Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

It was originally a replica created to restore the "real sky".

Ella Hepper didn't know much about the existence of the "World Relief Agency", but at least she could recount their philosophy and the various actions based on this philosophy. It is said that in the agency city "Chiba", whose current situation is unknown, they are conducting research to allow humans to continue even after the world becomes uninhabitable. They make the city into a world egg with everything, copy the current world, and then reproduce it with their technology.

The canopy currently hanging above the three people's heads was probably just one of the countless experiments being conducted to achieve such research.

Its original purpose was to restore the "real sky" - no matter what document recorded the sky in, it was not the sky that was now hanging above the three people's heads. Neither the eclipse nor the blood moon had ever existed in the world's memory.

"Is there something wrong...?"

Feeling a little concerned, Lunicia narrowed her eyes and stared at the blood-red moon hanging high in the sky.

The false light dazzled her, and she could not tell the source of the uneasiness. She didn't know whether it was simply from the blood-red moonlight, or something else, something deeper, more hidden, and more terrifying.

Those shadows and craters were like eyes, looking down at him from unknown heights without any emotion.

"The distance is too far, even this machine is difficult to analyze."

Ashethelin held Lunicia's arm with one hand and took over the conversation: "Pollution, perhaps something similar, climbed up the sky, corroded the sun and the moon, corrupted the originally normal sky, and finally left such a dark curtain and bloody holes. Does Ella have a similar view?"

"It's very likely." Ella took Lunicia's other arm as if not willing to be outdone. "A familiar smell has been floating down from that thing that looks like the sun and the moon. It seems that at some point, the sky was damaged, and then something invaded and occupied it."

"What are you doing..."

Lunicia looked rather embarrassed.

"But why would the savior care about such things? The sky is fake or something like that."

"Needless to say." Sighing, Lunicia continued to walk forward, glancing up at the sky from time to time unwillingly, "I have always looked at the fake blue sky made by magic projection. I have always wanted to see what the real sky looks like. Although things like blood moons are indeed quite strange, they are also quite interesting. As a result..."

As she spoke of this, her voice became smaller and smaller, and more and more filled with resentment.

"It turns out that even this is fake..."

"Hum."

Ashlee made a cute sound and tilted her head, looking like she didn't quite understand what Lunicia said.

"Sometimes, real things are not the best." Her voice was soft and gentle, mixed with the usual inorganic feeling. "The real sky is always covered by poisonous clouds, and it is impossible to distinguish between day and night. It is like a jeweled cup covered with dust, which cannot be wiped off. No matter how beautiful it was originally, I am afraid it will never be seen again. For Luna, the fake blue sky is better, right?"

"uh-huh."

Ella remained noncommittal. It seemed that for her, as long as Lunicia said it, she would unconditionally support it no matter what.

"It still doesn't work—"

Lunicia pouted.

"Even if it's not beautiful, I still want to see the real sky. Although this is the first time I've seen a canopy like this, I still want to see what the sky is like."

"Luna is such a strange person."

"No, this is not a very normal thing."

The group of three people walked aimlessly on the empty brick road.

The moon is fake, but the blood is real. The red light is scattered on the earth, and then is neutralized by the lights in the hands of the three people, turning into a faint and soft glow.

The light orange halo enveloped the three people, and beyond this halo was a vast and empty wilderness. The ruins of villages and towns were scattered here and there, and the remains of dismantled and burned houses were scattered on the horizon. It could be seen that their residents had not been away for too long, and the weeds had not yet flourished. There was even a faint smell of life wafting in.

Under the night sky, under the bloody moonlight, they were like some vague and hideous monsters, just standing quietly in the distance, casting glances quietly, neither moving nor making a sound, in complete silence.

"The long journey lasted for ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years, strolling in every corner of the world, as if walking on the river of time, the splashes of water under the feet were traces of memory. Those who met it would not notice the existence of this doll, as if it did not belong to this world. The mechanical doll named Ashlee met many people in this way, watching their lives and the direction of the world, without taking any action or speaking."

Ashlee's soft, light-colored lips opened and closed gently, as if she was reciting a bedtime story.

They clung together to protect against the winds from the far north, wrapped in a bone-chilling cold that was only a remnant of countless northern countries that had been destroyed.

The three girls seemed to be wandering aimlessly. No, they really had no purpose. The three girls didn't know where their purpose was, what was waiting for them, or where they should go.

No——only Lunicia has such troubles.

Ashlee only wanted to follow her footsteps, and Ella only wanted to kiss her footprints. The only one who would be troubled by her goal was Lunicia herself.

"Luna, you are different from those people. Everyone wants to dream. Compared with this reality, dreams are more beautiful. If there is a warm and pleasant birdcage, people will no longer choose the wilderness, but the birdcage. At least there are no worries in the birdcage."

"Inside the birdcage is a good place, too."

Lunicia was no longer so shy. The cold night diluted her awkward feeling. Instead, she took the initiative to hook their arms, as if she wanted to use her body to share more heat with them.

"It's just that I want to know more about this world."

She looked into the distance.

At the end of the hill, a white object could be seen faintly. The Wall of Erumu stood there, as if to announce its existence. Even in such a dead night, it still shone with an eternal light.

Chapter 7: Playing and Moving the Pieces (Part 1)

"No movement all night."

Sestine once again drew a few circles on the sand table - the electronic sand table was also connected to the command system, which could be used to review the situation and directly dispatch troops under Sestine's command. She organized a mixed force of "Hound" and "Iron Rain" while letting "Infiltrator" and "White Eagle" attack the outpost of the Principality of Marie.

The entire plain is under the emotionless surveillance of the "Scout", and the entire plain also has no secrets for Systine. Both the "Legacy of Natya" and the Principality of Marie Army are too immersed in the tactical thinking of the past, and are completely unaware of the countless black iron eyes hanging over their heads, and naturally they will not be on guard.

So, everything was in Systin's eyes, without missing a single thing.

The huge amount of data and computing resources could almost make an ordinary person's brain explode, but Systin didn't seem to care. With his golden eyes flashing, he organized the chaotic information flows into order, including information about the Iron Leviathan Army, "Legacy of Natya", and the Principality of Marie Army.

Except for the one about Lunicia and her group.

Systine was completely certain that Lunicia had returned, that she had already arrived and was on her way to find her. Even so, her "scouts" were unable to find the whereabouts of that group of people, as if they had disappeared out of thin air after entering the Ekstof Plains, and only their footsteps indicated their existence.

Ashlee blocked their presence, and it seemed that she had no intention of giving Systine a chance to hide from Lunicia.

"Neither the Restoration Army nor the Principality Army did anything."

Lusa Efayeret had a lazy look on her face. Even as a mechanical puppet, she would not feel tired or bored. She was still half-lying on the sofa, letting her "infiltrators" massage her legs and shoulders. Of course, she also did not need this kind of service. After all, she was essentially just a mechanical puppet.

She can also share this information, and from time to time she can deploy her puppets out of interest. As a specialized puppet produced specifically for command, "Opera House" Lusa Efayeret is quite good at handling those complicated information. It is better to say that this is simply an instinct imprinted deep in her mind.

"The two actors just went on stage to say hello. At most, they just shook hands and bowed... Oh my, I really don't know how to comment on this. This really makes me feel complicated. Should I say they are too polite or too conservative?"

"Humph."

It seems that Systine is not used to getting along with this elite commander. Although she usually gives people an unhappy feeling, this feeling seems to be more obvious now.

"It's unnaturally quiet. Alexis actually gave up the night battle when the Undead have the most advantage, and chose to confront the Principality Army head-on during the day? What's more, he didn't even take part in the battle himself."

"This time the script really likes to hide explosive moments——"

The opera house smiled meaningfully, and her drawn-out ending made Sesteen raise his head and look at her smug face.

"Do you know what he wants to do?"

"intuition."

With her long hair lifted up, this beauty in men's clothing looks like she is in a very good mood.

……

Crack, crack—

The mechanical structure, like a high boot, trampled on the rocks, corpses and bones. The vector nozzle still had residual heat. Just touching it, those things that were once able to move were burned to ashes by the delicate soles of the feet.

hiss--

The north wind was howling, and the remaining heat from the muzzle cooled rapidly, with wisps of white smoke floating in the wind direction.

The huge black cannon, which is almost as tall as an adult male's entire body, is fixed securely on both sides of the girl's waist and abdomen like a docile pet. Even in such cold weather, the girl is only wearing an exquisite tights that seems to be made of black diamonds. She is not wearing any lower clothes or socks. She is unwilling to hinder the operation of the jet component she just replaced for the sake of appearance. After all, she does not want to leave a bad mark in her first attack.

A team of "Iron Rain" passed by her, almost all of them bearing traces of previous battles, with mutilated limbs and damaged paint. Of course, they would not complain, nor would they express any opinion about these marks that looked like fatal injuries to ordinary people. They were just "puppets" of the same model of dolls, unlike those serious dolls who would whisper and have their own personalities in private.

Even so, she nodded to the team of puppets.

——Unexpectedly, she received the same response, which made the girl-doll look flattered.

"Wow, a puppet would respond like this...?"

Muttering quietly, she continued to direct her men to clean up the battlefield. The Infiltrators and Iron Rain began to run, carrying corpses and debris, and began to clean up the stronghold.

This was not only her first attack, but also her first time to officially put the command module into use. Even though she had operated it countless times in simulations, she was still nervous, fearing that some irreparable mistakes would be made - fortunately, her enemies were not enough to show the immaturity of her experience, and fortunately, the training she received was solid and reliable after all.

After all, her personality is just that of a girl, and no one knows whose evil taste made the girl use such heavy artillery that is totally incompatible with her body shape.

"Hey, Leah, how's it going?"

A familiar voice suddenly came from the communication channel, and the "Opera House" was greeting her energetically.

"Ah, um... Lusa? Things are going well here. Um, nothing special to report."

Of course, there was no need to report. In fact, if no further orders were required, the Opera House would not even need to communicate: she was always keeping an eye on this place through the eyes of the Scout, making sure that everything was under her control and that the situation would not go beyond expectations and rush into an irreversible situation.

This does not mean that the "Opera House" does not trust the "Arbitrator". On the contrary, there is a subtle tacit understanding between them. The former has absolute trust in the latter's execution ability, and the latter also has absolute trust in the former's decision-making.

They are not consecutive numbers, nor are they sister phones, but their relationship is better than that of sister phones.

What the "Opera House" does not trust, in the final analysis, is things outside the script. She does not trust untrained actors, nor does she trust stage and lighting technicians with whom she has not communicated. In contrast, she only trusts the "arbitrator" with whom she can confide.

Leah - Light and exquisite "Liya".

"So, is it as I expected, that the actor opposite me gave a devoted, emotional, extraordinary and breathtaking performance? Ah, you don't have to answer, I know the answer, it must be like this!"

"Um... um."

"Yeah, okay, no problem, is there anything else you want to add?"

"There are also, um, probably the Undead Army of the Restoration Army. When we arrived, they were already trying to capture this fortress."

"Oh~"

The sound of "Opera" sounded faster and faster.

“That’s a really good group of actors who do their job well.”

"?"

Not understanding what the other party was talking about, the "Arbitrator" just tilted his head in confusion.

Chapter 8: Playing and Moving the Pieces (Part 2)

The original land, Thornleaf Castle, belonged to the Marie Principality Army and could be considered one of the most heavily guarded strongholds on the Ekstov Plain. The stone fortress was enchanted, with crossbows all over the towers and enough stored in the basement to easily hold out until the reinforcements from Twick City arrived. All of this was enough to show how much Grand Duke Ivanov valued this stronghold.

Easy to defend and difficult to attack, this phrase is the most appropriate to describe the situation of Thornleaf Castle.

This advantage gave the Mariai Principality Army stationed here great confidence. They were very sure that as long as they did not surrender, the enemy would not be able to capture this place, and as long as the reinforcements from Twick's main camp arrived, they would be able to easily complete the counterattack. However, this confidence began to be worn away little by little three days ago, and now they have begun to feel fear.

Three days ago, small groups of regular troops began to attempt to attack them. The enemy, flying the red eagle flag with wings and claws and holding irises, belonged to the "Legacy of Natya" Restoration Army. They did not look as elite as rumored. In the eyes of the defenders, they were at most at the level of a superior mercenary group.

Rather, in their eyes, the other party's professional level may be inferior.

Judging from their behavior, they undoubtedly intended to attack the city. Even so, they neither used the most famous spells and potions of the Gunasaran Kingdom nor prepared siege equipment. It seemed that they wanted to conquer the walls and fortresses with only their flesh and blood. This was of course a joke. Almost at no cost, the defenders relied on several active attacks to repel the opponent. The back and forth was just like playing house.

Including Thornleaf Castle, several important strongholds on the Ekstov Plain have been renovated and strengthened recently. Hiding in the fortress that looks like a miniature version of the Wall of Erumu made the defenders more relaxed. It was also because of this that they finally chose not to ask for help from Twick.

The city walls not only strengthened their self-confidence, but also their self-esteem. Although some soldiers were uneasy about this half-hearted attack and thought there must be some unknown conspiracy, Abram Hayat, the general of this stronghold, insisted that if he could not withstand this level of attack and even had to shamelessly ask for help from the main camp, he would undoubtedly lose face at the regular meeting after the war.

For this reason, not only did he not send a messenger for help, but he chose to lead his elite soldiers to attack under the cover of night, hoping to show his prowess.

When he was stationed at the border of the Principality of Mariai, Abram Hayat was famous for his night battles and surprise attacks, which he used to defeat countless cultists and rebels, thus winning his current status and honor. Today, he wants to repeat the same trick to once again raise his status in the eyes of Grand Duke Ivanov.

Not only is he good at night combat, he also provided his own funds to prepare small props from the North and the East, namely the so-called night vision goggles, for his elite subordinates: since the opponent is using magic, and he is relying on magic instead, wouldn't it be easy for him to be caught?

He led his troops to attack with complacency and determination, leaving a large force to defend Thornleaf Castle, ready to repel another wave of attacks from the enemy that were beyond their capabilities.

Of course, he never came back since then.

He thought he had found a stronghold of "Legacy of Natya", and after making proper arrangements, he led a team of men to charge with him - he was also a small master, at least stronger than his soldiers, so it was reasonable for him to do so. However, when he really led his men into the depths of the forest, he was dumbfounded.

There was no trace of the "Legacy of Natya" Restoration Army anywhere in sight.

There were only the undead, skeletons, zombies, and ghosts. There was a cold green fire in their eyes, and they were staring at the living people who broke into this place with emotionless eyes.

By the time Abram Hayat realized something was wrong and was about to lead his army to retreat, the dark green flames had become denser and surrounded them from all directions. He didn't even need to use his eyes to confirm, he only needed to listen to the roars filled with hunger, the low moans filled with pain and resentment, and he could feel the hostility, the coldness, the breath of death and decay.

The last thing Abberline Hayat saw was a tattered flag.

The red eagle with wings and claws, holding an iris in its hand, flutters in the north wind.

……

"Leah."

"I'm here, anything else?"

After confirming that there were no human troops or undead remnants, the Arbiter's mood had obviously calmed down a lot, and she was no longer as nervous as before. She was following her previous instructions, directing her humanoids to level the fortress that she had almost blown into ruins, and then planning the scope and moving materials on the cleared flat ground.