Karl leaned back against Erevos' cockpit frame, feeling the hum of nanites slowly pulse beneath his skin. Even at 80 percent Vythra, staying in the fully integrated frame was… unnecessary. The suit was powerful, but it was Erevos, not him.
"Agnes," he muttered, voice calm but firm, "time to come out. I want my body back."
"Ohhh~ is my perfect little driver finally tired of being a giant armored knight?" she teased, tone lilting and playful. "Can't say I blame you… it does drain a sliver of your precious Vythra, even if you don't notice right away."
Karl smirked faintly, flexing his fingers. "Exactly. I'm human. I like to stay that way when I can."
"Mmm~ human, fragile, brilliant Karl," she whispered, softer now, brushing a gentle praise across his neural interface. "You think you need the frame to be strong… but you are strong. Always have been. Always will be."
The nanites around his body began to retreat, flowing back into Erevos' core with a gentle hiss. Plates unlocked, hydraulic joints released, and the cockpit slowly quieted. A soft cascade of steam escaped, carrying the faint smell of ozone and warm metal.
Karl let the last of the nanites recede, feeling his muscles fully alive, entirely his own. He stretched once, exhaling deeply as though the weight of the frame had been a tangible burden.
"Ahh… that's perfect," he murmured, rubbing his arms and shoulders. "All mine again."
"Yesss~ exactly how I like to see you~" Agnes purred, voice shifting between amusement and fondness. "Strong, stable, just Karl. You don't need all that metal to shine. Look at you… my perfect driver, awake and whole again."
Karl's lips curved into a faint smile. "You really never stop, do you?"
"Never," she answered, teasing and warm at the same time. "Besides… someone has to keep reminding you how amazing you are. Otherwise, who else would?"
He chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. The ruins of New Jersey stretched before him, calm but fragile, a place to rest before the long road to Tokyo.
"Alright, Agnes," he said, tone resolute but soft, "let's take it easy for a while. Recharge, settle… we've got a long journey ahead."
"Mmm~ I like the sound of that, Karl~" she replied, a soft hum vibrating through his neural link. "But don't get too comfy~ I will tease you endlessly while you do."
Karl laughed, genuine this time, as he took a cautious step out onto the cracked asphalt, fully human once more — free, yet not alone.
Karl stepped over a chunk of crumbled asphalt, the wind tugging gently at his coat. The hum of Erevos was gone, replaced only by the soft pulse of his own heartbeat and the faint, playful murmur of Agnes in his mind.
He paused, letting the silence settle, and then…
"Wait a second…" he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "Rations."
Agnes tilted her tone, teasing but curious. "Rations~? Planning a snack break in the middle of rubble, my perfect driver?"
Karl's smile faltered slightly. "No… I didn't bring anything with me. My bunker… back in New York… I—" He hesitated, glancing toward the horizon where the ruins of Manhattan would have been. "…I blew it up."
"Ahhhh~ so dramatic~" Agnes purred, though the undertone carried a trace of concern. "You didn't have to, you know. It wasn't exactly… alive."
Karl ran a hand over his face, exhaling slowly. "I know. But… it felt like I had to. Everything else was gone, all that tech, the old supplies… maybe I just wanted to erase the last traces of it."
A quiet pause followed. He clenched his fists, feeling the subtle warmth of his Vythra pulse through his veins. He didn't need food to survive. As long as his Vythra was high, he'd keep going. But…
"But eating," he admitted softly, almost to himself, "made me feel… human. Like I could still sit down and exist in the same world I once did. It wasn't survival I craved—it was… the little rituals."
Agnes hummed, a soft, melodic vibration in his mind. "Mmm~ my driver~ still holding onto the little things that make you human, even after two centuries of rubble and chaos. I adore that about you~"
Karl let a faint, rueful chuckle escape. "Guess I'll just have to scavenge. Or… wait until I reach somewhere civilized. Tokyo, if this core trace is right."
"Mm-hmm~ scavenging~ I can see it now~ Karl Kurogane, human extraordinaire, hunting snacks in the ruins," she teased, the warmth in her tone weaving comfort through her words. "But don't worry, I'll make sure nothing eats you before then. You're mine, you know that, right?"
Karl exhaled slowly, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I know, Agnes. I really do."
For the first time in hours—maybe centuries—he allowed himself to feel the quiet, human weight of hunger, solitude, and the promise of a slow journey ahead. Even without rations, with nothing but Vythra keeping him alive, he felt… anchored. Grounded. Human.
Agnes purred softly, teasing and warm, wrapping him in an invisible comfort. "Good~ rest easy, my perfect driver. We'll make it. And hey… when we do eat, I'll make it worth your while~"
Karl chuckled again, shaking his head. "You never stop, do you?"
"Never~" she whispered, a soft echo of mischief and affection.