Parting

So what's your next move, Isuka? If Leo San was your aperitif, then what will be your appetizer?

I have no need of aperitifs or appetizers. I just want some meat to sink my teeth into.

Heh, is that so? I'm rather partial to a tender bit of meat myself. And what do you have in mind? Where do we find our next lip-smacking ingredient?

It's further in. Come on.

It's me.

Is this the key to your next move?

Yes. The KMS executive...the leading candidate to be CEO after Leo San. Well, I have him by the throat.

Ah, yes. Such a mild-mannered man. I'm guessing you have a copy of that research data. It certainly has the potential to destroy him if exposed to the public.

That's right. Of all the executives, he is unusually virtuous, popular, and surprisingly talented. With Leo San's rise to power no longer on the table, he is pretty much guaranteed to be the next CEO.

Ah yes, such a shame. The grief is overwhelming.

But our clever executive used that brain of his to develop his secret little pet project. He wanted to generate more profit than that irksome youth... So he's been developing an illegal program that steals the personal data of the citizens of Elzion.

If this were to become public, his downfall would be all but guaranteed. Or...if it's not quite enough... We could always show him the evidence ourselves, and whisper in his ear.

Tell him how unbearable life will be, living with this eternally ticking time bomb... And by tomorrow, we will have our very own pawn within KMS.

That certainly does sound interesting. However...

We could always push the boat out further. Make this a little more entertaining.

What do you mean?

We have all the key components in place. We just need to tweak what we do with them.

Why don't we give our fallen saint another chance to fly?

......

The KMS executives will have been informed about Leo San's stabbing by now. None of them will want to lose their lives to terrorists like us. They'll be afraid. Very afraid.

And then there's all their loved ones. They won't want any harm to come to them either. Now, our next target appears to have his own emergency shelter.

Curio...

So let's give him a crowning glory. We have him invite the other executives and their families to his shelter, for free. Just imagine how grateful they'll be!

And then...

We send everyone from KMS to meet their maker.

......

What awaits them is a world in which KMS is destroyed. And we can't expect them to live in such a place, can we? So we'll save them from this cruel fate. We'll make him start a fire in his shelter... We'll free them all, the executives and their families.

The shelter will be like an ark, a fiery ark from which there is no escape, taking the very core of KMS... All the way to the next life.

...... If we were able to achieve such a feat, it would mean that our target, as well all the other high-ups, would perish. KMS would be in turmoil. It would be one step closer to destruction.

Nevertheless, I'll have to pass. Our chances of success don't strike me as being very high at all.

Let's go, Curiosity. If we rush this, we risk ruining everything. Let's head to Xeno-Domain for the next stage of our plan.

Heheh. I thought as much...

The only thing left to prepare is the data extraction. Once that's done, we can implement our plan. You and I can...

Listen, Isuka. About that...

I wanted to believe we were together on this, but I think we should part ways.

Where is this coming from? You don't want to go through with our plan? What changed your mind?

You don't really want to do this anymore, do you? It's not because of the low chance of success, it's because you're reluctant to kill all those innocent people. Maybe it's because they have that same pure and sweet look as your beloved other half.

Huh?!

Don't be absurd!

Or else, it's because of his undying love for these innocents. You said be prepared to sacrifice anything in order to achieve our aims. Except you don't want to sacrifice anyone in vain. It's admirable, Iscariot, how you anguish in solitude over your beloved sibling. The way you dirty your hands for him.

What do you know? I dirty my hands for me, and me alone! You are not a reflection of me! What would you...

I know.

Because we are reflections of each other. We are the same.

What? No way... You're saying you're committing all this violence for the sake of your other half, too?

So we're essentially the same in this respect? Why didn't you say anything sooner?

But Curio, I know that you only care about her... Because you see yourself in her, and you love yourself.

Heheh, is that what you think? Well, that's fine. Whatever your opinion may be, it doesn't change our true nature. People always want to complicate things. And that's why they cannot grasp that some things never change.

Close your eyes, sharpen your senses. Listen to the beating of your heart, your primal impulse. And then, you will understand.

You are me, and I am you.

Hey!

Iscariot... You can smash the mirror, but you can't erase the smile reflected in it.

Ngh!

But I'm not hurt? Wait, does that mean...

I should have known!

What a thoughtful parting gift.

But I'll have to send them back. I have no need for gifts from a sophist like him.

...... (It feels like my heart has been walked all over. I feel sick...) (I need some fresh air. I think I'll head to the airport...)

......

It's admirable, Iscariot, how you anguish in solitude over your beloved sibling...

I guess he has a gift for worming his way into people's hearts. How ironic, to be shaken by the same power... (I never told anyone what was in my heart, what I had resolved to do...) (It's just like talking to a mirror, and putting your hand up to the face looking back at you.)

Is this the place? Where the lab once was... (This time layer is so different from mine.) (How fickle life is. Even a towering building like that can be reduced to this in a different time layer.)

A visitor? How unexpected.

Who goes there?

You! A-Are you...

Oh, I thought it was you. A you from a parallel world... One who looks just like the other half of my being.

Let's fly together, Isukacherry. Let me take your hand.

I never should have joined hands with you. You're not him.

(I will protect his Twilight time layer.) (I don't need anyone to fly with... Or anyone to fall with.)

I can do this on my own.