OD-6 Battle of the Lord's Manor

How long has it been, dear sister?

Six months? A year? Longer?

Drudge, you attacked the Lord's men and stormed his manor. This is treason!

Treason? Hah. Heh heh.

You have to know, Picale.

If it weren't for that rotting old man's obsession with protecting his infected... oh, distressed assets.

This wouldn't even be your place.

Relax, girl.

Check out these toys from an enthusiastic Columbian donor.

The TSW-2 Ultrasonic Impact Unit, a product of advanced technology. It's experimental, never used in the field before. The only downside is the size.

It was real tough to hide in town. Took a while.

Took me a while to get you out of the mansion too.

So tell me, my dearest little sister, what good are your sick moves now? What good is that iron will of yours?

......

And check out my friends here. Sarkaz friends.

They're not your run-of-the-mill braindead devils. They're from Columbia too. They get the job done.

You know what that means?

It means they're here for progress. Progress you and the old man could never understand.

Get your margins high enough and money's more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

Whatever happened to the old man's worthless logic?

Boss, we found this in a big house.

Give it to me.

Oh, an appointment letter from the Lord Ameer of Bayalir.

Fine grain papyrus, embossed signature, blocky Bayalir writing, and this black seal.

Hmph.

Where's the old man?

He wasn't there. We searched every room and found plenty of townsfolk, but not the old man you're talking about.

Father is dead. I am the Lord of Long Spring now.

You have disobeyed your Lord, and in so doing disobeyed the Lord Ameer, and for that your punishment is death!

That's the plan you and the old man came up with?

Hahaha...

Hahahahaha...

Grrgh!

This is getting stupid. You really think you can use the Lord Ameer to outmaneuver me? Don't make me laugh.

You're gonna execute me?

The old man's proud Reproba guards are lying headless in an alley somewhere right now.

Those tough guards are gone now, and who's left to stop me?

You're a psychotic piece of shit! You grew up with them! They treated you like their own son! I didn't think you were this far gone...

They shouldn't have gotten in my way.

And neither should you.

We're blood, so let me make it a little clearer for you, sis. I wanna be sure you understand.

Yes, you're a Lord of Sargon now. Sure.

But me? I'm a bum, abandoned by my family.

And in a few years, when you meet an unfortunate end, I'll go to the Court of Bayalir.

With my pedigree, plus the resources and wealth to prove my loyalty to the Lord Ameer, do you think he might just hand Long Spring back to me?

No!

Why don't I give you another scenario: let's say you die in battle just a short while after taking charge.

Then I hand your corpse over to the Lord Ameer, and get to join the Zhayedan, would that work out better for me?

Drudge, you're a disgusting, horrific, disaster of a person!

You're getting excited, sis.

All that's just hypothetical. It's not real. We're having a brother-sister talk here.

Because I know a much better place for you.

See these things with the rocks on them?

If you're so eager to protect the Infected, why not join 'em?

Drudge!

Once you die from it, I'll find a nice cave to bury you in.

Then you and the old man can watch me dig out the Originium buried under the mines and turn Long Spring into the mineral heart of Bayalir.

So, what do you think?

...You sold out your family, and sold out our land! I curse you, Drudge. May you die a horrible death!

Whatever makes you happy, sis. Curse away. Use that voice while you've still got it.

I guess we're done here.

(Columbian) You, come here.

(Columbian) What is it, Boss?

(Columbian) Bring the Infected to the egghead.

*cough* *cough*...

(Columbian) Right. I'm on it.

(Columbian) What about this kid? Looks like he's on his way out.

(Columbian) Bring him, dead or alive.

(Columbian) As for my sister...

(Columbian) Turn her Infected. You Sarkaz must know how to do it.

(Columbian) Roger.

(Columbian) But that isn't in our contract. There'll be an extra fee.

(Columbian) Save it. You know there'll be plenty of money to go around once our work here is done and the mine is up and running.

What a nice brother you have there.

(Closes eyes)

(Raises weapon)

Erm...

We're under attack! Get a shield up, protect the boss!

Wha?!

What's happening?!

Boss, we've got company!

I thought you took care of all the guardsmen!

I saw! I saw! It's...

Aagh!

Caster, get the monsters moving!

Wait... I see... It's...

Hurry!

Ahhhh! My shoulder! My shoulder!

Don't panic! Where's the enemy?

I... I don't see them!

Fall back. They've got crossbows. Get to cover!

Cover Drudge! We can't let anything happen to him!

I saw! It's a Feline!

Look out! Retreat! Retreat!

......

You... You're with Rhodes Island...

Can you move, Reproba?

Thanks...

Gaa...

Okay, it's working.

This isn't over yet. Hahaha.

Hmph, the old man's toys can only be useful at a time like this.

You, take the monsters and finish them off.

Roger.

There's too many. I can't guarantee your safe escape.

This will do.

Where are my weapons?

What for?

It's my fault Drudge turned out like this.

I can't face my late father...

But I will carve out that traitor's heart and bury it in Long Spring if it's the last thing I do!

Don't be hasty, there's too many of them. Getting yourself killed won't help the town survive.

I've sent out the signal. They should be here in a minute.

Boss! Those mercenaries and Rhodes Island are assaulting us.

What are you afraid of? With this mansion tough as iron, I don't believe those mercenaries can cause us any harm.

Tell those casters to finish that Feline with monsters. Others go defend the entrance.

Roger.

Report?

They have formed a defensive line with the courtyard walls. I suppose there are snipers and hulky mercenaries hiding behind.

The same way as usual?

A wall like this doesn't even bother me.

Let's show them who's the real boss here.

Now that's a big hole in the wall. I didn't expect a technology like this.

Cover fire! Breaching!

Roger!

Stop them. Now!

Out of my way!

Not over yet!

Bastards! Where the hell are the snipers?

Snipers? There's no more snipers I'm afraid.

Where did you...

Ugh...

We've breached the out wall. Nicely done, old man.

Don't let your guard down. There's still many of them.

Wait... what's that thing they just pushed out?

That's...

Get down!

*cough*... Bless my ears...

Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

What about the others?

All fine. but now I feel everywhere hurts...

What is this weapon?

How come they even have stuff like this?

An experimental weapon of Volvort Kochinski... How unexpected.

Now we're in trouble.

It's about to fire again. Find cover!

If it hits you, you'll be doomed for sure.

Boss! They've breached the out wall!

Don't you see they are being suppressed? What are you worried about?

Take care of my sister and that Feline first. Then we'll deal with the rest.

I'm having the edge. Now it's just a matter of killing a few more.

Five! These are your monsters, huh? Drudge! Get out and face me!

Six! C'mon, You ugly and filthy monsters! I'm gonna smash you all into shreds!

Calm down, Lady Picale. Save your strength.

There's... too many of them.

No... *cough*... *cough*...

Lady Picale... Miss Schwarz...

Doctor!

You... *cough* *cough*... have to get out of here!

Come, monster...

What are you doing?

(It hurts... so bad.)

(Where am I...? Did I pass out?)

(What is this...?)

...You sold out your family, and sold out our land! I curse you, Drudge. May you die a horrible death!

(Lady Picale! She's on the ground?)

(What happened?)

(Oof... ouch...)

*cough* *cough*...

(That's... blood?)

(Oh...)

(Ow... so cold.)

(Columbian) Bring the Infected to the egghead.

(Columbian) Right. I'm on it.

(Columbian) What about this kid? Looks like he's on his way out.

(Columbian) Bring him, dead or alive.

(Columbian) As for my sister...

(Columbian) Turn her Infected. You Sarkaz must know how to do it.

(He... What is he doing to the Infected?)

(I can't stand up...)

(Who is that...?)

(It's Miss Schwarz...)

(Alone...)

(I have to help her...)

(Hah... It all comes down to this, in the end.)

You... run...

What are you doing?!

Leave me alone! Get out of here!

Is that a refined Originium Ingot?

Why do you...?

! !

I haven't used... Arts... in so long.

(There's so much I still want to do.)

(I don't want to die yet...)

(A doctor should be saving lives. I have to... save...)

My eyes! My eyes! Ahhhh!!

Get up! Hold the line!

*cough* *cough*... *cough*.

What happened... what was that?

The Originiutants! They're out of control!

How?

Where's the Ultrasonic Emitter?

The little twerp fried it!

We've completely lost control! What do we do?!

Gaaaagh!

The Feline's back.

Get a shield up, protect the boss!

Drudge!

Your life is forfeit!

Again with the nagging!

I want their heads on a platter now!

What is it this time?!

Target located. At my position.

We're getting them out of there. Open fire!

Clear!

Okay, you're on guard duty!

Alexsandr, see if any of the mercs on the ground are alive!

On it.

Tina, get your bandages. Take a headcount and patch up the wounded.

Roger!

No playing dead!!

Wait, please... lower your gun! I'll tell you anything!

Kötz, tie him up.

Sure.

Where's the doctor? Dr. Miarow!

Over here!

...*cough*...

Tina! Bandages! Hurry!

Stay with me! Don't close your eyes, boy!

Why... what happened?

When you push yourself to use Originium Arts... it worsens your Originium infection...

Rhodes Island doesn't have a countermeasure? Isn't this what you people do?

Between the blood loss, burns, and acute Oripathy symptoms, even if we were back on the landship...

...*cough*...

I said stay with me, kid.

......

...You can do this. Remember how you wanted to travel the world? Picture that Columbia you were dreaming about.

...Stay with me!

*cough* *cough*...

...*cough*...

......

...Doctor...

...He's gone.

...I'm sorry. I couldn't...

No... it's not your fault.

......

...No... I had nothing to do with that. It wasn't me!

(Russian profanity), I'm going to twist your *profanity* head off.

I just...don't...

You're done for, (Russian profanity). You're toasted.

No! Don't hurt me! It wasn't me! No!

Alexsandr! Stop! Calm down!

Where did that guard captain go? The Lord's daughter?

She chased someone trying to get away. Rangers went with her, don't worry.

Wait... the crystals on the doctor's skin... are glowing?

Huh?!

So soon? How?

! !

We've got bigger problems! Find an empty room here!

What are you doing?

No time to explain! Move!

We need cloth! Curtains, bedspreads, anything!

Get the doctor into that little house! Hurry!

What's happening?

What's wrong with the doctor? Why...?

M-Miss Cohen, please calm down. Franka's dealing with the doctor's—

Dealing?

Dealing with what?

You've never seen it before? I'll explain it to you later—

Cover the doors and all the windows! No cracks!

The chimney! Block it! And the vents!

......

What... are they doing?

I'm not sure? What's wrong with... the doctor's corpse?

Don't look.

Why?

Don't look...

We're good here!

Doors and windows good! Ready.

Hey, is that room lighting up? The window's glowing?

Miss Cohen! Get back!

Don't watch...

What on earth is going on?

The doctor...

......

......

Oh...