Story Reader / Hidden Story / 11 Nona Ouroboros / Story
That took you long enough, Chrome.
Pant... pant...
Next to Chrome, Kamui is there grinning as always. Chaofeng is barely able to stand straight. Nobody says a word, but Chrome can tell that they have both entered the same dream just now.
Great. All three of you are okay.
Murray? What happened?
To put it simply, you, the enemy, and Gray Raven have all stepped into a trap when entering the main control room, and you're now all trapped in the M.I.N.D. of the computing system, Huaxu.
So if this is the virtual M.I.N.D. of the system... what was that we saw?
Likely a facade Huaxu created. Good thing I have experience dealing with things like this.
Were you the one who opened the exit just now?
Yeah. Didn't expect you guys to find it yourselves, though. I was about to link myself over...
I was surprised that you all managed to escape, too.
Qu? What's she doing here?
That's not Lady Qu... That's Huaxu. The system controlling the ship.
The AI looks exactly like your leader?
Probably took on her form. This is Huaxu's M.I.N.D. after all, it can't be that hard.
What you see here... is not my true form. It will only appear when I'm with the main administrator.
...Huaxu, why did you throw us into that dream just now? Were you hoping to control us just like you did the others?
I never asked to control anyone. I'm only a dream-making machine. You're searching for Gestalt, so all I did was show you Gestalt's power.
But Gestalt is not a dream maker, is it?
Indeed. The real Gestalt is likely far more powerful. I am but a lesser duplicate. So...
Let us battle. Defeat me, and I will bring you where you need to go.
...Please. Free this ship. End the dream.
You're making it sound like you weren't the one at fault...
Perhaps we've all got it wrong... What's controlling the ship and bringing about all this chaos is Lady Qu herself... and Huaxu is but a computing system.
...
In that case, all we need to do is find a way out of here. There's no need to fight, Chrome.
That won't work, Murray.
Why?
Because Huaxu is serious.
Qu is fighting in another location in this M.I.N.D.—Fighting for me. I didn't want Qu to do this, but I cannot let Qu's wishes go unanswered.
So... Strike Hawk. Guests from Babylonia. Allow me. Let me struggle. Let me fail.
If we're fighting, then you'd better give it your all, Huaxu.
What do you mean?
I don't fight with the unresolved. And I won't be losing to a bundle of code.
Struggle. Fight with all you've got. I'll do the same. Then I'll wipe you off the face of this world.
...Thank you.
Hearing what Chrome has to say, Huaxu heaves a deep sigh of relief and pulls a bladed weapon out of the void.
Chrome also draws his scythe from his coat. The two settle into stances. Chaofeng and Kamui step back to allow them space.
——Their blades clash.
