Biological Program (4)
"You're a familiar face."
Argones, who had been staring intently at the screen, sat down in Pisho's chair and crossed his legs.
Even though this was an event from another time, Shirone felt as if he were standing right in front of him.
"Do you know me?"
He asked, and to his surprise a voice answered.
"Of course. I'm Pisho."
Argones's gelatinous form flowed across the screen and quickly took on Pisho's body.
"I'm also your father."
The skin thinned again and, in an instant, took on the face of Shirone's father, Vincent.
"And your woman, too."
This time it was Amy.
Argones gave a short, amused chuckle.
"Or was it this one?"
The faces of those he'd met so far flashed by, as if a recording were being replayed.
"But I'm not."
Shirone said it plainly—this was not the truth.
As if he had heard that, Argones shifted back to his original shape and smirked.
"Hexa. A protocol outside the biological realm. You truly are one I cannot control. But—"
Argones kicked the chair aside and lunged forward, seizing the video recorder and thrusting his face into it.
"That doesn't mean I can't annihilate you."
Shirone's eyes widened.
On the still-vibrating screen, Argones's face was being forced outward.
No—Argones, who had seeped into the recorder, was proliferating cells again and coming back out.
The synchronization was perfect; it produced the illusion of time being crossed.
"Isn't that right?"
Argones let his arm fall and swung it like a blade. Shirone instantly blinked away.
He reappeared pressed against the wall and looked up. Argones's arm had hardened like a blade.
"No need to be surprised. I was only checking what signal Hexa's protocol receives."
Inside the space sealed by a material barrier, there was no way for Argones to slip out.
"I shatter the barrier of perception to stretch the unit of time. Quite unique for a human."
He sounded as if he already suspected Shirone had rolled back time through his sense of temporality.
"...What do you want?"
Argones shook his head.
"I want nothing. You know what I mean, right? An asteroid doesn't strike because it hates a planet. It just collides. Living things have their own inertia. Instinct."
Argones sank into the floor and then drew his upper body back out from the ceiling.
"All the urges of that biological realm. The synthesis and antithesis of those desires form the world. My host seemed to understand that."
Pisho had been an insect mage who studied the ecosystem inside his own mind.
"It was an enlightening conversation, but he chose heresy. The world's secrets must not be revealed. They must be annihilated."
"By what right?"
"You still don't understand. Annihilation is also a biological desire. It's not about having a right. Cells self-destruct when a system is threatened. Pisho was no different."
"Apoptosis."
If Anke Ra acted to prevent the decay of the natural order, Argones appeared to be a force that prevented the biological order's rot.
"All life's nature begins from me. And the farther something drifts from me, the more the biological system collapses. So you, me, Habitz, Miro—everyone becomes a dangerous element."
That Habitz, the embodiment of desire, would be called a dangerous element by Argones was unexpected.
"When everything is forced into one, perspective disappears. Extremes are dangerous. I don't know who will win, but it would be better if no one wins. A world that stays complicated and full of doubt will be safer for you."
"And if someone does win?"
"Apoptosis."
He meant that if the unit of information propagation is taken as the planet, he would annihilate all life.
"Geffin has left the photon realm."
With a snap, Argones's body split and landed lightly on the floor.
Then he fell silent.
"The Gaians have transcended you and Anke Ra. As long as that faith exists, we won't give up."
"You think I'm the villain," Argones said. The portion of his flesh pressed to the recorder began to collapse, going soft and wet.
"Well, that's your limit. Faith? You can't understand Geffin with something so paltry."
"What do you mean?"
The gel seeped into the recorder.
"Think about why the Gaians left humanity alive. Even if Geffin departed, the fight isn't over."
Most of Argones had seeped into the device; a single finger pointed at Shirone.
"Save yourself."
Those were the last words that leaked out.
"Those were Geffin's words."
Shirone stored Argones's message in his head. Then the recorder grotesquely warped.
There was a bang as something inside exploded; a smell of burning cytoplasm filled the air.
Shirone, who had been silently watching the now-empty scene, removed the material barrier.
He fell into thought over how to handle Pisho's final words.
When he made his decision and turned, his eyes were set with resolute determination.
"So be it."
After Shirone finished relating the story tied to Pisho's will, Iruki rubbed his chin.
"Hmm. No one should win, huh."
It was a position humans opposing extremes could not ignore.
"I didn't expect you to be included. You swallowed Anke Ra's dream, didn't you? So does that mean Ra and Argones are enemies now?"
"There are no sides, he said. They're probably just suppressing phenomena that cross some line. Ra, Argones—both included."
Iruki nodded.
"This is awkward. We have to prepare, but the news will spread in an instant. I understand how you feel."
"We can't reveal it, and we can't not reveal it. For now, I'll go to the Ivory Tower and ask Taeseong. If anyone can judge this more accurately, it's him."
Each lost in thought, Shirone asked, "What will you do next?"
"Nothing will change. Habitz's army is already at our doorstep; we have to hold them off. I don't know if we can, though."
Iruki tried to comfort him.
"I'll leave the Argones problem to you. Don't worry about the kingdom. It's something we should handle."
"...Save yourself."
They both looked up at the sky.
At Pisho's grave, where people had already left, Kaiden placed a single chrysanthemum.
"Was it a life of satisfaction?"
He had arrived late on purpose to avoid classmates, but someone else had thought the same.
"You're late."
Edan stood with the sun behind him.
"You came too?"
"Of course. He's a friend."
Kaiden and Edan—and Pisho—had once fought together as a team in Scramble Royal.
Kaiden rose slowly.
"I heard you're in Sion."
"The spiritual domain closed and monks were dispatched across the world. I stopped by briefly before supporting the central continent war."
"I see. Good luck."
As Kaiden turned and began to walk away, Edan asked, "What about you?"
"...What?"
"Aren't you going to fight? You were born under the Red Cross star. This is a chance to use your ability."
Humanity needed Kaiden.
"I don't believe in fate." He honestly didn't know.
"I'm not a seeker. I'm not a holy man like you. Why should I fight? For whom?"
Edan thought of many reasons.
But the one he could not offer was "for yourself."
If Kaiden became the hero who saved the world, that would mean sacrificing his own chance at happiness.
"Yeah, I can't force that on you. Anyway, live well. If you change your mind, contact me."
Kaiden stood motionless for a moment, then finally didn't answer and walked away.
At that moment, alumni from Alpheas School of Magic came in small groups through the cemetery gate.
Familiar faces.
Shirone, Iruki, and Amy were there; behind them walked Screamer and Maya.
Time seemed to stop; only their hearts pounded fast.
Screamer begged Maya, "Hey, don't be like that. Come to one of my matches. It'd be even better if you performed."
"Perform?"
Maya considered for a moment, snorted, and turned her head.
"No."
"You... still hate me?"
"It's not that I hate you, but I don't like you either. Honestly, you were the one who disliked me."
"I'm sorry. I regret it too. And you won that time, didn't you? Looking back, it's unfair."
Amy pointed ahead.
"Huh? Isn't that Kaiden? Edan's here too."
Kaiden was still frozen, but Edan ran over and waved.
"Hey, long time no see."
While Edan talked with Shirone, Screamer went up to Kaiden.
"Hey? What are you doing?"
Kaiden looked as if his soul had left him.
"Where are you looking?"
Screamer walked around to match Kaiden's gaze, but there was nothing to see.
Maya.
Kaiden shivered.
The moment he saw her, he realized the crushing magnitude of the destiny he would have to shoulder.
"Kaiden," someone said.
Maya's heart stirred for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and shook her head.
"No, it's fine now."
Having decided to bear the cost of loving Shirone, she no longer needed to ask about the graduation exam incident.
"Hey, say something! What's wrong with you?"
Amy, who understood why Kaiden was frozen, sighed and grabbed his hand to pull him along.
Kaiden took a step as if he might fall, finally regained himself, and looked around.
"Ah—"
Maya smiled at him.
"What are you doing? Say hello."
Coached by a frustrated Amy, Kaiden took awkward steps and approached.
"H-hello..."
"Yeah, it's really been a while. Since the graduation exam, right? How've you been?"
When there was no answer, Maya tilted her head.
"What's wrong, Kaiden? Are you unwell?" When Kaiden laid a hand on Maya's shoulder, everyone fell silent and watched.
"Ma—Maya."
Amy's face turned ashen.
Amy thought, Not that, you idiot.
Right then, Kaiden had nothing in his head but the urge to confess his love.
Maya thought, He'll ruin my destiny.
Without a word, Kaiden tilted his face and brought his lips close to Maya's.
"...Huh?"
As their classmates' eyes widened, Maya recoiled and shoved Kaiden away.
"What are you doing! Pervert!" Amy pressed a hand to her forehead. Stunned, Kaiden stepped back and glanced nervously at his friends.
"I'm sorry."
Ignoring all those stares, Kaiden bowed to Maya and walked off.
"What's gotten into him? He was odd before, but now he's completely lost it."
Amy said.
"He just doesn't know. He's never gone after what he wanted."
If Kaiden desperately wished for something, the outcome always ended in disaster.
But if he gave up that desperate prayer himself—at least in Amy's imagination—the result would be beyond anything expected.
"What a waste."
Just as she thought like a soldier, Alpheas and Olivia approached.
"You're still here."
"Headmaster."
Shirone, having finished his talk with Edan, approached Alpheas.
"I've wanted to ask for a while. What happened to Professor Ethela?"
"Why didn't anyone tell us? Surely nothing bad happened?"
"Romi Ethela..."
Alpheas said with a sorrowful look in his eyes,
"She has lost her heart."