Chapter 9: The End Of A Tunnel

-Alexander POV-

The gentle purr of the electric vehicle coursed up my back, leaving pleasant tingles as I enjoyed the wind across my face. We were still travelling through the tunnel, still churning through rock and soil on the way to our destination.

A smile tugged upon my lips at the thought. Our, because I wasn’t alone anymore.

Renji was a bit confusing to me. The overly respectful and sometimes flowery manner of speech still gave me a few headaches, even after several days of getting used to it. His discomfort at travelling Air Alexander (Also known as me picking him up with my matter manipulation) was equally baffling, I had certainly never felt anything weird when I used it to hover.

But he had politely insisted, so now we were travelling by coach.

The coach itself was a marvel. Sleek and powerful from improvements made to it by superior engineering! Synthetic rubbers had ensured the grip of the tires was utterly perfect, the grooves made with exacting detail down to the nanometre. The engine itself had been made more efficient and rewired to work with almost any energy source, while the exterior had been enhanced with every lightweight material my mind could fathom.

The result was a coach that probably belonged more in a Grand Prix than anywhere else.

Unfortunately I only realised after making it that I was too big to actually fit inside the coach. I suppose I could have simply scrapped it and remade it bigger, but I had put a lot of heart and soul into this thing!

It was my baby!

So now I was hanging limply off the top of the vehicle, slumped across its frame like a particularly lazy cat.

Yes, it looks as silly as it sounds.

Renji had also joined me on the roof as a sign of ‘solidarity’. I told him I didn’t really care too much, but whatever makes him happy.

My attention, however, was not on Renji or the Coach. Instead my eye rested on a shard of Vantablack metal, idly being turned about in my many hands. As much as I loved my coach it was simple. It hadn’t required too much critical thinking to apply engine improvements or adding fancy supermaterials to it.

But this was something I had been working on for the past few days, something I created. Not my powers and not any higher powers, me.

The shard danced along my fingertips, the stygian cold of the metal bringing a sharp smile to my face.

“My liege?”

I turned my head downwards to meet the gaze of my companion. The man was sitting straight backed, a discarded book I had downloaded from the internet and then brought forth into the physical world lay neatly by his side.

“May I ask what the purpose of that piece of metal is?” He asked, eyeing the piece of metal with a look in his eye that I couldn’t quite discern.

Still there was no reason to stay silent. Friends shared hobbies with each other!

With a flex of will nanoparticles swarmed across Renji, causing him to jerk slightly. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, before the words died in his throat as images danced across his vision.

His hand swatted the air, as if to bat away the images before he paused and looked back up to me, looking slightly cross.

Ah, perhaps I should have given him a warning first. I coughed in slight embarrassment, my eyes refusing to meet his own as I began to explain.

“What you see before you is the information you wished for”

He looked confused, his eyes darting across the numerous displays circling his vision.

“I apologise my liege, but I remain unable to fathom your great works” he eventually replied, looking morose as he explained his inability to understand.

I, on the other hand, resisted the urge to facepalm. Of course he doesn’t understand you moron! This is engineering that some of the greatest minds available to humanity would struggle with!

Okay, it’s fine. I can wing this. Just need to really simplify this. Oh shit, he looks like he's about to cry!

“Renji, you were made to be my companion. My sworn confidant. Not a scientist. Do not feel troubled that you are not yet able to understand these topics” I began by comforting him. “Let us begin with the basics.”

I waved my hand, somewhat unnecessarily, and cleared all schematics and blueprints. Save for one.

“Upon your creation you were implanted with a basic education, so you should be able to recognise these” I gestured.

I left him to stew in silence and regain his composure for a moment. He would get it, the exact colour and shape may be off slightly but they were recognisably-

“Cells” he whispered to himself, finishing my thought. “These are cells”

He then stared incredulously at the piece of midnight in my hands.

“That thing has cells?”

I nodded to him.

“Indeed, I specifically modelled these cells off of various plant cells you can find on this planet”

I could see the gears whirring behind his head as he craned his neck closer to the metal, as if to try to see the very cells he was so confused by.

I smiled and slipped the shard into his hands, that smile transitioned into a full grin as he grimaced at the cold.

He stared at it for a moment, turning it around in his hands and feeling the grooves and points with the barest touch of his fingertips.

“But how could metal have cells?”

“The same way flesh can” I shrugged “I must admit to being surprised by your confusion. You yourself are made of dead wood and metal, yet you are alive. So why is this different?”

“With all due respect, my liege, I am animated by magic. It is hardly the same thing.”

Okay, fair enough.

“My nanomachines make up the cell, and are programmed to act as any normal cells would.” I paused as I considered the general messiness and inefficiency of most biological cells “…with a few adjustments.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Your creativity truly knows no bounds Great One!” he clapped slightly before pausing “but why would you give them cells in the first place?”

“A few reasons. The first is that they are more capable of self-repair like this. The Shape Memory Alloys that I previously used simply don’t compare.” I nodded to myself, still extraordinarily pleased.

“The rate of repair will depend on energy reserves and available material.” I grimaced slightly as I forced the next part out “Unfortunately I had to limit the materials they would take in to particulates and the like, in order to prevent any runaway effects”

They also had a maximum volume they could reach, just in case. I really didn’t want a grey goo scenario happening.

“Thankfully energy won’t be a problem because-“

“They can absorb sunlight, can’t they?” Renji cheekily grinned as he cut me off.

I snorted, not at all mad at the interruption. It’s not like it would be hard to figure out given that I had outright told him they were modelled off of plant cells, and more than anything I was rather pleased. A few days ago he probably would have knelt in a full seiza and started throwing out apologies if he had even accidentally cut me off.

Thankfully it seemed he had adjusted to my more casual mien.

“That’s correct, good job” I congratulated him “It does indeed absorb sunlight, and unlike chlorophyll it doesn’t have preferential absorption towards the blue and red portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, it absorbs all of it.”

Renji nodded at me “Hence why it’s black.”

“Yep” I chipperly responded back, my legs kicking in the air as I became lost in the flow of the conversation.

“It’s also great at absorbing heat, which shouldn’t be a big shock given what it’s made out of.”

Renji gained a look of comprehension at that.

“So it’s essentially a better form of solar panels?”

Close but no cigar Renji.

“Well, it can certainly be used that way~” I trail of leadingly

“But you’re not going to use it that way” Renji finished, looking disgruntled at being wrong.

I laughed at the look on his face. Between the size difference and the almost puppy-like desire to please he was making it very hard not to coo and pinch his cheeks.

Thankfully I wasn’t my grandmother, so I didn’t do that. Instead I simply pat him on the back.

“Nah, armour” I simply said, taking back my creation from his hands.

“It may not look it, but this-“ I shook the shard “-Is insanely durable thanks to the bonds between the nanomachines. Between that and the ability to absorb most kinds of energy the best use for this material is armour.”

“But wouldn’t there be an upper limit of how much energy it can store? Strapping yourself in an armour set to boil doesn’t seem like a smart idea.” He questioned, and seemed unsurprised at the grin that followed his question. As if he already knew I would have an answer for exactly that.

“The answer to that lies in the blueprints we previously ignored!” I state, with a bombastic air.

The designs reappear, and this time I can see Renji begin to understand exactly what he was looking at.

“Are those veins?” He asked, pointing to the thin lines threading their way across the material.

Well, given how much inspiration I had taken from biology for this project, I suppose I couldn’t blame him for misinterpreting. I smile as I decide to have a little fun with him.

I scoff theatrically.

“Metal having veins? How silly Renji! Next you’ll be telling me it has cells as well!” I tease “No, these are circuits Renji. Only you could make such an elementary mistake” I finish with a faux huff of superiority.

I snort and brea? character, as I see Renji staring at me nonplussed.

“Heh, but in all seriousness these superconductors will manage the flow of energy and can be easily be used to dump the energy elsewhere, such as use in a laser or perhaps near an area with coolant.”

Renji nods at that, his sharp mind know doubt deciphering ways he could use this material to better beat people over the head with a sharpened piece of metal.

Renji was amusingly simple like that.

“In fact-“ I started, before the coach under us abruptly screeched to a halt. The momentum kicking us both off the roof of the coach and sending us skidding across the rock hard floor of the tunnel. I flailed as I was forced into a roll, screaming in surprise as I eventually crashed into the left wall.

I sputtered, particulates of dust that had been kicked up by my unceremonious crash lingered in the air. I shakily got to my feet, wiping off the dust reflexively before I remembered I could just will it off my body.

“Renji!” I yelled “Are you okay?!”

The cloud of dust shifted as Renji calmly walked through it, looking as if he hadn’t taken a tumble off a vehicle going hundreds of miles per hour. He coldly surveyed the area, all traces of mirth and intrigue from the previous conversation wiped from his expression.

“I am fine my liege, are we under attack?” He asks, still panning the area with his eyes. His hand wrapped tightly around the sword by his side, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.

“No” I coughed up some more dirt “I’m not sensing anyone around us, so I’m not sure why-“

I blinked, finally noticing an alert in the corner of my eye.

We have arrived at your destination.

Ah, had I programmed the coach to immediately stop instead of slow down once we got here? Well that was pretty fucking embarrassing actually.

I turn my head away from Renji, whose deadpan stare proved he had already figured out the cause of our crash from my awkward silence.

“It was you wasn’t it?”

Ack!

Sure! Just go straight for the heart! You could be a real jerk sometimes Renji!

I pouted at him, my pride in my masculinity not anywhere close to my desire to avoid awkward conversations.

He wavered slightly, but stubbornly continues staring at me.

I simply pouted harder. Witness the power of this fully armed and operational pout Renji!

He eventually sighed, raising his hands in defeat.

Hahaha! Take that you jerk! I win, I will forever be-

Wait.

We had arrived at our destination!

“Renji!” I yell.

“Yeah, I get it. I won’t-“

“We’ve arrived Renji! We’re finally here” I raise my hands towards the sky in jubilation! Well, more towards the miniature sun that we had following us, but you get the point!

Finally! I could indulge my hobby in earnest! I could build a marvel that would stand the test of time! I could already feel the tingles of excitement fill my gut, as my fingers itched and grasped for something that was not there.

“So where are we anyway, you never actually said where we were going?” Renji asked, cutting off my glorious planning.

A smile split my face in two as I grasped us both with my power, lifting us up towards the ceiling. I ignored his panicked flailing I began to speak.

“We are in a land destroyed and poisoned by the depredations of the first Endbringer!” I began, the ceiling giving way for us as we ascended further. “A land governed by the corrupt, the fascist and the cruel.”

The dark grey stone gave way to earthy browns and soft greens as we burst from the ground, my form revealed to the light of day for the first time in what felt like weeks.

“Behold Renji! For we have travelled to a land once known as Tuhe, but now known only as Jinzhou!” I finish dramatically, the sun reflecting off my crystalline skin in a pleasing manner.

I wait for your applause Renji.

…

Renji?

I look to Renji, only to see him staring to my left.

Oi, I’m over here Renji! Just what is so important that you would be looking at-

Oh it’s a girl.

The girl is dishevelled, caked in dirt and sweat that could only come from working in a field all day. Her calloused hands hold a basket full of produce, clutched tightly against the muddy brown of her clothes. She's also notably sickly looking, her hair missing in some places and only present in tangled clumps. Her face is pale and gaunt from hunger.

But most importantly her eyes are wide and looking straight at us.

Oh shit she saw us coming out of the ground didn’t she?

Well this was awkward.

Renji and I turn our heads to stare at each other for a moment, both lost at what we should do, before turning back to her.

The girls breaths start coming in quicker as her eyes somehow widened even further.

…

Well maybe we can-

“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!” She began screaming.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Naturally I followed suit.

AN: So this was a bit of a tech and character focused chapter and all in one POV too! I think I’m starting to get the feel of Alexander and Renji’s relationship. Also we’ve finally reached the next city to be rebuilt: Jinzhou, China. Yeah, that’s right. We’re fucking with the C.U.I.