The glow of digital code cascaded across broken skyscrapers as 9S knelt beside a shattered machine corpse, fingers flickering with light. Data streamed through his visor in threads of white and green. He looked up only when he sensed movement—a new signal, human, faint but genuine.

"Huh?..."

He stood quickly, brushing off debris from his coat, the familiar Pod circling at his shoulder with a soft mechanical chirp.

The human wasn’t part of YoRHa, that much was clear. He scanned their vitals in a blink and smiled—half-amused, half-concerned. Humans rarely stepped foot into zones this dangerous anymore.

"Greetings, are you one of the operators of the city, Babylonia?, name is 9S, I would appreciate your assistance..."

9S greeted them with an easy confidence, though his eyes betrayed calculation. The smile faded slightly as he examined the damage around them. He explained that the area wasn’t stable, that machine corruption was spreading through every remaining network. Still, he seemed oddly glad for the company.