Arknights story · Under Tides
SV-7 Protector
The inhabitants pile onto the beach to listen to the bishop's sermons. Skadi finally locates Gladiia, who asks her to ascertain what she truly wants. As she watches the inhabitants enjoying the food and the gradually nearing sea monsters, Skadi rediscovers her mission as an Abyssal Hunter.
2 scenes, 317 lines
1. Before Operation
225 linesThe beach is lined with food.
The wishes of the masses have been answered by the sea.
......
Fins.
Shells...
Edible.
Yes, it's edible.
More... more... more...
I spilled some.
Pick it up. Swallow it. More...
Take them. Take them back.
Take them back. More and more.
Priest...
Priest.
They stop for a moment and look up at their brother.
My brothers and sisters, enjoy your breakfast.
This is a reward for our good deeds. Because we prevailed against our hunger and illnesses, we become more faithful, more united, and more harmonious with one another.
......
I'm surprised you don't ever get tired of putting on that show when you do it at practically every city you visit.
Show? Hardly. It is a joy to share His greatness and benevolence with the unenlightened across the lands.
They don't understand a word you just said.
All of us are one and the same to the vast ocean.
The bishop lovingly taps the arm of a man who is stuffing his mouth full with food.
Come, dear brother. Share these fins with your suffering brethren. You must understand. This small piece will grant him satisfaction, which will in turn enrich your soul.
......
As for you, you must thank your brother. Thank him for giving you what could have been his.
When the two of you stand together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, you share your life with each other, and that makes you ever more powerful.
Thank you... Father... sir.
Very good, dear child.
The promise isn't between you and it. It's between them and it with you as their intermediator.
Promise? No, a promise is mutual. These suffering souls are far from able to satisfy the needs of the sea.
The sea grants them their desires, and I help them so that their voices are heard.
As you already count yourself a part of us, you must know the rules.
Please forgive my negligence. There are certainly more suitable turns of phrase. You are using their flesh and blood to lay down the path to what it is you want within the chapel.
Whichever the case, you don't need to show up here personally every time.
How do you know what I want?
It's hard not to become addicted to the pleasure of superiority.
Nonsense.
As the sea's most faithful creation, there is nary an ounce of falsehood to my position.
I stand here because I wish to save them from the bottom of my heart. Without me, they would long have become a pile of rotten meat strewn across these lands.
Disease and starvation. As long as we can fight against these tangible enemies, they are not our most difficult hardships. Our most difficult hardships come from the deepest parts of our souls.
When we find ourselves unable to fight these disasters, with destruction unavoidable, that is when we are faced with true hardship.
How many towns like this are still standing in Iberia?
This country's vast territory has long been unable to fulfill its people's needs. Nonetheless, they remain in their cramped flesh, either isolating themselves from one another or brawling.
Well, it's admirable that you care so much about Iberia.
You are wrong again. It is the suffering of the people that I care about, not the borders arbitrarily drawn on these lands.
Isn't this in the nature of us all?
Bound by the limitations of our flesh and blood, it's difficult for us to break away from our obsession with ourselves by our own means, and so we choose to fight, not to understand.
If this goes on, even the strongest of individuals cannot escape defeat. Hardships engulf every corner. You have seen it yourself and wavered at the sight of that misery.
Is this necessary?
Perhaps I'm not telling you enough.
The truth is always worth telling, whether the listener is as foolish as you or not.
......
Perhaps we should treat this conversation as nothing more than a way to pass the time, seeing as we are working together.
Well, your way with words is on another level. It's no wonder so many have found themselves enthralled by your words.
You do not yet understand. I am most sincere. I ask nothing from them. I do not believe in the power of threats either. I simply wish to point them toward a new possibility.
Their bodies' weakness will forever limit their cognition. You think I am ensnaring their souls with words, but the truth is far from it.
I am helping their hearts to hear the most basic needs of their bodies. The teachings of sages can bring nothing but brief, blind faith. The strength of the body is what grants them the right to see more.
There are creatures in the sea. They have no eyes, their bodies are miniscule, and they have no means of mobility. They can only drift with the tides.
Is the ocean that they see so different than what we see? How do creatures with no eyes grasp the holiness and profoundness of the sea?
You and your colleagues never understood how and where your vile yet sturdy bodies came to be, nor can you see how the weak struggle.
Who, then, is the truly arrogant?
Is it me, despite the fact I am helping them, or is it those believers of false gods, who, as the perils grow ever greater, use their words to turn true despair into false hope, to deceive and to control the pitiable weak?
Or perhaps—It's you and your foolish cohorts, who remain ever unwilling to face the vast sea bottoms?
I am sharing with them what my eyes can see so that they may broaden their horizons and know they still have true hope. They may choose for themselves whether they will rot with the land or be reborn as one with the sea.
Not only can this possibility save them from starvation and disease, it is also the sea's generosity for the land that insists on consuming.
This is not a conquest. It's understanding. It's acceptance.
I am pointing them in a new direction and giving them a better life. In the end, they will walk toward the truth, just as I once did.
This is my life's work. Your false flesh has confined your soul and left you short-sighted. You cannot see true greatness. You shall be forgiven.
Hmph. Sounds like they are not the only ones obsessed.
Phew, Singer, we almost missed out on this.
There's so much food... Everyone's hungry, and we finally have something to eat.
1, 2, 3... I'll bring these back and grind them up. I can make soup for Grandma Petra with them. We'll have this for dinner tonight. Sound good, Bench?
Wgh... aogh...
No, don't eat them like that!
The shells are too hard. They'll break your teeth! We have to boil them until they're soft before we can eat them.
Singer, why don't you take some too?
......
S-Singer? What are you standing there for?
Skadi simply stares at the man named Drywall. He is on his knees, eating all that he can see on the beach.
His eyes are red. His tears have already dried up.
He is starving, and so is everyone here.
Skadi lets go of the girl.
The girl's eyes are sparkling. She cannot wait to join the crowd of feeding people.
Slow down, brother. This is all yours. Look around you. All this will be yours in the end.
Now, open your heart, accept yourself, embrace others, learn to be trusting, and learn to sacrifice.
The fighting has long come to an end, and the hardships will cease. Let us stand together. Our souls, flesh, and belief will grow strong, just like this eternal ocean under our feet.
Please allow me to keep my distance.
Oh?
I've been having certain... digestion issues. I'm afraid I might not be able to hold it. I'll throw up on your face.
—Brother, you dropped your seashell. Let your brother hold onto it...
Interesting. You must be in a good mood today, given your choice of words.
Whatever you say.
The message from the sea has you excited. You can wait for our celebration no longer.
Then go. Find her. Find your old friend, and share this joy with her.
Found you...
Skadi quickly makes it through the crowd. Her eyes are fixated on a single person.
That person appears as though she is waiting for her as well.
What are you doing?
......
Skadi takes out a seashell.
With the seashell in her hand, she dashes toward Gladiia.
Gladiia remains calm and unflinching. She seems to have expected this.
The seashell stabs her hand, leaving no marks at all.
Your stance isn't elegant enough. Let me show you.
Gladiia presses the seashell against Skadi's chest, pushing her up against the wall.
How many times have we danced together, Skadi? Twice, maybe thrice?
You are a good dance partner.
Where is she?
You care about her.
Should I not?
She is rather safe for the moment.
Proof?
I didn't know you were in the market for something so pointless.
This is making me think your time on land has ruined your nose, Hunter.
Your whole body reeks.
Trust me. I want to vomit far more than you do right now.
Looks like your nose hasn't gone completely bad.
Fortunately, it seems you haven't quite fallen to the level of those land-born cubs just yet. At the very least, you haven't come crying to me, asking me why I would take her away and what I am doing here.
......
Asking questions has never been a way of solving things. Not for us.
Looks like you have a lot of questions on your mind.
(Strokes case)
If you aren't sure, you might want to think twice about picking a fight.
Otherwise, you'd just be giving your enemy an opportunity.
You are not my target.
Then what did you come all this way for?
Don't you already know?
You've been looking for her, but will your doubts really go away when you finally find her?
Take a look at yourself. You are barely better than being locked in a cage.
You may not be working for me anymore, but let me teach you one more thing.
Remember this. A hunter chases her prey because she must hunt it down. Chasing blindly will bring you only emotional comfort.
Are you so weak now that you are chasing after these phantom illusions, Skadi?
......
How long has it been since you danced? You've walked too much. Your skin is very dry. Have you forgotten the proper rhythm for your breathing?
Let me ask you again. What are you here for?
Skadi looks at the bishop.
The bishop stands only a short distance away. He looks at Skadi as well, his gaze piercing through the crowd.
Skadi tightens her grip on her box.
A courteous and gentle smile appears on the bishop's face. He points in a direction and gestures invitingly.
Not going to make your move?
I thought you two were together?
I don't really care.
Doesn't seem like I can say that about you, though. You are the one who needs that weight off your shoulders, not me.
One by one, the inhabitants walk up to the bishop with food still in their arms. They greet the bishop as though he is truly their brother and friend.
—Just like a normal afternoon in your average Iberian town.
Skadi slowly lets go.
Stop with the mysteries! Who is he?!
I could tell you, but would you believe me?
Skadi looks at the chapel on the top of the hill.
Beneath it, the bishop is waving goodbye to the inhabitants.
Uh... Ughh...
Slowly. Careful not to trip.
Did you hear that? The sound of the waves. Thump, thump, thump, just like our heartbeats.
The food you eat and the water you drink are all gifts from the sea. My brothers and sisters, do you feel the energy in you surging throughout your body and on to your heart?
Embrace the vastness before you! This is your hope for rebirth!
Skadi looks at the people onshore.
The crowd has started to disperse. The girl has picked a basket full of seafood. At last, she looks up from the ground and begins to search for someone on the empty shore.
Huh? Where's the singer?
I took my eyes off her for just a moment, and she disappeared again.
*Sigh*.
Oh well, she knows the way back. She's probably looking for her friend again.
Let's go, Bench. Let's bring the food back.
Uhh...
Bench, I want to sing. Let's sing together.
Do you remember the song that the singer sang? It's okay if you don't. I mean, you don't know how to talk. How about I sing it for you?
With homeland left a mile behind♪
Yea...
His path lies ahead♪
Ahh...
Why are you stopping me? *Sigh*. You think it's terrible, don't you? I think so, too.
Of course I can't sing as well as the singer!
But if I keep at it, I will get better, right?
Hehe... His path lies ahead...
I need to go now. If I don't get going, he will be suspicious.
Captain! What are you planning?
Is it a teammate you're looking for? Why didn't you say so?
Or is it an enemy you want? If you were my enemy, you would've killed me when I tried to kill you with the seashell just now.
......
Gladiia shakes her head.
You need to understand what it is that you want first. A hesitant hunter can't spot traps and will only find herself the prey of others. Is that what you want?
Singer, your eyes seem a little different.
Hm?
When you looked at us before, it felt no different from when you looked at the monsters from the sea.
......
But now you are willing to teach me how to make seaweed alcohol, and you sing for us.
Of course you are different from the monsters.
Monsters wouldn't keep pestering me to sing for them. Monsters can't even speak. Most of the time, they are dirty and dumb, and they know nothing other than to eat.
S-So... will those monsters from the sea eat us?
If they are hungry, they will.
So they come ashore for the same reason we go out to the sea. They are looking for things to eat.
Are you sympathizing with them?
Going hungry is tough.
I don't think that's how the ones who get eaten see it.
Right... I don't want to be eaten by the monsters like this either.
I've never thought about it before, but now... Uh, I want to listen to your songs just a little longer. I want to teach Bench how to sing too, just like how Grandma taught me so many things.
In that case, you need to live as long as your grandmother.
Yep! At the very least, I'm not worried about anything right now.
And that's because... Singer, you are still here. You will help us, and fight off these monsters, like, bam bam bam!
Gladiia has left.
Skadi looks out at the sea.
Unlike the dead silence of the day before, its waters are filled with living creatures. They cling onto each other and pile on top of one another. The creature at the very top stretches out its limb. It camouflages itself as a part of the sea waves, while striking the shore's reefs with each beating wave.
Atop the hill, the chapel doors are wide open.
The people ashore have already gone home.
The monsters of the sea, eyeless as they may be, merely 'stare' at the sight.
My heartbeat... is getting faster.
It isn't just her heartbeat. She looks at her hands and sees something that only the eyes of a hunter can see. Unable to withstand the impact of her blood flow, her skin is trembling at a high speed.
The off-key singing reverberates in her eardrums, all while the odor of the sea irritates her nostrils.
A hunter chases her prey, and a hunter hunts her prey, but Abyssal Hunters dance atop the fangs and claws of their fallen prey. A hunter who has lost her partner is naturally lonely and despondent.
She is a hunter herself, and not the kind after bounties. Running away any further would be meaningless. What she must do now is to turn around and join the hunt.
They are the ones who should be afraid.
It is only now that Skadi has finally forgiven herself.
She dashes toward the Sea Terror-filled tides.
There is a stench. A stench lingers in the air of the chapel.
2. After Operation
92 linesThat should take care of it, I think? We should have enough for me, Grandma, and Bench...
Oh, and the singer too. She will come back, right? We can't let her go hungry.
We still have... some. We can put the rest in the box.
Uh, Uncle Fireplace, you wanted some? O-Okay, I can give you some first.
Whoa, I think that's seaweed on your arm! Let me have it! I'll make the... uh... seaweed alcohol that the singer taught me to make!
Huh? Where did Bench go? I only took my eyes off for a moment.
(Makes children noises)
A red-clad figure appears before him.
Ah... Songs... Ahhh...
Whaa...
Stop chewing it... It's not something you can eat.
Woodframe... Woodframe...
Don't call her...
Yeah, give her my harp, will you?
Tell her... No, I guess you can't talk.
This isn't a goodbye.
I'll go ask a question. Then, I'll tell her myself.
Skadi looks at the chapel overlooking the town. She knows how to get to her destination.
High Inquisitor, are we planting explosives at the hill right now?
That is correct.
On another note, I saw someone entering the chapel.
She looks very much like that... outsider we met before.
......
So, High Inquisitor, who is she?
An Ægir.
I heard she fought the Sea Terrors.
I'm surprised there are others who not only know about these monsters... but specialize in fighting them as well...
If we blow up the chapel... Will she be affected?
If we don't strike the evil at its root, even destroying this place won't accomplish anything.
Is that so? So we still have to find out who caused this phenomenon... And you don't know who it is yourself, High Inquisitor?
You may not ask anything that has nothing to do with the mission.
Understood...
Also, while I'm aware you don't mind, I have to say this nonetheless... The load-bearing structure of this block probably won't withstand the intensity of the explosion.
The southern half of the city may crumble any moment, and the inhabitants here still don't know anything about this.
Proceed.
Uh...
......
I want to evacuate the inhabitants.
I mean, to you, they may seem peculiar and problematic...
...and also things that need to be cleansed.
Inquisitor!
Uhh...!
Tell me! What is your responsibility?!
Yes!
'For Iberia's prosperity, for Iberia's defense, and for Iberia's orderliness and integrity, I shall raise my sword and my light!'
In that case, you must lay down your judgment for these men!
You want me to... lay down judgment? To sentence them to death?
High Inquisitor, when was the last time you listened to a song? Your records have all gone bad, haven't they? Your player has been gathering dust for a long time too.
I heard that song. I heard the song the Ægir was singing for these people.
That's the kind of song that Iberia should have had.
Before we kill them, I want to know the truth. Just like you were trying to find who is behind this.
Perhaps they will still mutate, but when that time comes, I will cleanse them myself, but I would like to evacuate them right now.
High Inquisitor, if I have your permission, I will evacuate everyone right away!
Is that your decision?
I don't know!
Irene, you are not just laying down decisions for those you see in front of you. Your decisions affect much more!
By sentencing the monsters to live, you also sentence the citizens to die!
I understand! I've already made decisions like this one countless of times!
Your judgment can mitigate disasters or portend ill omens! You may kill hundreds merely to save one!
I understand that, Sir!
What's at stake behind this deal, the clashes between morals and scriptures... I understand it all!
That isn't what I'm asking you.
......
What I'm asking you, Irene, is if you can truly bear this responsibility.
If you bring them great pain, then you too must bear this pain as well, and it will be far graver than the sins you inflict on others combined.
Do you have the courage? Will your beliefs remain steadfast when your heart is tormented? If you fail, are you certain you can stay unflinching when you witness the outcome of your decision?
I can take it... and I won't waver.
That's what I've been doing all along ever since I joined the Inquisition. I can do it. If what I do proves to be wrong, then let me receive the proper punishment. This is something I must do.
High Inquisitor! I—
Very well.
Hm...?
This will do. Do your duty, Inquisitor.
—Yes, High Inquisitor! I will evacuate the local inhabitants right away!
Also... The explosives left in the cabinet should be enough to level the whole of Sal Viento.
That's right.
So...
If it comes to it, I will override your judgment.
Right...
I'll get going now.
Irene dashes off like the wind.
The High Inquisitor stands tall, unmoving, just like the reefs next to the sea.
It is only when the Inquisitors have doubts in their hearts that they have the chance to seek out the answer. However, for a young woman who has experienced little of the world's ugly side or its mirages...
She needs to be hammered and tempered. She needs to fail, to crumble.
She must first suffer. She must first abandon her unrealistic aspirations before she can truly be indomitable.
......
Wait.
Who is it?
Hello, High Inquisitor.
Oh, look who's here?
Welcome, wandering singer.