It was a dark blue, metallic, mechanical arm—something exquisite and robotic. In fact, it was—unmistakably—a robot arm.
A robot was springing from his head. Like a moth that bursts through its original cocoon when it leaves its larval stage, a robot was climbing out of Naota's head.
This is what was inside my head?
He agonized. The truth was weirder than Naota had imagined.
Only half the body had emerged, but that portion alone was a giant metal monster, the size of which far surpassed Naota's entire body mass. Naota still was floating slightly above the ground—but if a proportionately sized robot succumbed to gravity and fell downward, Naota definitely would be crushed to death.
"Ah!" As the ringing in his ears reached its crescendo, the robot leapt free from Naota's head. Like the cork of a champagne bottle, the robot briefly arced upward into the black sky before its iron frame landed dexterously on the bridges metal railings. A heavy clanging resounded throughout the area.
The robot's entire body was now completely visible. It had a humanoid shape, with two arms and two legs. The body towered six feet high, and its head resembled a television set.
Although the robot finally had separated itself from Naota, the ordeal wasn't over yet. Right away, another robotic arm had reached out from Naota's head and latched itself onto the first robot's side.
Sparks flew from the humanoid robot's body.
The first robot wielded its empty hand like a sword to chop at the new robot's arm. Using incredibly destructive power, the android severed the second robot's forearm.
With the momentum of a stretched-out rubber band that's cut suddenly, the main part of what was now a severed robotic arm retreated back into Naota's head. It apparently had returned to "the other side." Simultaneously, the oppressive ringing in Naota's ears stopped.
Finally free, Naota's body tumbled to the ground. Once he caught his breath, he called out "Mamimi!" Naota ran over to the fallen girl.
She'd lost consciousness. Given the circumstances, that was good.
The android looked as if it was trying to escape an enemy.
Its adversary still was moving. The freshly severed arm pushed itself along, using its five fingers like tentacles. Moving around on its fingers, the arm looked like it was imitating an octopus or a squid. With unbelievable speed, it distanced itself from the humanoid robot. The arm seemed to be preparing for a fight.
This creepy robotic life form still was ambulatory. And standing up straight, the arm measured about the same height as Naota.
Naota instantly saw that the humanoid robot was the prey, and the arm was the predator.
The android attempted to run away—but a few seconds later, it was tripped. The unseen attack must have been forceful, because the robot didn't get up to keep moving away. Persistently, the arm kept pursuing, thwarting all the android's escape attempts.
In medicine, a machine called an ESWL (Lithotriptor) provides noninvasive treatments for kidney stones by focusing high-intensity acoustic pulses that break up the stones. Such pulses seemed to be the arm's weapon, and it aimed that weapon at the areas where the android moved.
The bodies of both robots bore the same mark: It was the logo of MM, the medical machinery maker.
In one of the rooms at the MM Mabase factory, a siren still blared and a host computer continued transmitting "message received" signals.
Undeterred for a single second, battle reports flashed onscreen, one after another:
«MMR Class [K].001 ATOMSK flees into Mabase. 22:14
MMR Class [J] DH pursues and attempts to capture or damage fail. 22:16
Manipulator breaks off from DH and currently operates alone. Original 82% returns with the closing of FLCL; remaining 18% engages in battle in Mabase. 22:16.
Returning 82% issued code RH; remaining 18% issued code LH. 22:16.
LH uses Shockwave weapon. Engages in battle. 22:16.
Good luck to LH in executing battle strategy.»
LH, the arm, scuttled around, targeting the android's position.
Still holding Mamimi, Naota couldn't move. The area had turned into a battlefield.
The arm pointed a thin, threadlike laser toward Naota.
Shit!
Both combatants had ignored Naota and Mamimi up until then—but the arm must have noticed the two bystanders and was calculating how to deal with them now.
What should I do? Naota wondered.
It seemed crazy, but Naota could think of no other option but to jump into the river with Mamimi.
Right then, the humanoid robot—which had fled its pursuer until now—suddenly turned and attacked the arm. It attempted to destroy the enemy entirely with a single blow. As before, when it had fought the main portion of the arm, the force unleashed by the android was powerful.
However, the humanoid robot moved carelessly close to the arm.
Bright white sparks ran down the android's body, and the robot stopped as suddenly as if it had been deactivated. This time, it appeared to have absorbed a fatal hit. The smell of scorching metal was everywhere.
The arm laughed with an electrical noise.
In a grotesque, wriggling motion, the arm once again grabbed hold of the humanoid robot, ready to finish it off. It tried to crush the android with its powerful grip, a weapon in its own right. Creaks like screams came from the strangled robot, which tottered forward one step, then two.
Suddenly, the android's appearance changed. The navy blue body transformed instantly into a deep crimson color.
As though its demise had been merely a feint, the android snatched the arm, wrenched it away from its body, and smashed it into the pavement. It was a complete turnaround. Not giving the arm the slightest opportunity, the humanoid robot crushed the center of its opponent's palm beneath its metal foot—all within the space of a moment.
Sparks and an explosion followed.
Naota shielded Mamimi from the blast and the heat.
«[K] reacts to ATOMSK. Reason unknown. 22:19
LH movement stopped. Eliminated. 22:19
Awaiting further communication. 22:19»
The humanoid robot pulled apart the scrapped arm's defenses, and then it yanked out the machine component innards, ensuring the arm's utter destruction.
Could it be, Naota thought, it saved us?
It certainly felt like the arm had begun to come after Mamimi and Naota—and that was when the android suddenly had started to fight, as if it had been worried about them.
What is it?
The robot that had come out of Naota's head silently continued to dismantle the arm.
This robot came out of my head!
This is the robot that came out of my head!
Then, a roaring noise approached, and Naota recognized the terrible sound of a scooter's engine.
"Haruko?"
As he'd anticipated, the approaching headlights were those of a Vespa.
Guitar in hand, Haruko leapt off the bike and ran toward the humanoid robot. En route, she started up a hand-operated generator mounted on the back of her guitar.
As she lifted it, the guitar emitted bright energy and light. Of course, Naota had no idea it was actually a light-space-modifying weapon in the shape of a guitar.
"Uuuuaaaagggh!" With the beautiful stance of a professional baseball player, Haruko heaved the guitar toward the robot's head. Her aim was perfect.
It was the first time Naota had seen anyone with such an amazing swing—other than his brother. To the uninvolved viewer, her gorgeous attack was like part of a flawless dance.