The last flight had departed from the space port, and the lights were on, but there were few people out and about. Yosho arrived at the lobby using Funaho’s terminal, felt a presence in the designated area, and cheerfully called out, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Airi appeared from behind the pillar. “Looks like you made it out.” “Yes, but I passed by other students on the way, and I was surprised that nobody questioned me.”
“Ha ha! There isn’t anyone tactless enough to say something to interfere with someone who managed to outwit the dorm night check. Of course, that doesn’t mean you get a free pass. Well, someone will warn you if you’re someplace you’re really not supposed to be. In that case, you get the heck out of there, as told. Or else a guard will catch you. Or if you play it wrong, some shifty harvesters will catch you.”
“Harvesters?”
“People out looking for human experimental subjects. It doesn’t matter. Hurry up.”
“You’re the one who brought it up. This way.” They headed to Funaho’s gate, where she returned to the space port from orbit (though the port data had been tampered with so that it seemed like she had never left). Through a passage lit only by emergency lights, they boarded Funaho and arrived on the main bridge.
Airi looked around at the bridge and said, “Yosho-kun, I hope you’re not going to tell me that the voice was this ship’s computer.”
“What?” Yosho was bewildered that she had hit the nail on the head. “You’re not serious, are you?”
“You are correct.”
“I’m leaving!” She squared her shoulders and stomped away, and Yosho hurriedly held her back.
“W-wait. You came all the way out here.”
“When I heard that voice, I really got my hopes up. But it’s just a computer?” Airi sounded angry, but she looked deeply disappointed.
“A-Airi-dono, what were you hoping for?”
“A Royal Tree… Children of Tsunami, the powerful and intelligent progenitor and guardian god of the Jurai Imperial Family…”
“I see.”
There was a laugh, and Airi looked up. “Yosho-kun, don’t you laugh…”
The laughter continued directly into their minds, just like at the park. “Airi… Airi.”
“This voice…”
“It’s the one you were hoping for.” In that instant, they were transported to the real main bridge, the Hall of Royal Trees. The stifling scent of wet soil and summer grass was thick in the pure, sweet air. The whole place danced with light and sound. Spheres of light wove exuberantly between the tree branches, flickering in time to a faint melody. As if the Tree in front of them were singing…
Airi opened her eyes wide. “Yosho-kun, are you serious…?” “Allow me to introduce you to Funaho, a First Generation Imperial Tree.” The sphere of light proliferated, intensifying the brightness.
“Hello, hello, Airi. Airi…” The spheres of light crowded and fluttered about Airi.
“Oh!!” With a sigh of wonder, Airi dropped to her knees. “Please tell me, what are you?” She implored the light.
Yosho could not help but be shocked at her desperate cry. “Airi-dono, what’s the matter?”
“Is Tsunami the Progenitor one of the Three Goddesses?!” Not listening to Yosho, Airi looked up at Funaho with her hands clasped in front of her chest, as if imploring the gods. Visually, it looked like the Advent.
Suddenly, the light disappeared, and silence fell around them. As if that was Funaho’s answer to Airi’s question. “Funaho… Funaho-sama! Please answer me!!”
“Airi, Airi-dono!!” Yosho embraced Airi, her hands outstretched, to hold her back. “Airi-dono!!”
“Yosho…kun… I…” Her shoulders slumped. Airi hung her head.
Supporting her, Yosho led her towards the bench by the side of the nursery Unit. Airi was breathing heavily, unable to contain her excitement and distress. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
“What were you trying to ask the Royal Tree? If you don’t mind…” Airi would not answer. “Airi-dono?”
“I want to find God…” After a pause, she started talking slowly. It was a confessional.
“God?”
“Yes, the Three Goddesses, if possible.” “The Three Goddesses?”
“Yes, or rather, intelligent beings of a higher dimension… They are often called gods even in this modern technologically advanced age, due to their awesome power. Especially…”
“When it pertains to religion.”
“That’s right. There have been several confirmed examples, but they hardly ever show themselves to humanity. I found out through research at the Academy that there have only been twenty-eight encounters, including scientifically reliable accounts discovered in the ruins of pre-historical civilizations. But among the super-powerful intelligent beings of a higher dimension, there seemed to be three Goddesses with singular abilities who are an order of magnitude more powerful than the rest.”
“There seemed?”
“Yes, through methodical classification of accounts from those civilizations, they can be grouped into three types.”
“That’s rather vague. Is there not enough information?”
“No. These instances of other-dimensional intelligent beings have specifics. Otherwise they wouldn’t be accepted as true encounters.” “Then…”
“The data exists,” she interrupted. “Data that can’t be accepted.” “Can’t be accepted?!”
“Yes, it exists, but then it doesn’t. It doesn’t exist, but we can see it.
Those are the clear descriptions left behind.” Airi looked at him, waiting for his words.
“Light Hawk Wings…”
Airi nodded silently. The Light Hawk Wings were not detectable in any energy readings, but they were visible as light. She was saying that the wings of light that the Royal Trees above Third Generation could generate were the manifestations of the Three Goddesses. “Sometimes science has cruel results. The act of pursuing the truth can crush you. The gods were stripped of their veils of romanticism and lost the power they held in people’s hearts. And now people have to fill those holes themselves. Gods are eternal, but people are not. No matter how great their charisma, once a person is gone, they’re no longer a god.”
“Are you talking about the first leader of Airain?”
“My great-grandfather made Airain the most powerful religion in the galaxy. But to maintain it once it got too large, a powerful idol was vital. The council first sought that in blood lineage. They set up my grandfather, then my father, to replace my influential great-grandfather’s charisma. But as more internal factions grew within the council, this was no longer possible.
They tried to create a new god by deifying my great-grandfather, but that can only be done when the god in question has absolute power. So the council wanted an absolute idol, a god… They wanted Tsunami-sama.”
“…!!” It was a shocking confession.
“There are almost no Airai believers on Jurai. But that’s obvious. They have a real god on Jurai. So the council wanted to propagate Airain on Jurai, and make Tsunami-sama into an Airai god.”
“You too, Airi-dono…?”
“I thought so while I was on Airai—that Tsunami-sama must be Airai’s god. That Jurai was monopolizing Tsunami-sama for themselves.”
This was her confessional. It became hard for Airi to look Yosho in the eye, and she averted her gaze “But I got here, and met so many people, and the ones from countries I used to dislike or look down on were so nice to me. It destroyed my sense of values. I was embarrassed for what I tried to do and the lies the council taught. It’s laughable. They were trying to protect the organization, but at some point that had become the goal. They even went against their own teachings. And it’s all because they didn’t have a real god.”
“That’s why they wanted Tsunami?”
“Tsunami-sama belongs to Jurai. It would only sow seeds of discord to claim her. So I thought another one of the goddesses would work just as well. I thought Tsunami-sama would know something… But it’s no use. Funaho- sama has also forsaken me…” Airi covered her face with her hands and cried stifled sobs. Yosho gently stroked her hair, feeling for Airi, trapped between her country and her friends, and driven to an emotional cliff.
Funaho felt the same. “Airi… Airi, don’t cry…” Her voice that spoke to their minds was sad, sympathizing with Airi.
“…?!” Airi slowly raised her face to look at Funaho.