City Series:Volume8a Chapter1

Virtual City – Detroit

+Plus

-Minus

Truth & Fake

If you never choose the Plus side of defense and only choose the Minus side of offense, then come to Virtual City – DT and seek the Word of God.

<wait…start

Character Making

Visiting Criminal Appearance and Registration Settings

Entrance Name: Aoe Shouzou

Entrance Pseudonym (Screenname) *Criminals must use their real names: [blank]

Poster’s Name: Ikemaru Kouichi

Relationship to Visitor: 78 – Extremely Generous Boss

Detailed Settings

Nationality: Japan – North Kantou Region

Species: Human

Age: 25

Sex: 1 – Male

Occupation *Can be a former job.

Former Japanese Government-Assigned Special Area Squad Team Commander

Family Structure: Both parents passed away – Both originally from Kansai

Purpose for Visit *Tourist visits are not permitted during the current construction of Babel: Sentenced to 4096 years for repeat dining and ditching

Abilities: Excels at the striking techniques of the Kobayashi School.

Personality: Wild and vulgar. Rude and poor.

Requested Word Race Type: 3 – High Speed Mobility Type – ASB Race

Requested PC Body Type: 1 – Same as the outside world

Requested Load Emblem Type: 18 – Type-ASB / ARM: Class-God: 700 Series Classic Type

Requested Mouse Type: 512 – Shiba Inu – Brown – Male: Autonomous type that becomes obedient under the correct circumstances.

Please write any further requests here: At his request, all language data received by him will be passed through a Japanese translation program. And any language data sent by him will use an English translation program. If anyone wishes to speak in Japanese with him, you will need to alter the settings yourself. But the accent he picked up from his parents has only gotten worse with time, so if you find him difficult to understand, make sure to apply a Kansai dialect translation program. Also, make sure his log outputs are written vertically. His idiocy and perversion can be a problem, but I can’t think of anything else to say here. Thanks for the trouble.

DT is under Swiss management.

This case is being handled by [Yuo Natas Wav] of DT Yard.

Supplied by: IAI

Chapter 1: Advertise

Straight from DT Prison’s cathedral, it’s time for “Ma’am! It’s the Oracle Message Board!”

This is Racter Nosrup Txt, the member of the 13 Demigods who’s decided he’s gonna do a bad Kansai accent despite being American!

With the information release tomorrow at 3, I’m starting this Japanese version just for Japan since they built Babel and all.

So today’s theme is gonna be Babel.

As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

(Genesis 11:2-4)

Comments:

I’m not sure what to do -Hak

Hi, I’m a 32-year-old housewife in the south district.

The thing is, well, Babel is always casting a shadow on our district during the day. I haven’t been able to hang my laundry out to dry in the mornings for a few centuries now, so-

07/06/2000 DT 09:00 AM (-30:00)

Help Text

Visitor Introduction to DT

Welcome to DT, where we can hear the voice of god. Please keep the following rules in mind during your stay.

0: Basic Rules

0-1:

DT is the world’s first textual world that can be visualized and allows for multiple simultaneous users. It is also a high-speed city with its speed boosted 100x.

You will live here in your PC Body which was based on your Lives data. Your Lives data can be summoned when necessary, but it is normally stored at an intermediary level to reduce the heat of virtualization.

0-2:

When you are resonance controlling your PC Body, there will be feedback to your Lives, so if you injure your PC Body, your Lives will receive the same injury. Backing up your Lives data is forbidden as it would cause a resonance collapse in your existing Lives, so do be careful.

Also, to avoid bringing back any minor trouble caused by your PC Body, it is recommended you register under a pseudonym if possible.

0-3:

All records preceding the 2nd Godtact Experiment have been erased or hidden. Queen Akalabeth will release that data on July 7, 2000 DT at 3 PM to coincide with the change to the boost settings.

1: Page Rules

1-1

DT is made up of 3 concepts: Top Pages, Hidden Pages, and Word Passages.

Top Pages are areas anyone is free to enter. Word Passages are the sky, passageways, and things like that. Hidden Pages are isolated areas meant for using Board Mode.

1-2

DT can be used in a text data mode called Board Mode or a visual mode called Sight Mode.

1-3

In Board Mode, visual information can be checked through textual updates. Actions are partially automated using subprograms, so you cannot make any actions requiring precision or high speed. If those are necessary, please enter Sight Mode.

1-4

In DT, word mail, programs, and data objects can be virtually transmitted through the intermediary layer, but doing the same with real objects is banned for safety reasons.

2: Conversational Rules

In Board Mode, speech is enclosed in quotation marks. If thoughts are pushed to the surface, they will be enclosed in angle brackets. Thoughts can be displayed as word windows during Sight Mode.

3: Load Emblem Rules

3-1

When in Sight Mode, your willpower can load the Lives data of your body parts from the intermediary layer to your PC Body. This process is known as downloading. You can load 50% of your Lives data through downloading. With even more willpower, it is possible to load your full body in a Grandload.

3-2

Downloading greatly increases the consumption of virtual heat and empties your stomach, so you may be automatically placed in your high performance mode afterwards.

Any other important topics can be looked up in the help program at any time.

Aoe’s Board Mode: At DT Yard

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

You are at DT Yard’s Top Page: Yard Captain’s Office.

The current time is 9:00 AM.

You just entered the room through the Yard’s newcomer lobby.

The large room contains a large desk. The shelves on the wall carry awards and a shield.

A single PC Body is in the room: Ogre Telyb Dll.

Aoe: “Mh?”

Aoe: <Oh?>

Aoe: “What kind of room is this? It’s nothing like the lobby. Is this a new kind of textual world?”

Telyb: “Ha ha ha. Precisely, visitor.”

Telyb: “This conversation-only mode is DT’s unique Board Mode, Aoe.”

Aoe: “Mh.”

Aoe: “There must be someone here, but where are they? I can’t see anything in this mode.”

Telyb: “Yes, I’m here. Right in front of you even.”

Telyb: “If you want to see something in Board Mode, just think ‘Over Reload’ to yourself.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb is seated across the desk from you. He is a fat middle-aged black man.

A blue avian Mouse is standing on Mr. Telyb’s desk.

A digital clock counting down to the Day of the Oracle is located on the wall above the window behind him.

Aoe: “The Day of the Oracle?”

Help: Day of the Oracle.

A prophecy was received when the 2nd Godtact Experiment failed and the Questron exploded. It was a vague prophecy simply stating that everything would “get better” after a point 2000 years in the future. The day the people of DT lost their memories in the explosion was set as July 7 of Year 0 DT in the city properties, so 2000 years later would be precisely 3 PM on July 7, 2000 DT. DT’s dynasty paid a great price for that prophecy, so to ensure it was of some use, DT’s overall boost properties will be changed on the Day of the Oracle and the DT data from before the 2nd Godtact Experiment will receive an open release after previously being sealed away to prevent a panic.

Aoe: <Mh. It won’t stop talking.>

Telyb: “The terminology help program loves to show off to visitors.”

Telyb: “So how are you handling yourself in Board Mode?”

Aoe: “Hmm. It feels strange, to be honest.”

Aoe: “I rely on sensory information so much that not actually seeing things is bothersome.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

The surroundings have not changed. Mr. Telyb is giving you a serious look.

Aoe: “Are things around me in motion while I talk like this?”

Telyb: “They are. You need to keep in mind that an Over Reload only gives you 2-3 seconds’ worth of data. Board Mode is for a high-speed exchange of the textual data at the foundation of DT. It isn’t meant for other uses.”

Telyb: “If you want a visual-based experience, you have to switch to Sight Mode. But I should explain Board Mode to you before you try that. Do another Over Reload.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb has stood up and is aiming a handgun your way.

Aoe: “Mh.”

Telyb: “This is the scary thing about Board Mode. I’ve been aiming this gun at you for 8 seconds now, but you didn’t notice until you Over Reloaded. If I had pulled the trigger, you would have seen a critical warning window at the same time you felt the shock and died.”

Aoe: “And if you die in the Virtual City, you die in real life? Can’t you back us up?”

Telyb: “Only if you want to trigger resonance collapse with your existing Lives. Just make sure to check on your surroundings periodically.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb has put away the handgun and is seated deep in his chair.

Telyb: “Yes, start out by keeping a close eye on things.”

Telyb: “Board Mode only shows you a limited slice of the data. Your PC Body exists even if you can’t sense it and it operates using subprograms. That allows it to move, do work, and eat, but the subprograms are inaccurate and make mistakes. They’re efficient and fast, though.”

Aoe: “The most difficult thing for me is holding a conversation without seeing the other person’s face or hearing their tone of voice.”

Telyb: “That you’ll just have to get used to. Board Mode is the primary mode of life here in DT.”

Aoe: “Isn’t that stifling?”

Telyb: “There are people who can’t keep up with this high-speed exchange of emotionless data. They’re better suited for the slow pace of the harmonious Plus World outside the city, so the high-speed noisy Minus World of DT can be overwhelming.”

Telyb: “I’ve seen hundreds if not thousands of people who neurotically Over Reload every single second watching for unseen changes in their surroundings. But on the other hand, Board Mode is fast and convenient.”

Aoe: “What if I can’t get used to this?”

Telyb: “Unfortunately, that’s the case for the majority of people. If you can’t read the rapid flow of emotionless text data and use your imagination to pick up on the emotions hidden in that text, then you’ll misunderstand the people around you, cause trouble, and claim you’re being treated unfairly. We have a word for them: dropouts.”

Telyb: “So either get used to it or find people you’re comfortable enough around that you don’t need to Over Reload. Speaking of which, you’re forgetting to do it again. What do you think my expression was when I was talking about the dropouts?”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb is smiling in your direction.

Aoe: “You look amused by the term.”

Telyb: “Of course I am. I was originally a type of hacker called a phone phreak, which made me a Minus Elite. I never fit in in the outside world. It scared me how everyone assumed I was a Plus person, so they couldn’t understand me. That’s why I was so surprised when I came to DT. Here, everyone views people’s feelings and everything else in a Minus light and you’re considered the bad guy if you assume the opposite.”

Telyb: “We got used to life here pretty quick, but there are always the people who just can’t see through the noise. They’re the mainstream of the outside world. It’s those Plus Elites who end up dropping out in here.”

Telyb: “And we can only be the Elites here because the Minus extreme of stripping out all emotion causes that type to drop out. We don’t drive them out because of pride or anything. It’s this world itself that drives them out.”

Aoe: “…”

Aoe: “Did you ever think you fit in here because you’re missing something normal people have?”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb claps his hands once in delight.

Telyb: “I like you, Aoe. You have the most wonderful look of disgust on your face right now, don’t you?”

Aoe: “How did you know?”

Telyb: “Because we’re Minus Elites. There’s always something off about us on the emotional, human, or moral front. But you can’t see any of that here in DT, so our imaginations have to act as a substitute. And…”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb is smiling bitterly.

Telyb: “Those of us who find the outside world frightening believe in that power and praise the Minus.”

Telyb: “This virtual city full of fakes is home to people like that. If a Plus Elite tries to lie in this Minus World, they will fall to the Minus side and drop out. They can’t give up the reality of the Plus and they can’t choose the dream of the Minus.”

Aoe: “Algo said he was going to abandon the Plus and eliminate Words Warn.”

Telyb: “Whatever his reasons, he has chosen the path of the Minus Elite. But which will you choose?”

Aoe: “Well…”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb’s eyebrows are raised in a bitter smile. It is a subtle smile.

Telyb: “You don’t have to agonize over the decision. Some aren’t on either side and some struggle either way. But remember this: if you can’t accept the fakes, then you are a Plus person.”

Telyb: “But you did kill someone in the Plus World. That is a Minus act.”

Aoe: “Algo said the same thing. He said I had dropped out of the Plus World.”

Telyb: “Don’t look so troubled by it. Remember what I said? Some people aren’t on either side and there’s nothing wrong with that. Whether or not it destroys you is the world’s decision.”

Telyb: “And if you aren’t on either side, it means you have more options open to you. You could choose the Plus, the Minus, or some third option. Give it some thought if you have the time.”

Telyb: “But that’s enough chitter chatter. Think ‘Sight Mode’ to change modes. That one should be a lot easier to grasp.”

<Aoe’s Board Mode has ended>

Aoe’s Sight Mode: At DT Yard

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Aoe felt like he had suddenly awoken from sleep and found himself standing in a room.

“That was sudden.”

It was a small room of about 5 yards in each direction. The flag of the city, discolored with time, covered the north and south walls.

The city’s symbol depicted on the flag was a white cross standing atop a blossoming flower with a giant tower in the background.

A large wooden desk with a birdcage on top was found in the center of the room placed between two copies of that image.

A man sat on the other side of the desk with a digital wall clock above the window behind him.

The middle-aged black man’s fat body was contained in a Yard uniform with an unusual number of latches.

Amicable eyes smiled below his short hair.

He leaned over the desk, offering his hand to Aoe. Aoe reached out his hand too, but…

“Mh?”

He couldn’t get his hand onto Telyb’s. Telyb smiled bitterly when he noticed.

“You still need to optimize the subprograms that move your PC Body. Probably a good time to show you what a Download looks like. A nonstandard Download Text loads half your Lives into this Minus World.”

I want to confirm my presence.

A bluish-white light briefly gathered in Telyb’s hand. It formed an emblem that used a set of scales as a symbol.

The emblem soon disappeared and a sound like shattering glass came from his hand.

Then his hand was holding Aoe’s.

Telyb smiled again.

“Welcome to DT, the Minus City where we summon a god. And welcome to DT Yard, Aoe Shouzou.”

“Nice to meet you.” / <This guy’s face looks like a takoyaki.>

When that thought came to mind, a black-framed window appeared over Aoe’s head.

Aoe viewed the window. So did Telyb. The latter frowned and shook their clasped hands.

“Sorry, but the settings don’t allow criminals to hide their thoughts or to attack.”

“To keep them from plotting, I’m sure. Sounds more effective than a truth serum.”

Aoe checked the mirror on the wall to his right and saw a cartoony Shiba Inu on his shoulder.

He saw his own short black hair and his sharp and somewhat slender face. His skinny but fit body wore a simple black tank top and white shorts. His hands and feet were covered by armored gloves and sandals.

<That’s the usual me.>

“We made your PC Body identical to your real body. I hope that wasn’t a problem.”

“I look and feel the same as usual.”

This body was actually the PC Body created when he entered the city. His actual body’s Lives were stored in the intermediary layer between DT and the outside world and controlled this body through a resonance effect. Basically, this was a false body used to live in this Minus World.

When he needed his real body, he could switch to Sight Mode and perform either a Download or a Grandload.

<I see>

Another thought window appeared over his head while he came to understand several things. Then he looked to the top of the wall.

The clock there said 29:53:54 and it was ticking down second by second.

“That’s counting down until the Day of the Oracle that Algo mentioned, isn’t it? For that festival celebrating the boost tomorrow.”

He nodded at his own words.

The word “festival” inspired him to look out the window behind Telyb.

He saw the city of DT there, but the image was weirdly blurry. Telyb noticed what he was looking at and addressed it.

“That’s what happens when you try to look past the borderline with another Page. In Sight Mode, you need to Over Zoom instead of Over Reloading.”

<Aoe’s Over Zoom: Full Sight Open>

The view out the window grew clearer.

A main street was located directly out ahead of the Yard building and all the buildings lining it were made of stone or wood.

The road itself was made of dirt with grass on either side.

There were a lot of trees between the houses and there was a well at the center of a distant intersection between two roads.

Looking north, he saw a gray castle surrounded by fortress walls. That was the royal castle.

Flags and other things had been erected throughout the castle town, so it really did feel like the preparations for a festival.

But Aoe tilted his head while viewing it all.

“Why the medieval look? I heard this used to be a major industrial city. Doesn’t this make for a lot of extra work?”

“You know the city was virtually sealed away by the detonation of the Word Bomb during the war, right? When the people trapped there were rescued a decade or so later, they left DT in fear.”

“So the place became deserted? That doesn’t explain this old-fashioned city.”

“It wasn’t just that. When we were given this place as a testing ground for our experiments, we rebuilt it as a Minus City instead of an industrial one. We gave it a sky and a sea and we built the workshops and houses out of a false forest and false stones.”

He took a breath.

“Later on, the 2nd Godtact Experiment ended in failure and DT lost its memories just like it had lost its form and its people earlier. The data from the experiment told us the godtact would trigger a Great Godquake, so I and the rest of the 11 Demigods made a crucial decision: we would end the godtact experiments and make the best of the time we had.”

“I see. So this easygoing city was created by those godtact experiments that are now known as Death Techno.”

Aoe had heard about that incident from Yuo during their schooldays.

The godtact experiments had attempted to reach into the ley lines and extract the Great God Lives said to be the foundation of the very world.

Aoe had heard precisely three things about those experiments.

One, the 1st Godtact Experiment held in ’73 had failed and resulted in massive damage to DT. Yuo and 12 others had been partially fused with DT’s OS and made into immortal beings known as the 13 Demigods.

Two, the 2nd Godtact Experiment held in ’82 had failed and resulted in the erasure of most of DT’s memories. Archon Suedomsa, a Japanese national and #2 of the 13 Demigods had also lost his memories. Yuo also lost her memories after the formatting and is currently under the protection of the royal castle.

Three, DT hid all records preceding that event and designated the experiments Death Techno.

Aoe nodded.

“I get making that Death Techno. No one would survive a Great Godquake.”

“I suppose a Japanese man would understand that part. Before we knew the consequences, we believed we were doing the right thing by approaching god’s Lives. We even took our Urban Names as our last names – every one of them an enemy of god’s name spelled backwards.”

“And now one of you leads the Yard, huh? You never know what life has in store for you, do you?”

Aoe sighed and shifted his gaze away from the castle. He noticed something to the south.

There was a mountain there and what looked like an amusement park. And past the Ferris wheel and white castle, he saw something much bigger.

“Oh,” he said out loud.

A vertical silhouette stood tall in the southern sky.

It was a giant tower.

“That must be Babel.”

“Yes, it was moved here because we provided aid with your country’s Godquake. That Word Tower was remodeled into an extractor of divine prophecies in order to rescue Tokyo after it was sealed away in the summer of ’99.”

“It looks complete to me.”

“It is. It’s scheduled to start running after the boost settings change tomorrow. The Japanese corporate sponsor won’t shut up about it, you see. They want us to hurry up and start producing a lot of prophecies for cheap. The boost settings change was a request made by that Japanese company.”

Telyb took a breath, rested his elbow on the desk and calmly viewed Aoe.

“Anyway, that should be enough of an introduction to DT, so let’s get down to business. I gathered my thoughts in a Word Mail and it honestly contains a fair amount of me just bitching.”

“How do I receive Word Mails here?”

“I already sent it to you. Have the Mouse on your shoulder bring it up for you. Think of it like a terminal you carry around with you.”

Aoe looked to his shoulder and saw the cartoony brown Shiba Inu looking up at him.

Once their eyes met, the Shiba Inu raised its front paw and opened a window.

<Opening Word Mail Window>

Telyb’s Word Mail: To Aoe Shouzou

To Aoe Shouzou, Team 4 Commander of the Government-Assigned Special Area Squad (GASAS).

These are only my honest personal opinions.

First, Yuo is one of DT’s 13 Demigods of the 9 Families, so I want to make it clear that having her as your assistant is highly unusual. Keep in mind that this was only allowed because of Babel’s presence in southern DT and because of the other “assistance” Japan has provided DT.

She is currently being guarded as an adopted daughter of the royal family and receiving the treatment her age warrants.

Fusing with DT’s OS during the 1st Godtact Experiment made us Demigods immortal in the sense that we don’t age, but we can still die. And when we do, our bodies and memories are reformatted back to the state they were during the 1st Godtact Experiment. Do not place her in danger.

I assure you this is the last you will hear me bitching on this particular subject.

Because I know the situation warrants some risk.

The Day of the Oracle will arrive in 30 hours of our time.

Tomorrow, Queen Akalabeth Bubezleeb will use a Demigod program known as a Portal to change DT’s overall boost setting from the current 100x to 110x. Then she will activate Babel.

At the same time, the memories from before the 2nd Godtact Experiment will be given an open release.

Tomorrow at 10 AM, after the Demigod named Suedomsa gives the final approval, the 2000 years’ worth of memories sealed away in this city will be known to all.

As diplomats for this open release, 7 of the 13 Demigods will leave the city. We don’t want a terrorist attack during that time. Ikemaru told us that your arrival was delayed due to some decisions on Japan’s part, but that means you may need to act quickly.

I am sure you will be doing some investigation of your own, but keep in mind that everyone in this city uses a screenname. I heard Algo Everquest said he would be meeting with Alternative Kobayashi’s father and sister, but those two are very likely living under a false name.

Also, I have no idea what he might have meant by eliminating Words Warn. That was determined to be impossible now that all godtact experiments have been canceled.

Keep in mind that your investigation may be impeded by your position as a criminal. Criminals cannot Grandload and have other restrictions in place. Removing those restrictions requires a pardon from Queen Akalabeth Bubezleeb, but she is busy until tomorrow morning preparing for the boost settings change.

That is why I will be asking Yuo to look after you until then. To prevent misuse, any program given to a criminal by a non-administrator must be directly installed and given a time limit. The time limit is still necessary for an administrator, but the program can be left with the criminal as a trigon. If Yuo trusts you, I am sure she will give you the unrestricted programs you need.

<Aoe returns to Board Mode>

Aoe’s Board Mode: At DT Yard

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Ogre Telyb is seated in front of you.

He is frowning somewhat. He looks serious.

Aoe: “Hm.”

Aoe: “This all sounds like a pain. So all of the data on the 2nd Godtact Experiment and Day of the Oracle is sealed?”

Telyb: “Everyone who was there at the time lost their memories in the explosion and all their personal information was blown away. The only people who remember everything are the 11 Demigods, not counting Suedomsa and Yuo, and some of the older NPC Bodies. If you really want to know…well, wait until 3 tomorrow afternoon.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb’s expression has not changed in the slightest. He still looks serious.

Aoe: “I get the impression you wouldn’t tell me even if I punched you.”

Telyb: “Your impression is correct. I recommend going to the Royal Library’s genealogy room and doing your own research. We can discuss anything you discover there during any free time we have tomorrow morning.”

Telyb: “I don’t like it either, if I’m being honest. I need the other Demigods’ approval to simply tell old stories. Like I said in the Word Mail, tomorrow’s open release won’t go through until Suedomsa shows up at the castle at 10 and gives his approval. He has Words Warn and his day of destruction is tomorrow, so this will be his final duty.”

Telyb: “Your pardon will take place after that, so probably around 11.”

Aoe: “I thought my top secret investigation was important. Why make me wait so long?”

Aoe: “Anyway, how has your research gone? Like you mentioned in your Word Mail, Algo said he was going to see Sis’s – Kobayashi’s father and sister. Do you know who they are?”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mir. Telyb is frowning a bit and crossing his arms. He looks troubled.

Aoe: “No luck?”

Telyb: “None. Everyone who enters the city has their passports and such managed by the providers around the city, but the corporations, research labs, and government providers like to keep the identities behind the screennames secret, so I can’t tell who’s who. This is a constant problem, but we can’t get after them too much when they’re basically DT’s sponsors.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb waves his hand and a window opens in front of you.

The dog on your shoulder waves its front paw and the window is absorbed into the paw.

Telyb: “I received what data I could from the cooperative providers. Use it for your investigation.”

Aoe: “Mh. I appreciate it.”

Telyb: “There’s no time for appreciation. The providers are outside the city, so for them, there are only 18 minutes until the Day of the Oracle. There is only time to ask them one or two questions now.”

Telyb: “Also, there were no providers restricting entrance to the city before the 2nd Godtact Experiment, so the personal information of anyone in the city then was resonance destroyed in the explosion when the experiment failed. Along with our own personal information. DT currently has a population of 4096, but around 2300 of those are the original residents or their descendants. Knowing someone’s ‘wild name’ from outside may not matter much.”

Telyb: “Still, perform your search. In the time of the bible, it’s said the wise men seeking the king arrived from the east following a star. You’re Japanese just like Suedomsa and Yuo, so I’m sure you can find who you’re looking for.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Ogre Telyb is seated in front of you.

His eyebrows are raised. He is smiling.

Telyb: “Personally, I’m curious to see the look on your face when you’re reunited with Yuo. Did you ask to meet with your ex because you Japanese people can never let go of the past?”

Aoe: “She’s not my ex. But…this is still a gamble.”

Aoe: “My work here will likely require me to fight eventually. Using the deadly power I once used to kill.”

Aoe: “If Yuo won’t accept that, then I will give up on martial arts entirely after this battle is complete.”

Telyb: “You’re letting someone else decide that for you?”

Aoe: “There is someone I cannot defeat and my power is steeped with killing. I don’t want her decision – I want an opportunity. I already made my own decision 6 years ago.”

Telyb: “Sounds like you get over things fast. Oh, and Over Reload more often.”

Telyb: “You can’t see people’s expression in Board Mode, so you need to Over Reload their expression to see their reactions.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb is wrinkling his brow. He looks worried.

Telyb: “For example, if someone calls you an idiot, you can’t know if they mean it affectionately or as an insult from the text alone. That kind of thing has caused countless misunderstandings in this world of text. Take good care of your relationships, okay?”

Aoe: “Can’t we just do these things in Sight Mode instead?”

Telyb: “DT’s OS isn’t perfect even in Sight Mode. It can overlook subtle differences.”

Telyb: “Oh, and one thing about Yuo.”

Aoe: “Yes?”

Telyb: “I wouldn’t have assigned her to you if she had protested the assignment.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mr. Telyb’s eyebrows are bent and he has a smile on his lips. Unclear what this means.

Telyb: “Why are you staring at me like that? I’m flattered, but I’m a married man.”

Aoe: “It’s not that, idiot. It just sounds like you’ve known Yuo a long time.”

Aoe: “Why won’t you tell her what happened before the 2nd Godtact Experiment?”

Telyb: “She doesn’t need to know any of it, so the old memories would only weigh her down. And they’ve been overwritten by newer things anyway.”

Aoe: “But she was trying to remember what she had forgotten.”

Telyb: “Even so. Archon Suedomsa also lost his memories and he has returned to his role of running the amusement park and hospital in the south district after his rehabilitation was complete. Although for him it seems to be a way of facing the fact that his life will end tomorrow at 3.”

Aoe: <So even the immortal Demigods must accept their fate when faced with a disease that destroys their real Lives.>

Telyb: “Oh, we have visitors.”

<Two new people have entered this Page>

Two PC Bodies have arrived: Fooblicky Telyb Sys and Yuo Natas Wav.

Fooblicky: “Hi, how’s my hubby doing?”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mrs. Fooblicky is in her small high-performance mode. She is a blonde-haired, green-eyed woman in green office clothing.

Miss Yuo is in her even smaller high-performance mode. She is a girl with her brown hair worn in a ponytail.

Mrs. Fooblicky is carrying a plate of fries.

<Fooblicky: Settings Change: Display Name: Shortened_Form = Fooby: Run>

Aoe: “Mh? Where is Yuo?”

Fooby: “Maybe that was too sudden. Since you’re in Board Mode, try Over Reloading and looking more carefully.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Mrs. Fooblicky is carrying a plate of fries on her left hand. Three flavors of fries are piled high on a 50cm plate. From top to bottom, the flavors are layered salt, garlic, and vinegar.

A tiny Miss Yuo is sleeping hanging from Mrs. Fooblicky’s right hand.

Aoe: “Why is she so small?”

Fooby: “She’s hungry, so she removed her inefficient programs and entered high-performance mode. She probably hasn’t eaten much because she was so busy preparing for a certain someone’s arrival.”

Telyb: “The same will happen to you if you don’t eat, Aoe. Is this not the reunion you had in mind?”

Aoe: <No, but this does make it easier.>

Aoe: “And there the city goes showing off my thoughts again. This place is creepy.”

Fooby: “That’s only because you have criminal settings applied. There are a lot of downsides, so make sure to get your pardon ASAP tomorrow. Anyway, I fried this with a x2 boost, so I’ll leave them on the desk for you.”

<Miss Yuo is restarting>

Yuo: “Hweh?”

<Warning: Miss Yuo’s restart action obstructed Mrs. Fooby’s action and the plate is falling. The plate cannot be caught in time in Board Mode. Someone must enter Sight Mode and catch the plate.>

<Aoe’s Board Mode has ended>

Aoe’s Sight Mode: At DT Yard

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

A small woman stood in front of Aoe. The blonde-haired green-eyed woman was Fooblicky.

The large plate of fries in her left hand was tilting. The tiny girl who was hanging from Fooblicky’s right hand pushed up on the edge of the plate with her head.

Aoe’s reflexes responded to the falling plate.

He reached toward it.

But he failed to reach it. The sub program moving his hands couldn’t keep up.

<Uh, oh.>

Aoe recalled what Telyb said about Downloading.

“I have superb hands.”

Black light briefly surrounded his right hand and a sound like shattering glass echoed out.

The black light formed an emblem on the back of his hand. An emblem bearing a black spear symbol.

Aoe felt a light impact on his hand as he accurately caught the plate.

“Hm.”

He nodded and looked around in his crouching pose.

Telyb behind the desk and Fooblicky were both staring wide eyed.

“You’re a talented guy. Most people can’t Download so soon after arriving.”

“This was nothing special.”

He downplayed the accomplishment, but then felt a tug at the plate he was holding near the floor.

<What was that?>

His vision answered his visible question.

Below the plate, tiny Yuo was holding onto it with her little, round hands. She looked sleepy, but she started grabbing at the fries.

She ate one, two, three of them before looking up.

Their eyes met with Aoe still crouching.

She blinked her large eyes twice, thrice.

“Senpai?”

But before she recovered from her confusion, she looked back down toward the fries, reached out, and resumed eating.

Her little hands grabbed at the three flavors of fries and consumed them.

<Does she care more about food than me?>

Aoe’s thought appeared in a window above his head, but Yuo didn’t even notice. She was too focused on the fries.

He sighed. He had demanded this reunion after 6 years, so he had been concerned she might not be happy about it. Even if she had come to terms with her anger and confusion, it didn’t just go away. But at the same time…

<I wasn’t exactly happy either when you left without saying a word.>

When he saw that tiny version of her still focused on the fries, his thoughts strayed.

She was still ignoring him to eat.

He suddenly remembered when he had brought her to a ramen place the day they first met.

<They gave her a fork since she didn’t know how to use chopsticks and then she absolutely devoured that bowl of ramen.>

He smiled bitterly.

His right hand wasn’t forming a fist since it was holding the plate.

Giving up on that will have to come later, he felt rather than thought.

He noticed Yuo was reaching for another fry.

He yanked the plate back so her hand missed the fry.

After her hand found only air, she swayed a few times below Fooblicky’s hand, but then she clenched her empty hands and looked to Aoe.

“Uh,” she began before bursting into tears.

She cries out loud and Fooblicky hid her behind her back.

“Wh-what is wrong with you!? You made her cry!”

“I was only doing what I used to do back in the cafeteria. She didn’t cry back then though.”

“High-performance mode removes so many programs you can’t control your reactions!”

Fooblicky lowered Yuo to the floor.

Yuo resumed crying next to Fooblicky.

She opened her mouth wide and bawled, so Fooblicky pulled out a handkerchief and died off the girl’s cheeks.

“There, there. It must have been rough having him constantly psychologically abusing you like that. Don’t cry, okay? Try to forget about that cruel man.”

“Hold on. You’re acting like I’m some kind of criminal.”

“You are technically a criminal right now.”

Aoe ignored Telyb’s comment and looked to Yuo.

After staring at her for a bit, her bawling subsided to simple sobs.

After an equal amount of time, those sobs settled down to irregular breathing.

When Aoe grabbed the fries and crouched down, the crying had stropped altogether.

Tiny Yuo was looking up at him with her shoulders shaking.

She wasn’t crying. The shaking was just from wiping the tears away with her round hands.

She viewed him with her blue eyes.

Her gaze was direct but trembled just a bit.

<Here. You’re supposed to be an adult now, so don’t cry so much.>

He held out the plate of fries, grabbed one himself, and ate it. The vinegar flavor was pretty strong.

Seeing that, Yuo hesitated a bit but finally reached out her hands and grabbed some fries too.

She held one of each flavor together, opened her mouth wide, and stuffed them in her mouth like she was going to eat her fingers off too.

She chewed and swallowed with her fingers still in her mouth.

A few seconds later, she sighed in a way that wasn’t quite childish but not quite adult either.

“Senpai?” she said.

At the same time, she wiped her hands off on her clothes and approached. He followed her with his eyes as she trotted over to him.

She arrived next to him and patted his crouching thigh like she was confirming he was really there.

He smiled bitterly as her small hand lightly slapped him.

<Ha ha ha. It’s like she’s brainless.>

“You could at least describe her as like a cat or a dog.”

Whether she heard Fooblicky’s comment or not, Yuo moved her patting hands from his thigh to his side and then his back.

“It’s really him. It’s really Senpai.”

She sounded surprised and then she ran around behind him.

“Hey, you idiot! Don’t cling to my back!”

He reached around behind him, but she was too small.

He missed her and she scampered up his back. Once at the top, she clung to the back of his neck.

She ignored how the dog on his shoulder moved out of her way in surprise.

“Outside! Let’s go outside!”

“Really?” Aoe turned his head to get a look at the small girl and stood up. “What am I supposed to do about this?”

“Whatever you want,” said Telyb. “But I see your relationship was exactly as Yuo described it.”

Aoe looked away from Yuo on his back and gave Telyb a dejected look.

Telyb looked up at him with a toothy grin.

“When you first met her, she says you flipped up her skirt, making her scream, and then took her outside the school to witness a fight. A fight between you and a group of 50 people.”

“If she had shown any interest in going to class, I would have let her, but she was staring into the distance behind the school building. She was the new overseas exchange student and a princess, so I decided it would be best to show her the Japanese student way of life sooner rather than later.”

“She was certainly influenced by that way of life when she returned 3 years later,” snidely noted Fooblicky.

Aoe calmly nodded.

“Yes, she grew strong enough to not cry when someone flipped up her skirt.”

He pointed to Yuo on his shoulder and she reached her hands out toward his finger.

He moved his finger around to avoid her hands, looking unsure what to do about this.

<She used to hang her head and not say much. And she would tease her hair when she was anxious.>

“I finally got her to tell me her name and why she was in Japan when we stopped for ramen on the way back.”

He sighed and pulled his finger away. He ignored how she cried out in disappointment.

“So what do I do now?”

“Why not visit the Royal Library like I suggested? Oh, and you should switch out of Sight Mode soon. You’ll waste the energy from those fries.”

“Can we go outside? Stop talking so much, Telyb! Prove that fat belly of yours is worth something!”

Yuo’s comment led Aoe to look at Telyb’s stomach.

<Aoe’s Over Zoom>

He did have quite a belly.

“It’s true, but you can still get after her for pointing it out.”

<Aoe’s Sight Mode has ended>

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