You’re Right, They’ll Expel Me if I Run into the Store with a Weapon!! - Chapter 36: ……Gau

The voices of numerous children echo. It’s not a sound but something else. Thoughts entangle and communicate intentions.

“(We’re already…)” “(Even if you help, our bodies…)” “(……)” “(I want to return to Sensei’s place)” “(I want to see Mama…)”

Sobbing voices resonate within the thoughts.

Airi Edelman went out to eat with her family on her eighth birthday.

By chance, an incident occurred that day.

In the restaurant, a man was rampaging with flames in both hands.

While the customers and staff were terrified, the man found me, pulled my hair, and choked me with his large arms.

I was very scared and in pain.

When I came, I was still being held by the man outside the restaurant.

There were many black cars and police cars on the road and lots of adults with guns.

Seeing this, the man shouted while producing flames from his palms.

Then, the man threw me towards the adults with guns.

As I felt the sensation of gravity leaving me, the last thing I saw was a red, burning fireball flying towards me.

Everyone imagined a cruel scene would follow.

“No.”

The fireball hurled at me disintegrated at the utterance of that leaked word as if collapsing.

Then, I was caught by an adult.

The man, who had gone mad from the event, created another fireball and threw it at me.

But again, the fireball disappeared, and several adults subdued the man.

The next day, I was taken to a combat school for testing.

The diagnosis revealed combat power and an undiscovered ability, and the school wanted to research this ability, to which I consented.

The ability’s name is “Harmony Operation.” The power to manipulate the harmony of a designated target.

I could extinguish the flames because I disrupted the harmony of the air and moisture contained in the flame.

The many possibilities fascinated the combat school as they researched Harmony Operation.

The extent of what harmony could do was unknown.

I, too, wanted to know this unknown and cooperated with the combat school.

Then, the incident happened.

I was kidnapped.

When I awoke, I was tied to a white room bed surrounded by men operating computers.

They said in unison, “What a wonderful ability. An invincible soldier will be born. This will bring new light to our research.”

The girl, who couldn’t understand at all, cried out, but they ignored her and simply gagged her mouth, saying she was disturbing their research.

And then, the girl’s brain was removed.

The next time consciousness returned, it was in a dark space.

In a space where it’s unclear if there are walls, faint shadows of people appear sporadically.

“(Where is this?)” “(Who?)” “(It’s dark)” “(Where’s Mama)” “(Waaah)”

It wasn’t a sensation of sound but more like intentions entering the mind.

“(Who are you?)”

It didn’t feel like using a voice, but it resonated in the space.

After listening, I learned that everyone else had also been kidnapped.

“Come on, wake up.”

Suddenly, a voice flows through my mind, and as I become aware, light enters my vision.

What I see is a vast space. My body feels bound, unable to move.

Several black shadows slowly approach the brightly lit white floor.

“Alright, first, demonstrate your pyrokinesis. Try to burn the spider in front of you.”

Hearing these words, my vision shakes violently. Suddenly, everything before me is engulfed in a bright red light.

When the light fades, I see a charred mass lying before me.

“Wonderful! Next, try psychokinesis.”

Reacting to that voice, my vision shakes again, and the scenery gradually shrinks.

“Oh! Can that huge body float?”

The man’s voice, filled with joy, flows through my mind.

And then I finally realized.

That my vision has become elevated. That my hands have turned black. That my entire body feels strange.

“Are you conscious, Airi-chan?”

A man walks in from the door.

“Let’s show you your current form. Look at the monitor above.”

I follow his pointing finger. On the monitor, next to the man pointing, is…

A black robot?

Why? How? This body? What?

My thoughts tangle and become a mess.

“Through Harmony Operation, we’ve managed to control multiple brain pulses, enabling a single soldier to be equipped with multiple abilities.”

I don’t understand. What is he saying?

“Until now, each soldier could only have one ability, but Harmony Operation made it possible. Airi Edelman, your ability has brought great light to our research.”

He speaks with an ugly smile.

“There are fifty brains in harmony. Emission types, manipulation types, transformation types, and more. Ah, it’s too wonderful. You are very beautiful.”

While in ecstasy, the man slowly strokes the black hand.

“Why, why, why?!”

“Gau! GauGauGau!”

Not a human voice. What emerges is a deep, heavy sound.

“Ah, I thought it’d be troublesome if you could speak, but that voice is cuter. Now, it’s time to sleep.”

My body moves on its own. What I see ahead is a dark room.

Stepping into it, I stop in the back.

“Goodnight, soldier・liger.”

And then, my vision fades.

Back in that dark space.

Ah, I see.

These children are the brains I’m in harmony with.