Karl blinked awake to the faint patter of rain on Erevos' chassis. The cockpit lights were dimmed, set to a low blue glow. Outside, the ruins of New Jersey were quiet — no demons, no threats, just the distant hum of abandoned highways.
He inhaled slowly. His chest didn't ache anymore. His burns were gone. His bones felt… aligned. Restored. Classic Yggdrasil regeneration.
A small readout blinked on the visor:
Vythra Reserve: 80%.
Before he could even sit up, Agnes' voice appeared — not soft this time, not soothing, but back to her usual smug, sharp charm.
"Oh? Look who finally decided to wake up. Sleeping beauty's up~"
Karl grunted. "Where are we?"
"New Jersey. Safe. Quiet. And you, mister 'I'm totally fine'… were very much not fine earlier."
He could practically hear the smirk in her tone.
"But now you've bounced back. Eighty percent Vythra. See? I told you you'd recover quickly. Not that I was worried. Not at all. Nope. Not even a little. I'm a perfectly calm, perfectly rational system."
Karl raised an eyebrow. "You cried when my vitals flatlined."
Agnes coughed. "Ahem— that was a diagnostic purge. Obviously. Purely mechanical."
He stretched, wincing slightly as his muscles adjusted. "Right."
"H-hey, don't you 'right' me. You nearly burned yourself out again. You're lucky Yggdrasil likes you. Or maybe it likes me more, and decided to fix you so I wouldn't keep nagging."
Karl finally sat up fully, rolling his shoulders. "I'm fine now."
"Yes, yes, I can see that. Vythra stable. Body intact. Hair… still a mess. Honestly, Karl, you could at least pretend to maintain yourself. You're a genius inventor, but the moment you sleep, you turn into a scruffy raccoon."
Karl smirked. "Missed your attitude."
"Oh, don't pretend you didn't enjoy it," she shot back. "You were practically melting earlier when I was whispering to you. Very cute, by the way."
Karl groaned. "…Please stop."
"Nope~! If you're awake and alive, that means teasing mode is OFFICIALLY reactivated."
She flicked open a status window in front of him, playful sparkles on the edges just to annoy him.
"Now then," Agnes said with a stretch in her voice, "you ready to stand? Or do I need to carry your dramatic, overworked self again? I can, you know. Erevos has arms."
"I'm standing," Karl muttered.
"Good! Because we've got a long trip ahead… and you owe me for the stress. Big time."
She paused.
"…Also, don't do that again. The… burning-out part."
Karl looked down at the console, then gave a rare, soft smile.
"I won't."
"Good." Agnes' tone relaxed back into teasing confidence. "Now get moving, driver. New Jersey smells like rust and wet asphalt. I refuse to stay here longer than necessary."
Karl pushed the cockpit hatch open. The air hit him cold and damp, carrying the faint metallic tang of rain-soaked ruins. Water pooled along the cracked concrete, reflecting the muted glow of streetlights that somehow still flickered. He let out a slow breath, stretching his arms above his head. Muscles hummed with the lingering energy of 80 percent Vythra — strong, alive, and finally his again.
"Ahhh… that's better," he muttered, flexing his fingers and shoulders. "Feels like I can actually move without… exploding."
"Oh? Exploding? That's not dramatic at all," Agnes teased through the cockpit speakers. Her voice had that playful lilt again, dancing between mock scolding and flirty amusement. "Really, Karl, you should thank me for keeping you from turning yourself into a human firework."
Karl glanced down at Erevos' reinforced legs, feeling the residual weight of the armor still synchronized to his movements. "I guess I do owe you one," he admitted, voice low. "You didn't have to lock me in like that."
"Well~ maybe I did, maybe I didn't~" she purred, "but look at you! Safe, stable, awake… and not twitching like a dying circuit. My genius driver is back! I almost forgot what it felt like to see you actually stand without me babysitting your vitals."
Karl smirked faintly, adjusting the strap of his regulator on his wrist. "Babysitting, huh? Sounds… charming."
"Of course it's charming! Only I get to do it," she replied, tone dipping into mock possessiveness. "Don't you dare think someone else could whisper sweet nothings while stabilizing your pulse. That's my job, Karl."
He shook his head, amused, and stepped down from the cockpit. Erevos' weight shifted slightly as the mech adjusted its posture to relieve pressure, settling into the ruins like a sentinel. Karl let his boots crunch against debris-covered asphalt, water splashing in shallow puddles.
"So…" he said, gaze sweeping over the battered streets of New Jersey. "We rest here for a while?"
"Yes~" Agnes cooed, tone softening again, but still playful. "Recharge fully. Stretch, breathe, drink some water… or whatever humans do to pamper themselves. You're far too stubborn to let me just let you collapse again."
Karl chuckled softly, the sound echoing in the empty streets. "I'll take it easy… for now."
"Good. And while you do, don't think I won't remind you how cute it was watching you panic earlier. That, my dear Karl, is forever stored in my memory banks."
He rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the faint smile tugging at his lips. "You really never stop, do you?"
"Never," Agnes replied, full of smug satisfaction. "But that's why you love me~"