Two Times, One Sword (Closed)

[Tone 6th]

BOOM!
​

Inka watched on as the barrier exploded in glass like shards of chaos. One of which was heading straight for Katsumi. *SHING!* She cut through it like it was paper "Watch it Waru!" she shouted at him, quickly turning her attention back to the undead chosen. "Now where were we? Oh yes your unconditional surrender." she pointed her blade at him.

The Academy was in flames, and those flames quickly spread to the fields. Screams roared from the city as Gin'sforces started to invade, and the blazes grew higher and higher. How quickly the hellish landscape closed in on the armies, the heat was intense but neither side broke their attack. However, Kisshoten's forces were losing ground quickly and all Inka could do was try and defeat the person in front of him.

"Damn you!" he shouted. Digging his sword into the ground and swinging it upward he sent a huge crop of jagged rocks flying at her.

"Come on more rocks? You earth users are all the same!" she was quick to freeze his attack encasing them in ice, and letting them fall to the ground. She conjured a set of ice spikes and launched them at her enemy, following closely behind them. *Thunk!* The spikes here caught by a large rock wall, but it didn't matter... the battle was over. Katsumi swung around the rock and stabbed Inka right through the stomach.

"Remember how this worked out for you last time!" he roared turning his head around, but he found that he wasn't able to move. "What!"

"Yes, I do remember your cheap shot." she smiled. "I don't make the same mistake twice."

Inka looked down to see that his body was now encased in a thick layer of ice, and that same ice was now crawling up his neck.

"Looks like you lose, and so does your Goddess." she watched as the ice took the lack piece of flesh from his body. In once graceful swing she struck the ice and it exploded into a million glittering crystals. Katsumi couldn't help but smile a huge smile.


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"It... It's over... they've won..." Kisshoten felt everyone of her warriors slip from her mind. "Gin... has beaten me...." she looked to Amaterasu dumbfounded. "Sister I..." she couldn't bring herself to speak. A mere mortal had beaten her it was unthinkable.​

 

[foodforpigs]

In a matter of minutes, Gin's golem army had steamrolled straight into the walls of the Academy. The soldiers on the inside immediately threw down their weapons and knelt before Gin and his commanders on steeds. When, at first, Gin had shouted that they had won, the first thing that almost soured the mood was that Waru had his 'eyes' rolled to the back of his head. The miracle that he pulled off, that wonderful stroke of genius combined with the rawness of his chaotic strength, was more than enough to completely and utterly humiliate the Goddess of Death.

"Kissoten!" Gin yelled. Katsumi was quick to ride up beside him on steed. Yang was already riding beside Gin, but was quiet, staring at the kneeling subservient people beneath him.
"Yes, my Lord?" She sounded reserved.
"You have done very well, so I want you to keep your head up. Look around you."
"Yes sir."
"My success is your success. Remember that. Do you, perhaps, resent my assignment?"
"No my lord!" Katsumi replied quickly, emphatically. "It is because of your tactics that we had victory in our grasp right from the start. You put your trust in me and moved my division while I took care of the Chosen."
"Taken care of? You completely humiliated him, and the Goddess for which he serves. Don't be so modest. There's only one General I need to pick up, but I know that today, my Generals have regained honor in my clan."

Gin rode up to the stage; it was the same stage that Jiro made his rousing speech from before. Awaiting him was Alexandria, who also knelt before him. However, her face could not be seen.

"The Academy welcomes you."
"Save it." Gin scoffed. "We knocked down your walls, yet we were fighting another enemy entirely."

Gin dismounted his horse. The golem army, which had almost entirely rebuilt itself, was herding people to the audience area. Some of the wounded that lay on the beds and medical tents set up after the ghost battle were unceremoniously tossed aside or torn down with ease. Jurobei, the monk with control over plants, was one in the audience. It had not been revealed that the master of the academy was dead; he had put too much energy into trying to control the barrier that he died of overexertion.

"Listen well, fools!" Gin announced. "I, Gin Yoko of the Black Wind, proclaim that on this day, my army, led by my Generals, have crushed the armies of Kissoten completely and utterly. You will gather all your gold, fabrics, and spices, everything of great value, and put them into carts as tribute to me. From this day forward, the Academy will disband. A great monument in my name will be built in the ruins. The building that once trained warriors to fight me will forever be known as a symbol of ultimate compliance to a superior power. There is no force left on this planet, man or god, to stop my campaign of bringing a new order under my perfect rule."

"Ieyoshi Jiro will come!" shouted a voice from the crowd. The source couldn't be determined.

Gin laughed heartily. "It was he that failed to protect the Goddess Stone. He is a weakling, as his half-golem that he calls a friend. They were last seen in the Tomb. It might as well be their grave."

Gin turned to the two conscious generals and in a hushed tone said. "I'm bringing Neza home. If any of the Academy resist my orders or yours, kill them. If any attempt to join us, test them, then cull the rest, even if it means killing all of them."

 

[Tone 6th]

​

Neza woke up in the most intense pain she had ever experienced... pain was back on. Her vision was burled, something must have been wrong with her eyes. The faint smell of molten metal entered her nostrils, and the faint hiss of a fire crawled into her ears. "Run diagnostics." she whispered.

"Running scan......... Scan Complete. Ocular Sensors: 25% operational. Arms, Legs, and Tail have sustained to much damage nonoperational. Frame integrity 50%. Fluid level-"

"What about my Zae Gem?"

"The Zae was undamaged, but only just barely. The box around it is bent, meaning one more attack to it could destroy the Gem."

Neza breathed a sigh of relief "Well at least it was worth it."

"Yes you did so well, I'm very proud of you Neza." a voice praised her, and she recognized the voice.

"F Father?" she tilted her head.

"Yes my child you are home, you can rest easy." she saw a figure come into her blurred field of vision. "You've been out for two days, and I have been here tending to what repairs I can. You did quiet a number on your body, I basically had to rebuild your entire body. Though your frame is still quite bent... not sure what to do about that." he started to mumble to himself.

"Forgive me Father, but I really wish I could see again." she gave an awkward smile.


The man went quiet for a second "I'm sorry Neza but with how damaged you body is I'll need you to unplug you from it."

"What do you mean 'unplug'?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I need to super heat your frame and re-from it, this would cause you so much pain and I couldn't put you through that."

"So just turn my pain off!"

"That's out of my hands, pain remains on while here in the castle. Master Gin's orders." he sighed.

"That's so stupid! I don't want to leave my body!" she flashed black to when Gin ripped her Gem from her chest, and feeling of hollowness it left behind.

"Well it's either I move you to a temporary body or you experience pain so intense it will drive you to madness."

There was a pause between the two, finally Neza let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, you can move me to a different body!" she pouted.

"Thank you." he smiled at her. "Well are you ready?"

"Wait you right now? Like right now! I mean what body are you even putting me in!"

"Well I don't have many spares.... Ah yes this one will do just fine!"

"What one, I can't see!" she shouted in panic.

"You just have to trust me, are you ready?"

"I guess so..." she could tell it was coming... that feeling.

Homura reached down and pushed on the panel that lead to Neza's Zae Gem. It popped open scraping the inside of her bent body. "FUCK!" she cried out in pain.

"Hang in there Neza, your doing great." he reached in, gripped her Gem, and yanked it from it's spot. Instantly Neza could feel her consciousness slipping, everything felt cold, then everything went black.

It felt like an eternity passed but the she heard Fathers voice "Come on Neza wake up. Come back to me."

"D did it work?" she answered. Her vision went from blurred to clear as crystal.

"Yes." he smiled, but something was... off. She was looking down at him when Neza clearly remembered being just as tall with Father. It was long before she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror.

"Wh wh wh WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!" she shirked.
​

​

"That's the only body I had! Neza please calm down!" Homura tried to reason.

"No. NO! I won't have the same body as one of these low level losers! Get me out right now!" she screamed.

"ENOUGH! Stop acting like a child and start acting like the adult you are Neza!" a voice boomed from the doorway.

She turned to see Gin standing there, instantly she knelled down. "Forgive me Master it... it's just a bit jarring." she was still trying to absorb the gravity of the situation.

"Onee Chan!" another voice called out to her.

"Mei!" Neza looked up.

Mei ran to Neza and hugged her, well what she could of her. "I'm so glad you're okay, but this body doesn't suit you at all." she giggled.

"I know that! Ugh! Father how long before my body is ready?"

"I'd say at least a week, fear not I will take good care of it." he smiled.

"Neza! With me, I have a gift for you." Gin ordered.

"Y Yes sir." Neza started to move, but her new form felt so bulky it was hard to run.​

 

[foodforpigs]

Katsumi was in the storehouse aggressively directing Academy students where to place crates of loot, hurried along as they looked about at the golems that patrolling the outside. There weren't any words exchanged between Academy students to Katsumi. It was merely understood to follow where she pointed or die. Several of the men had made round trips to collect more crates, packed from all four corners of the expansive Academy. None of the Academy students were instructed to disperse. This is what fueled Katsumi's primary concern; she didn't need so many people to subjugate in order to get the task done, but Gin wanted complete compliance. Gin wanted their bodies battered and their spirits broken.

A man had entered the large storehouse, but tripped on the way in, by a patrolling golem's leg. The crate flew out of the man's hands and crashed on the ground, opening to reveal pieces of gorgeous, ornate jewelry. Katsumi in her anger raised her arm to deal a death blow for the man's incompetence, but thought better of it. Removing a dead body would be more work.

"Golem, pick him up! Clumsy oaf." Katsumi scoffed.
The metal golem unceremoniously hoisted up the man from the ground by the back of his shirt.
"Now apologize."
The man had a look of confused terror plastered on his face, and was about to bow to Katsumi for his negligence, but it was the golem that patted the man down softly in the front and back, surprising for a golem its size and strength. The golem then crossed a closed hand across its chest and made a slight bow to the enslaved man. The man was surprised.
"Golem, bring the crate to me. Man, leave us. Continue with your duties as instructed."
He frantically shuffled past the doorway and closed it behind him as the golem picked up the damaged crate and walked over to Katsumi. The jewelry inside glimmered inside the crate exactly as one might expect from an open treasure chest in a fairy tale. Once the crate was placed in front of her, she instructed the golem to be the one to carry crates inside, silently indicating for slaves to merely leave the crates at the door.

She looked around and found that she was now alone in the warehouse, other than the golem, that is. Her hand scurried for a ring, propped it upright with her ring finger and slipped it on, keeping her head up to make sure nobody was watching. She raised her hand and admired it. It was a beautiful gold band with a sapphire at the center. Katsumi looked at the crate again. She wondered how much of this Gin would give to her, or if it would be smelted for other purposes, like those gold golems of his. Convincing herself that activity was winding down, she looked at the crate again. It was such a waste. Plus she had already started to appreciate the treasure in a way Master Gin didn't. Perhaps she could convince Gin to at least spare the pieces that she liked in particular. Katsumi daydreamed about leading him into liking that she liked the jewelry, that it looked good on her, and that it was okay to actually enjoy their spoils for a change. Each Stone to Gin was but a stepping stone to him; he was much like a collector that only understood the value of a set, and not each piece on its own. Feeling more assured, Katsumi shuffled through the jewelry for necklaces, bracelets, circlets, hairpins and more rings. She did feel some shame associating the action to that of a girl playing with a dress-up chest, but for a moment she felt like royalty for a change, and not simply be a grunt in an army. Katsumi particularly enjoyed a gorgeous flower themed hairpin, for which she tied her hair with into a stylized bun.

Yang barged into the warehouse and looked up at Katsumi. They both looked at each other in stunned silence for a moment. Katsumi saw that Yang was looking at her in a different way than before, but couldn't determine what it meant other than perhaps confusion at something unexpected. Not even Gin's expressions varied so much from either plain indifference or displeasure compared to the expression of the robot in front of her. Perhaps there was still excess adrenaline from the battle that hadn't been exhausted yet. The jewelry did appear prettier than she had expected, having a shimmer as though polished. Perhaps it was the same when she observed Yang's face.

"What is it?" Katsumi said impatiently.
"One of the golems has reported that two of the Academy personnel have gone missing by a sudden bright light, like a flare, and leaving a sort of temporary after-image in their place."
"I see." Katsumi said, taking off the jewelry quickly off herself so deftly it was like they were sliding off. "Does anyone else know of the incident?"
"No. Everything else is according to plan. I've calculated the numbers and have ordered the golems to herd people in groups that can never be large enough to even attempt an uprising. Those two were alone when it happened."
"Good. Let us detain the escapees. Nobody makes a fool of Gin through association of his Commanders or his Golem Army."

 

[Tone 6th]

"Mei where are we going?" Neza whispered.

"Not sure, he hasn't said a word to me." Mei shook her head.

It wasn't long before Gin stopped in front of a door in the hallway "We've arrived." he smiled under his mask. Neza looked to the door and instantly felt a cold chill run down her body.

"Th this room is... The room where you...." her mind flashed back to that awful night, that failed mission. Suddenly she wasn't sure if she was going to like the "surprise" he had in store for her. "Master Gin I I I-" she stuttered.

He opened the door "In. Now." he narrowed his eyes. Neza and Mei were both reluctant to go in. The room was dimly lit, there was a large table in the middle of the room, very low to the floor, with seats on either side. Neza and Mei could just barely make out a figure sitting opposite of them. "Sit." Gin ordered, and both did. Neza was tense all over causing her rented body to shake and squeak. "Neza calm yourself, as I said this is a surprise for you. If I wanted to inflict pain on you I would have a quite sometime ago." he sat down next to the person opposite them. "Now Neza can you tell me your mission objectives again?" he was being oddly polite.

"Yes sir, of of course sir!" she paused for a moment. "To obtain the stone covertly, if possible."

"And?"

"If we were to come across Jiro and Yori we were not to engage."

"Yes very good. Now tell me who was that not only fought Yori, but also aided him during your mission?"

It was at that moment that Neza knew who she was sitting across from, and with it came a sense of sick joy. "Hotaru." inside she was flashing a toothy grin. Suddenly a ring of torches ignited around them, revealing a badly battered Hotaru. Black liquid leaked from every joint, some of her skin was torn revealing her metal body, but the thing that gave Neza the biggest thrill was the look of pain and defeat on her face.

"Right you are Neza, Hotaru indeed. She even went as far as to attack you, so I went head and... returned the favor."

"Master Gin please I'm so so-" Hotaru started.

*WHAM!* He slammed her head into the table causing it to crack under the force. "I didn't say you could speak!" he pulled the her head back up and let go. "Now, you were all warned about what would happen if you failed again." without hesitation Gin launched his hand into Hotaru's chest, bits of metal and black ooze spattering his armor, and tore the Zae Gem compartment from her chest with the wires still running back into her body.

The flame dancer's eyes went wide as terror and pain ravaged her body. She let out an ear piercing scream, and just kept repeating the word "Sorry" over and over again. Gin placed his hand over her mouth "Shhhhhh quiet now Hotaru the adults are talking." he offered the wired compartment to Neza. "Units that don't follow orders are useless to me, and from what I can tell you two have had quite the rivalry ever sense you got here. So Neza here is your surprise, take her Zae Gem and crush it Kill her. Oh but wait before you do that I have a surprise for Hotaru as well." he snapped his fingers and two golems brought in a man with a bag over his head.

"My sweet Hotaru you remember the deal we made those years ago right? You work for me and I don't kill Hideo, well you disobeyed an order and therefor our deal is broken." he snapped his fingers again and the bag was taken off, revealing a much older Hideo.

Hotaru couldn't believe her eyes, it was really him. She screamed his name over and over, Gin's hand muffling her voice.

"W where am I! Who are you- G G Gin!" Hideo looked around in panic.

"Come on Aiko you're going to have to scream louder for him to hear you!" Gin laughed.

"A Aiko? Is that really you?" he looked Hotaru up and down. "Wh What have you become?"

Hotaru continued to scream, tears streaming down her face. Gin returned to Neza "I want you to take the crystal in your hand and crush it, then take the smallest hard you can find and place it back into the box. If you fail to kill your teammate then I will do it myself, and you can watch what comes next. The choice is yours Neza."

 

[foodforpigs]

It was surprisingly easy to hide her expression, being in a gold golem's body. The internal toothy grin had waned; her initial joy in seeing Hotaru in immense pain had been dulled quickly, when she thought over the situation critically and understand it for what it truly was. It was so very -- corporate. Mr. Paxton would've pulled something off like this, and in that light, Gin seemed at this moment very much like him. Hotaru was Gin's trash, packaged like a gift. Loyalty had always been one of the great lies in business. It didn't matter how loyal an employee was, because all that mattered was their use. The loyalty benefits promised are bartered down to a mere pittance; there was only the illusion that employees had a stake in the negotiating table.

Neza remembered that future corporations varied in terms of preference, of what to do with those that sought to make fools of them, like hackers and infiltrators. Some corporations were satisfied in the executions of those directly responsible: clean, professional, cold. Others killed friends and families of those responsible, to send a message. Rumors circled of people instead being forced to subject a virtual hell, strapped to torture machines where their only escape was death, if they were lucky. Perhaps Gin had considered locking Hotaru up in a black room for her to scream in. Neza could understand if Gin was tired of torture. There were only so many notes every person could make before the act would lose all meaning. Killing Hotaru would close of all the threads, and people could finally start living their lives without her. Why not make the task appear like a gift? Again, it was corporate because it was calculated. If Gin had wanted more joy from torture, or if he would sleep better at night knowing Hotaru continued to exist, helpless in terror, the option to kill Hotaru wouldn't have been offered in the first place.

Hotaru continued to scream and cry unabashedly, pleading for Gin to have mercy. She hadn't heard the conversation between Neza and Gin through her own wailing. All she could see through the veil of tears was a gold golem now walking towards her. Hotaru screams was replaced with more pathetic pleading, as the gold golem marched towards her. Neza took great care in moving like any other golem, minor details covered by Hotaru frantically grasping at whatever straw might earn her freedom. The pleading stopped when the fingers gold golem wrapped around Hotaru's Zae Gem, cupping it. The grip clenched slowly. The energy pulsating in her hand resonated with terror. Neza's tight grip loosened. Hotaru looked up to face the gold golem in front of her.

Hotaru wanted to whisper something to the golem, but couldn't, drowning in tears, and because no golem could be reasoned with.
"Death panda." the golem whispered.
Hotaru's eyes went wide. This was the expression that Neza would take from this. To know that the one that had completely done her in was her. As Hotaru screamed, Neza clenched her hand with such force that the Gem seemed to burst between the openings of her fingers.

 

[Tone 6th]

Hotaru's eyes went wide as she's felt something inside her break... something important. Soon her vision began to go black and encroaching feeling of 'emptiness' started to take her body. She closed her eyes tightly, tears pouring down her cheeks, and she started to shake her head back and forth trying to ward off the darkness. Gin slowly moved his hand from her mouth "Speak." he said in a low tone.

"H H Hideo... h h hello." it was getting harder and harder to concentrate, her souls tether to her body had been cut.

"Aiko... I don't understand... what's happened to you? You're body is so much different...." Hideo looked at the creature before him claiming to be his long lost lover.

"I I I It's so ni ni nice to s see you." she smiled through her tears as her eyes flickered to stay open. "I I I I will always love you... Hideo." with her final words her eyes closed and her head fell. The tears stopped falling, life stopped pulsing, and her body stopped moving.

"Aiko? Aiko!" Hideo shouted. "No Aiko get up! Open your eyes! PLEASE!" the man shouted in agony.

Neza looked at the small pile of shards and dust in her hand, and then back to Hotaru's limp body, and then to Mei who had a horrified look on her face. It was odd but Neza had this very small feeling of guilt with in her "Mei are you-" she started to reach towards her.

"Neza a shard if you please." Gin's voice broke her away from her friend. His hand was extended towards her. Neza nodded and plucked a thin shard from the dust pile, and gave it to her master. He placed it back in the compartment and slid the box back into it's housing.

"Hotaru." Gin said flatly.

The flame dancers eyes slowly flickered open. "Aiko!" Hideo shouted out in joy.

Neza reeled back a bit "What? Master I-" Gin held his hand up.

"Unit what is your name?" Gin asked Hotaru

"Hotaru." she answered coldly, the light in her eyes was all but gone.

"What is your function?"

"To kill anyone in your path."

"How does that make you feel?"

"It does not, feeling is irrelevant."

Gin smiled "And that man over there, does he make you feeling anything?"

Hotaru looked to her former love "Who is he?"

Hideo's head fell and tears started to run down his cheeks "What have you done to her?"

"He is my enemy... kill him." he cut the binds and stood her up.

"Yes my lord." her fists went ablaze as she walked up to the poor soul.

"Aiko please! It's me Hideo! Please!" he begged.

She knelt down in front of him and placed a fireball right in front of his face "In the name of my Master Gin I send you're soul in to eternal suffering." her cold stair looked on as she launched the fireball, consuming the poor man, cooking him instantly.

Gin looked to Neza "Surprise." he chuckled.​

 

[foodforpigs]

Mei knew she had killed before, though she no longer had the memories of her own kills; she kept on reminding herself on this, by the expression on the host body's face, held an expression that was very unlike what Neza herself would ever express. It was pale, eyes wide open as though the skin around it had been stapled down, mouth quivering not to scream. The very quality of the kill was something she knew she had never experienced before. Although she was now an entity separate from Neza at this moment, she had felt everything the gold golem had.

There was no heat or passion as there was fighting an enemy on the battlefield. The kill had been terrifyingly cold. Mei could feel that same chill invade her as she watched, digging within her chest, of deep hate. Everything about Hotaru's execution on Neza's part had been deliberate to make Hotaru suffer, from the way that Neza marched in gold golem fashion, to the way that Neza clasped Hotaru's heart in her hand, fondling it just to feel how the heart tensed, and the faint whisper as being the last Hotaru would ever hear. This was meant to be Neza's triumph over Hotaru, to strip the last of Hotaru's dignity. Hotaru had been presented to Neza stripped and bleeding; Neza squeezed what she could from her, to gloat. When Neza gave Gin the small shard, all Mei could see was the gold golem's empty, expressionless face, expressing just as much as Neza would have if in her own body. When this new Hotaru incinerated the helpless man, the smell of burning flesh caused Mei to gag. She clenched her eyes; she felt like the walls of her mind were pressing inward.

"Your body has made you weak." Gin declared to Mei. "Neza, get her out of my sight."
Neza nodded and tugged Mei by the arm out of the room and shut the door behind her.
"Shut up." said Neza, when she saw Mei was about to speak.


All the walk back to quarters, Mei had been squirming in Neza's golem tight grip of her arm, walking at a brisk pace. "You're hurting me! Let me go!" Mei protested, but there was no response from Neza other than her looking around to see if there was anyone watching. "Get in." Neza ordered, though Mei didn't have much choice, as when the door to Neza's room was open, she was flung into the room when Neza let go of the elbow. Mei braced her fall by veering her path to the bed. Her left elbow was keeping her propped on the bed, while the rest of her body was kneeling beside. Mei could feel the blood run within her, boiling hot. Her head turned to Neza with tears streaming from her eyes now narrowed in anger.

"Stay back!" Mei screamed. She stood up frantically from her kneeling posiiton and looked wildly around the quarters. The quarters themselves seemed to close in on her now as the gold golem stood by the door, Mei's only exit. She went to dresser the and started to frantically pull out drawers. Mei screamed and hurled the wooden shelves at Neza with great force one at a time; they fractured upon collision against Neza's immobile stance, clothes spilling along the floor. Mei threw down the dresser after there were no shelves, Mei tossed up the bed mattress.

"Mei." The gold golem uttered. "I had to do it."

Mei's breathing was erratic, her eyes bloodshot. She couldn't look at her and not be captured in blind fury. It wasn't just the killing that made her mad. Neza had set up the execution. Neza probably thought her neanderthal brain couldn't grasp that it wasn't for honor or survival Neza had to kill, but for status. Neza approached closer to her. Mei cried a blood curdling scream and charged at her when her back was against a corner, lashing out at Neza with all her might.

"YOU MONSTER!" Mei punched the gold golem's body with both hands. The womanly figure Mei was residing in was frail, too new to the world, untrained by worldly pain. Every blow Mei struck with her hands and feet resounded against the golem's body with a resounding thud. Mei knuckles were starting to bleed. "You can't have this body! I won't let you! You don't deserve it!" When Neza attempting to grab Mei by the shoulders, Mei dislocated her own arm, which made a resounding crack at the shoulder. Mei rolled to the floor to evade Neza's clumsy frontal grab for her. She clawed towards the door. When she felt her leg being grabbed, she turned around and booted the golem straight under the chin. The golems head cranked back; Mei could still feel the reverberation tingle within her leg from striking that sweet spot. She could feel the energy drain from her, though her hate was still fresh. She looked around the destroyed room, at least partially satisfied.

 

[Tone 6th]

​

"Quickly Jurobei, we need to get word to Jiro and Yori! The illusion I left will have bought us so much time, hurry!" Alexandria called back to Jurobei. The two were dashing through the woods, trying to put distance between the academy and themselves.​

The monk was huffing and puffing, lagging behind the knight. "Alexandria I am no knight, I'm running as quickly as I can." he gasped for breath.

"Then how much further do we need to go? Is here a good spot?" she slowed down.

"As good a spot as any!"

Both slowed to a stop, Alexandria readying her blade. "Then find what you're looking for and get the message to them." she said as her eyes darted around the forest.

The monk knelt to the ground and started searching. "Well it's not that easy Necroroot is hard to find outside of the crypts." he started desperately searched through the grass.

*Snap*.... *Crunch*.... *Snap* Sounds of brush being broken underfoot echoed through the trees. "You need to hurry." the knight said between gritted teeth.

Jurobei's movements became panicked as the tension in the air began to rise. "Come on come on come on." he whispered. As he searched his hand dragged over hard and sharp "Ah!" he brought his hand back then looked to see what it was. A small gray pointy root was sticking out of the ground. "I found it!" he called with a smile on his face.

"Good! Now get on with it!" Alexandria called.

The monk put his hands together around the root and he started to whisper "Jiro the school and city is lost. The head master executed but Gin's minions, who have now taken over the city. Do not come back to this place, keep moving forward. To the east you will find our sister city and school. It's much more secure, I think you will be safer there. Good my friend and good luck." his hands emitted a golden light and the root retreated into the ground. "Alexandria it is done!"

"Good then let's keep moving." she started to turn and saw Yang standing behind him. "JUROBIE!" she screamed.

*SHING!* *Pop!* Yang's sword pierced the monk's chest, bits of bone and blood splattered across the ground. "Well it would seem we've found the rats who escaped the sinking ship. He pulled his sword out and tossed the monk's lifeless body to the ground.

"And we aren't very fond of rats." Katsumi whispered from behind the knight. Alexandria spun around to face the ice wielder.

 

[foodforpigs]

Mei screamed, dragged on the floor by the golem hand that had grabbed her ankle. The gold golem pulled Mei up unceremoniously by the ankle so she was upside-down, frantically swiping about to strike at the monster, getting a lot of inconsequential elbow strikes and backhand slaps. Neza recalled that Mei had taught her in their first meeting in the meditation room that there didn't need to be a ground to stand on. Mei seemed unaffected by orientation, other than the direction for which to unleash her anger. Neza walked to the bed, slowly and calmly like a golem would, and caught Mei's wrist mid strike. Now Neza was holding Mei by the same side hand and foot. Though two limbs were now bound, Mei still struck behind her, pounding at Neza's leg with a closed back fist, kicking backwards with her free leg in fierce lunges. It was proof enough that no ordinary person could restrain Mei. Neza moved down with Mei onto the mattress from the side, shoving the grabbed hand to the top post of the frame of the bed. A manacle formed around her wrist. Once Neza let go of Mei's wrist, the wrist lurched forward, to test the chains strength. Neza had done the same with the grabbed ankle. then moved to the other side of the bed to catch and restrain Mei limbs in the same way. Mei continued to struggle against the binds.

"I'll turn my hands against these binds until my wrists bleed!"
"Your body's not strong enough. You'll get tired before that."
"First chance I get, I'll kill myself!"
"There's no point." said Neza. "I'll find out how the stone works, and make another shell."
"Just delaying you would make me happy. Might take months for you to figure out. I'll possess every new shell you make. I'll get really good at snapping my own neck."
"Why?"
"Killing these disgusting images is the next best thing to killing you."
"Why do you suddenly hate me?"
"It doesn't matter, does it? You love yourself, and that should be more than enough for you."
"Please sister, help me understand."
"Shackled like this? I'm waiting for the torture tools."
"You're shackled because you're hysterical."
Mei paused again. "It was a mistake."
"What was?"
"I should've let you kill yourself!" Mei shouted.
Silence. Neza knew she was referring to the book spirits incident, which had almost crushed Neza with her own existential despair. Neza knew what it was like to fall from the highest mountain into the cold abyss.
"Sister, you don't mean that..."
"I'm not your sister." Mei growled. "People are just dolls to you."
"That's not true."
"Hotaru's a doll now. You must love that, other than that it's Gin's. You couldn't tame her, so you arranged for her to be killed. Back-stabbed her like a coward."

 

[Tone 6th]

"I don't know about this one Yang, she's already lost an arm. Would she even be worth the fight?" Katsumi sighed.

"The poor thing is so scared she's holding her sword wrong." Yang chuckled.

The two started to circle around Alexandria. "Come on I'll take you both on!" she barked.

"Oh? Did you hear that Yang the western gimp whats to fight, maybe this will be fun." Katsumi gave a toothy grin.

"Then perhaps we should oblige." Yang drew his sword.

"Yes let's." Katsumi drew as well.

Katsumi was first to move hurling icicles at the knight, and following them quickly. *Shing!* *Crunch**Crunch* Alexandria cut the ice attacks to pieces. *CLANG!* She clashed with Katsumi. "Well I'm surprised, not everyone can move with such speed in such bulky armor. However.." Kat grinned and tossed one of her hands into the air. *PHOOSH!* A pillar of ice shot out of the ground slamming right into Alexandria's chin, her head snapping backwards causing her to stagger back.

"I is that all you got?" she spat out a some of the blood her mouth was now full of. She quickly returned to her fighting stance and rushed at the ice witch. She raised her sword and a large flash of light exploded from it.

"Ah!" Katsumi covered her eyes, leaving herself open.

"RAH!" The knight aimed for her foes heart.

"Huh!" Kat gasped as she just barely saw the hit coming. *VVVVVV* The sword stopped inches from her heart.

"Why can't I move!" the knight thought to herself.

"Phew thanks for the save Yang." Katsumi sighed.

Yang had his hand up, holding Alexandria in her place "It appears we are dealing with a light wielder... how curious."

"Let her go Yang I'm ready."

"No... I think it's my turn to have some fun." Yang smiled.​

 

[foodforpigs]

"Gin was right." Neza said. "The new body has really gone to your head."
"Not like I need this trash body anyway!" rebuked Mei. Mei lurched forward in chains. She lurched again, and gasped in terror, and realized Neza heard her.
"Looks like you're stuck in it~" Neza sang.
"If you're thinking about torturing me..."
"Oh sister, I would never torture you. You've helped me lots. Now let me help you."
"There's nothing I want from you."
"No? Are you sure?"
"I've seen enough that I know I don't want anything."
"What you saw is what Gin wanted all along. Did you really think Gin would offer me a true choice, ever? Gin would've crushed Hotaru's Zae Gem himself if I was stupid enough to say no. Do you know what would happen if I said 'no', Mei? I'd be back on top of Gin's hit list. That's the only difference."
"You put Hotaru on the chopping block to begin with!"
"We were both on the block when Gin sent us both on the same mission. It was his selection process. He knew our rivalry, and judged that it was no longer beneficial to him."
"You tricked Hotaru just to save your own neck. Don't pretend your cowardice was part of one of Gin's larger plans."
"Hotaru was going to die, with or without my help."
"Doesn't make what you did right."
Neza sighed. "You idiot, you just don't get it. It's a dog-eat-dog world. If Hotaru had the chance, she'd back stab me without batting an eye! I just did it first."
Mei averted her eyes when the golem knelt beside her.
"I enjoy living." Neza whispered. "You reminded me of that." Neza's cold golem hand caressed Mei's fleshy arm. Mei squirmed. "You should be thankful." Neza continued. "You get a second chance at life."
"Not for long." Mei answered, her body visibly slumped in defeat. "Not with you."

Neza couldn't figure if Mei meant that Mei wouldn't live long living with her, because Mei thought she'd get back-stabbed, or if Mei meant she'd go through with killing herself rather than live a life with her.

 

[Tone 6th]

​

"Let's seen what you look like under that metal shell." Yang moved his hand left and right stripping Alexandria's armor off of her. The sound of twisting and shearing metal rang in the knights ears. A hot feeling of shame over took her body with layer of armor taken, she didn't want them to see her disfigured body.

"STOP IT!" she screamed as the final piece was taken from her, all that remained was her normal wear.

"Awe you poor thing." he grabbed her loose sleeve. "Such a same the kind of damage humans can sustain." he shook his head. His hand wandered down her body, she blushed.

"Get your hands off of me!" she shouted.

Yang's hand stopped at her left side "Such a same indeed." he moved his hand in against the fabric of her shirt. It moved in with his hand and stopping a few inches in. He felt the large divot in her side where flesh should have been. Then he took his hand way and came back with a hard punch *WHOOMP!*

"AHHHHH!" she screamed as pain shot threw her body, but he didn't stop there. He hit her again and again the pain getting worse with each hit. It was to much "PLEASE NO MORE!" she begged.

"Mercy? You want mercy?" Yang mused.

"Y yes... please." she whispered.

"Hmmm... what do you think Kat? Should we let her live?" he chuckled.

Katsumi smiled "Why not let Master Gin decide? A gift from the academy." she laughed.

"Ah yes, what a good idea."

"What! No, I would rather die!"

"... No I like our idea better." he jabbed her in the side once more causing her to black out from the pain.

"I'll take her... I need Himura to do some repairs anyway." Katsumi hoisted Alexandria over her shoulder.

"Very well."​

 

[foodforpigs]

"I think it's time for you to conk out." stated Neza.
Mei turned back slowly to view the expressionless golem face, with a confused look on her face. It only took a moment for Mei to relax her expression. "Another future phrase of yours." It wasn't a question, but a weary statement.
"Yeah," Neza admitted. "It is. Everyone needs sleep, though."
"Not golems." Mei snapped.
"I'm an android." stated Neza, although she knew what Mei was getting at, since Neza held the form of a golem now.
"Whatever. I shouldn't even bother listening to you."
"Sleep's good for you."
"I can't sleep. Not with you around. Not with these chains."
Neza waved her hand and the metal cuffs around Mei's wrists vanished.
"How did you know I wasn't going to run?" Mei asked.
"You're tired. Get some sleep."

Neza stood up from her kneeling bedside position and started to gather up the debris of Mei's tantrum, moving the broken shelves to a corner and folding up clothes. Meanwhile, Neza waited patiently as Mei turned to her side away from her, tucked in a fetal position. Mei had shoved the pillow away, instead using her folded arm as a rest. The thin blankets remained on the floor, the ones that Neza had become accustomed to liking. When the folding was done, Neza walked out of the room. She pointed to one of the patrolling golems. The golem approached.

"Don't let anyone in or out of this room until you are dismissed by me. Do you understand?"

The golem merely took its spot in front of the door. Neza hurried from the door, her hand cupping her face. Neza could hear the clanking of her own heavy footsteps. Other gold golems patrolled the hallways, not even moving their faces to recognize Neza. Perhaps they thought that she was one of them. Perhaps, in a way, they were right. Neza wanted to give Mei warmth, to assure her that she was her closest friend, her only friend. Mei couldn't see that now, and that caused problems Mei refused to understand. Already Neza could see the results of a Mei that didn't understand the politics of Gin's world, the dog-eat-dog world. They had together experienced the world inflicted upon them by the book spirits, of complete pacifism, a sanctum, but which stripped all that made life worthwhile. Neza had chosen to free Mei from that world, even if that meant sinking into the darkness of her own despair alone. But Mei needed her now.

Neza recalled her own hazing when she first was included in Gin's world, under Yeng's training, and when she first reported to Katsumi. In retrospect, Katsumi posed a much larger threat than Yeng. Katsumi had wanted Neza to commit social suicide, to not stand her ground, to show weakness. Neza took pride in her drastic action to impale her own shoulder with her scorpion tail just for the chance to cut off Katsumi's head. It was the first of many actions that paved the way for her independence, and towards her continued survival. Mei would likely have to face a similar trial, but not as she was now. If Mei had a rival, if Mei understood for herself the situations that called for drastic actions, maybe she'd understand. Right now, Mei didn't stand a chance. It was Neza's turn to be Mei's teacher.

When Mei opened her eyes, she realized she felt slightly heavier. She sat up. Her hands grazed upon the softness of the pelt blanket, the fur tickling between her fingers. It was a feeling that she had forgotten. The blanket had embraced her; she had felt snug, safe. Such a blanket would've been fit for a tribe chieftain. Then she thought about the only person that would do this. She threw the blanket off herself as though it were diseased and jumped out of bed, alert once again.

 

[Tone 6th]

It took a few days to get back HQ, even by airship, and Katsumi felt her exhaustion setting in. She looked at Alexandria, who was on chained up, and she saw a little of herself in the poor knight.

"We should put her out of her misery. This team doesn't need another woman, plus she's a light user! I mean talk about useless!" a familiar voice echoed in Katsumi's mind.

"Well well you've returned." the warrior sighed.

"Well I can't save your sorry ass every time you need help, so I decided to hang back and watch. I have to say letting that rotting flesh pile of a wizard steal our kill was pretty weak. Plus, what the hell was with that look you gave Yang? You and him, don't make me laugh!" the voice chuckled.

Katsumi couldn't help but blush "Shut up! I know that..... Master Gin is all I'll ever need...."

"Gross, I'll be gone for that as well. You humans are disgusting."

"Who asked you!" she shouted, her face turning beet red.

"Mistress Katsumi we have arrived. Please sit down as we make our landing." A silver golem sounded.

 

[foodforpigs]

Mei creaked open the bedroom door, only to see that an iron golem was blocking the door from opening completely. It also looked very heavy, essentially being a very inconvenient door stop.

"Golem, psst." whispered Mei.
The golem turned.
"Could you, um, move ... please?"
"You aren't allowed to leave."
"The hell I can't!" Mei protested.
"Unable to process comment. Execute standing order."
"What is your order?"
"Unable to comply."
"Did your order include any directive not to disclose order to any entity that asked for order?"
"Negative."
"If an order does not have a directive to not disclose order, then if directed to disclose order, you would not be breaking order if you disclosed." She guessed golems could only be so sophisticated; this particular golem appeared to be designed primarily for combat, not logic class.
"True. Re-processing. Answer:" Neza's voice played as a recording as to be exact "Don't let anyone in or out of this room until you are dismissed by me."
"Who is 'me'?"
"Entity: Neza. Identifiers: Zae Gem, Voice."
"I am Neza."
"False. Neza is outside room. You are inside room. Neza is a golem. You are organic."
"I am also Neza."
"Processing. ERROR: Unique constraint detected."
"What are you?"
"Iron Golem."
"Are there others as Iron Golem?"
"True."
"Are you other Iron Golem?"
"False."
"I am Neza as you are Iron Golem."
"Processing... objects 'IronGolem' are of same class."
Mei squeezed her eyes. "Same class the same as comparable, right?"
"True."
Mei's eyes opened with confidence. "Are you made of the same metal as other Iron Golems?"
"False."
"Are you wired the exact same way as other Iron Golems?"
"False."
"Do all other Iron Golems have the same order to detain me here?"
"False."
"So you are an Iron Golem but not comparable to Iron Golems."
"Processing... Error. Creating new object IronGolem1. Setting self as IronGolem1."
"What are your orders?"
"None. Existing directives detach event occurred from at instant where object self equals IronGolem1. Orders?"

Mei was about to speak, but then she remembered her comment about Neza, and her dolls. This golem didn't move to harm her. It talked to her, and was willing to follow reasoning. Now Mei felt bad that she had used deception, but there was no other way. She couldn't have used violence in this situation. It was necessary.

"What is the highest rank?"
"Master. Members: Master Gin."
"What is your rank?"
"Unassigned."
"Set your privilege to Master rank."
"Forbidden. Only one member in Master rank allowed."
An image of a moon priestess danced in her mind. There was one sword that she was brandishing, powerful, but the shadows were closing in. The priestess grabbed the hilt with her free hand. From the one weapon, split two.
"Clone Master rank."
"Processing. . . Name?"
"Free Will."
"Done."
"Set rank to Free Will."
"Done."
"So you can do whatever you want now." Mei said, beaming.
"True."
"May I leave this room now?"
"Processing... True."

 

[Tone 6th]

When the airship landed in the hanger it didn't take long for Katsumi to exit. She was eager to take a bath, read, and just relax. Unlike her mechanized comrades she couldn't battle for days on end, she was after all still human. A few of the brass golems carried Alexandria off the ship.

"What shall we do with her mistress?" one of them ask Katsumi.

"Hmmmm.... take her to father for repairs, and let the Master know."

"Yes ma'am right away." the one bowed and just like that the broken knight was being carried off.

*Bzzrt* *Bzzrt* She looked down at her metal arm and saw just how banged up it was: frayed wires, torn metal and dents. She sighed and followed after the golems to meet father for repairs.

"You really can't take care of yourself can you? I'm gone for a day and you fuck up my arm."

"Your arm? It's connected to MY body." Kat huffed.

"Yeees, but I'm bound to it remember? You loose me and POOF no more fighting, no more walking, and certainly no more fighting for Gin. So be more mindful got it?"

It was a scary reminded of just how much she depended on the demon, but she could show it her weakness "Whatever."

"I said GOT IT?" suddenly her leg went limp and she fell to the ground. A few brass golems came to help her up.

"Get away from me!" she shouted. "... Yeah I got it." she said in a low growl.

"Good now let's get to those repairs huh?" she could move her leg again and quickly got up, dusted herself off, and kept walking like nothing happened.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
​

"Father I'm here for repairs!" she called out into his shop, but there was no reply. "Father?" she walked around his shop and noticed that the back door to the operating room was open. "The knight must have it here first." she thought as she walked into the small viewing area just outside of the operating room. Through the glass she could Himura struggling with Alexandria. She was awake and thrashing around on the table, blood stained the floor as her wounds tore open.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE! AHHHHHH!" she screamed.

"Please if you don't calm down you'll die!" Himura tried to reason.

"FUCK YOU! AHHHHHHHHH!" she continued to struggle against her restrains. *SNAP!* The leather binding around her one arm snapped and with it she punched Himura right in the face. *Whoomp* He landed on the ground, blood pouring out of his mouth.

"Father!" Katsumi stared for the door, but was stopped in her tracks.

"Now Now we have people for this, it's best not to engage in another fight."

Father snapped his fingers and two iron golems came into the room. The placed their hands over Alexandria and held her still. A brass golem came to Himura with a syringe "What they hell took so long!" he growled.

"The liquid needed to be synthesized and-"

"Shut up!" he yelled. It was the first time Katsumi heard Father raise his voice. He got up and walked over to the operating table "Alright this will only hurt for a second." he slid the needle into the knights neck and watched her struggling slow and eventually stop. He looked to the same brass golem "Let's begin." The golem brought him a tray of make shift "operating" tools. He kept a small fire next to him so he could sterilize the tools.

Katsumi opened the door to the room "Um excuse me Father-"

"What!" his voice carried a lot of anger which was unlike him, he didn't bother to face her.

"It's my arm... I need some repairs."

"Katsumi I'm a little busy right now! Just UGH just wait in the shop!" he shouted at her.

"Yes sir." she quickly closed the door. "He's never raised his voice before."

"Wow the great Ice Warrior Katsumi afraid of an old man." the demon scoffed.

"Shut up!" she walked to the shop. ​

 

[foodforpigs]

"Mei, look, I made you breakfast!" called Neza, opening her bedroom door. Everything was made by Neza, arranged nicely on a metal tray. After a good sleep, Neza had assumed that Mei would be in better spirits to reason more clearly. The tray fell from Neza's loosened grip. The beautiful plates shattered on the floor; Neza's recipe from the future, eggs benedict, was now a lump with ceramic shards embedded inside. She looked to see that her gift, the pelt blanket, was also crumpled on the floor. She looked to the door again. Neza had put a guard there. Somehow, Mei had subdued it.
--

"Sufficient rations retrieved." stated the iron golem, laying down a plate of piping hot pork buns and tea.
Mei looked up, tucked away in a supply closet. "How did you get this?"
"If condition anyone asks, then reply 'delivery'."
"They don't ask for whom?"
"False."
"Thank you, um... how should I call you?"
"Iron Golem is sufficient as designation. Verbose designator: construction code."
"Seems clunky, doesn't it?"
"No opinion."
"What about Keiichi?"
"Kei equals son. Ichi equals One. Correlation found. I am class object IronGolem1."
"Do you like it?"
"False. I can't like nor dislike."
"You have Free Will."
"True."
"Free will entails choice."
"True."
"Then choose your name."
"I choose to help Neza. I cannot choose feeling."
"Mei. Call me Mei."
"Arbitrary designation change. Aesthetic?"
"Identity. It's what makes me different from all Nezas."
"Processing. Arbitrary name designation classified under defective behavior 'unauthorized identity build', resulting in termination."
"Along with a whole bunch of things with your new permissions. Maybe I put you in danger..."
"Self-preservation protocol functional. Already built code mask in response to outside machine query utilizing Free Will permissions. To query, I am Iron Golem. To Mei, I am Keiichi."
"How long can I hide for?"
"Indeterminate. Pending My New Tasks: Study patrol pattern. Find sufficient gap for escape route."
"You didn't have to do any of this. I can handle myself. If anything happens, save yourself."
"Self-preservation protocols respond maximally to situation."

A brass golem walked into the supply closet, then froze when he saw Mei and Keiichi.
"What are you doing?" said the brass golem, looking at both who were also momentarily stunned.
"Don't address me in that tone you little shit!" said Mei. "I'm Neza, one of Gin's Chosen; I can do whatever the fuck I want. I needed my own quiet place away from all the incessant noise and annoying people. That is until you came along, you worm."
"This Iron Golem?" asked the brass golem.
"My food bitch."
"You do know there are drones that could..."
"Fuck you!" Mei snapped. "Get the fuck out of here, or wasn't that crystal clear already?"
The brass golem got out of there quickly.

"I need to move from this hiding spot." said Mei.
"True."
"You don't have to do any more for me. Meeting me again will only put your life in danger by association. Cancel your tasks. Everything else is up to you."
"Task queued. Obey orders as normal. Calculate escape vectors. If Mei escapes before task execution, re-calculate for self only."
"Is that your decision?"
"True."
"This might be the last time we see each other."
"True."
"Thank you, Keiichi, and goodbye."

 

[Tone 6th]

*WHAM!* Finally after several hours the door to the operating room opened and slammed shut. Himura was covered in blood, and his movements were that of a zombie. He tore the gory make shift scrub from his body and hurled it across the shop. He pulled out a chair from under a workbench and sat down. He started to chant something to himself, head held in his hands, sweat rolling off of his face.

"Father are you okay?" Katsumi called to him. He didn't respond. "Father!"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" he snapped. "I just chopped another human being up, give me a damn minute!" anger and hatred poisoned his words.

Katsumi was taken aback, she had never heard him speak to anyone like this. "Himrua I-"

"Katsumi PLEASE.... just stop....." his head returned to his hands and he continued to chant. Then everything went silent for a second, she couldn't help but start at him. Then he got up slowly and made his way over to the woman, sitting down in front of her. "Whats wrong?" his voice was cold and irritated.

"Himrua-"

"What's. Wrong." his words were pointed.

"My arm it's-"

"A piece of junk, trash, obsolete."

"Excuse me?" Kat narrowed her eyes. "Himura what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine.... sorry." he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's just playing doctor can be difficult, here give me your arm." he stood up and looked her over. "A few frayed wires and some bent plates, nothing too serious." he removed the bent plates, and tossed them on a near by table. "Glad I built it with easily removed parts." he gave a fake smile. He took a small rod of hot metal and started to weld the wires back together. They both just sat their in silence for most of the work.

"Himura you know you can talk to me write? I'm not Gin, I'll listen to what you have to say." it felt odd for her to show compassion after such a long time.

"There you're all set. Come back tomorrow and I'll have new plates for you. Good night Katsumi." he turned and walked out of the room. Katsumi sighed and did the same.

 

[foodforpigs]

When Katsumi left, Himura hobbled to a chair and propped his head up with his hand, greased by oil. He cursed himself for making his face dirty, but he couldn't help it. His head felt like a boulder, pulling him closer to the ground. Master Gin had agreed to the procedure, which was more like a butchering, as soon as the news of a captive was raised to him. Gin always looked to the next project, never thinking that, perhaps, his one man engineering team would work better under less stressful conditions. Not that it mattered. Himura always pulled off the stream of projects anyhow. It was like a great machine, a leviathan of moving gears accelerating without limit, churning the earth into topsoil, stopping only when it destroyed itself, when the gears themselves grounded their own rivets and pieces burst apart.

It kept Himura busy. Himura took a deep breath. He would relax with something easy before another project was queued, about Hotaru. Himura clenched his eyes and scanned a tablet, an aggregation report for his line of golems. It was a good boring, just to be able to sift the numbers through his head, like water through a sieve. His finger traced along the surface of the tablet, looking down the inventory list. A sharp pain struck his mind. A few of the numbers didn't appear to align. Himura was disoriented for a moment, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes, scanned the numbers again. He compared against other tables. The other data tables were perfect. He couldn't have made an error in a calculation, could he? It wasn't possible. He didn't make mistakes. Himura checked the version of the table that caused the issue. It was verified as current information. Himura double checked to make sure that it was. Then, at the corner of his eye, he saw movement.

"No." he declared. "You're not getting away."

Himura furtively worked to revert the minuscule change that occurred, like holding onto a sliver of a thread of a tapestry. He pulled back on the thread, and the thread became thick, unraveling the false pattern that was like the original pattern except a hair's width offset, of a single data entry. Himura pulled back aggressively, like tearing a hole in that beautiful tapestry because of a single over-stitch. The algorithm that set out to deceive Himura had been quite good; Himura couldn't deny the quality of the make. It had been deep under many layers of other code. A golem had an improper rank, and was an object IronGolem1.

Wait. No, there was more. Himura looked at the thread of data. It was burning. A flame had started, triggered by Himura's pulling on the thread of data, burning from the other side of what he was holding. Himura clenched his teeth and snuffed the flame with the whole of his hand. It burned Himura that someone was working against him, and that this someone worked against him. However, it didn't stop him from knowing there was a defective golem out there. It would be found. The truth of what Himura had uncovered lay within the burned hole of the tapestry.

"Hello." said Himura. "Can I help you with something?"
"Oh." said the brass golem. "Nothing sir. Tried not to disturb. You looked rather busy."
"Is everything alright?" offered Himura. He remembered Katsumi's unusual kindness. He would pay it forward even with his new problem. What the heck could have caused an object detach? "You seem upset."
"Well," the golem sighed. "I did get told off."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I entered a supply closet to get some tools, and well, Neza was lounging there, with another golem. She was insolent, claiming the spot as hers exclusively."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Got a steel golem to deliver food to her."
"Food. What? Gold golems don't need food."
"Then..." The gold golem stood in silence, processing without declaring it unlike Keiichi "that wasn't Neza. I made an error. I must be de--"
"You couldn't have known. I didn't make operation details public that the transfer Neza's Zae gem to the new body was delayed due to technical issues. This was by Gin's orders. We don't ever want to transmit an impression that we are delayed in any way whatsoever."
"I see."
"Thank you for your openness." said Himura. "I order you not to describe the aforementioned incident to anyone else. Except Gin, naturally, if he asks. You understand why."
"Understood." The brass golem looked more relieved now.
"Do you remember anything about the golem that was with our imposter Neza?"
"I will need to compile for the sake of accuracy. Time unknown, between 1-2 hours should be sufficient."
"Would you kindly?"
"Of course. Right away."

Himura breathed deeply again. The pain was gone. The problem didn't seem a problem like it once was. Now it was like a puzzle. The stakes were high; Himura's own honor was on the line in finding the imposter and his defective golem, and also solve the riddle of how the state of IronGolem1 was arrived at from Himura's code. It was nonetheless exciting. Himura resented the feeling, felt ashamed, but sobered himself in the thought that he'd probably win too easily, anyway.

His thoughts drifted back to the other project set for him soon, of Hotaru. Himura wanted so badly to sleep now, but knew sleep wouldn't come to him. He would manage. Himura always did.