Deep within the Moon, at the core of the sealed domain constructed by MoonCell to bind the Colossus, lay a forbidden zone.
It was there that the starship—Velber 02's ark—was lodged directly into the Moon's photon crystal lattice, fused to it like an invasive parasite.
Within that ark, the Colossus originally slumbered, confined in a stone chamber where shafts of pale light trickled down through the ceiling. That faint illumination defined the only "visible" space Attila the Colossus was permitted to inhabit.
At this very moment, curled up on the stone bed with her knees hugged tightly to her chest, Attila suddenly sensed something—her entire body jolted, panic flashing across her expression.
She leapt to her feet, head bowed low, like a startled cat bracing for danger.
"Th-this… this aura… it's—!"
Her heart raced without her willing it, and in her mind only one name surfaced, inevitable, undeniable—Avia.
Confusion swept over her. What should she say when he arrived?
After all, merely brushing against his thoughts, his emotions on Earth through her borrowed vessel's consciousness, had already been more than enough to sustain her.
And yet… in truth, she couldn't deny it. This made her happy. Yes, truly happy.
Her memories stirred—of those days on Earth, when the two of them had done so many things together.
There was one phrase, one simple truth, she had always wanted to say to him.
That she wanted to see him again. That she wanted, desperately, to touch him.
"Mm… I've missed you so much…"
In the dim chamber touched by that single pale light, warmth rose from her body as if her emotions were given form. She buried her face in her knees a heartbeat later, flustered.
"Wh-what am I even mumbling…"
Forcing herself to inhale deeply, Attila calmed her racing heart. She quickly glanced about the chamber and hurried to shove everything in the room beneath the bed.
Her bed had been modeled after the roof of a temple she once conquered, while the room itself was designed in imitation of Avia's dwelling on Earth—only enlarged, scaled to her proportions.
But a world of only one person… was inevitably small.
"…What do I do? I can't make it any smaller…"
The ark itself was an almond-shaped craft six hundred meters across. The stone chamber that served as her cockpit shifted in size according to her perception. To conserve energy, it maintained only the minimum dimensions required to contain her body.
And her body—Attila's body—stood at sixteen meters in height. That size had been fixed when she descended to Earth, designed as exactly tenfold the stature of its dominant species. Now, confined, she could scarcely alter it. She could, of course, withdraw into a dreamlike state of slumber, but here, in the flesh, she longed for something real.
To reach out. To touch him with her own hands.
"…Like this, you'll only hate me, won't you…"
The thought sapped her strength. Her vast frame wavered unsteadily, as though overcome by dizziness. Her vision swam white and black. Knees buckled, body heavy, mind blank—like a human collapsing from anemia, she forgot how to stand at all.
And then, Avia stepped inside.
Startled, the Colossus straightened, her enormous feet trembling to regain balance. She stood silently, unable to speak.
For a moment, the two only gazed at each other. Then Avia broke the silence with a teasing smile:
"Attila, you've grown that big? That's a surprise. Think I'll ever be able to match that height myself?"
"…No." The sixteen-meter giant shook her head. "And… I—I'm sorry."
"…Hm?"
"Like this… I must've scared you. I'm supposed to be the thing that destroys you all…"
"How should I put it? Because you're Attila, I could never be afraid of you."
His silver-haired voice carried a calm sincerity.
"I… I wanted so much to see you. I always dreamed of becoming someone who could stand before you and speak properly. So when you came, I thought… I could try. But in the end, I only became something frightening to you. I'm sorry…"
Avia understood. These stumbling words were the Colossus mustering all the courage she possessed.
"To me, there's nothing of the sort," he said gently, as though his wish itself flowed through his voice. "In short—Attila, you as you are, are already enough."
At those words, hope trembled to life in her heart.
She reached forward, cupping him gently in her vast hands, lifting him until their eyes were level.
As though afraid that, if she let go, he would vanish forever.
Avia could read the reason in her expression—those blood-red eyes told him everything:
She no longer wished to be alone.
"I have to return."
His words stung her, a bittersweet ache tightening in her chest.
"…I see. Of course. I'm sorry…"
The faint light falling through the ceiling cast their mismatched figures in shadow—one vast, one small, overlapping on the bare stone floor, their lines strangely crisp, pointing in scattered directions.
Attila's red eyes wavered as she looked into his. Avia held that gaze and said softly:
"Please don't cry. Even if I could wipe away your tears, I could never stop them from falling."
"…As if that's any of your business."
Her lips moved faintly, barely audible. Then, more clearly, she whispered:
"…Truth is, I've always wanted to go and find you."
Only now did she realize—Avia was far more important to her than she had ever allowed herself to admit.
"Mm. You'd seek me out? Even if you had no idea where I'd gone?"
"I believe you'd always leave me some kind of trail to follow."
"And what if—just if—I didn't want you to find me?"
"I'd cry…" Attila smiled faintly, a lonely kind of smile. "But don't worry. I can't say things like 'If that's the case, I'll destroy the world instead,' anymore. Because I know you wouldn't like that. So I won't leave. I won't corrupt MoonCell. I'll stay here."
"…If only I could cure your loneliness right this instant. Or—maybe there's still a chance that I can."
His blue eyes met her blood-red gaze, steady and sincere.
"No matter what, Attila—I will come for you."
"…Then, stay a little longer before you go. Be with me just a while more, Avia."