Chapter 768: The Tale of the Mechanized God ⑩ (2/2)
Yes, she wanted to hear those words. As long as she said that she wouldn't allow Kaito to be brought back to her world, it would be much easier to negotiate with her.
[……Let's go with this then. I will go to your world and check him over there. Though I say that, it isn't my true body that will go there. I will have a body specially made for this.]
”You, come to my world? Isn't that a violation of our previous agreement?”
[Yes, that's right. Thus, in compensation for your agreement of me breaching the contract, I will add a new clause to our contract that states I will never harm your singularity. How about that?]
”……Fumu.”
She was certain that this negotiation would go through. By stating that she would send a clone rather than her true body, that would mean that what is going to her world had considerably lower power…… conveying to her the hidden meaning that when the time comes, Shallow Vernal will have sufficient power to handle the situation.
As for Shallow Vernal, it would be easier for her to deal with Makina's actions in a world that she can monitor, and if she accepts this proposal, she can also get Makina promise that she will not harm her singularity, Kaito.
”……That doesn't sound bad. If I agree to this matter, what about that thing we previously discussed?”
[Yes, assuming that you would agree, I will consider it.]
Moreover, if she were to show a positive attitude towards the negotiations Shallow Vernal wanted in the beginning, there will be many advantages for Shallow Vernal.
Then, of course, Shallow Vernal's answer would be……
”I understand. I'm fine with those terms…… Will you be coming to this world soon?”
[I can prepare the clone immediately, but there is a time for everything. I'll let you know when the time is right.”
For Makina, the important thing wasn't to determine the worth of Kaito, but to save Alicia, and to do that, she needed to determine the best timing.
She had already ascertained this matter with her omniscience. All of the things she should know, including how she should move……
”I understand…… Well then, I'll be waiting…… Earth God.”
[……Earth God. Earth God huh…… Earth isn't the name of the world I govern, but the name of one of my world's planets, but for you to refer to me with that name…… Well, that doesn't sound so bad.]
”If you tell me your name, do you want me to call you that?”
[Unfortunately, as a god, I don't have a name unique only to myself. However, I guess you're right…… I'll think about that matter too before I visit. Well then, I'll contact you later…… Shallow Vernal.]
”Yes, see you later……”
It only occurred to her when Shallow Vernal mentioned it, but she doesn't have a name as a God. Makina is just the name she had when she was a human, but the person she wanted to call her with that name…… was her one and only best friend.
The other world creators call her ”Machine God”, but that's not really her name. For a moment, she thought about coming up with a name exclusively for that matter…… but she quickly dismissed the idea as unnecessary.
Planning to use Paradise as her terminal when she goes to Trinia, she concluded that she should also just use her name, and began to formulate a plan to save Alicia.
An inorganic mechanical voice echoed in the pure white space.
”Program Code 《Paradise》, Individual Number 76812, has temporarily left its duties as a Wide-area Supervisory Observer as of this moment. Current Task: Initiating terminal connection with Mother Brain Makina.”
The eyes of the 20-winged mechanical angel turned richly-colored, and entering a rift in space, she opened up the path to another world.
”Concurrently, temporarily releasing synchronization to Program Codes Abyss and Shield. 12 seconds before Inter-world Teleportation activates. Teleportation Coordinate: Other World Trinia…… Countdown, start.”
Thereupon, she…… Makina, who had become a true god, quietly began to move. All to accomplish her unfading promise in the past, to save her best friend……
Being that Eden's true identity is Makina, considering that her purpose isn't to check out Kaito, but to save Alicia…… Alice, it would explain many of her mysterious actions before.
Including the fact that she, an omniscient person, went to the trouble of visiting another world to directly assess Kaito, she even had a mock battle with Kuromueina the first time she came to this world.
If her goal was to meet and assess Kaito, she didn't need to bother doing that. This action meant that she was obviously expecting to do battle in this world from the beginning. This is why she accepted the conditions presented by Kuromueina, someone who isn't her child, without hesitation, and in exchange, she made a mock battle with her…… and ”got a chance to practice holding back”.
After that, she appeared at the scene where Kaito and Alice were together. If she were just going to assess Kaito, there was no need to bring Alice along with him within the other space.
With her, holding the preemptive strike, she caught Alice off guard and forced her to travel 100,000 kilometers away. 100,000 kilometers away may sound like a tremendous distance if considered on a ”human's level”.
But for Alice, who can easily exceed the speed of light, it is not a great distance. In fact, tit took Alice only a short time to travel 100,000 kilometers and broke through the wall of different spaces to return to Kaito's side.
It was only done to stir up Alice's sense of danger…… It was a prelude to make her will to protect Kaito stronger and bring out what was in her heart.
[———–Weave my bonds! Ἑκατόγχειρες!]
Looking at Alice, who had taken off her mask and was staring at her with eyes filled with strong will, Eden…… Makina was quietly lost in thought.
(……That's right, Alicia. Your heart certainly may have been shattered once. However, you shouldn't let it stay shattered forever. You're about to regain the radiance…… the ”hope” back into your heart.)
Looking at the girl whose feet were caught by her past, in order to protect Kaito, had her gaze set at her, Makina received the punch Alicia sent to her and was greatly blown away.
Stopping her blown body in mid-air, Eden slowly spread her wings.
(I know that this is a drastic treatment, but I'm sure you'll be able to feel the old smoldering in the back of your mind…… No, I'm sure you'll become even stronger than before, and will pull the radiance out of you! From there on out…… It's all up to you…… Alicia!)
And so, she and Alice began to fight, but in retrospect, there were parts of the fight that felt strange.
Eden didn't eliminate Alice with all her might from the very beginning, but gradually intensified her attack instead. It was as if she was trying to ”lead Alice to a higher level”, gradually making her attacks fiercer and fiercer.
In fact, in the battle against Eden, Alice gradually regained her old self. In order to protect her precious Kaito, she regained her strength, which can be said to be her starting point, to be even stronger than she is now.
As Alice's heart shines brighter and brighter, so does the Ἑκατόγχειρες that she was clad in. And then, the heart that once lost hope and was broken…… the heart picked up by Kaito, reborn into a new form, and radiantly shining…… the time has come.
[This is———– At this moment———– The farther my heart had reached———– Exceed my limits———– And now, weave the world!———– Ἑκατόγχειρες!!!]
The meteor-like lights were absorbed into Alice's body, and her body and magic power…… began to shine dazzlingly.
It was the light of hope, the warmth that had once pulled the girl out of the darkness…… and most of all, the light that made her feel nostalgic.
Seeing her radiance, ”Eden's” expression didn't change. However…… a soft smile formed on the lips of ”Makina”, who was operating her body, and as if she were holding onto those words, she spoke them out.
Words of joy for the revival of her dearest…… and beloved best friend, whom she has never forgotten even for a single day, even after a really large number of years passed by……
—————————-Welcome back…… My…… Hero.
<Afterword>
? ? ? : [Senpai! Please pull yourself together!!! The serious is still going on!!!]
Serious-senpai : [……Ugugu…… I still…… I still can……]
? ? ? : [Even though there's serious development, for Senpai to not be here…… for her to not be here…… Well, guess it's just as usual, isn't it? I don't see any problem with it.]
Serious-senpai : [……Oi…… Oi.]
? ? ? : [Well then, good work……]
Makina : [And so, the next is his lips, which is needless to say, are one of my child's most popular points! I'm going to need to talk about this at great length, so please listen carefully————]
? ? ? : [Putting Serious-senpai do her own thing, you're still doing that!? Heck, a chapter's already finished and you haven't even finished with his face yet!?]