In the blink of an eye, Jetavie's figure vanishes like a phantom once again.
The white-haired girl noticeably quickens her pace after recognizing you.
T-teacher—how is No. 17 doing?
She stops in front of you, bows respectfully, then asks her question with hesitation in her voice.
...
White's expression immediately darkens.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, but I suppose that was the best thing you could do for her...
The collar...
A hint of joy flashes across the girl's otherwise stiff face. After confirming no one is watching, she quickly takes the collar and hides it in her bosom.
But how did you manage to bring it back?
I see...
As you explain, the girl called White pulls out a notebook and begins rapidly scribbling and sketching in it.
This violates our etiquette standards, White.
Another girl with a cold expression approaches.
I apologize, Teacher. Please forgive our earlier rudeness... The academy bells have absolute authority over us, and we must arrive at the assembly hall at the designated time.
Also... about White...
She glances at White, who's crouched on the ground rapidly taking notes, then continues.
Whenever she encounters "something interesting," she enters diary mode and can't be persuaded to stop no matter what.
Yes! Today's diary theme is Dango's Big Adventure!
As if proudly displaying a finished masterpiece, she shows you her diary, but it contains only circles of varying sizes.
This gray circle is Teacher, the white circle is me, the blue circle is Ewig, and squeezed between us is No. 17.
No. 17 was depleted yesterday. You should erase her.
Hmm, that's why I drew her as an empty circle.
She slowly exhales.
No. 17 was afraid to be alone... Ever since she was created, she had always been a bit different from us—a rather timid "weapon," wasn't she?
But during the last "examination," she was deployed alone to the Sixth Combat Zone...
No. 17's personality module was prone to generating Phobia and loneliness signals, but the previous Teacher judged that she had the capability to guard a small combat zone on her own.
According to Teacher's account, she did manage to hold the Sixth Combat Zone alone for a considerable amount of time before finally succumbing to depletion. From a tactical perspective, their judgment was correct.
That's not the issue... Ewig...
White sighs.
Two hours before her complete shutdown, almost all company property in the Sixth Combat Zone had already been destroyed. There was no longer any purpose in her remaining there.
She chose to stay there for "us." The Sixth Combat Zone was at the rear; if she had abandoned it, the main force would have been attacked from both front and rear.
The result was that she died there all alone... despite being the one among us most susceptible to "loneliness" signals.
As White speaks, she traces the edge of the circle, tightening the outline a bit.
There's no point in this discussion. She's already depleted.
At least... teacher brought back her collar.
At least... in my diary, I wrote that I hoped she wouldn't be so lonely...
...But White's processing core only has records of "Diary Mode," and she should only be able to activate "Diary Mode"...
White gently tilts her head, looking at you with a puzzled expression.
Ah! I like the word "story." So can "Diary Mode" also be called "Story Mode"?
What does Teacher think of this story? Dango's Big Adventure.
Hmm... that's true. If it's a "story," I feel like something is still missing...
I've decided! I'm going to ask Teacher to teach me!
A teacher, by definition, teaches—so that's a redundant question.
Not just a teacher in tactics, but also a teacher in writing "stories." So, to make it better, does Teacher have any suggestions?
...I would really like to do that, but Commander Martha has already forbidden us from going on any non-combat outings.
Keenly sensing something unnatural in her words, you seize the opportunity to ask White about it.
...After the second evaluation.
After that, she no longer allowed us to call her Teacher, and she also stopped letting us enter the city's residential areas...
Many of us were depleted in that operation, and the Commander was very dissatisfied with the test results.
Afterward, Commander Martha's attitude also changed. It was indeed our responsibility...
Another "test."
...
...
We have no memories of that, and Commander Martha has also forbidden us from learning anything about our past.
Confusion flashes across their faces. As weapons meant for use, they probably have no need to know about it.
She's the strongest and most valuable among us. According to our teachers, she should have graduated by now.
Look, this black circle represents her... it's separate from all our other circles.
White points to a page in "Dango's Big Adventure."
She usually keeps to herself... but she fights alongside us and protects us even if it means disobeying orders. She's a very strange individual...
I can sense it... she emits a very lonely aura...
Should we call her the only 'fixed point' in all these cycles? All the other classmates are lost in battle and the circles around her keep changing, and yet she alone has survived.
Feeling the atmosphere growing heavy, White leans in with a conspiratorial whisper.
So... what ending awaits Dango's Big Adventure? Teacher, you'll just have to wait and see!
Hmph! I'll definitely write a story that will have Teacher singing its praises.
Eh—even if it means lying to me, please promise you'll look forward to it! I still want to continue learning from you!
Dusk settles in the west. After bidding farewell to the two students, you continue walking along the academy's flower beds.
You've gleaned new information from your conversation with them.
The students, who are weapons, have no knowledge of how they were created. After the failure of the second test, the academy's governance policy seems to have undergone a complete reversal.
Jetavie, as a special individual, stands out from everyone else in daily life. She is not here to pass the tests; she has stayed behind to search for someone.
As the investigation deepens, more and more mysteries seem to emerge...
Thump—thump—thump—thump—thump.
The tower bell tolls differently than at previous meetings; this time its tone is urgent and frequent.
Students from all around quickly converge at the center of the academy.
As a "teacher," you might as well be a wall amid the flowing crowd. They pass by silently, never sparing you a second glance.
The students' footsteps are uncoordinated, yet they naturally form perfect ranks when reaching the entrance. ...There it is again. Despite wearing school uniforms, they emanate a chilling sense of military precision.
Emergency directive. The seventh, thirteenth, and fourteenth battle zones are under large-scale Corrupted assault.
Her voice isn't loud and is somewhat hoarse, but you can still hear her commands clearly from where you stand.
Those whose numbers have been called, please proceed to your assigned battle zones for support.
Numbers 7 through 29, 32 through 40...
It's like reading from the Grim Reaper's list, bringing a deathly silence over the assembly.
Some of those called will quietly be "depleted" on the battlefield, just like No. 17.
Forcing these young, fragile faces to shoulder their weapons and rush onto a battlefield of near-certain death...
Let's go.
The uniformed "weapons" instantly move toward the battlefield with machine-like precision.
...
A girl's silhouette flashes across your vision and suddenly materializes beside you.
Fighting alongside you is strangely exhilarating, you know? We might even create miracles together.
What do you say, Teacher? Should we take the field together this time?
That playful, teasing smile appears on her face once more as she extends her invitation to you.
For this battle, all humanoid combat units will independently assess the battlefield situation. The tactical teacher does not need to be involved.
As if she has read your mind, Martha's gaze suddenly pierces the distance and fixes on you.
"Tactical teachers must not participate in on-site battle command," a company order that was repeatedly emphasized.
Openly defying that order would likely sound the alarm...
As Babylonia's spy infiltrating Facility 141, you still have many things to investigate.
Yet if you join the battle, you could gain intelligence about one side of the battlefield, as well as the combat patterns of these girls labeled as weapons.
What choice should you make?
You barely take a single tentative step forward when fully armed soldiers immediately surround you on all sides. Jetavie is now blocked behind a wall of people.
Was I not clear enough, sir?
Her words fall coldly as the soldiers' guns train on you. Sinister red targeting lasers converge on your head—your survival instinct starts ringing as you go into high alert.
Your mission is to gather as much intelligence on them as possible, but your personal safety takes absolute priority over everything else.
Keep in contact with us at all times. If anything unexpected happens, make sure you have at least an hour of buffer time...
You're not a fool—I trust someone assigned as a teacher at Gestrig knows what they're doing.
If the company didn't require a probation period for new teachers, I wouldn't be wasting my time on you right now.
But if you insist on defying orders, I won't hesitate to shoot you dead right here.
...This goes well beyond just sounding the alarm.
Withdraw immediately. Return to your quarters and await further orders.
The soldiers slowly disperse, but their infrared targeting lasers remain fixed on you.
After carefully weighing your options, you choose to obey the command.
There's still much you need to uncover, and this investigation is far from over. You can't afford to rush things now.
After signaling your compliance to Martha, the targeting sights trained on you gradually shift away. Jetavie has vanished without a trace, likely rushing to the battlefield herself.
A word of advice: don't get too emotionally attached to them. It's better for both you and them.
Leaving these words hanging in the air, Martha turns away coldly and departs.
...?
It's 2 AM in Babylonia right now. You'd better have a good reason for contacting me at this hour.
Mechanoids... weren't you on an infiltration mission?
A major android manufacturer from the Golden Age that had technical exchanges with Copperfield...
Are you saying... you've encountered mechanoids from the Leibowitz Company?
...There hasn't been any sign of them for a very long time.
If you can confirm that the place belongs to the Leibowitz Company... keep an eye out. There might be Matrix facilities similar to Gestalt there.
The founder of Gestalt physics—William Leibowitz—once belonged to this company.
Even though the Gestalt Research program was kept almost completely confidential at the time, we can't rule out the possibility of leaks. Huaxu is a case in point.
So, the Leibowitz Company likely possesses technology related to Gestalt. Based on that, it was only a matter of time before they developed Matrix facilities similar to Gestalt.
So, what's unusual about these mechanoids?
They're constantly forced to battle against the Corrupted as "tests." And then there's that girl called Jetavie...
After being informed about what's happening here, Asimov ponders for a moment before giving a brief response.
They must be products of the Leibowitz Company. Their android technology had already reached astonishing levels during the Golden Age.
There are two possibilities. One is that they're also conducting Construct research. The other is that they've infused androids with some form of AI to replace human "consciousness."
Based on what we know now, the latter possibility seems more likely. After all, according to your description, they need to receive "education" at an "academy"...
To put it simply, it's similar to how they trained AI models using datasets back in the Golden Age.
I don't have detailed data on them, so I can only provide information up to this point.
By the way, if you find any similar Matrix facilities, try to bring me some data from them.
After this brief exchange of information, Asimov ends the communication.
In the deserted teaching hall, Martha stands at the center, waiting for her superiors to connect.
The results of the fifth test look quite disappointing, Martha.
The teachers appointed by the company to Gestrig are all elites, possessing exceptional battlefield judgment.
Given how dire the situation already was, why did you strip the tactical teachers of their on-site command authority during the emergency mission?
The combat missions overseen by the previous tactical teachers almost all ended in failure, and the test results were far from ideal.
...I fear that's not your true reasoning, is it, Martha?
Even though the results of previous tests weren't ideal, the presence of each teacher undeniably had a positive impact on the battlefield situation—of course, at a corresponding price.
Many tactical teachers prioritized protecting the company's high-value assets in order to achieve battle merits...
This led to excessive losses of humanoid weapons—I suspect that is the real reason you stripped them of their command authority, isn't it?
...
However, allowing those weapons to make their own battlefield judgments won't necessarily serve to salvage the battle situation either.
As long as we can effectively defend the central area, we can pass the final test. Preserving our forces during the earlier battles is absolutely crucial.
...
Placing too much emphasis on protecting those weapons leads to the loss of outer battle zones, which ultimately puts the urban areas at risk.
That's still far better than incurring heavy losses just to defend infrastructure that remains unused most of the time.
You're so concerned about the welfare of your "students"... Are you still treating them with that humanized educational approach?
Have you forgotten how the Ninth Directive was used to eliminate a large number of weapons that had deserted during the second test?
Allowing them to develop consciousness leads to such outcomes. None of us want to witness something like that again.
Since the second test, the academy has maintained a strict militarized management style for quite some time.
You need to be clear about what they really are. Don't mistake their identity just because they're wearing school uniforms. At the end of the day, they're nothing more than weapons of war.
But they are also company property. Keeping them ensures that we retain valuable combat assets.
...You should know that within the company, the opposition faction is still the majority.
Most of the leadership believes that they are either unfit for combat duty, or incapable of fulfilling it even with basic social awareness.
The opposition is constantly eyeing us. If the inner ring of City 141 falls, control of these assets will pass to the other faction.
Even though you control Gestrig, I must advise you: to pass the final evaluation, you must accept whatever sacrifices are necessary, no matter how great.
Otherwise, control over these weapons will be handed over completely to others.
...
That's all then. You're on your own now.
The caller ends the communication.
Cold moonlight streams in from beyond the eaves, and yet Martha remains standing in the shadows.
Consciousness plunges into a lightless abyss.
...Is this a nightmare?
Everything in sight is devoured by a menacing red, sinking into a whirlpool of despair.
■■■ falls backward without warning, her small frame nestling in your arms. Red lines have crept across her fair cheeks, turning her into a fractured mosaic of shards.
■■■: I'm about to fade away like bubbles along with the end of everything.
Even though it has been a beautiful, fleeting journey, we shared some truly wonderful moments, didn't we?
Maybe next time, we'll run a bit faster, reach a bit farther.
When you meet the next ■■■, please don't be so gentle with her.
■■■ releases your hand and slowly places it on her chest. Several ribbon-like beams of red light burst forth from the cracks in her chest.
■■■ stretches out her arms and floats weightlessly into the air, offering an embrace to this grotesque world.
■■■, next time...
We have to run faster.
You take ■■■'s delicate hand, and she smiles at you with contentment. The storm engulfing the world approaches you both, and you silently gaze at the face of doomsday.
Farewell, world.
Goodbye, ■■■.
...I would rather abandon this miracle that gave me "life" and convert it into the power to send this world to its "death".
■■■ from another world, let us meet in a better place...
Until we meet again.
Beautiful radiance tears through the pitch-black world, like light from a lighthouse piercing through darkness, like dawn breaking through the night.
Take it, ■■■■.
Listen, ■■■, this is the final voice.
She died right before your eyes. Countless times you watched over her, and countless times you lost her.
It feels as if a piece is being torn from the depths of your soul, sending waves of excruciating pain through your mind.
Who is it... who is it...
...
Farewell... ■■■.
A girl's face inexplicably appears before you. She gazes at you tenderly, her eyes filled with affection and sorrow.
But the moment your hands reach out to touch her, the figure bursts like bubbles and dissolves into nothing...
■■■...
The girl's response shatters like bubbles at the slightest touch, drifting farther and farther away at the edges of the dream...
...And so she vanishes in silence.
After a violent struggle, your consciousness rapidly resurfaces.
It is like you've had a disturbing nightmare, leaving you gasping for breath, chest heaving uncontrollably.
Dong—dong—dong—dong—the tower clock chimes in the distance.
The battle is over, and the students have returned.
