“Give me your name already, damnit,” Katyusha demanded in a wary tone.
“...My name…is Leopoldine.” The Voice confirmed. A door which wasn't there before had opened, and slowly stepping out of it was a pale girl with purple hair and cyan eyes, a smirk spreading across her features. She wore a black, white, red and blue uniform, the same legendary colors worn by the royalty of the old Excelsior Empire. She kept taking slow steps forward until she stopped right in front of Katyusha.
“Now that I've gotten the information I needed from you,” Leopoldine continued. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I know about your plan to create, as Esther told me, ‘artificial humans’.”
Katyusha flinched at this revelation, her eyes widening as she parted her lips to speak, only for Leopoldine to shush her with a gloved finger. “Shhhh…I wasn't finished talking, General. Anyways, I'm one of the head scribes for the Invocation Organization, and we have plans of our own to create artificial beings.”
"Wait a moment," Katyusha interjected, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the strange girl standing in front of her. "Invocation Organization?"
Leopoldine smirked and slowly nodded, her eyes never leaving Katyusha. "That's right. The Invocation Organization has been working for years to perfect the science of creating artificial beings. We have our own methods and our own goals.
Katyusha clenched her fists, frustrated at Leopoldine's casual taunt. "You think this is a game, do you? You and your Invocation friends are playing with fire, and it's going to burn you."
Leopoldine shrugged. "We've gotten this far without burning ourselves. And trust me, we have resources you could only dream of.”
Katyusha raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Oh really? Like what?”
Leopoldine let a smug grin grace her face as she answered. “Well, it was we who built the Excelsior 4000, the largest and tallest structure humanity has ever built with our current technology. It reaches 4 kilometers into the skies above, which makes the tallest skyscraper in the world, the Hilja Ar-da, look like an atom by comparison. It's even taller than Mount Suijin is in Ōkuninushi. The base of the tower is 6 kilometers wide just to support the astronomical weight from above. The darn thing is so huge that even the weather patterns get disrupted. How's that for your answer?”
Katyusha took in all the information, her skepticism only growing as she inquired, “Well how much did it cost to build that, is my question.”
Leopoldine felt a sweat drop of nervousness trail down her forehead from the question, her grin faltering a tad. “Well, um… Admittedly, as laughable as the IDEA of building it was, the COST of building it was equally laughably expensive. We were expecting it to cost roughly 500 billion Sunstones…but in the end it cost us 1.4 TRILLION Sunstones.”
Katyusha blinked, not uttering a word as she processed that. “That's bigger than the entire GDP of my home country.”
“Kamagiri, right?”
“Right. But how did the Invocation Organization pay for that, where did they get all that money from?”
Leopoldine chuckled, her smug aura still apparent as she responded. “We have many sources of funding, but our greatest source comes from donations from our followers. You’d be surprised how many people are loyal to us. But enough about that. What's important is your interest in our project.”
Katyusha's expression hardened as Leopoldine switched the subject to her own plans. “Yes, tell me more about this project of yours.”
Leopoldine cleared her throat and crossed her arms, explaining the Organization's plan, a smirk on her face.
“Well, I'm positive you're aware of the Aranaki, who are created by the negative emotions of living beings. However, they are a product of a much more malicious entity. There is a mysterious organization that thrives off of the suffering of humanity. The members of this organization are named Archons. The Archons get all of their power from the negative emotions of humans, so they do everything they can to farm misery from us. As a threat to our world, we initiated the Organization, the members of which are special humans who use a practice known as "Invoking", and these special people are known as "Invokers". Invokers can call upon the powerful souls of other individuals to fight against the Archons, with the catch being that the soul in question must resonate with that of the Invoker's. The soul that an Invoker summons will be placed into an artificial body that is so realistic, it is impossible to distinguish these vessels from actual humans. We will name these vessels ‘Sculpti’, ‘Sculpta’ for singular.”
Katyusha's mind whirled with the information, trying to process the enormity of the organization and their goals. This was more than she had bargained for, but she remained guarded, her face betraying nothing.
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"So you're telling me," she finally replied, her voice steady, "that the Invocation Organization is attempting to create artificial beings with the souls of other individuals, and their ultimate goal is to defeat these Archons?”
Leopoldine nodded slowly, a sly smile on her face. "That's correct. We call these artificial beings 'Sculpti'. They're essentially human vessels that house the souls of powerful individuals from history or the supernatural."
Katyusha raised an eyebrow. "And you think these 'Sculpti' can combat the Archons?”
"We have reason to believe so," Leopoldine replied. "The Archons thrive on negative emotions, and the Sculpti will not be susceptible to these same emotions. They will be more focused, more powerful. They will be able to fight the Archons on equal footing.”
Katyusha's mind was whirling with questions and doubts. She didn't trust the Invocation Organization, and she certainly didn't believe in this project. But she knew better than to show her cards.
"And you've been working on this project for how long, exactly?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.
Leopoldine's smile widened as she answered. "Oh, it's been a work in progress for years. We've been gathering souls and refining our technology bit by bit. But we've hit a few roadblocks recently, which is why I look to you for some assistance.”
Katyusha's interest was piqued. "Roadblocks, you say? What kind of roadblocks?”
Leopoldine's expression darkened a bit as she replied. "We've encountered some... difficulties in transferring souls to the artificial bodies. It's proven more challenging than we anticipated, and we're still trying to figure out how to make the process more successful.”
Katyusha's face remained stoic, but inside she was intrigued. It was clear that the Invocation Organization was not as flawless as they pretended to be. Maybe she could use this information to her advantage.
Leopoldine saw the flicker of interest in Katyusha's eyes and smirked. "I can see the wheels turning in your head, General. You're wondering how this information can benefit you, aren't you?”
Katyusha raised an eyebrow, annoyed that the purple-haired girl could read her so easily. "I'm just trying to understand the situation," she replied coolly.
Leopoldine chuckled softly, enjoying this game of wits. "Of course you are. And I can see that you're skeptical of our organization. But let me assure you, we're not your enemies. In fact, we could be powerful allies.”
Katyusha's eyes narrowed. "And why should I trust you? Your organization is messing with forces beyond your understanding, playing God. How do I know you won't just use your Sculpti for your own selfish gains?”
Leopoldine's smirk turned into a genuine smile. She could respect Katyusha's caution, her loyalty to her own cause. "I completely understand your skepticism, General. And I respect your loyalty to your Army."
"But let me assure you, our primary concern is the safety of humanity. We're not interested in power or domination. We simply want to ensure that the Archons can never manipulate humanity again. And as for the Sculpti, we're not creating them for our own gain.”
Katyusha wasn't fully convinced, but she knew she needed more information. She took a deep breath and decided to play along, for now.
"Fine. Let's say I believe you, and I find this information useful. What do you want in return?”
Leopoldine's smile widened again, pleased that Katyusha was engaging with her. "I'm glad you see the value in our project. What I want is simple: a partnership. We provide you with our knowledge and technology, and in return, we ask for your help. Your forces, your resources, your influence. We need access to your facilities, your scientists, your soldiers. Together, we can make this project succeed.”
Katyusha thought about it, weighing the pros and cons of this offer. On one hand, she was wary of the potential dangers of working with the Invocation Organization. On the other hand, she saw the potential benefit of having access to their resources and technology.
"And what guarantee do I have that you won't betray me or stab me in the back?" she asked.
Leopoldine's expression softened slightly. "We have no intention of betraying you, General. We need your help to make this project work, and we're willing to provide you with access to the full scope of our resources and intelligence. We're not looking to deceive or manipulate you. We're looking to work together, as partners. Can you trust me on that?”
Katyusha studied Leopoldine's face closely, searching for any signs of deceit or deception. But the purple-haired girl's expression remained steady and sincere. Finally, she made up her mind.
"All right," she said. "I'll cooperate with you. But I have one condition.”
Leopoldine's eyes glimmered with curiosity. "And what's that, General?”
Katyusha leaned forward, her eyes hard and resolute. "I want access to all the information you have on this project. Your research, your notes, everything. I want to know everything there is to know about the souls you're extracting, the technology behind the Sculpti, and your plans for deployment. No secrets, no half-truths. I want full and complete transparency.”
Leopoldine considered this request for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Very well. You have my word that you will have access to all of our information. We'll give you everything you need to know about the souls we've extracted and the technology behind the Sculpti. You can examine our research, speak to our scientists and engineers, and observe our operations firsthand. We have nothing to hide from you, General.”
Katyusha felt a grudging respect for Leopoldine growing within her. The purple-haired girl was keeping her promises, at least for now.
"That's good to hear," she said. "I'll hold you to your word. But understand this: if I find out that you've been hiding anything from me, or if you betray me in any way, I will not hesitate to take action. Is that clear?”
Leopoldine nodded. "Crystal clear, General. We want this partnership to work just as much as you do. We're not interested in deception or treachery. We want a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with you and your forces.”
Katyusha studied Leopoldine for a moment longer, then gave a small nod of acceptance. "Alright then. We have a deal. But I'll be watching you closely, Leopoldine. Don't give me a reason to doubt your integrity.”
Leopoldine smirked. "I wouldn't expect anything less, General. Rest assured, you have my full cooperation and transparency. We'll work together to make this project a success, and to protect humanity from the threats we face.”
Katyusha nodded, satisfied with the agreement they had reached. "Good. We'll begin exchanging information and accessing your resources as soon as possible. I'll send a team to your facility within the week to oversee the partnership.”
"Excellent," Leopoldine replied with a smile. "We'll prepare everything for your arrival. And I'll make sure that our scientists and engineers are available to answer any questions and provide any information you need.”
"I appreciate that," Katyusha said, standing up from her chair. "I'll be in touch soon. And remember, I'm watching you. Don't do anything that might make me reconsider our partnership.”
Leopoldine stood up as well, her trademark sly smile returning on her face. "I wouldn't dream of it, General. I have nothing but the highest regards for our partnership. You have my word that everything will proceed smoothly from here on out.”
Katyusha nodded, still wary of the purple-haired girl, but willing to give this partnership a chance. "Very well. Until we meet again, Leopoldine.”
Leopoldine gave a small bow. "Until next time, General. I look forward to our continued cooperation.”
Katyusha nodded curtly, then turned and walked out of the room, her mind already working on how to make the most of this tentative partnership.
Leopoldine watched her go, a smile still playing on her lips. She was pleased with how the meeting had gone, and she looked forward to working with Katyusha and hery forces. She was confident that, together, they would be able to make the Invocation Organization's project a success.