Chapter 157
Chapter 157
No, That Was Romance
The people whose actions had been forcibly controlled briefly shifted in their seats as if about to stand, but soon regained their senses and threw themselves back into cheering. The command had never specified an exact target, and its contents had been vague to begin with, producing this result.
Right. A stalker wasn't the only danger Sakuya had to deal with. When I first heard that only she was being targeted by an assailant, something about it hadn't sat right with me. I had wondered if someone had hired the culprit.
But that wasn't it.
Everything had happened because Sakuya was still inexperienced. Her ability could only manifest when her emotions were heightened. In that sense, the stage was the perfect setting.
What could be more exhilarating than expressing yourself passionately before countless people?
It had created a synergistic effect by combining with a profession that constantly required interaction with the public.
In a way, it could even be interpreted as one of the secrets behind Mystic's current popularity.
The words "I love you" became engraved into people's minds.
Regardless of age or gender, they would become fervent followers.
Perhaps it could be called an agape-like platonic love. However, if that distinction became blurred, it could easily degenerate into primitive lust overflowing with desire, so it couldn't be said to be without harmful side effects. Hadn't I experienced that firsthand before?
'The stalker.'
His obsession had long since surpassed anything considered normal.
It wasn't simply a twisted affection for Mystic that had manifested.
Nine times out of ten, Sakuya herself had been his true motivation. That was proof enough that he had once undergone an intensely powerful experience.
In other words, he was a fan who had attended one of Mystic's live performances.
No matter how exceptional his hacking skills were, there was no way he had manipulated the entirety of District 24. If I traced Mystic's movements backward, I would eventually catch his trail.
As soon as I got out of here, I'd ask Dobby to investigate—
"My ass is burning. What do they call it these days? Childbirth hips... no, an apple hip? Natural really is different. There's a kind of emotion you can never get from implants."
Perhaps because he only used vulgar words, they struck my ears with unusual force.
Without bothering to hide my disgust, I turned my head and saw a cyborg standing well over two meters tall. The reason I hadn't mistaken him for an android wasn't just because he lacked the vividly colored hair one would normally expect—
"Don't you think so, hyungnim?"
It was because the face of the man nodding as though seeking my agreement was so unforgettable.
To begin with, it wasn't even a human face. It was made up of blade antennas and facial armor. It wasn't something that could be described in terms of ordinary facial features.
It was more accurate to say he had completely replaced his face.
He looked like someone straight out of a superhero or mecha series. The kind of villain whose design was so impressive that you couldn't help but admire it.
Though, whether that was an appropriate impression to have of a person standing right in front of me was another matter.
If the fanatic Giness was someone who had adapted, then the man before me was someone who genuinely enjoyed it. It was a level of performance only an extreme machine fetishist could display.
After staring once at the crimson optical sensors swaying in the dark room, I finally spoke.
"You don't look like you have a body that can get drunk. Do nonsense words just spill out naturally because that's your vulgar nature?"
Most people would have flared up at such relentless insults, but the man calmly held his ground.
"So is it yes or no? Stop beating around the bush like a little girl and answer honestly. Or are you saying you can look at that and feel absolutely nothing?"
"..."
I had simply fallen silent because I found the whole thing absurd, but the man seemed to take it as an answer and sighed.
"What a pitiful age. Men castrate their instincts, and women start by putting on airs. You only live once, so enjoy it. Don't waste your life hiding who you are. Idol or manager, peel away one layer and everyone's just an animal."
In contrast to the sleazy content of his words, his voice remained completely matter-of-fact.
At that moment, I realized something.
The man was older than he looked. There were things he wanted to say, but he simply lacked the finesse to express them elegantly.
Though even if he had refined his delivery, I doubted it would have become worthwhile advice—
"That's not something a cyborg who'd probably have nothing but wires under his skin should be saying."
"The fact that you're talking about qualifications tells me you're one of this generation."
There was no way I couldn't tell why the man had approached me after making those meaningful remarks about idols and managers. A giant of his size had walked behind the stage where even the lights didn't reach, yet no one had stopped him.
"You're a fixer hired by Starlight, aren't you?"
"Oh? You figured it out in one shot. Well, I was being rather friendly. Just call me Mechanic."
With that, Mechanic pulled out a pipe and put it between his lips.
Perhaps because the gaps in his external armor interlocked together, the sight reminded me of meshing gears.
"An alias?"
"Surely you don't think that's my real name?"
It suited his appearance perfectly. I could also vaguely guess what Starlight had been aiming for.
Steven had died of a heart attack not long ago. I didn't know the method, but there was no doubt the stalker had a trump card. They had undoubtedly chosen someone who would never fall victim to some mysterious trick in the first place.
After all, a cyborg couldn't possibly possess an organic heart.
And he was a fixer known by an alias.
In that case—
"You've already figured out who I am too."
"Of course, of course. We're both professionals, aren't we, Fighting Dog?"
It was only natural to conduct a background investigation before accepting a request. Thinking that the stalker might have infiltrated Starlight, Mechanic had gone through the personnel roster and unexpectedly discovered someone of particular interest.
“Normally, I would've turned the job down because the pay wasn't worth it. But I wanted to see them. To see what kind of kids the idols representing this era really were.”
As smoke drifted from the pipe in his mouth, Mechanic let out a quiet chuckle as well.
“And I wanted to see who'd willingly sign up for low pay and backbreaking labor like me. Heh heh. Were you here to see the idols too, hyungnim?”
It would take all day to explain the circumstances behind that, but I chose not to elaborate. It irritated me to let him keep misunderstanding, but no one could be allowed to know about Sakuya.
Especially now, when people were being drawn in by her ability.
“That's why I'm telling you not to be embarrassed. It's only natural for a man to desire a woman. That's how the human species was designed.”
“I'd rather not hear that from someone who's gone against that natural order.”
“You know nothing. Tell me, do you know what happens when you add coolness to coolness?”
“Extravagance. Excessive extravagance.”
“No, that is romance. Romance is born from inefficiency and irrationality.”
When I continued staring at him with an unconvinced expression, Mechanic bent his arm and showed off the armor covering it.
“See it? The shine on this armor. Every single morning, I start my day by cleaning the inside with lubricant and polish. I do the same before calling it a day. That's why my finish rivals dewy skin.”
Stop it, you lunatic. I don't want to know any of that.
I'd always thought I was an open-minded person, but at that moment I realized I was actually rather closed-minded. I expressed my despair with a dry rub of my face.
Unfortunately, though, people like him weren't all that uncommon in the 24th century.
Their lives often ended tragically because of their modifications, yet even the bodyguards had bodies remodeled in that direction.
In modern society, cyborgs generally fell into two categories.
Those who became disappointed in the fact that they were human yet no longer human, causing their sense of self to collapse.
Or those who became egoists with unwavering confidence as unyielding as steel.
Mechanic was undoubtedly the latter.
And more distinctly so than anyone I'd ever met.
***
As I spent time with that unexpected individual, Mystic's performance gradually approached its finale. It was around then that a suspicious presence began to emerge.
Others might not have noticed, but a single determined gaze was fixed on Sakuya's back.
Mechanic seemed to notice it as well, ending our idle conversation and straightening his posture.
Once the pre-recording ended, someone appeared, pushing through the people leaving the stage while subtly making his way toward it. His stride was calm and steady, yet his face looked as though it were on the verge of exploding at any moment.
“You going?”
“Right now, I'm her manager.”
“So you're only planning to work for what you've been paid.”
Without another word, Mechanic stepped forward.
Watching his broad, rugged back, I narrowed my eyes.
I intended to use Mechanic as a stepping stone. I wanted to see how the stalker would react when faced with a different type of opponent.
At the same time, I also wanted to assess Mechanic's abilities. If Starlight had hired him, then it was inevitable we'd be working together until this series of incidents had been resolved.
Click.
I gripped Polar Night, which hung from my waist in place of a keychain.
Ready to respond at any moment.
It was then that the man shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Sakuya! I finally realized it! You're the only one I'll ever love!”
His voice filled the entire venue beyond the stage.
Perhaps because it sounded less like a plea and more like a desperate wail, everyone stopped in their tracks and turned toward him.
Mystic was no exception.
Murmurs spread through the venue. The fans who had already begun leaving returned to see what was happening.
The staff stepped in and urged them to disperse, but wolves who had spotted irresistible prey weren't about to leave.
The atmosphere became explosive.
A bodyguard approached the man and raised a hand to stop him.
“Please calm down. If you'd like to express your feelings, please do so through a letter or a gift.”
Despite the warning to back away, the man ignored it and threw off his coat.
“Sakuya, come here! Come here and let's create a little planet together!”
Holding fast to his extreme declaration, the man stood his ground.
Realizing this wasn't his first visit, I quietly circled behind him.
Beneath his coat was a bomb vest.
Its construction was too refined to believe he'd built it himself.
Perhaps because of that, it looked like nothing more than functional clothing from the outside.
The fans who had been watching with excitement only panicked after the man deliberately raised a detonator for everyone to see.
They hurried toward the exits, but with so many people rushing at once, bottlenecks quickly formed.
Standing amidst the screams and shouts, the man took a deep breath.
“It doesn't matter if you don't come. I'll carve proof that we met here.”
It was a declaration of resolve.
“Dying together on the same day... that's love too, isn't it?”
It was practically a declaration that he intended to blow himself up.
Just before he could press the switch, Mechanic rushed in and twisted the man's arm with his massive frame.
Detonator and all.
“Don't bark unless you're going to bite.”
“Heh heh heh. Well said.”
Despite the fracture in his arm, the man only laughed.
Then his pupils wavered.
The detonator had merely been a prop—a shield prepared for this exact moment.
Realizing that the bomb vest was linked to a device, Mechanic let out a low groan.
It was too late to stop it.
Rather than dwelling on the sudden reversal, minimizing the impending damage took priority.
In that case—
Pulling the man tightly against his chest, Mechanic sprinted toward one of the walls and curled himself into a ball like a pill bug.
He made full use of the advantage provided by his enormous body.
By the time the bomber had disappeared entirely within Mechanic's embrace—
Boom!
The ground shook as a deafening explosion erupted.
Yet no shrapnel flew.
No victims collapsed.
Only Mechanic remained standing, casually brushing the soot from his scorched clothes.