Passing through a stark, unadorned door, Alicia stepped inside the steel building. She found herself in a vast, empty room and quickly scanned her surroundings.
To her eyes, this home—furnished with only the barest essentials in the most utilitarian manner—looked like nothing so much as a prison.
"Fufu... I’m so happy. You’re my very first guest. Um, is it alright if I call you Alicia?"
"I don't mind. I’ll call you Machina in return."
Having met on an artificial island inhabited by only one person, Alicia and Machina both felt a strange sensation—one they couldn't quite put into words.
It was undoubtedly their first time meeting, yet they felt a mysterious affinity for one another, as if they had finally encountered a kindred spirit.
Perhaps that was why Machina welcomed Alicia despite her sudden descent from the sky, and why Alicia had honestly accepted the invitation to enter the girl's home.
"Come to think of it, why did you come to an island like this, Alicia?"
"Ah... well, I’m a bit of a rarity, I suppose. I’m a traveler. I drift across the world, and I just happened to stop by."
"Travelers fly through the sky, then?"
"Sometimes. I’m what you’d call a mage, you see. Flying is no trouble at all for me."
"Whoa... travelers are amazing."
Normally, Alicia’s claim of being a mage would have been hard to swallow. However, Machina had already witnessed Alicia leap to a height impossible for any human and land without a single sound, so she accepted the explanation without a hint of doubt.
"Oh, I know! It’s just about time for lunch, so you should eat with me, Alicia. You’re my first guest, so I want to give you a proper welcome."
"That’s an enticing offer. To be honest, I was planning on an elegant lunch aboard a luxury liner, but I let my curiosity get the better of me and ended up missing out. I think I’ll gratefully accept the treat."
"Great! Just wait a moment, I’ll have it ready in a flash."
Nodding happily at Alicia’s response, Machina reached out to operate a console built into the nearby wall.
A section of the wall slid open with a mechanical hiss, revealing the items stored within.
"Pick whichever flavor you like!"
With a beaming smile, Machina pointed toward a massive stash of... jelly drinks.
"Jelly drinks?! N-No, wait. I know jelly drinks have come a long way recently, but lunch is just... jelly? Uh... wait. Am I actually not that welcome here?"
"Eh? N-No, that’s not it! You’re very welcome! Is... is this no good? I thought these were the tastiest things in the world... I-It’s okay! I have other things too!"
Machina looked slightly panicked at Alicia’s reaction and hurriedly tapped the console again. Another section of the wall slid back.
Gesturing toward it, Machina spoke with an expression that said "this time for sure."
"Go ahead, pick anything!"
"Canned food?! And wait, these are those tasteless military rations that sacrifice everything for shelf life, aren't they?!"
"Eh? Eeh? Ah, I-I have bread too!"
"Hardtack... Is that it? Was I just misunderstanding? Are you actually a veteran soldier on a secret, long-term survival mission or something, Machina? By the way, what do you have for drinks?"
"I... I have water?"
"I see."
It seemed Machina truly did welcome Alicia; her desire to provide the best hospitality she could was clear from her earnest behavior.
Alicia gave a wry smile at the sight of Machina’s slumped shoulders. She picked up a jelly drink and a tin of food, then spoke in a bright voice to cheer her up.
"Well, it’s nice to have a meal like this once in a while. I could have prepared something myself, but since this is your treat... what do you recommend, Machina?"
"Ah! Um... the orange one is really good!"
"Then I’ll go with that. Here, you have one too."
"Yeah!"
Seeing Alicia’s smile, Machina’s face lit up like a blooming flower. She took the jelly drink Alicia handed back to her.
Since there were hardly any chairs in the room, the two sat side-by-side on the simple bed and began sipping their lunch.
"The more I look around, the more I realize how empty this place is. How long have you been here, Machina?"
"Let’s see... about sixteen years, I think. Since I can remember, anyway. It might actually be longer. The food and supplies get restocked once every few years."
"Sixteen years in a place with nothing but this... that’s a heavy story. By the way, Machina, you called yourself a monster earlier. Why? I mean, for me, I think it's obvious from what you saw."
"Hmm, it’s hard to explain... but even though nobody ever taught me how, I could speak. And even though I’ve been on this island since I can remember, I can see all sorts of things."
"See things?"
"Yeah. How should I put it? Even things that are supposed to be far away—I can see them if I want to, and I can hear them if I want to. That’s just how it is."
That was certainly a trait that exceeded the human framework. Being able to speak without being taught language and possessing the ability to see and hear across vast distances.
In this world where magic had all but vanished, it was a power that could only be called a supernatural ability.
"Clairvoyance."
"Clairvoyance?"
"It seems I have a power like that. The person who was 'likely my father' said so."
"Likely...?"
"I’ve never met or spoken to him, so 'likely' is good enough. But as I said, I could speak without being taught, and I know so much despite being on this empty island forever. I think he was probably right."
"I see."
Even as they spoke of such things, Machina’s smile never wavered. She was happy—happy that for the first time in her life, she could talk to someone like this. She was happy to have met Alicia, who just nodded along as if it were perfectly normal to hear about her superhuman powers.
"Alicia, how long have you been traveling?"
"Hmm, I was counting up to a thousand years, but I’ve lost track of the exact number by now."
"A thousand years?! That’s incredible. That's a staggering amount of time."
If an ordinary human had said such a thing, Machina might have laughed, but she accepted Alicia’s words instantly.
At the same time, she understood the inexplicable affinity they felt for one another. To put it simply, they were fellow monsters who had finally found each other.
"Alicia, why are you traveling?"
"A promise I made to a best friend. I’m looking for something. I haven't found it yet, but I’m not really in a hurry. I figured I’d just travel the world at my leisure while I search."
"I see... Hey, Alicia. Um, well..."
Machina’s expression became hesitant. Seeing this, Alicia tilted her head curiously. Machina let her gaze wander as if searching for words, then finally spoke with resolve.
"Will you... be my friend?"
"Eh?"
"Ah... is that no good?"
"No, I was just wondering what you were going to say with such a serious face. You don't have to ask; aren't we already friends?"
"Alicia..."
"Look, 'friend' isn't something you need to declare. If we both feel that way, then we’re already friends."
"I see. Yeah, you’re right... Fufu, I’m so happy. I have my very first friend."
Seeing Machina laughing with joy from the bottom of her heart, Alicia felt a soft smile play on her own lips. The two of them became so close it was hard to believe they had met only hours ago, their conversation blooming with life.
Fun times pass in the blink of an eye. As Machina listened to Alicia’s travel stories with a smile, night had somehow fallen.
"Well, that’s how it is, so I’ll be staying the night. Nice to meet you."
"I don’t know what you mean by 'that’s how it is,' but you’re more than welcome! This house has nothing, but... the bath is really big!"
"Hmm, the bath is in that room, right? Only the bath is big... it feels like they built it that way just to make the exterior a perfect cube."
"Fufufu, you’re probably right."
Machina smiled happily at the prospect of Alicia staying over. They ate a dinner of canned food together and moved to the bathroom.
Just as Machina had said, the bath was quite large—big enough for many people to bathe at once.
"Well, it’s about what I expected... but there’s nothing in the bathroom either. It’s certainly big, but it’s just steel walls without even a window, and the tub is just a massive box with zero design sense. I’d give the decor 15 points."
"Hmm, that’s a harsh score. Not that I built it myself."
"Ahaha... Mumu?"
"Yes? What’s wrong, Alicia?"
Alicia had been surveying the bathroom while offering her biting critique, but her gaze suddenly stopped and she began to stare fixedly at Machina.
Machina tilted her head, confused, at almost the exact moment Alicia reached out.
"Machina, your skin is really beautiful~"
"Wuhyan?! W-What was that for, so suddenly?!"
"Whoa, and it’s so smooth and soft... Even though you only eat jelly and canned food, what a scandalous texture."
"Nnn?! Wait, w-where are you touching?! Ah..."
"Fufufu, this texture is irresistible. I simply must savor it..."
"Your eyes are totally those of a pervert's!"
"Don't think you can escape... Now, prepare yourself!"
"Hyahaaaa?!"
Machina tried to flee instinctively, but the gap in their physical ability was stark. In an instant, Alicia caught her.
The sound of dripping water echoed loudly in the vast bathroom. Machina, her white, translucent skin exposed, seemed to have given up resistance, closing her eyes and letting Alicia do as she pleased.
Watching Machina, Alicia moved both hands with technical precision, a playful smile on her face.
"Anywhere itchy?"
"Yeah... or rather, wasn't that build-up a bit much? I really felt like my chastity was in danger, you know?"
"Hmm, whatever could you mean? I intended to wash your back from the very beginning... I wonder what kind of misunderstanding the 'grown-up' Machina-chan had?"
"Mean. Alicia, you're so mean."
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. It’s been a while since I bathed with someone, so I got a bit excited."
"The way you get excited is totally that of a pervert's. I’m shocked that my first friend is such a pervert."
"Hooh, listen to you... someone like you deserves this!"
"Wuppu?! Jeez! Don't splash hot water over my head!"
In just a few hours since meeting, the two had become surprisingly close. They were at a point where they could frolic like long-time friends... and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Was it simple compatibility? Even while complaining about Alicia’s teasing, Machina maintained a look of pure joy.
"Alright, switch places!"
"Yeah. Okay, Alicia, sit down."
"Right, right... Ah, I forgot to mention. In a certain land, there’s a method where you put foam on your own body to wash as a way to deepen friendship—"
"That’s a lie. It’s definitely a lie. Alicia, you’re a liar."
"I didn't think I'd be branded a liar by someone I met only a few hours ago. Well, it’s not exactly a total lie, though."
"Eh? Does a way of washing like that really exist?!"
It was truly just idle banter, but for Machina, frolicking with a friend like this was a first-time experience. Through her clairvoyance, she had seen what friends were like and how they interacted, but experiencing it for herself was incredibly fresh.
"It might have been a bit too early for a 'kiddie' like Machina, though~"
"Even though you called me a grown-up earlier... someone who says that deserves this!"
"Too slow!"
"Hyan?!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re still not committed enough. If you do it like that, I can easily land a counter like this."
"You’re grabbing my chest with both hands! What are you acting all smug for?! Jeez, Aliciaaa!!"
"Ahaha."
"Hey, don't run away!"
In the sixteen years since she could remember, for Machina—who had lived isolated on this empty, birdcage-like island—this was the most fun she had ever had.
It was the first time she felt that time passed so quickly.
It was the first time she wished that a moment would last forever... everything was a first.
Alice: "Haaa, back then Machina was so honest and cute... how on earth did she evolve into a crazy yandere? The passage of time is a cruel thing."
Machina-chan: "That's a terrible way to put it. Anyway, shouldn't we wake up Serious-senpai?"
Alice: "The Anima Arc isn't over yet..."
Machina-chan: "Well, it’s not like I care what happens to anyone other than my beloved child. Anyway, there was a question, wasn't there? About the Earth we lived on... You could say the Earth my beloved child (Kaito) came from is close to the modern day, while the Earth Alicia and I lived on was an Earth with different history. To put it simply, my beloved child’s world was 'Earth close to the modern day,' and mine was an 'Earth with strong sci-fi elements.' Alicia, meanwhile, was something like a 'Hero of the Mythological Age.' Which means all of you readers are 'beings close to my beloved child'... so don't be shy. You can pamper your mother as much as you like, you know?"