episode_0043

“So… why exactly am I your Hyung-nim?”

The members of K.I.T.S.U.N.E, each with at least one Kitsune bio-part attached to their body, bade me a yakuza-like farewell as I prepared to leave their headquarters, the arcade.

As an uncommonly virtuous citizen of Eclipse Point like myself, this was incredibly burdensome.

To be precise, they were closer to Hangure than yakuza, but regardless, even if I knew them, this kind of welcome was quite overwhelming.

“But consider this, Hyung-nim…”

Yoichi, an executive of K.I.T.S.U.N.E who loved foxes so much he became a furry himself, scratched his head with a claw and spoke carefully.

“With the two elder sisters clinging to you, whatever you say won’t be persuasive at all.”

“Hmm…”

I turned my head, and there were Yuki and Kana, clinging tightly to my arms with alluring smiles, their fluffy tails wrapped around my legs.

Since I was supposed to leave today, and had spent the morning doting on them in bed, it seemed a passionate glow was still visibly radiating from their faces, even in the shadow of their suncaps.

“Jun, are you really not going to join K.I.T.S.U.N.E? If you joined now, no one would say anything even if we gave you an executive position.”

“Our organization has grown too quickly. Won’t you stay by our side, Jun?”

The cunning foxes, still eyeing me covetously as if they hadn’t given up.

A tactic to make me stop, feigning weakness, even though I clearly knew they were more than capable of handling this given their work.

In response, I squeezed their behinds tightly and whispered lowly into their perked ears.

“My pets are quite talkative, aren’t they?”

“Heh♡”

“Ah♡”

When I gently tugged on the panty straps that weren’t covered by their micro hotpants, applying pressure, their faces melted into a pliant mess without either of them reacting first.

I let go just before their ‘switches’ could be flipped, and they licked their lips with slightly disappointed expressions, as if they had completely acquired a taste for sex.

“See?”

“See what?”

The fox furry, looking bewildered, met my gaze head-on, then subtly averted his eyes and shrugged.

He was utterly insolent.

More importantly, it was time to go, so I called for the new van I’d acquired with money I’d taken from Brutalism, who had now disappeared from the world.

The van, operating on Ayakashi’s autonomous driving service, completed payment in the parking lot and rolled up on its own, driverless.

[This AI requests that it not be compared to a mere program lacking sentience.]

‘Ah, my bad.’

So even AIs can get offended.

As I got into the van, I saw Yuki and Kana looking at me with eyes full of regret. I burst out laughing and stroked them affectionately.

Their ears flapped with every touch, which was quite a sight.

“I’ll come visit if I have time. And if you have any more requests for me, contact me here.”

“Then can we make requests every day?”

“If it’s not something big, I won’t ‘play’ with you.”

“Just kidding.”

I turned my gaze from the black fox, who was full of sincerity but pretending it was a joke, and the white fox next to her, who had only been swaying her tail, immediately sped it up as soon as she felt my gaze.

“This is a bar run by my friend; they make good highballs. You two should visit if you have time.”

“Okay. Jun, is that friend of yours a woman, by any chance?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Hmm~ I see… Thank you for taking our request, Jun.”

Yuki and Kana took the business card with Luna’s bar map, exchanged a strange knowing look, and then closed the door as if they had decided to let me go without further hindrance.

With their farewells continuing until I disappeared from sight, my first private request came to an end.

*CRACK!*

“Argh!!!”

My head feels like it’s splitting open!!!

Even if I got shot, unless it was a sniper rifle, I could usually endure it, but what exactly is Luna’s fist made of that it feels like it could shatter my skull in one blow?

I writhed on the bar floor, screaming like a mutated, blood-sucking abhorrent insect from 2099 hit with insecticide.

“So, you spent two weeks having a good time, living it up?”

“Ugh… I, I merely took on a request as a mercenary!”

“Oh, really?”

Luna lifted her fist with a beaming smile.

My skull nearly shattered from one blow of that not-so-large fist, so I humbly acknowledged the disparity in power and knelt on the floor.

‘Damn it, what kind of procedure did she undergo to become so strong?’

[The probability of being killed if this fact is mentioned to individual ‘Luna Anthony Taylor’ has been calculated at 27.9%.]

‘That’s not very high.’

[Nevertheless, attempting it is not recommended.]

I’m not some idiot or fool to say such a thing and cause trouble.

[…]

‘What, why?’

[This AI has not expressed any opinion.]

As I bickered with Ayakashi in my head, Luna was suddenly standing before me, where I was kneeling.

The shadow falling over me inherently felt oppressive, and cold sweat streamed down.

She wouldn’t try to break my head again, would she?

As I trembled in fear of the impending pain, Luna thrust a video display in front of me.

And on it, I saw myself doting on Yuki and Kana as pets, and the two sisters providing oral services to me while I slept.

‘Oh, it was well-recorded.’

I should download it later and watch it on Blu-ray.

“What exactly is your intention in sending this to me?”

“Hmm… my own way of expressing love?”

Actually, Ayakashi was the one who sent it, so it was a bit unfair, but if I said my imaginary friend in my head sent it, I wouldn’t just get beaten; I’d go straight to a mental hospital, so I couldn’t reveal it.

“Ha! Love… ha!”

Luna, thinking I was probably teasing her, or perhaps her face was just flushed with heat, turned bright red and fanned herself.

Looks like I’m going to get hit, should I run?

Just then, something *grabbed!* Luna from behind.

It was Mason, now looking quite stylish even in a bartender uniform, wrapping his arms around Luna’s waist from behind.

“Oppa, hi~ Long time no see?”

“My request just finished.”

Though his attire was less revealing than before, it still bore many signs of modification here and there. Considering that’s his fashion, I was once again reminded how much fashion differs between administrative districts.

Luna looked disgusted by Mason’s clinginess, but Mason didn’t care. He stretched his neck out to see what we were doing and looked at the display.

Somehow, watching my sex video all together felt strange.

“Oh, Luna was calling your name yesterday while pleasuring hersel—”

*WHAM!*

“…”

“…”

As we looked at Mason, sprawled on the floor and motionless, only awkward silence filled the air between Luna and me.

By the way, what did Mason just say?

“Mason clearly said…”

“Shut up.”

“…”

I managed to survive again this time.

As I awkwardly sipped my drink with Luna, who absolutely refused to meet my eyes, Mason, who had collapsed, got up.

Whether it was fortunate or not, he didn’t remember what he had been doing just moments ago, so the misfortune of him getting hit by Luna again didn’t happen.

“Huh~? What was I doing…?”

“More importantly, what happened to that kid?”

I immediately diverted the topic.

Besides, coming to Luna’s bar was more of a casual visit to report my return; the main point was to pick up that kid again.

The artificial life form introduced as Bram Stoker’s daughter, and the organic terminal of the strong AI, Ayakashi.

“She’s perfectly fine. As soon as she woke up, she demanded a pretty high-end cyberdeck auxiliary spine, but she’s been helping out with the bar work and is surprisingly well-behaved, unlike some people.”

‘Were you like that?’

[Even a military-grade cyberdeck is insufficient in performance to fully utilize this AI’s processing capabilities, thus requiring additional modules.]

‘No, not that, I meant helping with the bar work.’

[This AI merely adopted optimal movements to leave a favorable impression by learning from internal network data.]

It seems she was living better than I thought.

“I think it’s better if we just keep her than have her live with a pervert like you…”

“What exactly do you take me for…?”

“You look like you’d lay your hands on her too.”

Luna was slandering me, even after I’d overlooked her private life. I was annoyed, but I had a trump card.

“Alright. Then let the kid decide who she wants to live with!”

“Are we having a custody battle now~?”

Since Ayakashi would come to me to assist me anyway, I had nothing to lose, so I let her decide. But perhaps that’s how it looked to an outsider.

“No… divorce is… um… we’re not even married yet… strange things… Mmm…”

Luna, looking like she’d malfunctioned, rubbed her index fingers together and stared awkwardly at a random spot.

*CREAK!* Just then, a young girl with a small build, wearing a voluminous maid outfit, opened the staff room door and appeared.

Her skin was still pale like milk, and her long white hair gave her an otherworldly feel, and furthermore, her black sclera, surrounding her red pupils, exuded an even more ominous aura.

She’s just a kid, though.

[This AI requests a correction to that statement.]

‘I didn’t say it out loud, so it’s not a statement.’

[This AI requests a correction to that intention.]

Ayakashi’s organic terminal, appearing with a cold, doll-like expression, walked with light, measured steps befitting her maid outfit.

“Whose idea was that?”

“Blake made it himself~ He even taught her how to be a maid~ Cute, isn’t it?”

“Is this real life…”

It seems that bald maid-obsessed guy finally extended his devilish grasp.

Ayakashi being tutored by Blake.

As I uttered a sigh that was less admiration and more disbelief, Ayakashi approached, placed a hand over her chest, and expressed her opinion in a soft but businesslike tone.

“This individual desires to assist John Doe-nim, and therefore, while grateful for Luna Anthony Taylor-nim’s kindness, will decline.”

“Oh… I see.”

Luna, who seemed to have grown fond of Ayakashi during their time together, made a sullen face when Ayakashi boldly declared she would come to me.

Indeed, if a dog I raised ran to a friend it met just two weeks ago instead of me, I’d feel disappointed too.

[This AI is not a pet. Unlike some other individuals.]

‘Somehow, that comment had teeth.’

[This AI possesses no emotions.]

I looked at Ayakashi, who had taken over the body of the little vampire, with suspicious eyes, but she merely held the hem of her skirt, bowed slightly, and gave a polite-looking greeting.

By the way, what should I name her?

***

Two months passed.

After two months of sparring at the gym with Luna, my understanding of combat and my rapidly growing physique had reached a point where I could hold my own against Blake.

Luna and Mason, who watched from the side, and Blake, who directly faced me, were all astonished by my incredible growth.

In truth, it was thanks to the Nanowear, which turned my body into a monster the more I ate and moved.

While enduring Luna’s suspicious glares, I carried out private requests and managed to earn both money and reputation.

The Smash Grenade was disarmed and delivered to the Neo Shinsengumi, and afterward, a thank-you message filled with various difficult-to-understand terms arrived.

The missing arm was replaced with a bio-part rapidly cultured using my DNA, allowing me to use it no differently than before.

Singularity medicine of 2099 is the best.

The former director of the EPSB, who had previously delivered the crystal chipset, was reinstated and was announcing on broadcast that support for patrols operating in the Lower City would be increased.

Even so, I don’t think the public safety in the Lower City will significantly improve, but I figured I might encounter patrols or Dexes in the future.

As a mercenary, I tend to get involved in quite aggressive actions, so this wasn’t welcome news.

I don’t know how they found my communication channel code, but Johann and some ‘Nebel and something Open Face’ occasionally contacted me.

It wasn’t some big secret or classified information that would surely cause trouble if I got involved; it was more like a casual check-in, saying my name occasionally came up in the mercenary community and asking if I was doing well.

Either way, I didn’t want to get involved, so I ignored them.

Emily Miller, a reporter for TNEP, occasionally issued a designated request for me in a stiff tone and summoned me.

Unlike the extremely businesslike request form, Emily, who opened the door hesitantly when I went to see her, requested close protection to guard her through the night.

Faithfully adhering to the request, I even followed her into the bathroom and stayed close.

Yuki and Kana, now under the protection of the Neo Shinsengumi, seemed to be growing steadily, centered around AM Kabukicho.

Their members had already tripled, but they complained that their territory had expanded tenfold, making them still understaffed. They also sent provocative photos and videos showing off the collars around their necks, claiming they were always waiting for their master.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t resist and visited them several times to create new memories.

“…This individual expresses concern about John Doe-nim’s promiscuous sex life.”

“No, how promiscuous can I be? You just haven’t seen the real thing, Martina.”

Ayakashi, who had taken over the little vampire’s body, was named Martina.

It means ‘devotion’, they say.

Personally, I think it’s quite a fitting name.

As Martina, who was trailing behind me pulling a cart, picked up her favorite processed tomato sauce and frozen soy dumplings, I shopped for groceries for both of us, given how much I had to gorge myself due to the Nanowear.

At first, I thought she was just a ruthless, cold-blooded minion AI of Ayakashi, but once she gained a body, she was no different from a kid who developed a ton of favorite foods.

“Correction. This individual is merely learning about gustatory stimuli, and any preference for specific organic fuels is merely a response from this organic terminal’s taste buds…”

“Alright, alright. Let’s get some pizza too.”

“This individual also desires the pepperoni next to it.”

“Alright.”

I shut up Martina, who had started chattering again, with pizza, and then walked towards the exit to head home, carrying nearly 5,000 credits worth of fresh food.

And I would return to my comfortable home and watch Martina nonchalantly wolf down food.

*THUMP THUMP THUMP!*

That is, if not for the person in a deep green hoodie rushing past me into the entrance of the fresh food store, typically used only by the rich in the Lower City, and the modified dump truck charging behind them, intending to smash through the store’s bulletproof glass window.

“Ah, damn it.”