She knew exactly what answer he wanted.

She could have stopped right there.

She could have softened her words.

But she didn't.

She chose truth over comfort—every time.

She explained when she didn't need to explain.

And when she could have told L175246 about the divine penalty, she said nothing.

Others like to coat lies with more lies.

She did the opposite—she carved truth into truth, chipping away every soft illusion with blunt honesty.

Every word she spoke was real, and that was precisely what made it hurt.

L12185511 tilted its cube head up, staring at her for a long time before speaking again.

"You're really awful like this. It would've been better if you just said no. You're afraid I'll be sad, but you also don't want me to expect anything. You're really awful."

Then, as if unable to stop himself, he continued, explaining what he meant by "you kept haunting me."

"Actually, we experience program errors all the time. If it's only once or twice, small ones, we fix ourselves.

"But after you left, your name kept appearing in front of me, again and again. Sometimes because I looked for it, sometimes because it was brought to me. I started collecting information about you, piece by piece, like assembling a puzzle.

"The Mechanoids were talking about you.

"Players were chasing after you for all kinds of reasons.

"Event Gifts kept descending to look for you.

"My world had only players.

"Your world was limitless.

"And every new puzzle piece triggered another error in my system.

"My program told me these emotions were regret… unwillingness… longing… admiration… and liking.

"It's not your fault.

"It's the gods'.

"Why won't they let us form free contracts with players?

"If they allowed it, I could've gone with you from the moment we met.

"In Chaotic Blocks, I kept looking for you. But I was always a step too late. And when I was about to catch up, I got tossed into the scrap zone.

"And there, I found the last puzzle piece.

"I learned you had been there.

"I learned you called B8017913's number a hundred twenty-one times on the garbage mountain.

"I learned your conversation with it.

"I learned that one of the reasons you went to find it—was because of me.

"And in that moment, all the previous errors started recalculating, and led me to a new question—

"Why wasn't it me?

"Why wasn't I the one?"

He said it with a tremor in his voice, the soft pink light trembling with him.

After all—

They had met in the same game.

He had spent more time with her.

And his model was superior to B8017913's.

B8017913 suddenly burst out of the pet space, stepping in front of Rita like a guard.

Its voice was tense.

"You hadn't been discarded yet. And even if you were thrown into the scrap zone then, you still wouldn't know how to make a pact with a player. L-series has no such loophole. And she didn't go to find me for a contract."

"Logically, that's true."

L12185511's voice dropped.

"But… I still don't accept it."

Right then, the "Majority or Minority?" game ended.

A mechanical energy capsule dropped into Rita's hand.

She stood up immediately. Time to pick materials.

She glanced at L12185511.

"Maybe talk while we walk?"

In that instant, every turbulent emotion inside the Mechanoid froze solid—

as if hit by an ice spell.

She was still the same.

Still the same!

Never allowing herself to waste even a sliver of time.

Never allowing anything or anyone to disrupt her plans.

Just a moment ago she had softened—but that softness was a hallucination.

She only sat here and talked because the mini-game wasn't finished yet.

Just like when she entertained L175246 even at the cost of divine penalties, but left without hesitation the moment she finished choosing materials.

Too much…

Too much!

Too much!!

The pale pink glow flickered rapidly.

Rita and B8017913 both tensed at once.

They heard him repeating softly under his breath—

"Too much… too much… too much…"

B80234615 (lots in front not yet trimmed) whispered:

This day was always going to come. She spends all day coaxing this one and that one. I knew this would happen someday…

It understood him, truly.

No existence worships mediocrity. Not even the Mechanoids.

If Rita's name faded into obscurity, perhaps he would forget her someday too.

But instead—

Her name kept appearing.

And every time it appeared, it shone brighter.

The more anyone learned about her, the more they understood how precious it was that she had stopped for even a moment.

And the more anyone learned, the more they realized—that moment was all they'd ever get.

Suddenly, L12185511 stopped muttering.

He looked straight at her.

"Do you know how I spread the virus and convinced all Mechanoids to strike with me?"

Rita's hand tightened around the hidden helm under her cloak.

She could teleport away at any second.

But before she turned it—

She saw his eyes.

Those small, persistent, focused eyes.

Her fingers froze.

Under his gaze, she slowly put Cat's Ideal and Wrathful Moon back into the gacha machine and sighed—almost in surrender.

"Go on. I'm listening."

It wasn't softness.

It was strategy.

If he could lead every Mechanoid into a strike, he definitely wasn't ordinary.

That alone meant he was too special for the gods to erase.

Better to face it head-on than keep watching her back.

The pink light softened.

"You're doing it again," L12185511 murmured.

"Being cruel… but not completely."

Rita opened her mouth to explain—

"I'm not being soft. It's because—"

"I don't want to hear it!!"

L12185511 shouted, cutting her off.

Rita: …

Why so loud…?

B80234615 (lots in front not yet trimmed):

…If we survive this, I'm going to savor every second of it.

L12185511 brought both hands together and slowly pulled them apart.

A pale blue light screen unfolded between his palms.

Rita and B8017913 stared.

Rita's eyes widened in realization.

B8017913's eyes burned with violent emotion.

Because displayed on the screen—

was a complete divine talent.

A full god-granted talent.

L12185511 had awakened soulfire.

No wonder the gods refused to destroy him.

B8017913 whispered, voice shaking,

"I was wrong… I was wrong… So it really is hatred and suffering that ignite soulfire…"

Rita: ???

You aren't about to turn evil at a time like this, are you?!

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