"But that... that never happened, after all."
"Because during the final verification stage, the system identified it as a false alarm. Mother City No. 1 aborted the Containment Sequence, reopened the structures that had already sealed shut, and restored the communication signal links."
Silence.
"...Every Mother City could... trigger containment, right?" There was hesitation in Hesta's voice. She had almost known the answer the moment she spoke, but she had to ask anyway. "You're the same."
"Yes. I think that makes perfect sense logically. Mother Cities emerged from the earth during the Great Blackout Era, so of course they might burrow underground again."
A shiver suddenly ran through Hesta—someone seemed to have told her the same thing long ago. She simply had not taken it seriously then.
"What are the conditions for containment?"
"The conditions..."
"Are a simple value judgment."
By the moat, Eucali was still sitting on the riverside steps. Stella and Eleven had both returned to their respective friends. Only Hazel had brought over a thin blanket and sat beside Eucali without saying a word, staring blankly at the river.
Before long, the two of them heard a familiar voice.
"Cold? Want some milk tea?"
Eucali turned around and saw Tie Xi carefully bending down, three little metal cups hooked by their thin handles from both hands.
"Thank you..."
Hazel and Eucali accepted the cups with both hands. Tie Xi took the opportunity to sit down beside Eucali as well.
"Where'd the milk tea come from?" Hazel asked.
Tie Xi pointed into the distance. "The middle schoolers over there made it."
Hazel frowned. "Are people allowed to light fires and cook things in this square?"
"No idea," Tie Xi said. "Give me the cups when you're done. I need to return them."
The three of them took