Chapter 255

Consider this a status report on my survival.

I think I’ll be able to take some more time for myself in a little while.

A lake of liquid metal swayed and surged.

Ears, eyes, and a nose sprouted haphazardly from the shimmering surface as the mass stretched upward, eventually coalescing into the upper torso of a man. A head emerged from the fluid, followed by a pair of reaching arms.

"Hmm. I suppose you'd prefer the look you're familiar with? I've lost about forty percent of my body tissue... so forgive me if I'm looking a bit lumpy."

The metallic bust let out a murmur, and its mirror-smooth surface began to dull, shifting into a texture resembling human skin. It didn't look like a surface-level change; it was more like the skin was being shoved out from the inside.

Once it finally sprouted hair, the bust gave a massive, body-cracking stretch—the kind a human makes after a long nap. Then, the liquid metal morphed into the gentle, smiling face of the Phantom Taro knew so well.

"Phantom-san... Uh, okay. That's a little terrifying," Taro said, his own smile definitely twitching. He shot a look at Marl, practically begging for help. She looked just as speechless as he was, but after catching Taro's eye, she gave a tiny shake of her head and found her voice.

"Um, I'm sorry. Should we have even seen that? This feels like... a very private situation."

Phantom, still just a floating torso, shook his head.

"I don't mind. It might be a private place, technically, but I decided this was necessary."

He gave a slightly awkward smile. When Taro echoed, "Necessary?" Phantom nodded slowly.

"I had a little chat with Miss Koume. Just a brief one. The result was that I did some soul-searching. I think I'd become a bit too accustomed to Drei—to cold, dry relationships."

Phantom stared into the distance as if lost in thought. While Taro and Marl stood there looking like idiots, not sure what to make of the mood, he pointed toward the exit.

"It's chilly in here. Let's talk in the other room."

The bust-version of Phantom gripped the edge of the tub-like device and hauled himself upward. The metal inside the tub stretched and morphed, following his lead until he possessed a complete human body. Taro watched the process with his mouth hanging open, while Marl immediately looked at her feet and averted her gaze.

Probably because Phantom was currently stark-naked.

"Oops, my apologies. Don't let it bother you, though. I don't have any reproductive organs. I could attach some if the mood struck me, but there's no real need for them right now, is there?"

Phantom’s tone was pure mischief. Taro caught Marl turning a bright, vibrant red and started grinning at her like a moron—a hobby he enjoyed right up until she delivered a violent kick to his shin.

A short while later, they were in a room packed with a chaotic mess of Antiques. Phantom had changed into some casual clothes and sat across from Taro and Marl, who were perched on a sofa. Taro watched Marl shift uncomfortably on the high-end natural leather cushions while he took a sip of the drink Phantom had offered. It had a faint, sweet aroma, but the liquid itself burned his tongue like a blowtorch.

"You've gotten better at handling your liquor," Phantom laughed.

"I have to drink a lethal amount just to survive the social side of the job," Taro replied with a pained smile.

"I see. Well, that sounds about right. Keep up the hard work for our sakes, Mr. Representative Director and President. I think I'll join you today... I'll just set my body to actually absorb the alcohol."

Phantom tilted an intricately carved metal bottle and poured himself a glass. Taro watched, fascinated. This was a rare sight. He’d never seen the man even remotely tipsy.

"Normally, your body just breaks it all down instantly, right?"

"Indeed," Phantom replied. "Alcohol—well, toxins in general—are handled that way. Some are neutralized, but most are just stored in my body without being absorbed. It's less of a hassle that way; I can just vent them out later."

"Whoa, that's handy. I'm jealous."

"Jealous? Hmm. I suppose you would be. Personally, I'm jealous of you."

"Huh? Why? There's nothing good about having a meat-body. Sure, the Medical Machine can fix most things, but we still get sick and have hangovers."

"Haha, true. But that is the natural, correct state of being. At least, that's how I feel... Tell me, you two both have navels, right?"

Phantom’s smile vanished, replaced by a deadly serious expression.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Taro said, patting his stomach and tilting his head. Marl did the same, looking equally baffled.

"As humans... or rather, as mammals... it's a useless thing to have after birth. But it is something that should be there."

"If you say so. But even Cyborgs like you had one before you got cybernetic, right? I honestly wouldn't mind losing mine. I mean, it's a navel. It's a useless dirt-trap that makes your stomach hurt if you poke it too much. It's basically a design flaw that's picking a fight with me."

"No, I never had one. The others are as you say, but my case is different. I was born without one. Or rather, I'm not sure if the word 'born' even applies. I didn't come from anything."

Phantom stared into his glass as he spoke. Taro’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but Phantom kept going.

"I was being modified from the moment the fertilized Egg began to divide. From that point on, I was just moved back and forth between test tubes and Capsules. Nobody can say for sure when my 'birth' actually happened. Even the Germ Cells were synthesized. I have no parents. I was told I was based on the Somatic Cells of Coleman and some other individual, but I doubt there's a trace of them left in me."

Phantom tilted his head, looking genuinely puzzled. Taro and Marl traded looks of pure confusion, struggling to process the heavy lore drop.

"Naturally, I don't have reproductive organs, and my hormone balance is a disaster—though it's kept artificially stable. I'll likely never love another person as long as I live, and I doubt I even understand what the word means. At least not in a sexual sense. Technically, Leila's family acted as my guardians, but they never looked at me like a son. I was just a project for a Foster Parent for Emotional Development. It’s a natural reaction when you’re dealing with a monster."

Phantom spoke while knocking back his drink at a pace that would have put Taro in a coma. He emptied the glass, let out a long breath, and started pouring a refill.

"I know everything about you two. I’ve investigated you, and we’ve been together a long time. There are still mysteries surrounding Teiro, but I know the current you quite well. The same goes for Marl—I even have detailed records on her from Coleman's Facility. But you two know nothing about me. It isn't fair, is it?"

Phantom arched an eyebrow as if to say, Checkmate. Taro wondered if "fairness" really worked that way, but he kept his mouth shut.

Taro trusted Phantom. To him, it didn't really matter what the guy was or where he came from. But that didn't mean he wasn't interested. When you're close to someone, you naturally want to know their story. And to Taro, Phantom was a close friend. A comrade.

"I mean... thanks for telling us? I think? I don't really know what to say, but I don't think of you as a monster, Phantom-san. I might call you one as a compliment sometimes, but that's it."

At Taro's blunt honesty, Phantom’s face lit up with exaggerated joy. "Well, that's a relief!"

"I-is it? I mean, I don't think anyone really cares. You're reliable, and you've saved our necks a million times. Right, Marl?"

Taro was a little creeped out by how happy Phantom seemed, so he tried to pass the baton. Marl, clearly feeling the same awkwardness, stammered out a reply.

"Y-yeah! We wouldn't have survived this war without your intel and your help. We’ve got talented people coming in from the Battle School constantly, and none of them have a bad word to say about you. Even if they knew what you just told us, I don't think that would change."

Marl gestured emphatically with a serious face. She took a sip from her glass and immediately started coughing and blinking, clearly stunned by the strength of the booze.

"Hmm. I see... That’s wonderful. Truly wonderful. Hearing that from you specifically means a lot. It's marvelous."

Phantom was in such a good mood that Taro started to worry the guy actually was drunk. But then, Phantom’s expression sharpened. He leaned in close to both of them.

"If those words are true, then I want you to apply that same logic to yourselves. This is a request from me."

Silence filled the room. The duo tried to respond, but their brains were still buffering. They just sat there, opening and closing their mouths like landed fish.

Finally, Taro chewed over the words and pouted. "Hey, we're the ones who came to visit you because you were hurt. Why are we the ones being comforted?"

Phantom let out a laugh. This time, it was a shockingly natural, innocent smile—like that of a child. "Does it really matter who's comforting who?"

Taro and Marl were taken aback by the genuine expression—the first they'd ever seen on him—and couldn't help but crack smiles of their own.

"It's been a while, so I think the alcohol is hitting me faster than expected. I might have messed up the pacing... Ah, right. One more thing. I might as well say it now."

Phantom held up an index finger and looked them in the eye.

"Coleman. And Eden. I'm going to tell you everything I know about those two. I believe you've proven yourselves trustworthy enough to hear it. It took me a while to reach that conclusion, and for that, I hope you'll forgive me."

He lowered his finger and let out a heavy sigh.

"Because this is a very, very heavy story. Even if most of it is technically just a theory."