Lin increasingly felt that, due to his lack of experience in handling interpersonal relationships, he had slammed the accelerator to the floor on a completely wrong path and was now hurtling forward at breakneck speed.
It felt as if... as if he were originally driving down a main highway, but somehow ended up on a sidewalk. To make matters worse, someone was sitting in the backseat, earnestly advising him: "Isn't the sidewalk quite spacious? Keep driving."
In his mind, the faces of the people he ran over in a spray of blood and flesh all turned into his own bewildered expression.
At which step did things go wrong? How did it end up like this?
Seeing that Vil-V had earnestly begun to take off her outer coat, Lin hurriedly searched the floor for his communicator, wanting to type.
Strange? Where did the communicator go?
Lin remembered it falling right at his feet. Why was it gone in the blink of an eye? The floor beneath him was empty, yet he distinctly remembered it being in this exact spot when Vil-V bumped into him seconds ago.
As he searched through a pile of bizarre inventions on the floor, he failed to notice the fleeting, mischievous glint in Vil-V delicate, pretty face.
Rustle. The mechanic-style bodice fell to the floor.
Seeing that Vil-V had already shed her coat, revealing her upper body clad only in a bra, Lin began waving his hands frantically, attempting to make her understand his meaning.
"It's... it's okay, you don't have to mind." Vil-V turned her face away, Her shyness was filled with a girlish charm. "If it's for you to see... it's okay..."
"..."
In terms of physique, Vil-V was likely the most well-endowed of the girls Lin knew; even Aponia might not necessarily have a figure as eye-catching as hers. Now that she had removed her usually ornate and layered outer clothing, one could more intuitively feel that the self-centered, jumpy, and somewhat eccentric Vil-V was a genuine girl. Visually alone, she exuded a steaming sense of warmth that made one want to embrace her.
But that wasn't the point. Lin felt more and more that the "art style" was veering in a strange direction. Unable to speak, he could only turn to leave.
"Catch him."
At her command, several mechanical arms suddenly extended from the corners of the room, pinning Lin to the floor.
"..."
"I'm actually very shy too, but it's no problem! Even if you want to smell or lick... it's fine! It's just that you can't taste anything right now, so I'll try... try my best to make it look pleasant for you."
She blocked the light, her enchanting shadow falling into Lin eyes. Her nimble fingers undid his helmet, and then she slowly moved that part of herself closer, her face growing ever more crimson...
Lin stared at all of this expressionlessly. He had only wanted to play a small joke to see a different side of Vil-V, just as he had with Mobius.
So, why exactly did it turn out like this?
...
Aside from Vil-V and Lin, no one knew what happened next. Ten minutes later, a silent Lin was seen out of the room by a shy-faced Vil-V.
He stood in the corridor, hesitating whether or not to put his helmet back on. He felt as though his entire body must be covered in Vil-V scent—especially his face—which likely had a heavy lingering smell. Putting on the helmet might trap the scent inside.
Furthermore, he felt something was fishy, a sensation he couldn't quite put into words.
Forget it. I should stop joking with Vil-V in the future.
The good news was that Vil-V said that once she confirmed Lin safety, her usual persona would soon return. According to her, the persona skilled in engineering and invention was the one that usually presided. If they wanted to find a way to fix Lin sensory issues, the "normal" her had to be the one to do it.
Lin didn't particularly care about those things, but Vil-V solemnly swore that she would at least get his dopamine secreting normally again.
...This time, he truly felt it didn't matter.
Lin also asked who the primary persona was.
"We are actually the same person," Vil-V had replied.
Speaking of which, if one persona possessed the talent of an engineer, did this persona also have something she excelled at?
Lin shook his head, tossing these thoughts to the back of his mind. He still had other people to see and no time to dwell on this. The next destination was...
Regardless of how the outside world changed, this place remained the same day after day, year after year—dim, and forever filled with strange low growls coming from the throats of certain creatures.
And here, in the deepest part, there would always be a nun with her eyes closed, sitting quietly behind the bars, waiting for your arrival.
Tap... tap... tap...
The steady footsteps sounded as if every pace had been accurately measured. He soon arrived before the nun, looking down at her face. The nun did not open her eyes. She sniffed the air in the darkness, lightly furrowed her brow for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.
"Lin... you've come..."
"..."
Lin looked past Aponia to the side of her small handicraft table. Under the dim light, a tiny figure was deep in sleep.
After completing the surgery to become a MANTIS, Griseo was temporarily placed under Aponia care because she could not control her abilities. Aponia could manage Griseo well, and she herself was a motherly person with experience in caring for children.
"That child... is a good girl... I will take care of her..."
Aponia naturally noticed Lin gaze and spoke to him with a gentle smile.
"Now then, Lin, it is time to fulfill your promise."
"?"
Lin confusion wasn't because he had forgotten what he promised Aponia; on the contrary, he remembered it vividly. That was exactly why he was confused.
"Humanity will continue to pay the price in the Eighth Eruption... Blanca will sacrifice herself... Griseo will become a MANTIS... That was the future I saw then, and the fate you promised would not happen..."
That was why Lin felt it was strange. No one had sacrificed themselves in the Eighth Eruption. Blanca had survived. Griseo...
"..."
Griseo?
Lin dull gaze moved back and forth between Griseo and Aponia. Aponia simply watched him quietly; she wasn't in a hurry, knowing Lin would surely keep his word. Only then did Lin realize that he seemed to have given more than just one promise back then.
After a long silence, he took out his communicator and typed: [What do you want me to do?]
A bright smile graced Aponia face.
"First... please come in..." Without her having to move a finger, the nearby door opened automatically, revealing a gap as if instructing him to enter.
[Can't we talk out here?]
"No, because it is something that can only be done once you are inside."
"..."
Lin stared at the pitch-black entrance and the warm smile on Aponia face, hesitating to take a step...