"Tsukatsuki Rio, that is enough."
The moment those words were spoken, Rio truly stopped.
She stared at me blankly, as if she had never imagined that I would say something like this to her.
Even Himari and Neru, who had just breathed a sigh of relief over my decision, cast strange looks my way.
But none of that mattered.
I met Rio's gaze and asked only one question.
"Was it not you who said you wanted to hear my thoughts?"
Rio remained silent, offering no reply.
So I continued pressing her. "Could it be that my thoughts are not allowed to go against your wishes?
"Could it be that only the thoughts you expect can be considered correct?"
Under this series of questions, Rio instead calmed down.
Yet the disappointment in her eyes only grew heavier, as she looked at me as though I were a traitor who had betrayed something.
The President of the Seminar shifted her gaze aside, still not answering my question directly.
"Forget it. I had already anticipated that things would turn out this way. Since you, as an adult, even after being treated like that, still cling to such unrealistic fantasies and evade the responsibilities you ought to bear… then I will take it all upon myself."
The girl, disliked and labeled a dictator for her excessive pursuit of rational thinking, closed her eyes.
"Even if I am not understood by you, even if I am hated by you, I will still protect you, and everyone else, in the way I believe to be correct…"
"Let me interrupt for a moment."
Himari raised her hand halfway and cut in. "Big Sister, it is one thing for you to use this kind of deaf-to-others and high-and-mighty attitude when you argue with me. No, actually, that is not fine either. Anyway, this time the one you are facing is Sensei, you know. Could you maybe be a bit mindful of appearances?"
Rio froze for an instant, then quickly stole a glance at me. Her mouth, however, remained stubborn.
"It does not matter. I can apologize however you want afterward. At least for now, I will absolutely not back down."
What? She wants to do a full prostration in front of me that badly? Who would have thought that Rio, who looks so rigid, actually plays this hard in private.
Unfortunately…
When it comes to playing hard, I am the same.
A scoff escaped me, once again drawing Rio's icy gaze.
With heavy mockery on my face, I said, "Rio, are you not now trying to become a murderer over a single line in a book, because of uncertain authenticity?"
Himari, who was listening in, froze for a moment, surprise and delight surfacing on her face.
Rio grew agitated once more.
"So I already told you, this machine cannot be called human at all, nor is it a student you need to take responsibility for. How many times do I need to say it before you understand this fact?"
To be honest, this was already quite unlike her usual self. It was all because of me, was it not.
Really, how cute.
I stared at the black-haired girl, the feelings hidden beneath this reaction making the corners of my mouth rise uncontrollably. To her, it probably looked like mockery.
"AL-1S is not my student. But Arisu is."
"Arisu is merely a nickname given to AL-1S by the Game Development Department, for convenience of address!"
"So what?" I asked. "At the moment she was given the new name Arisu, did she not already become a student?"
Rio frowned deeply.
"Don't keep frowning, Rio. You'll get wrinkles."
After tossing out that casual reminder, I pointed at AL-1S and continued my barrage.
"Why do you think she's not a student? Because her race is different? Are there not plenty of racial distinctions among students already? Moreover, according to Kivotos law, robotic citizens and animal citizens enjoy the same civic rights. Arisu merely has a relatively special race."
"It is not an ordinary robot, but an ancient world-destroying weapon that our technology cannot analyze!"
"So what? Does that matter?" I asked again. "Leaving aside the credibility of the texts… is destroying the world something Arisu herself desires?"
Rio retorted, "That is the innate mission of the Princess of the Nameless Gods."
"Things imposed by others are fine if one is willing to accept them," I sneered, speaking straight from the heart. "But if one is unwilling, then it is nothing but a load of crap. Tsukatsuki Rio, wake up already. Do not let anger cloud your judgment."
The so-called duties of adults, the so-called responsibilities of Senseis, are the same.
"Y-you… what exactly are you trying to say…"
"Still don't understand, Rio?"
I cut her off and said calmly, "You want to deal with AL-1S because AL-1S was given the role of a world-destroying weapon. Then what about Arisu?"
Rio is a very intelligent, very confident, very rational, and very stubborn girl.
In other words, she has always firmly believed that she walks the correct path, and that all opposing voices exist merely because others cannot understand her.
Even so, Rio also feels lonely, hoping that someone might understand her, and be willing to understand her.
So, if one wants to persuade her.
Aside from using absolute facts to crush her convictions into dust and completely shatter her arrogance…
There is only one other way.
Use her own theory to attack her.
"Has the Game Development Department not already given AL-1S another choice, one that is not a world-destroying weapon?"
I stated, "That is, becoming Arisu, not AL-1S."
Rio's expression wavered.
"There is no difference at all!"
"Then let us be the ones to make that difference!"
I strode forward. Rio instinctively took half a step back, but after hesitating for a while, she still remained where she was.
So I walked up to her and took her hands.
"You, me, and Himari… have we not already given 'Tendou Arisu' an entirely new meaning?"
I raised my voice. "Millennium Science School, first-year student, affiliated with the Game Development Department, position programmer. Right now, she is registered on the student roster, following proper procedures, a legitimate new student of Millennium!
"What Nameless God, what Nameless Priest? Tsukatsuki Rio, as someone who stands at the pinnacle of Millennium, do you not…"
"Wait, Sensei," Himari raised her hand in confusion. "The one at the pinnacle, is that not this genius, beautiful, and talented hacker girl right here?"
Uh...
"…One of those at the pinnacle, do you not have the confidence to use other means to contain her, or even transform this power that could destroy the world into something completely opposite?"
I turned back again, speaking passionately. "Even if you think you alone are not enough to achieve this miracle, what about adding me? Adding Himari? Did we not agree that the three of us would become Arisu's parents, guiding her toward another possibility? Now that I, an adult, am standing beside you, are you doubting, shrinking back, and feeling afraid?"
"I am not…"
"It's fine! I understand you!"
Interrupting Rio's rebuttal once again, I pointed at Neru, who was standing by the wall holding AL-1S, looking utterly confused.
"In that case, then let Neru become my wife too!"
"…Huh!?"
Though she still did not fully understand the situation, Neru, having caught the key words, turned pale in shock.
"Wait, the parents thing just now was a metaphor, right!? You, you, you!! You three!?"
Her reaction was extremely cute. Not only was her face bright red, even her voice trembled.
A delinquent on the outside, yet this pure on the inside.
"Oh my, oh my… so this is how Sensei sees us," Himari said, touching her slightly flushed cheek. "After all, I am Kivotos's pride, a super genius, pure-type, sickly beautiful girl hacker. It is only natural that Sensei would harbor improper thoughts toward me. Whether to accept such a confession is truly a difficult choice. But to even include Rio as well? Such a preference is far too special. Please forgive me for not being able to agree!"
Enough already. This down-bad woman really does take every chance she gets, doesn't she?
Who knows who she learned it from.
Why not learn a bit more from my humble virtues?
And Rio, as if startled, tried to pull her delicate hands out of my grasp.
Sensing her movement, I subconsciously rubbed them twice, and she immediately stiffened, completely motionless.
Although Rio's expression remained icy, the rapidly rising temperature transmitted through her skin could not deceive anyone, fully exposing her true feelings.
The three of them, each showing entirely different outward reactions yet sharing the same inner self of cuteness, filled me with genuine delight.
Everyone present, including myself, was very pure indeed.
After appreciating the girls' bashfulness, I cleared my throat lightly.
"This is also a metaphor. What I mean is, if you are afraid that K… Arisu might lose control because of Kei, then why not bring in someone who can easily suppress her? For example, Neru."
Upon hearing this, Neru patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief. After regaining her composure, her expression turned a bit complicated.
"…Are you serious about this?"
This time, when Rio asked, she did not frown, which showed that she had taken my words in.
I nodded. "Of course I am serious."
Rio objected again. "Millennium's ace, how could…"
"I know. I will also provide appropriate support personnel on my end, guaranteeing high quality at a low price."
At that moment, I thought of the fox girl who made her living in the black market, the suspected spy said to be no less capable than her, and the several girls from Abydos who still owed quite a bit of debt.
Given Millennium's financial situation, it could only be said that, at worst, Yuuka would have to suffer a little.
With things said to this extent, Rio was visibly tempted.
After all, agreeing was the more rational judgment.
I awaited her final answer.
"…I am sorry."
"Huh? Wait, why?"
Himari asked in my stead. "Rio, what is wrong with you? Could it be that the last bit of your barely solidified brain has finally turned entirely into filthy water in the purification tank?"
Ignoring Himari, Rio said to me, "If we carry out sufficiently thorough arrangements according to your proposal, then even if K… Arisu loses control again, it is true that the damage can be minimized. However…"
She looked at me and said softly, "When you made such a decision, where did you place yourself?"
So that is what she was worried about.
That is really… heh. Cute.
I returned a gentle smile. "Don't worry. I still have other trump cards. This time was merely a moment of carelessness. You do not need to worry about that."
However, after a long silence, Rio shook her head, firmly withdrew her hands, and stepped back several paces.
Seeing this, I gradually withdrew my smile.
"Rio, even so, can I still not persuade you?"
"I am the core of Millennium Science School, the leader of the Seminar, and also one who aspires to solve the [Millennium Problem], a stargazer."
The black-haired, red-eyed girl looked at me quietly. "Even if things truly are as you say, I cannot ignore even the slightest possibility… I must choose the most correct course of action."
Or rather, the safest course of action.
To be honest, I can understand Rio.
But I truly cannot accept it.
"Mikamo Neru, it is time to work."
I turned around. The small maid with orange hair had eyes filled with complexity.
"Please do not blame me," Rio said to me. "Originally, C&C are the Seminar's… more precisely, my direct agents. Without any personal feelings mixed in, they strictly follow my orders. If the opponent is C&C's captain, Neru, then relying solely on you and Himari would be difficult to resist, would it not?"
"Oh my, using violence against a genius, sickly, beautiful girl hacker? What shall we do? If the opponent is Neru, then things would truly be troublesome,"
Himari said this with her eyes closed, yet she wore a serene smile.
"Enough theatrics," Rio gave the order. "Neru! Arrest them for me!"
However, what answered her was a cold snort.
"Rio! You are being far too extreme! This time, I will not follow your orders!"
Neru, completely mixing in personal feelings and utterly disregarding Rio's command, crossed her arms and refused sternly.
Rio looked at her subordinate. "Even you… are betraying me at a time like this?"
"Betrayal? Ha! I just cannot stand your unreasonable behavior!"
"Unreasonable… behavior…?"
"This is boring. Sensei, Himari, let's go."
Neru stopped looking at Rio and called to Himari and me.
"Oh my, how unfortunate. The one who ended up opposing Neru isn't us after all,"
Himari mocked the silent Rio standing in place, then maneuvered her electric wheelchair to my side. "Sensei, let's go."
"Mm. Rio, think about it… think about it again."
I nodded, walking together with Himari to the door that Neru had already opened.
"Sensei," Rio's voice came from behind us. "You will regret this."
I paused for a brief moment. Then I continued forward and closed the door.
Until we left the Millennium Tower together, we encountered no obstruction at all.
"How rare. That gloomy one actually let us leave so easily?"
Himari clicked her tongue in wonder. "Could it be that she is brewing some sinister plot?"
"Himari," I stopped her. "Rio is not that kind of person."
"I know," Himari muttered.
"So then, Sensei," Neru asked, "what should we do with this little one?"
I glanced at AL-1S on her back, still unconscious.
"Take her back to Schale."