"Master?"
Ikaros's emotion module was currently in a dormant state. She looked up at Setsuna with a blank, dazed expression.
"You can stand up now."
Setsuna felt that having a beautiful girl kneel before him with a chain was a bit too... refined for his tastes.
"Yes, Maste-r."
Ikaros obediently stood up, folded her wings, and placed her hands neatly over her abdomen.
She glanced curiously at Setsuna and his companions—Mio, Tohru, and the others—but said nothing.
"Ikaros, do you have any memories of the past?"
Setsuna asked.
"No, Master."
Ikaros shook her head.
"I am an entertainment-use artificial angel, model: here to serve you."
"..."
The people of Synapse greatly feared Ikaros's power, so they imposed numerous restrictions on her.
Right now, she was essentially reset to factory settings.
Ikaros had no emotions, no awareness of the outside world, and simply followed her master's orders.
Just like the thousands of other universal angels.
"Is she really a robot?"
Tohru and Belfast circled around Ikaros, occasionally reaching out to touch her wings.
From her appearance, her expression, and her soft, warm body, she looked no different from a very well-endowed angelic girl.
"Calling her a robot... isn't quite right."
"Ikaros is a mechanical lifeform."
Daedalus gently corrected them.
"She has her own thoughts and cognitive ability. If the council hadn't imposed restrictions on her, Ikaros would be a very intelligent child."
"Carbon-based or silicon-based, both are just different forms of life. One isn't superior to the other."
As her creator, Daedalus had a very different understanding of the concept of 'robot.'
"Looks like we'll have to slowly teach Ikaros how to live."
Setsuna gently patted the airheaded angel's head, then tapped her back.
"Just stick with us for now."
"Yes, Master."
She nodded softly, not quite understanding why Setsuna said that, but responding out of habit.
"Next..."
Setsuna pulled out a little notebook.
Looking at the three objectives he wrote down before departure, he rubbed his chin in thought:
"We've got the technology to make universal angels, and we've got one of them now... That just leaves Nymph and Astraea."
"Tch. So it looks like I really do need to fight the Master of Synapse."
"???"
"What are you talking about?!"
A row of question marks popped above Daedalus's head.
"Weren't you just here to rescue me and take me back to your world to do research?"
"That's just part of the plan."
Setsuna patted her on the shoulder.
"The electronic warfare angel and the melee combat angel are both in Minos's hands. I need to come up with a way to get them back."
"Besides, aren't those two your daughters too?"
"..."
Daedalus fell silent.
She had originally created three powerful universal angels: Ikaros, Nymph, and Astraea.
She had always seen them as her daughters.
Unfortunately, Ikaros had been forcibly restricted, and Nymph and Astraea were taken by the Master of Synapse, Minos.
"Commander, I thought as much," Belfast said calmly.
"Should we contact the base and send some reinforcements?"
"Considering we might have to fight universal angels, we should deploy a mixed fleet with a carrier and a battleship. Also, we need to secure the Wishing Stone Tablet."
"!!"
"You're planning to send a fleet? To take over Synapse?!"
Daedalus became visibly more tense.
While she opposed the Master of Synapse, she held no grudge against the rest of Synapse.
"Relax, it's not what you're thinking."
Setsuna waved his hand.
"Even though I enjoy turning isekai natives into vassals, I have no intention of waging a full-scale war on Synapse."
"First, it's too troublesome. Second, I have no interest in ruling a bunch of people who do nothing but daydream. Third, my target is only the Master of Synapse."
He gave it some thought. Given the current situation, occupying Synapse wasn't impossible—just more trouble than it was worth.
The valuable assets here were the universal angels, dream projection technology, and Daedalus, the top scientist.
Taking Daedalus meant essentially taking all of Synapse's technological foundation.
As for the Wishing Stone Tablet, it would be best to research it cautiously after gaining some understanding of Synapse's technology.
Beyond that, the high-handed, daydreaming Synapse citizens had no real utility.
There were only around 3,000 of them. Without the Tablet or the universal angels to care for them, they were utterly useless.
High maintenance, quick to rebel if unhappy or bored, and basically incapable of contributing anything.
In terms of productivity, they were likely inferior to little yellow chicks. Setsuna wouldn't take them even if they were free.
"..."
Daedalus's expression turned awkward hearing Setsuna describe her people like that.
She knew it was true. Synapse's decline had become irreversible.
Still, comparing her people to chickens... She couldn't help but be curious what a "Manjuu" even was.
"So, what do you plan to do? If you kill the Master of Synapse, the council and others might find out. That could cause trouble..."
Daedalus voiced her final concern.
"They won't."
Setsuna snapped his fingers.
"Doesn't the Master of Synapse want to dream? I'll make sure he sleeps very peacefully."
...
Synapse Floating Island, Main Island.
A massive Greek-style temple stood on one side.
Inside the vast, towering hall, there was barely a soul in sight.
Only a few artificial angels with wings and tight bodysuits stood scattered throughout.
Some had their eyes closed, resting quietly. Others stood in respectful formation on either side.
At the far end of the grand hall, hidden in shadow, was an elevated throne.
A man with long golden hair, clad in white robes and bearing four wings on his back, lounged lazily upon it.
Propping his face up with one hand, he beckoned casually.
An universal angel flew in from a side chamber, knelt by his side, and raised a tray with both hands.
Upon it were a glass of red wine and a selection of grape-like fruits.
Minos picked up the glass, swirled it lightly, and took a sip.
Another angel beside him deftly plucked two glistening grapes and fed them to him.
"..."
Such was the life of the King of Synapse.
With all material needs met, they had long lost any desire to strive.
Everything was handled by artificial angels.
Just as Daedalus had named them: "universal angels."
Some were designed for combat, others for labor, entertainment, and more—enough to fulfill any possible need.
Smack—!
Minos suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable irritation and slapped the nearby angel aside.
The wine glass and fruit tray shattered on the floor.
The angel didn't dare say a word. She quietly cleaned up the mess and retreated with her head bowed.
"Worms..."
Years of being unable to enter dreams had left Minos mentally unstable.
Sometimes, he even envied ordinary Synapse citizens who could enjoy one life after another in the dream world.
Unlike him, forced to sit here and while away millennia.
"Where did that worm who contacted me come from?"
A sudden thought flashed through his mind—the strange communication he received not long ago.
Setsuna and the girls with him looked nothing like Earthlings.
The fact that they could contact him directly was unusual... intriguing.
"Have you found it yet?"
He turned to another angel.
"N-No... We couldn't find any place like that on Earth..."
The angel trembled.
"Useless!!!"
Minos grabbed the angel by the throat and threw her aside.
He roared in frustration.
"Useless! You can't even handle something this simple—"
As he was mid-rant—
"No need to search. I'm right here."
A slightly amused voice echoed in his ears.
Boom—!
The grand temple doors burst open.
Crisp footsteps echoed through the hall.
Minos looked down from his throne.
It was the same man who had contacted him earlier.
The girls accompanying him also looked familiar—several had stood by his side during the communication.
"Ikaros?"
"Where did you get her? Was it Daedalus..."
Minos's expression darkened as he recognized them.
"No... No! How did you get here?!"
"Where are the patrolling angels?!"
"..."
Setsuna looked at the furious Master of Synapse, finding the sight almost amusing.
"We're here to put you to sleep."
(Physically.)
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