Endless Silver Machine

A beam of light that looked like a path paved with gold shone in from the pitch-black dome.

"This is the magic power of the 'Candle Dragon Gold'. If the synchronization is successful, the master should be able to wake up."

"I remember this name... By the way, it's Lan Ming's magic costume! It turns out she's fine!"

"But trying to resonate with me won't go that smoothly."

Hitomi raised her head and looked up at the golden light path slowly extending from the dome with Aika.

"Why?"

"..."

Hitomi didn't answer Aika's question, still just staring at the golden light path.

"By the way, where is Wei Xi? We have been here for so long, and she has always been in this state."

Wei Xi floating in the dark space seemed as if time had been stopped.

"I don't know if she will wake up, because she is between the 'magic suit' and the 'human'."

"That's it..."

This doesn't seem like a perfunctory answer. Hitomi is really troubled by Wei Xi's existence.

When the golden light path slowly extended to a certain length, it suddenly hit golden magic debris in the empty dark space, and could no longer move forward.

"what happens?"

"Her mental space has already covered that area. It was my mistake not to notice in time."

Hitomi calmly stated the fact that Aika couldn't see.

Because Hitomi's spiritual world has clear boundaries, Aika thinks that Wei Xi's spiritual world is the same as Hitomi's.

If there is no so-called shape in this dark spiritual world, Wei Xi's spiritual world does indeed nearly fill the entire space as Hitomi said.

"What can I do to see her spiritual world?"

"Human beings cannot observe the spiritual world."

The golden light path is still trying to penetrate deeper, but it is unable to break through the wall of the spiritual world. It can only continuously rub out golden magic debris, which is blown by the wind.

Lan Ming hasn't given up yet, and Aika can't bear to continue doing nothing and waiting for Lan Ming to lend a helping hand to him.

"Tong, is there any way to help Lan Ming get through there?"

"It is her mental space that is blocking the 'Candle Dragon Gold' now. Theoretically, there is no method of forcible destruction. Our mental space is relatively independent."

Even if it was possible to open a way for Lan Ming's assistance by destroying Wei Xi's mental space, Aika would never adopt such an approach that might cause Wei Xi to be harmed.

I have little understanding of this void space that cannot reach the soles of my feet and the top of my head, and I can't find a solution even if I try hard enough.

Hitomi seemed to be tired of seeing the golden debris flying in the air, holding a red paper umbrella with both hands and looking at Aika again, who was anxiously grabbing her hair.

Noticing Hitomi's emotionless gaze, Aika then thought of other ways to ask besides directly asking her for help.

"Tong, if it were your mental space that blocked the 'Candle Dragon Gold' now, what would you do?"

"I won't make such a stupid mistake."

"I know, I know, now I just ask you to think about it from Wei Xi's point of view." Aika quickly comforted Tong, who was ignited with competitiveness, "Wei Xi can't hear my voice now, and she hasn't woken up yet. Come, the only person I can rely on here is you."

It seems that his voice cannot be conveyed to Wei Xi who is sleeping in the spiritual space. Even if Wei Xi wakes up now, she will definitely feel unfamiliar with this spiritual space after living as a human for too long.

Hitomi reacted to a certain word in Aika's words, and she tilted her head towards the umbrella handle as if she couldn't understand.

"Master, are you asking for my support? Giving me direct orders as the master will have the same effect."

Hitomi has been calling herself "Master" without changing her expression, without any hint of the shyness that overflowed from Wei Xi's body when she used this title, so much so that Aika became a little numb to this shameful title.

It wasn't until Hitomi asked a question that had nothing to do with her request that Aika noticed the identity between the two in Hitomi's eyes.

He wanted to touch Hitomi's body, whether it was touching her head or tapping her shoulder.

Aika feels that this behavior is the expression of the correct relationship between the two.

Perhaps because of Hitomi's calm and unusually calm personality, Aika didn't feel the helpless and stiff feeling she felt when facing other girls.

The boundary line in the spiritual world separates the two people. Aika can only re-clarify to her through the transparent boundary line the correct relationship between the two people in her heart.

"Hitomi, before you and I left home... it must have been a long, long time ago, we lived together. Although now I don't remember any special behavior when I signed the contract with you..."

"The contract between humans and magic costumes is passed down by blood, and there is no need for flashy 'special behavior'. Theoretically, the kissing behavior of lips touching each other will not have an impact on the contract ceremony."

Aika didn't know whether Hitomi added an emphasis at the end intentionally or unintentionally, but in any case, she had the confidence in her heart that it sounded like she meant something.

"But all in all, you were the first person to sign a contract with me. You have been by my side since you were a child, right?"

"...Yes, this year is the sixteenth year."

"I only recently learned about Wei Xi's true identity, so I can't treat her as a magical costume. When I first met Wei Xi a year ago, she was just a person in the past. Her background was amazing, and her enchantment magic was also very... Awesome girl.”

"..."

"When Wei Xi brought me here to see you, it was the first time we talked face to face. At that time, I didn't even say your name correctly."

——My name is Hitomi.

Fiery Eyes is the name Aika's father told him. That was just the name of the magic outfit that carried "mechanical alchemy", not the name of the girl in front of him.

Looking back now, Hitomi had a truly cold tone when she corrected herself like this.

"The responsibility does not lie with the master. This is indeed the first time we have met. The personality of the magic suit does not have a name. It is just a short name taken from one of the characters."

"You didn't say you didn't need a name, right?"

During the period of communication with Hitomi, Aika found that she could gradually distinguish which of her words were sincere and which were just cover-ups.

Hitomi's tone and expression didn't even raise a slight ripple. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part, but Aika still believed it.

"...I just judged that a brief pronoun is needed when communicating with the master."

"Is it okay to just use her real name in communication? I remember that the Grand Duke of Setia also directly called Wei Xi 'Xue Chao Xiji'."

"I...are different from her..."

Hitomi said as she turned sideways, the light red umbrella completely covering her upper body.

Aika will stop when he sees fit. If he continued to speak, it felt like he was no longer clarifying the correct relationship between the two to her, but instead was simply bullying.

In Aika's unauthorized speculation about Bingshan's beauty, Hitomi gave herself a name just to be equal to Wei Xi.

Although Hitomi insists that she is just a personality born from the magic costume, in fact, what she hopes to gain is not only the trust between master and slave, but also hopes to be treated equally with Wei Xi.

"Tong, you and Luo Luo are the same as me. You are a family member who has a blood relationship with me. You have previously admitted that you have been with me for sixteen years, that is, you have lived together since I was born. So from the perspective of seniority If so, you are indeed Luoluo and I's 'sister'."

The red umbrella was not turned over, and the slender body under the kimono was still hidden behind the umbrella.

But the fingers holding the umbrella handle moved unconsciously. The rotation of the umbrella handle was magnified through the umbrella surface, and the folded corner supported by the umbrella bones quietly rotated at a small angle.

"I signed a contract with the 'Qianze' family, and any offspring you have with any female will sign a contract with me. So from a historical perspective, I am not the 'sister' of you and Luo Luo."

"So you have acknowledged my perspective and recognized that we are family?"

"..."

"But apart from that, you and I should have another relationship. This is actually what I was planning to talk about at the beginning... Why has it gotten so far!"

When his topic was unknowingly diverted from its original direction by Hitomi, the golden debris above his head was still trying to break through the wall of the spiritual world.

The flow of time here is much slower than in the real world. Even so, Aika still bears the guilt for Lan Ming's efforts.

"I only slowly learned how to fight after I left home. After that, you and I experienced a lot together. I don't know if this is appropriate for a girl..." Aika touched her nose in embarrassment to cover up. , "You and I should be... 'partners', right?"

Would Hitomi like this kind of relationship? Or perhaps it is only you who wishfully believe that this relationship is much better than the "master-slave relationship" that is always difficult to get used to.

"The spiritual world is relatively independent and antagonistic to each other..." Hitomi was finally willing to turn around and face Aika again. "To take back the spiritual space from her hands, all you need to do is expand your spiritual world like she did."

It seems that Hitomi is more willing to accept the title of "partner" than "sister".

Aika didn't continue to study Hitomi's preferences for the time being, and she could have as much as she wanted in the future.

"I heard your explanation before, right? The expansion of the spiritual world has a lot to do with my feelings, right?"

"Yes. The abnormal expansion of her spiritual world began to appear recently. It is speculated to be related to the 'special behavior' between the master and her."

"Anyway, it was the time when Wei Xi and I made the contract..."

It has only been a week since the ruins of Shuoyue Academy were explored. After returning to Shuoyue Academy, she was busy with the arrangements for rescuing Lan Ming. Aika remembered not getting too close to Wei Xi after that.

From Hitomi's explanation, it seems that the two of them need to compete for possession of this dark spiritual world.

"But to make the feelings between the two of us suddenly expand...what does it mean to have feelings expand in the end?"

"Sorry, this is a natural phenomenon and is outside the scope of my knowledge."

"After all, the problem at the beginning still hasn't been solved!"

"It is recommended to imitate her 'special behavior'."

"Okay, anyway, let's try it first... wait, this 'special behavior' is the kind of thing Wei Xi and I did, right?"

"Yes."

Hitomi is a magic costume, which is different from Wei Xi. This is her own definition of her own existence.

As a member of the opposite sex, Aika had a hard time understanding Wei Xi's mood when they kissed her, but she was more or less aware of it.

But now Aika has no idea. For Hitomi, is it really just using pure imitation to solve the current problem by making such suggestions easily?

Whether it's her sister or her partner, does she really understand that she treats her as a living girl?

In Hitomi's eyes, am I really an equal of the opposite sex?

"Although she and I are different, imitating the same behavior may trigger the same mechanisms."

"Haha, is that so..."

Sure enough, for Hitomi, it was just an ordinary act of imitation.

If she said this with the same feelings as Wei Xi, Aika would feel very troubled.

"But there is still a problem. There is a boundary between us in the spiritual world, and I can't contact you."

"Just copy the gesture."

Aika followed Hitomi's request and approached the boundary line. Behind the transparent and invisible boundary line, Hitomi's figure separated into different worlds seems to be right in front of her eyes.

Hitomi didn't seem to want to close her eyes, but instead Aika felt embarrassed and made up her mind to close her eyes tightly, wanting to end this shameful behavior as soon as possible.

Anyway, it was just an imitation of the posture, and the two people's lips couldn't even touch each other.

What comes faster than the wet touch is the warm sunshine and the gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers.

Aika suddenly opened his eyes, and his hands were no longer holding the boundary line, but were filled with a touch of warmth on his shoulders.

Hitomi's eyes could even reflect the expression on her own face.

The red paper umbrella blocked the warm sunlight shining on the upper bodies of the two people. Aika's thumb touched the white neck exposed from the kimono with a slight movement.

"Why……"

"According to the contract concluded, the master can freely enter and exit my spiritual world. It was my mistake not to notice in time."

At such a close distance, Hitomi's breath reached Aika's ears along with every word she spoke lightly.

Probably shocked by the sudden loss of distance, Aika did not politely let go of Hitomi's body, but still held her shoulders.

Hitomi didn't ask Aika to leave her body.

After a long while, Aika stood upright on his knees in front of Hitomi, and the warm sunlight shone on him over the red paper umbrella that could no longer cover him.

Hitomi raised her head slightly and stared at him. This was an extremely natural action, as if the accidental kiss just now didn't exist at all.

Not a single fallen cherry tree remained on Aika's shoulders, and pink cherry blossoms flew between the two of them.

The land where the blooming cherry blossom trees took root extended into the depths of darkness as the two faced each other wordlessly, spreading bright spring light everywhere they touched.

The invisible obstruction to the golden light path seemed to have been cleared, and golden debris no longer flew out, and continued to extend downward according to the predetermined trajectory.

When the boundary line shrouded in sunlight was touched, there was no obstruction this time. The golden light path connected into a staggered trajectory at the feet of Aika and Hitomi, who were facing each other.

"Resonance and Harmony, I don't like this ability."

"It turns out you also have things you like and dislike."

Aika was a little surprised that Hitomi would actually take the initiative to talk about this kind of thing to herself.

"I don't like to be interfered with."

Hitomi lowered her head and glanced at the golden road at her feet, but only at a glance.

Ever since the Golden Road unfolded beneath her feet, Aika has clearly felt that the connection between herself and Hitomi has become closer.

This was his first time to experience the resonance and synchronization of royal magic equipment. Even though it was just a compressed version after limiting the magic power, it somehow helped him gain a deeper understanding of the concept of "mechanical alchemy".

But while feeling emotional, Aika also noticed something strange.

"If we can connect to you, Wei Xi should also be connected."

"'Candle Dragon Gold' cannot synchronize with humans, so it cannot cross her realm. The master should return to the real world first and then find another way."

From the moment the golden road was blocked by Wei Xi's spiritual world, it should have been noticed that Lan Ming's helping hand could not reach Wei Xi.

Now I can only follow Hitomi's suggestion and return to the real world for the time being. Maybe Shuangyue Academy has a way to help Wei Xi.

Aika was about to ask Hitomi what to do next, but noticed that Hitomi's gaze was not looking at him, but looking past him to the empty space behind him.

...Did she laugh at that moment just now?

"Hitomi?"

Hearing Aika's call, Hitomi slowly withdrew her gaze, then raised her head slightly to wait for Aika's words.

Aika wasn't sure whether what she just saw was Hitomi's smile. Now, no matter what angle she looked at, she could no longer find the expression that had left an impression on her at that moment.

Then he thought about it, and realized that behind him was the spiritual space where Wei Xi's consciousness was sleeping.

Sure enough, although Hitomi was very rude to Wei Xi, she also cared about her in her heart.

"By the way, how should I go back? Can I just go up this road?"

Hitomi nodded slightly in affirmation.

Aika finally looked back at Wei Xi, who was floating in the distance. From this distance, she could only see a blurry spot of pure white light.

After giving up the unwillingness to be powerless, Aika turned around and no longer looked behind her.

"Tong, can you come to the real world like Wei Xi? If you have the chance, come and see the outside world with your own eyes. When you followed your father, you must have only been able to look at that small village every day. I am leaving Only after returning home did I realize that the world is much broader than I imagined.”

Aika was not prepared to wait for Hitomi's answer. Her answer would most likely be incomprehensible words such as "a waste of resources."

Just tell her this.

Aika gently placed her hand on Hitomi's light pink hair decorated with flowers.

A few minutes ago I was still regretting not being able to touch her body, but now I can do it so easily.

Hitomi's hair feels as soft as it looks.

Hitomi, who had her hair rubbed back and forth by Aika, neither resisted nor protested, but just stared silently at Aika's outstretched arm.

After enjoying the soft and comfortable feel to his heart's content, Aika turned around and boarded the extended golden road.

Hitomi stared at Aika's back for a few seconds, then turned to look at his hand.

Whether she was reminiscing about the aftertaste of having her head touched by her master just now, or whether she was observing something invisible to her master, only Hitomi herself knew at this moment.

…………