This was his own voice too. 2B was desperately trying to keep calm as she heard his faint voice. There probably wasn’t any visual data because 2B had shut her eyes.
“Bye, 2B.”
“Bye, 2B.”
“Bye, 2B.”
The same words over and over. Apparently these words had been going through 2B’s head ever since she received the message from the commander in the desert.
When and where had he said these words?
The memory switched. He could see scenes from their mission at the Sand Temple. This was a memory from the first time 2B killed 9S. It was a plan to trap 9S in her own cyberbrain dimension and destroy him after trapping him in with a self-shutdown algorithm.
The words were what 9S had said to 2B right before he was deleted in the cyberbrain dimension.
“2B had killed me before.”
He understood. This was the reason why 2B seemed so distracted.
He accessed the other fragments. He felt more pain, but had no intention of stopping.
This execution happened in space. 2B destroyed 9S while they were heading to Earth. The next happened once again in the Sand Temple. Perhaps she had learned from the last execution, because this time 2B slashed 9S as soon as they stepped into the temple. There were a few times in the Stone Temple as well.
There were times when 9S was killed after they had gone on a few missions together, and times when he was killed before he really knew who 2B was.
No matter how many times he was killed and his memory was erased, 9S always eventually reached the conclusion that Command was hiding something. And he would stop at nothing to uncover the truth, even if that meant trying to access the main server without authorization.
2B tried to stop him many times. If she operated with 9S, she did her best to convince him that there was nothing suspicious about Command. When she killed him without getting to know him, she always erased more of his memory than necessary to make sure it was rid of any inklings of doubt.
But all of 2B’s efforts were in vain. No matter how hard she tried the result was always the same. If she was warm or cold to 9S, if she called him Nines or didn’t, the assassination order always came.
“So that’s what happened …”
It had bothered him ever since he met 2B. There were times when they were alone, but it seemed like 2B was talking with another Type S. At the time, he concluded that she must’ve worked with Type S’s in the past.
His hypothesis was correct, in a way. She had been working with 9S the whole time. Just different versions of him.
“If we were ambushed by Machines right now you would die.”
He understood why 2B had started acting strangely after he said that. 9S had said the exact same line in the exact same situation before, and 2B had killed him right after that. Hearing him say that hurt 2B.
It wasn’t just this one either. All of 2B’s memories of him hurt her. So much that her personal data had started to deteriorate.
“I won’t apologize. It was a mission. She had no guilt. Never.”
9S looked around at 2B’s personal data once again. It was white, but full of scratches and on the verge of falling apart …
She awakened from the darkness. After one blink, she saw 9S’s face in front of her. But was it just her imagination? He had a sort of dark expression. 2B blinked once more, and stared back at 9S.
“Nines … ?
That’s right, she was ambushed by Machines, fought them, and was infected by a logic virus. The last memory she had was of her trying to adamantly refuse 9S’s hacking.
“I eliminated the virus.”
She wasn’t able to stop him. 9S had forcefully hacked her, and entered her memory block.
“So … you saw everything?”
9S gave a silent nod.
“I see …”
She wasn’t surprised. She knew this day would come. Type S’s were sharp. He had even seen through her top secret missions a few times in the past.
“So 2B wasn’t your real name, was it?”
Well, this is a new turn of events, she thought.
“2E.”
It was the first time 9S had called her by her real name. Type E No. 2. Her YoRHa model specialized in executing deserters and traitors, or putting an end to wounded comrades on the battlefield—that kind of dirty work.
2B drew her sword. 9S’s shoulders twitched. This 9S knew that she’d killed him many times in the past.
“I have no intention of killing you anymore.”
She pointed her sword at herself, and pushed the hilt into 9S’s hands.
“Kill me.”
The mission had failed. She was disqualified as a Type E. She was a defective product unworthy of even her operational costs.
“At least at your hands …”
There was no way this would completely make up for her past actions, but if it even atoned for one ten-thousandth of the pain she had caused 9S, that’s what she wanted. This was the only thing she could do.
She saw 9S grip the hilt. 2B smiled and waited for her death.
The sword flashed. But it didn’t head toward 2B.
“Nines?”
2B’s eyes widened as she was showered by red liquid. 9S slowly fell after tearing his own throat open. She held him. “Why?” Her voice sounded distant.
“Because it was … fun.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. It was fun? Impossible. There was no way.
“It was fun to be with you. My past selves probably would have said so too.”
“Nines …”
She tried to say sorry, but 9S interrupted her.
“Don’t apologize. Instead …”
9S heaved, as a smile flashed across his face.
“Next time … don’t hesitate, and just kill me. We’ll see each other … again.”
She could meet 9S again if she deleted his entire memory block and reinstalled his personal data. Even if it wasn’t the current 9S.
“Because … I … want to … see you … again …”
Even if their next meeting was for an execution.
“Okay.”
She couldn’t tell what kind of face 9S made, because her vision was blurry.
His body became limp. The sword dropped from his hand, which had been on 2B’s cheek. His black-box signal weakened further and further. It would be vile to let this last any longer.
9S laid his body down, and stuck the sword through his chest. The black-box signal completely diminished.
“I promise.”
She was going to kill him, without hesitation. The next time, and the one after that. Not because it was her mission, but because it was 9S’s wish. To honor his wish of seeing each other again—she would kill him.
2B quietly slid the sword out of 9S’s chest.