Ch.269Unforgettable Memory (8)

“It will take time until we reach the battlefield.”

There was no guarantee that we wouldn’t be invaded by outer gods even if it wasn’t a battlefield. I needed to organize clothes and emergency rations while we still had time.

“Sonia, let’s make this your closet.”

“Understood. What is that?”

“This? It’s a spare outfit for you.”

“I’ve brought enough clothes already…”

“I brought one more set just in case. Try it on later if you become interested.”

“…Understood.”

Sonia simply nodded flatly. She didn’t seem particularly interested.

It was disappointing, but I hadn’t expected much to begin with.

“Then I’ll go prepare the meal.”

“Please do.”

Sonia left for the kitchen. Meanwhile, I went to the central control room to check the situation. We were currently passing through an asteroid belt.

“How much longer until we reach the Delaus planetary system?”

“We should arrive within an hour.”

“What are the chances of encountering outer gods?”

“Let’s hope there aren’t any. Still, with the latest stealth technology, I think we should be safe under normal circumstances…”

“In movies, enemies always attack right after someone says something like that.”

“How could movies be like reality? I’m not raising a flag here, hahaha…”

BOOM!

[Enemy avatar appeared at Site 30! Request immediate suppression!]

“…”

“…Reality is worse than movies.”

Having penetrated deep into enemy territory, this was a foreseeable situation. The soldiers moved in perfect coordination without panicking.

A significant number rushed to escort me, including Rustila, Ireh, Naiere, and my direct unit.

They were truly elite forces. They maintained formation around me while charging their swords.

“Eidel, don’t stray from our side.”

[— The effect of ‘Great Triangle (Lv.10)’ is being applied.]

[— ‘Ireh Hazlen’ uses <Agility Bullet>.]

[— You receive Evasion Rate (+100%) effect.]

Ireh cast buffs without concern for coin consumption. Her determination to protect me at all costs was admirable.

“Everyone, evacuate the Commander!”

At times like this, I feel especially grateful for the soldiers. I began evacuating to the designated safe zone as instructed by the knights.

“How many enemies are there?”

“Dozens of monsters and one avatar!”

“Hold your positions! Eliminate them quickly while their numbers are low!”

I reached the residential area under escort. It was a spacious main hall with a hotel-like atmosphere. Triple-layered alloy barriers descended, sectioning off the space.

Only then did the knights seem to relax a little.

Naiere and Rustila continuously exchanged communications. The news they relayed was somewhat hopeful.

“They’re taking down all the monsters.”

“…So we’re good?”

Things were going smoothly. If we could eliminate all the monsters on board and continue toward our destination, Delaus, the first phase of our plan would be successful. The plan had three phases in total.

However, not everything goes according to plan.

[Additional attack! From the hangar direction!]

[An avatar has also entered through the infirmary!]

The closer we got to our destination, the stronger the enemy’s offensive became. The knights had no choice but to disperse their forces to deal with monsters attacking from multiple directions.

[Intrusion in the residential area as well!]

Finally, monsters reached my location. These were different from the first ones, invading from another direction.

Thumping sounds came from beyond the barrier. The knights charged their swords with Aether, and I took out my calipers to prepare for any contingency.

Surprisingly, the creatures couldn’t break in easily.

A technician with us boasted confidently:

“This barrier was made using the latest crystal technology. It has excellent durability and heat resistance. The material doesn’t corrode, so no monster can break through it, no matter what! Hahaha!”

Ah, I have a bad feeling about this.

[One avatar! Rapidly approaching the Commander’s location!]

“What? Stop it quickly!”

[Th-that’s! It’s charging straight through without giving us a chance to block it!]

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

We heard the sound of the triple-layered barrier—which the technician had just boasted about—breaking. The technician’s jaw dropped.

CRASH!

A large figure appeared, demolishing the wall. As the dust settled, its outline became clearer.

It was a monster with exposed bright red muscles and tendons. It had no torso, just limbs. At each joint intersection was a large eyeball.

An incredibly bizarre appearance.

Ireh muttered:

“…I’ve never seen this one before.”

“Could it be a new avatar created by the Queen?”

“No, perhaps…”

[— Face the madness.]

The status window displayed this message as it turned black.

Gurgle.

The monster made a strange sound and split its own eyeball. The cornea divided into eight pieces and opened like a morning glory.

Two cilia protruded from inside. They rubbed against each other, creating a hissing sound.

[“Eidel von Rheinland.”]

It was calling my name.

[“The Queen requests a private audience with you.”]

“…An outer god, I see.”

The worst situation had arrived.

***

Sonia, who was cooking, also heard news of the monster intrusion.

In such a situation, there was only one thing an android could do.

Rescue and evacuate civilians.

Sonia took the kitchen knife she was using and moved outside the kitchen with other androids. The androids scattered in all directions to secure safe passages and roamed the corridors looking for civilians.

It was then that a voice came through the speaker:

[One avatar, moving toward the residential area!]

There were many civilians in the residential area. If an avatar went there, it would be an extremely dangerous situation.

Sonia’s steps quickened. Soon, she witnessed knights and a monster in a standoff in the main hall of the residential area.

The two sides weren’t simply facing off. They were conversing.

[“Eidel von Rheinland, the Queen requests a private audience with you.”]

“What scheme are you plotting now?”

[“No scheme. I have only one message to deliver. If you do not comply with the Queen’s request, you will suffer greatly.”]

“Commander, outer gods are vicious beings. We must not engage in dialogue with them!”

The knights readjusted their grip on their swords. A chilling tension filled the air.

[“Should I take that statement as a refusal?”]

“Yeah. Tell her I won’t accept anything except a proposal to end the war.”

[“That’s unfortunate.”]

The monster swelled its body. Then it vanished in an instant.

In that split second, Sonia saw it.

Writhing tentacles sliced through the air, precisely piercing the necks of the knights in the front line. They fell like autumn leaves, unable to even utter their final cries.

A tentacle nearly pierced Eidel’s neck as well. However, Rustila, acting on instinct, deflected all the attacks. Three strands at once. Having barely blocked them, Rustila gasped for breath.

“…You won’t touch a single hair on Eidel.”

[“Oh? I didn’t know humans with such reflexes existed.”]

If it hadn’t been for Rustila just now, her master would have died. Sonia felt a chill in her nonexistent liver.

This couldn’t continue. She had to protect her master. Sonia stepped forward and shouted:

“Master Eidel!”

“Sonia? No, don’t come here!”

The monster’s gaze rotated like a broken clock. It was clearly preparing to attack Sonia.

Sonia’s central processing unit once again felt burning hot. Simultaneously, she felt a sudden emotion.

Fear.

A fleeting, chilling fear.

Sonia, who had remained indifferent when seeing any monster or avatar in the Pastel planetary system, was feeling fear for the first time. She felt that she might end up in the scrap yard without being able to do anything.

“Run away, Sonia!”

An android’s principle: prioritize human safety above all else.

The emotion of fear taught by that monster. She needed to flee from here immediately.

The two commands conflicted, creating a loop. In that brief moment, unable to decide what to do, Sonia was struck by a tentacle and sent flying.

THUD!

Sonia flew dozens of meters and crashed into the third-floor inner wall. The wall dented, and the impact transmitted to her body.

A being that could instill fear even in androids. A monster of a different caliber than avatars.

This was an outer god.

“Ah, ah, aah.”

Consumed by fear, Sonia could only utter broken sounds. She couldn’t even move properly. Her signal system was paralyzed by the thought that she couldn’t defeat such a monster.

Was this really the end?

It was at that moment of half-resignation:

[Notice. The Trap system is activating.]

[“…What is this?”]

The monster’s voice sounded confused. Eidel raised his voice gravely:

“I don’t care if you’re an outer god or whatever, but you’re done for.”

That’s right.

There was the Trap.

An anti-outer god weapon created by her master and scientists pooling their wisdom.

The situation wasn’t entirely hopeless.

[Estimated time until full effect manifestation: 5 minutes.]

5 minutes.

They just needed to hold out that long.

There was only one thing Sonia could do during that time.

Buy even one more second, even at the cost of sacrificing herself.

‘I must… get up…’

She staggered to her feet. Shaking off the fear-coated thoughts, she recalled her duty as an android.

Protect the young master’s life and property. Even if she turned into nothing more than scrap metal and ended up in the junkyard.

[— Local memory data copy complete.]

Her memory and processing units felt like they were submerged in magma.

It was a sensation she had felt intermittently before.

But this time, it was particularly severe.

[— Current recovery progress: 95.00%]

[— Registering additional data to main storage through pipeline.]

What could it be?

[— Current recovery progress: 96.00%]

[— Current recovery progress: 97.00%]

[— Current recovery progress: 98.00%]

What was this wave of information?

[— Current recovery progress: 99.00%]

[— Overwriting artificial neural network.]

Memories that didn’t exist.

Yet, memories she could never forget.

All of them were emerging in detail.

Sonia, who was about to go downstairs, instead went to her room. As if possessed, she opened her closet and rummaged through it frantically.

Blouse, slacks, skirt. She didn’t care about these ready-made clothes. She grabbed and threw everything until she found what she wanted.

Throwing, throwing, and throwing more.

Finally, she found it.

What she had been missing.

“…Is this the new maid uniform?”

Sonia’s lips twitched. In her hands was the outfit Eidel had mentioned earlier, saying she should try it on if she became interested.

[— Current recovery progress: 100.00% / Synchronization and update complete.]

[— You can now use your functions as an avatar again.]

“How cute.”

Ribbons and frills are matters of great importance.