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Most of the surface world lay under the control of the Machine Lifeforms. In one particular region among them, two figures that looked almost human stood beneath the night sky, gazing up at the stars.
Tonight, within this eternal darkness, the stars were denser and brighter than usual.
But in truth, those lights were the glow of android spacecraft engines.
They were not descending toward the planet.
They were heading for deeper space.
No, to be more precise, they were heading toward the Moon, toward the rumored place where the last surviving humans supposedly lived.
Such a massive movement was far too abnormal.
"Oh? Even some of the surface Resistance are heading into space?"
The man spoke with clear interest.
A mobilization on this scale was enough to make anyone curious.
Very soon, they did indeed obtain intelligence, and the information was enough to show the difference in their reactions.
"What is it, brother?"
"Humanity, the creators of the androids, seems to be planning a public appearance."
"Humans? Th-then should we go too? I want to see what humans are like. I wonder if they're fun."
"That's a little troublesome for now. But they're not going anywhere. They're on the Moon. Just wait a little longer, and we can properly study what sort of interesting things humans are. Dissect them. Analyze them."
"Right. Maybe we can even see if they taste good."
"Of course."
The two human-like figures chatted in leisurely tones, casually discussing something horrifying.
...
At one of the Resistance bases on the surface, the androids who had been selected were trembling with excitement.
Those who had not been chosen could only look on in envy, telling the lucky ones to carry everyone's blessings with them and offer them to the distinguished guest.
"They're taking so long. Aren't those sisters here yet?"
"Forget them. Don't wait."
"I heard they were specifically designated to board."
That remark immediately made many of the androids unhappy.
Everyone else had entered a fair drawing for those painfully scarce seats, yet that pair of Devola and Popola model twins had been granted spots outright.
No one knew what the higher-ups were thinking.
Oh. There they were. The sisters had arrived.
"Um, sorry for making everyone wait."
The one apologizing was Popola, her hair combed smooth and neat. She was Popola of the second-generation Devola and Popola android line.
Following behind her was the other twin, with slightly unruly hair that made her look like a puffed-up animal. That was the older sister unit, Devola.
The two of them hurried over and boarded the craft bound for the Moon.
"What are you apologizing for? If we're late, it's because they knew full well we were out on an expedition. We were gathering repair materials for them, weren't we?"
Devola grumbled irritably.
She wanted to say more, but her younger sister tugged on her, and she shut her mouth.
At a time like this, it was better not to start an argument. If things really went wrong and they decided not to take them after all, the two of them would have no choice but to stand there helplessly and watch.
Once the aircraft started up, the sisters, seated together, tightened their clasped hands.
Looking around, the others were nervous too, but what shone in those androids' eyes was more excitement than fear.
Of course, Devola and Popola were no less excited than the rest.
But the strongest emotion in their hearts was something else.
Guilt.
Because humanity's destruction had been caused by a pair like them.
To be more exact, it had been caused by one pair among the Devola and Popola model androids going out of control. Not only had they failed to fulfill the mission entrusted to them by their creators, they had instead led those creators to ruin.
The other androids who learned of that became enraged and destroyed the Devola and Popola model line, leaving behind only one final pair. Into them, they implanted a guilt program and forced them onto an endless road of atonement.
The current Devola and Popola were that last surviving pair, and so naturally they were hated by the other androids.
By now, most androids had been created only after humanity's extinction and did not even know what "crime" the twins had supposedly committed, but they still threw stones at them and persecuted them as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
And because they had been implanted with that guilt program, they did not even have the right to choose death for themselves.
Because if they died, they could no longer atone.
So they had to struggle on and keep living.
If they wanted death, then someone had to give them a chance to atone first. They had to be assigned a task where they could actually be useful, and only if they died during such a task would that death be permitted.
But up to now, they had never once been given a mission where they could atone for anyone.
So they could only continue living, writhing onward beneath the weight of their guilt.
Would this be their chance to atone at last?
After the aircraft broke through the atmosphere, they too fell briefly into a daze as they gazed through the window at the beautiful stars.
"Popola, what are the higher-ups even thinking? With a commotion this big, the Machine Lifeforms are definitely going to notice. If there really still are..."
Devola stopped herself.
They were not alone here. Other androids were present too. She could not just blurt out something that serious.
"We'll know when we get there."
Popola brought over her other hand and held her sister's tighter, trying to soothe her unease.
If humans really still existed, then the higher-ups should have been even less willing to make such a huge move.
That would only place their creators in even greater danger.
The Machine Lifeforms would certainly become even more eager to seize their creators.
Perhaps this operation was meant to mislead the machines, to cover up some even more secret action.
Hm?
This craft did not seem to be flying straight to the Moon after all. It was heading toward the YoRHa Bunker instead.
Before long, they found themselves traveling together with another group that had apparently just arrived as well.
"Ohh, so you're the pair of Devola and Popola model androids who helped NieR."
A blonde YoRHa woman with twin tails curiously sized up the sisters as she spoke.
"Ah, no, sorry. That wasn't you. That was your predecessors. Sorry, sorry."
She immediately apologized, and it looked completely sincere. Devola, who had been about to snap back out of sheer blunt temper, stopped herself.
"So your YoRHa forces really made contact with actual humans?"
Devola turned the question around instead.
"Mhm, it's true. I even held one. You could feel real human body warmth, a heartbeat, breathing..."
There was more than a little bragging in her tone, and she looked utterly blissful, but she did not seem to be lying.
"R-real humans... really?"
It was Popola who asked for confirmation this time.
"What else would they be? Do you think we wouldn't know the difference?"
The woman rolled her eyes as she answered.
"Th-then that's wonderful..."
Popola murmured softly.
And as the YoRHa craft drew closer and closer to the lunar base, the sisters found themselves believing more and more that humanity truly still existed.
Because it looked as though the high command had gathered all of its power in space here, imposing an airtight state of alert.
(End of Chapter)
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