A solemn funeral was being held at the Lanpeach Complex. The ceremony took place in a discreet corner room of the building to avoid being seen by others, but it was still a funeral.

An altar was set up in the room, adorned with flowers and carrots, and three picture frames placed at the center. The frames contained images of three rabbits, the ones who died in battle.

“Ugh, poor Muu, it’s so sad that they are gone-usa. I’ll eat this carrot for them-usa yo.”

“Meme was a good one-usa. I’ll consider the money they owed me forgiven-usa.”

“I’ll treasure Momo’s hidden stash of carrots and eat them carefully-usa ne.”

The other rabbits had their heads down, holding flowers in their hands and placing them at the altar. As they set down the flowers, they discreetly nibbled on the displayed carrots, chewing silently as they kept their heads lowered to avoid being noticed.

“Everyone, we’ve lost beloved warriors! And who were they? They were… Waaaah, why do I need EXP to fix a broken robot?!” (Lanpeach)

The minor villain tried to address the others but quickly collapsed into sobs.

“That’s because only parts requiring EXP can fix the core components. But more importantly, is the speech for the banquet over? Can I start eating the sushi now?”

The shameless black-haired girl called the funeral a banquet. She eagerly eyed the sushi spread on the table, her body fidgeting slightly as she subtly moved her mouth. It seemed she had already started eating before receiving permission.

The minor villain, Lanpeach, stopped pretending to cry and gave the black-haired girl, Mira, a sidelong glance before shuffling over to the table and sitting cross-legged in front of it.

“Aren’t we using too much EXP? Isn’t there a way to repair things without them? Maybe there’s someone with a unique skill, like a negotiator who could always fix robots for only 10 EXP per stage. There was a guy like that in Super Robot Wars. His movement range sucked, so he couldn’t participate in battles, but thanks to his unique skill, he was always in the first squad.” (Lanpeach)

“Please don’t confuse reality with games. No matter how much money you make in a game, your bank account won’t increase in real life.” (Mira)

“You’re really good at saying things that pierce the heart. But isn’t this world game-like? I mean, with levels and skills, it’s way too much like a game!” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach reached for the salmon roe, only for Mira to swipe it from him and eat it herself.

“Long ago, a scientist figured that running an army like a game system would be more efficient. It’s wonderful when everything can be quantified.” (Mira)

“Was that scientist drunk? While I agree with some of it, would anyone really do something like that in real life?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach, still baffled, reached for the sea urchin this time, only to have Mira dart in and gobble it up. Lanpeach thought ‘this bastard’, but let it slide because it was a cute girl doing it.

“Anyway, there’s no way to repair it without using EXP, Soldier. Only the engine and the area around it need them, so as long as the robot doesn’t get severely damaged, it’ll be fine. Aahn~” (Libra)

Unlike the gluttonous black-haired girl, a silver-haired, twin-tailed beauty kindly offered him sushi, which he happily ate. A cute girl’s “Aahn~” is the best seasoning in the world. 

(But why is it a cucumber roll? Libra, could you offer me the medium-fatty tuna you’re eating instead?) (Lanpeach)

“Kyuu, I’m already bored-usa~”

One of the rabbits in the picture frames poked out its nose, sniffing, and stuck out its tongue as it tried to nibble on the displayed carrots.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the frames were just for show, with holes cut out like those tourist face-in-hole boards, allowing the rabbits to stick their faces through. 

Mira had designed the panels like this, thinking that the rabbits would die in battle again, so the format made sense. There wasn’t really a need for a funeral since they would revive, but Mira wasn’t about to skip the sushi event.

“Kyaa, Koume too, Koume wants to do it too! Should I shtick my face in? Look, Papa-shan~!” (Koume)

Koume found it fun and made the rabbit step aside. She happily put her face through the panel, laughing gleefully. While her smile was heartwarming, that’s forbidden.

“Hey now, that’s bad luck. Let’s just eat sushi together, okay?” (Lanpeach)

“Kay! I’ll eat sushi with Papa-shan!” (Koume)

The ever-obedient Koume toddled over, climbed onto Lanpeach’s lap, and contentedly let out a satisfied sigh, causing him to instinctively pat her head and pamper her.

Since they were secretly holding a funeral, only Lanpeach, Libra, Mira, the rabbits, and Koume were present. Everyone else was barred from entering. 

They had some secret things to discuss.

[Quest Complete: Stop the Rise of the Demon Ship Forneus. 35,000 EXP earned.]

[Quest Complete: Defeat Harkein’s Unit. 40,000 EXP earned.]

[Boss Battle Complete: Defeat Chefei. 8,000 EXP earned.]

[Robot Repair Costs: Gunrabbi x3 –3,000; Mimi’s Custom Gunrabbi –10,000.]

[Colony Reactivation Fee: 50,000.]

The log displayed the EXP gained from the latest quests. It was a considerable amount, enough to power up significantly… Power up?

“Hey, something’s wrong here. I only have 20,000 EXP left. There’s a deduction I’ve never seen before. Could this be a scam? Should I contact the authorities?” (Lanpeach)

There should have been 70,000 EXP left, but there’s only 20,000. Could it be that his EXP is being misused? 

He poked the log, and Mira, who had emptied her sushi platter, sipped her tea and spoke up.

“The colony’s full system reactivation has finally been completed. This will allow us to import supplies at a lower cost. We’ve also converted the colony’s weak point, the sea, into a dungeon, so you won’t have to worry about food anymore.” (Mira)

Lanpeach eyed Mira with suspicion since it seemed like she only cared about food, but he had to admit that the colony’s full system reactivation was something that needed to be done eventually. 

(If I was the one doing that, I would have unlocked the systems bit by bit, and who knows how long it would take to fully unlock everything.) (Lanpeach)

“Production systems, training facilities, barracks, military structures, and even a hospital and school. There’s even a residential area. Not bad. Should we live in the colony from now on?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach browsed through the colony list, impressed by all the features, but…

“Some of the facilities, like the residential area, are off-limits. There’s no residential zone in that colony anyway.” (Mira)

“Huh? There’s another colony? Wait, why can’t we go in?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach was surprised by Mira’s unexpected remark. A residential zone is in another colony?

“Yes, the colony where Pla-san resides is a frontline military base. It’s designed for warfare against the enemy. Building a residential area there would put civilians at risk. That’s why they’re living in a safe colony.” (Mira)

“Hmm, it’s a secret? Does that mean there are people in this residential zone? Are they living there?” (Lanpeach)

“There are a few people in cryo-sleep. Their energy was running low, so we saved them.” (Mira)

“…A few?” (Lanpeach)

“They won’t wake up until this ruined world is restored, so there’s no need to worry about them. But more importantly, is there any dessert?” (Mira)

Mira blatantly changed the topic. She tapped the table impatiently, so it might be her genuine feelings.

(A few, huh… This feels more like millions. When this world is restored from being separated in cubes, they will wake up. How convenient.) (Lanpeach)

The Space Library might be working for those people in cryo-sleep, and perhaps Mira was too. Libra…seemed fine.

Watching Libra, who was nearly in tears as the rabbits begged for her sushi, Lanpeach couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, there’s no point in pressing the issue. I believe Mira told me this out of good conscience. There’s no point in thinking too deeply about it right now.” (Lanpeach)

The one granting them abilities was the Space Library. Defying it isn’t an option for now. But there was something else that bothered him. Something extremely serious. He had overheard this during the battle.

“Hey, is it true that the rabbits were originally humans?” (Lanpeach)

Mimi, who was sitting on Lanpeach’s lap alongside Koume, and the other rabbits…if they were originally humans, or worse, if they had been old men, what was he supposed to do? It would be like gender-swapping, but the reverse.

Mira turned to face Lanpeach, her expression becoming slightly serious.

“Human souls were necessary to give Artificial Spirits self-awareness and growth potential. No matter how advanced the technology, soulless Artificial Spirits could only pretend to have a will of their own like a Taraworker. They were way too weak and useless in the Spirit War happening then.” (Mira)

“So, they used human souls? That’s inhumane, isn’t it?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach didn’t fully understand the situation from back then, but it seemed too cruel.

“………Yes, at the time, the main method of combat was remote control via possession of Artificial Spirits. The ones operating them were enhanced humans specialized in combat through genetic engineering. However, all the enhanced humans inside the pods were wiped out when the enemy attacked the base. Because of this, and the dire situation humanity was in, they fused the souls that were inside the Artificial Spirits directly.” (Mira)

“Enhanced humans… They were created?” (Lanpeach)

“Yes. Those enhanced humans… They were young people who were all rapidly aged and had combat programs installed in them. It was cruel, but with humanity on the verge of literal extinction, there was no other option.” (Mira)

“I see… What a depressing story.” (Lanpeach)

“But the immortal Artificial Spirits had a weakness. They began to lose their sense of self and desires like real Spirits, eventually becoming unable to act on their own will. Without a contractor, they would remain in standby, like decorative dolls.” (Mira)

He let out a sigh while stroking the peacefully sleeping Mimi. It was a tragic story, but if faced with the choice between extinction and that, maybe there really wasn’t any other option. Also, it is a big relief that the inside is not an old man.

Mira was probably the same. No wonder the rabbits were so childlike.

“Uuh, such a sad story, don’t you think, Soldier…?” (Libra)

Libra burst into tears after hearing the story.

“Aren’t you the same?” (Lanpeach)

Libra was listening, as if it were someone else’s problem, but when he asked her if she was the same, she made a dumbstruck face.

“Huh? I’m an Artificial Spirit created for Soldier, you know? I don’t have that kind of backstory.” (Libra)

“I-I see. That’s a relief.” (Lanpeach)

Feeling reassured after all the touching she’d been doing, he let out a sigh of relief. If she had been a little girl on the inside, it would’ve been straight to the police for him.

–––But, isn’t Libra becoming more and more human-like every day?

He glanced over at Mira, who was unconcernedly munching on some ginger. She was a girl who devoured everything.

(It seems there are still a lot of mysteries to unravel.) (Lanpeach)

He sighed, pulled out another sushi tray, and pondered.

“Usa! This sushi tray has been secured by the Kagyo Squad-usa!” 

“I’m going to take the squid~”

“I’ve planted an anti-theft dimensional bomb on this sushi tray. Please stay back.” (Mira)

“Boss, can you bring out another tray of sushi-usa?”

“I smell carrot cake coming from Boss’s Dimension Pouch!”

“Waaah, save some for me too~! Soldier, help me~!” (Libra)

The rabbits and girls fought over the sushi tray. He stroked the back of Mimi, who sleeps all the time even though she is supposed to have no desires. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if they really had lost their sense of self.

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