Ch.426[Episode 426] Cinematic

In front of Black Group Headquarters, Heroes of Legend 2.0 press conference.

“—Therefore, we plan to bring you more exciting maps and concepts.”

“Could you give us some examples?”

The press conference was filled with enthusiastic questions about Heroes of Legend 2.0.

This meant that soon, the announcement for the first collaboration of Heroes of Legend 2.0, the Enchant collaboration, would begin.

“…Sir Dominic is late.”

“Indeed.”

Unryu Hime and Code Back Zero were already waiting backstage for the Enchant collaboration announcement.

Since it was an Enchant collaboration, they were wearing their Enchant costumes. While Hime looked much the same as she did back then, Zero had to deliberately downgrade himself with the help of the scientists for today’s collaboration.

“…When will he arrive?”

“I don’t know.”

Hime, feeling awkward in this situation, kept trying to make conversation with Zero, but Zero, true to his android nature, only gave efficient responses.

Finally, unable to bear the awkwardness, Hime took out a snack from in front of her and began munching on it.

It was a special treat prepared for those invited to the Enchant collaboration.

“Sir Dominic…”

While thinking about Enchant, Hime suddenly recalled her first encounter with Sir Dominic.

It was during Enchant that I first met Sir Dominic, she thought.

Looking back, it was thanks to Enchant that Hime began to develop feelings for Sir Dominic, and it was because of Enchant that she started to discover his charm.

By that logic, it was Enchant that changed Hime’s life.

“That’s unpleasant.”

As Hime was smirking at this thought, Zero delivered a sharp rebuke, but fortunately, Hime was too deep in her thoughts to hear it.

She felt as if she was not only reminiscing about the past but also reverting to her personality from that time.

After recalling all her connections with Sir Dominic one by one, Hime smirked while trying hard to hide her fox ears and tail that were threatening to pop out.

She was deliberately hiding them because Hime during the Enchant era didn’t have fox ears and a tail.

“You don’t need to hide them so desperately. Just be careful when we go out, won’t that be enough?”

“Ah, right.”

With a sigh, Hime’s ears and tail, now as natural as if they were always part of her, popped out with a “poof.”

Hime dusted off the floating fur with her hands and sat comfortably in a nearby chair, starting to eat her snack.

“Come to think of it, a lot has changed since then.”

Hime said as she checked the brand of the snack, which she seemed to like.

“Sir Dominic was only tier 1 back then, but now he’s become a celebrity known to many people even in Gachaland.”

“Even setting aside Sir Dominic, you’ve changed quite a bit too. Who would have thought you’d actually become a fox when told to be one.”

“I-It’s a concept! A concept! You don’t think these are real fox ears, do you?”

As Hime said this, her ears and tail shook vigorously as if flustered.

“Speaking of changes, you’ve changed quite a lot yourself.”

“Machines are always progressing.”

“…When you put it that way, I have nothing to say.”

Hime became sullen, as if admitting defeat to Zero’s words.

Then she suddenly realized that she was having a proper conversation with Zero.

“Come to think of it, our conversation is flowing more naturally now. Earlier it felt a bit choppy.”

“Analysis shows that your nervousness was the cause.”

“…I think it was actually you who was nervous, Zero.”

“Machines don’t get nervous.”

Zero immediately objected to Hime’s words.

But clearly, from the previous situation, it seemed to anyone watching that Zero was the more nervous one.

Hime thought about this for a moment, then said to Zero:

“Since you’re constantly progressing, isn’t your emotion module evolving too? Wouldn’t it have evolved enough by now to feel ‘nervousness’?”

“…Surprise.”

Zero was surprised by Hime’s words.

It was a proposition that Zero had never considered before.

Zero immediately checked the version of his self-emotion module.

And… as Hime suggested, he confirmed that there had been updates regarding nervousness, fear, and terror.

It seemed the scientists had secretly added these functions to observe the process and results of their experiments.

“I admit it. It seems I… experienced what you call nervousness.”

Zero finally readily admitted that he had been nervous.

“I guess I’ve changed a lot too.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Hime agreed with Zero’s words.

“We’ve all changed a lot since then.”

Hime said with a wistful expression.

Well, it had been almost two years since Enchant, so it would be stranger if nothing had changed.

“By the way, while we’re chatting away like this, why isn’t Sir Dominic here yet?”

“I don’t know.”

Hime once again asked Zero why Sir Dominic was so late.

And Zero gave an honest answer.

Thus, the conversation came full circle, back to where it started.

…

“Obscenity is truly frightening.”

Sir Dominic muttered as he piloted his airship toward Black Group Headquarters.

He was about 30 minutes late from his scheduled departure time.

Sir Dominic was flying toward Black Group Headquarters at the fastest speed permissible under air traffic laws, but it seemed inevitable that he would be about 5 to 10 minutes late.

Finally, Sir Dominic picked up his phone and contacted the director.

“I’m afraid I’ll be about 5 minutes late.”

[“What? But the schedule is—”]

“I apologize. I will make sufficient compensation for this.”

[“No, no. Did you say 5 minutes? If it’s just 5 minutes, we can stall for time. We can play the trailer and have a short intermission—”]

The director, firmly believing Sir Dominic’s words, racked his brain to buy 5 minutes of grace period.

Since Sir Dominic wouldn’t make idle promises, the director believed that he really only needed to stall for 5 minutes.

[“How do you plan to arrive? Will you come through the back door and sneak in, or—”]

“I’ll enter directly.”

[“Enter directly? What do you mean?”]

The director asked back in a bewildered tone.

[“So, you mean you’ll get off at the back door and go straight to the stage?”]

“…”

[“T-That’s what you mean, right?”]

Sir Dominic silently continued piloting his airship.

For some reason, there were many birds in the sky today, and one wrong move could lead to an accident.

Finally, Sir Dominic decided to end the call with the director and focus on driving.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to hang up. There are too many birds.”

[“Birds? What birds? Hello? You—”]

The director’s words were cut off at a perfect moment.

Sir Dominic thought that what the director was about to say at the end was probably, “Oh, birds, that makes me worried. Please arrive safely.”

[300 meters ahead, bird flock sighting area.]

The navigation system on the airship warned Sir Dominic.

True to its word, numerous birds were flying in front of Sir Dominic’s airship.

Perhaps it was migration season, as birds of all kinds were forming flocks and flying by.

Normally, he would have found this sight quite interesting, but right now, Sir Dominic needed to pass through here.

“This looks like it’s going to be a bit challenging…”

With those words, Sir Dominic stepped on the accelerator with all his might.

…Of course, while still observing the speed limit.

…

Back at the Heroes of Legend 2.0 press conference in front of Black Group Headquarters.

“Why is the Enchant announcement delayed?”

“Is there a problem with the personnel selection?”

“This is… truly unbearable! How dare you jackals interrogate me? No more questions!”

The director was buying time by arguing with people related to Heroes of Legend.

However, it was already a little past the scheduled announcement time, and the people of Gachaland were too impatient to wait just those 3-4 minutes.

“Tell us the next collaboration content quickly!”

“Is it Enchant or Destiny!”

“I, I think it’s Senior High School 2!”

“?”

The reason the audience was being so aggressive was simple.

The Heroes of Legend side had only announced that they were doing a collaboration, without specifying which game they were collaborating with.

This was a strategy to maintain attention and promote until the end, but in the current situation, it was backfiring.

“Sir Dominic… only one minute left, where are you…”

The director bit his lip so hard it almost bled.

He had successfully bought the 5 minutes of time as Sir Dominic had requested.

But now he was at his limit.

“Director? People are threatening that if we don’t reveal the collaboration content soon, they’ll set fire to the headquarters…”

“Damn it…”

The director sighed.

In another dimension it might be different, but in Gachaland, where human life was often disregarded, it wouldn’t be surprising if they really did set fire to the headquarters.

And all the massive damages would have to be compensated by him, the cause of the problem.

“No choice. Send in Hime and Zero first. We’ll have to tell the truth that Sir Dominic is running a bit late.”

“Ah, yes.”

With those words, the director chewed on his lip again.

A trickle of blood began to flow from his lip.

…

“So Sir Dominic didn’t come after all.”

“That’s right.”

Guided by a staff member, Hime and Zero headed toward the front of the stage.

Now all they had to do was go on stage at the cue from the host in front.

Hime looked at the empty space where Sir Dominic should have been and made a complex expression.

“Sir Dominic…”

Hime sighed deeply at the fact that Sir Dominic hadn’t come after all.

“You can go on now.”

Whether aware of Hime’s feelings or not, the staff member received the host’s signal and sent Hime and Zero onto the stage.

For a moment, Hime’s vision turned white due to the dazzling lights.

Her ears were ringing.

It was because of the cheers from the crowd.

“…I guess we were quite popular?”

“It seems so.”

Hime and Zero conversed in very small voices.

This was a skill both could naturally use—Hime with her ninja techniques and Zero with his precise technology.

The cheers wouldn’t stop.

Hime’s cheeks flushed red, elated by the cheers.

Goodness. She hadn’t expected people to be this excited.

Just as Hime was thinking this, her vision gradually adapted to the light, revealing the surroundings one by one.

And Hime’s expression froze.

She realized that these cheers were not directed at her.

These cheers were for…

“Siiiir Dooomiiinic!”

They were for the black airship flying in from the distance like a flaming projectile.

The black airship with a white pirate emblem.