Arknights story · Episode 11: Return To Mist
11-17 Answer Me
The souls of the Sarkaz affect Amiya as Rhodes Island and the Self-Salvation Corps retreat. Theresis appears on the battlefield.
2 scenes, 398 lines
1. Before Operation
216 lines—
Bloody hell, these new lads are tough!
We'll charge together! Ready... set...
Grab me!
No! Stay back! Get away from the dead...
*cough* *cough* W-What's going on...?
A strange aura permeates the battlefield around the fallen soldiers.
Something seeps out from their skin, their eyes, their ears, their noses. It is not blood; it is nothing tangible.
Perhaps it is fear, the fear of what comes after death, an unsurmountable fear that is rapidly draining their lifeforce.
Get back!
Argh... *gasp*...
I can breathe again... thanks! You're from Rhodes Island... a doctor? Closure called you a doctor... right?
Everyone, get behind me.
This is... witchcraft?
The smell reminds me of the Wendigo altar.
All ancient Sarkaz witchcraft comes from the same place.
'Death.'
Wendigo, Nachzehrer, Vampire, Gargoyle, Lich, even the Banshees... death is the end for most living things, but the source of power for many Sarkaz.
Your sword stopped the corruption from spreading?
Life and death have always been two sides of the same coin.
But there's only so much time I can buy. We can't stop the armies of the Nachzehrer, even if it's only his vanguard here.
The ancient Sarkaz slithers on the battlefield, driving death and decay before him. I've only heard legends.
We must hurry.
I know.
......
Kal'tsit gave the signal to retreat.
(Urgent screech)
Recall the drones, Closure.
Feist, go find Clovisia.
Alright, Doctor.
Everyone, follow me!
Rhodes Island, follow Mon3tr!
Rhodes Island, cover Corps' retreat!
Yes, Doctor.
And Amiya's group.
Inform Amiya, Ascalon and Logos.
......
No response.
Your call goes unanswered.
Something is not right. Amiya is not in the habit of ignoring you, even in the middle of fierce fighting.
PRTS does not show the status of operators, but you realize that she is in great danger.
Amiya?!
Argh...
The Nachzehrer arrived early.
Time to move.
Dr. Kal'tsit was quick enough. Delaying the Lich is all she can do.
The Nachzehrer army is far more organized than any other Sarkaz faction. They will move quickly.
......
Amiya?
Retreat?
No.
They cannot. The Vampire's blood shackles can be cut, the Nachzehrer's deadly corruption can be resisted, but there is no way to avert the dark cloud's gaze as long as they remain on this land.
There is no place untouched by the anguish and wrath of the Sarkaz.
......
Countless voices rush into her head.
She hears children who lost their parents to war sobbing as they walk amongst the ruins.
She hears the dull clunk of a young soldier's sword as it meets the head of an enemy for the first time.
She hears a Banshee, facing a deformed city, chanting incantations that he has just learned in the silver moonlight.
She hears a Vampire chuckle alone in a canyon, turning the enemies charging towards the Sarkaz settlement into a sea of blood.
She hears the dead souls in the sky, screaming towards the earth.
Why did we have to die?
Because we were Sarkaz?
Black lines surge uncontrollably from her eyes, ears and mouth, stretching and entwining.
For an instant, all the Sarkaz feel their hearts grasped by the black strings.
......
Don't be affected, Amiya.
What happened, Doctor? I thought... I thought I heard a sound...
*Muffled Sarkaz Tribal Language*
(The earth is filled with darkness.)
(Darkness gives birth to evil.)
(Evil brings pain.)
*Muffled Sarkaz Tribal Language*
What's Closure saying? I don't understand...
Is this Sarkaz witchcraft, Doctor?
But I don't feel anything... hey, look at the enemy...
...
Darkness... pain...
Share...
I've heard these words before.
I've heard a similar language before.
It's a kind of hypnotic suggestion.
It's unorthodox Arts.
Doctor, retreat with the Corps and the other operators immediately.
But Amiya...
......
Shining...
You're affected too?
A rampant power is eating away at the souls of all Sarkaz.
Not even a Confessarius can repel it... even if I can resist it for a while.
Rampant power?
Could it be...?
Only the sovereign of the Sarkaz can use the hope of her men as consolation, and punish traitors with their deepest fears.
Only the 'King of Sarkaz.'
......
I know what you're thinking, Doctor.
You're wondering which King is attacking all of the Sarkaz indiscriminately.
Amiya is in danger.
That's what I'm most worried about.
Whether Theresa is responsible for it or not.
The power of the King of Sarkaz...
How can an untrained vessel contain millennia of our racial memories?
I see... I see.
You cannot contain it.
The rings you wear on your hand came from Theresa.
You thought it would trap both the blessing and the curse, but you forgot that what was given, can be taken back.
......
You must have noticed, Ascalon.
His Highness is affecting Amiya.
We can't afford any delay. The Nachzehrer and Theresis may appear at any moment.
We must take Amiya away. By force, if necessary.
Amiya...
......
The rings do not crack or change color.
They are trembling because she is.
Cautus, you are not worthy of the crown that Theresa bestowed upon you.
Not because you are not Sarkaz, but because you have never tried to understand the nature of the Sarkaz.
Like Theresa, you have been blinded by the creature that calls itself Kal'tsit.
You thought the Sarkaz a race linked by blood, like the Felines.
You thought our wrath resistance to injustice. You thought our struggle a conflict between nations.
But are they truly so?
Look my vengeance in the eye, 'King of Sarkaz'.
Listen to the lamentations in the clouds above your head.
They will tell you that the Sarkaz were never the same people as the shameful invaders... the Elders and the Ancients were never the same people.
Kazdel was never a city, nor a nation.
When the Sarkaz were known as Teekaz, when they still had a home, Kazdel meant the entire world that we saw before our eyes.
Kazdel was Terra.
......
Infinite sorrow engulfs her, binding her, suffocating her.
Dark clouds fill her vision, no matter where she turns.
How can she escape? What would it take?
She can only listen.
A Sarkaz scales the city walls.
Behind him, a city of gray iron. Above his head, a black banner.
Wounded warriors line up before him. Young Sarkaz, about his age but untrained, guard the city walls with rusty swords in their hands.
Countless compatriots stand behind him, some old, some young, many with nothing more than bows and arrows for hunting.
The enemy has tread the barrens and come before their city.
They hear the staves of the Spire Casters cut through air.
They hear the Gaulish gunners directing their Originium guns.
They hear the heavy footsteps of steam armor, and the gushing of steam as they charge.
They hear the wind blowing the commander's robes, and the cold and dull sound it makes when it hits armor.
Who is the Feline? Steam Knights stand before her. Is she a Victorian general? But the Spire casters and Gaulish gunners obey her call.
They hear her pass judgment upon the Sarkaz.
'I know all that the Sarkaz are planning. Hatred is a sickness that cannot be cured. Your vengeance will bring wounds to the land that can never be healed.'
'Ambition must be culled while in the bud, for the peace of the world for the next two hundred years.'
Fire rushes towards Kazdel from all directions. Another Kazdel is reduced to ruin. Countless Sarkaz die in the conflagration, but a worse fate awaits those who survive it.
Why did I have to die?
Because our origin was different? Must we be eradicated, simply because the land could not stand our hatred anymore?
Six heroes rise from the ruins. They charge the great army before them, carrying the burning banner of Kazdel.
No Sarkaz dies willingly. The screams of the tens of thousands of Sarkaz who fell become war drums for the heroes as they charge the enemy.
Answer me, Enemy!
Who are you to decide that Kazdel must be destroyed?
Who are you to judge the Sarkaz?
Why do you not speak?
Why do you not answer?
Kal'tsit... Kal'tsit. Kal'tsit!
......
The walls of Kazdel are falling. So are the dead Sarkaz, with ash and rubble.
She is falling.
Amiya!!
Closure, your drone!
The Assassin delays the Vampire.
The Caster slows the falling.
You fly across the battlefield on the zipline, pulled along by the drone.
You grab Amiya's hand and pull her into your arms, just before she hits the ground.
Kal'tsit... Doctor...
Doctor... why is Amiya saying Kal'tsit's name?
You see tears of sorrow in the corners of Amiya's eyes, and fury in her furrowed brow.
What did she see? What did she hear?
Crap, Doctor. Something's coming up fast—what the heck? It's so close! Where is it?!
N-No...
It... it was there all along...
A silhouette.
A Sarkaz, watching you silently.
He lacks the thick malice of the Vampire, the proud contempt of the Confessarius, or the fearsome aura of the Nachzehrer. He even lacks the Wendigo's imposing stature.
Just one Sarkaz, no army, no servants. He rose from his throne, laid down the authority that he never truly cared for, and walked here.
With a cold gaze not seen for two centuries.
—
His sword is right before your eyes, you see it before you see his face clearly.
Amiya will die. So will you, if you do not let her go.
He came here with one goal, to kill the King of Sarkaz in your arms.
A familiar silhouette cuts in front of you and Amiya.
(Pained howling)
Red, warm liquid splashes onto your face, and your hands, which are still holding Amiya.
Kal'tsit!
You cry without even thinking.
She is dying. She may die this instant.
You have never felt this possibility so clearly before.
(Furious roar)
Kal'tsit!
All the effort could only deflect the unremarkable sword by inches.
Closure pulls on you desperately, while you continue to hold Amiya in your arms.
The drone rapidly pulls you back, while a bloodied Kal'tsit remains in front of you.
Theresis...
(Weak struggle)
You've decided to stand against the Sarkaz again.
I saw you reborn by Theresa's side two hundred years ago. The culprit responsible for Kazdel's destruction, the immortal who tamed history.
You did many things for her, told stories of fantastic realms that we could never see...
It is a shame.
I know. Better for Sarkaz to head toward destruction one step faster, than to be robbed of the right to exist by your cruel machinations.
...No!
You don't have the strength to talk. It was impressive that you intercepted the Lich's messenger. Not even the Military Commission has found any trace.
But it's clear that it was not an amicable conversation.
As I warned you once—
I'll kill you again, Kal'tsit.
2. After Operation
182 linesDoctor! We have to take Amiya and go!
......
Shining can't hold Theresis off for long!
The drone—
Grab the zipline, Doctor! We'll go as far as we can!
*huff*... *huff*... *cough* *cough* *cough*...
I'll punch them, if worse comes to worst.
I don't like fighting, if I can help it.
But Theresa pulled me out of that attic. Amiya and Kal'tsit taught me responsibility.
I'm a Vampire too.
If it's for you, I...
Closure! Over here!
Huh?
Time to move, Doctor. The zipline's ready. Give me your hand!
A burst of light explodes as the sword pierces the ground.
Time stops in an instant.
...Confessarius witchcraft.
General!
Dame Kal'tsit...
She approaches the end of this cycle.
Rhodes Island's Cautus was rescued. The Sanguinarch of Vampires is pursuing the Banshee and Ascalon.
What of Theresa?
I just received Her Highness's signal, general.
It's ready.
Good.
The Regent looks up at the overcast sky and the walls in the distance.
The true battlefield of the Sarkaz lies beyond the walls.
It's time to begin.
Are you ready?
There's nothing to make ready.
Right, we're finally here.
Vina, I must—
We must bear witness to all this.
An elaborate black structure lies at the end of the tunnel.
Generation after generation, the greatest minds in Victoria came together to build it.
All this, just to hold a sword.
If few are the heroes who can use it to conquer Catastrophe, then let humanity use its wisdom to raise a shield against the storm.
These structures, the entire building, was made for this.
The voices rise up again.
The calls are no longer urgent, no longer sharp, no longer attempting to persuade or incite.
She feels a tired sense of peace.
She has been here before. She has been guided to this place, long before her memories took shape.
Just like then, she knows where she must go, what she must take.
It is right there, in the middle of the room, unguarded, so unremarkable it might as well have been a tiny decoration in this grand building.
Kyngasycath, the Sighs of Kings.
It lay there and continues to do so, over the centuries, through countless reforgings.
Siege extends a hand towards it.
Broken shadows fill the space, rising and ebbing, resonating.
Alexandrina. Alexandrina Vina Victoria. They whisper her name.
She touches the sword.
Shards of days gone by pass through her body. She hears a boom in her mind.
Suddenly, she understands.
She is the source of all those visions and sounds.
They are her doubts, confusion, regrets, recollections.
Things she has forgotten, and things she intentionally forgot.
A great hand raises her. Londinium stands up from beneath her, taking her across the land of Victoria.
The land that she and her friends walked.
Countless voices superimpose upon one another.
Victoria, Victoria.
This is Victoria.
Her Victoria.
'Vina, Vina.'
The voices call out.
Siege opens her eyes. There are no illusions now, no tides. She holds in her hand the Sighs of Kings, symbol of the Victorian monarchy.
There is little to show that it is a sword of legend. It is unremarkable in size and design.
It looks like an ordinary sword.
You have the Sighs of Kings, Vina.
Siege wants to turn around and feel the sword's warmth with her friends.
Don't.
But she feels a colder blade in her back.
...Allerdale.
Please! Don't. Don't turn around.
Give me the sword.
......
Your Highness Alexandrina... I'm sorry.
I have to...
......
I have to do this.
Allerdale's voice is calm, but filled with a terrible, resolute sorrow.
Siege recalls the 'memoirs' that Morgan wrote in jest.
A handful of pages, clumsily written, with less-than-elegant vocabulary.
The story starts with a fictional fight. Everyone returns to base after the fight. Allerdale makes a cream stew for them in the story.
She laughs in her heart. Allerdale made a stew, yes, but what the memoirs omitted is that...
It did not exactly taste great.
Don't move.
You... you too...
I don't want to hurt you.
But I have a debt to pay.
Our mission is to help Allerdale remove the sword from the Mausoleum of Kings.
Finish this job, and I can retire.
It was an offer I couldn't refuse.
......
We just mourned the heroes who fell victim to betrayal together.
I thought you would understand.
But in the end, you're no different from them.
I'm ashamed I thought about trusting you, even for a moment.
Like I said, living is hard.
I'm sorry. I want all of us to keep on living. I'll try to make sure we do just that.
We've both been pushed out of death's way by our friends.
Unfortunately, our paths happen to diverge this time.
Allerdale...
Your Highness.
Please hand over the Sighs of Kings, for your own safety.
I betrayed your trust. There's nothing I can say about that.
You can admonish me, reproach me, try to defeat me. You have the right to do so.
But I will leave with the sword.
This is my... destiny... in Londinium.
You said the Sighs of Kings would protect Londinium from the storm.
I don't want to drag Londinium into the abyss either. I won't let her fall into Sarkaz hands.
Into the hands of the dukes, then.
......
Whoever is behind you wants to use the Sighs of Kings to intimidate the other dukes and subjugate them.
They don't care about protecting Victoria.
We may be meek, but we're in the middle of all this.
With the people who have been hurt and abused.
I know.
I know what she's after, but it doesn't concern me.
I'm only doing... I only care about what I can actually influence.
What about the Self-Salvation Corps?
You built it with Clovisia. You protected it with your honor.
I have no honor.
Then you protected it with your life.
What do I tell the Corps fighters, if you're really going to leave?
Clovisia will handle it.
I no longer have the strength to care about what they think of me.
......
You claim you only care about what you can influence.
Aren't you underestimating what you already have?
What does one dare to have, when you know it's only a matter of time before you lose it?
What does one dare to reveal, when what everyone trusts and respects is just an illusion?
What can one hold on to, when you realize this is the one and only end of your path?
This isn't even the outcome of a choice.
I simply ended up here. Fate has pushed me to this place, before I even realized it.
We could never have walked together.
......
We met when we were little, didn't we?
......
At Cumberland Manor.
I thought you had forgotten.
I almost had... I was with Gawain that day.
The creature that was like the sun told us we would meet again, someday.
But he could not have guessed that it would end this way.
You won't give me the sword, Vina.
Then swing it. We must bear witness...
Enough! Say no more.
I carry nothing on my shoulders. I'll just be your brain trust.
Sorry... I forgot you had Morgan.
I'll just be a thug then.
We'll bomb the Sarkaz camp together. You light a fire, and I'll kick their commander's arse once there's smoke.
......
I'm joking.
I know.
My path is long determined, Vina.
Why do you say that? You're still with us. The Glasgow Gang has more stories to write.
So...
The answer is yes.
I'll make sure you come back unharmed after kicking that commander's arse.
That's my promise.
It's not a joke. Never has been, never will be.
We'll all make it out of this in one piece.
—
A sound breaks the stalemate.
Was it an illusion?
Siege looks around. The massive statues remain still in the shadows. None of the dead Sarkaz come back to life.
Again.
Nearby, right in front of her.
The sound of steam gushing, increasingly rapid.
Increasingly loud, increasingly clear, until it fills the entire space.
W-What's that?
Allerdale's heart skips a beat.
She can feel it.
The premonition of fate echoes again cruelly.