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Andersen helped me continue to set up the buffet, wheeling out food from the makeshift kitchen in the office building. As he did, I asked him for a brief update on the Ark since he had just come up from there. As for what he said...
"Wait." I paused after setting down a tray of mini cheesecakes. "You're telling me that IMMEDIATELY after I left, you guys showed up? And that you took care of Absolute and the three Heretics? Who were definitely Exotic? And that your blood is apparently some sort of ridiculous anti-nanomachine substance that deletes NIMPH and Rapture Core programming so they're all in spare bodies and chilling in the rehabilitation center right now?"
"Yep." Andersen popped a mini cheesecake into his mouth and chewed on it. "Mm... that's nostalgic. This isn't the splendamin stuff, is it?"
"Ah, yeah. That's real cheesecake. Well, real as we can get. It's using artificial creamer and eggs but- Wait, wait. Back up." I looked at Andersen and said, "You're telling me that your blood is like, the silver bullet against Heretics AND Nikkes?"
Andersen nodded. "Yep. Though, we found out a bit too late. If we knew earlier, things would have changed... For the record, your blood isn't like that."
"Well, clearly." I popped a mini cheesecake into my mouth too and ate it. "If it was, things would have been a lot dicier... a lot of my tech depends on nanomachines... Wait." I tilted my head and said, "...So HOW is it anti-nanomachine? Are we talking... delete from existence? Or just jamming?"
Andersen shrugged. "Beats me. I just know that it's enough to cure corruption and resets NIMPHs or something. Snow and Dorothy probably have more details if you're curious. But now it's my turn for questions." He grabbed a beer bottle from a nearby cooler and cracked it open. "...Just how many gals do you rotate through? Be honest."
I gave him a blank stare. "Really?"
"Really." Andersen chuckled. "I'm curious. And it's definitely something we gotta tell your mother later."
I rolled my eyes. "The number of women I'm with is private, Pops. I'll answer anything else, but-"
"Then how are you able to use Nikke weaponry with a human body?"
I blinked at the sudden pointed question. Then I said, "Uh... nanomachines apparently? From what Syuen tells me after she helped parse my medical reports, I have something like dark matter in my cells that passively reinforce everything. Technically, I'm not even human, but more like a human imitating machines?"
"...What?"
I waved my hand. "Details are in the works. Bottomline is that I can fight."
"...Right."
We chatted about a few other things as we kept moving the food into the lobby of my office building. But eventually, Andersen turned the topic back towards my future plans.
Specifically...
"So, you're not going to stick around in the Ark, are you, Kid?"
I shook my head. "I really shouldn't. And at this point, I don't need to either." I smiled and said, "With the Legendary Commander as well as the Goddess Squad back to defend the Ark, the Valiant can set forth into the unknown with the Brave Squad. Right? Besides, I suck at politics."
Andersen chuckled and leaned against the nearby wall. "I could tell. You'd make a great king or leader. But the spider's nest and snake den in the Ark... I'm surprised you haven't flipped it over yet."
"Well, I basically did. Didn't you hear about how Rapi and Neon intercepted Doban and took up pretty much the whole Outer Rim?"
Andersen paused. "...No. I didn't."
"Oh. Well, that happened. So... You and Burningum definitely have a mess to clear up soon, Pops."
Andersen groaned. "Of course. My kid would be a worse troublemaker than I was..." Even while he complained, he couldn't hide the fond look and smile on his face.
It was a bit weird... But I'd rolled with worst at this rate, so I just vibed with the fatherly love.
Andersen stretched and took a look around. "...It's funny though. The moment I started helping you out your girls all cleared out, huh?"
"They aren't my girls, Andersen. Matis are more like..." I hummed, thinking about it. "...Adopted children? Younger siblings? They're more that vibe."
Andersen looked amused. "Is that so? Good. Lilith won't kill me for our kid being a complete playboy then."
I chuckled and said, "I like women and affection from women, Andersen. But they're not one of my vices. That would be gambling."
Andersen snorted. "Then I'll make sure to never bring you to Coin Rush."
I paused. "...There's a casino in the Ark?"
"...Anyway." Andersen cleared his throat.
"You DO realize I can just look this up later, right?"
Andersen sighed. "Fine. Yes, there is a casino in the Ark. There are even bunny girls. But I'll let you know right now, if you go there with the way your girls are acting, you'll be a dead man."
I paused to think about it. Then I sighed. "True... Anis is already antsy, so I need to spoil her a bit when she gets back. Same with Rapi and Mari. Endy is thankfully low maintenance and just loves vibing."
Andersen looked at me with a strange expression.
I noticed and tilted my head. "What?"
"...Huh." Andersen looked into my eyes and said, "...You're serious about them." He rubbed his chin and said, "I thought you were just playing around with some girls and having fun... but you really love them all, don't you?"
"Of course I do." I rolled my eyes. "They're people and they deserve to be seen and feel loved."
Andersen chuckled, a soft smile on his face. "...Yeah. Lilith would be proud of you." He stepped off the wall and said, "She'd also say you get it all from her and not from me. But alright. Enough bantering." He checked his phone and said, "We have thirty minutes or so to talk about serious things. I'll need to coordinate with Burningum later too, so let's get the brass tacks down before we relax."
I nodded. "Got it. Then... What do you need to know?"
"First of all..." Andersen tilted his head. "...How did you warp out of the Ark?"
"Oh, that. You see, I noticed that there are a lot of fancy Alva Particle purification devices all over the surface, so I studied them a bit and realized that they aren't actually like electrons, but more like gravitrons that happen to send data. So since we can modify them, I just accumulated various Alva Particles in a device to 'tag' locations. And then when I have Sophia run the calculations and power an Alva Particle generator, we create a localized wormhole across noneuclidean space to skip the usual 3D movement while staying in 4D."
"...Okay, you definitely get your smarts from Lilith because I got none of that."
===
A discreet building in the Outpost with an enormous generator... Or in other words, Maxwell's lab.
Laplace twirled around, a smile on her face as she said, "I can't believe we're getting to meet the Goddess Squad! And that we met the Legendary Commander!"
Drake chuckled. "Believe it! And believe that they'll witness the true strength of a Demon Lord! Right, Vanitas?"
An ominous low chuckle echoed from the side, and then Chatterbox- No, 'Demon Lord Vanitas' emerged.
Sideswept and curly black hair, regal violet eyes, a black cloak with golden embroidery... and a comfortable white t-shirt and jeans beneath it.
Throwing his arm out, he said, "Behold, the might of a True Human!"
Drake grinned and struck a pose too. "That's right! The True Humans, the True Demon Lords of Earth!"
"Hahaha!"
"KYAHAHAHA!"
Laplace groaned. "...Drake got worse."
Maxwell sighed as she walked over, wearing a white labcoat and a clipboard. "It can't be helped. That guy is a worse enabler than Cutey..."
Laplace watched Drake run off with Vanitas to plan a 'Secret Eminence in the Shadow Society' and then looked at Maxwell. "Why did you switch to calling the commander 'Cutey,' Maxwell?"
"Hm?" Maxwell idly flipped through her clipboard and said, "Well, that's because he's a Cutey. Plus, he gives me all the resources I want to do whatever research I want." She chuckled. "And you have to admit, he's pretty goofy. It's cute."
Laplace laughed and said, "I guess that's true. But he's definitely a real hero! Did you see how he teamed up with the Ark Rangers in his armor? It was just like the old shows that Syuen used to watch!"
Maxwell paused. "...That's... true, huh?"
Laplace noticed Maxwell's reaction and tilted her head. "Maxwell?"
Maxwell sighed and shook her head. "Just thinking about the past." She idly tapped her fingers on her clipboard and said, "...And how 'that guy' was definitely wrong. You can win against the Raptures as mere humans."
Laplace paused. Then her expression darkened. "You're talking about Syuen's dad."
"Yeah. Enme." Maxwell was quiet and looked out the window at the Outpost and the clear blue skies beyond. "...The 'head of a company built to hunt monsters...' He said you needed to be a monster too in order to run a company like that. But Cutey's different."
Laplace's eyes lit up and said, "That's right!" She pointed her finger at the ceiling, a bright smile on her face. "Commander showed it was possible! To do the unthinkable, touch the untouchable! To win against all odds!"
Maxwell chuckled. "That's right." She turned back to look at Laplace and said, "You know, it's pretty funny."
"Huh? What is, Maxwell?"
Maxwell hummed and said, "Do you know the reason why Syuen designed Matis to be heroes, Laplace?"
Laplace blinked. "Huh? Isn't it because the Ark needs heroes?"
"Well, yes. But..." Maxwell's gaze took on a distant look and she said, "Back then when she first designed the blue prints... she said that we need something strong enough to win anytime, anywhere. Like a hero."
Laplace's eyes lit up and she said, "That's the Commander!"
Maxwell laughed. "That's right. That's our Cutey. So I'm curious how Syuen feels about all of this. ...And how she's doing."
Laplace was quiet. "...Me too. Do you think she's really okay? She texted us that she's busy doing research for Commander... and that the person in the Ark is a copycat. But..."
A somber silence filled the air.
Then Laplace said, "...Do you think she's still alive, Maxwell?"
Maxwell didn't respond at first. But then she sighed and said, "...Syuen is a tough cookie. I'm sure that she's fine. Besides, she'd never let herself get turned into a Nikke, so I'm sure there's some countermeasures she put in place."
Laplace cheered up and said, "That's right! Syuen is a genius, so she's definitely fine!"
"...Yeah." Maxwell looked vaguely worried. But she let out a breath and nodded. "So, let's get ready for the party. I managed to figure out how the food fabricator works, so we can make a cake to celebrate."
"Cake?! Ooh! Can we make one like Syuen and I used to eat?"
Maxwell smiled. "Of course."
===
In cyberspace, a place reconstructed to look like a certain break room at the far right end of the third-floor hallway in the Missilis research facilities.
Syuen idly took out a cake from the fridge and then sat down to eat it by herself. "...This is weird." She sliced a piece and took a bite. "...Is it because it's a memory? It tastes just like I remember it."
The flow of time was weird.
Syuen didn't know how much time was passing in the outside world. Although she was sure her calculations were correct and that she had synchronized it properly... she was still worried.
"If it's wrong, and I'm stuck here by myself forever..."
A pang of anxiety.
Syuen already hated being alone. But being alone like this would be just like when she was young. But this time, there wasn't Maxwell or anyone else to-
"Miss Syuen. Do you mind if I enter?"
A calm and almost too beautiful voice echoed from beyond the door.
Syuen froze.
Because it was impossible for there to be a visitor.
It felt real, but all of this was just a reconstruction from her memories. A place to keep her sane so she wasn't just a brain in a box like how the brain shelters for Nikkes worked.
So...
"...Who are you?"
"Ah." The voice hummed and said, "I suppose we have not yet been properly introduced. My name is Sophia. I am the artificial intelligence that Creator... that is, Commander Hoopa, established to help run the various facilities at the Outpost. Since you have been connected, I thought I would say hello."
Syuen paused. Then she let out a blank stare and murmured, "Of course that crazy bastard would have an artificial intelligence... Ugh, whatever. Come in. Not like I can stop you or anything."
If that thing really did run the facilities, since Syuen's entire setup was hooked into the Outpost now, she was at that thing's mercy.
Well, unless she wanted to head back to the harmony cube she had sitting in the Central Government HQ, but that would drive her literally crazy, so... no.
The door quietly opened.
Syuen sighed and turned to look. Then she blinked. "Huh? Laplace?"
A young woman with golden hair and clear blue eyes. Although her hair was let down, if she styled them in twin-tails, the woman could definitely pass for Laplace... albeit, a more mature Laplace.
Sophia blinked. Then she paused and chuckled. "I suppose I would look like Miss Laplace if we stood next to each other. But no. I am Sophia, not Miss Laplace."
Syuen looked amused and said, "That commander... stealing my work now, huh?" She took another bite from her cake and said, "Just because I told him to keep an eye on Matis and that he can use Missilis as a brand doesn't mean he can just copy my stuff."
Sophia smiled and said, "Well. Creator has a habit of taking things from wherever he can if it works."
"Clearly." Syuen snorted. Then she paused and hesitantly said, "...Want some cake? I have a bit more."
"I would love some."
"...Don't get used to it." Syuen got up to grab some more cake from her fridge and said, "I'm just bored eating by myself. It's not like I'm lonely or anything."
"I would never suggest such a thing."
After Syuen came back with a plate and spoon for Sophia, she clicked her tongue and said, "...You really take after him, huh? Nice for no reason."
Sophia chuckled and said, "I'm flattered. Although I wouldn't say Creator is nice... he just treats the people who are on his side well. And he has included you on his side." She paused. "Probably subconsciously."
Syuen raised an eyebrow. "...Subconsciously?"
Sophia nodded. "Yes. Creator has a thing for violet eyes."
"...What?"
Sophia took a bite from her cake and said, "I suspect it has to do with the fact that the women he has corrupted with his code have their irises turn violet, just like how Nikkes corrupted by Raptures have their eyes turn crimson."
"...WHAT?!"