In a crossover anime, do you believe that a machine spirit can defeat a fake human?

Futaba slowed down and began searching for clues in her mind.

I could vaguely hear some strange noises, which were very clear in the relatively quiet basement.

It didn't sound like thunder, because it wasn't deep enough.

It's more like... an engine?

Shuangye turned on her computer; nearly an hour had passed since Chen Yi said he was coming to rescue her.

In the indoor surveillance footage, she saw Chen Yi facing the camera and waving.

P.S.: "tank" is a prohibited word.

Typhoon Season: Chapter 146 A Brief Respite

Futaba never imagined that when they met again, she would be in such a distraught state.

The last time they met was just a few weeks ago, when she handed him the helmet; back then, they were just ordinary friends...

—Ordinary strategic partners.

Only now has she realized that her pride in her so-called rationality and composure was nothing more than a fragile shell protecting her.

She had absolutely no control over herself.

It's completely out of control.

......

Opening the iron door to the basement, I saw Chen Yi standing in the living room, soaking wet, water dripping from his body, his lower body covered in mud and sewage, and his whole body exuding an undeniable exhaustion.

He removed his mask, revealing a pale face and lips slightly purple from the cold rain. His body swayed slightly as he stood, as if he were about to collapse helplessly at any moment.

It seems... he's not injured, which is the best news.

He was momentarily speechless.

Rio Futaba pulled Chen Yi into the basement and locked the door again.

Neither of them spoke; the only sounds in the basement were the sputtering of the engine and the whirring of the exhaust fan.

It's very quiet.

"I..." Chen Yi forced a smile and tried to say something.

Rio Futaba suddenly pounced on him and hugged him tightly. He instinctively took a few steps back and leaned against the wall.

"You bastard, you idiot, you're so bad!" Futaba's lips trembled, and a sob welled up in her throat.

She pressed her body tightly against Chen Yi, not caring that her front was soaked, burying her face in his neck, greedily inhaling the smell of the downpour.

Beneath the cool rain was slightly warm skin, and a strong salty, fishy smell and a faint burnt smell.

She couldn't taste the comforting flavor she had imagined.

Chen Yi, who was being strangled tightly, helplessly stroked Futaba Rio's head without interrupting her, letting her sob.

Sometimes, it's better to vent your emotions first.

Like a kitten, Shuangye suddenly arched her back, gently pushed Chen Yi's hand away, and looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Why...why..."

"You are Futaba, an indispensable friend to me. I would not abandon a friend in danger."

Chen Yi answered.

"Idiot! You're an idiot!"

Futaba became very angry.

"I was right in your house, yet you still risked your life to come out and save me... me..." She suddenly stammered.

I'm such a weakling who doesn't even dare to admit to 'love'.

“You’re Shuangye too.” Chen Yi placed his large hand on Shuangye’s head and vigorously rubbed it, messing up her hairstyle.

“I said on the radio that I would come to save you. What, is it just that the signal is bad and you can’t receive that sentence?” He smiled, and although he looked weak, his words were full of strength.

"I'm also Futaba..."

Tears welled up in her eyes once again.

So she kissed him.

"Just call me Rio," she murmured.

......

Futaba has merged.

The moment Futaba disappeared from the house, Kroos, who was controlling the robot, reported the situation in real time, and just then she saw Futaba Rio pinning Chen Yi against the wall and 'enjoying' him.

"commander."

I'm not in a good mood.

"Ugh..." Chen Yi tried to break free, but he was afraid that the propulsion of the exoskeleton might accidentally injure Futaba Rio, so he could only make some noises to express his slight protest.

Well, only a little bit, because he found that he didn't seem to feel any aversion or anything like that towards this behavior.

After a long while, the two leaves reluctantly separated, not because they had enjoyed themselves enough, but because they were short of oxygen.

"Let's get down to business... Achoo!" Chen Yi said, then suddenly sneezed.

After the adrenaline subsided, the icy chill that soaked him to the bone finally crept in, fiercely attacking Chen Yi's fragile nerves.

My hands and feet feel a little numb.

With Shuangye's help, Chen Yi removed his exoskeleton and took off his clothes, wrung them out, and draped them over the constantly heating engine vent.

"That one...aren't you going to take it off, Yi-jun?" Shuangye pointed to Chen Yi's bare body.

It looks like he has a few abs.

"I only have one piece left."

Chen Yi said somewhat awkwardly that he was still a little cold, so he simply squatted down by the engine vent and slowly warmed himself up.

The exoskeleton stood like a robot, holding a gun and standing guard near the basement door.

Kroos is in control; she is simultaneously controlling two machines, one here and one at home.

"It's nothing to look at... It's nothing." Futaba kept looking away, a sign of her guilt.

“Futaba is right. If you’re constantly wet, you’re more likely to get sick,” Kroos said.

"......Row."

Weighing the pros and cons, Chen Yi made a tough decision.

......

My life is over.

Do you know Adam and Eve? Chen Yi felt as if he were Adam who had just eaten the forbidden fruit, his heart filled with an indescribable sense of shame.

I suddenly feel like having a drink. If I pretend to be drunk, maybe I can save face a little.

This is about self-deception.

Covering his private parts with a dry towel, Chen Yi calmed down a little, but the hypothermia caused by his prolonged activity in the rain still made him shiver.

"Have something to eat."

Rio Futaba handed Chen Yi a compressed biscuit and a bottle of energy drink, patting his head to comfort him.

"Thank you, Futaba... Rio." Chen Yi thanked her subconsciously, then looked up at Futaba and changed his words.

"What's the situation outside?" Chen Yi asked Kroos while wolfing down a compressed biscuit.

"The motorcycle ran around outside several times, but no particularly large dummy was found."

Klukka answered.

"Does that mean the small-sized dummy is active?"

Chen Yi deciphered another layer of meaning in Kroos's words.

"Although the number is far lower than the activity density we've seen along the way, there are indeed some."

"This means it's a good thing." Chen Yi snapped his fingers.

“If there is no sign of any fake people, then there is something to fear, because that means the unknown. If it is just that the density is much lower than other areas... then it is probably thanks to the security of the luxury residential area. They did clear some of it during the typhoon.”

Chen Yi analyzed.

"When will the rain subside? I remember seeing before that there will be heavy rainfall in the next few days. It's best to let it converge as soon as possible, otherwise things may change."

"The rain will probably stop for a while tonight."

Kluke answered, her voice coming from a speaker in the exoskeleton's sternum.

"Huh? Isn't there no signal here?" Futaba asked, puzzled.

“I connected to the robot in my home and used the equipment there to search,” Kluge replied.

"......sharp."

"Since there's still some time before evening, shall I take a nap?" Chen Yi's fatigue surged up, relentlessly eroding his brain.

There was an old mat on the floor...it seemed there was no blanket.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Chen Yi lay down, feeling his body sink into the springs.

"It'll be cold... This is fine." Futaba hesitated for a moment, then took off her slightly damp white coat and gently lay down to hug the other person.

P.S.: Ugh, I'm stuck on writing again today QAQ

Typhoon Season: Chapter 147 Going Home

Only after lying down did I realize that a person can still keep moving even when extremely exhausted; it seems that the instinct for survival is at work.

When Chen Yi woke up, he blinked and instinctively hugged the warm pillow in his hands.

Something seems off.

His brain came back online, and he became aware of the current situation.

Rio Futaba clung to him.

But he wasn't wearing anything.

Nothing.

......

"Good evening, Yi." Shuangye groggily got up, only to find that the solid, reliable chest in her arms was gone. She then sleepily searched for him in the basement.

Chen Yi had already put on his clothes, which were wet and dried for several hours, making them look wrinkled.

"Krooka, is the exoskeleton still powered enough?" Chen Yi asked as he put it on.

"There's still 45% left."

Klukka answered.

That's enough.

I checked my body again; it felt heavy, probably because I hadn't fully recovered from the hypothermia.

But there's no time to wait.

"Let's go to my house." Chen Yi walked to Shuangye's side, took her hand, and helped her up.

"You don't need to bring any of these, right?" Rio Futaba asked.

"We have them at home, so you don't need to bring them. But if you want, you can bring your rugged laptop," Chen Yi replied.

Pulling open the heavy iron door to the basement, the two returned to the outside world after several hours.

Quietly, without streetlights, looking outside, the darkness seemed to conceal a gigantic maw capable of swallowing people whole.

"Ang ang ang—"