For a considerable time, she couldn''t tear her gaze away from observing and contemplating her; a potent mixture of desire, passion, arousal, and lust for the android girl was being accumulated steadily within her chest. Occasionaly, she tried to resist that desire, but her eyes cannot control themselves and kept returning to the same point.


    Whenever she spent too long admiring the android''s delicate face or her slender and petite naked figure, shame flushed her cheeks. Occasionaly, she would try to look away, only to find herself trapped in the same neverending cycle of futily attempts to alleviate her nervous fascination. Despite her adult age, Satomi felt like a lovestruck teenager experiencing her first crush.


    On either side of her shoulders, Satomi noticed medium-sized inscriptions written with the number"41." Between her abdomen and some sort of artificial human-like vagina, there was another inscription displaying, this time, a serial number: "SH-41."


    "Ms. Satomi," the android said, noting Satomi''s erratic behavior, "According to my scanners, your organism is experimenting abnormally high levels of adrenaline and dopamine. Is something wrong?"


    "Oh! No, nothing, it''s nothing," Satomi stammered, surprised by the unexpected question. She paused, quickly formulating a response. "I… I thought I saw something moving around here; a shadow, perhaps."


    "False," the android flatly denied, blue lights flashing intermittently in her eyes. "My sensors have detected no living organisms, nor any trace of energy, magic, essence, or any other element indicating the presence of dangerous beings.


    >>"Furthermore, by your sudden corporal movements, I deduced you were lying, and, owing to your elevated blood pressure, I noticed your sexual organs are prepared for copulation. Therefore, something triggered your arousal—something your mind found attractive." The android''s tone was cold and analytical. "It should be something "desirable", isn''t?" When she pronounced that word, there was a momentary shift in her voice, a hint of curiosity, although her emotionless demeanor betrayed nothing. "Am I correct, Ms. Satomi?"


    "What? Of course not!" Satomi exclaimed, nervously and embarrassed, her cheeks as red as a strawberry. "I… I''m sure of what I saw. Besides… y-you should scrutinize and enhance that scanner. Being in the capsule for so long might have damaged it."


    The android approached closet to Satomi who, fearful and embarrassed, tried to stay further away from her with each step the android took. Then, she felt her heart palpitating and a slight bulge, barely visible through her shorts, forming as her penis awakened. As she drew near, the android''s eyes emitted flickering blue lights again; however, suddenly, her cheeks flushed a shade of red but slightly darker, cause ny the unique hue of her exotic mixed-race complexion.


    "I knew it. My scanner wasn''t wrong. However, your… erection seems to be a product of gaving at my naked body."


    Mentioning the cause and acknowledging the erection, the android blushed even deeper, instinctively covering her small breasts with her left hand and her vagina with her right. She then turned her back to Satomi. "You find my body attractive, desirable by your standards."


    A moment of silence passed between them before Satomi finally responded.


    "Yes. Honestly, you''re perfect. Anyone would fall for you instantly." Her heart pounded faster; excitement surged through her. Her penis hardened like rock, straining against her shorts. With her hand, she applied pressure firmly to keep it concealed.


    Satomi could not clearly see the android''s reaction—her back was turned, and she remained unamovible—but she thought she saw a smile, although she attributed it to her own rising excitement.


    "Well, I appreciate your opinion. But I believe it''s time for me to introduce myself to my new master. However, I should dress properly first; being practically naked might impede the introduction," the android said, turning back to face Satomi, her hands still covering her intimate areas.


    "Y-yes, let''s go upstairs," Satomi said hastily, before her impulses overwhelmed her. "There must be countless outfits in your size in one of the rooms."


    After a short while, the android found a peculiar outfit that caught her eye. It was a sort of Japanese women''s uniform: a short blue skirt, a white blouse with a small red tie, pale blue and white striped leggings to cover her legs, and platform shoes. Finally, she adorned her hair with two small clips, creating pigtails on either side of her head.


    Once dressed, the android joined Satomi in the rear garden of the mansion. However, twilight was approaching, and the last rays of the sun were giving way to the beautiful night. Therefore, they decided to sit in a tree and talk calmly about the legacy Satomi had inherited.


    "All preparations are complete, and I am in optimal condition to begin," the android said, rising from her seat, gracefully kneeling on the ground, and adopting a solemn posture. "I am the servant and loyal protector of this estate, the latest-generation android number 41, of the SH model series—the SH-41 android. From this day forward, I shall be your most faithful follower, at your side at all times, assisting you in acclimating to your role as the glorious mistress of this dwelling."


    "Why the SH series designation?" Satomi asked curiously.


    "It is named for ''Sacred Husk,'' the name bestowed to my body—the casing that protects my components and operating system," the Android Girl explained, gesturing with her hands to various parts of her body. "My former mistress, the artificer of my existence, engraved that name on each model she built with sweat, tears, and blood."


    "So, your creator assigned me this task—to become your owner and mistress of this place?"


    "That is correct," the android replied, nodding slightly. "As her final wish, it entrusted to me the task of bestowing the Authority trait upon the owner."


    "The Authority?" Satomi questioned, intrigued by the unusual term.


    "This trait grants you unrestricted access to the property. You''ll have access to all the secrets and mechanisms of the mansion, and you can grant entry to trusted individuals as Guests."


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Wait, so that means…" Satomi, realizing the significance of this, paused.


    "Indeed. There is something that prevents entry to these grounds—an invisible barrier that disintegrates anything it touches. Because of this barrier, it is highly improbable that any intruder has infiltrated the estate since my mistress''s death and during my hibernation. It was designed to be eternal, never deactivated, and has stood firm for days, months, years, centuries, and millennia. Despite that, today is the only day the barrier has been momentarily deactivated."


    "It was deactivated by my arrival," Satomi added, completing the android''s explanation.


    "Excellent deduction, Ms. Satomi!" the android exclaimed enthusiastically. "But there''s a detail you overlooked. Today marks the one-thousandth anniversary of my former mistress''s birth—the woman who created me! This is the only day, programmed by the mistress herself, when the barrier would open to receive the individual destined to be the rightful successor to her legacy."


    "But why? How did she know I was the one? And who, in the world, is your mistress?"


    "Shannara Ainsworth, born one thousand years ago when the First Humans inhabited the still-green lands of Valhalla, the Cradle of Humanity, and when Nirvana was merely a newly discovered and partially unexplored continent," The android narrated, emphasizing each detail with an epic, extravagant, and ominous tone. "When humanity''s ancestors were enslaved under the iron fist of the Enlightened, a race of humans blessed with invincible metallic skin and supernatural powers, a young woman with golden hair and blue eyes rose up against them and led humanity in a fight against oppression. Her name was Shannara Ainsworth."


    "If there are supernatural powers, magic must exist, right? Is it possible to use it?" Satomi interrupted with one of her usual questions.


    "Magic certainly exists, and many races possess the ability to wield it, but it also has limitations that many should not exceed due to the consequences and dangers of overuse."


    The existence of magic both impacted and thrilled Satomi. It was the ancient explanation for natural phenomena, superseded by science. On Earth, people tried to explain its existence but failed for lack of foundational laws or evidence. Yet, magic existed in this new world, a perfect opportunity for Satomi to experiment.


    "As I was saying: Shannara and the tribes she led escaped the Enlightened''s territory and guided her people in their exodus to Nirvana to build a new future. With her innate leadership and ingenuity, her new tribe grew and thrived in all aspects, defending against aggression from other human races and tribes while also forming fruitful alliances. In time, Shannara gained renown, becoming a legend when she founded Asyrith, a paradise where all living beings, human and other races, could coexist in peace and harmony, without fear of segregation."


    "That sounds idealistic, but let''s be realistic: perfect societies don''t exist," Satomi declared confidently, backing up her statement with facts. "Whenever someone tries to create a new, more prosperous and just system to replace a previous one and its flaws, it tends to fail after various years due to unforeseen vulnerabilities and internal contradictions. If the theory never surpasses the practical phase, no one would attempt it again as it''s unviable. In the end, reality always surpasses fiction."


    "That''s true. Although she managed to create a utopia for all races, flaws emerged from the inside, and they would potentially lead to collapse in the future. However, she foresaw this and worked tirelessly to mitigate them until they disappeared completely. Furthermore, she trained her descendants to continue her work, ensuring Asyrith''s survival for centuries."


    "That''s impressive. I don''t think there are enough words to describe her," Satomi said, moved by Shannara''s achievements.


    As the sun dipped below the horizon, a pleasant breeze swept through the courtyard; the treetops swayed, their branches rustling softly in the gentle wind. The android, feeling her own hair stir, turned to Satomi.


    "Would you like to know something, Ms. Satomi?" the android asked, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "You… remind me of her."


    "Of Shannara?"


    "Yes. She was like you: curious, cautious, and intelligent. She always sought new horizons, investigated enigmas that no one else had ever attempted to decipher, and anticipated future events. She''s one of those people who, by changing the world once, change it forever. Someone who is born only once in a great while."


    "She''s gone, isn''t she?" Satomi asked sadly. "What happened to her?"


    "When the Black Gods of Darkness and their armies of Abyssal Spawn breached the barrier separating the Void Plane from the Material Plane, Shannara and other legendary warriors from numerous races engaged in a decisive, bloody battle for the fate of life on this planet. Although they managed to close the portal and halt the Spawn''s advance, many valuable lives were lost, including Shannara''s. It was a devastating blow for everyone… and for me as well."


    "That''s… very sad," Satomi commented, feeling an unusual sadness welling up from within her heart. A tear rolled down her cheek. Strangely, she felt as though she had lived through that moment. "I''m sorry for asking. I didn''t want to bring up such painful memories."


    "Don''t worry about it, Ms. Satomi. She didn''t leave without saying goodbye: She knew her fight wouldn''t be easy, and it might be her last. So, in case she was defeated, she prepared a final trump card, a solution for the future. She asked me to record our last conversation to give it to the person who would inherit her will. To you, Ms. Satomi."


    A small opening appeared in the android girl''s neck, revealing a button which she pressed with her right index finger. Then, a voice – Shannara Ainsworth''s – filled the air.


    "All is not lost. I''ve found a way to safeguard Nirvana''s future. Listen closely, little android. Upon my death, a barrier will activate, protecting this mansion for 500 years. You will enter a state of hibernation. After that time, the barrier will deactivate, and a person from another world will come here; they will awaken you, and your new directive will be to serve them unconditionally and grant them Authority. I can only tell you that this person is… a fragment, a key piece to complete the puzzle I am. Therefore, they will inherit my legacy and change the world with their own hands, as I once did."


    "That''s a huge responsibility," Satomi said, feeling a tangible weight settle upon her. "Do you think I''ll be able to live up to her expectations?"


    "Ultimately, it''s your decision whether to follow in her footsteps," Shaina responded. "And how you choose to do so is entirely up to you. But I will follow your commands and serve you to the ends of the earth if necessary."


    "Thank you. For now, I don''t have a specific goal, so I''ll need to think about what to do. I''ll focus on adjusting to this new life until I find my purpose."


    "Ah, one more thing, Ms. Satomi!"


    "Please, call me Satomi."


    "I don''t like the formality. Hmm…?" The android paused. "I think I''ll call you Satomi-sama."


    "But that''s the same as ''Ms.'' Besides, how do you even know that word?"


    The android''s face flushed. She looked away, her brow furrowed. "When I kissed you to bestow the Authority, your knowledge was transferred to my storage system."


    "Ah, I understand," Satomi said, her face turning crimson. "N-no problem, sorry for bothering you. I-I mean, what was it you wanted to ask?"


    "I need a new name," the android said, her demeanor shifting to calm serenity. "It would sound unnatural to be addressed by my model number. I want you to give me a name you like."


    Satomi pondered, carefully studying the android''s features for inspiration. The serial model number lingered in her mind, so she tried to imagine a name that captured that essence. In an instant, she knew.


    "Shaina. From now on, your name will be Shaina."


    Shaina was overwhelmed with joy and emotion. She couldn''t articulate her feelings; her CPU was a whirlwind. She could only bow her head in heartfelt gratitude.


    "We should go inside; it''s getting dark," Satomi said, watching the sun sink below the horizon.


    "Yes, let''s go in. And I want to show you my cooking skills. I''ll prepare some delicious treats that will fascinate you."


    "If you put it like that, I can''t refuse," Satomi replied.


    Shaina stepped forward, placing her arms behind her back and crossing them, bowing slightly and looking coquettishly at Satomi.


    "Please, await my culinary masterpiece, Satomi-sama."