by Yuu Kamiya
“Ah—That’s right! What ended up happening to my apartment?”
“If you are referring to your place of residence, Master,” RyuZU answered his words by turning her gaze. In the direction she was looking, red smoke could be seen climbing up as it appeared to dissolve into the dark night.
“That smoke... Could that be coming from the apartment I lived in?”
“Yes. As the collapse of the building caused a fire and a cave-in, I evacuated to this park with you.”
If Naoto strained his ears, he could hear the siren of a firetruck mixed within the noises of the city.
It seemed like this was a park several blocks away from the apartment building. As he composed himself and confirmed his surroundings, he realized that he had seen this scenery before.
“...Heheh, goodbye, dear home... At last, I’ve become homeless as well.” Naoto thought back nostalgically upon his apartment which had gone from as good as ruins to actual ruins at long last.
“And it’s not like I have any money, either. What should I do from now on...”
“Regarding that,” RyuZU addressed Naoto in a serene voice. “Before your residence completely collapsed, I retrieved some clothes and a few valuables, Master.”
“Whatchu say?!”
When he heard that, Naoto looked and found various belongings of his on the table of the rest area.
“Ooh, my wallet and passbook and seal! And my headphones!” He put his beloved headphones back on straight away.
In addition, his school uniform, school satchel, sneakers, and his portable tools were also neatly lined up. Seeing the paltry fortune that he thought had been lost along with the apartment building, Naoto let out a cheer.
“Also, pardon me, but I took the liberty of looking at your passbook—Master’s name is Naoto Miura—Is this correct?”
“Huh?” When she asked that, Naoto realized he hadn’t told her his name. “Ahh... yeah. That’s right.”
“—Then,” RyuZU bowed her head reverently while still sitting on her heels. “Let me begin by deeply thanking you for repairing me. Furthermore, although it occurred while I was unconscious, I deeply apologize for having destroyed your residence, Master Naoto. The one responsible for this should surely bury their head into the ground in apology, but for the time being, I will—”
Naoto lost himself in wonder as he listened to RyuZU’s apology, which was refined and old-fashioned, but also had a poisonous tinge to it.
Her specs, which had been demonstrated the moment he finished repairing her, were tremendous.
Her judgment that allowed her to grasp the situation around her immediately upon starting up. Her mobility that allowed her to escape with Naoto in an instant before the building collapsed. Furthermore, the consideration to retrieve what belongings she could from the building right before it collapsed entirely while Naoto had been unconscious.
And on top of all that—this fluent apology of hers.
“There’s nothing to apologize about.” Naoto shook his head. “Rather, I’ve gone past merely being shocked at your abilities to even being deeply moved by them, RyuZU.”
“Hearing that pleases me above all else. In that case, may I have permission to formally register you as my Master and accompany you as your servant, Master Naoto?” RyuZU extended her hand towards him.
Master Confirmation. The contract binding master and servant.
“Eh...?” Feeling an abrupt sense of mysterious discomfort, Naoto hesitated. “No, that’s a bit...”
RyuZU tilted her head slightly to one side, looking perplexed.
“Let me see, could becoming my Master possibly inconvenience you in some way? Considering how perfect and overly capable I am, would it hurt your tiny, mitochondria-sized pride if I were to serve you?”
—Naoto had wondered about RyuZU’s tone of voice since she’d started up.
She has a wicked tongue that knows no restraint—yet, perplexingly, why doesn’t it irritate me?
Shaking his head to dispel his thoughts which had become tangential, Naoto answered, “No, that’s not it. RyuZU, you’re an amaaazing automaton, you know?”
“Yes, I know. And?”
“To have such a large number of parts crammed into such a small size, you’re a work of art in terms of both form and function.”
“Yes, I am relieved to see that Master Naoto has more of an aesthetic eye than empty sockets.”
“Even among the latest models, there’s no automaton more charming and perfect than you, RyuZU!”
“Yes, naturally. I do not know what caliber the latest automata are, but if humanity could create ones that even reached my feet, I would not have slept for as long as 206 years.” RyuZU replied immediately, brimming with confidence.
Her words shocked Naoto, causing him to shout, “Two hundred and six years?! —Just when were you created then, RyuZU?!”
“About a thousand years ago. Is there something strange about that?”
“A thou—?!”
About a thousand years ago. In other words—an automaton manufactured when the Earth was converted into gears.
...This is it?
It’s this perfect automaton, which seemed like the very embodiment of the word “ultimate”?
—Right, why didn’t I find it strange to begin with?
What is “this” that even the latest automaton models couldn’t compare with?
“RyuZU... just what are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I mean, come on! One, you fell from the sky! Two, you’re super cute! You clearly give off the vibe that you’re technology from the future!”
“What about it?”
“Well, it’s just... Anyway, I’m just a high school student, you know?”
“Is that so? Given that you were able to repair me, Master Naoto, I believe that you should be the human with the most outstanding technical ability on this Earth. Am I wrong?”
“Nononono! There’s no way that’s true! I’m just a high school student. If anything, I’m a loser in life. If you had to, you could say I’m a non-normie.”
“—In that case, why did you start me up?” RyuZU inquired, looking perplexed.
“That’s because....”
All of a sudden, Naoto realized.
...Why?
It was just as RyuZU said. What had he intended to do by fixing this automaton?
Naoto turned to face RyuZU anew.
—An antique doll supposedly made a thousand years ago.
I see. This doll is so adorable, pretty, and perfect that one would hesitate to touch her. ...Even so, isn’t she too perfect?
The functions she’d shown immediately upon start-up exceeded those of a military model, and both her speech and expression just now were astoundingly natural. Though even current automata could pull off everyday conversation and emotional expression, they would always leave behind a sense of artificiality, no matter how advanced they were.
In contrast, RyuZU felt so human that she even gave one the illusion that she really was alive.
Even if one ignored the fact that she had been made a thousand years ago, there was no way an automaton with such high specs could have been made by a private individual, and for a commercial-use, maid-type model made by an enterprise... her functionalities were too advanced.
“Then, was it the military?”
She didn’t look like a mass-produced product, so was she a secret prototype of a new, weapon-grade model?
...Nono, there’s no way.
Even if she were a new model of military-use automaton, there was neither meaning nor an explanation for her form being that of a teenage girl.
It might not be technically impossible, but if the developer were to announce such a beautiful girl as the new weapon, their necks would undoubtedly fly off before they could even finish. The more Naoto thought about it, the more lost he became.
Who manufactured this automaton? Where did he come from, and for just what purpose had
he done so?
—Wasn’t she made with an extraordinary purpose in mind?
—Isn’t there something preposterous right behind my back?
Considering those points, no matter what a transcendentally cute automaton with flawless finesse she was, to casually bind her in a contract of master and servant from the heat of the moment would be—wrong.
“—Is, that so...” Perhaps RyuZU guessed Naoto’s thoughts from his expression, for she quietly lowered her extended hand. Her elegant, composed, and gently smiling expression hid a tinge—really, just a tinge—of emotion. That made her feelings all the more apparent.
“I see that I am... unnecessary.” Her words were those of sorrowful lament spawning from the gloom and loneliness she felt upon realizing no one needed her.
In that instant—a gigantic balance scale popped up inside Naoto’s head.
On one side sat this supreme automaton, and on the other, the yet-unknown dangers that would surely assail him.
Is my mind telling me to weigh these two things against each other?
...Fine, why not.
In his mind, Naoto laughed daringly as he first placed RyuZU on the left plate.
As soon as he placed her onto the plate, the scale broke, splitting with a twang as the plate with RyuZU on it continued downward, cracking the table right open and digging a crater into the floor before exploding, smashing Naoto’s reason and hesitation and various other important parts of his consciousness into smithereens.
“I’m so sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy I super-want youuuuuuuuu—!!!” Naoto prostrated himself impetuously at a speed approaching that of light.
Curling his body into a half-circle as he threw his four limbs and his head onto the ground, he spit out his true thoughts. “I was acting tough! At this point, I don’t have even the slightest intention of letting you go! I don’t care what happens anymore, so please take care of me forever!”
As he yelled, fully prostrated, he thrust both his fists into the air with astonishing force while keeping his elbows on the ground.
Right, these are my true thoughts, my true feelings. Who can blame me? What kind of idiot would pass up such a delicious “treasure”? Manufacturer? Original owner? Her true identity? As if I care about any of that! Regardless of whether what’s behind her is the military or an enterprise—if I can get hold of RyuZU, then that’s the be all end all. That’s an absolute fact!
“—In that case, allow me to borrow your right hand. Also, if possible, could I have you stand up?”
Naoto sprung up like a spring and promptly extended his right hand forward.
RyuZU wrapped his palm with both of hers, upon which she said, “Well then, excuse me—nom.”
She took his ring finger from its tip to its base snugly into her mouth. Naoto felt a chill run down his spine as he inadvertently let out a moan.
RyuZU’s hot and tender tongue was vivaciously twirling about inside her mouth. As if trying to explore Naoto’s ring finger, her wet tongue assiduously licked and licked it, twining around and kneading it. The lubricant excreted from the soft and supple material sloshed around, making foaming sounds.
My finger is going to dissolve.
Naoto experienced the false impression that, at the rate things were going, his ring finger would be completely sucked into nothingness from its tip by RyuZU. He felt a murky sense of guilt and indescribable pleasure at this immoral situation of making the girl, who was as beautiful as an angel, put his finger into her mouth.
Just as Naoto was about to lose his marbles from the sensation that burned his brain...
—He heard the sound of an immeasurable amount of gears turning in unison from within RyuZU.
“Ngh—Ahh...”
It seemed like that was the proof that the confirmation was complete. RyuZU discreetly separated her mouth from Naoto’s finger.
With his mind burned white, Naoto felt RyuZU’s cheek with the palm of his emancipated hand. What pushed back against his hand felt warm and soft.
With glistening eyes, RyuZU nestled her cheek against his hand as she sighed passionately before swearing, “—The First of the Initial-Y Series—RyuZU, Your Slave, swears to accompany Master Naoto, devoting absolute submission and loyalty to him as his servant until the very moment her gears break down and cease turning.”
RyuZU had put into words a proclamation that, far from just a simple Master Confirmation, carried sacredness akin to that of a wedding vow.
●
“Wai—I’m already... eeek, eeek...”
Beneath the invigorating morning sun piercing through a clear, dazzling-blue sky...
Naoto clung onto the guardrails of Kamo-oohashi Bridge as he gasped excruciatingly, his breath in complete disorder.
“I, I can’t... Miss, RyuZU, I really can’t... Help me.”
“Master Naoto, to breathe so hard from such a trivial exercise, I am surprised that you have been able to survive up to now with that feeble body of yours.”
“...After such a thing happened yesterday, hahh, without nearly any sleep or a proper meal, eek... making me, run to school... To call me feeble, well said...”
“I am honored to receive your compliment.”
RyuZU briskly turned aside Naoto’s sarcasm born from his desperation.
About an hour away on foot from where Naoto’s apartment was, if one traced the Kamogawa River upstream, there was a school building in the back of “Kamogawa Delta,” the confluence of the Takanogawa and Kamogawa Rivers.
That was Tadasunomori High School, the public school Naoto attended that was run by the local ward.
“Though I may look like this, I’m actually a recipient of the perfect attendance award, you know.” When Naoto told RyuZU that, he ended up being forced to run, practically being dragged all the way here.
However, looking at his watch, it was still only 7:12—There was still plenty of time before class started.
His eyes becoming teary in light of this fact, Naoto addressed RyuZU. “To begin with, I literally lost my home, you know... Shouldn’t I be more concerned with things like where I’m going to sleep and how I’m going to eat today than going to school?”
“Master Naoto, please rest assured: regarding that matter, I will make the proper arrangements while you are attending school. Whatever reason there may be, I would not have any face left to save if you were to fail to receive the perfect attendance award because of me.”
Naoto looked up at RyuZU with an eye half-closed.
“What about the matter regarding your master dying from sleep deprivation and overwork as the result of that?”
“I would be unable to take responsibility for that, as that would be due to Master Naoto’s infirmity and feebleness, a result born of your neglect of your own health that took place before I came to serve you.”
“Yeah, well, that may be true, but...”
“Frankly, it would be none of my concern.”
“That really is frank!” Her words, which were all too abusive, made Naoto burst into laughter.
RyuZU couldn’t help but spew venom every time she opened her mouth, but it wasn’t really unpleasant. Naoto couldn’t feel any malicious intent in her words.
—By no means should I have awakened to a new fetish, Naoto told himself.
“...Master Naoto?”
“Ahh, sorry, sorry. By the way, you said you’d make arrangements, but what exactly do you plan to do? I only have enough for this month’s food expenses in my bank account...”
“I was not depending on your resourcefulness to begin with, so worry not. If it is simply provisional lodgings and living expenses, I can procure those on my own,” RyuZU answered with an unconcerned look.
Naoto made a dissatisfied-looking face at those words. “By that, do you mean that you’re going to get a part-time job, RyuZU? I don’t know about that...”
“You say the strangest things, Master Naoto. Please use common sense. Money is not something one gains by working.”
/> “...That’s the first time I’ve ever heard of such outlandish common sense.”
“In the first place, I belong to Master Naoto. Even if only temporarily, for me to be used by some bastard scum who knows not even his own father would be both logically and physically impossible.”
“——”
...Could this be a so-called “tsundere”?
Catching himself inadvertently slackening his mouth, Naoto returned to the topic at hand in a fluster.
“In the end, what do you plan to do then...?”
“Master Naoto, please stop worrying about each and every one of such trivial matters. Even if you are hopelessly ruined at the moment, those who are elite should always maintain composure.”
“I don’t remember becoming anything like an elite... but well, fine.” Naoto sighed before continuing, “Well, it’s true that the three hours it took me to repair you yesterday used up all of my willpower and stamina and left me completely exhausted... If you’re willing to take care of things for me, that couldn’t be more welco—Hey, is something wrong?”
Naoto lifted his face upward, upon which he saw RyuZU making a stiff face with her eyes wide open.
She spent a full five seconds like that, after which she said, “......Excuse me. Just a moment ago, I checked over twenty million times whether I had misheard Master Naoto’s words.”
“Uh, did I say something strange?”
“You said that you repaired me in three hours.”
“Yeah, I did. What about it?”
“...May I ask you a question?”
“Oh, sure. Ask me anything,” Naoto answered with a smile.
With an elegant gesture, RyuZU placed one hand on her chest. “Question: How many gears am I composed of altogether?”
“Ummm... 4,207,600,008,643 gears, I think?”