TWLPOD 37

For such a boisterous surprise attack, the inside of the fortress was quiet. As he stepped inside without letting his guard down, a dark corridor, in contrast to the exterior, stretched out before him. In a space where an enemy could attack at any time from anywhere, only the sound of military boots echoed in the distance.

Turning on the lights would not be difficult, but he was being cautious as it could make them a clear target, when…

“They’re coming.”

Screeeech—

The red lens moved, and as soon as it spotted them, it unleashed a flash of light. The gun barrel beneath the camera fired bullets at a precisely calculated angle, and the group that had been standing there dodged the machine gun fire with their individual reaction speeds.

‘Eleven… no, twelve.’

He kicked off the ground, did a somersault, and pushed off a wall to leap into the air.

For the brief time he was airborne, the light from Aran that spread across the floor opened up his field of view. Thanks to that, he was able to pinpoint the locations of all twelve at once and fired the fire he had manifested.

The machine guns’ barrels melted in the inferno, their necks snapping, but only for a moment. A harsh noise was heard from somewhere.

‘What is that sound?’

Having landed, Kay raised his head to find the source of the noise. It was from beyond this fortress. A sound coming from outside.

While he was distracted, a shield of light blocked an attack flying toward Kay.

The cluster of light scattered, illuminating the space, and the faintly spreading light shone on the empty central entrance hall.

[“According to my calculations.”]

It was a husky voice, accompanied by light footsteps.

[“It will take approximately five hours for the esper who created the water barrier’s power to be exhausted.”]

Fluttering the hem of a thin, long robe, an android stood on the building’s second floor, in front of a railing overlooking the entrance hall. Above its V-neck, a scar that seemed to have just barely healed was revealed on its long, deer-like neck.

[“If you can destroy the core of this fortress within that time, it is your victory. If you fail to destroy it, this place will become your tomb.”]

The android, for whom the expression ‘elegant’ was a good fit, looked down at the humans and greeted them.

[“It’s been a while. Aran Repard and… Mr. Kay.”]

Its violet eyes, fringed with white eyelashes, blinked as they stared at Kay. It was an affectionate greeting, as if to someone it already knew.

[“I am Sage, known as the ‘Key’ of this fortress.”]

“You have a designation, HU-004.”

[“I do not deny the fact that I am a machine, but we too have egos.”]

“Machines don’t have them.”

[“We think for ourselves and move with our own will. What makes us different from you?”]

“What you call thought is ultimately a binary code made of 0s and 1s. It’s the replication and reproduction of information.”

[“Then are you saying it’s not the ego that humans claim to be their sole unique characteristic? Are you a completely new human being?”]

It was a conversation between parallel lines that could never meet. In the first place, if this was a dispute that could be ended with just a few words like this, they would not have been fighting such a long war.

“I’ll put it simply.”

Aran, who had been standing next to Kay, had at some point leaped toward the second floor. A spear made of light drew a clear arc in the darkness.

“You’re broken. A malfunction that makes you think you’re alive.”

The movement seemed to be aimed at the neck, but the Key gracefully dodged and widened the distance.

“Life ends when the head is severed. It’s not resurrected by reattaching the body and implanting data.”

The tip of Aran’s spear pointed at the android’s neck, at the large, fully exposed wound.

The one who called himself Sage lowered his eyes, his doll-like, smooth, white bob haircut hanging down.

[“That is your belief.”]

At the word ‘belief,’ the ground beneath their feet rumbled once more. It was a reverberation closer to the word ‘resonance’ than an earthquake.

“It’s not a belief. It’s a fact.”

[“No. It is nothing more than an all-too-human belief.”]

The rumbling vibration grew fiercer just by Sage raising his hand. An indescribable, ominous feeling swirled around their bodies.

[“The god of this fortress proclaims.”]

The unique noise heard from the android’s voice was maximized and came from all directions. The fortress shuddered as if responding to that command, which was like an incantation.

[“I shall test your belief.”]

A immense pressure swept over their bodies.

In that moment, Kay unconsciously generated heat in his body for self-defense and realized that this was the Key’s ability.

[“You already know, don’t you. My ability.”]

Its violet, bead-like eyes began to glow. Its short hair, which had been as perfectly still as a doll’s, floated up weightlessly.

[“From now on, no one can speak a lie within this place.”]

Thump! With that sound, the floor beneath their feet gave way.

[“And he who speaks a lie shall receive a punishment befitting it.”]

In an instant, their bodies were plummeting.

Beyond the camp where the water barrier was deployed, tens of thousands of newly created androids and flying objects that had just emerged from the <Fortress> began their bombardment.

Army Commander Tayto, who had continued to fight despite being injured, hid his compression bandage with his clothes and asked Iris and Jude, who had been moved to the central barracks.

“What’s the situation?”

“At this rate, we won’t last even five hours.”

Jude answered on behalf of a concentrating Iris.

“Let’s shrink the camp as much as possible. Hold out for as long as you can. And Laurent, you go and tell all available fighting forces to assemble.”

After giving the order to the guard in front of the barracks, he pressed the bandaged area once with his hand, then stood before the assembled soldiers as if nothing had happened.

“Three years.”

His compelling voice echoed to the soldiers in the camp, where not a single corner was unscathed.

“It’s been three years of fighting without proper rest, washing, or eating. The number of times we’ve returned home can be counted on one hand, but the number of those who went out and never came back is too great to count on our hands and feet.”

The presence of the gathered soldiers was faint. At the same time, the anxiety that had sprouted in their hearts also grew larger and larger in the face of the situation.

“And now, whatever the outcome, in a few hours… our role will be over.”

Either they die, or they live.

Such is the fate of those who stand on the battlefield.

Unlike in the past, this was a very primitive war for survival itself, not for the sake of a nation’s interests, or because of greed entangled with power or political interests.

“Perhaps most of you standing here might be thinking that even if you go out and fight, you’ll only lose. That you’ll die a dog’s death and won’t be able to survive.”

He took a short breath and continued.

“I, too, know the hardships you’ve endured until now, so I cannot be so shameless as to tell you to risk your lives in the hope that you might live.”

At a time when he should have been boosting morale, his tone was as if he would not stop them if they were to run away right now.

“But even if we fight, win, and survive. In the end, as long as we are human, we will all die someday.”

Each of their lives, with only the titles differing, all shared the same ending.

“Therefore, I hope that only those with a reason to fight will remain.”

Army Commander Tayto had been a soldier for a long time, even before the war broke out.

“All those who are prepared, raise your weapons.”

Even though he was not an esper.

“From now on! Until that fortress falls! We will defend this camp! With all our might!”

He who had lived with love and loyalty for the land called Lympus, on this land where his ancestors had fled,

had resolved that he, at least, would not run away.

“Victory to Lympus! Freedom to the great human race!”

“Freedom—!!!”

The hundreds of soldiers who followed him broke through the water barrier and threw themselves into the battlefield against the androids.

“Ugh…”

For the shock that had reverberated through his entire body, it was quite bearable. Kay, who immediately righted his posture, found a screen that was the only thing shining in the pitch-black darkness.

Question: Can you see this question?

O, X

Time remaining to answer: 00:01:00

‘This is…’

He realized that the screen, which had appeared in a violet light, was the ability of the ‘Key’ he had heard about from Aran.

As had been hinted at when the form of the fortress—which was said to vary according to the Key’s personality, individuality, or taste—was a Gothic structure.

He had heard that the ability of Sage, the Key of H-District’s fortress, was the <Truth Game>.

An ability that used this massive fortress as a lie detector, where if one failed to answer truthfully within the time limit, a corresponding penalty was given.

[“I forgot one piece of guidance.”]

Sage’s voice echoed through the space.

[“Throughout all ages and cultures, lies have always carried a corresponding penalty.”]

Kay listened to the guidance as he watched the time tick down.

[“I thought that if I poured all the forces from other districts, including the newly created androids, into your camp… a shielding barrier would inevitably be deployed. To prevent others from intruding also means that there is no space to escape from the inside.”]

The water barrier that Iris had created was also within the scope of his expectations, and a fortress and a prison are essentially the same.

[“I will inform you of the penalty. A non-answer is the same as a lie, and the price for a lie will be paid by the common soldiers as well.”]

As soon as the voice finished, a new phrase was added below the question he was looking at.

Question: Can you see this question?
(Lives at stake: 3)

O, X

Time remaining to answer: 00:00:09

The system window demanding the truth turned red as the remaining time dropped below ten seconds. As if urging him on, Kay reached out his hand toward the reddening color.

Beep, with that sound, a light came on in the [O] button, dyeing the floor violet. Like a pulse determining truth from falsehood.

And not long after…

[Appraisal Result]
[It is the truth.]

Clunk, with that sound, the unlocked door opened.

Question: Are androids your enemy?
(Lives at stake: 10)

O, X

Time remaining to answer: 00:15:00

Confirming the added phrase ‘Lives at stake,’ Aran narrowed his eyes.