Estimated reading time: ~7 minutes
Chapter 96
May 28th. Before I know it, it’s already the third and final day of the New Technology Exhibition. It feels too short for an exhibition. I’m not sure if it’s due to budget constraints or if there’s another purpose, but either way, I have to go to the battlefield. After taking two pills, I leave the hotel.
Since then, I sent messages to Reina and Momiji to confirm about 「HAO」. Momiji replied, 「After it’s over! After the New Technology Exhibition ends!」 while Reina said, 「That’s mostly correct, you should ask Momiji for details, she’s good at explaining.」 So I’m completely waiting on Momiji.
However, getting confirmation directly from them like this makes me a bit flustered. I wonder if Momiji’s confession and Reina’s kiss were real—but before I could blush, I recalled yesterday’s events and my face darkened.
「It’s time for the leisurely HAO explanation video. Marie, please explain what happened yesterday right away.」
「Got it, Imu. First, yesterday, the Infinite Horizon Conquest operation was finally carried out, but it ended in near annihilation. It seems that a unit led by the NPC Nakamoto survived and withdrew while securing samples, and they’re still streaming this. We learned a few things from this incident.」
「Such as?」
「First, there was no update. Until now, updates happened whenever a certain amount of information was disclosed, but this time there’s almost none.」
「That’s true. And there haven’t been many reports of confidential information leaks for the current version. The Orange impersonations that were rampant for a while have also quieted down, and even Orange himself didn’t do that in his own streams this time. There were rumors it was to avoid lawsuits.」
「The facts are unknown, but one thing is that there’s almost no information leakage to the general public. Next, the core location of Infinite Horizon has been identified. According to NPC information from the American server, the boss’s brain is in the center of the Sea of Okhotsk. Come to think of it, doesn’t that sound like a news story you’ve heard before?」
「Yeah. There was a story about more than 10 transport ships gathering at one point in the Sea of Okhotsk. Some of the names included specialized firearms companies, and it became a topic of discussion in some circles as to why they were stopped in such a place.」
I stop the audio from the video on my device. That’s right, this is reality. Even if Teo and Kurage are supposed to disappear due to how it works, it’s not something I can accept. If that were the case, all humans who die of old age would be sent off with a smile because there’s no other choice. But that’s not how it is. …Oh yeah, the documents I handed over mentioned longevity, so this analogy doesn’t really work in the first place. What am I doing? As I close my device, the girl I was supposed to meet up with is suddenly in front of me.
「First, let’s meet up with Mother at the hotel.」
The one speaking to me with a smile is Kana. Today she’s wearing long pants that look easy to move in and a black jersey. As she holds my hand, looking like she’s having fun, I wonder if she’s also part of this phenomenon. When I ask her about it, she readily replies.
「Touch here. They’re small now, but the ears will grow rapidly, so like Mother, I’ll need to take countermeasures with a hat or something.」
As I part Kana’s hair, I can see very small ears folded and hidden, blending in with her hair color and hard to notice. Perhaps realizing I found it unclear, the ears, covered in silvery fur with a slight metallic sheen, start twitching as if to assert their presence. In other words, a Beastkin.
Shock and understanding at the realization that they really existed. And casually, all of Reina’s middle school-like boasts turned out to be true. If she’s a Beastkin, she could withstand explosives and such. Sorry for inwardly mocking you, Reina…
At the same time, questions arise. I heard from Teo that she’s 「synchronized」 and possesses knowledge unbefitting her young body. …I wonder how that feels. To have the memories of your future self who was abandoned and discarded.
「Next time for sure. That’s all.」
But the answer was extremely simple. Kana’s expression remains gentle, showing no signs of harboring negative emotions. Rather, her mood seems to have improved since holding my hand. Seeing that I’m not convinced, Kana continues, realizing her words were insufficient.
「For me, it feels like browsing a walkthrough site. And being from a research lab, I’m used to not knowing if I’ll be alive tomorrow. So when I see Father doing weird things and the world outputting something completely different from the walkthrough, it’s kind of exciting.」
「That’s too unique to be a useful reference… By the way, do you do ‘synchronization’ every time?」
「Yes, I finished this round’s ‘synchronization’ yesterday morning. In that information, there was data about Father getting distracted by maid robots, but I’ll let them both know.」
「Why would you tell them that?! There are more important things to share!」
「Just kidding. Mother also saw the log and turned bright red realizing her misconception.」
Maid robots are cool, so let me implement them! And there’s no way I’d do something like that when I already have someone I’m drawn to! Though apparently a lot of people used maid robots for adult purposes. Seeing my gloom slightly lift, Kana narrows her eyes teasingly.
「But the fact that you’re able to understand means that drug was effective after all.」
「The one I was tricked into taking. Well, thanks to it, I feel like my thoughts are mostly back to normal. Why did I fixate so strongly on the idea that the game wasn’t reality…?」
「Father is a natural airhead, so it can’t be helped if the ‘synchronization phenomenon’ overlaps with that.」
「You little punk!」
I shout and start running at full speed to catch Kana, who flees saying 「Eek!」 Since there’s no one around, I sprint with all my might, but I can’t seem to catch up to her at all. As I chase after her, wheezing at her clearly abnormal speed, Kana suddenly stops. Wondering what’s going on, I approach and hear voices. They’re coming from around the New Technology Exhibition venue. A low-quality, high-volume voice echoes from a megaphone.
「Cease arms deals in Japanese coastal waters!」
「Oppose the military diversion of cybernetic technology!」
「Ships from Kōmitsu Solutions and Horizon Ventures, which exports guns, are currently gathering in the Sea of Okhotsk! The traitors who leaked longevity technology overseas are now trying to bring terrorist weapons into the country!」
Ideologically charged voices reverberate. Looking closely, I can barely make out a group of people lined up, holding placards and shouting. I remember something happened, so I type in 『Sea of Okhotsk Kōmitsu』 and find a fair number of image results. Several military companies are among the transport ships that have gathered and remained in place for over a day, though they apparently changed their position somewhat last night.
Kana compares her device with the faces of the shouting demonstrators. Then she says with a smile.
「Alright, it looks fine. Let’s meet up with Mother then.」
What do you mean it looks fine?! I just saw something on your device that said 「Found traces of communication with ‘SOD’, no possession of weapons,」 you know.
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