chapter 31

Sixteen had protected me from Fifteen’s attack…

Why did she protect me?

I did say I’d free her from Keith, but she didn’t seem to have any reason to protect me…

Moreover, she was rebelling against Keith, her master, by doing this.

So why…?

Sixteen, who had protected me, looked directly at Keith and Fifteen.

“S-Sixteen, you…! What is the meaning of this!”

“I apologize, Master… I won’t allow you to kill.”

“Sixteen…”

So she really meant to protect me…

Then she turned to look at me.

“I made a promise to protect you.”

“You…”

Right…

So she really did want to rebel against Keith…

“Sixteen, what promise? Do you think you can defy your master and stay unharmed?”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Fifteen. Master, I have something I want to ask.”

Keith seemed interested in Sixteen’s inquiry.

“What? Say it.”

Hearing her out, Keith sat back on his throne.

In response, Sixteen quietly asked.

“Master… did you use One and the others as bait, knowing they would be destroyed from the start?”

“Yes. I have all your combat data, so we can always make new ones.”

Hearing this, Sixteen turned her face down.

“…You… did you ever consider that we had hearts?”

“Don’t be silly. You are all magic dolls made by me. You are just tools. Lumps of steel like you couldn’t possibly have souls, could they?”

The audacity of this person…!

“Now, I’ll ask you one last question. Do you plan to get rid of all of us when you can’t use us anymore?”

“Of course. I don’t need trash that can’t serve me. I don’t care what I need to do to get rid of it.”

Sixteen’s tiny frame trembled.

…she couldn’t take it anymore!

“…then I’ll rebel against you!”

I was about to raise my voice, but before I could, Sixteen looked up and spoke.

Looking at her, Fifteen and I were in shock.

“Sixteen, you…”

Hearing this, Keith burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha! So you’re going to stand up against me, your creator. I see, I see…!”

Keith kept laughing, but his disposition suddenly changed, and then he shouted, “I don’t need you to give me lip, scrap metal! Fifteen, dispose of this trash!”

For a moment, hearing this, Fifteen’s face was bitter, but then she glared at Sixteen.

“Understood.”

“Asou Aruto… please don’t interfere. I will win against Fifteen.”

After saying that, Sixteen ran at Fifteen.

Both met blow to blow with their left arms.

They then both turned their right arms into metal as well, before rushing at one another once more.

“She has my data… but I’m the strongest. I can’t lose.”

“That may be so, but I don’t intend to lose either.”

Exchanging blows, both of them moved out of range.

“You… what did Asou Aruto do to you?”

“Nothing. If I had to say something, he taught me about my heart.”

“Heart? We are machines. We don’t have hearts.”

Fifteen denied the existence of the “heart” Sixteen had been taught about.

Refusing to accept the concept of a “heart,” Fifteen turned her left arm into a sword and slashed at Sixteen.

Sixteen responded in kind, parrying her attack.

Both their swords clashed repeatedly.

As the sound of metal rang, it became more and more apparent that they were at a standstill.

They kept their distance again, seeing as nothing would come of that.

“Fifteen, you’re lying.”

“Lying…?”

“You have a heart. You have a heart and you know it… But you won’t admit it.”

“…”

“You have it too… a kind heart…”

“There’s no such thing!”

Fifteen raised her voice and slashed at her again, prompting her to turn her left arm into a shield and block.

“We are Sally Dolls—Master’s tools! There is no way that tools like us can have hearts!”

Sixteen blocked and was blown away, but she put away her shield and stopped moving.

“How can you be so sure?”

“…gh…!?”

“…I understand too. You’re always so worried about me and the others. It’s because you have a heart… right?”

Fifteen lowered her head as Sixteen asked this.

However, she promptly raised her head and continued to deny it.

“No…! I’ve never been worried about them!”

She turned her right arm into a gatling gun and fired at Sixteen.

Sixteen once again defended with her shield.

“That’s a lie…! You’ve always cared about us! You look after me as a sister!”

Sixteen approached Fifteen, blocking countless bullets with her shield, and struck her with her right hand.

Fifteen was knocked back and fell to the ground, but she quickly got up.

“The real you has a heart! You knew all along but denied it since you didn’t want to betray Master!”

At her bluntness, Fifteen’s face turned grim.

“I am… I am!”

“You won’t have to suffer anymore, Fifteen. I’ll help you. Because… we’re sisters!”

“…Aaaaaagh!”

Conflicted over whether she was a mere doll or someone with a heart, Fifteen shouted.

Then, she turned her left arm into a chainsaw, and slashed at Sixteen.

Defending with her shield, Sixteen countered by swinging her right arm.

Fifteen caught Sixteen’s steel fist, and in defiance, she also hit Sixteen in the cheek.

Then, they kicked one another, which caused them both to be sent flying back from the impact.

After rolling on the ground, they both stood up, and held their steel arms up.

“If you’re going to help me, then surpass me, Sixteen!”

“I’ll surpass you! Then, I’ll help you… Onee-chan!”

As those words were uttered, they rushed each other in unison, their steel arms at the ready, both thrusting at the same time…

Both of them hit each other directly in the gut…

But, in fact…

“Ugh!?”

“This is… my win!”

Fifteen’s fist didn’t actually connect, while Sixteen had hit Fifteen square in the gut…

The powerful blow nearly knocked Fifteen back, but Sixteen supported her.

Then, Fifteen spoke, in a strained voice.

“Fufu. It connected, your hit…”

“Sixteen…”

Sixteen was surprised at how Fifteen smiled despite her defeat.

“You’re right… I was denying my own heart… No, I didn’t want to admit it… If I admitted it, I would be denying Master. I am what Master made me to be…”

No matter how much they didn’t want to, as long as Keith was their master, they couldn’t refuse his orders…

…because Keith made them.

“But thanks to you, my eyes have been opened. Thank you…”

“Wrong, Onee-chan. I learned from Asou Aruto. About the meaning of “heart,” and about its existence…”

Hearing this Fifteen smiled faintly.

“Right… we’ve both met a good person.”

“‘Yes. He treats us not as tools, but as people with hearts…”

“What a lifesaver… From now, I’ll- gh!?”

“From now, I’ll live with you” —those words were drowned out.

With giant claws, Fifteen was pierced through.

Fifteen lost her strength, and fell with a clang by Sixteen’s side…

“Big sis?!”

“Fifteen?!”

As we shouted her name, Keith Rifapein, who had pierced through Fifteen, smiled coyly at the sight.

His arm changed?!

Could he be a beastman?!

Keith laughed hysterically while Sixteen called for her sister over and over.

Keith spoke as if to mock her.

“Fifteen… it seems you’re a piece of junk too. Trash like you doesn’t deserve to exist!”

As I heard Keith’s… as I heard that bastard’s words, rage welled up inside me.

“Keith!!!”

My voice boomed throughout the room…