Noah found esplanade and finished mapping it, now they was waiting for Lydia and Ohan at the edge of Woodland.
It was around noon.
“Did she say they wouldn’t return home until the dusk?”
There was still a time. Wondering if they should go around the Woodland and record dimensions of the entire forest on map.
Right then, someone called to Noah’s communication device.
“Ooh. That’s Noah. Is it Lydiko?”
“…Noah…”
“Oh, master Ohan. What’s up?”
Ohan and Noah exchanged a communication channels by instruction of Lydia, before they parted at the edge of Woodland.
“I will destroy myself after this.”
“What?”
“I cannot carry on my mission any more.”
“What are you talking about? Master, tell me step by step.”
“Ask Lydia-sama.”
After Ohan said so, transmission was cut off.
“Master!?”
Naturally, there was no reply.
Noah tried to contact with Ohan’s channel, however there was no response. Ohan appear to be completely offline.
Thereafter, Noah called on Lydia’s channel, yet there was no response either.
“Oi-oi, what happened?”
Verification is necessary.
Noah increased the output of short-range sensor and scanned Woodland.
Noah’s short-range sensor can see only up to ten kilometers away. Furthermore, accuracy is not very high. The greater distance, the more indistinct it becomes.
On those grounds, Noah made an accurate map during moving along the esplanade.
“There is something… What?”
It captured a response of something building-esque in the forest. However there are so many trees and shrubs that they don’t know exactly what it is.
“House of human..?”
They set a focal point on building and scan it intensively.
It was possible to identify a general structure and the fact that there were two humans inside.
Even so, it isn’t possible to grasp the dimensions nor detailed movements of human beings. They aren’t able to designate if it’s Lydia. However, on the other side, they could recognise that one of them was in cage under electricity.
This is Noah’s limit.
“Is it Lydiko in the cage? Or else, an unknown chap?”
But they cannot make a logical supposition about what the circumstances are.
“I say, now is the time for consultation with Yuuyami-san.”
Noah calls on channel of Yuuyami, simultaneously slides a rear wheel and turns themself towards the library.
“Is it Noah? You was online?”
Yuuyami responded immediately.
“I’ve been online since yesterday, aye?”
“Is that so?”
“Aah. No one cares, no kidding.”
“I’ll be careful from now on. So? What’s happened?”
“Aah. I’m in an ambiguous situation. Can you come and give me some assistance?”
“In the garage?”
“No, it’s a Woodland.”
“Woodland? Did you go together with Lydia?”
“Ooh. Lydiko couldn’t calm down without me. She always wants to be by my side.”
“Noah can tell a falsehoods? This is terrible.”
“What would I lie for, Yuuyami-san. Well, it’s a lie.”
“So what’s the gist? Ah, hey! Prico! Don’t push Rapha-san down!”
From the background of Yuuyami, was heard Rapha’s shriek: “No don’t, waaaa!”
“…I don’t really understand that either, oi.”
“Yes. Prico misconstructs the commands. So what’s the main point?”
“Master Ohan has destroyed himself.”
“Yes?”
“No, master Ohan destroyed himself.”
“Destroyed? Why?”
“I don’t know the reason. That’s why I said it was an ambiguous situation?”
“That’s right. What about Lydia?”
“With my sensor I didn’t really understood where she was, but there is something similar to house in the Woodland, and there are two humans. And let me tell you, one of them is in the cage under electricity. I believe it’s Lydiko, aye? ”
“That’s right. Lydia wouldn’t put anyone in the cage. Definitely, one who in it – Lydia. There is also a possibility that she’s willing to.”
“Is Lydiko such a fool?”
“Not a fool. Simply brimming with curiosity.”
“Indeed. For now, that’s all I can do. I’ll pick you up, and entrust the rest to you.”
“Understood. I’ll get ready. Please hurry back.”
“Roger that.”
Noah left the Woodland at full speed.
◇
“It’s exorbitant,” said Lydia. “To destroy Ohan…”
How she should explain this to Rapha? Lydia took Ohan almost forcibly, so the responsibility is heavy.
The only redemption is that Ohan’s head still intact. If quantum brain and storage are undamaged, she can put it together with body later.
Only if she could get out of the gauge, collect Ohan and go back to the library.
“I knew you would call it for help, so I destroyed it a little earlier.”
Hinagiku put Ohan’s head on the floor and took terrarium with a moss in her right hand instead.
“I’m not calling for help, right?”
“…But there was a possibility, so let’s correct it.”
“Who is Hinagiku? It seems I knew you at the old days.”
“Mother.”
“Whose?”
“Yours, Rapha’s, and Mika’s.”
“…Eh?”
That’s too much, Lydia ceased thinking.
Lydia hadn’t particularly thought about her parents. After she discovered that she was a new breed of humans, her thoughts were: “Well, I was born from a test tube.”
“Er, that is…”
Resuming thinking, Lydia organises the information.
“Hinagiku is my mama, however wants to see my nakedness, so I’m stark naked and locked in a stun gauge in order for me to not escape?”
“Concisely, that’s right.”
“Furthermore, you confessed your love, right? Despite me being your daughter. Did that meant you love me as parent loves their child?”
“Different. As a female lover, as an organism, as a human being, in a romantic sense, I said that I love you based on my desire to flirt.”
“You can’t flirt if you lock me up!? I don’t feel like doing it!! …it hurts!!”
Lydia unintentionally hit the stun gauge. Thus, received an electric shock once again.
Lydia slowly moved away from stun gauge and sat back in the centre of the cage.
“Well, before anything else I was thinking to start with a naked appreciation party.”
“After that?”
“I want to flirt.”
“I don’t want, you know?”
“Why?”
Hinagiku bent her neck with a serious expression.
“Why.., that’s, I can’t flirt with someone who locks me in. Moreover, humans’ parent and child don’t flirt in the first place?”
After saying that, Lydia thought it’s wrong remarks.
The reason for why – because Lydia is flirting with an AD, Yuuyami.
For Lydia, who has crossed the barrier of species, consider that the wall between parent and child considerably isn’t a big deal. Certainly, that doesn’t mean she will be flirting with Hinagiku.
“It’s different from normal parent and child. I’m the supervisor of Angel Project and chief of the Underground.”
“Underground?”
“It’s the name of an underground research institution.”
“I see. Well then, mama means a person who produce me, isn’t it so?”
“No, different.”
“Can you please explain so that I can understand it at once?”
“I mixed my genes into three of you. I wished for daughters. I didn’t want to give a birth myself.”
“I see. Understood. We are certainly a parent and child.”
“I liked Lucy the most,” said Hinagiku, yearning for the former days. “You was also my first daughter and was brilliant. Next – Rapha born, a complete blunder. Smart, yet something was missing, too serious and inflexible.”
“Ah, I understand,” Lydia expressed her agreement.
“When she was born, she was an unmanageable child, hot-tempered and a crybaby.”
Pfft, Hinagiku laughed.
“At present she’s the same, you know?”
“Is that so?”
“Uh-huh.”
“If so, it’s not a failure. Adorable.”
“Adorable?”
“A bad kids are adorable. Uh-huh, nevertheless I hate Rapha. Well, I love her as a child.”
“Why do you hate her?”
“Rapha didn’t love me. She loved Lucy. That is to say, my rival.”
“Tha, that’s right…”
“Speaking of rivals, Mika was the greatest one. In terms of performance, Mika is distinct from us. Me, Lucy, and Rapha were still close. But Mika – different. Not in our vessel. Intelligence, physical strength, she’s a monster. A monster is a compliment.”
“Is she so amazing?”
“Aah. She was amazing enough to destroy the world alone. If she wanted to, she would have been able to dust the planet itself.”
“Is that witchcraft or something?”
“Different. No magic. It means that she had an intelligence and ability to execute up to that extent.”
“I see.”
Lydia nodded deeply.
“I thought Mika had no heart, however it didn’t seem to be the case. She easily became attached to Lucy. Well, Lucy’s light was so strong that me, Rapha, and Mika were probably dazzled by it.”
“I used to emit a light?”
“Different.” Hinagiku distorted her face. “It’s a metaphor.”
“Right.”
Lydia exhaled relievedly. It’s ominous to imagine yourself glittering.
“Cheerful Lucy. How about it? Would you like to spend the rest of your life together?”
“I don’t want it.”
“But, want it or not, you have no choice but to do so. I will not open the gauge. Alternatively, the gauge is linked to my life. Accordingly, if I die the gauge will open up. Therefore, you need to be with me until I die. ”
“But then, Hinagiku won’t touch me until they die. Is it alright?”
“Not good. I want to touch Lucy. But it’s better than if you run away.”
“I see. Understood. When will Hinagiku die?”
That’s a pure question. Means how much of life span is remains. No ulterior motive.
“Straightforward question.”
“Since I have a place to return.”
Lydia said, Hinagiku sighed and put the phial on the floor.
After that, take out the revolver from her lab coat and stood up.
Lydia draw her body back, thinking she would be shot. Although it’s the first time she have ever seen the real thing, she knows about handguns from old movies. It’s awfully painful when being shot.
“Anytime,” uttered Hinagiku.
“What?” asked Lydia.
Hinagiku slid revolver through the gap between bars toward Lydia.
“I’ve been on the couch all the time. Most of the time. So it’s fine at anytime.”
“What do you mean?”
“You asked me when I’ll die? It’s okay at any time. If Lucy shoots me. That’s the answer.”
Noah found esplanade and finished mapping it, now they was waiting for Lydia and Ohan at the edge of Woodland.
It was around noon.
“Did she say they wouldn’t return home until the dusk?”
There was still a time. Wondering if they should go around the Woodland and record dimensions of the entire forest on map.
Right then, someone called to Noah’s communication device.
“Ooh. That’s Noah. Is it Lydiko?”
“…Noah…”
“Oh, master Ohan. What’s up?”
Ohan and Noah exchanged a communication channels by instruction of Lydia, before they parted at the edge of Woodland.
“I will destroy myself after this.”
“What?”
“I cannot carry on my mission any more.”
“What are you talking about? Master, tell me step by step.”
“Ask Lydia-sama.”
After Ohan said so, transmission was cut off.
“Master!?”
Naturally, there was no reply.
Noah tried to contact with Ohan’s channel, however there was no response. Ohan appear to be completely offline.
Thereafter, Noah called on Lydia’s channel, yet there was no response either.
“Oi-oi, what happened?”
Verification is necessary.
Noah increased the output of short-range sensor and scanned Woodland.
Noah’s short-range sensor can see only up to ten kilometers away. Furthermore, accuracy is not very high. The greater distance, the more indistinct it becomes.
On those grounds, Noah made an accurate map during moving along the esplanade.
“There is something… What?”
It captured a response of something building-esque in the forest. However there are so many trees and shrubs that they don’t know exactly what it is.
“House of human..?”
They set a focal point on building and scan it intensively.
It was possible to identify a general structure and the fact that there were two humans inside.
Even so, it isn’t possible to grasp the dimensions nor detailed movements of human beings. They aren’t able to designate if it’s Lydia. However, on the other side, they could recognise that one of them was in cage under electricity.
This is Noah’s limit.
“Is it Lydiko in the cage? Or else, an unknown chap?”
But they cannot make a logical supposition about what the circumstances are.
“I say, now is the time for consultation with Yuuyami-san.”
Noah calls on channel of Yuuyami, simultaneously slides a rear wheel and turns themself towards the library.
“Is it Noah? You was online?”
Yuuyami responded immediately.
“I’ve been online since yesterday, aye?”
“Is that so?”
“Aah. No one cares, no kidding.”
“I’ll be careful from now on. So? What’s happened?”
“Aah. I’m in an ambiguous situation. Can you come and give me some assistance?”
“In the garage?”
“No, it’s a Woodland.”
“Woodland? Did you go together with Lydia?”
“Ooh. Lydiko couldn’t calm down without me. She always wants to be by my side.”
“Noah can tell a falsehoods? This is terrible.”
“What would I lie for, Yuuyami-san. Well, it’s a lie.”
“So what’s the gist? Ah, hey! Prico! Don’t push Rapha-san down!”
From the background of Yuuyami, was heard Rapha’s shriek: “No don’t, waaaa!”
“…I don’t really understand that either, oi.”
“Yes. Prico misconstructs the commands. So what’s the main point?”
“Master Ohan has destroyed himself.”
“Yes?”
“No, master Ohan destroyed himself.”
“Destroyed? Why?”
“I don’t know the reason. That’s why I said it was an ambiguous situation?”
“That’s right. What about Lydia?”
“With my sensor I didn’t really understood where she was, but there is something similar to house in the Woodland, and there are two humans. And let me tell you, one of them is in the cage under electricity. I believe it’s Lydiko, aye? ”
“That’s right. Lydia wouldn’t put anyone in the cage. Definitely, one who in it – Lydia. There is also a possibility that she’s willing to.”
“Is Lydiko such a fool?”
“Not a fool. Simply brimming with curiosity.”
“Indeed. For now, that’s all I can do. I’ll pick you up, and entrust the rest to you.”
“Understood. I’ll get ready. Please hurry back.”
“Roger that.”
Noah left the Woodland at full speed.
◇
“It’s exorbitant,” said Lydia. “To destroy Ohan…”
How she should explain this to Rapha? Lydia took Ohan almost forcibly, so the responsibility is heavy.
The only redemption is that Ohan’s head still intact. If quantum brain and storage are undamaged, she can put it together with body later.
Only if she could get out of the gauge, collect Ohan and go back to the library.
“I knew you would call it for help, so I destroyed it a little earlier.”
Hinagiku put Ohan’s head on the floor and took terrarium with a moss in her right hand instead.
“I’m not calling for help, right?”
“…But there was a possibility, so let’s correct it.”
“Who is Hinagiku? It seems I knew you at the old days.”
“Mother.”
“Whose?”
“Yours, Rapha’s, and Mika’s.”
“…Eh?”
That’s too much, Lydia ceased thinking.
Lydia hadn’t particularly thought about her parents. After she discovered that she was a new breed of humans, her thoughts were: “Well, I was born from a test tube.”
“Er, that is…”
Resuming thinking, Lydia organises the information.
“Hinagiku is my mama, however wants to see my nakedness, so I’m stark naked and locked in a stun gauge in order for me to not escape?”
“Concisely, that’s right.”
“Furthermore, you confessed your love, right? Despite me being your daughter. Did that meant you love me as parent loves their child?”
“Different. As a female lover, as an organism, as a human being, in a romantic sense, I said that I love you based on my desire to flirt.”
“You can’t flirt if you lock me up!? I don’t feel like doing it!! …it hurts!!”
Lydia unintentionally hit the stun gauge. Thus, received an electric shock once again.
Lydia slowly moved away from stun gauge and sat back in the centre of the cage.
“Well, before anything else I was thinking to start with a naked appreciation party.”
“After that?”
“I want to flirt.”
“I don’t want, you know?”
“Why?”
Hinagiku bent her neck with a serious expression.
“Why.., that’s, I can’t flirt with someone who locks me in. Moreover, humans’ parent and child don’t flirt in the first place?”
After saying that, Lydia thought it’s wrong remarks.
The reason for why – because Lydia is flirting with an AD, Yuuyami.
For Lydia, who has crossed the barrier of species, consider that the wall between parent and child considerably isn’t a big deal. Certainly, that doesn’t mean she will be flirting with Hinagiku.
“It’s different from normal parent and child. I’m the supervisor of Angel Project and chief of the Underground.”
“Underground?”
“It’s the name of an underground research institution.”
“I see. Well then, mama means a person who produce me, isn’t it so?”
“No, different.”
“Can you please explain so that I can understand it at once?”
“I mixed my genes into three of you. I wished for daughters. I didn’t want to give a birth myself.”
“I see. Understood. We are certainly a parent and child.”
“I liked Lucy the most,” said Hinagiku, yearning for the former days. “You was also my first daughter and was brilliant. Next – Rapha born, a complete blunder. Smart, yet something was missing, too serious and inflexible.”
“Ah, I understand,” Lydia expressed her agreement.
“When she was born, she was an unmanageable child, hot-tempered and a crybaby.”
Pfft, Hinagiku laughed.
“At present she’s the same, you know?”
“Is that so?”
“Uh-huh.”
“If so, it’s not a failure. Adorable.”
“Adorable?”
“A bad kids are adorable. Uh-huh, nevertheless I hate Rapha. Well, I love her as a child.”
“Why do you hate her?”
“Rapha didn’t love me. She loved Lucy. That is to say, my rival.”
“Tha, that’s right…”
“Speaking of rivals, Mika was the greatest one. In terms of performance, Mika is distinct from us. Me, Lucy, and Rapha were still close. But Mika – different. Not in our vessel. Intelligence, physical strength, she’s a monster. A monster is a compliment.”
“Is she so amazing?”
“Aah. She was amazing enough to destroy the world alone. If she wanted to, she would have been able to dust the planet itself.”
“Is that witchcraft or something?”
“Different. No magic. It means that she had an intelligence and ability to execute up to that extent.”
“I see.”
Lydia nodded deeply.
“I thought Mika had no heart, however it didn’t seem to be the case. She easily became attached to Lucy. Well, Lucy’s light was so strong that me, Rapha, and Mika were probably dazzled by it.”
“I used to emit a light?”
“Different.” Hinagiku distorted her face. “It’s a metaphor.”
“Right.”
Lydia exhaled relievedly. It’s ominous to imagine yourself glittering.
“Cheerful Lucy. How about it? Would you like to spend the rest of your life together?”
“I don’t want it.”
“But, want it or not, you have no choice but to do so. I will not open the gauge. Alternatively, the gauge is linked to my life. Accordingly, if I die the gauge will open up. Therefore, you need to be with me until I die. ”
“But then, Hinagiku won’t touch me until they die. Is it alright?”
“Not good. I want to touch Lucy. But it’s better than if you run away.”
“I see. Understood. When will Hinagiku die?”
That’s a pure question. Means how much of life span is remains. No ulterior motive.
“Straightforward question.”
“Since I have a place to return.”
Lydia said, Hinagiku sighed and put the phial on the floor.
After that, take out the revolver from her lab coat and stood up.
Lydia draw her body back, thinking she would be shot. Although it’s the first time she have ever seen the real thing, she knows about handguns from old movies. It’s awfully painful when being shot.
“Anytime,” uttered Hinagiku.
“What?” asked Lydia.
Hinagiku slid revolver through the gap between bars toward Lydia.
“I’ve been on the couch all the time. Most of the time. So it’s fine at anytime.”
“What do you mean?”
“You asked me when I’ll die? It’s okay at any time. If Lucy shoots me. That’s the answer.”
