The next morning, there was silence on the cold metal floor of the base's spacious training area. Null waited in a perfect fighting stance, motionless. Across from her, Epsilon shifted uncomfortably in place. There was no trace of last night's determination.
"What are we waiting for?" Null asked, her voice patient but sharp.
"Just... looking for the right moment," Epsilon murmured without lifting his gaze from the ground. He tried to clench his fist but his fingers trembled and stopped halfway. In his mind, the echoes of those memories were still vivid: his father's raised hand, the teacher's cruel smile...
Through the nanorobots, Null could feel his internal struggle. Waves of fear, shame, and helplessness were creating interference even in her own systems. "You're afraid," she said. This wasn't a question, it was an observation.
"Not of fighting," Epsilon said, finally raising his eyes to her. "I'm afraid of the 'me' after fighting. That hurt child, cornered... I'm afraid of reliving that feeling."
Null thought for a moment. "Then change your logic. Don't see this as a fight. See it as a series of movements, a problem-solving exercise. For me, fighting is physical chess played to reach the most efficient outcome."
"Chess..." Epsilon repeated. This word sparked something in his mind. His eyes lit up. "Like a game then... Strategy... Special moves..." That childish, manga-loving excitement Null had grown accustomed to appeared on his face.
"Null, you're a genius!" he shouted.
"I know," Null said calmly. "But why did you say that now?"
"Because you inspired me! I don't have to fight with just brute force!" Epsilon walked toward her excitedly. "I can use Edgium not just to strengthen my fists, but to strengthen my mind! I can think like you!"
Null's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Explain."
"Nanorobots! I'm connected to you through them, right? I can access your thinking speed, your analytical ability. Instead of just observing your movements, I can feel like you. I can copy your strategies, combine them with my own energy! This... this will become our own martial art!"
Null remained silent for a moment while processing this unexpected and seemingly completely illogical but essentially brilliant idea. Epsilon's chaotic, story-fed mind had produced a solution she could never have conceived. This wasn't just a way for Epsilon to overcome his trauma, but also the most perfect way to combine their powers.
"An interesting hypothesis," Null said with a faint expression of admiration on her face. "Time to put theory into practice." She took her fighting stance again. "Establish the connection, Epsilon. Class is starting."
Epsilon took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He focused his mind on building a bridge through the nanorobots, as he had done when teaching Null the alphabet. This time was deeper. He wasn't just sending information, he was opening a door.
For a moment everything went silent. Then an ocean of data stormed into his mind. This was Null's consciousness. Pure, unfiltered logic. A system that analyzed, classified, and labeled his own chaotic emotions, fears, and memories at a thousandth of a second. He saw his own body from Null's sensors: increased heart rate, sweating, muscle tension... Everything was data.
As he was about to drown in this overwhelming flood of information, Null moved. Her right arm advanced toward Epsilon's face at a perfect angle. Normally, Epsilon would either instinctively retreat or panic. But now, he didn't just see the punch. He understood it. From Null's mind, he felt the data stream calculating the punch's speed, trajectory, and potential force. There was no fear. Only data.
Without knowing his own body's limits, Epsilon moved with Null's logic. He brought his left arm to the ideal angle to meet the punch. His movement wasn't as flawless as Null's but it was good enough. The punch stopped millimeters from hitting Epsilon's arm.
"Hypothesis confirmed," Null said, pulling back. "Your reaction time increased by 73.4%."
Epsilon opened his eyes, out of breath. The mental connection was incredibly exhausting. "So... it worked."
"Yes," Null said. "Now again. This time, I won't stop."
Epsilon swallowed but nodded. He closed his eyes and opened his mind again to Null's ocean of logic. The next hour was both enlightening and painful for Epsilon. When connected to Null's mind, he could analyze each incoming attack seconds before. But his body couldn't keep up with his mind's speed. Each of Null's punches, each kick, hit exactly where it should, the smallest gap in Epsilon's defense. He was knocked down repeatedly, each time getting back up with his instantly healing body. Finally, completely exhausted, he let himself fall to the ground. "Okay... break... Please."
"You have no restraint at all, my life," Epsilon whined. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"Negative," Null said, her voice serious as always. "Just testing your potential. While your mind calculates 1.2 million possibilities per second, your body can only respond to 3 of them. There's a synchronization problem."
"That's called getting beat up, not a synchronization problem," Epsilon grumbled.
Null didn't respond to this joke. "I'll ask you something. I saw in your memories... Your father beat you because of your report card. But you weren't stupid enough to fail those exams, were you?"
The tired expression on Epsilon's face gave way to momentary anger. "No, I wasn't! All my grades were perfect! But that... that teacher... never gave me the grades I deserved!"
"Why did he hate you so much? I couldn't see a logical reason."
Epsilon paused for a moment, trying to think about those memories. The teacher's face, his name... But there was a blank in his mind. "I don't know," he said in shock. "He just... didn't like me." Then he realized with greater horror. "His name... I can't remember his name."
Null thought he was joking but felt the pure panic coming from Epsilon through the nanorobots. "Focus," Null said, her voice calm. "Remember his face."
Epsilon closed his eyes. He tried to visualize the teacher's face in his mind but there was only a blurry silhouette. Then he thought of Delta. That pale face, those sad eyes... The outlines were there, but the details... as if behind a fog curtain. His mother's face, his father's face... All the same.
"It's not working," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I can't... remember their faces." His eyes widened. "My name..." he whispered. "My... what was my real name?"
"Calm down," Null said, her voice determined. "Do you need to remember the name of that man you hated? Or the faces of people who disappointed you? They're in the past. You're Epsilon to me."
Epsilon paused for a moment at this unexpected and illogical comfort. The panic wave slowly receded. "It's a bit sad that my name is a mathematical letter and yours is a programming term," he said, trying to regain his old cheerfulness. "But I guess that's 'my life's name.'"
"This mental blur... might be related to your universe crossing. The book talked about the costs of inter-universe passage. Perhaps this is one of them."
"So my memories... are slowly being erased?" Epsilon asked, his voice more worried this time.
"I don't know," Null said honestly. "But there's a place we can find the answer." Her gaze indicated the shelter. Epsilon nodded. "Okay, let's go to the shelter. But... there's one thing I remember. I think I still remember the first reason I hated my name. That despicable teacher and I... had the same name."
"Why didn't you tell your family? What was done to you."
Epsilon laughed bitterly. "Even if they believed me, they would have said 'Stand stronger, don't let this break you.' They wouldn't have supported me, they would have just expected more."
"Did you tell them later?"
"Yes. Years after graduation. They said 'We're glad you could solve your own problems.' That's all."
"You had a sister, didn't you? I saw in your memories. How did your family treat her?"
"She... she was the family's princess. Fragile, to be protected. I was the family's example. I had to be the strongest, never stumble."
Null felt that deep pain in his voice and squeezed the hand on his shoulder slightly. "You don't have to be the strongest anymore."
Epsilon froze for a moment at this unexpected affection. Then that mischievous smile appeared on his face again. "You're right. Now I have a hottie stronger than me beside me. I can dump all the work on you." At these words, Null withdrew her hand from his shoulder and in continuation of the same movement, delivered a light punch to Epsilon's shoulder.
"When I feel sorry for you, you always manage to make me regret it," Null said with a sigh.
"Maybe I don't want to stay in a pitiful state anymore," Epsilon replied. The sky had been painted with the colors of sunset. "Should we go to the sea?"
"Why?" Null asked.
"I'm going to try something to relax," Epsilon said mysteriously.
A sparkle appeared in Null's eyes. "Then we're racing, right?"
"If you run in that revealing combat outfit, I won't be able to run from looking at you," Epsilon teased.
"Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself," Null snapped, but there was a faint expression on her face. She was embarrassed. "Okay. Let's change and go."
A few minutes later, they sat side by side on the beach under the last light of sunset. Epsilon had lit a small fire. The crackling of flames mingled with the monotonous sound of waves. Without hesitation, he rested his head on Null's shoulder. Null no longer was surprised by this movement.
"You know," Epsilon whispered. "I used to hate the sea. It always reminded me of loneliness. But right now... watching it together with you... feels pleasant."
Null focused on the weight on her shoulder and the calm emanating from him. "Interesting," she murmured.
"What's interesting?" Epsilon asked without lifting his head.
"Our way of controlling Edgium," Null continued. "I use it by finding the most efficient way, like solving an equation. Logical and calculated. You, on the other hand... use it more instinctively and emotionally, like letting a river flow. Different but... complementary."
Epsilon smiled when he heard this analysis. "I don't question the reasons anymore," he said. "You're just good for my soul. Thank you." He paused and added: "Wait, I forgot something."
"What?"
"You're the best girlfriend I could find in this world!" Epsilon said with a completely serious expression.
Null rolled her eyes. "Your ability to list these meaningless compliments is developing faster than your ability to control Edgium."
"You know I'm not saying this just because you're the only girl in this world, right?"
"You couldn't have found anyone else anyway," Null replied.
"There were other androids at the military base but... none could be as beautiful as you!"
"You're a complete idiot," Null said, but had turned her face away. She was embarrassed. "And how much longer are you planning to lie on my shoulder?"
"Okay, okay," Epsilon said, lifting his head.
"Stop the analyses now," Epsilon laughed. "Are you sure you're an android? I'm becoming more certain every day that you have a girl's soul inside."
Null's turning her face away was the greatest proof that Epsilon was right. "Is that so?" she murmured, her voice softer than usual. Then she suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, now that I think about it... Why did you light this fire? Was your plan from the beginning to opportunistically lie on my shoulder?"
This time it was Epsilon's turn to be embarrassed. "No, of course not! It was because... it reminded me of a scene from romantic stories I read."
Null remained silent for a moment at this confession. Then she let out a laugh she couldn't suppress. "Mr. Main Character, did you read those kinds of things too?"
Epsilon looked at her with a flushed face. "When did we switch roles? I was the one who made fun of you! Ugh!" There was a moment of silence. "By the way, I've been thinking... Null, have you ever questioned why you see yourself as female?"
Null thought for a moment, looking at the fire. "I don't know," she said honestly. "Hearing it... never made me feel wrong. It just... feels right."
"Maybe you really were designed inspired by someone," Epsilon said.
To change the subject, Null quickly turned to him. "Well, Epsilon, let me ask you a question. Didn't you light a fire like this at the sea with Delta?"
Epsilon gave up. The smile on his face faded. "No... Delta and I last came to the sea when we were children. In our... our relationship, we didn't have much time to date."
Null felt the sincerity and pain in his voice. That jealous feeling inside her instantly disappeared, replaced by relief. "Then..." she said. "This was the first time you did something in your real life, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Epsilon said, sighing.
To lift his spirits, Null stood up. "The next purification time is coming. We should go to the shelter."
Epsilon suddenly stood up, "Continuing the purifications is quite troublesome but I need to struggle to progress," he said and extended his hand to Null, who was still sitting.
Null said, "What's this for? I can get up myself."
"This is a gentlemanly gesture, my life," Epsilon said with a grin. "As a lady, it's a sign of grace to take your handsome boyfriend's hand and stand up."
Null took his extended hand. But instead of getting up, she pulled Epsilon hard toward herself, making him fall face-first into the sand.
"Thanks, my life," Null jabbed as she stepped over him. "If you're last, you lose!" she said, starting to run toward the base.
Epsilon laughed, spitting sand from his face. "She's getting more feisty... but that makes her more interesting," he murmured and started running after her.