Chapter: 93. Night in Tokyo
At the other end of the Earth.
Nixlight gazed at the real-time footage of Tokyo displayed on the terminal screen in his hand.
Even though it was late at night, Tokyo was still brightly lit, with high-rises lining the streets as thousands of vehicles wove through the roads. Countless people had just finished work or gatherings, making their way home.
This seemingly calm city was perfect for being a “hostage.”
The footage on the screen was coming from public surveillance cameras that had been hacked.
The data stream invaded and taken over by the “Alpha System” was now presenting him with the chaotic reality of Tokyo’s streets.
In the rainy night, several types of combat mechs, heavily armored from head to toe, were rampaging through the streets, heading towards the location of the “Ace Steel Knight.” Their metal surfaces danced with raindrops, creating tiny ripples, as if even the steel was trembling.
Their movements were violent and unrestrained, crushing vehicles and infrastructure along the way, creating tremendous noise and sparks.
Panic-stricken pedestrians scattered in all directions, trying to evade the mechs that appeared like monsters amid the sudden disaster and chaos.
Their screams, alarm bells, and the sounds of out-of-control collisions intertwined, creating a scene of completely uncontrollable Tokyo nightlife.
— The stage was set for her.
Nixlight gently closed the control panel he had been manipulating.
He had cut off all communications between Amane Shinda and the strike team, leaving her to rely solely on her judgment to make decisions at the scene.
Meanwhile, he had also prepared a “sufficiently justified” reason for her—
“The Ace-class esper ‘Steel Knight’ realized her exposure and, in order to escape pursuit, began to create chaos with the ordinary citizens of Tokyo as hostages.”
In this situation, whether Shinda acted out of “self-defense” or retaliated with the rationale of “protecting the innocent,” she would have ample justification to act.
— Even if she ultimately hesitated, he had set up a contingency plan for that.
However, deep down, he still hoped that this girl could make “her own choice.”
To realize that grand plan—her power was undoubtedly the key component.
Thinking of this, Nixlight glanced again at the terminal screen in his palm.
One corner of the display showed the status bar of the “Alpha System,” with several red indicators glaringly visible.
Since the “Starlight Incident,” this super AI, once known as a deity, had been in an unstable state, its core functions seemed to be under some restriction, unable to unleash its full computational power.
From memories that did not belong to him, Nixlight understood that the source of this anomaly was the girl named “Erica.”
It was her power that disrupted the Alpha System’s core structure, causing its current limited state.
To restore the Alpha to its original form, the only way—
Was to find her and kill her.
“Erica… where are you…”
Nixlight murmured softly, barely audible.
At that moment, a rare hint of anxiety and confusion appeared in his tone for the first time.
However—
Just then, the terminal in his hand received a new notification.
It was an automatic alert from the Alpha System.
He immediately looked down to check, and the display switched to real-time images composed of several surveillance feeds.
In the footage, the silver-haired girl fiercely battling Kanu, and the mysterious man driving a car carrying the Ace-class esper “Steel Knight,” were highlighted by the system.
But the subsequent situation was completely unexpected for Nixlight.
The intel on these two targets—was blurred.
Not only were their names and codenames unclear, but even the basic portrait images were heavily pixelated, making them unidentifiable.
It was as if in Alpha’s “cognition,” their existence was obscured and erased.
Even the Alpha System, whose computational level approached that of a “deity,” could not directly lock onto these two individuals.
The footage it currently possessed was only able to “observe” their presence through tracking Kanu and the Steel Knight’s locations separately.
This unexpected anomaly momentarily stunned Nixlight, a fleeting look of confusion and alertness flashing in his eyes.
But he quickly calmed down, a sharp glint of thoughtfulness appearing in his gaze.
He realized—this was the key.
Since they could interfere with the Alpha System’s operation, it indicated that behind them—whether it was the girl named “Erica” or the professor “Amagiri Akira,” whom he had been pursuing tirelessly—all but assuredly someone was aiding them covertly, and it was likely that both had intervened.
This discovery made Nixlight’s heart skip a beat.
He had finally found the lead he had been tirelessly searching for during this time, almost sleepless in his pursuit.
—————–
Walking alone through the streets of Tokyo under the night sky—a long-lost experience for Nagi.
The air, the cold raindrops, and the barely perceptible sense of restlessness deep within the city… everything was reminiscent of the days when she was active in the shadows.
It was the rhythm she had become familiar with as the “Ruler of Elements.”
…Was it because she had recently reclaimed a significant number of End Fragments?
The situation before her seemed to trigger something, as she began to recall fragments of her past experiences in Tokyo—those memories that should have been forgotten were now surfacing one by one from the darkness.
This appeared to validate what Nagayume had previously said about the “truth” and the fantasy demons.
In her past life, she may not have merely been a simple “savior.”
Otherwise, why would she frequently operate in the shadows, away from the public eye?
Nagi remembered the past self who secretly carried out various unknown actions under the pretense of “saving the world.”
Those “plans” that were never documented.
In hindsight, they were all imbued with a chilling calmness and calculation.
Perhaps the so-called “savior” was just a fictitious facade.
The true her was an existence standing on the other side of the world.
If this world was indeed a game—
Then she might be closer to the final boss of the ultimate level.
The “Lifetime Regret Plan” from the very beginning may not have been to save this world, but to control that uncertain variable named “Kanade Kanu,” making him her tool against the fantasy demons. As long as he consumed all the rewrites, there would be no threats left in the world.
This made Nagi think of Garuda.
That contracted beast who was closest to her had once attempted to break all of this.
Unfortunately… that plan ultimately failed.
Her death did not bring peace to this world.
The fantasy demons continued to rampage everywhere.
Moreover, she had deeply hurt everyone she cherished in this life—
Nagi took a deep breath, trying to suppress the sudden pain in her chest.
She knew it was not the time to dwell on the past.
She forcibly retracted her thoughts, concentrating her attention on the magical energy fluctuations coming from ahead.
As she sensed the presence of Amane drawing closer, she keenly detected—Kanu had arrived on the scene ahead of her.
At the same time, another unfamiliar magical reaction was rapidly distancing itself, seemingly carrying the target further away.
Meanwhile, Amane remained in place, blocking Kanu’s path.
According to the plan, her true mission was to eliminate the target before the strike team could successfully capture it.
However—
She was not sure if it was the sudden nostalgia that had caused her to hesitate and stray from the original path.
She inexplicably chose to abandon the pursuit of the target and stealthily moved towards the location of Amane and Kanu.
To avoid revealing her whereabouts, Nagi deliberately suppressed her magical energy fluctuations to a minimum.
She carefully stepped across the rain-soaked edge of the sidewalk, avoiding damaged tiles and debris, silently infiltrating the periphery of the battle scene.
And at that moment—
She happened to overhear the conversation unfolding between Amane and Kanu.
