After we finished exploring the first uninhabited island, we continued to visit the various spots Eden-san recommended. Most of her favorite places were quiet and deserted. I suppose that was typical of her; she tended to be cold toward the inhabitants of worlds other than her own.
Yet, surprisingly, she seemed to prefer scenery with a simple, warm atmosphere.
"It was a very long time ago, but I once participated in something like a fair," she remarked.
"You did, Eden-san?"
"Yes. It was crowded, and I could not move freely. It was loud and bright everywhere, making it difficult to even stop and enjoy the view... However, that chaotic, jumbled scenery left a profound impression on me."
"I think I can understand that feeling," I replied.
Perhaps nostalgia was coloring her memories, but I also had moments where everything I saw in the past seemed to sparkle.
I decided to set aside the fact that Eden-san's current appearance would fatally clash with a local fair. She was omniscient and omnipotent; she could likely change her appearance however she pleased.
However, despite our peaceful conversation, she had nearly lost control just seconds ago, triggering another massive beam of light. We had managed to get by without the Final Countermeasure so far, but I wondered how much longer our luck would hold.
My anxiety became a reality about thirty minutes later. For the third time, Eden-san entered a state of rampage and was vaporized by a massive beam... but even after she regenerated, there was no sign of her sanity returning.
Eden-san approached me, making no effort to hide the madness oozing from her presence. The Final Countermeasure showed no sign of activating, and I truly thought I was doomed. But just then, a change came over her.
"Wait—!?"
Seeing Eden-san freeze with her eyes wide in shock, I looked behind me, tilting my head in confusion. There was nothing there.
When I turned my gaze back to her, the madness radiating from Eden-san had completely vanished.
"My apologies, My Child. I am fine now."
"Um, what just happened?"
"The Final Countermeasure has been activated... Please do not ask for the details. I beg of you."
"Ah, alright. I understand."
I had no idea what had happened, but one thing was certain: that Final Countermeasure was incredibly effective.
I knew this because she had just called me 'My Child' instead of My Beloved Child. In other words, she had reverted to Phase 0.
Early on, she would sometimes return to Phase 0, but after several cooldowns, Phase 1 had become her baseline. Reverting to the absolute safety of Phase 0 was usually impossible once her excitement reached a certain point. Just how powerful was this measure?
I was also stunned by how genuinely shocked Eden-san had looked. Strange things were certainly happening today.
Beside Kaito, who was tilting his head in wonder, Eden—or rather, Machina, who was operating as Eden—recalled the origin of the Final Countermeasure.
The measure that had so shocked even Kaito had its roots a few days prior.
"Excuse me?" Alice asked, her expression dubious.
Machina was pleading with her, hands pressed together, during a break in their customary special training.
"Please, Alice! Help me!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I want to go out alone with My Beloved Child! I really do! But you see, my love for him overflows so easily. If that interrupts our time together, I'll be devastated!"
"Shouldn't you just try not to lose control then?"
"That's impossible! My child is just too cute! I want to lick him all over! I think it would be rude not to rampage in front of such a precious child!"
"Thanks for the hard work. I'm going home now."
"Wait, noooo!"
"Argh, don't start crying on me, you're annoying! ...Sigh, fine. What exactly do you want me to do?"
Alice had tried to flee to avoid the hassle, but seeing Machina clinging to her half-crying, she finally let out a long sigh and listened.
"If I rampage, I want you to stop me somehow, Alice!"
"You're asking for something pretty outrageous..."
"Come on, if it's you, you can figure something out, right?"
"Why should I do something so bothersome?"
"I've helped you with all sorts of things lately!"
"...Ugh. When you put it like that... Fine."
Alice finally caved, and thus, she became the Final Countermeasure to Prevent a Rampage for Machina.
Serious-senpai: "Wait, what? You can actually stop Machina's rampage?"
???: "It’s not like I can do it forever, but a few times... In short, I just have to catch her off guard and flatten her thoughts back to a neutral state. There are several ways to do it, though they aren't tricks I can use repeatedly. You'll see the details next time."