I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 583

“Ugh, this is stiffer than I thought. Didn’t you oil the joints?”

“It’s the initial adjustment. Your bodies are already optimized individually, so you can move as you wish, but this unit has only just been manufactured… However, we anticipated this issue. Once we collect and apply the motion logs recorded while you move, it will be fine.”

“Wait, that... that’s private, isn’t it?”

“That’s a sensitive issue. I would appreciate it if you reconsider.”

“...Was it really that big of a deal?”

In the small factory’s underground shooting range.

A giant rectangular space, about 60 meters wide and 1.5 kilometers long, built 50 meters underground. The prototype testing for the Mecha-Byam had been facing difficulties from the very beginning. I’m not sure if it was appropriate to call it "difficulties," but that’s how things were.

Anyway, as the trio—Jin, Rain, and Mav—had been chattering just a moment ago, their appearance was heavenly feminine, yet inwardly… well, was she even a woman? Maybe Logan, but I’m more delicate than that—anyway, while I had some androgynous traits, these three were a perfect match of looks and essence.

In short, they were goddesses with the usual “whee, yay!” enthusiasm. Although they were much more tolerant and inclusive being non-human machines, the vibe was the same. But I didn’t expect motion logs to be categorized as private data by these mechanical brats.

“Asking that feels a bit intrusive, human.”

“…It seems there’s a misunderstanding. What I want are the numerical records of torque, power, artificial muscle movements, and other necessary data to move each joint. It’s not the kind of thing you’re thinking.”

“It’s embarrassing to reveal that, idiot.”

“...Please come over here for a moment.”

It was maddening.

After feeling a bit dizzy, I gently wrapped my tail around the Icarus Dynamics staff member’s arm and tugged him lightly. The three mecha brats tried to follow me, but I raised a hand to signal them to wait. I then walked to a more secluded spot and continued.

“I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but those guys are AIs, right? They're electronic lifeforms, different from humans. They might perceive certain information differently from humans. For example, they might view motion logs as personal data.”

“…That’s a plausible explanation. What you’re saying is that a shift in perspective is necessary. I see now, my thinking was narrow.”

“Not exactly what I meant, but... well, now that I understand what they’re after, I’ll try to convince them. It's not a good idea for them to get a bad first impression, right?”

“I’ll trust you, Eugene. Please handle it.”

Those little brats, I swear.

But thinking about it from another angle, I suppose this is a frame that will need to be broken down in the future. Sure, AI will need time to integrate into society, but... well, I seem to be the one pushing for that change. I’m not sure if I can back out now.

After our short conversation, I approached the three mechas, who were starting to shake nervously, as if they’d done something wrong. I gently patted one’s head, and the silver hair—made of actual metal—flowed smoothly.

I smiled and added:

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to scold you. From now on, you’ll need to get used to the unit on your own. Whether you overwrite the motion logs or adjust them individually, try to replicate the process you’re going through now.”

“Eh... this might take a while, are you sure?”

“I came down here for exactly that, so it’s not a problem. I brought snacks and drinks too, and I’m sure I won’t get bored watching the three of you struggle.”

“Huh, if Archetype says so... I’ll finish it in no time. Get ready to be surprised!”

And just like the first time I met them, the trio entered into their “Whee!” mode. They began talking about the prototype, which had only just been made. Naturally, they stayed far enough to avoid being overheard.

Seeing this, the Icarus Dynamics staff member chuckled and added:

“From a distance, it looks like something out of a high school movie or drama. I can understand why they reacted like that earlier.”

“A high school movie, huh? I suppose it must have that vibe. Anyway... as long as they don’t break the prototype or anything, I think it’ll be fine. It’s probably better to leave them be.”

“Haha, it doesn’t sound very reassuring when you say it like that.”

“Well, as you said, they are high school types in more ways than one. Anyway, there’s no need to keep this topic going...”

Our eyes met at that moment.

They didn’t seem surprised by my sudden reaction. Taking a deep breath, the Icarus staff member carefully spoke again.

“...Did you know?”

“Not exactly. I just felt like there was something more being hidden, so I probed a little. Your responses haven’t felt like the usual, ‘just let those kids play around’ kind of reaction.”

“I wasn’t intending to deceive or hide anything, but I see how it might have looked that way. Anyway, let me explain briefly.”

He stood up and headed toward somewhere. Less than 30 seconds later, a clanking sound came from a gap in the wall where he had disappeared.

I waited, wondering if he was bringing something out, but it was the opposite. A hand popped out of the wall, gesturing me over. I walked toward it, and as I entered the room, something resembling a treadmill caught my eye.

It turned out to be a type of... connector, similar to one used in remote operations. The difference was that with this device, unlike most modern remote controllers that don’t allow physical movement during operation, this one worked on the opposite principle.

In other words, it meant that unless I physically moved, the system wouldn't function.

“Controlling the unit like this... I’m not sure whether I should be amazed that Icarus Dynamics is involved in this or surprised it’s been a while since this method was used.”

“I thought you might say that. It’s quite old-fashioned. The hacking and EMP protection technologies for remote controls have been obsolete for a while. But in the end, the issue is time. If you’d come two months later, this clumsy setup wouldn’t have been necessary.”

“Ah, so...”

As he spoke, he quickly moved toward the setup. A series of sensors, which could be attached all over the body, hung in the air like tangled spider webs, including one that could be attached to the tail. It became clear that this was designed to control the prototype outside.

As I checked the motion logs, I could see when the mecha trio had synced into the prototype. Right now, however... no one was controlling it. The terminology felt strange, but it was the most fitting term for the situation.

After all the sensors were attached, a message popped up asking if I wanted to connect as I put on the goggles.

And then—

“...Did that just move?”

“Mav, was that you?”

“No, wasn’t it Rain?”

“I’m done with it, I finished earlier.”

“Then why is it moving?”

At that moment, the three mecha kids popped up before me.

Feeling playful, I quickly turned my neck like a machine and spoke.

“Still seeing me as a shell?”

“...W-Wow!”

“Take it down! Stop it!”

“Ugh, don’t break it!”

The waves of violet light—or was it fists—came rushing at me. I narrowly dodged them, using my tail to sidestep and gain distance, all while stomping on the ground with enough force to create a loud sound. I quickly added:

“It’s me! I’m controlling it remotely!”

“…Archetype?”

“Master! You can’t just pop up like that! You scared me!”

“...Okay, I get it. I shouldn’t joke around with you mecha brats. I know what happens when I mess with you.”

I nearly destroyed the first unit I had just gotten—well, that would have been a disaster.

They all acted like they weren’t even breathing, but I could hear them exhaling dramatically, pretending to be human. I shook my head and ended the connection, realizing that the experience, even though it only lasted a minute, was indeed dynamic.

As I exhaled, I met eyes with the staff member who had been watching. Was that a wry smile?

Before I could ask why, I already figured it out.

“Ah.”

Suddenly, an ominous sound came from below my feet, and just as he’d said, the top part of the treadmill collapsed, ruined by the backstep I took when retreating earlier.

“Don’t worry. The treadmill isn’t that expensive to replace.”

“…I’ll pay for it.”

And so, I ended up being misunderstood by the mecha kids, who thought I broke the machine out of frustration. It had been one of those days.

“Ugh, Jin’s totally drained. I don’t think this schedule was that tough, though.”

“Something feels off, though. Never mind, I didn’t say anything.”

“Curious? I can tell you right now.”

“Ah, never mind!”

• "Teacher’s here and already scolding the little mecha brats!"
• "While having fun in the US, Eugene didn’t even turn on the stream! Reflect on that!"
• "My honest opinion: 1 mecha-Byam per person!"
• "We already have 3! What more do you want, you crazy people?!"

I couldn't help but laugh at the audience’s banter. Their responses were as ridiculous as ever, and I found myself feeling the weight of everything.
The final solo championship day was just around the corner, and things were about to get even more intense.

"Curious? I can tell you right now."

"Ah, never mind, it's nothing!"

• "The teacher comes in and starts scolding the little mechas, how cruel!"
• "While having fun in the US, Eugene didn’t even turn on the stream! He should reflect on that! I demand more promises!"
• "My honest opinion: One mecha-Byam per person!"
• "I already have three, what more do you want, you crazy people! Hahaha!"
• "Why is Harmony getting hit as soon as she enters the broadcast???"

It seems like everyone was doing well, judging by how loud the comments were right from the start.

The day before the final solo championship was just as chaotic as expected. Returning from Dark Zone Town, I felt the overwhelming number of people in the area more than ever. It was a strange feeling, knowing that just the night before, the place had been a little emptier.

Even though it was almost 10 p.m., the outside was teeming with people. It made sense, though. People had arrived at different times over the past few days. There were those who had been here since last week, touring around, while others had just arrived that day.

Anyway, that wasn’t the important part.

"You guys don’t even seem like you want to move from the bed. You must have had a lot of fun rolling around."

"There’s another sky above the sky..."

"Bueeeh."

• "Did they forget how to speak?"
• "Look at them immediately poking cheeks!"
• "The Byam likes cute things, huh."
• "He treats them like he’s petting a dog!"
• "I want to turn into a Byam nun and squeeze between them!"

The viewers' overly detailed antics… or rather, their complaints were mostly ignored as I sat with two limp mecha-Byams on the bed, starting to ask them questions one by one.

"Did you learn a lot?"

"I can’t take in more knowledge than this…"

"Why is it that no matter how much we learn, we can’t beat those two? Even when they matched our physical abilities, we couldn’t win once… Ugh…"

"You can’t catch up in a day or two."

I thought to myself that, technically speaking, the sharks and polar bears had decades of combat and deployment experience, plus around five years' worth of experience from the Dark Winter Crisis.

Those people, even if they had a 'physical abilities equalizer,' would never win that easily.

Of course, the real cheat code was the five years' worth of combat data that we—Awakened ones—had accumulated during our operator vs. operator experiences. That data was more extensive than decades of actual military deployment.

People who had worked in the military for 30 years couldn't beat us, and the reason for that was obvious.

At any rate, before the two of them threw another tantrum, I decided to intervene. Tomorrow was the final championship, and it had been a while since I’d given out a "tail reward."

It felt a little strange to reward with my tail, but at this point, it didn’t matter. The real worry was whether these two would be too shocked.

I just thought to myself that maybe there were more people in this world who liked reptiles or amphibians than I expected. As I was thinking that, a message I had recently received popped up, and when I checked it—surprisingly different from last year’s empty schedule—it was something I hadn’t anticipated.

"Other than the event match on Wednesday, I don’t think there’s much else to do this year. It’ll be a pretty boring time. I suppose watching you all perform will keep my spirits up."

"If you put it like that, you're essentially saying you’ll relax while watching others blow up…"

"Right, so I guess I can take comfort in scolding Dice instead?"

• "Hahaha, you raised them to say whatever they want and now you’re scolding them!"
• "?? : People are equal, but some people are more equal than others."
• "Then make sure to wear a Byam tail, hahaha!"
• "Is Dice secretly a masochist...?"

I poked Dice in the side with my tail, making her squirm and let out a little painful laugh as I continued to playfully tease her. Meanwhile, Logan, Lorentina, and Olivia—who looked a bit disheveled—walked over.

Lorentina pulled out a chair and sat down while glancing around, as though she was trying to say something in sign language—military sign language, to be exact.

Of course, Harmony and Dice could clearly see what was going on.

"Wow, that’s so cool. I want to learn it too."

"I knew you’d say that. Look what I prepared… Ta-da! You can now get 8 weeks of free accommodation and meals at the Navy boot camp!"

"When did you get that stupid Navy application? It’s not even valid."

"Ugh..."

• "The shark’s face shrank back!"
• "Wow, that grab was insanely fast!"
• "All I saw was the afterimage!"
• "By now, Logan must have already predicted this, right?"
• "The Byam looks so confused!"

Logan burned the paper right there, and it vanished in a puff of smoke. It seemed he had made a fake Navy enlistment application using some expensive flash paper. What an unexpectedly talented shark.

Anyway, to return to what happened just now… What Logan did was sign language, developed by Icarus itself, and no one could decode it. It included several meaningless gestures, which, when interpreted, turned out to be:

"-Thanks to the youngest opening the way, the three Icarus gear were successfully returned to the other side. Thank you."

The Icarus gear being mentioned here was the equipment that Henry, the emperor from the other world, had awarded to the trio during his visit to Disney World.

At first, I couldn’t believe he gave them such equipment, but luckily, it was safely returned. I nodded in approval, thinking that the gate he set up made it all happen smoothly.

While the viewers were debating about what Lorentina had said, the sign language continued. What they were signing was:

"-By the way, when I went to return the gear, I saw something interesting. A smaller mecha prototype than the youngest had already been completed. I heard it’s a management AI, and could this be a result of the last operation?"

Ah, that.

Logan and Olivia were both looking at me, clearly wanting to know my answer, so I briefly responded:

"If I have time later today… I’ll go visit that world. You all can come too. You probably know part of it already, but I’ll explain more in detail while we’re there."

Of course, I answered like that, but I couldn’t suppress my chuckles. I already knew about it, but it still felt absurd.

This wasn’t some nanobot issue. Now even Byams were multiplying.