Chapter 768: The Tale of the Mechanized God ⑩ (1/2)

In a space that was all white except for a black sphere floating in the air, a girl with a single mechanical wing had her eyes closed. Her name was Makina…… A world creator who went from being a human to a god, and created a world.

After leaving Alicia, Makina traveled to many worlds and trained her own power, and now, she has become a true God, known as the ”Machine God”, possessing power that can be said to be superior among the world creators.

After completing her journey, she started to proceed with her goal, creating a world. With her guidance, her world had passed its infancy, and the system of maintenance and observation centered on three program codes was complete.

Since then, she had been quietly waiting, observing the world through Paradise. After so many years, her love has grown much bigger than before…… Quietly observing the world as it grew out of her hands, she hoped that one day, someone she could call ”her beloved child” would appear who would be worthy of pouring all her love out.

There is no need to make any changes to the world now, and no foolish world creator would challenge her, who is said to have powers beyond omniscience and omnipotence.

For this reason, Makina didn't move, and with her eyes closed, she processed a vast amount of information with parallel thinking…… and after a few moments, she opened her eyes and stared at the empty space.

Thereupon, the space vertically opened up and a voice came from there.

”My apologies for suddenly intruding.”

[……I don't mind. I'm sure you have your own reasons.]

Makina replies in a matter-of-fact tone to the voice of Shallow Vernal, who she recognizes as both a friend and someone she truly fears, coming from the space rift.

Thinking about it, she felt that her relationship with Shallow Vernal had gotten far……

”Let's continue our negotiations again, shall we?”

When Shallow Vernal started with those words, Makina looked blatantly displeased. Negotiating with Shallow Vernal isn't something she found very desirable.

Sheh was willing to negotiate with her because she was a friend with whom she had a good relationship with, but she wasn't very enthusiastic.

[As for me, I can't say that I'm really eager about what you're saying. Rather, I'm sure you know about it already…… but in the first place, I am not pleased with the concept of hero summoning. Don't forget that I reluctantly accepted on the condition that the souls of my children will be returned to me after their death.]

”Yes, of course.”

In fact, the first time Shallow Vernal tried to negotiate with her, she was flatly refused. However, Shallow Vernal didn't back down and made several attempts to negotiate with Makina.

[……And now, you're asking me to temporarily lend you my children's soul. I've known you for quite some time, so I'm willing to negotiate with you like this…… but please don't expect a good answer from me. In the first place, why are you doing this? Is my child who was summoned this time special to you in some way…… Shallow Vernal?]

”Kaito-san is my singularity.”

The words that Shallow Vernal spoke, if only a moment, brought a feeling of interest to Makina's heart.

(……She's really more persistent this time than ever before. It's a little surprising for that Shallow Vernal to say that much, but I guess this is an interesting change. Well, it can't be helped. I honestly don't want this, but if she's asking me this much, I'll give it some thought…… This may be an advantage for me too, for I could make use of this when the time comes I might need to ask something from Shallow Vernal.)

After thinking about it for a while, Makina quietly told Shallow Vernal.

[……You've changed huh.]

”You think so?”

[Yes, I can feel more emotions from you than before. I see…… Singularity huh…… I'm a little more interested in my child, who has brought this change to you. I guess I'll check him out……]

Needless to say, Makina has the power of omniscience, and at this point in her life, she only recognizes Kaito as just ”her child”, not her ”beloved child”.

It was easy for her to find out about Kaito by using her omniscience, and in the first place, ”she didn't need to visit Trinia”.

The extent of her feelings at this time was that she would study Kaito with her omniscience, if she found no problems, she would accept Shallow Vernal's negotiation with some conditions.

So, why did she decide to visit Trinia?

At this moment, that phrase applies again…… ”When the premise changes, the essence also changes”.

After saying this to Shallow Vernal, Makina quickly checked Kaito with her omniscience…… and she was shocked from the bottom of her heart. She didn't show it on her face, but her heart was in turmoil.

That was because, after she became a god…… No, even with everything that happened in the past, she had never been so shaken in her life.

Yes, she checked Kaito with her omniscience. And there……

(Why, how…… What is happening!? When in the world did she…… That smile of hers that looked like it's pasted on her face…… It has turned into a ”sorrowful smile”…… Alicia!?)

Yes, there was no way she could mistake her with anyone else. She found her beloved best friend, who was still very important to her and still strongly remembered.

However, her best friend, Alicia…… whose smile was really dazzling back then, looked somewhat darker now.

From there, Makina's actions were swift. She immediately did what she had never done in the past, as she felt uneasy about Alicia's obviously different behavior…… invoking her omniscience against Alicia.

And for the first time since she became a god…… She felt regret from the bottom of her heart.

(So that's…… how it is. Alicia…… That's why you…… Why didn't I stay with you!? No, regretting comes later.  For now, Alicia…… but what should I do? If I could, I would go to Alicia right now. But that is……)

Seeing Alicia like this, Makina wanted to go to her side right now. However, things weren't going to be that easy.

Yes, she considers Shallow Vernal a friend, but she is also deeply afraid of her…… so there was no way that she couldn't have added the clause ”Neither would come to the other party's world” to the contract she had made with Shallow Vernal.

Of course, even though she said that it was a contract, it doesn't have the power to bind the actions of the omniscient and omnipotent girl, which makes it nothing more than a promise. However, breaking the contract herself would give the other party…… Shallow Vernal, an excuse to break the contract.

She hesitated for a moment, but what immediately popped into her mind…… were the words she had exchanged back then.

———–It's a promise then.

Yes, she had indeed made a promise with her most important, dearest best friend……

(It's a promise…… after all. The me right now doesn't need to be saved anymore and is no longer as weak as before. It's alright, there should be a way. In fact, the situation now is that Shallow Vernal is the one who's trying to negotiate here. If that's the case, it'll be easier for me to add my own conditions. If I were to say this myself, Shallow Vernal would most probably give me a hard time agreeing to it but……)

As a god, Makina had an overwhelming thinking speed, and it only took her less than ten seconds to put her thoughts together, and at the same time, she finished thinking about what she should do from here on.

Then, trying her best to remain calm, she spoke to Shallow Vernal.

[……It seems like…… I have to ascertain things personally.]

”Are you talking about Kaito-san?”

[Yes, do you mind if I bring him back here for the time being? If he's really that worthy, I might agree to that matter.]

The first thing that Makina dared to do was to bring Kaito back to her world. As long as both parties have signed a contract that prevents them from visiting each other's worlds, if Makina wants to personally check out Kaito, it wouldn't be out of place for her to suggest this.

But of course, this suggestion was just a feint, a prelude to her real intentions…… While she feels guilty about using her own child for this purpose, she would still continue to negotiate for her non-negotiable goal.

”……And what if you decide that he's unworthy?”

[Things that aren't needed are to be ”disposed of”…… Isn't that very obvious? The lives in my worlds are to be disposed of as I will.]

Of course, it was a lie. There is no way that Makina, who loves her children with all her heart, would do such a thing. However, that is something Shallow Vernal doesn't know about.

She may be aware that Makina cares for her children, but she can't be absolutely sure that she will never harm her own child.

This is why Shallow Vernal said what Makina wanted her to say.

”……That is unacceptable.”