we were quite generous with the spending on the clothing and hairstyling. How did you settle the money issues?”
“I raised some money.”
RyuZU answered stoically, and Naoto frowned, asking,
“–In detail?”
RyuZU merely answered with a clear captivating smile, and handed over Naoto’s bank book.
…Speaking of which, I never asked for it back.
Naoto remembered the bankbook, which he had forgotten for quite a while, and flipped it open.
“–”
And so, he was stunned.
There were 1, 2, 3…many zeros in there.
“Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Miss, RyuZU?”
“Master Naoto, no matter how amazed you are at how capable this ultimate automata can be, you do not have to praise me with such a musical tone.”
“That’s not it! Speaking of which, eh, wait, is this real? Eh? Why…?”
Naoto was in such a frenzy that he was unable to articulate himself.
RyuZU stared at him in condolence, and said,
“Do rest assured, Master Naoto. The police will not pursue this matter.”
“No, this explanation makes it more unnerving.”
Naoto narrowed his eyes, and asked,
“Honestly, how did you do it?”
“It was without your permission, Master Naoto, but I made use of the negligible assets you had left.”
“Made use…and you got it to this extent?”
“Credit economy, to put it in radical terms, is the creation of wealth from nothingness. If one has the knowledge and the wisdom to use this knowledge, such a paltry sum is a cinch.”
–That’s definitely impossible.
Naoto thought, but if he were to pursue matters further, he would come across some truths he would not want to know of, and decided to remain silent.
RyuZU showed an angelic smile as she said,
“As you can see, all financial concerns are dealt with. In the future, all of your food consumption, fashion and minimal culture-related expenses shall be paid off by me, so you simply have to enjoy the lifestyle of a tagalong–pardon me, a lifestyle of elegance.”
“…Did you just say tagalong?”
“That is not the case. Even if the savings increase on a 100-fold ratio, the money is all yours, Master Naoto, so they are your personal fortune. You will be simply squandering your own fortunes, so there is no need to call yourself a tagalong.”
Naoto lowered his head dejectedly.
…A tagalong. Am I a tagalong?
…And this tagalong is not taken care of by a woman he wooed, but an automata.
RyuZU, looking down from above him, continued to pummel him verbally,
“Perhaps if you had not fallen into such a dire state, Master Naoto, or to be precise, if you had a usable money note in your wallet at least, I would not have to resort to such means.”
“That’s not it! I did have some! I just need to withdraw some money!”
“If you had done that, your savings would be gone the instance you stepped into the salon.”
“It’s weird that I had to spend that much money in the salon, right!? It’ll grow longer anyway!”
“These are necessary expenses.”
RyuZU said.
“–Despite you being poor, small, short, a capitalist struggling in poverty, and a martyr for democracy, if you cannot maintain a basic level of class, Master, I as your servant will have my standards doubted.”
…I see, Naoto nodded.
It was true that after RyuZU, countless stares would be upon him on the streets or in the shops.
–They would be wondering, why him? “I see. Right, I understand now. I’ll take note so that you won’t be shamed, RyuZU.”
“–It is also a gift for what happened before.”
“Gift? Did I do anything you need to thank for?”
“If you do not remember, please forget about what I just said.”
And so, the duo left the hamburger shop and head for the train station. On the streets, Naoto found a beautifully decorated clothing shop targeted at young girls, and stopped in his tracks.
He stared at a certain frilly dress showcased behind the display window.
“RyuZU, wait a moment.”
“…Master Naoto, if you have any interest in female clothing, please inform me beforehand. When choosing clothes–”
“That’s not it!!? Alright already, come here.”
Naoto dragged the the venomous-tongued RyuZU into the shop.
“Welcome–wow!”
The shop attendant inside, upon seeing RyuZU, was left astounded.
Naoto was already used to such a reaction, and did not pay particular heed as he went for the mannikin at the display window to check the price.”
“…RyuZU, will you mind trying this one?”
“You wish for me to strip here? Alright, there is no problems. It is my duty to answer my Master’s–”
“Don’t twist what I said like that! Go to the changing room! Sorry, we’ll like to try this dress.”
“Eh!? Ah, y-yes! Please wait.”
The shop attendant, completely mesmerized by RyuZU, recovered upon hearing Naoto’s words and reacted.
RyuZU watched on, feeling suspicious as she said,
“…What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing. Hurry. Put it on.”
“Are you saying that you are unsatisfied with my usual attire?”
RyuZU said as she spread her arms out.
Right–RyuZU’s now wearing a uniform, but she’s was wearing another dress at first.
It’s a classic dress with frills and laces on it, like it was weaving the night sky.
She probably won’t mind about her own clothing–
Naoto saw the attendant return with the clothing in tow, and laughed,
“I think that’s good too. Just don’t think too much and try it on.”
“…Acknowledged.”
RyuZU looked unwilling as she entered the changing room.
Soon after,
“–Is this alright?”
The curtain was pulled aside.
The attendant, who came over to peek, was left gobsmacked by RyuZU’s attire.
The silky glossy white camisole was matched with a layered pink miniskirt and a pink shawl. Every piece of clothing was thin and soft, like a sugar snack with intricate packaging.
“Yes, it really suits you!”
Naoto broke into an agitated grin, and RyuZU could only say with a troubled look,
“…Is that so? I did assume that this attire is not suited for a follower.”
“That’s not true at all. You’re the best, Miss RyuZU!”
“But if I am to walk alongside you in this attire, Master Naoto, instead of a follower…no, it is nothing. Anyway, I will like you to explain this to me.”
“Explain what? That I’m making you wear this?”
“If I am to ask you to explain other matters, Master Naoto, my thinking ability will be similar to yours.”
“Because I’m happy. It’s like a date.”
Due to Naoto’s serious answer, RyuZU gave a bitter grimace.
“……Master Naoto, do you normally think of bringing a clock around as ‘a date with a clock’? This is truly a refreshing and very profound expression.”
“Hm? You’re the strange one for saying this, RyuZU. You’re not a clock either.”
“Then, what am I?”
RyuZU tilted her head slightly, and let out a brief sigh.
“What am I to you, Master Naoto?”
“A super cute automata girl.”
RyuZU widened her eyes at Naoto’s direct answer.
“…Cute, is it?”
“Yes! I don’t have any fashion sense when it comes to myself, but I do have quite the talent in appraising automata! I can say that you’re the cutest automata in the universe, RyuZU!”
“…How can you say that I am number 1 when there is no comparison–”
“It’s obvious!”
Naoto concluded without hesitation,
“Ah, but I really want to play around with this hair. It’s so beautiful after all.”
And then, he seemed to notice something as he reached his hand out for RyuZU’s hair, looking interested.
“Ah!”
Do to the difference in height, Naoto tripped on the step within the changing room when he reached for her hair.
He hurriedly tried to grab the curtain, only for it to slip out from his hand, and fell towards RyuZU’s chest within the changing room.
RyuZU, who was pushed down and had her chest buried, spoke indifferently,
“…I see. You have already planned matters to such an extent. I do give up major props for that, for I have to admit that your meticulous plans for sexual harassment is beyond my expectations.”
“What!? That wasn’t what I had in mind!”
RyuZU continued to give an icy stare at Naoto, who lifted his head in a panic.
“So the creatures known as humans are only able to break through their limits when looking for uncouth things like eros?”
“No, that…ah–uu–I can’t deny that though…”
“–Then, what do you intend to do next?”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
“Deliberately pulling the curtain down, pushing me into a locked room, and watching my chest parts with such enjoyment to a point of panting. Are you going to simply pass this off as a ‘coincidence’?”
“Well, do you mean I can’t do that?”
“Yes you cannot.”
RyuZU sighed.
“…Well, never mind. Since you wasted all of your negligible intelligence to seize the initiative upon me, I as the follower will have to express my respect at that–do say it, what is your wish?”
“Eh? I can make a request?”
At that moment, that ability to go beyond humanity’s limits, which RyuZU had just mentioned, was running at full throttle within him, endless troubles lingering in his mind.
There was only one best choice amongst all the wishes.
–To be honest, men are really helpless.
“Th-Then…how about you allow me to strip you?”
Naoto’s fingers were twitching as he approached RyuZU.
●
She was troubled.
She was working in a clothing shop targeted at young girls.
Though her friends have said she was like a college girl, she was not here as a part-timer. She was actually the shop owner, and all the products displayed within this shop were chosen by her after much deliberation, each product being something she was proud of.
The products in the shop were basically artistic, of the sweet loli, white loli, goth loli, covered with laces and frills, a stark contrast from those cheap cosplay knockoffs.
They were all products she scouted and picked personally to her liking.
The loli-styled of clothing was originally a fanatical imagination of expressing one’s cuteness and innocence to a point of head over heels–and when talking about this, she would show no restraint as she poured all her love and the best possible goods into this shop.
Just before this, a couple entered this shop she was so proud of. One of them was a super beautiful girl even a model would feel inferior to, and the other was a boy who was considered cute after some dolling up.
On the boy’s behest, she took the clothing that was to be tried on, and once the beautiful girl showed such flawless get-up, even she was amazed, letting out an unprofessional sigh. She was wondering, ah, yes, I’m looking for clothes for this girl, right–
…However.
The duo was acting strangely, and the instance she was wondering why there was a ruckus at the changing room, she saw the boy enter the room the girl was in, and they never came out after that.
She was overly concerned, and tried to approach, only to hear erratic breathing!
“–I cannot remove any more.”
“No, you still can. Alright, I’m going to remove the last one.”
“Ah–”
“Wow…it’s like this…I guess it’s completely different from the dark places, and I only saw a bit…it’s amazing…”
“Master…Naoto. Please do not open–”
“Ah, you’re sensitive here. Then, over there…”
“Please…do not touch there.”
She was gobsmacked, confused, bewildered.
–What am I supposed to do in such a situation!?
Over the past three years, she became increasingly adept at running this business, but this was the first time she ended up in such a situation.
All the customers she had till now were girls in their teens, and even though there were some who brought their boyfriends along, none of them were so bold as to do that in the changing room.
She placed her hands on her sizzling face, fidgeting about as she mulled over this, recalling the boyfriend she broke up with in college due to an argument. She pursued her dreams and worked hard, never displeased about her current lifestyle. However, she did feel lonely over this bachelorette lifestyle–.
“Ahn–!”
“Alright…it gone in. Wow…amazing, it’s so complicated within.”
–She was seething.
What the heck! This is my shop, one meant for cute Alices to wear frilly dresses and show radiant smiles! What lewd things are you doing in my shop!? Die!
She pulled the curtain to the changing room.
“WHAT ARE YOU TWO–!! Wh-wh-wha?”
Her yell got softer, and finally vanished.
The situation inside the changing room was more chaotic than she assumed.
The half-naked girl had her clothes removed–that was one thing, but what was with those gears exposed from her opened back? And as for the boy, he had a thin and long screwdriver inserted, inspecting the inside with a monocle-type magnifier.
“Ah…n!”
Whenever the boy twisted the screwdriver carefully, the beautiful girl–an automata, would let out an alluring moan and fidget about.
The shopkeeper watched on, dumbfounded, and the boy finally realized her presence as he scratched his head shyly, saying,
“Erm…sorry about that, just a simple maintenance. Ah, I’m buying this clothing. How much is it?”
“Just scram, you perverted boy.”
●
…How many times has it been?
Marie sighed hard in this temporary meeting room that was originally a storeroom.
All the personnel were mobilized to the 24th level, working overnight, but the problem was yet to be solved.
At this point, they were going through the 5th report and strategy meeting with regards to the repairs.
With Marie leading the group, the leaders of the observation, analysis, mechanic, communication, and information team were gathered along with the freight personnel,all of them unable to hide the fatigue from their faces.
Observation team leader Hannes quickly spoke up.
“–The problem is that we can’t determine the cause of this malfunction. We can be certain that the air pressure control installation is functioning abnormally, but the observed values themselves aren’t showing any anomaly. We can’t assume that the cause is because of the system depreciation or malfunction.”
–The butterfly effect.
A small, negligible change that was not worth mentioning would trigger a massive change.
The “Clockwork Planet” had completely replicated the construct of a planet.
This construct was complicated, an enigma, the full appearance of it impossible to be grasped.
Even if there was a mere system malfunction, it was a rarity that changing the system itself would solve the problem. The root of this problem might be a section completely unrelated to the problematic system itself.
Perhaps it was a mere loose screw or a tilted cog.
When such errors pile up one after another, it would sometimes result in a fatal accident.
This was what the observation team leader Hannes was describing.
“Kyoto’s city construct system is such that every single level is independent. Of course, this means that there is an anomaly in the 24th level, and the entire observation team can conclude this. However…”
The analysis team leader Massimo then continued.
“According to the results calculated from the observations, there are 563,499,352 possible causes here. It will require us at least a month…no, 2 weeks minimum to confirm the source of the problem…”
Currently, the ‘blueprint’ of the planet was lost, and trying to find the cause of this anomaly was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.
They had to come up with a full map with no overlapping patterns–check what seemed to be the source of the anomaly, and then test if it had anything to do with it.
It would be fine if there was only one cause. If there were 3 or 4, there would be an infinite number of possibilities.
If one were to think about it, the projected timeframe of 2 weeks team leader Massimo mentioned showed an astounding rate. However, Marie shook her head in anguish.
“We don’t have that much time.”
“But Professor Marie, we don’t have time no matter how we think about this.”
The communications team leader said with a pale face.
“If we can use the current analysis materials as negotiation tools and force the delay of the purge through some political means–”
“That’s worth a shot, but it’s likely impossible. What’s the current situation with the work?”
Marie asked, and the mechanic team leader Conrad answered,
“We’re thinking of limiting the number of possibilities to 35,034 types to hasten the work. Currently, we’re contacting the mechanic and communications team to work together on them.”
“What’s the selection basis?”
“Just by gut instinct.”
Other than the analysis team leader, everyone else rolled their eyes at the mechanic team leader.
However, he merely shrugged and said,
“To put it nicely, we’re eliminating possibilities of the same type and picking out similar records of such incidents up till now. Though we can go by the easy way of testing through the probability of the possibility, we can only rely on our gut feelings in the end.”
Marie asked,
“Is there any hope?”
“Not at all.”
“…”
“But if we don’t do that, we won’t be able to finish all the confirmation works. Looking at the current situation, the issue is whether we can finish verify all 35,000 methods.
“Aren’t there any other ways to go about doing this?”
“Considering our equipment and technology, that’s the limit we can go.”
The mechanic team leader nodded, and the staff in charge of transportation stood up in cold sweat.
“Professor Marie, if we can’t avoid the purge, I think we need to consider a mean to escape.”
Observation team leader Hannes stood up, his expression changed.
“Are you saying that we should just let the purge happen!? This has no difference from what the ‘military’ is doing!”
“I’m also prepared to help with the repair work until the end! But in the face of this current problem, we need to think of the next best plan if there is no hope of succeeding.”
Marie frowned, and asked,
“Do you mean we should send an evacuation notice to the people?”
“Yes. It’s still possible if we start now! Shouldn’t we reveal the information openly to ensure the citizens’ safety?”
“We don’t have such authority, and more importantly, how are we alone going to ensure the evacuation of 20 million people?”
Marie’s calm analysis caused the transport staff to grit his teeth.
–The city you are in will be purged.
Once such information was to be revealed, the chaos that unfolds would be unimaginable.
Nobody could ensure the successful evacuation just by themselves. The forms of transportation that would facilitate their escape would be immobilized in that instant, and there would be citizens unable to move freely.
First, where should they evacuate to? And then?
However, he did not back now as he insisted.
“Of course, there will be danger and chaos, but we should instead consider how to reduce the final number of casualties rather than use materials to try and repair without any hope.
“Perhaps the ‘military’ might even start the purge earlier to hide the truth?”
Mechanic team leader Conrad murmured, ostensibly to himself.
At that instant, the meeting room descended into terrifying silence. Starting from Marie, all the team leaders could not speak up, and the transport staff was trembling, his voice shaking as he panted,
“…That’s impossible.”
“What sort of reason do they need to hesitate? Those guys have already given up on it. It’s just a matter of when they want to do it.”
“This is a city with 20 million people in it!”
“So? Isn’t that the case?”
The mechanic team leader snorted as he continued.
“Do you understand? For us, the worst possible situation is that the city collapses, that 20 million lives will be sacrificed. It’s different for them; those guys are most worried of the revelation to the public regarding the fact that the ‘military’ purged the city.”
“How’s that–”
“You’re still too young. Right now, the ‘military’ isn’t obstructing us because this is convenient for them.”
“What do you mean, chief mechanic?”
Marie asked, and the mechanic team leader stroked his white beard, sighing hard.
Mechanic team leader Conrad was the oldest Meister amongst all in the room, a highly experienced technician who was going from his prime to his advanced age. He was commonly active on the frontlines from the moment he became a Meister at a young age, and his experience and expertise was widely acknowledged. He originally had the talent to take over Marie as the leader of the entire team, but he did not do so, for he preferred the role of mentoring the younger generation through words and tips.
He gave a reproving look to every young person present, and calmly stated,
“Do you understand? First, what we have to accept is that we can’t possibly repair this city within 10 hours. This is what those guys think, at least, and objectively, it is the fact.”
“But chief mechanic!”
“Alright, calm down, Hannes. I don’t intend to give up at all, but that doesn’t apply for the ‘military’. Those guys have already decided on purging this city, and are ready to go through with it. The problem here is after that; once this city is purged, what will those guys do?”
“What does that mean…?”
“They’ll be highly criticized, right? And they’ll be derided to a point of worthlessness. The dead can’t talk, but since we’re talking about a collapse of the entire city with all its citizens inside, it’s really hard to hide this fact. The heads of the higher-ups might even fly, but considering the level of losses, that’s rather tame–what about us?”
The mechanic team leader looked around at everyone.
In the midst of this silence, Marie spoke up.
“Anyway, it’s a script like ‘we asked the Guild for help, but they were unable to save the lives of the people despite the desperate repairs’, right?”
The mechanic team leader smiled, and said,
“Professor Marie, you really are such a sweet girl.”
“Fuehh?”
Marie exclaimed, completely forgetting to maintain her persona.
With a tender smile on his face, Conrad stared at Marie, and shook his head,
“Unfortunately, this world is filthy to the point of a lost cause. Do you understand? Those guys will likely come up with this script–”
He sighed, and said,
“–They will say, “while we’re carrying out our desperate repairs, the ‘Guild’ forcefully interfered with our work, resulting in a failure, and we were unable to evacuate in time due to the sudden collapse of the city. This is truly most regrettable”.”
——-
At that moment, a loud thud could be heard as the door to the meeting room was opened.
A bald man in black suit walked in–it was Halter.
Basked in the midst of anguished stares, he raised a hand awkwardly as he entered.
“Pardon me–we just received contact from the ‘Guild’ HQ.”
“What did they say?”
Halter did not answer as he approached Marie, and handed a document.
Marie received this report, and quickly browsed through it.
What was written on it–
“–!!”
Marie showed a demonic expression as she crushed the papers.
●
“What’s going on?”
Marie roared as she slammed her hands onto the table.
But despite her being in such a furor, the target of this outrage continued to pour the red tea nonchalantly.
The man called himself Limonz.
His black hair was combed neatly, and he was dressed in a black striped suit, an amicable looking bespectacled man. He was the point of contact sent from the ‘Guild’ headquarters, and he was the one who instructed Marie to head from the core pillar to this central hotel.
…When we can’t afford to lose every single second too! Marie was getting more impatient.
“So I said, it is an order to retreat.”
Limonz said with an honest look.
“As you can see from your own report, the client, the ‘military’, orchestrated this ploy to escape responsibility–and also, there is no hope in finishing the repairs in this current situation.”
“However!”
“Thus, it is not a priority to remain at this place. This is what HQ has decided.”
“…Are you saying that we abandon this city?”
LImonz smiled as he shrugged his shoulders and said to Marie, whose shoulders were quivering,
“Please do relax, Professor Breguet. HQ has already controlled the situation.”
“…That means they’re going to handle it through political means?”
“Yes, of course. This failure will not cause any ruination to your career”
“–What are you saying?”
There was disgust in Marie’s words,
“Who’s talking about my career! This city’s in a critical situation of not knowing if it’s going to be purged.”
“It will be purged.”
Limonz calmly stated.
He slowly got up, turning his back on a speechless Marie, approached the window as he oversaw the streets below through the speckless window, continuing,
“It is an established fact that Kyoto will be abandoned.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
Marie was ensnared in fear as she asked, but Limonz did not answer. He looked down upon the street, pointed his index finger, and nudged his glasses.
“Right now, the ‘military’ will not get involved, Professor Breguet. Since we have known of it, the fact will remain that they tried to slaughter citizens if we stop the repairs now.”
“It’s the same as actually doing the killing, right?”
“Any explanation would do as long as matters are settled. The ‘Guild’ HQ has already recognized this.”
Marie inadvertently gasped.
“–What do you mean?”
“If we reveal such a truth, the ‘military’ would lose trust, and the people will be shaken. This isn’t an ideal development for us to, and we have to be the temporary scapegoats for the time being to prevent the situation from developing to such a point–this is what HQ has decided.”
“What nonsense are you saying!?”
Marie lashed out, but Limonz did not respond, like he never heard her.
He never even looked back.
“Will you calm down and think about it, Professor Breguet? After we reveal the intentions of the ‘military’, what will be left thereafter? We do have a world population of 4.5 billion, more than 20 thousand core pillars and city circles, and including the core clock towers, that makes it more than 6 million regions, you know? If the ‘military’ is to be dissolved, who will take over the maintenance work they’re supposed to do?”
“That’s just an irrational argument! It’s because we can’t allow such a thing to happen that we have to stop their ploy.”
“You’re asking the ‘military’ to come clean? That’s impossible.”
Limonz looked over his shoulder as he said.
“This incidence is called by the incompetence of the ‘military’, and they chose to give up to hide this situation they’re unable to deal with. Can’t they just request the ‘Guild’? But we don’t have the ability to handle such a situation at all. We definitely don’t have the manpower, let alone the abilities.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“It is a mutual codependence.”
Limonz showed a sneered.
“Both the ‘military’ and the ‘Guild’ has to exist. We do have to apologize for taking in the outstanding personnel, so it is alright for us to be the scapegoats once in a while, no?”
“…You’re willing to slaughter 20 million people just for that?”
“This truly is a sacrifice worth mourning over.”
Limonz nodded, but his expression showed no signs of mourning.
“–I understand what you mean now!”
Marie threw the documents–the ones with the orders to retreat onto the table, and turned to leave.
“Oh? Professor Breguet, where do you intend to go to?”
“Back to the scene to work. We’re definitely not going to give up no matter what HQ says.”
“This certainly is troubling. You are quite the reckless person.”
“I knew that–let’s go.”
Marie commanded Halter, who was standing in a corner of the room like a statue, and went for the door. The instant she placed her hand on the door and wanted to walk out however, Limonz spoke up.
He spoke in an exceptionally clear voice,
“–In that case, I shall strip you of your authority.”
And Marie suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She looked back.
Limonz was standing at the front of where Marie was glaring at, holding a set of documents bundled in blue string. He undid the string and unveiled the documents, his rimless glasses reflecting white light against the sunlight behind.
“Marie Bell Breguet was assigned as the 1st division, 2nd team leader of the ‘Meister Guild’ during the 992nd Annual General Meeting on the day October 4th, Ring Year 1013. However, there is clear evidence that she defied direct orders from HQ, and the immediate decision is that she shall be stripped of her rank and her current authority.”
Limonz finished reading it, and handed the document over.
“It has already been formalized. Do you wish to confirm it?”
Marie walked towards Limonz wordlessly, and snatched the documents from his hands, glaring at the words with bloodshot eyes. Halter then stood forward from beside her, saying,
“Please pardon me, Mr Limonz. I do apologize for interrupting, but please allow me to ask–why do you so happen to have such documents prepared?”
“Just in case. The fact remains that it did come in handy for such an occasion, no?”
Limonz showed a disgustingly, nauseating smile as he continued,
“I tried my best not to, but I can’t ignore the fact that you tried to use a 100 of our precious technicians based on your own opinion.”
Marie solemnly folded the document, placed it in her pocket, and lifted her head gradually, staring at Limonz with a gloomy look.
Limonz faced this stare, and spread his arms wide, chuckling,
“Oh, don’t think of getting rid of me here and pretend that nothing has happened.”
“…”
“I handed the same documents to the ‘military’ in this city. As of now, you have been stripped of your rank and your authority. You are no longer enjoying the privilege of a Meister, just a mere ordinary person. You are not allowed to enter the core tower without the ‘military’ permit.”
The sound of teeth being gritted could be heard.
Marie glared at Limonz, looking as if she could have strangled him several times in her own ecstasy if she was allowed to do so–suddenly, this expression faltered due to surprise.
She turned her head aside, moving her stare upwards, and widened her eyes.
I remember now. Marie calmly said to this sinister smiling man,
“…You do call yourself Limonz, right?”
“Yes. What about it?”
“I recall now. We met before during the meeting of the 5 Enterprises. You’re from the Vachron family, right?”
The smile disappeared from Limonz’s face, and was instantly replaced by a sneer.
“–I do feel honored to be remembered by you, Miss Breguet. We were in the same academic year too; I wonder if you remember.”
“No, not at all.”
“…I guess that is to be expected. It is a pity, for I do not have such a talent after all. This is why I am part of the administrative department in HQ.”
Vachron.
It was one of the 5 Enterprises alongside the Breguet company Marie belonged to–one of the sponsors of the ‘Meister Guild’.
No matter how the ‘Guild’ proclaimed to be a non-profit organization, they could not ignore the wills of the sponsors, for it was an organization driven by manpower, materials and money.
In fact, the ‘Guild’ operations was related to the wills of the 5 Enterprises–the Breguets, Vachrons and so on.
Marie already knew that, and even made use of that.
But–
“Is this the plan of the Vachrons?”
Marie glared at Limonz as she hissed.
Though it was said that her career would not be affected, that was impossible.
If they were to carry out the ‘purge’, the ‘military’ would push responsibility upon the ‘Guild’, that the ‘Guild’ came to sling mud upon them. In fact, they would push the responsibility onto Marie–and even the Breguet family.
The other 4 major families would not fail to capitalize on this chance to weaken the Breguets.
–Anyway, this was a co-conspiracy between the ‘military’ and the ‘Guild’.
A plot by the Vachrons to weaken the Breguets’ influence.
But Limonz merely shrugged at Marie’s interrogation, showing a slimy, filthy smile,
“–What are you saying? I do not understand at all?”
This expression surpassed all attempts at quibbling, quietly affirming Marie’s hypothesis.
“Y-you, guys…!”
Her face was gloomy due to fury, rage burning within her.
Marie could not understand.
If they did that, the ‘Guild’ would end up suffering huge losses.
The trust and pride their forefathers had built since a thousand years ago shall be irrevocably sullied–for such a stupid reason.
She recalled what Halter had said before,
“Can those incompetent ones do anything?”
At this point, she could understand the comforting smiles and fears of the incompetent–could she understand? No, how could she understand? How could she do it?
A precious item. An important inheritance they should protect. Will, pride, ideals, their lives, and the purity of a soul!
Yet they had forsaken such things so easily–because of despicable reasons envy, jealousy, even the small things that could not be described by such words, like short-sightedness, small-time mentality, ugliness, filthiness.
Marie could not understand.
“–Marie!”
Marie suddenly recovered due to this growl.
Halter stiffly said.
Marie wanted to roar back instinctively, but remained silent.
She clenched her trembling fists, adjusted her breathing, and nodded,
“…Yeah, let’s go.”
Both Marie and Halter left the room in silence.
Limonz watched them leave with a thin smile until the very end, and it really required an unimaginable amount of self-restraint to stop the impulse to destroy him.
Both of them walked down the wide corridor silently, and finally arrived in front of the elevator.
Both of them waited silently for the elevator to arrive after pressing the button. It was merely 2 minutes long, but to Marie, it felt as long as 1, 2 hours.
The elevator arrived soon after. Both of them entered it, and the 1st level button was pressed.
That was the limit.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH–!!”
Marie roared out, slamming the wall of the elevator with all her might.
The elevator shook so greatly it came to an abrupt stop.
“Calm down, Marie.”
“SHUT UP!”
Marie flailed her arms about as she made a ruckus, her fists slamming at Halter’s hands while the latter tried to stop her. However, Halter remained unmoved, and this attitude caused her much more vexation, her fury exploding.
She yelled, growled, and slammed her fists, her light blond hair falling, her breathing erratic as she continued to kick and stamp at Halter’s stump-like legs.
Halter did not resist as he merely endured the girl’s rage silently.
Of course, this level of pain was nothing to him, who had been converted into a cyborg.
Marie grabbed Halter’s suit, buried her head into his sturdy abdomen, and a tremendous impact echoed reverberated through his body.
“–You understand!?”
Marie buried her head in as she yelled.
The hoarse voice was trembling.
“Hey, you understand? Why did they frame me!? For such a stupid reason too! This city! The 20 million people here! They’re going to be implicated and become sacrifices here!?”
“That’s not it.”
Halter concluded with a heavy tone,
“You’re mistaken, Marie. Don’t get too conceited. The ‘military’ will continue to carry out ‘purges’ no matter whether you’re here or not. Those bastards at the ‘Guild’ simply used this to frame you.”
“What makes you think that way!”
Marie flared up again as she lashed out.
She buried her head in him, slamming her little fists at his chest.
“If I wasn’t around, maybe the ‘Guild’ could have exerted pressure on the ‘military’! Maybe they would have send reinforcements! Maybe the purge would have been avoided!”
“Even so, it’s not your fault.”
“Shut up!!!”
Marie yelled again as she hammered Halter.
Halter remained unmoved as he silently took the growls and hits. It was easy for him to restrain an unarmed girl, and he had the ability to hug and comfort the little girl, but he chose not to.
–For he knew Marie Bell Breguet did not need any of those.
Soon after, Marie’s fury ceased as she buried herself in Halter’s abdomen, not moving at all. Soon after, her shoulders trembled slightly.
“…huhu…huhuhuhu…hahahahaha!!”
Marie’s expression suddenly changed as she started laughing, her eyes slightly swollen red. Halter tried his best to ignore the marks on his suit as he sighed, saying,
“…Have you calmed down?”
“What do you mean by that? What are you saying, Halter? I’m always calm. My head’s probably as clear as ever.”
“I really can’t tell.”
“Ahh, ahh! Sorry Halter! Are you angry that I hit you a little? I’m really sorry about that, but I’m now feeling all refreshed now!”
“That’s good.”
Halter grumbled as he tidied his unkempt clothes weakly.
He again pressed the button on the panel, restarting the elevator that had come to an emergency stop.
Marie glanced up at Halter, and murmured before laughing,
“It’s fine. Bring it on, you useless politicians…! Try pulling each other down as much as you want. It’s pitiful that such tragic creatures can only do this until they end up hurting each other!”
“…It’s hopeless.”
Marie ignored a sighing Halter, and frowned,
“–Think about it, Marie. There’s definitely some way to break this deadlock.”
Marie nudged her chin, bit her lips as she pondered.
The ‘military’ would not stop, and the ‘Guild’ could not be relied on, so they could not hope to settle this through political means. They could not start to evacuate the people at this point. The only option left for them was to finish the repairs before the city was to be purged.
In this case, what would the problem be?
The problem was that they had no time. Okay, this was something they could not solve.
Now then, think. Is there a way to finish the repairs in the next 8 hours?
The answer’s negative. There’s no way to do it no matter how I think about it realistically. How about I change the method? Can we finish the repairs within 8 hours if we can detect the anomaly? Of course we can. But to execute it–the way to affirm this anomaly–
“Think about it carefully, Marie. There has to be! There has to be a way!”
…Of course, Marie could not think of it no matter how she tried.
Even if she gathered all the outstanding talents and equipment in the world, she was no wizard.
She had to admit that it was impossible–however, but, irregardless,
“How can I allow this ‘impossible’ to happen because of those incompetents’ interferences?
The elevator reached the first level, and the doors slowly slid aside.
Let’s think about it in the car next. Marie thought as she lifted her head. At that moment,
A very familiar face suddenly appeared in front of her.
“–!”
“Hey RyuZU, is it alright to live in such a place?”
“Master Naoto. Please forgive my frankness for saying that your flea-like thriftiness may be a virtue, but as my Master, would you please have some form of honor and dignity befitting that?”
It was a small boy wearing a set of headphones and a beautiful silver-haired girl.
Marie had never met the boy before; her issue was with the girl.
She was very familiar with the girl’s face, having seen it several times since her youth.
Or to be precise, her slumbering face lying in the treasury of her house.
After becoming a Meister, Marie even brought that girl along to her workplaces, thinking of taking up the challenge to repair the girl if she had the time, and starting her up–
“Ah, ah, ah…”
“Hm?”
“What is the matter, Master Naoto?”
The girl turned her surprised face to them in shock.
This unworldly beauty—the automata was clearly operating.
–YD-01, Initial-Y series, model 1, RyuZU.
Marie was flabbergasted as she tilted her head in surprise, harboring a small hope to break the current deadlock.
●
The first level lobby of the Central Hotel slightly resembled a shopping mall.
There were large shops near the entrance, posh restaurants on the right side, and shops selling branded goods and boutiques on the left.
They went to one of the cafe lounges within viewing distance of the hotel’s courtyard, and Marie spoke up,
“Can you lend me a hand, RyuZU?”
Her hands were on the table as she suddenly leaned towards RyuZU on the other side. The latter’s golden eyes were enigmatic as she showed an aloof look.
Naoto, seated beside her, raised her hand, saying,
“Erm—excuse me? Who are you anyway?”
“You don’t recognize me?”
Marie sounded skeptical, and Naoto shrugged.
“Not at all. I don’t watch TV. Are you an artiste or something?”
Halter, seated beside Marie, tapped his bald head, and chuckled,
“Artiste? That’s good to hear.”
“Halter, now’s not the time for jokes, right?”
“No no, there’s nothing wrong with that in fact, right? Aren’t you the cover model for a few issues of ‘Automata Fan’ and ‘Technical Weekly’?”
“That’s because Sister abandoned the planning, and I was forced to salvage the situation.”
“’Automata Fan’? I should have seen it before.”
Naoto murmured as he pondered.
That magazine was his favorite read, and he bought every issue of it starting from a tender age. He however could not remember seeing this blond girl’s face in front of him.
Naoto then shrugged.
“I can’t possibly remember all the cover models anyway—who are you anyway”
“That’s what I want to ask you.”
Marie glared at Naoto unhappily, saying,
“I’m Marie Bell Breguet, a Meister of the “Meister Guild’. This YD-01 RyuZU is a private belonging of our family.”
“Private belonging…?”
Naoto tilted his head perplexed, “Ah!” and then, he shouted and stood up.
“It’s you guys!? You idiots dropped the container on someone’s house from high above!”
“Co-Container!?”
Naoto’s expression changed completely as he brought himself to a visibly daunted, stammering Marie.
“Thanks to you, I lose the house and all the tools my dead parents left me, I’m penniless, without a home at the age of 16, met RyuZU and made a contract with her. How are you going to repay me!? Thank you very much too!”
The short boy shouted all these and made a bow. Marie stared at him in disgust, and said to Halter,
“Halter, what is this idiot saying now? Was he actually thanking us?”
“Who knows? Aren’t they both acting weird…?”
“An-y-way! In place of my lost house, fortune and all sorts of condolence payments, RyuZU’s mine! It’s decided! I just decided it, so you can just go back now, you slab of protein!”
“What kind of sleep talk is that, you moron?”
Marie lashed back, and inadvertently panted.
She pressed her temple, resisted the throbbing pain, adjusted her breathing, and tried to coax Naoto with a calm voice.
“…Listen, I empathize with your plight. The airport’s mistake caused the container to fall, and I do apologize in place of them for that. However, RyuZU’s an irreplaceable asset of my family, and I ask you to return it to me. With my name, I can give you a suitable amount of compensation–”
“No, I refuse. RyuZU’s mine.”
Naoto childishly rebuffed Marie.
All sorts of emotions then disappeared from Marie’s face as she turned to Halter,
“Kill him and bury him. Everything will be settled.”
But Halter lowered his voice as he shook his hand,
“…Stop it, Milady.”
“What? It’s an emergency. I don’t have time to deal with this moron–”
“I TOLD YOU TO STOP, MARIE!”
Marie was shocked upon hearing Halter’s sudden outburst, and remained silent.
The next moment, she realized.
“Wha…!?”
Unwittingly,
Two ‘black scythes’ were pointed at Marie’s neck from under the table.
RyuZU readied them from under her skirt seemingly without any action, and her still enigmatic eyes reflected Marie’s stiff expression.
–Marie had once dissected her body before, and she knew they were the only weapons RyuZU carried—the specifications were so powerful it could easily slice through military alloy armors, let alone any person.
Cold sweat was trickling down Marie.
The angelic girl seemed to have come across a cannibalistic tiger in the forest, and she knew that though these ethereal-like blades looked like it was attached gently, they were as sharp as a beast’s fangs, clamping her neck.
She had a doubt–why am I still alive?
“…ah, ah.”
She was panting, her body unable to move. Despite this, she tried to move her eyeballs to Halter, and found him wielding a gun with a tense look.
The gun however was not pointed at the automata.
The gun–was pointed at the dumbstruck-looking boy.
RyuZU wanted to kill Marie, and Halter wanted to kill Naoto. Both killing intents crossed paths, and a bead of sweat trickled down Halter as he amicably said,
“Alright, have you calmed down now, Milady?”
“–Who exactly are you pointing that gun at?”
Despite the golden eyes glaring upon him, Halter maintained his smile,
“My companion merely had a slip of the tongue, and I do apologize for that. This is a moment of hysteria for her due to some deplorable situation she went through, so she is a little angsty. She doesn’t mean it, so please let her go.”
“If you do not have enough comprehensive ability, I shall repeat this again. Humans are already far inferior to fleas, but since an odds and end like you inferior to them have the guts to point such a toy to Master Naoto, you would not mind if I dice you two to bits together, would you?”
RyuZU hissed, her voice so cold even the devil would have sobbed in fear.
Her emotionless face carried a clear killing intent,
“Understood. I’ll lower my gun here. I wasn’t serious anyway. See? The safety’s still on here.”
Halter slowly turned the gun around to reveal the safety, and lowered his gun.
“So please, don’t chop off this Milady’s head here.”
It seemed RyuZU accepted these words, for she silently folded the black scythes back beneath the skirt that instant. She remained still at that instant.
“–Ha…haa…”
Having been realized from the cold mechanical killing intent, Marie continued to touch her neck and stumbled back onto her seat. It seemed she had difficulty believing that she was still alive, her eyelids were quivering, her emerald eyes unable to focus.
“Wh-What…?”
“You alright, Milady?”
Halter grabbed Marie’s shoulder and said this to comfort her,
“I’m also feeling anxious here, but these two have nothing to do with our own matters, so watch what you say next time, or else you’re going to say goodbye to your own head.”
Because of these words, Marie widened her eyes and lashed out,
“Halter! I almost got killed back then!?”
“Yeah. Good that you understood it so quickly.”
“Why’s it that non-military automatas can kill!?”
“This one doesn’t have ethical restrictions.”
Halter nonchalantly said some ridiculous-sounding words, and looked over at the formal looking automata,
“This Missy here never looked away from you from the moment you showed your killing intent at this young boss. That’s why I have been wary of her all this while, however–even I couldn’t react to those actions just now…you understand what I mean?”
“…That’s…”
In other words, even Halter, who was enhanced with the latest cybernetics, could not read this automata’s action to fight despite his reflexes.
He had been wary all the while, but he was already worn out taking the hostage ‘thereafter’.
“–To be honest, I wouldn’t be able to do that if she really wanted to kill you.”
In other words, that just now was a warning. If she really wanted to kill, this threat would not be one; Marie and Halter would be diced to bits without knowing.
And also, there was no way they could defend against that.
Halter waited for Marie to understand this, and continued,
“…You understand? Anyway, calm down first. Forget about this Missy being a private asset of the the Breguets for the time being, and endure this no matter what. This is the rule now.”
RyuZU showed a sincere smile, and said,
“Please allow me to take back the description of you being just odds and ends. Your understanding seems decent for a human.”
“Thanks for understanding this.”
Halter raised his hands, and said,
“I do apologize for our acrimony, but beyond that, I will like you to hear us out. This important problem doesn’t just involve me, but also the lives of 20 million people in this city.”
And then, Halter started to explain the events that transpired.
The gravity anomaly of Kyoto, the overly urgent deployment, the conspiracy and motives behind this, the ‘military’ intentions to abandon everything and cover up the truth, the internal factions of the ‘Guild’ using this opportunity to seize power, and the despairingly little time they had–
Naoto heard all of Halter’s explanation, and cupped his head in shock.
He finally managed to recover, and gasped,
“Wa-wa-wa-wai-wait! The ‘military’s going to abandon this city? Leave the people behind and watch them die–are you serious?”
“We can’t joke about such a thing.”
Marie gave up on trying to be courteous as she continued in a wearisome manner.
“How…there’s nothing you can do?”
“To be honest, we can’t do anything.”
Marie lowered her eyes as she clenched her fists, crestfallen.
“Anyway, we don’t have time. I’m stripped of my authority, and I can’t get back to the core tower. We need to break through the ‘military’s interference, and even if we do get there, there’s no hope of repairing it.”
“How’s…”
“The fatal reason is that we can’t specifically pinpoint the cause, and my observation team estimates that it’ll take us two weeks to complete. Of course, it goes without saying that we won’t be able to make it, but…”
At this point, Marie turned to RyuZU, who remained unflinching despite hearing the despairing words, and asked softly,
“You can more or less handle this if it is you, right?”
RyuZU remained silent.
“Hey, wait. Hearing you say that, it means you’re an organization comprised of Meisters right? If you guys need two weeks to do this with all your manpower, how’s RyuZU going to do that?”
Marie did not answer these words as she turned to RyuZU’s golden eyes, saying,
“I heard about your legend. The Initial-Y series. You are one of the best automatas left behind by the legendary clock technician ‘Y’, who created this ‘Clockwork Planet’. Though there are no signs of damage on you, this mysterious girl automata that remains unmoved…”
RyuZU stared back at Marie in silence. Because of this look, the latter recalled the feeling of nearly being killed, and inadvertently froze up as she continued in a murmuring manner,
“300 years ago, your functions suddenly ceased. Thousands of technicians, including me, tried to repair you, only to come up short against this jewel of ‘Y’–the first model of the initial-Y series. It is said that the one who can gather the entire series can rule the world and receive ‘Y’s inheritance…that is all just an urban rumor however. The Breguet’s that kept you have some fragments of information regarding you.”
RyuZU did not respond, and Marie licked her dry lips before continuing,
“Those in the Initial-Y series are all tasked with unique functions. It is said the first unit, you, have a function called ‘Acceleration’–an automata that specializes in moving at high speeds.”
Naoto, who had been listen by the side, widened his eyes.
–I see. That explains all the doubts I have.
She carried Naoto away from danger the moment she was activated, moved at high speeds to instantly strip the flirting men, and moved so quickly that Halter could not react.
That was probably the inherent function Marie talked about.
The current military units could not contain such superb functions, but if the creator was that ‘Y’–it could explained.
Marie said,
“This is how I explain your existences, the Initial-Y series. Aren’t you the maintenance machines for the ‘Clockwork Planet’ left behind by ‘Y’?”
Right? Marie asked in a pleading manner.
The ‘Clockwork Planet’, a complete replica of the planet itself, had an intrinsic structure.
Amongst ordinary people—no, even amongst those who had researched on this aspect over the past thousand years, none of them could come close to ‘Y’ himself. Nobody could understand the technology he left behind. They finally managed to replicate certain parts after copying, but even it, it was not perfect.
–For the sake of those after his death,
To prevent this world from being destroyed again.
He created the heirs that would neither age nor die–
“Right now, you all are the children of ‘Y’, and inherit the skills that were lost. The inheritance is based on such rumors. When this city is about to collapse, your activation–”
Was the best proof. Marie looked at RyuZU expectantly.
Ohh…! Halter widened his eyes, looking impressed.
Naoto too could not hide his own excitement as he stared at RyuZU.
If what Marie said was correct, this silver-haired girl was definitely the angel saving this city from collapse.
However,
In the face of such expectant and admiring looks, this legendary automata merely giggled like a response to a failed gag, showing a doubtful expression as she said,
“–I do not understand what you are saying at all. Please pardon me, but your mind—is extremely dangerous.”
●
There was some awkward silence.
Marie’s smiling face was frozen in place, Halter dug his ear, giving an inexplicable look, and Naoto looked back and forth between RyuZU and Marie, looking confused.
“……Ah–please excuse me, Missy.”
Amongst them, Halter was the first to react as he tilted his head slightly, calmly asking,
“I do wish to confirm this; in other words, what Milady said was all wrong?”
“Yes.”
RyuZU nodded at Halter.
“I really found it difficult to refute your lofty talk with such a confident face–but your guess is completely wrong, so far away it is silly.”
RyuZU calmly continued,
“What you said is true, that I am created by ‘Y’, that I have inherent functions unique only to me, that I am the strongest automata in the world. This is irrefutable.”
Marie lifted her head suddenly, speaking in a prayerful manner,
“Th-then…!”
“However, my main purpose is not to maintain the construct of this world, I do not have the related knowledge or expertise, and I am not granted the command to ‘protect a city’.”
As Marie froze in place again, Halter again continued,
“So, what are you?”
“– ‘Your slave’.”
RyuZU said those words as she lowered her gaze upon the hand on her chest. The unspoken meaning behind that gesture was that this was the most important thing.
“This is the paramount mission embedded within me–to serve my master, Master Naoto with my all. This is the only reason of my existence.”
Halter looked unable to say anything as he remained silent.
RyuZU then turned to Marie, who looked asphyxiated, and quipped,
“Also, I have to emphasize. Please do not compare my inherent function with a low-class function like ‘acceleration’. Even if that is the case, I do not have the function to locate a malfunction, and with regards to the issue you are facing—I have no interest at all, to put it bluntly.”
RyuZU said these words with a nice smile on her face, and a long silence continued.
Marie had her hands on her face as she looked up, while Halter looked completely lethargic. In the face of this scene, which one would title ‘despair’, Naoto could not find anything to say, and could only remain silent alongside them—however,
“…There is someone however…”
RyuZU murmured, and Halter slowly lifted his face.
“A person might be able to answer to your expectations.”
‘! Who!?”
Marie practically jumped up as she bit on RyuZU’s lead.
With both of them watching, RyuZU slowly pointed at the stunned looking boy to her left, calmly stating,
“Master Naoto.”
“–Huh?”
Having become the topic so suddenly, Naoto frantically pointed to himself.
RyuZU nodded at him, and said to Marie.
“As you have heard, I do believe Master Naoto, who managed to repair me, might be able to save this city.”
“Wait a moment–he repaired you!?”
Marie exclaimed in shock.
“What nonsense is that!? You weren’t damaged in any way!”
She was supposed to be a fine, undamaged mysterious automata that could not be activated.
“That only proves that you are more incompetent than Master Naoto.”
“Ah, I got grouped into the useless category again, though it’s fine.”
Marie ignored Naoto, who softly complained this, and growled,
“Y-You’re saying that I’m incompetent…!? You’re saying that the Breguets, who have bred countless hundreds of Meisters, are unable to compete with this guy?”
RyuZU curled her lips in a mocking manner.
Her smile clearly showed fury, unlike the one used when facing Naoto, and she continued,
“–Yes. ‘This guy’ you talk of repaired the anomaly your massive family could not detect despite racking your flea-like brains for the past 200+ years –within 3 mere hours.”
Upon hearing such light talk, Marie’s thoughts ceased at that instance.
She stared at Naoto blankly, and asked,
“…Th-this unimpressive guy?”
RyuZU silently lifted her skirt, and Marie frantically shook her head, screaming,
“I-I got it I got it I take it back! …no, but it’s true that RyuZU is activated now…why is such a technician hidden within the streets…?”
Marie mumbled to herself as she slumped onto the chair.
On the other hand, Naoto, who was suddenly named, was covered in cold sweat as he said to RyuZU,
“No, erm, Miss RyuZU? I’m really really grateful that you’re praising me, but if even a hundred Meisters can’t do this, how can I possibly–”
“You can.”
RyuZU concluded.
“The Master Naoto who repaired me is undoubtedly the greatest technician in current humanity.”
“No, I’m really honored to be said this by you, RyuZU…but.”
–It won’t work.
Impossible. Either way, I’m an amateur who’s not even an apprentice, you know?
Words of denial immediately appeared in Naoto’s mind, but he found it difficult to say this given RyuZU’s serious expression.
He was frustrated, perplexed, but he had to answer something. The moment he was about to speak up however,
“–!!”
The city started to quake intensely due to a shock of an unprecedented scale.
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