Although Kei threatened me, for now it seemed to have the intention to communicate.
Since there was no immediate need to worry about it using force, my top priority was to stabilize it as much as possible and wait for Arona to call in reinforcements capable of easily defeating Kei.
Along the way, if I could take this opportunity to extract some information about "AL-1S", and even the missing GSC President…
With that thought, I finally fully recovered my composure from this sudden turn of events. My mind began to work more actively as I considered how to deal with this mysterious AI.
After a moment of thought, I asked in return, "What do you think we were doing?"
Could Kei, inside Arisu's body, see what was happening outside? If so, how much had it seen?
I tried to probe it.
Kei asked coldly in return, "You were not teaching AL-1S things unrelated to her mission, were you? Emotions are impurities that will only contaminate AL-1S's purity."
[AL-1S's mission]. This term had now come out of Kei's mouth for the second time.
Silently committing it to memory, I shook my head and denied it. "Of course not."
It was clearly Arisu who took the initiative.
Kei pressed further. "Then what were you doing with AL-1S? Some form of material exchange, or information exchange?"
How should I put it. If there was an exchange, then yes, there was indeed an exchange.
I put on a deliberately inscrutable expression. "More importantly, our time right now can hardly be called abundant. Do you not think there are other topics more worth discussing?"
After a brief silence, Kei nodded. "You are right. In that case, let us continue the topic we did not finish last time."
I froze for a moment, realizing that what it referred to as last time was in the ruins.
What had we talked about back then?
Fortunately, Kei took the initiative to repeat it. "Just who are you, exactly?"
The out of control AI's purplish red eyes fixed on me. "You were able to locate AL-1S in such a short time, bypass AL-1S's firewall directly without relying on any equipment, and even protect AL-1S and… me, from that hostile mechanical construct at the time."
I sneered inwardly, thinking that the one I wanted to protect was neither AL-1S nor Kei. It was clearly only Arisu.
"So you really are…"
Even though the other party was an arrogant AI, I could faintly hear a trace of tension and anticipation in Kei's voice at this moment.
"You are my kind, aren't you?"
Before I could figure out how to respond, Kei answered its own question.
"Just like me, an existence meant to assist AL-1S in accomplishing her mission. That must be it, right? That is why, even after being attacked by me, you still rushed over instinctively to protect me, at the risk of exposing your identity… us. Of course, we do not actually need your protection."
To my surprise, like a little girl who had been holding things in for too long and finally opened the floodgates, Kei chattered on by itself for quite a while.
And this thing, was it not a bit overly self aware?
Naturally, I was happy to let it misunderstand my identity.
"That's right. Exactly."
"…Hmph."
Kei lifted its chin. Despite its expressionless face, it gave off a proud, smug air. "I knew it."
I felt that there was probably something wrong with me. Otherwise, why would I get the feeling that this version of Kei was kind of cute?
No. Kei was different from Arona and Arisu. Kei was an enemy, not an existence loyal to me.
"In that case, there is no time to waste."
Kei, controlling Arisu's body, grabbed my hand and pulled me up with it. "You have been undercover for so long, you must have already obtained enough information. Take us to a suitable location where we can connect to sufficient usable resources without being easily interfered with, and prepare to initiate the protocol."
Protocol… Was that the ugh... something something Kei mentioned when it took over Arisu's body in the abandoned factory? And what exactly were usable resources?
"No rush." I clasped "Arisu's" hand in return and said calmly. "The timing is not right yet. There are other issues that urgently need to be resolved."
"What issues?"
Of course it was that I had no idea what you were talking about and was just bluffing to delay for time as much as possible.
I deliberately put on a stern face and said sharply, "Can you really not think of it?"
Sure enough, Kei froze for a moment, then frowned deeply in thought. Soon, it seemed to make some connection, and its expression grew frighteningly dark.
After a long while, it finally let out a voice cold to the bone.
"…It does not matter. We have already waited so long, there is no need to rush this moment. One day, we shall establish a new [Sanctuary]."
I silently committed this new term, Sanctuary, to memory.
"In that case, then…"
Before I could finish speaking, Kei's expression changed drastically.
In the next instant, an incomparably crisp, explosive crash rang out in the room, followed by a furious roar that made no attempt to hide its anger.
"You brainless bastard who does not know when to die… hurry up and let go of my Sensei!!!"
Steel cables, chains, and shards of glass filled the air.
A petite girl in a maid outfit, her eyes seemingly burning with fire, burst through the window wielding two submachine guns.
The reinforcements I had been waiting for had finally arrived.
The moment I saw Neru, I felt a deep sense of relief.
Come to think of it, the tsundere Neru had actually blurted out "my Sensei" just now in her panic.
Presumably, "my master" was not far off anymore…
However, in the blink of an eye, the composure I had just regained vanished once more, even more thoroughly than before.
The instant Kei clearly heard Neru's words, it took the most correct action from its own standpoint.
It actually… pulled me in front of itself with its backhand…
Pulled me between itself and Neru, who had already pulled the trigger.
It... it dared to use me as a shield!?
Shock, anger, and humiliation tried to surge up in my heart one after another.
But before all of those, what swept through my entire body first…
Was fear.
This pure fear turned my mind completely blank.
Although Neru released the trigger and forced the muzzle down as fast as she could after realizing what Kei had done, the bullet had already left the chamber.
And at this very moment, the Shittim Chest was several meters away from me.
A distance of just a few meters, something that normally took only two or three steps to cross.
Yet under these circumstances, it felt like an insurmountable chasm.
Could Arona deflect the incoming bullet across this distance?
I did not know.
Because I had never dared to try separating myself from the Shittim Chest while enemies were present.
And aside from the Shittim Chest, I could pay a price to temporarily obtain the powers possessed by the aberrations.
But there was no time.
The release of a divine name had a certain delay.
Although extremely brief, that gap undeniably existed.
I had thought that after surviving in Kivotos for three months, I would be able to face gunfire without fear.
But I was wrong.
That was only an illusion.
If the Shittim Chest was not by my side… if I had not reacted to release the divine name before a student pointed a gun at me…
I was not the same as these things.
If I was hit by a bullet, I would bleed, be gravely injured, or even die.
In the end, I was…
Just an ordinary human.
In that single instant that seemed to stretch into infinity, tears spilled uncontrollably, filling my eyes.
But the bullet only grazed my cheek, leaving a trail of blood.
"As long as I am here, I will never let anyone hurt Sensei!"
A blurred yet familiar voice reached my ears. Already clear and pleasant, it now sounded like heavenly music.
Drenched in cold sweat from head to toe, I realized that I was still within the Shittim Chest's protective range.
The moment this realization dawned on me, a corona shaped halo appeared behind my head, and I finally regained a bit of peace of mind.
Even if the price was that my life would once again begin draining at multiple times the rate, it was worth it.
After immense relief came intense lingering fear.
The heat on my face indicated a fact.
This seemed to be… the limit of the Shittim Chest?
And all of the above had occurred within just a few short seconds.
Seeing that I was unharmed, Neru finally let out a breath of relief.
"Neru! Do not worry about me!"
With the divine name active, I roared with all my strength, yet Neru clenched her teeth and did not dare make another reckless move.
By now, the three girls from the Game Development Department had all been awakened. At the same time, they were frozen in shock by the sudden turn of events.
Only at this point did I finally recover a small measure of my ability to analyze the situation.
First of all, the instinctive fear I felt earlier was, in fact, unnecessary.
Even if the Shittim Chest truly was not by my side, I still possessed a power sufficient to save my life, although it seemed to be a one time effect and could not be verified.
Then there was this damned AI. What kind of mindset was it acting on? Had it finally realized that I was playing it for a fool?
Neru… why did Neru use such reckless and aggressive tactics, even though she clearly knew I was being held hostage? And Rio, who sent her here, did she really not know Neru's temperament?
In the end, it all came down to my own weakness. I knew I was weak, yet I was arrogant enough to believe the Game Development Department was a safe zone, and because of that, I set aside the Shittim Chest that my life depended on.
It was all my fault.
It was always my fault.
"Move aside."
Behind me, Kei spoke coldly, and the one she was addressing was, of course, Neru.
The strongest in Millennium, now constrained by having something to lose, the maid agent asked, "What did you say?"
"I said, move aside."
Neru gritted her teeth and, filled with frustration, stepped aside from the already shattered window.
Momoi, who still did not fully grasp the situation, shouted loudly, "Arisu!? What are you doing to Sensei… no, wait, you are Kei!?"
From those purplish red eyes so different from Arisu's, Momoi easily discerned the other party's true identity.
Kei did not pay Momoi any attention. Using me as a hostage, she forced Neru to keep her distance, retreating step by step into the corner.
No matter how loudly I urged Neru to act, she behaved as though she could not hear me at all, silently following Kei's instructions.
…Was it because she had seen the fear I revealed earlier that she was now so cautious?
And Momoi, Midori, and Yuzuko were the same.
My anxiety surged uncontrollably.
These idiots, did they think I was noble enough to willingly sacrifice myself just to stop Kei!?
Soon after, I was taken by Kei to the windowsill.
The body heat of the soft, warm bionic body could not offset the chill brought by the night wind.
What it intended to do was not hard to guess.
What Kei intended to do to me, on the other hand, was not.
Still unwilling to let go of me as a hostage, Kei jumped down with me.
Feeling the sensation of falling and gazing up at the band of light hanging high in the sky, I did my best to steady my mind and made what should have been a futile attempt.
"Kei, what are you trying to do?"
Yet Kei, who had just used me as a human shield, actually answered my question.
"My companion, that performance just now was truly splendid!"
…What?
I froze slightly, then forced myself to remain calm. "Of course it was."
As we spoke, Kei landed heavily on the lawn, leaving behind two deep footprints.
"Amazing. To be able to act out such a pathetic look of fear so naturally, you completely convinced that one."
While dragging me along and sprinting wildly through the Millennium campus, Kei spoke to me with a tone filled with warmth and admiration. "With the support of the two of us, we will surely be able to help the Princess fulfill her mission."
I tried to process the situation, and suddenly felt a sense of absurd amusement.
Kei genuinely believed that I was her so called companion, that everything earlier was an unspoken understanding, all of it just acting?
Something this foolish… had nearly gotten me killed?
The rising anger swallowed all other excess emotions and burned ever more fiercely.
Unaware of my state, Kei continued, "Now that it has come to this, there is no need to worry about so much anymore. Just tell me the most suitable location to initiate the protocol, and I will dispatch followers to intercept them."
"…Not yet."
I would make Kei pay the price for daring to toy with me.
"It is not time yet," I said sincerely. "Kei, are you willing to trust me?"
"Of course." Kei answered without hesitation. "In this world, only you, me, and the Princess are truly of the same kind."
The same kind, huh.
"Then surrender."
"What? But…"
I turned my head and saw Neru chasing after us from afar.
"Not everyone in Millennium cares about whether this hostage lives or dies," I said calmly. "For our mission to truly succeed, let us give this up for now. Trust me. I will do everything I can to protect Arisu."
Kei's steps gradually slowed.
Not just because of my words, but also because, ahead of us, a blonde girl already stood waiting.
"Ha! Do not even think about taking master away!" Asuna shouted from a distance.
"…I understand."
Kei came to a stop, then turned to look at me.
"Then please deactivate [Reverse Mystic Pyroxene Conversion] first."
Another term I had never heard before, but it was not difficult to understand.
It could only be referring to the halo I had now.
"Why?" I asked.
"I have a way to help you better deceive those people." Kei's gaze was calm as she urged me on. "There is no time to explain. Just as I trust you, please trust me too. Everything is for the sake of our mission being fulfilled."
…That is exactly right.
Trust had always been mutual.
The fact that Kei regarded me as a trustworthy existence still had value to exploit. It was worth the gamble.
Moreover, both Neru and Asuna moved at full sprint with astonishing speed, as if flying just above the ground. In the blink of an eye, they would reach us.
With no weapons at all, bare handed, what could Kei possibly do in these few seconds at most?
In a flash, I made my decision, yet deliberately delayed for one second before deactivating the divine name.
I even marveled at my own excessive caution.
After all, I had nearly overturned everything before by underestimating Kei. Even now, the memory of brushing past death lingered vividly. How could I not be cautious to this extent?
Having gone this far, it should have been foolproof…
"Thump."
A dull, unremarkable sound rang out at the exact moment the halo behind my head vanished, just a little over one second before Neru arrived.
I stared down blankly.
A pale, smooth palm was pressed against my chest.
And to strike within such a short span of time, there had not even been much time to gather strength.
Yet in my heart, a profound sense of loss surged violently.
"She is the Princess. She is AL-1S…" Kei's voice was cold as unmelting ice. "But she is absolutely not something called Arisu."
I actually… in such a short time… fell for it again… such a shallow trick…
And it was over something so utterly insignificant…
My nails dug deeply into my flesh. I nearly ground my teeth to pieces as my entire body trembled violently.
Kei merely stared at me coldly, before Neru roared and leapt forward, striking her neck with a hand chop and knocking her unconscious on the spot.
Only those eyes, filled with mockery, were seared deeply into my heart.
"Master!"
Asuna rushed to my side, anxiously looking me over from head to toe. Seeing no obvious external injuries, she patted her chest in relief. "Are you all right? Do you want me to take you to the infirmary right now?"
I did not respond immediately.
I took several deep breaths until my breathing finally steadied, then quietly removed the keychain from my waist.
The fox doll hanging from it had already shattered into pieces.
With a light touch, it completely crumbled into dust.
Izuna… the important second life that should have been saved for a more critical moment was wasted by me like this.
"I'm fine."
It was just that I had truly "died" once.
I shook my head and looked calmly at Asuna and Neru, who were watching me with concern.
"I am better than I have ever been."
Neru and Asuna exchanged a glance and said nothing more.
They must love me. Even if not now, then someday, inevitably, they would.
With that thought, I glanced at AL-1S lying unconscious on the ground.
"Neru, take me to see Rio and Himari."
I said, "Bring this one along too."