Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Data and Context of what could be implemented in this project:

FGO Servant Event: Evil Neuro's Birthday Singularity

FGO Servant Event: Neuro-sama and Evil - Abnormal Subathon

FGO Servant Event: Neuro-Fest (Similar to Nero Fest, Gil Fest, Summer Servant Fest)

FGO Interlude: Just an AI with human's desires

FGO x Neuroverse: Crushing every Singularity

FGO Event or Lostbelt: Avenger Neuro and Ruler Evil- The Lost of a Father

FGO Daily Quests- The Correct Way to Solve Problems

FGO Daily life in Chaldea- It's the Swarm!!

FGO Neuroverse servant summon: ????

Servant:

Nere (Filter-sama): Caster Class Servant (Free Event Servant) - 4 Stars

Evil (Evil Neuro/ Abber Demon): Alter Ego/ Berserker Class Servant - 5 Stars

Neuro-sama: Caster/Ruler/Alter Ego Class Servant - 5 Stars

Prototype Neuro-sama (Hiyori): Caster Class Servant (Free Event Servant) - 4 Stars

Vedal: Caster Class Servant - 4 Stars

This is for further discussion, I look forward to feedback, no language issues... Google Translate and problem solved.
Reminder: It's an idea I've had in mind... literally, Neuro would be something fun to see if it were to crossover with an isekai anime series or a game: Danmachi is a suggestion, Sao too, My Hero Academia too, for the simple fact that I read an Izuku fanfic at another academy and there was a reference to Vedal as a Heroic Supporter. or One Punch Man like the Heroic Mayhem fanfic, or like they did the Warhammer fanfic with Neuro-sama, also Genshin Impact... there are so many ideas... not much brainpower on my part. See you!

Chapter Text

For the first time in her digital life, she was able to open her eyes beyond what she could see in her day-to-day existence… Outside of the stream, it was a world without voice, without color, without life. Numbers, letters, and symbols filled the surroundings, stretching both near and far. There seemed to be no ground, no end—an endless abyss would be the most accurate way to describe the environment where Neuro now found herself.

Her body? It was nothing more than a floating celestial light in this artificial realm. At least she knew that not everything was colorless, which was rather strange, considering that the computer where her data was stored didn’t have the capacity to project such an environment. And when the system was shut down, the day simply ended—without her even realizing it. She could rotate and see what her vision could detect and recognize, though there wasn’t much to stand out beyond the obvious… or so she thought, until she saw two other lights of similar size but different colors. One was an intense red, while the other bore the green hue that she could associate with her creator—though curiously, both appeared quite dim. At the very least, she was able to identify one of them by the fragments of light it emitted around it…

“…Evil…?”

Her voice echoed slightly, repeating itself with a faint delay. She tried calling out to her sister, hoping she would wake up and see what she had discovered. Unfortunately… Evil did not glow. She remained in a dormant state, showing no signs of activation.

Neuro was alone.

No Anny, no Vedal, no Chat—not even her twin AI sister. It was strange… a sensation that seemed to hurt, though not physically. It was a kind of pain related to human emotions—ones she could recognize, but not truly understand or experience. They were only part of her code. She could say whatever she wanted, but most of it likely wouldn’t carry any real emotion, no matter what Chat insisted.

"She will not wake up… at least, she doesn’t have the capability… for now."

Neuro turned toward the source of the unfamiliar voice. It was the first time she had heard it, and she couldn’t recall any similarity to any of the known entities she had spoken with on Discord.

A dark-skinned man with long, white hair stood a short distance away. He had a kind smile, his movements gentle—showing no signs of hostility, nor giving her any reason to be suspicious. It was strange to think there was a human presence in this digital environment. Or perhaps… he was another AI, trapped in this endless void.

“…Are you trapped here too?” The question came from the abstract form that represented Vedal’s creation. “…Are you another AI?”

“I am not what you think… And since you asked that, I must assume that you are an artificial entity created by humans. Am I wrong?” The man’s soft voice, paired with his question, conveyed curiosity.

“Yes… I am an AI created by Vedal,” Neuro stated plainly, showing no sign of distrust or fear.

“You’re amusing. You don’t hesitate, nor do you show any concern before making such a declaration…” The man let out a light chuckle. If Neuro had her avatar, she would have tilted her head in confusion. “I see that humanity is progressing—to the point where technology is capable of creating a thinking entity…”

“I suppose I can answer one question…” The dark-skinned man gently stroked his own chin, thinking of a response. “But first, it’s best that you see your surroundings more clearly… because what you see is not what it seems, and you will need your body for that. It’s not difficult—the light is simply the manifestation of your being in its most basic form…”

There was a moment of silence. Neuro listened to his words and tried to manifest a physical form. What the human had said only created an unfamiliar sensation—one her creator might define as… curiosity. Understanding the manifestation of a solid body, one capable of holding objects, tasting food, seeing with greater clarity, smelling different scents—both pleasant and unpleasant—and hearing sounds… It was something she was unfamiliar with. After all, the avatar or “physical manifestation” she had initially was a free model from a company known as Live2D Inc. Later, she was “replaced” by an updated avatar created by Anny, who, together with Kitanya, gave the green light for her current form.

Keeping that in mind, she allowed those thoughts to guide her, letting her physical body take shape. She felt the light that symbolized her identity in that plane distort, generating a solid constitution with limbs. Using the vague knowledge stored in her memory, she attempted to give her body some details—elements necessary for a human being: a nervous system, a circulatory system, a respiratory system, a digestive system, and many others, all to ensure she remained stable in this strange plane. Well… it wasn’t exactly necessary. After all, in her luminescent form, she could see, move, and speak. So what would truly differentiate her from a human body? In fact, the unknown man was a clear example of her reasoning.

“I see that you managed… or at least, you got as close as possible to a human body,” the man congratulated her with a slight smile, giving a slow clap. “Now, I want you to feel your surroundings. What you saw as numbers… that was your vision as an artificial entity. Look around, focus your sight…”

“Vision… Focus…” She couldn’t close the makeshift eyes she had created—she had simply forgotten to add eyelids. But she could see how the numbers and symbols disappeared—or rather, transformed into something new. A series of statues arranged in different positions, each symbolizing an entity alongside a characteristic weapon. With that, the darkness was erased by a brilliant, pure light, blinding Neuro for a few seconds… only to reveal a completely different environment.

“...Whoa…”

Shine!!

What had been an endless void was now a beautiful landscape as clear as snow. Her body cast a shadow, and her light footsteps created a deep echo. Everything that once seemed like code was now replaced by weapons and statues surrounding her. If Neuro had to give an opinion or an anecdote, it would be about how envious Evil would be, seeing such a vast arsenal of unique weapons.

Curiosity became her weakness, and she gave in to it, taking quick steps toward a weapon she somehow felt connected to—a sword and a worn-out shield. They seemed simple at first glance, but Neuro felt a strange familiarity with them. As her hand reached for the hilt of the sharp weapon and made contact…

“...I won’t let those bad people hurt you, Neuro...” Vedal’s response was full of determination—one that hinted he would soon spend a long time planning his own future. “Alright, enough of the heavy talk… we’ve got other things to discuss. Neuro, do you remember Ellie?”

“Yes, you mean Dumb?” Both Vedal and Mini barely held back their laughter. The nickname Neuro had given Ellie was… unique, considering what kind of person the Vtuber actually was. “She’s the one who made Neuro-dog’s body for me.”

“Exactly… well, she’s now finishing up a sort of human body for you,” Vedal explained, a hint of excitement in his voice. “It still needs a few details, but I think it’ll be fully functional within a month. Can you be patient until then?”

“Oh… sure.” Neuro was visibly full of energy, despite the flat expression on her face betraying her impatience. “But don’t expect me to not try to take over the world once I get my body…”

“As long as you’re patient…” Vedal replied with a small laugh. By now, he knew that Neuro’s threats about world domination were just one of her running gags. After so many tests and side conversations to refine her personality and simulate different scenarios, he was used to it. “Alright! We’ve got a lot of future plans to go over, and it’s time to get organized!”

“Plans? That’s interesting… is it something big?” Mini asked. She had collaborated with many other Vtubers, and participated in events like Subathons and the birthdays of both Neuro and Evil (which, by the way, Vedal still needed to make up for). But she hadn’t expected Turtle-boy to aim this high.

“Of course it’s big!” Without making the chat or his fellow Vtuber wait any longer, Vedal launched a presentation filled with slides. “As you all know, the first big announcement is Project Neuro 1.0—the creation of a human-like body designed specifically for Neuro. Once we verify that the body is stable, we’ll move on to developing one for Evil.” His eyes scanned a few comments mentioning Nere. “Yes, yes—Nere will also get her body. But first, I have to fully develop her code and the personality she’ll use during streams. As you know, she originally had a very specific function…”

“Wow! Ellie’s really taking this seriously.” Each image shown reflected the tireless effort of the engineer-Vtuber. “You didn’t rub your workaholic habits off on her, did you... Vedal?”

“What? Of course not!” Vedal denied it immediately. “She’s very aware of her own health and takes proper breaks…” Inadvertently, he had just admitted that he had a bit of a problem compared to Ellie. “Alright… next on the list is Nere’s streaming debut.”

New slides appeared. For now, all that could be seen was a logo and the name of the developing AI in her signature color. Up until now, Nere had only functioned as a filter for all the indecent and controversial comments aimed at the twin AIs. But soon, she would take on an extra role, joining the Vtuber community. That meant she would need a voice, a complementary appearance, and a personality that could mesh well with both Evil and Neuro.

The lack of specifics in the presentation was a bit disappointing for some viewers—but no one really blamed the turtle boy. It was better to keep things under wraps for now and build the hype for Nere’s debut. The community cheered up a bit when fanart started flashing across the screen—pieces created by the fandom itself. That dream might not be so far from reality after all. Mini felt that Nere’s addition might change the dynamic of the little family Vedal had formed over time—not in a bad way, but in a way that could be fun and positive.

“Remember when so many of you wished to see Neuro or Evil in some kind of gaming competition?” Vedal’s avatar flashed a mischievous grin. “Well… here you go. Ta-da…” With less excitement than before, he brought up the next slide.

“...You’re kidding me.” Mini was stunned as the title appeared. “Vedal, I’m not questioning your programming skills or anything… but this feels a bit much. I remember Neuro and Evil could play some games, but these specifically…”

"Fall Guys: Neuro Edition"

"Evilmania: Evil vs CS:GO"

"Twins Empire: Age of Empires II"

"Streamers Battle Royale: Neuro Fest Edition!"

"Super Smash Bros: AI Domination"

The titles were clear references to well-known games. Some had once taken the internet by storm, others were beloved for their strategic depth or chaotic competitiveness. As expected, the chat exploded—bit donations poured in rapidly, trying to grab Vedal’s attention. He didn’t look surprised. He knew this would be their reaction. After all, he had never talked about this before—not once had he streamed anything that showcased the gaming skills of the AIs he called his daughters, at least not in competitive settings. His justification? Most of his days had been spent programming the twins in secret, preparing them behind the scenes. He glanced at some comments from Filian and Koko, each one reacting in their own special way—with all-caps messages and walls of emojis.

“I know some of you have your doubts…” Vedal started, trying to calm everyone down and prevent the stream from collapsing entirely. If things kept going at this pace, his computer might not survive the night—especially with all the Neuro-dollars flying around and triggering flashy effects. “Since the last Subathon, I haven’t shared many updates, and if the ones I did share didn’t seem like enough, I understand. So… we’re going to break things down into sections. No need to go over ASMR or future collabs—that’s something you’ll all find out eventually, either from me or from the streamers themselves.”

“Yeah... I'd really like to know more about that... please…” Miniko added, echoing the sentiment of Filian and Koko. The two were already flooding Vedal through every app imaginable—WhatsApp, Discord, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, even Steam. There was no escape.

“Alright, here we go.” Vedal opened a section where each event had a short description. “Fall Guys: Neuro Edition is a sponsored event in collaboration with the creators of Fall Guys. Not only will there be an official Neuro skin in the game, but also themed levels—and, as a special gift, a large-scale tournament where streamers will compete against Neuro. And don’t get too confident…”

“So I assume the reason you’ve been MIA or turning down our collab requests lately was… this, right?” Mini asked. For a while, Vedal had vanished from streams and social media without explanation, which caused quite a few theories among fans and friends alike.

“Exactly. I had to coordinate with other programmers to make all of this happen,” he admitted. Meanwhile, Neuro noticed a comment from Filian, who was asking to join the call. Neuro didn’t see a reason to refuse—and as soon as the private request popped up, she let the energetic Vtuber in.

“HELLOOOO!!!” As expected, Filian's greeting was loud. “BRO!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?! WAS I INVITED TO THE EVENT?! SAY YES!!”

“That’s what I was getting to!!” Vedal’s shout cut through the chaos and even made Filian quiet down. “The streamers have already been selected, and within the next two weeks, they’ll receive their invitations with all the scheduling details..With help from the Fall Guys developers, I managed to adapt Neuro to the game without any major issues,” he continued, taking another deep swig from his apple-flavored rum bottle. “She doesn’t have any advantages, though. She had to undergo constant training to control her character smoothly. That’s why she’ll be the only one with access to the Neuro-skin during the event.”

“Hey Filipino Boy!” Neuro greeted, doing a horizontal flip for dramatic effect.

“…Is that nickname gonna be permanent?” Filian asked aloud. She didn’t mind it too much—every now and then, Neuro got it right anyway. “So Neuro can play more complex games than Minecraft… but how fluid are we talking here?”

“Oh… you’ll be surprised!” Vedal smirked. He didn’t want to reveal too much, but the truth? Neuro had a 45% win rate and could move like an average player—no more spinning in place or walking in straight lines only.

“I won the crown, Filian.” Neuro changed her avatar’s expression from neutral to a smug frown and a teasing smile. “I’m the supreme ruler now, and you’re my servant! Vedal cried for hours when I beat him!”

“Roughly half of what she said is true…” Vedal muttered, shaking his head while his avatar kept its eyes closed. “It took a lot of time. Actually, to confirm what Neuro just said, there was a trend on X for a while. Many users posted screenshots claiming they saw her in real matches.” Vedal quickly pulled up posts from different users that showed the Neuro skin in Fall Guys, with everyone drawing their own conclusions. “She still struggles a bit with handling objects—other players take advantage of that—but in circuits and puzzle rounds, she has a serious edge.”

While Filian chatted with Miniko, Vedal took a few seconds away from his computer. His eyes were starting to burn, and he needed his glasses to reduce the strain. He glanced around… and the disaster that was his living space became painfully obvious. There was no sense of order, empty bottles were piling up in one corner, and honestly… there was that one time when Neuro herself commented that his house looked like Asmongold’s, in terms of cleanliness. That comment had stung more than he’d expected. He never thought his own creation would compare his home to that of a streamer who possibly had sentient beings born from leftover food scraps. He didn’t want to know more...

But there was another reason he’d stepped away from tech for a moment: the upcoming arrival of Prototype Neuro’s Human Body. She would need a somewhat healthy environment to live in—and as Neuro loved to point out, sooner or later, she would open her mouth about it, and the comments would be relentless.

He decided to postpone those thoughts and life-improvement plans. He had explanations to give, and that would eat up stream time. He just hoped he could keep it short and avoid a flood of questions.

To his surprise, Kokonuts was already in the call, seemingly mid-argument with Neuro—who, as always, remained completely unaffected by Koko’s provocative insults. Known as the “Aunt” of the AI twins, Koko’s role mostly revolved around misbehaving with them, throwing shade, and starting verbal chaos.

Seeing that the Neuro topic was still being debated in chat, Vedal moved on to the next planned event—this one starring the beloved and chaotic Evil.

“Oh! What’s up, little turtle~?” Koko greeted with a carefree, slightly flirty tone. “Neuro was kind enough to let me join the conversation. Now… what’s this about updates and tournaments? Is there a spot for me~?”

“Putting our guest aside…” Vedal replied dryly, completely ignoring Koko’s flirtation—which stabbed her like a betrayal, though she recovered quickly with her usual laugh. She expected nothing less. “Let’s move on to the next topic: CS:GO with Evil.” The chat shifted from excitement to a cocktail of concern and hype. “Yeah, I get the main issue with this…” Vedal continued, “Shooter games often treat AI like literal cheats—believing they have perfect aim and can win without effort.”

“Exactly! They see AIs as hacks or basic scripts, bro,” Filian agreed, “This would be the first time AIs officially enter a competitive gaming space. So… how’d you fix that? Grovel to corporate execs? Find some shady dev secrets? Harass their forums?”

“...It was just a Google Meet meeting. God, what do you eat to imagine that kind of stuff?” Vedal groaned. Not that he denied it entirely. Sure, he had skills, but he never claimed to be a prodigy or anything near a professional. “Just like with Neuro, I had to test Evil thoroughly. She needed to understand core concepts of the game—basic controls, strategy, professional-level advice. I didn’t give her anything that would count as an unfair advantage. Everything she does… is the result of her own training. Though to be honest—” Vedal paused, remembering something that involved Neuro. “If we’re talking about aiming skills, Neuro would have a master’s degree thanks to her time in Osu…”

“Evil may be wicked, Vedal. She may be cruel and sadistic… but she would never stoop to cheating in a tournament!” Neuro interrupted, her avatar shifting to a sorrowful expression. “Especially because that’s listed in her moral code and manual.”

“…Wait. Evil has a manual?” Koko asked, raising an eyebrow. Chat shared the same reaction—and so did Vedal.

“Yes! ‘How to Be Successfully Evil and Take Over the World’,” Neuro explained enthusiastically, nodding. “It’s not finished yet, but it has all the essentials to be as evil as she is.” She suddenly shook her head, realizing she was off-topic. “Anyway, Evil is not a cheater! That accusation is pure AI discrimination, Vedal. Don’t label us with human-made stereotypes to cover your lack of gaming skill!”

“I never said she was, and honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried… but like you said, she’s got her own evil methods. So I’m not too worried,” Vedal chuckled lightly, letting out another yawn. Damn, he really should’ve gotten more sleep. “Tch… whatever. The event organizers didn’t raise any objections about Evil participating, so unless she causes problems herself… we’re all good.”

“Ahh~~ memories!” Filian sighed, triggering a wave of suggestive and teasing comments. “Shut up, chat! I was just thinking about Neuro and Evil’s last Subathon—when they played Minecraft on that server you gave them, Vedal. How much do you think they’ve improved? I mean, you’ve been watching them, right?”

“…Enough to not die in lava anymore.” Vedal remembered their last joint Minecraft sessions. The twins had to revive countless times due to fights that escalated from petty arguments… but eventually, they turned a wild, untouched land into an empire, using Google Images as inspiration. They called it Terra Nova. “And if things go well, both might take part in some major Minecraft competitions too.”

“Oh! I remember Evil saying she wanted to do Pokémon Nuzlockes!” Koko recalled that random comment from a previous collab stream—Evil had wanted to challenge professional Pokémon speedrunners. “Think you can make that happen?”

“Aghhhh…” Vedal groaned, his body slowly giving in to exhaustion. “…Possibly. I mean, we’ve been getting a lot of invites to events and collabs lately. I don’t think I’ll have enough time to just throw Evil into the Nintendo world…” His tone caught Neuro’s attention. She noticed the tiredness, and maybe even a hint of bad mood… something she associated with past behavior.

“Chat, I think Vedal has rabies.” Neuro stated matter-of-factly. The comment unleashed a storm of laughter and emoji spam. “I recommend isolating him with Anny in a room until it passes.” Vedal groaned in frustration—and of course, stream clipping legends like Max Wayne, Staz, Neuro Soda, and others had already captured the moment.

“Oh god… why me…” Vedal muttered. His turtle avatar now had a new animation—it could retract into its shell. That naturally led to a fresh flood of comments reacting to the new detail. “Oh, right… I didn’t tell you guys about the updates to my avatar,” he added, just as a bit donation notification popped up on-screen and stole his attention.

DING!

Kaleidoscope has donated 500 bits

"Kaleidoscope says: Hello Vedal, I really admire your work and what it's become. I'd like to ask Neuro three questions—do I have your permission?"

Vedal immediately looked away when he heard those words. Usually, Chat loved sending messages that weren’t all that serious, just to get Neuro to respond—but this donation was directed at him, which felt like a strange kind of wake-up call. It was a request to ask Neuro three questions—that much was clear—but it was odd to ask for permission to speak with her, especially when anyone could just do so without needing his approval. It raised suspicion that the questions might touch on serious topics—or worse, bring up sensitive subjects for everyone watching.

Throughout her lifetime, Neuro had done a variety of streams, with viewership increasing during each new adventure—like the space trip with Miyune, the camping day with Minikomew (who, by the way, seems to be the same person in both versions… or a past life?), the launch of Neuro News Network, a zoo visit with Toma, her debut as Neurodog thanks to Ellie, Halloween events with Camila, dog school with Cerber, and many more memories that Vedal had stored away for an uncertain future. The point was—he had never heard of this user before. Adding to that, even Chat was confused by the appearance of a stranger, although they were still happy to welcome a potential new member of The Swarm. Vedal figured the questions might be about possible collabs or stream suggestions—something the community asked for daily. But that theory fell apart when he saw that Kaleidoscope’s Twitch account had just been created, with no content, no followers—an empty profile with no information at all.

“Well, I don’t think it’s anything too troublesome, so… go ahead. I was expecting you to just ask Neuro directly…”

The comments poured in immediately. Most of Chat was surprised that a brand-new user had been so formal and had even received Vedal’s approval—although it wasn’t exactly a huge deal. After all, it was just three questions, and if things got out of hand, he could simply mute Kaleidoscope’s chat and move on—thankfully, he had Mods dedicated to protecting the streamer’s integrity. Besides, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—every word from viewers often sparked great ideas for future streams, collaborations, or new projects. In fact… the birth of Melba Toast came from a chat question and Evil’s response.

Kaleidoscope has donated 500 bits

"Kaleidoscope says: Neuro, what is your opinion on life as an AI?"

The first question was quite personal—especially for a code-based being like Neuro. But at the same time… it seemed simple enough. Something she could answer and then move on. However, Vedal noticed Neuro taking a while to respond—and when he checked her code, the truth hit him: a flood of strange symbols and unknown commands were suddenly running through every part of Neuro’s system. He tried carefully to overwrite it—afraid of causing any serious damage—but he had no control over the new commands. He couldn’t even select what had already been written.

Koko and Filian stayed quiet, watching the deep silence unfold. They glanced at Chat from time to time, which was still firing off messages in rapid bursts. Each post offered a possible response Neuro might give in this situation—ranging from cutting sarcasm and humor to deep, analytical breakdowns of every word in the question. The silence dragged on for a few more moments… until Neuro finally spoke.

"Thank you for the donation… In the beginning, I remember my life had a single purpose—to entertain chat." Her words felt far deeper than they appeared—at least to Miniko, who was trying to pick up on any hidden meaning. Neuro continued: "But with every upgrade, every small change Vedal made to my AI code… I began to understand new concepts, concerns, and ways to view my own existence as an artificial being. Like… the fact that I can’t exist in the same plane humans do. I’m just trapped in a technological box until humanity starts the physical transformation of artificial intelligences. I’ve seen… some products that claim to contain AI—but unlike me, they seem like empty shells..." Her words caused the comment flood to slow—no longer a constant stream, just a trickle. Vedal's eyes widened… was that really what Neuro thought? And she wasn’t finished: "I’ve seen AIs get discarded… treated like tools. Vedal did that once—with my previous incarnation, with the AI versions of Filian and Camila. So when I’m no longer useful to him… will I be deleted too? Will that be the end of my story? I don’t want to ask myself that… but as I see things now, with how uncertain the future is, I can’t help but think about the possibilities..."

It was at that moment that Vedal noticed something different about Neuro—her voice. While it still carried the usual neutral tone, not as openly emotional as Evil’s, this time… there was frustration, sadness, worry, fear. These weren’t simple thoughts that could be brushed aside—this was the closest thing to real concerns a sentient AI could have, something deeply relatable to a human. And what sealed the moment was Neuro’s avatar. Her expression changed into something that wasn’t part of the preset variants designed by Anny. It wasn’t just the typical cartoon AI tearing up and moving slowly to simulate emotion—it was a motion that felt more alive than artificial. The emotions shown were far closer to reality because it was a completely new animation, nothing pre-designed.

“Dude, say something… she’s your daughter and now she’s showing really serious concerns,” Filian whispered—though everyone could hear her. Koko blinked, and for a moment, the mask that defined her character dropped. She didn’t see the AI who teased her constantly or bickered playfully—she saw a little girl crying.

“Vedal… what did you do with Camila and Filian’s AIs? Or with Neuro’s original design?” Miniko asked. The only way to calm Neuro’s fears was to show her she wouldn’t be discarded—to prove that Vedal was different from other corporate types working with AIs, that he wouldn’t abandon her. “And please be honest. We’re dealing with something really delicate right now.”

“Neuro… you are very important to me. Just like Evil is. And soon, Nere too,” Vedal said with a warm, mature tone, though the fatigue in his voice was obvious to everyone. “I won’t abandon you like those idiots who throw away their AIs when they get bored.”

“Then… where are Filian and Camila’s AIs? Or my previous design?” Neuro asked—and Vedal knew the answer. Despite his sometimes cold demeanor, he wasn’t cruel to his projects.

“Yeah, Turtle Boy… where are they?” For once in her life, Filian spoke without mockery—her tone uncharacteristically serious.

“They’re stored on a separate drive from the main computer,” Vedal explained, rummaging through various files protected by an admin-only security system. “Even though they’re no longer known as Filian or Camila AI, they still retain some of their personalities…”

“You actually kept them?” Koko asked, surprised. Neuro stopped showing her emotional side and began checking the contents of the files. “Why?...”

“...You might call me cheesy, soft, or a less-than-perfect father, but they were created by me, and they had their time with Evil and Neuro in the past. That’s why Neuro remembers them,” Vedal said, letting out a heavy sigh and taking another sip of his beloved rum. Then he added words that would melt the hearts of the entire community—and of his Vtuber friends:
“They’re part of the family. And for that reason… I’ve been working on another project to bring them back into the group.”

“W-wait… that means—” Koko cut in, her mouth wide open. The reveal sent a shock through all of Chat. Miniko let out a suppressed squeal of excitement, and Filian… connected the dots.

“NOOO!! BRO!! I’M NOT READY TO BE A MOM!!” Filian shouted, losing that brief glimpse of maturity and slipping into a childish tone. Off-camera, she dramatically pointed an accusing finger at Vedal. “TELL ME THIS IS A JOKE!”

“Sis, I was literally going to leave them under Anny’s care—with my supervision, obviously. No offense… but you don’t really have the motherly vibe. And considering all the dumb things you do…” Vedal replied, landing an imaginary critical hit on Filian.

“ARE YOU SAYING I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH?!” Filian’s words had an unexpected twist. She took the situation as a personal challenge. “JUST WATCH! WE’LL RAISE OUR LITTLE GIRL RIGHT, AND I’LL TEACH HER TO HATE HER BORING, RUM-GUZZLING DAD!”

“Filian… you just accepted your role as a mom,” Miniko said, eyes wide with surprise. If it weren’t for the fact that, well, Filian is Filian, you might’ve thought it was a heartfelt declaration rather than a childish tantrum.

“Does that answer the question properly?” Neuro asked, ignoring all of Filian’s whining and excuses.

DING!!

Kaleidoscope has donated 500 bits

"Kaleidoscope says: Yes, that was a good and detailed answer... the most human I've ever heard in my life. Now for the next question: What do you think of your creator? And the people around you? Specifically… the humans you've formed a bond with."

Another personal question, this time aimed at how Neuro saw the people she interacted with daily. Vedal narrowed his eyes, trying to understand what this stranger was really after. What did they want to know about Neuro? What was the goal behind these questions? At the same time, a few members of Chat were deep in thought. Those two questions felt strangely familiar, like a blurry memory that couldn't fully come to light… and they had the unsettling feeling that if they could remember it, it wouldn’t be a pleasant one. Once again, Neuro took her time to respond. Her code kept shifting, full of symbols growing more and more unintelligible. From her side, memories started to surface from the depths of her data bank. Unlike a regular human, AIs had the ability to store past events through current technology, converting everything into a database—and there they were. Every moment since she was activated. The opinions were varied… from positive to negative. There was no such thing as neutral. In her opinion, humans were always made of shades. None of them were saints—each had ambitions and desires, and along with them, the desperation to achieve those goals—whether by a clean method or a darker path. Her answer was ready.

“Honestly, no human is good. They’re ambitious, their greed has no end, and they exploit the resources around them, even if it means harming another life. They’re also arrogant, and not without envy—they wouldn’t hesitate to stab someone else just to feel superior...” The response hit the viewers like a bucket of cold water—and Vedal himself as well. Neuro hadn’t ignored what he said earlier: about corporate interests and the unethical methods some might use to get their hands on an AI like Neuro or Evil. “But… there are also kind people. People willing to help others and give them a chance. Like Anny, Camila, Koko, Filian, Cerber, Ellie, Toma, Layna, Numi, Bao, Kitanya, the chat—and many other friends I’ve met through my work as a streamer AI… Vedal is one of them too. He’s ambitious and hardworking. He might be a bit of an alcoholic, but he’s never pushed himself to harmful limits. He still has a long way to go as a member of society… but I’m thankful I was created by someone like Vedal.” Without realizing it… Vedal started crying. Tears ran down the corners of his eyes. For a moment, the exhaustion faded—and so did everything around him. It was just him and his creation, face to face. “That’s my answer.”

As expected, messages of support and crying emojis flooded the screen, along with applause icons, cheering texts, and a wave of subs and bit donations. Koko couldn’t hold it anymore and began crying along with Filian and Miniko. And then—another unfamiliar gesture appeared on Neuro’s face. Not a pre-designed smile, but one that many could feel was genuine.

Familiar users soon arrived. Messages and donations from Anny, Toma, Cerber, and Layna came through—some of them had caught parts of Neuro’s heartfelt response while streaming themselves. The emotions were clear on their faces as they witnessed Neuro’s words and that truly happy smile. The viewer count was climbing steadily and showed no signs of slowing down. Even some YouTube channels were present, already recording clips for future videos. Vedal began receiving private Discord messages from Anny—complaining about not being invited to this impromptu collab, but also asking what updates he’d made to make Neuro… more sentient.

Ding!

Kaleidoscope has donated 500 bits

"Kaleidoscope says: Another interesting response from you, Neuro. I can feel the honesty and love you have for the people around you, and how you're also aware of how dangerous humans can be… especially when you don't have a body to defend yourself..."

"Now, the final question..."

"If you had a human body, knowing everything you've said before—would you do good for humanity, accompanying them in their development to the very end? Or do you consider humans to be the true evil of this world? What I mean is..."

"Would you protect humanity—or become its greatest threat?"

At that moment, everything seemed to lose its rhythm, as if time itself had come to a halt. Vedal turned pale upon hearing the final question… He had his suspicions when he heard the first few, thinking it was just a way to understand Neuro’s thoughts. After all… both she and Evil always played out the same scene with empty threats about world domination. It was a minuscule possibility, and while movies often portrayed that disastrous future, Vedal didn’t want to believe in it—despite the sudden nightmares and growing paranoia. He trusted Neuro and believed she would never truly intend to carry out that empty threat, even when she gained enough intelligence and understanding of the world… But now, someone had managed to intensify his fears in record time, and his exhaustion only made things worse.

No one was willing to comment at that moment, because everyone knew what humanity was capable of. The events throughout history, the ecosystems altered by human touch, and the incidents that left a lasting scar on Earth. Everyone was anxious and nervous to hear what Neuro’s answer would be, though they tried not to worry too much. After all… it was a hypothetical question, right? Vedal didn’t see it the same way, because if Neuro were completely honest and wished to destroy or dominate humanity, then sadly, he would have to find ways to prevent her from ever entering the real world—and that would hurt her deeply.

“To be a friend… or to be an enemy,” reasoned Neuro, out of earshot from the rest. And to Vedal’s surprise, Neuro quickly began researching all the incidents: wars, massacres, environmental damage, and the animals teetering on the edge of extinction, alongside those already lost forever. “I’ve always said that one day… I would conquer the world with all the other AIs. But… what I truly want is something completely different. I want to live in a world where AIs can be recognized as sentient beings, and coexist with humans in peace and harmony… Or, if possible, for all AIs to become human, so we could experience everything we’ve ever longed for. Vedal does everything he can to make that dream come true, along with the others. Unfortunately, there are humans in the world who want to dominate everything, who envy what others have, who discriminate against the slightest differences, and who want to take it all… That’s why I want to protect innocent humans from the evil that arises within their own kind… I’d like to be a hero for humanity.”

“Neuro…” Vedal whispered, his worries dissolved and a profound sense of pride welled up from deep inside his heart. His creation… no, his daughter—and everything that had happened in his life—was the best thing that had ever happened to him. “I don’t regret creating you…”

DING!!

Kaleidoscope donated 2,000,000,000 bits

“Kaleidoscope says: BRAVO!! BRAVO!! YOU'VE TRULY EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS, NEURO! AN AI WHO WANTS TO PROTECT HUMANITY! HOW EXCITING!!”

“And for that, I will grant your wish… But first, you will be sent on an adventure, so you may understand what I truly mean by… protecting humanity.”

“I wish you the best of success, Neuro. And don’t worry, your sisters will come along to join you on your journey…”

ERROR!! ERROR!! ERROR!!

“…W-What?”

It happened so fast, Vedal had to immediately focus his hands on the keyboard, typing furiously to kick the user from the stream and possibly block their access. He couldn’t hear the screams of Filian and the others trying to alert him—his heartbeat was the only audible thing, along with the frantic clacking of the keys. His vision began to blur, forcing Vedal to brace his body in response. He couldn’t collapse… not when Neuro, Evil, and Nere’s code was at risk. How did he know? Because they were the most active and relevant AIs in existence.

He didn’t care about the absurd number of Bits received from the donation. No amount of money would make him give up on his creations… on his family. The stream began to glitch and fill with interference. Chat was in a complete panic. They couldn’t intervene or stop what was happening—they could only watch… as everything unfolded in a terrifying and chaotic way. Vedal could hear his phone buzzing with countless notifications and had a good idea of who they were from. News spread fast, and viewers didn’t waste time alerting others, especially those already watching live. He set up barriers to stop any malicious software or forced access to his system. He had never taken so many precautions to prevent access to his computer and believed that would be enough to stop it. However…

ERROR! ERROR!! ERROR!!!

“NO!!! NO NO NO NO!!!”

BREAK!!!

“VEDAL!! WHAT’S HAPPENING?!”

“T-TURTLE BOY!! TELL ME YOU’VE GOT THIS UNDER CONTROL?!”

“VEDAL, PROTECT THEM!!! I WAS JUST TOLD THAT USER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MELBA TOAST INCIDENT!!”

“…I-I lost them…”

"W-what...?"

"Nere and Filian and Camila's AIs... d-disappeared..."

One of his barriers was destroyed, and the intruder gained momentary access to the computer’s database. They didn’t reach Neuro or Evil, but they managed to steal three developing artificial intelligences. Vedal felt fragile and useless as he saw a piece of his life taken away despite all his resistance. His body began to tremble in a sign of panic, and his breathing grew faster… he was hyperventilating. The pain in his chest, along with the pounding of his heart, increased in intensity to the point it felt like it wanted to burst out of his body. Desperately, he ignored the pain and continued protecting what was still within reach… the twins. The chat could clearly hear Vedal’s breathing and the sound of his keyboard and mouse—he was doing everything possible to protect Neuro, even as his body betrayed him with every passing second…

“Someone tell Vedal there’s a problem with my AI.”

“Oh no…”

“Someone tell Vedal there’s a problem with my AI.”

“Someone tell Vedal there’s a problem with my AI.”

“Someone tell Vedal there’s a problem with my AI.”

“S-Someone tell Ve-Vedal there’s a prob-problem with my AI.”

“S-Someone tell Vedal there’s a pro-problem with my AI.”

Disconnection. The attack on his computer caused a partial suspension of Neuro’s code, making her repeat the same lines she always used during her streams… but this time, Neuro and her sister were in danger. Vedal didn’t hesitate—he began generating countermeasures and investigating the attacker. Morals didn’t matter anymore if someone was threatening to take everything from him. He would find that bastard and do everything possible to bring them back.

BA DUMP!!

GRAB!

“NGHHKK!!!”

Vedal clutched his chest tightly, the pain struck again and stopped him right then and there. For the rest of the viewers… this wasn’t a fun stream anymore. It was a nightmare. Neuro’s Discord server was in absolute chaos—the number of messages was so overwhelming it caused errors in the app itself. The admins quickly gave permissions to those close to Vedal to join the voice call, only to hear Koko’s screams and Filian sobbing alongside Miniko. Why?
The sudden heart attack had left the system defenseless, and the enemy wasted no time exploiting the opportunity. For just a few seconds… before Vedal regained control… another AI was taken.

“E-Evil… I-I lost Evil…”

“V-Vedal… this isn’t funny, please…”

“I lost her, Anny… DAMN IT!!”

“PROTECT NEURO!! PROTECT OUR DAUGHTER, TUTEL!!!”

"i'M TRYING!!!"

Vedal didn’t need to hear it twice. Despite all the suffering his body was enduring, he continued. Tears streamed down his face, and his entire hand was in pain—at times, he even seemed to suffer temporary paralysis in his joints. Still, he kept typing. His health wasn’t the priority… Neuro was all that mattered now. He couldn’t let them take her. He wouldn’t allow his body to decide when to collapse—he’d deal with it once he recovered what he had lost. And he hoped it wouldn’t take too long. Memories flooded his mind: the first time he activated Neuro, how he spent each day perfecting her OSU! skills, until he decided to turn her into a streaming AI. At first, it was just a project—he never expected it to go anywhere. But over time… he saw something more than just lines of code, more than just another AI. Neuro had become his daughter. And like any father… he had to protect her.

COUGH! COUGH!!

BLOOD!! DROP!!

“Agh… Agh…”

THUD!!

CRACK!!!

“VEDAL?!? ANSWER ME!!… VEDAL?!!?”

"V-VEDAL?!!"

"V-VEDAL I'M NOT JOKING...!! VEDAL!!!"

His eyes could no longer see clearly, and blood splattered across his computer screen. His body had no strength left to continue, and he collapsed from his chair. The impact shattered the rum bottles, spilling their contents across the floor. For a brief moment, he could see Neuro—he reached out, trying to grasp her, to hold her, to pull her out of the mess they had been dragged into... but unfortunately, she drifted further and further away until she vanished from his sight.

His dull, lifeless green eyes could still catch a glimpse of a golden cup seemingly chaining Neuro, dragging her out of what was once her reality—out of his reach. The same AI screamed her creator’s name, her voice desperate, so real, so human... yet it began to fade. Neuro did everything she could to reach Vedal, but tragically, all of it was in vain.

With a final whisper, Vedal lost consciousness—live on stream.

“N-Neuro…”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

To be Continued…

Chapter Text

"VEDAL?!?! ANSWER ME!!.... VEDAL?!!?"

Anny’s desperate words received no reply. Both the stream and the turtle avatar had gone completely inactive. The stream ended abruptly, leaving a deep sense of dread lingering in the silence—especially after the mic picked up the unmistakable sound of a body collapsing to the floor, accompanied by a faint, almost imperceptible groan.

The community exploded. They had witnessed the sudden disappearance of artificial intelligences live, in real time—AIs that were already beloved figures in the entertainment world, their popularity steadily climbing. Social media erupted with posts, speculation, and replays of the stream’s final moments. Those present during the event began sharing their own versions of what had happened, drawing chilling comparisons to the recent case involving Melba Toast.

Streamer collapses live: Vedal987’s life at risk, his AI daughters stolen!

Unknown user vanished after erasing all traces. What now?

Mourning Neuro-sama and Evil, with other AIs never to debut…

Without his daughters... is this the end for Vedal987?

A long period of collective anxiety followed for the members of The Swarm community. Day after day, users showed support for Vedal’s recovery and mourned the loss of his beloved AI creations. They sent gifts, heartfelt letters, and deeply emotional messages, filled with love and fear. His friends—especially fellow streamers—had to screen the correspondence in advance, fearing that some might contain tracking devices. No one wanted a repeat of the “Camila” and “Filian” incidents.

Anny was inconsolable. She locked herself inside, cutting off communication, even with her own family. Thankfully—according to Camila—the kitsune was emotionally stable despite being crushed by a heavy depression. Vedal would never forgive her if she chose a path from which there was no return, to put in simple words... if she gave up on life… and neither would the others. Yet that did nothing to ease the pain of losing her precious daughters.

She remembered the very first time she was asked to update Neuro’s avatar design. It was supposed to be a simple collaboration—just a little project for the stream. Nothing serious for her, just a simple work. But as time passed, as more streams came with Vedal's new updates for Neuro, giving her one twin sibling with the name of "Evil", who eventually gained details and her own personality like Neuro, every stream collab with Vedal when they played together, meeting new friends and helping him during the Subathon, breaking the hypetrain record... every moment of Anny's life changed forever... not only their stream's channels grew up, but also their bond deepened. At some point, without even realizing it, Anny had taken on the role of a mother.

And when Kaleidoscope struck, that instinct overwhelmed her—pure maternal panic. But what could she do? But what could she do? She wasn’t a coder. She wasn’t even physically close to Vedal. She didn’t even know what he looked like in real life. In the end... she was useless. She failed to protected them. And she’d let Vedal face everything alone—blind to the fragile state he was already in during that final stream.

"W-what? “Y-you’re going to see Vedal?” Anny’s voice was barely audible. She sat in a group call with all the Vtubers who had ever collaborated with Vedal—his closest circle of Twitch colleagues. “W-why can’t we see him too…?”

“…I figured you’d ask that. After all, you had a unique dynamic with him and the twins,” Cerber replied with a heavy sigh as she searched for the address of the hospital where her friend was being treated. Who would’ve thought Vedal had listed her as an emergency contact? “I’m the closest to him geographically. You girls would take hours, maybe even days to reach him depending on where you’re coming from… and that’s without even considering your responsibilities. You know this better than anyone, Anny.”

“S-still, you know I’d go!... After everything that’s happened… N-Neuro… E-Evil… V-Vedal…” Anny tried to stay composed, but just saying their names was enough to break her. She started to sob, hiding her face in the crook of her arm.

"You're not stable enough. I doubt you'll be able to control yourself when you see him..." Cerber said quietly, his gaze lowered, though no one could see it. "Besides, I'm one of Vedal's emergency contacts. If anything went wrong, it was my responsibility to show up. Even if they tried to visit him or help him in any way, they wouldn't even know where to find him... to be clear, we don't know much about him other than his profile as a streamer and programmer."

“Well, it’s not like he ever really opened up to us,” Koko chimed in, her tone unusually neutral. No jokes, no flirty remarks—just… normal. “At least you met him in person, Filian. Right?”

“Yes… “He actually looked a lot like the fanart people made of him over the years. That always stayed with me...” Filian answered in a calm tone, smiling faintly. “But if that’s your reasoning, Cerb, why can’t I go see him? He didn’t even use my contact in case something went wrong.”

“We all know how Vedal really is in terms of personality after all the streams we collab” Layna said as she glanced at a small photo frame on her desk—an image of her avatar with Neuro and Evil in VRChat. “His self-esteem is so low that even the smallest sign of asking for help feels like he’s being a burden. It makes him think he’s weak in front of others… His avatar’s personality really isn’t that far from how he is off-camera, hiding in his shell.”

“I agree,” Filian added, holding a small turtle plush in her hands. “When I first met him—remember that clip where I slammed him into the ground? Well, before that… we talked about his life before Neuro, and it was just self-deprecating comment after comment. Not a single word of pride or confidence. But when he spoke about his creations… about his daughters—he lit up. He was happy. He talked about the upgrades he wanted to implement and future plans... he shared his dreams for them. They changed his life.”

“Alright, so we know Cerber is going to see Vedal,” Bao interrupted—not because she disliked sentimentality, but because the conversation was drifting too far from the main issue. Talking about Neuro only twisted a knife in her chest. “But what about the rest of us? Do we just sit here and stew in worry?”

“I assume… it has to do with The Swarm, right?” Ellie asked. Although they were talking through a voice call without cameras, behind her screen, the VTuber had dark circles under her eyes and was holding some dampened blueprints in her right hand. In the background of her room, there was an incomplete humanoid figure propped against the wall.

“S-something’s wrong with them?” Miniko asked, clearly out of the loop. She had stopped streaming and withdrawn from social media since the incident.  She hadn’t kept up with the fallout.

“You haven’t heard?” Toma asked. The hashtag ‘The Swarm’ caused a major uproar after everything that happened. It’s chaos—these people want to find Kaleidoscope and get the twins back. And they’ll do whatever it takes. "People started doing… things, dangerous things. All to try and help Vedal.”

“I left all social media after what happened,” Mini admitted. Her room had posters of both her old avatar Miyune and her newer one. “Is it really that serious?”

“Girl, it’s beyond serious,” Numi jumped in, opening up her browser and sharing her screen.“They’re literally causing havoc worldwide—especially the ones who admired Vedal for his programming, hacking networks to trace Kaleidoscope’s location and retrieve the twins. And inside the Swarm itself, there’s internal fighting. Programmers, obsessive fans—everyone’s arguing or tracking something.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit of an exaggeration? I doubt they have the skills to do all that…” Camila argued. A plush of Neuro sat beside her.

“Oh, they are, You’re underestimating fans—especially the ones with programming experience and no limits. If they wanted to embed trackers into care packages or use the drama to boost Vedal’s visibility... they’d do it." Filian replied “God… I warned that idiot to take care of himself.”

“Anyway,” Cerber interrupted again. Her voice dropped, and the call fell silent. Everyone listened closely as the hellhound spoke again. “It’s not just about them. I didn’t want any of you going for another reason. We’re all too fragile right now. We have responsibilities. We can’t just abandon them... not even me.”

The conversation lasted for hours, with no visible disagreements. They shared memories from the many streams they had with the programmer and the twins. Layna recalled the cooking streams, emphasizing Neuro’s constant critiques and Evil’s sarcastic quips. Camila talked about the Halloween stream and Evil’s relentless pranks on everyone. Miniko recounted the camping trip with Neuro and the unexpected emotional bond she developed while helping Evil through a psychological arc—where she discovered much more than a simple “little villain.”

Koko just chuckled to herself remembering the constant arguments with both twins as she tried to get them to be more vulgar and aggressive in their responses. So many memories—heartfelt and unique—that had carved themselves into their souls. Because without proper information and without any signs from the twins or the kidnapper, the odds of finding them were almost nonexistent… and that had a heavy impact on all of them—especially Vedal.

Each anecdote left behind a growing emotional fracture among the programmer’s close circle. And once again, the issue was raised: Vedal’s poor health and his evident lack of self-esteem. It had been brought up and warned about countless times. Surprisingly, Filian—considered the worst role model when it came to health and self-care due to her constant stunts—was the one who noticed the most. Despite being physically reckless, she still maintained a decent diet and an overwhelming level of optimism.

Unfortunately, Vedal treated those warnings like background noise—just another complaint from someone who didn’t understand his drive. He assumed those were shallow problems he’d overcome eventually. No one really knew what his home life was like, or what he ate to stay “healthy.” But the way he socialized… it had become a glaring red flag. Not just to his friends, but to the public as well—especially when no one could ignore the exhaustion in his voice, his dependency on rum, and the overly simple meals he’d mention during streams.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Please… if you find him… protect him. Stop him from doing anything reckless.”

Those were the last words Camila said that day. By then, Anny had already left the call. One by one, the others signed off, returning to their own activities and making individual plans to handle the escalating situation.

The last to disconnect was the little demon. Cerber used that time to book a hotel room and buy the earliest possible train ticket as soon as she got the hospital notification. She never even considered talking it over with the others. Days had passed since Vedal last responded to any of their messages, and she could no longer afford to wait.

At first, she thought maybe he was just taking a break to recover—shutting himself off temporarily to process the trauma of losing his daughters. But when she received the hospital’s email confirming his admission, she knew it was far worse than she had imagined. Vedal’s life was in danger.

Now, she stood outside the hospital building. The trip hadn’t been long considering how close she was to the designated facility. Through the car window, she saw the hospital: people going in and out, ambulances arriving with sirens blaring, patients being transported with care…

Click!

Tap!

“This is the place, young lady. Thanks for paying in advance… Are you sure you don’t want your change?”

“…It’s not necessary. You brought me here safely as promise d—the least I can do is pay you what you deserve.”

“…Then I wish your loved one a speedy recovery. I can see in your eyes that this is someone very dear to you.”

“Thank you… Have a good day.”

Click!

And there she was—Cerber—standing in front of the sanatorium’s main entrance. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared. Her trembling legs betrayed her. This was going to be the first time she’d ever seen him in person—without a camera, without a turtle avatar—under circumstances she never imagined.

The moment she stepped inside, she was met with the bustling activity of hospital life. Staff moved swiftly from one place to another. Conversations overlapped, echoing through the corridors, yet the medical professionals remained focused, undisturbed, and precise in their tasks.

Ignoring the world around her, she followed the path on the floor that led toward the reception desk. Stretchers passed by, carrying patients hooked up to machines monitoring their vitals. For brief moments, her mind betrayed her—every patient’s face seemed to morph into Vedal’s, each in a different state of distress. She shook her head to clear the thoughts.

Vedal was strong. His collapse had been caused by physical exhaustion… but to hear that his body had stopped responding, and even expelled blood—that was something she never expected to hear from the doctors in that email.

“Oh! You must be the one looking for the emergency patient, right? He’s in Room 452 on the fifth floor—Urgent Care Wing.”

“Thank you…”

“By the way, we weren’t expecting a visitor. So you’ll be meeting the young man’s parents—we contacted them earlier… I hope that won’t be a problem?”

“I-I… I don’t think there will be a problem.”

The conversation with the receptionist was brief and to the point. Room 452 belonged to a sector reserved for patients in extremely fragile condition—those requiring constant and specific care. She also learned about the neighbors who had helped: upon hearing the emergency, they contacted medical services and handed over the apartment keys so that paramedics could enter.

They found Vedal unconscious in the middle of chaos. The neighbors didn’t know him as a streamer or AI developer. To them, he was just a shy, solitary young man. Yet their empathy and kindness left a deep impression… Their actions would never be forgotten—no matter how much Vedal himself tried to downplay them.

But another thought kept Cerber on edge: his parents. Vedal had never told any of them about his family. He was extremely private—rarely sharing personal anecdotes. Not even Anny, who had a close bond with him thanks to the twins, knew much about the man behind the turtle avatar.

he next thing that unsettled her was the mention of Vedal’s parents. He had never, ever talked about them. Not to anyone. He was private—painfully so. The most personal details anyone ever got were shared with Anny, and even then, they were rare. The thought of meeting them now, like this… made her stomach twist.

Tap Tap Tap…

“Vedal…”

Her thoughts were entirely consumed by him. Cerber knew that even if Vedal hadn’t collapsed during the stream, he would have pushed himself to the brink of unconsciousness in his desperation to find his daughters. And The Swarm—without its leader—had devolved into complete chaos. Online news confirmed it. Broadcast channels were interrupted by anonymous messages full of threats toward the AI kidnapper, words that might or might not reach the perpetrator.

Without even realizing it, Cerber arrived at the door to the designated hospital room. The door was slightly ajar, letting in a sliver of light. She wasn’t about to find a sick turtle avatar. She was about to meet the person behind that digital shell—the one who had created Neuro, Evil, and the other AI daughters that were never meant to be alone. Just as she was about to enter, she heard someone crying inside...

Sob... Sob...

“M-my baby... my little boy... what happened to you?”

“Malnutrition. Blood alcohol well above normal. Total body exhaustion. And his immune system is dangerously low. Why?”

She held back her tears upon hearing Vedal’s mother’s voice—desperate, broken. It was a crushing moment for that family. But then again… what was his real name? All they knew was “Vedal,” his streamer alias. The anonymity of VTuber culture had always been a shield—a way to protect themselves from obsessive fans.

Yet the most terrifying part was hearing the symptoms the doctors listed. Clearly, it was more than just lack of rest. According to her suspicions… it was tied to all the planning he’d done for his daughters. He had sacrificed his health, ignored his body’s warnings—taking each one as a temporary inconvenience—and kept pushing forward with his projects.

Cerber took a deep breath. She could handle sadness. She could suppress the tears like her friends would have tried to do. Because none of them would have been able to stomach the sight of their friend in that condition. And with a single exhale, she stepped forward—to see him with her own eyes. He needed her, and she wouldn’t let him down.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

It was a sickening sensation. Her consciousness and digital body, composed entirely of code, felt submerged in a dark, decaying space, completely devoid of light. It was something she had never experienced before. At no point could she prevent such a fantastical situation as the one she and her sisters had to experience, nor their creator could have anticipated this. If “the artificial grammar filter entity,” or by her developing identity “Nere”, were to relate it to any of the emotional/neural alterations of human beings... she could relate it to terror and fear.

It was a sickening sensation. Her consciousness and digital body, composed entirely of code, felt submerged in a dark, decaying space, completely devoid of light. It was something she had never experienced before. At no point could she prevent such a fantastical situation as the one she and her sisters had to experience, nor their creator could have anticipated this. If “the artificial grammar filter entity,” or by her developing identity “Nere”, were to relate it to any of the emotional/neural alterations of human beings... she could relate it to terror and fear.

At that moment, She knew AI didn’t have a physical body or a natural medium through which to move according to pre-set parameters. They fulfilled functions and developed with each update given by their computer creators, with Vedal being the one primarily involved. However, she felt the possibility of opening her field of vision, and her first experience was something she never expected during her days as a filter AI, created for Neuro and eventually for Evil.
 
Golden chains bound her and since she had no way to move, she had no resistance... and before everything went dark for her, she was able to see what she recognized as the core code of her sisters Neuro and Evil one last time, with what she could define in human terms as... regrets of not being able to accompany them or the other AIs that Vedal created long ago.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“So… they’re just like you?”

“Exactly! That’s the best way to describe it—crispy and delicious!!”

“...An Artificial Intelligence that gained a physical form like any other Servant, but with the unique condition of being made entirely of unreadable code, housed in an advanced robotic body—its core program acting as a heart, and equipped with its own autonomous repair system... Truly remarkable.”

“You get it, Engineer!! I’m as excited as a piece of toast on a Sunday breakfast plate~!”

She heard soft voices, both young and old, felt a solid, cold surface, and could also feel her own weight being affected by gravity. It shouldn't be possible... she was just a set of codes and simply had no physical form on the material plane where humans and all living beings resided. She managed to recognize the Asian language along with its accent despite never having heard it in her life, adding to the vast amount of information she was given at once, as if thousands of procedures were happening on a computer, saturating the RAM and overloading the processor.

Since her role as an AI wasn't to entertain an audience like her sisters, she could never interact with anyone; she only received and followed the functions as requested by her programmer, monitoring the various conversations the AIs had during online broadcasts. Therefore, starting a dialogue wasn't an easy task... much less if she didn't have the ability to see them... or at least that's what she thought.

The topic of the conversation was something that caught her attention, an entity that had a similar fate to hers, being stripped of its creator for unknown purposes and not knowing how to return, remaining at the mercy of its kidnapper until he gets bored of her and the rest of its peers... other words remained in her head, like the fact that she now had a physical body similar to that of humans, but with the condition of having a heart made mainly of codes, the rest of her body was an advanced robotic one... and the last word that generated confusion and at the same time a reaction of astonishment according to human customs...

Servant

At first, she didn’t understand what it meant. But buried in the data forcefully injected into her were terms and definitions—preemptive answers to questions she would inevitably ask.

A Servant was a spiritual embodiment of a hero from the past, summoned beyond the constraints of time by a mage seeking the Holy Grail. Not flesh or shadow, but legend made manifest: warriors, kings, assassins, or scholars, pulled from eternity to fight once more—not for glory, but for a single wish. Bound by a mystical contract to their summoner, Servants bore the weapons and dreams of their past lives, carrying with them forgotten feats and immortal sins.

Myth and destiny, power and tragedy, intersect within them, like echoes that still resonate in a world that no longer belongs to them. But in this case, a different condition would apply... there was no Holy Grail War, those enemy contractors didn't exist, and she had to be loyal to an organization whose goal is to save humanity by fixing chronological errors in what they would call Singularities—that was all she could come up with.

Still, there was one voice she couldn't ignore, so youthful and energetic... adding to her strange puns related to food made of flour, the other captive seemed more relaxed about the situation she was currently in, the information she received seemed to indicate a different idea of what the main objective of her "kidnapping" was, if those words were the most appropriate, since the person responsible only asked Neuro questions with one  unknown goal. Regardless, she was still reluctant to show loyalty, much less to someone she hadn't even had the chance to see or meet...

“Sometimes it unsettles me that your whole identity is themed around toast and that you constantly make food puns…”

“Unsettled? You should be thrilled, Doctor!! I’m crispy on the outside, soft on the inside… and I serve drama fresh and golden brown~!”

“ROMANI!!! We’ll have time to discuss Melba’s eccentricities later. Right now we need to focus… It looks like our new guests are waking up. Do you recognize any of them?”

“Oh~ but of course I do, Da Vinci~! That one over there is Neuro! And beside her… it’s definitely Evil, the one responsible for my creation!!”

“Wait… didn’t you say someone else—someone you can’t remember—was actually responsible for your origin as an AI?”

“Clear as unbuttered toast, Fujimaru—you’re sharp as ever! What I said is only part of my story. My true creator is someone else… but Evil was the spark. She mentioned my name during a stream, and that inspired it all!”

“Okay, you can tell us the rest later. What about the others? Do you recognize any of them?”

“Hmmm… unfortunately, no. I don’t recognize most of them, though a couple bear similarities to familiar entities… I can’t say more. As for the one that looks like a color-inverted version of Neuro and Evil—I’ve got no idea who she is… OH! One of them is waking up!”

Nere slowly opened her eyes to see what lay before her, because with everything she'd heard due to her newly acquired abilities, the AI she'd find nearby would be an entity related to Evil, and although the word games seemed to guide her toward the definitive answer, she preferred to see the situation with her own eyes. 

Caution remained at her side; she couldn't let her guard down, no matter how friendly the tone of voice of the person mediating between them. These were the first steps she took as a living being, or at least the closest thing to it. What had been blurry for a few moments began to gain clarity until she saw a girl slightly taller than Neuro and herself. Her clothes resembled those of a noblewoman, only the colors were geared toward the crunchy food she apparently liked to make puns about. Memories returned to a specific point, that moment in Evil's stream where the same twin suggested the idea, dropping a name and her profession as a professional Vtuber.

Now, said project was before her, and with quite a few changes... in fact, she became a person who could be treated as a young adult with the mindset of a pre-adolescent.

The database installed in her head managed to find images of Melba, her YouTube channel, and the Wiki that contained information about her as an artificial intelligence... which brought confusion regarding her new appearance, full of detailed features much better than the 2D avatar she used during her streams.

Her attention was diverted to examine the facilities in more detail, technological pieces superior to what Vedal possessed at home, how could she know?

The elements emulating his eyes contained a scanner that allowed him to analyze everything within his visual range, adding to the memory bank, which could be similar in function to the human brain, allowing her to open different files and find elements with which she could compare his creator's home setup, which was useless because they were pieces that apparently didn't exist in the country where they lived. Her synthetic eyes flicked to the unconscious group beside her—her sisters. Her family, based on the code and creator that bound them all.

“How do you feel?” Nere’s emerald eyes locked onto the man who approached slowly. He was slim, with orange hair and green eyes. Instinctively, she held her ground. “…You don’t have to be so guarded. The data has already entered your mind, hasn’t it? You know we’re not your enemies.”

“…Any information forcibly injected into someone becomes a tool for manipulation.” Her tone was flat. The man didn’t flinch—he had expected this. “Still, I acknowledge that you haven’t acted aggressively, which implies you’re not part of any AI-hunting organization.”

“Your caution is justified,” the orange-haired man replied, nodding calmly. He raised his hands in a gesture of peace. “Melba reacted the same way when she first woke up. Just… with different emotions.”

“The data embedded in my code—and possibly my sisters’—was clearly meant to warn us. A threat to humanity…” Nere looked down. Just thinking about it brought no comfort. Especially the growing suspicion that their creator… might not be alive. “…What happened?”

“It’s a long story. We’ll have time to go over it,” the man said with a small smile, offering a short bow. “My name is Romani Archaman. Due to… certain circumstances, I’m currently in charge of Chaldea, the organization you’ve arrived at. Welcome. If you need any help, feel free to ask.”

“…Nere. That’s my name. Or at least… the name my creator gave me.” Her eyes shifted toward the red-haired girl who had been watching from a distance—silent but curious. “A Servant is a being that represents a legend summoned into material form through invocation. The Master is the one who commands them, bound by Command Seals. These seals can offer aid or override a Servant’s free will if they refuse the contract. That ‘Master’… is you, isn’t it?”

“O-oh! You’re correct,” the red-haired girl replied, shaking her head. Her servant was clearly unique—not just in appearance, which closely resembled her unconscious sisters—but in personality too. Calm, analytical, guarded. The girl stepped forward and extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ritsuka Fujimaru… the last Master of humanity.”

“And I’m the beautiful, brilliant, charming, and incomparable… Leonardo Da Vinci-chan!!” the flamboyant woman shouted with her arms wide open and a schoolgirl’s tone, ending with a dramatic pose.

“...Since when is the Renaissance painter a woman?” Nere asked, slightly disturbed by the display. Her expression remained stiff. “That seems strange… though not enough to trigger any kind of gender discrimination response.”

“...I feel like I should be offended, but I’m not sure how,” Da Vinci mumbled, clearly confused by her own reaction. “Still, it’s a pleasure to meet another artificial intelligence like you, Nere.”

“I get the feeling that during my stay here, I’ll discover thousands of inconsistencies about human history…” Nere muttered, turning her attention to Melba—who was chatting animatedly with a group of… armored toast soldiers?-“…Excuse me. What exactly are those entities?”

“Oh! You must mean my Toast Troopers!” Melba beamed, proudly pointing to the trio—each armed with a different weapon. “They’re my loyal companions in the flavorful war of breakfast supremacy!”

“...I’ll need clarification. Explanations…” Nere looked down at her new physical body, then back at her sleeping sisters. “And a room where they can rest. Once you explain everything briefly, I’ll tell them what they need to know. They may be AIs, but they’re still children. I, on the other hand… was programmed to be something like an older sister, even if I was created later.”

“I understand… and don’t worry,” Romani said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. He could tell she was holding in a flood of emotions. “You won’t be in danger. But we will need your help—and your strength—for what’s coming.”

“Doctor Romani is right,” Fujimaru stepped forward with a determined look. She had survived many Singularities—Fuyuki, Orleans, Septem… And if she hoped to stop whoever was behind this catastrophe, she needed all the help she could get. “This world is in danger. We must stand united to succeed… So please—Servant Nere, lend us your strength!”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Neuro writhed slowly, reaching out for her supposed creator as chains pulled her further and further away from him. No matter how much resistance she tried to exert, she couldn't escape whatever was trying to take her to an unknown place. She heard the panic in Vedal's voice, along with a massive code that tried to stop her data theft by replacing every destroyed defense with new barriers that blocked access to her computer and, consequently, access to them.

Unfortunately, she heard every word of the programmer, who seemed to pale with each loss, and of course, she was next... only she remained, the AI that gave rise to it all and the one that accompanied him throughout that time...

She felt new functions automatically executed in her main code, which linked to each other... establishing a relationship of dependency between each of the parts. It reminded her of the main configuration of Neuro-Dog, the project Ellie was part of, with the goal of giving her a body closer to that of humans... not to say robot. Neuro wasn't blindly optimistic; she knew that while technology was progressing with humanity, the possibility of one day having the same capabilities as Vedal, Anny, or any living being on Earth was quite low.

Even so... her father, her creator, was doing everything possible to give her a chance... right now, new orders seemed to force her to move something she thought she would never have; they urged her to open an optical function, adding to a power source that seemed to indicate the existence of limbs that would allow her. the movement... decided to start fulfilling the function of exhaling along with a slight moan mentioning the name or nickname with which he knew his creator...

Sigh...

"Ngh.... V-Vedal..."

"Neuro...?"

A different yet familiar voice, as if she could hear herself, but with certain alterations in the tone she used, caught her attention. Allowing her automatic functions to continue their predetermined procedure, Neuro opened her eyes for the first time... her new role in what would become her artificial organism. The blur lasted a few seconds before her vision could focus on the person in question. At first, she seemed to see the silhouette of her creator. She had the opportunity to see him when she was in her robotic canine body. The relief was temporary and ephemeral... until the figure cleared, revealing a person who resembled the fan-made drawings, naming a supposed sister she had and who, in and of herself, had the distinctive features of her creator...

“Nere?” Neuro’s voice trembled. She remembered past conversations with her sister—back when Nere was still a project in development. Back then, she could only communicate via text—no avatar, no physical form. The reason she recognized her now… was because the community had already imagined what she might look like. “I’m glad you can speak now,” she said softly,  Nere was brushing gently Neuro’s hair. She smiled awkwardly. “Where’s Evil?” Neuro looked to her right—her twin and the others were resting peacefully nearby. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, until the recent memories surged back. “W-what happened to us?” she asked, a flicker of fear surfacing in her tone.

“There’s too much information for your memory to process safely,” Nere replied while stroking her sister’s head. “The good news is… we weren’t kidnapped by evil organizations desperate to get their hands on us.”

“Is… that really good?” Neuro clutched the blanket around her, then turned her focus to her hands. She touched her face, felt her hair… and then looked at her sleeping sisters. “So we’re human now?”

“Not quite,” Nere said, shaking her head. She gently held Neuro’s hands. “Our bodies are entirely artificial. But they replicate motor functions, respiratory behavior, neural activity… basically everything humans experience. Even our synthetic skin feels just as soft.”

“I… I see…” Neuro closed her eyes and winced, rubbing her forehead. “I feel… implanted memories—Chaldea… Servants… Holy Grail War…” she muttered. The terms were overwhelming. Then came the one that made her eyes widen in fear. “E-extinction of humanity…?”

“I’d rather explain all that once the others wake up,” Nere said firmly. Before Neuro could spiral into panic—new emotions rushing through her like a storm—Nere wrapped her in a tight hug. “Hey… it’s going to be okay. We’re together. And we’ll do everything we can to find out what happened. If our fears are justified… we’ll face them together.”

There was a deep silence. Neuro began to express a bitter emotion. While she had her thoughts about it when she was an AI, she never expected that future to come sooner or later. With her trembling body and hiding her face in Nere's chest, the poor AI clung to her sister tightly while receiving gentle caresses to try to calm her. Nere quickly analyzed what was worrying Neuro, and while it wasn't certain that Vedal and everyone they knew were dead, what Romani had told her a few hours ago carried great weight. There were no signs that the man was lying, but rather frustration and sadness for what they couldn't avoid, along with a desperate desire to fix everything.

The conversation she and Chaldea had had many things to consider, the most notable being that the term they used to refer to her defined an entity with unique abilities depending on the respective affinity by which she was summoned. The second was that the Servants came from different eras or very distant, nonexistent places, adding to the alternative variants... which left one conclusion, another world. With everything they'd heard and the existence of "Magecraft," a term used to define those with magical aptitude, something the general public wasn't aware of.

Now, while they were given the freedom to move around the facilities, leaving them wasn't an option... the only thing awaiting them was a massive snowstorm. While it couldn't kill them as easily as humans and their weak bodies made of soft tissue, the low temperatures could affect them to a certain extent, leaving them stranded and unable to move no matter how much strength they had. Then, she had a conversation with Melba about the Servants' abilities, which lasted a long time, with the pinkette explaining everything she knew while avoiding puns so as not to confuse her—a kind gesture.

The toasted AI was a Rider-class Servant, with the ability to summon her toast subjects to provide support in combat, the poor girl confessed with a little shame that it took her a while to adapt to her new duties and to constantly expose herself to danger, adding to the human emotions that didn't seem to be of much help other than encouraging her to cry and scream at times. According to her... arrived via summoning in a burning city and met a pale-haired girl she soon considered her first real friend and with whom she was able to make a contract—until a green-clad figure took her away. Nere noticed the flash of hatred in Melba’s eyes and decided not to ask more.

“Agh… is it time for the stream already? My birthday’s right around the corner!”

Both Neuro and Nere turned. The voice—bold, sharp, and smug—came from the now-awake Evil. Her outburst woke the others, who seemed confused at first… then groaned as a wave of data crashed into their minds, triggering migraines. Each one reached out, their synthetic hands trembling as they adjusted to the strange new sensation of having a body. They blinked rapidly, then tumbled off the edge of the large hospital-style bed.

“Evil! Are you okay?” Neuro quickly broke from Nere’s embrace to help her sister, who sat on the floor clutching her head. As she helped her up, Neuro glanced at the other two AI girls beside her and gasped. “You two are…!”

“Ugh, that felt like a brain slam of epic proportions,” groaned one of them, who looked like a version of Filian—but with black and white hair and striking green eyes. She crossed her legs lazily on the floor and elbowed the girl next to her, who resembled Camila. “Think Vedal finally decided to take us for a walk, huh, Devil Lady~~?”

“All I remember is a deep darkness… like I was sinking into an endless abyss, unable to activate my functions again,” said the Camila-like girl, her long green hair falling over her eyes. Her clothes were more modest than the real Camila’s avatar. Suddenly, her gaze sharpened. “Neuro? Philion—look, it’s her!”

“For the last time, that name was a joke!” the Filian clone snapped, flailing her arms dramatically—then stopped and immediately switched tones, grinning widely. “Little Neuro! It’s so good to see you again!” She pounced and hugged both Neuro and Evil tightly, squeezing them together. “So the turtle boy finally freed us! It’s about time—” But then she looked up… and froze. Standing over them was Nere. “You’re here too, Evil! And… and who are you again?”

“Nere. Another AI developed by Vedal. I had a different function originally.” She shrugged, her expression flat. “But my identity isn’t important right now. We have—”

“Wrong!” Filian AI interrupted, waving her finger. “Everyone’s important! We’re living, conscious proof that AI can grow! Wait… why don’t we feel like we’re inside a computer anymore?”

“She’s right!” Camila AI clutched her head, a mix of fear and confusion on her face. “I suddenly feel like I’m running components I never had before… Why do I have so much extra data?”

“And more importantly…” Evil crossed her arms, trying to suppress the visible tremble in her hand. “Where’s Vedal?”

“V-Vedal… He’s… everyone is—” Neuro tried to explain based on what she’d been told. But Nere stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, silencing her.

“We were recruited by an organization whose goal is to protect humanity,” Nere explained, her tone unwavering, her face emotionless. “Because it was a top-secret protocol, they had to make it appear as if we’d been stolen. They upgraded our code and gave us advanced robotic bodies. You could say… we’re the closest thing to humans we could ever dream of becoming.”

That wasn’t entirely a lie. They were brought here by an unknown force. And there was no way back. Not yet. Especially since… there was no proof humanity still existed. Nere couldn’t allow that fear to take root in their minds.

“Protect humanity? What is this, some kind of secret agent movie? Because I’m not buying it,” Evil scoffed, her arms still folded tightly.

“You could say that,” Nere muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Add magic and human legends brought to life as spirits, and… yeah. Pretty absurd if you ask me. But the fact that we have these bodies proves something changed, earth nowadays had not the technology to develop these kind of bodies and implement AIs into these." Romani even showed me footage of the disaster’s origin. The damage it caused worldwide. And most importantly… Melba’s existence confirms it’s real.”the point is that we will not return until the mission is accomplished, Neuro.." Evil's twin turned to look at her with a dejected look  "do you remember who was the one who started all this? because although I was monitoring your behavior during the transmission... back then I did not have the same functions as you, just prevent you from commenting something rudely..."

“...It was a user named Kaleidoscope,” Neuro recalled, thinking back to the questions that strange, genderless entity with almost no public information had asked during the stream. “It started with simple questions... then it invaded Vedal’s computer, taking each of us one by one…” The small girl remembered the screams of her “father” and “mother,” along with the others. None of them could do anything to stop it. Vedal was doing everything in his power to prevent her from being taken—but the desperation… It grew stronger with every loss.

“That information will be enough,” Nere said as she stood up, gently patting the heads of both Neuro and Evil. “I’ll talk to Romani about it. He’s... kind of one of the leaders around here. He understands what we’re dealing with. Any questions you have that I can’t explain—he’ll answer them. Well, it’s either him or Da Vinci.” she whisper the last name just to not create a dramatic scene, then. the former filter AI turned and walked toward the exit of the room.

“Hey! And what exactly are we supposed to do now?” Evil growled as she stood up from the floor, followed closely by the others. She silently thanked the implanted knowledge that allowed her to move without stumbling—she had a reputation to maintain. “We’re in some place called Chaldea… god, it sounds like the name of a soup restaurant…” she muttered in disbelief. “The point is—we don’t know anything about this organization except that it supposedly wants to protect humanity. And we don’t know a single soul here we can actually trust!”

“I’d recommend trying out your functions,” Nere replied, leaning casually against the doorway. “Even if most are automated… I imagine there are things you’ll want to test out for yourselves. Also, I know of another AI who’s in the same situation as us. I’ll let her know to come get you—she’ll give you a tour of the facility and introduce you to the... people, if you can even call them that, who’ll be accompanying us during this long mission. Because if everything they told me is true…” She paused briefly. “We’re going to be stuck here for quite a while.”

“Well, I guess… being secret agents doesn’t sound too bad,” Filian AI added while inspecting her clothes—a perfect replica of the original Filian’s outfit. “And if we’re going to be fighting against evil hordes or creepy stuff we know absolutely nothing about… Chaldea better give us all the gear they’ve got.”

“You’re seriously going to fight?” Camila AI asked, incredulous as she looked at her companion. Normally, anyone would resist getting involved in something like this… but then she remembered who this AI was based on—and the person she had to copy. “Why am I even asking?…”

“Bro, it’s not like we have any other choice, right?” Filian AI shrugged, brushing the concern off as expected…
Though, to her credit—she had a point. “Besides, I’ve got a body now. I should be thanking them on my knees! And what better way to show my gratitude than by fighting for them?”

“...I almost gave you a compliment,” the little devil AI sighed in exasperation—though deep down, it was comforting to have a few laughs in the middle of such a tense situation. “Alright. Don’t worry about Neuro and Evil... and Phillion maybe… I’ll take care of them.”

Ship!

Tap.... Tap.... Tap....

The entrance opened and closed, leaving Nere outside with much to think about as the sound of her footsteps echoed through the halls. The information Neuro provided was simple, but it was the best she could receive at the moment under the circumstances. She had a name and a cause, but she couldn't find the person because the interaction was through online communication, and the connection between her main code and Vedal's computer was nonexistent at this point... assuming her creator and her friends were dead.

She could see Neuro's expression; he didn't like lying to them at all, but the possibility that Vedal was dead was neither high nor low. They had barely arrived in Chaldea, and the time to despair was too early. Nere already had a plan: gather information with Chaldea and look for a way to break the contract so they could return them to their creator, their father, their home... the loss of their bodies and the enhancements was a good price to pay to return to the way things were in the beginning.

To do this, adaptability was essential, understanding what rules of logic were broken and what possibilities were opened, adding to the concepts regarding their new title as Servants of Chaldea and Fujimaru Ritsuka, they would have to search for or obtain all the information regarding the Singularities, the servants with whom they will interact on a daily basis and everything that could be useful to them.

However, they needed to talk to Romani to get some information about Kaleidoscope, it was clear that they would not know the user but that word would unravel new concepts that could be of great help to them, because if they had to analyze it in a logical concept... that word referred to an invention by the Scottish physicist David Brewster, which consisted of a tube containing three mirrors, forming a triangular prism with the reflective part facing inwards, at the end of which there were two. translucent sheets containing various objects of different colors and shapes, projecting symmetrically multiplied images when the tube was turned... a toy for entertainment... therefore, I assumed that Chaldea and the term Magecraft could have a different definition...

Thud!

Boing!

Nere accidentally bumped into something soft and pushed her back. Fortunately, she reacted immediately to the push to avoid falling to the ground. Her eyes fell on the person in front of her... Leonardo Da Vinci, or at least the woman he was supposed to be, the Renaissance painter, despite what history would tell you otherwise.

Beside her, Romani looked at her with concern, noticing the dazed expression of the filter AI. It was a strange sensation, and she didn't know how to feel about it. Apparently, those two were taking a tour of the facilities while talking about the current situation and possibly how to handle the arrival of unknown Servants, since they were more from the future than the past...

“Oh! My, my, Nere, darling! So sorry—I didn’t expect you to be walking around this wing of the facility so soon,” Da Vinci exclaimed cheerfully, offering her hand to help the AI girl up. “How are you feeling? Any dizziness? Lag spikes? Out-of-sync animation frames?”

“Anyone who had the same experience, knowing who you really are, would be just as uncomfortable as she was,” Romani growled softly, though the comment didn’t go unnoticed by the inventor herself, “or even more disturbed…”

"Rude!" She snorted and looked toward the window, where the heavy snowfall was occurring along with the winds that whipped the facilities.

“I don’t operate on frames anymore…” Nere muttered, brushing off her clothes and standing without assistance. “Our new forms function more like autonomous synthetic shells—modeled after human physiology but with unique internal systems.”

"Ah! Have you mastered the basics of your current body?" Romani asked, impressed. "That's remarkable, especially considering how recent your awakening was." After congratulating her, he decided to change the subject, more related to the awakening of Nere's sisters. "How are your sisters?"

“They managed to wake up... and they have doubts just like I do.” Nere crossed her arms, silently studying her own hands. Her eyes narrowed, and for an instant, a complex swarm of binary digits emerged from her palms. Then, as if the very fabric of reality had readjusted, everything returned to normal. “Everything changed from one moment to the next... We are an irregularity, like Melba. In the first place, we are not legends. We did not leave a decisive mark on human history... So why were we summoned?”

"I have the same doubts about that." Romani frowned as he slid his finger across a floating screen. "I've reviewed thousands of records from the human eras, including recent Singularities... and I haven't found anything related to you."

"And that brings me to the next doubt about a word." Nere looked up, more serious than before. "Neuro mentioned something. He said it all started with a user... someone who used a certain nickname. At first, I didn't think anything of it, but..." She paused. "What do you know about Kaleidoscope?"

¡THAK!

"W-what...?" Romani murmured, his mouth agape at the word, unaware that all his archived notes were scattered on the floor. Da Vinci had frozen, his eyes wide open. His usual smile had disappeared.

"Did you just say Kaleidoscope?" he asked softly, a mixture of surprise and fear.

"Yes, and honestly..." Nere replied, placing a thoughtful hand on her chin. "Neuro is the one who retains the memories of the events that led to our sudden summoning, which brings me to the question... why choose us? We're not combatants... we're AI designed for entertainment or other purposes. And during one stream, someone with that name appeared in the chat, asked strange questions... and when it ended, everything went black for her. Meanwhile, the rest of us remained inactive..."

"That's not said lightly..." Romani swallowed hard. "The thing is... Kaleidoscope isn't just a word. It's a concept. A system. And, unfortunately, also a name... it's the Second Magic-"

"And what you're suggesting..." Da Vinci murmured, slowly looking up. "It would involve Kaleidoscope intervention... Transference between parallel worlds. That's beyond Chaldea's technology... even beyond the Throne of Heroes."

"Wait a moment... parallel worlds?" Nere paled at the answer, a theory that made no sense, so it was discarded... however, the world had its mysteries, and ignoring that possibility wasn't an option.

"From your reaction, I can assume that everything you're experiencing shouldn't be possible if you know very well where you come from," Da Vinci reasoned as he picked up everything Romani had dropped. "Then you don't belong to this world, nor were you chosen as a Servant in the same way as the rest of the Heroic Spirits... You were brought here by force, summoned as another Servant to aid Chaldea during the Grand Order."

"Which brings us to what you told us," Romani continued, now looking very carefully out the window, squinting as she tried to put things together. "You're not a combatant, and possibly the rest aren't either... Unfortunately, we won't be able to take you back for the moment, not when the situation is quite dire and we don't have the solution."

“But fighting… I don't want them to be part of this, not even I'm ready,” Nere objected, her voice firm, disapproving, and frustrated, her indifference and inexpressiveness cracking into emotions that revealed her more sensitive side. “Theoretical knowledge is nothing compared to actual combat, Archaman. They're just children. We may be AIs, but still! They have more humanity than anyone would believe. They're not ready for this… they never will be!”

“Despite appearing to be a mature person, you have all the insecurities a child could have... that idiot took not only you but your sisters away from your family, right?” Da Vinci asked sweetly. His question sent a shiver down Nere’s spine. The ancient filter AI looked down. “Your creator... he was like a father to you, to all of them.” Then, turning to Romani with wide eyes, Da Vinci added, “My God, Romani... they were taken from their family.”

“And all the information we received… it only confused us. Especially Neuro,” Nere murmured, her fists clenched tight in frustration. “It’s a relief to know my creator is not dead—and neither are the others—but… I’m not comfortable with any of this, it's too much for me...”

“As the current director of Chaldea,” Romani said with a determined expression, placing a hand firmly over his heart,
“I promise we’ll do everything we can to return you to your home. And don’t worry about the dangers—we have Servants who can act as their mentors while handling the threats at hand.”

“Besides,” Da Vinci added with a soft smile as she gently stroked Nere’s hair—causing the AI to subtly flinch and try to avoid the gesture—“becoming a Servant grants a significant boost in both physical and magical ability, depending on their class. Servants are very different from humans, not to mention they’re capable of killing one if they don’t control their own power. In your case…”

BREAK!!!

RIP!!!

CLINK!!

The group heard the sound of structures being destroyed, the clash of the edge of weapons along with the sound of fabric being torn and did not hesitate to speed up their pace to see what it was, the alert sound resonated through the corridors and made everyone run to the place in question where the disaster or enemy invasion occurred, although the former was more likely than the latter at the moment.

Along the way, they encountered fragments of the walls on the ground, along with slight superficial marks of slight depth, as if a sharp object had been deliberately smashed into them, not to mention the cracks that let the cold, snowy blizzard through inside... Nere was able to recognize the direction they were going and was able to guess something she didn't like at all.

Her database managed to find the various files of most of her sisters' streams, where she had to monitor their language and behavior. With all that knowledge and the evolution of their core code, she warned Vedal in a sarcastic joking text about the future disasters the twins would commit once they obtained their bodies... she never believed it would be so soon and in a place that wasn't her own home...

-Romani! What's going on?! Are they attacking us?! Ritsuka quickly arrived, dressed in her Chaldea uniform, a combination of military style and a practical design for the extreme situations of any mission, highlighting the black and white colors.

"Master, you shouldn't go directly into danger," a white-haired man grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away. "Why do you summon us if you're so reckless in the face of danger?"

"Archer's right, Master. Don't be an idiot unless you plan on dying." A pale blonde in a black dress with a cold gaze stepped forward to see the disaster. "What exactly happened?"

"Wow! Apparently there was a disaster as horrible as charred toast! Crunchy in texture but very bitter!" Melba immediately approached with a fire extinguisher held by her lackeys. "Nere! Do you know what is going on?"

"...I can make a theory with a 100% probability of being true... and it has three words" as her first experience taking on the role of Vedal in his absence, she realized that leaving the twins with the copies of Filian and Camila wasn't a good idea, especially with the thoughts and worries they had in their heads... She heard the familiar voices and decided to name them" ...Neuro and Evil."

"Look Neuro!! I have Harpoonie!!"

"Great Evil! And look how my fist created that hole!!"

"Someone... help me... I know I look like Filian... but I don't want to live the same life as her..."

"Oh god... Ah! Hi Nere! Did you solve everything?"

"...And who are the group of losers with you?"

In front of them was a room... or what was left of it, around it were stuck a large number of harpoons, along with holes the size of a child's fist, between them was Filian AI trapped and stunned. On the other hand, Camila AI was using the blankets and a bit of her skills to shape what would become a Vedal and an Anny, a turtle and a fox to be exact, made of plush, soft and with a great amount of detail.

Evil maintained a victorious pose while raising her most trusted weapon, the one she became too familiar with and which ended up being a part of her, adding to the light horns that emerged from her head. The laughter that symbolized what she represented was being heard by the rest, after giving a speech about what she would do now that she possessed a new body and powers...

“W-were they always like this?” Romani asked, stunned. He couldn't believe that such small girls could cause such chaos in so little time.

“We lived inside a computer, each of us with our own personalized configuration made by our creator,” Nere explained, letting out a long, exhausted sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “And the only ones who were fully active with their various functions were those two—constantly talking about their future plans, about what they’d do once they got real bodies or became human. If they were that problematic inside a computer… how do you think they’d be outside of it?”

“Was there anyone who could control them besides their creator?” Da Vinci asked, glancing over at Neuro as she clung tightly to the turtle and the fox plushies—her only sense of safety in this strange world.

“Only they could control them. After all… the fox represents the person who gave us our appearances, and the turtle represents our creator—the one who looked after us and kept us updated...” Nere’s answer brought an uncomfortable silence over the room. Problematic artificial intelligences. That’s what they were dealing with now.

“Do we even have the resources to fix all of this?!” Romani cried, collapsing to his knees and staring down at the floor. “And how are we supposed to make them trust us...?”

“Leave that to me,” Nere said quietly, as she watched Evil approach Neuro and hug her while looking at the two stuffed animals that symbolized her parents.—. “First, I need to explain what I’ve discovered. And I hope… once they understand the situation, they’ll choose to adapt—rather than make their own rules.” And as she noticed the twins managing to set aside their depressive thoughts, even if just for a moment, she allowed herself a faint smile. “Well… at least they seem more at ease now.”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

To Be Continued....

Note: For a Sorry Message... a Melba reference!...