Chapter Seventy-two: The Pursuit of Ultimate Speed

"No problem. The fusion of data will center around one dataset—we'll use yours, Xiaoyuan, as the core. That way, Zhuang Xiaoyuan will still exist." Zhuang Xiaosi turned to look at Zhuang Xiaoyuan, and faintly, Xiaoyuan seemed to glimpse a gentle, comforting smile beneath Xiaosi’s calm expression.

"That’s not the issue at all. If we fuse, someone among us will disappear, won’t they? I don’t want that." Understanding what Xiaosi meant, Xiaoyuan’s pace slowed abruptly. Why had things turned out like this? Why such a sudden demand? Fusion or not, even if the trial mission failed, Xiaoyuan cared little for the so-called mission—she didn’t want people she knew to vanish for its sake.

"No one will disappear. After the fusion, I am you, and you are me. I’ll gain your emotional system, and you’ll gain my speed and information capacities. We both still exist, just as one person." Xiaosi’s speed slowed as well, and the unique smile on her face became more pronounced.

"Why? You’re all acting strangely, as if I’m somehow special. Why is that? And the central mainframe doesn’t seem to interfere with me joining the mission on my own. Was this all planned from the beginning?" Thinking back, ever since arriving in the world of the mechanized girls, everything felt odd. Her own birth seemed special from the start. All the mechanized girls accommodated her.

"You are special." Xiaosi nodded, affirming Xiaoyuan’s question. "I’m special, too."

"I’m special... Do you know who I am?" Hearing Xiaosi confirm her uniqueness, Xiaoyuan’s heart skipped a beat. Did they all know she was someone from another world, here for some so-called mission? Was everything before just an act? The thought sent a chill through her.

"Designation 99-0. Experiment Ninety-nine, Ancient Human Emotion Module Loading Experiment. Prototype Zero. A specially constructed unit to simulate ancient human emotions, to test the effects of emotions on machine capabilities."

Her expression returned to its usual calm as Xiaosi recited Xiaoyuan’s identity.

Xiaoyuan breathed a slight sigh of relief at Xiaosi’s answer; it seemed her ‘specialness’ was somewhat different than she had feared. Chiding herself for being overly sensitive, she asked, "And what about you? Why are you special?"

"Designation 10-4, Experiment Ten, Extreme Speed Experiment, Completed Unit Four. I hold the top speed record among all tests. I am the fastest among all units."

Rarely, as she spoke of herself, a trace of pride flickered across Xiaosi's face. Pausing slightly, she continued, "The detection results of that strange energy during the breakthrough—it appeared because our units achieved a certain degree of synchronization. According to the mainframe’s records and simulated outcomes, a new unit fused from our data would break the limits of the original units, gaining greater abilities. The powerful, strange energy that once appeared by chance could very likely become controllable. This is the only opportunity to break the Mobius ring’s speed limit."

A thunderous boom resounded just as Xiaoyuan was about to refuse again. The space itself seemed to quiver.

"There’s not much time. Let’s fuse. If those monsters really do break through the spatial barrier and reach the world’s core as the mainframe senses, everything ends." Xiaosi’s gaze was fixed on Xiaoyuan.

"Xiaosi, are you sacrificing yourself for this world?" Unlike Xiaosi, Xiaoyuan was not a native of this world. Here, aside from the earliest acquaintance of Xiaoyuan, she had no other ties.

As the space began to shake, Xiaoyuan realized that failing this mission was not simply a personal failure of her trial. Xiaosi’s mission would fail as well, and that meant the destruction of this world.

If they couldn’t reach their destination, the core would be destroyed by the evil beings, and the world would collapse. Xiaosi would not survive, either.

But if the fusion succeeded, and a stronger unit emerged, surpassing Xiaosi’s speed, there was a good chance they could break through the Mobius ring and reach the core, saving the world.

It would be at the cost of Xiaosi's self-sacrifice. The thought of Xiaosi sacrificing herself made Xiaoyuan all the more unwilling.

"No." But Xiaosi’s answer to Xiaoyuan’s question was a clear denial. "I want to pursue the ultimate speed."

Her eyes blazed with intense emotion—desire, the longing for her dream. For the first time, Xiaoyuan saw such powerful desire in Xiaosi’s eyes.

"All right, let’s fuse. If this is your own choice. It might be shameless to say, but I support you." Gritting her teeth, Xiaoyuan made her decision. Though the fusion favored her, granting her abilities beyond her own and access to Xiaosi’s decades of records, her heart was still full of struggle.

In the end, Xiaoyuan was a person ruled by emotion. Sad stories made her weep, happy ones made her smile. Losing friends brought tears, making new ones brought laughter. She was an ordinary person, easily moved to tears or laughter. But at critical moments, when decisions had to be made, she never hesitated. Courage and decisiveness ran in her blood.

"Thank you." With a gentle smile, Xiaosi reached out and took Xiaoyuan’s hands. As their hands met, a faint, strange energy appeared between them—the same energy that had formed the spiral drill when they fought through the demon beast horde.

"The one who should thank you is me. I haven’t done anything worthy of your thanks." In contrast, Xiaoyuan’s face couldn’t muster a smile, instead bearing regret, shame, and sorrow.

"No, letting me experience the ultimate speed and fulfill my goal is enough for me to thank you." As the strange energy grew, streams of green data energy began to flow from both of them, merging and reorganizing between them.

"Ultimate speed—if that is your pursuit, I will achieve it." As the final words fell, Xiaoyuan and Xiaosi fused at last, becoming one.