KHM — CHAPTER 40: To [C]reate Life
A month had passed since the end of the war.
The world, once a battlefield of ruins and endless conflict, now rested in silence. The distant sound of the wind, passing through collapsed buildings and valleys of rusted metal, was all that remained of what had once been the final battle.
YoRHa and Resistance search teams had swept the planet from end to end and, aside from a small group of peaceful machines living in a village led by a peculiar being named Pascal, all others had been completely deactivated.
For the first time in centuries, Earth's night sky was clear.
No smoke. No fire. No streaks of destruction cutting across the horizon.
Only stars—distant, silent, reminding the androids of the reason for their creation.
The absence of battle brought something none of them had ever learned to handle: time.
Time to think.
Time to feel.
Time to exist.
---
Many androids began traveling across the surface, exploring the remnants of the old human world.
Some chose to help build villages, plant flowers; others simply lay beneath the sky, trying to understand what it meant to "live."
Arthur, however, did not rest.
While the world was being reborn in fragments, he devoted himself entirely to his new project: the construction of the dimensional bracelet—the key that would take him back to his own world.
Inside the laboratory within the Bunker, the sounds of tools and circuitry echoed day and night.
"Material report, sir," 9S said, entering the room with a tablet in hand.
His tone was formal, but there was a proud gleam on his face.
"All components have been collected and delivered."
Arthur nodded without taking his eyes off the hologram in front of him.
"Excellent work, 9S. Without you, this would have taken months."
"Ah, well…" 9S scratched the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed. "It's part of my protocol, you know? But honestly, after everything that's happened, helping with this is better than anything else out there."
"Unfortunately, we still have the issue with the energy source," he continued.
Arthur let out a light chuckle.
"You don't need to worry about that. Things will sort themselves out eventually."
"You're right." 9S nodded.
---
During that month, many things had changed.
YoRHa no longer existed as a military force.
With no enemies, no orders, and no humanity left to protect, its command structure dissolved naturally.
The former Commander White had stepped down from her position, choosing to descend to the surface and live among the other androids. Now, she was simply White—and, to Arthur, a constant and unexpectedly warm presence.
She visited him often, bringing reports, coffee, and conversations that always lasted longer than they should.
"You work too much," she would say with a smile, leaning against him.
And he would reply in his usual calm, sarcastic tone: "And you talk too much."
---
A2 and 2B, on the other hand, had become practically Arthur's shadows.
Wherever he went, they were there.
2B—silent and observant, like a steel sentinel that had learned to love.
A2—impatient and provocative, yet with a gaze that softened more and more whenever she looked at him.
And, of course, there was White, always carrying that calm charm, constantly testing the limits of Arthur's patience.
Deep down, he was glad to have them around.
But he couldn't deny how inconvenient it was to resist the shameless advances of all three.
It was like living surrounded by three storms of distinct personalities—each beautiful, intelligent, lethal… and dangerously determined.
Arthur might have been a brilliant strategist, but dealing with androids who flirted with the same intensity with which they fought was a challenge even he wasn't prepared to face.
Especially knowing that, no matter how human they seemed, they were not human.
He understood the paradox.
Androids had feelings, emotions, and desires—but not the same limits or needs as humans. Their desire was real—he could see it as clearly as daylight.
And for Arthur, that made everything even more complicated.
Because he knew that, even without flesh-and-blood bodies, the three of them loved him—each in her own way.
---
One night, after hours of work, Arthur finally shut down the machines and lifted his gaze.
The laboratory was immersed in soft dimness, illuminated only by the screens and the moonlight filtering through the broken window.
2B stood there, watching him closely.
A2 pretended to be asleep, leaning against a pile of crates.
And White, sitting atop a metal table, idly swung one leg as she watched him with an enigmatic smile.
"It's almost ready, isn't it?" she asked.
Arthur nodded.
"Yes. I just need to make a few adjustments, find a way to charge it—and then I can finally leave."
White watched him in silence for a few seconds before speaking in a low voice, almost a whisper:
"You're really going to leave us."
"That's what I've always said I would do," he replied with a sigh.
White stepped down from the table and approached him.
"And what if you regret it?"
Arthur smiled and embraced her.
"Unfortunately, it's impossible to live without regrets."
White remained silent in his arms.
Behind her, 2B slowly stood and approached as well, her eyes shining in the dim light.
"Arthur…" she began, her voice trembling. "When you leave… what will happen to us?"
He didn't answer immediately.
A2 opened one eye, silently observing the scene.
Finally, Arthur spoke, his voice soft but firm:
"You'll keep living. You don't need orders anymore, nor do you need to fight. Just live."
2B lowered her gaze, and White let out a small sigh as she stepped away from him.
"You speak as if we're in a fairy tale," she said, forcing a smile.
---
Outside, the stars shone over the rebuilt world.
Fields of ruins were now covered in flowers. Villages were beginning to rise.
And Pascal's peaceful machines helped the androids learn the meaning of coexistence.
Arthur knew that when he left, this would be his legacy.
A world that, for the first time in centuries, no longer needed to fight.
---
In the blink of an eye, two more weeks passed.
The planet, once dominated by ruins and smoke, now rested in silence.
The sky was clear, and the atmosphere—though still cold—carried a sense of renewal.
Arthur observed everything from afar, his gaze calm. He ascended to YoRHa's former orbital base—the Bunker. The lights still flickered slowly, and the distant sound of automatic doors echoed like a ghost of the past.
When he reached the main hall, Arthur immediately noticed that the place was completely empty.
No voices, no commands, no chatter from operators.
Only the sound of his own footsteps filled the air.
But there was something—or rather, someone.
Near the darkened screens, a figure dressed in white stood out against the shadows. White stood there, hands clasped behind her back, staring at monitors that had long since stopped displaying data.
She didn't turn when she spoke:
"Arthur… could you grant me a rather… problematic request?"
It was strange to hear hesitation in White's voice. Arthur noticed it immediately—and it only piqued his interest further. Problems were entertaining. Nervous people, even more so.
With a smile, Arthur walked toward her.
"Problematic?" he repeated, his tone laced with soft irony.
"White, my dear, problems are my native language. Go on."
White remained with her back turned for a few seconds. Then she took a deep breath and said:
"Before you leave… could you… impregnate one of us?"
"…So that's it," Arthur murmured. "You've finally decided to surpass all my expectations."
White turned to face him. Her eyes shone with determination and hope.
"I mean exactly what you think. Literally."
She lowered her head slightly, but did not look away.
"I want you to… impregnate me, so that we can continue the human race."
Arthur laughed—not mockingly, but in genuine admiration for the boldness of the proposal.
"You truly are fascinating, White," he said, stepping closer.
"But there's a small detail: androids cannot become pregnant. They don't have a uterus, ovaries, or anything that would make this request even remotely viable. It's biologically impossible."
"For now," White replied with a smile.
She stepped aside, and the screens behind her suddenly lit up.
Arthur looked at them curiously.
"9S found this during his latest data scan of that sphere you brought," White explained. "Neither he nor any of the Scanner models could fully understand it."
Arthur raised an eyebrow and began analyzing the data.
As he did, something caught his attention.
A name.
Einzbern.
"Einzbern…" he murmured as a sense of déjà vu washed over him. "A method for creating homunculi…"
How did my future self get his hands on this? Arthur thought.
White confirmed with a nod.
"With this, it's possible to create a body… a fully organic one that could… generate life."
Arthur brought a hand to his chin, thoughtful.
"You're right. Theoretically, I could create such an artificial body and transfer your consciousness into it. That way, it would indeed be possible to achieve a normal pregnancy," he analyzed.
White nodded slowly.
"Yes. I want… a child with you—and to continue the human race in this world…"
Arthur looked at her for a long moment.
"White… that's quite an ambition," he said.
White gazed at him in silence, a faint smile on her lips.
"It doesn't have to be me. You can choose any of us. I'm sure A2 or 2B wouldn't refuse," she added.
(End of Chapter)