The end and the beginning [End]

"Madam, why did you suddenly go off on your own? I know we've all wanted you to be able to regain your old life, but to have you killed off after you took the first step? This isn't right," Jenna sobbed as an image of Muki appeared on screen.

"Mu... Muki... I'm sorry. You were out there protecting the town, even though you've been scarred so deeply by it in the past. I hope you're at least dancing in Heaven," Machiko sobbed. 

Sana then took to the podium and began making a speech. "For Mu "Muki" Fuukuro, I was requested to share some things with her loved ones gathered, by Muki herself should the worst have befallen her. Without further ado, her words are as follows, "I'm sorry. Sorry old bag, sorry Yamane. Jenna, you were my one true friend, so thank you for sticking with me through it all. Now you're free, so move into my room and keep my shit safe. That's your final order. To everyone else, I've created an AI with my likeness to help protect our city. That's my final gift to the city. It's capable of creating holograms of my likeness, with an android body bearing my likeness soon to be released. I reiterate this is simply an AI replicating me. No matter how similar it sounds or looks, it's just a fake imitating me. The real me is dead, and can never truly return. Finally, Monika's a traitor. I have proof of her colluding with that freak kangaroo."" 

A quick video then played of Monika meeting with Piranharoo, causing murmurs to erupt from the crowd. After that, the proceedings continued with Nagako's image appearing on screen next. With Nagako dead, Machiko had decided to nominate Rosa to fill her seat. Hesitating at first, Rosa ended up accepting the post, with encouragement from Sana and DaVinci. As such, she chose to be the one to deliver the eulogy for Nagako. 

"Nagako, you had so much talent. I just hope you can rest easy now that your killer is dead. I'm still far from your level, but with all that you've taught me in the short time we knew each other, I hope I can surpass you, and make you proud that I'm filling your seat." Rosa tearfully smiled. 

...

Towards the western outskirts of the city, Monka scowled as she stared at her phone. "Those fucking bastards! They killed Steve, and now they're claiming Muki's dead too!? I saw everything from here! Yamane, no, rotten Yam. You were nothing but a puppet or psy-op from the start! This whole town's too stupid to see! I'll have to find human life elsewhere to break free of this VR hell. Muki! I know you're not dead! I'll get out of this, and when I do, you'll be so exposed, they'll execute you three times over!" she shouted as she slammed down on the gas pedal of her car and drove out of the city. 

...

A pair of eyes stared at the camera feed of Monika leaving. "So she flees. Hopefully some freak creature in this world will off her."

"Not going to act on it, or is the "AI" just faulty," Sana snarled as she walked into the room with Yamane and Jenna. 

"I'm the one managing it, so it sure as hell better not be," Muki glared. 

Obviously alive and well, everything Muki had asked Sana to say of her at the funeral was mostly lies, but with ounces of truth sprinkled on.

"And I sobbed for you. Why do you have such a fascination with faking deaths?" Jenna sighed. 

"Because it's the easy way out for me. Now I can live life fine, with people thinking the me they see is just an android." 

"You don't want to reconcile with mother that badly?" Yamane asked. 

"I said I was sorry, that's it. I want to focus on other things now," Muki scowled as she turned her attention towards a glass wall and the mythical TV, that had been recovered from the crater where Hougen's mountain had been, behind it. 

"This looks like an ordinary TV, but it seemingly survived getting blasted by those nuke missiles. Though it doesn't turn on, nor does it have any video or DVD drive, so maybe it is just a relic," Sana frowned. 

"The rumors go that it showed movies of wrestling, but I never confirmed it with my own eyes," DaVinci frowned. 

"GAH! Why're you here!?" Muki cried. 

"I just snuck in. Fear not, I'll showcase my trustworthiness to you by keeping your survival secret." 

"Better."

"Getting back to research, Rosa mentioned that you once found a town containing Da Vinci's inventions. What was it like?" Sana asked. 

"That town appeared in the east end of the continent. I know not it's exact coordinates, but it was an abandoned city, architecturally more primitive than the buildings here, but similar to those built by the humans of old," DaVinci stated. 

"So humans did live here before we came."

"There might still be some. The west end of the continent was essentially blocked off thanks to Hougen, but now that he and his mountain are no more, a new path is open for exploration."

"One we don't need to actively pursue for the moment. Our town's focus is to simply function as it did back in the old world. With a full 84 hour cycle behind us, I think we've finally got our routine going, but it'll take a bit more time before it becomes natural," Muki grumbled. 

"So exploration isn't your goal. The prospect of unexplored land excites me, but perhaps I'll stay put until your town is truly in lockstep with the world."

"Never asked you to."

...

At the mansion, Machiko watched Muki walk past her without showing any emotion on her face. 

"Machiko, that "android" as it was called. I sense natural life-force from it," Ikebukuro whispered. 

"I know. The moment I was presented with a skeleton everyone claimed to be Mu's, I knew she was planning to fake her death."

"Then why not try to reconcile?" 

"This is it. She never told me she wasn't dead, meaning she wants me to go on living as if she is. Until her misanthropy is gone, I doubt she'd ever reach out her hand to me or offer me so much as a smile. And after what I did to her, I feel this is what I must live with. She at least had the decency to apologize in some form, so I'll leave things at that and let her be."

From behind a doorway, Yamane and Jenna listened in. "So the mistress can sense it. I wonder if madam is aware," Jenna mused. 

"Most likely. But as mother said, this is for the best. We both know how much Muki really has wished to get back on her feet. If this is how she can do it, we must accept it." 

...

A few hours later, folks from all around town gathered at the concert hall to watch a dance recital.

"I hear they're going to have an android join the play," a person whispered. 

"That's why this is such a big deal? I feel the dwarves finally connecting the trains from our place to theirs sounds cooler," another whispered. 

"All the more reason to watch this show as we can visit the dwarf city whenever we want."

The curtains slowly rose with Muki standing in center stage, still clad in her hoodie and hi-top sneakers. 

"Uh, isn't this a ballet? How can the android participate-"

But once the music started, Muki shut up all the doubters by first performing some basic ballet before break dancing like a maniac. "Old and new. I've always wanted to dance, but with how I am now, I'll never be the posh ballerina I once aspired to be. But I won't let it go. I'll merge it with the edgy grunge I am now, and finally get the limelight I've sought for so many years. What a trial I've been through. Isekais are supposed to hand you everything at the start, but I had to protect this town and nearly get killed off doing so. But it all led to this chance at a new beginning. Monika's gone, everyone thinks I'm just an android. Finally, that fear I've had for so many years... is lessening. Now finally begins MY new beginning and a glorious new chronicle for this town! Ah, when was the last time I had such haughty thoughts?" she thought as a pompous smile began to form on her face as she bowed to the applauding crowd. 

[End]