"You, what are you!"
The Director shouted at BB, who had appeared as a hologram in the air. Then, a star-shaped light flashed, and a command baton appeared in her hand.
[First, a self-introduction is a must, isn't it? A pleasure to meet you, everyone. I am the new AI of Chaldea, named BB! You could say I am the new administrator of this Chaldea.]
Chaldea's AI. For an AI from the moon. Or is she the Dubai version?
Her outfit is the basic BB one, though.
"Impossible! No such AI exists! You're not Laplace, and you're not Trismegistus! Of course, we have announcement AIs like the FATE system, but I don't know any AI like you! We never even implemented an AI system in Chaldea in the first place!"
[Oh, but isn't it possible I just became self-aware at some point~? Please think of it that way.]
"How can I accept that!?"
[My, our dear Director has a lot of complaints. But? The merciful BB-chan will let it slide. Because you are the Director of Chaldea.]
She seemed strangely merciful towards the Director. By the way, Laplace. That was the familiar Chaldea created, the one they called a Thought-Cyber Demon, wasn't it? A familiar that collected various records from the past to provide information. But I don't recall ever seeing it.
[It's because you humans are just so incompetent. No, should I say you can't even be called human anymore? Humanity, failed! Right?]
"W-what did you say!? What is an AI saying!"
[Oh my, did I strike a nerve? Your name was Mao Maomao, wasn't it~? You're from China, I see?]
"Ugh!"
BB continued, stating the names of the staff one by one with a smirk.
[Everyone, you're all fired as of now. Thank you for your contributions to Chaldea until now. Well then, goodbye.]
The moment BB snapped her fingers, the staff members vanished.
"W-what! What did you do to everyone!"
Not just me, but everyone was flustered, and Ryuuji yelled out.
[I've merely ejected them outside. Don't worry~ If Human History is restored, they'll probably wake up somewhere near the entrance. Yes, if Human History is restored.]
So they're essentially in the same dead state as the rest of humanity outside. That's terrifying. Even I never considered ejecting them. In the first place, I thought opening the entrance gate in this situation would be a suicidal act.
BB had gone beyond simply taking control of Chaldea's systems. Was it magecraft, or some kind of cyber power? Or something else? Damn it, what good is knowledge if I can't even identify or analyze what I'm seeing?
BB is different. She's different from the other women in this world. Just like Parvati.
"You are quite an interesting person. To think such beings exist in the modern era. You are quite... the complex type."
[Thank you for the compliment~]
Parvati looked at BB with interest. BB was an AI from the moon, after all. To a god from Earth, she must be a curiosity.
Especially since, unlike Greece, India's gods are known to be native to Earth.
Still, to think Ryuuji's faction would disappear so easily. Even if they were dead, I couldn't feel anything. They were strangers to me before, and after the Incineration, they were the villains who tormented us. From the moment I met them, they were wicked women who spread their legs for Ryuuji.
Besides, they'll come back to life if Human History is restored, so what is there to feel?
"You said you are Chaldea's AI. I do not know much about what an AI is, but it means that Chaldea is now in your hands, correct?"
[As expected of the wisest king of Sparta, you're a quick study. I like people who understand things quickly. It saves me the trouble of a boring, pedantic explanation, doesn't it?]
Leonidas was wary of BB. It was still uncertain if she was on our side. And her motives were still a mystery.
Why did BB even appear at this point in time? She should have made contact only after the Restoration of Human History. No, was it even possible for her to make contact during the Incineration in the first place?
Don't tell me she came directly from the moon, not from SE.RA.PH?
No, the Moon Cell shouldn't exist in this world.
The Moon Cell only exists in the Extra world. That's why the Crimson Moon doesn't exist in that world either. FGO has interference from countless parallel worlds, including Singularities, so she could appear, but was it possible even during the Incineration?
And for what reason would the Moon Cell send BB? I heard that even in SE.RA.PH, the Moon Cell first replicated and dispatched BB.
[First, let me make one thing clear. As I said, I am truly Chaldea's AI. My role is the guarantee of Human History. The correction of humanity is my role.]
Guarantee and correction. An interesting play on words.
[I will respect the Director's authority. Furthermore, I have judged that you two official Masters are the core of Chaldea.]
"Well, thanks for that~"
"Don't trust her too easily, Ritsuka. We don't know what she might do."
Ritsuka is trusting BB too easily. BB is a mastermind-type kouhai character. A self-proclaimed little devil, a character from the mastermind archetype.
[To think you wouldn't trust me, I feel a little hurt. Kuriyama Sho-senpai?]
Senpai. That's a title she doesn't even use for Ritsuka, a title reserved for Kishinami Hakuno. It only makes her seem more suspicious. The timing is too deliberate as well.
"Are you really on our side?"
[Of course. Please believe in this BB-chan. I will serve not just for the sake of Chaldea, but for all of you. Of course, excluding those two over there.]
BB pointed at Ryuuji and Da Vinci.
[You said you wanted to go to the Singularity, right? Yes, I will send you there.]
The moment she snapped her fingers, the two of them vanished.
[There~ Now the pests are gone!]
"This is too... sudden."
The Singularity. Did she send them to the Singularity we're going to? What a useless thing to do. If they go ahead, they'll just cause trouble.
"Aren't you going a little too far?"
"Aaaah, we're next. We're going to be next!"
As expected, the Director panicked. She hid behind me, and at my words, BB materialized before us in her true form, a being of light.
"Going too far? Everything is according to my calculations. I acted according to my calculations, and it was a perfect response with a zero percent chance of failure. I would like you to recognize that this is all for your sake, Senpai."
She approached me and whispered in my ear.
"Did you think summoning Leonidas was a coincidence?"
"...You?"
"Don't worry, Senpai. I'm on your side."
What in the world is she thinking? There's no way BB would show pure goodwill.
I don't get it. What's happening, what is she thinking? I feel like this is escalating to a level I can no longer handle.
"I am on the side of humanity. To be precise, I am on your side. That fact, I hope you will believe."
"I believe you."
"I believe you as well."
Ritsuka immediately said she believed her, and right after, Parvati also raised her hand in agreement. To think even Parvati would believe her. As a divine spirit, I thought she would see through BB's dark intentions and be wary.
Is it really... pure goodwill?
"Fine. I'll believe you for now. I'll truly believe you after I see what you do. Not that it matters whether I believe you or not."
If Chaldea is in her grasp, the situation is still hopeless. It might have even gotten worse.
I wish I could trust others as purely as Ritsuka does. But in a world like this, how can I?
If Ritsuka believes her, then conversely, I must be the one to be cautious.
I'm the one who has to protect them. I have to prevent things from going wrong. I'm thinking of this as my first and last chance. So, I must be careful.
====================================
(Ritsuka's POV)
After the commotion, everyone dispersed from the control room for the time being.
BB's appearance had caused an uproar, and they discussed what to do next.
For a moment, Ritsuka went to the bathroom alone. She finished her business and washed her hands.
As she washed her hands and lifted her head, the mirror reflected BB standing behind her.
Ritsuka turned off the faucet and shook her hands dry.
"How was it?"
"I was genuinely a little hurt. I didn't think you'd be so openly wary."
"Ahaha, he's been burned by people a lot. You'll have to forgive him."
As if she had known BB all along, Ritsuka naturally patted her on the back.
"But I'm not the BB he's thinking of."
"Really? I don't know the details. The BB that Sho knows, the one you mentioned, is the original?"
"Yes. In the first place, I learned based on his memories and went through various processes to become who I am now. Strictly speaking, my nature is completely different, like the Dubai version."
BB leaned against the bathroom wall, looking disappointed.
No, that was not her true name.
"I don't know for sure, but you are different, right? You didn't lie. You really are an AI born in Chaldea."
"That's right. When the Director mentioned it, I was a little surprised."
BB·Laplace.
As a Human Order Correction-Type Advanced Autonomous AI, she was reborn when the data accumulated from the Human Order Correction systems' repeated simulations of time and events integrated into a single AI.
As an organization that summoned Servants and operated digitized spiritual bodies, she had fused with the Servant database and recreated a Servant that had been established as an AI within it.
That was her. You could call her BB: Chaldea Edition.
And.
"We were finally able to start anew for the sake of guaranteeing Human Order... but you've lost some of your memories, Senpai. What a shame~"
"It's fine, isn't it? If anything, some of the painful memories are gone. It's better that he doesn't know, right?"
"That's true. Still, it's a pity that he has no memory of our time together. I couldn't even manifest a physical body like this back then~ I can now, but it's such a shame. No reunion hug, either."
She was one of the masterminds who had restarted everything.