Chapter 281

Chapter 281

I stared at the metal box in Kashura’s maintenance room.  

Mushir al-Kashura was in the process of temporarily attaching limbs to his metal box.  

Creak, squeak.  

The sight of the metal box with its prosthetic arms and legs looked like a cheap toy, which was amusing in its own way.  

- So you’re not going to kill me? Interesting.  

Kashura, having attached his limbs, stood up awkwardly and spoke to me.  

At the moment, Mushir al-Kashura didn’t have a fully functional armored prosthetic. All he had were the remnants of a damaged one and some spare parts.  

"If you’re not coming after me, there’s no reason for me to kill you."  

- But you dislike me. Isn’t that reason enough to kill someone?  

I blinked dryly.  

"So, are you asking me to kill you?"  

- Not at all. I just want to have an honest conversation.  

Kashura fiddled with the arm attached to the metal box. He carefully checked the connection, folding and unfolding each finger.  

- There are two reasons why you’re keeping me alive. The first is that, since I’ve given up on targeting your brain, my next target will be Kinuan...  

He trailed off, gauging my reaction.  

I frowned. Despite my displeasure, Kashura continued.  

- …And the second is that I said I could investigate the whereabouts of Giselle Custoria.  

"You understand the reasons well enough. So?"  

- I can track down Giselle Custoria for you. But I need compensation.  

"Compensation? Isn’t sparing your life enough?"  

Kashura opened the lid of the metal box.  

Inside, there were four glass containers holding brains. Around them, dense clusters of complex circuits, cables, and fluid tubes ran in an intricate web.  

That grotesque form was the essence of what currently made up Mushir al-Kashura.  

- My optimal cognitive function requires four brains. Two are for situational replacements—one for hacking and network access, the other for combat.  

Hearing that, I tried to recall something.  

‘Hmm.’  

My memory retrieval felt slower than before. It made sense—I’d had brain surgery recently. In fact, I should be grateful that my cognitive functions were still intact at all.  

Kashura had once told me that a secretive race called the Regnator, the Dominators, existed somewhere in this universe.  

"You said accessing the Regnator’s server requires ‘consumption,’ didn’t you?"

I mumbled to myself as I stroked my chin. I had to concentrate far too much just to recall a minor memory. I really hoped this was… just a temporary condition.  

- I need multiple brains from top-tier hackers. One will go brain-dead every second. The reserves I have now won’t be enough.  

“So, investigating it immediately is difficult.”  

- To be precise, it’s still possible.  

I lifted my head. My lips felt dry.  

A thought surfaced in my mind. And because of that… I immediately looked at him with pure contempt.  

- Barbara’s brain would do. That child could probably last quite a long time within the Regnator’s network.  

Kashura had put into words exactly what had just crossed my mind.  

“…You… even want to get your hands on your own daughter’s brain?”  

- I don’t particularly need Barbara’s brain. If I had wanted it, I would have taken it long ago. This is purely a proposal for your benefit.  

The tips of my fingers trembled slightly from the surge of emotion.  

‘Kashura means it. This proposal is for my sake.’  

I closed my eyes.  

At what point had Kashura deviated into becoming this monster? Or, as Ilay had suggested, had he never possessed a human mind to begin with?  

- You and Barbara aren’t exactly on friendly terms. She could very well become your enemy in the future. Wasn’t the only reason you joined hands with her in the first place to find Giselle Custoria?  

“…That’s true.”  

There was no real reason for me to refuse Kashura’s offer.  

Barbara was dangerous, unstable, and an overall discomforting existence. Using her as a sacrifice to find Giselle? It was a flawless plan.  

- I want to establish a close cooperative relationship with you. Our Unification failed, but we still understand each other. We can grasp each other’s thoughts—even without a physical connection.  

A burning sensation welled up inside me. I felt like I was going insane. I was beginning to understand Kashura’s way of thinking.  

To Kashura, concepts like family and friendship were meaningless. He couldn’t form bonds through conventional relationships.  

‘Unification.’

A direct neural connection—what could possibly create a closer relationship, a stronger bond, than that?  

To Kashura, the minds he had unified with were his family, his lovers, and another version of himself. To him, the only people that mattered were potential candidates for Unification.  

…And yet, Mushir al-Kashura felt an incredibly strong sense of intimacy toward me.  

Kashura had nearly achieved Unification with me. But he had failed.

I won the bet, so I didn’t kill Kashura and chose a ‘cooperative relationship’ instead.  

Even without a physical connection, it was a form of unification.  

The emotions and bond Kashura felt toward me were no different from what an ordinary person might feel toward their family or lover.  

There was a change within me as well. The physiological disgust I once felt toward Kashura was fading.  

At some point, I no longer outright disliked Mushir al-Kashura. I had begun to feel a strange curiosity toward him.  

Perhaps I would continue interacting with Kashura and maintaining this relationship. With time, I might even come to think of him as a friend. Kashura might even help me with devotion from time to time.  

……I could see that future.  

I would no longer be able to hate or despise Kashura.  

‘That monster, the one who casually suggests consuming his own daughter’s brain…….’  

I closed my eyes and then opened them.  

Crack! Crash!  

My hand had smashed through Kashura’s glass container, crushing a brain in my grip. The slimy mass of flesh crumpled between my fingers.  

-Oh dear, was I mistaken?  

Static tinged Kashura’s voice.  

Crunch!  

I swung my hand, shattering another brain container beside me. Kashura’s limbs trembled for a moment, likely from the shock.  

“It’s not… a mistake. I am drawn to you. That much is certain. Certain enough to entrust you with my brain surgery without hesitation.”  

Kashura now had two brains left.  

For his identity and personality, maintaining the continuity of consciousness was essential. Kashura would never allow himself full sleep. His brains would alternate resting, ensuring his awareness remained constant at all times.  

-I'm relieved to hear our bond wasn’t just my delusion. I despise one-sided love.  

Kashura spoke calmly.  

“That’s exactly why I can’t accept your existence. If I were to acknowledge you…”  

My voice was shaking.  

-It’s alright, Luka. Acknowledge me, and free yourself from the shackles of innate humanity. The weak prattle on about the supposed value of being born human and living within its limitations. But those are merely the words of those who fail to transcend human—  

I couldn’t listen anymore. I kicked the lower glass container, crushing another brain.  

Crack!  

The limbs clumsily attached to the metal box trembled. He strained to extend a prosthetic hand, grabbing at my ankle.  

……Only one brain remained. If I destroyed it, the wraith known as ‘Mushir al-Kashura’ would vanish from this universe.  

-A pitiful and fragile existence… I wish you luck in your future.

Kashura neither begged me to spare him nor cursed me in his final moments.  

Even now, his words and actions remained beyond the bounds of human reasoning and emotion.  

I had no stomach to acknowledge the existence of Mushir al-Kashura.  

He harbored neither deep malice nor warm goodwill. And yet, he wasn’t a cold, logical machine either.  

Mushir al-Kashura was simply Mushir al-Kashura.  

“The reason I’m killing you is simple.”  

-I know. It’s fear. I understand you.  

His tone was almost like that of someone offering me guidance. A curse nearly slipped from my lips.  

‘……Someday, I will willingly seek unification.’  

Sooner or later, I would need the existence that was Mushir al-Kashura. And in my final moments, I would become him.  

This was the intuition of Akies Victima, a glimpse into the possibilities of the future.  

Crunch!  

My hand moved to finish the act, cutting off that branch of possibility.  

Mushir al-Kashura was gone.  

*         *         *  

The spaceship Ilay and Barbara had arrived in was an Imperial military cargo vessel.  

I stared at the Legion secured in the cargo hold. The Legion containing Ilay’s brain sat slumped over, motionless, like a powered-down android.  

‘Artificial sleep.’  

Ilay’s brain had severed all connections to the Legion and entered artificial sleep. If he remained active any longer, his brain would suffer irreversible damage.  

‘He needs to be transferred into a humanoid prosthetic as soon as possible.’  

Ilay had to recover in a humanoid prosthetic. Only by perceiving the world in a human form—eating, drinking, and engaging in other human behaviors—could his brain maintain its personality and sense of self.  

This was precisely why full-body prosthetics were designed to mimic and replicate the human body so faithfully, even when they weren’t strictly necessary.  

‘And yet, no matter how much they struggle, most people’s personalities still erode over time. Because in the end, a full-body prosthetic is not a human body.’  

Seated, I sipped a nutrient solution through a straw. It was disgustingly thick, and its taste was so indescribably awful that calling it "unpleasant" would be generous. But at the very least, it was packed with nutrients.  

“So, you really did kill Mushir al-Kashura.”  

A cheerful voice came from behind me. Barbara, in her full-body prosthetic, was walking over.  

“At least try to act your age when choosing a prosthetic’s appearance.”  

I quipped as I glanced at Barbara’s full-body prosthetic. She was using a custom model, and just like in her organic body, her bright orange hair remained a signature trait.  

‘But… a child’s body?’  

Barbara’s appearance was even younger than during her academy days. At best, she looked around ten years old.

"A young girl’s appearance makes it easier to get help in many ways. It lowers the other person’s aggression and makes them drop their guard."  

"It has the opposite effect on me. Just looking at your fake act makes me want to vomit."  

"A handsome guy saying cruel things? That’s kind of attractive. Maybe that’s what made Giselle fall for you? Ah, hold on, we’re in an asteroid field. This is tricky to navigate."  

Barbara’s pupils briefly glowed, and the ship’s trajectory shifted. She was synchronized with the vessel.  

"And about your birth…"  

Barbara had already figured it out. She cut me off before I could even finish.  

"Oh, that I’m Mushir al-Kashura’s daughter? It’s an interesting fact. Almost makes coming all the way here worth it."  

Like father, like daughter. Barbara seemed entertained, but she held no emotional attachment to family.  

"I expected Ilay, but I didn’t think you’d come too. Even if Giselle asked you, I doubt you’d risk your life just for me."  

"Ilay made an interesting proposal. That fox from the Carthica family isn’t just anyone. Even I was caught off guard this time. I almost got played real bad."  

Barbara touched her lips with a finger and let out a sinister chuckle.  

"A proposal?"  

"Hmm, I hate it when people fish for answers, Luka. Anyway, I’m not joking. This time, things are seriously messed up. Giselle and my plan are completely derailed. And on top of that, you’re voluntarily going to the Emperor?"  

I rested my fingers near my waist. Barbara could manipulate the ship at any moment. Of course, if she tried, her head would be the price.  

"For the record, Mushir al-Kashura wanted to use your brain."  

"So what? Am I supposed to be grateful?"  

Barbara tilted her head at an angle and stared at me.  

"…Forget it."  

"As soon as I return to Novus, I’m going into hiding. I have no intention of dying at the hands of the Emperor. I won’t die until Giselle comes back. So don’t expect any help from me."  

Barbara slumped into a seat and rested her chin on her hand.  

"What about ‘The Empire’s Blade’? That’s your organization."  

"Ask Ilay Carthica. Didn’t I just say I took his offer? So, where should I start explaining… Hmm. Listen up. Ilay Carthica… has practically taken control of half of ‘The Empire’s Blade’ without me even realizing it. Even I didn’t see it coming. If I had just sat around, I would’ve been the first one to get taken down."  

A deep, stifling sigh escaped me, and I closed my eyes. I had no idea how far back I needed to retrace the past.  

…Damn it, Ilay Carthica.

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