Not long ago, this place had been devastated beyond recognition, as if the land itself had been turned into a molten hell.
Yet now, it was difficult to see any trace of that catastrophe.
There were almost no visible remains of the war, and even the giant factory that had once belonged to the Machine Lifeforms, the most obvious landmark of all, was gone.
In its place, at the original site, stood a futuristic mechanized factory whose design fit human aesthetics perfectly.
And with that factory at its center, construction was radiating outward in every direction, building a future city that, no matter how one looked at it, was clearly meant for human habitation.
At a certain moment, a silver-haired woman who had just returned from a mission frowned slightly. She looked rather worn down.
"A2, how many times do I have to tell you? Can't you take better care of yourself?"
The support Pod at her side spoke in a tone that sounded half concerned and half complaining.
That voice, however, actually belonged to Operator 6O.
She had originally been the operator assigned specifically to liaise with 2B, but now A2 had been added to her responsibilities as well.
The concern was obvious, because A2 currently looked extremely battered, like a scarred-up mannequin frame.
And the complaint was obvious too, because this meant 6O would have to prepare materials to repair her body yet again.
"My body's core functions are almost completely fine. It's only the outer layer that's damaged. That layer barely matters anyway, whether it's there or not."
That was A2's answer.
She was referring to the layer of artificial skin covering the surface of her body.
It existed mostly to make androids look more human. It offered almost no defensive value.
"It matters a lot. If you keep doing this, you won't be cute at all, and then Lord Kain won't be moved when he sees you."
6O continued in a slightly weary voice.
Every time A2 went out to fight the Machine Lifeforms, she fought like a berserker, never seeming to care about getting hurt.
That did not mean she truly did not care about being injured, or that she was unafraid of death.
It was simply that her reason for continuing to live was so that Mr. Kain could come back again.
At this point, A2 had already decided that her mission in life was to live for Mr. Kain.
That was why she still fought carefully, but that "careful" approach did not include meticulously protecting her appearance.
Just look at 2B. She never ended up looking like a refugee the way A2 did.
Of course, that did not mean the newer YoRHa model was necessarily stronger than A2.
So far, both sides clearly had their own advantages.
A2 was stronger in pure close combat, and her offensive power exceeded 2B's, though her own defense was somewhat weaker.
As for 2B, her defense and agility were both superior to A2's, which was why she never came back from battle looking like a displaced survivor.
Still, if the two of them really fought, A2 would probably have the better chance of winning.
Seen that way, maybe it was only natural that A2 ended up a little worse for wear.
No, it was not natural at all.
If it were normal, she would not end up in such a sorry state every single time, like she did not care about her appearance at all.
She did not even like wearing outfits like 2B's, and she refused to wear long boots too, thinking bare feet were more convenient for movement.
Granted, she was not entirely wrong. Those things did affect mobility a little.
But was that not treating herself as nothing more than a machine?
Besides, clothes and boots were not without benefits. They added at least some degree of protection.
So 6O had tried using lines like "Lord Kain won't like you looking like that" or "He won't be attracted to you" to shake her resolve.
Unfortunately, none of it worked.
She was like a block of wood.
That should not have been the case.
Even the earlier YoRHa models had emotional systems of their own. Their feelings were merely prohibited from being openly expressed, not technically deleted.
As long as a person had a personality, emotional responses aligned with that personality were inevitable.
Without emotion, there would be no personality. There would only be a dead machine.
So A2 definitely had emotions.
Otherwise, where would all that anger toward Commander White have come from?
It was simply that, when it came to her personal appearance and feminine self-consciousness, A2 had less of it.
Yes, that was the word.
Self-consciousness.
2B looked quiet and reserved too, but inside, she was actually quite easily embarrassed.
Because she possessed that kind of self-consciousness, 2B kept herself looking cleaner and more presentable.
And when A2 had been offered the next-generation upgrade, she had even refused the softer outer-body improvements that were designed to make androids look more human.
It was not because she found them offensive to humanity.
She simply thought that kind of softness was flashy, impractical, and more burden than benefit.
Suddenly, A2 stopped speaking.
The next second, a person appeared at her side without any warning at all, leaving 6O frozen on the spot.
Ah.
Lord Kain was here.
And he had arrived without giving anyone any time to prepare.
But now that he was here, 6O immediately began "reporting" A2's problems.
If Lord Kain was the one to speak to her, then A2 would definitely listen.
"A2, I think 6O has a point. Emotionally, I really would prefer seeing a prettier A2. But rationally, I do understand why you think the way you do."
After returning to this world once more, Kain gave A2 that answer after listening to 6O's "complaint."
Still, he did not think A2 was truly the sort of person who cared only about practicality and not at all about appearance.
He felt she was still just a girl, and one who cared about how she looked.
The reason she ended up like this was because her rational side had overwhelmed her emotional side.
More precisely, the problem was related to Kain himself.
Because of the livestream, and because she wanted the footage to be more exciting, she wanted the energy bar to rise faster so she could earn more energy coins and help him more.
So when A2 fought the Machine Lifeforms on the front lines, she became more aggressive. As long as she was not truly putting herself in serious danger, then if the price of killing an enemy could be paid with the damage to her outer appearance, she would pay that price without hesitation.
It was not that killing the enemy truly required sacrificing her appearance.
If she were more patient and took the time to maneuver, she could also defeat them without taking any damage at all.
But A2 did not want that kind of drawn-out fighting.
It was not intense enough, and it did not make the energy bar rise as well.
"Still, A2, I'm ordering you to correct that. This is an order."
Kain gave that command plainly.
Unless she was in a truly dangerous situation and needed to smash through the enemy's server immediately, there was no need to fight so recklessly.
And when the enemy was already routing, there was even less need to chase them down that aggressively.
"I understand."
As always, her reply sounded calm and flat, but Kain could tell the corner of her mouth seemed just a little pleased.
This time, he had returned to this world bringing planetary engine technology with him.
That energy engine technology could, in theory, also be used to build planetary engines.
It only required adjusting the way the energy was released, and it could become a true high-thrust engine.
And on A2's side, the difficulty of implementing that technology quickly was not especially high.
They could not build engines on the scale of the ones used on that planet, but even so, it would still be a revolutionary leap forward for the androids here.
Once energy was no longer a problem at all, once it became so abundant that it was effectively inexhaustible, then a huge technological explosion could be built on top of that foundation.
As for this technology, Commander White would likely use it on the Moon as well, since the Moon was essentially fully under android control.
By that point, the Moon might very well be transformed into an Attack Moon.
Six aircraft dropped down from the starry sky, tore through the atmosphere, and descended into the endless sea of clouds.
"This is Bunker Command. YoRHa units, respond."
Operator 6O's voice came through the comm channels of all six craft.
"This is 11B. All units have passed through the atmosphere. Navigation systems are functioning normally."
11B was the leader of this operation.
"Before making contact with the honored guest, conduct a full external inspection immediately."
"Understood. All units, begin deep scan at once and transmit your data to me."
"14D, understood."
That response was loud and crisp, like an exceptionally obedient model soldier.
"4D, u-understood."
That voice sounded much more nervous, almost like a rookie.
"10D, understood."
That one sounded very steady.
"6D, understood."
That voice, on the other hand, sounded distinctly excited.
"12H, understood."
That one gave the impression of someone who had not fully woken up yet.
Those six androids, including their leader, were piloting upgraded Ho 229 aircraft, descending toward the area that had been captured not long ago.
No, not descending.
Welcoming.
"Operator 6O, all scans are complete. No abnormalities detected."
"Good. Your flight paths have been reassigned. Proceed to the destination along the new route."
"Understood."
After seeing the newly assigned course, 11B led the formation away from their original heading.
And beneath that original route, weapons were already aimed at their squadron from below.
If anything abnormal had been detected, they would have been shot down immediately.
11B did not think such caution was excessive in the slightest.
After all, this concerned an honored guest.
Ten minutes later, the radar finally picked up another aircraft approaching them head-on.
That craft looked as if it had only just taken off from the ground and was still climbing.
It was also very different from the aircraft they were piloting, roughly four times larger, and it even carried two Ho 229-type fighters inside.
"This is 2B. I will now be taking command of your formation."
"This is 11B. Understood. Command authority transferred."
This transfer of command also included literal command authority, meaning that the self-destruct permissions for every Ho 229 in the current formation had also been transferred to Senior 2B.
If anything went wrong, 2B would be able to trigger the self-destruction of their aircraft immediately.
Then, following 2B's instructions, the formation shifted and took up escort positions around the Ho 229 transport craft.
"6O, this is 2B. We're entering the stratosphere. Keep watch on the surrounding airspace."
"This is 6O. No flying Machine Lifeforms detected. Area secure!"
That report eased the tension in 2B's body just a little as she piloted the transport.
She had never had such a nerve-wracking flight before. It almost felt like this was the first time she had ever flown a craft of this type, and she was afraid of making even a small mistake.
But the truth was simple.
There was someone extremely important aboard this craft, and the thought of anything happening during the flight made her terribly tense.
From the corner of her eye, she glanced at the copilot's seat.
That important person was sitting there.
And behind him stood A2, like a spike driven into place, fixed immovably at his back.
As if he had somehow sensed her looking at him even through her visor, he turned his gaze toward her, making 2B hastily pull her eyes away.
It felt like her heart was racing.
No, that was wrong.
She was an android. She did not have a heartbeat.
And yet her chest had grown strangely warm, as if her system were malfunctioning.
She tightened her grip on the control stick.
Do not get distracted. Focus on flying.
Once the craft broke through the atmosphere and entered outer space, where weightlessness was far more pronounced, 2B felt herself grow lighter.
Not because of the zero gravity.
It was more as if some invisible pressure had lifted away.
Under normal circumstances, once they reached this airspace, the Machine Lifeforms could no longer pose any threat.
She could also see numerous orbital weapons positioned nearby, capable of unleashing fierce firepower. That made her feel safer.
She adjusted the flight path further and headed straight for the YoRHa Bunker.
In the blink of an eye—
"6O, we've arrived at the Bunker entrance!"
"Good work, 2B."
This time, even 6O's reply carried excitement she could barely suppress, because she had never seen the honored guest in person before.
The transport slowly docked, and 2B could see many YoRHa personnel already gathered on the platform ahead.
More than half of them had come. The rest were probably stuck at their posts, bitterly lamenting that their duties kept them from being here.
"Huh? Everyone, what are you doing? Why are you pushing me to the front?"
A blonde girl with braided twin-tails was being shoved all the way to the front by the others.
"Huh? This bouquet?"
Someone had suddenly stuffed a bouquet into her hands as well.
"What do you think it's for?"
"Obviously you're going to represent all of us, 6O."
"Do you have any idea how jealous we are of you?"
"Huh? If you're that jealous, then I'll give one of you the chance."
"Don't say something so stupid. It's already been decided that it's you. If we keep changing it now, what will the honored guest think?"
On the surface, everyone acted as if none of them wanted to be the representative offering the flowers.
In truth, every last one of them desperately wanted to do it themselves.
They were just too nervous, so nervous that they did not know what to do.
"All right, 6O, keep your composure. They're about to come out!"
At that reminder, 6O, who was already standing in front, could only snap into a proper upright posture.
Standing at the very front already made her conspicuous enough.
The fact that she alone was holding flowers made her stand out even more, and it was nerve-racking enough to kill her.
She had teased Lord Kain plenty of times before, and she had even joked around with him.
Now that he was about to see her in person, how would he think of her?
Would he be especially annoyed?
At this moment, 6O truly regretted ever being so mischievous.
As the hatch opened, she swallowed nervously and stared wide-eyed at the male figure stepping out.
This time, she was not seeing him through a screen.
This time, she was seeing him with her own eyes.
At first glance, he looked little different from a male android.
But it was obvious that beneath those clothes was not an artificial body like theirs.
It was real flesh.
A true human.
He stepped down and walked straight toward her, making 6O even more nervous than before. Her body felt as though it were heating up, releasing coolant as if she were sweating.
Then he stopped less than a meter away from her.
"6O?"
"Y-yes, yes, yes, that's me. I'm 6O, Lord Kain."
"So you're 6O? Somehow you don't seem like the one I know. The 6O I know is a cheerful girl who's pretty articulate. Why are you acting like a shy, stammering little thing?"
His teasing tone, along with the way he gently moved the bouquet aside to look at her with amusement, made her blush.
She took a deep breath.
"I'm not stammering. I'm just nervous."
This time, 6O's voice sounded much more normal.
Because from Lord Kain's behavior, he seemed easy to get along with.
He was nothing like Commander White, who was always stern and unsmiling.
After handing him the bouquet, she stepped back and stood at attention. Then all the YoRHa units, led by her, saluted in unison.
"Glory to Mankind!!!"
...
There were no thrilling battle scenes, no blazing firefights across the stars, no spectacular image of a planet splitting apart.
This time, it was only a quiet departure from the ground, a gliding takeoff through the atmosphere, and arrival at an orbital satellite base.
And yet that calm scene was still deeply appealing.
Because at last there was a truly futuristic image of a formation of Earth-made fighters breaking into space.
The familiar blue Earth, the familiar Solar System, and then entering a space station that perfectly matched people's imagination of a future orbital base, it was enough to stir beautiful hopes for the future.
Of course, Miss Martian and the two new girls who had just joined the group could also provide livestream images like this.
Unfortunately, both of them seemed busy.
One was a princess of an entire nation, working hard while worrying for her people.
The other had not come online even once since informing them about the Bloody Valentine incident.
(End of Chapter)
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