Chapter 30: Eva

“Wow…. this really is a big scientific lab, just like some sci-fi movie… isn’t it, onii-chan?” Coco said, amused by the lab.

“Well, yes, but a laboratory in a fantasy world is totally new to me… This is beautiful yet terrifying. It seems like if monsters weren't enough, the world is also about to be attacked by aliens,” I said sarcastically. Everything here seemed so opposite to what I expected that it wouldn't even surprise me if we actually ran into an alien at some point.

“You think so? But it's cold here, and I like it. I was all sweaty, and coming to this place finally erased my exhaustion,” Coco smiled, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the cold draft.

“Now that I think about it, the wind I felt must have been coming from here. But looking around, I don’t see any exit…” I sighed in defeat. After walking around for two hours, we had reached the very end of the cave with no way out.

“Hey! Look, what is that…?” Coco pointed to a big red button attached to a machine beneath a large monitor. Feeling curious myself, I walked over there while carrying her.

“Huh? An SOS button?” I muttered, confused.

“Maybe we should push it.”

“Wait!!!”

She leaned off my shoulder and pressed the button before I could stop her. A horn started to buzz as the lights dimmed to a flashing red and yellow, and the entire lab began to shake.

I somehow managed to balance myself, panicking over what might happen this time. A big red button always brings danger in movies.

“Emergency protocol initiated. Guardian is released. Target will be erased if bio-signature does not match.”

“That’s why I always say never touch strange things!!!!!”

“Sorry…..!!!” Coco apologized.

One of the central glass tubes, which was covered in white mist, hissed open. A girl emerged from the tube. Her physique looked to be around my age; she had chin-length, powdered-blue hair with a side braid and crimson eyes. She wore a heavy navy military jacket with a cyan glowing core positioned above her chest area.

As the tube opened, I hid behind a machine, holding Coco's mouth shut so she wouldn't make a sound or let her breath be caught.

With her crimson eyes, the girl scanned the surrounding area as a holographic screen appeared in front of her face.

“Scan initiated. Finding the infiltrators….” Her gaze swept over toward the machine we were hiding behind. Her vision switched to a thermal imaging mode, and she located us almost instantly. Raising a finger toward us, she shot a golden laser that pierced right through the machine, whizzing past my ear and hitting the ground.

“Whaaaa……” I screamed in panic, running out into the open lab, but the floating girl immediately flew up to chase us down.

“Incendio!” Coco shouted. Looking backward, she pointed her hand toward the girl and cast the spell, but it didn’t work. Panicking, she shouted the word again and again. “Incendio! Incendio! Incendio! Huh!!!! Why is it not working now?!”

Coco screamed in a panic as the girl scanned her face.

“Unidentified person… spotted.” The girl lowered her hand and shot a laser right through my leg, causing me to stumble. I fell forward, and Coco tumbled a little ahead of me.

The girl flew closer and stood at a short distance, pointing her finger directly at Coco's forehead. Coco’s eyes widened in horror as the laser began to charge up. Using the support of a nearby machine, I somehow forced myself to stand up and threw myself between them, spreading my arms wide.

Damn it!!!! After I finally came back to help them, is this really how I’m going to die? A headshot from an AI girl?!

I closed my eyes, ready to be killed by her laser, but soon realized she wasn’t shooting. She stopped, scanning my face instead.

“Facial expression match…. Closing the enemy protocol….” Her demeanor shifted from a combat mode back to a normal mode, and she bowed deeply to me.

“Welcome back, Master….”

“Master? Do you mean me??” I pointed a finger at myself in absolute confusion, though deeply relieved.

“What do you mean, Master? Why do you seem so confused?” The girl tilted her head.

“Onii-chan? Why is she acting like she knows you…? Don’t tell me…” Coco looked at me with a weird, suspicious expression, narrowing her eyes.

“Hey!!! Don’t look at me like that, I don’t know her…” I clarified quickly, but the girl suddenly pointed her finger back at Coco.

“If it is your command, I can erase her existence completely,” the girl said, her tone dead serious as a light began to build up at her fingertips.

“STOPPP!!!!!” I screamed in panic.

“Order confirmed,” the girl said, lowering her hand.

“Sorry, I don’t know who this 'Master' is that you're talking about, but I want to know who the hell you are and what you are doing in a place like this,” I questioned.

Before responding, she scanned my leg wound. She knelt down and, using her hand, imprinted a bandage-like energy pattern over the injury. It closed the wound instantly, completely healing it.

“How….?” I was amazed. Exhausted, I fell back onto my seat on the floor next to Coco.

“I will start with my identification code…. I am E.V.A., created by Master to fulfill his dream. I have been waiting in this lab, which was founded by my creator in the past, with the hope of his eventual arrival. According to my calculations, my objective has succeeded,” she said with a straight face, leaving both Coco and me utterly confused.

“I don’t think I understand, but—” Hearing her words, a realization suddenly hit me hard. “You said you were created by 'Master,' and you are calling me 'Master.' Does that mean—”

She interrupted, “Affirmative… I was created by Master—meaning you—in the future, for the purpose of guiding the past you to a desired future.”

“Does this mean!!! You time-traveled?!” Excited, Coco climbed onto my shoulder.

“Affirmative… Master sent me using a relic called the Time Tube… which can only be used once to send something into the past.”

“You mean the tube you just emerged from…?” I questioned.

She nodded.

“Well, that’s good news that you’re not on the enemy's side. But how are you going to help me? I mean, I know you’re strong, but I can’t use you for violent purposes at all… Do you have any other major features?” I asked, hoping she might become the key to finding Verixa, and before that, helping Coco and me get out of here to a safe place.

“I have several modified utility features, such as voice cloning, navigation, a healing factor, and also a teleportation gateway system.”

“YAY!!!! Did you hear that, onii-chan? She can teleport us to a safe village!” Coco cheered.

“Right!!! But first, do you think you can teleport me to a specific place…? I mean, I need to teleport to someone nearby as soon as possible, but I don’t know how to get there.” This was my chance to find Verixa. If Eva could help me, I might be able to reach them in no time.

“Huh? Do you know someone here? Didn’t we just teleport—” Realizing how they had ended up in this world, the truth dawned on Coco. Her lips trembled. “Don’t tell me… Onii-chan, are you…”

“Well, haha…. sorry, I didn’t want to worry you. But yes, after my first accident, I was transferred here before I returned back to Earth.”

“Huh? Wait… what?” Coco looked completely bewildered, but I ignored her questions for now. “Tell me, Eva, can you do that?”

“I might not be able to locate a person I have never been acquainted with….” she replied.

I sighed. “That means we—”

But she added, “However, it is possible if I synchronize your memories with me… That will also help me understand the current situation and events.”

“That's great!!!!! Do it now!!!!” I urged.

She nodded and flew closer, right up to my face. My cheeks flushed. She might be a robot or an automaton, but up close, she was a really pretty girl. I froze, not knowing how to react.

She held my face with both her hands, closed her eyes, and locked her lips with mine.

Seeing the scene play out, Coco instantly covered her face with her hands, peeping through the gaps in her fingers. “What are you doing!!!!! Niii—chan!!!!”

“Mmmph!!!!” I tried to pull away, but she was incredibly strong. My hands and legs flailed as I tried to break free until, after a few moments, she finally released her grip.

“Synchronization complete. I have acquired the data of all individuals… Starting coordinate extraction for the target location.”

“HEY!!!!! At least warn me before you do something that extreme!” I yelled, my face entirely red.

“Onii-chan, you are completely blushing, you know…” Coco said, narrowing her eyes at me.

“Shut up!!!! Aughhh…..” I dropped to my knees, covering my head to hide my intense embarrassment.

Eva then spoke up, “Location confirmed. I have found the coordinates of the person you wish to find, using the residual trace of the mana she used to cast a spell on you.” She paused, then added, “But it appears they are currently engaged in combat.”

“Combat…?”

Are they ambushed, or are they fighting the human forces? Either way, I need to go right away. But...

“I want you to teleport us to a high vantage point first. I want to check the situation before we jump in.”

“As you wish, Master…” Eva replied. The holographic screen appeared in front of her face again, preparing for the jump. A glowing teleportation circle formed beneath our feet.

Don’t worry, Verixa. I am going to save you again.

“Well, that’s how I met Eva… and the things that happened after that, I’ve already told you,” I said to the group, completely leaving out the small detail about how Eva and I actually synchronized.

“Now I see… well, whatever… Welcome, Coco and Eva… We will conquer the world with you!” Verixa declared proudly.