Chapter 328 : The Ones Left Behind
Chapter 328: The Ones Left Behind
Trinity Academy.
Inside an abandoned warehouse, Ciel and Evangeline stood facing each other.
It was the very place where she had first met Aaron, who had been disguised, the previous year.
It had once served as Ciel's secret hideout whenever she skipped class, but now it had been left abandoned, covered in a thick layer of dust.
As she was feeling strangely nostalgic, Evangeline spoke first.
“A Transmigrator…… is what you said……?”
“……Yes.”
“The same as Aaron……?”
“……Yes.”
“Hmm…….”
Hearing Ciel's answer, Evangeline lowered her head with a gloomy expression.
Her appearance was undeniably youthful and adorable, yet from time to time, her actions carried a surprising maturity.
“I was already prepared because I knew Aaron's soul came from another world. But I never imagined the same would be true for you.”
“……I'm sorry.”
“No. Truthfully, we haven't had many opportunities to speak one-on-one like this, have we? We weren't close enough to truly open our hearts to one another. I have no right to be angry simply because you didn't share such a secret with me. And……”
Evangeline raised her head and looked at Ciel once more.
Her crimson eyes slowly stared at her as though piercing straight through.
“And likewise, I do not believe we are close enough for you to suddenly call me out like this and say you have an important favor to ask.”
Ever since learning Aaron's secret, Evangeline had been burdened with countless thoughts.
Her mind had already been in turmoil, and to suddenly have even more responsibility thrust upon her honestly wasn't very pleasant.
“I'm sorry. But this is something only you can help me with, Evangeline.”
“Hmm……”
Evangeline quietly stared at Ciel before asking,
“Does this have something to do with... 'magic'?”
“H-How did you know?”
It was obvious.
As far as Evangeline knew, Ciel was currently attending university while disguised as an ordinary human rather than an android.
Naturally, Aaron was the one supporting her financially.
So if it had been about money or most other ordinary problems, she would have spoken to Aaron—or perhaps Maria, his secretary.
Likewise, if it had been something involving her android body—technical advice, for example—then Miyu was the obvious expert.
Unlike Evangeline, Miyu regularly interacted with Ciel, making her far easier to approach.
Yet instead of any of those three, she had come to her.
That could only mean there was something only she could do.
Following that line of reasoning, the conclusion that the favor involved magic came naturally.
“What suddenly made you interested in magic?”
“W-Well……”
Ciel hesitated for quite a while before finally asking,
“You heard what everyone said earlier... about the 'novel,' right?”
“You mean the novel that depicted another possible future for us? What was its title again…… Sa... Sa... [Cult Club Activities and My Kumon Workbook]…….”
“…….”
What in the world was that title?
“……It's [Necromancer of Cyber Modules].”
“Ah, r-right. That was it.”
“Lady Evangeline... Has Lady Maria been making you do workbooks lately?”
“Mm…….”
“Has it been difficult?”
“Very difficult…….”
Evangeline nodded with a dejected expression.
For a brief moment, Ciel found her so adorable that she wanted nothing more than to hug her.
But she quickly regained her composure and returned to the subject.
“N-No, the title isn't important. What I'm trying to talk about is the 'Necromancer' part.”
“A Necromancer?”
As Evangeline tilted her head, Ciel nodded vigorously and continued.
“The protagonist of the original novel, Shade Wells, fought his enemies using a unique technique called 'Necromancing.' And according to the novel, Necromancing was described as 'a technique that combines magic with hacking.'”
“T-That explanation alone tells me nothing. I know absolutely nothing about hacking or such things. Besides, even if you bring that up now—”
“No.
Precisely because of what's happening now, I have to ask you.”
Ciel knelt down until she was eye level with Evangeline.
Then, with all the earnestness she could muster, she pleaded,
“Please teach me magic.”
“Miyu! I can't feel anything……! I can't even see! Everything's completely dark……! W-What's happening to me!?”
Miyu tried her best to calm Airi, though she herself looked even more panicked.
Hurriedly rushing over to where Airi was lying, she repeatedly checked both the machinery and her tablet as she began another examination.
“Vital signs... all normal.
Neural circuits, motion control chips, sensory systems... everything is functioning properly.
Your neural synapse speed has increased to more than ten times its previous level.”
“What are you talking about?
You're saying my body's normal right now?”
“Yes.
Very rarely, the brain's original neural system rejects the implanted artificial nerves, causing symptoms like this...
But that's not the case for you.
There's no rejection reaction, and your Modules have been optimized perfectly.
Don't move.
Look over here for a moment.”
“What?
Where am I supposed to look?”
Panicking, Airi turned her head from side to side.
Miyu used her mechanical tail to firmly hold her head still before opening her eyelids and shining a light directly into her pupils.
“A-Are you doing something right now?”
“Airi, can you really not see anything?”
“N-Nothing at all……”
“…….”
“What is it?
What's wrong?”
After hesitating for a moment, Miyu answered,
“The pupillary response test is also completely normal.
I've confirmed that the converted visual signals are reaching your brain through your neural pathways.
There's nothing wrong with your Ocular Module.
Aside from your hearing—which is currently the only sense you can still perceive—every other reading is perfectly normal.”
“How can you call this normal when I can't see anything?!
H-How does that make any sense?!”
“Calm down, Airi.
The only remaining possibility is a psychological factor.
There's no actual physical problem.
Your body and mind simply haven't fully accepted the Modules yet.
It's happening because you're naturally very sensitive to Modules and Cyberware.”
“T-Then what am I supposed to do?”
Miyu answered firmly,
“Do nothing.
Just breathe deeply.
If you don't calm yourself down, nothing will improve.”
“……!”
How am I supposed to stay calm in a situation like this?!
She wanted to shout exactly that.
Instead, Airi swallowed the words back down.
No matter what anyone said, Miyu was a genius Moduler.
If Miyu said nothing was physically wrong, then nothing was physically wrong.
Just like Miyu had said, if she calmed herself, everything would return to normal.
This was all part of becoming stronger.
Thinking that, she continued taking deep breaths.
But no matter how many times she inhaled and exhaled, the endless darkness before her showed no sign of disappearing.
The only thing she could still perceive was everyone's voices through her still-functioning hearing.
Everything else remained submerged in pitch-black darkness.
She couldn't even tell whether she was breathing properly anymore.
She couldn't feel the air entering through her nose, passing her nasal cavity, and filling her lungs.
She was merely pretending to breathe based on memory alone.
Then anxiety suddenly overtook her.
'What if... I stay crippled forever?'
What if she could never again see light...
Never smell anything...
Never feel another person's warmth...
Could she really continue living with nothing but her hearing?
“Airi, your heart rate is climbing even higher.”
“Damn it... I'm trying......!”
“[How about giving her a sedative instead?]”
“Brother!”
Silence spoke in complete seriousness.
Reina immediately scolded him.
It seemed she'd accidentally slipped back into calling him "Brother," just like she always did when they were alone.
“[I'm asking seriously, Miyu.]”
“No.
With Airi's current specs, we'd have to use an extremely concentrated sedative.
It would work immediately...
But then her body might become dependent on it, causing this condition to repeat whenever she wasn't sedated.
She has to open her heart and accept the Modules herself.”
“[Tch.]”
Airi heard Silence click his tongue.
Forcing a smile onto the face she couldn't even feel, she spoke.
“I-I'm okay, Senior.
I'll figure something out.”
“[Airi…….]”
“I apologize for interrupting, but—”
At that moment, Maria spoke.
“I don't believe we have the luxury of waiting any longer.”
“[You're talking about the Chairman?]”
“Yes.”
Rustle.
The sound of Maria putting on her coat echoed through the room.
“I intend to go assist Chairman Aaron.
Airi.
The rest of you will remain here.
If any of you locate Evangeline, contact me immediately—”
“[No.
We're coming too.]”
“Mr. Silence.”
“[I'm not denying that my feelings toward that old man are... complicated in a lot of ways.
But after hearing everything he told us...
I'd rather not sit here trembling and doing nothing.]”
“You cannot.
It's too dangerous.”
“[You think we don't know that?
We'll be fine.
We're strong enough now.
We absolutely won't hold him back.
And if the current versions of us would still only get in the way...
Then honestly, Maria, you wouldn't be any different.]”
“…….”
Maria fell silent.
Even she couldn't deny that Silence's reasoning was logical.
After all, they were no longer ordinary Academy students.
They were talented individuals personally acknowledged by Aaron Stingray.
Human weapons equipped with Game Changer-Class Modules.
Perhaps they weren't completely reliable yet.
But together, they would certainly be of help.
Of course, this went against Aaron's wishes...
Yet, for this one moment, Maria decided to trust her own judgment.
“……Very well.”
“[Good.
You heard that, Airi?]”
Silence turned toward her.
“[We'll go on ahead and wait for you.
Get yourself together and come after us.
Got it?]”
“…….”
Airi could only nod.
Soon, everyone except Miyu and Airi hurried out of the room.
Before long, only the two of them remained.
“Airi……”
“I-I'm fine.
I'll be fine soon.
You said it's just psychological, right?
It could get better at any moment...
Right?”
"Hahaha..."
Airi laughed weakly as she took another deep breath.
But she still couldn't feel anything.
It was as though her entire body—everything except her ears—had dissolved into anesthesia.
Anxiety.
Impatience.
Anger.
Every negative emotion continued lashing at her heart.
Her breathing became increasingly ragged.
And the more frantic it became, the deeper she felt herself sinking into the endless blackness.
'Why... only me......'
Everyone had gone to help Aaron.
She didn't believe, even for an instant, that her determination was any less than theirs.
Yet regardless of her feelings, the cold reality remained that she was the least useful member of them all.
'I wanted to become stronger......'
Stronger.
Strong enough that someday...
Instead of always holding him back or being the one rescued...
He would trust her enough to leave his back in her hands.
'Chairman... never believed in me......'
A Transmigrator.
As for everyone else, she didn't know.
But even now, she still wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that concept.
What saddened her wasn't that secret itself.
It was simply that the secret had been so important to Aaron...
Yet he had never even considered sharing it with her.
If only I had been more useful.
If only I had been stronger.
Perhaps instead of always looking at his broad back...
I could have stood beside him.
Just as those thoughts began filling her mind like fog—
Miyu spoke.
“Airi.”
“……Yeah?”
“To be honest...
I don't want you to go fight.”
“……What?”
What are you talking about?
“More than anyone else...
I want you to stay safe.
Almost as much as I want Mr. Aaron to stay safe.
Out of everyone in the Special Class, you've been with me the longest.”
“M-Miyu?”
“But that's exactly why I know better than anyone.
Right now...
Mr. Aaron needs your help more than anyone else's.”
“……Thanks for trying to comfort me, Miyu.”
“No.
I'm not comforting you.
You know what I was like until last year.
I stuttered.
I mumbled.
I couldn't even hold a proper conversation with people.
Do you really think someone who changed that much in just a few months suddenly became good at comforting others?”
Rustle.
A soft sound echoed.
It seemed Miyu had taken her hand.
“I'm an engineer.
I only speak facts.
Right now, you're incredibly strong.
The power inside your body has become so overwhelming that your original body simply panicked.
That's all.
The Modules I installed in you were far stronger than the ones everyone else received.”
“…….”
“So...
This is your chance.”
“……My chance?”
“I may not be very perceptive...
But even I know you've always been chasing after Mr. Aaron.
The problem is...
Mr. Aaron has only ever seen you as someone he needed to protect.
Like a princess.”
“A-A princess……?”
“But you're not a princess.
You're the tomboy who kicked Mr. Aaron on the very first day of school.”
“H-Hey, th-that was......!”
“Show him that side of you again.”
Hehe.
Miyu smiled.
“This is your chance to prove that Mr. Aaron was wrong.
Break his assumptions.
Show him that you've earned the right to stand beside him.”
“…….”
After hearing Miyu's words, Airi remained silent for a long time.
She slowly inhaled.
Then, closing eyes that couldn't see, she quietly exhaled.
Repeating that over and over...
She began restoring her senses one by one.
Her feet.
Her calves.
Her thighs.
Her abdomen.
Her hands and arms.
Her chest.
Her neck.
Her face...
She gently awakened every sensation throughout her body while breathing calmly.
How much time had passed?
She released Miyu's hand.
Then slowly stood up.
“……Airi!”
“Thanks, Miyu.
The world looks different now.”
Clenching her fist, she rolled her neck from side to side to loosen up.
Then, smiling faintly, she asked Miyu,
“Where's my weapon?”