Ame no Hi no Iris

Chapter 3 - Execution: battery=00:43:08

Before I set out, I 'modified' my own body first.

I pulled out all of the tubes and wires poking out of my lower body that had been destroyed by the lasers. They'll only get in my way anyways, and they'll make noise when they get in contact with the road. After that, I took out the settings that won't function anymore out from my body. After taking out the movement system governing the movement of my lower body, my body felt much lighter.

After modification is complete, I left the yard of the house, arriving at the road. I opened the cover of the drainage cover nearest to me while nobody is here and squeezed myself into it. The gutter was rather cramped, so I could only sacrifice my left arm. I applied force along with my shoulders, easily removing my left arm. The fact that my body was made using junk parts was useful for the first time. I stuffed the removed arm into the gutters.

Then, I set out.

The drains were covered with damp moss. I speedily crawled forward with only my head, right arm and body left. Like a zombie in a movie, I crawled forward while disregarding my image.

When I reached a corner of the drains, my body was bumped back. I bent my arms, twisted my head, adjusting the position of my body bit by bit, moving forwards slowly. I used the diagonal space, and finally passed through.

It seems that even if it's me, I have to put in effort to be able to do things.

A square cover that was similar to a metal fence was covered on the drains. The cover that was about thirty centimeters wide and a meter long extended to a faraway direction along the roadside. A few gauze-like holes were opened in the covers (Probably to let rainwater flow in), allowing me to spy on the situation outside. I looked outside time by time, ascertaining my position, then moved my arms silently again.

After moving forwards for about thirty minutes, I finally entered the commercial street in front of the Oval Station. From the signboard of the fish shop, I deduced that I was as the east area of the commercial streets, about five hundred meters away from the fountain plaza where the goddess statue resides. That reminded me of the time that I bought a fish at the shop three months ago, making a La Bier stew for Professor.

I could only crawl forwards using my right arm. Compared with using two hands, I could move my body even faster like this, it's rather ironic. Now, the left arm of unequal length wouldn't touch the floor again.

My vision was terrible— instead of saying terrible, actually I almost couldn't see anymore. My right eye lost its sight, and my left eye could only see through small blocks as though they were fragments of cut glass. If this place wasn't the commercial street in Oval, I would have given up long ago. That's right, I still have a chance. The Goddess haven't given up on me yet.

The people who were buying things in the commercial street would pass by the drains occasionally, and I would bate my breath, going forward stealthily at these times. The signboard of the butcher's flashed by. That's right. I bought things here three months ago as well. I think I bought some meat here to make mutton soup, and I bought some onions at a grocery store as well. It's so nostalgic.

I'm back.

After turning at the corner from the grocery store, I finally arrived at the main street, and I would arrive at the Oval fountain plaza after going directly forwards. There's a goddess statue that resembles Professor at the center of the fountain. Lilith told me that the junk parts store would be on the road there, so it would probably be somewhere beside the main streets.

Thus, there's only fifty meters left.

I continued to go directly forward, my right arm forcefully extending forwards.

Just at that moment.

—!

My body suddenly became heavier.

It's bad, my battery will be used up soon.

I must hurry.

Faster. Even faster.

Thirty meters left.

A little more, just a little more.

Twenty meters left.

Moving my arm is so heavy and painful.

Ten meters left.

My arm hurts, a creaking noise came from my body as well.

Move, my body. There's just a little bit more, I'll reach it after going forward a little bit more.

Five meters left. Three meters left. ……

Right, I'm here!

I opened the drainage cover on top of me. Supporting my body with only my right arm, I arrived outside.

That was when I found out.

From the start, hope does not exist.

"…… Eh?"

The junk parts store was not there.

Among the shops arranged tidily on the commercial street, only a square space was left there like front teeth that had been pulled out.

—About one in the afternoon,

The news that I watched—

—At the Venus Fountain Plaza located at Oval Station,

The voice of the broadcaster—

There was a robot rampage incident.

It echoed in the emptiness of my mind.

Realizing the truth, I could only stare blankly at emptiness.

—Are you joking.

No matter how many times I looked over there, there wasn't any shop over there at all. Weeds grew from the flat land. Not only that.

—It's a joke, right?

A laundry shop was at the right, and a stationary shop was at the left, both of their doors were tightly closed. I could not doubt this, the empty space is indeed the place where a circle was drawn on the map.

Then, the words of the broadcaster combined with the words in my mind.

—A large robot that worked at a second hand shop nearby—

Second hand shop— junk parts store.

—Is it possible……

The despairing truth was ascertained in my mind.

The 'Lightning' that Lilith spoke of was the robot that I saw before this in the news. He broke down the shop as though he got mad, and was broken to pieces by laser guns at the fountain plaza. The large robot was him.

The head that was raised that time was Lightning.