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[BODY SYSTEM AUTHENTICATING]

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[SYSTEM STATUS: SEVERELY DAMAGED]

[DAMAGE CAUSE: STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY FAILURE DUE TO INTENSIVE ENERGY ABSORPTION RESULTED FROM ANTIMATTER AND MATTER ANNIHILATION]

Akino: (Anti… matter…?)

For some reason, all that Akino sees were texts. She couldn’t move her body, not even her fingers. She can’t feel as well, nor breath and talk. She feels like she’s stuck in a place she couldn’t see nor touch, wherein only her mind works, trapped in a jar.

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[RECOMMENDATION: ALLOW SYSTEM OVERRIDE TO RECORD DATA OBTAINED DURING THE INTENSIVE ENERGY ABSORPTION, AND RECREATE SIMULATIONS TO APPLY TO THE BODY SYSTEM]

Akino: (A – allow…?)

[SIMULATIONS IN PROGRESS]

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[SIMULATIONS COMPLETE]

[BODY SYSTEM CAN NOW RECEIVED HIGHER ENERGY INPUTS]

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[STURCTURAL INTEGRITY UPDATED]

[MAXIMUM DAMAGE THRESHOLD INCREASED: BODY SYSTEM CAN NOW WITHSTAND A SCENARIO OF ANTIMATTER AND MATTER ANNIHILATION]

Akino: (That’s… cool… I guess…)

[WOULD YOU LIKE TO UPDATE THE BODY SYSTEMS OF HQC-31 AND HQC-101?]

Akino: (That’s Lyka and Alexa… it will be better if they have those as well…)

[BODY SYSTEMS OF HQC-31 AND HQC-101 UPDATED]

Akino: (Can I… wake up now…?)

[BODY SYSTEM RE-AUTHENTICATING]

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[ALL SENSORY FUNCTIONS DAMAGED]

[DAMAGE CAUSE: ENERGY OVERLOAD RESULTED FROM ANTIMATTER AND MATTER ANNIHILATION]

[BODY REPAIR IN PROGRESS]

[BODY SYSTEM MAXIMUM OPERATIONAL STATUS WILL BE ACHIEVED AFTER 1 HOUR AND 34 MINUTES]

Akino: (Guess I should take time to rest…)

Akino rests her mind. All the texts she saw started to fade out, but she couldn’t see nor feel. It’s like that weird dream, where all you see is total darkness: all black, no sound, nothing to touch, just your thought floating in the void.

She waited. She tried to count. Seconds, then minutes, into an hour, then she lost count. Frustrated, she tried to think of something. She thought back of the three. Before the explosion, she remembered covering them with high density titanium-platinum alloy. Then, she losses body control, until she went unconscious.

Akino: (I hope they’re safe… wait, they are! Well… I heard Lyka crying…)

She feels down. She thinks she might have the others worried like hell.

Akino: (How long am I supposed to stay in here…?)

.

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[ALL SYSTEMS RECOVERED]

[OVERALL BODY FUNCTIONS: 94% RESTORED]

[APPLYING SIMULATION UPDATES]

[OVERALL BODY FUNCTIONS: 100% RESTORED]

[OPTIMIZATION AT 100% ACHIEVED]

[HQC-32 NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL]

Akino: (Fucking finally…)

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.

Akino slowly opens her eyes. She could feel her hands and feet. A bit numb at first, but it was returning. A few seconds, she could feel her entire body, and she could feel something soft enveloping her right arm. She looks at her right and saw Lyka lying by the bedside and clinging to her arm. She noticed that Lyka’s eyes were dry of tears, which in turn made her ‘ache’.

Lyka suddenly woke up, seeing the already conscious Akino that was staring at her. She jumps out and immediately hugs her. Akino could hear Lyka’s low whimpering, and in return she hugs back and caresses her hair.

Akino: I’m sorry I made you worried…

Lyka: Of course, I’m worried! We can’t wake you up! You were healing but very slow, we thought you were dying!

Akino went silent. She stares Lyka for seconds, making Lyka blush but still was in the brink of crying.

Lyka: But… thanks… for saving us… I didn’t mean to shout at you… it’s just…

Akino: I know… I’ll be more careful next time… I – I love you…

Lyka’s face brightens. She immediately hugs Akino again, for a long time, not letting each other let go of their arms. They stared again at each other’s faces.

Lyka: You know… that’s the first time you said ‘I love you’ to me…

Akino: R – really? Wait, this is not the first time, right? Right?

Lyka lets go of Akino, and pouts at her, feeling a bit frustrated. Akino tried to console her, but Lyka intentionally avoids her.

Akino: Alright! Alright! I’m sorry! And I love you! I’ll say it more than once starting this day if that’s what you want!

Lyka: O – okay… I – I love you too.

Alexa: You guys were just saying ‘I love you’ this time? How about that time both of you were having some ‘bed stuff’?

The two looked on the tent entrance, seeing Alexa.

Lyka: B – bed stuff?!

Akino: You know… that night? Get it?

Lyka: Oh…

Alexa slowly walks up to Akino, still on the bed. She plunges herself down on Akino’s thighs face first and starts to hit her with her fist for three times.

Akino: Hey! What’s with the –

Alexa: You – you should have come back sooner… y – you made us wait… goddamnit…

Akino: Sorry, kid… I’m sorry…

Alexa jumps towards her and hugs her. Lyka smiles at the two, and Akino gestures Lyka to join in, which in turn she did. They stayed there for minutes until someone enters their tent. It’s Matias.

Matias: I see you’re somehow fine now.

Akino: Yeah. How bad am I when I was knocked out?

Lyka: Super bad…

Matias: Indeed…

Alexa: Yeah, the innards of your body was… I don’t know… spilled like beans and noodles in tomato sauce?

Akino: Thanks for the description…

Matias: So… about what happened…

Akino: Hold on a minute! How long am I passed out?

Lyka: 10 hours, at least?

Alexa: Yeah, don’t worry we didn’t time skip.

Matias: Um, time skip?

Akino: 10 hours is hella long!

Matias: Don’t worry about it. The things outside are the ones you should be concerned.

Akino: Outside?

Matias: Yeah… about the ruins… it’s a crater now… care to, you know - explain some stuff to us adventurers?

Akino: You guys didn’t tell them?

Alexa: Well, it’s much better if it came from you. You’re the one who knew there’s a fucking bomb, so you knew stuff.

Lyka: Alexa! Language!

Alexa: Oop… sorry…

Akino stood out of the bed and of the tent. She sees the sunlight and the surroundings. The dungeon entrance is now gone, only a very wide and deep crater.

Miraculously, no one were harmed or fatally injured when the explosion happened, startling the resting adventurers instead and only causing minor damages. The army of Church of the Ravine were still asleep that time and nothing goes amiss, until the ground where some tents started to sink down slowly, revealing a half-kilometer-wide and a hundred-meter-deep crater.

Dumbfounded on what she saw, Matias approaches her and explained their experiences that night, the sudden earth shaking and loud explosions underneath. Akino then tried to explain things in the most, simplest way she could: “There’s a ruin underneath filled with unknown level of wizardry and when they tried to leave the place a booty trap sets that caused the explosion”. Matias was a bit confused at first but accepts what Akino said as facts, since there’s no other plausible explanation on the events that night (even Akino wasn’t sure what the hell happened down there).

Alexa: Did you just… made up those?

Akino: Hey! Those are still true! I didn’t lie!

Lyka: Still, it will be much better if they know about it… what if it happens again?

Akino: Fine, fine… I’ll write a detailed report after this… by the way, where’s Camilla?

Lyka and Alexa guided Akino to where Camilla was, near the crater and preaching with the already awakened knights and the elf mage they fought the other day.

Camilla: Oh, Aki!

Camilla rushes towards the three while being followed by her elf attendant.

Camilla: Aki! Are you alright?

Akino: Yeah, I’m fine.

The elf attendant cuts in.

Camilla: Oh, this is Torion, my assistant and the captain of my mage unit.

Torion: It’s an honor to be an acquaintance, and I am truly grateful for saving our great priestess.

Akino: Everybody would have done that, don’t sweat it.

Torion: Don’t – sweat it? But I’m not sweating.

Alexa: This guy’s funny! HAHAHHAHA!

Lyka: I think he’s confused?

Camilla: EHEM! Torion, would you give us a moment? I would like to discuss to them our plans on retaking the Ravine.

Torion: Yes, milady! Please, take your time.

As the elf leaves, Camilla drags the three away.

Camilla: My men are not used to it!

Akino: Not used to it?! You’ve been talking like a fucking nerd for hours when we were down there!

Alexa: YEAH! What is this?! Showing off?! Come on! You talk like you’re an old fart or something!

Camilla: An old?! Listen! I have to keep my image! Why don’t you get that?! I’m a respectable priestess from a magical religious nation!

Akino: That talks like a nerd and freaks out on small things!

Alexa: And cusses non-stop as well!

Lyka: Ugh… can we go back on the plans?

Akino: Oh… OH! Right! The coup, right?

Camilla: Yeah…

Camilla explained to her comrades that Akino and her team will be hired as adventurers and will do some espionage antics and other supporting tasks while the rebellion team assembles and prepares against the current government of the Ravine.

Akino: When are we going to start?

Camilla: Tomorrow.

Lyka: That’s way too early!

Camilla: I know… I’m sorry if I didn’t tell it sooner… we’ve got no time to waste…

Akino: Okay, that’s understandable. But how are we going to start?

Camilla: Well, tomorrow some of the rebellion troops were going at this location. We will start setting camp here and the others will go back to try and rescue some civilians and secure some crucial supplies as well.

Alexa: That’s way too many tasks in a day!

Akino: So, you want us to come with the troops coming back to Ravine?

Camilla: If that’s okay with you… I mean, you guys could stay and help us out in setting camp.

Akino pauses for a while, thinking through what choice she will made.

Akino: Lyka, Alexa, what do you think?

Lyka: If the team going back to Ravine will rescue some civilians, I think it’s much better to come with them.

Alexa: Yeah! And the other pips of the Ravine doesn’t know this place, right?

Camilla: Of course! We made sure that the elders of the Church doesn’t have any information of this place.

Alexa: So, this place is surely secured! We can also ask out Matias to help them! A commission for them!

Akino: I see, then we’ll have an intensive discussion with Matias and the other adventurers about this matter…

Camilla: It’s okay if they refuse, I only need volunteers, really…

Lyka: Don’t worry, Aki can convince them!

Alexa: Yeah!

Akino: Geez…

Camilla: Thank you, guys. Thank you…

Alexa: Aw, the mighty priestess is getting emotional. Gonna cry?

Camilla: I’m not!

Alexa kept on teasing Camilla, but eventually she managed to get her composure back when her elf attendant came back to report something to her. Camilla left the three to attend some things in her army, and they went back to their tents and prepare to help arrange the damage stuff caused by the explosion last night. It was a peaceful day.

The day ends, and the night begins once more. Akino gathered the high-ranking adventurers who oversees that expedition, including Kal and Matias, she also brought Camilla and her officials as well. That night they discussed the situation the Ravine was in, and Camilla requested a commission for the adventurers to help them set-up a camp in those ruins. The other adventurers were doubting to help due to diplomatic concerns, but Camilla assured that their guild’s involvement will be put in secret, and they will be compensated well. The adventurers put up a vote, and it is 5 out of 7, in favor of helping Camilla’s rebellion. The other two reasoned that the expedition ends exactly tomorrow, and the others were already tired, so they voted no and told them that they’ll go home instead. The leader, Matias, agrees with them to go home tomorrow and report everything happened.

The meeting ended. Some of the staying adventurers took their rest, others helped the going-home adventurers pack their stuff, others help the soldiers of Ravine set-up their tents.

Akino sighs while sitting outside their tent. A lot of things happened, and her body that should be not feeling any tiredness feels tired, and even her body that should not be accustomed to falling asleep her mind feels the total opposite. Lyka comes out of the tent and upon seeing her, she approaches Akino and sits beside her.

Lyka: Are you alright?

Akino: Yeah. How’s Alexa?

Lyka: She’s playing with the cellphone-thingy, I’m not sure what that thing is…

Akino: It is a cellphone, so you got it right… say, when I was asleep, did the two of you felt or see something like a text notification about body updates?

Lyka: Yes, Alexa got it first then I got one as well. Something about structural integrity? Alexa said you’re the one who did it since we saw the ‘HQC-32’ term after the notification.

Akino: Oh… okay.

Lyka: That explosion… what was it?

Akino: Something very dangerous…

Lyka: Is that why we must focus on looking for this Institution stuff? To prevent such things from happening?

Akino: Well, yes, other than to know the truth I guess one of the priorities we should do is to stop things like that from happening in a populated place… since, you know – other people tried to take the stuff the Institution has.

Lyka: The engineer guy in the virtual matrix… the things he said seemed to be –

Akino: Nonsensical?

Lyka: Disconnected, but I guess that’s also the case.

Akino: If we can go back, or we have the time to ask things then we should be knowing more… but instead we’ve got a shit-load of questions… like, the hell is the Protocol Gamma? And why we’re classified as rouges? And if millions of years already passed on Earth, then the last part of the protocol, which the Institution kills itself should have been initiated, right? Then how come it’s like they’re still operational?

Lyka grabs Akino on to her chest.

Lyka: Then we should look for the answers. And if we get stuck, we still move on and look for it. Remember? You’ve told me that life goes on, and we should as well…

Akino: I know… I know… it’s just tiring and all, I just want to make home and start fresh.

Lyka: But the past still lingers you…

Akino: The problems in the past must be resolved to have a better present life and prosperous future…

Lyka: That’s… enlightening.

Akino: Nah… I remembered that when I was cracking up a fortune cookie…

They both stared at the night sky for an hour. Both were silent, but they hold each other’s hands like there’s no tomorrow.