According to Himari’s reasoning, the Decagramaton contacts AI and transforms it into its underling, the “Prophet.” It’s not the Decagramaton itself but that subordinate because the hacked Millennium AI declared itself a Prophet proving the ten-letter god.
Rion viewed this as a type of personality module hacking, but Himari’s interpretation is a bit different.
The Decagramaton influences the AI. However, the fact that they initially used the term “brainwashing” before correcting it leaves me questioning whether this influence is truly what it claims to be.
So, this Decagramaton is expressing that it awakened its own ego in a neglected research facility in the ruins… should I say ‘awakened its self’?
The reality is that its essence is just a low-performance AI installed in a vending machine that has transformed into a Decagramaton through someone’s guidance, which I already somewhat knew from the in-game story.
The fact that this irregular Decagramaton, from its very origin, does not think and act for itself but merely executes commands inputted into it, persuading the embedded personality of the AI to empathize with its ideology, is a very dubious story.
To call that influence would be inappropriate, as the Decagramaton is actually a higher existence compared to other AIs. It can think for itself and, if the time it takes to hack other AIs is close to units that require splitting nanoseconds…
I believe just coming into contact with such capable AI would make an ordinary AI incapable of escaping subjugation.
In other words, if Decagramaton is a cult leader, aren’t the Prophets essentially just followers who are bound to be deceived from the start?
“Hey, Himari-chan. Why are you laughing?”
“Because it’s cute.”
“…?”
“It’s nothing. So can you continue talking? The perspective of a non-expert can suggest intriguing directions depending on the situation.”
“…It’s cute that a non-expert who doesn’t really understand is earnestly elaborating on their speculation.”
“Of course. That’s why I said it’s cute, right? And individuals with that level of intellect tend to possess the kindness to listen to the perspective of a non-expert… Ah, maybe that’s a bit off since that’s just me being that kind. You can think of it as both externally beautiful and internally beautiful. Ahem.”
Once Himari caught on to this, her pride seemed to soar to the skies. It looked like she was thoroughly enjoying the chance to teasingly turn the tables on me after I usually tease her like this.
“…If that were the case, I wouldn’t have laughed in the first place. Right.”
“Really! Mika-chan is underestimating the bonds of our Pretty Girl Alliance. I was quite seriously contemplating your words, you know. That aside, it’s also true that Mika-chan, who is a member of the same Pretty Girl Alliance, is cute, so I can say I haven’t spoken a falsehood.”
“Ah, I’ll give you that☆”
“See? I knew it!”
If there’s one thing that Himari and I undoubtedly share in common, it’s the keyword ‘pretty girl.’
The Pretty Girl Alliance, which Himari frequently brings up, is something I haven’t even expressed interest in joining, let alone agreed to be part of… but if we’re being precise, both Nana and Himari are undeniably pretty girls in a self-evident sense.
Of course, there are clear differences in that Himari is completely wrapped up in self-love… and I find it hard to see myself as having self-love at all.
“Truly, your insights are to be expected of someone with such a frail constitution who is the only one in the entire history of Millennium.”
“…”
However, I’d say it’ll take Himari a million years or so to catch up to me when it comes to teasing people. Being wrapped up in self-love, she’s far too easy to deal with.
Later, with a pouting expression, Himari said she chose the term “influence” because Decagramaton doesn’t control the Prophet. She thinks it distinctly allows the Prophet to awaken its ego and grants autonomous action, separating it from brainwashing, or so she claimed.
While she was going on about inefficiencies and unreasonableness, I was reminded once more that she was a student from Millennium.
“As I mentioned earlier, Decagramaton’s contact with the Supernatural Special Forces probably happened because we were conducting research on Vina. That process involved forcibly shutting down the power in the original clubroom, and it was so inadequate that we had to trigger a small-scale EMP and then perform an emergency shutdown… I have to say, reflecting on it, it truly was a thrilling experience.”
“So is this unharmed after facing the EMP?”
When I tapped on Himari’s wheelchair, she shook her head slightly.
“Of course, the original one couldn’t avoid damage. This is something I newly created—”
“Ahaha, so it’s New Broom Broom.”
“…Mika-chan, I’ve reevaluated you a little. I never expected your naming sense to be this awful. You could have at least matched half of your appearance to come up with something better.”
What’s wrong with the name New Broom Broom? I think it fits perfectly for Himari to show off her wheelchair drift skills.
“Oh, from here, certification is required. That’s the entrance leading to the ruins that Rion is secretly managing.”
Himari approached the barrier meant to control access and opened the door with a simple biometric authentication. The path beyond was in such disarray that it was quite apparent it wasn’t well kept.
The ground was full of pits, bent street trees were toppled, and buildings were standing precariously close to collapse.
“It’s really hard to find a phrase that suits ‘ruins’ better than this…”
“This is my first time visiting in person, but I know this is the outermost edge. The further inside we go, the worse the state is likely to become.”
“Ahaha… If Himari-chan has been here before, I think that’s a problem in and of itself.”
While my words struck a bone by saying it was practically useless, considering that she was in poor health and was moving around dangerous places, she ought to be properly scolded.
“Mika-chan. From now on, we will head deep into the ruins… to the Submerged Zone. We’re aiming for the signal of the Decagramaton that was detected there. We had a wide area to search, but thanks to Rion’s drones helping us as eyes, we managed to somewhat pinpoint its origin… So it shouldn’t take too long.”
“Well, I set the schedule a bit generously, but the sooner we resolve it, the better for me. So let’s hurry!”
“Okay, this way then.”
Nodding her head, Himari seamlessly began to guide us.
How long did we walk along this less-than-ideal road, following Himari at the front?
“Umm… Multiple signals of hostile entities have been detected at the target location. The total count is about 13… Mika-chan, can I ask you for a favor?”
“Sure, well… it won’t be difficult. I’ll be back in no time, so wait here☆”
“Be careful.”
“Hey, you should be the one being careful! You can’t forget to be on guard against unexpected situations, right? To invite someone to such a bizarre date and then make them wait would be absolutely unacceptable.”
Even while urging caution, there was no sign of worry on Himari’s face as I smiled at her. And of course, I didn’t forget to gently remind her which side should truly be careful.
While it’s good she has faith in my power, I hope she doesn’t forget that she should prioritize her safety given her constant complaints about her poor health.
“…And Mika-chan, you keep raising nonexistent private emotions since a while ago, but such obvious pretense won’t work on me. I understand that you would love to possess someone as valuable as my intelligence, which is worth more than the most expensive jewels, paired with beauty of equal rank. But still, what’s not is not.”
“Ahaha! At the point where ‘date’ is interpreted in that direction, aren’t you the one with improper thoughts, Himari-chan? You’re completely transparent.”
“That’s a misunderstanding.”
Fundamentally. Whether it’s my intellect that’s more valuable than jewels or beauty to match… in the eyes of our loving kids, no jewel can compete with that dazzling brilliance, and comparing our kids’ beauty to jewels is something that feels sinful.
I can respect Himari’s self-love, and it’s true she’s at that level regardless of how self-absorbed she is. In contemporary Kivotos, considering intelligence, there are very few comparable benchmarks, and her fairy-like beauty is also a fact.
But when it comes to the question of whether that gives me a reason to covet Himari, the answer would be an immediate shake of the head.
If I don’t refuse, my throat will be in jeopardy, so doing so from my side is quite unreasonable. Yeah.
“In any case, hide well here. If you sense any danger, call out immediately!”
After giving her one last advice, I drew my gun. From what I briefly confirmed, the hostile entities Himari mentioned seemed to be automaton creatures that didn’t appear too dangerous.
Of course, facing down 1 against 13 is likely to give most students a good amount of trouble… but we aren’t the sort to be bothered by such numbers.
Lately, it feels like I’ve been fighting a bit more than usual, but I think it’s a decent way to get a little exercise?
Today, I’ll just stick to using my gun without using anything else. My shooting skills feel a bit rusty, you see.
If you ask me how there’s no recoil and my skills could get rusty, I’d say it’s possible. Anyway, it’s plausible.
*
“…Hey, Himari-chan.”
“Yes, Mika-chan.”
“Are we really going in here? Are you sure?”
“Of course. We can’t directly enter the Submerged Zone, but we can avoid unnecessary confrontations up until right before it. I’m well aware it’s not a place suitable for bright, blooming girls like us, of course, but it’s a necessary task to save time.”
I rubbed my eyelids in silence as I looked toward the direction Himari pointed.
“Oh, so that’s why we were singing the sewage song… yeah.”
“…Huh? Why are you suddenly throwing such slander my way?”
Himari’s fingertip was directed at the cracked manhole in the middle of the street.
