Abnormality World — The Black Forest
"Big brother!"
Seeing the familiar figure, the small bird cried out happily.
"Over here! Over here!"
"…Little Bird, step aside for now."
Just as the small bird was about to flap her wings and rush over like a joyful little cannonball, an outstretched arm gently stopped her.
It was the Tall Bird.
She stood there and said with an authority that brooked no argument:
"I have something to say to… X . Go play somewhere else for a while."
"Wuu…"
The small bird's cheeks puffed up immediately. Her little face drooped in reluctance.
"…Okay."
In the end, she still nodded obediently and slowly flew off on her own.
"Good evening, Judgment."
Watching the small bird leave and the Judgment Bird approach at an unhurried pace, X greeted her familiarly.
"In a good mood today? You actually feel like talking to me?"
He forced down the lingering turbulence in his heart, trying to appear as calm as usual.
"Come here."
The Tall Bird's voice was cool, carrying a fatigue that seemed permanent.
Only after X sat down beside her on the ground, the two facing the same direction, did she continue:
"You reek of the scent of having just finished mating… Stay away from the little bird today."
"..."
The smile on X 's face froze instantly.
It felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck him squarely on the crown of his head, leaving his entire body stiff.
"What do you mean… 'the scent of having just finished mating'…?"
He reflexively raised his arm and brought his sleeve and clothes to his nose, sniffing carefully.
But aside from the cool forest air and a faint earthy smell, he detected nothing unusual.
Nothing at all… When I left Good, I definitely cleaned up properly… How could there be any scent?
Of course, these frantic thoughts remained unspoken.
"Although the little bird is already an adult, and her mind is far more mature than you imagine, that is not a reason for you to set your sights on her."
The Tall Bird somehow produced a book and began to "read" it to herself.
"You've got the wrong idea, really, Judgment."
X felt his scalp go numb and hurried to defend himself.
"I absolutely don't have that kind of intention toward the little bird… Besides, if I really meant you harm, why would I go to all this trouble just to bring you so many books?"
He gestured toward a short distance away, where a stack of books from the Inner Lobotomy Corporation lay piled—brought in little by little over time.
"Wouldn't sneaking in weapons or something more dangerous be much more straightforward?"
"That's not what I mean."
The Tall Bird shook her head gently.
"What I mean is this: if you do not understand everything related to this forest… then please do not recklessly put yourself in danger."
"I believe that as the supervisor of those humans, you should already know that we are not as simple as we appear."
"Even if you can come to our ego-world… that does not mean it is safe."
"In fact, it may mean even greater danger."
She closed the book in her hands.
"Getting too close to beings like us… will not lead to a good outcome."
"Thank you for the books… but for your own sake, please leave this place."
"Heh~"
The indignation that had been written on X 's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a sudden lightness of heart.
"So that's what you meant."
He couldn't help but laugh.
"You want to protect me too? You don't want me to be harmed by that big monster in your Black Forest?"
"..."
The Tall Bird nodded lightly—then, just as firmly, shook her head.
"A nod, then a shake? What's that supposed to mean?"
X pressed.
"..."
Just like their previous exchanges, the Tall Bird fell silent again.
She said nothing, expressing her refusal to continue the topic through subtle, distant movements alone.
"…Alright."
Seeing the conversation fall back into this familiar stalemate, X 's eyes lowered. The smile that had returned moments ago now carried a trace of helpless bitterness.
"I know you're still wary of me. I understand that."
"I don't know whether you want me to leave out of guarded rejection… or out of protective concern…"
"But either way, there's something I still want to say…"
He gazed at the thick bandages covering her face, trying to look past them—toward the eyes that should have been there.
"I want to help you. Truly."
"I can feel it… in your hearts, there's a thorn."
"Compared to that great monster that still hasn't shown itself, I think this thorn… might be even more dangerous."
"And Judgment—your thorn is buried deep. And it hurts."
"..."
The Tall Bird gave no response at all, using silence to express her stance.
"…I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn today."
Seeing that she no longer reacted to his words, X stood up and apologized softly.
"When you don't want to talk about these things, I won't try to pry into your secrets."
"Today… I'll take my leave. Please tell the little bird for me—say that I had something urgent to deal with."
"Goodbye, Judgment."
—
After leaving the Abnormality World.
X suddenly felt a faint, unfamiliar weight in the chest pocket of his coat.
Puzzled, he reached in and pulled out… a feather.
The feather had no luster. It looked poorly maintained, covered in tiny scars, as though it might shatter and vanish at any moment.
And as soon as he held it in his palm, it silently disintegrated into countless smaller black feathers.
These feathers rose without wind, as if drawn by some unseen force, gently attaching themselves to X 's body in waves.
In the end, they formed a complete black coat, heavy with the aura of judgment.
"..."
Seeing the strips of bandages entwined around the hem and sleeves, X immediately recognized what it was—
Justitia Arbiter, an ALEPH-class E.G.O armor.
In his memory, there was an identical set of equipment in the company's E.G.O armory, freshly extracted just yesterday.
That set was currently in the possession of the Level 5 employee, Harumoto.
Near the end of today's work, X had even asked her specifically about how it felt to use.
"…It's equipment—but not an accessory?"
X murmured.
E.G.O equipment could be mass-produced. As long as there were enough boxes, one could theoretically extract countless identical sets.
But E.G.O accessories were different—they could only be personally bestowed by the abnormality itself, serving as a mark of recognition.
"No… that's not it."
A thought struck him. X removed the extra feather ornament from his ear.
At once, the black coat dissolved back into countless tiny feathers, merging once more into the single large feather in his hand.
"This is different from what the employees wear…"
"This isn't E.G.O… E.G.O is equipment extracted from an abnormality's core, a kind of 'product'…"
"But I can't sense any trace of her 'core' in it. It feels more like… a part that fell away from her own body."
If this wasn't E.G.O in the conventional sense, then what did the Tall Bird mean by giving him this?
Recognition?
Protection?
Or… a silent warning?
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