As Ex-Machina In No Game No Life: Zero

"Query: Do you remember what happened?" I asked, my voice flat.

"Some of it..." he began, his voice trembling. "The demons... they attacked our home. Mother took me to the church, but she was already hurt... The old priest... he hid us in the cellar... used the Goddess's magic on me... then I heard... noises... from above..."

He recounted the events slowly, his voice faltering. I recorded every word, processing the information.

It was a tragic, all-too-common story for this era. A trauma like this, at such a young age, would undoubtedly have a profound impact on his psychological development.

How troublesome, I thought. I need to find someone to take him off my hands, quickly.

After he finished his story, Takson looked at me, at my completely impassive face. I could see the hurt in his eyes. To him, my lack of reaction must have seemed like a profound coldness. But he also knew that, without me, he would have died in that cellar with his mother.

"...Thank you," he finally managed to say, the words a quiet expression of his gratitude.

I didn't respond. I just stared into the flames.

We didn't speak again for the rest of the night. After the fire died down, I sat in the darkness, watching the stars, a silent sentinel against the dangers of the forest.

….

Half a month passed.

Traveling with a human child was... inefficient. Takson was small. He tired easily and required frequent rest. He also needed food and water, inconvenient biological necessities that further delayed our progress. As an Ex-Machina, a being that required none of these things, I found the entire process tedious.

But I couldn't just abandon him. I had to find a safe place for him, a family to take him in. So, we continued our journey south.

For his part, the boy was surprisingly well-behaved. He followed me silently, never complaining, only speaking up when he was on the verge of collapse. The trauma of his past had already forged him into a quiet, considerate child.

And what did he think of me?

From his perspective, the sister who had saved his life was a cold, distant figure. Sometimes, he would wake in the night to find her sitting perfectly still by the dying fire, as motionless and silent as a doll. She was beautiful, but her way of speaking was strange, and her eyes held no warmth.

Still, she was his rescuer. And he knew, with a child's simple certainty, that she was not a demon. That was enough.

He walked quietly behind her, her pace adjusted so that his small legs could keep up.

She must be very strong, he thought. Did she defeat all those demons by herself?

I've lost my home. Where will I go now?

Looking at her back, a decision formed in his young mind. He quickened his pace, moving up to walk beside me. My sensors, constantly scanning our surroundings, had already noted his change in position.

"Query: What is it?" I asked, my voice cutting through the quiet.

"Ah..." My pre-emptive question had caught him off guard, and the words he had prepared died in his throat. Then, he realized something. He didn't even know her name.

"Uh... um..." He faltered under my direct gaze. I simply watched him, my face impassive. He clearly had something to say, but he was struggling to form the words.

"What's... what's your name?" he finally managed to ask, a wave of relief washing over him.

"Answer: ….."

With that, I turned my gaze back to the path ahead, leaving an awkward silence in my wake. Takson stood there, unsure of what to do.

Was that it? Is the conversation over? My cold demeanor had completely derailed his train of thought.

….

One Hour Later:-

"Um... where are we going?"

Takson had found his voice again. He knew he couldn't stay lost in his grief forever. The demons had taken his family, his home. He had to get stronger. He had to get revenge. The tragedy had forced him to grow up far too quickly.

I glanced at the boy walking beside me.

"Answer: To a village. Or another town."

"A village or a town?"

"Affirmative. I will entrust you to the villagers. Find a family willing to adopt you."

So that was it. She was going to leave him. He knew he was a burden to this powerful, mysterious girl. It was only logical. But she wasn't just abandoning him in the wilderness. She was taking him somewhere safe.

She acted so cold, so distant, but in her own way, she was kind.

"You must be really strong, right?" he asked.

"Negative. Without complete data, I cannot accurately assess my combat potential." I would not make the mistake of overestimating my strength in this new world. Arrogance was a fatal flaw.

Takson didn't understand the words, but he understood the meaning. She was strong.

"Will you... will you be my teacher?"

"…?" The question surprised me. I stopped walking. The boy stopped with me.

My golden eyes locked onto his. This time, he didn't look away. He met my gaze, his own eyes filled with a new, unwavering determination.

He seems to have done some thinking these past few weeks. I was curious.

"Query: Why do you ask?"

I knew, of course, that my "abilities" were not something a human could learn. They were innate functions of my Ex-Machina body.

"I want to get stronger," the boy said, his voice firm. "I want to avenge my family."

"..."

I said nothing. I simply looked into his eyes. My scanners confirmed it: he was telling the truth. This was not a childish whim; it was a deep, burning conviction.

My silence made him nervous. He saw a strange flicker of light in my eyes, but it was gone in an instant, a trick of the firelight.

"Negative," I said. "Request denied."

"Huh?"

"Justification: You are a juvenile. You possess no combat capabilities. You would be a liability."

It was a cold, logical assessment. I could not afford to take on a burden with no strategic value. I turned and continued walking.

Takson stood there, stunned. He knew I was right. He couldn't argue. He was a burden. He wanted to get stronger, but to do that, he needed a teacher, and this teacher had rejected him because he was weak. It was a cruel, unbreakable loop.

I didn't look back.

….

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