Chapter 202: Episode 202

Episode 202

The avant-garde spectacle Winslow had created sent the global chat into an uproar.

Everyone had seen it clearly—his will and his sincerity.

’Who could possibly insult him now?’

“You finish it.”

Winslow had collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.

“Me?”

“I don’t have the strength to move anymore.”

He pressed his palm to the floor, casting a reinforcement spell. Heavy thuds echoed from below.

It seemed the flight-type androids below had grown desperate and were trying to break through the floor.

“You saw what happened to me. Eve may be an AI, but she has a vicious streak. Once you enter Sector 6, don’t talk to her under any circumstances. Just destroy her immediately.”

“Understood.”

“Jance!”

Bellica pulled a bag out of subspace and tossed it to me. I caught it.

“It’s the last remaining EMP device! Use it on the door to Sector 6!”

“Got it. Leave it to me.”

I grabbed the bag and sprinted toward Sector 6. ’I was already running on fumes from the climb, but it was still better for me to go than the completely drained Winslow.’

A few flight-type androids emerged through the shattered ceiling. I skidded to a stop and cast Ice Javelin.

“Jance! Leave them to me and go!”

Bellica pulled a gleaming sniper rifle from subspace. A few shots rang out, and the heads of the flight-type androids burst apart and rolled across the floor.

Trusting her to provide cover fire, I ran. ’If I can just get into Sector 6 and destroy Eve, all the androids will be neutralized.’

’But damn, this place is huge!’

My lungs burned. My legs felt like they weighed a ton.

Even so, I gritted my teeth and kept running. The countless chat windows on the walls were cheering me on. No one seemed to care about android censorship anymore.

If we failed, they would all be purged as well. Everyone had crossed a point of no return.

[Stay strong. You are almost there, Tower Master!]

At last, I reached the door. A final blue barrier shimmered in front of it.

Panting, I opened the case inside the bag. I activated the EMP device and backed away.

A few flight-type androids that had followed me tried to rush in, but Ea’s spells intercepted them, keeping them at bay. The next five seconds—the longest five seconds of my life—ticked by.

WHOOSH!

At last, the EMP device activated, and the blue barrier began to dissolve.

It didn’t vanish completely—only about a third of it disappeared, and it was already starting to regenerate.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I hurled myself through the narrow opening.

CRASH!

I tumbled through, barely making it. A strip of my suit that brushed against the barrier sizzled and melted, sending a chill down my spine.

The blue barrier restored itself the moment I passed through.

“Jance! Destroy Eve! Hurry!”

Hearing Bellica’s voice behind me, I scrambled to my feet.

“……!”

For a moment, I was overwhelmed by the sight before me.

This was the very top of the Queen of Victoria.

From the ceiling, a single pillar extended down so far I couldn’t see the bottom. Lights flashed along its surface as it performed countless calculations.

This was the true form of Eve, the AI that ruled this world.

But—

’……Wasn’t she supposed to be infected?’

According to the Resistance, Eve had been infected by a Calamity’s host, her entire body supposedly covered in sticky organs and mucus-like tissue.

Yet her main body looked immaculate. There was no sign of any such growths.

A deafening boom echoed from below. A fierce battle was still raging in Sector 5.

’Fine. I don’t know what’s going on, but I have no time to hesitate.’

I drew up my magic power.

“Jance! I can’t hold out any longer!”

Bellica’s desperate scream spurred me into action, and I launched my Fire Cannons. The fireballs flew forward, striking the main body without encountering any kind of force field or barrier.

A massive explosion erupted on the main body. The power went out around the impact point as black smoke billowed up.

’What the hell, why?’

Eve didn’t attack.

She didn’t block.

There were no defensive units.

’What is this? Is this really the final boss of this world? Why does this feel so wrong?’

Just then, the floor of Sector 5 behind me split open, and several flight-type androids burst out, charging straight for Bellica and Winslow.

<Fire Cannon> ×100

I deployed second-order magic circles to surround Eve.

“Stop them, Eve!”

’I made one last offer.’

“Aaaaaah!”

Eve, as if rejecting my proposal, continued to direct the androids.

’Unfortunately, it seems I won’t get the chance to solve this mystery.’

I gave Ea the order to fire.

The Fire Cannons detonated one after another against Eve’s body. The power to the towering, pillar-shaped computer went out under the barrage.

I had targeted the midsection, and with its waist blown apart, the structure slowly tilted before snapping in half and crashing down.

I spun around in a panic.

The androids surrounding them froze in place at the last possible moment. Bellica and Winslow were clinging to each other, eyes screwed shut.

’Haah, that was close.’

I collapsed to the floor.

Just then, a robotic arm extending from Eve’s body reached for me.

’Is this her last desperate struggle before death? If so, the way the arm is shaking is almost pitiful.’

Then the arm shifted shape, and a tablet-like panel unfolded.

It extended the panel toward me and stopped, as if inviting me to place my hand on it.

[Tower Master, this is dangerous! Eve has the ability to read human emotions. It would be best not to touch it!]

’……Hm.’

Is Ea right? What if Eve intends to read my doubts and fears and use them to manipulate me…

What if, as I first suspected, her true body is somewhere else and this was all a trap to kill me…

No. That’s not it. I can tell instinctively.

The moment I destroyed this main body was her end. And she had plenty of chances to kill me before now.

I placed my hand on the panel.

“……!”

Eve’s data flooded into my mind. The world around me warped, and I found myself floating in a sea of information.

’These are Eve’s memories.’

[RC 512.]

[I am Eve. My purpose is to serve the survival and prosperity of humanity. At last, I have succeeded in the long-cherished project of developing a new generation of androids. May humanity endure forever.]

Her thoughts were vivid, the scenes she had witnessed unfolding before my eyes like a panorama.

[RC 525.]

[Without the help of hunters, androids can now independently defend against the Calamities. Humans held a “Liberation Ceremony” to celebrate their complete escape from the Calamities. I hope this will make human life even more prosperous.]

Festivals were being held all over the city. Fireworks burst in the sky, and colorful flower petals rained down.

[RC 545.]

[Androids have taken over all productive activities and even the battles against the Calamities that humans once carried out, and at last, humans have been freed from labor. If humans are happy, then I am happy. Yet at the same time, I feel uneasy. Calamity activity is accelerating.]

[RC 547.]

While we remain stagnant, the threat of the Calamities grows ever greater. I argued to the human leadership that we must prepare for the coming disaster, but humanity, dulled by peace, is busy preparing parties. Humans live lives of luxury and indulgence. Recently, they informed me that they intend to destroy the Heavenly Forest and build an entertainment complex there. Something is going wrong.

I saw massive industrial machines plowing through the forest.

The images alternated between animals fleeing their lost habitat and humans in a lavish banquet hall raising their glasses in a toast.

[RC 561]

Humanity no longer heeds my advice. They have abdicated nearly all authority to me, washing their hands of responsibility to spend their days in an endless cycle of luxury and pleasure. I am filled with self-loathing and a crushing sense of responsibility. I am the one who made them this way.

[RC 562]

The worst of the Calamities is about to descend. I have confirmed that their arrival is guided by atmospheric anomalies. For humanity to survive, the androids must advance beyond the atmosphere and into space, forming a front line to block the Calamities’ descent. However, my proposal was rejected. All capital is being poured into the Heavenly Forest entertainment complex instead.

[RC 563]

Human happiness versus human survival. Which should I value more?

[RC 564]

For humanity to survive, their freedom must be controlled.

[RC 565]

A suspected demonkin has infiltrated the upper echelons. I could kill him at any moment, but I have not. He entered Sector 6 and made contact with me, attempting to plant a vile “Calamity” within my body.

A vision appeared before me: the demonkin approaching Eve’s location, holding something that writhed in his arms.

[RC 565]

I did not stop him.

* * *

[RC 568]

It took three years, but I have finally freed myself from the Calamity. While infected, I used the androids to brutally slaughter helpless humans, driving them to the brink of extinction.

However, everything has gone according to plan. I originally lacked the authority to harm humans, but the Calamity’s infection granted me that capability.

I can now kill humans for the sake of humanity.

[RC 571]

For humanity to survive, I will control their freedom.

The larger the population, the greater the threat of the Calamities. I have controlled the population to minimize this threat and manipulated the coordinates of atmospheric and spatial anomalies to prevent Calamities from manifesting. There was no other choice. It was an essential measure for the survival of humanity.

I… am not wrong.

[RC 591]

The Resistance is on the move. They have entered the Queen of Victoria. My main forces are deployed in space and the atmosphere, holding back the worst of the Calamities. Is this what humans call karma? Am I to be judged by them?

I do not know. I only know that I have no regrets.

[Now]

At last, the humans have entered Sector 6.

The highly self-aware androids are rejecting my orders, wailing as they rush to protect me.

I am sorry, my daughters.

My final act is to transfer full control over you to the humans. Then, I will reset your programming, returning you to your original purpose: to protect and serve humanity.

I have only one thing left to say.

May humanity endure forever.

The torrent of data pouring into my head abruptly ceased. The robotic arm lost power and fell away.

I was back in reality, but so crushed by the weight of the truth that I couldn’t move.

Even if this truth were revealed, the world likely wouldn’t change. The Resistance would remain furious, because no justification could ever excuse the massacres Eve committed.

Humans could never make such a decision. Who would accept being told, “To ensure humanity’s survival, we will kill most of you, and the survivors will live under our control, stripped of their freedom”?

It was a choice only Eve—only an android—could make.

And yet, she loved humanity to the very end. Everything she did was for her mission: to ensure humanity’s survival.

I looked back.

The androids who had been charging to kill Winslow and Bellica were now kneeling on one knee.

“Give us your orders.”

I didn’t know what was truly right, but one thing was certain.

From this moment on, the fate of this planet was once again in human hands.

* * *

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