Thump.
Thump!!
THUMP!!!
"Heh…"
"What the hell?"
Leon heard a heartbeat.
From 2B.
Not the hum of her micro nuclear reactor.
Not the compression cycle of her divine core.
A heartbeat.
"Arcee, do you hear that?" Leon asked.
"Hear what?"
Arcee placed a hand to her ear, expanding her acoustic detection range to encompass ultrasonic and infrasonic frequencies.
Nothing.
No heartbeat.
Only the faint mechanical resonance of precision components cycling inside both her and 2B's frames.
"…Strange."
"Did I imagine it?"
The sound had vanished.
That Mind Stone was seriously cursed…
System, say something!
Instead of reassurance, the System delivered something else entirely:
[Notice: Host has unlocked intelligence data regarding "Supreme Divinity." Please review at your convenience.]
"What?!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Master?"
2B suddenly woke.
She propped herself up, one hand pressing against her chest as though adjusting to gravity, and looked at Leon with mild confusion.
DANGER—!!!!!
Leon's Ultra Instinct exploded with the most intense death warning he had ever felt.
He physically jolted, rippling energy patterns cascading across his body.
But like Peter Parker sensing universal annihilation during the Snap—
He couldn't locate the source.
The Mind Stone—still cracked in his hand—was the prime suspect.
He activated Absolute Thought Acceleration instantly.
A portal opened.
He was about to hurl the damaged Mind Stone into deep space—
When the danger vanished.
"…Not the Stone?"
"Then what was it?!"
Cold sweat formed.
He secured the cracked Mind Stone instead of discarding it and redirected the portal to the opposite side of Earth.
This place was not safe.
He recalled Arcee, Bast, and 2B into the System Storage Space, then stepped through and left immediately.
Blue shifted to crimson—
Then to deep black.
Cold.
Alluring.
"So that's how it is."
"What a coward."
[Transaction Processing…]
[System Verification Complete. No harm to Host detected. Proceeding.]
[Ding. Transaction complete.]
[Per contract, the above information has been concealed. Host access restricted without counterparty authorization.]
…
Antarctica.
Leon reappeared at the site where he had once unearthed Antarctic Vibranium.
The massive crater he'd created by dropping an entire vibranium deposit remained carved into the ice.
Two and a half hours later—
After confirming the inexplicable sense of doom had fully dissipated—
Leon finally relaxed.
He summoned 2B again.
"2B. You okay?"
"Mmm—"
Without a word, she sealed his lips.
Shutting him up.
And resumed the divine energy replenishment they had previously left unfinished.
System—her loyalty's fine, right?
She's not possessed by Ultron or some cyber ghost, is she?
Leon struggled as he felt his divine conversion rate falling behind her absorption speed.
In seconds—
His robust physique was visibly thinning.
He dragged Aionsega into the process and began siphoning energy from the Eternal Core again.
Even then—
He felt drained.
Post-awakening 2B's charging rate was absurd.
It felt like she was draining his soul itself.
The System replied:
[Notice: 2B's loyalty has increased from 100% to 1000%. Betrayal probability: zero.]
[Notice: Due to Mind Stone influence, 2B's self-awareness has fully awakened. Resonance with her Uru-Reinforced Mechanical Frame has triggered chain amplification. Divine energy capacity increased to 1000% of original.]
[Notice: A complete divine energy transmission channel has been established between Host and 2B. Physical contact is no longer required for energy transfer.]
Leon froze.
"Wireless fast charging…?"
It was finally here?
His lived experience said it wasn't just 1000%.
It felt closer to 10,000%.
Even someone as battle-hardened as Leon felt outmatched.
A strange melancholy crept in.
Two and a half days later.
"Master… I still need more~"
"Divine energy isn't full yet~"
2B—having committed the sin of Greed—refused to accept 99.9%.
That last 0.1% would not fill.
Originally, Leon—perfectionist that he was—wanted to push himself further.
Then he realized—
She was leaking faster than he could fill.
This was unwinnable.
2B was a black hole.
She cured his obsessive tendencies through sheer inevitability.
"Charge, charge, charge—"
"Charge what?!"
"I have actual work to do!"
Leon shoved her aside and instantly armored up in the War God Armor, switching to restricted-access mode before shifting back into civilian attire.
"Master, you're so cool. I love you so much~"
Awakened 2B had shed her former aloof persona.
Now she was—
How to describe it?
A lovestruck fox spirit with a hint of yandere instability.
Sometimes she even climbed onto Leon's head figuratively.
Could Leon tolerate that?
"You're being annoying!"
Still in post-enlightenment clarity mode, he pushed her away again.
"I preferred your cold, distant version. Revert."
"Yes, Master."
With 1000% loyalty, she complied instantly.
Her exterior returned to elegant, aloof composure.
But deep in her azure eyes—
Faint pink hearts shimmered.
Her awakened inner fox-spirit remained fully active.
Master is such a real man…
"Ah—damn it!"
Leon tried to step forward—
His knees buckled.
If not for 2B catching him, he would've embarrassed himself on the Antarctic ice.
"Master, are you alright?"
Her tone was gentle.
Familiar.
If one ignored the subtle pink glow in her eyes.
He suspected that if he so much as crooked a finger—
She'd drop all restraint and pounce.
"I'm fine."
"Just zoned out."
He waved her off and forced himself upright, hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the frozen horizon like a supreme expert.
Internally—
Move, you useless legs!
2B saw through everything.
But said nothing.
In her eyes—
Even if Leon tripped, or dramatically flung divine energy at nothing—
He would still be:
The coolest man in existence.
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