Chapter 6: Reconstruction Department

Opening my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

Feeling a creepy, slithering sensation beneath my neck, Squire shot up, goosebumps running down her spine.

Turning to look behind her, she realized that what she’d been resting her head on was…

Mostima’s lap pillow.

“Thank goodness, you’re finally awake.”

Even though this fungal Kaijin had no facial features, and his shapeless body never stopped writhing, Squire could sense his concern.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Boss’s interrogation methods can be a bit excessive.”

A bit excessive was putting it mildly.

Thinking back on it now, Squire still felt chills all over. There was even a lingering salty taste of barbecue seasoning in her mouth, and the physical discomfort resurfaced, making her nauseous again.

“Uh, thanks for your concern, but… I’m fine for now…”

“No need to thank me. We can’t eat mushrooms at all either, so we understand how cruel such torture is… This was a disaster that befell you for no reason. I hope it won’t leave any psychological scars.”

This gentle and rational care made Squire’s girlish heart start pounding wildly again…

Oh, brain! Stop right there!

As a man, sleeping on a man’s lap, being cared for by a man, and even being moved by a man…

Single for thirty-five years, Squire had never felt such excitement for a woman before. Was this the curse of being in a girl’s body?

No, I’m a man!

Squire started smacking her own head, trying to drive away the strange thoughts.

After working hard to steady her mind, she finally asked, “So, what’s the situation now? Did Boss and the other department heads leave? What was the result of the Public Trial?”

“Don’t worry.”

The one who answered was the blonde Secretary sitting on the nearby sofa.

“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I’m Maya, the Supreme Leader’s Secretary. You remember me, right?”

Noticing there was someone else nearby, Squire immediately sat up straight.

“O-of course I remember, Lady Maya!”

“Mhm, I had no choice earlier either. I hope you won’t take it personally.”

How could she forget? The one who forced grilled squid on her just a while ago was Maya!

Even if it was the Supreme Leader’s order, it was impossible not to hold a grudge…

But since the other party was the Supreme Leader’s Secretary, and she herself was just a low-level Kaijin, the difference in status left Squire unable to express her anger. She could only plaster on a smile and show an understanding attitude.

“No, no, you’re overthinking it! I completely understand everyone’s concerns about Organization security, and I would never have any complaints because of this! To clear my name, I’ll cooperate with all of the Organization’s arrangements!”

In truth, she really wanted to ask if she could apply for workplace injury compensation, but mental trauma was hard to define. She probably wouldn’t get anything anyway.

“So… Lady Maya, does the Organization trust me now?”

Right now, Squire only cared if her suspicion was cleared.

“Of course. That’s exactly why I stayed behind. In fact… there never were any other department heads. This Reception Room is the real face of the Interrogation Room.”

“Huh?” Squire’s brain couldn’t keep up.

Before her was a Reception Room in medieval castle style: sofas, coffee table, fireplace. The grand round table from before was gone, the space was much smaller, and there was no sign of any inner door.

No matter how you looked at it, it didn’t seem like the same room.

Maya pushed up her glasses and continued explaining, “The whole Public Trial was just a Dreamscape Boss created to verify your identity.”

“Dreamscape?”

“That’s right. Everything you experienced was fake—a Dreamscape manipulated by Boss, including the plate of salt-grilled squid you ate. So just treat it as a nightmare.”

It really was an unforgettable nightmare.

“But, through it, we confirmed your identity. Congratulations, Mr. Squire Jou, you are now completely cleared of suspicion.”

Maya’s tone was flat, but Squire didn’t hear any hint of congratulations.

Still, she handed Squire her employee card.

“Phew, so I can go home now?”

Squire had had enough of this day.

But clearly, she still had a lot of issues to resolve.

“No, before you go…”

Knock, knock—

The door to the Interrogation Room was knocked, interrupting Maya.

“Perfect timing, come in.”

A girl in a white lab coat poked her head in from outside.

“Miss Maya, I’m here!”

“Come in, Doctor Fran.”

Maya waved at the girl, who walked into the Reception Room with a spring in her step.

Still, Squire was surprised to see such a young Doctor.

“You’ve read all the reports, right?” Maya asked.

“I have! But seeing it in person is still amazing!”

The girl named Fran had short hair with blue highlights, a cute hairpin, and a fresh, bright smile. She circled Squire on the sofa, eyes full of curiosity.

“Wow! A modified Kaijin using a Kamen Hero-style Transformation Belt, but turning into a Magic Girl instead? I’m so curious—just what kind of technology did World Tree Technology use to make this possible? I really want to know!”

Her style was unique—under the standard-issue researcher’s white coat, she wore a trendy JK uniform. The hem of her shirt was unevenly tucked up, revealing her slender waist and stomach. A belt at her waist held a holster with a slightly oversized white handgun, which swayed and tapped against her British-style pleated skirt as she walked.

Finally, Fran stopped in front of Squire.

She reached out, hooked Squire’s chin, bent down, and leaned in to study her face closely.

At this inescapable Gachi distance, Squire was forced to meet her gaze.

The self-proclaimed researcher had delicate features and beautiful makeup. Being stared at by such a lively, popular girl, the middle-aged single Squire could only awkwardly avert her eyes.

“My, my~ Such a cute little sister, and you even blush… So, you’re the Kaijin Magic Girl mentioned in the report?”

She was being treated like a little girl, but the nervous Squire couldn’t get a word out.

Maya nodded and introduced her, “Yes, this is Mr. Squire. I’d like you to find out what’s happened to her. Could you take her to the Reconstruction Department?”

“Of course! That’s what I’m here for!”

The girl grabbed Squire’s arm and pulled her up, then draped an arm around her neck.

“Come with me! Little Squire, big sis will take you to the Reconstruction Department for a checkup~!”

“…Um, young lady, I was originally a man. Thirty-five years old.”

“Ah? Oh!”

At those words, the girl immediately let go and put a little distance between herself and Squire, though her tone and smile didn’t change at all.

“So you’re Uncle Squire!”

That half-step back stung Uncle Squire’s heart a little.

“You’re always so careless. It was in the report.” Maya sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Ha, I was too focused on the Transformation Belt! Let’s go! I can’t wait to examine your body!”

Saying such ambiguous words, Fran started dragging Squire by the arm.

“Alright, uncle-little-sis, let’s talk after we get back to the Reconstruction Department.”

“…What kind of nickname is that?”

“Just stating the facts, Uncle~”

The two left the Interrogation Room and entered the Elevator Lobby. Only then did Fran ask,

“Uncle, you were a Kaijin before, right? Who was the Doctor that modified you?”

“Uh, I don’t remember.”

“How could that be? If you haven’t quit, then your enhancements should have been done by the same person…”

Squire interrupted awkwardly.

“No, I never received any enhancements.”

“Huh? Why?”

Fran looked surprised. At Squire’s age, she obviously wasn’t a rookie Kaijin, and yet she’d never received enhancements or left the company…

Though she didn’t want to admit it, Squire explained, “As a Kaijin, my abilities were weak. With no performance, I never got a chance for enhancements.”

For a Kaijin, that was a pretty shameful thing to say.

“But if you’re not enhanced, you have no power. Without power, you can’t get results, right?” Fran asked.

“Yeah, exactly. So I’ve been stuck here.”

Squire shrugged, self-mockery laced with middle-aged resignation.

Fran tried to comfort her, “Don’t worry, Uncle. You made a big contribution this time, so it definitely counts as performance. Leave the enhancements to me!”

The elevator stopped at the Reconstruction Department floor.

The doors opened, revealing the Reconstruction Department’s Front Desk. The corridors stretched out to either side, lined with modification wards, where researchers were busy modifying, adjusting, and enhancing Kaijin.

The last time Squire was here was years ago, her first time receiving modifications. The Reconstruction Department had changed a lot since then, so it all looked unfamiliar to her.

“There sure are a lot of Security Robots in the Reconstruction Department,” she remarked.

Nearly every ward had a bodybuilder-like bionic robot stationed outside. Their appearance was truly an eyesore. A few years ago, the company didn’t have these muscle machines, but now they were everywhere, flooding the company with a banana-scorched vibe.

Fran explained,

“You know, right? Kaijin undergoing modification are prone to losing reason, succumbing to their wild side. Their abilities after modification are all over the place, and restraints can’t cover everything. Every now and then, a crazy Kaijin breaks loose, so the Reconstruction Department’s security level is very high.”

In the end, Kaijin were humans injected with non-human factors. During the tuning process, these factors would temporarily take over, then gradually be dialed down to find a balance where reason could be maintained.

Of course, the better a Kaijin’s compatibility with these factors, the stronger they tended to be.

“Sounds pretty dangerous?”

“Not dangerous! The restraint measures are upgraded too! The Technical Department’s Security Robots are constantly being updated. The Reconstruction Department is very safe!”

Hearing Fran say that, Squire’s right eyelid twitched for some reason.

She was led to a multi-purpose Checkup Room.

“Alright, uncle-little-sis, go lie down over there~”

In the middle of the not-so-large Checkup Room was a Surgical Table under an Operating Light. The walls were crammed with robotic arms and various checkup devices, filling every available inch.

“Remember to take off your clothes, including your underwear~”

“…Why do I have to strip again?”

Squire recalled the humiliation of that dreamscape, making her reluctant.

“Let me tell you, I’m not that kind of person.”

“Uncle, is your head full of junk? What are you thinking! I just want you to change into the surgical gown. That dress is way too thick—it’ll mess up the checkup results.”

So it was just changing into a surgical gown. Squire hesitated for a moment.

“Nick’s Driver, take off my clothes.”

[Understood. Disengaging clothing… complete.]

A white light swept down her body, and the black dress turned into glowing pixel blocks and vanished. Squire was instantly left bare.

“Wow, magical costume changes are so convenient~”

Fran praised as she handed over a surgical gown, but her sharp, curious gaze made Squire feel both uneasy and embarrassed.

The surgical gown was made of ultra-thin material, cool and silky like silk, yet stretchy. Though it looked like a loose pajama-style outfit, it gradually tightened after being worn, becoming form-fitting…

Looking down, the unfamiliar yet familiar contours of a girl’s body were clearly outlined beneath the surgical gown, faintly visible, giving off an indescribable… sensuality?

Squire didn’t know how to describe her embarrassment. Even though it was her own body, it felt like even glancing at it would make her explode. She didn’t even dare lower her head…

Was this really a surgical gown? It was almost worse than wearing nothing at all.

Her face turned red to the tips of her ears, but Fran explained without a care,

“Don’t worry! These disposable surgical gowns shrink with body temperature. Once they set, the color turns opaque—just like a combatant’s bodysuit.”

“Sorry to ask, but… why design it like this?”

“Think about it—Kaijin have all kinds of body shapes. Regular surgical gowns could never fit everyone, but these adaptive ones are just perfect~”

“…Let’s start the checkup.”

Thinking that cooperating would get her home sooner, Squire forced herself to lie on the Surgical Table, putting on an obedient pose.

But she never expected that this ordinary-looking Surgical Table would suddenly shoot out countless straps, locking her waist, wrists, and ankles tightly, pinning her down.

“F-Fran, Doctor, what’s going on?!”

Squire shouted in panic, but Fran replied casually,

“Don’t worry, that’s just insurance to keep Kaijin from moving during the checkup. Just lie still, it’s a non-invasive procedure—it’ll be over soon.”

Squire felt like she was being sent to the slaughterhouse, forced to watch as gentle lights swept from head to toe, the advanced sensors and scanners collecting all her body data and displaying it on the panel before Fran.

The whole process was painless, which helped Squire relax a little.

“Your body is very healthy, extremely healthy…”

Fran spoke words of praise, but her brows furrowed slightly.

“But I didn’t get any data on your original body… Uncle, you’re now just a pure, cute, innocent girl, you know?”

Even being complimented didn’t make Squire happy.

After all, this wasn’t her real body.

“Is there really no way to change back?”

“If we want to figure out what happened to you, the only clue is this Transformation Belt… It came from World Tree Technology’s lab?”

Fran pulled out two data cables and a handheld drill.

“I want to drill two holes in its casing and connect inside to see the principles and structure.”

Nick’s Driver used a fully integrated casing, with no visible ports on its surface.

“Drill holes? Wait, don’t rush… Nick’s Driver, do you have any ports?”

Squire didn’t want to damage the belt—it was her only hope to return to normal. Since she could communicate with the belt, maybe there was a gentler way.

Nick’s Driver’s emotionless voice sounded in her mind.

[Nick’s Driver is a data black box. No external access ports are reserved.]

“Then how did the World Tree Technology researchers debug you?”

[No external debugging required. I possess autonomous learning and evolution capabilities.]

Fran was already itching to use her drill, so Squire tried again:

“Then you better figure out a way to make a port. Nick’s Driver, do you see what that lady’s holding? If you don’t cooperate, you’re about to have some tragic holes drilled into your casing.”

[…This could be dangerous,] Nick’s Driver warned.

“If this keeps up, you’re the one in danger.”

Nick’s Driver fell silent for several seconds. Then, two ports appeared at the top of its white casing.

“Wow, you can talk directly to the Transformation Belt? Nice job!”

Putting down her drill, Fran eagerly grabbed the two data cables and prepared to plug them into Nick’s Driver. She wanted to see what secrets this mysterious Transformation Belt was hiding.

“Wait a second, Doctor Fran.”

Before connecting, Squire couldn’t help but warn,

“This is too risky. We should have the Technical Department check it first.”

“Relax! The Reconstruction Department is just as good as the Technical Department. We have an independent, secure internal network and the latest firewalls. Even if the belt has a virus…”

While boasting, she unhesitatingly plugged the two data cables into Nick’s Driver.

The next instant, the nearby equipment burst into sharp crackles, sparks flying, electricity arcing everywhere. The Operating Light above couldn’t handle the overload and exploded. The whole lab filled with the pungent smell of burning electronics.

Fran stood frozen, her unfinished sentence still hanging from her lips.

“…There’s absolutely no way anything could go wrong.”