I stood at the stove, stirring the boiling pot with practiced ease. The smell of cooking rice filled the air, a comforting scent in the otherwise quiet kitchen. The day had just begun, and my thoughts were still hazy, not quite settled in the morning routine. I took a moment to taste what I was cooking a pinch of rice and nodded in satisfaction. It was coming together nicely.
"Where’s my coffee?" Kiyon’s voice broke through the calm, sharp and impatient as always. I could hear the rustling of manga pages in the background.
"Just a minute," I muttered, my attention still on the food.
But then, I heard him again, a little louder this time. "Kyrie! Where’s my damn coffee bro ?"
I let out a small sigh. "I’m not your butler. Make it yourself."
"But I’m still injured!" Kiyon protested, though I could tell from his tone that he was far from helpless.
I glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Doesn’t look like you’re injured to me."
He shot me a glare, then leaned back, the manga forgotten for the moment. "This has something to do with our face-off the other day. Do you believe me now?"
I shook my head, turning back to the stove. "Tsk, I ain’t making you coffee."
Akio, ever the voice of reason or at least his version of it spoke up from across the room. "Sire has a duty," he said with a smirk.
"He works as our cook and takes all the kitchen duties. Why don’t you be our cleaner, Kiyon? I’m pretty sure it suits you well, considering how fast your body absorbs nutrients."
Kiyon grumbled under his breath, but he couldn’t argue with that logic. "Whatever," he muttered. "Fine, just let me rest for one more day."
I couldn’t help but smirk at his defeat. "Slackers are never welcome around here."
"Indeed," Akio added, the sarcasm dripping from his words as he tapped away at his laptop.
Finally, the food was ready. I moved the dish Paella onto the table. Akio's eyes lit up, and I could practically hear his stomach growl.
"Looks absolutely delicious," he said, his voice full of appreciation. "It’s been a while since I had a taste of your cooking bro!"
Kiyon wasn’t far behind in his praise. "About time," he added, rolling his eyes.
I shot him a quick glance. "You should show a little more respect, Kiyon. Your brother still cooks for you, no matter the situation."
There was a brief pause, then a sigh from Kiyon. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Kyrie."
I took my seat, still keeping an eye on everything around us. Even though it felt like a simple morning, there was always something lurking in the background something I couldn’t quite shake. But for now, we ate in silence, the tension between us tempered only by the food we shared.
Kiyon grumbled as he shoveled another bite of paella into his mouth, clearly trying to mask his irritation. "I know, I know, I didn’t say it tasted bad, geez," he muttered around his food.
Akio, ever the inquisitive one, raised an eyebrow as he continued to savor the dish. "Sire, what is the name of this dish again?"
I glanced up, still chewing, before answering. "Paella. It’s a rice dish," I said, waving my hand in a dismissive gesture. "Dig in."
The three of us continued to eat in silence, with Akio praising my cooking as usual. "I’ll never get tired of tasting your dishes, Sire. Absolutely delicious," he said, his voice full of admiration.
"Thank you," I replied, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "It’s been a while since I cooked, though."
Kiyon snorted, clearly unimpressed. "Looks like someone’s taking advantage of the situation," he muttered, poking at his food with a little too much drama.
"What?" I shot back. "Listen, I ain’t moving a single muscle, alright? You guys have trust issues."
I leaned back, stretching slightly as I took a break from my meal. "Well, you did turn your back on us once," I reminded him, not bothering to hide the hint of reproach in my voice.
Kiyon sighed, rolling his eyes. "That was back when I was jealous. At least I admit it this time," he said, leaning forward. "Anyway, what’s the plan? So we gonna live here like normal people, or what?"
I paused for a moment, contemplating. "I’m not sure," I admitted. "We need to think carefully about what our next move will be."
Akio, however, always a step ahead, leaned in, his face lighting up with excitement. "Actually, Sire, I got a lead," he said, tapping his laptop. "I found this organization with a name similar to W.E.S."
"W.E.S.?" I murmured, trying to recall the details. It sounded familiar, but the specifics were fuzzy.
Akio gave me a knowing look. "Wait a minute," I said, piecing it together. "I remember Ziekary mentioning something about it. I think it was S.E.S. What does it stand for?"
Akio's fingers danced over his keyboard as he pulled up the information. "Seiku Execution Squad."
I raised an eyebrow. "Damn, it’s a total World Execution Squad rip-off, if you ask me," Kiyon said, sounding skeptical.
I let out a chuckle. "Heh, so it is indeed similar."
Kiyon shot me a sideways glance. "You used to be a squad member, right? Aren’t you curious about what they do?"
To be honest, I wasn’t sure. "I actually have no idea," I admitted. "But it’s worth looking into."
Akio, ever the diligent researcher, jumped in again. "Actually, Sire, they were founded to serve and protect the public. They only capture bad criminals and put them in jail. There’s also a detective department where they investigate various cases."
"Huh," I muttered, leaning back and thinking for a moment. "So it’s not that bad."
Kiyon gave me a look, not entirely convinced. "What do you mean, 'not that bad'?"
I shrugged. "I remember Ziekary mentioning that they’re not exactly welcoming," I said, folding my arms across my chest.
Kiyon snickered, shaking his head. "Heh, I’m curious about what their reaction will be when they see you."
I raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze. "What do you mean?"
Kiyon gave me a wry grin. "Come to think of it, everywhere you go, you’ll always be recognized."
I let out a soft chuckle, the weight of my past always lingering, no matter how far I tried to move from it. "Yeah, guess that’s true," I said, a trace of nostalgia in my voice. There was no escaping the shadow of my former life not that I’d want to.
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I couldn't help but snicker as Kiyon burst into laughter, his tongue sticking out like a kid who had just won a prize. "What?" he teased. "Just stating the truth."
Akio wasn’t laughing. "If we’re going to investigate their headquarters, we’ll need to keep our guard up, Sire," he said, his tone as serious as ever. "We don’t know what kind of weapons they possess."
Kiyon, never one to take things too seriously, waved a dismissive hand. "Technology-wise, I bet it’s just another batch of outdated junk, not capable of taking down morphs," he muttered as he stood from the table.
"Yeah, sure," I replied, not entirely convinced. "But still, better safe than sorry."
Kiyon stretched, yawning as he rubbed his eyes. "I’m sleepy. Not gonna use the advantage. Just call me when you need me." He waved lazily as he walked out of the kitchen, heading back to his room.
I sighed, looking at the empty plate where he had been sitting. "And he didn’t wash his plate. Again."
Akio chuckled, shaking his head. "Lazy, indeed."
I grinned wryly. "Tell me about it."
Akio got down to business. "Sire, if we’re going to investigate, we’ll need some clues. Do you have a plan?"
I stood up, ready to leave the kitchen behind. "I know just the right person," I said, a hint of determination in my voice.
Akio’s face became serious again. "Be careful, Sire."
From the other room, I could hear Kiyon’s voice, muffled through the walls. "Call me when another meal is ready!"
I rolled my eyes. "Such a kid," I muttered under my breath before heading out.
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At Seiku Academy of Science
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. I watched as Ziekary stepped out of the school campus, her footsteps light as she made her way through the courtyard. From my vantage point on the rooftop, I had a clear view of her, though she didn’t know I was watching.
Ziekary paused for a moment, gazing up at the clear skies above. "I feel lighter somehow," she said to herself, a soft smile forming on her lips.
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. She was changing, that much was clear. There was something different about her today something about the way she held herself, a new sense of freedom perhaps.
At Seiku Fountain Park
I continued to watch as she walked further down the street. Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she glanced down, startled. Her eyes widened when she saw my name on the screen.
I couldn’t help but smile as I saw her read my message. It read "Are you free today? If you are, you might want to look up."
Ziekary looked up, puzzled at first, then froze when she saw me standing on top of another building, watching her with an almost teasing grin on my face.
It was strange, but in that moment, I felt a small sense of satisfaction like we were finally connecting on a level beyond just the fight, beyond just the mission. Maybe things were about to change for both of us.
I could see the concern in Ziekary's eyes as she turned to face me. "You’re gonna what?!" she exclaimed, clearly taken aback.
I couldn’t help but grin. "I’m going to infiltrate the S.E.S headquarters."
Her eyes narrowed. "I don’t think that’s a good idea at all."
I shrugged. "Well, you got a better idea?"
Ziekary hesitated, as if trying to come up with something, but ultimately shook her head. "No, not really, but... okay, fine. What do you want from these guys, anyway?"
I smiled, a bit of amusement flashing across my face. "It’s the only lead we have right now. Honestly, I don’t even know where I’m going at this point. But if I do this, I might find something useful that could help the three of us get home."
She crossed her arms, looking skeptical. "You need to be cautious, though, if you’re going to infiltrate them."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why? What’s the scary part?"
Ziekary sighed, clearly frustrated with my cavalier attitude. "I just told you a few seconds ago!" she said, exasperated. "They’ve got one of the highest security systems in the city. One step on their grounds, and it’s game over."
I chuckled, brushing it off. "Okay, so where’s the scary part?"
Her face grew more serious. "I’m telling you, S.E.S is not a joke. If they find out you’re the Kyrie, they might perform an experiment on you."
I smirked, unfazed. "Come on. Show me where their headquarters are."
Ziekary threw her hands up in frustration. "Kyrie, I’m serious!" she called after me, but I was already turning away, starting to walk toward the exit of the fountain park.
She followed me, not giving up. "I’m not going to let you do something stupid!" But I could hear the hesitation in her voice. She was worried. It was strange to think about, but her concern for me... it was a little more than I expected.
We both walked off together, disappearing into the distance as I focused on the next step of the mission.
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I smiled, a bit of amusement flashing across my face. "It’s the only lead we have right now. Honestly, I don’t even know where I’m going at this point. But if I do this, I might find something useful that could help the three of us get home."
She crossed her arms, looking skeptical. "You need to be cautious, though, if you’re going to infiltrate them."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why? What’s the scary part?"
Ziekary sighed, clearly frustrated with my cavalier attitude. "I just told you a few seconds ago!" she said, exasperated. "They’ve got one of the highest security systems in the city. One step on their grounds, and it’s game over."
I chuckled, brushing it off. "Okay, so where’s the scary part?"
Her face grew more serious. "I’m telling you, S.E.S is not a joke. If they find out you’re the Kyrie, they might perform an experiment on you."
I smirked, unfazed. "Come on. Show me where their headquarters are."
Ziekary threw her hands up in frustration. "Kyrie, I’m serious!" she called after me, but I was already turning away, starting to walk toward the exit of the fountain park.
She followed me, not giving up. "I’m not going to let you do something stupid!" But I could hear the hesitation in her voice. She was worried. It was strange to think about, but her concern for me... it was a little more than I expected.
We both walked off together, disappearing into the distance as I focused on the next step of the mission.
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At Shintenseiku Residential Area 3
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Back at the apartment, I knew Kiyon would be wondering what was going on. I could practically hear his voice from his room.
"Is Kyrie here yet?" Kiyon called, a hint of impatience in his voice.
Akio didn’t even look up from his laptop, continuing his work as he typed away. He seemed unfazed by the question. "Not yet," Akio replied calmly.
I could almost hear the slight sigh of relief from Kiyon. He was probably hoping to stay in bed longer. Too bad for him this mission wasn’t going to wait. But for now, the team had other things to think about. The next move was in motion, and I wasn’t going to stop until we figured it out.
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The apartment was quiet except for the soft tapping of Akio’s fingers on his laptop. But I could still hear Kiyon's voice coming from his room, and it wasn’t exactly helpful.
Akio shot me a glance before turning back to his screen, his expression calm but focused. "You hearing any footsteps that indicate that it’s him?"
Kiyon's voice was muffled through the walls. "It’s just a freaking question!" he yelled back. "I’m going to sleep for reals!"
Akio raised an eyebrow. "I bet you can fly now with that massive energy flowing inside your body. Aren’t you gonna use that to help your twin brother? Gather clues or something?"
There was a long silence before Kiyon responded, barely audible. "I ain’t hearing anything!"
Akio just shook his head. "Figures."
As Akio stared at his laptop screen, I noticed his brow furrowing. Whatever he was reading had grabbed his attention. His fingers paused, scrolling through something, his eyes widening slightly. The screen flashed something that caught my eye.
On the screen, in bold letters, it said "The Dark Side of S.E.S."
Akio’s hand trembled a little as he scrolled further, his face growing more serious. I could see him reading intently, his focus unwavering.
Kiyon, clearly growing impatient from his room, yelled out again. "Akio? You still there?"
Akio didn’t respond, still absorbed in the information on his screen.
"Akio?" Kiyon repeated, this time with more concern.
I could hear the door creak open as Kiyon stepped into the room, his voice tinged with confusion. "Akio? ~ Huh?"
Akio finally looked up, his face pale. Whatever he had read was enough to shake him
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At S.E.S Headquarters - Front (Night)
Ziekary and I stood in the shadow of the looming S.E.S headquarters, staring at the massive structure. The whole place gave off an ominous vibe, and I could feel the tension in the air.
"So this is their quarters?" I asked, my voice low.
Ziekary, her eyes wide with uncertainty, shifted nervously beside me. "I’m already feeling nervous, but you don’t?!"
I shot her a brief glance before turning my attention back to the headquarters. "Why would I be?"
She gave me a look, but I just shrugged it off. I wasn’t here to feel nervous. I was here to do what needed to be done. But as I glanced around, I noticed the silence it was strange for such a large facility to be so quiet.
I turned toward the entrance. "Okay, I’m going in."
Ziekary’s eyes widened in shock. "Wait?! What?! You’re really going, Kyrie?!"
I gave her a firm look. "You better stay here. It’s safer outside."
Before she could protest, I added, "Don’t forget to hide."
"Kyrie!" she called after me, but I didn’t stop.
I took a deep breath, my eyes scanning the building as I moved closer. The atmosphere was unnervingly still. Something didn’t feel right.
I continued my approach, eyes flicking between the building and the surroundings.
"It seems quiet," I muttered under my breath, still not sure what to make of it.
I looked up toward the top of the building, my gaze sharp, trying to sense if anyone was watching. Nothing.
Closer now, I made it to the entrance, only to find that the door was locked.
Ziekary’s voice buzzed in my ear as a text came through "Be careful."
I paused for a moment, staring at the locked door. This was just the beginning. The real challenge was still ahead.
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At S.E.S Headquarters - Front (Night)
I read the text from Ziekary and sighed, knowing she’d be worried. "Thanks, I guess."
I glanced around the area one last time before I started moving. Ziekary was hiding nearby, trying to keep a low profile. Her nervousness was palpable, but she knew what she was getting into.
I took a deep breath and glanced at the entrance again. The locked door didn’t make me hesitate. "Don’t know who else will be chasing after me if I use more than 20% of my power," I muttered to myself. "But here goes nothing."
With a quick surge of dark energy, I phased through the door, my body slipping through the solid metal like it was nothing.
Ziekary’s voice echoed in my mind, filled with disbelief. "Did he just disappear? Seriously, he can do that?!"
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Inside the S.E.S Headquarters
The inside of the building was nothing like I expected quiet, dimly lit, and eerie. I moved cautiously, my footsteps barely making a sound on the cold floor. The place felt... abandoned. There wasn’t a soul in sight.
“Is nobody here?” I muttered, stepping further into the darkened hall.
I kept moving, my eyes scanning every corner, every door, every shadow. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, the silence almost suffocating.
I stumbled into a large, open space, and as I looked around, I felt the vastness of the place. “This place is huge,” I muttered under my breath. It was a maze of rooms and corridors, and I was just beginning to scratch the surface.
I continued down the hall, walking past several rooms, each more cryptic than the last. I stopped in front of a door, but as I reached to open it, I froze someone was coming.
A security guard walked by, his footsteps heavy against the ground.
I quickly ducked into a nearby corridor, my heart racing. “The security guard is an AI?” I whispered, barely able to believe what I was seeing. “Neat.”
The AI guard passed by, scanning the area methodically. I held my breath as I watched her fascinating, but dangerous. The last thing I wanted was to get caught now.
I decided to play it safe and quickly turned around, walking the opposite way, making sure to stay out of the guard’s sight.
A few moments later, I found another door, this one marked with a sign that read, Personnel Only. A perfect place to look for answers.
I carefully approached the door, ready to open it but to my surprise, the door simply opened as soon as I touched the handle.
“That’s it?” I muttered in disbelief.
I stepped inside, my eyes scanning the room. It was cluttered with paperwork, files scattered around on desks and tables. It looked like the place hadn’t been tidied up in ages, but that worked to my advantage.
I started sifting through the papers, hoping to find something useful. There had to be a lead here.
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Inside S.E.S Headquarters
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I continued rifling through the papers scattered across the table, hoping to find something useful. It seemed like there was no end to the bureaucratic mess around me.
“I see where this is heading," I muttered to myself, spotting something peculiar among the documents. A blueprint, prominently titled “The Kyrie Project.”
“The Kyrie Project?” I repeated aloud, a mix of curiosity and concern flooding over me.
I turned the blueprint in my hands, staring at a detailed design that looked... eerily similar to me. Was this some sort of experiment they’d been working on with my name attached?
I looked at the camera in the corner of the room, a frown crossing my face. “Me?”
Before I could investigate further, a powerful force suddenly broke through the ceiling above me, debris scattering around me as a voice demanded, “State your business!”
I whipped around, barely able to react in time.
“Tsk,” I clicked my tongue in annoyance, instantly raising my arms in a gesture of non-aggression. “Okay, okay, relax. I’m not here to pick a fight, yeah?”
The voice belonged to an AI, and as soon as I spoke, it switched to a calmer mode.
“Switching to standby mode.”
I raised an eyebrow, confused, but my instincts told me to keep my guard up.
The AI began scanning me, its mechanical voice cutting through the silence. “My systems detect that you’re not from around here, and that you’re a minimal threat.”
Before I could respond, another presence emerged, interrupting the AI's scanning process.
“Kitsuna, who is it?” a voice called out.
The figure stepped forward a male researcher. I could tell he wasn’t just any scientist by the look in his eyes. He immediately locked onto me with a stunned expression.
“Oh my, is that who I think it is? Or are you just a stranger who looks like him?” he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
I smiled back, knowing exactly how to handle this. “Try me.”
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Inside S.E.S Headquarters
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I continued rifling through the papers scattered across the table, hoping to find something useful. It seemed like there was no end to the bureaucratic mess around me.
“I see where this is heading," I muttered to myself, spotting something peculiar among the documents. A blueprint, prominently titled “The Kyrie Project.”
“The Kyrie Project?” I repeated aloud, a mix of curiosity and concern flooding over me.
I turned the blueprint in my hands, staring at a detailed design that looked... eerily similar to me. Was this some sort of experiment they’d been working on with my name attached?
I looked at the camera in the corner of the room, a frown crossing my face. “Me?”
Before I could investigate further, a powerful force suddenly broke through the ceiling above me, debris scattering around me as a voice demanded, “State your business!”
I whipped around, barely able to react in time.
“Tsk,” I clicked my tongue in annoyance, instantly raising my arms in a gesture of non-aggression. “Okay, okay, relax. I’m not here to pick a fight, yeah?”
The voice belonged to an AI, and as soon as I spoke, it switched to a calmer mode.
“Switching to standby mode.”
I raised an eyebrow, confused, but my instincts told me to keep my guard up.
The AI began scanning me, its mechanical voice cutting through the silence. “My systems detect that you’re not from around here, and that you’re a minimal threat.”
Before I could respond, another presence emerged, interrupting the AI's scanning process.
“Kitsuna, who is it?” a voice called out.
The figure stepped forward a male researcher. I could tell he wasn’t just any scientist by the look in his eyes. He immediately locked onto me with a stunned expression.
“Oh my, is that who I think it is? Or are you just a stranger who looks like him?” he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
I smiled back, knowing exactly how to handle this. “Test me.”
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Outside S.E.S Headquarters - Shintenseiku
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Meanwhile, outside the building, Ziekary paced back and forth, clearly troubled.
“What should I do? Should I follow him?” she muttered to herself, glancing at her phone.
She stared at the screen, uncertainty written all over her face.
“I want to call either his brother or Akio, but I don’t have their numbers.”
Ziekary paused, frustration mounting as she continued mumbling under her breath. She wanted to help Kyrie, but was unsure how.
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Inside S.E.S Headquarters,Meeting Room
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Emile eyed me carefully, his gaze sharp as if trying to discern whether I was really who I appeared to be.
“Hmm, are you really him?” he asked, voice tinged with suspicion.
I glanced at him, slightly annoyed by the obvious question. “Dude, we’ve been standing here for like 13 minutes.”
Emile wasn’t giving up. He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. “Tell me your name, where you came from, and why you’re here.”
I hesitated for a moment, not sure how to proceed. “Umm, I’m not sure where to start.”
Emile raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”
I chuckled. “Because I’m not sure if you’re an ally or an enemy.”
Emile let out a small laugh. “Fair enough.” He nodded toward the AI. “Kitsuna, switch to battle mode.”
“What the hell?” I reacted just as Kitsuna powered up, shifting into a more aggressive stance.
“Switching to battle mode.”
Before I could react, Kitsuna lunged at me, its metallic body moving with inhuman speed. I barely had time to brace myself as we crashed through a wall, tumbling into what looked like an arena.
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At Arena S.E.S Headquarters
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I hit the ground hard, my back slamming against a solid wall, leaving a dull ache that quickly faded as I pushed myself up.
“Impressive reflexes, but can you handle Kitsuna’s strength?” Emile’s voice echoed from somewhere behind me, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
I smiled, already recovering from the impact. “Guess we’re about to find out.”
Kitsuna was already charging again, its robotic arms raised to strike. I dropped into a defensive stance, ready for whatever it would throw at me.
“Initiating combat sequence,” Kitsuna announced coldly.
The AI launched into action with incredible speed, delivering a barrage of powerful strikes. I dodged, my movements fluid, and countered with my own punches and kicks, using my agility to stay one step ahead.
Emile watched intently, murmuring under his breath. “She’s quite skilled. Isnt’ it Kyrie?”
I laughed as I effortlessly evaded another of Kitsuna’s punches. “All right, you win.”
I stepped back, raising my hands in mock surrender as I caught my breath. Kitsuna stopped mid-strike, its systems seemingly processing the situation.
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As I raised both of my arms in mock surrender, I saw the hesitation in Emile's eyes. He was clearly trying to figure me out.
“Hmm, what made you give up that easy?” he asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
I shrugged, trying to keep things light. “Because I’m not in my gear right now and I can’t use my abilities for testing purposes. So...”
Kitsuna, still standing in combat mode, seemed ready to jump back into action, its systems whirring.
“Kitsuna, abort mission,” Emile commanded.
“Switching to standby mode.” Kitsuna powered down, its stance relaxing.
But I wasn’t finished. “Who says we’re done?”
Emile paused, looking at me with confusion. “Wait, what do you mean?”
I grinned. “Just when I’m starting to have fun.”
I took a few steps back, getting into a more focused stance. “If I were to utilize a minimum of 39% of my power, I’m confident that she would experience a system failure and malfunction.”
Emile raised an eyebrow. “And what makes you so confident?”
I chuckled lightly. “I don't mean to offend, but I have doubts about the existence of Kyrie, similar to what the book describes.”
“That’s fine with me,” I said, shrugging. “However, that’s not the problem. Let’s determine if your AI is capable of real-time combat.”
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I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small, sleek cube, holding it out for Emile to see.
“And what is that?” Emile asked, intrigued but cautious.
I held the cube up with pride. “This cube right here is called a Technological Advancement Simulation Cube.”
I paused, letting the words sink in. “It simulates futuristic technologies and their impact on society.”
Emile’s eyes narrowed, trying to comprehend. “And what does that have to do with me?”
I smiled again. “With this, I can experiment with advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other cutting-edge innovations, exploring their potential benefits and ethical implications.”
I held the cube closer to him, my voice more serious now. “The primary purpose of this cube is to be used in experiments to assess whether an invention is capable of combatting morphs in my world.”
I twirled it in my hand, the cube seeming almost alive in my palm. “It can also be a great use as a weapon.”
Emile looked at it, intrigued but unsure. “And how exactly does it work?”
I grinned wider. “Let me show you.”
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I threw the cube up into the air, watching it disappear in a flash of light.
Emile said, "Back in your… world?"
Emile said, "Wait, it disappeared."
I smiled, raising an eyebrow at Emile’s confusion.
Just then, I felt a presence above me. The ceiling broke open, and something or someone came crashing down.
I barely had time to react when she landed in front of me.
Emile said, "Another AI?"
The new arrival, Alicia, didn’t waste a second. She charged at Kitsuna, attacking her with full force.
I watched as Alicia delivered a powerful strike. Kitsuna tried to counter, but she couldn’t keep up. It was clear from the way Kitsuna was defending herself that Alicia was in control.
Alicia landed another devastating blow, sending Kitsuna flying backward, her sensors sparking as the damage hit.
Emile said, "Okay, stop! You win. In exchange, I’ll tell you everything about S.E.S."
Emile said, "And what we’re really about."
Alicia took a step back, giving Kitsuna some breathing room. I watched the whole exchange, my mind working fast.
I couldn’t help but ask, "So, generally speaking, this is just a test, right?"
I studied Emile, trying to gauge whether he was lying or not.
I asked, "Does that mean you’re an ally?"
Emile said, "That depends on your objective, but you owe me an explanation."
He looked me over with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
Emile said, "Why do you look so much like him? It’s interesting and scary at the same time. Yet, it’s incredible. It appears we may have to give up on creating an artificial Kyrie."
My eyes narrowed. "Wait, what? Did I hear that right?"
Everything in the room shifted. My mind raced to understand what he meant by that an artificial Kyrie? Was there more to this than just a simple test?
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