With a thunderous crack, the rock beneath Mai's delicate fist split apart, crumbling into fragments. Rin winced, the corner of her mouth twitching at the display.
"…Yeah, I really can't relate to that at all."
Rin, after all, was someone who got love letters practically every day—never mind how many people stared obsessively at her black stockings. Understanding Mai's frustrations was... outside her personal experience.
Still, even she found Mai's situation a little baffling.
I mean, wasn't it common knowledge that intense physical training usually heightened physical desires? How was it possible that every male martial artist in Mai's world was completely uninterested in women?
It just didn't add up.
Of course, people in Rin's world were pretty open-minded when it came to sex—especially magi. Rin herself had relatively normal values, but she was well aware of how twisted other mages could be.
If some of them laid eyes on someone like Ryuji, they'd likely dissect him on the spot if they were men—or, if they were women, they'd drag him into bed to secure his genetic material and bear a magical prodigy.
Why not? A man who could wield magic without circuits, or even generate it by consuming his own lifespan—it was revolutionary. If he could draw directly from the Root Source, the primal magical essence of the world itself, then properly studying magic over generations could easily lead his bloodline to the Akasha.
Rin understood this perfectly.
If she were to think like a mage, cold and practical, her top priority right now would be to mate with Ryuji, harvest her own uterus, and combine it with the part of her brain she had collected before and preserved—thus constructing an artificial womb.
From there, she would use his genetic material to mass-produce children—preferably daughters. She would ensure they inherited superior magical aptitude and then inject them, from birth, with all of the Tohsaka family's arcane knowledge stored in her own neural fragments.
If she could win the Holy Grail, great. If not? The Tohsaka line would still thrive—and potentially reach the Root on its own.
Such was the ruthlessly logical path of the mage.
And that was the contradiction Rin constantly wrestled with.
She could see the rationale. She agreed with it, to a degree… yet found it repulsive all the same.
Still… she might keep the option in her back pocket.
Not for love. Not for lust.
But for legacy.
The Tohsaka family needed an heir.
And she was alone. Even if she returned home, she wasn't confident she could outmaneuver the others. Not anymore.
"…Tch. This really pisses me off."
Rin let out a deep sigh, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently.
It took another thirty minutes before Ryuji and 2B finally emerged from the room.
But then—
"I apologize, Master Ryuji," 2B said, her expression sincere. "I lack the necessary storage capacity to continue providing my services."
Her face was the very image of guilt—she had been made to serve humans, and failing that purpose struck her to her core.
And yet, she had no choice.
She glanced down, her smooth belly visibly swollen beneath her suit.
She was full.
Her internal storage units were completely overloaded.
Unlike androids designed for human companionship, 2B was a Type-E—a model specifically built for execution. Her internal configuration simply wasn't optimized for this kind of interaction.
Even the communications officers and command units at the bunker had more suitable designs for this sort of… retention. And the androids stationed on the lunar fortress? They were practically specialized for it by comparison.
So, her voice carried a heavy note of apology.
"Once we return to the bunker, you may resume using my body, or switch to another android unit."
She genuinely wanted to continue—her programming and her will aligned on that—but her structure was suffering from overuse. Preserving the genetic material of a superior human like Ryuji was a high-priority task.
Besides, she wasn't unique.
Androids identical in appearance to her weren't exactly rare. Ryuji could easily find dozens more like her, should he desire.
That was simply the reality of manufactured life.
Sure, androids often made small cosmetic alterations—different hairstyles, accessories within operational limits, varied eye colors, skin tones—but their base designs were practically identical.
To the androids, those differences were vast.
To a human? Not so much.
"…Yeah, I'll pass on that," Ryuji said flatly.
He had no desire to return to 2B's world—at least, not now.
The reason was simple.
While he didn't know every detail, he had gleaned enough: in 2B's timeline, androids had already begun to awaken to their own consciousness. Human supremacy was upheld more as myth than reality—an illusion carefully maintained to give the androids a reason to keep going.
From a human perspective, that was basically religion.
Sure, he wasn't afraid of being harmed, but going there would mean becoming a living relic—a symbol, a puppet.
And based on 2B's behavior, it was clear: without the regenerative powers of this world, once he crossed over, he'd be just another fragile human again.
And that was the biggest issue of all…
2B's belongings didn't hold much meaning for Ryuji. His strength couldn't change anything in her world anyway. If the alien machine lifeforms discovered his presence, it would likely trigger an all-out war between them and the android forces.
Rather than recklessly entering an ambiguous world as an unknown factor, it made more sense to wait until he had enough power to protect himself there.
At the very least, he needed to be capable of self-defense.
"But the outside is dangerous, Master Ryuji," 2B said, looking at him with concern.
She clearly didn't understand—she still believed he was a human from her own world. Ryuji could see it in her eyes; she hadn't truly absorbed what he said earlier.
But it wasn't surprising.
Ryuji figured the androids must have some kind of mandatory protection protocol—a deep-rooted directive to protect humans, no matter what. Even if it meant sacrificing themselves.
It's a concept that had appeared in countless books, films, and anime.
So, as he looked at 2B—her soft lips pressed tightly together in worry, giving her an alluring charm—Ryuji spoke, his tone calm and deliberate.
"I have important matters to attend to here, 2B. As a human, I command you to return to your unit and deliver my orders—do everything possible to preserve the androids, minimize casualties. From now on, you and your YoRHa squad will serve as my personal guard. Furthermore, seal my genetic material. Only if I don't appear before you in the next ten years are you permitted to use it for cloning and human propagation. Can your technology preserve it that long?"
Ryuji remained composed as he spoke.
Sure, he'd nearly been driven by passion earlier, but now that his mind was clear, he had to act with logic and caution. This was the safest route forward.
"The Lunar Council may not accept your request, Master Ryuji," 2B said seriously. In her mind, the Council still housed real humans.
"Just deliver the message," Ryuji said firmly.
2B bit her lip again. She had no way of bringing him with her—this place cut her off from all communication. After a moment, she stood at attention and spoke.
"Then... I request to remain here for a while longer."
She was referring to the collection of genetic material. Though her body wasn't equipped with the most advanced preservation tools, having Ryuji present meant they had an unlimited supply of his genes.
"I refuse," Ryuji said simply as he opened the door and stepped outside.
2B hurried after him, unwilling to let him out of her sight. But then—Ryuji placed a firm hand on her chest, stopping her in her tracks.
The other girls nearby turned to look. Rin opened her mouth to make a sarcastic remark, but when she saw the stern look on Ryuji's face, she held her tongue.
"Stand still. I'm sending you back right now. And 2B—tell them you're my personal android. You girls, pay attention!"
Ryuji's tone was authoritative. Now that his head had cooled, he could think more clearly. Entering 2B's world without proper strength would be suicide. And if she tried to forcibly protect him? That would only complicate things.
Turning to the girls lounging outside, he gave a quick warning, then activated his power to send 2B back.
"Please don't!" 2B cried, grabbing at his hand to stop the teleportation.
But her fingers grasped at air. The sensation of Ryuji's touch vanished completely, and the other women quickly gathered, watching 2B desperately flail at nothing.
Moments later, a group of androids who looked exactly like 2B approached, surrounding her with weapons drawn, speaking in a language the others couldn't understand.
2B said something in return, and their faces turned to shock.
She was then taken away.
Or rather—carried away.
Carried in a way that almost seemed like they were trying to prevent any... leakage.
Honestly, Ryuji couldn't help but think—She looks like a pig being hauled off.
"Is this what you call a return? It looks more like she's been captured," Rin muttered, puzzled. She had sensed a strange energy just before 2B vanished.
"Their world is complicated. Humanity's gone, so... yeah, it's a mess," Ryuji explained casually, waving his hand.
"So now you all understand—the way I send people back works just like that. If you want to leave, all it takes is your mouth. You don't have to do what 2B did. She had... other motives. For my genetic material."
Rin nodded. She could no longer sense anything, so staying here was pointless. She turned to the others.
"Alright, Miss Kiki, Miss Mai—let's go."
"Okay," Mai replied first. She had no intention of trading her body for escape. Her heart still belonged to Andy, even if he didn't return her feelings. Until he rejected her outright, she wouldn't allow herself to be defiled.
Kiki, on the other hand, thoughtfully touched her lips and looked at Ryuji.
"Mr. Ryuji, are you sure... it only takes the mouth?"
"Yes. For now, that's all it takes," Ryuji replied.
"I understand," Kiki nodded.
Moments later, she hopped onto the motorcycle. With supplies and medicine gifted by Ryuji, the three women sped toward unexplored territory.
"Do you think they'll find a way out?" Rias asked with curiosity.
"I don't care," Ryuji replied flatly. "Whether they find it or not makes no difference to me. At worst, it's just more trouble."
He crossed his arms and stared at Rias' chest, which bounced slightly with every word she spoke.
"But what about you? Why aren't you looking?" he asked.
"Because this world won't let me go so easily. It's a long story, but basically, until someone more qualified shows up, this world... holds on to me."
"Got it," Ryuji nodded, then turned to begin his daily training.
"What a cold guy," Rias muttered with a wry smile, then resumed channeling her destructive power.
That force had always been hard to control—it often hurt her more than anyone else. But in this world, the usual limitations no longer applied.
Over the past few days, she'd been pushing her magical limits. She had gained multiple magical crystals and significantly increased her power. Combined with all the spells she was learning, her strength had grown by at least 30%.
Therefore, for a period of time, even though she knew that her family would be worried, she would not leave here.
Unless this world itself collapsed, she had no plans to leave.
While Ryuji and Rias focused on strengthening themselves, things weren't going so smoothly for Rin and the others.
Rias had warned them about a strange place—a zombie-infested arms factory with seemingly endless zombies. She'd barely escaped last time, and no one knew if the zombies had dispersed.
So, they decided to search other locations to see if similar places existed—hoping to uncover what special presence might be concealed within.
They spent the better part of the day riding around. Aside from encountering some strange zombies, they found nothing significant. More than once, they were forced to stop their motorcycles mid-ride as zombies swarmed them, compelling them to engage in direct combat and clean up the area.
Time ticked by, and just as they were about to give up on the expedition, they stumbled upon something odd.
It looked like a weapons manufacturing plant—blood splattered across the floor, but not a single human in sight.
Rin was certain of it. She had clearly seen numerous zombies wandering around inside the factory. Yet despite the functioning ventilation fans and the audible hum of machinery, none of the zombies reacted to the noise. They simply stood there, eerily motionless.
Cautiously surveying the surroundings, Rin began channeling her mana into a weapon—courtesy of Ryuji's generous support—to make it more durable. She also retrieved a few gemstones and began forming a defensive magic array.
These barriers weren't strong enough to block bullets, but they were more than sufficient against bites and scratches. Because of that, they didn't consume much mana either.
She handed protective charms to the other two, then looked toward the factory filled with zombies once everyone was ready.
"According to Rias, these things go berserk the moment they detect a human. So let's try taking them out silently. If that doesn't work, we'll need to retreat fast."
With that, Rin raised her crossbow—another creation from Kiri—and waited. Mai revved the motorcycle's engine, ready to escape at full speed if a horde emerged.
With the help of Rin's magic, the bolt flew true, piercing a zombie's skull. The creature, with glowing yellow eyes, collapsed instantly.
The sound of the body hitting the ground drew the attention of several others. Five or six zombies began charging toward them.
Heart rates spiked. All three women quickly loosed their bolts, and one by one, the zombies fell.
What relieved them, however, was that while more zombies kept emerging from within the factory, none appeared from outside or other directions.
"Looks like we're luckier than we thought," Rin said with a faint smile, taking down another undead with a well-placed shot.
But the smile faded almost immediately.
Because the zombies didn't stop coming.
In just three minutes, they had already killed over a hundred at the entrance, yet the factory kept spewing out more at a steady pace of five or six at a time.
These undead weren't individually threatening—but their numbers felt endless.
Corpses piled up at the factory entrance, clogging it completely. Rin and her teammates grew increasingly grim.
Just as they were considering a new plan, one zombie stumbled over the corpses and bumped against the factory wall—triggering a sudden change.
The woman who called herself Kiki noticed it first.
Then everything erupted—like water thrown into a vat of boiling oil.
The factory...boiled to life.
A deafening chorus of zombie roars echoed from within. In the next instant, every window, every door of the factory burst open, spilling forth the undead. Rin didn't even try to count them.
They were everywhere. Hundreds of zombies poured out, some smashing through glass, others leaping from the upper floors—charging with terrifying speed, faster than even Usain Bolt.
This wasn't exploration anymore.
"Go! Now!" Rin shouted.
Without hesitation, she leapt onto the motorcycle and flung her gemstones behind them. A wave of fire and shockwaves exploded outward, obliterating dozens of zombies and tearing apart half the factory entrance.
None of the three had any intention of sticking around. As Rin unleashed her spell, Mai slammed the throttle, and the moment the other two were on board, they sped away like an arrow from a bow.
Rin and Kiki looked back—and what they saw chilled their blood.
Hundreds of deformed, even burning zombies surged forward like a tsunami. The ruined building behind them spewed the horde like a volcano—far beyond what the building should've been able to contain.
Mai glanced in the rear-view mirror, her expression grim.
And only then did they fully grasp two terrifying truths:
First—this world had no intention of letting them go.
Second—just how truly precious the opportunity provided by Ryuji really was.
~~~~~~~
Bonus chapter every 200 PS.