"Hmm..." Nanase Kizuna tapped a few times on the tablet, simply confirming her own health condition. If she wanted to appear in public, she first needed to get a spare fox face mask and clothes. She quickly contacted people she trusted and asked them to deliver her secret package to Kamibayashi’s Old House.
Afterward, wrapped in a crimson medical blanket, Nanase Kizuna sat in the corner of the Shuttle Machine.
"If there’s anything you need, just tell me," Lila said.
"Thank you, no need," Nanase Kizuna took a deep breath, thinking through the cause and effect of the whole matter.
She had chosen a small mountain path for her journey to the wedding, a path so secret it was unknown to outsiders. Yet she was still attacked, indicating that within Kyoto Infinity there were elements not loyal to her, who had leaked her whereabouts to someone. Perhaps the capital of the Xisheng System, some nobility, or treasonous middle management...
"Miss Kirino Reisei, please stay overnight at my place," Lila said.
"... Alright," Nanase Kizuna nodded.
Reisei had still run away, so she would have to live on as Kirino Reisei. Nanase Kizuna thought silently. Reisei... from now on, it’s better to go it alone and keep the name of Kyoto Infinity alive, until forces like a natural lifespan or catastrophe intervene.
The ninjas of the Eternal Cherry Blossom Shrine told her that Kirino Reisei had reclaimed the "corpse" she left at the shrine. She must have made a significant decision.
After all, if she returned to that decaying body, she could only live for seven more days at most.
She must not have wanted me to see her death, so she showed herself in the bamboo forest and then left. Realizing this, Nanase Kizuna felt at peace. No wonder her behavior was so odd; she had reclaimed the body she had long ago disposed of.
She was too tired; she had given up.
Should I give up too? Nanase Kizuna wondered silently.
Too long... too hard... this journey of one hundred and twenty years.
Nanase Kizuna made her decision.
She rested in the quiet chamber provided by Lila, taking the smart panel that Lila offered.
The next day, Lila entered with a meal box, as well as her new mask and new clothes, only to find that Nanase Kizuna hadn’t slept all night and had drawn 30 pages of drafts.
"Robots?" Lila looked at Nanase Kizuna’s drawings, "Robot comics are really well-done."
The few rough sketches already showcased Nanase Kizuna’s excellent storyboard skills, and character design documents and world concept tables were filled with text records.
Nanase Kizuna didn’t answer, instead hurriedly putting on the fox mask, tapping it to secure it to her face. As a spare, it wasn’t as convenient as the one before, but it sufficed for concealment.
"Kyoto Infinity is no longer a giant corporation, nor will it likely ever be one again," she said, looking down at her drafts, "So the founder must also dive into practical work to achieve economic benefits. There are so many people in this world, surely some still love robot comics."
With the mask on, her expression wasn’t visible to the naked eye, but Lila could sense that, at least at this moment, she was a happy fox.
"I see," Lila nodded slightly.
"The matter of yesterday, remember not to spread it," Nanase Kizuna looked at Lila, "Very few people know of this."
"Rest assured, I am a person who keeps things under wraps," Lila said.
"Then, Miss Lila Nestor, your guidance is much appreciated," Nanase Kizuna bowed to Lila, "I am grateful for the support of Nestor Corporation, and I will continue to maintain contact with Nestor Corporation in the future."
Thus, Nanase Kizuna, in her usual fox mask and barefoot, continued to be known to the world as Kirino Reisei.