I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

The first time…

The very first time she had been treated like this.

Whether kissing someone, or being kissed.

For Kurumi, it was truly her first time.

Even though she constantly flirted with everyone in her "Ara-Ara" style.

But the truth was that Kurumi was actually a "pure-hearted" Spirit who had never even been in love.

Her rose-red eyes, as dazzling as blooming roses, were filled with confusion, reflecting the delicate, youthful face of the Ex-Machina girl.

Her lips were soft, warm, though devoid of any alluring fragrance.

It wasn't anything like a romantic French kiss—more like a textbook peck, pressing together like a bird's beak, with no further movement, just ending like that.

It was simply… by-the-book.

Despite her rapidly pounding heart, Kurumi maintained her usual seductive expression, cradling the small Ex-Machina girl, her right hand caressing the girl's cheek.

"Ara ara… little kitty…" Kurumi's heterochromatic eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of killing intent flashing in them.

"Well… could you give me an explanation?"

Kurumi rested her forehead against the Ex-Machina girl's, her voice so soft and sweet it could drown a hero in tenderness, yet it was chilling.

So cold that even the mechanical Ex-Machina girl… seemed to feel the iciness, to sense fear.

Fear… what was fear?

The young girl's ruby-red eyes shimmered with countless calculations.

"If you can't give me a reasonable explanation… or~~ if the explanation fails to satisfy me." Kurumi's cool hand trailed down from her cheek, outlining the girl's slender neck, finally resting on her slightly heaving chest.

There, a small piece of armor lay.

Kurumi could sense it—within it lay a connection core.

"You will die."

"No matter how many of you Ex-Machina there are… you'll all die."

Kurumi used the word "you" because this girl was just a single analytical unit of the Ex-Machina; as a special analyzer, there had to be at least one squad of combat units nearby.

——

How could it be… just a human.

A lowly creature unable to wield "Spirit" power, like an ant.

Countless lines of data danced in the young girl's eyes.

"Warning0000…"

"Warning0000…"

But, why?

Why did this unit… assess that she truly had the potential to destroy Ex-Machina?

"[Denial]- This unit has been disconnected from the Cluster—" Her voice remained cold, machine-like, monotone.

Then she answered.

"[Answer]- The purpose is to analyze the unique language used by humans—"

"The unique language of… humans?" Kurumi repeated, focusing on the first part.

"[Affirmative]- It is a special language known as [Heart]—"

The Ex-Machina girl's red eyes seemed to emit a beam, scanning Kurumi from head to toe.

"[Verification]- Although the target uses Ex-Machina language… lacks Ex-Machina traits, no 'Spirit' detected. Conclusion: human."

"So… I actually need someone to validate me?" Kurumi clutched her head, exposing only her single, emotionless golden eye, which looked down at the tiny girl.

Kurumi straightened, putting some distance between herself and the young girl, whose soft skin was once again exposed.

"So… that's the answer you're giving me?" The black-and-red revolver in Kurumi's hand pressed against the girl's forehead.

"Hey… thinking you could steal my first kiss with a flimsy excuse like that."

"Are you prepared to die?"

…

"[Confusion]- Target is aware that this unit's vulnerability is not located in the head." The Ex-Machina girl puffed out her snowy chest, displaying the location of her core.

"Then… why aim for this unit's head?"

"Does the target, like the Flügel, harbor a particular interest in the head?"

Kurumi fell into a strange silence…

Why did the Ex-Machina's thought process have to be so… peculiar?

Her urge for revenge completely dissipated.

Not that it was because the little Ex-Machina was adorable or anything.

…

"Fine… I'll let you win this one." Kurumi sighed, rubbing her forehead, resigning herself to the idea that she'd just been kissed by a piece of silicone.

"[Denial]- This unit is crafted from Divine Era weaponry materials."

The girl continued, her eyes now shining with an amber hue.

"[Analysis]- This is a unique language conveyed through physical contact, presumed to be an act of 'heart' communication that Ex-Machina lack."

"By mimicking the same behavior, this unit can also read the special language of [Heart]."

She tilted her head, pressing her arm against Kurumi again, attempting an expression of allure. However, combined with her monotone voice, it completely killed the mood.

"[Alternative]- You may ravish this unit at your leisure."

"Though… this unit has neither orifices… nor any other parts." Her two flexible tails rose up, the jewel-like connection devices at their tips glowing with a faint sapphire light.

It was… it was almost unbearable! Kurumi just wanted to pry open this Ex-Machina girl's head and see what exactly was inside!

Kurumi clenched her fists in frustration.

Calm down… she had to calm down… Kurumi steadied her breathing.

"My… little kitty, could you act… a bit more normal?"

The Ex-Machina girl looked up, her eyes flickering as she pondered Kurumi's words.

"[Awaiting Silence]- Analyzing information—"

"[Reading]- Mimicking Persona 10010—"

"Onee-ch-chan, is this be-tter?" She moved in a seemingly lively way, but her tone was still cold and robotic.

"Rejected!" Kurumi let out a long breath. Why did she have to encounter such a problem-child Ex-Machina…

"[Objection]- This setting is logical—"

"Oh my, little kitty." Kurumi placed both hands on the girl's shoulders and spoke seriously. "If you keep trying to seduce me with that robotic tone… I can't guarantee I won't dismantle you."

"[Awa…"

The girl grew silent, her eyes closed, recalling Kurumi's command not to use robotic language.

"I understand."

Her amber eyes slowly opened, looking extremely timid.

"~Nya… Onee-sama…"

"Is this alright? ~nya?"

The soft, kitten-like whimper left Kurumi stunned.

Was… was this really an imitation?

"Kawaii!" Kurumi's eyes sparkled with infatuation as she crouched down, hugging the Ex-Machina girl, nuzzling her cheek.

"~Nya… detected Onee-sama entering excited state…" the Ex-Machina girl whispered, nearly stuttering with each word. Then, her tone shifted.

"Onee-sama… you're not human from this world… am I right? ~nya."

——

Of course, Kurumi wasn't from this world.

To put it in the words of the Ex-Machina girl, as a human, she was too strong, and far too confident.

In this world, humans, who merely survived like ants, should not be so brimming with confidence, even if they were that "observational unit."

"So… what is your name?" Kurumi asked, gently ruffling the hair that was both tough like a special fiber and yet soft to the touch.

"Üc207Pr4f57t9~nya," the Ex-Machina girl answered seriously, a string of numbers tumbling from her lips.

"Wait… I mean…" Kurumi tugged at the little girl's cheek, then reached for her special folded-down ears.

She rummaged through a few spare outfits she had and found a thin, lacy dress, delicate as if it were crafted by Forest Elves.

Luckily, it fit perfectly. "What kind of name is that?"

"But…Üc207Pr4f57t9's name is Üc207Pr4f57t9~nya. That's my name~nya."

Her red, amber-like eyes shimmered, holding an inexplicable sadness.

As an analyzer unit, she observed "humans"—a race lacking the ability to connect to the "Spirit Corridor" neural network, one that should have been wiped out long ago yet survived as if haunting the world.

But upon trying to grasp something called [Heart] through her system, countless unknown errors and theoretical contradictions led to her disconnection from the Cluster and rendered her obsolete.

Now… only one task remained—to observe and analyze [Heart].

Listening to this Ex-Machina girl's paradoxes, Kurumi finally understood… this machine was broken.

But… she was kind of adorably broken.

"Well, well—what I mean is… a name I could call you by." Kurumi crouched down, smiling warmly at the Ex-Machina girl.

"Just like my name is Kurumi Tokisaki." Kurumi smiled, as if it was her honor that this name could be remembered.

"Tokisaki… Kurumi." Kurumi smiled proudly. "You can call me Kurumi."

"Kur…umi? ~nya." The Ex-Machina girl tilted her head, brushing back her black hair, gazing at it.

"Schwarzer—~nya!" Her face, usually timid or indifferent, suddenly broke into a smile.

"No way…" Kurumi booped the girl's tiny nose. "Pick a name that sounds a bit more normal."

"Black doesn't really work as a name."

…

"Then… call me… Schwi!" The Ex-Machina girl looked up, smiling brightly, her thick, cat-like mechanical ears wiggling in delight. "Schwi! ~nya!"

"Alright. Schwi!" Kurumi pressed her forehead against the Ex-Machina girl… no, Schwi's forehead.

"Schwi, do you know where the nearest human village is?"

"Yes!"

"Then take me there."

"Yes!!"

…

The blue-gray "Black Ash" drifted down endlessly, as if it would never stop.

In that wind and snow, two figures in black coats held hands, walking toward the distant horizon.

The little girl's soft nya-nyas and Kurumi's sighs echoed continuously.

"Kurumi!"

"Yes."

"Schwi!"

"Yes."

"Kurumi!"

"Yes…"

"Schwi!"

"Yes…"

...

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