Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

"What is Longmen actually is..."

Amiya's voice continued to come from the other side of the door.

“‘Monster,’ I know that’s what you call it.” Tomat also came to the door, back to back with Amiya, separated by the door. “Are you afraid, or are you filled with hatred? I’m not like you; I can’t sense the fluctuations of other people’s emotions.”

“I just feel… ‘sadness.’” Amiya didn’t cry easily, but her words, which were gradually coming out, still trembled slightly. “And you are also expressing sadness.”

"Yes, I was thinking about whether I should silence you or something else. It's really a bit sad."

Thomas switched to a smiling tone when communicating with Amiya.

It's unclear whether he was smiling calmly or mocking himself for giving himself away.

"Now it's a feeling of 'lying'..."

However, Amiya still saw through his words, pointing out that he hadn't deliberately hidden his feelings.

Thomas could hear Amiya taking a deep breath on the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry, I was too immature to have such a big reaction."

"I think your reaction was too mild. Someone else might have done something else."

Thomas was surprised that the other party was able to calm down so quickly.

My work partners are monsters.

They killed countless people and destroyed countless ruins.

The more sincere your feelings for someone are, the more likely you are to be hurt by that same sincerity.

It's not just Tomat who would react this way; Amiya would probably react to any operator she trusts who is in this situation.

However, the fact that "the other party is a monster" was something she couldn't handle.

"So, what are you planning to do next? Tell Kal'tsit? Or do you have some other plans? Anyway, you already know I'm a monster."

Thomas countered with a question.

"I...don't know, but at least I don't think this should be known by more people."

This was the only judgment Amiya made at that moment.

She was no stranger to the term "monster".

Because she was once considered a monster by some people.

The operators on the island have also been given similar titles for various reasons.

Some came from the enemy, and some came from our own people.

"A symbol of calamity," "Death," "The unfortunate," "A harbinger of misfortune"...

But that was just a description; this time, the other party was a genuine "monster."

Judging from the emotions Amiya sensed, Tomat didn't want to be called that, nor did he want anyone to know about it.

Otherwise, he wouldn't feel sadness.

—Officially, Tomat is far more dangerous than the records indicate, and Amiya needs to report this important discovery.

—Despite personal feelings, the other party has never betrayed their identity as an "operator" and has always treated everyone they have met with kindness well. Amiya does not want anyone to feel sad because of this.

Amiya glanced at the timetable on the street.

The meeting wasn't over yet, and it was still her personal time.

"...So you have to keep it a secret, okay? About touching foreheads before."

Amiya didn't say what she was going to do.

However, the brief hesitation before speaking was enough to reveal her inner choice.

Amiya's answer surprised Tomat for a moment, but he quickly understood.

"Don't worry, I keep my word."

*In Chapter 7 of the main story, Amiya demonstrated her ability to enter Rosemary's mental world and stabilize her mental state. Kal'tsit described Rosemary's condition as "a despair that would make one bite their tongue and commit suicide after seeing it."

[Main Text] Rhodes Island Walk Guide: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Please Guide Me!

The secret has been exposed, though only one person knows it.

Intuitively, Tomat didn't think Amiya would tell anyone about it.

However, he also knew that someone might tell these things to others personally when necessary.

But these are not things we need to consider right now.

Do you think I'm a monster, an executioner, or something like that?

Having received a simple yet powerful promise, Thomas wondered whether Amiya's unintentional discovery would change her impression of him.

Although Tomat had no idea what Amiya's previous impression of him was.

“I don’t want to assert what Mr. Tomat was, but I believe you can ‘not’ be those things in the future.”

Although there was still a door separating them, Amiya's tone was much calmer now as she continued.

"But he has always been our companion... Derogatory terms from enemies often stem from differing stances, while discrimination from compatriots arises from differences in temperament. I am willing to believe 'what I know' of Mr. Thomas."

"Amiya, you'll get tricked like that. Do you often get pranked?"

It is indeed heartwarming to receive genuine kindness from others, but this strong girl is also a bit too gentle.

"...yes."

—Operator Violence, who is also a Caster, operator Cliffheart, who was temporarily not going to lay a hand on her because she returned home a while ago, Blaze, who likes to treat her like a child and then hold her in her chest and rub her, or even the Doctor himself, are all “criminals” who often play pranks on her.

Everyone treats me like a child, but...

"What do you mean, 'but you're just a kid.' Forcing yourself to shoulder heavy responsibilities will only make your companions worry more." Tomat interrupted Amiya's attempt to defend herself. "Just stay true to your inner self and be more free. The more eager you are to prove that you can stand on your own, the more people will think you're an immature child. I've experienced that myself."

"Hmm... even someone as powerful as Mr. Tomat has moments similar to mine?"

Thomas wasn't sure if the "power" Amiya mentioned actually applied to him, and he didn't even understand why their conversation had turned into him giving Amiya advice.

"Yes, I want to prove that I am strong enough and capable of changing everything."

But he continued speaking.

"The results of it?"

The clan's long-cherished wish to "eliminate giant monsters" is now, in Amiya's understanding, a lie by Tomat to conceal his secrets. But Amiya can't imagine what he, with such power, wants to change.

"The result? The result was that I found myself not strong enough, nor capable of changing everything, and I was also severely taught a lesson by both fists and reason."

Tomat stated the truth without any hesitation, which Amiya found hard to believe at first.

"I have grown from these lessons, that's true, but I never said that growing up automatically makes someone useful—or what they want to be."*

Unexpectedly, Tomat gave Amiya, who actually needed some encouragement, a dose of toxic positivity.

"This is the life experience of a certain 'senior'. By the way, he seems to be much stronger than me in terms of ability alone."

Amiya sensed a complex emotion emanating from Tomat.

At the same time, because of Thomas's extremely dejected remarks, he felt worried about his own future—and even Rhodes Island's future.

"So strive to grow before things are set in stone, because before a bad ending comes, you still have the chance to change it, unlike me, whose terrible ending rendered everything I did meaningless."

Tomath's efforts to change his fate were all in vain, but Rhodes Island, dedicated to changing Terra, still has a long way to go.

He wanted to see what Rhodes Island could ultimately achieve, which was one of the reasons he initially chose to stay at Rhodes Island. This was the same reason as many of Rhodes Island's special operators who could change the course of battle after taking action.

It has nothing to do with quality food and lodging; it's a matter of personal choice—well, it does have something to do with it.

"Does Mr. Thomas's emptiness stem from unfulfilled dreams?"

Amiya finally understood the origin of the emptiness she had always felt emanating from him.

Even so, he still offered Amiya subtle words of encouragement, lest she be completely swayed by his highly persuasive but ultimately toxic advice.

Even great power cannot achieve its purpose, not necessarily because it is not powerful enough—it could also be that "power alone is insufficient."

Tomat's experiences will certainly lead him to disagree with Amiya's understanding of her.

However, that was based on his environment, but in the context of Terra and Rhodes Island's objectives, this idea might be more accurate.

Because combat effectiveness cannot cure Oripathy.

Even if Tomat can be manipulated by Rhodes Island, he cannot help Rhodes Island achieve its true goals unless they also become like the original Reunion Movement, turning into an organization that uses a guise to commit violence.

Of course, by then, Tomat wouldn't lend them any power.

"Yes, and by the way, besides the giant ape, what else did you see?"

At that moment, Tomat seemed to remember something important.

Amiya only said that she saw herself transformed into a giant ape and appear on the battlefield—something he used to do most often, which subconsciously came to mind when Amiya mentioned it.

But he was also worried that Amiya had seen "the thing that impressed him the most".

"No..."

Amiya's answer relieved Tomat, but he also realized that if Amiya had really seen it, she probably wouldn't have calmed down so quickly.

After all, who could bear the sight of a massive energy bomb, brighter than the sun, falling to earth, blotting out the sky?

The bloody battlefield can only be shown in one corner, but the vast sky can fill the entire field of vision as long as you look up.

Just one glance is enough to etch despair into one's mind.

At least for most normal people, facing a merciless natural disaster is not something they can easily bear.

"Amiya? What are you doing sitting here? He won't let you in."

Just as the conversation was about to end, scattered footsteps could be heard outside the door.

And a somewhat familiar voice greeted Amiya.

"Ah, Miss Winter?"

Amiya, with an unexpected tone, revealed the name of the new visitor outside the door, while Winter, clearly accompanied by someone, stood outside and shouted at Tomat inside:

"Hey! I've come to ask you for combat advice!"