As the question hung in the air, Ethan Chen glanced at the scum who had pillaged and murdered without remorse. Then he looked at 2B standing tall in the blood-soaked square, surrounded by broken limbs and lifeless corpses, yet still immaculate, like a white blossom untouched by the carnage. He wanted to tell her to stop. They could leave the pirates to the local authorities.
No need for her hands to be stained with this filth.
But this moment was no longer his to control.
The surviving villagers, hiding inside their homes, had noticed the silence outside. When they saw the woman with the greatsword, the pirate chief lying cleaved in two, and the groveling, terrified raiders, they immediately understood what had happened.
"Kill them!" someone shouted.
"Make them pay for the dead!"
"Pirates! Die!"
"Scum! They deserve no mercy!"
"Kill them all!"
The cries rose like a wave, surging with fury.
The support pod floated near 2B and announced, "Only enemies incapable of further action can be considered neutralized. Based on current assessment, termination is advised."
2B stood motionless. She waited for Ethan's command.
At the same time, she swung Virtuous Contract, a sharp arc of energy slicing through the air and severing the arm of a pirate who was stealthily reaching for a weapon.
"Die!" a girl screamed, leaping from a window. Her face was twisted with rage. Clutching a dagger, she drove it into a pirate's heart.
The bloodlust of one ignited the fury of many. The villagers surged forward, wielding tools, farming implements, and whatever they could grab. The pirates had no will left to resist.
They were slaughtered.
The once-fearsome raiders stood no chance against the fury of the people. It was over.
"Hostiles eliminated. No remaining life signals detected."
2B walked over to Ethan.
This was no place for words blood, mangled limbs, the stench of death. It made Ethan nauseous.
His face pale, Ethan silently turned and walked away, 2B following in step.
They arrived at a beach untouched by destruction. The sand was golden and soft. Coconut trees swayed gently, heavy with fruit. The sea shimmered in shades of blue, and a cool breeze swept through the air.
All that was missing was a beach chair, an umbrella, sunglasses, a chilled coconut with a straw, and maybe a pair of swim trunks.
Compared to the bloodbath they had just escaped, the tranquility of this place felt almost surreal.
"Urgh…"
Ethan finally couldn't hold it in. He doubled over and vomited, retching until it felt like he was expelling everything he had eaten the night before.
Though born in a turbulent era, Ethan had grown up in a peaceful country. The bloodiest thing he'd ever seen was butchered meat in the market. He had never witnessed death up close.
What he had seen back in the village what he had done had shattered that innocence.
The value of life suddenly felt terrifyingly fragile.
A single harpoon. That was all it had taken to end a life.
But he didn't regret it. Nor was he afraid.
It had been a matter of life or death. Anyone would've made the same choice.
After vomiting, Ethan instinctively wiped his mouth only to see the bloodstains on his hands and recoil in disgust. He ran to the ocean and scrubbed himself clean.
When he returned, free of the gore, he turned to 2B. Forcing a smile, he extended a hand.
"Hi. I'm Ethan Chen."
The support pod floated between them. "This gesture is known as a handshake. Among humans, it signifies mutual goodwill-"
"I know," 2B cut in softly, reaching out to take his hand.
"Hello. I am 2B, YoRHa No.2 Type B, a general-purpose combat android."
Ethan knew 2B all too well. She was the heroine from the game NieR: Automata. Silver bob cut, black blindfold, a figure that had reached legendary status in the 3D fandom. She was iconic.
It was characters like her who made up for all the shortcomings of the game. So many players had fallen in love with her, many drawn to the game just because of her.
Especially that stair-climbing scene. That... cinematic angle. The tight bodysuit.
Enough said.
And those proportions well, let's just say the character design was generous. That plunging neckline alone had driven a generation of gamers to obsession.
Ethan couldn't help but remember his college days. 2B had been his late-night companion on countless evenings.
That is, after long days of classes, gaming was his escape. Late nights with 2B took their toll on his energy. He dozed off in lectures for weeks.
But that was youth.
And now, the woman he once admired only through a computer or phone screen was standing here, real as day.
Pretending he wasn't excited would be a lie.
It even dulled the lingering nausea from earlier.
"Thanks, really," Ethan said, letting go of her hand. "If it weren't for you, I'd be dead back there."
"Protecting humanity is our purpose," she replied calmly.
Ethan, who had beaten the game more than once, knew exactly what she meant.
The androids had been created with a fabricated lie that humans still lived on the moon to give them hope and purpose. So they would fight for humanity. So they would take Earth back.
So that the glory of mankind might endure.
"But I'm not the only human," Ethan said quietly. "What about the villagers just now…"
"They were not human," the pod interjected. "Though similar in appearance, analysis of their biological samples revealed genetic markers significantly different from known human DNA. Their difference is comparable to that between apes and humans."
"Apes? Isn't that a little much…" Ethan muttered. Maybe this was how the system justified things.
After all, 2B had been summoned. She needed a reason to fight for him alone. If everyone was classified as human, she wouldn't be able to kill them.
Of course, Ethan wasn't about to mention summoning her or knowing her backstory.
That was a secret he would take to the grave.
"But are you really an android?" he asked. "You look completely human to me."
"I was designed to imitate humans," 2B answered. "On the outside, I appear the same, but internally, my structure is entirely different. For example, I don't experience hunger. I don't need food to maintain energy."
"However, to better resemble humans, we do possess full digestive systems. We can process food and convert it to energy, though the efficiency is far too low. It's rarely used."
"So you're modeled after humans," Ethan nodded thoughtfully. Then, after a pause, he asked a rather delicate question. "Does that mean... every part of you is human-like too?"
"Which part?"
"I mean, um... never mind," Ethan mumbled, glancing at her wide hips. He scratched his head awkwardly and swallowed the question.
Like many young men from Han country, he felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment about these topics.
Especially with someone he had just met.
"Androids designed to preserve humanity were equipped with reproductive modules identical to those of human females," the support pod said flatly, answering the question Ethan hadn't dared to ask aloud.
"Note: 2B's reproductive module is currently inactive and retains only basic functionality. It cannot be used to propagate human life. It is advised not to waste unnecessary energy on this possibility."
"Sorry," 2B said, her normally composed face tinged with faint embarrassment. She lowered her head. "Forgive me for being unable to help continue humanity's legacy."
"Cough. That's not what I meant. I was just wondering if things were... you know, convenient. Like human functions," Ethan said, waving his hands with a forced laugh as the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.
"Let's change the subject. So, do you have a plan from here?"
2B's reply was swift and direct. "To fight for mankind. That is my sole mission."
"The surrounding environment, terrain, and biological data do not match anything in my database," the support pod added. Its sensors scanned the area with a sweep of light. "We are also unable to establish contact with the YoRHa orbital base."
"There is a high probability we are no longer on the original Earth. I recommend prioritizing the protection of human life and seeking a way to restore communication with headquarters."
"I agree," 2B said without hesitation.
"Protecting me, huh?" Ethan leaned against a coconut tree. Through the leaves above, he looked up at a sky bluer than any he had ever seen.
A quiet smile spread across his face.