Epilogue: From a Deep-Red Doze

“Hmm...”

A strange room, packed with machinery in every corner, with cables rising up like an electric forest. Among their steel roots, a mechanical squirrel skittered, grasping fallen bolts like acorns. A rattle, like that of an old mechanical hard drive, echoed. Nowhere else in the world could a squirrel be found who could identify unnecessary parts, grasp their function, and rebuild them into a new form. Yes, this was Shinonono Tabane’s secret laboratory.

“Oh? Oh.”

Clatter...

Rattle, rattle.

“Oh...”

Shinonono Tabane struck an uncanny figure. She wore a one-piece dress as blue as the sky, like Alice in Alice in Wonderland. The large ribbon which held her apron drew the eye. Her face was unmistakably that of Houki’s older sister. But with their time apart, while Houki had acquired the stern gaze of a kendo master, Tabane’s sleeplessness had given hers an unhealthy squint. The bags under her eyes had endured for years.

This was the meaning of the saying “geniuses are slaves to their thoughts.” Her contemplation continued even in her sleep, robbing her of any chance for a quiet rest. At some point in her life, she may have had a good night’s sleep, but if she had, it was too long ago to remember. Unlike her sister, she had avoided kendo, or indeed any other sport, but her body was still lithe and curvy. And most noticeable were her plump breasts.

Perhaps her shirt was too small, as her buttons strained, letting seductive peeks of her skin through gaps in its placket. And on her head... Well, if we were looking for problematic things, that was probably the one. For whatever reason, her headband had white bunny ears attached. She was like a walking, condensed Alice in Wonderland. Alice and the White Rabbit in one mismatched outfit.

But that was her thing, that was what she wanted to wear. Last month was Hansel and Gretel. It shouldn’t need to be mentioned that no one could figure that out. This Tabane, then, leaned back in her strange chair. If one could call it that—but for lack of anything better to call it, that’s what we’ve chosen. Glints of silver light reflected from it. Its twisted lines wrapped around Tabane like a cage. Almost as if it were the skeleton of a dinosaur. And as Tabane’s fingers began to dance, the threads leading from them sparked a marionette to motion.

Clatter...

Rattle, rattle.

With the slightest of motion, the parts of the chair moved like a living thing, picking up a tiny tool. With it, they began working on a small part held in a pair of pincers. It was a smaller chair, holding yet smaller parts. Dozens of repetitions later, the chain reached its end. A plastic IS model on nano-scale. An absolute, unparalleled waste. An absolutely foolish, unforgivable timekiller.

“Ahh, finally done.”

It was finished. Absolutely perfect, down to the paint and finish. She sighed in boredom as she rose from her chair. Tabane pressed a point on the seemingly-solid chair, and it collapsed into a pile of rubble.

“So, so bored.”

Da-dum-da-da-dadum-da-da-da-da-dadah~♪ The sound of the theme to The Godfather filled the room. Even in the 21st century, there was no better theme for a delinquent. Yet surely, not even its composer could imagine it being so loved in the far, far east. Somehow, she wanted to know whether he’d be elated or disgusted.

“Wait, this ringtone—!”

She leapt to her feet and dove for her phone. Her toolkit clattered into her painting mug, but Tabane didn’t care. She pressed the phone to her ear.

“Hewwo? Hewwo yewwow?”

“.........”

Click.

The person on the other end of the line obviously had hangups about that. At least, they’d hung up.

“Wait, wait!”

As if a god was answering Tabane’s prayers, the phone rang again. Da-dum-da-da-dadum-da-da-da-da-dadah~♪

“It’s everyone’s idol, Shinonono Tabane— Wait, wait, wait! Chichan!”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Okay, Chichan!”

“Sigh. Whatever. I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“Were you involved in this?”

“This... this what?”

Tabane shook her head. It was no evasion. She actually didn’t know.

“The VT System.”

“Oh. Really? Tee-hee. Do you really think I’d turn out a clunker like that? I’m the absolutely perfect Shinonono Tabane. Meaning, everything I make is absolutely perfect, too.”

“.........”

“And, now that you remind me, around two hours ago I made sure that the lab which did come up with it was wiped from the face of the earth. No casualties, of course. It was easier than taking candy from a baby. Chichan—have you ever tried actually taking candy from a baby? It’s pretty tough. You haven’t? Huh.” With a laugh, Tabane carefully cut herself off.

“That’s good. Sorry to bother you.”

“Oh, no problem! I wasn’t busy at all! I’m open for you 24 hours, like a convenience store but better! Just dial 1-800-STABANE!”

“Talk to you later...”

The connection dropped with a loud click. This time, there would be no second try. For a moment, Tabane stared at her phone in regret, but a bare two seconds later she tossed it away.

“I’m glad to hear from you after so long! You’re always so badass. Don’t go chasing the setting sun away from me~” Tabane crossed her arms with a chuckle.

Orimura Chifuyu and Shinonono Tabane. They had first met in elementary school. After that, they had always been in the same class at the same school. Tabane had pulled every string she could to make it happen, and Chifuyu knew, but that wasn’t their only connection.

When Chifuyu was in high school, the IS was revealed to the world, and for several years after she acted as its test pilot. Meaning, Chifuyu was leaps ahead of other pilots in terms of knowledge, and her understanding was on an entirely different level. She’d developed her own practice regimen and unique tactics. It was no surprise that she shone as the champion of the first Mondo Grosso tournament. If anything, it was only natural. Or so Tabane thought.

“I wonder why Chichan pulled out, though?”

She still didn’t know. In terms of age or ability, Chifuyu was still a top-tier talent. She’d be an easy favorite in the next Mondo Grosso. But the heart was not so simple. Even a genius couldn’t fully comprehend its depths—which was exactly why she wanted to. Because Tabane was interested in only three people in the world.

Ring. Ring.

Huweee~huwooo~huweee~huwooo~♪ Those of you lucky enough to still have their lives, take them with you! Her cell phone suddenly rang, with an astounding tone.

There may be a million fans of Kill Bill across Japan, but only Tabane would use that as a ringtone for her actual sister, even going so far as to include actual dialog from the film. Well, the million part was just a rough estimate. Don’t try to do serious math with it. And really, Tabane herself wasn’t a fan—but, she reacted even more strongly than when Chifuyu called. Her bunny ears perked straight up, which said more than any words could. After all, this was the first time that ringtone had ever rung. She knew who it was immediately.

“Hey, hey, hey! It’s been so long! I’ve been waiting for you to call!”

“Tabane....”

“Yeah. I know just what you need. You want it, don’t you? Your own, personal, IS. I’ve got it ready. It’s a high-end machine, tweaked far beyond the standard. It can keep up with every move of that white one. Its name is Akatsubaki—”

End of Volume Two.