"All done!"
Metal ran downstairs in high spirits, but all she had in her hand was a...
Pocket watch?
The hands on its face were ticking along normally. There didn't seem to be anything special about it.
"What's this? Don't tell me you've cooked up some equipment that can control time?"
I had once owned three pocket watches too, but now they were all sealed away along with my heart.
"If I could control time, I'd be building a time machine! Unfortunately, the pocket watch is just a cosmetic choice. I thought you'd like it~ Shall I give you a demonstration first?"
She curled her finger, and silvery liquid metal flowed down from the second floor. Under Metal's control, it took on a silhouette similar to mine.
"You even made a T-1000?"
Or should I call it moon marrow spirit liquid?
"Hmm? It's just an ordinary demonstration dummy shaped out of liquid steel. Without me controlling it, it's nothing more than a steel ingot."
As she explained, she made the faceless dummy take the pocket watch from her hand.
Then...
The dummy stretched its arm diagonally upward, striking a pose that was both cool and embarrassingly theatrical.
It pressed the button on the pocket watch. Translucent, glowing lines traced the outline of armor, fitting precisely around the dummy and adjusting their position to match its movements.
Several seconds later, once the armor's outline had fully appeared, the metal dummy pressed the pocket watch a second time. The fully materialized armor settled into place.
"This is what you meant by a means of getting around?"
This seemed... a little different from my idea of a means of getting around.
"A portable exoskeleton, an upgraded version combining the Ghost Combat Suit and police exoskeletons. It greatly enhances physical capabilities and has a