Cultivating Anthro CEO RPG Hero Harem Reincarnation In Another World

Restoring order to the Shiroichi School was no easy task; demanding the combined efforts of Keiko, Akari, Mizuru, the [Student Council President] and CITA to quell the rampant Flying Monkey infestation.

Out of the hundreds of students, only a few had survived. Small enough for the investigation team to all gather in one classroom—those sullen and crying, confused and traumatized few—whilst they convened in a circle outside the door, in the middle of the carnage-filled hallway, to plot their next steps.

"Based on my calculations, the casualty rate is estimated to lie within the 88th and 93rd percentile," CITA said to the others, her eyes gliding across the contents of a HUD panel in front of her.

Everyone was shocked.

Mizuru slammed her fist into a locker, leaving a dent.

"No fucking way," she muttered, keeping her fist extended with a wide-eyed stare, aimed at the ground. "Nearly the whole school got wiped out, in just a few minutes."

Akari was silent, looking just as tense as the others. Earlier, while "relaxing" with Mizuru, she had stripped off her Shiroichi uniform that had become shredded when CITA was controlling her, down to her lacy black underwear. And hadn't bothered to put it back on.

Keiko grimaced, bearing an uncomfortable gaze as she crossed her arms. "Where did those things even come from? And why attack us now?"

"I don't believe for a second that those creatures were acting alone," said the [Student Council President], assuming a reverent pose across from her, his head bowed with closed eyes and hands clasped in his lap.

Then, he opened his eyes—revealing a sharp glare. 

"Someone had to be controlling them."

A moment passed with nothing else being said, as all were in quiet agreement with this sentiment; as heinous a thought as it was to even consider...

Mizuru faced the group, enraged. "But who?! And why…?!"

"CITA-san," Keiko said, casting her eyes over to where the mysterious new addition to the party was standing off all alone— bearing what she thought to be a guilty look. "During the attack, you had a strategy in place to help all of us."

Keiko's eyes then narrowed, into an incriminating glare.

"Like you knew it was going to happen."

With these words having been spoken, at once: Mizuru, the [Student Council President], and Akari all looked at Cita questioningly. 

"That's right," Mizuru said, leaning close to her face to appraise her with a suspicious squint. "Really, we don't know anything about you. You just sorta appeared out of nowhere and saved us, with all your freaky powers."

"Yeah!" Akari chimed in angrily. "You took control of my body without even asking!"

CITA was stone-faced in her responses. First, to Akari: "There was a 100% chance you would have died, had I not intervened as I did." Then, to Mizuru: "I have attended the Shiroichi School all this time—currently with the title of [Quiet Girl]. Though it is unsurprising that we have never met. Since I have taken great care to avoid detection."

Finally, she faced Keiko: 

"Indeed, I had expected an attack on the school," she said, taking on a frown. "Just not one of this magnitude." 

"How is it possible that you knew?"

"Because…" she said, trailing her words briefly with a crestfallen vibe about her. "It was not the first attack we've faced together; just one of many, with your memories being wiped shortly after each one." Ominously adding, "'back to square zero.'"

Keiko gawked. "Then that means—"

"Are you saying we've been through all this before?" the [Student Council President] asked while stepping forward, incredulous. "We've met up, like this, before—after we each started regaining our powers and memories—only to have it all taken away again?"

With everyone's eyes fixed firmly upon CITA for her answer, after a moment passed...she gave a slight but firm nod. Prompting an eruption of startled gasps and hushed chatter among their ranks.

For Keiko, it came as a revelation that things were somehow even worse than they'd initially appeared. That she hadn't just been running around like a hamster in a wheel, to acquire merit points. But more like a hamster on a wheel inside of an even bigger wheel.

A never-ending cycle of [Perfect Normality].

"But what's gonna happen to Shiroichi now?" Akari asked, breaking the contemplative silence. Planting her hands on her small hips, with a mystified expression. "I mean, it's not that much of a school if all the students are dead."

"What is even the point of this place...?" Mizuru grumbled. "With its dumb 'system' with its dumb merits, and the memory erasures."

CITA shook her head. "I cannot say for certain what the future holds."

"Still, I strongly suspect the headmaster's involvement," the student council president chimed in, stroking his chin in thought. "After an incident like this, he still wouldn't make an appearance. Or even so much as an announcement over the PA system." Then, he abruptly gawked. "Ah! Speaking of, I should check if the microphone in the council room is still functioning—to give a call to any of the survivors we might have missed."

With that, he issued a quick, polite bow—"excuse me"—before promptly taking off in a hurried jog.

"Huh? Isn't he scared at all?" Akari said, watching him go with a dumb, vacant expression, when she glimpsed Mizuru doing the same out of the corner of her eye. Only, with a noticeable glimmer in her soft, narrowed gaze and pursed lips—more reflective of yearning.

Thus, Akari became chibi again, with a sneaky mischievous snicker.

"Heh. I think I'll join him."

Mizuru turned to her sharply. "What? Why!?"

"No reason in particular! Kekeke…"

"Don't you fucking dare—"

"Teeheehee!' Akari went daintily skipping after the [Student Council President], playfully humming, as Mizuru ferociously stomped in her pursuit.

Leaving just Keiko and CITA by themselves, guarding the classroom.

"What's going on between those three?" Keiko said with an amused grin. "Though Akari-chan's always been a little crazy, so maybe it's just rubbing off."

CITA gave a tranquil smile. "You're remembering them now, aren't you?"

"A little, yeah. Only in bits and pieces." Then, at that moment Keiko's face lit up as it dawned on her: "you've known us from before we lost our memories."

"Heh. Well aren't you 'quick as a whip,'" CITA answered, beaming.

Suddenly, she took Keiko gently by the hands—as it was, through this very gesture, that a major piece of the enduring secret of CITA's identity was immediately revealed to her.

"Your hands…" Keiko uttered, thrown into confusion. "They're...so cold. Like—"

"Metal," CITA said, finishing her thought. "In my truest form, I do not inhabit a body made of flesh and blood. Regardless, I want to say I am still human, though I am still technically more similar to artificial intelligence."

Keiko, setting aside her initial surprise at this discovery, made a thoughtful grin. "From my perspective, it's either one or the other."

However, as CITA would go on to explain whilst the two stood across from each other in the hall, leaning back against the locker rows, her own story was far more complicated…

Starting, first, with how she'd been created, in comparison with the other artificial intelligences that existed in the world of Nirvana had been: shopkeepers in towns, [School Janitors] and the like—all developed to serve a specific function, with woefully inadequate capabilities in any areas that extended beyond it. 

The main differences being, that, unlike their simplistic designs, which were perfectly suitable for the simple tasks they were intended to perform...

"I was designed to protect this world and its people," CITA said proudly. "Gifted with that which is sorely lacking in most artificial intelligences''—she gave a brief, dramatic pause as she shut her eyes, then widely opened them again—"that is, a capacity for learning."

"And you chose to save us, at the cost of all the other students," Keiko said.

CITA nodded, sorrow filling her eyes—for it had not been an easy choice to make, even for a half-machine. "Because I believe that, with all five of us working together, we can bring a stop to what's happening, here, in the Shiroichi School."

"Not like we have a choice," Keiko said, throwing her head back with a sigh. "If we chose to stay here, we'd be sitting ducks for whoever's in charge."

"'Sitting ducks!'" CITA exclaimed, her eyes glowing with excitement.

It made Keiko smile, thinking she looked cute. "Heh. I've noticed you have a thing for idioms. Things like 'raining cats and dogs.'"

"Yes, yes! I'm always looking to add more to my memory banks!"

"You haven't lost any memories?"

She shook her head quickly. "I have, in a technical sense. Countless times. But thankfully, my programming keeps regular backups, so the effect is thus negated."

Concerning the whole memory erasure element of their current predicament: the more Keiko thought about it, the more questions it raised in her mind. Not just about how it was done, or why, but how it was supposed to work. What with her having been able to "accidentally" recall a sliver of her supposedly erased past, then go on to inspire the same to occur in others.

Whatever "memory deletion" procedure was being used on the students of the Shiroichi School, it most certainly had a few kinks to it.

"For now, everyone should rest a bit," she said, reaching for the knob on the door of the classroom where the other surviving students were being holed up. "After, we'll head upstairs to pay the headmaster a visit."

CITA looked notably hesitant for a moment, then returned a brave-faced nod.

Then, just as Keiko pushed on the door…

A voice could be heard coming in through the PA speakers, crackling with feedback:

"Hello! This is Tadaaki Tajiri, your student council president speaking.. If anyone is still out there, for your own safety I ask that you please report to the council room. As soon as possible!"