The morning air bit at my skin as I adjusted my grip on the handlebars, the familiar metal cool beneath my gloves. Shiroko waited by the school gate, her bike already positioned, her expression as neutral as ever but with that slight readiness in her posture that meant she was looking forward to our ride.
"Morning."
She greeted with her characteristic economy of words.
"Mm... Morning."
I replied, settling onto my bike and rolling it forward to match her position.
The headache had started the moment I woke up, a sharp persistent throb behind my eyes that pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat. Nothing unusual anymore. Just another morning greeting from the incomplete mystic embedded in my body, the failed experiment that Kaiser Corp had abandoned along with me.
My Poker Face trait kept my expression smooth. My Fearless trait let me ignore the way each pulse felt like someone driving nails through my skull.
We set off together, wheels turning in synchronized rhythm as we left Abydos behind and headed toward the route we had carved out over weeks of early morning rides. The desert stretched around us, slowly giving way to more developed areas as we cycled.
"Weather's good."
Shiroko observed, her eyes scanning the horizon with that tactical awareness she never quite turned off.
"Mm... Clear skies."
I agreed, though the brightness made the pain worse. My Clairvoyant trait flickered uselessly, showing me random glimpses of possible futures that had nothing to do with my current discomfort. A blue flower blooming. Rain on pavement. Sensei reading a document with a concerned expression.
Useless. Always useless when I actually needed it.
We picked up speed, the wind rushing past my face and carrying away some of the heat building beneath my skin. This was the part I loved, the moment when movement became meditation and the world narrowed to just the road ahead, the bike beneath me, and Shiroko's steady presence beside me.
My Perfect Body trait kept my muscles moving efficiently despite the pain. My legs pumped without fatigue, my breathing remained steady, my core stayed balanced. On the outside, I was the picture of athletic grace.
On the inside, something was slowly breaking apart.
"Turn here."
Shiroko indicated a side path we sometimes took, one that led through a less traveled area with interesting terrain.
I nodded and followed, grateful for the distraction of navigating the rougher ground. Concentration helped. Action helped. Anything that kept my mind occupied and away from the growing awareness that the simulations were taking more from me than they gave.
We cycled for another twenty minutes before looping back toward Abydos. Shiroko's sports drink appeared in her hand as we slowed near a familiar rest spot, and she passed it to me without asking, the gesture so routine now it felt like breathing.
"Thanks."
I took a long drink, the cool liquid doing nothing for the headache but at least soothing my throat. The sweetness sat wrong in my stomach, but I kept my expression neutral.
"Your form is improving."
Shiroko said, which from her was high praise.
"Trajectory calculation is faster now."
"Mm... Been practicing."
What I didn't say was that each simulation gave me more processing power, more mental capabilities, but also increased the strain on the incomplete mystic trying to contain it all. Like pouring water into a cracked vessel and wondering why it kept leaking.
We returned to school as the sun climbed higher, parking our bikes and heading to the showers. The hot water felt good against my skin, steam rising around me as I stood under the spray longer than necessary. Heat helped sometimes, confusing the pain signals enough that they became background noise instead of sharp insistence.
By the time I emerged, dressed in my uniform with my hair still damp against my shoulders, Hoshino was waiting in the hallway.
"Nyaa... Aria chan."
She yawned, her pink hair slightly mussed and her eyes half-lidded as always.
"Come nap with this old lady."
"Where today?"
I asked, already knowing I would follow. Hoshino's napping spots had become a kind of tour of Abydos's hidden corners, each one carefully selected for optimal comfort and minimal disturbance.
"Rooftop. Good breeze up there."
She led me through the school's quiet corridors, most classrooms empty this early, until we reached the roof access. The door opened to reveal the desert landscape stretching in all directions, the sky impossibly blue overhead.
Hoshino had already set up a small nest of blankets and pillows in the shade of the water tower. Her dolphin plushie sat propped against one pillow, its cheerful expression at odds with the serious situation our school faced daily.
"Here."
She patted the space beside her.
I settled down, the soft fabric beneath me immediately comfortable. The shade helped with the headache, the breeze even more so. Hoshino arranged herself with practiced ease, her head finding my shoulder as naturally as water finding level.
"Nyaa... You're tense."
She murmured, her eyes already closing.
"Relax more."
"Mm... Trying."
My Emotional Intelligence trait caught the genuine concern beneath her lazy exterior. Hoshino noticed things, saw through the masks people wore, understood the weight they carried even when they tried to hide it.
But she wouldn't push. That wasn't her way. She simply existed beside you, solid and reliable, until you were ready to speak or until the silence itself became healing.
I let my eyes close, focusing on the sound of the wind and Hoshino's steady breathing. The pain didn't stop, but it became more bearable when I wasn't fighting it alone. When someone sat beside me and simply accepted my presence without demanding explanation.
"This old lady is glad you're here."
Hoshino whispered, her voice already thick with approaching sleep.
"Abydos is better with you in it."
The words settled warm in my chest, pushing back against the cold spread of pain through my skull. I wanted to respond, to tell her how much these moments meant, how much all of them meant. But my throat felt tight and the words wouldn't come.
So I just pressed slightly closer, letting the contact speak for me.
Hoshino's breathing evened out within minutes, sleep claiming her with the ease of long practice. I stayed awake longer, staring up at the sky through half-closed eyes and trying not to think about the error messages that plagued my simulations.
System not working properly.
The mystic Deus Ex Machina lacks ***** to function properly.
Please do a ******* and ******* to properly bind the mystic to this body before it shatters completely.
What would happen when it finally did shatter? Would I simply stop working, like a machine with a critical failure? Would the simulations stop, leaving me without the skills and traits I had come to rely on? Or would it be worse, some catastrophic breakdown that took me apart from the inside?
I pushed the thoughts away and let sleep take me, brief and troubled, filled with fragments of lives I had lived and deaths I had experienced.
When I woke, the sun had shifted and Hoshino was gone, probably off to her next napping location or to attend to presidential duties she somehow managed despite appearing perpetually exhausted. A note sat weighted down by a small stone: Good nap. Don't skip lunch. - H
I smiled faintly and pocketed the note, then made my way back inside.
Shiba Seki Ramen smelled like it always did, rich broth and savory pork and the distinctive tang of fermented ingredients. I tied my apron with practiced efficiency, my fingers knowing the motions without thought.
"Aria! Perfect timing!"
Serika appeared from the kitchen, already in her work uniform and carrying a tray of clean bowls.
"We've got a lunch rush starting. You ready?"
"Mm... Ready."
We fell into our routine, the choreography of service we had developed over weeks of working together. Serika handled the front counter and initial greetings, her bright energy putting customers at ease. I managed the floor service, my trajectory calculation letting me navigate the crowded space without collision, my perfect body ensuring I never spilled a drop.
The work helped. Movement helped. Purpose helped.
Each bowl delivered was a moment I didn't have to think about the pain building behind my eyes. Each customer served was proof I could still function, still contribute, still matter despite the incomplete thing embedded in my brain.
"Order up! Two tonkotsu, one miso, extra egg on the second tonkotsu!"
The owner called from the kitchen.
I loaded the tray with the practiced ease of my Gentle Hand trait, balancing the weight perfectly as I navigated between tables. The hot bowls radiated heat against my arms, grounding me in the physical reality of the moment.
"Here you are. Please enjoy."
I set the bowls down with careful precision, the customers barely looking up from their conversation to acknowledge me. That was fine. Better, even. Less attention meant less need to maintain the facade of normalcy.
I turned to head back and the world tilted sideways.
Not far. Just a slight shift, like the floor had moved beneath me. But enough that I caught the edge of a table for balance, my perfect body compensating before anyone noticed.
The headache spiked sharp enough that I tasted copper.
"Aria? You okay?"
Serika appeared at my elbow, concern clear in her amber eyes.
"Mm... Fine. Just tired."
The lie came easily, protected by my Poker Face trait. My expression remained neutral even as I felt something warm trickle from my nose.
I wiped it quickly, my hand coming away with a small streak of red.
"You're bleeding!"
Serika's voice rose slightly before she caught herself, glancing around to make sure customers hadn't noticed.
"It's nothing. Dry air."
I pulled a tissue from my apron pocket and held it to my nose, tilting my head back slightly. The bleeding stopped quickly, but Serika's concerned expression didn't fade.
"You've been working too hard. Take a break, okay? I can handle things for a bit."
"I'm fine."
"Aria."
Her tone carried unexpected firmness, the determination that showed through when she really cared about something.
"Take. A. Break."
I nodded, not trusting my voice, and headed to the small break room behind the kitchen. The owner glanced at me but said nothing, probably assuming Serika had it handled.
I sat in the quiet space, tissue still pressed to my nose even though the bleeding had stopped, and tried to control my breathing. The pain had reached a new level, sharp and insistent and impossible to ignore no matter what trait I relied on.
My Survival Instinct screamed warnings I couldn't act on. My Danger Sense pulsed with threats I couldn't escape. My Technology Affinity was useless against biological failure.
I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and opened the notes app, typing quickly before I forgot:
Symptoms increasing. Nosebleed during work. Vision distortion. Pain level 8/10. Simulations still running nightly. Error messages persistent. Time until critical failure: unknown.
I stared at the words, clinical and detached, and felt nothing. The Emotional Intelligence trait that usually helped me understand others seemed to have given up on helping me understand myself.
A knock on the door made me lock my phone quickly.
"Aria? I brought you water."
Serika entered with a glass and a damp cloth.
"Here. For your nose."
"Thanks."
I accepted both, the cool cloth feeling good against my flushed skin.
Serika sat beside me, not speaking, just present in that way she had developed over our time working together. No longer the prickly, defensive girl who had glared at me those first weeks. Now someone who sat beside me and offered quiet support.
"You know you can tell me if something's wrong, right?"
She said after a long moment.
"I know we're not like, super close or anything, but we're friends. And friends help each other."
The sincerity in her voice made my throat tight.
"I know. Thank you."
"Is it... Is it about where you came from? About Kaiser?"
My hands clenched reflexively around the glass.
"You don't have to tell me details. I just... You seem like you're carrying something heavy. And I want to help if I can."
I looked at her, at the genuine concern in her expression, and felt the weight of secrets pressing down.
"The pain..."
The words came out before I could stop them.
"It's getting worse. The headaches. They started small but now..."
"Have you told anyone? Ayane? Hoshino? Sensei?"
I shook my head.
"Why not?!"
"Because there's nothing they can do. Because I don't want to be more of a burden than I already am. Because..."
Because I'm afraid if they know how broken I am, they'll realize I was a mistake. That taking me in was a mistake. That I'm not worth the effort.
I didn't say that part out loud, but Serika's expression suggested she heard it anyway.
"You're not a burden, Aria. You're our friend. Our teammate. Part of the Foreclosure Task Force. Part of Abydos."
She grabbed my hand, her grip warm and firm.
"Whatever's wrong, we'll figure it out together. That's what we do."
I wanted to believe her. Wanted to trust that somehow, despite the incomplete mystic and the failing system and the pain that got worse with every simulation, there would be a solution.
But the error messages were clear. The system needed something I didn't have. Something I couldn't provide. And without it, the mystic would eventually shatter.
Taking me with it.
"Come on."
Serika stood, pulling me up with her.
"Let's get back to work. But shorter shift today, okay? And you're telling the others about this. Tonight."
"Serika..."
"No arguments. That's my condition for not dragging you to Ayane right now."
I nodded, knowing she meant it, and followed her back to the floor.
The rest of the shift passed in a blur of service and forced normalcy. By the time we closed, my hands were shaking and I could barely see straight. But the customers never knew. The owner never knew.
Only Serika knew, and she watched me with worried eyes as we cleaned up together.
"This one would look good on you!"
Nonomi held up a jacket in soft blue, her smile bright as always despite the evening hour.
We were at a small outdoor clothing shop in a more developed district, Nonomi having declared that I needed "proper adventure clothes" for our various missions and activities. I suspected she just wanted an excuse to shop, but I wasn't complaining.
The distraction was welcome.
"Mm... Nice color."
"Try it on! Oh, and these pants too. They're tactical but stylish. Perfect for someone who's always running around getting into trouble."
She winked, passing me several items.
I took them to the changing room, grateful for a moment alone to lean against the wall and breathe through another wave of pain. The fluorescent lights were too bright, making the headache spike sharp and insistent.
When I emerged wearing the outfit, Nonomi clapped her hands together.
"Perfect! You look ready for anything. How does it feel?"
"Good. Comfortable."
The clothes were well-made, flexible material that moved with me, multiple pockets for equipment, reinforced areas that wouldn't tear easily. Practical and effective.
"We'll take these. Oh, and maybe these boots too? Your current ones are getting worn."
Nonomi was already gathering items, her enthusiasm infectious despite my exhaustion.
At the counter, she pulled out her wallet and I reached for mine.
"Nonomi, I can pay..."
"Absolutely not! This is my treat. You work so hard at the ramen shop and you're always helping everyone else. Let me do something nice for you."
Her smile left no room for argument.
As we left the shop, bags in hand, Nonomi linked her arm through mine companionably.
"You know, I'm really glad you joined Abydos. Everyone is happier with you around. Even Serika, though she'd never admit it."
"I'm glad too."
The words came out quieter than intended.
"Aria? Are you feeling okay? You seem a bit pale."
My Poker Face trait was slipping. The pain was getting harder to hide.
"Just tired. Long day."
"Let's get you back then. Oh, but first, ice cream! There's a good shop near here and sugar always helps when you're tired."
She steered me toward a small parlor, her cheerful energy undimmed. We sat at an outdoor table, the evening air cool against my flushed skin, and Nonomi ordered something elaborate with multiple flavors.
"So I've been thinking about the debt situation."
She said between bites.
"We got the deed secured, which is great, but we still owe a lot of money. And with everything happening, we need a better income plan."
"Mm... What are you thinking?"
"Well, you and Serika have the part-time work covered. That helps. But what if we did something as a group? Like, organized missions for hire? Security consulting? We're good at combat and tactics. People would pay for that."
She wasn't wrong. My Hacking expertise and Combat training combined with everyone else's skills made us a formidable unit.
"Ayane would need to calculate sustainability."
"Exactly! That's why I wanted to run it by you first. You're practical, you see things clearly. Do you think it could work?"
I considered it, my mind running calculations despite the pain making it harder to focus.
"Depends on clients. Legality. Risk assessment. But... could work."
"Great! I'll bring it up at the next meeting. With your support, Ayane will take it seriously."
Nonomi finished her ice cream with obvious satisfaction.
"You barely touched yours. Are you sure you're okay?"
I looked down at the melting dessert, my stomach churning at the thought of eating it.
"Not hungry. You can have it."
"If you're sure..."
She accepted the bowl and finished both servings, chatting about ideas for group missions and potential clients and how we could market ourselves as a legitimate security force.
I listened and nodded in appropriate places, grateful she didn't push about my obvious discomfort.
By the time we returned to Abydos, night had fallen completely. Nonomi walked me to the dormitory, bags still in hand, and gave me a warm hug before leaving.
"Get some rest, okay? And if you need anything, anything at all, you know where to find me."
"Thank you, Nonomi."
She smiled and headed off toward her own room, humming softly.
I stood in the hallway for a long moment, surrounded by shopping bags full of clothes I might not live long enough to wear, and felt the weight of everything pressing down.
Then I forced myself to move, one step at a time, back to my room.
"The numbers don't look great."
Ayane's tablet displayed various charts and calculations, her analytical mind having broken down our financial situation into stark reality.
We were gathered in the clubroom the next morning, the atmosphere more serious than usual. Hoshino lounged in her usual corner but her eyes were open and attentive. Shiroko cleaned her gun with mechanical precision. Serika fidgeted with her phone. Nonomi listened with focused concern.
And I sat at the table, trying to focus through the fog of pain that hadn't lessened since yesterday.
"Even with the deed secured, we still owe three million yen total. The part-time work helps, but at current rates, it'll take us years to pay it off."
"Nonomi suggested group missions."
I said, my voice coming out more strained than intended.
Everyone looked at me, and I cleared my throat.
"Security work. Tactical consultation. We have the skills."
"That's actually not a bad idea."
Ayane's fingers flew across her tablet.
"If we charged standard rates for security services and took on two missions per week... we could cut the repayment time to eighteen months. Maybe less if we get premium clients."
"Nyaa... This old lady thinks it's worth trying..."
Hoshino added.
"We're already doing combat work anyway. Might as well get paid properly for it."
"We'd need to register officially. Get licenses. Set up proper protocols."
Ayane was already making notes.
"I can handle the administrative side. Nonomi, can you help with client relations?"
"Of course! I'm great with people."
"Shiroko, Aria, you'd handle field operations and tactical planning. Serika, you'd be support and logistics. Hoshino..."
"This old lady will nap and give moral support."
"Perfect."
Ayane's smile was genuine despite the sarcasm.
The discussion continued, plans forming, details emerging. I tried to contribute but the words were getting harder to form, the pain making it difficult to think clearly.
"Aria?"
Shiroko's quiet voice beside me.
"You okay?"
"Mm... Fine."
But I wasn't. The room was tilting again, the voices becoming distant and echoing. My vision darkened at the edges.
"Aria!"
Multiple voices now, concerned and urgent.
I felt hands catching me as I slumped forward, the table rushing up to meet me before Shiroko's arms wrapped around my shoulders.
"She's burning up!"
Serika's hand on my forehead.
"Get her to the clinic room. Now!"
Ayane's command cutting through the confusion.
Movement. Being carried. Cool sheets beneath me. Voices discussing and arguing and planning.
Then darkness, and the familiar pull of simulation starting despite my consciousness fading.
But this time, something was different.
The simulation stuttered, glitching, error messages cascading across my awareness like digital rain.
CRITICAL ERROR
MYSTIC INTEGRITY AT 15%
SYSTEM COLLAPSE IMMINENT
SIMULATION TERMINATING
EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS ENGAGING
EXTERNAL INTERVENTION REQUIRED
CONTACTING...
I couldn't see the rest. Consciousness slipped away completely, leaving only pain and error messages and the distant feeling of hands holding mine.
Sensei sat in his temporary office at Schale, reviewing reports from various schools under his jurisdiction. Abydos was progressing well despite their challenges. The Foreclosure Task Force had shown remarkable resilience and capability.
His tablet chimed with an incoming message marked PRIORITY.
He opened it, expecting another administrative matter or mission update.
Instead, he found himself staring at a holographic projection of a small figure with distinctive bunny ears and blue coloring.
"Hello, Sensei! This is Arona, your AI assistant from Schale!"
The cheerful AI appeared on his screen, but her expression was unusually serious.
"I am contacting you regarding an urgent medical situation involving student Aria from Abydos High School."
Sensei's attention sharpened immediately.
"What kind of medical situation?"
"Aria is experiencing critical system failure due to an incomplete mystic implantation. Analysis of her biological readings indicates she has been suffering from severe neural degradation for several weeks."
The AI pulled up medical data that made Sensei's blood run cold.
"Incomplete mystic implantation? I don't understand. What is she?"
Arona's expression grew even more serious.
"Based on data recovered from Kaiser Corporation's abandoned research facilities, Aria is the 14th test subject in their 4th generation revolutionary super soldier program. She was forcibly implanted with a mystic called 'Deus Ex Machina' despite being a normal human without a natural halo."
Images appeared on screen. Technical diagrams. Experimental logs. And photos of a young girl in a tube, her silvery hair floating in liquid, her eyes empty and hollow.
"The mystic allows her to run life simulations and gain skills, traits, and abilities from alternate lives. However, the implantation was incomplete when the transport vehicle exploded. The mystic is slowly degrading, causing increasing neural damage."
"How long does she have?"
Sensei's voice was tight.
"At current degradation rates, complete system collapse will occur within 72 hours. She will either die or suffer permanent brain damage severe enough to be equivalent to death."
"What can we do?"
"The mystic requires proper binding to stabilize. According to the incomplete research notes, this requires a process that Kaiser Corporation never completed. The exact method is unclear from available data."
Arona hesitated, her digital expression showing uncertainty.
"However, there may be another option. Your unique nature as a teacher, someone who exists outside the normal rules of Kivotos, may allow you to interact with the mystic in ways others cannot. But this is speculation. The risk is high."
Sensei was already standing, gathering his things.
"Send all available data to my tablet. I'm heading to Abydos now."
"Understood, Sensei. I will continue analyzing for possible solutions. Please hurry."
The hologram faded, leaving Sensei alone with the weight of new understanding.
Aria wasn't just a student who had survived an accident. She was a failed experiment, a girl who had been turned into a weapon, whose very existence was slowly killing her.
And none of them had known. She had hidden it, endured it alone, protected them from the truth while her body broke down piece by piece.
He grabbed his keys and ran for his car, the reports on his desk forgotten.
Behind him, unnoticed, a small notification appeared on his tablet:
Aria's simulation system has entered emergency mode. All non-critical functions suspended. Life preservation protocols activated. Time until critical failure: 71 hours, 43 minutes.