Chapter 267

I Favor the Villainess . 267

Feb 25 2021

Shrill Laughter

Once I came to, my consciousness was back in the server room .

It seems that I had collapsed where I stood, so the Pope, Lily-sama, and Irie all looked at me with worry .

“Has your consciousness returned? Rei Taylor . ”

“Rei-san… I’m so glad…!”

“We were worried…”

As I propped myself up, the three all looked at me in relief .

Though the Pope remained relatively expressionless, it appeared that Lily-sama and Irie had been quite worried . Lily-sama was practically on the verge of tears .

Though I wanted to apologize for worrying them and offer console, there was something that I must ask before any of that .

“What about Claire-sama?”

Before diving into the system, Claire-sama was nowhere to be found .

Though I was confident that I had succeeded in releasing her consciousness, I didn’t know for sure how that would reflect in reality .

“If you mean Claire François, she’s here . ”

When I looked, it turned out the Pope was holding Claire-sama in her arms .

“Thank goodness…”

It seems the operation to reclaim her had been a success .

Claire-sama’s face was also in a good hue and it appeared that she could awake at any moment .

“To think that you would really take back Claire-sama’s consciousness, I can’t believe it . ”

This voice, a mix of both exasperation and admiration, belonged to TAIM .

She stood in the very same position that she had when I first dived into the system .

Using her holographic body to its fullest, she made her surprise clear .

“You really underestimated my bond with Claire-sama, didn’t you TAIM . Your ambitions come to an end here . ”

“I suppose . As Claire François has returned, the administrator privileges will belong to her . ”

“In that case―”

“That’s right . ”

At that very moment, TAIM’s face was dyed with ecstasy .

“If things continue to proceed as they are, that is . ”

“!?”

A crevice opened between us and the mainframe, allowing something giant to rise up .

It wasn’t just one thing either .

There were enough that we couldn’t count them with our fingers .

“W-what is… that…!”

“A monster…?”

“Incorrect . Those are… scientific weapons . ”

The Pope corrected the words that Lily-sama and Irie had spoken out of fear .

At first, they only looked like clumps of metal .

Their surface was coated in a metallic black lustre, showing off how hard they were .

Countless lines split the clumps as they came apart before putting themselves back together, transforming into multiple grotesque monsters .

“Chimaera…?”

Though what they were composed of was different, they had taken the form of the chimaera Claire-sama and I had defeated together in the past .

Once the metals had completed their transformation into the grotesque shapes, a gold flash lit their eyes .

“I based the design off of something within Claire François’ subconscious . Once the privileges are transferred, there will no longer be anything that I can do . But before the transfer completes, it’s a different story . For the sake of humanity’s continued survival, I’ll have you all perish here . ”

Alongside TAIM’s words, the chimaeras screeched their war cries .

As they stepped forward with a thud, the entire server room shook .

They did appear to be declaring our end .

“What should we do?”

“What do you mean, what should we do? It doesn’t really appear that they’ll just let us escape, Pope . ”

“S-so, are we going to fight? Against that?”

“Our chances seem slim . ”

Though the four of us had our own reactions, broadly speaking they were all the same―there was no way we could take on something like that .

Even with conservative estimates, the chimaera were all at least 5, if not 6 meters tall .

I tried casting Judecca, but that didn’t even leave a single scratch .

“Of course I have no intention of letting you escape . ”

The door to the server room closed behind us .

It appeared the time we bought by using a hole in the decisionary council to stall the defense system had expired .

We should’ve realized when the chimaera began popping out, but it was all too late .

“… How unbearably noisy . ”

“Claire-sama! You’ve woken up!”

“It was quite the rude awakening . What is up with those ugly clamoring monsters…”

“Well you see…”

I gave a quick explanation of the situation .

Claire-sama simply let out an uninterested yawn,

“So, simply put, we must defeat those beasts, right? Isn’t that rather trivial?”

“Defeat them… you mean those…?”

“But of course?”

I wanted to ask, how? But Claire-sama’s expression was brimming with confidence .

“I can’t make any definitive claims, but I do believe there’s something I’d like to try . ”

“What’s that?”

“Come now, there’s something that TAIM went out of her way to teach us, isn’t there? For quite a while now I’ve wanted to use it, but because the opportunity never presented itself, I’ve become rather eager . ”

“Ah…”

That’s right, come to think of it, we did have that .

In the end, because we never had the opportunity to use it during our fight with the Demon Queen, and since Claire-sama had been missing for the past while, it had slipped my mind .

“! I won’t let you! Burn them to the ground!”

In accordance with TAIM’s panicked words, the chimaera all opened their mouths .

From deep within their throats, a light seemed to pour outward .

I was certain it was an attack appropriate for an enemy that would appear at this stage .

If it were to land, there was no way we were getting off easy .

However―

“Then… shall we let loose?”

“Yes, I believe we shall . ”

I no longer felt that it was possible for us to lose .

Claire-sama and I held hands, interlocking fingers, while pointing our magic wands at the chimaera with our other hands

As we held hands, I could feel power overflowing from them .

“I’ll be using Magic Ray . ”

“Then, I’ll use Absolute Zero . ”

At this stage of the game, what we were going to release was of course―our Chorus .

“Disappear, Rei Taylor, Claire François!”

“The one who’ll disappear―”

“Will be none other than you!!”

As a burning rapture enveloped us both, I felt my magic melting together with Claire-sama’s .

The mixed magical energy coursed through our bodies, through our fingers, and then converged all onto our wands .

Fire and water, these two elements that are normally opposite to each other had come together . They were just like Claire-sama and I, rife with contradictions and yet had come together, forming a harmonious light that gushed forth .

The server room was filled by this light .

“… It can’t be…?”

Once the dazzling brilliance settled, TAIM’s voice, overcome by shock, echoed .

The torrent of light that resulted from my Chorus with Claire-sama had erased all of the Chimaera without a trace .

“Have you had enough? I can’t seem to place why, but I’m at my peak . If you intend to continue, I’ll be your opponent as many times as it takes . ”

“If Claire-sama’s up for it, there’s no way I’d sit out . I mean, she’s my wife after all !”

“W-wife…?”

“Oh nothing . Come on, what will it be, TAIM?”

Though we provoked her, TAIM did not show any more signs of aggression .

“Really… this is why humans are…”

“Should I take those as the grumbles of a sore loser?”

“Yes, that’s right, Rei Taylor . The transfer of administrator privileges also appears to be complete . I am no longer able to harm Claire François . ”

“Fufu… fufufu… so then we’ve won! Ohーho, ho, ho!”

Claire-sama’s shrill laughter too, sounded much more comforting than it usually did .

Perhaps now, it would be okay to truly believe that things were over .

“So I lost… In the end, perhaps humans simply aren’t something that can be perfectly managed…”

“My, it appears that you’ve come to understand humans quite well yourself . ”

“Even if I come to understand at this point, it’s already too late…”

“That’s not at all true . From now on, we must have you become humanity’s good friend that shall walk alongside us . ”

“Friend…?”

TAIM’s expression was filled with surprise .

“Is that so strange? Have you not already spent an absurd amount of time with us? Humanity can’t so easily come by a friend greater than you . ”

“I’m a… friend…”

TAIM repeated the words, chewing through them, she appeared to be taken aback .

That Claire-sama, discontent with humans, she was even seducing an AI .

This was why I could never put out all of the fires .

“TAIM . ”

“What is it, Rei Taylor?”

“I have no intention of giving Claire-sama to you, got it?”

“… I wonder about that . Though I may have given up on the administrator privileges, I am a high spec AI that tends to fixate myself on a variety of things after all . ”

“Is that so? Fu, fu, fu…”

“Fufufu…”

“You two, you’re giving off quite a scary look, you know?”

““And who’s fault do you think that is!””

“Eeeh…”

Claire-sama appeared to be saying, ‘What are you blaming me for?’ .

This was why oblivious womanizers―or rather, womanAIzers were…

“I don’t really get it, but is it okay to assume things have been settled? If so, let’s get back up . I just can’t seem to settle down here . ”

“A-agreed . ”

Irie’s suggestion was a very appropriate one .

Lily-sama expressed agreement, and the Pope nodded as well .

“TAIM, for the time being, I ask that you entrust the loop system to me . I’ll make sure things are handled properly . ”

“You’re willing to take it over?”

“Not me, specifically . The responsibilities are simply too heavy for any individual to bear alone . We’ll enlist cooperators and decide on a proper procedure, we’ll have humanity decide . ”

“…”

“The more important something is, the more dangerous it is that a sole person makes the decision . We must share the responsibility and the risks .

“… How very human . ”

“Yes . ”

With those words, Claire-sama turned her heel .

“Now, Rei . ”

“Yes, Claire-sama . ”

“Let’s return… to our home . ”

“Yes!”

Leaping into an embrace with Claire-sama, I embraced her with all of my might .