「Everything that lives is designed to end.」
「We are perpetually trapped... in a never-ending spiral of life and death.」
「Is this a curse? Or some kind of punishment?」
「I often think about the god who blessed us with this enigmatic puzzle... and I wonder if we will ever get the chance to kill him.」
---xXx---
13th ORBITAL SATELLITE BASE – BUNKER
The Bunker — humanity's silent orbital fortress — floated above the cosmic void like a cold jewel of steel. It was the heart and brain of YoRHa, the last hope of the human race.
Within its metallic walls, the constant hum of turbines and the faint buzz of communications formed a mechanical symphony that never ceased.
The Bunker functioned as a station of command, surveillance, and deployment. From there, missions were coordinated, troops were dispatched to the surface, and reports were analyzed with surgical precision.
Inside its corridors, illuminated by cold white lights, the steady sound of life-support systems blended with the distant echo of android footsteps. Every noise was calculated, every movement measured, and even the silence itself seemed to obey a protocol.
Then, amid that artificial stillness, the door to one of the quarters suddenly slid open with a soft hiss of compressed air.
A woman with an imposing, almost icy presence stepped out.
She walked with firm, near-silent steps — as if the very floor bent to her discipline. Her features were unmistakable: the standard black visor covering her eyes — the trademark of YoRHa soldiers — and the combat uniform, rich in details that blended elegance and lethality.
The android stood about 1.68 meters tall, considering the heels of her boots.
Her hair, a pale shade of off-white, fell gently to her chin, cut in an asymmetrical bob that swayed with every movement, the uneven ends giving her a wild grace. Just below her left lip, a small beauty mark adorned her face.
Her outfit was a tactical masterpiece — a high-collared black dress with a deep side slit, designed to allow wide freedom of movement without sacrificing aesthetics. The neckline was covered with a sheer layer of black lace, ornamented with the YoRHa insignia in an almost symbolic pattern.
Her puffed sleeves ended halfway down her forearms, trimmed with black feathers reminiscent of raven wings — harbingers of death. Inside, a white fabric contrasted against the darkness, flowing down to meet her fitted gloves, made of the same glossy material as her boots.
Her partially exposed back revealed a sharp contrast between her pale synthetic skin and the black fabric — a duality between delicacy and the destructive purpose for which she had been created.
The skirt, flexible and leather-like in texture, moved fluidly with her precise steps.
If one looked closely, the YoRHa insignia could be seen stitched subtly along the hem in near-invisible thread.
On her legs, she wore thigh-high black leather boots connected by dark garter belts.
She was YoRHa No. 2 Type B — better known as 2B.
---
"Everything that lives is designed to end."
Those words echoed silently in her mind as she walked through the corridors toward the command room.
Commander White had summoned her — and the commander's summons were never trivial.
As she advanced, the wide windows revealed the silent spectacle of the cosmos: the void dotted with stars, the distant gleam of nebulas, and far below, the blue planet that was once humanity's home — Earth.
Now, it was nothing more than an eternal battlefield between soulless machines and androids programmed to fight for a people who no longer existed.
2B kept her gaze fixed on the horizon for a moment, contemplating that distant globe she was meant to protect — even though there was no one left upon it to save.
The commander likely had a new mission for her.
Perhaps another extermination operation against the mechanical lifeforms that dominated the surface.
Or maybe a support task for the Resistance.
But the tone of the message she had received was different — heavier, more urgent.
Something about it felt... unusual.
The Bunker, though efficient, wasn't particularly large, so it didn't take 2B long to reach the command chamber.
Other soldiers were already waiting. Beside her stood Unit Type D No.1, Type B No.4, Type E No.7, Type B No.11, and Type H No.12.
Each one held a flawless posture, their visors reflecting the soft glow of the central panel.
Every unit carried its own purpose — all equally precise, and equally replaceable.
YoRHa categorized its units by specific designations, each one fulfilling an essential role in the organization's military balance:
Type A (Attacker) — close-combat specialists, fast and deadly. After the creation of the Pod Systems, they were merged with Type G units, giving rise to the multi-purpose Type B model.
Type B (Battler) — balanced units capable of switching between close and long-range combat, with predominantly warrior-like personalities.
Type D (Defender) — frontline models, prioritizing squad protection and defensive barriers against logic viruses.
Type E (Executioner) — hunters of their own kind. Designed to eliminate corrupted or captured androids, and at times even to secretly monitor other squads.
Type G (Gunner) — long-range weapon specialists; later integrated into the Type B line.
Type H (Healer) — medical and repair units responsible for maintaining the physical and data integrity of allies.
Type O (Operator) — logistical androids confined to the Bunker, in charge of coordinating and monitoring field units.
Type S (Scanner) — reconnaissance and hacking models, specialized in analysis and information gathering.
Each letter represented a function — but also a fate.
And no one ever chose theirs.
---
When the group entered the command room, the atmosphere was dense — almost solemn.
At the center of the chamber, surrounded by holographic panels and operators, stood a distinct-looking android.
Her greenish-blue eyes seemed to hold the reflection of the stars, and her long golden hair was tied in a high ponytail, adorned with golden ornaments on each side of her head.
She was Commander White.
Her attire contrasted sharply with the others':
a high-collared white dress, trimmed with golden details and delicate lace over the neckline; white gloves; a deep side slit that revealed part of her legs and waist; black stockings and white boots with golden heels.
The YoRHa insignia was embroidered along the hem of her skirt and the tops of her boots — a symbol of purity and authority.
Amid the sea of black-clad soldiers, White stood out like a flame in the night.
The group saluted her with the flawless posture of those built to obey.
"Hmm," the Commander responded with a brief nod, acknowledging their presence.
Without further words, she ordered one of the operators,
"Operator, display the footage."
The main screen flickered to life in a sudden flash.
Lines of code, coordinates, and then — distorted images began to form.
"These are the records received from the reconnaissance team seven minutes ago," informed the Commander, her voice steady and controlled.
2B remained still, watching intently. The glow of the monitor reflected faintly against her visor, and within, her analytical processor was already working silently — identifying shapes, patterns, movements.
"…Did the recon team discover something new about the machine lifeforms?" 2B wondered, running simultaneous processes.
But there was something in the Commander's tone — something that hinted this was not just another report.
White exhaled softly before continuing:
"What you are about to see is not a simple enemy movement. It's... something different. An anomaly detected in the surface logs. Something that doesn't fit any pattern we've seen so far."
"Huh?"
2B's murmur was nearly a whisper, lost between the soft hum of circuits and the faint buzz of the projection screens.
On the screen before them, the image trembled briefly before stabilizing. What appeared next made every android in the room instinctively lean forward, as if trying to see beyond the sensor's limits.
Dozens of plasma spheres were flying toward a blonde-haired man.
Beside the man, a golden portal opened — a swirling luminous rift.
From it, the stranger drew a long, crimson-bladed sword — elegant and radiant.
With a fluid, precise motion, he twisted his wrist. The blade cut through the air.
In a fraction of a second, every energy sphere was cleaved in half, bursting into sparks that vanished before reaching him.
Even through the recording, one could sense the calm in his movements.
2B frowned beneath her visor. Commander White, standing nearby, crossed her arms, her expression hardening with every second.
With unsettling ease, the man defeated nearly ten machine lifeforms of varying types that had attacked him.
2B held her synthetic breath.
"Impossible…" someone muttered.
But the footage didn't end there.
More mechanical forms appeared — dozens of them — emitting distorted alarm sounds. They surrounded the man, red lights flashing in unison as they began their assault.
The man immediately charged forward, destroying every machine that dared approach him — effortlessly.
---xXx---
"There are no records of any YoRHa soldier or Resistance android matching his appearance or abilities," Commander White's voice broke the silence.
Every android in the room exchanged glances.
That could mean only one thing:
An unknown, extraordinarily powerful being had appeared on the surface.
"Could he have been sent by the Council of Humanity?" one of the operators asked, her tone tinged with restrained hope.
2B slightly turned her head, recognizing the voice — Operator 6O, the twin-braided android who was usually cheerful, but now spoke with visible apprehension.
"Impossible," White replied instantly, her cold, sharp voice echoing through the chamber. "There are no records of the Council deploying new units to the field. Furthermore, no transmissions or authorization codes corresponding to such an operation exist in the database."
She paused for a moment, studying the frozen image of the man on the screen.
"Whoever he is... he's not a YoRHa android."
Silence returned — thick and almost suffocating.
Then, the video resumed, showing the man turning toward a nearby forest. His movement was unbelievably fast.
He disappeared among the trees within seconds.
---
White took a deep breath.
"You already know what your mission is, don't you?"
The androids straightened immediately, their posture rigid.
"Locate this entity," she continued. "Gather all possible data on him — origin, pattern, abilities, intentions."
Her tone grew colder, more authoritative.
"And if possible... capture him alive."
2B raised her head toward White.
The Commander noticed — and answered before anyone could ask:
"This being eliminated a squad of high-resistance machine lifeforms in under a minute. Consider him a high-level threat. Do not engage without prior analysis. Your priority is observation... until we understand what we are dealing with."
She turned again toward the screen, staring at the frozen image of the man.
"If he is not one of us," White murmured — more to herself than to the others —
"then perhaps he is something... beyond."
---
(End of Chapter)