The doctor loomed over my prone, hurting body, granting me another chance. But what was that blast of air earlier? A magic circle appeared swiftly, but I couldn't dodge it in time.
"Do you think that's a valid reason for you to be here?"
"Honestly, my answer would have to be no."
"Then why did you follow her? I can't fathom how a vulnerable weakling gained passage to the underground neighborhood."
"Look, doctor. I don't want to sound rude, but it wasn't my idea to come here. Policemen opened fire, and we sought refuge here."
"What? You escaped here? Yuki, have you lost your mind? Isn't it a rule not to enter the neighborhood during a chase?"
"I... I'm sorry, doctor. We were almost caught."
"Huh. You fool. We have no clue now how close they may be to discovering this place. Not only did you put your life in danger, but you also risked the lives of every android-person here. What have you done?"
The doctor sighed, directing an intense gaze at Yuki, who cowered under its weight. Since Yuki had been saving me, it was my turn to step in. I just hoped I wouldn't get pummeled again. I shifted my weight, preparing to stand up.
Suddenly, another painful blast of air hit my stomach, and my eyes rolled into my head from the excruciating pain.
"I didn't give you permission to move yet."
Everything blurred, and the voices of music from outside and the doctor and Yuki's words faded away.
"You're awake!"
I opened my eyes in a small, comfortable room. My head felt stiff, but the soft fabric indicated I was in a bed.
I turned my head, and Yuki sat in a chair, looking at me.
"Where..?"
"It's okay. The doctor will let us stay here for a while."
"I thought we were dead. Why doesn't he like me?"
Yuki smiled sadly.
"The doc isn't a bad person. He used to be much jollier when we lived happily in society. It's after the incident that he changed. I'm sure he'll trust you eventually."
I grunted in pain, shifting on the bed, realizing I was covered in bandages.
"Thanks for wrapping me up nicely."
Yuki hesitated before responding to my gratitude.
"Well, you're welcome. But you should thank the doctor when you get the chance. He may seem harsh, but he's just protective of our little haven here."
As Yuki finished speaking, the door creaked open, and the doctor entered with a stern expression.
"I hope you're feeling better. I had to use a bit of magic to mend those wounds. Don't get too reckless next time."
I nodded, feeling uneasy under the doctor's watchful eyes.
"Doctor, Masterbaka was just thanking us for the care. Isn't that right?"
The doctor grumbled but acknowledged the gratitude with a nod. He seemed to have entered the room for another reason, gesturing at images of furniture that appeared in front of him. He selected what looked like a cupboard, and a piece of the wall moved, revealing a wardrobe. Impressed by the dynamic architecture, my hand moved to my pocket instinctively, but I remembered I couldn't use a phone.
The doctor opened a drawer, taking out a small USB-like device, then turned to me.
"You must be surprised why I let you stay here. It's because, unlike anyone I have seen before, you are an anomaly."
"I've been going through a lot, doctor. I too could say that I'm an anomaly, but what piqued your interest?"
"It's because your body is free of any adulterants. You are a true human."
I was surprised at being described as a "true human."
"I am a human. So what?"
"It's because humans gave up on their natural evolutionary pace of improvement a long time ago. The rate at which humans were growing wasn't enough to sustain their greater greed for progress. You don't know, do you?"
"No. I.. don't."
Reality set in. I had been so busy adapting that the most bizarre thing had happened to me. I had been transported into a different timeline of Earth. I had time traveled. How did that happen, and what was the underground neighborhood? How did humans create such advanced coding and magic? It all seemed impossible to wrap my head around.
"You don't belong here, do you, Masterbaka? From the moment I read your defenseless mind, I see how confused you are. But whoever was behind this, you need to tell me."
"How can you read my mind?"
"The question is not if I can read your mind, Masterbaka. The question you should ask is why you don't know anything about this world."
Yuki stood up from the chair and walked towards me.
"We can all read your thoughts, Masterbaka. It's because your mind is unencrypted. There's a basic Magicode for that. Everyone at the school level is taught that as practice, although it's ineffective against everyone."
I noticed a magic circle in Yuki's eyes, confirming it's what allowed them to read my thoughts.
"Yes. That's true, Masterbaka. Everything passing through your frame of thought is visible. There are even spells to dig into your memories, although it's illegal. That makes it harder for law enforcement to openly use it to catch criminals."
My blood boiled.
"Why? Why can you all read my damn thoughts!?"
"It's for that reason the doctor was so interested in you. From birth, humans go through surgeries to protect them from Magicode. For instance, everyone gets a brain enhancement chip at birth. We androids also have such abilities, but we run on software with limits to technology."
Images of Yuki during the aftermath of Ero-Sensei flashed in my mind. I looked into the doctor's eyes, hoping he didn't read that.
"Hey, you guys! Stop doing that now."
Yuki slapped me, her face turning red. The doctor walked out of the room, the strange USB-like thing in his hands.
I looked at Yuki, pouting and crossing her arms. She then looked at me dangerously, raising her hand with a magic circle.
I laughed nervously.
"Y-yuki. What is that supposed to do? Will that make me heal faster?"
"Oh, don't move. I'll erase your memory now."
"Hey, don't even dare."
I kicked her from the bed, protecting my conscience.
"I don't want to cause any trouble, but I'd appreciate it if you quit threatening a fallen soldier."
Yuki smiled again, putting her hand on her face.
The room fell silent. None of us spoke, but stared at the ceiling. My mind was blank, and I began to feel warm under the blanket. It was a sign I was healing.
"Hey, why did you save me, Yuki? Back on the bus."
"Wouldn't you feel sorry for someone who can't even book a ticket, looks sane but lost, and can't speak the language of people around him? We were on floor 27. You wouldn't have survived."
The room got silent again, and blankly I stared at the ceiling.
"You can read my thoughts, but you can't read my memory."
"Yeah. Those types of Magicodes aren't easy even
for someone like the doctor, and bad people use them for bad things."
"Do you know where I'm from?"
"Do you want to tell me?"
"Yes. I think I want to."
I saw Yuki lay her head on the chair, playing with her hair. It was a strange chair that levitated, slightly inconsistent in maintaining elevation. My bed was levitating too, and I admired the progress humans had made.
"My system detected the language you speak and adapted successfully, but it still didn't contain any data related to it. You speak a very ancient language, Masterbaka. Where are you from, and what exactly happened that you ended up here?"