The Nameless Guardians weren’t just filling the interior of the Ark of Atrahasis. They were continuously pouring out from the outside, threatening the Millennium like a broken fire hydrant.
Honestly, it made me wonder where they were getting this massive quantity from, but it didn’t take long before I figured out how they were appearing. You could say I deduced their source after witnessing something akin to spatial movement.
Didn’t it say that there were military factories of Divi:Sion hidden throughout all of Kivotos?
In all honesty, I found it more plausible that the Ark of Atrahasis was summoning Nameless Guardians that were waiting across Kivotos rather than creating troops out of thin air in real-time.
If you asked me if that was important in the current situation, I’d say yes. It may be…
[If Mika-chan’s words are true… Phew. No matter how impressive the processing capabilities of Utnapishtim’s Ship and my own skills are, hacking that Ark doesn’t sound easy at all.]
We had moved a fair distance from the Eridu site where the Ark had lifted off, contemplating how we would join Himari and the others being led by the Teacher. Considering the urgency of the situation, sharing information on time was a given.
[Rio.]
“…”
[You do realize that you hold a significant responsibility in this situation, right?]
“…It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this is all my fault. I’m not denying that.”
[Oh my. Your audacity hasn’t changed a bit. You emphasize preparing for destruction so much, yet you’ve plotted behind the backs of your collaborators and have now lit the fuse to chaos.]
Himari often looked at Rio disdainfully, but today, her criticisms were unusually fierce.
Given the situation, it wasn’t all that hard to understand her frustration, though.
However, knowing the anguish and mental burdens Rio had to face, I couldn’t just sit there silently while she was berated.
“Uh… Himari-chan, could you tone down the sarcasm a notch for my sake?”
[Excuse me? Mika-chan, aren’t you also one of the victims in this mess? I don’t think you need to demonstrate the efficacy of the shaky bridge effect personally…]
“Haha… I’m begging you. Let’s talk about this later, after we resolve the situation… Yeah. I’d like to discuss it then.”
Upon hearing my words, Himari paused for a moment. Beside us, Rio watched me with an inscrutable expression.
I couldn’t begin to guess what she was thinking, but it seemed like Rio had regained her usual emotionless and businesslike demeanor.
[…Alright then. As a member of the Pretty Girl Alliance, I’ll accept that request. Anyway, Rio. You agree that you need to take responsibility for this situation, right?]
“Yeah.”
[Great, then. After we arrive, Rio, I’d like you to assist me from beside me. No matter what anyone says, having a talent like you on board will make things much smoother.]
“I’ll do that.”
Rio complied with Himari’s request rather readily. Of course, there was a sense of responsibility, but it seemed she also recognized it was a rational choice.
Fundamentally, these two were elite forces in the Millennium, but when it came to hacking, Himari was the standout.
[Then… Ah. We’re nearly done preparing to set off. So, we’ll see you soon, Mika-chan… Well, you too, Rio.]
As Himari said that, I was just about to respond when…
[Rio President! What have you done to Aris?!]
[Please return Aris-chan!]
[H-Huh? How did Aris-chan end up… ]
“… ”
The twin members of the Game Development Club, the Saiba Sisters, yelled through the communication. That voice sounded like it belonged to Yuzu.
Hearing that, Rio clenched her fists tightly and bowed her head deeply. For those who didn’t know her situation, she would naturally become the target of all the resentment.
But it wouldn’t be fair to say that Rio was blameless either, so it was hard to dismiss the direction of their grievances.
[Momo, Midori. Can you both calm down and step outside for a moment? Oh, and Yuzu too.]
[But, Himari-senpai!]
[I understand your urge to confront Rio, but it would be better to address her directly after we meet with her a little later.]
After that, I could still hear them yelling something over the comms, but I shut it out. Honestly, it wasn’t that important to me.
What worried me more was Rio, right beside me. At this point, I was probably the only one who truly understood her situation.
I wrapped my arm around Rio’s shoulder and gently patted her. It wasn’t long before the communication cut off.
Then, Rio, who had been looking down blankly, stammered out her words.
“…Aris accepted her death on her own. That’s the result of me pushing her down the wrong path while babbling about how a sacrifice was necessary for everyone. And in that process, Aris left a video letter with her last words to everyone she knew.”
With a serious expression, Rio whispered softly. Knowing that the video letter wouldn’t even exist without Rio’s consideration, it dawned on me that she had really cherished Aris in her own way.
But…
For those kids who didn’t know about Rio’s anguish, it would appear as if Rio had done something strange and caused Aris to change. It’s likely they wouldn’t see it any other way.
Separately from Rio’s personal circumstances, it’s undeniable that she had made a significant mistake.
“But with Eridu distorted by the Ark of Atrahasis, it’s right to assume that the video letter stored in Eridu’s database has been lost as well. The backup files must be gone completely. So that means…”
Where on earth had that merciless woman I once knew gone? Watching Rio’s face, which looked like she was about to burst into tears, I sighed inwardly.
No matter how mature she appeared on the outside, inside she was just a tender-hearted girl.
“Come on, calm down a bit. You don’t want to show everyone your puffy eyes from crying too much now… Mmm.”
Now that I think about it, her eyes were already swollen…
“…Thanks, Mika.”
While I was tenderly rubbing her back, Rio spoke again, her emotions heavy.
“Aris was able to find peace because she left behind a farewell for everyone, albeit indirectly. But if that video is gone, then Aris…”
She would end up becoming the nameless goddess, without being able to convey her feelings and resolve to anyone.
It wasn’t hard to grasp what Rio meant, and I could only say one thing in reply.
“So in the end, that means the only choice left for us is one, right? How simple. Yup. It’s just what we were originally planning to do.”
“…Yeah. I’ll revert Aris back to how she was. For sure. And I’ll need to apologize to Aris and everyone else.”
Rio replied with a small nod.
By the way, Neru had mentioned she’d go fetch some extra ammunition, but she hasn’t returned yet.
Could it be that something happened——
“Huh? What’s this? You two look like you’re dripping with honey. Seriously, Mika, your greed…”
“…”
I mean, sure, I was glad Neru came back safe, but turning our first meeting into a scene from a romantic comedy is a bit too much, don’t you think, Neru?
“I seriously don’t get why you look so disgruntled. Why not do some self-reflection? Alright, enough of that, catch!”
“Ugh.”
The large box that Neru tossed to me was surprisingly hefty. Still, I appreciated her for bringing me the ammo.
“I’ll say thanks for now… Anyway, why did it take you two so long?”
I asked that question as I brushed off Neru’s earlier comment. Then I subtly glanced at Toki, who had been following behind her.
…There didn’t seem to be any visible injuries. So, they likely didn’t end up fighting each other.
“Oh? Well, I had a little bet with that kouhai.”
“A bet?”
“On our way back, we ran into a bunch of Nameless Guardians traveling somewhere. If we left them be, it would cause nearby damage, so Neru-senpai proposed we bet on who could take down more of them.”
“…The reason itself is rational. The bet seems a bit filled with personal stakes, though.”
“Well, the result is good, so who cares about that? Anyway, Rio.”
Neru looked at Rio with a rather serious expression. Then she lightly patted Toki’s back, who had moved closer to her.
“This one, she was the fifth of C&C… The code name Zero Four, right? So after this is over, it’ll be fine for us to take her with us, right?”
Even as she said that, Neru’s suppressed smile was evident. The outcome of the bet was naturally a victory for Neru, but it seemed like she had actually taken a liking to Toki.
Perhaps she thought it would be fun to keep an audacious kouhai around who’d want to outdo her.
“…Toki.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You can do whatever you want from here on out.”
Toki tilted her head at Rio’s words, and with those rabbit ears, she looked like an actual rabbit.
“I don’t really know what I want.”
Hearing Toki, Rio winced a bit. Then she let out a small sigh before responding.
“Then from now on, stick with C&C and try to figure out what you want. This is your mission.”
“…Understood.”
Watching Rio gradually become more human-like in front of me, I couldn’t help but swallow my admiration.
It’s true that people change after going through significant events…
…By the way, Utnapishtim’s Ship, I sincerely hope it will help solve this situation.
As I gazed at the Ark of Atrahasis, hovering in the sky, singing a song of destruction, I noticed Rio was looking in the same direction as me.
Remember this well, Rio. That is the calamity we brought forth.
And to resolve that calamity, everyone must join forces.
I hope that with this incident, Rio can break free from her self-centered mindset. So that she can eventually understand and accept the value of cooperation.
We are going to infiltrate the Ark we barely escaped from to rescue Aris.
And in the end, we will reclaim Aris, the sacrifice who volunteered to become one.
…The end of the ball is slowly approaching us.
