GO-8 Sword Reforged in War

Death... awaits... at the end...

My liege... watches... death, watches... you...

Captain, the target has been neutralized! But our remaining ammunition is estimated to last only two more minutes!

We need our next set of orders!

All units, prepare for close-quarter combat!

Hold the line for the next two minutes—I'll cover your retreat!

Siege, our artillery support is running out!

The bombardment will end in three minutes! What's the situation on your side?

We can't clear this Nachzehrer fog!

These things have severed the supply routes our workers cleared for us. We can't get supplies to your position quickly enough.

Prepare to retreat from T1.

Negative! Abandoning T1 will create a gap in our encirclement, and the alliance forces will break through from our side! Captain, I can't accept that—

The battlefield isn't a place for heroics! Honor your orders!

We've sent a distress signal to our friends at Rhodes Island. Now we have to trust the Doctor and the plan.

Soldiers, we've made it home. Do everything you can to survive! Only then can we take back what we've lost!

...

Siege, we'll hold the line for the final two minutes, then retreat to regroup and assist you in clearing out the creatures in the fog!

Bagpipe, keep them safe!

Aye, Captain!

If the fog can't be dispersed, don't wait for us. Head to I12 and rendezvous with Gododdin's 106th Assault Brigade. Keep fighting.

Understood.

I'll be seein' ye soon, Captain—

(Strange howl)

Look out, Siege!

It's the Confessarius chimeras! Everyone, prepare to retreat!

(Song-like shriek)

It's lit itself up! Hannah, watch out for its flames!

Oof... It hurts... Vina, are you alright?

Everyone else, fall back! I can't allow any more needless sacrifices...

(A piercing wail)

Wait—where did this backup come from!?

Anti-witchcraft cannon has struck the target. Enemy movement disrupted. Remaining squads, continue setting up anti-witchcraft cannons.

Mission objective: eliminate threats within the fog.

Friendly forces at T1, hold your position. Emergency supplies will arrive at your location in three and a half minutes.

—!

Exemplar T1 Combat Team—message received! Please identify your unit!

Duke of Normandy's 8th Grenadier Battalion, under orders to support The Exemplars.

The Duke of Normandy? 8th Grenadier Battalion? Horn, do you know anything about this unit?

They're not under the direct command of the Duke of Normandy. They report to the Earl of March.

Lieutenant Skamandros truly has an exceptional grasp of our intelligence operations, as to be expected from someone born into a military family.

Lieutenant, keep Her Royal Highness Alexandrina safe.

As for Your Highness, please accept this small gift.

Once all these matters are resolved, I'll visit you in person, Vina.

Siege, do you know the Earl of March?

No, we've never met. But her name was mentioned in some of the information sent to me.

That doesn't matter now. With reinforcements, we should be able to reopen the supply line. Horn, we'll meet again soon!

At last, it's time to bring all of this to an end.

Finally!

Phew—

Triangle, Cello, Oboe... Tempest Platoon, everyone, watch closely.

...As we scatter the dark clouds over Londinium!

All members of the Exemplar T1 Combat Team, hear this: hold your ground. Do not give them a single inch!

Captain, Rock-18 just uploaded the scan of the last segment of our route to PRTS. Did you receive it?

Got it! Rockrock, we're already repairing the final track-shift node.

Given the current damage level, how long until the repairs are complete?

Ten minutes.

Located Granny yet? We need to retrieve that weapon as soon as possible. The Exemplars will need our support on the front line.

Still trying to pinpoint the correct location.

The signals we've found over the past few days were all decoy beacons they left behind. It might take a bit more time to re-establish contact.

At least that means Granny's team is still safe for now...

Captain, if—and I mean if—we can't get in touch with Catherine, what should we do?

We'll use this passage to transport as much of Highbury's remaining supplies as possible to—

Captain?!

*cough*—

*cough* Is everyone okay?

Where did those Sarkaz come from... and what was that artillery fire I just heard?

I keep telling you, when you're busy working, you always forget to watch your back.

Welcome home, brat.

Granny! We've been looking for you all this time!

I know. When someone told me the passage was being repaired, I figured it was you.

Hm?

That's—

Haha, remember the blueprints you left behind?

It took some effort, with the Sarkaz blockade and all, but we finally managed to build your big machine.

The Crawler...

I know you're there.

Your earring has grown... rather warm.

Those workers who came to support the Self-Salvation Corps earlier—that was your doing, wasn't it?

Shh, you'll disturb my friends.

...

Still, thank you for taking good care of Little Garnet for me, kitten.

And thank you for cleaning up those filthy rocks Duq'arael left behind.

Here. You can have this back.

I have more important things to deal with.

Off to find that hunk of sheetmetal again?

He… wouldn't want to miss this battle.

Thank you for saving me earlier. Farewell.

Where are you off to next?

To meet with him.

You're not going to go help Dame Kal'tsit?

With Amiya and Logos there, nothing will happen.

I'll wait for them beneath the Palace of Westhaleg. It's his last known location, as far as I know.

Her Highness is gone. It's time to put the past to rest.

Your wounds...

Insignificant.

You don't need to involve yourself in the frontline work anymore. Take care of yourself.

Don't you understand how powerful I am by now, runt? You learned quite a bit from us back in the day, didn't you?

...

Bringing you into the city was the most I could do. Whatever is between you and the Regent—Rose Riverside will no longer be involved.

Good.

Where will you go next?

I'll keep tracking her down. She disappeared so suddenly, abandoning Her Highness at the most critical moment. That demands an explanation.

One of our sharp-eyed sisters managed to track her as she left Londinium. She's still heading west, though her destination is unclear.

And when you catch her? Will you bring her back, or kill her?

She owes all the Riverbank Canoes an explanation.

But you, runt, should worry about yourself first. The Regent is close at hand.

...

The Riverside Canoes swore not to get involved with anything related to Babel anymore. However, helping an old acquaintance doesn't break the rules.

This smear of blood—it's a gift and a blessing, for less pain and fewer scars. Safe travels, Ascalon.

Did you really have to wipe it on my neck?

Not my fault you always hide your face so well under that hood. You look better this way.

Hmph.

Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask—what do you think of that kitten?

Soldier, you should not continue this assault empty-handed.

Take this sword.

...but, this is the Sighs of Kings... I can't possibly...

It belongs to Your Royal Highness.

No. It belongs to Victoria.

On the wreckage of the Glorious, trusted allies passed the sword from hand to hand until it reached me, completing its mission.

Now, take it from my hand! Let it reach the hands of everyone who needs it. Let its mission continue anew.

This is your right as a Victorian.

But if we take the sword, what will Your Royal Highness use?

I still have my hammer.

I will not stop. I will stay with you until the end.

...

As you bid.

All survivors of the 6th Column, 10th Infantry Regiment, advance with me!

For Victoria!

♪May the vast lands they keep owre kynge.

♪His people, and alle his well-wyllynge,

♪And give them grace wythoute endyng!

♪Then may we call and savely syng,

♪Victoria, yeve thankes for owre hom!

I don't see any more Nachzehrers. Is the battle finally over?

But this blasted fog hasn't let up one bit.

Something's not right. The Sarkaz aren't attacking under the cover of the thick fog like before. Is this a trap?

Based on our previous encounters with the Nachzehrer army, they are far more elusive than they seem.

Horn, what do you suppose we should do next?

Coordinate with the main allied forces, hold off on advancing rashly, and minimize unnecessary casualties until we get a clearer read on the situation.

Alright. Sound strategy.

Dagda, send the orders to all of our troops.

I'll pass it on to the alliance commanders, as well as Closure and the others.

Hey, heyyy, hey! Did Hood even get the frequency right?

Huh? We're already live?

Gah! Everybody, listen up! Babel's captured the Military Commission's Command Center.

The bastards don't know their heads from their asses right now, and nobody's got it in them to help out the crusty old Nachzehrer King.

So quit wasting time and get those feet moving!

I don't care if you believe me or not, just go and get this over with!

Oh, and by the way, you might wanna look up.

The old hag owes me big this time.

...?

...

...

Delphine—

We traced the transmission. It seems this communication was received on several different frequencies.

Both the allies and the Sarkaz probably heard it.

That voice... it was....

Wiš'adel. Sounds like they've been busy.

Horn, please re-assess the situation.

Vina, look at the sky! It's...

It's Charles Lynch! He's gone into the fog!

I can hear the commotion inside the clouds. He's battling the Nachzehrers.

Horn?

Although morale is currently high, the alliance has yet to make any major moves. Clearly, the dukes are still hesitating—they have reason to be cautious with intelligence from an unknown source.

If Rhodes Island trusts Wiš'adel, then so do I.

Ha. We trust you as well, Siege. I'll go tell everyone to get ready.

Huh? What's going on?

Did you hear that sound... right beneath our feet!

The Exemplars, we meet at last.

Wait a minute, Vina. Am I seeing things, or did a giant... thing just burrow out from underground?

A giant thing? No. It has a name.

The Crawler. My grandson designed it. Pretty good, huh?

You—

Siege, thank goodness we made it here in time!

Starting now, the Self-Salvation Corps will join forces with you. With Granny and her team helping out, we'll have a much greater chance of victory!

We just got that message ourselves—it seems the timing is spot on.

I-Victoria thanks you!

Horn?

All clear. The preparations are complete, and we're ready to move out at any time.

Good.

Everyone, this is the final battle. We—

Wait a minute. There's still one thing left.

I need to adjust the cannon.... there. That should do it.

Cover your ears!

We've got to let certain people know we're here.

You're in command now.

Victorians! Charge forth to our final victory!

.....How long has it been since he's moved?

Ten minutes.

How can he still be standing with such grievous wounds from the battle with the Nachzehrer king...

It was never his body alone that kept him upright, or he would have never made it out of the Mausoleum of Kings.

Vina, don't get close to him. He's off his rocker!

I have to. I have to know for sure.

But he almost killed you back in the underground, Vina!

Let her do it.

Something's not right with the Steam Knight... Sir Charles. Siege probably sensed it too.

But—

Trust her.

...

I've never seen you like this, not even back in the Mausoleum of Kings.

The war is over. You've protected Victoria. You've completed your mission.

(Steam hissing)

What are you still searching for? The sword? Sorry. It was lost somewhere on the battlefield.

(Steam hissing)

Or perhaps you're waiting for something else?

You're looking at the Palace of Westhaleg. I understand now.

You're not the only one. Many more are looking over at the palace.

(Steam hissing)

I never believed you'd gone mad.

Sir Charles, this is our second official meeting.

I once hoped that if you found your way out of the darkness, you would find something worth protecting.

We've already made it this far. Please wait a little longer, until I return.

(Steam hissing)

Why is it taking so long? Could there be other enemies inside?

Should we go and help?

Quiet! Have faith in Her Royal Highness Alexandrina!

Can't you see that even the Steam Knight is waiting here in silence?

I've heard the crown is still inside. Do you think that when she comes out, we'll have a new King?!

Something's not right here. Based on our intelligence, there shouldn't be any more of the Military Commission's forces left.

There should be nothing left in that palace.

Are we just gonna stand here like idiots? We oughta just go in and see for ourselves!

...

I'll go.

There are better choices—

Well, we're the only ones who can drive the Crawler.

As long as we've got the Crawler, we've nothing to fear. We'll be protected, even against the Steam Knight.

There she is! She's coming out!

Where's the crown? Why isn't she wearing the crown?

Quiet, you moron! She hasn't been coronated yet. Why would she be wearing the crown already?

What's that in her hands? Is that the devils' flag?

Good people of Victoria. The Nachzehrer King is dead.

I have torn down this flag that the enemy has stabbed into the heart of our great Londinium.

We will tear down every Sarkaz banner left in our home and drive out every enemy still consumed by their bloodlust!

But please, spare the unarmed ones. Spare anyone willing to surrender.

The war is over! We must not avenge slaughter with more slaughter, nor meet hatred with more hatred!

I, Vina Victoria, wish to speak to all the heroes who have fought to defend our Victoria.

Hear me. We have liberated Londinium, liberated Victoria!

In these coming days, months, and years——

We must revive Victoria! We shall revive Victoria!

You could have killed me, back then.

The despicable meeting her end at the hands of her hero... That would have been the perfect ending to her story.

So why must the despicable be the one to bid farewell to the hero?

...

Sir Charles, you have completed your mission.

My father once taught me that every Steam Knight returning triumphantly from his mission would have a squire to remove his armor and wipe away the dust—

Allow me to remove your armor.

...It has long fused with your body.

I will keep your core. I promise that your heart will never stop burning. It will bear witness to Victoria's future.

Sir Charles, you've seen the things you hoped to protect restored to their former brilliance.

Have you any final words, good Steam Knight?

'Victoria.'

'The Oath of Sir Charles Lynch, the final words of the last Steam Knight.'

You never abandoned yourself, even when Victoria abandoned you...

Ha... 'Steam Knight', I don't deserve that title, nor this set of armor.

This war has already claimed too many lives.

I hope yours is the last. Goodbye, Sir Charles Lynch.

Listen. They're all bidding you farewell.

You made the right choice. You are standing exactly where you belong.

As am I.

Londinium does not need any more heroes, Vina.

What are you looking at, Vina?

The Steam Knight is gone. He has completed his mission.

——? That steam... I thought it was like last time—

This time is different.

Then we...

There is no need to bother him. Someone is already seeing him off.

Alright.

Vina, what should we do next?

They're waiting for you.

...

Then I will show them all, Delphine.

...is this the Speaker's answer? She sent you, her old comrades, to drive us away?

No. Guarding the Sineselde is only one of the Defense Forces' responsibilities. Justice is justice, Hoff.

Heroes shouldn't be treated this way. Diane and all The Exemplars who bled don't deserve this, do they, Commander?

I understand what you're saying, but this isn't how Parliament makes decisions.

We cannot let this become a precedent.

I do not know politics, Captain. I only know that Diane is a good person. If Parliament insists, many hearts will be lost.

And you, sir? You still will not yield?

I know Diane well. She would never act out of selfishness. Nor does she have any ties with the nobility.

Therefore, I humbly ask the Speaker to take time out of her busy schedule to reconsider Diane's verdict.

This was a decision rendered by the provisional court. Diane broke into the locked throne room in direct defiance of Parliament.

We also know Diane very well, but... I'm afraid there's nothing—

—Diane?!

Yes. She's the one who introduced us to you!

After the war, we lost our homes and nearly our lives. If it weren't for her constant encouragement, I'd probably still be passed out in a barrel of ale.

You don't think she's a bad person either, do you? It's just that Vina—

Speaker Vina, sorry. It's a force of habit. Speaker Vina must have made a mistake.

We've all gone to her office, but I feel like just having numbers on our side might not be enough... Feist, your words carry more weight—please, I'm begging you.

Sorry, but I have to assume that if Parliament put Diane on trial, they must have also allowed her to present a defense.

No matter how strange or unfair I think their decision is, having Speaker Vina force them to change it at the last minute would be even more unfair.

But Diane's case should be treated differently. We just barely survived the war, and now she's going to die over something so stupid?

Listen to the radio. Listen to the patrons in the bars. You'll hear that nobody's happy about this decision.

What do you think, Catherine? You said we could lodge our complaints with Vina anytime.

I think Diane is just a stupid girl who did a stupid thing. Nothing more.

She means well, but what she did was moronic. She defied a direct order of Parliament and left Vina with no other choice.

So, you're planning to turn down the pharma rep?

How do you expect me to convince Parliament?

...

Actually, Vina does have a chance to solve this. With her reputation, persuading Parliament to impose a lighter punishment is not impossible.

But many eyes are watching as she makes her final decision.

This is just one of the many tricky issues that the Speaker of Londinium's Parliament has to face. A hero may be able to save everyone in a war, but...

—Lady Delphine.

We spent quite a bit of time trying to find you.

Me?

In just one day, Diane's case caused quite an uproar across Londinium. We briefly investigated who was spreading the news and inciting the public.

So... Parliament wants me to shut up.

No, Eliseo. Compared to deliberate acts of sabotage, your actions have had significantly less impact.

Actually, we all admire you for fighting so hard for someone you have not known for very long.

—?

Vina understands how you feel. She wanted to come see you in person, but I stopped her.

I apologize, but Madame Speaker has more urgent matters to attend to presently.

Is there... absolutely no room for negotiation regarding Diane's case?

No. Vina could change things. We all know that.

Frankly, this is a very sad case. However, it will serve as a message from Parliament to all the citizens.

...

I saw that you requested to review Parliament's records, so you must be well aware of Diane's charges, the defense that she herself presented, and the various PMs' opinions of her.

The citizenry has collectively established Londinium's current laws, and the provisional court made its judgment of Diane in accordance with those laws. Isn't this how you do things in Columbia?

But she's a war hero—shouldn't her merits outweigh her faults?

That's a notion steeped in reason, yet brimming with arrogance.

I often come across this phrase in history books, usually said by old Victorian kings.

But if Vina crosses this line and the others allow it to happen, then what is the point of having Parliament?

How would our Parliament be any different from the one where the king himself served as Speaker?

I don't know the answer to that question, Eliseo, but none of us want to take the risk of finding out.

Parliament will not interfere with any of your endeavors. However, as far as Diane's case is concerned, I'm sorry—this is Parliament's decision, and it cannot be changed.

Diane never told me, specifically, what kind of soldier she was during the war. Most of the time, she talked to me about her hopes for Londinium's future.

Most of the people I meet in Londinium harbor high hopes and dreams for the city's future.

This is the city's great fortune. Our duty is to ensure we never let its people down.

I see.

The herbs Diane grew in the greenhouse against all odds will mature in February. I hear they can alleviate the excruciating pain of Oripathy.

I'll wait until they mature and take some samples back to Columbia.

Okay. If you need any help before then, just let us know.

Actually, when I first arrived in Londinium, I was also curious as to what kind of person Speaker Vina was...

Fuel inventory report... Comprehensive report on all city sanatoriums... Report on Oripathy suppressant distribution...

I hope this works.

...I'm sorry, Diane.