The rooftop of a skyscraper towering over a large city. Several hundred meters above the ground, Makina was on her hands and knees, trying to catch her breath.
At such a height, the wind should have been quite strong, but perhaps, Alicia may have done something, as she could only feel a gentle breeze around her.
[...Haahhh... Haahhh...]
[I'm back~~ I bought you something to eat before we go out to play~~]
Standing in front of the ragged Makina, Alicia, who had gone out to buy food, came back with a paper bag in hand.
[Arehh? Makina, why do you look so tired? Are you that excited to be in a new city for the first time.]
[...That's not it. It's not because I was too excited, it's because I had my first skydive before I came to this city.]
[You lead quite an aggressive life~~]
[And whose fault do you think this is!? Tell me!!!]
Brushing Makina's accusations aside with a loud laugh, Alicia held out the paper bag in her hand.
[Well, putting that aside, we should eat while it's warm.]
[Mnghhh... Geez, what a troubling friend you are. Thanks... What's this?]
[It's a hamburger.]
[Hamburger... Ahh, I think I've seen a lot of people eat this a couple of times with my clairvoyance.]
Seeing Making curiously looking at the wrapped hamburger she took out from the paper bag, Alicia shrugged.
[Saying that she has never eaten burgers, this is why you're a "naive island girl"...]
[Naive island girl, that's the first time I've heard of that... No, what's troubling is that it's true.]
After wryly smiling at Alicia's words, Makina moved closer to Alicia, and sitting side by side on the edge of the rooftop, the two of them began to eat.
Makina looked a little hesitant, looking at the food in her hands she's seeing for the first time, but after a little while, as if she had made up her mind, she took a bite of the hamburger, before turning to Alicia with shining eyes.
[This is delicious! I've never tasted food this tasty before!!!]
[Well, not if all you eat is jellies and canned military food.]
[Amazing, for a food this tasty to exist in the world... I wonder how I should say this? I feel really moved!]
[For you to get so excited over a single hamburger, that's really cheap... Well, I'm glad you liked it.]
[Unnn! Thanks, Alicia!]
[Ahaha, you're welcome.]
Seeing Makina eating her hamburger with a smile on her face, as if what she's eating really is very delicious, Alicia brought her own hamburger to her mouth with a kind smile on her face.
This experience, along with her gratitude to Alicia for taking her out of the birdcage, left a strong impression on Makina... that later, when she was asked what her favorite food was, she would always say hamburgers.
For Makina, the taste of hamburgers may be the taste of her memories together with her dearest best friend, Alicia.
After finishing her meal, Makina was once again carried by Alicia and they moved to their next destination.
[...What's this place?]
[It's an amusement park. Well, it's fine if we just play around the city, but if it's here, we can play a lot here. This amusement park is also pretty famous around the area.]
[Fuehhh, amazing. How should I say this... Seeing all sorts of different things kinda feels overwhelming.]
The amusement park seemed to be glittering even during the daytime, and Makina looked at the various attractions and the crowd of people with great interest. Seeing things with the power of clairvoyance and seeing them in person really would give you a different impression.
[Well then, Makina. What attractions do you want to go to?]
[H- Hmmm. I'm not really sure, so I'll leave it to Alicia to decide... Ahh, but I had a scary experience earlier, so I don't want anything scary.]
[Okay~~ Let's go~~]
[Unnn!]
After seeing Makina happy with excitement, Alicia smiled and led her into the amusement park.
The attraction that Alicia chose was one that was somewhat close to the entrance, really makes you feel that you're in an amusement park, and met Makina's needs...
[...Hey, Alicia?]
[Unnn?]
[You see, this ride has some kind of sturdy guardrail, and it's slowly climbing up... Is it just my imagination? Was it just me being someone who doesn't know much about the world? This... Isn't this a "roller coaster"?]
[Eh? Yes, that's right?]
Yes, it was a roller coaster. It was also the largest and main attraction of this amusement park, making it ranked among the biggest roller coasters in the world.
It made sense to choose a well-known and easily recognizable attraction first. However, this didn't meet Makina's requirement of "something that isn't scary".
As proof of this, Makina turned to Alicia with a pale face and shouted.
[Why!? Didn't I tell you I don't want something scary!!!?]
[Eh? Well, it's not like this "slow" attrac———- Ahh.]
After looking as if she noticed something in the middle of her words, Alicia looked awkward for a moment before she stuck out her tongue and smiled.
[…..Tehe~]
[...I knew it. You just completely made a face that looked like you forgot about the difference in our physical ability!]
[...Makina.]
[Ahh… Ahhhhh... It's already reached the peak... W- What!?]
[Sowwy~~]
[I knew it! And it's already too late!!! Just be careful of this next———– Gyaaaaaahhhhh!?]
Apparently, Alicia really didn't have any bad intentions this time. Needless to say, her physical abilities are on a different level from Makina's. For Alicia, this roller coaster isn't something she categorizes as "scary".
Therefore, she chose a roller coaster, thinking that horror attractions, like haunted houses, weren't for Makina. And thus, once again, Makina's screams resounded.
[...Whoeehhh...]
[No, I'm really sorry. Next time, let's go with something that doesn't move too much.]
[...U- Unnn... That would be great. But, wait a moment... I can't move yet.]
[Makina, you look like a newborn fawn.]
[It's too hard of an attraction for someone like me to be the first experience of someone like me who's going to an amusement park for the first time in my life...]
When the attraction ended, Alicia apologized to Makina, who was holding onto a nearby pillar, with her legs shaking.
Makina seemed to understand that Alicia didn't mean any harm, so she didn't say anything to blame her. After a while, she stopped shaking and started walking hand in hand with Alicia again.
[...Hmmm, I think it's better if Makina chooses this time instead of me. Here, the pamphlet... If you don't know something, I'll explain it to you.]
[Thanks, errr, which one would be good... Ahh, what about this attraction?]
[Ahh, that's pretty popular. That attraction is based on a movie and uses the latest hologram technology, so it's very realistic and fun. It's not as intense as a roller coaster, but there is a part at the end where you would have to move a little bit faster.]
[Hmmm, I think I can handle that. Then, let's go here!]
[Alrighty.]
Smiling together as if they had regained their composure, they then headed for the next attraction together.
[W- Wawaaa, amazing. That dragon looks so real!]
[Right~~ Hologram technology has come a long way.]
[...Speaking of which, Alicia, have you ever seen a real dragon?]
[They were delicious.]
[I see... Unnn? Eh? Eh?]
She was thinking that she would listen to Alicia talk about how she has actually valiantly fought dragons in the past while enjoying an attraction that uses the most advanced video technology, but for some reason, what she received was her impression about its taste...
[Pfft, ahaha... Makina, bunny ears don't suit you. No, is it actually the other way around?]
[Geez, you don't have to laugh that loud! Even Alicia, even Alicia is... heck, where did you get that weird full head mask?]
[It's a shark full head mask based on a mutant bipedal shark from outer space!]
[... A shark in space? Even though it's a shark, it has two legs?]
Wearing headgears they had purchased in the character goods area, they went around the park...
[Hmmm, this candy is good too!]
[Isn't it? Come to think of it, the flavor that Makina is eating looks good too. Gimme a bite.]
[U- Unnn, well, it's fine... but isn't this that? W- Well, we're of the same gender, so it might be weird to worry about it, but isn't this an indirect kiss...]
[Unnn, this is quite delicious.]
[Not only are you not listening, you're already eating mine!?]
[Here, Makina too. Ahhn.]
[Eh? Auuu, a- ahhn.]
Exchanging bites of the candy bars sold in the park and eating them...
[Errr, the next one should be right... Fufu, this labyrinth attraction is pretty easy.]
[Hey, Makina, isn't it cheating to look at which road to go through with your clairvoyance?]
[Eh? I- I can't do that?]
[I'm not saying you can't, but I think this labyrinth wouldn't be fun anymore.]
[M- Mnnhh... Alright. Then, I won't use my clairvoyance from here on out. Errr, my hunch tells me that the next turn we should make... is to the left!]
[...How strange. This place is supposed to be a children's maze, and it shouldn't be that difficult, but without clairvoyance, it seemed like Makina would definitely get lost.]
[T- That isn't the case! Watch this, I'll get through this in no time!]
Trying out an attraction where they would have to go through a huge labyrinth, and Makina, who stopped using her clairvoyance... got lost as expected...
[Heehhh... Bobbing and swaying so much like this is fun, isn't it? Is this what a ship is like? However, errr... Why is this sturdy-looking guardrail here again?]
[It's the kind that makes a single rotation in the second half.]
[This place spins!? Wouldn't we fall off!? Rather, isn't this scary!?]
[...Well, Makina chose this place.]
[If you knew this place is scary, you could have told me... Awawa, it's getting faste———- Gyaaaaaaahhhhh!?]
Makin, who was supposed to be avoiding scream-inducing attractions, ended up riding them unknowingly, and screamed yet again...
[Hey, hey, Makina baby, don't be shy, pose properly!]
[S- Since when are you carrying that camera... E- Errr, what should I do? I've never been photographed before.]
[For the time being, how about trying out a peace sign?]
[E- Errr... Peace.]
[Uwaahhh~~ You look stupid.]
[You're the one who told me to do this!]
Taking commemorative photos with a camera Alicia had prepared before one noticed it….. and the fun time went by really fast.
The thick clouds that had covered the sky had lifted, and the amusement park was tinged with the color of dusk. On the Ferris wheel that she rode for the first time, Making was looking at the scenery with excitement.
[...It's a beautiful view. I can see a lot better when you're this high up.]
[You've been somewhere though.]
[Skydiving and Ferris wheel are two different things. Geez, you really are out of the norm, Alicia.]
Makina giggled at Alicia's words and gazed at the sunset outside the window. There was a sense of calm between the two of them, and I could feel that this had been a pleasant one.
After a few moments of silence, looking at the scenery outside, Makina murmured.
[...Thanks, Alicia.]
[Unnn?]
[I've never had so much fun in my life. I've never felt a day go by this fast. It's all thanks to Alicia... so, thanks. Thank you for taking me out of the birdcage.]
[...…]
There was so much thought put into those words. More than ten years of never talking to anyone, never going anywhere, living a never changing life... For Makina, who had been living her life like a bird in a cage, this day became a memory she would never forget.
When Alicia heard these words, she softly smiled and spoke to him with a somewhat light tone.
[...Hey, Makina.]
[Unnn?]
[Being outside the cage, why don't you just fly away? With me by your side, anything is possible, you know?]
Makina wasn't the only one who felt very happy and had lots of fun today. Alicia too, was inexplicably happy today when she spent time with Makina.
It might have been the first time since Iris died... that she met someone she'd call her "best friend"...
[That might be a good idea. However, I'll pass. It's not like I have anything I want to do like Alicia after all.]
In hindsight, the choice Makina made at that time may have been a major turning point for her. Makina's sense of values had changed greatly in this one day. That's how big the encounter with Alicia was for her.
Yes, Makina thought at that moment... that "as long as Alicia is with her, that's all that matters"... Even if she remains in a birdcage for the rest of her life, even if she never met anyone else, she thinks that she's satisfied with Alicia's presence.
If at this moment, Alicia had told her "I want you to accompany me on my journey", Makina would have taken Alicia's hand and flew out of her cage without hesitation. However, if Alicia leaves the choice to Makina herself, her answer would have been "I'm fine with the way things are".
All of that was a hypothetical "what if". However...
[Hmmm, well, I guess it's not something that should be rushed huh? However, if you ever want to leave the birdcage, just let me know. I'll make it quick and easy for you to destroy that island and take you out of it.]
[Fufufu, I don't think you really need to destroy the island though? Alicia is being too extreme.]
If Makina had chosen to fly out of her cage with Alicia... the Mechanized God wouldn't have been born.
In that sense, for both Makina and Alicia... this may have been the right choice.