Editing City Series:Volume8a Chapter2 (section)

===Algo’s Sight Mode: Inside the White Castle===

'''<Algo’s Over Reload>

Algo raised his head as if waking up and viewed the Sight Mode around him.

“I still can’t get used to this lag when switching modes.”

He faced forward.

He was in a stone hall with a tall ceiling.

The windows behind the four NPC Bodies provided a view of the amusement park’s lake and of Babel.

The windows on the opposite, northern wall provided a view of the amusement park entrance and the city of DT beyond that.

This was the top floor of the White Castle, an attraction at the center of the amusement park that doubled as the administrative building.

“Now, then,” said Algo with a glance to Alternative on his shoulder.

The small, cartoony girl had her long black hair falling along the back of her white dress.

The white clothing was so bright it seemed to be emitting its own light, but her gaze was cloudy. She looked worriedly downwards with her back toward the ceiling of the dimly-lit hall.

She opened her mouth, but no voice came out. A window popped up instead.

<Will you find an answer to all this tomorrow?>

Algo began his response with a nod.

“I will, no matter what that answer might be. I’ve set things up to ensure it.”

<Set things up how?>

“The Son of God used a few processes to accomplish the same thing 2000 years ago in the outside world. When he and his disciples fulfilled the prophecies, it was no coincidence – they had set it up that way.”

Alternative nodded in response. “I see,” she mouthed.

<He defined himself as a god to live in the age of the word tower, he rejected the demons Beelzebub and Satan, and he was betrayed and killed after prophesying his own resurrection.>

“Yes, that all happened 2000 years ago in the outside world. And it happened 2000 years ago in DT as well. During the godtact experiment based on the ley line overload that occurred in Germania during World War Two.”

He suddenly looked right and willed a detailed look at the view out of the southern windows there.

'''<Algo’s Over Zoom: Full Sight Open>

Something like a giant wall rose into the blue sky above the southern mountain range.

It was in fact a word tower piercing the sky and it was named Babel.

“In the Bible, that tower of destiny was destroyed by god.”

After viewing the massive tower, Algo turned around to look north. His heels audibly dug into the carpet as he turned.

Alternative could not keep up with the movement and had to cling to his shoulder.

He smiled a little when he noticed. He raised his left hand and propped her up so she wouldn’t fall off.

The left hand emerging from his white robe’s sleeve was a prosthetic. It was made of artificial materials, but it grasped her light body with great care.

He continued turning and, just before facing north, they both spoke as one.

'''I won’t let you hold me.

After their Text rang out, emblem symbols appeared on the back of Algo’s hands.

The emblem was a transparent white and it depicted a long nail surrounded by a box.

The same emblem symbol appeared in white light behind Alternative’s head.

Algo clenched his right fist and spoke another Text.

'''I will find the answer.

'''Someday, surely.

Once he was done, Alternative mouthed the same words.

And…

'''<Algo: ASB Word Race Special Ability: Limiter Off: Activating High-Speed Movement Resistance>

'''<Alternative: ASB Word Race Special Ability: Limiter Off: Activating High-Speed Movement Resistance>

'''<Grandload: Running Joint Load Emblem: Sudden Strike: Preparing to Activate>

A noise burst from Algo’s right arm. It was loud and resembled shattering glass.

Hundreds of windows rapidly opened in the space around them. They formed something like the pillars of an ancient henge.

'''<Activation authorized for 230M Lives within the virtual space>

'''<Joint Load Emblem: Activating>

A character string emerged from Algo’s emblem. It extended from the back of his elbow with a spray of light.

●Type-Origin: God-class: Sudden Strike●

'''<Activating Grandload of Algo’s arm strength and Alternative’s sensory abilities: Loading full Lives and releasing upper limit on precision, high-speed strikes>

Three diskettes appeared on the trailing ● of the character string on Algo’s elbow and began to rapidly spin.

Then Alternative transformed.

She shut her eyes and raised her head while her body grew. Her small, cartoony form regained its original shape in no time.

She was also floating behind Algo’s back now. The same Sudden Strike string emerged from either side of the emblem floating behind her head and wrapped around her shoulders.

A single curving line of light shot from the ● at the far right of Alternative’s emblem. It connected to the ● at the tail end of the Sudden Strike string coming from Algo’s right hand.

They were linked by that line of light.

Two diskettes about a yard across appeared on Alternative’s back. They pointed toward the sky like wings and rotated rapidly while spewing character strings.

A metallic sound rang out.

“…!”

The rest happened in an instant. Algo’s clenched right fist flew forward.

If DT’s OS recognized the loader’s willpower, they could perform a Grandload that sent their full Lives into DT. People could normally only draw on around 30% of their strength, but this let them draw on 100% and also shut out any additional data.

Instead of the harmonic Plus that gathered things together, this was the extreme Minus that contained only the loader’s own will.

Its strength was precise, accurate, and quick, leaving no room for lies or falsehoods.

Algo’s fist pierced the empty air, powered by that technique, his own skill, and Alternative’s support.

With a rupturing sound, the air within the room split and a wind whipped up.

The wind swept across the room with a scream of air similar to tearing paper.

Their Load Emblems vanished at the same moment. Their Grandload had ended.

Algo spread his right hand, on which he wore a ring, and grabbed at the empty air.

His grabbing hand was directed toward the giant crater at the center of DT. That crater had been turned into a lake and a medieval city preparing for a festival and a royal castle were visible beyond it.

Unlike this amusement park castle, the royal castle was a giant stone structure with a fortress and towers.

He clenched his fist again as if holding that castle in his grasp and spoke.

“I will take that crucial answer for myself on the Day of the Oracle tomorrow – when everything was prophesied to improve. The powers of those from the past and the present will wipe clean the Minus compromise made so long ago.”

As soon as he was done speaking, Alternative wrapped her arms around his back from his right shoulder.

She had shrunk back down.

But there was a smile on her again-youthful face. Her narrowed eyes were shut.

<nowiki><I</nowiki> hope you find a good answer.>

All the strength faded from her body when that window appeared. She collapsed onto his shoulder.

He looked to that shoulder and saw her sleeping with a smile.

He tapped her on the back with his right hand.

“A good answer? I promise you I will find that. Was that old decision right, or am I right to reject it? We will all know soon enough.”

He nodded, picked her up as she fell asleep, and said one more thing.

These words marked the beginning of the end and he spoke them with his eyes on the city.

“Time to head out and prepare for tomorrow. As one who has fallen into the Minus World.”

'''<Algo’s Sight Mode has ended.>