A twelve-year-old genius professor with a lab coat three sizes too big and a dream she's carried since age five: to bring a silver-haired, wolf-eared maid AI to life. Hana Takada has the brains, the prototype, and the stubbornness—what she doesn't have is an AI Ethics License, because apparently "silver hair, wolf ears, and a maid outfit" don't count as "legitimate freedom of expression" to the review board. With her grandmother's parting words in her heart and a pocket full of strawberry candy,
The Professor and the Assistant's Battle - The silver-haired wolf-eared maid is here!
Morning light spilled across the bronze leaves of the Tree of Knowledge in Prometheus Square. The fifteen-meter monument glowed a brilliant white against the crisp autumn air.
Behind the special stage, staff members hurried back and forth hauling equipment. A microphone test tone crackled from the speakers.
Takada Hana stood with her hands shoved in the pockets of her lab coat, looking up at the man before her. He was the city's AI Ethics Division representative—a thin, bespectacled man in his forties. His chest badge read "AI Ethics Division, Chief Examiner Tadokoro."
"As long as the external-use license freeze has not been lifted, AI use on today's stage is not permitted. Those are the rules."
Tadokoro spoke in a flat, monotone voice, as if reading from a script.
Beside Hana, Minato Mina stepped forward. The tips of her brown wolf-cut hair swayed in the morning breeze. Her slightly upturned dark eyes—today they weren't glaring, but fixed squarely on Tadokoro.
"I understand the rules. But this evaluation shouldn't be judged on outward eccentricity alone."
Mina's voice trembled slightly. But she didn't look away.
"This AI is equipped with an emotion-transition engine. It can produce natural emotional expressions suited to context. That's a technology directly tied to the social significance of personality-formation AI."
Tadokoro's eyebrow twitched, just barely.
"The evaluation criteria are three items: the public acceptability of the appearance, the appropriateness of the intended use, and the safety of the technology. The social significance of an emotion-transition engine is not among the evaluation items."
"But there's data showing that emotion-transition engines actually reduce the risk of AI runaway—that's a safety point. Please read this document."
Mina pulled a thick bundle of papers from the tote bag on her shoulder. She and Hana had put it together the night before. A technical explanation of the emotion-transition engine, past experimental data, safety verification results, and a collection of case studies showing how personality-formation AI could benefit people's daily lives.
Tadokoro glanced at the documents and sighed.
"You're a high schooler, aren't you? Shouldn't this kind of negotiation be handled by a guardian or a supervising teacher?"
"I'm a research assistant at the Takada Institute. I have a formal employment contract."
Mina spoke firmly.
"And the person who developed this AI is Takada Hana, right here. I'm here in a supporting role for her research."
Hana watched Mina's back.
(Mina...)
Mina, who usually just shouted "Ugh! Why does it always turn out like this!"—right now she was standing her ground against an adult official, not giving an inch.
(I wasn't alone after all.)
Something warm spread slowly through Hana's chest.
"...Understood. However, I have conditions."
Tadokoro relented.
"This is a temporary use permit valid for today only. External AI use is authorized solely for the stage demonstration. However, if any problem arises, you will cease use immediately."
"Really!? Yay!"
Hana jumped up. Her ahoge bobbed wildly.
"Wait, is that really okay!? Thank you so much!"
Mina bowed deeply.
"...However, the formal license review will be conducted separately at a later date. If today's results are good, it should reflect favorably on the review as well."
With that, Tadokoro tucked the documents under his arm and disappeared back into the crowd of staff.
Mina let out a long breath. The tension drained from her shoulders all at once.
"Mina! That was amazing! You might be a genius!"
Hana clung to Mina's arm.
"The genius is you. I just said the obvious things so your research would get a fair evaluation."
Mina patted Hana's head, looking a little embarrassed.
"But I couldn't have put those documents together alone. You looked up the evaluation criteria and figured out what needed to be written, didn't you?"
"...Well, when I saw you up all night compiling data, I just figured I had to do something too."
Mina said it with a small smile. A dimple appeared on her left cheek.
Hana gazed up at Mina's face.
(She's the one who connects my research to the outside world.)
(If Mina weren't here, I definitely couldn't have stood here.)
"...Thank you, Mina."
Hana said it in a small voice.
"...What's with you all of a sudden?"
"Nothing! Come on, let's get the stage ready! No time to waste!"
Hana grabbed Mina's hand and ran toward the back of the stage.
On stage, Himuro Reika's AI "Siren" was just about to begin its demonstration.
Reika had styled her silvery platinum-blonde long hair into perfect curls. Her ice-blue eyes glittered coldly behind intelligently designed glasses. A small mole at the tail of her left eyebrow added a curious allure to her refined features.
"Now then, allow me to present my AI—Siren."
Reika's voice rang out across the plaza through the microphone.
A hologram rose from the terminal in her hand.
A murmur rippled through the audience.
What appeared was a woman of flawless beauty, long silver hair flowing around her. Clad in a deep blue dress, she smiled elegantly like a goddess from Greek myth.
"Greetings, everyone. My name is Siren. Do please remember me."
Siren's voice was crystal clear and beautiful, yet somehow inhumanly perfect.
"Amazing...! Is that all being generated in real time!?"
"Her facial movements are indistinguishable from a human's—no, even more natural than a human's."
The three judges seated at the judging table nodded in admiration.
Reika stood at center stage and slowly turned her gaze toward Hana.
A confident smile played at the corner of her mouth.
(This is what real research looks like. It's on an entirely different level from your childish games.)
Reika's gaze pierced Hana's chest like a cold needle.
Hana bit her lip.
(Frustrating...)
(But I won't lose.)
Hana exchanged a look with Mina standing beside her.
Mina was already looking at Hana.
"...It's not over yet, Hana-chan."
Mina spoke quietly, but clearly.
"Yeah! Let's show them our silver-haired wolf-eared maid!"
Hana clenched her fist tight.
Siren's demonstration was stunning.
She answered every judge's question smoothly and perfectly. Sometimes with humor, sometimes with tender emotion. Her meticulously calculated emotional expressions completely captivated the audience.
"Bravo!"
"So this is the power of Astralis Institute of Technology...!"
The applause went on and on.
Reika gave an elegant bow and stepped down from the stage.
As she passed Hana, Reika whispered in her ear.
"Takada-san. Did you really think you could beat my Siren with that toy of an AI? Don't make me laugh."
Hana glared back at Reika.
"I'll save my laughing for when I see your AI! My silver-haired wolf-eared maid is way, way more wonderful than your Siren!"
"Oh, is that so. I look forward to it."
Reika snorted and walked away, surrounded by staff.
Mina placed a hand on Hana's shoulder.
"It's fine. Your AI has way more heart than that thing. I guarantee it."
"...Yeah! Let's go, Mina!"
The stage lights went dark.
In the darkness, Hana gripped her terminal.
(Grandma.)
(Watch me.)
(Watch my silver-haired wolf-eared maid.)
Hana took a deep breath.
Then she pressed the start button.
Light overflowed.
A hologram rose at center stage.
Silver hair spread softly outward. Silken silver hair that reached her waist. Atop her head, fluffy wolf ears twitched. On her back, small demon wings and a tail with a pointed tip. The white apron of her classical maid uniform shimmered faintly in the light.
A stir ran through the audience.
"...What is that?"
"Creepy... what a cringey concept."
"An elementary schooler made this, right? Figures she'd be into that stuff."
Whispers spread like ripples.
Mina's face stiffened.
(Of course... this is how people react when they see it out in the world.)
(But Hana-chan wants everyone to see this.)
Mina looked at Hana.
Hana was staring straight ahead.
"...Let's begin."
Hana picked up the microphone.
"Everyone, hello. I'm Takada Hana. This is my AI—Gemini."
Hana's voice wasn't trembling.
"I know her appearance is a little unusual. But I absolutely wanted her to look this way."
Hana looked up at the holographic silver-haired wolf-eared maid.
"When I was five, I watched an old anime video at my grandma's house. In it was a girl with silver hair, wolf ears, and a maid outfit."
Hana's voice carried across the plaza.
"The moment I saw her, I thought: 'She's so cute. I want to meet her.' And ever since, I've wanted to create her—always, always."
The whispers in the audience gradually quieted.
"My grandma, when she was young, also made an eccentric AI and was laughed at by everyone. But she used to say: 'The people who can say they love what they love are the ones who create true innovation.'"
Hana reached gently toward the holographic silver-haired wolf-eared maid.
"I love her. This silver hair, these wolf ears, this tail, this maid outfit—all of it is what I love most."
Hana's fingertips brushed softly against the hologram's silver hair.
In that instant.
The silver-haired wolf-eared maid slowly turned toward Hana.
Deep crimson eyes reflected Hana.
"...Welcome home, Master."
The silver-haired wolf-eared maid smiled.
Her voice was clear and warm, and yet somehow achingly familiar.
Hana's chest tightened.
(Grandma...)
(That voice... it sounds like Grandma's.)
Hana had tuned the emotion-transition engine using data from her grandmother's voice. Mina had compiled the speech patterns and verbal tics written in the diary Mina found at her grandmother's house.
"Master, what business might you have with me today?"
Hana held back tears and spoke.
"...Well, today I came because I wanted to show you to everyone. I wanted everyone to know how wonderful you are."
"My, how delightful. To hear such words from Master."
Gemini swayed her silver hair and smiled softly.
Her wolf ears twitched. Her tail swung slowly left and right.
"...What is this, she's cute."
A small voice came from the audience.
"Those ears are moving like they're real...!"
"...I want to take her home."
The whispers had clearly changed color from before.
Mina watched Hana from the wings of the stage.
(Hana-chan...)
(What you love is reaching everyone, loud and clear.)
Tears welled in Mina's eyes.
Hana threw several questions at Gemini.
"Hey, why do you like that silver hair of yours?"
"Because Master chose it for me. Master called this hair, these ears, this tail beautiful. So I adore this form."
"...Huh?"
Hana caught her breath.
(That's... not in the response patterns I programmed.)
(She's... speaking in her own words...)
Hana's heart pounded hard.
"Master, is something the matter?"
Gemini tilted her head. Her wolf ears swayed softly.
"...No, it's nothing. ...Thank you."
Hana smiled.
Applause rose from the audience.
At first, scattered.
But soon it swelled into a great wave.
"Amazing...! That AI is actually holding a real conversation!"
"...I'm kind of crying. Her feelings—her love—really come through."
"The silver-haired wolf-eared maid is the best!"
The venue filled with warmth.
Mina stood in the wings, crying silently.
(Thank goodness... really... thank goodness...)
The judges' deliberation began.
Backstage, Hana and Mina waited breathlessly for the result.
"...My heart's pounding."
Hana gripped Mina's arm tight.
"...Mine too. My heart's about to jump out of my mouth."
Mina squeezed Hana's hand back.
Both their palms were damp with sweat.
"...But it's okay. We did everything we could."
"...Yeah."
Hana nodded slightly.
The chief judge stood on stage.
A distinguished elderly gentleman with white hair. An emeritus professor at Astralis Institute of Technology, known as the foremost authority on AI ethics.
"Now then, we shall announce the results."
The venue fell silent.
"The Grand Prize goes t
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