Humanity had entered a new era of civilization.
A hush had fallen over the globe; there was no one left who could organize any opposition to Noldrei.
Rita Rossweisse arrived at Noldrei's doorstep once again, only to be greeted by the Android who looked so much like her, Gita.
"Hello, welcome."
Gita's smile was a stark contrast to the weary look on Rita's face.
Rita asked, "Hasn't anyone ever thought of getting you a different job?"
Gita thought for a moment and replied, "I think things are quite nice as they are. You're the strange one, actually. Why haven't you gone to see Principal Theresa? Her situation must not be very good right now, I imagine?"
Rita shook her head, explaining, "Miss Amber has already gone to see Principal Theresa. I don't think it's a good time for me to speak with her. She would probably prefer to talk to someone who knew Overseer Otto and could tell her about her grandfather's past."
"Is that so... Well, would you like to come in? Though, now might not be the best time. It might interrupt the Chairman's... good time?"
Gita's words made Rita uneasy, causing her to worry that her activities with Noldrei had been exposed.
Whether it was Dr. Tesla or Kiana, Rita couldn't bear the jealousy of either of them.
But she had to admit...
Noldrei's "craftsmanship" put every spa or other indulgence Rita had ever experienced to shame.
"Oh? Judging by your expression, you must be quite satisfied with the Chairman's handiwork as well. What a pity. Gita isn't so lucky. As a specialized Android, I don't suffer from fatigue or other such problems."
Rita felt Gita's words were a bit of a humblebrag.
"I'm not... Never mind. I'm just here to see him. I want to ask him for a chance to meet with Sirin. She's been avoiding me ever since she came back from Siberia, and I want to resolve some of our past entanglements."
Rita was referring to the animosity between her and Sirin.
Although the incident had left a deep mark on Rita, she had no intention of transferring her hatred onto Sirin. Besides, if Otto hadn't committed such despicable acts as human experimentation, Sirin would never have ended up opposing the Valkyries.
Put in the same position, Rita believed she would have done the same thing as Sirin.
But the current situation was that Sirin had no desire to face Rita. No matter how Rita tried to find her, Sirin always managed to successfully evade her.
Trying to find a Herrscher of the Void who was actively trying to hide was an almost impossible task for Rita.
That was why Rita had taken the initiative to seek out Noldrei. She didn't want Sirin to carry such a heavy burden of guilt for the rest of her life.
However, after seeing Sirin, Rita felt that she might have been overthinking things.
Sirin was currently bickering with Kiana, clearly not dwelling too much on the Valkyries who had died in the past. It seemed Sirin simply didn't know how to face Rita.
After all, the two of them were "tentacle whip sisters" in a way.
Sirin instinctively wanted to avoid Rita, but Noldrei had taken her Herrscher Core, preventing her from escaping.
"What are you doing here? You already know about Ragna, don't you? I did it. There's nothing to say."
Sirin turned her head away, her neck stiff, showing no intention of easing the tension.
Rita didn't speak, just stared intently at Sirin.
The two sat in silence, facing each other. Kiana, who had started as the one being watched, now joined the crowd of onlookers.
Kiana, naturally, didn't feel much guilt. Her body was already separate from Sirin's; there was no way the matter of Ragna could be pinned on her.
Rita's stare made Sirin extremely restless. She fidgeted as if she had ants in her pants, not knowing where to put herself.
"Is that so? Then why are you avoiding me? Do you think I'll seek revenge and are taking precautions in case I launch a sneak attack?"
Rita's question was too sharp, leaving Sirin at a loss for words.
She knew Rita would never do such a thing. Even if Rita did want revenge, Noldrei wouldn't allow a feud born from political strife to continue.
The order was clearly given by Otto; Sirin was just defending herself without limit to avoid becoming an experiment. Facing an entire organization of Valkyries hunting her down, the K-423 of that time could have done anything.
It was, without a doubt, a political struggle. Ragna was just carrying out a Valkyrie's mission; she wasn't even the one who gave the order.
This was also why Rita couldn't righteously seek revenge. Anyone who knew what Otto had done couldn't say the Valkyries weren't accomplices.
Since they played the role of accomplices, they had to accept the consequences of being killed by the escaping K-423.
"I... I... I don't know."
Sirin looked down, fiddling with her fingers. She couldn't explain why she was avoiding Rita. They hadn't spent much time together; Rita had only been a temporary caretaker for her.
Rita took a deep breath, stepped forward, and took Sirin's hand. She said earnestly, "Sirin, the first time I saw you, it was like meeting a daughter I'd never known."
"Huh?!"
Raiden Mei, who was watching from the side, cried out in surprise.
She looked around at the others and saw Kiana's eyes bulging out of her head—literally.
"Wh-wh-what do you mean by that?!"
Sirin frantically tried to pull her hand back, so nervous she could barely form a complete sentence.
"I'm telling you! You can forget about taking advantage of me! I'm much older than you!"
Rita retorted sharply, "But your emotional age is immature! What's wrong with me treating you like a daughter? It's just like how Ragna treated me. If she had known about your situation, she definitely wouldn't have accepted that mission."
"She's dead! Dead! A dead person is like a broken shard. No matter how you piece it together, you can't bring them back. Every time you see me, you'll think of her! You'll never forget the pain of that time, how a life was crushed like waste paper. You'll remember it in your heart forever."
It was precisely because Sirin understood this pain that she couldn't understand how Rita could say she forgave her.
After saying this, she fled as if escaping.
Rita looked on with a sense of loss. Sirin's emotional walls were even higher than she had imagined.
Kiana was very anxious about this. She went up to Rita and asked, "Rita, how could you want to be her mom? Doesn't that make you a whole generation older than me?"
Rita comforted her, "We can have our own separate relationships. I'll call you my sister, and you can call me Auntie Rita."
Kiana was speechless for a moment, wondering if this "auntie" of hers was for real.