KINTSUkuroi
[Chapter XIII] - 1%

It was suicide: allograft transplants, albeit not unprecedented, were very rarely conducted due to their complexity, and those that were ultimately successful were rarer yet. Not to mention that such cases had always been conducted between individuals of the same species, and only by the hand of a highly-qualified doctor with the support of the latest technology.

Transplanting Giant genes into a Human body was unarguably unheard of...

And an idea only a madman (or madwoman, in this case) could possibly come up with.

Siule's eyes fixated on the screen as the computer ran the simulation programmes. Different 'WARNING' messages popped up all over the monitor, but the tawny-haired woman simply ignored them.

About a minute later, the information she cared for was displayed in the centre of the VDU.

Success rate: 1.041908%

"Barely over 1%, huh...?" the green-eyed lass sighed, glancing at the equipment that would be used to conduct the surgery. She was aware of the fact that she could very well be ending her own life, but in her mind and in her heart a single premise prevailed...

'I will protect Nicky no matter what.'

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sound of the heavy, metallic door opening to reveal Lena. Her expression reflected great concern, and even fear. It was not without reason. After all, she and Damien were the only ones who knew what their daughter's plan entailed, and though Damien didn't have the heart to face Siule knowing that he may very well see her for the last time, Lena was willing to bet everything on a single chance.

"Siule, stop this madness at once!" the older woman commanded.

"Mom, you should know better than to try to dissuade me from achieving my dream." her daughter countered.

"Don't give me that! If you go on with this idiocy the only thing you'll achieve is ending your own life!" Lena spat.

"It is amusing that you would recall how precious life is only now that you have instigated Savan's murder in order for this plan to come to fruition. No, no... I shouldn't put that burden on you. You were following my orders after all. Savan's blood is on my hands, not yours. That's why I must do this myself. That's why I cannot allow you to undergo this surgery in my stead. Oh yes, I know that's what you're trying to do, Mom, and I really do appreciate it, but the answer is no. If I survive this, I will gain the power I need to protect the man I love, and if I don't, I will have repaid the blood debt I owe to the Giants... no... not to the Giants, but to Nicky." Siule explained.

"Bullshit! You can't seriously-!" Lena lashed out at her daughter but the younger female simply shook her head.

"It is clear that we will never see eye to eye on this matter, Mom, but I cannot allow you to put my plan in jeopardy. Please forgive me about this." she said as she walked to the computer and typed a command.

Immediately afterwards, a mechanical voice was heard through the computer's integrated loudspeakers.

INTRUDER DETECTED. INITIALISING INTRUDER PROTOCOL C-11.

"What-!?" was all Lena could let out before two extremely thick layers of adamantine steel emerged from either side of her, coming together to form a wall right in front of her.

"I figured someone might try to endanger the completion of my plan so as you can see I took some measures in advance. You may feel a bit suffocated in there, but I beg you to endure for a little while. I have set the timer for thirty minutes, which is more than enough time for the surgery to be conducted. Also, I would advise against trying to open the exit door behind you. Not only it is locked, but if you try to force it open the intruder protocol will counteract by moving forwards towards the door, inevitably crushing you in the process." the pacifistic female warned her mother.

"You can't be serious! This is insanity, Siule! You would never hurt anyone like that! This isn't like you!" Lena tried to reason with her.

"You're right, Mom. I would never want to hurt you. That's why I'm warning you in advance to refrain from touching the exit door. If you listen to me, nothing will happen to you. I made plenty of research before designing the intruder protocols. Considering the space of the area you're currently in and the amount of air that you can get in there, a person can survive for about one to two hours, so being locked for half an hour may be uncomfortable for you, but that's about as unpleasant as it'll get. Of course, if I do survive the surgery, I will release you before the thirty minutes have passed.

Lena futilely banged the steel-hard walls in a vain attempt to cause any damage to them, earning yet another sigh from Siule.

"I wish you would listen to me every once in a while. Now, if you'll excuse me, the time has come for me to grow up, literally." the brown-haired lass spoke in a condescending tone before laying down on the stretcher.

"Commence allograft transplantation." Siule spoke.

Again, her voice command triggered the desired response from the computer.

INITIALISING ALLOGRAFT TRANSPLANTATION IN 60 SECONDS... 59... 58... 57...

"Something doesn't feel right... Why did Siule let us go like that?" Nicolas wondered.

"No matter how you look at it, she was trying to gain time for her plan to be completed." Ciel commented.

"But if that was the case, wouldn't she be a Giant by now? Unless something had gone wrong..." the male explored the possibilities.

"Then shouldn't we try to stop her now before things get even more out of hand?" the Giantess proposed, her serious expression growing more and more visible as the direness of the situation sank in in her mind.

"No. Siule is the kind of person who always has more than a few backup plans for every plan she makes. If we are to stop her, we need to go back to the Giants' world and earn the support of the whole Giant race." Nicolas explained. His voice clearly reflected how he struggled to think of Siule as an antagonistic figure.

Ciel wasn't too pleased with letting the Human female run rampant, yet she knew Nicolas was right. The smallest mistake in their strategy could very well be their undoing. Still, the tall female could tell something else was troubling her lover. A quick glance at him was all it took for her suspicion to be confirmed, his facial expression clear as ever.

"Something else is on your mind, dear. What is it? And don't even try to say 'nothing' because I'll know you're lying." she inquired.

"...N-Nothing slips past you, d-does it...?" he sighed heavily, taking some time to consider how to organise his thoughts before letting them out.

"Of course not, love. Especially not when someone as transparent as you is trying to conceal stuff. So tell me what's in your mind. No need to sugarcoat anything, either. Just tell me your honest concerns." the Giant woman insisted.

Nicolas glanced at her for a few seconds before the words finally escaped his mouth.

"...W-What if Giants were involved in Savan's murder...?"