The Steel God's Tantrum
The surprise attack by the stolen (former) comrade ended in failure. All that remained was condemnation.
“Answer me, Sapaul. Why did you kill our comrade?”
‘It wasn’t me who killed him. He died because he was weak.’ Saying that would only earn him the disgusted stares of the other Maxwell-faction Outer Deities. So he softened his words a little.
“That boy had to die. No question about it.”
“We told you to wait. Why the hell did you lose your temper?”
“Wait? For what? Do we really need to exercise that much patience just to kill one insignificant creature?”
His patience had already reached its limit. The boy was nothing but a fragile beggar who would crumble if squeezed too hard, yet he kept running wild without knowing his place. It was utterly infuriating.
“There may not be another chance. We should have struck him down when the opportunity was right in front of us. If even one of you had stepped up properly, the operation would have succeeded.”
“Acting alone and calling it an ‘operation’ is not how we do things, Sapaul.”
“What did you just say?”
Sapaul wrapped a tentacle around the neck of the fellow Outer Deity. The pufferfish-like being gurgled and puffed up its head.
“Here, I am the law. Anyone with complaints, come at me all at once. If you defeat me, I’ll hand over the voting rights and step back to suck coins in peace.”
Even after he offered to settle the hierarchy, none of the Outer Deities stepped forward. Emboldened, Sapaul roared.
“If it weren’t for that yellow-haired bitch, we could have killed the boy with just one comrade’s sacrifice. But everything went to shit. The chance is gone, and now they’re fully prepared. There’s no answer anymore!”
“Why are you making such a fuss— KRAAAAAGH!”
Coiled razor wire tore through the head of the grape-like Outer Deity. Its skull was ripped out with a sickening shlurp. The other Outer Deities flinched and ducked in terror.
“Anyone else think I’m making a fuss?”
“…….”
“Good. Looks like there isn’t.”
Sapaul inhaled and brought the plucked grape to his mouth. His amplifier-shaped maw thumped and boomed before crushing the orb in one bite.
“Those Darwin bastards are way too arrogant. Acting all calm like it’s not their problem. Don’t they realize that if we all get devoured by the ‘End,’ we all lose…?”
“Kugh, KRAAAAAGH!”
“Fine. I’ll specially forgive you this once.”
He plucked a few more heads from his comrades and slammed them into the floor. Trapped inside the Resonator, they could neither advance nor retreat. In this place, no Outer Deity could defy him and win. It was his own little world.
He could gather as many comrades as he wanted to oppose the ‘End.’ He would simply bide his time, wait for an opening, slaughter every comrade here to use as sacrifices, kill the boy, and escape the Resonator.
But confirming that opening had become nearly impossible.
A woman wearing a maid headband entered the observation room he was monitoring.
“Young Master, why is the security buzzer in such a remote corner?”
“I dropped it while fighting.”
“That doesn’t seem to be the case.”
Sonia’s glare was sharp enough to cut. It practically screamed, If you lie, I will kill you.
“Why did you release Ire Haslen’s restraints?”
“She went on a rampage on her own.”
“For someone who supposedly rampaged, the restraints came off rather smoothly.”
“……”
“I will now begin fingerprint analysis.”
I’m screwed.
After an investigation that would put forensic teams to shame, the culprit behind this mess was narrowed down almost entirely to me.
Sonia forced me to my knees, dropped a hibiscus teabag into a cup, and slurped it down. She pulled her fist back and said,
“I will give you a chance to make excuses. Three. Two. One.”
-Sonia’s Fist-
After reciting ‘I won’t do it again!’ a hundred times to Sonia, I felt like my bones had turned to dust and my soul had left my body. Fuck, please spare me, it hurts so much.
Just as I was desperately holding back the urge to sob, Sonia pulled me into her arms and stroked my head.
“Do you have any idea how hard my power core dropped?”
“……”
“If I were to lose you, Young Master, the only place left for me would be the scrapyard. Please understand that your lifespan is my lifespan. I beg you.”
Around the word ‘beg,’ she gave the back of my head a few firm smacks. This was it. The classic parenting technique: beat the child senseless when they misbehave, then hug them at the end to comfort them. I used to think it was proper discipline, but looking back as an adult, it was nothing but gaslighting.
That’s right. I was currently being played by an android’s silver tongue. The end of the human era had arrived.
“Sonia? Idel? What are you two doing?”
“I was comforting him for a moment.”
When Rustilla called, Sonia smoothly released her grip.
“Is something wrong?”
“This child is about to wake up.”
Ire was twitching her shoulders. We sat side by side and observed her. It felt like we were staring blankly at an egg about to hatch.
“What the…”
Ire sat up, clutching her head. The moment her eyes met mine, she flinched violently and scrambled backward. Then she spotted Rustilla and cautiously poked her head forward again.
“Do you remember what happened?”
“No… not at all…”
“There’s nothing to apologize for, Rustilla. It was the Outer Deity’s doing.”
At my advice, Rustilla nodded. In that short time, Rustilla and Ire exchanged brief introductions. Of course, Ire already knew Rustilla. The bitter smile on her face looked a little pitiful.
After all, the two of them had built a deep bond across several previous regressions. Ire had been Rustilla’s sparring partner when she was wandering, stepped in whenever Zernya picked a fight, and helped her up every time she nearly collapsed in front of an Avatar.
In the novel, Rustilla was Ire Haslen’s creation. Although Ire had only carried her through the tough parts because she needed Rustilla’s talent, to the Rustilla of that cycle, she must have remained a meaningful friend until the very end.
Ire probably felt a touch of fondness too. The two of them faced each other with gentle smiles… smiles. Why aren’t you smiling? Girls?
“You had a good talk with Idel, right? Now go rest.”
The voice was as cold as ice. It came from Rustilla’s lips. Ire’s expression flooded with confusion.
“…Um?”
“What?”
“No, it’s just… you seem to be in a really bad mood.”
“I’m not.”
Each short, frosty word seemed to drop the room’s temperature by about ten degrees. For reference, that’s Fahrenheit.
“Let’s go too.”
Rustilla took my mangled hand and slowly stood up. She naturally leaned my arm on her shoulder. It was a common way to support someone, but the important part was that Ire stared at us with a dumbstruck face.
“Y-you two seem really close…?”
“We are close.”
Rustilla looked at me and added, “Right?” Her tone was bright and warm, completely different from a moment ago. Surprised, I nodded enthusiastically.
“Sonia, take good care of Ire.”
“Understood. I will thoroughly monitor her so she absolutely cannot leave.”
With that, we left the Resonator. I had accidentally shown Rustilla being friendly with me, but in the end it was a gain. It was one more piece of evidence that I wasn’t ‘Aidel.’
All the way back in the shuttle, Rustilla kept leaning her head toward me. It was a gesture she sometimes made when she wanted something.
“Want to grab a meal together after so long?”
“Y-yes!”
Rustilla’s face lit up with joy.
While Idel and Rustilla were enjoying dinner time, Sonia, who had been assigned to watch, feed, and do laundry for Ire, was quietly baking pane.
She stuffed the moist, fluffy bread with sweet honey and garlic sauce, added cheese for volume, filled the inside with rose cream spaghetti, and decorated it with bacon and parsley. Finally, she placed two roasted cherry tomatoes on top, neatly capturing the fruit’s unique acidity.
She made an identical second serving and prepared yogurt soaked with rye cereal. It had originally been meant for the Young Master.
“Food is ready.”
“Aaaagh, uuuuugh.”
When she entered the recovery room with the tray, Ire was tearing at her hair.
“Food is ready.”
“Why on earth, ugh…”
“Food is ready.”
“Rustilla, why are you with a guy like that…!”
“I said the food is ready.”
“My head hurts, it hurts!”
“……”
Sonia carefully returned to the kitchen and picked up a 1.2-meter baguette. That hard, heavy sensation. Perfect for gripping and swinging.
“Please come to your senses.”
“Kyaaaak!”
Sonia beat Ire (just as she had done to Idel) and then comforted her. Even amid the sudden gaslighting, only one thought circled inside Ire’s head.
Rustilla and Idel. Just what kind of relationship did those two have in this timeline?
When she asked, Sonia gave a bland answer.
“Didn’t you see it yourself back at Alcatraz? The Young Master and the lady are as close as can be.”
“No way, that can’t be.”
“If I had to describe it, they’re more than friends but not quite lovers. A match made in heaven. From what I hear, the Kersil family is even secretly considering a wedding…”
“Uwaaaaagh!”
Ire shoved a spoonful of pasta into her mouth and twisted her body in every direction. It’s delicious. No, it can’t be. It’s so good. What am I supposed to do about Rustilla now?
Calm down, Ire Haslen. You already decided that Idel in this cycle isn’t a scoundrel. But the way he changed turned out to be even worse.
Do you know physics?
It’s such an interesting subject.
Want to come to grad school?
At this rate Rustilla was going to pick up a pen instead of a sword.
“N-no. Absolutely not!”
That would mean the end of the universe. A person with sword talent belongs in the military. If she went somewhere like graduate school, this cycle would have to be abandoned. Rustilla is the Federation’s greatest fighting force!
“Bring Rustilla to me. I need to talk to her!”
“She went on a date with Young Master Idel.”
“W-what?”
“Even if you call her, she probably won’t be back until tomorrow.”
“Ah.”
Ire foamed at the mouth and collapsed backward.
“I will eat the remaining pasta.”
Slurrrrrp.
After neatly emptying the plate, Sonia let out a sigh.
“If only… I had been born human instead…”