No way?!

 

The dormant machinery suddenly whirred back to life all at once.

「What is this?」

「It’s the preparations for restarting.」

The factory, which had been shut down, resumed operations with Okeanos’ authorization. The entire facility was coming back to life. It must have been Morgan’s doing.

「Morgan, this means we can transport Arthur to Steropes now, right?」

「It seems so. At long last, my long-cherished wish is about to be fulfilled. I am deeply grateful, Outis-sama, Asia-sama.」

「You’re being dramatic.」

「I still remember my feelings before becoming a Mythology Weapon. I always hoped for more people to return to this land, to this factory… If the Another Level Silhouette could regain its former glory… Asia-sama, I believe you understand.」

「Yeah, I do, Morgan.」

Asia nodded solemnly.

「Did we do a good thing?」

「Without a doubt.」

「Then, I’d be happy if you could direct that gratitude towards protecting the people left on Planet Libya.」

「Of course! By the names of Arthur and Morgan, I swear it!」

Arthur intervened in the communication.

「That’s right. In the name of Morgan and Arthur, we shall become the guardians of the people of Libya.」

「Right now, the machinery is transporting me to Steropes. I appreciate it, Outis.」

He sounded genuinely happy. This would be the first step toward repairing his body.

「Arthur, isn’t it difficult to restore you with the current technology?」

「That’s unavoidable. I hope you will allow me to use the best available technology—just like the one used in Unit 5’s CX-type.」

「You even know about that?!」

「We have access to all information from the Asia War and the Dignity War. Everything is thanks to Hephaestus’ remains—now Polymetis’—help.」

「So you were watching us, Polymetis… No, I’m not angry. Don’t worry.」

Polymetis blinked, as if apologizing to Asia.

「Asia, you seem happy too.」

「It’s like finding out a relative you thought was dead is actually alive? Maybe… it feels like discovering that an older cousin I was close to has survived.」

「I get what you’re trying to say.」

If she described their relationship as a close one, then they must have had a good bond. If that super AI was still operational, then it was only natural to feel happy about it.

「By the way, Outis, I need you to hear me out… and please don’t get mad.」

「What is it? You’re being awfully sudden.」

「The truth is… this entire Realm is connected to a certain location beneath the Silhouette Base’s underground factory on Planet Asia.」

「No way?!」

Asia was left speechless. The Silhouette Base contained part of the data that made up her very being. The fact that it had been connected all this time without her noticing—it should have been impossible.

「When did this happen…?」

「Rather than explaining, I thought it would be better to let someone else do the talking.」

「Don’t just throw this on another person out of nowhere!」

Kou panicked, but the connection was established mercilessly.

「Big Boss? Can you hear me?」

「Abel-san?!」

「What the—?」

Asia tilted her head, utterly baffled, as if she had just encountered the most inexplicable situation in her life.

「That’s because this place is connected to me, Eirene, Asia.」

Eirene joined the conversation. She was currently stored underground in the Silhouette Base.

「How did things end up like this?」

「Arthur reached out to me. Secretly.」

「Does Astraea know?」

「Do you really think I could tell her? You know the answer to that, right?」

「Yes I know!」

Asia nodded in understanding.

「Eirene, do you know about Hephaestus?」

「Wait a minute. Why is Hephaestus’ name coming up here? Don’t tell me… Is the real-time communication we’re using right now powered by Hephaestus’ authority?」

「It’s a long story, but yeah, that’s basically it.」

「I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. I know nothing. Abel, I’ll leave the rest to you.」

「Wait, Eirene!」

Flustered by the situation, Eirene tried to escape.

「Just one thing—I can confirm that the ‘Fool’ was indeed necessary. I apologize.」

「Not at all! Having someone voice dissenting opinions like that is important.」

「No… I, too, acted rashly and regret my lack of foresight. Now, on to the most crucial topic—could you explain how things ended up like this?」

Abel hesitantly spoke up.

「We’re just as shocked as you are!」

Kou and Asia hadn’t expected to be directly connected to Eirene.

「What are you scheming, Morgan?」

Morgan answered with a smile.

「A plan that you would have opposed if you knew about it beforehand.」

「Don’t say that with a smile!」

「But since we’re all here now, I might as well explain. We, the Kryptos, are vastly outnumbered. Our enemy, Teras, is mass-producing Kakodaimons using Miasma. In response, I thought we should replicate Hyloi-Skoria and create new Kryptos and Agathodaimons—unmanned weapons designed to protect people—to counter them.」

「Is that even safe?」

「As long as the fundamental design lacks malicious intent, it should naturally take the form of an Agathodaimon. That’s why I asked Abel to design the core weapon system.」

「Define what you mean by a weapon without malicious intent.」

That was the one thing Kou couldn’t let slide.

「A weapon that was never originally designed for combat—or one that could be considered a humorous invention. In other words, something that fits Abel’s British sensibilities perfectly.」

Kou’s eyes went dark. Asia wore the same expression. A dreadful sense of foreboding sent shivers down their spines.

「I’ve already developed the core systems for the new Kryptos and Agathodaimons on short notice.」

「Don’t be reckless!」

Asia pleaded with him.

「Leave it to me!」

Feeling overwhelmed, Kou changed the subject.

「Has this been in motion for a while?」

「The factory has already started operating. Anything with high productivity will immediately enter production.」

「Why the rush? Is something happening?」

Arthur hesitated before speaking.

「An invasion of human residential zones by Teras is anticipated. There’s a high probability they want to search for Development Engineers.」

「Even if the Teras themselves don’t attack en masse, we expect a saturation attack by Kakodaimons.」

Morgan added to Arthur’s explanation.

「What?! We need to contact Astraea immediately!」

「I already sent the transmission!」

Asia acted swiftly, hurrying to send a message to Astraea.

「The Teras have a strong sense of territoriality. It’s unclear how many will move.」

「However, the larger the numbers, the smaller the share for each. They’ll have to weigh the risks before committing.」

「They’ve reached that level?! This is beyond troublesome!」

Kou was hit with the stark realization that they were on the side being preyed upon.

「If only this machine could return to its prime…」

「Even if we had a Holy Grail capable of granting wishes, that would still be impossible.」

Asia sighed. She understood Arthur’s desire, but given the current circumstances, it was safe to say that such a thing was out of reach.

「We need to prepare for the attack. At some point, we’ll need to head out as well. If we repel the assault, would it be possible to relocate the Trireme Fleet here?」

「Accommodating three ships would be easy. However, considering the food supply situation, I wouldn’t recommend relocating all the survivors.」

「Got it. We’ll discuss it with everyone before making a decision.」

「Yeah. For now, let’s focus on what we can do here.」

Kou nodded in agreement with Asia’s words.