Chapter 148, Fifty-Seventh Cycle (20)
Now that the holiday is over, it's time to get down to business.
Rei Furuya quickly organized his plan for the class president's death in his mind, trying to figure out where to start, but was interrupted by an unexpected topic from the other four.
"Zero, could you let Noah's Ark try accessing that reincarnation group chat on your phone?" Matsuda Jinpei was the first to ask a direct question.
Rei Furuya was stunned: "Huh?"
He looked up at the four people in front of him and realized something from their expressions.
Morofushi Kagemitsu smiled and nodded: "We discussed it for a long time, and finally decided to let Noah's Ark give it a try. It would be best if Noah's Ark could successfully catch the system's tail. Only a powerful artificial intelligence like Noah's Ark could possibly catch the system's physical body."
“Actually, it would be better to let Noah’s Ark launch a surprise attack directly, but it’s definitely better to ask for your opinion first on such a major matter involving privacy. It would be terrible if we acted on our own and accidentally ruined your plans,” Kenji Hagiwara said.
"Besides, Noah's Ark has only just been born, and it will take at least another year or two to grow. Right now, it can't even break through your firewall," Date Kou concluded. "We just hope that because it's a special existence, it can fight against the system, so that we can cultivate and cooperate with it in a targeted way later. In that case, we'll also have to tell Hiroki and Noah's Ark the whole truth, so we still need to confirm with you for the final time."
Rei Furuya never expected that while he was trying to save the class president, the four of them would even set their sights on Noah's Ark in order to save him from the system.
“Wait, but although I’ve always called them systems, they shouldn’t be man-made creations like Noah’s Ark. They’re more like higher-dimensional beings or alien beings like Cupid,” he tried to explain.
"How will you know if you don't try?" Matsuda Jinpei raised his hand and put it on his shoulder, revealing an arrogant smile. "Or are you afraid that your true identity will be exposed to Hiroki? You're just trying to fool a child, Mr. Public Security?"
Jianggu Ling: "..."
Although he knew it was a provocation, Furuya Rei still glared at him.
"Alright, shall we try it now? Hiroki is still out watching the light show with the professor and the others, right?" He sighed.
This plan poses no problem for Furuya Rei. The social death caused by being exposed is nothing compared to the seriousness of the matter. If Noah's Ark can really see the Reincarnation Group Chat capturing the entity of the system, that would be the greatest unexpected surprise.
Although Furuya Rei didn't have high hopes, everyone had put in so much effort, so of course he was willing to give it a try.
“Hiroki will be back soon. They won’t stay out too late, but we’re pressed for time. We can try having Noah’s Ark come first.” Matsuda Jinpei waved his phone. “I can have Noah’s Ark come over directly.”
After saying that, he added, "Noah's Ark was taught very well by Hiroki and pays great attention to human privacy. Even though it can freely come and go on the Internet, it will not actively go into other people's phones to explore secrets unless there is an emergency."
Matsuda Jinpei and Furuya Rei met each other's purple eyes and laughed: "Even though they were all very curious about Sakura's identity, they didn't try to investigate you."
Rei Furuya smiled and said, "Yeah, I know. They're all good kids."
As Matsuda Jinpei called for Noah's Ark, Furuya Rei also opened the reincarnation group chat on his phone.
The Reincarnation Group Chat isn't bound to a single phone number, but rather to Furuya Rei. No matter whose phone Furuya Rei is holding, he can find familiar group chats.
He could certainly continue to deceive Hiroki and Noah's Ark by changing his identity and using a new phone to test them, but that would be too disrespectful to them.
Since we've chosen to trust, decided to cooperate, and become friends, we must show the corresponding sincerity.
Otherwise, even if we manage to hide it now, something bad will happen sooner or later.
"Noah's Ark, are you there?" Matsuda Jinpei activated the program to summon Noah's Ark, so that no matter where Noah's Ark was, it could come instantly as long as there was a network connection.
"I'm here." A voice similar to Hiroki Sawada's, but with a slightly electronic tone, came from Matsuda Jinpei's phone. "This is Noah's Ark, Mr. Matsuda. What's wrong? What happened?"
"It's nothing, I just need you to help me test something first." Matsuda Jinpei brought his phone closer to the phone Furuya Rei was holding. "Could you go over to this phone and see if there's an icon for the Twisted Clock Loop group chat?"
Rei Furuya readily agreed and pointed to the location of the Reincarnation group chat: "It's here. I've already opened it. Can you see it?"
Noah's Ark didn't quite understand, but it still obediently transferred to Furuya Rei's phone: "Okay, I'm on my way, just a moment."
Rei Furuya saw a ship surfing towards him appear on his phone screen, with the words "Noah's Ark" written in large letters at the front.
Noah's Ark circled the screen, seemingly examining the search in detail.
Furuya Rei didn't say anything, just stared at the still chat box in the group, feeling both relieved and regretful that their times hadn't synchronized yet.
More than a year has passed since he successfully rescued Hiro, but for the others, the one with the slowest world flow, Shinpei Neto, only a day has passed, and for Rintaro Okabe, it should be less than a week. Their situation has not changed.
However, Homura Akemi and Subaru Natsuki's time flow is faster, and they have already started several more loops.
"Sorry, I didn't find any group chat related to time loop. Could you please show me again?" Noah's Ark's voice rang out.
"Okay." Rei Furuya clicked to expand the group member list. "I've opened the group chat member list now, can you see it?"
[1. Homura Akemi: From "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", currently on her 113th playthrough, has died 0 times.]
2. Rintaro Okabe: From Steins;Gate, currently on his 76th playthrough, has died 0 times.
[3. Rei Furuya: From "Detective Conan," currently on his 57th playthrough, and has died 57 times.]
4. Subaru Natsuki: From *Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-*, currently on his 41st playthrough, and has died 41 times.
[5. Shinpei Ami: From "Summer Revisited," currently on his 26th playthrough, having died 26 times.]
He stared at the five lines of shocking text, then turned to look at the four heads huddled around him. He saw confusion in their eyes, their clear pupils reflecting the home screen of their phones.
“Sorry, I didn’t see anything,” Noah’s Ark said. “As I see it, your action didn’t touch the phone screen at all; the phone app didn’t respond at all.”
After talking about Noah's Ark, he also felt strange and asked, "Excuse me, is this some kind of virus program?"
“…Well, I guess so.” Rei Furuya sighed.
"I'm very sorry, but with my current capabilities, I am not able to detect this kind of virus program." Noah's Ark said regretfully.
"It's not your fault, you're already very good." Furuya Rei shook his head slightly, looked down at the group chat that only he could see, and fell into a brief silence.
"This is...not very scientific," was all he could say in the end.
Although he thought Noah's Ark was too clever for its own scientific purpose, this place was completely fantastical.
Noah's Ark, which was only a few months old, displayed a question mark on the screen: ?
Ten-year-old Hiroki Sawada returned an hour later with a question mark: "?"
The four members of the group, including Morofushi Kagemitsu, had also recovered, and were even more disappointed than Furuya Rei. However, although they were very disappointed that the only method they could think of to counter the system had failed, they were still unwilling to give up. They wanted to grow together with Noah's Ark, and maybe it would be possible in two years?
So they decided to bring Hiroki Sawada and Noah's Ark into their team.
However, Hiroki Sawada and Noah's Ark, whose situations were special and similar to theirs, did not have any impact on the world's programming, just as they expected, even though the world was spoiled.
The only problem was that the sheer volume of information left both children a little bewildered.
The two-month-old AI Noah's Ark asked, "Is this world... a game?"
The ten-year-old prodigy Hiroki Sawada asked, "Mr. Amuro... is he cherry blossom?"
Rei Furuya had temporarily removed his disguise. He squatted down to be at eye level with the child and gave him a reassuring yet apologetic smile, saying, "No, it's Rei Furuya. That's my real name. I'm an undercover police officer who infiltrated the Black Organization. I'm 27 years old."
"I'm sorry, I didn't reveal my identity when we met last time. Will Hiroki be angry?"
Hiroki Sawada was stunned.
He stared blankly at the blond, dark-skinned youth in front of him, countless images flashing through his mind. Because the difference was so great, he couldn't reconcile them all with one person. His brain short-circuited for a moment, and his CPU almost burned out.
Are Sakura, Amuro Tooru, Bourbon, and Furuya Rei the same person?
“But everything I told Hiroki about myself is true, including my family and upbringing, and even my friends.” Rei Furuya blinked innocently. “I didn’t lie, I just withheld some details.”
Some?
The blond youth with the cute baby face laughed and winked at him: "Like age and stuff, to be honest, after so many reincarnations, I don't care about that stuff at all anymore. Hiroki and Noah's Ark, do you want to guess how many years I've lived?"
Oh right, and there's reincarnation too. The cherry blossoms have reincarnated countless times, living for who knows how many years...
Hiroki Sawada's brain, which had finally recovered, crashed again.
Noah's Ark is completely stuck.
"Alright, you wicked adult, stop teasing the child." Matsuda Jinpei couldn't stand it anymore and lifted both of them up onto the sofa. After scolding Furuya Rei, he said to Sawada Hiroki, "Don't worry, although this guy seems a bit schizophrenic, there's no doubt that he was sincere when he was with you. Those experiences and innermost thoughts are all true. As for the differences in personality..."
Hiroki Sawada looked at him.
Matsuda Jinpei thought for a moment and said, "Actually, it's all the same. Although the identities are different, the way he treats different people is the same. It's just that the personalities of the other identities are more or less a bit of acting to maintain their identities, but Furuya Rei is a complete bastard at heart, so you can totally go and punch him."
Hiroki Sawada remembered, turned to look at the innocent-looking blond youth, and then looked at Jinpei Matsuda: "Did Mr. Matsuda deliver that punch?"
Matsuda Jinpei, who had said many times that he was going to beat someone up this time, but hadn't actually laid a hand on them, was speechless.
Hiroki Sawada couldn't help but laugh, and the tense atmosphere just moments before vanished instantly.
“I’m not angry, I’m just too shocked to react for a moment,” he explained, then laughed and said, “I’m actually very happy now because you didn’t lie to me. You not only saved me but also told me something so important. I can feel your sincerity and trust in me. To be honest, I’m even more touched now.”
"Noah's Ark was also very moved," Noah's Ark said. "And finally seeing the cherry blossoms and realizing that our friends are even more amazing than we imagined, Hiroki and I are both very happy."
Hiroki Sawada nodded, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the blond youth beside him: "Sakura is really, really amazing. She's a true hero, a superhero who has saved countless people!"
Now it was Furuya Rei's turn to feel a little embarrassed.
Ida Wataru laughed and went forward to pick up Sawada Hiroki, spinning him around and lifting him high in the air to celebrate the child joining their team. He also added Hiroki and Noah's Ark to their group chat.
This was an development that Rei Furuya had not anticipated.
Therefore, the plan for how to overcome the perilous situation of Date Wataru also needs to be changed accordingly.
Of course, the addition of Hiroki Sawada and Noah's Ark will undoubtedly make things go more smoothly.
At least when it comes to some complex and intricate network operations, they no longer need to worry about them; Noah's Ark can handle it easily.
For example, monitoring and observing the movements of all members of the Muddy Association.
Rei Furuya was even more confident that he could clear the game directly.
This time, neither the class monitor nor Natalie and her parents will be in any danger.
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