Ark of the Electronic Sea

was a cult that was active in Academy City one year before the events of the main story. Prologue
==Principles==
The self-proclaimed Ark of the Electronic Sea were a cult with an apparent focus on artificial intelligence, that was active in Academy City and took over the Clone Complex, a tri-tower agricultural building that acted as a cornerstone of School District 4, as their 'temple'.
The exact shape of the cult's held and professed beliefs isn't entirely known, but there are apparent differences depending on the level of a member within the cult. As observed by Takitsubo Rikou, the cult makes use of scripture apparently made by training generative AI on various religious and mythological scripts from around the world, sounding meaningful on a psychological basis (speaking of mental vulnerability and anxiety) but actually lacking in substance, with Takitsubo doubting it actually meant anything. This scripture is recited over the speakers in their 'temple' by an artificial voice imitating a young female, with the tone and contents changing depending as one moves from the lower to the higher levels, with the higher levels having secrets and stuff that would shock new believers out of their brainwashing.
On the ground floor, the scripture claims that only a chosen few that could boost their humanity to the limit through daily mental training were in a position to use AI, with people born in a state where they could only be used by AI. It claimed their most important job was to show mercy to those who reject the harsh training or those not chosen no matter how much they train, and that they must save all humanity without bias. The eleventh floor's recital claimed that the foolish masses that failed to recognize the threat posed by technology were the that would birth the , and that the faithful believers must prepare and make themselves into , in order to slay the Devil before it was too late.
The immoral science cult also apparently talked seriously about live sacrifices, with its leader having invented a live sacrifice ritual which she would carry out to prove her special status. To that end, the leader hired a hacker to hack into the Bank and search through student DNA maps, in order to find potential sacrifices that met her conditions.
The cult leader was a girl known as , whose real name was erased from the Bank at some point (without authorization), referred to by cult members as . A portrait depicted her as blonde-haired and blue-eyed but with snub-nosed facial features, suggesting that she was Japanese, with Mugino Shizuri imagining that she had cosmetic surgery to forcibly remove pigmentation across her body. Mugino also speculated that her depiction as a goddess, wearing a combination of armor with a skirt, might have held special meaning for the cult, wondering if she was supposed to be an albino genius. She specialized in escape artistry, making spectular 'miraculous escapes' from attacks on her, which served to increase her charisma and believers, with her claiming that god's prophet was protected by an invisible power even as the forces of evil pursued her.
In gatherings of the cult in the Clone Complex's massive AI control room, the cult leader was the only one standing in the very center, with eight 'disciples' positioned around her, down on one knee and evenly spaced in a circular arrangement like a flower's petals, with the general believers outside this circle. The AI 'disciples' were humanoid robots with thin tablets in place of heads and silver belt-like actuators for muscles.
The cult's temple was patrolled by armored nuns, clothed navy blue habits and long skirts, wearing antenna-covered backpacks and night vision goggles. They also likely wore leg-enhancement powered suits. They were armed with portable incendiary weapons, which likely sprayed a powered mixture of aluminum, iron and other chemicals at high speed, igniting from friction with the air. They could apparently reach temperatures over 3800 degrees Celsius, with a firing range probably over 30m. Aside from the regular patrols of paired nuns, there were also supervisors wearing red shoulder armbands who made irregular patrols on their own, not following the predefined route, to make sure the others are following their routines.
The cult's troops made use of AI-related technology, with their patrol routines worked out by personnel management AI and their equipment receiving support from a larger computer via a wireless network connection. At least one multicopter surveillance drone was deployed outside the building. Most notable were the heavy combat land drones present on the temple's upper levels. Weighing over 10 tons, the four-legged unmanned drones resembled construction equipment, with a 360-degree rotating pod (in place of a head) with a missile canister, Gatling gun and anti-aircraft gun. It also had composite armor and a frontal plasma cutter, capable of reaching 7000 degrees Celsius and made to slice through barricades. On seeing them and considering that the cult feared similar things appearing around the world as civilization advances, Item wondered if the cult built their own "Devil" to practice for their envisioned apocalypse or if they found religious meaning in taming the formidable Devil.
The exact form of the cult's "Radiant Knights" is unknown, though Kinuhata Saiai speculated that the cult would fill their soldiers with performance-enhancing drugs, put them in thick blast-resistant suits, and arm them with giant chainsaws or welding torches.
==Background==
At some point in the past, at least three years prior to the main story (two years before Item's mission), the Ark of the Electronic Sea had subverted the security of the Clone Complex and turned it into a cult temple. Prior to Item's mission, the cult leader had been attacked several times, only to make 'miraculous escapes' and claims of divine protection that garnered her more believers.
==Chronology==
===Toaru Anbu no Item===
====Dark Justice Arc====
In August of the year prior to the main story, Item was hired to eliminate the Ark of the Electronic Sea, particularly the cult's leader Dike Goddess Salvation, marked as dangerous by Academy City's higher-ups. However, shortly before the mission, having observed the cult's influence working its way into her school and wanting to prove herself, Judgment member Minamioki Sarusa attempted to infiltrate the Clone Complex but was caught and killed, sacrificed by the cult's leader. Chapter 3 Part 15 Between the Lines 2
Early in the morning on August 29th, Item snuck into the occupied Clone Complex, in order to kill the cult leader with a pinpoint strike before she could be alerted and perform another vanishing act. However, while they reached the control room undetected, aided by a criminal AI that overwrote the cult's sensors and cameras in real-time, Item found that their target had already been killed by Sadistic Dolls, who made a commotion during their escape, forcing Item to face the cult's believers and clean up after the job thieves. Neither group was in time to save nor discovered the deceased Minamioki Sarusa, whose death prompted the activation of Judgment Branch 000, with the two groups being designated as targets for elimination.
After the mission, Item's liaison noted that the incident would likely be a major setback for the AI development race (both sides having abused AI), with Item wondering if the higher-ups were competing over it, though the full circumstances were not confirmed or elaborated upon. Chapter 1 Part 1 Late on August 30th, Item learned from Shiratori Okibi's files about the cult's sacrifice of Minamioki Sarusa and the activation of Judgment's execution squad. Early on August 31st, Branch 000 finished dealing with a hacker who had been hired by the cult and played a role in finding sacrifices for its leader, before making their move against Item. Chapter 4 Part 1
==References==
Category:Factions and Organizations
Category:Science Side Factions and Organizations