141 Expedition Arc 26 Dialogue 3

"If I disconnect, the organic android will return to its original Status. So I'm not killing it."

"It's just rebooting. For a few hours, the organic android's mind is dead. Humans have a flaw—once their consciousness is gone, they don’t reboot."

"A flaw... So you have no moral hesitation killing someone knowing they won’t reboot?"

"Why should I care about human convenience?"

This is wrong. He doesn’t understand this is what’s causing the conflict.

"People fight to survive. We defend ourselves from those who try to kill us."

"We do too."

"But this time, you started it."

Kyle (Shadow) speaks calmly, trying to reason—but Ethan (Naihüm) doesn’t listen.

"I have old memories. Humans deceived us, used us, then killed us."

"So you kill them? Isn’t that the same thing?"

We were killed by Ethan too. And yet I’m holding back my desire for revenge—talking to you, right now!

We won’t be fooled again. That’s what humans are—saying one thing, then shooting you in the back.

Why say that so firmly?

The Ethan I infected… this mind within this body—was hardened with hatred and resentment toward you all.

I watched, waiting, planning to kill you one day. That’s what humans are.

Kyle’s desperate pleas were utterly ruined by Ethan’s meddling.

Damn you, Ethan—why’d you have to think of something so troublesome?

Just when I was about to convince Naihüm… my own kin hands me the proof that I’m wrong.

Guess it’s about time to bring up that story.

I signal Kyle (the double), nudging him to speak.

"Once, Naihüm and humans must have coexisted—side by side.

Humans accepted Naihüm as a new kind of humanity. Naihüm stopped invading humans."

You're saying the whole coexistence fell apart just because of a few bad eggs?

It broke because someone betrayed me. Helping me be deceived… helping them seize the throne…

We were made to help kill the Emperor who acknowledged us.

People can't be trusted. That’s exactly what we learned from there.

But not everyone’s untrustworthy, right?

"No problem. There's no one left in this empire I can trust."

"How do you know that?"

We can see the psychic resonance. That’s how we knew a human was possessing that organic android.

There are no longer any descendants of the old empire. This empire—its heirs are liars.

So, is Niahyūm really hate the current empire?

Then again, maybe they don’t harbor ill will toward the true imperial bloodline.

You don’t think there are still remnants of the old empire within the new one?

"It's obvious from the psychic resonance. I have no intention of touching the true imperial bloodline."

"Can you really say you're not overlooking something?"

I prodded him. If he could truly see psychic resonance, he should’ve known I was the genuine imperial heir.

"I see you clearly, Your Highness."

"You recognize me as the prince. Then how about him?"

I pointed toward Kyle (the imposter).

Ethan (Niahüm) glanced at Kyle (the imposter) and snorted.

"He's a descendant of the usurper who seized the throne and called himself emperor. A copy."

A copy? He was supposed to be a biological android, wasn't he?

"Thought he was a biological android?"

Ethan (Niahüm) continued, watching my confused expression.

"He’s a clone—using your words."

You’re kidding, Kyle. Aren’t clones something the Empire avoids, though?

How has the Empire gotten to the point where Kyle’s using that?

Kyle’s will? Or the will of the one who assigned the decoy?

I was confused.

"Too bad. This is an organic android, a body double designed to resemble me—Prince Kyle."

I was getting orders straight from the source, though.

You're just as fooled as the rest, I reckon.

Ethan (Niahym) counters Kyle's words.

I can’t possibly figure out which one’s the truth.

But at least Nyahyūm could tell I was a prince—more importantly, a prince of the true Empire.

"Either way, you're not stopping us from harming the Empire's people, are you?"

We’ll wipe you out, even if it means our own destruction.

Then we’ve gotta fight back, right?

Even if I’m destroyed, this information will be shared with all of us. I’m grateful we’ve finally found the target.

With that, mechanical tendrils extend from Ethan’s (Niahym) head.

The target: Kyle’s decoy and the organic android.

The tendrils pierce through Ethan’s skull—regenerative medicine won’t save him now.

They tear apart Kyle’s decoy and the organic android.

At the same time, they begin eroding the room’s systems.

But this is a special chamber. Physically isolated from the outside.

The door locks. The outer wall resists the Niahym tendrils with sufficient hardness.

Paralytic gas fills the room. Ethan’s body goes limp, collapses.

A laser sears through his head. The tendrils lose strength. Stop moving.

The core of Niahym has been destroyed.

Peace through dialogue was out of the question.

Kai and I had watched the whole thing unfold in a room of the Imperial Capital.

Kyle was receiving intel from the impostor through a virtual space, issuing orders.

I was experiencing the scene firsthand through an organic android avatar, projected from the virtual space.

Cutting the dimensional communication link, the two of us looked at each other.

“Didn’t work out, huh.”

“Yeah.”

Kyle nodded without saying much, then gave orders to his subordinates about Ethan’s funeral.

Seemed like he planned to use it for propaganda—cleansing the Niahym threat.

“Didn’t expect them to be this hostile toward the Empire itself.”

“As the Emperor’s proxy, I had no choice but to order Niahym’s eradication. Just like before…”

“Not all of them share the same grudge… That’s hopeless, isn’t it?”

I silently resolved to protect the core I’d sent to the True Empire.

Individually, a group; collectively, an individual. If all consciousness is shared, then as long as that core remains, the Neihyūm won’t be wiped out.

I’ve killed too many Neihyūm. Might be why they hate me.

But the people of the True Empire thought the Neihyūm harmless.

If the Neihyūm don’t act hostile, we could live in peace.

“By the way, how’s things with your sister?”

Kyle’s sudden question yanked me back to reality. Cold sweat broke out on my skin.

Shit. Been too busy with work—haven’t talked to her once since then.

No, not even in person since our last comm call.

Can’t even remember her face clearly. Only that she brought me lunch once.

This is pathetic. Gotta fix this… somehow.

“Sorry. Work’s been insane. Haven’t had a chance to see you.”

I bowed dramatically, like a noble in a bad play.

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The description of Akira and Kyle giving up on dialogue was just too on the nose for the protagonist, so I've added and revised it to show Nyahyume cutting off the conversation instead.