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Lacus finally couldn't hold back.
"Excuse me for asking, but... are all of you from Tekkadan... orphans?"
Mikazuki slightly lifted his head.
"Yeah, most of us were abandoned by our parents. Only a few lost contact with their parents because of war and were taken in by CGS to work.
Oh, CGS was Tekkadan's predecessor."
Mikazuki didn't really need to explain; the two women already more or less understood. The children of Tekkadan, unable to endure the adults' abuse at CGS, had revolted, staging a rebellion and overthrowing CGS to form the current Tekkadan.
And indeed, things were as they had imagined.
"Should I keep going?"
Lacus nodded heavily.
Mikazuki raised an eyebrow. This girl really was a lot like Kudelia in her personality. Still, he continued.
"The Alaya-Vijnana System, as you've seen, can only be implanted in us children.
Adults simply can't undergo this surgery because the nanomachines can't react with a fully developed human body.
Well, I don't understand the deeper scientific stuff. Everything I'm telling you is what Pops told me."
"Pops?"
"Ah, he's our head mechanic in Tekkadan's maintenance team. He's taken care of me a lot. He's the one who maintains my Barbatos.
Even though he forgot to refuel Barbatos the first time, he's still very reliable. He's like an elder."
Lacus saw the smile on Mikazuki's lips and couldn't help but smile herself.
"I see."
Mikazuki paused, then said with a slight hint of dissatisfaction,
"Can you stop interrupting me? I've forgotten where I was."
Lacus covered her mouth and chuckled, saying apologetically,
"My apologies, my apologies. Please continue."
Mikazuki pouted slightly before resuming.
"I once fought an adult who had the Alaya-Vijnana System implanted. After the battle, I heard he had undergone an improved version of the Alaya-Vijnana System.
Aside from retaining his brain, his entire body was connected to machines, turning him into a monster that knew nothing but slaughter.
I really had to put in a lot of effort to deal with him..."
As he spoke, Mikazuki unconsciously raised his right hand and touched his right eye.
That's right, the price he paid back then was his right eye and right hand, all to unlock Barbatos's limiters.
Meanwhile, the two women, Lacus and Hilda, imagined the person Mikazuki described—a body merged with machines. Could that truly be called living?
They wondered if they would collapse if they turned into what Mikazuki described. The answer was a definite yes.
Hilda considered herself a qualified soldier, quite ruthless, but she couldn't accept something like the Alaya-Vijnana System. Or rather, any human with a shred of humanity wouldn't accept the existence of such technology.
It was too cruel...
Lacus looked at Mikazuki with unbearable sorrow and asked,
"You... did you truly consent to that surgery?"
"Yeah, I consented."
"To survive?"
"To survive."
Mikazuki looked up, meeting Lacus's beautiful, wide eyes. He saw a glimmer of a certain emotion in them that Mikazuki utterly detested: pity.
Suddenly, Mikazuki's lips twisted into a cold sneer.
"Do you feel sorry for me?"
"No... no, I don't."
Lacus frantically waved her hands in denial, but in truth, she had indeed felt sympathy for Mikazuki.
"Don't bother explaining. How you see it doesn't matter.
I... no, we, aren't living to be looked down upon by you. Don't underestimate my comrades."
"No, no, I..."
However, Lacus was cut off before she could finish.
"That's enough. You don't need to trouble yourselves with our identities. Goodbye."
With that, Mikazuki stood up and left the room without a backward glance.
Lacus wanted to chase after him but was held back by Hilda.
"Let it go, Miss. That child has strong pride. Your unintentional expression made him feel pitied, and it was insulting to him. I'll go after him."
"Please, Hilda, don't let him leave. I didn't mean to hurt him..."
Lacus's expression at this moment was filled with self-reproach and helpless panic, surprising Hilda once again.
"I understand, Miss. Please wait here."
With that, Hilda swiftly left the room, catching up to Mikazuki ahead.
"Hey, kid, wait a moment."
Mikazuki stopped at her words and turned to look at Hilda, who had caught up.
"Is there something else?"
Hilda sighed inwardly when she saw the coldness on Mikazuki's face. The Mikazuki she had just met, though cold, wasn't completely unapproachable, but now she knew the boy in front of her was truly angry.
She was a soldier and had experienced many things. She knew why Mikazuki was angry and said softly,
"Kid, please don't take what just happened to heart. Miss Lacus is only a year older than you. Even if her mind is mature, she is still ultimately a woman.
Furthermore, Miss Lacus comes from a political family, and what you of Tekkadan have been through is unprecedented for her. She hasn't experienced what you have, so Miss couldn't help but reveal a woman's emotional side.
If she unintentionally hurt you, I apologize on her behalf. Please don't be angry with her."
Hearing Hilda's words, Mikazuki scratched his head, looking somewhat at a loss.
Well, he really didn't quite understand what "a woman's emotional side" meant. Since she had apologized to him, being petty about it would make him seem small-minded. Thinking about it carefully, he had indeed been impulsive just now. Why argue with a girl?