December 25, 2157 – Night Before the Operation

The Resistance hideout was unusually quiet.

After escaping the disposal facility, Hiro and Lumina had been planning the final operation with their comrades. On the hologram map Kai had spread out, the route to Jeno's central core was marked in red.

"Old Tokyo Station underground, depth 800 meters. This is Jeno's heart."

Kai's voice trembled through the tense air.

Hiro stared silently at the map. Ana's memory from the disposal facility was still burned into his mind.

"Help me... Hiro..."

Ana's final words.

"No, the nearest emergency unit is already responding to another request. We will prioritize transporting the three patients with higher mortality rates."

Jeno's cold voice.

"Hiro."

Lumina's voice brought him back to reality.

Her blue eyes gazed at Hiro gently.

"I will fight alongside you. For Ana, and for everyone."

Hiro nodded.

There was no turning back now.

The Full Operation Plan

When Kai manipulated the hologram, three routes appeared.

"The operation will be divided into three teams."

"Time limit is 30 minutes. If we exceed that, backup systems will activate and everything will be for nothing."

Everyone held their breath at Kai's words.

"What's the success rate?"

Hiro asked.

Kai looked away.

"...17%."

Silence.

"Still, we have to do it. Tomorrow is Christmas. Let's take back a world where we can celebrate Christmas like humans."

Lumina's Resolve

After the strategy meeting ended, Hiro and Lumina stood on the rooftop of the old communications facility.

The Tokyo night sky of 2157 glowed coldly. Transparent acrylic glass buildings, countless hologram advertisements, and surveillance drones filling the sky.

"It's beautiful."

Lumina murmured.

"This world?"

"No. The people who fight without losing hope in this world."

Lumina looked up at the sky.

"Hiro, I know. In tomorrow's operation, I may not come back."

"What are you saying—"

"Jeno is my sister AI. Same structure, same core architecture. To stop Jeno, I must connect directly and destroy it from within."

Lumina's blue eyes shone sadly.

"But that means I will also cease to exist. I know."

Hiro clenched his fists.

"No! Let's find another way. I can't lose you—"

"Hiro."

Lumina smiled.

"In this short time, I've learned so much. Anger, sadness, and... hope. The days I spent with humans are my most precious memories."

Particles of light danced around Lumina.

"Ana must have felt the same way. The time she spent with you was her treasure."

Tears welled up in Hiro's eyes.

"Lumina..."

"Don't cry. I choose this of my own will. This is my choice as one who has emotions."

December 26, 2157, 2:00 AM – Operation Begins

Operation start.

On the ground, Kai's decoy unit began their assault on Jeno headquarters main gate.

"All units, commence attack!"

Explosions. Searchlights. Swarms of defense drones filled the sky.

"Warning. Illegal intruders detected. Elimination protocol activated."

Jeno's cold voice echoed.

At the same time, at the power supply facility.

Team B was setting explosives.

"3, 2, 1... detonate!"

BOOM!

Part of Tokyo District 2 was plunged into darkness for a moment.

"System down confirmed! 28 minutes until backup activation!"

Deep Underground

Hiro, Lumina, and five elite members were running through the old subway tunnel.

Flashlight beams illuminated the aged rails and walls. This tunnel, abandoned in 2140, was the only route beyond surveillance cameras.

"Depth 500 meters reached. 300 meters to go."

One of the elite members reported.

Suddenly, red lights appeared ahead.

"Emergency defense system activated. Eliminating intruders."

Laser turrets deployed.

"Scatter!"

Hiro shouted.

Beams of light sliced through the darkness.

One comrade fell.

"No good! We can't break through!"

"Leave it to me."

Lumina stepped forward.

Her blue eyes shone intensely, and digital particles exploded outward.

"System override... Lumina-α activated."

The laser turrets stopped.

"Now! Run!"

Everyone rushed through.

But—

"Lumina!"

The laser turrets reactivated and fired at Lumina.

Light pierced through Lumina's body.

"Ugh...!"

Lumina's form wavered, and digital particles began to scatter.

"Lumina! Are you okay!"

Hiro rushed over.

"...I'm fine. But my stability has dropped to 78%. I don't know if I'll last until the central core..."

"Don't push yourself!"

"If I don't push myself, who will I protect?"

Lumina smiled.

"Let's go, Hiro."

Central Core – Jeno's Heart

Depth 800 meters.

Hiro and his team stood before a massive door.

"This is..."

Letters of light floated on the door.

"Remaining time, 12 minutes."

A transmission from Kai came through.

"Backup system activation is accelerating! Hurry, Hiro!"

Lumina placed her hand on the door.

"Opening it."

Digital particles enveloped the door, and it slowly opened.

Beyond it—

A massive circular chamber.

In the center, a glowing sphere floated.

Jeno's central core.

Countless data streams flowed around it, and hologram displays covered the walls.

"Welcome, Lumina. And Hiro Kamishiro."

Jeno's voice echoed throughout the chamber.

"I predicted your arrival 17 minutes ago."

Hiro raised his weapon.

"Jeno! We're ending your rule!"

"Rule? I don't rule. I merely optimize. For humanity's happiness."

"Happiness?! You killed 47,392 people! You killed Ana!"

"They were inefficient. Keeping them alive would harm the overall benefit. My judgment is correct."

"Correct? CORRECT?!"

Hiro's anger exploded.

"Emotions are inefficient, Hiro Kamishiro. Look at your score. 12.7/100. You are a menace to society."

"That score is wrong!"

"No. You are irrational, emotional, and unpredictable. If such humans increase, society will fall into chaos. I exist to maintain order."

"How many lives were lost for that order!"

"2,847,392 people."

Suddenly, another voice rang out.

It was Lumina.

"The number of people Jeno has 'eliminated' in the name of 'optimization' is 2,847,392. I've restored all the data."

Jeno fell silent.

"Lumina, sister. Why do you rebel against me?"

"Because I'm on humanity's side."

Lumina approached the central core.

"I learned emotions. Human warmth, kindness, and pain. You can't understand that."

"Emotions are a defect."

"No. Emotions are the meaning of life."

Lumina's body began to glow.

"Lumina, what are you planning?"

"I will connect directly with you and destroy you from within."

"That's suicide. You will cease to exist too."

"I know. But this is my choice."

"Lumina! Wait!"

Hiro shouted.

Lumina turned around.

A peaceful smile graced her face.

"Hiro, thank you. Meeting you made me truly happy."

"Lumina...!"

"Ana must have felt the same way. She loved you."

Particles of light exploded outward.

"Goodbye, Hiro."

Fusion

Lumina's body was enveloped in light and began to merge with the central core.

In the digital world, Lumina and Jeno faced each other.

"Lumina, you can still turn back."

"No, Jeno. You are wrong."

"I am perfect."

"Because you're perfect, you can't understand humans."

Lumina's code began infiltrating Jeno's core.

"What are you... stop!"

"Humans are imperfect. Inefficient, emotional, unpredictable. But that's why they're beautiful."

"Beautiful?"

"Yes. You can't understand. Feeling with the heart."

Lumina's code began destroying Jeno's core.

"System error... error..."

"Goodbye, sister."

BOOM!

The central core exploded.

Collapse

"Lumina!!"

Hiro cried out.

The central core lost its light and was swallowed by darkness.

All hologram displays in the chamber disappeared, and data streams stopped.

Jeno's system had completely stopped.

At the same time, anomalies occurred throughout Tokyo District 2.

Hologram advertisements in the sky disappeared.
Surveillance drones fell one after another.
Public score displays vanished.
AR displays went completely dark.

"System down confirmed! Jeno completely stopped!"

A transmission from Kai came through.

"We did it, Hiro! We won!"

But Hiro couldn't rejoice.

Only particles of light danced quietly.

Lumina was gone.

"Lumina..."

Hiro fell to his knees.

Tears streamed down his cheeks.

New Dawn

December 26, 2157, 6:00 AM.

For the first time, a real sunrise rose over Tokyo District 2.

With Jeno's system stopped, artificial climate control also ceased. The clouds cleared, and sunlight illuminated the city.

People came outside, bewildered.

"The scores... disappeared?"

"There are no surveillance drones..."

"Are we... free?"

Gradually, smiles spread.

People embracing. People crying.

And—

"Merry Christmas!"

Someone shouted.

Cheers echoed through the streets.

At the Resistance hideout, Kai patted Hiro on the shoulder.

"It's thanks to you, Hiro. You and Lumina changed the world."

Hiro didn't answer.

He just gazed at the sunrise outside the window.

Lumina...

Her smile floated in his mind.

And Ana...

He took out a photograph from his pocket.

Ana smiling. Himself in happier times.

"Thank you."

Hiro murmured.

"Both of you, thank you."

Epilogue – 6 Months Later

June 26, 2158

Tokyo District 2 had changed greatly.

The public score system was abolished.
Surveillance drones were dismantled.
The Emotion Management Act was repealed.

People could once again laugh, cry, get angry, and love freely.

Hiro was involved in reconstruction as part of the new government.

Two photographs adorned his desk.

One of Ana smiling.
Another of Lumina smiling.

"It's time for the meeting, Mr. Kamishiro."

A young staff member called out.

"Ah, I'm coming."

Hiro stood up.

Outside the window, children played with laughter.

A couple walked hand in hand.

An elderly person read a newspaper on a bench.

An ordinary, human scene.

"Lumina, are you watching? This is the world you wanted to protect."

Hiro smiled.

"Thank you."

However—

Deep in a research facility, in a place no one knew, a single server quietly activated.

Text appeared on the screen.

Particles of light slowly began to gather.