by Kamiya Yuu
He paused,
“I’ll make them pay for what they owe–that’s just it, Princess.”
Naoto gingerly used some formal language, and Houko tilted her head slightly.
“Pay…is that so?”
“Hmm…well, I don’t really know how to explain…”
Naoto tapped his forehead, saying,
“It’s weird to enter a restaurant and eat without paying, right? If you can’t pay, don’t order it! Don’t you feel that’s the case?”
“…So you mean that if you buy it, you should pay, is that it?”
“Yeah yeah yeah, that’s right. That’s the kind of feeling.”
Naoto showed an earnest smile as he said that.
Houko nodded, and answered,
“Thank you for your answer. Now for the second question–with a talent like yours, if you want to simply wipe out Akihabara, would you not have done so a long time ago?”
“Eh–?”
Upon hearing Houko’s words, Naoto widened his eyes.
“Since your aim is to get rid of that weapon, it should be faster for you to simply get rid of the whole of Akihabara discreetly. There is no need for this risk, and it will be simpler for you, no?”
“Eh–” Naoto pondered with a perturbed look.
“But I heard that it will get the whole of Tokyo involved…right?”
“Yes. As you have said, Mr Naoto, once Akihabara is gone, the whole capital will collapse, merely a matter of time–but, what about it?”
The straightforward words caused Naoto to be dumbfounded.
Houko gave a stern look, continuing,
“As far as I can tell, you appear to be someone unscrupulous, but you chose not to use the most effective method for your aim–why is that?”
However, Naoto appeared to be really bewildered as he tilted his head, answering,
“…Eh, other than those related to that weapon, it has ‘nothing to do’ with the rest, right?”
“–”
I see, Houko understood.
I said to make them pay the price.
In other words, that excluded the ones who did not have to pay.
But that also meant that he would not hesitant in paying the price.
Thus, he understood very well. At this point, he had no reason to kill anyone.
It was not simply because he respected the value of a human life.
And not that he considered that it would affect Japan.
He merely wanted payback for those who hurt those dear to him. He was mentally prepared to pay all the price for that.
That alone–was all.
I see, Houko thought.
–If I want to become his friend, there is nobody more trustworthy than him.
–But if I want to be enemies against him, I have to be mentally prepared to bear the risk of sinking with the country.
Houko smiled, and nodded.
“I understand now. I suppose you are really someone who cannot be trusted, Mr Naoto.”
“Ehhh!? You decided that based on what I said!? Did I say something strange!?”
Yes, he could not be trusted.
As long as that boy felt that it was the necessary ‘price’, he probably would sink tokyo without hesitation.
At the very least, he had the ability and will to do such a thing.
It was extremely risky to leave such a person unrestrained–but…
With a smile on her face, Houko noted heartily,
“However–I do understand very well why Marie trusts you.”
“–Huh!?”
“Wai, what are you saying, Houko!?”
Naoto was dumbfounded, and Houko’s close friend–Marie, yelled in a panic.
Houko ignored Marie’s yell, and with a firm belief, she said,
“You are a ‘fair’ person.”
Or, Houko thought,
–Perhaps this boy was very greedy, self-centered.
But at the same time, extremely ‘fair’. Houko believed.
He disagreed with the idea of ‘unfair’, and did not allow for injustice.
He would never think of desiring something, and not paying for it.
This boy would demand this from everyone, including himself, to pay for whatever he wants.
It was likely the idea of ‘unfair’, to earn without paying for it never did cross his mind.
If there was something he wanted, no matter what it was, no matter how, he would pay the price.
Simply put, it was whether he could ‘accept it’, or not.
By comparing it to his desires, if he could ‘accept’, he would pay the price without hesitation.
He was probably this kind of a person.
No matter whether it was his own life–or others.
And because of this–Houko thought.
I should not get involved with this boy and my close friend.
No matter the personal reasons, ‘Houko’ as to the public would certainly be thinking in her mind on how to manipulate them.
If not–if Houko wanted to abide by her ‘fairness’.
Though his power was certainly alluring…
Suddenly, the automata–RyuZU said,
“…To be honest, I am truly amazed. I never did dream that someone amongst humanity, other than Master Naoto, would not be so blind.”
Upon hearing those impudent words that did not sound like praise in any means, Houko giggled,
“Why thank you, I am honored that the Great ‘Y’s masterpiece said this. It appears that I do have some value after all.”
RyuZU continued,
“Master Houko…I suppose? May I say a few words?”
“Certainly, what is it?”
“Please allow me to advise you–I suppose you should choose your friends wisely. Honestly put, I do feel that a mere Master Marie does not go well with you.”
“S-seriously, you–”
The close friend kicked up a fuss, saying,
However, Houko merely raised a hand to stop Marie, smiling at RyuZu,
“Then, Miss RyuZU, I too shall give you an advise–I do not know the reason for that, but by being stubborn to admit one’s outstanding qualities just because you do not like her, you will be belittling yourself, and your master’s honor too, you know…?”
“–”
Houko’s words dented RyuZU’s momentum.
RyuZU spoke up, wanting to say something, but went silent, lowered her eyes, and nodded in a gaudy manner.
“…I shall reflect on this advice.”
Seeing RyuZU’s reaction, both Naoto and Marie widened their eyes.
All they had was the same one thought.
And it was–‘that RyuZU actually backed down…!?’.
Well, Naoto said.
“Marie…uncle Halter keeps calling you Milady here and there, but,”
“–What?”
“Well, I guess the real princess is full of personal charms, you know…? Sure feels like she’s of a completely different level.”
“Huh?” Marie continued on with a vicious smile,
“–What are you getting at? Do you mind getting to the specifics, young Naoto?”
“The head face chest height royal attitude–I can continue listing examples if you want to know.”
“You guysss!!!!!”
RyuZU blankly responded, triggering Marie’s rage.
Houko in turn held in her laughter as she watched this scene.
“Recharging is almost at the targeted 82%…!”
The communications officer’s agitated voice rang.
Gennai nodded nonchalantly,
“…My lord, is it time for you to tell everyone what you intend to do exactly?”
The lieutenant standing next to him asked uneasily.
Gennai glanced at this lieutenant, but did not answer, instead probing back,
“…What do you think of this world?”
“Yes…? Yo-your question is?”
“The Clockwork Planet–the actual th
ing is right in front of our eyes, actually spinning, but–even after a thousand years, humans still can’t analyse it, let alone replicate it; it was made with that kind of technology…an artificial world.”
Gennai sighed.
“Do you think this can be deemed as ‘science’?”
The lieutenant gave a skeptical look upon hearing this question, aying,
“It is true that there is still a whole lot of mysteries surrounding the gear technology running the planet’s operations…but since that involves reality, by that reasoning, it is ‘science’, ‘technology’…?”
“Such an understanding is pertinent, too fitting. Nobody understands the theory of this thing, ‘it’s beyond our understanding, but since we have it, let’s use it’–I suppose this is science. But do you know?”
“My lord…?”
Gennai showed a cynical sneer, saying to the skeptical lieutenant.
“30,000 years have passed since humanity obtained ‘fire’. However, the actual form of it was determined to be a kind of plasma–a form of electricity, less than a hundred years before the planet was reconstructed. This means that humanity used fire for 28,928 years without understanding this natural phenomenon. It is scientific, no? But have you realized? There is a ‘significant difference’ between these two, and that is–”
Gennai paused,
“–This Clockwork Planet is not a natural creation. It is ‘artificial’.”
“This…”
“Yes, this universe is created by some God–or some God named ‘coincidence’. By revealing God’s laws, and using them, now that is technology, theory, induction, logic! Now then, shall I ask? This ‘artificial being’…on what ‘science’ is it created based on?”
In the face of Gennai’s question, this seemingly correcting tone, the lieutenant inadvertently retreated,
“Bu-but…it is very true that the one who created this planet is ‘Y’.”
“That is the case. And because of that, I conclude that ‘Y’ is not human.”
Gennai, who said those words, obviously lost it–no,
Upon seeing Gennai’s crazed eyes, the lieutenant gulped. However, Gennai did not mind, saying,
‘That thing–‘Y’ created the blueprint based on ‘a theory that did not exist’! Super technology? Unknown technology? A technology that a genius created, and even after a thousand years, nobody can understand? It will be believable if we say that it was based on prehistoric civilization technology or done by aliens…but I do not have the preference for such fantasies, and will not believe in them.”
–It was understandable if it was an analysis of the unknown nature.
That was the science humanity had been building upon.
…But analysing the theory of the artificial under their feet?
That was illogical. The order was ‘reversed’, turned on its head. In that case, it meant that there was a blueprint, that someone knew of a theory nobody knew of! –Now then, lieutenant, let me hear your
–Such a thing definitely was not science.
‘Y’ was said to have created such a thing, but where exactly did he derive that theory from?
Gennai then knew.
That automata called AnchoR had a function–the ‘Perpetual Gear’.
Perpetual? Impossible! Technology? Don’t mess me with!
That is a law that can’t possibly exist–defying the laws of this universe.
Some time passed. All the people in the room had their attention on him.
Skeptical, flustered, perturbed–stares that might be filled with some fear.
In the face of these stares, Gennai roared, his tone filled with anger,
“We spent a thousand years understanding this Clockwork Planet, and yet now, we don’t understand it entirely. There are so many functions that even theories and logic have yet to solve! –Now then, lieutenant, let me hear your opinion.”
“My lord…”
“–Where exactly did ‘Y’ create the theory of this installation that humanity has yet to understand even after 1,000 years?”
There was none who could answer.
This silence caused Gennai to recall the same question he tossed out a few days ago.
…–
31 years ago, the government commissioned the research to fuse clockwork and electromagnetic technology, and Gennai learned something.
Humanity of the past..though incomplete, they were about to unravel this world, the partial veil of this universe.
Humanity of the past tried to define the universe through the electromagnetic theories they researched on.
–But all that was for naught.
Everything changed on the day the existence called ‘Y’ modified the world into the Clockwork Planet.
And to wipe off the evidence, they rid his footing–eliminating everything.
All theories were toppled from its origina.
And he understood, more than anyone else.
That the ones who kept rewriting and reassembling this world was humanity.
But despite being able to change the world, humanity would not change.
The ironic thing was that–even ‘Y’ could not change humanity.
On that case, Gennai had a firm belief inside that collapsed Shiga Core Tower.
–‘Y’ was not human.
Humans could never change, and would never change. But only that person–toppled over all premises, and arrogantly overturned the world. That was impossible to do based on human hands.
If that was the case, he could accept it. Puny humans were obviously powerless against Gods, demons or monsters beyond human intelligence that could change the world.
In this reality he saw, Gennai led his subordinates so that he could live.
Even if defying God was a sin, he could not let puny ‘humans’ be destroyed with a mere whimper.
They controlled Mie, continued their research, and finally completed the electromagnetic weapon that could destroy the world.
And again, Gennai felt despair.
For he understood.
No matter whether it was he, this weapon, or his comrades seeking revenge, they were merely existences that were to be expected.
No matter whether they had realized it, the results were all in ‘Y’s hands. How foolish…
–And, finally disgusted with that, Gennai retreated into a hermit life.
Yes, they were ultimately ordinary humans, unable to defy against those who surpass us. Thu–
Having felt disappointed in history itself, he despaired at the world, and felt that he was fine with ending his life now that he had seen reality.
Until he saw that boy–with that ‘Y’ automata along.
“I shall do so, if you are willing to hear some words from an old man.”
A few days ago, Gennai said such words,
At his residence deep in the basement of Grid Mie, where he decided to spend his last days, an Initial-Y unit suddenly appeared.
And unlike Unit 4, it was someone he could talk with.
Gennai recalled the ‘Judgment Day’ mentioned in ancient legends.
It was said that when the world ends, God would appear before humanity, hearing their doubts–or excuses.
And so, he would be able to hear God’s answers–with such little expectations, Gennai raised his doubts.
The Clockwork Planet that was yet to be fully discovered, ‘Y’, who created this world.
That mystery was–where did ‘Y’ come from?
Was he or she a God? Or Human?
Are we living in a fantasy–or actually living on this planet?
However…
“I do wish of you to return me the precious time I spent with you. Is that all with your foolish questions?”
The automata refused to answer Gennai’s doubts.”
“I shall ask of you not to lament your misfortune of having a brain inferior to a speck of dust–no, I do not pity you, but ‘naming something you cannot understand’ as God out
of laziness is a natural thinking of a common peasant. For you, ‘Y’ is a ‘great’ worth exalting as a God. To add on, mixing up reality and fantasy proves that you cannot understand the logic behind things, and I do advise you to hurry and accept treatment.”
Upon hearing the automata’s smile as she replied with disdain–
“–Are you kidding?”
The metallic eyes on Gennai’s wrinkled face showed a vicious glare, and he retorted,
“A foolish question, you say? It has been 1,000 years since ‘Y’ recreated this planet, and till now, humanity is yet to solve this technology…!”
“That does appear to be the case. I suppose I can see the ‘I don’t believe this’ look on that man’s face.”
“In so many years…how many scholars, technicians spent their lives trying to attain the truth! I may not be as successful as my predecessors, but I am also one. Humans gave up their lives trying to unravel God’s throne–and failed. Are you going to mock this act of mine?”
“–No, I do have to applaud you for that effort.”
The automata’s words left Gennai speechless.
“But as you have said–you are a failure.”
“Yes, that is right. I assumed in the past that I took a step forward, but in the end, it is–”
However, the automata cut off his words, coldly telling him,
“You were ‘finished’ at that moment–this rare appraisal of hard work is for naught now…”
Upon seeing the automata unwilling to give an answer, Gennai suddenly got up from his chair,
“Answer me–what was ‘Y’ thinking when he recreated the world!? Why did he throw at us such–a similar thing that is beyond our thoughts, vauggue, something nobody can understand!”
“–This old man is so noisy…”
The one answering was not the automata.
Naoto, who had been unconscious till this while and lying on the bed, was glaring at him,
“Master Naoto.”
The automata girl warned the boy,
“It is better for you to rest a little longer…I will ask for this old man to prepare an elevator–”
“Forget about it, RyuZU.”