Story Reader / Main Story / 25 Everglowing Justice / Story
...Operation data cracked!
The flying fortresses on the outer circle slowly come to a stop, following the heavy roars of machines and the grinding of gears, forming a weird shape around the central flying fortress.
I cracked Utopia's central control system using the encryption key I got from Asimov and locked all the smaller flying fortresses around the central flying fortress...
...So that wherever we happen to be after breaking through our current location, we can make a beeline straight into the central flying fortress.
Based on her current location, Echo appears to be in one of the smaller flying fortresses around here.
You keep your fingers crossed, hoping to reach her in time.
In one of Utopia's smaller flying fortresses.
Keeping herself hidden in a dark corner, Echo gulps for air.
Utopia... is so big.
Countless flying vessels gather and reassemble around Utopia. Echo has tried and tried again to brute-force her way through—only to see more enemies behind the door every time she opens one.
Ugh...
The armor seems dejected as well. From behind Echo, she puts a hand gently on Echo's shoulder.
Cecily, we aren't quite there yet.
Echo knows she can't stop just yet—not when they're all in this together.
I'm sure we'll get him somewhere. Like... how the sun always shows itself after the darkest hours.
As Echo tries to figure out how to reserve her energy, the deck suddenly starts shaking.
Commotion fills the air. The majority of the Aurora Squadron doesn't seem to know what just happened.
It's... them.
Echo's eyes shine brightly.
She knows her trust has paid off, in the best way possible.
The commandant has cracked the data Echo herself had trusted the Gray Raven with and controlled these smaller flying fortresses with the encryption key in it.
...It's about time.
Do you need a few more minutes before we go, Cecily?
The armor touches Echo's forehead gently as if talking to her in silence.
Well... let's get going, then.
She's thoroughly exhausted—but her eyes are glimmering with light, redolent of the stars in the galaxy.
In Utopia's Control Room.
Pickman squints his eyes in appreciation of the test subject in front of him, while the researcher beside him wastes no time recording what's happening.
M.I.N.D. fusion 56.24%... 67.23%...
As the red progress bar slowly fills the gray space, the Construct in the vessel falls quiet after a violet struggle.
Rejection reaction detected. Remaining consciousness about 62.15%.
That's good enough.
How many samples do we have left?
Three.
That won't do... We're still missing the most important one...
...A leader.
At best, the end product could be nothing more than a huge and orderly mess without a "leader" to hold the consciousnesses together. It's only when there is a "leader"—one that is stable and firm itself—leading them that they come to make contact with that greater power.
What a shame...
He shakes his head as he casts a look at the screen next to him, which is now showing Echo fighting alongside the armor.
Alisa and Cecily... either one of you has what it takes to put this experiment to a perfect end...
...Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Pickman breaks into a smile.
Never thought I'd ever need to use Plan B, but...
Slowly, Pickman removes his gloves.
