Ame no Hi no Iris

I stared at Lilith without moving for quite some time.

Though I said all that, I felt uneasy already. Lilith led me before this, and we had Volkov's help when we were chased. But now that I'm alone, nobody would save me, and I couldn't think of anyone who could help me.

That place was near the Venus Fountain Plaza. From its position, it would probably be one of the shops at the commercial street. My location is the problem right now, but this could be easily deduced by looking at the tallest white building here— from the Oval University First Robotics Laboratory.

After deducing my position, when I was about to stuff the map back into the card box.

"Ah……"

I noticed a tiny picture stuck on the interior of the box.

There were three people on the photo. The one at the center would be Lilith in a cute dress, while two people who looked like a couple of about thirty were smiling beside her.

The Lilith in the photo was smiling broadly, happily. Her smile was tender and innocent, and people couldn't imagine the majestic her right now.

I recalled the words that she said. f𝗿𝗲e𝒘e𝚋ｎ૦𝘃𝙚𝑙.com

—Pitiless, right? Creating them when they need them and leaving them aside when they don't need them.

She shrugged at that moment, wearing a cold expression on her face.

I looked at the photo again, it was a happy family of three. The happiness that was like beautiful scenery were locked into the frame. She looked like an angel that doesn't know the meaning of suspicion in it, an innocent, happy smile on her face. She still didn't know about the coming betrayal that she would have to face after that.

My chest ached slightly. Up till now, how many times had she looked at the photo? What did she feel about her past, happy self?

Right until now, she hid the precious photo in her chest. Keeping the photo of her parents that abandoned her.

—Have some confidence. Because you're a robot that was loved up till the last second……

"Lilith……"

The clouded expression disappeared from Lilith's face as her battery was used up, and only a naive, innocent expression was on her face right now. I extended my right hand, gently touching her charred left face.

Black machine oil trickled out form the corner of my eyes like tears. One drop after another.

I vowed quietly to myself.

"I would definitely save you."

Definitely.

After that, I moved Lilith's body to a nearby forest, and I hid her carefully so that people would not notice. Then, I placed the card box and Professor's cigarette case into my chest.

After that, I pondered momentarily.

If I walked out like this, people would call the police very quickly. So that wouldn't work. I must think of a more reliable way to go to the junk parts shop that Lilith spoke of. However, I don't have a phone on me, and I can't use a public phone looking like this. Then, how could I walk to the junk parts store at the Venus Fountain Plaza? According to my estimations, it's about two kilometers between the plaza and this place.

—Plaza?

Venus Fountain Plaza. These words made me recall something. The time when Professor and I passed by the plaza before this after we finished watching a movie. That's right, Professor helped a robot at the roadside that time. As for how the robot arrived at the plaza, I remember that—

Professor's words surfaced in my mind.

—This child…… He actually passed by such a narrow, dark place……

"The gutters……"ƒ𝗿e𝘦𝚠𝗲𝚋n𝚘ν𝙚𝗹.𝑐o𝙢