Chapter 768: The Tale of the Mechanized God ⑩
Chapter 768: The Tale of the Mechanized God ⑩
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.”
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!?]