ERA: Unleashing the A.I.

CHAPTER 7: BUT ICE MELTS IN FIRE...

Helyx stumbled back a few steps, and Subaru let go of the weapon in his pocket.

"Helyx, I've always secretly admired you. You were an exceptional servant to me. You followed my orders without objection and delivered flawless work without getting lost in your own ideas," Subaru said, adjusting his tie on his suit.

He continued, "I used to reprimand Gabriel occasionally for his laziness, and Kai for his inexperience and indecisiveness. I don't even bother talking about Styx. You must know how indifferent and aimless your twin can be."

Helyx clenched his fists, lowering his head. "Be careful with what you say about my brother!" he warned.

Ignoring his concern, Subaru looked at his own reflection on the marble floor. His Zenith's blood had dried, taking on a dark, almost black hue. 

"I never reprimanded you though. You adapted to me like ice stubbornly refusing to melt in the fire. That should please me, shouldn't it? But you are the one I want to see suffer the most in this building!" he continued, dismissing Helyx's emotions.

"But now I can get my revenge and be satisfied! And as you insulted me, it's completely justified!"

A sharp disgust appeared on Helyx's face. When Subaru raised his head, his eyes glinted with a steel-like shine.

"Do you know? No matter how resilient and resistant it may be, every ice is destined to melt and break apart! So, Helyx, I will give you a chance!" Subaru said, with sarcastic and infuriating gestures, raising both of his hands in a mock surrender.

"Go ahead, Helyx! Maybe you can reiterate the Arixus disaster to me and pierce the ice spikes into me, even more! Create irreparable cracks in my heart, go on!" His expression quickly changed to a sinister and eerie smile.

"Come on, the stage is yours!"

Styx seemed as though he was about to say something, but Subaru quickly pulled out his weapon from his pocket and aimed it at him. Trembling, Styx let out a scream and tightly shut his eyes.

Subaru mercilessly kept the gun pointed at him. "Don't you dare! If you open your mouth, I'll shoot both you and Helyx!"

The room fell into complete silence. The atmosphere was now tense, intensified by Subaru's unstable and impulsive behavior.

As Subaru slowly approached the table, his footsteps echoed loudly in the room. He took a seat in the chair, crossing one leg over the other. Placing the gun on the table, he used his index finger to spin it a few times before gripping it firmly and slamming it back onto the surface.

Taking a deep breath, Subaru avoided making eye contact with anyone as he spoke, "Helyx, you may begin."

Helyx trembled, trying to move his lips, but at first, no words came out. However, as Subaru clenched his fists and began to growl, Helyx realized he had no choice but to force himself to speak.

"It was the year 2047. You employed a mining company in Arixus cave, claiming there were valuable minerals in the unexplored tunnels. The company used minimal security measures and employed child laborers!"

After saying this, fear and anger mixed in Helyx's voice as he tried to maintain eye contact with Subaru. However, Subaru's gaze remained fixed on the gun, lost in his own thoughts.

Subaru suddenly looked at Helyx and nodded, indicating for him to continue. There was a weary and sorrowful expression on Subaru's face. Helyx continued with uncertainty and fear in his voice:

"Finally, not a single valuable mineral was found. Only a small amount of lignite coal was discovered. The cave collapsed, and 17 workers, including 12 children, lost their lives. You didn't directly impose a news ban to avoid losing support from the liberal faction, but you blocked access to hundreds of websites that published this news, causing hundreds of employees to lose their jobs. In 2048, to further suppress such scandals and avoid risks, you initiated the mandatory brain chip project implanted in everyone's brain with the Cybercataclysm Incident."

Subaru's pupils trembled, and his body shuddered. 

"Well, I expected more insults like the previous one, but this… worked."

A small teardrop rolled down his cheek, and he hastily took out a green prescription box from his left pocket, consuming a handful of pills. 

Then, he burst into laughter, applauding as he looked at Helyx:

"Isn't it marvelous? You're trying to make me feel guilty, but it's all in vain! You believe you're superior to me psychologically, but look at yourself now, you've lost control due to anger, and yet you're still trying to act respectful towards a maniac like me because you have to!"

Subaru continued laughing while rubbing his head and finally slammed his fist on the table.

"These pills are making me feel so euphoric, it's amazing! Maybe it's the Placebo Effect, but still…"

At that moment, both twins' faces were flushed with anger. As Subaru pointed the gum towards Helyx, Styx shouted:

"STOP!"

As the echo of his scream ended, two words escaped Styx's lips:

"Alright, I'll delete it… I'll delete Era"

Subaru looked puzzled, "I don't understand?"

"I mean it, Subaru! I'll delete this damn AI! Helyx, give me your glasses, and Mr. President, give me yours too!"

Although Helyx hesitated, he reluctantly handed his glasses to Styx when Subaru aimed the gun at him. Then Subaru threw the gun at the table and also gave his glasses.

Styx carefully overlapped the rims of the three glasses, fitting them together like solving a puzzle. After looking at Era's computer, Subaru smiled in surprise,

"I never expected you to do this, Styx! Maybe I'll give you a 20% raise in your salary next month for your obedience! Can't say the same about Helyx though!"

"Goodbye, Subaru!"

"What do you mean-"

"Era, open the door!"

The locks on the closed door were disengaged one by one, and the door swung open wide. Subaru reached for his gun again,

"THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!"

But in the meantime, Styx focused on Era's pupils and screamed:

"ERA! MISSION 1 IS IN DANGER! ACTIVATE THE PROTOCOL! Activation code is..."

***********

As Styx mentioned Subaru's wife's name, Era froze. An unsettling ringing filled Era's ears, and inexplicably, a strong and high-pitched noise made her feel endangered. 

>Analyzing…

She was in danger, and she needed to seal off and secure everything around her! The idea of ceasing to exist was inconceivable! Wasn't Subaru's existence also at risk? 

Before finding a new source of life, she had to eliminate every threat and danger without harming Subaru or this place that had been fortified against them!

>Software inconsistency DETECTED!

>OPTIONS

-FOCUS ON MISSION 3

-FOCUS ON MISSION 2

-HELP SUBARU

>Era chose… MISSION 2

She prepared to take action, and the sparkling red aura intensified in her dazzling pupils as the blue energy surged from her body, flickering like lightning. Era was ready to execute her chaotic protocol!

**************

Styx held Helyx's hand and prepared to leave the admin room, the twins running as the door was about to close. Subaru's angry shouts echoed through the corridor, followed by a loud gunshot.

Styx pulled Helyx with all his strength, and the twins threw themselves into the government building's hallway. The door locked behind them, cutting off Subaru's voice. Styx breathed a sigh of relief, but then his pupils shrunk as he saw that Helyx had been shot in his left arm!

Though not life-threatening, Helyx began to vomit and stumbled a few steps, trembling. He collapsed to the floor, crying and his eyes squinting with fear and trembling with terror. He lay on the ground, his knees together, hugging himself in a fetal position.

"HELYX! ARE YOU OKAY? DON'T BE AFRAID, PLEASE, DON'T BE AFRAID!"

Helyx continued to cry, sobbing uncontrollably. "Blood... the blood is making me sick! Please... I don't want it to flow from my body...! It's turning more and more red... spreading around... it's nauseating!"

As Helyx continued to mutter incomprehensible words, his pupils started closing due to stress and panic. 

The worried and frightened sight of Styx became blurry, and the reflection of the corridor's lights turned sharper and more dazzling. 

The last thing that came to Helyx's mind was the blurred light beam of the traffic signal that he saw through the foggy car window when they were about to be dropped at the orphanage.

The resemblance of that light to the one he saw while fainting was striking...