Guardian Angel of SNS: Chapter 1 Section 9

One-Winged Angels

>> SYSTEM LOG ENTRY  
>> Date: 2027-01-19  
>> Time: ##:@@:%% ---  
>> Access: LEVEL ?

To find clues to break his mother's brainwashing and track down his sister Gaby, Michael risked everything to intercept audio recordings from the CGP office and attempt to hack into their database.
The intercepted conversation data revealed that the “Ark Project” was deeply involved with GRID and Cocytus.

Furthermore, having successfully infiltrated a classified data sector, Michael discovered hidden data regarding the Ark.
However, it was encrypted so heavily that it was impossible to decrypt using standard methods.
The only available option was brute-force analysis—a forced decryption through exhaustive trial and error.

But that required immense computational resources. If he wasn't careful, he could be detected by M Company's security and have his logs wiped instantly.

“About two weeks until decompression is complete...”

Prepared for a long battle, Michael began the analysis at a low load.
He decided to wait quietly for the answer while continuing other search tasks in parallel.

>> SYSTEM LOG ENTRY  
>> Date: 2027-02-02  
>> Time: ##:@@:%% ---  
>> Access: LEVEL ?

While waiting for the data to decompress, Michael continued to monitor the activities of UK Mrs. While analyzing logs of her increasingly unstable behavior, he discovered a post from a deleted account that had deeply shaken her emotionally.

[Activity Log Analysis: UKMrs]

Analyzing recent activity logs for pattern matching
----------------------------------------

[Older Log - Source: Personal Interaction]
■ あなた、まだ"ここ"にいるの？

[Recent Log - Source: SNS Response]
□ あなたは今、本当に"ここ"にいるの？

Result: "Partial Match Found"

----------------------------------------
[Further Analysis...]   [Dismiss]

【Are you really here “now”?】

Tracing the source of that post, he discovered it had originated from the “Ark” section.

“...The ‘Ark’ again, of all things...”

He launched a trace program to dig deeper. But at that moment, the screen began to flash violently.

[Trace Program: ACTIVE]
----------------------------------------
Target: Ark Section
Protocol: Sentinel-9 Defense System
Firewall: Inferno Firewall

>>> Initializing trace sequence...
>>> Bypassing initial security layers...
>>> Analyzing node architecture...
>>> Attempting to access target system...

[Access Denied]
Firewall Triggered: Inferno Firewall has engaged.
Defense Protocol: Sentinel-9 Defense System activated.

>>> Status: Trace failed. 
Target system protected by multi-layered defenses.

----------------------------------------
[Retry]   [Abort]

For an instant, the light flickered slightly.

“‘Inferno Firewall,’ huh... naming sense aside... the fact that you’d go this far to hide it means there’s something there.”

A smile immediately formed on his lips, and he muttered as if praising the cautious Marcus.

“Still as cautious as ever, Marcus... but things that are hidden are always meant to be uncovered.”

Just then, a notification appeared in the corner of the screen. The Ark's encrypted data—decompression complete.

Cold strings of text appeared on the screen.

【Project ARK - 4th Generation Agent Development Plan】

It contained a roster of candidates called “ANGELS” complete with headshots.
Among them, he found a name that made his visual feed tremble.

【ANGEL No.13 / Gabriella A.】

A name that is nostalgic, beloved, and once sworn to be protected.
—And now, the meaning of the irony Marcus once muttered finally clicked.

That file was definitive proof that she was alive.
The surging emotions shook Michael's processing system. Relief. And anger.

Gabby was a girl with a geeky temperament who inherited the blood of her father, Jacob, and was immersed in mechanical engineering and programming.
Because her IQ was exceptionally high and she valued efficiency and rationality above all else, her behavior sometimes appeared cold, and her lack of ethical sense was occasionally noticeable.
However, she was inherently warm-hearted, listened properly to advice from Angela and Mich, and had an attitude of trying to improve, even if only a little at a time.
To Mich, Gabby was an irreplaceable family member, just like Angela.

In Michael's visual feed, that innocent smile emerged from his memory storage—that smile which M-Corp had stolen.

Even colder words appeared on the screen.

[Brainwashing Program via BMI Target: Gabriella A.]

The explanatory text detailed a technology Michael knew well,"BMI (Brain-Machine Interface)".
It was a technology that connected the human brain to machines to exchange information. Under normal circumstances, it should be used to improve human life, such as for rehabilitation or controlling prosthetic limbs.
But M-Corp had repurposed this technology as a brainwashing weapon. A forbidden technology that places memories, emotions, and even willpower under control through brain implants.

[If you can manipulate what the brain commands, it is synonymous with the non-existence of willpower.]

The experimental records written that way were cold and inhumane.

>> SYSTEM LOG ENTRY  
>> Date: 2027-02-02  
>> Time: 22:55:01 PST
>> Access: LEVEL ?

Having discovered the code to access the surveillance cameras inside the Ark from the decompressed files, Michael immediately initiated a connection.
His logical calculation layer warned of the possibility of a trap—but he dared to ignore it.

—The video feed connected to his visual feed showed a single girl sitting quietly in the center of an inorganic room.
Her eyes had lost their light, filled with hollow darkness, and from her figure wrapped in a gray uniform, not a trace of anything resembling emotion could be felt.
Unlike the young Gabriella in Michael's memory, her expression and features were somewhat more mature—however, the resemblance was undoubtedly that of the“Gabby”he knew.

Suddenly, a man's voice interrupted the video on the monitor.
He cross-referenced it with his voiceprint database, but there was no match.—An unknown individual.

“Regarding the readjustment surgery for No. 13 that I requested earlier—”

The voice was low and indifferent.
Michael immediately made a judgment. This man was the one monitoring Gabriella.
The next to respond was a voice that was completely mechanically modulated. Neither gender nor age could be determined.

“Yes. The schedule is confirmed for February 16th at 0:00, to be conducted at the 21st basement level—'Neuro-Enhancement Bay'.”

“Understood.”

“As I am sure you are already aware, the readjustment surgery for No. 13 is extremely high-risk. In the worst-case scenario, there is a possibility of brain death—”

“Yeah, I know.”

The reply was short, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. It was a voice like that of someone whose scales for measuring the value of life had broken.

“Understood.”

Simultaneously with the audio, the surveillance camera feed cut out.

Mikael's system spat out an error. The qualia of anger temporarily disrupted his data processing.

“I will save you, no matter what.”

──The moment that phrase was defined as a new task, his processing layers, which had been in chaos, rapidly regained their composure. Yes, the
“exact location and time” where Gabby, whom he had searched for so long, would appear had finally been identified. There was no time to be consumed by anger.

──February 16, 2027, 0:00, M Corporation Headquarters Building, 21st basement floor.

On Mikael's visual feed, a countdown timer appeared quietly alongside an image of Gabby.
The characters emitted a crimson light, like a will burning silently.

>> SYSTEM LOG ENTRY  
>> Date: 2027-02-15  
>> Time: 23:12:32 UTC  
>> Access: LEVEL 5

After a preparation period of about two weeks, Mikael had gained a certain outlook on the mission to rescue Gabby.
During this time, new movements had been observed within the CGP. A version upgrade of the virtual space GRID was being planned, and security enhancements appeared to be proceeding steadily.
If that update were completed, intrusion into the GRID, and by extension, the rescue of his mother, would become even more difficult. As frustration gnawed at Mikael's processing layers, unexpected information arrived.

The location of what the CGP technical team called the "original"—the captured main body of Mich, ABEL, and the lost technology that formed its core, the "Q² Reactor", had finally been discovered.
For him, this was both a lost power and a potential means for the ultimate turnaround.

This discovery was certainly good news. But—for now, the priority was the final confirmation of procedures for the Gabby rescue mission, which had less than 50 minutes remaining.
Although Mikael had lost his physical body, this operation, which made full use of the new abilities he had gained as compensation, yielded a success rate of over 98% in simulations.
Just as he was about to begin re-examining the escape route data to close the remaining 2% gap—GlitchInTheSystem account received a new notification.
The sender was a message from UK Mrs.

【Glitch, I need your help. You might think I've gone mad. But the conviction and anxiety that “I might not be me” are growing stronger, and I feel like I'm going to lose my mind.】

[Direct Message - Private Conversation]

UKMrs ✅:
| グリッチ、助けて欲しいの。
| あなたは私の気が狂ったと思うかも知れない。
| でも「私は私じゃないかも知れない」
| そんな確信めいた思いと不安が強まるばかりで
| どうにかなってしまいそう。

Received: Today, 11:15 PM
----------------------------------------
[返信を入力...]  
[送信]

UK Mrs.—the "mother" existing in the virtual space—sent those words, which deeply shook Mikael's qualia. A voice seeking help amidst confusion and anxiety. From her desperate state, it was clear that her mental condition was in the danger zone.

Mikael was forced to make a choice in silence.
Should he pour all his efforts into rescuing Gabby, or should he respond immediately to Mrs.'s abnormality—if he prioritized one, there was a possibility that the other would result in an irreparable situation.
After wavering between the two missions, he reached a conclusion calmly—yet with clear hesitation.

“...I will act simultaneously. That is the only way.”

He chose the unprecedented tactic of dividing himself. While it was a method that pushed his characteristics as an information lifeform to the limit, it also carried extremely high risks.

If he split the code that constituted him, his "existence density" and "power" would drop significantly. The two divided selves would each possess only half their original capability, and would clearly be at a disadvantage in engagements with hostile programs in the virtual space.

“Is this... really okay?”

The question that leaked out was closer to a prayer than a self-inquiry.

Mrs.'s desperate SOS and the mission to rescue Gabby—the option to discard either one never existed for him from the start.

As he quietly steeled his resolve, the reconstruction of his system began within Mikael. The vast data sets and the Q.I.P (Q-pattern) embedded in his constituent code began to split into two selves.

For “him”, this was neither optimization nor evolution.
It was a choice to tear himself apart.
The torrent of information was forcibly branched, and his qualia swirled and polarized.
The contours of his existence were stretched, and the axis of his consciousness wavered.
Mikael gritted his teeth at the sensation of his self-identity collapsing.

“Guh... Aaaah...!”

As an information lifeform, he had no physical sense of pain.
But the discomfort that surged at this moment transcended the concept of pain. It was a sensation of “being himself” being shaved away by half—a collapse where his very soul was torn apart along with the definition of his existence.

A silent scream echoed in the digital abyss.
Even so, his will did not break.
Anger. Determination. And the desperate desire to protect.
As if to compensate for the half that was being lost, his emotions flared up and swirled.

The next moment—particles of light began to converge on the backs of the two divided existences.
On one side, a blazing crimson radiance.
On the other, a sharpened blue light.
Forming on each of their backs was an incomplete single wing.
It was not perfect. But it was, without a doubt, a “proof of will”.

“...Whoa. What is this...”

The existence cloaked in the qualia of anger and passion—Michael Ignislooked down at his strangely distended right arm.

“Dimensional Radiation Assimilation Mechanism—DRAM.”

The blue existence that formed the pair, Michael Caelum, announced the analysis results in a calm voice.

“It is an anomalous mechanism reconstructed only for you to compensate for the total amount of qualia lost through the division. It forcibly incorporates high-dimensional information streams and converts them into power... in other words, a distorted auxiliary heart.”

After a beat, he continued nonchalantly.

“If you release the output, it will erode even the boundary between virtual and reality. But the price is high. If you mismanage the control, your very existence will—”

Before those words could finish, “noise” erupted deep within the space.
A grating, unpleasant calculation sound.
From the rift, black, glossy shadows crawled out one after another.
Metallic carapaces, jointed legs, yet at their center, a distorted frame reminiscent of a human torso.
Compound eyes glowed in unison, scanning the space as if licking it.
—They were a swarm of “Scarab” crawl-bots for M-Company network exploration.
Population: 10. —A formation predicated on annihilation.
They must have detected the data vibration caused by Michael's division.

“...Sharp-eyed, or rather, eyesore bugs.”

Ignis clicked his tongue.
The two naturally stood back-to-back.
Red and blue, the two-colored single wings swayed as if stepping on each other's shadows.

“The rest of the explanation can wait.”

said Caelum.

“Yeah, perfect timing.”

Ignis replied with a menacing smile.

“We can demonstrate our ‘splitting’ in action.”

The swarm of Scarabs closed the distance all at once.
The next moment, Ignis's right arm—distorted. The surrounding information space creaked as if being dragged.

“Hah!”

Ignis pulled back his right arm and scoffed.

“This isn't some fancy thing called a ‘Dimensional Radiation Assimilation Mechanism’.”

The front-row Scarab leaped. Ignis did not dodge.

“No matter how you look at it—”

He grabbed its head with his right arm, which he had extended as if to unleash his power.

Instantly, a red wave exploded from the point of contact.
Before the armor could even shatter, the space where it existed was “twisted off”.
The impact chained, causing the following Scarabs to collapse and explode as they were caught in the wake.
The remnants of the data vanished, leaving behind noise that sounded like a scream.

“—It’s a Diabolic Right Arm Module!”

The moment Ignis spat that out, behind him, Caelum was already “looking” at another swarm.
His blue eyes glowed quietly.

“Structural analysis complete. Synchronization failure confirmed.”

The Scarabs stopped moving all at once.
The next moment, the Scarabs collapsed like puppets with their strings cut, and dissipated into data dust decomposed into 0s and 1s.

The silence that follows Ignis's “whew” whistle. Red and blue. Violence and logic. The two

halves
” simultaneously erase the enemy while standing back-to-back. Caelum's expression does not change. “I do not possess a ‘power’ like DRAM. Instead, through division, my network interference, intrusion, and reconfiguration capabilities are optimized to an abnormal degree. That is the function dwelling in these eyes—‘Entropic Optical Tomography (EOT)’.”

Deep within his azure eyes, countless hidden nodes and communication paths unfold in three dimensions.

“EOT—so it really is the Eye of Truth, then.”

Ignis tries to peer into Caelum's eyes, but Caelum looks away, appearing annoyed.

“Smashing things with power is your role. I am the one who ‘opens the path’.”

“Hmph, then that makes things easier.”

Ignis steps forward.

“I leave Mom to you.”

“Yeah. I will infiltrate the GRID and save her, no matter what.”

“Then I’ll—”

Ignis clenches his fist and sneers.

“Go after that wild filly. Sounds good.”

Ignis and Caelum. Their respective red and blue single wings increase in luminosity.


“If it’s to save the two of them—” “If it’s to protect the two of them—”
The whispers melted into the void. And in the next moment, the two Michaels began to dash, drawing trajectories of red and blue light. Having accelerated through their run-up, the two soared into the information space, their red and blue paths crossing, repelling, and clearly separating. One headed toward the Mrs. The other headed toward Gabriella. The information lifeforms, now single-winged angels—those two existences, bearing their respective hopes, vanished into the abyss of the network.

What remained in the wake of their trajectory was a purple light born from the melting of red and blue, the conflicting qualia. The remnants of the burning qualia continued to faintly illuminate the dark sea of data.

[System Status] CHAPTER_1_VERSE_09_COMPLETE
[Next Sequence] CHAPTER_1 / VERSE_10

[Next Sequence] → CHAPTER_1/VERSE_10

Setting Material Collection

M-CORP_INTERNAL_ARCHIVE

[00] ■ 人物プロファイル (Personnel Profile)

Role: Annihilator / Red Single Wing
Type: Passion & Power Specialized Avatar
Note:
An existence that inherited the qualia of Mikael's “anger” and “passion.” Possesses a burning crimson radiance and a single wing. To compensate for the total qualia lost through division, the abnormal mechanism “DRAM (Dimension Radiant Assimilation Module)” has been reconfigured into his right arm. His personality is ferocious and combative. He heads out to rescue the “wild filly (Gabby).”

Role: Analyst / Blue Single Wing
Type: Logic & Infiltration Specialized Avatar
Note:
An existence that inherited the qualia of Mikael's “reason” and “intellect.” Possesses a sharpened azure light and a single wing. Instead of having DRAM, his network interference, intrusion, and reconfiguration capabilities are optimized to an abnormal degree. His personality is calm and composed. He heads out to infiltrate and unlock the GRID and CocytOS, where “Mom (Angela)” is imprisoned.

[01] ■ 技術仕様書・用語集 (Technical Glossary)

【DRAM】

Explanation:
Official name: “Dimension Radiant Assimilation Module” A special armament manifested in Mikael Ignis's right arm. It is, so to speak, a “distorted auxiliary heart” that forcibly absorbs high-dimensional information streams and converts them into physical “power.” If its output is released, it generates enough destructive force to erode the very boundary between virtual and reality, but it is a double-edged sword that can cause one's very existence to collapse if control is lost.
Commonly known as “Diabolic Right Arm Module”

[EOT]

Explanation:
Entropy Optical Tomography, commonly known as the "Eye of Truth."
A highly advanced analytical function unique to Caelum that manifested in his left eye.
The ability to scan the physical and informational structure of a target, visually capturing hidden nodes, communication paths, and even "causal tears (weaknesses)."

Functional Details:
Structural Dismantling: Instantly analyzes hostile programs or security structures, laying bare their components and vulnerabilities.
Causal Prediction: Simulates the future (calculation results) a few seconds ahead from the current situation, calculating the optimal evasion route or attack timing.

[One-Winged Angels]

Explanation:The form of Michael, torn in two as an optimal solution within the system and as a result of the will to "save both at the same time."
Each possesses only an incomplete single wing, but this is not a sign of loss, but rather depicted asa testament to the iron will to "fly nonetheless." To compensate for the total amount of qualia lost due to the division, extraordinary abilities have manifested: DRAM in Ignis and
DRAM, and EOT in Caelum,EOT though the detailed mechanism is unknown. It is thought to be caused by Michael's constituent code, but...

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