Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

"..."

Sethin, who was always dressed in black and looked cool, was also stunned at this moment.

Although they had been together for some time and were no longer strangers to each other, she had never taken the initiative to inquire about her students' past.

She liked sweets, beautiful clothes with lace, and shiny swords and armor, all of which were things that Systine knew; she didn't like evil people, people's misfortunes, and bitter food, all of which were things that Systine also knew.

This was the first time she mentioned her past.

Lunicia Agris, the lovely girl with black hair and red eyes, told Systine about her past in a calm tone.

Seth had never been so stunned before.

No matter if her girlfriend slapped her when they broke up, or asked her some weird questions during their relationship, or her superior gave her some inexplicable task goals, she had never been as silent as she is now, not knowing what to say in response.

There are many people in the Glorious Divine Court who have experienced separation and death, especially in a world like today.

The world is declining and collapsing. The once prosperous countries no longer exist, the once dazzling cities have turned into ruins, the once happy people have become corpses, the sea and the sun and the moon have become things that only exist in legends. In such a world, every day, countless people die.

Be it monsters, natural disasters, pollution, those in the darkness, or other human beings, in the face of everything, life seems particularly fragile.

Some people hide their sorrow in their hearts, some vent their anguish without reservation, some have become numb to the tragedy, and some are half crazy and have forgotten everything.

But she was different, Lunicia was different.

She was so young, and it looked like she had never known what sadness was.

Her world seemed to be filled with flowers all the time. What was in her heart? She was a lovely child. It was because of this that Systine did not have the same desire for her as he did for other women, longing to fill the emptiness inside him. It seemed that just by looking at her, his heart would be healed, and those torn souls seemed to be healing.

Even if it was just an illusion, it would make Systin feel better.

But what about her? What about Lunicia?

A canary in a cage, a flower in a greenhouse, what is going on in her heart?

"I don't think, I never thought it was something that was too sad."

Lunicia let go of her knees, letting her little feet dangle gently over the bed, and she gently leaned against Cestin's body as if she were her real sister.

"Mr. Sieli is an honest man, so I knew it very early. My father died, and my mother also died after giving birth to me. They died on the way to retreat from the border of New Arkham to a safe area."

Her tone was calm and gentle, as if she was telling someone else's story.

"As far as I can remember, I have no parents. So, I don't know what it feels like to lose one. Losing something you never had is so light and floating, like a dream."

There was no need for Systin to answer, she just continued to speak quietly, not for the sake of conversation, but just to vent something that had been weighing on her mind for a long time.

"Is this really good?"

she asked softly.

"My important person lost his life, but I am so calm, I don't feel anything special..."

I don’t know what kind of face they have, will they be similar to me? I don’t know what kind of personality they have, will they be similar to me? I don’t know how they will treat and take care of me, will they be good to me? Or will they be bad to me?

In the greenhouse and in the birdcage, the young girl doesn’t even know what “parents” should be like.

Could someone like Sieli be like his father?

Could someone like Master Zelti be like a father?

How would it feel to be like a mother, like Levina-sama?

I don’t know, I know nothing. I want to know, but I no longer have that opportunity.

She felt like she didn't fit in with this world. The young girl was distressed, but she was just glad that she had a "sister". Even though she was not her sister, but just her teacher.

Even so, she asked softly again:

"Is this really okay, Sister Sestin?"

She seemed to be blaming herself, blaming herself for sitting on a soft big bed, surrounded by the fragrance of flowers, being able to get food safely and securely every day, learning knowledge, increasing strength, and possessing things like happiness.

She tilted her head back, staring at Systine with her pure eyes.

Systine did not retreat. She stretched out her arms and gently hugged the girl who was ten years younger than her.

She didn't have the softness that a girl of her age should have, the hardness of bones and the definition of muscles. She grew these things as if torturing herself, replacing the taste of happiness with those insignificant pains.

"I...had two homes."

Sesteen's voice became gentle. For her, who was cold and terrifying in front of the enemy, but generous in daily life, this gentle attitude was not common. Her eyes were fixed on the empty front, but it didn't seem like she was looking at the clean floor tiles. It seemed that there were other people there, as if there were something there.

How far away it all was, yet how unforgettable it all was.

Put them in the corner of memory, deep in the soul, as if it is only now that I take them out, wipe off the dust, and look at their original appearance, those things that only I know, those things that only I will remember.

"Not long ago, in the 'San Marino Monastery' in Zelhar, and... a long, long time ago, I can't remember how long ago, in a small town on the border between the Kingdom of Noron and Teriati."

As if recalling something, Setin's expression softened.

That is a very, very old story that exists only in dreams.

……

When I got up from the bed, the eclipse sun had just risen, and the blood moon was slowly falling to the other side of the horizon. The world still maintained its original appearance today, ominous, terrifying, and full of hatred.

Looking at his naked body, the armor scattered on the ground, the huge black sword leaning against the corner, he stretched out his hand and touched the bright red kisses on his neck with his fingertips. Finally, he returned to reality from his dream.

The person next to me is not the girl in the birdcage, not the girl who makes me feel pity and brings me peace of mind.

He was no longer the gentle and sincere paladin mentor, but just an avenger, just a living corpse.

That's all, that's enough.

She remained silent, while her bed partner was already waiting for her to wake up.

Mechanical puppets don't need sleep, nor do they need rest.

Without saying anything, her "Miss Rose" just reached out and hooked her back to the bed with her black gauze-wrapped arms, kissing her neck, her back, her pale skin marked with knife scars. The lips of the mechanical dolls are perfect soft lips, but the lips of the mechanical dolls are cold lips. Few people would kiss these beautiful creations. That taste is like kissing a corpse.

But Sylvester didn't mind, whether it was the slightly rough black veil or the cold lips.

After all, her body wasn't much warmer than those lips.

"You're up much later than I thought."

"I won't squander my rest time unnecessarily."

As if to regain the initiative, Sestine pressed down the restless hand. Under her fingertips, the black gauze gloves with rose patterns wrinkled slightly, but the cold fingertips belonging to the puppet did not care, but instead actively wrapped around them and intertwined with Sestine's fingers.

If you ignore the teasing and cold looks between them, they just look like an ordinary couple.

"It's just a puppet..."

——Why are you still so greedy for this kind of thing?

Setin did not say the second half of the sentence, but just stroked the smooth and cold shoulders of the "incarnation" with her fingertips, pressed her fingertips on the soft and delicate white skin, stroked the ribs, climbed up the waist, as if depicting the curve of her side.

These puppets were obviously created for war, killing and victory, but they were given a more perfect appearance and a more unique body than human women. It was as if to mock their existence. The Creator did not give them the warmth of a woman. Only a woman like Sestine, who accepted everyone, could be so intimate with them without any resistance.

"Isn't it the same for you?"

The dark lips were imprinted on the collarbone again and again, slowly leaving one mark after another. The "incarnation" seemed to particularly enjoy this process, as if it was some kind of tacit secret. Since the second meeting, they have established such a strange relationship in private.

There is clearly neither love nor happiness.

"..."

Sestine remained silent, just mechanically repeating what she had done last night.

"Do you feel empty when doing this kind of thing with a doll?"

"..."

Systin did not answer, and her single pupil, which was like a golden lake, did not show any ripples.

Her eyepatch had been thrown aside last night, leaving only a scarred eyelid and a horrifying hole.

Those were the marks left by someone digging out the eyeballs while they were still alive.

She had the ability to heal this level of body damage, but like the scars on her face, she kept them as a memorial, a commemoration of everything she had been through.

"I like you the way you are now."

Hooking his arm around the back of Sestine's neck, the "incarnation" gently pinched Sestine's cervical vertebra with his rough palms covered with black gauze, pulling her close to himself, as if he wanted to see her expression more clearly, as if he wanted to imprint everything on her face firmly in his mind.

"So I can forgive your rudeness again and again, and help you get more resources from the 'Mastermind' - this expression is enough to pay for it."

"...That's right."

"You're not going to hide it anymore?"

Instead of answering directly, Sestin kissed the "incarnation"'s smooth forehead.

She did not clear the smell of cigarettes and alcohol from her mouth as promised, and they naturally did not kiss each other.

This was a matter of course - the kiss was based on love, did they love each other?

"There's nothing to hide."

The judgment of the "incarnation" was undoubtedly accurate. Now, not only was Sestine in pain, but she was also empty. What she was looking for in bed was just something that could fill the void in her heart. She had no lover, and she didn't think she had the qualifications to have one. She could only seek comfort from those puppets of the Bloody Leviathan.

How can a puppet give comfort if it cannot give love? The "incarnation" gladly accepted her invitation. Every time she was closer to completing her revenge, the emptiness in her heart expanded, and the time her soul was away from her body became shorter. She ravaged the "incarnation"'s body like a madman, demanding without restraint. The mechanical puppet could satisfy her demands, but it could not fill her emptiness.

What's more, the "incarnation" uses that emptiness as a plaything to please itself.

The Eclipse continued to climb upward, and after about an hour, the Avatar was dressed in mourning clothes, and Systine put on his heavy armor again.

"Here's your milestone, ma'am."

"If I can win."

On the hill, the camp of Bloody Leviathan once again began its daily work.

From here you can overlook the entire Ekstof Plain, take in the scattered forests and villages, and also see the towering white city walls.

"The Wall of Erumu" is the last line of defense for the large city of Twek with a population of one million.

As long as they can capture that place, victory will belong to Setin.

And if you can't succeed, then all is lost.

"Then I formally take my leave."

After bowing respectfully to Sestine, the "incarnation" turned around and prepared to leave.

This time, Setine did not stop her. She had more important things to do. Since the supplies had been delivered and the troops had been assembled, she had no reason to keep the "Avatar".

"correct."

As if it remembered something, the "incarnation" paused for a moment.

She didn't look back, but said in a happy tone:

"She'll come to you."

"That's what I meant, too."

Systin didn't look back, but just let his cloak rustle in the north wind.

Chapter 2 No Man's Land

"Are we... late?"

Moving the burnt wooden beams away, Lunicia confirmed once again that there was no one in the ruins before her - no one, alive or dead, no sound, and no corpses.

This is somewhat similar to the situation at the waterwheel canal before. Although Lunisia still hasn't figured out what happened at that time, she can feel the difference between the two. The waterwheel canal always exudes an indescribable weird atmosphere, and now in this village, all that is left for them is the smell of burning.

“I left in a hurry.”

Ashlee fished out some unburned daily necessities from the ruins.

"I took almost nothing, only some daily necessities. Is dew always necessary for new sprouts?"

"It's necessary." Lunicia put her hands on her hips, looking very unhappy with the current situation. "Now we have no place to get supplies."

Not only were the houses burned down, but all the villagers disappeared. Even all the wells in the village were "abandoned" by pouring manure into the wells. This method was very primitive, but simple and effective. In addition, they were unfamiliar with the area and could not determine where there were other water sources such as rivers nearby. Lunisia and her group were temporarily unable to resupply consumables.

"Strong walls clear the wilderness."

Ella did not follow the inspection, but just stood quietly beside Lunicia.

"Abandon supplies, relocate people, burn what's left, and fight a scorched earth war."

Lunicia turned around and looked at her with a hint of surprise.