The private conversation between Kanata and Lieutenant General Shinonome continued.
He had a general understanding of Terukyo’s past and present situation. Were there any other things he should confirm? He rarely had the opportunity for such a private talk with the Lieutenant General.
…There were quite a few things. He decided to ask them one by one.
“The Mikado family and the Go-Sanke can manifest Evil Eyes, right? Princess Mikoto had the Dragon Eye of Pure Heart, if I recall. There seem to be various types of Dragon Eyes, but what other kinds are there?”
“There are tales that Dragon Eyes are not exclusive to the Mikado family. The Izuruha people have worshipped dragons since ancient times. Perhaps they simply named their mysterious powers after various dragons. There’s also the Dragon Eye of Carving, which seems to manifest in the Oborozuki family.”
Oborozuki? The leader of the last legion… wasn’t his name Oborozuki Setsuna?
“Oborozuki Setsuna is the leader of a legion, right? In that case…”
“Yes, Oborozuki Setsuna is rumored to possess the Dragon Eye of Carving. He’s the man who defeated your Original, Agito.”
The man who defeated that demon Agito… Well, it’s a given that any character named Setsuna is a strong one. He never encountered a weak character named Setsuna in manga or anime from his original world.
“Does that mean I should assume my Wolf Eye can’t defeat the Dragon Eye of Carving…?”
The Lieutenant General shook his head slightly and replied.
“I don’t think so. When it comes to lethality, the Wolf Eye is the strongest among Evil Eye abilities. It’s a fearsome eye that can kill with just a glare. The reason Agito lost to Oborozuki Setsuna is clear. He fell into a trap laid ten layers deep. No matter how strong Agito was, if he was surrounded by a legion, it was all over.”
I see. Unlike his original world, quality is more important than quantity in the wars of this world, but when quality is equal, numbers make a difference.
The Evil Eyes originating from Terukyo are the Dragon Eye, Mirror Eye, Wolf Eye… and Tiger Eye.
“The Murakumo family of the Go-Sanke possesses the Tiger Eye, right? I heard it significantly shortens one’s lifespan. Do you know what its abilities are?”
“I don’t know. It’s a mysterious Evil Eye ability. It’s questionable whether it even exists. However, the Murakumo family was all purged by Supreme Commander Garyu. If that’s true, then there are no longer any individuals with the Tiger Eye. I don’t think you need to worry too much about it…”
“But if by any chance there were survivors, they would undoubtedly defect to the Mechanist Army and challenge us to a war of revenge. It’s strange that Agito didn’t do that.”
“It’s confirmed that all members of the Murakumo main family are deceased. It’s a shame that Sagimiya Towa is among them.”
Sagimiya Towa… That was a name Lilith had mentioned to him during his study time at the Special Brig. She had asked him to look into it after the matter with Shuri and Hotaru was settled… The Sagimiya Towa… wasn’t she the woman who developed Combat Cells!
“Ms. Sagimiya was the developer of Combat Cells, wasn’t she? Why was she purged!”
“Sagimiya was her maiden name. She married the head of the Murakumo family and became Murakumo Towa. To kill her, who was known as the greatest mind in humanity… Supreme Commander Garyu did a foolish thing.”
…And because of that, Combat Cells are being deployed in actual combat without their full details being understood. He really had to deal with unnecessary things.
“Perhaps Terukyo will be reborn if Princess Mikoto takes over… How about we just kill Supreme Commander Garyu quickly?”
“You shouldn’t say such things, even as a joke. Iska also said something similar… It seems that being in the Asura Unit makes one think of dangerous things.”
Commanding Officer, it might not be a joke for you. And Lieutenant General, you have it backward. It’s not that people become dangerous and extreme because they are in the Asura Unit; it’s because the Commanding Officer is like that, the Asura Unit became dangerous and extreme.
“Hahaha, thanks to the Commanding Officer’s teachings, I’ve become a dangerous person. Lieutenant General, I apologize for all the questions, but do you know anything about the Stone of Life?”
“It’s the stone that became the base for Combat Cells and Suppressor Cells. It seems to have been jointly developed by Mirei, Iska’s mother, and Towa. That’s why we are called Bio-Metal Soldiers. I believe Giryu was the one who named it that, though.”
Cells that are as strong as metal, it’s indeed something that should be called bio-metal. And the son of the late Supreme Commander, Giryu, is involved?
“What do you mean? Well, it doesn’t seem like something I should be told…”
“I trust you, as Iska and Marika do, otherwise I wouldn’t be having this private conversation here. Iska mentioned that you have interesting ideas, and I’d like to hear your opinion. Our ally, Giryu, became more contemplative as the war intensified. He was always a kind-hearted person and often spoke of creating an ideal world without conflict.”
Unlike my pledge with Shuri in the Peach Garden, or rather, Torigen’s Oath, he held such lofty ideals. But usually, such ideals don’t lead to good things.
“It seems he was working on a project called the Sublimation Project. He said that if this project succeeded, the war between the Mechanist Army and the Alliance Army would end, or rather, war itself would be eradicated from humanity…”
“Sublimation Project? …In Izuruha, it would be ‘Shoka Keikaku’.”
“Yes, ‘World Sublimation Project,’ he called it that too. He said it would lead the world to a new horizon, to Genesis.”
I’m starting to feel like things are getting fishy…
“Mr. Giryu was almost certainly murdered. Perhaps Towa Murakumo was also involved in that plan.”
“I also suspected that Giryu-dono was assassinated. But what makes you think Towa-dono was involved in the World Sublimation Project?”
“The Stone of Life, jointly developed by your mother Mirei and Towa-san… don’t you think it changed the world? The Bio-Metal soldiers born from Towa-san’s Combat Cells have revolutionized humanity itself. Thanks to Mirei-san’s Suppressor Cells, cancer is no longer a threat to humanity. This too is a revolution for humanity.”
“That’s true, but…”
“I don’t know what this ‘World Sublimation Project’ is, but can you really eliminate war with just ideals and principles? I don’t think so. …Weren’t they trying to create some kind of forced system where war is impossible, like a mechanism that prevents humans from killing each other? I can’t even imagine how that would be possible… but if a genius in bioengineering was by the side of such an idealist… I can’t help but think they’re connected.”
Lieutenant General Shinonome closed his eyes deep in thought. I waited silently for him to speak. After about five minutes of contemplation, he finally opened his heavy mouth and said,
“…If you put it that way, it’s not entirely without merit. I heard that Giryu-dono and Towa-dono were contemporaries at Terukyo University and were close. He met Murakumo Zanma through Giryu-dono, as they were friends. Giryu-dono should have been the one to give a speech as a representative of friends when Zanma-dono and Towa-dono got married.”
The Hyakume Lab at Terukyo University… two genius scientists, a high-ranking idealist… and the World Sublimation Project, huh.
“A brilliant little kid I trust told me, ‘We’re going to war with some kind of unknown black box implanted in our bodies.’ I thought she was overthinking it, but she was right. There’s something there, I’m sure of it. The birth of Bio-Metal soldiers… has a purpose. The key is held by…”
“Dr. Hyakume Kanechika. It’s a shame he defected to the Mechanist Army.”
Indeed. But now, Dr. Hyakume is the only lead. He said he didn’t know the contents of the black box, but is that really true? In any case, it’s impossible that he knows nothing.
“If anyone else knows anything, it would be Supreme Commander Garyu… but there’s no way he’d talk. He’s the one who killed Towa-san.”
“I suppose so… But Kanata. Even if we investigate the World Sublimation Project, it shouldn’t be our top priority. No matter what kind of plan it was, it’s certainly defunct now.”
“…You’re right, Lieutenant General. The future we live in is more important than something that failed in the past.”
The Lieutenant General gave me a gentle smile and urged me on.
“Indeed, you are correct. …Shall we return to the party? It’s probably not good to be away for too long.”
With that, the Lieutenant General stood up and headed for the exit, and I followed suit. My own situation is complicated, and Terukyo’s situation is also complicated.
Overthinking is my bad habit. I’ll stop dancing with Natto Bacteria and enjoy the party since I came here.
Finding a retort curry that suited my taste made me feel a little better (lol).
