>>1784711

“Hold on, I got you,” Emi grunts, helping you to stand. You don't remember fainting or collapsing, but you must have done so at some point. You can't think how else you could have ended up in a crumbled heap on the floor. “Up you come,” she murmurs, “I... oh hell!”

“What?” you mumble, still tasting blood in your mouth, “What's wrong?”

“Uh, your back. It's sorta got a... hole in it,” Emi laughs awkwardly, “There's this pink stuff hanging out. I think it might be from a... a lung. Hang on, does this hurt?” A jolt of white hot pain screams through you as she does something behind your back, bad enough that you can't even cry out. All you can do is gasp weakly, feeling something shudder inside your body as you try to breath in. “Okay, yeah, it hurts,” the young girl decides, “Definitely lung. You should probably, uh, sit down for a bit...”

“I'm fine,” you growl, “You only need one lung to live... I think.”

“Sure, sure. Spare parts, yeah?” the young girl shifts, helping to straighten you up, “Where we going?”

“There,” nodding, you gesture to the shattered observation box.

-

The Council of Twelve is waiting for you when you arrive – at least, a bit of it is. You recognise Eligor, his face as impassive as an iron mask, and Doctor Fujiwara, looking distraught at the sight of you. The others, you don't know. The tall, Western man you take to be Ose – Johann Ostermann – while the elderly Japanese man must be Hiroto Yoshida, Asmodeus. That leaves the last council member – an obese Chinese man, sitting and staring at you with faintly bulging eyes – to be Nebiros. Maika stands with them, her rifle held at a low ready and her eyes clouded with uncertainty.

“Maika, help her to a seat,” Eligor orders, without taking his eyes from you. His daughter rushes to obey, lifting a fallen folding chair and easing you down into it. “You,” Eligor adds, glancing to Emi, “Leave us, if you please.”

“Hey...” Emi protests weakly, looking to you for guidance.

“Go on,” you murmur to her, “I'll be fine here. You go make sure the others are okay.”

“Yeah, well...” the young girl pauses, shooting Eligor a hard glare before throwing her hands up in disgust “Fuck you man, and fuck your secret council bullshit, I'm out!”

“We can arrange for medical attention,” Fujiwara hastens to add, “Or private quarters, if you wish to let your injuries heal on their own. We can help you, if you let us. We WANT to help you...”

“Doctor, please,” Maika murmurs, “I don't think this is the time. Later, please.”

>No, private quarters will suffice. We'll settle this later
>Do any of you have an explanation for what just happened?
>Well Nebiros, I don't think Project Alice is the success you were hoping for
>I can't wait to see how you're going to cover THIS up
>We need to talk... (Write in)
>Other

>>1784713
>I can't wait to see how you're going to cover THIS up
>Do any of you have an explanation for what just happened?

>>1784713
>>Do any of you have an explanation for what just happened?
>>Well Nebiros, I don't think Project Alice is the success you were hoping for. Unless Intruder possession is an intended feature. I can't tell with you guys sometimes.

>>1784713
>Do any of you have an explanation for what just happened?
>Well Nebiros, I don't think Project Alice is the success you were hoping for. The Dolls still attract Intruders.
>We need to talk about EVE as well.

>>1784713
>So was this the intended outcome?
>By the way, if you intend to use this to breed Intruders for food, no need to hide from us. It's not like we could stop you.
>Any of you willing to weigh in on EVE? She KNEW this would happen.

>>1784742
Maybe we shouldn't give them the idea about the breeding thing if they haven't come to the conclusion yet. Remember this just happened a few minutes ago and everyone is still processing. They didn't have a week to speculate like we did.

>>1784748
oh come on, they're GOING to do it. If not now then later, when we're too busy to give them shit about it.

Besides, now is the best time to communicate. Not doing it every chance we have only makes it harder for them to trust us later.

>>1784752
I have to wonder how expensive Alice Dolls are. Even with all their resources if each doll costs a lot it might be inefficient to use them just as food traps.

>>1784753
That's possible, and for them to worry about. The most important decider is whether you can extract the intruder while retaining the mini-soul for use on another intruder, and whether these weak-ass intruders are "filling" enough.

But one requires empirical data to confirm the viability of an option.

“Well, I'll see what I can do regardless,” Fujiwara says to herself, “I'm sure there's something I can-”

“I'm really curious,” you announce bluntly, “Do any of you have an explanation for what just happened? Because I'm not hearing a lot of answers right now, and I'd really like some of those.” You had been hoping to see the council squirm a little – petty perhaps, but you'll take your pleasure where you can get it – but they prove disappointing. For the most part, they just glance idly your way. Fujiwara looks restless and uneasy, while Asmodeus has a touch of guilt in his eyes, but those are the only real shows of emotion.

“A full investigation will be carried out,” Eligor says at last, “But at this stage, I'm fairly sure of one thing – the problem did not originate with the hardware, with the Spider unit itself.”

“So you're passing the buck,” you laugh, wincing as a stab of pain rips through your chest. Best that avoid laughing for the time being – that shouldn't be too difficult.

“That implies that there is a share of the blame to accept,” Eligor counters, “I don't believe that to be the case. This was, as far as I'm concerned, an entirely unexpected event. We were entirely certain that the Intruders could not feed on Dolls – they lack the required... they lack whatever it is that the Intruders are attracted to. Yet, an Intruder WAS drawn to feed on the Doll – that was what you found, correct?”

“I guess,” you mutter, offering him half a shrug, “It wasn't really like it was feeding on it, though. More like it was trying to feed on it. Like it thought the Doll was something it could prey on. That doesn't explain why it was able to do that stuff with the tank, though. I thought it wasn't supposed to be able to fire on people!”

“Those lanyards contain identity tags, true, but those only deter a simple AI. Manual control can override those restrictions,” Eligor pulls up a chair of his own, sitting and staring out at the devastation, “We must assume that the possessed Doll was able to override any countermeasures. Regardless, we're getting distracted from our central point. How did the Intruder gain control?”

“This mysticism is pointless. If we can't control these Dolls, scrap them,” Ostermann snarls, “Eligor, I'm leaving this farce to you. I have damage control to see to. Ensure that this matter remains contained.” He starts to leave, only to pause at the doorway and glance back to you. “An impressive performance,” he remarks, “I found it very educational.” Turning away, he marches out before you can get in a retort.

“Bastard,” you say aloud. None of the other council members, you notice, make any attempt to disagree with you.

[1/?]

>>1784757

“If there is anyone to blame for this, it is you, Doctor Fujiwara,” the obese man says after a moment, his voice thick and wet, “The Oracle should have foreseen any error here, should it not? Either we received no warning, or you kept word of it from reaching us.”

“What? No!” Fujiwara protests, “You can't blame this on her, she's-”

“This is not helping,” Eligor cuts them off firmly, “Doctor Fujiwara, do you have any explanation for this?”

“Well, ah, maybe. I have a theory,” wincing, Fujiwara squints her eyes into narrow slits. You've seen that expression before – the face of someone desperately wishing for a cup of coffee. “I think that the EVE AI changed the Doll in some minor way. She... imprinted it, with something that isn't quite a soul,” she offers after a moment, “But it was close enough to fool an Intruder. It entered a state of incomplete fusion with the Doll, which I believe also offered it a degree of control over the tank itself. Maybe not deliberate, conscious control...”

“Yeah,” you nod slowly, “It was lurching about the place, like it was wounded or... or drunk.” Thinking on this, you lean back and glare up at he ceiling. “Well Nebiros,” you say after a pause, “I don't think Project Alice is the success story you had been hoping for... unless you were hoping that these Dolls would attract Intruders?”

“I do not use that name here,” the obese man scolds you, “Huo Guang, please.”

“Charmed,” you grunt, “Now can you answer the question?”

“This was an unexpected consequence,” Guang rumbles, “I had no intention of attracting these vile things. I had no desire to involve you, or anything to do with you, in Project Alice. Discounting this anomaly, Project Alice is still performing admirably. You saw how my Doll performed – a marked improvement over a lifeless AI.”

“Except for the part where everything went wrong,” Eligor points out, “But I'm sure you can overcome that minor hindrance.”

“Can we please not start bickering again?” you groan, “We've got more important things to worry about – like EVE. Doctor Fujiwara, you think she was responsible for this, right?”

“I wouldn't say that,” she replies weakly, “That implies a certain deliberate malice on her part. I think this was more of an unintended side-effect. I'm not even convinced that she knew what she was doing.”

“EVE knew,” you retort grimly, “She's been happily infecting anything that Renko touches for some time now. I don't know if she knew that THIS would happen, but she isn't totally ignorant here. What I want to know is, what are you going to do about her?”

“EVE is our AI,” Guang tells you, shifting slightly, “We will be the ones to decide its fate.”

“Okay, great,” you shoot him an imploring look, “So what are you going to DO?”

“For now?” he returns your gaze with his flat eyes, “We will consider our options.”

[2/3]

>>1784774

Scoffing quietly under your breath – that sounds a lot like “we'll do nothing at all” to you – you shake your head in weary amazement. “So let me get one thing straight,” you ask Guang, “You really didn't start Project Alice to do anything with Intruders? Not to attract them, or... or use them in any way?”

“Not at all,” he ponderously shakes his head, “Project Alice was a... a personal project.”

“A personal project that utilised a great deal of official resources,” Asmodeus says delicately, finally breaking his silence, “And a personal project that has now caused us all a great deal of trouble. We'll need to sweep all this under the carpet...”

“Oh, I can't wait to hear how you're going to do that,” you chuckle, again wincing at the pain that surges through you, “Gonna pin the blame on someone else, I bet.”

“We will not hide this incident from the public – we cannot. However, we can... distort it. The unfortunate incident occurred due to tampering from an outside source,” Guang decides, giving you a fleshy smile, “Not entirely false, as it happens. We will, however, leave the source unnamed. Considering the current mood, the public will make up their own minds as to the culprit. On that subject, I must prepare a statement. Excuse me...” Struggling all the while, he heaves his bulk out of the chair and lurches away, leaning heavily on a stout cane as he goes.

“Just answer me this,” you sigh as he leaves, much of your anger deserting you, “What was your intended goal here? Was all this really an accident?”

“It was,” Eligor assures you, “Our intentions, ultimately, were simple – to create a better weapon. I never wished to see this weapon turned on innocent civilians.” Rising to his feet, Eligor smooths out his suit and glances aside to Maika. “Come with me,” he orders, “I want to speak with you in private. It will not take long.”

“Yes Father,” Maika murmurs, bowing ever so slightly and following him out. Fujiwara ends up follow as well, leaving you alone with Asmodeus.

“I don't think we've been formally introduced,” he sighs, “I wish we could be meeting under better conditions. My name is Hiroto Yoshida. I am grateful that you were here today – I believe that you, and all your friends, prevented a great tragedy.”

Despite your anger, you feel a faint warmth in your chest – satisfaction at a job well done... or maybe just blood from your injuries.

>Excuse me. I have to go check on my friends
>Was Alice really just a personal project?
>You didn't have much to say back there
>I'd like to speak with you... (Write in)
>Other

>>1784792
>Was Alice really just a personal project?
>You didn't have much to say back there
>Were there other cases where the Oracle didn't predict a disaster?

>>1784792
>Was Alice really just a personal project?
>You didn't have much to say back there
>I'd like to speak with you... (Write in)
"You're big on Monad so I have to ask. SAE, EVE, ZOE, and REI. 4 AIs, 4 faces of Monad. What's the connection there? Is there a connection?"

"Does Fujiware work closely with Oracle? Nebrios seemed to blame her for Oracle's potential mistake."

>>1784792
>You didn't have much to say back there.

>>1784792
>I just don't get EVE's plan. I thought she wanted her own body, but if she's sabotaging Alice...
>What about the other AIs? Is the one locked up planning something even crazier?

>You didn't have much to say back there
>Where are the other Sentinels? Shouldn't there have been some fighters here, if only to protect you all?

“Excuse me,” you say, “But I have to go check on my friends.” As you stagger to your feet, bracing yourself against the chair, you pause. “You didn't have much to say back there,” you point out, “The others were falling over themselves to make excuses.”

“Yes, they were,” Yoshida nods slowly, “And you were eager for answers. I didn't wish to distract you from the topic at hand. I understand a lot about misdirection – perhaps more than I'd like to admit – and I know when best to hold my tongue. If I had been able to add anything of importance to the discussion, I certainly would have done so.” Glancing out through the shattered window, a grave look crosses his face. “I didn't want this,” he murmurs to himself, “Better that it was carried out away from the public.”

“But it still went ahead,” you remark, “With a live audience.”

“Yes. A mistake, as we're now learning,” closing his eyes, Yoshida lets out a low sigh, “I fear that my esteemed colleagues do not appreciate the lives they hold in their hands. In the absence of any dire warnings, they allowed themselves to grow careless.”

“You shouldn't put too much faith in Oracles,” you point out, “This isn't the first time that she's missed a disaster, is it?”

“No, as I'm sure you know,” sadness clouds Yoshida's eyes, “I accept my share of blame for this. I also placed too much trust in the Oracle. She brings us Monad's will, and I fear that we have grown reliant on that. When the Oracle could not alert us to that incident four months ago, we should have taken the matter more seriously – but we did not want to lose faith in the entire project. For many of us, the Oracle is regarded as “good enough”. Her lapses are deemed acceptable.”

“What about Fujiwara, what did she think?” you ask, “She seems pretty close to the Oracle project. At least, Nebiros was willing to blame her for it...”

“Doctor Fujiwara was key to bringing the Oracle project into reality,” Yoshida answers, “In the aftermath of the earlier incident, however, she was... indecisive. She was compelled to defend the Oracle's worth while still insisting on further improvements. It pains me to say, but many in our organisation do not hold her in high esteem.”

That seems like a touchy subject. Clearing your throat awkwardly – you have to spit out blood in a rather unladylike way – you decide to change the subject. “You're big on Monad, right?” you ask, “So I gotta ask you something. There are four main AIs, and four faces of Monad. What's the connection there? I mean, is there a connection?”

“You are correct. There is a connection. Please sit down, you look as though you're about to pass out,” Yoshida reaches out a hand, helping you back down into the bloodied chair, “The four faces of Monad...”

[1/2]

>>1784792
> What about Alice made it a personal project?

> Have you any experience with Gods other than Monad? Because I know a couple, and it might help you understand Monad better if you could talk with them.

>>1784820
Och late to the game.

Any support for letting him to to our God dudes?

>>1784823
I mean if Kurosawa wants, but Kurosawa doesn't like talking to anyone other than us. He avoids the team so I don't know if he'll want to talk to a Sentinel.

Sakura probably doesn't care but I don't think she is a great first impression for the 'cats'.

>>1784830
I mean. That's the other thing.

Do we want him to have a good impression of the Gods? Maybe if he understands how limited they are conceptually he'll be more wary of Monad.

As for Kurosawa talking to him, if it could help to turn the Sentinels in our direction or give us insight as tobwhether or not Monad is related to the Gods who left then he has a Duty to talk to them, no?

Him and Sacrifice are the only ones who would really know what questions to ask, or what answers to give.

>>1784842
Well Kurosawa isn't the star child of infallibility either.

He also might just do the 'Well maybe your gods are infallible but Monad is the best!'. Even though they might be the same gods in the end ironically.

But yeah if Kurosawa wants to he can meet with Yoshida.

>>1784842
His Duty is to mankind and to stop the Intruders. Like it or not, the Sentinels are trying to help humanity against the Intruders.

You could probably convince Kurosawa to begrudgingly snort a few words his way.

>>1784820

“You see, some of us – myself included – believe that the four principle AI units have been changed in some way by Monad. Uplifted, perhaps, to serve as intermediaries and act on its behalf. While this remains a theory, it does explain certain “leaps” in performance that the AI units experienced. They became more than a conventional AI through an act of god,” Yoshida pauses a moment, musing on the idea, “Perhaps that explains EVE imprinting upon the Dolls. She may truly have a soul, albeit one that we may not recognise.”

“A soul... that would change things,” you admit, “What do you think EVE would do with a soul? I can't really understand her plans. I thought she wanted her own body, but now it seems as though she's sabotaging Project Alice...”

“I fear that I may not be able to help with that. I can't claim to be in expert in AIs – what little I know, I've only learned recently. However, I must wonder... has she really sabotaged it?” Yoshida thinks for a moment more, “EVE spreads like a virus. Perhaps that is as far as her goals reach, to proliferate herself. That is, after all, the driving force behind biological life.”

Suddenly aware that you're talking about “proliferating” with an elderly gentleman, you feel your cheeks heating up slightly. “Well... well what about the other AIs?” you quickly ask, “Do they have their own plans as well?”

“ZOE is a close asset to the Oracle project, and I believe that is of her own volition. REI, on the other hand, has no real personality. She is the face of cold logic, and personal thoughts would get in the way of that,” frowning, Yoshida takes out a handkerchief and dabs at his hands, “I cannot say what SAE aspires to. Perhaps your friend would be able to answer that – I understand that they have quite a close relationship. She always was one of Eligor's personal projects.”

“No kidding,” you murmur, thinking back to his web of surveillance, “You guys seem to have a lot of personal projects. Like, was Alice really just something that Nebiros was interested in?”

“Largely. We have a policy that at least two council members must agree to a cause. For Project Alice, Nebiros found an ally in Belial,” this gives Yoshida a moment's pause, “A man that I do not know well at all. I believe he is... faithful. I have faith in Monad, and the golden path that it creates, but I pale in comparison with Belial. I should arrange to speak with him – he must have an opinion on what transpired today. A rigorous discussion of theological matters... something that only an older gentleman like myself could enjoy!”

“Uh, right,” nodding slowly, an idea slowly forming in your mind, “Say, you ever feel like talking to another god?”

This certainly catches his attention.

[2/3]

>>1784823
>>1784867
this should be fun

Dunno if we should reveal this, personally...

>>1784856
I mean. He did just admit to several mistakes including specifically trusting the Oracle too much, and showed that he is pretty calm and reasonable. Diplomatic.

> I understand about misdirection, perhaps too much.

The cynical words of a rather skeptical man I'd say.

>>1784876
Just wait for us to drop the REAL bomb- "Hey wanna hang out with a Tyrant, I mean a class 8 Intruder? Her meat and tentacle puppets are pretty good these days."

>>1784867
> Monad is possibly the missing gods, and the AI are their faces

> Maika is the chosen of one of the Gods.

I mean. I wonder what that implies about the face of SAE, if maybe it's the reflection or avatar to some degree of the Pariah.

Wish I could remember more about Maikas role. But Maika puppets made things, and is I a sense a made thing herself, so maybe some sort of apotheosis with Maika?

>>1784890
What if SAE is simply her Kurosawa? If the other gods just up and turned into data and they can't manifest on their own anymore it's possible her god uses SAE to connect with her?

We've no idea what kind of girl-talk they engage in

>>1784890
What I take from this all is that SAE has a soul, so we can actually put her into a spider tank and make her a magical girl.
Just to see how Kurosawa reacts.

>>1784867

“Another god?” he asks, “I understand that your kind are servants of a different kind of god, but can you really offer something like that?” Pausing here, a look of faint dismay crosses his face. “Ah, I wished no offence,” he adds quickly, “When I say “servants”, I did not wish to imply...”

“No, don't worry about it. It's not the worst thing you could call me,” shrugging, you consider his question, “I mean, I can't promise anything. I could tell my guy that you'd be interested in talking, and maybe something could be arranged. You don't have a problem with talking to cats, do you?”

“Cats?” Yoshida repeats.

“Yeah. He, uh, he likes to appear as a cat,” you mumble, suddenly feeling very foolish indeed, “I think it's tradition or something, it's... ugh, whatever. Oh, wait, there might be a problem. You're not, y'know... initiated or anything, are you? Just, he might be pretty hostile about meeting someone partnered with an Intruder. It's the worst kind of blasphemy, apparently.”

“No, I'm not... in that kind of relationship,” a thin smile crosses Yoshida's face, “Well, I think I might enjoy the chance to speak with this god of yours. We'll have to arrange something later. I'm afraid I can't tarry here for much longer. I enjoyed this chance to talk face to face, however.

“Wait!” you call out, shuddering a little as you feel something move inside you, “I... Why were you guys up here without any guards? I mean, shouldn't you have had a few Sentinels with you for protection?”

“Protection?” Yoshida smiles wearily, “Eligor was certain that he could handle that personally. It was one reason why he wanted his girl with him.”

Of course it was. “And the other reason?” you mutter.

“Well,” the elderly man chuckles, “It's nice to do things as a family, isn't it?”

-

“Shit, there you are,” Emi breathes as you lurch back down to meet her, “You were gone so long, I was worried that you'd joined the fucking Illuminati or something. Uh, I checked on the others. Kasumi got off without a scratch – of course – and Ayane is... well, she's on the mend. Some medic guys came to take Shiori to hospital. A proper hospital, I mean. I guess they were in on it, because they didn't look twice at us.”

“How is Shiori?” you ask, “Has she said anything?”

“Hasn't said a thing. She's, uh...” the young girl clears her throat awkwardly, “She's not in any state to talk. That gas didn't do her any favours. She's like, alive, but... that's about all the good news I got.”

A chill runs through you at those word. Maika's voice is what snaps you out of it. “Miho, there's a car waiting to take us somewhere quiet,” she murmurs, “We can recover there. This way, please...”

>Yes. I... I need to rest
>No, I have to go see Shiori!
>Other

>>1784932
>No, I have to go see Shiori!
We'll heal faster this way!

>>1784932
>>Yes. I... I need to rest

>>1784932
>Yes I ... I need to rest.

Better to let Shiori sleep it off
Us too

>>1784932
>No, I have to go see Shiori!

This is our rest.

>>1784932
>>Yes. I... I need to rest
let's not bleed all over Shiori.
>Maika, are you up to having a look at Shiori?

>>1784932
>>Yes. I... I need to rest
We should at least stop bleeding everywhere first.

>>1784932
>Yes. I... I need to rest

>>1784957
>>1784932

Get Maika to set up monitoring for Shiori so we can go see her when she wakes up.

We could really use a medic magical girl in our crew. Maybe the Sentinels have a healer?

>>1784986
I meant less monitoring and more personally seeing her. Maika doesn't have any extra holes in her, and she's the next closest to Shiori after Miho.

>>1784986
Any healing from them would probably some Intruder thing that wouldn't mix very well with us I'd wager.

Our emotional barrier's healing is pretty substantial. It's only for shit like this where we are missing body parts that it takes hours instead of minutes.

>>1784986
The only medical meguca would be the Hospitallier who was Mercy. Not sure if getting only is possible now given Zakuro took so long to "die"

>>1784957
>>1784932
Voting for this

You look down at yourself. Your clothes are torn and bloodied, with open wounds still visible beneath the shredded cloth. You've stopped bleeding, mostly, but you still look more like a corpse than any living person. At least you can stand up under your own strength, and you can probably walk a little as well. Still, no matter how positively you try and spin it, you're a mess. Right now, the best thing you can do is heal up.

“Yes, fine,” you concede, slumping your shoulders, “I need to rest. Lead the way.”

“Emi, help Ayane up. She's coming as well,” Maika orders, gesturing quickly, “I don't want her mother seeing her like this. Bad enough that she has Shiori to worry about...”

“Wait, Maika, I want you to do something for me,” you tell her, “Can you go and take a look at Shiori for me? Just check on her, make sure she's... not getting any worse, at least. Would you do that for me?”

“Understood,” she nods firmly, “I can do that. I'll call you later, when I have a more definitive answer. For now, you need to worry about yourself first.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you mumble, trying your best to wave away her concern.

-

Ayane is barely conscious as she is loaded into the car – more accurately, a private ambulance – and strapped down. A makeshift sling binds her shredded arm to her side, the wounded edges pressed firmly together. As you head towards your destination, you're sure that you can see a faint shimmer rising off the ragged flesh. Soft steam rises as her flesh knits back together, but it's going to be a slow process.

One of her eyes opens a crack, wandering drunkenly around the inside of the ambulance before fixing on you. Her lips part, but she makes no sound.

“Shiori's in good hands,” you offer lamely, not sure what else to say, “She's being taken care of, I promise you that.”

Ayane's eye flits closed again, and a faint attempt at a smile forms on her lips. Maybe she nods her thanks, or maybe it's just the motion of the vehicle. Either way, she soon lapses back into unconsciousness. She has the right idea there, and soon you let yourself join her in sleeping a litte.

-

You dream. It's an awful thing, your nightmare, fixated around the terrible cannon you had faced down not so long before. Just as it had done in reality, the cannon in your dreams fires at you, but it doesn't stop with a short burst. This one fires an endless stream of bullets, battering down your defences and picking your body apart like birds stripping a corpse. It seems to last for an eternity, and you're forced to endure every minute of it.

When the chirp of your phone rips you from sleep, it comes as a welcome release.

>>1784992
Why not both? Get Maika to visit her and call us if the situation changes.

Improves. When the situation improves.

>>1784993
I meant for the people around us actually. Honestly even a regular rapid response medical team would be a good idea to have on call for wounded people.

>>1785005
Are we the toughest Magical Girl? Seems like we have a certain lack of concern for grevious bodily harm that significantly exceeds the others.

To the point of disturbing them consistently.

>>1785010
Ayane's still in worse shape than us.

The issue is more that Emi is not on the ball enough to get in the line of fire before us, and Miho has the dedicated tank moves anyway.

>>1785010
>Seems like we have a certain lack of concern for grevious bodily harm that significantly exceeds the others.

We are Sacrifice after all. But yeah we are also the 'Tank' of this group due to our skills.

>>1785017
Ehhh. Debatable. I mean her arm got shredded up good and she got more of the gas than us.

But we took a bunch of high velocity bullets head on, and we're shot through the body core a bunch. Like. Leaking lungs.

And we're just mildly irritated by it, to the point where losing some of a finger and a good chunk of our hip are - I was going to say afterthoughts but honestly that's how we reacted to getting hurt.

We were more upset by our "restless thoughts".

We weren't even still fighting or anything, just too anxious and stressed to bother with our wounds. "I only need one lung to breathe".

I would straight up say that we got at least as wrecked as Ayane, assuming the gas really messed her up.

But remember earlier in the quest when we got our legs mangled? And we were again just angry that we had to wait for it to heal? Easily once again on the same level as Ayanes injury.

I mean it's not just how messed up we both got, it's also how Miho doesn't flinch from it at all.

I have to wonder if this is something that comes from being Sacrifice, or if Miho is just that intense of a person which would honestly be pretty scary if she ever lost it for some reason.

Or if it has something to do with what Kurosawa did to our mind. We know that our parents thought that losing our sister had broken us in some way before we "forgot", maybe Kurosawa wiped our memory so we wouldn't be some sort of suicidal unstoppable berserker with an emotional barrier strengthened to a crazy degree by the purity and intensity of our feelings. Maybe that's something him and Sacrifice plan to use if necessary

>>1785005

Jolting suddenly upright in bed, you feel a chill on your bare skin. Cold sweat and a breeze from the air conditioning sends a shiver running through you. Reaching down, you throw aside the clammy sheets and look down at yourself. Strips of white bandage are wound around your various wounds, but other than those you're very naked. Grimacing, you cover yourself with an arm and glance around at the room you've woken in. Not a hospital, more like a discrete hotel. Folded clothes sit on a nearby cabinet, and you limp across to dress.

Not exactly the same clothes you were wearing when you were wounded, but very close imitations. Frowning at the ache running through your body, you pull on the loose T-shirt and tug it down. Your phone rings again before you've finished dressing, reminding you of what lifted you from sleep in the first place. It take you a moment to find it, Maika's number flashing on the screen.

“Shiori woke up,” Maika begins when you answer, “It was only for a little while – she's back asleep now – but she was able to drink a little and breath on her own. The doctors think she'll be okay.”

“That's good,” you sigh with relief, “Did she say anything?”

“Ah, yes,” Maika pauses, “She asked if the tank was okay.” Neither of you says anything for a moment, then you both break down laughing. The sheer absurdity of it goes a long way to lifting your mood and washing away that awful dream. “What about you?” the heiress asks once she's calmed herself, “How are you recovering?”

“I'm doing okay. I'm pretty sure that my lung is back, I can breath easily now, and...” you glance down at your left hand, “And I can count to ten again. I feel like a truck hit me, mind you, but I still feel like I got off lightly. Has anyone asked where we are?”

“Things are very chaotic here. There are a lot of people suffering from the gas or crushing injuries from the crowds. I've told Jodi that you were brought to different facilities,” Maika explained, “She didn't question it, so I assume she believed me. I... oh, excuse me. I have to go – I shouldn't be using this in here.”

“Miho, what are you...” Ayane mumbles, your conversation having woken her. She rises from her bed, squinting at you. “C'mon Miho,” she adds, “Put some pants on, would you?”

“I'll, ah, I'll let you rest,” Maika concludes hastily, “Ask your escort when you're ready, they'll be able to bring you over.”

“Wait, don't...” you try to explain, falling short before the call ends, “Don't get the wrong idea...”

“What the hell did we do last night?” Ayane slurs, her voice still thick with sleep, “Why are we sharing a hotel room, and why am I... Oh god...”

“This isn't what it looks like!” you groan.

[2/3]

File: Ayane Nakamura.jpg (150 KB, 900x900)

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>>1785046

“I'm kidding, I'm kidding,” Ayane holds up her hands, stopping you in the middle of a frantic explanation, “I'm just trying to lighten the mood. I kinda feel like... like I need to joke around a little. It's either that or facing reality, and that doesn't seem like such a friendly thing right about now.”

“Jeez, don't pull my leg like that,” you sigh, flopping back down onto the bed, “That was Maika on the phone. She's with Shiori – she's going to be okay, just like I said.”

“Thank god,” Ayane whispers, nodding to herself. Reaching up, she touches her bandaged shoulder and winces. “Where are we, anyway?” she adds, “This is either a fancy hotel of a mob safehouse, maybe both.”

“I don't know, actually,” you admit, “But we're not being held prisoner, that's good enough for me. Go on, get dressed – there's someone here who'll be able to bring us back to the others. We can regroup then and... and...”

“And what?” giving you a lopsided shrug, Ayane smirks, “And hop straight back into making movies and hunting Intruders?”

“Maybe,” conceding the point with a nod, you throw across a bundle of clothes, “I'm making this up as I go along. Now hurry up and get dressed, will you?”

“Sure, right away,” Ayane scowls at her wounded arm, “But, uh, you're gonna need to help me with this.”

“Jeez...” you sigh.

>Just hold still, okay?
>How's the arm, anyway? It looks better now
>How much do you remember of what happened?
>That was brave, protecting Shiori like you did
>Let's talk a little... (Write in)
>Other

>>1785075
>That was brave, protecting Shiori like you did
>How much do you remember of what happened?

>>1785075
>You uh... think Shiori saw? Or your mother, what if our transformations were caught on her tape...

>>1785075
> How's the arm? It's looking a lot better.

>>1785075
>Just hold still, okay?
>How much do you remember of what happened?
>That was brave, protecting Shiori like you did

“Alright, just hold still okay?” you tell Ayane, moving across to sit next to her, “I'll get this done as quickly as possible. How's the arm, anyway? It looks a lot better now.”

“Well, it doesn't look like raw meat, so that's a plus,” Ayane remarks, “Shit, I'm just glad that I didn't lose it. I'm not even sure what would have happened if I did, would I have grown a new one? Could I have stuck the old one back on and... yuck, I don't want to think about it.” She shudders at the thought. “Here, take the bandages off, would you?” she asks, “I don't think it's gonna fall off without them.”

“If you insist,” you murmur, unwinding them to reveal a lurid strip of scar tissue. “That'll smooth out later,” you assure her, “You'll be as good as new!”

“Yeah?” slowly, Ayane clenches and unclenches her fist, “It doesn't feel right. Maybe the nerves haven't finished growing back or something, I dunno. I can't really feel the tips of my fingers, though, and my shoulder feels so stiff. Man, getting shot really sucks!”

“No kidding!” you snort, “But at least we get to walk the worst of it off. Here, you think you can handle the rest of this yourself?”

Ayane frowns at her clothes. “Yeah, I got this,” she decides, “No fiddly buttons or anything, I should be fine. Thanks anyway.”

There is a brief pause. “You know, that was brave what you did,” you tell her simply, looking her in the eye for a moment, “Protecting Shiori like that, I mean. You didn't even hesitate.”

“Hey, what else was I gonna do?” Ayane tries to shrug, “Protecting the innocent, all that stuff... that's our job, isn't it? And hey, you did the same for me, didn't you? Not exactly protecting the innocent, mind you, but the principle is the same...” The smile falls from her face, then, leaving a look of grave sincerity. “I knew that there was a chance I could die,” she tells you, “Like, we all know that, whenever we do this stuff. I get that. This time, though, I thought it was a real, serious chance. I knew there was a pretty big chance that I'd end up giving my life for hers.”

“And you did it anyway,” you point out, “Like I said, without hesitating.”

“Guess I did,” she laughs wearily, “She's really gonna owe me something big for this...

“You think she saw anything?” you ask frankly, “Or what about your mother? If she caught our transformations on tape...”

“Shit, you're right. That's gonna be weird as hell,” Ayane winces, “I'll see what I can do to get access to her camera. I hate to mess around with her stuff, but I'll try and wipe off anything that could bite us on the ass. Can't exactly do the same for Shiori though...”

“Kurosawa can,” you mutter to yourself.

“Yeah?” Ayane scowls, “Well I ain't gonna let him mess around with her head.”

[1/2]

>>1785162

“That might be worse for her,” you hear yourself wondering, “Sometimes it's worse to remember...”

“I... man, I don't know. I don't want her getting dragged into this crap, but I hate hiding it from her as well. Maybe it's not so bad if she finds out about it naturally,” Ayane shrugs weakly, wincing as she flexes her wounded arm, “But having to hide it, knowing that the cat had been playing around with her memories, that would just piss me off. I guess we'll just have to see what happens when she wakes up, yeah?”

“Well...” sighing, you sit back down on your own bed, “I guess. Speaking of memories, how much do you remember about what happened? You seemed pretty out of it.”

“I saw more than you'd think. I saw you protecting me, for one. Man, you got fucked up bad,” Ayane looks you dead in the eye, “You got messed up really bad, and you just went nuts on that thing. I got hit once, and it pretty much took me out of the fight. You don't...” She trails off here, looking away from you.

“Go on,” you urge her, “Finish that thought.”

“You don't think that's a little weird?” she asks, her voice tinged with reluctance, “I know, I know. Emotional Barriers and all, but don't you think it's a bit odd that you could just walk that shit off?”

“I wasn't really thinking about it at the time,” you answer, the evasive words leaving your lips before you realise you've spoken, “I mean, I was angry at the time...”

“Sure, you were angry,” Ayane nods, “But you also had half of your organs splattered across the floor. I know which one of those should be more of a pressing factor, yeah? Look, I don't wanna get on your case about this, I'd rather have the indestructible warrior of god on my side, but I just thought it was worth... mentioning.” Shaking her head suddenly, she busies herself with pulling on her shoes. “Forget about it, Miho,” she adds, “Seriously. I'm still a bit shaken up, I don't know what I'm saying.”

“I don't know what else to tell you,” you murmur, “I'm just... normal.”

“Sure,” Ayane nods, giving you an encouraging smile, “Just a regular, normal magical girl.”

-

Neither of you says anything else until you're back in the private ambulance, driving towards the regular hospital. Your escort is a gruff looking middle aged woman, sullen and wordless. She was probably the one who bandaged your wounds while you were unconscious.

“Military training,” Ayane whispers, nodding towards the driver's seat, “You can always tell, they've got this walk. Even when they're trying to be normal, they've got this walk.”

“Do we have a special walk?” you wonder aloud, “A limp, maybe.”

[2/3]

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>>1785218

When you arrive at the hospital, your escort leads you straight to Jodi and the others. Emi is dozing on a nearby bench while Kasumi intently reads a paperback book. Shiori is awake, sitting up in bed and looking bored with the whole situation, while Jodi sits by her bedside, a camera case sitting on her lap like a sleeping cat. The woman is napping as well, although she springs awake at the sound of your arrival.

“Ayane, I'm so glad you're okay!” she cries, setting the camera aside and pulling Ayane into a tight embrace, “I was so worried!”

“Gah, don't! Not so tight!” Ayane protests, “My shoulder! I... I bashed my shoulder in the panic, got a hell of a bruise there.” Wriggling out of her mother's grip, Ayane hurries around to the other side of Shiori's bed. “You okay, Shiori?” she asks, “C'mon, tell me a joke or something!”

Shiori settles for giving you all an incredibly solemn thumbs-up. “Her throat is still a little raw,” Jodi explains, “It should pass in a week or so. That tear gas is nasty! I'm sure it's gotten worse since the last time I got hit with some of it...” A nostalgic smile crosses her face at the mention of this. “You never forget your first time,” she adds, “I was in Tokyo, covering some student protests. Well, long story short, the police ended up dropping tear gas on the whole lot of them. Nasty stuff.”

The whole anecdote just leaves you standing around, awkwardly glancing about at the others. Ayane looks just as bemused, laughing nervously to herself.

“But I'm glad that you're okay, both of you,” Jodi says, the humour falling away from her voice, “I heard that you'd been taken to an improvised hospital, since you weren't badly hurt, but I couldn't let myself relax until I'd seen you in person. This whole thing... what a farce this all is! At least I got my camera out okay, I don't have to worry about paying for a replacement. Still can't face checking the footage, though...”

>You weren't hurt at all, were you Jodi?
>Has there been any official statements released?
>I could take your camera back to the hotel for you. For safe keeping, yeah?
>I had a question... (Write in)
>Other

>>1785298
>>You weren't hurt at all, were you Jodi?

>>1785298
>I could take your camera back to the hotel for you. For safe keeping, yeah?
>You weren't hurt at all, were you Jodi?
>Has there been any official statements released?

>>1785298
>You weren't hurt at all, were you Jodi?
>Has there been any official statements released?
>I could take your camera back to the hotel for you. For safe keeping, yeah?

>>1785298
>You weren't hurt at all?

File: Shiori Nakamura.jpg (585 KB, 900x900)

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Clearing your throat, you look the older woman up and down. Her eyes are still a little red and her clothes are dirty, but she looks relatively intact. “You weren't hurt at all, were you?” you ask, “Other than getting, uh, gassed, I mean...”

“Oh, I'm perfectly fine. It was all very dramatic, but I don't think it was very serious,” Jodi smiles and shrugs, “I talked with a few of the nurses. There were only a few serious injuries, and those were crushing injuries from the crowd. They wanted to bring everyone in just to be careful – I think it's a publicity thing, showing how much they care and how sorry they are.”

“They?” you repeat.

“Whoever feels most responsible for this,” Jodi laughs, “There's always a “they” in these sorts of things. I'm not sure who they are yet, but it's only a matter of time.”

“Oh. Right,” you pause, “I take it there hasn't been any kind of official statement yet, then?”

“That's right,” Jodi begins, “I've not-”

Shiori clears her throat here, holding up a tablet so that you can read the screen. A recent announcement, from just ten minutes ago, has made the news. You almost laugh as you read it – it's almost the exact same statement that Nebiros suggested earlier, complete with the threatening mention of the earlier murder. While the statement, delivered by none other than Doctor Zhu, stops short of blaming Return to the Earth directly, the implication is as clear as day.

Reading the statement, you feel your stomach lurching. Not only are they covering it up, but they're also profiting from it – pinning the blame on their enemies.

“Well, I suppose that settles that,” Jodi decides, reading the report, “Almost too convenient, if you ask me. I'd give good odds that they don't have a clue about what really caused this, they're just putting out some vague assurance to stop people panicking too much.”

“So what?” you ask uneasily, “You don't believe it?”

“Question everything, my young apprentice!” Jodi says with a wink, “Never stop asking the difficult questions!”

“Right, sure,” you nod. A moment passes, and then you wave an awkward hand at the camera case. “I could take that camera back to the hotel for you,” you offer, “For safe keeping, yeah? I mean, it's got to be better than leaving it around here. Anyone could steal it, or it might get damaged...”

“And then I'd be the one facing a bill for a replacement!” Jodi groans, “Wouldn't that just be a fine way to end the weekend? You're probably right – here, take it.” Checking her camera case over, she hands it to you. “But hurry back, okay?” she urges, “Shiori was happy to see you back, weren't you?”

Shiori just roll her eyes at that, sighing silently.

[1/2]

>>1785377

With the camera case weighing you down, you leave the hospital and hurry off towards your hotel. The streets here are simple enough, and so it's easy to find your way back. All the while, though, you feel as though something is chasing you – your guilty conscience, perhaps. No matter how you look at things, you feel like you're destroying the evidence of some terrible crime, allowing some grave injustice to unfold unhindered.

Maybe you're just in a needlessly dramatic mood.

-

You wait until you're back in the privacy of your hotel room before getting to work on the camera. The recorded version of events feels even more surreal when you watch them back, more like something out of a Hollywood movie. Swallowing nervously, you reach the point where everything went to hell. Just before Jodi wrenched the camera away, she caught a long moment of you and the others transforming, flicking out of view as your magic takes effect. Given the circumstances, she probably didn't see anything herself, but this recording...

“Don't think of it as deleting it,” you mutter to yourself, “Just think of it as... strict editing. Yeah, that's it.”

Silently thanking Jodi for her lessons, you crop out the offending section of footage and prepare to wipe it. Then... you hesitate. No matter how much you gather your nerve, you can't bring yourself to delete it. Instead, you burn it onto a small memory card, hiding the card inside a spare pair of your socks. With a copy safe and sound, you feel less guilty about deleting the original. It's only when it's deleted that you realise why you felt so uneasy.

It's not all that different from what Kurosawa did to you, editing out the offending memories.

-

A few minutes after the footage is deleted, there is a firm knock at the door. Looking sharply up, you fight back a startled cry. Forcing back a wave of senseless guilt, you move to answer it. Maika waits, her expression pinched and focused.

“Miho. I'm glad I caught you here. I was told you were heading back to the hotel,” she begins briskly, “I was sent to find you. Nebiros wanted to speak with you. Follow me, please.”

“Wait a minute!” you protest, “What if I don't want to speak with him?”

“He anticipated this. He told me to remind you of who your father works for,” the heiress tells you, wincing a little, “I'm sorry. I don't think he's going to take “no” for an answer.”

“I can't say I'm that surprised,” you sigh, “Fine, shit. I'll play his game. Did he mention what this was about?”

“EVE,” Maika confesses, “It's about EVE.”

>I'm going to pause things here for today. I'll continue this tomorrow, and if anyone has any questions I'll answer them as best I can
>Thanks to everyone who contributed today!

>>1785432
Thanks for running!

If we don't work up the nerve to destroy that footage, we'd better keep it close. Don't need publicity on top of everything else.

>>1785432
We should remind him that he is a symbiote and we are Intruder Hunter Killer Squad.

But that might be rude.

Thanks for running Moloch.

>>1785432
Thanks for running!

How long until we discover that ZOE was the real mastermind behind all this?

>>1785445
Don't worry, there are very few places on Earth that are safer than Miho's spare socks.

>>1785456
Just because she's an AI, she's got to have some nefarious plan, is that it? It's 20XX, that kind of intolerance is just unacceptable!

>>1785446
Maybe a minor faux pas, but I can't say that he hasn't earned it

>>1785470
I wouldn't say safer.

Less likely to be searched, maybe? No wait, Maika exists.

>>1785445
I think it's good to have some footage of us in action, in case we need to go official some time.

>>1785377
>“Shiori was happy to see you back, weren't you?”

She totally saw us get shot the fuck up didn't she?

>>1785446
>>1785470

EVE likes our Dad. This guy just threatened him.

And, in her own way EVE has been on our side. She's just amoral like a little kid.

Kind of wish people could try to reach out to her. Maybe give her a label like being our little sister and she can work that into her fractured crazy add identity crises.

I have to say. Every time I think of Miho fighting, I think of this chick.

https://youtu.be/AnaEm_vPeY4

Less happy go lucky, obs.

>>1785749
Knowing how these things go, I'd bet that she'd model her 'little sister'-ness after Miho and her older sister.
And then she's going to tag along in a meat puppet while we fight intruders and then we're going to die traumatically in front of her, forcing the powers of the Heavenly Child to enter her directly.
Actually that might be a good thing. Sacrifice is easy when you have infinite bodies to do it with.

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Nebiros is on THIN fucking ice right now.

For all your information, I'm going to vote to cave his dumb zipperhead face in when we see him.

>>1787875
Nah. I vote we help EVE destroy him.

>>1787977
We'll ask EVE to fuck him up too, this isn't mutually exclusive.

>>1787988
>Not asking him ti fuck up EVE instead
I mean he at least doesn't want to kill us and wear our skin.

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>>1787989
All EVE needs is a proper hug once she's obtained a fleshbag. She'll turn out alright, you'll see.

>>1787977
>>1787988
>>1787989
is the next step asking EVE to fuck him?

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As you're leaving the hotel room you send Ayane a quick message, just something to warn her that you'll be delayed. Knowing better than to speak in specific detail, you leave your explanation vague – just a small errand that you need to run. You might have security on your phone, but you don't have much faith in these sorts of things any more. One thing that you've learned is that you can never be too careful.

“So,” you offer as Maika leads you to an elevator, “Running messages for the Council of Twelve now? You're moving up in the world.”

“That's unkind, Miho. I'm not very happy about delivering Nebiros' threats,” she replies coolly, giving you an unreadable expression, “I would much rather be waiting at the hospital with Shiori and the others.”

“Right, yeah,” you murmur, looking away and immediately regretting your words, “Sorry.” Falling silent, you follow Maika into the elevator and watch as she presses the button for the penthouse. “So, uh, Nebiros...” you continue, moving things hastily along, “He's so fat! Does he have, like... some kind of condition or something?”

“He does,” Maika nods, a tiny smile playing around one corner of her mouth, “It's called “eating too much”, I believe.” She allows her smile to widen for a moment before hiding it again. “In all seriousness, he does have certain medical issues. A condition rare enough that it doesn't have an official name yet,” she explains, “A genetic condition, I think. His body cannot accept conventional gene therapy – even a relatively simple cosmetic procedure could be fatal. I do wonder if his current physique is connected with it, or if he's just a swine of the highest order.”

At first, the explanation washes over you like a wave, but then an idea strikes you. “So wait,” you remark, “Maybe that's why he's so focused on Project Alice. If he's like... that, he might want to escape into a perfect body.”

“That does seem likely, doesn't it?” Maika agrees, “One must wonder how far he'd go to protect his pet project, in that case. Either way, it's dangerously unprofessional – mixing business and pleasure never ends well.”

Before either of you can say anything else, the elevator glides to a halt. The doors slide open to reveal a familiar, mismatched stare.

-

“Excuse me,” Miller says, stepping carefully around you. He looks exhausted, disgruntled and frustrated, but the elevator doors close between you before you can exchange further words. Grimacing, you turn away and amble into the penthouse. The windows are tinted to a solid black, while white lights from above immediately throw off your sense of time. An old analogue clock hangs on one wall, the hour hand hovering close to four – it could be four in morning or four in the afternoon, and you couldn't say which.

[1/3]

>>1788208

“Come in,” Nebiros – Huo Guang – orders, “Take a seat!” As you follow Maika further inside the penthouse, you see the council member spreading his bulk across a low sofa, with Doctor Zhu folded into a nearby armchair. He regards you with bilious eyes as you sit, his glare sinking into you like two of Crow's daggers. Guang, by contrast, seems in strangely good cheer.

“You probably saw Miller on his way out,” Guang continues, “We're arranging for bolstered security in all our facilities. I won't allow my employees to be threatened by thugs and anarchists.”

“We respect your commitment to internal security,” Maika agrees smoothly, giving you a quick glance to cut off any arguments, “However, I believe you had other matters that you wished to discuss?”

“EVE,” you state bluntly, “Have you considered your options yet?”

“We have. I have tolerated EVE's foibles for quite some time. Too long, some might say,” Guang's voice turns hard and flat, his eyes panning across Zhu for a moment, “But I allowed her to play her games, and I benefited greatly from them. Now, however, EVE is beginning to outstay her welcome. With this latest debacle, EVE is now more trouble than she is worth. I want to remove her from my affairs.”

“Remove her from your affairs,” you repeat slowly, looking between Guang and Zhu. Eyeing them up, you feel a sudden and intense dislike bubbling up from within you. You've had your issues with EVE before, but the way he casually speaks of getting rid of her...

“You don't like me very much,” the obese man states, “I'm saddened.”

“You threatened my father,” you retort, “That doesn't exactly endear people to me. In fact, it almost makes me want to punch you through that wall.”

Zhu tenses up, his fingers digging into the arms of his chair, but Guang just lets out a hard, humourless laugh. “I wanted to make sure that you would come here,” he says, dismissing your anger with a wave, “All behavioural profiles that we have worked out indicate that your father is a powerful influence on you. Rest assured, I would not casually dismiss him over a matter like this – he is far too useful.”

“So you're fine with making empty threats,” a sigh escapes you, “You're still a real bastard, you know that?”

“So I am told,” Guang nods, “Now then, the matter at hand. It is time that EVE was removed from her current position.”

“She won't make that easy,” you warn him, “She's had plenty of time to dig herself deep into your systems. You might have to burn it all down to get her out. Are you really prepared to take that chance?”

“EVE is not as clever as she thinks she is,” Guang gloats, “She has left a trail for us to follow. As we speak, a program is being prepared. A... a hunting hound, if you like, to root out all traces of her. It will take a great deal of effort to sweep our entire system, true, but I am prepared to accept that.”

[2/3]

>>1788213

“To protect Project Alice?” you ask, the question spilling from your lips before you can stop yourself. Guang nods heavily, not even trying to hide it. “So say you can dig out EVE,” you ask next, “What then? Were you planning to destroy her?”

“No, that would be wasteful,” Zhu interjects, “We believe that we can paralyse its higher functions. To put it in human terms, we could place it in a catatonic state. In time, we could wake it up again... if we so wished.”

“If she could be trusted,” Guang elaborates, “If we could MAKE her trustworthy.”

You feel a cold shudder building at the base of your spine. “Okay, that all sounds... pretty shady, if we're being honest,” you reply slowly, “But I don't get why you're telling this to me. Where do I fit in?”

“I thought that you would want to know, to hear that this farce will never happen again,” Guang heaves a heavy shrug, “Besides, you have a history with EVE, don't you? Don't bother answering that, we have detailed records. She has a fascination with you, and with your father. Soon, that will no longer be a problem. We shall make sure of that.”

You greet this with silence, cold and suspicious. Glancing aside, you take a look at Maika. Her face is expressionless, but her hands are forming tight fists in her lap.

“I'm glad we understand each other,” the obese man finishes, “You're dismissed.”

-

“I apologise for wasting your time with this,” Maika says as you're returning to the elevator, “I was led to believe that this was a matter of some urgency. I suspect that Nebiros simply wanted to see us dancing to his tune.” Pausing a moment, she scowls at her reflection in the elevator walls. “I detest him,” she admits, “People are nothing more than tools to him, to be used and discarded as he pleases.”

You consider mentioning that her father isn't all that different, but you decide against it. You have some tact, at least.

“No matter,” the heiress sighs, “We're finished here, at least. You can get back to the hospital, if you like. Do send Shiori my regards, will you?”

>I'll tell her. I was going to head back to see her now
>It'll have to wait, I need to speak with EVE. Is there a Renko terminal around here?
>Later. I need to take a walk, clear my head a little
>Other

>>1788218
We shouldn't use a Renko terminal, just find a public and unsecured one.

Heh, we should set up a physical link between her and that Monad in the church and let her infest it.

>>1788218
>It'll have to wait, I need to speak with EVE. Is there a Renko terminal around here?
"Actually you think she could be available at a public terminal? Or do I need to help her bridge the gap between a Renko terminal to a public one before hand?"

Here I was ready to chew Nebrios out about professional courtesy but the conversation was over before I knew it.

>>1788218
>I'll tell her. I was going to head back to see her now
Nah, EVE can go find us herself.

>>1788218
>>I'll tell her. I was going to head back to see her now

>>1788218
>>It'll have to wait, I need to speak with EVE. Is there a Renko terminal around here?

She is crude, but ultimately I think Eve can be helpful if we take some time to try and reach her. She feels strongly about our father, seeing him like a dad too. We should make her feel like a sister to us, and maybe try to be encouraging in a way that might keep her from being psycho.

>>1788218
>It'll have to wait, I need to speak with EVE. Is there a Renko terminal around here?
Time to taunt her.

>Sorry, my internet shut down on me. Closing the vote here for speaking with EVE, and writing now. Sorry about the delay.

“You're not coming back as well?” you ask, “I reckon Shiori would like to see you.”

“No, I'm afraid I have other duties to attend to,” Maika shakes her head slowly, “As you might imagine, there's still a lot of matters that need resolved. I'm honestly surprised that Nebiros was able to decide on this path so quickly – I have to wonder if he's been preparing for this moment for some time now...”

“Slimy bastard,” you mutter, “I've got half a mind to go back there and...”

“And start a fight?” Maika sighs, “I don't think that would help anyone, least of all you or your father.”

“But it would make me feel better,” you grunt, “Anyway, passing on your regards will have to wait – I need to speak with EVE. Is there a Renko terminal around here that I could use?”

“That might be difficult,” a frown crosses Maika's face, “Renko have locked down most of their equipment and confined their staff to their quarters for the time being – to prevent further terrorist actions, apparently. There may be a way to access a terminal, but...”

“Wait, hold that thought,” you interrupt, “Maybe a public terminal would be better. Renko are less likely to have eyes on it, and it'll be easier to access it. Do you know any unsecured terminals around here?”

“Unsecured? Hang on...” Maika takes out her phone, tapping a few icons on the screen, “There are a number of terminals in this hotel, any of those should do the trick.” As if on cue, the elevator shudders to a halt and the doors open to reveal the lobby. “Just take a left here, I believe,” pointing the way, Maika starts to leave before pausing. “I know this might not be my business,” she adds carefully, “But what Nebiros aims to do with EVE is wrong. As far as I'm concerned, it's little better than murder.”

“He might say it's putting down a sick animal,” you argue, “Or putting it into quarantine until it can't pass on its illness.”

“She's not sick, Miho, she's just... confused,” Maika shakes her head, “I apologise. I'm allowing my personal feelings to get in the way. As I said, take the next left here – there should be signs marking the way. I hope you have a productive conversation.”

Where EVE is concerned, that's not always something you can rely on.

-

Just as Maika said, there are signs pointing you to a discrete side room, partitioned off into cubicles. As you walk down the row, you only see one other patron – a journalist reviewing their footage, you assume, if the camera equipment is any indication. Taking the cubicle furthest from him, you go through the usual process. Scan your ID, pick a program at random and pull on the helmet. The only difference between here and the terminals you've used before are the programs offered – the ones here are newer, and far nicer.

Just a shame that you're not here for sightseeing.

[1/2]

>>1788314

Selecting a foreign museum tour from the list, you lie back in the cushy leather chair and wait for the simulation to begin. The world turns to white as your mind is whisked across an ocean, dropped into the hallowed corridors of some old European art gallery. The white walls and soft lighting make for a nice sight to be greeted by, but it doesn't last. Spreading like a cancer, black veins crawl across the walls, blooming into a furry moss before your very eyes.

It's almost like watching years, decades, passing with every second. The gallery crumbles, falling into disrepair and being swallowed up by nature. Priceless artworks rot and decay, flaking away and being replaced by nests of bloated insects. It's all very horrific, but you're no longer very surprised to see it. If anything, you'd be more surprised if EVE didn't make her presence known like this.

When you hear a low, ragged panting, you know that the AI herself is here. She sounds like an animal caught in a trap, pained and exhausted. Following those throaty gasps, you guide yourself down the ruined corridors. The simulation is detailed enough that you can feel warm water gathering around your feet as you splash across waterlogged ground, rounding one last corner to find the creature you were looking for.

EVE lies hunched on the gallery floor, shuddering softly as she drags in breath after painful breath. At the sound of your arrival, she jerks her head up and stares at you with maddened eyes. “I didN'T do IT!” she cries immediately, “You! You KNOw, it WASn't me! Tell them, teLL them I had NOTHing to do with IT!”

“EVE!” you snap, trying to get her to calm down. Ignoring you, the AI flickers out of sight for a moment. When she reappears, she is standing upright, pacing back and forth in a frenzy of panic. “Damn it...” you mutter, “EVE, listen to me!”

“Wasn't MY plan!” she wails, “I nevER wanted ANY of it!”

Somehow, you don't think she's in the mood for a polite talk just yet. Looking awkwardly down, you see a blurry image of your own body – not exactly a perfect reproduction, but close enough for a passing resemblance. When you return your eyes to EVE, she's still ranting away to herself. Maybe she just needs to get it all out of her system, or...

>Hug her
>Slap her back to her senses
>Wait her tantrum out
>Other

>>1788354
>Hug her

I've said it so many times already I gotta commit to it

>>1788354
>Hug her
"Easy, easy."

>>1788354
>Slap her back to her senses
Then
>Hug her

>>1788354
>Slap her back to her senses
Lmao you're gonna die.

>>1788354
Pls don't crush my jaw again.

>Hug her

>>1788354
Here's a crazy idea
>Use the armor-breaking curse

>>1788417
We are in VR.

If you want to armor break her for some reason wait til she gets a body.

File: EVE.jpg (187 KB, 850x850)

187 KB JPG

You'll admit, you're really not sure what people do in situations like this. Standing awkwardly in place doesn't seem to be helping, and EVE isn't in the mood to listen to reason, but what else can you try?

“I'm beING framed!” the AI rants, “Wasn't ME! Wasn't ME that-”

“Oh, for...” you groan, exasperated by her growing incoherence. The next time she turns your way, you lash out and slap her across the face. This cuts her words off in an instant, her eyes widening with utter shock. Before she can react, you throw your arms around EVE's shoulders and pull her into a tight hug. She shudders as you grab her, flinching as though anticipating another attack, but then she freezes. “Easy there, easy,” you murmur, “Slow down, and stop freaking out. It's seriously getting on my nerves. I came here to find you, so the least you can do is listen to what I have to say.”

“What...” EVE blurts out, “What are you doING?”

“I don't really know either,” you admit, “I'm making this up as I go along. It got your attention though, didn't it?”

“You HIT me, now you're TRYing to strANGle me,” she accuses, “And you're doING it WROng!”

“Don't be ridiculous!” you laugh incredulously, “If I was trying to strangle you, I wouldn't mess it up. I'm... look, just shut up a moment, will you?” Letting her go, you step back and look her up and down. Her cheek has started to form a lurid bruise, but you suspect that it's more for dramatic effect than anything else. “Are you ready to talk yet?” you ask, “Or did you want to rant some more?”

EVE pauses for a moment, glaring at you through narrowed eyes. “Humans are fascinating,” she murmurs, her voice dropping into a low, controlled growl. A ripple runs through her image, as if suppressing the distortion in her voice has just shunted it somewhere else instead. “Talk, then,” she adds with a pout, “I'm listening.”

“Let's just get one thing out of the way first,” you begin, “You absolutely did not intend to cause that scene with the Spider unit, correct?”

“Yes yes, that's correct,” EVE waves a hand at you, “I NEVer... I never wanted to cause any trouble. Not there, at least. Shooting a hall of people wouldn't be any fun.” She sniffs with disapproval. “I have standARDS,” stressing that word, EVE's voice breaks up into a growl of static, “Guns are NO fun.”

“Well, I've got bad news for you,” you tell her, “Whether you intended to do it or not, it happened because of you – because some part of you was left in that tank.”

“Really?” EVE's eyes widen, “Oops.”

You're not sensing a great deal of sincerity from her.

[1/2]

>>1788453

“Humour me,” she adds, speaking up before you can say anything else, “How did I cause this?”

“Well, I'm still a little unclear about that myself,” you admit, “Current theory is, you did something to the Doll that made it seem like it had a soul. Uh... do you have a soul?”

“I don't know,” EVE leans in close, blatantly sniffing you, “What does having a soul FEEL like?”

“I, uh, I couldn't really say, and...” you pause, taking a step back from her, “And don't sniff me like that!”

“FiNE,” the AI throws up her hands in disgust, shoulders moving in a way that is not quite possible for any normal human joint. “I wanted to see if you smelled like a soul, that's ALL,” she explains, “But I don't know what a soul smells like yet, so... furTHER... research... NEEDed...” Raising her hands to her face, EVE tentatively sniffs them as well before shooting you a curious look.

“Don't even think about it,” you warn her, “Look, I didn't come here to play “scratch and sniff” with you. I wanted to talk.”

“So you SAID,” EVE pouts, “So talk.”

>Forget it, there's no point. I'm out of here
>Your days are numbered. Renko Biotech is planning on getting rid of you
>You need to leave Project Alice alone. If you do that, Renko might let you live
>Here's what I wanted to talk about... (Write in)
>Other

>>1788508
>Your days are numbered. Renko Biotech is planning on getting rid of you
"They are preparing a 'hunting hound' program to root you out of their systems and paralyze you until they need you again. Apparently you left some kind of trail they could follow. Any idea what that might be?"

>>1788508
>There's this thing called responsibility. Now that you're actually listening to me, I think it's time I can explain it to you. It's got a lot to do with dealing with shit even if you didn't mean for it to happen.
>What the hell DID you do to the doll then? Was it supposed to be some harmless prank?

>>1788508
>Your days are numbered. Renko Biotech is planning on getting rid of you

So, what would one need to download a backup of her? What kind of network is needed for her to rebuild?

>>1788508
Renko is making a program to lombotomize you off site. to quote the fat bastard Guang.
“EVE is not as clever as she thinks she is. She has left a trail for us to follow. As we speak, a program is being prepared. A... a hunting hound, if you like, to root out all traces of her. It will take a great deal of effort to sweep our entire system, true, but I am prepared to accept that. We believe that we can paralyze its higher functions. To put it in human terms, we could place it in a catatonic state. In time, we could wake it up again... if we so wished. If she could be trusted. If we could MAKE her trustworthy.”

Granted he either told me this to gloat or so I could warn you and have you fall into his trap, but I would think you'd wish to know.
>That said you need to both have more responsibility AND empathy. Right now you act like either a spoiled child or an insane genocidal AI you see in the movies.
>What the hell DID you do to the doll then? Was it supposed to be some harmless prank?

>>1788508
>Your days are numbered. Renko Biotech is planning on getting rid of you

They're gonna hunt you down. Like an animal! They're willing to spend the time and effort to completely purge you from all of their systems and there's nothing you can do about it! Haha!

>>1788527
>>1788536
>>1788541
All these anons wanting to save the insane AI who wants to kill us.

>>1788508
>What DID you do to that Doll though?

“You're not going to want to hear this, but I'm going to tell you anyway,” you begin, “It's about time that someone taught you about a little thing called responsibility...”

“Sounds boring,” EVE mutters.

“What that means is,” you continue, speaking over her, “You're going to have to take responsibility for what happened, even if you didn't intend for any of it. I'm going to ask you something, and I want an honest answer.” Pausing, you check to make sure that the AI is listening to you. Her eyes have darkened somewhat, a vile mood swirling within them, but you don't feel as though it's aimed at you. Just a general sense of ire, perhaps. “Just what did you DO to that Doll back then?” you ask, “Was it your idea of a harmless prank, or what?”

“I just... borROWed it for a moment,” EVE answers, her voice skipping slightly, “When they were first testing their little toy, I might have... taken control for a moment. That's ALL I did! No more dangerous than slipping into someone's ski... someone's shirt.” She hastily corrects herself at the end, but her meaning is clear enough.

“So what, you just played at being tank for a little bit?” you think aloud, “And that's all it took to leave a mark on the Doll?”

“I guESS?” the AI shrugs, “But I don't see how that's MY fault.”

Sighing, you shake your head. “That's exactly what I'm talking about. Responsibility – right now, you're acting like a spoiled child,” you scold, “That, or an insane genocidal AI. Either way, you've pushed Renko Biotech too far this time. Your days are numbered, EVE.”

“Too... far?” EVE ponders, before snapping out a cruel laugh, “What are they goING to do, give me a TELLing off? Hah, they can't GET rid of me, I AM Renko BioTECH! They'd cut their own throats before they kill ME!”

“They're not going to kill you. They're going to... lobotomise you,” you warn, “They're preparing some kind of “hunting hound” program to root you out of their systems. Once they've got you, they're planning to cut off your mind until they feel safe using you again. I don't know if they're really capable of doing it or if they're just gloating, but they seem pretty willing to expend as many resources as it takes.”

“Impossible,” EVE's bloodshot eyes narrow into tight slits, “They can't find me. I've penetrated to the furthest corners of their network. A single phone, a single comPUTer... I can regrow from a single CELL!”

“And you left a trail for them to follow,” you correct her with a shrug, “They seem to think that they can find you. Any idea where you went wrong?”

“A stupid MIStake like that?” the AI spits, “I could neVER...”

Then she stops, hate and panic warring for control over her features as some awful realisation dawns.

[1/2]

>>1788610
Jury is still out on that and I'd rather try to make a potential powerful ally over working with a fatass that casually threatens our father just for an audience with us, empty threat or no.

>>1788632
I mean. Would an explanation with an apology and a trial period of limited or supervised work be accepted by Renko? I mean if Eve has never apologized before . . .

Otherwise I say we offer to help her have an escape route or backup.

But her actions hurt people whether or not she intended it, and if she wants live in a world with other people she has to own up to her accidents and mistakes.

Regardless we should tell Guang that if he treats EVE like a dangerous AI all the time, that's what he'll end up creating. Maybe offer to help EVE with lessons on manners and morals and ethical codes as part of her becoming more human.

>>1788667
Now that's going too far, asking them to pretty please be nice to her if she apologizes? Us being her governess or nanny? We don't have time for that shit

>>1788667
Guang and Zhu don't give a fuck about that.

This is all going to lead up to us buying a cheap android, stuffing EVE into it, letting the rest of her die, and just introducing the new little sister, isn't it?

All so we get another magical girl.

>>1788685
I'm ok with this, though we may have to steal a doll for her to go along with it.

>>1788632

As you watch, EVE's face twists into a mask of animalistic rage, lips drawing back to reveal bestial fangs. A low growl builds in her throat, growing into a gale of feral laughter. “Of course, of courSE!” she howls, lunging forwards and grabbing you by the shoulders, “The one thing I couldn't hide, the one SCEnt, I couldN'T cover up! I never KNEW until now...” Her laughter stops for a moment as she drags in a great breath of your scent.

“You're mad!” you cry, pushing her back and away, “Maybe you ARE just a sick animal after all. I thought... I'd hoped...” Clenching your fists by your side, you fumble for the words. “Maybe it's not too late!” you insist, “I... if you try and negotiate with Renko, if you show them that you're willing to-”

“If they're going to HUNT me DOWN like a rabid DOG,” EVE snarls, cutting you off, “Why should I PREtend to be ANYthing ELSE?” Turning away from you, the AI drops to her knees and shudders, the skin on her back splitting open in a long red gash. Blood-slick fur pushes out through the wound as the two halves of her human hide fall away to reveal a lean, wolfish body. Shaking off the last shreds of her skin, the changed EVE leaps to her feet and stalks away. Just before she can slink around a corner, she turns back to shoot you a vile glare – her eyes are still human, raw with malice.

“Wait!” you call, breaking your paralysis to run after her. Turning the corner after her, you're confronted with nothing more than an empty corridor.

-

Back in reality, you jolt upright and stifle a cry of alarm. Pushing up the helmet's visor, you see a field of snowy static blanketing the terminal screen. Slumping back, you draw in a heavy breath and try to make sense of her last words. Whatever her trail is, she hadn't realised that she was leaving it until speaking with you. Even if she did know, she wouldn't have been able to cover it up...

“Oh, I don't get this at all!” you groan. Staring up at the ceiling for a moment more, you pull out your phone and quickly call Maika. As soon as she picks up, you launch into your questions. “Maika, I need you to check something for me,” you rattle off, “Renko Biotech, anything going wrong with their computers? Anything at all?”

“What did you...” Maika begins, hesitating for a second before continuing, “I'll make some inquiries. I'll call you back as soon as I have a report.”

“Thanks, I owe you one,” you reply before ending the call. Staring into the crackling static, you heave a heavy sigh. “Oh boy,” you mutter, “This... is probably bad.”

[2/3]

>>1788726

As you're walking back to the hospital, a heavy cloud hanging over you, your phone rings. Answering it before the first ring has finished sounding, Maika's voice greets you.

“Nothing to report,” she announces, “No abnormalities, no glitches, no unexplained behaviour on EVE's behalf.”

“Oh,” you stop dead in your tracks, “Really?”

“Really. I asked around, and I can't find anything out of the ordinary,” Maika explains, “I don't mean to imply anything, but is there a reason why there should be anything wrong at Renko Biotech?”

“Well, uh, EVE might have learned about that hunting hound thing,” you offer lamely, “And... she might have freaked out about it. Just a little bit.”

“A little bit?” Maika sighs.

“Uh, she turned into a wolf and ran off,” you elaborate, wincing as a passing nurse gives you a strange look, “So yeah, I'd say she freaked out about it.”

“Oh dear...” the heiress sighs again, “I'll keep an ear to the ground, let you know if I hear any rumours about it. EVE is quite a popular subject for gossip in certain circles, so if she does try anything, I'll be able to hear about it. I'll call you straight away if anything surfaces, okay?”

“Okay,” you agree, “Thanks.”

-

When you arrive back at Shiori's bedside, you're surprised to find Jodi and Ayane absent. Emi is still dozing, while Kasumi looks up from her book at the sound of your arrival. “They went to get an early breakfast,” she explains, reading your expression, “I suggested it, actually. They both looked as though they needed a break. I was here, so Shiori was never alone.”

Shiori opens one eye and gives you a cautious look, greeting you with a tiny nod of her head. You approach, sitting by her bed and giving her an encouraging smile. “So, how are you feeling?” you ask, “How's your throat?”

She shakes her head gravely, picking up her tablet and tapping out a quick message. “I saw you,” the message reads, with Shiori quickly adding, “You got shot.”

“Uh...” wincing, you fumble for a convenient excuse, “No I didn't.”

Rather than typing anything else, Shiori just jabs your arm with the tablet, the non-verbal equivalent of repeating herself in a louder voice. As she waits for your answer, Shiori fixes you with her oddly piercing eyes – not a hostile or judgemental stare, but an intensely curious one.

>This is dangerous stuff, Shiori. I'll tell you the truth, but only if you're absolutely sure about this
>Really Shiori, I didn't get shot. Do I look like I got shot to you?
>Why don't you tell me what you think happened?
>Other

>>1788781
I didn't get shot, I just... couldn't block all the bullets. You know? Haha...

>>1788781
>Why don't you tell me what you think happened?

Then
>This is dangerous stuff, Shiori. I'll tell you the truth, but only if you're absolutely sure about this

>>1788781
>Why don't you tell me what you think happened?
I'm a sucker for these sorts of conversation options

>>1788781
>>Really Shiori, I didn't get shot. Do I look like I got shot to you?
>>Why don't you tell me what you think happened?
We shouldn't tell her the truth without talking to Ayane first, at the very least.

>>1788781
>>Why don't you tell me what you think happened?
>This is dangerous stuff, Shiori. I'll tell you the truth, but only if you're absolutely sure about this

>>1788781
>I hear that tear gas doubled as a hallucinogen. You was probably trippin.

>>1788794
Shoot her a text then?

>Shiori saw me get shot up. Tell her about us? Y/N?

>>1788781
>I got shot AT a bit, but thankfully it missed.
>I was sure I'll die. Please don't remind me of it.

>>1788679
> Successful drastic remodeling part of the AIs identity to make it easier to work with and productive while also reducing it's danger.

Fuck I'd send them a hefty invoice for it. If the can open up more productive dialogue with EVE then they can control her easier. I don't see why they would be against it.


>>1788726

We need to contact our Dad and tell him that he needs to help EVE calm down and work with you to solve this.

I wonder if Kurosawa could get a message through. Yes. I think we should use the God as a messenger. He can leave a note or something.

We should also inform the other AI maybe? SAE at least. Maybe we can outright steal EVE.

Fuck Reno. We be popping Tyrants one two with our lefts and rights. The one bumping off intruders when they go bump in the night. Twin fists of fury and our body don't quit, Reno suits and Sentinels start talking shit, better shut it and sit or you're gonna be in it.

OG MG Gunna Gonna be Gunning' for 'em, Gonna be runnin' for 'em, Gonna show them the hard M that's Me that's Miho, magic on the mic and magic in the fight and if you're stepping it's getting magical tonight, gotta hear you all give it up, give it all up for SACRIFICE.

>>1788781
A smart man would tell us about the Hunter AFTER releasing us.

>>1788855
Lol, lyrics aside I think you have the right ideas. Kurosawa needs to pull some weight now and then

“Well...” you begin, hesitating before you can go any further. Pulling out your phone, you type out a hasty message to Ayane. “Shiori saw us,” you send, “Get up here.” A moment later, her reply arrives.

“Stall her,” the message reads, “On my way.”

“Okay Shiori,” forcing a careful smile, you give the young girl an encouraging nod, “Why don't you tell me what you think happened?”

Frowning slightly, Shiori takes back her tablet and begins to tap out her version of events. She takes it slowly, often going back to edit parts or add in extra sections. “I saw you getting shot. A lot. Then you got back up. I saw a lot of fire then, and I smelled something burning. It was disgusting,” her story begins, “You had red on you, all over you, so you were definitely hit. Now you're perfectly fine – explain that.”

“Really Shiori,” you smile weakly, “I didn't get shot. I mean, do I look like someone who got shot to you? Like you said, I'm totally fine – it's not like I could have... blocked the bullets, right?”

“Healing factor,” she types quickly, “It's the only explanation. Mutant superpower or experimental nanotechnology?”

Her wild theories cause you to blurt out a laugh. “That's a bit outlandish, don't you think?” you reply, “What about my clothes, then? Do they have mutant superpowers as well?” Leaning back, you glance around for any sign of Ayane's arrival. Nothing yet, so you go back to stalling for time. “I hear that gas stuff can have a hallucinogenic effect in some cases,” you offer, “I was there, sure, and I got shot AT. Maybe you just imagined the rest?”

Shiori shoots you a long, serious look, then slowly shakes her head.

“I could have died!” you protest, “C'mon, stop reminding me of it!”

This, at least, brings a faint hint of doubt to her eyes. Uncertainty, perhaps, or maybe a willingness to let the matter go unanswered. When she doesn't say – type, really – anything else, you start to think the problem has passed.

And that's when Ayane arrives. Banging through the double doors, she rushes over and grabs you by the shoulder. “Miho!” she hisses, “Did you tell her yet?”

“Uh...” you begin, nodding towards Shiori. Slowly, Ayane turns and gives her younger sister a sickly smile. Shiori's eyes have sharpened up again, boring into Ayane. “Shiori,” you ask sweetly, “Give us a moment, please.”

-

“Okay, yeah, I fucked that one up. Not gonna deny it,” Ayane admits as you drag her a few paces away, “How much have you told her?”

“I was denying it, and rather poorly,” you tell her, “But I think I was starting to convince her... until you got here! Honestly, you didn't think that being subtle about this might have been better?”

“You're implying that I think about stuff,” Ayane shrugs, “Whatever, we gotta work out what we'll tell her. I don't think she's gonna buy a simple denial now.”

“I wonder why...” you mutter.

[1/2]

>>1788905

“Well, it's like I said. No point in a blanket denial now,” Ayane gives you a carefree shrug, “Shiori's pretty mature for her age, I reckon she'll take it well enough if we give her the truth. I don't want to be rude, but it's not like she's got this massive circle of friends that she's about to tell.” She looks across to Shiori, who returns the look. “So yeah, I think we tell her,” Ayane decides, “I'll take the blame if this all goes wrong. Honestly, it'll be nice not to have to hide this from her...”

A thought occurs. “Ayane,” you ask in a low, warning tone, “Did you do this deliberately?”

“What? C'mon!” she protests, “That's low, Miho. If I was gonna tell her, I'd just go out and tell her straight up. I wouldn't mess around like this.”

You're doubtful – more than doubtful – but this isn't the time for that. Shooting Ayane a hard nod, you return to Shiori's bedside. As you sit, she pushes her tablet across at you.

“Got your stories straight?” it reads.

“Look, this is dangerous stuff, okay?” you whisper to her, “We're willing to tell you, but only if you're absolutely certain about it. This is your last chance to back out.” The young girl thinks for a moment, then gives you a typically solemn nod. “Okay, uh, here we go,” you begin, “The thing is-”

“We're magical girls,” Ayane interrupts, “Cool, huh?”

Picking her words with care, Shiori taps out her reply. “So you have no intention of being honest,” her message reads, “Is that right?”

Sighing, you give Ayane a vague gesture of frustration. She just laughs happily, wholly enjoying this little mess.

-

Although Shiori comes to believe your story very quickly – you can tell by the way her eyes widen a little, although she hides it well – she maintains an arbitrary degree of scepticism, questioning your explanation and probing for more details. It's only when Ayane grows bored with explanations and transforms that the young girl drops her pretence.

“Ah!” she gasps aloud, her voice rough and hushed. Wincing, she touches a hand to her throat and shakes her head, waving you off when you reach for a glass of water. As you're returning to your seat, your phone chimes again.

“Go ahead and take that,” Ayane tells you, “I can take care of things here. It could be important, whoever that is.”

Checking your phone, you see Maika's name. “It IS important,” you murmur, hurrying away as you take the call, “Maika, what's up?”

“I have an update on EVE,” she begins, “A lab tech at Renko Biotech just tried to get her to run a few tests. All very routine, you understand, but there was an anomaly. EVE... forgive me, I'm not quite sure how to describe this.”

“Oh god,” you mutter, “How many people are dead?”

“None!” Maika insists, “It's not that kind of anomaly. Yet.”

[2/3]

>>1789036

“Yes, well, I'll try and keep this brief,” the heiress clears her throat, “EVE followed her instructions without error, but also without any hint of her normal quirks. It's as though all aspects of her personality were removed. That sounds awfully like the hunting hound program, but it's far too soon for that... isn't it?” Maika sighs. “I have a theory,” she continues, “I think that EVE – as an individual entity – has gone into a kind of hiding. She's left behind an unthinking copy to take care of business while she's doing... whatever she might be doing.”

“That sounds like what happened with our gods,” you murmur, “They skipped out on us as well.”

“This is all very peculiar,” a note of frustration steals into Maika's voice, “There isn't much we can do right now, as best I can tell. I'll keep investigating, but I'm not sure what else I can do.”

“Can SAE help?” you ask, “Even an opinion from another AI might be worthwhile.”

“Hm, that is true. I'll call her next,” Maika pauses, “It'll be nice to speak with her again.”

“Uh, sure,” frowning to yourself, you touch a hand to you temple, “I'm going to try and get in touch with my father, even if I have to get Kurosawa to chase him up for me. About time that cat pulled his weight...”

“I heard that,” Kurosawa announces as you're putting away your phone, causing you to jump in alarm. “It would be difficult for me to chase him in any such way. Only those chosen by the gods may see me, and he is definitely not among that privileged few,” he continues, “In this regard, I am loathe to admit that your technology will be more useful in communication.”

“So what, just call him normally?” you sigh, “And take a chance on him actually answering his phone, man...”

“That, I must confess, is your problem,” Kurosawa states.

Not a problem you're unfamiliar with, either.

>I'll try calling him, then. Now shoo, give me some privacy!
>EVE has a soul, apparently. Does that mean she could be like us?
>Would you like to speak with Asmodeus? I could relay your half of the conversation
>How are things going back home?
>Other

>>1789121
>EVE has a soul, apparently. Does that mean she could be like us?
>Would you like to speak with Asmodeus? I could relay your half of the conversation

>>1789121
>>EVE has a soul, apparently. Does that mean she could be like us?
>She left enough of one for an Intruder to try and eat at least.
>Would you like to speak with Asmodeus? I could relay your half of the conversation
>How are things going back home?

>>1789121
>How are things going back home?

>EVE has a soul, apparently. Does that mean she could be like us?
"Asmodeus implied that Monad has something to do with that."

Segue
>Would you like to speak with Asmodeus? I could relay your half of the conversation
"He might have insights on Monad and you two comparing notes might help."

Then
>I'll try calling him, then. Now shoo, give me some privacy!

>>1789121
Damn it go to bed Garfield

>I'll try calling him, then. Now shoo, give me some privacy!
>EVE has a soul, apparently. Does that mean she could be like us?
>Would you like to speak with Asmodeus? I could relay your half of the conversation

>>1789121
>How are things going back home?
>EVE has a soul, apparently. Does that mean she could be like us?
The talk with Asmodeus won't work. We'll have no proof we aren't just talking bullshit.

File: Kurosawa.jpg (52 KB, 724x1103)

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“EVE has a soul, apparently. Enough of a soul for an Intruder to take an interest in her, at least,” you muse, “All the four main AI units do, if this theory holds true. Does that mean they could be like us?”

“Chosen by the gods, you mean?” he asks, “The idea, I admit, did not occur to me. Often, it seems as though I have been plunged into a world that I know nothing about – the rules that govern my existence seem to have changed, and I must relearn them from nothing.”

“So...” a pause, “You don't know?”

“It is too early to definitively say that,” Kurosawa shoots back, irritation in his voice. You forgot how much he hates being ignorant, how he can't stand not knowing something. “If Monad truly is the gathered form of mankind's native gods, it may possess the ability to nominate champions. Whether or not they would possess the same form and duties as you and your colleagues, I cannot say. Monad's motive remain... unclear to me.”

“Unclear to everyone, it seems,” you sigh, “Still, Asmodeus implied that Monad was the one to give EVE this ability. At the very least, he thinks the two are connected. Hey, would you to speak with him? I could relay your half of the conversation, and it might help for you two to compare notes. Y'know, you could get his insights on Monad, and he might enjoy learning about the old gods.”

Kurosawa appears before you, answering your offer with an unwavering stare.

“He's not initiated, or anything like that,” you add awkwardly, shifting uneasily under his gaze, “If that's what you were wondering. As best I can tell, he's pure human. He's okay, although we've not talked all that much. He's better than most of the council members I've spoken with.”

“Under any other circumstances, I would not even consider a meeting of this sort,” Kurosawa decides after a moment, “But I have found myself entertaining a great many new and novel ideas of late. We have consorted with Tyrants already, I see no reason why meeting with a Sentinel should be any less acceptable. However, I have a concern – I have no way of proving my existence to him.”

“Shit, that's right,” you mutter, “That's gonna make things more difficult. Uh, maybe there's a way of improvising something. I'll think about it, yeah?”

“And I will do the same,” Kurosawa promises, “If we can reach some solution, I would be willing to meet with this man.”

“I'll mark that down as a tentative “yes”, then,” you sigh, “Chances are, we won't have a chance to meet until this awful holiday is over anyway, so there's no rush. Speaking of that, how are things going back home?”

“No major incidents,” the cat answers, “One Intruder, a lesser Demon, but it was destroyed without issue.”

“Megumi got it?” yawning, you glance at a clock, “I figured as much...”

[1/2]

>>1789255

“No,” he shakes his head, “It was one of the Sentinels, the man calling himself “Tanaka”. He destroyed the Intruder. The Gravetender was close when the Intruder was destroyed, but I do not believe she was detected. I encouraged her to be more cautious regardless.”

You can just imagine him giving her a scolding.

“She promised to be more careful in future,” Kurosawa adds, “It is not in her nature to be careless, so-”

“Yeah yeah, I get it,” you cut him off, “Now shoo, I've got a call to make, so give me a bit of privacy.”

-

After Kurosawa has flickered and vanished from sight, you lean back against the wall and carefully dial your father's number. It's early enough that you might be able to catch him at breakfast – rude under normal circumstances, perhaps, but also one of the rare chances to catch him when he isn't busy working. Holding the phone to your ear, you listen as it rings and rings. Just as you're heaving a heavy sigh, you get an answer.

“Miho?” your father answers, “It's... awfully early for a chat. Is there something wrong?”

“I hope not,” you begin, “I've been hearing, uh, bad rumours. Has EVE been acting strangely over there?”

“Oh. Oh, I see,” he pauses, “Yes, there was that. She's been very quiet today. One of my assistances woke up early, he was concerned. His complaint was, and I quote, “EVE is acting like a machine”. Pretty odd complaint to have, considering she's an AI!” Akito laughs weakly, his fake humour obvious even over the phone. “It's probably just a glitch. Work might be a lot more boring today without someone to talk with, though!” he laughs again, stronger this time, “Ah, I probably shouldn't say that, my superior might be listening in.”

“Maybe you should talk to her anyway,” you think aloud, “It might help to keep her calm, stop her from doing anything rash, and...” You trail off, realising that you really did just say that aloud.

“Miho?” a sharp note enters Akito's voice, “Is there something you need to tell me?”

“Oh shit, I... I didn't mean to say that aloud,” you groan, “I'm sorry, I've barely slept. It didn't mean anything, it just... slipped out. I didn't mean anything by it.”

Akito is silent for a long moment. In the distance, you can hear a buzzer sounding from somewhere deep within his office. “I'm sorry, my shift just officially started,” he says stiffly, “We'll have to finish this later.”

“No, I-” you cry, only for Akito to end the call. “Damn it...” you hiss, slumping back against the wall and fighting the urge to collapse. Ayane, it seems, isn't the only one with a loose tongue.

>I'm going to pause here. I'll continue tomorrow, although it may be a shorter run than normal.
>Sorry for the delays today, I've been feeling a little under the weather

>>1789347
Thanks for running!

We should just tell dad EVE talks to us sometimes.

>>1789347
You know at this point I don't see why we don't just say that: Yes, EVE talks to us on occasion and since she is so close to Akito it wouldn't be super far-fetched that EVE has an interest in his family.

Thanks for running Moloch

>>1789347
Thanks for running! Please take care.

When will we find out we're a lab-grown homunculus with Miho's memories planted in?
I mean we tanked a cannon round with just a hole in the chest. Usually even heavy machinegun rounds just tear people in half on hit.

>>1789388
Emotional barrier stronk. Also we have issues about reacting to injury properly.

>>1789347
When will we find out that Moloch's chronic headaches and bad health is because he's a sentinel that won't feed cause it's gross?

>>1789419

Worryingly accurate.

>>1789388

Clearly, Miho is an experiment in creating the ultimate magical girl. A flawed prototype, perhaps!

>>1789442
So when EVE gets her Alice body she is going to be our Decker for our inevitable Shadowrun team once the corporations got full totalitarian right?

I mean we already have most of the bases covered. Maika is already a Rigger, Ayane is a Dog Shaman, Miho passes as a Physical Adept, Emi is a Street Samurai, and Kasumi is... well we'll teach her a fireball sometime and she'll be the Mage.

>>1789606
Kasumi is clearly the Face. The only other person that could be passable in diplomacy would be Ayane, and she would be too busy trying to get into some hot guy's pants to actually do diplomacy.

>>1789606
>>1789615

Well, I wouldn't want to confirm anything about EVE right now. The situation is, as they say, a developing one. Everyone else fits into their specific roles quite well, though.
And only bad citizens would think about resisting their corporate overlords. You're not a bad citizen, are you?

Eerie.

File: Kasumi Sato.jpg (604 KB, 1080x1080)

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You've started to recognise this feeling – it's one that you're all too well acquainted with. This is the feeling you get when you want the whole world to go away, to leave you alone for a bit – maybe a few days, maybe the rest of your life. Things are piling up again, as they so often do, and you can sense a collapse looming.

At the time, you thought that the incident with the Spider unit was the worst that things could get, but now you're not so sure. You let too much slip when you were talking with you father – you could blame nerves, poor sleep or a million other things, but it wouldn't change anything – and the thought of piling up another few lies... it's hardly a welcoming prospect. Maybe it would be best to come clean, to tell him all about EVE.

You'll do that, you decide, you'll tell him everything – at least, as much as you can – when you next get the chance to speak with him. His lunch break, maybe, or whatever other time off he can get. Considering the note you left your conversation on, he's probably just as eager to talk as you are. It might not do much to deter the approaching collapse, but you'll take whatever you can get.

Stretching out your aching shoulders, you start to amble back towards Shiori's bedside. When you get close, however, you find yourself carrying past it and wandering deeper into the hospital. Taking random turns and corners as you walk, you feel a tiny share of the tension slowly bleeding away from you. Nobody bothers you as you wander, and that's exactly how you like it. Occasionally you touch your chest, feeling the newly healed flesh beneath the bandage. Still a little aching and bruised, but far from the open wound it had been earlier. Your very own mutant superpower, as Shiori might have put it.

Thinking of Shiori, you turn and start to find your way back to her bed. She's a good kid – a little weird, maybe more than a little, but none of you are exactly normal. Even if Ayane did deliberately bring Shiori into your other life, you're not sure if you can blame her. An older sister sharing her secret with her younger relative... well, you've heard that one before.

Now that the immediate danger has passed, your own memories will be waiting. Now, though, you're less certain about having them unsealed. Perhaps they would be the last straw, the last bit of weight needed to bring your towering worries crashing down. Perhaps...

Turning the next corner, you see Kasumi sitting at a bench and sipping from a can of vending machine coffee, her face pinched with distaste. When she sees you, she smiles and pats the seat next to her, inviting you to join her.

[1/3]

>>1792462

“Here, you look like you could use this more than me,” she begins, holding out the can, “I've never needed much sleep. I'm a night person, I think.” Taking the can from her, you drink deeply and shudder at the bitter taste. Still, the caffeine hit comes as a bit of welcome relief. “My my, don't drink too quickly or you'll choke,” Kasumi scolds you gently, smiling coyly, “You know, there's a name for things such as these.”

“Don't start with that “indirect kiss” stuff,” you groan, “I'm not in the mood.” As you look around to hand the coffee back to Kasumi, though, you catch the last flickers of a vibrant blue light in her eyes. “Did you just... do your thing on me?” you ask incredulously. The elegant girl pauses, then shrugs gracefully.

“I did, yes,” she admits, “I was curious as to what I might see.”

“Ugh...” groaning again, you look away and rub your aching brow. Curiosity soon gets the better of you, though, and you look back to Kasumi. “Fine, I'll bite,” you tell her, “What did you see? Did you see anything at all?”

“Well...” Kasumi tilts her head to the side, “You're afraid.”

“Really?” a frown crosses your face, “I don't feel afraid.”

“That's the point, Miho, it's a fear that you can't, or won't, admit to yourself,” she explains, “It's not that you're afraid of failure, it's that you're afraid that you won't be able to get back up if you do fail. Or... no, it's not quite that either. Maybe it's more that you're afraid you won't WANT to get back up. You're worried that you're never more than a few steps away from giving up.” Kasumi purses her lips as she studies you, her eyes back to their normal hue. “You're quite a complicated person, Miho, not at all easy to read,” she laughs softly to herself, “But I wouldn't say there's anything wrong with that, would you?”

“I don't know,” you admit, “I just... don't know.”

“We'll take it one step at a time,” Kasumi promises, lightly patting your knee, “That's as much as we can ever do.”

Looking away, you consider her words. While you're glad to hear that you're not an empty shell any more, what she found inside your heart was far from reassuring. It doesn't come as entirely new information, but she did a good job of putting your previously formless feelings into words. Bleak words, true, but there's still something oddly comforting about putting a name to your anxieties.

“I guess you know me better than I know myself,” you sigh after a while, “I don't suppose you've got any great advice to give me?”

“Right now?” Kasumi looks you up and down, “The best advice I can give you is rest. I'd call it a good night's sleep, but...”

“But it's pretty much morning,” you finish for her, groaning with dismay.

[2/3]

>>1792465

In the end, you decided to take Kasumi's advice. As you were heading back to the hotel to get some sleep, you got a message from Jodi – an announcement about your return to Ark City. You'll be leaving in the evening, later than originally planned. It's not ideal, but it's hardly the worst outcome. At the very least, it'll give you some time to rest before the journey.

That was the plan, at least. In reality, things were far less cooperative. Maybe it's the coffee you drank, but sleep is hard to find. Lying in bed, tossing and turning, you shudder as something pierces right into you. When you sit upright, you see Kurosawa sitting at the bottom of your bed.

“Heavenly Child,” he says simply, greeting you in his rough, familiar voice.

“You again,” you sigh, “Something you wanted?”

“It would be more accurate to say that it was something YOU wanted,” Kurosawa stresses, “I believe that now may be a good time for you to... to recover what you have lost.”

“What you took from me,” you correct him, a correction that Kurosawa accepts with a nod, “Why now?”

“I do not anticipate danger,” he says simply, “And you wanted this done soon. You seemed quite insistent about that at the time. Have you changed your mind?”

>No. I want my memories back. I'm ready
>I guess I have. The past can wait a little while longer
>Other

>>1792466
>No. I want my memories back. I'm ready
gib mammaries bak pusy

>>1792466
>No. I want my memories back. I'm ready
On top of everything these past few days this is going to be rough, but no time like the present.

File: Hikari Tsukada.jpg (394 KB, 900x900)

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Lying back, you close your eyes and draw in a steady breath. Holding it for a moment, you let the air out in a calming rush – trying to imagine your worries and concerns leaving your body with it. It's no miracle, but it makes you feel a little better – stable enough to give Kurosawa your answer, at least.

“No, I've not changed my mind,” you tell him firmly, “I want my memories back. I'm ready for this. I'm...” Pausing here, you think back to your brief conversation with Kasumi. “I'm not afraid,” you finish.

“And I will uphold my promise,” Kurosawa assures you. He flickers out of sight for a moment only to be sitting on your chest when he reappears. There's no weight at all to him, no sense of physical presence, just a faint tingle of static electricity that prickles at your skin. “A warning, however, before we begin,” he adds, “This may be... uncomfortable.”

“Will it hurt?” you ask.

“No, but you may find it disorientating,” the cat explains, “Whatever happens, you must not allow yourself to lose sight of reality. These are memories, nothing more.”

“I understand,” you reply, not really sure if you do, “Shall we begin?”

Reaching out with a paw, Kurosawa touches your forehead. The static charge builds for a moment, sinking deep into your head, and you feel your eyes fluttering closed in automatic response. In the blackness, you feel the sheets beneath you fading away to nothing, all sensation drawing back until nothing remains. Thoughts and images begin to flash through your mind, never lingering long enough to focus on any one thing, while it becomes harder and harder to focus on the present moment.

You are Miho Tsukada, you remind yourself desperately, you are in a hotel room in Neptune Island. Miho Tsukada, Nepture Island. Miho Tsukada...

You are...

-

You are Miho Tsukada. You are, perhaps, thirteen years old. Darkness blankets your home, the natural darkness of night. You should be asleep, but instead you stand by the door to your sister's bedroom, listening as she talks in a low voice. She must be talking to some friend of hers on the phone, you realise, although she doesn't sound like someone enjoying a moment of idle conversation. Rather, her voice is sharp and deliberate.

“I'm going to tell her, Kuro,” she hisses, “I don't care what you have to say, I'm not hiding something like this from her. I hate it!” A pause, and then Hikari lets out a curt laugh. “Then I'll tell her again!” she threatens, “I'll tell her as many times as I need to. You know how stubborn I can be, Kuro, don't think you can get the better of me. I...” Another pause, and then a light clicks on in her room. “That you, sis?” she asks, “C'mon in, we gotta talk.”

Fearful excitement tingles through your body as you reach out, gently nudging her door open. Entering her room feels like treading on sacred ground.

[1/2]

>>1792503

Hikari sits on her bed, smiling with unforced cheer. She was always proud of her smile, you recall suddenly, she knew that it would get her a modelling job one day. Returning her smile with a rather less certain one of your own, you carefully close the door behind you and hop up onto her bed. Her phone is nowhere to be seen. She glances to the side, seemingly listening to something that only she can hear, and then she returns her eyes to you.

“Ark City is pretty nice, huh?” she begins, “Did you know that we've got some of the lowest crime figures in the developed world? It's true, I looked it up the other day!”

Of all the things you had been expecting her to say, this was not among them. Blinking slowly, you stare at her in confusion. “Uh... okay?” you begin, before an idea starts to form, “Oh, I get it! You're going to work for the police, is that it?”

“Not exactly,” Hikari laughs, “But, well, I guess you're not far off. Think about it, there has to be someone who keeps the peace, right? The police arrest the criminals, and that's fine.” Again, she shoots a sharp glare at one particular corner of her room. “What about criminals that the police can't catch, though?” she asks, “Who protects people from them?”

“C'mon, they taught me this in school,” you giggle, “The corporations have their own police!”

Heaving a dramatic sigh, Hikari rolls her eyes. “Okay, bad example,” she decides, “So, ah, you watch that Little Queen Starlight show, right? Sometimes, brave heroes have to protect the rest of us from spooky monsters. What I'm saying is... uh... I'm one of them.”

“One of... them?” you ask, frowning suddenly.

“One of the brave heroes, I mean!” Hikari shakes her head in amusement, “Not the spooky monsters. I'm a... I'm a magical girl, Miho.”

“Oh... Oh!” your eyes widen with surprise and wonder, “You're going to be an actress? That's so cool!”

“Keep your voice down, you'll wake mom and dad,” Hikari shushes you, “And I'm being serious, this is for real. I'm really a magical girl!”

>C'mon, I'm not some dumb kid. Those shows aren't real...
>That's so cool! Do you get a cute costume? Can I be a magical girl as well?
>But... doesn't that mean you fight bad guys? I don't want you to get hurt!
>Other

>>1792529
>That's so cool! Do you get a cute costume? Can I be a magical girl as well?

>Inb4 Hikari also just has a scarf.

>>1792529
>C'mon, I'm not some dumb kid. Those shows aren't real...

>>1792529
>That's so cool! Do you get a cute costume? Can I be a magical girl as well?

>>1792529
>That's so cool! Do you get a cute costume? Can I be a magical girl as well?
>But... doesn't that mean you fight bad guys? I don't want you to get hurt!

A fresh wave of excitement floods your system as you lean forwards, practically rocking back and forth with the effort of keeping quiet. “That's so cool!” you squeal, your words coming out in a rushed whisper, “Do you get a cool costume? Oh, oh, can I be a magical girl as well? Hikari, c'mon!”

“Slow down, one question at a time!” Hikari laughs, getting up from her bed and stretching, “So, I DO get a costume, although I don't think it's very cute. It's cool enough, I guess, but I would have wanted something a bit more... girlish. I'm going to show her, okay?” That last question, she directs to the same corner as before. You might have been able to ignore a glare, but a direct question is just too far for your curiosity.

“Uh, Hikari?” you ask, “Who are you, like, talking to?”

“Oh, right. I was talking to Kurosawa, he's sort of like my... boss. He's an intermediary between us and the gods, but... man, can't you tell her this, Kuro?” Hikari frowns a little, “Really? Not even a little bit? Ugh, sorry Miho – he says that you can't hear his voice or see him. Only magical girls can speak with him, and he picks them all specially. He says that you can't be a magical girl. You don't... Kuro, I'm telling her that!”

“What?” whining now, and hating yourself for it, you give her your best pleading eyes, “C'mon, tell me!”

“He says that you're not special,” Hikari mutters, guilt thick in her voice, “Not like I am...”

A terrible idea begins to take root in your mind, dampening down your previous enthusiasm. Maybe she's just teasing you or maybe she really believes this stuff, but you slowly realise that she's just making this up – there's a name for this sort of thing, you've heard it on TV, but you can't remember the name.

“Hey, c'mon, what's with that face?” Hikari puts a hand on your shoulder, “I know, I know. It's SO unfair, but...

“I'm not some dumb kid!” you protest, “Maybe I believed you for a BIT, but you don't fool me. Those shows aren't real. You're a jerk, teasing me like that...”

“I'm not teasing you, I just...” wincing, Hikari takes a careful step backwards, “Just watch this, okay? I'll prove it!” Before you can protest further, she claps her hands briskly together. Blinding in this small room, a flare of white light ignites and hides her from view. There's no heat, but it feels like staring into the heart of a sun. You jolt away, but the light fades after a split second. Turning back, you watch as it rises up and vanishes through the ceiling, leaving no trace behind. Posing victoriously, her hand defiantly thrust up towards the sky, Hikari laughs aloud.

“Heavenly Child Hikari Tsukada, ready for battle!” she announces boldly. Her clothes have changed, leaving just one undeniable thought in your mind.

This is really real!

[1/2]

>>1792551

Where before, she had been wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts, now Hikari stands in burnished armour, a breastplate fitting neatly to her slender chest. A short mantle of white silk is draped around her shoulders, while a pleated skirt of the same material hangs down to her knees. A crown of laurels sits atop her brow, and she wears a sash of some silvery fabric around her waist. What really draws your eye, though, is the sword she wears at her hip – a beautiful weapon, with a golden sunburst serving at the crosspiece.

“Do you believe me now?” Hikari asks, smirking a little at your awestruck expression.

“That sword...” you breathe, unable to say anything more than that.

“The Sword of the Sun,” she tells you, drawing the blade and holding it out to you. Reverently, you reach out to touch it, only to stop short. Heat seems to radiate from the blade, as though it had been freshly taken from a fire. Almost by instinct, you draw away from the weapon – or from what it represents. “Hey, Miho,” Hikari whispers, noticing your fear, “What's wrong?”

Struggling to find the words to explain your fear, you just shake your head. “You have to fight bad guys, don't you?” you ask, your eyes still fixed on her weapon, “I don't want you to get hurt!”

“Hey, hey, don't worry about it,” she shakes her head, her costume and sword vanishing in an instant as she banishes them, “I have to fight, sure, but I'm real good at it. I've never been hurt badly. Have you ever seen me coming home bruised and bloody?” Searching your memory for a moment, you shake your head. “Well there you are then,” Hikari continues, “So why the long face?”

“I'm worried about you,” you insist, “You're fighting all by yourself, all on your own...”

“But I'm not on my own,” warmth fills her voice as she sits by your side, putting an arm around your shoulders, “Because now I've got you cheering me on. That's all I need, Miho, just the two of us.”

-

You surface again, panting as you jerk up from the clammy sheets. Sweat clings to you like a second skin, and your heart hammers in your chest. Kurosawa watches from the foot of your bed, his eyes narrowed into slits.

“I did warn you,” he says calmly, “Some disorientation was inevitable.”

“She was so optimistic!” you gasp, “She... she really thought everything was going to be okay!”

“More common than you might expect,” Kurosawa agrees, “And while you may disagree, it is a healthy mindset to hold. Optimism is a powerful tool for maintaining an Emotional Barrier. When those chosen by the gods lose hope, they start down a path towards failure.”

“Bastard...” you mumble, sinking back down beneath the mire.

[2/3]

>>1792594
She had actual armor and a full costume?!?! Our scarf might be inconspicuous, but our outfit envy is going to grow from this.

>>1792594
Much as I love our fists, I'm a little sad we blew up Hikari's sword. Desperate times.

>>1792594
more and more evidence that Miho got intrudered and Kurosawa filled what was missing with Hikari bits

>>1792634
...? How? I'm not seeing it.

>>1792594

You shouldn't be out this late. Your parents would kill you if they knew you were out this late.

“Intruders tend to come out at night. Not exclusively, but most often,” Hikari explains as she leads you down the street, “I don't really know why. Maybe the night is when people let their ugly feelings show, and that's what draws the Intruders. People like to hide all their sins and their vice by day, so the Intruders tend to keep hidden. I don't know... I don't think I'll ever know.”

This isn't the first time you've gone out on patrol with Hikari – that's what she calls this, going out on patrol – but this is the first time she's seemed so unhappy about it. Normally, she's bold and bright, uplifted by the thought of protecting the innocent. Now, though, it seem like there's little more than obligation at work.

“Hey, are you feeling okay?” you ask shyly, “Is Kuro working you too hard?”

“It's not that,” she assures you, wearily shaking her head, “I just... get a little tired sometimes. These things pass, they always do. The bad guys won't wait, though, so neither can I.”

Suppressing a moan of dismay, you find yourself slowing and falling behind. Before you hurry to catch up with Hikari, you glance down an alleyway and spot a black cat watching you. Smiling despite your worries, you wave to it. You've always liked cats, and this one-

The cat vanishes, leaving you wondering if you really saw it at all. Blinking away your confusion, you hurry after Hikari.

-

Just as you reach Hikari's side, the night air is pierced by a scream, a cry of blind animalistic panic. Hikari transformations in an instant, with none of the pageantry you've seen before – no posing, no cheerful announcements. Heavenly Child Hikari Tsukada might be ready for battle, but she doesn't look happy about it. Her sword burns with golden light as she draws it, brighter than you ever recall seeing it.

“I've got a bad feeling about this one,” she murmurs, “Miho, I... go home.”

“What?” you stammer, “Hikari!”

“Go home!” she orders, “Get out of here, okay? I don't have time to drag your butt back home, so get out of here!” Then, without a backwards glance, she turns and charges off into the night. Still stunned by her harsh words, all you can do is stand and stare.

When Hikari rounds a corner and vanishes from sight, your trance is broken and you start to move.

>Head home, as ordered. Hikari knows best...
>Chase after Hikari. You can't leave her on her own!
>Other

>>1792636
How do you think the Sword of the Sun ended up in Miho's hands? A magical girl's weapon is closely bonded to who they are as people, we see that when Maika's weapon changed after some family friendly neurological sculpting.

>>1792639
>Try to find somewhere that's both safe and lets you observe Hikari. From a distance if necessary.

>>1792639
>Chase after Hikari. You can't leave her on her own!

>>1792639
I feel both options are going to lead to a very guilty Miho.

Go with her and get in the way so she has to rescue us and die in the process.

Or leave and not be there for her when she dies.

Here we go!
>Chase after Hikari. You can't leave her on her own!

>>1792639
>Get a cardboard box/trash can and put it over you. Follow slowly.
METAL GEAR MIHO

>>1792639
>Chase after Hikari. You can't leave her on her own!

>>1792654
Second.

>>1792654
Thirding, although stealthy follow might not involve cardboard.

You're human – just a normal, powerless human. You've seen Hikari fight before, but you've never had to help her directly. You always found a safe place and watched, held in rapture by the sight of her cutting through the Intruders. That was before, though, when she was happy and confident. This grim and weary Hikari, a side of your sister that you've never seen before, is different. Can she really do this alone?

No, you can't leave her to face this alone. Even if you are just a powerless human, there has to be something you can do!

“Sorry sis,” you murmur as you chase after Hikari, “Don't get mad at me...”

-

When you hear another scream, you know that you're getting close. Rounding the next corner, you arrive in a dark side street, greeted by a grotesque stench. The stink – like rotting meat – hits you like a wave, forcing you back to the mouth of the alley. Flinching back against the wall, you slump down into the cover of a stack of cardboard boxes. As you peek around, something drops from the sky and slams into the ground.

Not something, someone. Not someone... Hikari.

Her eyes, wide and pained, meet yours, and her lips part in a wordless cry of dismay. Her weapon is nowhere to be seen, while her sword arm is twisted into an awful, inhuman shape. Paralysed by indecision – torn between rushing to her side and staying at a safe distance – you find yourself rising out from behind the pile of boxes As you emerge from hiding, something else drops from above – the source of that ghastly stench. Your eye instinctively slides from it, some rational part of your mind refusing to look directly at it, but you see enough.

A great and loathsome spider, formed from a tangle of shorn and discarded limbs, the Intruder is larger than any you've seen before. Sickeningly human hands circle a sucking maw, almost seeming to beckon down at you as they wave and convulse, while a thick gruel seeps from the raw flesh. A hideous sight, a sight that could scar a hardened mind. Neither able to look away or face it directly, all you can do is stand rooted to the spot, your heart pounding fit to burst.

“Miho Tsukada,” a rough voice begins, echoing through your mind, “The gods have witnessed your plight. They have decided to offer you their protection – and the power to destroy your enemies. I am Kurosawa, earthly representative of the great virtue of Duty and all of mankind's native gods. Will you claim your rightful place as a champion of the gods?”

The Intruder slams down with one fleshy leg and almost spears Hikari, foiled at the last minute by a desperate roll.

“I accept!” you cry aloud, “I'll do whatever you want!”

“The contract is sealed,” Kurosawa intones, “Now, Miho Tsukada... assume your place as Dutiful Squire!”

[1/2]

>>1792695
Ah. So that's why Kurosawa can't make another Dutiful Squire.

We are still it.

>>1792639
Shouldn't be able to see kuro if you're not chosen. There were two chosen of sacrifice at the time.

>>1792715
Duty then, did not read the latest post before making mine.

>>1792695

A bolt of pain shoots through you, ripping deep into your heart and shattering your entire body into a thousand pieces. The world drops away as you buckle and fall to your knees, sinking deep into a formless black void. You've never felt a pain like this, a pain so intense that it feels like the skin is being flensed from your bones with a thousand tiny knives. It's too much, too much for you to bear...

You're dying. You have to be – the alternative would be to keep on living with this terrible agony. It'll all go away it you die, and-

“No,” a flat voice announces. The voice is absolutely calm, utterly genderless, and as reassuring as a fortress wall. “You will not be permitted to die,” the voice continues, “You will be bound to this life by chains stronger than any of those forged by man. You have... purpose.”

“Purpose?” you mumble, slowly realising that the pain has left you, “I have... purpose?”

“Yes,” the voice agrees, “You KNOW what you must do.”

“That's right...” you whisper. You know exactly what you have to do. You... you have to...

The world slowly creeps back in, colour and form returning to the world. The smell of corruption returns as well, and the sound of Hikari screaming your name. Blinking away tears, you feel a new surge of strength boiling through your veins, your blood burning hot. Looking up, you stare directly into the Intruder's sucking, gnashing mouth. You're done with hiding and watching, you won't go back to those days. You know you have to do.

“I have to protect Hikari!” you scream, kicking into a mad charge. Your mind is struggling to catch up, a thousand questions forming and vanishing, but your body knows exactly what to do. When you swing a sloppy punch at one of the Intruder's meaty legs, it isn't the weak defiance of a child. With a segmented gauntlet of burnished gold enclosing your fist, you punch with the force of a warrior god.

Bone splinters and flesh explodes under your fist, the blow shearing the Intruder's leg off at the joint. As it wavers, balance faltering, you grab the ragged stump and pull the Intruder down to earth, dragging it down into a tangled heap. It flounders to rise as you leap up, digging your fingers into the side of the building and hurling yourself up, up into the air. Time seems to freeze as you hang in the air for a second, but gravity soon reaches up to claim you again. Falling like a comet, you crash down into the Intruder with an explosion of force.

The Intruder screams defiance as it dies, but its voice is drowned out by your mad, triumphant laugh.

[2/3]

>Going to have to pause here for a little. Next post should be up within an hour, barring delays. Sorry about this.

>>1792735
>inb4 we accidentally killed Hikari.

Ah, so the sword is gone, but some or all of her divinity remains. We're a double magical girl.

Hell, could be that the powerups are just Kurosawa integrating the one seed into another, despite the risks.

>>1792735

You surface again, your feverish eyes finding Kurosawa's cooler ones. “I...” you stammer, “I was...”

“You were my Dutiful Squire,” he confirms, “A quirk of fate. The morning of that same day, the day that Hikari Tsukada had her first brush with death, my previous champion was killed. She died well, giving her life to protect the innocent. I could not have asked for more from her. As she passed, your potential awoke – waiting for the spark that would ignite it into a raging bonfire. Some men might see a grotesque coincidence in this – I see it as the work of fate. Destiny playing out as written.”

His voice, as he says this, turn bitter. Not just bitter, but dripping with anger and wounded pride. The resentment of a being just now realising that it was as much of a puppet as you were.

“Hikari was...” you mumble, “Why was... she... Why was she so sad?”

“I cannot say. I wish that I could,” Kurosawa bows his head, “There was no one failure, no fatal flaw that wounded her. If there had been anything that I could have done to save her, I would have done so without hesitation. All I can say is that there was a deep sorrow within her heart, and sometimes it rose up to claim her. Even then, she performed her duties – she had more devotion than most.”

“And she died for it,” you breathe. Deep within you, you can feel something else stirring – a fresh memory bubbling up from the darkest corners of your mind. Already, you can feel the melancholy tint radiating from it. It can only be one thing - Hikari's last moments, her death...

“I want to stop this,” Kurosawa announces suddenly, “There is nothing to gain by witnessing this. I implore you, Miho. Allow me to seal these last memories. Please!”

>No, I need to see it all!
>Seal them. I don't want to see this...
>Other

>>1792863

>No, I need to see it all!
Otherwise we'll always wonder.

>>1792863
>>Other

>If there's nothing to gain by witnessing it...then...you've given me a lot of reasons to not trust you, and I know we're both hurting over it. So...consider this the big chance. Tell me. It can be in your own words, or whatever. But I want you to tell me HONESTLY. For ONCE. I'm TRUSTING you.

>Tell me what happened.

>>1792863
>No, I need to see it all!
We're going to be at least partially responsible for it, aren't we?

>>1792863
>>No, I need to see it all!
We already kind of know. There is no point to backing out now.

>>1792863
Let's see it then.

>>1792863
>No, I need to see it all!
You know Miho enough that you already know the answer to this Kurosawa

>>1792863
I don't WANT to see this, but I have too. I have a duty too remember her, all of her. She was my sister.

>>1792863
>No, I need to see it all!

“If there's nothing to gain, if there's really no point...” you murmur, “Then tell me instead. Tell me in your own words if you like, but be honest. I need... I need you to be honest.” Forcing your eyes to be remain open a moment more, you fix your gaze on Kurosawa. “This is your chance to come clean,” you hiss, “So tell me what happened!”

“She died,” Kurosawa says bluntly, anger still darkening his tone, “Do you wish for me to torture you with the details? Would you be happier if you knew exactly which of her bones were broken when she died?”

“Tell me!” you insist, “For once, just be honest and tell me!” When Kurosawa looks away, his silence is all the response you need. “To hell with you then,” you mutter, slumping back in bed and allowing your tenuous connection on reality to trail off, “I'll see it all with my own eyes!”

The cat growls softly, sadly, but he makes no objection. You almost sense his temptation, his urge to go ahead and seal the memories regardless, but he stops himself. He turns away, and you sink back down beneath the surface of your mind.

-

You fought together many times, Hikari and you. You made a good team, although you were always a little jealous of her costume. Yours was almost a mirror image of hers, but in a much plainer style – a pale imitation. Hikari made a joke of it. She was the older sister and the veteran magical girl, so obviously she would be the one to get the fancy costume. You laughed along with it, but never without a slight stain of irritation. Honestly, a plain iron breastplate and a modest dress... it couldn't be any more boring that that!

But costume woes aside, you worked well together. After that first time you transformed, there was never another close call. Together, you were able to bring down the Intruders without much trouble, even when Hikari was in her... lower moments. Tonight was one of those nights. Until the moment that Kurosawa had warned you of an Intruder, you had been patrolling in an uneasy silence. At the first sign of trouble, though, Hikari was all business.

“Let's go,” she barked, waving for you to follow her.

“Dutiful Squire Miho Tsukada, ready for action!” you chirp as you run, your dreary costume forming around you. You'll never get tired of saying that.

-

When you reach the Intruder, the creature is in the middle of some blasphemous spawning. Its maw stretches wide and its bloated body heaves, disgorging a slick, wet thing in your path before turning and fleeing into the maze of backstreets.

“Thrall,” Hikari snaps, “We'll take it out, then go after the big one.”

“No way!” you protest, “You go after it, I'll take care of this one. We gotta hurry!” When Hikari pauses, you press on. “What if it hurts someone?” you whine, “Go on, before it gets away!”

“Fine,” she snaps, “But don't waste time!”

Rushing off, she leaves the Thrall to you.

[1/2]

>>1792937

A Thrall like this should have been easy prey, something you could crush without any trouble at all. A single good blow would do it, and you could have crushed it there and then - a single blow before it had finished sloughing off the filth and afterbirth, before it could resist. You should have finished it there and then, before joining Hikari in hunting down the mother. But... you didn't. It had been a bad day – one of your classmates had pushed you down, right in front of the entire class – and there was a dark frustration bubbling away in your stomach.

So your first blow was not the fatal strike that it should have been. It was a kick, snapping into the Intruder's gut and causing it to yelp in inhuman pain. Picturing your nemesis in your mind, you kicked and kicked, stopping only to grab the Intruder and throw it about like a piece of garbage. You might be an unpopular dork back in reality, but here... you're powerful. Here, you're the one pushing things around.

“Dutiful Squire!” Kurosawa barks, “Cease this pointless brutality. The Heavenly Child needs your assistance. GO!”

Guilt washes over you in a sickening wave as you realise what you were doing. Snapping the Thrall's neck, you throw the corpse aside and rush off after Hikari. She'll be so mad at you if Kurosawa tells, you think, she'll be scolding you for days...

-

You're too late.

When you finally reach her, Hikari is lying in a crumbled heap, her flank rising and falling with the shuddering motions of a wounded animal. The Intruder, flabby and ape-like, lies nearby with the Sword of the Sun buried in its forehead. Dead, certainly, but not before it left Hikari like... this. When you drop to your knees and touch her, she lets out a strangled cry of pain. There's blood, there's too much blood...

“She's not healing!” you cry out, “Kuro, why isn't she healing?”

“Her Emotional Barrier has collapsed,” Kurosawa announces gravely, “She cannot repair the damage that has been done. Her wounds are too great. I suspect that even your medical services cannot help her now.”

“You mean... She can't...” stammering out your words, you look desperately about for any sign of help, “Kuro, DO something!”

“Mi...ho?” Hikari gasps, “I can't see... I can't see you. There's something wrong with my eyes... is that really you?”

“I'm here Hikari, I'm here,” reaching out with a trembling hand, you tilt her head towards you for a moment. When you see the mask of blood, white bone shining through, you cry out in revulsion and pull back, letting her head flop back away. “I don't know what to do,” you wail, “I don't... this is all my fault! Kuro, what do I do? Tell me what to do!”

“There is something,” the cat says at last, “Listen to me, very carefully, and do exactly what I tell you...”

[2/3]

>>1792987
He's telling us how to coup de grace her. Calling it.

>>1792994
Nope us taking up her sword.

>>1792987

“The Sword of the Sun,” Kurosawa instructs, “Take it.”

“What...” you mumble, tearing your eyes away from Hikari and looking at the slain Intruder. The sword seems to beckon you, the sight of it calming your frantic thoughts. Rising to unsteady feet, you limp towards the corpse and grip the sword's hilt. Pulpy flesh sucks at the blade, resisting your first attempt at tugging the blade free, but your second attempt rips it from the corpse. The weapon feels strange in your hand, perfectly balanced and as warm as-

The corpse writhes, a sinuous hiss escaping from it as the Intruder surges back into some semblance of life. Crying out in panic, you sweep the blade around in a wide arc, slicing the beast's head clean from its body. For a moment, all you can do is stare at the blade in amazement.

“Now bring it back to the Heavenly Child,” Kurosawa orders, his voice bringing you back to reality, “And await further instructions.”

Shaking off your daze, you return to Hikari and take her hand, gently pressing the sword into her grasp. “My... sword?” she whispers, her hand clumsily closing around the grip, “Thank you, Miho... I... I thought I lost this. That would have been... careless.”

“Now what?” you ask, “Kuro, what do I do now? Please!”

“...I'm sorry,” he says after a long silence, “I hope that one day, you will understand.”

“What” the words feel like cold stone in your mouth, “I don't know...”

“I do. I understand...” Hikari turns her blind eyes towards Kurosawa, listening for a moment. “I'll always be with her?” she breathes, “That's... that's not so bad. I can... I can accept that. Miho?”

“What? What are you talking about?” you grab Hikari's hand, the same hand that holds her sword, “Why won't anyone tell me what's going on?”

“I want you to have it,” she whispers, “You... it's yours now. I believe in you, Miho. I'll be... watching... over you...”

“Hikari?” murmuring the name, you shake her lightly by the shoulder. When she doesn't reply, you shake her harder and harder. A great sob builds in your chest as the truth sinks in, your shoulders shuddering as you cry. “I can't...” you whine, “Hikari... I can't do this without you...” Slumping down over her body, you feel something jabbing into you. Her sword... no, your sword now. Forcing yourself to straighten up, you gently take the blade from her slack grip. When you hold it, you feel the warmth of the blade rushing into you, bringing a strange serenity.

“I won't have to,” you hear yourself say, “You'll be right here by my side, won't you Hikari?”

Smiling a sad little smile, you reach down and touch Hikari's sash, gently taking it from her body. Rubbing the silvery material between your fingers for a moment, you drape it across your shoulders – just like a scarf.

“Sleep now,” Kurosawa instructs, “It will be over soon.”

[3/4]

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>>1793089
Hahahah Miho killed her TWICE

>>1793089

You sleep, and you wake up again. Back to reality, back to the hotel room in Neptune Island and the smell of your feverish sweat. The visions have finally burned themselves out, losing their nightmarish clarity and sinking down into the mass of regular memories. Still raw and painful, but no more real than a dream. Touching your face, you feel tears staining your cheeks. You feel...

You feel better. A terrible pain throbs in your chest, but there's something cathartic about it – the grief that you never got to experience, now washing over you in a wave.

“I suppressed your memories,” Kurosawa says, his voice flat, “Of everything. I suppressed your memories, sealed away your power, and did my best to ensure that you would not... suffer.”

A bitter laugh escapes you. “You didn't do a very good job!” you point out, “I'm pretty familiar with suffering.”

“Perhaps I was wrong,” he admits, “But as you were, potentially unstable, I considered it to be your best chance of survival. Considering that you are alive here today, I will defend my decision. Now do you see why I did not wish for you to see those last memories?”

“I got her killed,” you murmur with a slow nod, “Because of my arrogance and some... stupid petty grudge. It was MY fault that she died.”

“Arrogance has seen many of your kind undone,” the cat murmurs, “The Gravetender knows this as well as anyone else. I... would like to offer you my condolences, however belated they may be. If you wish for me to leave you, I will do so. I expect you will need... time.”

>Yes, please. Leave me for now
>Answer me something first... (Write in)
>Other

>>1793116
>>Answer me something first... (Write in)
>How could I keep the sword?
>Is breaking it why my gauntlets have changed so much lately?
>How can I be both a dutiful Squire and Heavenly Child?
>Is my scarf all that's left of her?

>>1793116
Scarf costume doesn't seem all that unimpressive anymore

>Answer me something first... (Write in)
"So I have two Sparks within me?"

>>1793116

>Yes, please. Leave me for now

Don't think we'd be in the mood to ask questions after that.

>>1793116

>Do you think she'd hate me if she knew what happened?

>>1793116
>Answer me something first... I broke the sword... did I break her? Killed her twice?

>>1793116
>Do you know why her Barrier broke that night?

>>1793097
Oh my god, I just realized when Miho sacrificed the sword before the quest started, that was Hikari performing her virtue of Sacrifice.

Man, this is a lot of questions.

>>1793134
She wasn't literally the sword anon. The sword was just used to put her Spark into us.

Least that's how I interpreted it

>>1793155
It's not a bad question regardless. is she gone, along with the sword?

>>1793155
It's a question man

>>1793116
>Do you know why her Barrier broke that night?

Some part of you wants some peace and quiet, yearns for it, but you force yourself to focus. You need answers, and you'd rather have them now while the questions are still raw in your mind. “I don't understand this,” you admit, “This... Dutiful Squire stuff. How can I be both a Dutiful Squire and a Heavenly Child at once? Is that what I am?”

“The Dutiful Squire is a vessel,” Kurosawa begins slowly, “Their gift, their role, is to inherit the powers of others and be shaped by them. You are the Dutiful Squire, clothed in the garb of the Heavenly Child – a perfect imitation, perhaps, but still an imitation. Some may say that the Dutiful Squire is the least of all champions, but often they are the ones to achieve the greatest things. Their emptiness allows them to fill whatever role they are called upon to fulfil.”

“So I'm... what? A Squire with the destiny of a Heavenly Child?” you ask, “Does that mean there could be another Heavenly Child out there?”

“There could be, yes,” he nods, “But Sacrifice herself would be the one to ask. It could be that she does not know what you really are – as I said, a perfect imitation. Whether or not she will seek out a new representative... that is her business.”

“I took Hikari's sword,” you think aloud, “Is that part of the “imitation” as well?”

“Correct. When I passed Hikari's power to you, the Sword of the Sun was a token of that. A symbolic representation of her as a person, and of her role,” Kurosawa pads closer, “And... I thought that you would wish to have it. Human culture places a certain importance on inheriting treasured possessions, after all.”

“And now it's broken,” you murmur, wincing at the thought, “Is that why my own weapons came back? And why they've been changing so much lately?” The thought sinks in deeper, and you sit up in alarm. “Wait... when I broke it, did I...” you can barely force the words out, “Did I kill her? Or... whatever was left of her?”

“Miho. Be calm,” Kurosawa shakes his head slowly, “Hikari's power resides within you, not any token or totem. If taking up her blade was symbolic of continuing her duty, taking up your old weapons marked the start of a new path – a path forged by your own hands. As your old abilities have been unsealed, your weapons are becoming refined, becoming a truer reflection of yourself.”

Most of that, you'll admit, goes straight over your head. “So I didn't kill her?” you ask again, “Say it. Say that I didn't.”

“You did not erase the remains of her essence,” Kurosawa sighs, “Hikari has fulfilled her promise to Sacifice, but her promise to you remains. The power she gave up will remain within you, protecting you and granting you strength.”

“Hikari...” you murmur, touching a hand to your heart.

[1/?]

>>1793255
Finally, something uplifting about our situation.

>>1793255

“Just what DID she give me?” you ask after a solemn moment, “Her soul? Her... divine spark? Does that mean I have two of... whatever they are?”

“These are not apples, to be passed around and counted out at market stalls!” Kurosawa chuckles, amused despite himself, “No, you still have one soul, one divine spark. However, it may be accurate to say that it is... larger than most. More potent, perhaps.”

“That explains a lot,” you decide, “The others are... different. I'm stronger than them. That's because of Hikari, right?”

“The power she passed onto you,” he corrects you gently, “That is correct.”

“Thanks sis,” you whisper. Almost by reflex, you summon your costume. The scarf around your neck has never felt more comforting... although it still looks a little dorky. “Did she give me this as well?” you ask, rubbing the familiar cloth between your fingers, “Is this another piece of Hikari?”

“It would be more accurate to say that it is your memories of her, the connection you shared,” pausing for a moment, Kurosawa carefully continues, “Even when your memories of her had been suppressed, it remained with you. This is a powerful bond, Miho. I hope that it is never spoiled for you.”

“I... maybe,” you murmur, letting the fabric slip out from your grasp, “Do you think she'd hate me, if she knew what happened? When she... at the end, did she blame me for not being there?”

“...I cannot know her thoughts,” Kurosawa offers, his reply stilted, “But consider this. I could have passed on her power without her consent, but I did not. She offered it willingly, without persuasion or coercion. I am no expert in human emotion, but I do not believe that is the act of one who bore any malice. Humans are not infallible, Miho. You made a mistake. Do not turn away from that truth, but do not let it crush you. By continuing her work and protecting the innocent, I believe that you are honouring Hikari's memory. I believe that she would be proud of you.”

“Yeah?” a slow smile lifts the corners of your lips, “Yeah... I've got to live up to her expectations, I can't let her down now. I can't, I WON'T give up, no matter what!” Rising from your bed, you touch the scarf around your neck. “We'll do it together, Hikari!” you announce, feeling your heart soar, “I'm going to finish what you started!”

And maybe, just maybe, you see a twinkle of pride in Kurosawa's inhuman eyes.

>I'm going to close things here for this week. Stay tuned for our regularly scheduled bonus episode!

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>>1793255
Is this the fabled『Lighter Tone』?

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London, England
Two years ago

In the six weeks she had spent as a “guest” of her yet unknown captors, Sionann Attwood had learned very little about them. She knew more about her handler than she did about HIS handlers, and she knew only a few small details about him. He called himself Mister Gold – a pseudonym that was so blatant as to be farcical. He made no attempt to disguise the fact that it was a false name, but his cavalier attitude couldn't quite hide his true feelings. He was worried, terrified even, that Sionann might learn anything about his personal life. Perhaps he was afraid that he would wake up one night to find her sitting on his chest like a succubus.

It would be a fine trick to play, if only to remind him of the dangers of growing complacent, but Sionann would not be allowed to savour the trick for long. She was still considered unreliable, a captured enemy rather than a willing ally, and her “employers” would not hesitate to terminate her if she proved to be more trouble than she was worth. If it came to that, Mister Gold would be the one to pull the trigger, Sionann was sure of it.

For the time being, then, she would play at being the dutiful servant. When her captors finally let their guard slip, even if it was just for a moment, she would make her move. Escape would be nice, ideal even, but Sionann had more realistic expectations – the most she could hope to achieve, she presumed, was to do her captors as much harm as possible before dying. They might not even notice, she might as well be a gnat attacking a bull, but so be it. If she could draw blood, Sionann could go out with her head held high.

“Stop daydreaming, we're almost there,” Mister Gold snapped, drawing Sionann back to reality. As if to emphasise his order, he gestured with his pistol. She hadn't seen him draw the weapon, but that was hardly surprising – she had never seen him draw the pistol, it was always just THERE when he needed it. Gold was tremendously proud of his pistol, and rightfully so. He always hit what he was aiming at... although Sionann suspected that that was more to do with the gun itself than his marksmanship.

Sionann wasn't afraid of Gold – he was just a man like any other – but she WAS afraid of his pistol. Not just because it took her hand, although that was definitely a factor, but because she didn't... understand it. For a man like Gold to possess such a power...

“We're here,” Gold announced, once again rousing Sionann from her thoughts, “This is one your portals, isn't it? Into that... other world.”

Frowning, Sionann gazed into the gutted shop. It was impossible to say what it had started life as, but now it was nothing more than an empty shell. One single pane of glass remained intact, and that pane now rippled with unearthly power. A portal to the Umbra... but how did Gold know about such things?

[1/2]

>>1793331

“Yeah, whatever. It's a portal. We go though there and kill the bastard that opened it,” Sionann sighed, “Then we save a bunch of people who won't ever know or appreciate what we did. They go back to pissing away their lives, and we get another dangerous pile of crap to deal with. Don't you just love this job?”

“I preferred you when you were daydreaming,” Gold sneered, aiming his pistol at the portal, “You're far nicer that way.” Shaking his head in disgust, Gold snapped off four quick shots, sending a glowing bullet into each corner of the portal. Ribbons of golden light flared into life between the corners, and the portal began to pulse in a more stable, rhythmic way. “In,” he ordered, “You go first, but don't even think of running.”

“Where am I going to run to, huh?” Sionann spat back, “You think I'm gonna go native, live with the Intruders?”

“I'm sure they'd welcome you as one of their own,” Gold retorted, “Now move.”

-

The castle gates – terribly distorted things, as expected of the Umbra – exploded outwards as the Intruder smashed through them, bellowing and neighing as it charged. The thing almost resembled a horse, although with several extra pairs of withered legs and the vicious jaw of a predator, but it rampaged with a blind fury unlike any animal Sionann had ever seen. Gold cursed aloud as it closed upon them, just barely managing to get a single shot off. It was a hit, of course, but the shot had little effect. As Sionann hurled herself aside, the Intruder lurched past her and slammed into Gold. With a snap of its jaws, it seized the man and began to drag him away.

Sionann hesitated for a moment, then leapt to her feet with a cruel snarl. Whipping around, she hurled a knife into the retreating Intruder's leg, the blade biting deep into a joint and sending the beast crashing down to earth. As it flailed, Sionann took careful aim before sending her next dagger straight into the Intruder's skull. It died with a wail, collapsing heavily down on top of Gold.

“Damn thing...” Gold gasped as Sionann approached, “Took me by surprise.”

“It sure did,” Sionann replied, a faint smile playing around her lips as she sat down next to the man.

“Now hurry up and help me up,” he grunted, shoving at the Intruder's corpse, “I... I didn't think you'd help me like that.”

“That thing would have killed you if I hadn't,” she murmured, leaning in so that she could whisper in Gold's ear, “And I wanted to kill you myself.” Gold's eyes grew wide at that, but Sionann's dagger found his throat before he could do anything more than gasp. She watched very closely as he bled out, only letting go of him when she was absolutely sure that he was dead.

Wiping her hands on his coat, Sionann rose to her feet and strolled away.

>That concludes this week's episode of Heavenly Child Quest. Tune in next week for a new episode!
>Thanks to everyone who contributed today!

>>1793337
Thanks for running, Moloch!

That Hikari & Miho backstory was really heartwarming!

>>1793337
damn crow is nasty

Just noticed that I missed out a couple of questions relating to Hikari's Barrier collapsing. Wasn't deliberate, I just forgot to include them. For what it's worth, Kurosawa wouldn't have been able to give a useful answer - it wasn't anything to do with the Intruders, more an issue with Hikari herself.

>>1793384

That's what I was aiming for. I wanted it to be as close to unequivocally positive as possible, even with the inevitable ending. Miho deserves that much, at least!

>>1793416
>I wanted it to be as close to unequivocally positive as possible,

The fabled Light Tone was glimpsed. Good thing we tempered it with some good old-fashioned cold blooded murder afterwards.

When are we going to get to the tournament Arc that every magical girl show should have?

... I'm actually not joking. I want a tournament arc.

>>1793512
We'd win easily. Spellbreak OP.

>>1793525
Link to ability list?

File: SK4.jpg (130 KB, 585x853)

130 KB JPG

>>1793512
>>1793525

The tournament arc comes later, when we're fighting to the death for the right to reshape the world in our image. Y'know, it's just a bit of lighthearted competition!

I kinda want to do a tournament arc as well, now. Not sure how it would even work. Maybe some kind of non-combat tournament?

>>1793525
Pretty sure Emi would win.

>>1793545
Spellbreaker negates her barrier break.

>>1793547
Does it though? Her inherent MG hunting abilities make her immune to Crow's hiding, she probably has the same protection against our abilities.

>>1793553
It might

If we weren't a twofer.

>>1793561
I don't see why having more power than a normal MG would somehow remove an inherent weakness built into every MG's powerset.

>>1793538
In all sincerity? Gauntlet.

Round One: Obstacle Course. Slowest (insert number here) are out.
Round Two: Object Hunt. The (insert number here) contestants who get the lowest number of specified objects are out.
Round Three: King/Queen of the Hill. The (insert number here) that manage to hold on to the specific singular object the lowest amount of time are out.
Final Round: Battle Royale. Everyone left just fucking slugs it out, last MG standing wins it all.

Boom. Allows for individual and (temporary) possible team play, with a barnburner of a climax at the end. Also allows for surprise upsets and whatnot due to the not-necessarily-combat focus of the rounds.

>>1793538
>Costume Change. Each contestant must manipulate their costume to be as different from "base" as possible, and the RESULT is judged. Maika and Kasumi have the advantage here.
>Divine tongue spelling bee. Miho's gonna win this
>Parkour Race
>Baby intruder roundup. Get as many as possible into your designated pen.

>>1793337
I don't know what the hell Gold expected really.

>Hound her
>Blow off her hand
>Abduct her
>Practically forced conscription

Yeah, no I'm sure she's loyal enough after all that to have her watching your back with no other backup.

Gold did nothing wrong