• There were two sisters who were renowned as the greatest swordsmiths in the kingdom. No matter who challenged them, none could make a finer sword.
• One day, a wandering bard visited their home. He sang with a voice so beautiful that the gods wept to hear it, and both sisters fell deeply in love with the kind and gallant skald.
• Each of them set about making the most magnificent sword, so that they might win his love. But their bitter rivalry led them to make only dull and brittle blades.
• Seeing their discord, the skald offered to take both of them as his brides. With their rivalry ended, together the sisters crafted this magnificent sword and named it Skald's Song.

• In a cold land to the north, there lived two sisters who loved each other very much. They made their living as blacksmiths and owned a little workshop in the village. One day, they were working hard as usual when a villager ran in, and told them that their mother - who had been missing since they were little – had been found!
• The sister’s mother was trapped inside a glacier on the top of a mountain, as beautiful as the day she disappeared. The sisters tried to destroy the glacier, but none of their smithing tools could make any impression on the iron-hard glacial ice.
• When nothing else showed any sign of working, one of the sisters said, "Sister, what about one of our swords?" So they took their finest creation, Skald’s Song, and swung it at the glacier. As the blade touched the ice, there was a mighty explosion and the sisters found themselves in the loving arms of their long lost mother.
• "How you’re both grown!" Their mother had survived inside the glacier for all that time. The sisters cried tears of joy and talked so their mother for days on end. When they finally got up to leave, their mother made no attempt to stop them. They were, after all, smiths who commanded fire.

• The two sisters were a perfect pair of walking mannequins. In no way could you tell they were mechanical. State of the art technology gave them the gift of life, of laughter, of joy, of satisfaction. But, they could not cry. They were never meant to cry.
• Being mere dolls, they could not feel. They could be sad, but not feel sadness. Sadness was unknowable to them. Even the death of a loved one. Even as their creator succumbed to disease, they felt nothing. As if their creator had just disappeared from the face of the earth.
• One warm spring day, a stray cat approached and greeted them. Covered in scars, riddled with disease and thin as a rail, they took it in, and cared for it. "Ah, what a fuss." Their tender care rejuvenated it, and in time regained it health. From that day on, that cat became a fixture in their daily lives. Every day, it would beg for food, affection, and praise.
• Winter's cold blew into the house as it staggered in from outside. With a weak meow, the cat's strength slipped, and it fell limply to the floor. The younger shook it again and again. The elder called for it again and again. But in the end, not a single cry, not a single response came. Something in the twins, something deep in their hearts, broke. And from that day on, they felt nothing at all.

• A visitor? Ah, yes. Come hear the song, then. The innkeeper and her daughter will greet you warmly. Their food and drink is without compare, and the girl is a feast for the eyes.
• The girl's song is the best thing about the place. A single listen will drive all your troubles away. Did you know she has a sister? Ah, if only they sang a duet...
• Welcome back, traveler! It's been a while. Come to see the girls again? You certainly do like them! It's been decades since I first told you of them, and yet here you are again.
• What's that, traveler? You wonder why the girls never age? Ha ha ha! Those are the children of the girls you once knew! Surely you didn't think they were immortal! ...Did you?

• Didja get lost, sir? Well, I'm sorry to hear that... A scholar, ya say? How excellent! This village has a fine library. I wager you'll like it very much.
• There's a kind and beautiful lady what keeps the library runnin'. She loves them books, she does. Spends all day copyin' tomes to make sure they ain't lost to time.
• But such beauty can be deadly! Aye, her twin sister sings by the village fountain, and she'll have yer head on a plate if ya make false moves on the librarian.
• Those twins protect the village, they do... Eh? Since when? Oh, I couldn't say for sure. Long and longer still. I reckon they'll probably do so until the end of time.

In the beginning, there was only light and sound.

....n.....

The voice continued, slowly, flowing steadily.

...task execution...default...port

She realized that the light and sound were part of a phenomenon called awakening. But she only understood this after the fact, as the extent of her consciousness grew.

As basic data was written in the innermost regions of her memory, she felt her cognitive processes growing stronger and stronger.

Popola.

Someone called her name. She felt happy, proud. She answered as best as she could, trembling with joy.

Voice recognition and speech functions are normal.

There definitely was a person. Popola got up and looked for whom the voice belonged to. There was a man wearing a white outfit. He must be a scientist. The one who created me, an android being?

Popola stood up and gazed at her surroundings, wondering if there might be other people around. The room was about 200 cubic meters in size. There were numerous equipment lined up in the room, but no one else in sight.

Bodily function connected, nervous system stabilized.

The man was talking to a rectangular machine. The words "audio recording" came to her mind.

He ordered her to sit down which she did, but she couldn't help but be curious about what was going on in this room.

Creations of mankind... I want to touch them. I want to learn more about them. What could this be? What about this? Or—

The man asked the fidgety Popola questions in a terse manner. About humans, about time, about androids, about white birds, about death... It was like... yes, like a poem, a mysterious dialogue.

Confirmation of self-awareness and logical thoughts.

The man then proceeded to install additional data. All the information she was so eager to learn was written at once. A huge amount of records about her beloved humans...however...

The back of her throat trembled on its own. She realized, belatedly, that she had just screamed out of fear.

People turning to salt. The end of the world. A red-eyed monster. A spreading disease. Screams. Flames. Lamentations. Scorched earth.

What is it? Who is it? Where is it? What happened? What's wrong? What is wrong? What should I do?

She let out all the questions that came at once. The man continued to work silently. Just when she thought she couldn't take it any longer, one bit of data file caught her attention and instantly dissipated her confusion and fear.

Souls. Vessels. Purification. A black book. A white book.

She understood everything. She felt ridiculous for being so frightened, for underestimating the wisdom of mankind.

"The Gestalt Project..."

When she said it out loud, those words made her heart flutter. A plan to wipe out the plague covering the earth, and to make it a paradise for humans again. She was manufactured to be its "observer".

"Ah. A noble task, isn't it?” said the man. “But it will take many years to complete."

"I understand."

It was a far-reaching project that will take hundreds, if not thousands, of years to complete. It would not be easy, but it would lead to a glorious future. She was thrilled, boiling with passion.

"Is that so?" said the man as a somewhat distorted smile appeared on his lips. Popola tilted her head.

What is the meaning of behind his expression?

It was not until much later that Popola realized that it was an expression called a wry smile.

"At least you have a companion to make up for it."

To make up for it? What does that mean? Once again, the answer to that question would come much, much later.

The man opened a door and led Popola to the adjacent room. She kept thinking about the meaning of the word "companion". One who accompanies. One who accompanies...

The room also had various equipment, with a bunk bed in the center. A person was lying there: an android with red hair and the same face as hers.

"Her name is Devola," the man said.

Something warm spreads deep in her chest.

Devola. Her companion. Whatever happens, she will not let go of her hand. It will be a long journey.

Popola smiled quietly at the sleeping Devola.

These twins lived a fairly easy life out in a frontier village. They spent their days at peace, singing songs, reading books, and what not. Until one day, they started to question their relationship.

The elder sister thought, "If I didn't have a twin, I wouldn't have to run all her stupid errands! Why, oh why, did I have to be born a twin?"

The younger sister thought, "If I didn't have a twin, I wouldn't have to make excuses for all her drunken rampages! Why, oh why, did I have to be born a twin?"

However, when it came time for the twins to part ways, they realized something. In order to survive in a cold, lonely world, family is what makes the time pass easier.

He's awake. Now we're to monitor him for the rest of his life. That is our duty for us sisters. We were created for the sole purpose of completing the project.

He had a gentle nature. Each day he would slave away at work for his little sister's sake. We tried to support him as much as we could.

He became lonely. After his sister was unjustly taken away from him, his mind has become desolate. What we should be focusing on is the project. Not feeling pity for him.

He pointed his sword at us. Only by killing him with our own hands can we complete the project. Our feelings mustn't get in the way. It's for the sake of the project...

Upon hearing an old lady from the village caught a cold, I immediately collected my medicinal herbs with some boiled water, and rushed out from the library. I nursed her and remained by her side until her symptoms calmed down. She was extremely grateful for it.

I read a picture book to a group of children from the village. It was an old tale about a brave, courageous man who triumphs over evil. I watched their expressions alternate between joy and sorrow to the story's pacing. I'm glad they enjoyed it.

Devola and I performed a song for the people at the village tavern. In addition to the regulars who drank there, elders and children were part of the audience. At the end of our song, the entire crowd smiled and cheered.

Every day Devola and I have been staying late at the library thinking of a plan to make life easier for the villagers. They're indispensable "vessels" for the project, so we need to do what we can for them.

Message from HQ.

The text will now play.

The disappearance of the original body's soul has been confirmed.

The primary system of the Gestalt Project, designed for the revival of humanity, has collapsed.

This case is thought to be due to supervisory incompatibility by the androids Devola and Popola.

As a result, all models of the Devola and Popola series will be disposed of as of midnight today.

End.

Devola: I see. So the project failed...

Popola: Our role has come to an end.

Devola: ...So it seems. If the target race is to disappear, that leaves no reason left for us to exist.

My name is Popola.

And I am Devola.

Twin androids entrusted with the execution of Project Gestalt and management of souls and vessels.

For 1,000 years we held our role as supervisors of the project.

That was the meaning of our existence.

But now with the disappearance of the original Gestalt and the inevitable extinction of humanity, we too will soon come to the same end.

Only 12 hours remain until midnight.