“I could hear the conversation, though. You were introducing yourselves, right? I’m a prototype mechanized humanoid automaton maid. No name yet, though.”
“Seriously, what is going on back there in Japan?!”
“I wasn’t expecting an android. Aren’t we the rogue’s gallery?”
A tomboy robot maid. Could it get any stranger? In any case, those things stuck to the side of her head probably weren’t headphones after all. She also appeared to be on the brattier side of the maid scale.
“I’m not an android, exactly, but whatever. Any name is fine, I don’t care, just so long as it’s quick and easy.”
“All right. You’re a prototype, so how about Proto?” said Psycho quickly.
“What happened to giving it thought?!” protested Homura.
“Hey, it’s quick and easy, isn’t it?”
“As long as you’re all fine with it, I don’t really care.”
Homura grumbled quietly. She would rather have picked something cuter.
“Anyway, what’s the deal now? Us five weirdos are supposed to defeat this Dark Lord guy, was it?”
“Y…yes, of course! I would be very grateful for your help…I suppose…,” said the Goddess, having been entirely sidelined for the past several moments. Her current apprehension was evident from the way her words trailed off.
“Jin here seems like the only one of us who can fight, though. Are you sure you’ve got the right people?”
“I could smoosh a human easily enough if I tried,” Proto offered. Who knew robot maids could be so vicious?
“I guess I spoke too soon,” said Psycho. “Add one kill-o-matic to the list. Nice.”
Still, could a group like them really defeat this Dark Lord? Homura wasn’t exactly normal herself, but she didn’t think she would be very much help in a fight.
“I was pretty sure that I selected people with the special qualities needed to overthrow the Dark Lord. I know I’ve got no right to ask this, but be that as it may, I just want to save my world.”
“Well…I guess I’m already dead anyway. Why not give Dark Lord hunting a crack? Maybe it will be fun.”
It didn’t sound that fun to Homura. Well…maybe.
“I do wish you’d take the decision a little more seriously, though…,” said the Goddess. “I can trust you, can’t I?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, you worry too much,” said Psycho, flashing an extremely sketchy smile. A look of exasperation appeared on the Goddess’s face.
Hang in there, Goddess!
“It is a pretty big ask, though. Seems like maybe you could do more than just ask. In fact, maybe you should get down on your knees and beg.”
Psycho leered at the Goddess. Her eerie smile did a complete flip from extremely sketchy to utterly insidious in the blink of an eye.
“Y…yes, you’re right. Words alone are not enough…”
For whatever reason, the Goddess seemed to have taken Psycho’s foolishness at face value. She began to lower herself to her knees.
“W-w-w-w-wait! Stop, you don’t have to do that!”
Before the Goddess could bend down all the way, Homura raced forward and urged her back onto her feet.
“That was a nasty joke, you know that?!” said Homura.
“Duh, that’s why I said it!”
“I think there’s something wrong with you!” Homura was unable to stop herself from raising her voice. She could tell she wasn’t going to get along with this girl. “I can’t remember the last time I told someone I hated them, but I’m getting pretty close now.”
“There’s more to life than being liked,” said Psycho, starting to ham it up. “I would gladly suffer any scorn to protect what truly matters.”
Psycho was playing up the drama, but it was obvious to Homura that she didn’t believe a single word of what she was saying.
“Don’t try to pull my leg! I know you’re just making fun of me!”
“Tee-hee!” Psycho made a goofy face and stuck out her tongue.
“Why you little…!”
Homura was starting to get seriously miffed. She was this close to calling Psycho a nasty word.
“No, it’s fine. I know that what I’m asking is a lot.”
“Well…I guess that’s true…”
It was a heavy choice they were being given. And really, there was nothing in it for them if they agreed. The Goddess’s kneeling barely began to cut it.
And yet, still…
“Still…I accept your request!” said Homura. “In fact, I was just in the mood to help people.”
The Goddess’s face suddenly lit up.
“Hey, it’s not like there’s anything holding you back to your previous life. Defeat the Dark Lord and save the world… Sounds kinda fun, doesn’t it, like a video game?”
And the Goddess’s face suddenly darkened again. “How about everyone else…?”
“I don’t believe in regrets,” said Jin. “You have my sword as well.”
Tsutsumi and Proto also nodded, agreeing silently.
“I see…”
If the Goddess had been worried before, now she was beginning to really question her judgment. There was something not quite right about these girls. They seemed to be…missing something.
“I have received your pledge. Now please, step through this door.”
A soft light began to materialize next to the Goddess, from within which a pure-white door emerged.
“Is this entrance the best you could do? This world better not be like some sort of B movie with sharks and zombies and stuff.”
“I mean, yes, there are sharks and zombies in this world…”
“That was a joke!”
Psycho stood at the forefront of the group and opened the door. Light welled up from within. As the radiance increased, it enveloped the five girls in its warm embrace.
Homura was on her way to join a bunch of misfits on a journey through what was sure to be a crummy world. There was almost certainly nothing great waiting for them out there. And yet, for whatever reason, Homura’s heart fluttered in her chest.
This was going to be such an adventure. She just had a feeling.