If You Don't Say It, I Won't Know. (4)
If You Don't Say It, I Won't Know. (4)
"Kollok, kollok, kollok—"
Dirt and dust rising up hazily.
Makina, continuously coughing, hurriedly looked around her surroundings.
The place that had been her home until moments ago was already turned into ruins.
Her eyes, capturing that sight, trembled finely.
"...Why?"
It was a phenomenon Makina's mind could not comprehend.
What was there moments ago had suddenly disappeared.
Why?
The moment her body froze as she could not find a particular reason.
[Protocol: Deus Ex Machina. Activating.]
"Dea...?"
Dea's voice resounded inside her head.
A rigid voice, different from usual.
At his voice, even more inorganic than the Servant Mode she had seen once before, Makina trembled.
[Affirmative. Yes, Princess. This is Deus Ex Machina's auxiliary AI, Dea.]
"...Dea."
Makina clenched her fists tightly.
The fact that Dea, who had not executed the protocol until now, suddenly did so meant that the situation was that dangerous.
Her night-sky-colored eyes scanned the floor—more accurately, the large hole drilled beneath the floor.
"Did a problem occur in your calculation function?"
[Affirmative. The current operation rate of auxiliary AI Dea is 37%.]
She knew that Seo-ajeossi's computer wasn't an ordinary computer.
Because it operated without problems even while containing all of Dea, and had such a vast capacity that Dea didn't need to erase his memories.
However, seeing the things beneath that floor made it understandable.
A space where giant mechanical devices were stacked layer upon layer.
Though there was no uniformity, the mechanical devices were closely connected.
[Supplement. Damage to the current database and components for operation is severe.]
"..."
She could tell even without him saying so.
Because the elongated gash on the floor was carved into the mechanical devices in the exact same way.
"If, if left like this, what happens to Dea?"
[...]
Dea fell silent.
Unlike moments ago, it was a silence that felt human.
However, it was a silence more anxious than anything else.
"F-First, we need to put out the fire, right? And call Seo-ajeossi to tell him it's an emergency—"
[Negative. Recommending departure from current location.]
"I can't run away leaving Dea behind!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
She had barely managed to reunite with Dea, whom she thought she had parted from.
And yet they have to part ways again?
In this kind of way?
'No, I hate it, absolutely not...!'
This time, I will absolutely not leave him behind.
Like back then.
I can't run away leaving Dea in a place like this.
Even more so, unlike back then, her current self was fully awake.
Therefore, Makina chose not to run away.
[Confirmed. Switching calculation target from departure from current location to neutralization of hostile entity.]
"Hostile entity...?"
Just those four syllables.
Makina reflexively realized what meaning was contained within them.
Not an accident, but an incident.
Someone had attacked this place with malicious intent.
The home where Dea, herself, and Seo-ajeossi lived.
"Target discovered. Deus Ex Machina. Damage minor. Unlocking limiters for complete destruction."
"You...!"
A voice resounded as the dirt and dust settled.
Turning her head toward that direction, a pure white hazmat suit covering the entire body came into view.
She could not see the face.
All that was visible were safety goggles shining in achromatic light and a respirator letting out unpleasant breathing sounds.
[Warning. Temperature of the weapon equipped by the hostile entity is rising. Evading the attack is recommended.]
Uuung—
At Dea's words, Makina lowered her posture.
Can I run?
Swallowing dry saliva, she recalled her past self, who always fell after taking barely a few steps.
[It is coming.]
Immediately after Dea's words ended.
Makina's field of vision was dyed in white.
***
The atmosphere inside the office was quite like a battlefield.
Seo grabbing Rachel by the collar.
And Rachel looking at such a Seo.
"To think you picked up a weapon of war when you went to explore ruins. It seems my teachings were in vain."
"Those kids are not weapons of war!"
"Who can prove that? Even humans cannot prove their own innocence... Can mere machines prove purity?"
A sneer hovered on Rachel's lips.
An infinite hatred toward weapons of war.
However, does she know?
The fact that, consumed by that hatred, she too is becoming just like them.
"You cannot stop it. I have already sent a bioroid to dispose of it."
"Kh, dammit!"
Kung, kungkungkung—
At Rachel's words, Seo ran toward the entrance door.
However, the entrance door had long since been locked.
He pounded on the door with all his strength, but the door did not budge in the slightest.
As if saying he could not leave until the matter was finished.
"What on earth do you plan to do going there? Did you think I would send you to such a dangerous place?"
"You, only at times like this...!"
Pretend to be a guardian.
His words could not continue.
A sense of relief flashed across Rachel's eyes.
Only for a moment. It was only for a very brief moment, but Seo was able to read that sense of relief.
Living creatures called humans were bound to react fiercely to unfamiliar things, and the opponent's relief toward himself was also something he was experiencing for the first time in his life.
"I can't tell you how glad I am that you came looking for me. Thanks to that, the job became easier."
"..."
Rachel, letting out a dry cough with a "Kollok," turned around and looked out the window.
Just like that, as if it didn't matter even if she showed her back to him.
"Do you really think war will disappear just by doing this?"
"It won't disappear. However, reducing its scale and frequency is possible."
"Are you saying you will control war? That for that sake, you can pay any sacrifice?!"
An excited voice burst forth.
Designating risk factors under her own judgment and furthermore excluding them.
It was unacceptable.
However, what was even more unacceptable was that Makina and Dea were in danger.
Deureureuk— deureuk—!
"There's no way I would leave it in a place like that."
Seo roughly starting to rummage through the desk.
Looking at such a Seo, Rachel muttered dryly.
As if rummaging through her desk was completely meaningless.
"Heo-eok... heo-eok... Please, let me go... Rachel-ssi."
"What can you do if you go? A biological weapon is already headed for your home. An ordinary human can never deal with it, so give up."
"Like I could, give up...!"
Seo, picking up a chair, ran toward the door at full speed.
And then, he swung the chair straight at the door.
Kwaaang—!!!
"Give up. It won't break with just that."
"Euaaaaaaa—!!!"
Kwang, kwang, kwaang—!!!
Swinging it several times with all his strength, the chair shattered to pieces.
His palm was torn by fragments and blood flowed, but Seo did not care.
He had to find a way to get outside.
By any means necessary.
"Why on earth are you trying to go home to that extent? What on earth are those things?"
Rachel's question pierced his ears.
What on earth are those things?
There was no need to even think about it.
"Family. Because Makina and Dea are my only two family members."
"..."
As he clenched his fist, drops of blood dripped down.
Rachel merely stared blankly at Seo's state.
Is she contemplating something?
It didn't matter.
Right now, what Rachel was thinking wasn't important.
"Huu..."
Seo slowly exhaled a breath.
After thrashing about to his heart's content, his head, which had grown hot, cooled down coldly.
Pain was felt from his palm simultaneously as the excitement subsided, but that pain was making his mind clear.
'Come to think of it...'
His narrowed vision widened once more, and a picture frame lying face down on the desk came into view.
When Seo's gaze reached the picture frame, Rachel's body twitched.
Seo, who had regained his composure, was able to immediately notice that reaction.
"What on earth is this..."
"No! That's—"
When he reached out toward the frame, Rachel lunged toward Seo.
An action to block him from looking at the frame.
However, the speed of Seo picking up the frame was faster than Rachel stopping Seo.
[ May you please be happy.
-Lily Elpida ]
"..."
Seo's gaze turned toward the woman inside the photograph.
A face seen for the first time.
Yet a familiar face.
A person who seemed familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time was inside the picture frame.
"Put that down."
"..."
Rachel's words were no longer heard by Seo.
Seo was concentrating all his focus on recalling the faces of the people he had seen until now.
From long ago, up until now. Little by little, step by step.
'There's no way...'
The person with the most similar face was in his most recent memories.
Long black hair.
Eyes like the night sky.
Even the smile filled with purity.
"...Makina?"
It was Makina.
To be precise, it felt as if this was exactly how Makina would turn out if she grew up to become an adult.
However, the shock did not end there.
The glass cover enveloping the photo.
On top of it, Seo's face was reflected and overlapped with the photo.
"..."
He scowled.
The reason he felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing Makina.
It felt as though that very answer was shimmering right before his eyes.
"The person in the photo, who on earth is she?"
"..."
"Tell me, Rachel. Before I think whatever I want, you tell me."
Rachel kept her mouth shut.
Did she think it wouldn't be caught when she left the frame so openly?
Ah, right. In the first place, coming into this room was my very first time.
Seo, who let out a sigh, took a step toward Rachel.
"The person in this photo. Is she my mother?"
"..."
"Is that why you told me not to call you mother?"
If it was that, it made sense.
Because there was a mother who gave birth to him, she told him not to call herself mother.
Since she was originally a rigid person, if it was for such a reason, he felt he could fully understand.
"...No. That's wrong."
"What...?"
However, what came out of Rachel's mouth was a denial.
When Seo asked back at that clear denial, Rachel bit her lip tightly.
And—
Kwaaang—!!!!!!
"...?!"
"Euk?!"
—Suddenly, the door blew open.