Kaijin no Karashrer: Act 2

Journey of Two

An Eye Camera was floating ten meters above the ground.

Its dust-proof lens shot images in black-n-white monochrome. Whether it was in momentary high-speed photography or video recording, they were a highly advanced form of still image technology introduced in the early 1900's where it was undoubtedly considered cutting-edge technology of its time, yet ultimately, humans were unable to find a way to record in natural colors.

Even now, the Eye Camera records the world in black and white.

It fixed itself on the center of two people. Focusing itself at the same time.

A girl and a man. Gene and Kyrie. The two people were the targets of the Eye Camera's Autofocus. The Eye Camera continued to take photos while maintaining a distance of several feet away.

The two were walking in a city lined with many unmanned high-rise buildings.

It was said to have been a relatively large city in Country A with blocks set up through strategically laid out square-root roads. It was once called an Engine City.

Engine City. A word that referred to a beautiful city of heavy industry that had multiple extremely large steam engines.

Now, that word was no longer used.

In the past, cities and steam engines had a very close relationship. Production and development were the same, the role of the steam engine was to carry out its production, and the city was very symbol and center of it all. Not only just the aesthetics of craftsmanship, but the aesthetics of agriculture were largely subject to the aesthetics of the Engine Machine, and about as early as the end of the 19th century, people's tombs were not without engines.

That is why the term "Engine City" was also a sort of honorary title.

Now, the cities that once held hundreds of thousands to millions of people were in ruins.

That was why the Eye Camera continued to take photos of the two of them even now. How long has it been since it started to automatically take photographs of the two based on the information reflected in its lens in identifying the person's shape? Gene was the one who decided to turn on the Eye Camera's Autofocus, but besides the Cyber Zombies who functioned in human form like Diane, not once has the Eye Camera recorded anyone else other than those two.

Even now and surely the day after, only Gene and Kyrie will be recorded.

And--

The Autofocus activates and the Eye Camera makes a mechanical noise. The lens expands and contracts back-n-forth so as to not lose sight of the two's figures, who were doing something else other than walking. In other words, it was a series of movements where Kyrie jumps over a rather large chunk of rubble and extends a hand to Gene.

"Careful. The footing is unstable here."

"Yes, thank you."

That cold hand--his left hand that was of Chrome.

A hand made of black steel just like that of a dead person who continues to move without a life.

Gene was able to move through the ruined city with Kyrie's help.

Despite being daytime, it was extremely dark. They ended up entering through a collapsed underground passageway where more than half of it was open. That was expected when they thought the road would be sloppy. They weren't going to walk on unmaintained roads as they should to the laid out plans, so situations like this were very common. Looking up, they could see the gray sky through the rubble.

I want to get up to the surface soon, was what Gene thought as they came to the city well so far. She merely thought about, not saying it aloud as it seemed to impossible to climb up.

For Kyrie, it was easy. For Gene, it was difficult.

She wasn't good with exercise. The only notable thing she had was her engineering skills, which weren't at a level of a Scholar's. It was difficult for her to move her body, and couldn't walk through the city on poor footing. Even a step as small as feet (a meter and a half) would be difficult for her to climb or jump over.

"I need to train my body. I can't always be relying on you."

"You can rely on me. It's not a problem."

"It is a problem. You understand?"

"I don't understand it. But I'm worried about leaving you alone so I won't say anything."

"...That's mean."

She had a little look on her face.

Gene always tried to shape her expressions.

"You've been helping me so much, I've forgotten what the ground is like under the soles of my feet."

"Are you fine with it?"

"It's not a good thing."

"My left arm can support your weight. You won't slip. It's very efficient."

"Weight...that's not something you should say to a lady."

"Sorry."

Kyrie's expression didn't change.

That was because the muscles on his left side no longer existed.

"I was joking. You don't have to apologize," Gene laughed a little. "You know I said the same thing before, yes?"

"Gene's jokes are difficult to understand."

"Sorry for being undermined."

Smiling, Gene looks up above her.

From where she was, they were walking lower than people normally should be walking on the surface. This was due to the paved road being cracked and connected to the underground passageway which the two were currently walking in. This was why there were many rubbles of concrete with poor footing and debris from the collapsed road. How many hours would it have taken Gene to cover just a few hundred feet alone?

"Let's move to another surface above."

Kyrie noticed her gaze and muttered.

As soon as Gene nodded, he took hold of her body with his left arm and put all of his might into his left leg.

Without any kind of preparatory actions, he leaped onto another surface above. When he landed, he bent both knees slightly to absorb the shock so as to prevent any shock from applying to Gene.

"D-dont' just jump so suddenly like that. That startled me."

--Was I truly surprised?
--Really?

"Sorry."

"Also, Kyrie. When you're holding a girl's waist, be mindful to..."

She was about to say something.

However, Gene's lips just naturally stopped.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Eye Camera took a picture of the girl's figure as she paused to look up at the sky.

Pi. The Autofocus resounded.

What lay beyond the girl's gaze, Gene--

Beyond the countless high-rise buildings that stood side-by-side, some on the verge of collapsing while others have fallen diagonally, was what stood behind them all. Something gigantic that pierced the gray sky, something that can be seen from far away. Always, no matter how far they walk.

An individual that would surely be seen as one walks through the city.

It was a huge, gigantic Pillar. To be exact, it was a wall clock.

This individual one was a small one, perhaps about a mile (1.6 kilometers) in length. The Eye Camera had previously photoshoot a larger one in another country.

Scholars in the past have given it the name Mega Engine Clock.

That was a name no one gives to it anymore.

Nobody.

Its name has been lost forever, with both Gene and Kyrie calling it the Pillar.

Its proper name will never be called by anyone else.

No longer in this World. Never again. From anyone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

--No one's here.
--Just like how the World suddenly ended.

I'm certain there were voices of concern that thought of this.

The smoke and waste fluid produced by the abnormally developed Engine civilization filled the sky and sea, robbing us of the true sky, the true sea, and all that was blue. Even long before now, the eternal gray had filled every corner of the world.

There was talk of the possibility that what the Engine would bring is not only eventually cause harm to the water and air quality, but also the flora and fauna of which such things were written occasionally in Scholar journals in Country E, but their predictions were overturned.

It was too soon. It came without warning, without anyone to think of anything.

It was something that I--Genevieve Ninth, remembered on that day.

I will never forget it. It was something I couldn't ever forget.

It was in City L at the time.

I had yet to put on my white coat, and I was there walking along a large river to meet with someone. I was an important promise, something where I needed to meet with someone, something essential for my future.

I was really excited in looking forward to meeting with this person.

"Guess I got here a little too early."

It was around that same time when I muttered that...

The forewarning came with countless birds.

More than a hundred small birds and ravens took flight from the apartment buildings and commercial buildings that lined up the road into the gray sky. The collective sounds of the birds flapping their wings echoed. Mixing with it were the sounds of dogs I heard everywhere.

"The sky!"

I heard someone cry out.

Somewhere, a child was crying.

Someone kept on crying.

"The sky. Oh, the sky!"

As if guided by those words, I looked up--then, I saw it.

Something gigantic, something huge. Its size was comical, reaching that of over a mile.

It was a huge pillar. A gigantic, super twisted clock tower that was pulled down from the gray clouds and coming straight towards me.

"Oh God...."

Naturally, I muttered it little by little.

Although I wasn't of any faith in particular nor was I taught of any, I was aware of such transcendent concepts at the time. Such a scene like this was more than enough.

It pierced through, completely covering the residential area along the river in shadows.

It was a Pillar that was several miles long, crushing the university's clock tower in the center of town, easily demolishing it like paper mache.

There was no sense of reality to it.

It was like a dream. A nightmare.

But since I couldn't dream, what was in my sight is the reality that I comprehended. That's why it was puzzling to me. Even though such a gigantic object fell from the edge of the sky, there was very little damage besides the area where it directly crashed on.

Despite the remnants of the shattered clock tower crushing the Engine Light in front of me, there should have not been any shockwave that came after like it was for a meteorite's fall as was observed on the moon's crater in the last century.

It wasn't until much later after did I realized the death of the laws of physics have already begun.

I just merely stood there staring, unable to react to the sounds of grief and confusion that rose around me. That. Something that came from the Sky. The Pillar.

"Tick Tock..."

Who was it that said that, so naturally yet dumbfoundedly?

Was it me?

Was it the kitten that trembling and kneeling at my side?

Was it one of the people who was also standing alongside the Thames roadside?

I don't remember it well.

It wasn't impossible, but I just couldn't have a good memory of that moment. All I remember was the Tick Tock and the repeated hums of a cartoon.

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. ia ia. The sound of a clock.

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. ia ia. The sound of destruction.

At that time--

Someone finally whispered something cruelly.

The Pillar that shattered the assembly hall made a sound so loud, it resonated across the City of L. The long and short hands, resembling that of an endlessly stretched black sword or spear, lined up which made the unpleasant sound of metals being scrapped, resounding loudly like it was a fanfare.

The two black hands pointed exactly on midnight.

--That was the moment everything went to zero.

The time from that moment on to the present were of the remains of the World that have perished and ended. Kyrie had said something like that before. I was angry and told him, "don't say that". But in truth, it was hard denying that I felt the same.

At that time, the World had ended.

Yes. Indeed.

At that moment, it was over.

My memory of the time is hazy so I couldn't quite precisely remember the details of everything that happened from that moment on. But it was possible, if not a fact.

What I could remember were shreds of audio and video.

Pieces. Scraps. Fragments.

--Shadow Builder covering the sky.

--Mask of White Death.

--Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

--A laughing Golden Mask.

--A silver, shimmering shadow.

--A rotting temple that rose from the seabed.

--A roar, tentacles, and wings of a monster that cried out into the void.

--A group of Titans made up of machines.

--Countless tanks and soldiers being crushed.

--The earth being torn and rivers of bright blood.

--Humans being buried head first upside down.

--Screaming. Begging. Pleading.

--The sound of someone laughing from somewhere.

--Cities dying, cities turning into ruins.

--The Pope's voice echoing from the last radio broadcast.

--The last TIMES magazine being published.

--The city-state of R vanishing, leaving behind a large crater.

--A 1900 suburban shopping mall.

--The screams of the Cyber Zombies.

--The engravings of Hieroglyphs.

--Deep, bloody tears.

--And the appearance of the Pillars that appeared all over the planet like grave markers.

Pieces. Scraps. Fragments.

These were fragments of memory shredded into my head.

Picture. Audio. Several fragments.

I wonder if that's what I truly experienced? I wonder if I could get a bird's eye view of the planet? Even if it were a dead space of dark matter rather than a space of floating ether, modern civilization had not yet been able to enter space. But...even then...I vaguely remembered it. Some footage of it. Audio. Pieces of it. The World's end came too quick.

And by the time my memory became precise of it, the World had already ended.

The sky was dead.

The sea was dead.

The land was dyed in black, cities lay in ruins, and everyone vanished.

Humans. Cats and Dogs. Mices. Even insects.

Everyone was gone.

Everyone has died.

All that was left was ruins and the moaning sounds of Cyber Zombies that roamed around.

The World had become silent.

"It's alright."

Someone said.

Someone said this, somewhere in the world that has ended.

How? There was nothing worth in it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Gene?"

She came to her senses upon being called.

It took her two seconds to reassess the situation.

She was held in Kyrie's arm as they moved from the collapsed underground passageway onto the surface above. Looming over them was the sight of collapsed high-rise buildings and the Pillar. That must have come from the Eye Camera.

For a few seconds, it seemed she had subconsciously replayed a past memory. Something that shouldn't have happened. Gene held her temple and shook her head several times.

"I'm sorry," She said with a smile. "I'm a total klutz when it comes to walking around in a place like this."

"That would be me."

"You're the good one. I'm the one whose always falling down."

She rolled her eyes saying that.

The modified cloak that Kyrie wore was torn from the hem.

"Was it from a Cyber Zombie...?" It likely wasn't and so she swallowed up the last of her words.

"It got caught by a steel frame sticking out of the rubble."

"It's my fault." His sense of awareness had decreased due to holding her in his arms.

"It's my carelessness. It's just a piece of junk."

"Hey..."

Gene took the helm of his cloth in her hands.

It was badly torn, and it wasn't something she could repair with a sewing set. His modified cloak was a military-class so a normal needle wouldn't be able to pierce through its thick material.

"Sorry."

"I told you to not apologize."

"Yes."

Due to his left cheek being turned to chrome so he didn't show much expression, but even she can sense that he felt lost. Letting out a small sigh, Gene smiled a little at him,

"It's alright. This is a city, so there has to be a department store somewhere. We'll have to look for new clothes. The food's also getting scarce, too."

She extended her hand.

She sometimes did this to lead him due to always being saved by him.

Kyrie touched her extended right hand with his left hand. The hand that turned into steel.

Gene's expression didn't change, taking in his cold left hand and holding onto his thick fingers.

Key. It was the sound of a soul creaking.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Even if they made a sound--

There was no way a receptionist would come to guide them even if they ring the bell.

The two came upon an information board while walking on the surface, and soon found the site of an unoccupied department store in an unoccupied high-rise building.

"This isn't Wilmart?"

"That's in the suburbs in the regions, Gene."

"Yes."

Gene uttered that out for some reason.

Wilmart. A name she recalled. A suburban shopping mall.

They were currently in a first-class department store that seemed to be unrelated to any of it, nor did it have any sort of capital connection and the like. It wasn't one for them to think about as the problem they had right now was getting to the third floor where the clothing tenants were. 

Naturally, the power engine wasn't in any way active--a miracle that even a little of power remained back at Diane's apartment--thus, the elevator and escalators weren't working.

Thus, their only option was to take the stairs or automatic escalator that didn't work, but as was common in high-rise buildings, all of the stairs leading up from the first floor either collapsed or broken down halfway so they had no way of properly proceeding.

In the end, she ended up clinging to Kyrie again.

Holding onto Gene, he jumped on the east side of the second floor where the entire wall was made of glass. With the glass completely broken, they were able to get to the second floor without hindrance. From there, there was still stairs for them to go up and ahead, they went.

First, they found the remains of a men's clothing tenant--

"Let's find some clothes that suit you."

"No."

"It's not a big deal. Have a little fun with it."

For Gene, playing dress up with Kyrie was like a sense of entertainment.

She went through all corners of the men's tenant on the floor, looking at what they had there and giving it to Kyrie, even getting him to try some of them out himself. She went around all the while looking for a large, full-lengthed mirror with fewer cracks.

Since he was tall, it was best to use a mirror that didn't have any cracks or distortions. Not often were they able to find a perfect mirror, but they found a good one and so Gene was in a good mood.

"Since you're tall and have broad shoulders, you look good in both casual and formal wear."

"..."

"Hold still. There. That looks good on you. The sweater is cute."

"..."

While brushing off the dust with an experienced hand--

She smiled and puts it on his back, telling him how good he looks in them.

Gene faintly thought of this impossible illusion.

How this old department store would be the same or not had the world not ended. How it wouldn't just be them making noise, but many other people and sounds echoing there. That there certainly would be a Music Engine playing some classical music.

--I'm sure that's what a female clerk would say.

--That every outfit here suits you.

"This is what I want."

"Hm? Since when did you start making your own decisions..."

In the end, what Kyrie chose among the pile of clothes was a cloak no different from the one he was wearing. It was even black too. Was it made of synthetic leather? In the world before its end, items sold by Country A were very popular so these items were also lined up in department stores. Many of the products made for military usage were very durable and suitable for travel, yet Gene wasn't satisfied.

She didn't like its design.

It was too functional.

However, the item he chose was the cutest among the military supplies.

"You...another coat with a lot of fasteners. You must love clothes like that, don't you?"

"Gene...from before..."

"Yes?"

"You..."

Kyrie unusually hesitated. What was it?

Softly tilting her head, Gene searched through her memories to remember what it was.

That's right. One time, he pointed out a type of military overcoat where she complimented him saying, "It's cool.". The long-hemmed cloak suited him with his tall fingers.

--So it's good for you?

--You want to wear a coat all the time? With a lot of fasteners to it?

She almost felt something.

She almost said something.

Thus, Gene opted to change the subject in order to misdirect him.

"...If that's the case, how about I look for my clothes?"

"Of course."

"Mmh."

A nod. She wasn't going to bring up what Kyrie was hesitant about.

She won't say it. Nothing of it.

It was meaningless. Gene didn't want to think about it any further, and instead thought about the third floor's planning in the department store that was installed next to the escalators. Precisely, there was also the woman's clothing tenant on the floor too. She was worried that the men and women's clothing tenants would be separated as they often were in larger stores, but that didn't seem to be the case here.

Telling him to wait, Gene swiftly goes into the woman's clothing tenant.

She took a glance to see some of the clothes that haven't deteriorated too badly.

That was about two pairs of clothes including the change of clothes and three pairs of underwear in total, as well as some new towels. She shook off some of the accumulated dust, and left aside her old clothes.

What she didn't throw aside, no matter how old it got, was her white coat.

It was important to her.

"Two clothes for a change of clothes, huh?" She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not much."

She would have liked to change clothes everyday if she could. Even if it's just underwear, she'd like for it to be cute.

But she couldn't add any more luggage. They were traveling, and it's not like they had a home where they had a closet to store their clothes in. It wasn't the kind of luxury they had. Still, Gene felt like sighing.

"I want to have lots of underwear. I want to do laundry. I want to actually cook for you."

She felt a little resentful towards herself for having it brought up and thinking about things like that as if it were natural.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have felt so resistant in adapting to the world's end. She lets out a sigh. A single, deep one. She couldn't let Kyrie hear it. The only time she ever had to let out a deep sigh was after going through high-speed movement mixed with the emission.

Him. Kyrie.

He was probably waiting in front of the full-length mirror.

Gene felt ashamed at cutting him off just when he was about to say something.

--I wasn't trying to misdirect you.

--It wasn't my intent, but I had no other choice.

"Back then, I wasn't trying to misdirect you."

A small, little whisper.

After picking up her clothes and underwear, she nodded and headed back the way she came.

She had to be brazen. She couldn't afford to think of anything shameful nor feel any of it.

Upon seeing him standing by the full-length mirror, she felt a slight pain in her chest but thought of it as an illusion. She thought it was an abnormality in her nerves. An error range. It's not my problem to be worried about, she thought to herself. There was the now.

"Just in case, tell me if this looks good on me when I show this in the mirror. It'll be over soon."

"Take your time."

"No. I'll finish it right away."

One at a time, she put on the clothes she brought over and stood before the mirror.

The first was a calm outfit in the style of Country E, not much different from the clothes she was wearing. They were her favorite.

The second was a formal attire yet the chest was relatively open with a bold, progressive design. It was a little embarrassing, yet Gene felt it was a nice dress that softly emphasized her femininity. The special choker she was wearing around her neck was especially appealing.

She really liked the second one, and thought of what it would look like in actuality through the full-length mirror. Telling him to wait a little longer, she goes into the changing room where all the curtains are torn into uselessness, and quickly changes.

"Please wait."

She stands before the mirror again.

She can see his expression lightened up again.

These were the clothes she chose, after all. She chose them correctly. Although they were rather a bit mature, it wasn't bad either. It was stylish. It was lovely.

--Also, it was fashionable.

--There's nothing wrong in trying to be a woman either.

Still, she did it like this.

She chose it without being aware of it.

Since she was raised on how to dress up, the feelings that lead to them doing this wouldn't ever go away. Even if it was meaningless to do them now.

She was sure of such a thought.

"It's beautiful, Gene."

"Eh...ah, thank you..."

It was a surprise.

The man was suddenly standing next to her and called out.

Kyrie. A tall man who had changed into the black modified cloak of nearly the same design as the old one. He stood next to Gene, staring intently at the mirror.

"I think it looks beautiful. But I don't know the meaning of that ornament around your neck."

"Meaning...?"

The choker's functionality.

Functionality. Was there even such a thing? She tried to give it some thought.

"I don't there it has any meaning, not even as gear for cold weathers. But though it may be meaningless to us, Kyrie, it can be important. I'm sure such a useless thing has enriched humanity before."

"Does it increase productivity?"

"No. But it makes my heart feel richer."

Dressing up.

Wanting to be beautiful.

It was a waste.

However, this was...

"It's junk. Nothing worth more than a spare."

"It's complicated." He tilted his head slightly, which she guessed he didn't quite understand it.

"A lot of things like this came from the past and made the world beautiful."

"Is that so?" He blinks twice. Perhaps he was satisfied?

"Yes, that's right. There are a lot of junk like this. In fact, I'm sure there was someone who looked beautiful in this choker than me."

"I like seeing you beautiful."

"Wha?"

--W-what was that all of a sudden!

--It made me shakened. No, that shouldn't be. Calm down.

"What...all of a sudden...!"

"I figure it's a logical conclusion to think that the world would be more beautiful just from you doing this," he said with a straight face.

"I-I didn't mean it like that..."

She didn't look back at him while staring at the mirror.

She looked away. Troubled. Without purpose.

--Purposelessly? It was purposeless. 

--It's natural for him to say things like this, but I didn't quite like it.

"Uhm...you know..."

"If the world were still alive, I would have been able to see more of your beautiful face."

"..."

"Gene?"

"..."

"Genevieve?"

"...ah hum."

She coughed intentionally.

She smiled and said they were finished.

Gene stops staring at him on the mirror and turns to face him. She looks up to see how tall he was, looking at his left semi-mechanical eye and his right black eye that had a hint of gold.

She was trying to be as calm as ever with him--

"I'm done with the clothes here. Let's make sure we got the food next, yes?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Welcome to the grocery section. Would you like a seal-engraved photo to commemorate your visit?
The latest seal-engraved camera made in Country E captures wonderful moments between you and your loved ones."

A seal-engraved camera would sometimes emit a synthesized voice for guidance. There was seemingly some power left for personal usage, but it was likely running out. The synthesized voice sounded cracked, very nightmarish, and creepy.

The two found themselves in the food corner of the basement, of which three-quarters of it was buried due to the collapse and debris from the surface down into the grocery section.

Peeking out of the rubble was a charred fish&chips stand, which was probably originally set up temporarily in a large space at the front entrance of the department store on the ground floor.

The fish characters printed on the stall's body were crushed, leaving it with no signs of its original cuteness.

It was emitting a flickering light that read, "The Network is down. Please contact the news agency or local government" which was repeatedly displayed alongside a machine monitor that was partially destroyed by large debris. It was a network common in large cities like this characterized by its large keyboard.

"A lot of things have flown down here."

"Yes."

Gene didn't even time to respond properly.

Several times did Gene nearly fell down on the parts that collapsed which could be described as like a steep hillside or cliff, but each time, Kyrie's stiff arm would reach out and hold her up.

She couldn't tell how many times he said to her in giving him her gratitude.

Still, Gene continued to speak.

After all, not saying anything was the same as letting their feelings disappear, especially for a world where they may be the only two left.

It would lose its meaning.

--And yet...

--You keep cutting him off.

"Gene."

"It's alright. I won't fall again. Okay?"

The last thing she said to him was a question. Kyrie stood motionless at a shelf of canned goods barely hit by the collapse. What could he be looking at? Having found herself a good foothold, Gene follows his gaze to a caviar shelf, having thought he found something good.

"What's wrong?"

"Is there any caviar that can be eaten?"

"All fresh caviar has gone bad. Anything else is fine unless it's food."

"That's good."

"What's good?"

"That my taste functions are functioning well. I see, there can be a rotten taste..."

"...You ate canned food that was lying around with my permission, haven't you? Don't hide it from me."

"..."

"Look at me, Kyrie."

"..."

"Kyrie."

"There's still a shelf here that's safe."

Without knowing it, he slinks himself to another shelf and picks up some canned goods.

There was only canned meats like spam, corned beef, synthetic meat, and so on. Though Gene didn't think of it as a luxury, she wondered if there were any canned vegetables that provided vitamins, but all she could find were animal proteins and nothing that were plant-based.

"I'm hoping for there to be any canned spinach or corn."

"No."

"Now I'm wondering when you were ever not so quick enough to respond like that."

"My visual functions tell me so. There aren't any plant nutrients around."

"Oh. Oh? When exactly have your eyes been able to see through metal?"

"..."

"It's not like that, Kyrie."

Gene said, putting a hand on his wrist.

Judging that it wasn't large enough to be an issue, they carefully climbed over the rubble and approached another shelf that had fallen on its side. Just as she was about to think it was too dark to read the characters on the signboard, a light was shined on here. Kyrie's left arm had slightly mechanically shifted to produce a small amount of light.

"The Shaikorth..."

"It's an Engine Light I found earlier and took in."

"I don't want you to be eating weird stuff..."

"I'll be careful."

Even though saying it like that wasn't really it, they said it so firmly as they looked at the broken signboard.  

Jackpot. Vegetables. Preservation. Fortunately enough, it was just two words printed on it. Just as she nodded her head, the projected light went out. She started to think this was coincidental, but that couldn't be the case. It was intentional.

"Here, Kyrie."

"This doesn't seem to be a shelf for canned vegetables, unfortunately."

"No. It is the vegetable shelf."

"..."

"It's no use. You wouldn't know it if you did."

"Gene was also silent just now, too."

"That's not it," She fooled herself saying this. "...It's just a girl's secret. Sometimes, it's natural for girls to be silent. Yes. That's about it."

"Really..."

She nodded, and the projected light came back on again. Perhaps that got him?

Have to keep that in mind for now, Gene muttered in her heart as she checks through the shelf for its contents. Because the shelf was lying on its side, most of it had fallen over and piled up to where it was crushed by the debris, but a few had managed to survive.

A can of corn.

Two cans of spinach.

It was expected, but they didn't find anything else besides them.

"Didn't think so..."

"It's a shame."

"You really think so?

"I think that it's a shame to see you so disappointed."

"...you."

She tried to search deeper, but thought it was as dangerous to move any debris or put her head through any narrow spaces so she simply brought her face close to the range of Kyrie's projected light to see if any canned goods were in good shape. 

However, there was none.

"In the end, cat food is what would be thought about when it comes to nutrition."

Although she thought it was pathetic. After all, it wasn't something she could say.

Gene muttered a little and looks at Kyrie. The light on her face told him it was okay.

"I don't want to be here anymore, Kyrie."

"I understand."

"Next up is the pet corner."

"..."

Once more, there was silence.

His expression didn't change.

Although she could tell from the way he looked that he "didn't like that".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Fountain--

Was it quite so tasteless in saying it like that?

Not that Gene disliked it, in particular.

There was neither green trees nor birds chirping. If there was anything that can be said to be beautiful, it was the cool water that floated on the surface.

After restocking on clothing and foods, they walked from the department store for about a good twenty minutes until they found a place in perfect condition. The cobblestone road's surface had been gouged out to make a crater-like area, and the bottom was filled with water gushing out from broken water pipes. Before they knew it, they had come to such a place that they called as the "Fountain of Ruins", which they had found in various places.

Gene was the one who spoke of wanting a bath.

Kyrie didn't care much for such things, merely stating "I see" without so much a change in his expression.

Although he had no intentions of washing himself. Despite Gene saying that's not a good thing, he tried to brush it off by saying "Machines have metabolism", yet Gene was insistent that they can accumulate rust and die. In the end, Kyrie was silent.

In the end, only Gene was the one to take a bath.

She had told him to carefully wipe his body during maintenance, but he said nothing and disappeared behind the rubble.

"...why don't you like pretty things?"

She spoke to herself while undressing her white coat.

She had no reply.

Though he could probably hear it.

She picked up a large piece of rubble with a flat surface, brushing off the dust with the palm of her hand--not that she minded it getting dirty since she was going into water regardless--and sets down her folded lab coat on it.

She took off her blouse and skirt. Even her underwear. 

It was strange for her to feel vulnerable just by taking off her clothes. The only dangers on the surface were the Cyber Zombies, fallen debris, or a barely running Engine blowing up so clothing by itself was meaningless against them.

Even then, she could feel it. That feeling of helplessness and defenselessness.

"It's the same regardless if you were wearing them or not."

She folded her clothes, and placed them neatly next to her white coat.

She would leave everything else behind except her white coat.

She already had her new clothes ready.

--Someone.

--I hope you will find this.

Indeed, that's what Gene thought.

She would be happy, if they were still alive, to take them. It was dangerous enough to try and rummage through rubble and enter the department store like the way they did, so she hopes they would find this fountain like they did and find these clothes.

What if someone else really was alive?

After a small breath, Gene enters the fountain. The center of the fountain should have been deep, so she put a foot in from the edge of the fountain and slowly made her way in until her waist was submerged. 

"...the water's temperature is low."

There wasn't any specific feeling with which she could say it felt good.

But she could say it was comfortable. She wiped her skin with her wet hands, her shoulders, chest, face, neck, and back.

Her white skin. Her body that had changed at the time from a girl to a woman.

A body that had no scratches.

--The only one who always gets hurt is him.

--I don't have a single deficit on my body. The same as it was before the World ended.

"You're an awful woman, you know that?"

She muttered and whispers, so that no one, not even him, could hear it.

She tried to mimic the sound of water to confuse him by scattering droplets of water.

She blinked twice. Three times. Then waited. But there was no response. His presence remained motionless on the other side of the rubble.

"..."

What are you doing? She asked herself.

Suddenly, she noticed something and turned her head. Her hair was quite dusty. So not only should her body be washed, but also her hair.

Since the water wasn't hot, she didn't use any shampoo.

There was no longer any working power or active Steam Engines in any of the ruins. The fact that was any power in Diane's room was quite the coincidence, or rather a miracle. Perhaps it was subconsciously drawn from the power of her monstrous form? Some of the Cyber Zombies would occasionally make machinery work as brilliantly as it was before.

In any case, all that she knew was cold water.

About 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) was the water's exact temperature.

The water was very cold.

Taking a deep breath, she steps inside, feeling the temperature of the water and suddenly, she realizes the mechanical sound of a camera being focused.

"Hey. It's not polite to peek."

She smiles mischievously at the Eye Camera pointing its lens at a slight angle above her without it leaving her surroundings. It didn't make much sense to do, but Gene did it anyway, thinking of it as like a pet.

"This is kind of embarrassing. Could you please go over to Kyrie?" 

Pi. T synthesized sound it made indicated it was in focus, and didn't want to leave.

Gene was unsure whether she wanted to input voice input or not, but thought it'd be troubling if it fell into the water and malfunctioned, so she simply focused on cleaning herself.

For a while, only the sound of water could be heard.

After a while--

"...Kyrie."

"What is it?"

There was a voice. He replied back from behind the large rubble upon being called.

He heard her, after all.

"You shouldn't be there by yourself. Let's take a bath together. It's lonely here."

"I'll be alright. I don't want to get rust."

"You'll be fine. Your Chrome isn't just iron."

He would asked a question and she would answer, but Kyrie would not reveal himself from behind the rubble, only his voice. Gene let out a sigh. She had been wanting him to join her for a while, but when did he start to avoid her like this?

(Maybe he's starting to become aware of our genders?)

After thinking about it for a little, Gene speaks up.

She had to let him know that there was nothing between them.

--To him?

--No. It was something else. It was to myself.

"Are you still upset about the cat food?"

"No," There was a slight pause. "I just think you wouldn't like me if I joined with you."

"I wouldn't."

Why would she? That was impossible.

No matter what happened between the two of them, there was no way she'd dislike him.

"...Kyrie?"

There was no response. Gene shrugged her shoulders and fills up a glass bottle she picked up with water. The water around there was not contaminated, so it was fine. She would wipe Kyrie's body with a wet towel after.

"Kyrie. Later today, let's make a fire somewhere in the city--"

Just as she spoke.

The words stopped.

Gene's gaze fixed itself to the center of the fountain.

Her immediate thought was the death of physical laws. She'd never seen water rise by itself. This was something else. The laws of physics were still alive. There was gravity as well, neither was there any magnetic abnormalities. The reason for the fountain's water being violently risen was due to something at the bottom of the fountain causing that large rise.

Several large droplets of water hits Gene's naked body.

The Eye Camera made a synthesized sound over and over, a sound that notified of motion detection being made intermittently.

The sound of intense water.

Something was appearing by tearing the water's surface.

It was an irregularly shaped mass of metal that was haphazardly joined together. A gigantic body with a total of nine erected legs. At the center where all the legs meet was a several foot-sized mass spuned around, with a radiant crystal embedded in the center emitting a red glow. Floating in the center of that darkened steel was not a life. It was a bright light, the light of its Eye.

That moment, Gene screamed.

Not out of fear.

It was of her own reproach. It was of her own regret.

"Cyber Zombie...!"

That monstrous shape--

Its body completely rose from the bottom of the fountain's crater.

The disgusting sound of metal being grinded echoed throughout the city, drowning out Gene's voice and screams.

It was a Cyber Zombie. A gigantic one. 

A steel monster that resembled a warped spider without any trace of a human form there. Gene was quick in spotting the Hierogylphs engraved on the plate embedded next to what was assumed to be the head that emitted a bright light.

The written entity's name was Ares.

The name of the God of War from ancient Greek Mythology.

"L"

"Life."

"The Last Life."

"Must eat."

That voice. Those words.

The sound of grinding metal. The sound of the dead life creaks, begrudging those who have survived. Even though it resembled the synthetic sound of an Engine Machine, there was no way that such a mechanized sound would reverberate with an arrogance that curses all hope and prayers.

Even then, Ares did not attack the naked Gene.

That was because Kyrie was already there.

He stood on a large piece of rubble, his modified black cloak fluttering as his left arm held Gene's body while he stares down the monstrous, multi-legged machine that had emerged from the fountain.

"What shamelessness."

Those black eyes glared at the Cyber Zombie, Ares.

His gaze seemed to filled with hostility, determination, and all sorts of things.

--Is he angry? 

--Why is that?

"I won't forgive you. I'll crush and smash you down. You will die, shattered into small pieces."

His tone hasn't shifted at all, either.

What was different from usual was the contents of the words he chose towards the monstrous shape.

"I will kill you."

"No, Kyrie. Let's retreat for now. That's an Araignee."

"I can kill it here. It'll be over quick."

Kyrie spoke without turning to his gaze to Gene.

That same moment, he began a high-speed battle without hesitation through roller dash.

Kyrie's left leg initiated high-speed movement without even moving. The Roller Dash instantly changed and merged with his boot, creating a total of five rollers at the bottom of his left steel leg at the sole of his foot, allowing him to perform Roller Dash with its extremely high-speed rotations. Crushing through the rubble, defying all sorts of tough terrain, he turned into a black gale with an acceleration unmatched by any gurney.

His left arm dug into Gene's naked body as Kyrie tried to avoid her getting hurt by the acceleration's pressure. He had a strong power, but he felt no pain. The only thing he did feel was clinging onto her naked body, his arm feeling more clear than ever.

--This battle. Even though this fight already began...

--What were you thinking? I...

The water droplets that cling to her skin scattered into the air, and in the time it took for each drop to hit the floor, Kyrie had covered more than a hundred feet (around 30 meters), effortlessly dodging the repeated attacks of the Cyber Zombie's multiple legs. There were eight consecutive explosions reminiscent of a pile bunker. All of the explosions rang far away from Kyrie and Gene. They didn't stick. This one, Ares, was clearly slower than Diane. His speed was overwhelmingly greater than his.

His Roller Dash was extremely compatible with slow enemies.

Kyrie was toying with the Zombie, evading the giant mechanical legs being unleashed over and over.

Within seconds, he had reached a considerable distance--

"Wait here."

Upon dropping Gene off in an alleyway with high-rise buildings, he puts his modified cloak over her naked body and says those words. Said words were filled with determination.

"I won't let him see you."

"What are you talking about? This isn't good. You know Araignee's have long-range attack capabilities. Aside from that, its name is Ares."

"..."

There was no response.

He didn't even look at Gene, who was holding onto his right hand and talking to him.

"Listen to me, Kyrie."

"It's alright. I'll kill him. Even if his name is Ares, there's nothing to be worried about."

"What are you saying?"

"It's alright."

"Look at me. Turn to me."

"It's me."

"Kyrie..."

--Why are you doing so much for this?

"I'll kill that thing quickly and bring you some new clothes."

He vanishes, leaving behind only his voice.

Kyrie instantly returned to the site of the crater, making the sound of his high-speed rotation echo which the Eye Camera had rushed into Gene, mistakingly emitting a confused synthesized sound. Pi. Pi. It couldn't keep up with the Roller Dash, but Gene's eyes had better performance in this case. Although she couldn't keep up with grasp all of his movements, she had a good grasp of the trajectory of where he was going.

First, it had lost sight of its target before it moved in Are's line of view where it spuned around.

A pause. A sudden break.

He purposefully stopped before the enemy.

The Cyber Zombie Ares. Because of the distance she was observing, she could make out its structure.

Its total length was about 20 feet (6 meters).

Its height from the ground up to the top of its head was 15 feet (4.5 meters).

Its body, made of darkened steel, was so far removed from a human, resembling that of a spider. It was a monstrous spider, not a natural one that once existed anywhere in the world. She couldn't help but feel its distortedness and twistedness was designed with a malignantly sinister intent. Its eight mechanical legs with its countless spines protruding out seemed to be good for crushing its prey, and the small body that sat at the base of the legs was about 3 feet (0.9 meters) long. In the center of that figure was a head, small in proportion but larger than a human.

Its steel face was a mass of metal with no expression.

It had no ears or nose, but had a habit of opening its mouth. Its array of metal teeth.

In the center was a single, radiant Eye.

As it confronted Kyrie head-on, its eye glowed with a bright cross-shaped light. Gene naturally bit her lip. She saw something she didn't want to see. She knew that Crosslight. 

Gene understood that this was proof that the Zombie was elated in the discovery of its object of killing.

"Cyber Zombie Ares."

Kyrie's voice.

His voice that had no emotion, none that was of unrest or concern.

His voice that was cold just like an Engine Machine's synthesized voice.

"You of the Cursed Names. I will bring an end to you. Your end here."

Standing before the monstrous looking spider, the gigantic metal monster staring down on him, Kyrie showed no sign of faltering as he faced against an abhorrently-twisted figure that reminded him of a "machine-made Araignee". His eyes, even his posture.

He simply extends his left arm out like it were a ritual.

Pointing his palm out towards the oddly-shaped mass.

Saying it briefly--

"Armament."

--With those words.

--His left arm changes into an elongated turret.

Right after his left arm turned itself into a gun barrel, he aimed it at the monster with a loud explosive sound. Intermittently, the two mechanical legs that swung up in response to Kyrie's movement couldn't swing down precisely as they were violently repelled with an explosive sound that shatters any misplaced rubble. Thousands of special bullets fired from Kyrie's left arm had already begun to pierce the monstrous spider at a range of 30 feet (10 meters).

He was the one in complete control. The monster was being overwhelmed.

Explosive sound. Explosive sound. Explosive sound. 

The warped, monstrous spider moved around in a strangely distorted manner everytime the sound was played. The special bullets were fired at a rate of 3,000 rounds per second, but unlike with Diane which were being fired continuously, these were fired in a single batch every half second. This was to imitate a "three-point burst" Gene had read to him from a firearms book.

"If every trigger makes it three shots, you'll get a three-point burst"

"If so, I can make it a 1,500-point burst"

Yes, Gene remembered saying that to him.

Approximately 1,500 shots struck the spider in a single hit. A strike. An attack.

Bullet after bullet repeatedly and accurately struck the spider. Preventing all of Ares actions, he kept his attack without receiving any damage.

The spider swayed, as if it were struck by a giant hammer.

"Life. Must Eat."

A scream from Ares echoes. A voice that shouted. They were facing one another.

Its body was large, and although it was an Araignee they should be wary of, it wasn't a Blinde. A direct hit from the special bullet should definitely have chipped away at the abnormally-shaped body. However, the Cyber Zombie, who had already distorted the laws of physics such as the law of mass to an extent, was too powerful. Even if Kyrie's heavy machine gun could destroy a tank with a volley in 10 seconds, it wasn't able to inflict any damage from a range of 30 feet.

In that case, he just had to get closer.

If he could focus his fire into a single point with a full burst at close range, it could be over in a matter of seconds.

Thus, Kyrie closes the gap while firing intermittently. 

"Life"

--Completely.

--It read your actions.

The moment Kyrie resumed the Roller Dash, Ares' torso opens up, and the sonic weapon, which was built in or currently refined, went into action. Countless machines that closely resembled the speakers of a Music Engine were connected, emitting a mass of deathly sounds alongside minute vibrations.

It was a deep, explosive sound with a high-pitched quirk.

A shock. A direct impact.

A living being would have had their brain and eardrums ruptured. Kyrie was stopped by a sonic blast so powerful even Ares own darkened body was cracked. He had taken a direct hit, and although he didn't die in a single hit, he couldn't start his Roller Dash. He couldn't move. In other words, he was a perfect target for the Cyber Zombie.

An explosive sound.

From his back, Kyrie sunk deeper into the surface of the cracked road. Shortly after, he spat out something black that looked like oil. There was not a voice. Not a voice of agony, a scream, nothing.

"Must eat"

A total of three legs had swung down on the fallen Kyrie.

It likely increased the number due to them not dying in a single mechanical leg. If they didn't die, they would have either swing more down or keep swinging three over and over.

Until he couldn't move. Until he was crushed. Until he was shattered.

Its three mechanical legs, in terms of their mass, were enough to crush Kyrie's body.

That moment, it swung down with an explosive sound similar to a pile bunker.

Then, something struck Ares' head.

It exploded--

It wasn't that big of an explosion. It was very small in comparison to the destruction that occurred between Kyrie and the Cyber Zombie. Even then, the energy brought about by the explosive charge did attract Ares' attention. The bright light searches for the cause of that explosion.

--You don't have to look very far.

--Not like I'm hiding or anything.

"Over here, you monster!"

Gene called out her voice from behind rubble.

The relative distance between them was about 50 feet (15 meters).

In her hand was a small grenade launcher, having taken it out of the bag she kept with her change of clothes. The moment Kyrie stopped and started firing his bursts, she ran out of the alley to the edge of the fountain where she left her clothes.

Its bright Eye captured Gene.

Its whole body turned to face her even as three of its legs stayed upright.

"The Last Life"

"Come here. Who's a good boy--"

That voice. Those words.

She didn't want to continue this to the end.

Did she underestimate the power of the Cyber Zombie?

Was she overconfident in her brief power?

What was it? Or perhaps it was both? Even if it was said that the large Cyber Zombie was slow, that was only if it was Kyrie facing it off. In Gene's case, it naturally came to this.

The girl was easily snatched up by the mechanical spider.

Rather than crushing her instantly, it restrained Gene's whole body with a manipulator that extended from the tip of one of its mechanical legs and held her high. It raised her, no, that wasn't it. Was it planning on checking her out with the Eye on its head?

Gene was unable to move.

The modified cloak did nothing to serve as protection. The force of the active limb that gripped her naked body was too strong. Her arms, legs, hips, and neck could not move.

It was far stronger than Kyrie's left arm from earlier.

Then, there was an unpleasant sound.

"Gu-ough."

Her voice unintentionally came out.

She can feel herself creaking.

She can feel herself being crushed.

If the Zombie ever so wanted to, it could have crushed the endoskeleton before she even had the chance to breathe.

The only reason it didn't was it was interested in her.

Who was this woman that stood before her?

"Let her go."

 --That voice. I hear your voice.

--No. You have to go, Kyrie.

"Run away, Kyrie!"

--It's why I did this.

--Please. Listen to me. 

"I'm fine. Just get out of here."

There was one thing she was worried about.

That her words would vanish before they reach him by the shattering sound of her endoskeleton.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Let her go..."

He shouted. He screamed. He cried.

However, his left arm was stuck deep in the road, unable to be moved.

"Get...your hand...off of her. Ares...!"

His mechanical left arm was on the brink of breaking down, unable to move.

He swore to protect her.

She was the last one.

He said that he would protect her, that he swore to continue being a machine for that purpose.

Why could it not move? He tried to move his elbow joint. Repair the neural circuits. Shutting off his train of thoughts. Wear armor. Mutate. He had to become stronger. Right now, he couldn't cower just because he was buried in asphalt. He wanted to move. Move, move, move, move!

Kyrie shouted.

Half of it had become mechanical, no longer was it easy for him to scream words out. 

He endured the feeling of his thought process on the verge of burning out and just screamed. He let out his voice, and kept going at it.

He shouted. He screamed. He cried out.

Not to the Cyber Zombie.

Not to the girl who was smiling sadly and telling him to go.

Not even to himself.

It was to something that ended the World.

It was to something that changed him.

It was to something that erected countless Pillars on the planet.

"Are you still watching now?"

Then.

That something was possibly laughing.

"You said you would give me power."

Then.

Every time, it would offer something that gave him a mutation.

"If so...!"

He shouted. He cried--

Then, he saw it on the edge of his sight.

As if it was there all this time.

It was truly there at the edge of Kyrie's sight. There was nothing like that up until that point.

As though it was asking him to pick it up.

As though it was whispering to him that it was necessary.

As though it was inviting him on to take it.

--Tick Tock. "Eat it," it said.

--Tick Tock. "It's delicious," it said.

It was a black, half-foot (15-centimeter) clock hand. 

His consciousness was getting blurry. His free will was being taken away. That way, he wouldn't back out.

Kyrie extended his free right, about to touch the clock.

"Wait...!"

A voice. The girl's word.

Just as his consciousness was about to go away, Kyrie regained it. He heard a voice. The girl, Gene, was still alive. Just that alone was enough to give him strength. 

"No. You can't take that in your hands...you mustn't..."

That faint voice. That beautiful voice. It was hard to hear, but the manipulator of that disgusting Cyber Zombie was trying to crush the girl's body with all its might.

A creaking sound.

A crushing sound.

"You..."

The girl continued to speak.

Not trying to succumb to the Zombie's depravity, the girl raised her voice.

"It wouldn't be you...!
That thing...wouldn't be you...that's why..."

Those clear, gray eyes looked at him. Just that alone gave him strength.

He had to help her. He couldn't let her die. Absolutely.

Kyrie acknowledge the situation, his sight capturing the girl and the Zombie with his dark eyes.

Gene was caught in the monstrous spider's leg. Gene's head was about to be crushed by Ares misshapen jaws and metal teeth even as she spoke and looking right at him.

Even then, the girl was not shaken.

Perhaps she was trying to assure Kyrie that she was fine in a gentle way. Even putting on something of a smile.

"I'm fine. You don't have to put everything in your hands."

"No." Not way...without her...

"I like you the way you are now."

"No." Not this. Not just with one person...

"Kyrie."

"No. No--!"

That moment, Kyrie cried out.

Forcibly moving only his shoulders and upper body, his left arm, on the verge of breaking and no longer working, tore itself out of the ground where it was partially buried, and while the sound of it crushing and creaking resonated, it instantly changed form into a laser beam device. There was no gunport for him. No time for him to aim.

--The Shaikorth's power is too great. 

--If I shoot it at the Cyber Zombie, Gene will die with it.

Even without holding it, Kyrie emitted a flash of light. A flash. Cuts diagonally.

Not to the Cyber Zombie.

Not to Gene.

It was at the crumbling high-rise building behind them.

"H--"

The monstrous shape turns around.

It purposefully stopped its moment to bite Gene's head off to look at the remains of the high-rise building that Kyrie had cut off, as though it was asking if he was an idiot, but--

"Huh?"

It stopped for two seconds.

Perhaps it was shorter?

Who knows. Perhaps it was long enough for the sound to reach it.

In any case, he had all the knowledge he needed. With his left chrome hand and the Roller Dash fully active on his left leg, Kyrie shattered Ares manipulator. And in his right hand, his still living part, he took hold of the girl's body, hugging her into him.

"She's not yours."

There was another Roller Dash.

Kyrie had vanished with the girl, leaving behind only his voice.

Right after that, a shadow covered Ares' body.

Cut by the laser, a gigantic ruinous mass hundreds of feet long of a skyscraper collapses, crushing the monstrous steel spider.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Cyber Zombies are not subject to certain laws of physics.

Overwhelming mass?

Physical energy?

What happened to them? What happened to the meaning of laws that governed this world and planet? None. There was none of it. There was no meaning to them in anything.

There was no meaning.

They were the words spoken by Something that all Cyber Zombies revered.

They were the proposition common to all Cyber Zombies.

That was why they, the Cyber Zombies, were granted a great blessing.

The Zombie engraved with the name of Ares also recognized this. Despite having died once, their life as a human was now gone. They had no thoughts that could resemble any of it. Instead, the thought process that had arisen with their mutation vaguely forced Ares to recall them as such.

We are invincible.

We are the vanguard.

We are the devourers of life.

The Cyber Zombie's armor made them impervious to all attacks. The only thing that could pierce through a Cyber Zombie was a non-physical action. That is to say, a power that could distort all matter and phenomenon, and yet there was none who could do it. If there was someone who could, it would perhaps have to be God, for example.

But there was no God in this world.

At least, there was no God on the planet who answered prayers of salvation.

That was why the Cyber Zombies attacked the survivors for a short while.

That same was said for the Cyber Zombie Ares.

Mass equals velocity squared. Even with the huge ruinous mass, the top half of the high-rise building that was cut diagonally by the Shaikorth's beaming that came with the kinetic energy with its fall, it was impossible for its machine body to be shattered. Other than the scaffolding being shakened and staggered, there was no concrete damage.

That was the blessing.

Far away at the reaches of darkness, they were protected by Something that was smiling by the Throne in the center of the ultimate abyss.

The World has ended, and only the Cyber Zombies were there.

Easily cutting through the hard rubble like melting butter with a hot knife, Ares mutated its neck so that it was long enough to stick its head out. They had received the blessing. They were protected. In that case, they had to live up to their expectations. They can only obey the command of their Lord.

Even if there was no God on the planet. Even if the Something Ares believed in had longed stopped paying attention to the planet and abandoned the world.

That's why when all life in its territory and city has been eradicated, the Cyber Zombie will rapidly decay.

Even if it creaks, cracks, or shatters, it will accept the commandment once given to them. Like a moving zombie, it will still carry it out. That was it. That was enough.

So where. Where. Where was it?

Where was the last Human?

The Last One.

The only good remains of those Zombies.

The beautiful, fresh thing that was no suitable for the end of the world.

"Where?"

When it rotated its bright eye, it saw it. That woman.

That pure white skin.

That soft body.

Those breasts and buttocks that depicted those fresh curves. 

The girl herself...

Had they been alive, they would have lusted over that smooth, naked body.

However, their body was now Ares. They are a Zombie, a Vanguard for God, a Machine. They were a thing that just destroy, devour, damage, and kill things.

That's right--

Since this will be the last time, it might as well have a good time by imitating a human.

One where the naked woman's limbs would flutter as her womb is being penetrated.

They didn't remember much, but they were sure to have enjoyed it when they were alive.

It was a strange tale, one where the naked woman would die if their core was destroyed, and yet it couldn't believe that such people would like it. And to think that they were such ferocious person.

Ares had by then already lost all their memories of sexual love and passion, even that of their imagination.

They just think--

What cruel human beings.

No different from that of a Cyber Zombie.

And--

Pi. It heard the sound of some sort of machine.

It was the synthesized sound of an Autofocus going off from somewhere.

"Where"

"Look here."

That voice. Where...from above?

A bright light came into view.

Something glassy had reflected off of its own Eye.

Just three inches (ten centimeters) in front it was a laser beaming lens that could kill even the Zombie.

"Cyber Zombie Ares. You are defeated."

A voice. A flash of light.

It was a light that filled the distorted sight. A white light.

A pure, white Cracking light. The only thing that could distort matter and phenomenon shatters the eternal blessing.

Even easier than a hot knife through butter, the extremely high-power thermal energy shatters the steel Cyber Zombie. It scattered, vaporized into very small pieces.

And--

What once was a human, has fallen into the sleep of death once more.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

--You have to be careful where you sleep.

--Sleeping is an act of defenselessness. No better than being naked.

In urban areas like this, they couldn't stay indoors for too long.

That was a common thing for the two of them.

Almost all of the buildings had either collapsed or on the verge of doing, and there was no telling when all of them will completely collapse. Were they to reside in a smaller, preferably a single-story home, it would have been nice to spend time indoors. But as they are in a city filled with large, high-rise buildings, they had to avoid it as much as possible. 

A fire was lit on the street at night. A campfire.

So long as it didn't rain, contaminated by the death of physical laws, it was fine.

It was so icy cold that their breaths turned white.

In any case, they didn't feel the cold.

"Come warm yourself by the fire."

"I'm fine. I'm just hoping you won't be cold."

"I'm alright. Come on. Come closer."

She beckons him to come.

There was no response.

The only sound made was the crackling sound of dead wood and the burning of solid fuel covered with newspaper.

Making a bonfire wasn't easy, either. Although it was easy enough to start a campfire using only solid fuel, which was readily available in abundance from the remains of household goods stores, it would have been preferable for them to make a bigger one if it were possible. They folded up any trees along the way that had some good flammable parts, and collected weathered newspapers that were stuck in the basket of bicycles on their way to distribution.

Crackle crackle. The sound of burning fire.

It wasn't much, but it was warm.

Gene didn't really like moments where there was no talking.

She figured she could distract herself from the thought if she talks to the Eye Camera by disabling its floating function, but she didn't want to do that now. She wanted to talk to him.

"You've been acting a little strange lately, Kyrie. Tell me what's up."

"Yes."

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Yes."

"You're not going to be making a joke about having enough fuel for the power reactor tonight, are you?"

"Yes."

"...Kyrie. If there's something wrong, please let me know."

"It's my problem. It has nothing to do with you."

--What? The way he spoke...

--It's just like a boy in their rebellious phase.

"I don't think it's anything unrelated to me, is there?"

"No."

Little by little. Shortly...

He didn't even turn his gaze to her.

Yes. His gaze. After defeating the Cyber Zombie Ares, they lit a fire to set up camp. Kyrie had refused to look at her that whole time, averting his gaze. Even when she tried to make eye contact, he would turn away from her every time.

She tried getting his attention several times but with no response.

"...You don't think I would notice?"

"About what?"

"That you haven't looked at me for a while. Not even talking to me properly."

"That's normal."

"Lie."

"I'm not lying."

He lied unhesitantly.

Since when was he was able to lie without making any shift in expressions?

There wasn't any reason to blame him for it. The mutations was why he had lost most of his facial expressions. A mutation that gradually turned his body into a machine that turns into an irregular shape.

That's what the clock hand did.

Each time he incorporates such a thing, the number of machine parts increases. 

"I won't be mad. Just tell me."

"..."

"Kyrie."

"..."

"You keep playing pranks with a girl like that, and they might start crying."

"...That would be troublesome."

That was a long rebellion.

He exhaled a little, a whitish-gray breath mixed with the exhaust of smoke, and awkwardly turns to her.

His gaze. It didn't look at her at first. Like he was trying to drop it to the ground, but slowly turned his gaze when he saw Gene staring at him in silence, as if he had comes to terms with this. The two gazes intersected.

"Thank you. I got to finally look at you."

"You didn't have to look..."

"I don't mind it."

"My eyes have been getting cloudy. One is like glass, and the white part of my other eye has a strange color," He said, blinking a few times. "Just you looking at me like this feels a little embarrassing."

"You have beautiful eyes. More than anyone else's."

"You're more beautiful. The only beautiful thing to me."

"...uhm."

--Just be honest. Yes, nothing else.

--There's nothing between us. Be aware of that.

Gene told herself this while clearing her throat.

The campfire's flames flickered, though it wasn't enough for it to die out.

"Then let me ask a question. Why did you do it like this?"

"Because it's my responsibility."

"And what would that be?"

"Ares. It's because of me that I put you in danger. The pollution...the death of physical laws have yet to come here, because the city is so large for it to yet reach our location. I thought about it, and I let my guard down."

He wasn't one to talk this much usually, but he spoke of it pretty swiftly. 

"So am I. I also let my guard down there."

"No, it wasn't. The Cyber Zombie in this city hadn't died yet. I made the wrong decision in that fight. I shouldn't have stopped it. I should have paid attention."

"...It was my mistake, Kyrie."

In every town and city, there was always a single Cyber Zombie.

It was impossible for there to not be in them.

And then, once the the pollution of the Cyber Zombie dies again...

The laws of physics perish, becoming distorted and turning into a whirlpool of pollution.

"It's been so long since we came into a ruin with so many things to do, so I had fun."

"So did I."

"...That goes for the both of us. We let our guard down, and that isn't a good thing."

"That's fine."

"Yes. Next time, let's be more careful. That will be this tale's end."

"Yes."

"Now onto the next one.  Show me your body."

She smiled gently.

She spoke softly. 

She never let him notice it. She had always done this, and will continue to do it. She doesn't know how many times she tried to get him to stop due to not wanting to see him get hurt. Every time she would shed tears, she could feel him grow stubborn and never let go of that feeling.

By talking to him patiently, she would be able to get Kyrie to relent, but he would never give in.

He just was the kind to never prioritize his own safety over hers.

So she simply did this.

To smile kindly to him.

She had to give him the impression that she wouldn't stop him from fighting.

"It's not bad. I'll be alright."

"No. We need to do daily maintenance." 

That was the reason he didn't get the flickering flames, the light.

He didn't want her to see his broken left arm.

He didn't want her to see left leg he used for the Roller Dash.

There was also a creaking sound in the upper part of the body once buried in the paved road.

Everything. Gene knew all of it. She could tell that he was hurting.

"It's alright. I'm sure it can be repaired by itself anyway."

"Please...let me?"

--He tilted his head as I smiled at him.

--You like being treated like this huh, Krie?

"...If you say so."

Good. Then why don't you over here, closer?"

"..."

The severity of the damage could be seen upo closer look.

Kyrie's flesh body.

Kyrie's machine body.

Despite calling it maintenance, all Gene could do was inspect and maintain the body. At most, .living bodes were only connected to bone. Several times, she had to perform surgery to remove the pieces of metal lodging out of the flesh, but she would have preferred not doing it again. She didn't want to cause him pain again. If the situation were to arise again, she wouldn't want to do it.

"The cable seems to have been cu in quite deep."

His left arm, in particular, was pretty bad.

She inspected not only the machine body parts, but also those of the fles.

She connected the broken cables, handled the tools vividly like a surgeon operating on a patient. Machine handling was a field where she was particularly good at. From the bottom of her heart did Gene felt she could have studied medicine the same way.

But there was nothing that could be done about it.

For now, she had to give her thanks to the one who taught her to manage just the body.

"You feel any pain?"

"No."

"That's good."

She checks closely while next to the fire.

Kyrie had a tall body, with broad shoulders and a wide back. 

Were there any other places that were mechanized?

His left arm, upper torso, and left leg were now completely mechanized. Even though they were called machine, its exact structure and design style were unknown. Although she figured it was a technology of a different type from the so-called Engine Machine or a type of High Machine, Gene's knowledge on it made it difficult to say it was "a machine not of the civilization of the previous world". She just couldn't tell if it was advanced or unrealistic.

An incomprehensible machine.

An unknown machine.

It was strange and delicate, yet it was far stronger than anything living thing despite looking as delicate as one, able to produce amazing physical strength and functions.

These machine parts could be mutated and irregularly-shaped.

Only then would Kyrie be able to confront the Cyber Zombies.

So what could it mean?

"I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, but don't over do it."

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Indeed."

She placed his removed head on her knees.

Gene spoke to Kyrie.

A girl placing a man's head on her lap, with various cables connecting their head to their torso, whispering softly to them while she smiled as though she was relaxed. Such a horrific and bizarre scene was captured by the Eye Camera, but she didn't care. It didn't bother her. This was one of those peaceful moments to do stuff like this, at least for Gene.

Perhaps it was the same for him.

--That's what your eyes are telling me.

--Besides, doing this would get you talkative.

"I'm glad my head hasn't mutated into a machine."

"Why's that?"

"Most of it has become chrome, so it'd be heavy for you."

"Yes."

"If my head turned into that, I wouldn't be able to sleep on your lap like this."

"...That's right. I think it would be a shame if it happened."

She nodded and whispered.

Without him noticing, she takes a hold of his right hand. A living part of which he usually never lets her touch.

It was different from her removing his head. Since he didn't move much, he didn't have much to complain with what Gene wanted to do. Even if he did want to say something, it would only amount to complaining.

Just for now.

Everything about him was in Gene's freedom. All of it.

"You can rest, Kyrie. I'll finish up the maintenance in the meantime."

"Yes."

"Good night."

While looking at his face...

She smiled slightly while holding onto his right hand.

--I like touching his flesh.

--It's warm.

--It makes me feel like I'm not alone in this World.

--Doing this, I don't have to listen to the creaking sound of his soul.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Years ago.

In a lively Engine City of City C.

One of the things he looked forward to was going to the department store with his mom.

He was a little kid who liked a lot of things and do a lot of things.

Fun things like playing with his friends, drawing pictures, day-dreaming about this and that, eating delicious food, talking to a silver ghost no one can see, having his dad taking him to the amusement park, being with his mom and going to the department store with her...

And there was his favorite things like his friends, trying out a new Engine-powered game, toys, pictures, sweets, the food his mom makes, his teacher, his mom and dad, his imaginary friends, the public tour, the amusement park, the department store...

He had lots of fun.

He liked a lot of things.

Among other things, he went out with his mother, looking for new toys at the toy section in the department store, had funs with kids he saw for the first time, ate fish&chips with his hands that got all sticky. He also loved playing on the rides in the small rooftop amusement park-like place. Even loved to hold hands with his mother while walking.

It was his once a month thing.

Today, he had taken a picture with his mother through a seal-engraved camera, which the young lady in navy blue uniform had print out for them as "Mother and Me."

He had fun in the toy store, buying this and that.

"You promised we'll go to a real amusement park with father, yes?"

"Yes, yes. That I did."

"It's awkward of you to say that, Arthur."

"But father told me earlier."

"Well, you don't want to be like someone who looks at things weirdly, do you?"

"But does mother like me?"

"...Yes. Of course. You are my lovely Arthur."

That's when the mother laughed.

That's when the little boy saw That.

A gigantic Pillar that stood out in the distance.

He watched as countless high-rise buildings collapsed one after another.

The young lady in the navy blue uniform tried to evacuate the people in the department store while saying complex words, but halfway through, she lost her voice and started crying.

A lot of people were screaming and pushing each other, trying to escape to somewhere.

He watched as his mother hugged him while trembling, telling him that it was going to be okay.

He watched as something gigantic walks through some high-rise buildings and destroy some cool tanks.

And--

Green flames suddenly shattered the department, erupting all over the place.

He watched as it engulfed his beloved mother--