"The Birth of the Machine Doll."
These words emerged from the mouth of the boy-like figure.
"..."
The Headmaster was speechless.
It wasn't that he had nothing to say—he simply didn't know how to say it.
The Machine Doll.
That was something Edward Rutherford had pursued for half his life.
And now, it was about to be born?
Was this a lie?
"Of course not." The Father, as if seeing through the Headmaster's thoughts, smiled faintly. "You already have a feeling about this, don't you?"
Indeed.
The Headmaster had already sensed it.
Such celestial phenomena were omens of a god's descent. If the Machine Doll was about to be born, wasn't it natural to think so?
Moreover, the one who declared its imminent birth was none other than the boy before him.
And who was this boy?
The Father—the magus who had prophesied the birth of the Machine Doll.
"On the Night of Sevens, in the time of Six Buds, mankind shall become the agents of gods."
"Like flawless jewels."
"Authority shall be overthrown first, gathering those from foreign lands."
"Then unshackling the bonds of dominion, the city will be filled with the song of purification."
"Thus, stars shall shower down, a prelude to the opening of the heavens and the earth."
"The youth arrives, reigning upon the throne of heaven."
"Behold, the one by their side is 'Machine doll.'"
This prophecy had come from the lips of this very boy.
Thus, if he declared the Machine Doll's birth imminent, there was no mistake.
But...
"...I don't understand. The Night Party isn't over yet. The Wiseman hasn't been decided. How can the Machine Doll be born now?" The Headmaster forced himself to remain calm, speaking as if indifferent. "Have we misunderstood your prophecy?"
Everyone believed the Machine Doll would appear beside the Wiseman.
Yet, with the Night Party still ongoing and no Wiseman crowned, the Machine Doll was about to emerge. No wonder the Headmaster was unsettled.
To this, the Father merely chuckled.
"Your interpretation was partially correct."
The Father continued.
"On the Night of Sevens, in the time of Six Buds"—this indeed referred to the 49th Night Party.
That much was understood correctly.
But...
"Your belief that only the Wiseman could obtain the Machine Doll was mistaken."
Many assumed that "reigning upon the throne of heaven" meant only the victor of the Night Party, crowned as Wiseman, could achieve it.
But that interpretation was wrong.
After ""On the Night of Sevens, in the time of Six Buds," the prophecy continued.
"mankind shall become the agents of gods, Like flawless jewels"—this referred to a human who, during the 49th Night Party, would act as God's agent, wielding divine authority. Though none knew how, he was like unblemished jewel, ascending toward perfection.
The "flawless jewel" referred not only to the Machine Doll but also to this human.
Unbeknownst to all, within him lay a power beyond the world's understanding, continuously refining him toward flawlessness.
And then—
"Authority shall be overthrown first, gathering those from foreign lands."
"Then unshackling the bonds of dominion,"
"—this signified the fall of the foreigner's nation's authority, the embrace of the foreigner by the one who overturned it, and the shattering of their clan's chains of control.
The Izanagi clan, a pillar of their nation, had been overturned by this man. Its members had been taken under his wing, their dominion broken.
And at this moment, he began to wield divine authority.
What followed were the omens of the Machine Doll's birth.
"The city will be filled with the song of purification."
"Thus, stars shall shower down, a prelude to the opening of the heavens and the earth—a sign of the world's rebirth"—these were the celestial phenomena heralding its arrival.
Now, across the academy and the entire city, the tremors of the atmosphere resounded like a heavenly hymn.
This was the "song of purification."
Above, within the swirling vortex of dark clouds, spiritual light flickered like falling stars.
This was the "stars that shall shower down."
When these signs appeared, the being destined to open a new world would arrive.
"The youth arrives, reigning upon the throne of heaven"—no doubt, this referred to a remarkable young man who had already risen above all others in the academy.
The Father gazed at the celestial phenomena outside the window, smiling meaningfully at the Headmaster.
"Behold, the one by their side is 'Machine doll."—this needed no explanation. Wherever this person stood, the Machine Doll would soon be born.
Indeed, the two were adjacent—both beneath the academy.
"Now, the signs have appeared. God's agent wields divine authority, causing the divine world to overlap with this one, revealing itself to all. Thus, the yet-unformed Machine Doll must sense the world it belongs to and will soon emerge."
As the Father's words faded—
"BOOM!"
The earth trembled violently.
The academy's grounds split apart with a deafening roar.
Screams and cries of panic erupted from the students.
Then, from beneath the earth, a terrifying existence clawed its way out.
A grotesque giant, its body covered in eyes, its form flowing like molten rock, emerged with an overwhelming presence.
"■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■——!!!"
The monster roared skyward, exuding sheer joy—like a child finding its way home.
"Androgyne!"
The Headmaster's breathing grew ragged.
Now, he understood.
"Is it heading there?!"
He looked up at the swirling vortex of light.
His guess was correct.
"That is the world of the gods. It is the soul of the Machine Doll. By reaching it, it shall become a true deity."
The Father watched, perhaps with a trace of awe.
"A god is both divine and spirit. Thus, the Machine Doll needs no physical form. By returning to its rightful place, it shall awaken its true divinity and become—the Machine Doll."
This was the Father's prophecy.
This was why he had come.
To witness.
To witness the birth of the Machine Doll.
"■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■——!!!"
Androgyne roared wildly.
Above, the spiritual light began to descend.