"I'm not anyone that special."
The words slipped out. My voice sounded surprisingly dry, even to my own ears.
If I were actually a god, I’d be living a much better life. I’d be in a spacious, quiet workshop with all my problems taken care of, leisurely brewing coffee and enjoying some sweets.
—Well, my current life isn't half bad, either.
Whether she sensed my inner thoughts or not, Kaya blinked.
"Is that so?" she said, backing down with surprising ease.
She turned her gaze back to the half-melted mass of flesh inside the pod, her tone turning somber.
"Either way, we want to meet God. The 'he' who saved us."
Hmm?
Junkhead reacted before I could even knit my brows.
"Wait a MINUTE. Does THAT mean you have already MET God ONCE?"
His mono-eye narrowed sharply, a trace of heat entering his metallic voice.
Exactly. Based on the way she’d just spoken, they weren't waiting for someone who would "someday appear"; they were looking for someone they’d already met.
I turned toward Kaya as well.
"...Yes. We remember him saving us once. But that’s all. We don’t know why he did it, or what kind of person he was. We know nothing."
Kaya’s fingertips traced the cold surface of the pod. Through the cultivation fluid, the crumbling flesh rippled slightly.
"Hmph... God, huh?"
Junkhead crossed his arms, his metallic spine creaking as he looked toward the ceiling. The lens of his mono-eye glinted under the white fluorescent lights.
"There are even some believers who think you might be him, Rei," Kaya said, glancing at me with a mischievous grin.
Oh, give me a break.
My temples throbbed. If I were put on a pedestal like that, my troubles would increase exponentially. I’ve got my hands full with repair jobs as it is; I wouldn’t last a day if people started lining up for "miraculous oracles."
"...Like I said, I'm not anyone like that. Find someone else. More importantly—"
I shook my head and slid my hand into my inner pocket. My fingers found the hard shape of a stick candy. I tore the wrapper open with my teeth, spat it out, and popped the candy into my mouth. A cloying scent wafted up my nose. The clack of the candy against my teeth sounded unusually loud in the quiet room.
As I rolled it around with my tongue, my frayed nerves relaxed just a little.
"You're right. Now isn't the time for that," Kaya said, shrugging with an "oh well" expression.
Junkhead uncrossed his arms and looked at her again. Lucia seemed to be struggling just to keep up, a small groan escaping her lips as she furrowed her brow.
"As I mentioned, the Order isn't a monolith. There’s a reason I’m coming clean now."
Kaya jerked her chin upward, urging us to listen.
"The Cult Leader. It seems he’s planning something troublesome. We’ve had to move our schedule up."
"Something troublesome?" Lucia echoed. Her voice was thick with a sense of dread.
"Yeah. A terror attack on Neo Babel. In league with the police."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly. Even though the air conditioning hadn't changed, the air against my skin felt frigid. Junkhead’s mono-eye narrowed to a slit. Lucia let out a sharp, shallow breath.
"Terrorism? Why would he DO such a THING?"
Junkhead’s voice remained even, but I could feel the razor-sharp caution lurking beneath the surface. It made sense. A stunt like that wouldn't just affect the upper levels. The Underground District and the Lower District would all be caught in the crossfire.
"Who knows? We don't have the details. It's basically a unilateral decision by the Cult Leader and his circle. It sounds like he’s going to make his move with the believers under his thumb."
"And what do you mean by 'in league with the police'?" I asked, picking up on the detail that bothered me most.
"Have you heard of The Ninth? Apparently, he’s working with them. They were running experiments together using our believers, and it sounds like they’ve finally achieved results."
The Ninth. Experiments.
That was far too recent for comfort. Roselia’s face and Olaf’s cold corpse flashed through my mind. I’m sure I had the eyes of a dead fish right now.
"I just got word from a spy we have planted among his followers. He said preparations are complete and things are about to start."
That must have been what she was doing when she stepped outside earlier.
"So, telling us all this means..."
"Precisely. It would be a headache for everyone, wouldn't it? I want you to stop the Cult Leader. I assume you were planning to do that eventually anyway."
Kaya held up one finger and twirled it.
"I could have kept playing the innocent guide, but I don't have that luxury anymore."
"Does THAT mean you will ACT as a GUIDE for US?"
At Junkhead’s question, the corners of Kaya’s mouth curled into a smirk.
"Yep. I'll take you straight there through the back paths."
In the dim light of the clone factory, her mischievous snicker looked just like the Kaya I used to know, and for a moment, my chest felt a little tight.
However, I didn't miss the other emotion flickering deep within that smile—a shadow of resignation.