Marco

***WARNING!!***
***This article contains spoilers for*AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative *from this point on.Proceed with caution!***

## Name

### Alias

  **Expand**

 AI-Ball

## Personal Status

### Affiliation

* Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
	+ ABIS

### Associates

* Mizuki Kuranushi (co-worker and host)
* Kuruto Ryuki (co-worker)
* Mizuki Date (co-worker)
* Kaname Date (co-worker)
* Aiba (fellow AI-ball)
* Tama (fellow AI-ball)

### Appears in

* *AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative*

The third **AI-Ball**, named **Marco** (マルコ, *Maruko*), is a minor character featured in *AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative*. They are Mizuki "Bibi" Kuranushi's partner during her investigations into the HB Case in the present.

Like Aiba and Tama, they are an AI-Ball equipped with advanced artificial intelligence. They are usually found in Bibi's left eye socket and supports her in her work. They have an introverted personality and speaks only to Bibi.

## Design

Marco only appears in Bibi's left eye socket in-game, their iris are cyan.

Judging from the shape of the concept art, When they are detached from their partner and using their motor functions, they adopted the appearance of a spherical shape on the upper side and a slime-like appearance on the lower side. Their projected skin is transparent and grey, and their skin are more like a gelatinous substance, where on the inside their optic nerve is visible as a sort of light green spine.

## Personality

Little is known of Marco's personality. However Bibi describes them as being shy, introverted, and generally not very talkative. They only seem to talk to Bibi. Mizuki Date and Kuruto Ryuki have no chance to be chatted up by Marco, at least that's how it appears in the game; Aiba and Tama can receive information from Marco though.

## Story

Marco was originally assigned to Bibi when she was admitted into ABIS during about 2016-2020, but was incomplete at the time. After Bibi was rendered unable to investigate the HB Case and Aiba was destroyed in the explosion at the Cathedral, Marco was completed and placed inside Bibi's left eye socket.

### M3: Kizuna and Lien Route

When Mizuki Date was interrogating Lien Twining after finished the Psync into him, Bibi sent her a Wink Psync video of Kizuna Chieda talking to her father Riichi Chieda. This was most likely made by Marco's function.

The next day, after Mizuki Date went to Aioen Orphanage, Bibi arrived here with the same Scooter as her, and when the group was surrounded by Mercenaries who used optical camouflage to hide, she told Mizuki Date to "use Thermo Mode." Judging from Bibi's subsequent combat performance, this should also show that Marco also has this function.

### M1: Resolution Route

Mizuki Date didn't know Marco's existence until she went to the Cathedral in the early morning of February 15, 2026 to learn the truth behind Tokiko Shigure. Bibi told to her that she used Marco's X-ray function to detect Tokiko's secret file.

## Trivia

### Etymology

* "Maruko" (マルコ) means "round child", making their name a pun on their round-shaped body, similar to Tama's name.

### General

* The character's name is mentioned as "Marco" in voiced dialogue, but was mistranslated as "Maruko" several times in game files and dialogue prompts, creating confusion regarding their true localized name. This also led to confusion regarding their gender, as "Marco" in English is a male name, while "Maruko" in Japanese is most commonly (but not exclusively) a female name, before Uchikoshi confirmed them as non-binary.
* The English localization considered using other pronouns such as "they" or "ze" pronouns for him before settling on using he/him pronouns; In Japanese subtitles and audio, as well as in Chinese subtitles, Marco uses "彼女" or "她" (she/her) as personal pronouns.
* Marco is the youngest of all the characters so far in the entire series.

## Navigation

 Locations | **Tokyo**
*Chiyoda District*: Police Headquarters (Boss's Office, Psync Room, Interrogation Room) • Sunfish Pocket • Sekiba High
*Chuo District*: Horadori Institute of Genetics (Underground, Hostage Room) • Naixatloz Japan Branch (President's Office, Cathedral)
*Koto District*: Harbor Warehouse District • Date Residence
*Minato District*: Studio Dvaita • Aioen Orphanage • Ikume Shrine • Kumakura Office • Sejima Residence • Central Hospital
*Shibuya District*: Lemniscate Entertainment Offices • Yoyagi Park
*Shinagawa/Kabasaki District*: Matsushita Diner • Sagan Residence • Enda Residence • Kabasaki Chemical Plant
*Shinjuku District*: Golden Yokocho (Marble, Brahman World Cuisine) • Misetan Department Store • Tokyo National Stadium
**Side Ryuki:**
Dispossessed • Anyone Imagines • Ought to Know • Nothing to Be Done • Go • Farewell
**Komeji and Shoma Route:** Joy for Anguish • I Found Me • Past Its Ken
**Explosion Route:** Smiles for Tears • Well-Known • The Mind of God • Not All A Dream • She Was the Universe
**閭｡陜ｶ荵句､｢邱ｨ Route:** 遐ｴ邯ｻ逋ｾ蜃ｺ • All This Happened, More or Less
**Side Mizuki:**
Alone • Pass Mildly Away • End Where I Begun • Traveler • Left Behind • The Expense of Spirit
**Gen and Amame Route:** All Living Things • Of Arms and Of Man • Who's There • All That We Are
**Kizuna and Lien Route:** Bid the Soldiers Shoot • Sweet Silent Thought
**Resolution Route:** Hell • Visions • In Truth • Births • The End of Craving • Braver Than All Flowers

## References

1. ↑ Kotaro Uchikoshi's thread on Marco's gender.