Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

The next day, Hachiman Hikigaya located Makoto Nakamura. To his surprise, Nakamura was a woman, a rather attractive one at that, with a certain heroic air about her.

But Hachiman knew, deep down, that Makoto Nakamura… wasn't normal.

She seemed unfazed by a Public Safety cadet showing up at her door, clearly aware her address was known.

"Come in."

She greeted him casually, as if she were used to receiving visitors.

"There's hot water over there. Help yourself if you're thirsty."

Nakamura scratched her head and plopped down on the living room sofa.

Hachiman felt a bit awkward but quickly composed himself. Years of failed, embarrassing confessions had given him some experience in maintaining composure.

"So, what did you want to ask me? If you know where I live, you must have some information channels."

The location wasn't exactly remote, but neither was it bustling. A sort of underdeveloped area, likely due to funding shortages. Nakamura lived above a general store on a street like this.

Hachiman hadn't expected the highly publicized head of the Madonna Cult to reside in such a place.

"I heard it from someone. I didn't expect you to live here. And I didn't expect… I think I've seen you before. You were confessing to a senpai, maybe five or six months ago."

Nakamura's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She hadn't realized anyone had witnessed that confession.

"So… did it work out?" Hachiman asked, slightly curious.

"No. I told her everything about myself. How could it have been that easy? I've been single ever since." Nakamura shook her head. "Things are a bit more complicated than they seem, but not that complicated. It's just… most people can't get past a certain mental barrier."

"I understand…" Hachiman nodded, then continued, "I mainly want to know why the Madonna Cult exists, and where all the followers came from. Does Academy City's leadership know about you?"

"Followers? Most of them are just people from online group chats."

Nakamura's words caught Hachiman off guard.

"What? Group chats?!" He couldn't believe it.

"Is that so strange? Lots of odd groups start that way. Cultural salons, study groups, worker unions… It's not that uncommon. I initially started the group chat looking for… a certain entity."

Nakamura's gaze drifted towards the ceiling as she reminisced.

"You see, I was arguing with a stupid woman on the street when I was suddenly dragged into an alley. They tied me and my girlfriend up without a word. Back then, I was still a man… The memories are hazy now, but I vaguely remember him talking about some kind of power, a hard-to-describe symbol of authority."

"Childbirth, procreation, the womb, the preservation of civilization. His consciousness linked with mine, strange tendrils rooting deep into my spine. Every word etched into my mind, unforgettable. I've forgotten who my girlfriend was, but I still remember those words… echoing in my mind every night as I sleep."

Hachiman gulped. Nakamura's tone grew increasingly fervent, her use of "I" shifting between male and female, a bizarre performance of madness and struggle.

"And then… I offered myself to that entity. I begged for power, and I became a woman. This hasn't just happened to me."

Nakamura wasn't surprised. If she could be transformed into a woman, others could be changed into men.

"I know. I've heard about others becoming women, but Academy City suppressed the news." Hachiman recalled an incident during a patrol with his superior. Clearly, what he'd overheard was true.

"No, you don't understand. There are also women who've become men, and those seeking perfect secondary sexual characteristics without hormone therapy or reduced lifespan. There are many such cases in Academy City, all in my group. Some idiots try to infiltrate, some genuinely want to understand the transformation process. Others want to change their gender and assume we have advanced technology. But in reality…"

Nakamura scoffed. "It's all just… entertainment for the 'Madonna'."

Hachiman frowned. "What do you mean?"

"There are many legends circulating in Academy City, most notably about an 'unknowable being.' You don't know its gender, its identity, its purpose, its form. Sometimes it's a man, sometimes a woman, sometimes an animal, sometimes a blob of slime, sometimes even the sun."

"Can you imagine that? Many people have gender identity issues, but after being remade by it, it's not just about gender anymore. Men into women, women into men, hermaphrodites, agender individuals… all kinds of beings have been born under its influence."

"That's the situation with the people in my group. Different from… relatively normal cases like mine."

"I transformed because I glimpsed the structure of some civilizational power. Most of them offered their bodies and… souls in a state of blissful ignorance."

"I yearn to tear open my flesh to receive its greatness. Every word of praise feels like sacrilege. To describe it with human language, with such low-level information, is an insult."

Nakamura's words dripped with fanatical adoration, her fervor infectious. Hachiman felt deeply uneasy, witnessing the apparent mental collapse of someone seemingly sane.

But beneath the unease lurked an unfamiliar thrill, unlike the adolescent excitement of watching adult videos. It was a tantalizing, painful exploration of the forbidden.

He could feel the genes within his body roaring in warning.

"This is terrifying. She's like someone who's cast off all shackles, madly pursuing the power of procreation… like an addict craving a fix."