Noah found esplanade, finished mapping it, and now was waiting for Lydia and Ohan at the designated spot nigh the Woodland.
It was around noon.

“I think she say they would return home until the dusk, right?”

I still has some time. I wonder if I should sprint around the perimeter of Woodland, to record dimensions of the entire area on the map.
Right then, however, someone called to Noah’s communication device.

“Oh- It’s Noah. Is that Lydiko?”
“…Noah…”
“Oh, master Ohan. What’s up?”

By instruction of Lydia, Ohan and Noah exchanged communication channels in prior of parting at the edge of the Woodland.

“I am going to destroy myself.”
“What?”
“I can not carry on my mission any more.”
“What are you talking about? Master, tell me step by step.”
“Take care of Lydia-sama.”

Upon Ohan said such, transmission was cut off.

“Master!?”

No reply followed, naturally.
Noah tried to contact Ohan’s channel, however there was no response. Ohan appeared to be utterly offline.
Noah, then, called to Lydia’s channel, to get no response either.

“Oi-oi, what’s going on?”

Affirmation is necessary.
Noah increased the output of short-range sensor, and scanned the Woodland.
Noah’s short-range sensor can catch a sight only up to ten kilometres away. Moreover, is not of very high accuracy. The greater distance, the more obscured it grows.
On those grounds, Noah was making an accurate map whereas moving along the esplanade.

“There is something… What?”

Captured a response​ of something building-esque, in the forest. However, there are too many trees and shrubs​ to know exactly what it is.

“A human house..?”

I set a focal point on building, and scanned it intensively.
It was possible to identify a general structure, along with the fact that there were two humans inside.
Even so, it appeared impossible to grasp the dimensions nor detailed movements of human beings. Not feasible to designate for it is Lydia. On the other side, however, I recognised that one of them was in cage under electricity.
This is Noah’s limit.

“Is that Lydiko in the cage? Or else, an stranger chap?”

But I cannot make a logical supposition over the circumstances.

“I say, now is the time for consultation with Yuuyami-san.”

Noah called to Yuuyami’s channel, simultaneously​ sliding a rear wheel, so to point themself towards the library.

“Noah? You have been on-line?”

Yuuyami responded immediately.

“I’ve been online since yesterday, aye?”
“Is that so?”
“Ah- No one cares, jeez.”
“I shall be careful henceforth. So? What’s happened?”
“Ah- I’m in an ambiguous situation. Can you come and give me some assistance?”
“In the, garage?”
“No, the Woodland.”
“Woodland? Did you went together with Lydia?”
“Oh- Lydiko couldn’t calm down without me. She desire to always be by my side.”
“Noah may tell a falsehoods? How terrible.”
“What would I lie for, Yuuyami-san. Well, that’s lie.”
“So what is the gist? Ah, hey! Prico! Do not push Rapha-san down!”

From the background of Yuuyami, “No, don’t, waaaa!” was heard Rapha shriek.

“…I don’t really understand that either, oi.”
“Yes. Prico misconstrues the commands. So what’s the pith?”
“Master Ohan has destroyed himself.”
“Yes?”
“No. Master Ohan destroyed himself.”
“Destroyed? Wherefore?”
“I don’t know the reason. Didn’t I say that was an ambiguous situation?”
“Indeed. And Lydia?”
“With my sensor I couldn’t really grasp where she was, but there is something like a house in the Woodland with two humans inside. And, let me tell you, one of them in the cage under electricity. I believe it’s Lydiko, aye? “
“Indeed. Lydia would not put anyone in the cage. Definitely, the one to be within—Lydia. Therein also a likelihood of her willing to.”
“Is Lydiko such a fool?”
“Not a fool. Simply brimming with​ curiosity.”
“I see. For now, that’s all I can do. I’ll pick you up, and entrust the rest to you.”
“Understood. I shall get ready. Please hurry back.”
“Roger that.”

Noah depart the Woodland at full speed.

◇

“It’s terrible,” said Lydia; “to destroy Ohan…”

How on earth should I explain this to Rapha? Lydia taken Ohan nigh forcibly, so the responsibility being heavy.
The solitary redemption for Ohan’s head still intact. If quantum brain and storage undamaged, I can put it together with body later.
Such is only if I could get out of the gauge, collect Ohan, and repatriate to the library.

“I knew you would call for help, so I destroyed a few something earlier.”

Hinagiku placed Ohan’s head upon the floor, and took terrarium with a moss in her right hand instead.

“I’m not calling for help, though?”
“…Let me correct, I knew you could call for help.”
“Who are you, Hinagiku? Seems that you know who I used to be.”
“Mother.”
“Whose?”
“Yours, Rapha’s, and Mika’s.”
“…Eh?”

That is too much, Lydia thoughts ceased.
Lydia had never particularly reflected over her parents. Upon discovery of her being a new human breed, “Well, I was born from a test tube,” was what she thought.

“Er, that is…”

Resuming her thoughts, Lydia organised the information.

“Hinagiku is my mama, however wishing to see my nakedness, I am stark naked, thus, and locked within a stun gauge so for me not to escape?”
“Concisely, that’s right.”
“Furthermore, you confessed your love, haven’t you? Despite I am your daughter. Did that mean you love me as parent loves their child?”
“Different. As a female, as an organism, as a human being, in a romantic sense; I said that I love you basing on my desire to flirt.”
“You cannot flirt if you lock me up!? I don’t feel like doing it!! …Ow, it hurts!!”

Lydia unintentionally hit the stun gauge. Respectively, received an electric shock once again.
Lydia shuffled away from stun gauge, and resumed her seat in the centre of the cage.

“Well, I was thinking, before anything else, to start with naked appreciation party.”
“After that?”
“I want to flirt.”
“I don’t want it, you know?”
“Why?”

Hinagiku bent her neck, wearing a grave countenance.

“Why.., that’s, I can’t be lovey-dovey with someone who locked me. Moreover,​ humans’ parent and child don’t flirt, in the first place?”

At saying such, ‘I’m wrong,’ thought Lydia.
Because Lydia is flirting with Yuuyami, an AD.
Lydia, who has crossed the barrier of species, considered the wall between parent and child as not a big deal. Of course, that does not means she will be flirting with Hinagiku.

“It’s different from normal parent and child. I’m the supervisor of Angel Project and chief of the Underground.”
“Underground?”
“The name of an underground research institution.”
“I see. Well, ‘mama’ means a person who created me, isn’t it?”
“No, different.”
“Can you please explain so that I can understand at once?”
“I mixed my genes within the three of you. I wished a daughter. I didn’t want to give a birth myself.”
“I see. Understood. We are certainly parent and child.”
“I liked Lucy the most,” said Hinagiku, yearning for the former days; “you was also my first daughter, and was brilliant. Next born Rapha, a complete failure. Smart, yet something was missing, too serious and inflexible.”
“Ah, I know what you mean,” expressed her agreement Lydia.
“When she was born, she was unmanageable child, hot-tempered, and a crybaby.”

Pfft, Hinagiku giggled.

“At present she’s the same, you know?”
“Is that so?”
“Uh-huh.”
“If so, it’s not a failure. Cute.”
“Cute?”
“Bad kids are cute. Um, nevertheless I hate Rapha. Well, I love her as a child.”
“Why do you hate her?”
“Rapha didn’t love me. She loved Lucy. That is to say, my rival.”
“Tha, that’s right…”
“Speaking of rivals, Mika was the greatest one. In terms of performance, Mika was distinct from us. Me, Lucy, and Rapha were still close. But Mika - different. Not in our vessel. Intelligence, physical strength, she was a monster. A monster is a compliment.”
“Is she so amazing?”
“Aha- She was amazing enough to destroy the world, alone. If she wanted to, she would dust the planet itself.”
“Is that, witchcraft or something?”
“Different. No magic. That means she had an intelligence and ability to execute such.”
“I see.”

Deeply nodded Lydia.

“I thought Mika had no heart, such, however, didn’t seem to be the case. She easily became attached to Lucy. Well, Lucy’s light was so strong, that me, Rapha, and Mika were probably dazzled by it.”
“I am, used to emit a light?”
“It’s different,” Hinagiku distorted her expression, “it’s metaphor.”
“Right.”

Lydia exhaled, relievedly. As expected, it was ominous to imagine yourself glittering.

“Cheerful Lucy. What about it? Would you like to spend the rest of your life together?”
“I don’t want it.”
“But, wishing you this or not, you have no choice but to do so. I will not open the gauge. As alternative, the gauge is linked to my life. Accordingly, if I die, the gauge will open up. You need, thus, to be with me until I die. “
“But then, Hinagiku, you wouldn’t touch me until you die. Is that okay?”
“Not good. I want to touch Lucy. But, it’s better than you run away.”
“I see. Understood. Hinagiku, when will you die?”

That is pure question. Means how much of the life span remains. No ulterior motive.

“Straightforward question.”
“In the end, I have a place to return.”

Stated Lydia. Hinagiku let out a sigh, putting the phial upon the floor.
Thereupon, took the revolver out of her lab coat, and stood up.
Lydia draw her body backward, thinking she would be shot. Albeit this is the first time I see the real thing, I know about handguns from the old movies. It is awfully painful when one being shot.

“Anytime,” declared Hinagiku.
“What?” asked Lydia.

Hinagiku slid revolver through the gap between bars towards Lydia.

“I’ve been upon the sofa all the time. Most of the time. So it’s fine at anytime.”
“What do you mean?”
“You asked me when I’ll die? It’s okay at any time. If Lucy shoots me. That’s the answer.”