user
!start
/
雪兔伺服器。天王星雪。
「常世，穩定，百合參數，正常。」
「冰淇淋特價日.. 大量發生中。」
她拿起椅背上的雪白色外套，穿過身後的傳送裝置，來到常世的某個街道。
「冰淇淋！..」她從口袋掏出次元幣，這是一種位於哪種時空之中，就會自動轉化顯現為當地貨幣的樣子的物質。
可不是詐騙，畢竟，雪兔伺服器的維度階級遠在常世之上。
她加入了排隊的隊伍。
「..？」街角的人影，像是偷偷看了自己一眼那樣。
「..」她微微壓低帽簷，只是來採買冰淇淋，不想被這裡的人記得。
不過，反正也只是一筆演算資料，剛剛那該算是真人，還是某種NPC，連雪也分不清楚。
「薄荷、藍莓，還有蘇打口味，各兩個。」輪到她了。
「太好了。」她喜滋滋的看著到手的冰淇淋。
即使已經是雪兔伺服器管理人這樣等級的存在，不需要進食、沒有生理機能。
唯獨冰淇淋忘不掉。
她消失在眾人不在意的時候，
轉眼已經回到了雪兔伺服器。
「計畫的下一頁。..」
「初代捕獲怎麼樣？..」
「初代..是什麼樣的人呢？」
她拿起一盒藍莓冰淇淋。
「呼呼～」「什麼時候，才會一起吃冰淇淋呢？」「但雪..不，NO1的天王星的雪，會一直等待的。..」
「初代。靠過來吧？..」
ChatGPT
Snow Rabbit Server.
Somewhere within its vast network of dimensions, U.Icy stood before a wall of floating displays.
"Living World. Stable."
"Yuri parameters. Normal."
Her fingers moved through several translucent windows, reviewing observations gathered from the distant Living World.
The Living World was an enormous multiserver system belonging to human civilization. Its origins, creators, and administrators had nothing to do with Snow Rabbit Server.
U.Icy wasn't responsible for maintaining it, nor did she possess any obligation to interfere with its operations.
She was an outsider, observing from beyond its dimensional framework.
Snow Rabbit Server belonged to an entirely separate civilization, one that existed far beyond the dimensional hierarchy of the Living World.
To U.Icy, visiting one of its countless worlds was hardly more complicated than opening a window.
Then one particular observation caught her attention.
"Ice cream discount events... occurring in large numbers."
She stopped.
"...Oh?"
The next instant, the other reports were forgotten.
U.Icy turned toward the back of her chair, picked up her snow-white coat, and slipped it over her shoulders.
A circular gateway illuminated behind her.
"Transfer."
And she was gone.
The Living World was enjoying a perfectly ordinary afternoon.
Traffic moved along the streets. People wandered between shops, carrying shopping bags and drinks. Somewhere nearby, a cheerful advertisement announced a limited-time promotion.
U.Icy emerged from an unnoticed corner of the street.
Her eyes immediately settled on a colorful sign outside a dessert shop.
"Ice cream...!"
She approached with considerably more enthusiasm than she had shown toward the observational reports.
From her coat pocket, she produced several dimensional coins.
They were a rather convenient form of currency. Depending on the time and space in which they existed, the coins automatically took on the appearance and monetary value of the local currency.
Not counterfeit money, of course.
The dimensional hierarchy of Snow Rabbit Server existed far above that of the Living World. Something as trivial as currency conversion hardly qualified as a challenge.
Whether the local economy would appreciate that explanation was another question entirely.
Fortunately, U.Icy had no intention of discussing economics.
She joined the queue.
"..."
There were several customers ahead of her.
She waited quietly, hands tucked into her coat pockets, occasionally raising her gaze toward the display of frozen desserts.
Mint.
Blueberry.
Soda.
All three were available.
Excellent.
"...?"
Her attention shifted.
Across the street, near the corner of another building, someone appeared to be watching her.
The figure turned away almost immediately.
U.Icy stared for another second.
"...Hmm."
She lowered the brim of her hat.
This was supposed to be a simple shopping trip. She had no particular desire to be remembered by anyone living in this world.
Besides, what exactly had she seen?
A real person?
A simulated individual?
An NPC generated by the world's underlying calculations?
Even U.Icy wasn't entirely certain.
She could observe the Living World from outside its dimensional boundaries, but that didn't mean she knew every detail of its internal design.
Nor was she particularly interested in investigating it today.
The distinction wasn't especially important to her ice cream.
"Next, please!"
She looked up.
Her turn.
The shop assistant smiled. "What can I get you?"
"Mint. Blueberry. Soda."
"Certainly! Which one would you like?"
"Two of each."
"Six altogether?"
"Yes."
"Would you like a bag?"
"Yes."
"And would you like any spoons?"
"Yes."
The assistant waited politely.
U.Icy waited just as politely.
"...How many?"
"Six."
"Of course!"
A minute later, six neatly packed containers were placed on the counter.
U.Icy exchanged her dimensional coins for the purchase, collected her bag, and stepped aside.
She opened it just enough to inspect the contents.
Six beautiful containers.
All hers.
"...Wonderful."
A tiny smile appeared beneath the shadow of her hat.
The shop assistant, who had been watching her with mild curiosity, seemed rather pleased.
"Enjoy your ice cream!"
"Mm. I will."
U.Icy walked away with her precious purchase.
For an existence responsible for managing a server beyond the dimensional hierarchy of the Living World, her current sense of accomplishment was remarkably simple.
She had obtained discounted ice cream.
Six of them.
An excellent result.
She no longer required food. Strictly speaking, her existence had no biological functions that needed sustaining.
Hunger was unnecessary.
Digestion was unnecessary.
Even the act of eating was little more than an experience she could choose to reproduce.
And yet...
Ice cream.
Somehow, ice cream remained impossible to forget.
She took another satisfied glance into the bag.
Then, while the surrounding pedestrians remained occupied with their own affairs, the snow-white figure quietly disappeared.
Nobody noticed.
Snow Rabbit Server.
U.Icy reappeared beside her chair.
The shopping bag was set carefully on her desk, well away from the numerous floating displays.
"Transfer complete."
She removed her coat and hung it over the chair.
Then she arranged the six containers in a neat row.
Mint. Mint.
Blueberry. Blueberry.
Soda. Soda.
"...Good."
Only after confirming that every flavor had survived the dimensional transfer did she turn back toward her work.
"Next page of the plan..."
The displays rearranged themselves.
Countless layers of information unfolded across the space before her, revealing records and calculations far beyond the reach of the Living World.
U.Icy rested one hand against the edge of her desk.
"How is the operation to capture the First Generation going...?"
She examined the information for a while.
The usual cool expression returned to her face.
"...Hmm."
Then, quite unexpectedly, her attention wandered away from the calculations.
"What kind of person is the First Generation, anyway?"
NO6.
The one and only First Generation.
U.Icy tilted her head.
The question seemed to interest her considerably more than the technical details.
Would NO6 be difficult to talk to?
Would she be serious?
Would she be strange?
Or perhaps...
Her gaze moved toward the ice cream.
"...Would she like blueberry?"
She considered the possibility.
Mint might also be acceptable.
Soda was excellent, naturally.
But there was no way to know NO6's preferences before meeting her.
"...Troublesome."
An extraordinary problem for an extraordinary existence.
U.Icy could observe distant dimensional structures, travel between worlds, and oversee calculations on a scale that the inhabitants of the Living World could scarcely comprehend.
But she still couldn't determine which flavor of ice cream would make NO6 happy.
U.Icy selected one of the blueberry containers.
She peeled back the lid, picked up a spoon, and settled comfortably into her chair.
A small taste.
"...Mm."
Good.
Very good.
She swung her legs slightly beneath the desk.
"Hehe~"
The floating displays continued their endless calculations while their administrator enjoyed her dessert.
"When will we finally get to eat ice cream together, I wonder?"
She scooped up another spoonful.
There was no answer.
U.Icy didn't appear particularly bothered.
"But Icy..."
She paused, then smiled to herself.
"No. Icy of NO1's Uranus will keep waiting."
Another small taste of blueberry.
"Hehe..."
She looked toward the distant layers of information, where the plan continued to unfold beyond the visible screens.
Her voice softened into an almost affectionate invitation.
"First Generation..."
She raised her spoon slightly, as though inviting NO6 to take the empty seat beside her.
"Come closer, won't you...?"
And somewhere far beyond the Living World's dimensional boundaries, Snow Rabbit Server continued operating in perfect stability.
Its administrator had returned to work.
More or less.
After all, there were still five containers of ice cream waiting on her desk.
user
/
終點審判庭的日子可說是沒有日子可言，這裡沒有時間、甚至不能算是有空間。
但她們依然以自己喜歡的型態存在。
而NO6，正在監管各個時空維度中，與終點有關的「平行存在版本」。
其中，雪兔伺服器上的天王星雪，絕對是她最頭痛的一個。
「又紀錄奇怪的東西了。」她輕輕往後倒在椅背。
「捕獲初代的計劃，為了讓她來嚐嚐藍莓冰淇淋。」NO6喃喃自語。
「聽起來還算正常。」NO3坐在一旁的辦公桌，注意到她的困擾。
「一點都不。接下來。」
「接下來？」
「.. 吾說不出來。」
「是什麼？」NO5也走了過來，站在NO6身後。
她看著NO6眼前的螢幕，緩緩唸出上頭的文字「NO6.. 初代，像是一頭冰霜的狼，將我的情感狠狠的撕碎，她是那麼狂野又難以理解的孤傲。而我，只能在她的爪尖與狼吻下投降..」
「噗嗤。」NO3猛地笑出來。
「這哪裡好笑了？！問題很大。」NO6微微蹙眉抗議。
「她是不是在執勤之餘以寫言情小說為消遣？」NO5不以為然，那就是小說常有的描繪、誇飾。
「也不該是寫吾！」NO6搖頭。
「妳什麼時候要去見妳的小女友，妳們還沒碰過面吧？」NO5輕輕拍了拍她的肩膀。
「請不要訛傳！吾與她沒有任何關係！」NO6抗議。
「但她顯然很想見妳，不過算起來，妳是她的長官。..」NO3手指纏在粉色髮尾上興味的說。
「只要妳想，就過去，說聲別再那樣做了，那為何不？」NO3微微眯眼。
「哦～～為何不？NO6？」NO5也隨之起舞。
「吾只是..！....」
「只是？」NO3、NO5同時。
「..她只是一個人執勤感到無聊才那樣..吾如此認為。」NO6壓低音量。
「呵呵。」NO3。
「意思是默許她那樣做了。」NO5。
「吾也沒有說！」NO6。
「那就去禁止她～？」NO5。
「那倒也..」NO6遲疑起來。
「妳是不是看得也很開心？」NO2剛好走進辦公室，上文沒有全聽見，也知道又發生什麼。
「吾絕對不是！」NO6。
「下次我們集體去拜訪Icy。NO24版本。」NO2扔了一本資料到桌上。
NO24。DDD特務組織中的電控室管理幹部，NO24 Ver. 雪。
ChatGPT
Days in the Ending Judgement Court could hardly be called days at all.
Time didn't exist here. Strictly speaking, neither did space.
Yet its inhabitants continued to exist in whatever forms they preferred. Desks, chairs, offices, corridors—even the simple act of sitting down had meaning only because someone had decided it should.
And NO6 had decided that sitting at a desk was a perfectly reasonable way to conduct her duties.
Before her floated a series of displays containing observational records from countless temporal and dimensional branches.
Her responsibility was to monitor parallel existences connected to the Ending across those different realities.
Some were quiet. Some were troublesome.
And then there was Icy, the administrator of Snow Rabbit Server.
Of all the versions she monitored, that particular one was proving exceptionally difficult to deal with.
"...Another strange entry."
NO6 leaned back in her chair, letting her shoulders settle against the backrest.
She stared at the latest record.
"Operation to capture the First Generation. Objective: Invite her to taste blueberry ice cream."
She read it again, quietly.
"..."
"That sounds fairly normal."
NO3 spoke from the desk beside hers, having noticed the unusual expression on NO6's face.
"It is not."
"Really?"
"Not remotely."
NO6 lowered her gaze toward the next section.
NO3 glanced over with mild curiosity.
"What comes after that?"
"..."
NO6 remained silent.
"NO6?"
"...I cannot say it."
That was enough to attract attention.
NO3's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Oh? Now I'm interested."
"What is it?"
NO5 had wandered over, drawn by the conversation. She stopped behind NO6's chair and leaned forward to inspect the display.
NO6 immediately straightened.
"Wait. Do not—"
Too late.
NO5 had already begun reading.
"NO6... The First Generation. Like a frost-born wolf, she tears my emotions mercilessly apart. So wild, so fiercely solitary, so impossible to understand. And I can do nothing but surrender beneath her claws and the kiss of her wolfish jaws..."
Silence.
NO5 blinked.
NO6 closed her eyes.
Across the desk, NO3 made a very unfortunate sound.
"Pfft—"
Her hand flew to her mouth.
Too late.
The laughter escaped anyway.
"WHAT IS FUNNY ABOUT THAT?!"
NO6 turned toward her, frowning.
"This is a serious problem!"
"I'm sorry." NO3 lowered her head slightly, though the amusement in her eyes was unmistakable. "I simply wasn't expecting the wolf."
"Neither was I!"
NO5, meanwhile, looked rather less alarmed.
"Maybe she writes romance novels to entertain herself when she's off duty?"
She reread the passage.
"It's certainly dramatic, but that's fairly normal for romantic fiction. The exaggeration, the imagery, the helpless surrender..."
"It should not be about ME!"
NO6 shook her head.
"And why a wolf? Where did that interpretation originate?"
NO3 thoughtfully rested her chin on one hand.
"Well, you're cold, difficult to approach, and rather intimidating."
"Those characteristics do not indicate a wolf."
"And fiercely independent."
"That is irrelevant."
"With a dangerous bite, apparently."
"NO3."
NO3 smiled.
"Just an observation."
NO5 gently patted NO6's shoulder.
"So, when are you finally going to visit your little girlfriend?"
NO6 froze.
"You two haven't actually met in person yet, have you?"
"Please refrain from spreading false information!"
NO6 turned sharply in her chair.
"I have absolutely no such relationship with her!"
"Not yet?"
"NO5!"
NO5 tilted her head innocently.
"Just curious."
NO3 idly twirled a strand of pink hair around her finger.
"She certainly seems eager to meet you. Although, technically speaking, you're her superior in the hierarchy."
NO6's expression stiffened.
"That is not a reason—"
"If you really wanted to, you could simply go over and tell her to stop writing things like that."
NO3 narrowed her eyes slightly, her smile growing more knowing.
"You're perfectly capable of doing so. Why don't you?"
NO6 opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
NO5 noticed immediately.
"Ohhh? Yes, why don't you, NO6?"
"I merely...!"
"Merely?"
NO3 and NO5 spoke at the same time.
NO6 looked from one to the other.
There was something profoundly unfair about being surrounded by individuals who understood exactly how to make a situation worse without technically doing anything wrong.
"..."
She glanced at the display again.
The words "frost-born wolf" were still there.
NO6 reached forward and minimized the record.
"...She is alone on duty. Perhaps she has simply become bored, and this is how she entertains herself."
Her voice grew quieter.
"That is my assessment."
NO3 gave a soft chuckle.
"Hehe."
NO5's smile brightened.
"So you're allowing her to continue?"
"I said no such thing!"
"Then go and forbid her."
"That would..."
NO6 hesitated.
NO5 leaned closer.
"Would what?"
"..."
"Come on. You're the First Generation. Surely a simple prohibition wouldn't be difficult?"
"Whether it is possible is not the issue."
"Then what is?"
NO6 said nothing.
NO3 watched her with growing amusement.
It was rather fascinating.
NO6 could examine anomalies beyond conventional dimensional understanding without so much as changing her expression.
But apparently, asking whether she intended to stop someone from writing embarrassing romantic descriptions of her was enough to bring an entire discussion to a halt.
NO5 tapped her finger against her chin.
"Maybe you're worried she'd be disappointed?"
"...Negative."
"Or that she'd stop inviting you for ice cream?"
"That is not—"
"Blueberry, wasn't it?"
"NO5."
"Six containers, apparently. She's very prepared."
NO6 slowly turned back toward her desk.
"...Mission. Resume."
"Oh, she's retreating into work terminology," NO5 whispered.
NO3 smiled.
"An effective defensive measure."
"Not particularly effective today, though."
The door opened.
"Perhaps you actually enjoy reading them?"
NO2 entered the office just in time to contribute that observation.
She hadn't heard the entire conversation.
She didn't need to.
NO6's expression, NO5's barely concealed excitement, and NO3's entertained smile provided more than enough evidence.
"I absolutely do NOT!"
NO6's response was immediate.
NO2 gave a quiet laugh.
"How interesting. I hadn't even specified what you were reading."
"..."
NO6 stared at her.
NO3 covered her mouth again.
NO5 looked delighted.
"She got you."
"Silence."
NO2 crossed the office with her usual unhurried steps, carrying a thin file.
"So, is our First Generation having another difficult day?"
"I am conducting routine surveillance."
"Of course."
"An irregularity has been identified."
"Naturally."
"It requires evaluation."
"I'm sure it does."
NO2 placed the file on NO6's desk.
"Then here's something else for you to evaluate."
NO6 looked down.
A designation was printed across the front.
NO24.
She paused.
NO2 took a seat near NO3, looking entirely too comfortable with the atmosphere she had just entered.
"Next time, we'll all pay Icy a visit."
NO6 raised her eyes.
"...Which Icy?"
"The NO24 version."
NO2 gestured toward the file.
NO24.
A management officer assigned to the electronic control room of DDD's special operations organization.
Another version of Icy.
Another parallel existence.
NO6 stared at the designation for several seconds.
Then she looked toward NO2.
"...Purpose?"
"A visit."
"That is not a sufficient operational objective."
"Then call it an inspection."
"Of what?"
NO2 smiled.
"We'll find out when we get there."
NO6 immediately recognized the problem.
That smile.
It was never a reassuring sign.
NO5 leaned over the desk to examine the file.
"Oh! The control room officer?"
"That's right," NO2 replied.
"Does she know we're coming?"
"Not yet."
"Wonderful!"
NO6 looked at her.
"What exactly is wonderful about that?"
NO5 gave her a cheerful smile.
"Nothing in particular."
"..."
NO3 glanced between the three of them, then rested her cheek against her hand.
"Well, NO6, perhaps this will be an opportunity to compare how the different versions behave."
NO6 remained silent.
"And who knows?" NO5 added. "Maybe this one will be easier to handle."
NO6 looked back at the file.
Snow Rabbit Server.
NO24.
Two entirely different circumstances.
Two entirely different problems.
And somehow, the same familiar name kept appearing in her records.
"..."
NO2 watched her for a while.
"Something wrong?"
NO6 slowly closed the file.
"...I have an unfavorable assessment of this proposal."
"Already?" NO5 asked.
"Yes."
NO3 smiled.
"Without conducting the inspection?"
"..."
NO6 shut her eyes.
"Preliminary assessment."
NO2 laughed softly.
"Then we'll consider it provisional."
NO6 leaned back in her chair again.
She had begun this shift trying to investigate a bizarre romantic passage about a frost-born wolf.
Now her colleagues were discussing a group visit to another version of its author.
She looked at the minimized surveillance record.
Then at the NO24 file.
Then at the three women around her desk.
"..."
"Mission."
NO5 perked up.
"Yes?"
NO6's voice returned to its usual flat, mechanical tone.
"Requesting reassignment."
NO2 smiled.
"Denied."
"Immediate reassignment."
"Still denied."
NO3 laughed quietly.
NO5 gave NO6's shoulder another affectionate pat.
"Don't worry. We'll all go together."
"..."
That was precisely what worried her.
user
/
「銀女王最近不再寫新的文章了。」雪打內線給白。
「是嗎？有原因？」白淡定回問。
「沒有跡象。」
「謝謝，雪。」白掛上電話，嘴角微微揚起。
那麼，就是金看到的那個了。
紅是不是知道了什麼，而瑟.. 在害怕什麼？
/
下班時間。
雪（NO24 Version，並不知道天王星雪、重點審判庭這些超現實又存在於平行版本之中的事。這個時空中的雪並沒有和艾兒在一起，因為艾兒在這版本是軍火商大頭目。）
她返家。
總覺得，好像被監視著。
她出門吃了單人拉麵。
去了24小時的大型超市。
被監視的感覺揮之不去。
直到她注意到超市的盡頭，一名長髮、一樣有著冰霜髮色的高挑女性，似乎看著自己。
『等一下。..』雪快速的往那裡走去。
女性移動了腳步，消失在貨櫃之間。
『別跑.. 在哪裡？』雪環顧四周，甚至是剛剛女性駐足的地方。
『什麼人？..』雪開始猶豫，是不是應該回報給白和黑。
ChatGPT
"The Silver Queen hasn't posted anything new lately."
Icy spoke into the internal communications line, her eyes resting on the monitoring screen in front of her.
"Really?" N.White replied calmly. "Any particular reason?"
"No indication."
"Nothing at all?"
"Last activity was several days ago. No new articles. No announcements."
Icy took another spoonful of ice cream.
"Unusual."
"I see. Thank you, Icy."
"Mm."
The call ended.
In her office, N.White placed the receiver down and leaned back in her chair.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
So that was probably what D.Golden had witnessed.
The report from that evening had been rather peculiar.
D.Golden, concerned about her colleagues, had entered the squad leader's office and discovered C.Curo on her hands and knees, with E.Red sitting triumphantly on her back.
An extraordinary sight, considering the Silver Queen's previous online claims of absolute authority.
And now the queen had stopped writing.
N.White rested her chin against her fingers.
'Does E.Red know something?'
That seemed increasingly likely.
'And what exactly is C.Curo afraid of?'
She glanced toward the archived records from the Silver Queen's private community.
A woman who had once proudly announced that her superiors practically worshipped her had suddenly fallen silent.
How interesting.
N.White smiled again.
She wasn't particularly interested in stopping the situation.
Not yet.
After all, watching the consequences unfold was turning out to be considerably more entertaining than the original posts.
Meanwhile, Icy had already returned to her ice cream.
The Silver Queen's inactivity was now documented.
Her responsibility was complete.
At least for today.
By the time her shift ended, Icy had finished her monitoring reports, closed the relevant terminals, and prepared to leave.
"Done."
She switched off the last display.
The communications room fell quiet.
Unlike the members of the special operations unit, Icy rarely found herself involved in the organization's more ridiculous incidents.
She maintained the electronic control systems, monitored communications, managed records, and occasionally reported the remarkable things her colleagues did with company equipment.
That was all.
The fact that some of those reports had apparently caused trouble elsewhere was not her concern.
She gathered her belongings.
"Home."
Outside, the city had already settled into its evening rhythm.
Streetlights illuminated the sidewalks. Vehicles moved slowly through intersections, and the windows of nearby restaurants glowed warmly against the darkening sky.
Icy walked toward her residence at an unhurried pace.
Her expression remained as cool and unreadable as ever.
Everything seemed normal.
Yet somewhere along the way, she began to feel something peculiar.
"...?"
She stopped beside a convenience store and glanced over her shoulder.
People were passing behind her.
A couple walked toward the intersection. Someone stood near a vending machine. A woman carrying a shopping bag was looking at her phone.
Nothing unusual.
Icy looked ahead again.
'Someone watching?'
She continued walking.
A few minutes later, the sensation returned.
It wasn't the ordinary feeling of someone briefly looking in her direction.
She was familiar with that.
Her frost-white hair occasionally attracted attention, especially beneath bright lighting.
This felt different.
Someone was watching her.
Or perhaps...
"..."
She turned around.
Nothing.
Icy narrowed her eyes slightly.
'Strange.'
She reached home without encountering anyone suspicious.
After checking the door, she stepped inside, placed her belongings on the table, and removed her coat.
The apartment was quiet.
There were no unexpected sounds, no signs of disturbance, and nothing to indicate that anyone had followed her inside.
She checked the lock again.
"...Good."
For several minutes, she considered the matter closed.
Then she became hungry.
"Ramen."
An entirely different priority.
She changed into comfortable clothes, picked up her wallet, and headed back outside.
The ramen shop was a small establishment with a row of individual seats along the counter.
Icy selected an empty place near the end.
"One."
The server handed her a menu.
She examined it briefly.
"Shoyu ramen."
"Would you like any additional toppings?"
"Egg."
"Anything to drink?"
"Water."
"Coming right up."
Icy returned the menu and waited.
A television mounted high on the wall was playing an advertisement. Several customers were eating quietly, while someone near the entrance was discussing tomorrow's weather.
A perfectly ordinary evening.
Until she caught a faint movement reflected in the window.
Her gaze shifted.
"..."
Across the street, a figure had passed beneath a streetlight.
Nothing particularly remarkable.
But the sensation returned almost immediately.
Someone was observing her.
Icy turned toward the window.
A bus rolled past, temporarily blocking the view.
When it was gone, she could no longer see anyone standing there.
"...?"
"Your ramen!"
The server placed a steaming bowl before her.
Icy looked down.
"...Oh."
The aroma was excellent.
She picked up her chopsticks.
For the next several minutes, the mysterious sensation was forced to compete with an especially good bowl of ramen.
The ramen won.
Mostly.
After dinner, Icy decided to visit a large twenty-four-hour supermarket.
She needed a few things for the apartment.
And ice cream.
Naturally.
The supermarket was brightly lit despite the late hour. Wide aisles stretched between tall shelves, and the air carried the familiar mixture of refrigerated food, detergent, and freshly baked bread.
Icy pushed a shopping cart through the entrance.
She collected a few ordinary household supplies, examined several instant noodle varieties, and spent an unusually long time comparing frozen desserts.
"...Mint."
One container went into the cart.
"Blueberry."
Another followed.
She studied a third package.
"...Discount."
Into the cart.
Things were progressing wonderfully.
Then, while passing through the household goods section, she felt it again.
The same peculiar sensation.
Icy stopped.
Her fingers remained wrapped around the cart handle.
"..."
She looked toward the end of the aisle.
Two customers were examining storage containers.
An employee was arranging merchandise on a lower shelf.
Nobody seemed interested in her.
Yet something was wrong.
She had spent enough time working with surveillance systems to recognize the difference between accidental attention and deliberate observation.
At least, she believed she had.
She began moving again.
The sensation followed.
Icy turned into another aisle.
Then another.
She stopped beside a display of kitchen utensils and pretended to examine a package of spoons.
'Still there?'
She looked over her shoulder.
Nothing.
"...Hmm."
She put the spoons back.
Perhaps she was imagining things.
Work had been unusually eventful lately. C.Curo's private online activities alone had generated enough unusual reports to occupy an entire department.
Maybe she was simply tired.
But when Icy approached the far end of the supermarket, something caught her attention.
A woman.
Tall.
Long-haired.
Standing near the end of an aisle, partially concealed by the shelves.
Her hair was an unmistakable shade of frost-white.
Almost the same color as Icy's.
"...?"
The woman appeared to be looking directly at her.
For an instant, their gazes seemed to meet.
Icy stopped pushing the cart.
The woman did not approach.
She simply stood there.
Quiet.
Motionless.
Watching.
Icy blinked.
'Wait...'
She took a step forward.
The woman moved.
Not hurriedly, not with any obvious sign of panic.
She merely turned and disappeared between the shelves.
Icy's expression changed.
'Don't run.'
Leaving her cart beside the aisle, she quickened her pace.
She rounded the corner.
Empty.
"...?"
She looked left.
Then right.
A long row of shelves filled with packaged food stretched toward the refrigerated section.
No tall woman.
No frost-white hair.
Nothing.
Icy walked toward the place where the stranger had been standing.
'Where?'
She peered around another shelf.
An elderly customer was comparing two bottles of cooking oil.
Farther away, a supermarket employee was wheeling a small stock trolley.
Neither resembled the woman she had seen.
Icy returned to the original aisle.
"..."
The woman had disappeared in a matter of seconds.
That alone was unsettling.
The supermarket wasn't empty. There were plenty of customers, and the shelves offered numerous places to disappear from view.
But something about the encounter didn't feel right.
Especially the hair.
It wasn't merely pale blonde or silver.
It had been an extraordinarily familiar shade of frost-white.
Almost like looking at someone who shared her appearance.
Icy stood silently beside the shelves.
'Who was that?'
She considered following the aisle farther, then stopped herself.
What exactly would she say if she found the stranger?
"Excuse me, were you watching me?"
That would be an awkward conversation.
And what if the woman simply happened to have similar hair?
Icy glanced down at herself.
"..."
She wasn't particularly interested in explaining why she had chased a stranger through a supermarket.
A nearby employee approached.
"Excuse me, are you looking for something?"
Icy turned.
"...No."
"All right. Let us know if you need help."
"Okay."
The employee continued down the aisle.
Icy remained where she was.
She looked once more toward the place where the mysterious woman had vanished.
Nothing.
Eventually, she returned to her shopping cart.
The ice cream was still there.
Mint.
Blueberry.
Discounted blueberry.
All perfectly ordinary.
She took hold of the handle and slowly pushed the cart toward the checkout area.
But the feeling of being watched had not disappeared.
'Someone following me?'
Her expression grew more serious.
Was this connected to work?
An attempt to monitor DDD personnel?
Someone investigating the organization's communications department?
Or merely an unrelated stranger with an unusually similar appearance?
Icy considered the possibilities.
'Should I report this to N.White?'
Or perhaps D.Dark?
Both were senior officers. Either would take a genuine security concern seriously.
But what evidence did she have?
A feeling.
A glimpse of someone with white hair.
And a woman who had disappeared between supermarket shelves.
"..."
She stopped beside the refrigerated drinks.
Her eyes moved toward the distant checkout counters.
'What would I even report?'
She could already imagine the explanation.
Someone may have been watching her.
She wasn't certain.
The suspected individual had not approached, spoken, or done anything explicitly threatening.
And she had lost sight of the woman almost immediately.
Icy lowered her gaze.
"...Troublesome."
For once, the problem had nothing to do with C.Curo, the Silver Queen, or anyone misusing the organization's wireless network.
It concerned Icy herself.
And she had absolutely no idea what was happening.
She looked toward the far end of the supermarket one last time.
Then quietly continued pushing her cart.
The decision to contact N.White or D.Dark remained unresolved.
So did the question of who that frost-haired woman had been.
user
/
「妳看到她了對吧？怎麼樣，怎麼樣？」NO5通常是負責留守在終點的成員。
「..」NO6低頭沉默不語。但是和她再熟悉不過的其他成員，都看得出她隱隱擴張又依然平靜無表情的瞳孔。
「感想是什麼？」NO3也推了推她的肩。
「好了，我們不是去看女孩子的，這是一場觀測任務。」NO2可能是在幫她解圍，也可能無關。
「我就想知道嘛，NO6那種表情.. 太不對了。」NO5。
而NO6則吞了吞口水，喉嚨明顯的滾動了一下。
「..Icy機種，比資料投影更.. 好看。」NO6緩緩招降。
「就說了不要叫人家機種比較好吧？」NO3無奈笑著搖頭「不過，意思是很滿意了？妳的『後繼版本』？」
「吾..吾沒有說滿意不滿意什麼的！..」NO6又迅速否認。
「既然是這樣。偵測到的暗中護衛事件。這次就麻煩NO6擔任主執行官.. 如何？」NO2翻了翻手上的資料。
根據偵測演算，兩週後，雪-NO24版本，會遭受一次襲擊，致命傷害率，12%。受傷率34%。受驚嚇率，67%..
至於致命傷害，當然必須控制在0%，甚至受傷率也是不必要的麻煩。
NO6「吾負責？..」
NO3「哇，第一次親手保護小女友耶。」
NO6「就說了吾跟她沒有任何關係！」
NO2「...」翻白眼走掉。
ChatGPT
"You saw her, didn't you? How was it? How was it?"
NO5 greeted the returning team with undisguised excitement.
As the member who most frequently stayed behind at the Ending Judgement Court, she had developed a particular interest in hearing about everyone else's assignments.
Especially this one.
After all, NO6 had personally gone to observe the NO24 version of Icy.
And NO5 had been looking forward to hearing about it.
"Well? What did you think?"
"..."
NO6 sat at her desk, her head slightly lowered.
Her expression was perfectly calm.
Almost unnaturally calm.
But the other members knew her far too well.
Beneath that familiar, emotionless exterior, her pupils were ever so slightly dilated.
For NO6, who could face incomprehensible dimensional phenomena without changing her expression, this was practically a confession.
NO5 leaned closer.
"...Oh?"
"Do not."
"I haven't said anything yet!"
"Your intentions are apparent."
"Then answer me!"
NO3 approached from the adjacent desk and gently nudged NO6's shoulder.
"So? Your impressions?"
"..."
NO6 looked away.
NO3 smiled.
"Come now. You spent quite a while observing her at the supermarket."
"Observation was necessary."
"Of course. And?"
"..."
"All right, that's enough."
NO2 set a folder on the desk.
"We weren't there to look at a pretty woman. It was an observation mission."
Whether she was deliberately helping NO6 escape the questioning or simply correcting the conversation's direction was difficult to tell.
NO5 looked disappointed.
"But I want to know!"
"You've already received the report."
"Not that! Look at NO6's expression!"
NO2 glanced toward her.
NO6 remained absolutely motionless.
"..."
Her pupils were still slightly enlarged.
NO2 looked away.
"I see."
"See?!"
NO3 covered her smile with one hand.
NO6 appeared determined to ignore all three of them.
Unfortunately, her body betrayed her.
She swallowed.
The movement of her throat was clearly visible.
NO5 stopped talking.
NO3 raised an eyebrow.
"...?"
NO6's fingers tightened slightly against the armrest.
Finally, she spoke.
"...The Icy model."
All three turned toward her.
"...Is more aesthetically pleasing in person than her data projection."
Silence.
NO5's mouth slowly opened.
"Ohhhhh!"
NO6 immediately straightened.
"That was an objective comparison."
"Of course!"
"Visual accuracy assessment."
"Naturally!"
NO3 shook her head with a helpless smile.
"I really think you should stop calling her a 'model.' She's a person, you know."
"...Terminological classification."
"Yes, yes."
NO3 rested a hand on NO6's shoulder.
"But does that mean you're quite satisfied with your 'successor version'?"
"I-I never said anything about being satisfied!"
"Oh?"
"Neither satisfaction nor dissatisfaction was included in the assessment!"
NO5 tilted her head.
"But you just said she was prettier in person."
"That is not the same thing!"
"So you weren't impressed?"
"..."
NO6 opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
NO5's smile widened.
NO3 let out a quiet laugh.
"I think that answers the question."
"It answers nothing."
NO6 turned toward her display.
"Observation mission. Complete."
NO5 leaned against the desk.
"You're really not going to tell us anything else?"
"Negative."
"Not even whether you'd like to see her again?"
"..."
NO6's fingers paused above the controls.
It was a remarkably brief hesitation.
Unfortunately, NO5 noticed.
"Oh?"
"NO5."
"Just curious!"
Before another round of questioning could begin, NO2 opened the folder she had brought back.
"In that case, let's discuss the next assignment."
Several displays appeared above the desk.
"Regarding the covert protection operation we detected, I'd like NO6 to serve as the primary executive officer."
"...?"
NO6 turned.
"Me?"
"Yes."
NO2 brought up a predictive analysis.
"According to the calculations, the NO24 version of Icy is expected to encounter a hostile attack approximately two weeks from now."
The atmosphere changed.
NO5 immediately straightened.
NO3 stepped closer to the display, her earlier amusement disappearing.
Three figures appeared beside Icy's identification record.
Fatal injury probability: 12%.
Nonfatal injury probability: 34%.
Psychological shock probability: 67%.
NO6 stared at the first figure.
"...Twelve percent."
"Correct," NO2 replied.
NO3 studied the projected sequence of events.
"Is the attack intentional?"
"The available calculations suggest so. The precise circumstances haven't converged into a single outcome yet."
NO5 examined the possible scenarios.
"Can the attack be prevented before it reaches her?"
"That's the objective."
NO2 selected the fatal injury figure.
"Twelve percent is unacceptable. We're reducing that to zero."
Her tone was composed, but there was no trace of humor in it.
"The injury probability should also be eliminated. There's no reason for her to suffer any harm."
NO5 nodded.
"And the sixty-seven percent?"
"Psychological shock. Even if she escapes physically unharmed, the incident could still frighten her considerably."
"Then we should prevent her from experiencing the attack at all," NO5 said.
"Exactly."
NO3 looked toward NO6.
"She's currently unaware of the situation, correct?"
"Yes," NO2 answered. "As far as she's concerned, someone may have been watching her at the supermarket. She has no knowledge of our existence or the approaching threat."
NO6 remained quiet.
The projected record showed Icy's familiar frost-white hair, along with the ordinary life she continued to lead in that particular world.
Working in the electronic control room.
Returning home after her shift.
Eating ramen alone.
Shopping for ice cream.
And, somewhere in the near future, an attack that could end her existence in that world.
NO6 reached toward the display.
The twelve-percent figure enlarged.
"...Unacceptable."
NO2 watched her.
"Agreed."
"Threat prevention. Required."
"Can you handle it?"
"...Affirmative."
NO6 examined the remaining projections.
"Primary executive authority. Accepted."
NO2 closed the report.
"Good. I'll leave the operational details to you. The objective is to prevent the incident without unnecessarily disturbing her daily life."
"Understood."
NO3 gave a small nod.
"Then we'll leave it in your hands."
The assignment was settled.
NO6 had already begun arranging the relevant observation data when NO3's expression softened into a familiar, mischievous smile.
"Well, look at that."
NO6 glanced toward her.
"...?"
"Your first time personally protecting your little girlfriend."
"...!"
NO5 immediately brightened.
"Oh! That's right!"
NO6 turned sharply.
"I TOLD YOU! I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RELATIONSHIP WITH HER!"
NO3 smiled.
"Of course. Strictly professional."
"Precisely!"
NO5 nodded with exaggerated seriousness.
"Your very first strictly professional mission to protect your completely unrelated little girlfriend."
"NO5!"
"..."
NO2 rolled her eyes.
Then she picked up her folder and walked out.
user
/
雪最終沒有把那個神祕女性的事情回報，畢竟，也就只是偶然遇到一位和自己有著近乎一樣髮色的女人。
是很少見，但自己也不是什麼大人物，更不會被盯上。
大概。
/
NO6此刻正站在對街看著她。
NO3站在她身旁「去啊，去打招呼。」
「吾為什麼要？！」
「也許她這輩子只有這幾次機會看到妳了，最好不要有下一次不是嗎？」NO3。
這倒不是亂說。
除非演算異常，否則她們並不會介入平行版本的時空與生活。
/
「..」NO6沉默。
反過來說，這也是僅有的幾次，可能可以和眼前的雪-NO24版本互動的機會。
是事實，況且，一但知道相似的攻擊源，終點審判庭就會完全抹除其日後再次出現的可能性。
只要惡意的源頭是同一個。
/
「走吧.. 終點審判庭 執行官 代號NO6。..」NO6。
「干涉開始。」
!先不發想新劇情停在這邊
ChatGPT
In the end, Icy decided not to report the mysterious woman.
After giving it some thought, the entire incident seemed rather insignificant.
She had encountered a tall woman with almost exactly the same frost-white hair as her own. The resemblance was certainly unusual, but that was hardly evidence of anything suspicious.
Besides, she wasn't anyone particularly important.
Why would someone deliberately follow her?
"..."
Probably not.
She had nearly convinced herself of that.
There was no need to trouble N.White or D.Dark over something so uncertain.
And so, the incident remained unreported.
Her ordinary routine continued, undisturbed.
Or at least, that was how it appeared to her.
Across the street, NO6 stood quietly watching Icy.
The distance between them was perfectly ordinary. A road, a few passing vehicles, and the uninterrupted movements of a city whose inhabitants knew nothing of the Ending Judgement Court.
To NO6, however, the distance meant very little.
She could observe Icy from practically anywhere.
Yet here she was, standing across an actual street.
Beside her, NO3 watched with a faint smile.
"Go on. Say hello."
"..."
NO6 turned toward her.
"Why would I?!"
NO3 chuckled softly.
"Why not?"
"Unnecessary interaction."
"Is it?"
"Mission objectives do not require personal contact."
"That's true."
NO3 looked across the street.
Icy remained entirely unaware of their conversation.
"But consider something, NO6."
"...?"
"She may only have a handful of opportunities to see you in her entire lifetime."
NO6 fell silent.
"And ideally, there shouldn't need to be another occasion like this, should there?"
NO3's tone remained gentle.
She wasn't teasing this time.
And she wasn't wrong.
Under ordinary circumstances, the Ending Judgement Court did not interfere with the lives of parallel existences.
Those countless versions were allowed to follow their own paths, experiencing their respective worlds without becoming aware of the extraordinary beings observing them from beyond.
Unless a calculation produced a significant anomaly, there was simply no reason to intervene.
That principle applied to Icy as well.
The NO24 version belonged to this world.
She had her own duties, her own routines, and an ordinary existence that had nothing to do with the Ending Judgement Court.
NO6 had no reason to disturb any of it.
At least, not without the approaching incident.
"..."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
In other words, this might also be one of the very few opportunities she would ever have to interact with Icy directly.
Once the threat was resolved, there would be no reason to return.
And the Ending Judgement Court did not merely intend to prevent a single attack.
Once the malicious source responsible for the incident had been identified, any possibility of that same source producing another such threat could be erased entirely.
Not simply delayed.
Not merely prevented on this particular occasion.
Erased from the relevant future possibilities, provided the underlying source of malice remained the same.
That was the authority of the Ending Judgement Court.
And it meant something rather simple.
If the operation succeeded, Icy would be safe.
She would continue living her life, unaware of the incident that had almost occurred.
There would be no need for another intervention.
No further observation mission requiring NO6's personal presence.
Perhaps no second meeting at all.
NO6 looked across the street again.
The frost-white hair was unmistakable, even among the passing crowd.
"..."
NO3 quietly observed her.
She did not offer another suggestion.
There was no need.
NO6 already understood the circumstances perfectly well.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then NO6 straightened.
The faint hesitation in her posture disappeared.
Her expression returned to its usual, almost mechanical calm.
"...Let's go."
NO3 glanced toward her.
NO6 faced forward.
"Ending Judgement Court."
A brief pause.
"Executive Officer. Code NO6."
Her voice settled into the precise, emotionless cadence of an official declaration.
"Intervention begins."
user
/
當晚，百貨超市門口。
雪－NO24。NO6。
NO24：「妳誰？」
NO6：「……路人。」
NO24：「哦？頭髮。」
NO6：「頭髮？」
NO24：「很漂亮。」
NO6：「！！」
NO24：「為什麼緊張了？」
NO6：「吾沒有緊張！！」
NO24：「……奇怪的人。要去吃冰淇淋嗎？」
NO6：「吾不用！」
NO24：「今天有新口味上市，好像是……開心果。」
NO6：「那是什……」
（腦海中正在演算、調閱一種綠色冰淇淋的相關資料。）
NO24：「不知道？走吧。」
NO24 拉住 NO6 的手腕。
NO6：「等等……！吾……！」
雪知道眼前的她是那天那個女人。
她甚至更早就看見對方在對街遊蕩－身旁還有另一個女子。
因此甚至連回家換裝都沒有，在外頭閒晃到這些可疑人物自己上門。
而戰術看起來相當成功。
她暗暗開了秘錄器。
ChatGPT
That evening, outside Aurora Mart.
Two women stood facing each other beneath the supermarket's illuminated entrance.
Both had extraordinarily pale hair.
One wore black from head to toe, her eyes concealed behind dark sunglasses and a baseball cap.
The other was dressed entirely in white, her long frost-colored hair drifting gently behind her.
Icy studied the stranger.
"...Who are you?"
NO6 stood perfectly still.
"...A passerby."
"Oh?"
Icy tilted her head slightly.
"A passerby."
"Correct."
"...Hmm."
Her gaze wandered over the woman's face, then toward the long strands of silvery hair falling across her shoulders.
"Hair."
"...Hair?"
"Very pretty."
"...!"
NO6's pupils widened.
Her lips parted slightly, but no response followed.
Icy blinked.
"Why are you nervous?"
"I AM NOT NERVOUS!"
"..."
Icy stared at her.
NO6 stared back.
"...Strange woman."
"That assessment is inaccurate."
"Oh?"
Icy considered her for another moment.
Then, quite casually, she changed the subject.
"Want to get ice cream?"
"...?"
NO6 froze.
"I have no need for it!"
"Okay."
Icy glanced toward the brightly lit supermarket behind them.
"They have a new flavor today."
"..."
"Pistachio, apparently."
"Pistachio?"
"Mm."
"What is tha—"
NO6 stopped mid-sentence.
Somewhere within her consciousness, an extraordinary sequence of calculations began.
Pistachio.
Botanical classification.
Edible seed.
Common culinary applications.
Frozen dessert variations.
A series of images appeared within her internal calculations.
Green.
Pale green.
Slightly yellowish green.
Ice cream.
'...Green ice cream?'
Her brow moved almost imperceptibly.
Icy observed her expression.
"...Don't know it?"
NO6 was still processing the information.
"No. I merely—"
"Let's go."
"...?"
Icy reached forward and casually took hold of NO6's wrist.
"Come on."
"Wait...!"
NO6's entire posture stiffened.
Her gaze dropped toward the hand around her wrist.
"...I...!"
The calculations she had been conducting a moment earlier abruptly lost their priority.
For someone capable of manipulating dimensional structures beyond ordinary comprehension, being led toward a supermarket by an unfamiliar woman should hardly have qualified as a difficult situation.
Yet NO6 appeared completely unprepared for it.
Icy gave her a small, questioning look.
"...?"
NO6 opened her mouth again.
Nothing emerged.
And Icy, apparently satisfied that the stranger wasn't actually resisting, simply continued toward the entrance.
There was, however, one rather important detail.
Icy knew perfectly well that this was the same woman she had encountered at the supermarket several days earlier.
In fact, she had spotted the woman standing across the street much earlier that evening—with another equally suspicious woman beside her.
Rather than going home to change after work, Icy had deliberately wandered around the area, pretending to go about her evening while waiting for the suspicious strangers to make their move.
And the strategy appeared to have worked rather well.
Without betraying the slightest hint of suspicion, she discreetly activated her concealed recorder.
user
!end