Chapter 162

Chapter 162

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 162: The Wedding (2).

The unmarried maidens gathered within the designated area, waiting expectantly. Kallis, resplendent in her wedding dress, stepped onto the podium clutching her bouquet. The time had come for the traditional bouquet toss.

According to superstition, whichever maiden caught the bride’s bouquet would be the next to marry. Though Rustila knew it was merely a tradition, she couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement. She strategically positioned herself in the center of the group, statistically knowing this offered the best chance of success.

“Is everyone ready?”

At the edges of the gathering stood Ceti and Ire, participating more out of politeness than genuine interest. Their peripheral position made their indifference clear.

“I’m going to throw it!”

Rustila’s breath caught in her throat as the bouquet traced an arc through the air. Her enhanced vision, a gift from the Constellation, allowed her to track its trajectory with remarkable precision. The crowd erupted in anticipation as some guests, already accepting defeat, began to step back. But not Rustila – she still saw her chance. She stretched out as far as she could reach.

“Ah…!”

She missed it by inches.

Just then, a flash of a white frill headband leaped upward.

“Got it.”

Announced a flat, monotone voice.

The crowd’s attention snapped to a single point.

“Who is it?”

“Who caught it?”

“It’s me.”

It was Sonia, casually holding the bouquet in one hand while flashing a peace sign with the other.

“My victory for perfectly understanding the parabolic motion.”

The android’s tone was cold and rigid, causing the other guests to exchange uncomfortable glances. Rustila shared their sentiment.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the tension.

“Wait – isn’t she an android?”

Sonia visibly flinched at the accusation.

“Those eyes… they’re not human colors.”

“These are contact lenses..”

“Step aside. Androids aren’t allowed to participate.”

“…Tsk.”

Sonia stepped forward, still clutching the bouquet. Kallis, caught off guard by the situation, would need to throw it again.

A new opportunity arose, and Rustila’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“I’ll throw it one more time!”

Whirl!

The bouquet soared high into the air. The crowd of guests reached skyward, some jumping in place, all hoping to catch it.

Rustila stood out among them, leaping nearly twice as high as the others, much to everyone’s amazement.

Yet despite her impressive jump, the bouquet slipped just beyond her grasp, sailing backward.

“Ah!”

In an ironic twist, the bouquet landed squarely on the head of Ire, who had been standing off to the side with her arms crossed.

Sonia watched the wedding ceremony unfold before her eyes.

It was a sacred moment where two souls joined as one. Human marriage was truly a beautiful, radiant affair. Though Sonia couldn’t fully grasp the concept of love, she understood its vital role in the continuation of the human species.

“Ah.”

The prosperity of the species.

This was a concept foreign to androids. Their creation was clinical – simply being assembled one day marked their “birth.” Install the right hardware, upload the appropriate software, and the process was complete.

There was no emotion in their creation and, consequently, no sense of wonder. Sonia had never understood why humans would weep at the birth of a new life.

However, now, something seemed different.

“How fascinating.”

She had caught the bouquet purely out of curiosity. Yet, in that moment, she experienced an inexplicable shifting of her circuits.

The logical framework built through her unsupervised learning was evolving, following an unexpected path. The computational weights were shifting toward something distinctly emotional.

“Get married soon, too!”

“No, I’m not really thinking about it right now…”

“After catching the bouquet, you’re saying that?”

Watching Ire being teased by the excited guests, Sonia spoke suddenly.

“…I want to try this thing called marriage.”

She yearned to learn something new, to understand these human systems. Sonia’s neural network was recalibrating itself in a new direction.

However,

“…With this body, how could I.”

It remained an impossible dream.

“Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!”

“Better hurry or all the good men will be taken!”

Ire’s head spun as she fought back dizziness. The crowd was overwhelming, but it was their constant pressure about marriage that truly made her head swim.

The truth was, Ire had never intended to marry.

The very thought of accepting a man into her life still made her uncomfortable. Even Aidel, whom she trusted more than anyone in this cycle, couldn’t break through that barrier. The trauma ran deep, and she needed more time to heal.

But even if she did overcome her trauma, nothing would change. Marriage represented happiness, and happiness seemed like a foreign concept to her.

The ‘end’ was approaching.

If she allowed herself to care deeply for someone – whether a trusted colleague, a friend, or a lover – only to watch them be destroyed by an Outer God, she knew she wouldn’t survive it. Ire understood her own fragility all too well.

Her gaze fell to the wedding bouquet in her hands.

Tradition held that a bride’s possessions carried luck, and sharing them with guests through the bouquet toss was meant to spread that good fortune.

‘Do I deserve such happiness?’

Only two people knew about the impending apocalypse: Ire and Aidel. This knowledge was too heavy a burden to allow for pursuing fleeting moments of joy.

So they turned away, seeking answers to questions that had no easy solutions.

Aidel stood exchanging pleasantries with Professor Stranov, appearing composed and untroubled – a stark contrast to everyone else’s demeanor.

How could he remain so calm? After witnessing the same terrifying vision of the Outer Gods’ impending invasion, what allowed him to maintain such serenity?

“Time to go.”

“Thank you for everything!”

The wedding ceremony was drawing to a close.

After sharing a final embrace with Professor Feynman, Aidel began to leave. Ire quickly followed, maintaining a careful distance of four steps behind him.

“What are your plans now?”

“Hmm? Ah.”

Though her question was vague, he immediately understood her meaning.

“Are you worried?”

“Well…”

“Once the new year begins, I’ll start researching a non-resonant containment device for the Outer Gods. I’ll try to expand its capabilities to contain the Darwin Legion Outer Gods as well. I’ll need your help, Ire.”

“Of course, I’ll help… but what then?”

“After we complete that research and eliminate the risk of scientists falling to madness, what remains? We’ll have built our shield – next comes the spear. Remember what I mentioned before? The Graviton Bomb. That’s what we’ll create.”

Aidel spoke with unwavering confidence, as if failure wasn’t even a possibility.

Ire understood the plan, but the possibility was what concerned her. What if they failed again after everything? With no more chances remaining, what if this time meant the end for everyone?

But then Aidel declared.

“We’ll win. Without question.”

“How can you-”

“How do I know?”

Aidel smiled.

“Because you’re here.”

Ire fell silent.

“Ire Hazlen, it’s because both you and I are here. Not just one of us – both. In your previous timeline, I wasn’t there. In mine, you weren’t present. But in this timeline, we’re both here.”

“…”

“That’s why this is the timeline where humanity prevails.”

Aidel extended his fist – a gesture of partnership. Ire was moved. He truly saw her as an equal, a comrade.

Smiling, she returned the fist bump.

“Yeah, let’s win.”

The uncertainty was resolved.

Happiness wasn’t given – it had to be earned.

Ire took another step forward, now just three steps behind him.

Rustila was bothered by not catching the bouquet at the wedding.

Though she knew it was merely superstition, she couldn’t shake her unease, especially with Zelnya posing a real threat now. She feared everything could slip away in an instant.

On their way back, Rustila casually asked Aidel.

“Are you planning a New Year’s party?”

“I probably should… I’m thinking of inviting all our friends who can make it.”

“Oh…”

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason…”

Luck wasn’t on her side.

If only she had caught that bouquet, she might have had the courage to suggest spending New Year’s just the two of them. But she wasn’t ready to give up – happiness was something you had to fight for. Her mind raced with possibilities.

“Aidel, the college acceptance announcements come out a few days after New Year’s.”

“That’s right. We should have a celebration party if you pass.”

“Remember when you treated me last time? This time, let me host at my place. If there’s anything specific you’d like to eat, just let me know in advance.”

“Hmm, well…”

Perfect, she thought. The conversation had flowed naturally, and she’d secured a promise from Aidel. It was a promising sign.

In her mind, everything fell into place: two young adults, newly coming of age. Rustila would get accepted to college, and Aidel would visit the Kersil household alone to congratulate her.

They would share drinks during the coming-of-age ceremony, becoming pleasantly tipsy. Amber mood lighting would set the scene. Their eyes would meet.

The conversation would naturally turn to romance. ‘Do you like someone?’ They would test the waters with such questions until the perfect moment arrived.

‘I like you.’

‘Let’s date.’

Aidel would ask, ‘Really? Are you sure?’ And Rustila would nod enthusiastically, letting down her tied-back hair.

And then…

“Ahhh…!”

Her imagination couldn’t conjure what might follow.

‘I need to make him mine quickly,’ she thought, her failed attempt at catching the wedding bouquet making her feel increasingly urgent.

Rustila was becoming unnecessarily anxious about the whole situation.

The end of the world was approaching.

It wasn’t only Ire and Aidel who sensed the ominous atmosphere. The shard of the constellation ‘Virgo,’ which governed the Maiden Palace, was also vaguely aware of the impending end, though not through direct foresight.

What they perceived was a color from space – no, the very color of the universe itself.

“Dangerous, dangerous, it’s dangerous…”

An inexplicable sense of foreboding drove Virgo to seek a new contractor urgently. The Constellation shard meticulously searched throughout the galaxy.

Virgo was known to be a demanding Constellation. Their requirements for a contractor were strict: the candidate must be physically pure, mentally balanced, and devoted to justice and purity. Most importantly, they must be a virgin or celibate, maintaining this status throughout the contract. While these stringent conditions made finding suitable contractors difficult, they enabled Virgo to grant powerful authority to those who qualified.

After extensive filtering, few candidates remained. During what seemed like another futile search, something unexpected occurred.

“Huh?”

Virgo found herself back at the starting point – the galaxy where that peculiar Homo sapiens, who had survived contracting with an Outer God, resided.

“Perhaps I should take a closer look after all this time.”

Following this impulse, Virgo entered a planet and was startled by what they found: a perfect candidate for the Sword Saint – a girl with a pure, fleeting heart, both delicate and resolute.

“Sometimes what you seek is right under your nose…”

Virgo had previously fled too hastily to notice her. Upon closer observation, they noted that while the girl harbored admiration for someone, she hadn’t confessed these feelings. This was acceptable – she remained untainted.

“Five stars. Sufficient communion with the Constellation. You possess great talent.”

Virgo was more than satisfied with her potential as a contractor. All that remained was obtaining her consent. However, when Virgo discovered the object of her affection, she was shocked.

“…That, that crazy bastard!”

It was the same lunatic who had once trapped Virgo, an ally, in a resonator. The memory alone rekindled her anger.

Gritting her teeth, Virgo descended to the ground. And so began the fateful encounter between Rustila and Virgo.