Chapter 737: ..Wow

"There... really is another me."

Chihiro already believed that there was an alternate universe aside from hers, but now that there was an alternate version of her just casually standing in front of her... any doubts she had completely withered away.

But most importantly...

"...You're older than me."

"I'm—Ugh!"

Perhaps amongst all the people in the room, only Nannah reacted as Officelady Chihiro started groaning in frustration. Nannah flinched, before standing up from the seat and accidentally spilling the dessert that Riley made for her.

She truly thought it was a waste as she glanced at it, but her eyes quickly returned to Nannah. And without even waiting for anyone to release their next breath, her bulky armor wrapped around her body in almost an instant.

"Ah, it's you!" Officelady Chihiro pointed at Nannah as soon as she armored up, "Do you live in this universe, or are you still busy trying to save other universes?"

"Don't be fooled by her friendly demeanor," Nannah breathed out as she glanced at the others, "This Chihiro variant is incredibly powerful, the most powerful in her universe."

"I'm... alright," Officelady Chihiro sighed, "But you say don't be fooled by my friendly demeanor, but all of you seem to be fine getting along with him."

"..." Everyone then pointed to where Chihiro is, only to see Riley once again behind the counter and making another dessert.

"You... know who he is?" Chihiro squinted her already small eyes as she looked back and forth Riley and Officelady Chihiro.

"Of course," Officelady shrugged, "He's the reason for my first death...

...he killed me during my first life."

***

"I got you... I got you now."

Those were the last words Chihiro heard from the very man that stabbed his fist right through her stomach. The very last words she heard from the man she loved, and the very last words she heard before life faded away from her eyes.

Her eyes, which were not reflecting Gary at all—but Riley Ross. Gary was completely devoid of any fault in her eyes as she finally realized that everything was the fault of just one man—Riley Ross.

She didn't jump in front of him to save him, not at all. Her body just moved on its own, and not by instinct, but by force. She couldn't even speak as it felt like something was blocking her throat. She couldn't move a limb, as it felt like there were strings around her that were not allowing her to.

'Ah,' she thought as the feather of life she had left in her was plucked away, forever flying in the expanse of the past; never to once again walk in the... Just never to once again walk.

...Or so she thought.

[Welcome to the 1st Simulation, Chihiro.]

Everything was still dark, and the only thing that truly exists were the familiar words that Chihiro had been seeing her entire life. Soon, however, the words started to multiply and scatter—moving like worms until they formed a face... and then a body.

[My name is Machina.]

"...Machina?"

Chihiro found herself speaking, and yet there were no mouths or lips for them to truly escape to—as she does not really exist in this plane. There was only Machina and Machina alone.

[I am the being you address to as System. I have detected an irregularity in your universe.]

"You...?"

[In most cases, Irregularities are no cause for concern—there have only been a handful, but a handful is already too many, and adding another should be made impossible,] Machina's silhouette started to completely form as its humanoid shape started walking in circles around Chihiro,

[But this Irregularity killed you, and that I can not accept. I will move your consciousness to another vessel, another you that has frequently died or will soon be dying.]

"Move... my consciousness?"

It was a weird feeling. It felt like she was actually hearing Machina talk, and yet at the same time, she could not—Chihiro did not have ears, after all. In fact, she did not have anything at all. But still, she talks and she can listen.

[Indeed. But first, I will let you experience several lives—the lives of all my Avatars... in all the universes now and that has been.]

"All... of it?" Chihiro was confused, but at the same time, it was as if she could understand everything that Machina was saying intimately and deeply... like it was directly being uploaded into her non-existent and dead mind.

[All of it. You will learn all of their knowledge, all of their skills, and all of their memories. You will start at the very beginning, the very first being I made a contract with—and you will end with you, all of you, all of the Chihiros so that your mind may return to you; as this will hold no significance if it is not you.]

"...And what do we hope to gain in all of this?"

[Correction,] Machina's silhouette soon started to crumble, [Existence can not handle another irregularity, especially one that could jump across different universes. As of right now, you have the most important task in all of Existence, Chihiro.]

"How many simulations will I go through? How... many lives?"

[...Eons. But in the end, it will all just be like...

...one big dream.]

***

"And then I woke up in this body," Officelady Chihiro—No. Chihiro Prime was now also casually seated at the table, eating the dessert that Riley made earlier, which was actually for her in the first place.

As for the others, they were intently listening to Chihiro Prime's story, somewhat mesmerized by all that she had experienced.

"Wait... how many lives did you experience?" Chihiro breathed out.

"As Machina said, eons."

"Fuck... so there was a reason I couldn't beat you," Nannah dropped her head, letting out her frustration in a groan before glancing back at Chihiro Prime, "You're... a monster."

"Not nice," Chihiro Prime softly chuckled, "And I was already aware of your existence since I met you... several times through the simulations."

"Hold on..." Chihiro cut off the conversation, "...How are you not insane?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Chihiro Prime squinted her already small eyes as she tilted her head to the side.

"You have technically lived for billions of years, correct?"

"I guess...? If you put it that way, I have."

"And you're still you...?"

"I may have gone crazy somewhere at the beginning, but I guess it was in the middle that I just surfed through the simulations," Chihiro Prime chuckled again, "And it is as Machina said, since the last lives I experienced were all Chihiros, it wasn't that hard to... be normal."

"...Wow."

All of them had wide eyes as they continued to listen to Chihiro Prime speak... well, all except for Hannah.

"Wait, wait..." Hannah looked Chihiro Prime straight in the eyes; her vision, slightly turning cloudy, "...You, you're the Chihiro I know?"

"..." Chihiro Prime returned Hannah's gaze, before letting out a small smile and nodding her head, "I am."

"Oh," Hannah covered her mouth to stop the sniffling gasp from escaping her lips. But alas, the tears that trailed down her cheek could not hide the memories that were playing repeatedly in her mind. There were so many things she wanted to say, but there was really only one that she needed to say,

"I'm... so sorry, Chihiro."

"No, please... don't cry," the gentle smile on Chihiro's face did not disappear as she quickly got up from her seat and embraced Hannah, "What happened was no one's fault but your brother's. And someday... he will pay for that."

"..." Hannah opened her eyes as she glanced at Riley while being in the comfort of Chihiro Prime's embrace. And after a few seconds, she took a deep breath and released a heavy sigh, "...I can't let you take him, or fight him, or whatever it is you're planning to do to him, Chihiro."

"I know," Chihiro Prime once again smiled as she leaned away from Hannah, "I was actually training thousands of me just earlier, but I let Machina return them to their universes because they would be useless, no matter how many they are."

Chihiro Prime let out a sigh as she walked toward Riley, who was now just staring at the menu of the store for some odd reason.

"I have lived their lives, and I know that no matter how much I train them—they won't be a match for you, Riley Ross," Chihiro then lifted herself up and sat on the counter, tilting her body to the side to cover Riley's view of the menu, "I have lived for eons...

...to know that I am no match for you too."

"..." Riley blinked a couple of times as he returned Chihiro Prime's gaze, "I want you to know that you might be my favorite Chihiro, Chihiro."

"...Thanks," Chihiro smiled; her eyes almost closed.

"And your English has also improved."

"I am fluent in all the languages now, even those outside of Earth."

"Hm," Riley nodded, "You are similar to the main character of my favorite TV show too—living for almost an eternity before finally being able to move on. But how are you so sure that you will not be a match for me, Chihiro?"

"Because out of all the universes I have lived, not a single threat came close to you," Chihiro sighed as she lay down on the counter; her shirt, slightly crumpling and revealing more of her skin, "You see, I think Machina is wrong about you, Riley..."

"..." Riley slightly leaned his head up as Chihiro tried to touch his chin with her index finger.

"You're not a threat, not at all..." Chihiro softly giggled, "You're...

...a treat. And I am really the only one that can have you in all of the universes."

"..."

"..."

"Fuck...

...she did go crazy."