Arknights story · Critical Phase Transition
17-10 The Measure of Love
The Royal Guard decide to purge the treatment center in order to eliminate the spies, but are repelled by Hellagur. The Grand Duchess works with the Sami and successfully summons the Yurodstvo before the Royal Guard, anchoring it in the identity of Anastasia, eldest daughter of the previous tsar. In bewilderment, the Rhodes Island team remembers Kal'tsit.
1 scenes, 354 lines
1. After Operation
354 lines...Traitor? What are you talking about?
An intelligence contact point disguised as an Infected treatment center, payment made in supplies instead of cash...
All the threads lead to this place, sticking out like a sore thumb.
What are you hiding here? Who are you harboring?
There's one right here. A ghost from the past. Suspicious.
......
Is it you? Have you returned with the incomplete duty of the past, only to abandon it again?
But you are not even carrying a true sword.
Leave him alone! Shouldn't the Royal Guard's top priority be to find the assassin—
Oh.
Trying to change the topic is not an appropriate tactic, Lieutenant.
Hand over the spy.
So you have reasons to believe the spy who let the assassin into the palace is hiding here.
Fine. But I don't know who this spy you're looking for is. Give me time, and I'll get to the bottom of it—
My time is limited, Lieutenant.
If you are unable to give me the answer I want, I shall carry out my mission in the most expedient manner.
It will not take too much effort to clear this place.
Clear? Like how the Fourth Army cleared those miners?
You are confounding justice and injustice.
I'm not questioning your intent. But how can you guarantee that your actions are appropriate, that the source of your information wasn't subject to any misdirection?
It's not just the vulnerable, the outsiders and Infected whom you scorn and suspect. There are also survivors and witnesses to the Grand Duchess's crimes!
You're acting on your own in such an important matter. How can you be sure you're not being deceived into making the wrong decision?
......
Because we do not.
We are only weapons, extensions of the tsar's hands.
Weapons do not measure or judge. In the hands of the Royal Guard, cause does not lead to effect, only wordless bloodshed.
Eloysius realizes that she has made a fatal mistake, treating the demonic creation before her as a being of reason and emotion—
As for you...
Tell me, Lieutenant.
What exactly are you doubting?
The stench of Dominion rapidly fills the space.
It brings fear and spreads despair, as is its natural order—
Only when she sees a figure suddenly appear in the way that she realizes her sheathe is empty.
The one who took her sword was so fast that her eyes could hardly follow. A flash of steel, and the spreading darkness is beaten back
Wha—
She hardly felt the flow of Originium Arts. The drawing of the sword alone was enough to repel the Royal Guard briefly.
Even a ceremonial sword with hardly any practical purpose.
It seems recent circumstances have driven even your kind to desperation.
Otherwise, your kind would never have taken direct action in Grypherburg, wasting time on chasing uncertain leads.
At the very least, it has not happened for decades, not since the Great Rebellion.
...You cut open the Dominion. You—
The Armies have never truly stood together with the Royal Guard. It seems that their counters against the demonic and eldritch remain effective.
Futile struggle.
Are you any different? It has been a long time since the last Royal Guard was punished for acting without authorization.
His exile to the Far North was upheld, even though it was demonstrated that the individual in question had merely misjudged the situation out of concert for the tsar's safety.
As far as I know, he never returned to Grypherburg. Perhaps he still roams the blizzards of Sami, pursued by his erstwhile comrades as a calamity—
Failure is unacceptable. We are the ones who exiled him, not His Imperial Majesty!
Suspicion has already formed. Many would be glad to see you further alienated from the tsar. Yet you yourselves are in no position to respond openly.
Though you find yourself out of favor with the tsar, you could not point your swords towards him, and so you have engaged in one atrocity after another... Simonch, Chernobog... and others that have remained unknown.
What do you think you know—
...The last clown who toyed with words has already been put to the torch.
Do you want to follow in his example?
I'm afraid threats don't work on me.
You said I'm a ghost from the past. But I may not always remain that way, if it becomes necessary—though I would prefer that things did not come to that.
And I will draw my sword for everyone in this building under the protection of Rhodes Island.
A thousand times and more, if I have to.
Until those like you are repelled, or until I can no longer stand.
You abandoned Ursus, yet you claim to protect her people.
Hypocrisy, foolishness...
Conceit!
You can deny what I say all you want... but I don't think you'll gamble.
Even if it's betting that you can cleanse this place before I kill you.
You don't want Ursus to lose another Blade.
We'll see how long your resolve lasts.
......
Lieutenant.
As terror grows distant, the young Imperial Guard finally rediscovers her voice.
...Go on.
I will give you time. However...
Whether to stand with the empire, or continue to associate yourself with her traitors and enemies...
I want to see the answer the next time we meet.
Your Imperial Highness, the Messenger has returned, three days earlier than expected.
Shall I show her in?
Please do.
Elisaveta stands up and pushes the unread report to one side out of habit.
The tea has already cooled, bitter brown sediment gathering at the bottom. She knocks the cup lightly with her finger, but it makes no sound, as though she is knocking on a solid object.
......
Outside the door, the servant seems to be talking to someone, but the conversation is muffled and indistinct, unlike the clearly intelligible words a moment ago.
She begins walking towards the door.
Applewood continues to burn in the black stone fireplace, but the fire is no longer cracking. Even the fire itself begins to grow dull, blending into the surrounding black.
The darkness flows towards Elisaveta, shrouding the surrounding walls in black.
Ilyusha.
Yes, Your Imperial Highness.
If the Messenger has any concerns, she can come back tomorrow.
Bring me another cup of tea. Linden honey and lemon slices... just like old times.
......
As you wish.
The crack on the map that leads to Grypherburg, and the wriggling border lines...
What are you here to remind me for?
Evgeny Andrianov Kuznetsov will be judged. His defeat is imminent.
Oh? Perhaps he was too young, if he staked everything upon a game of unknowable odds, and wasted all his chips and margin on waiting.
But what does this have to do with me?
You concealed the death of a Royal Guard in your demesne, and assisted the Fourth Army in its attempt to hold Grypherburg hostage under the pretense of eliminating rebellious Infected.
You participated in the entire process.
Your Messenger has told me all I need to know. I even know how much funding and materiel you provided to Kuznetsov.
I've heard that such threats are simply a tactic you employ to reinforce your public image, in order to become the stuff of children's nightmares, a sword hanging above the people's heads.
Stalling will do you no good, Elisaveta Konstantinovna.
You do not call me by my patronymic now, the that shares a house with His Imperial Majesty.
Just because you're one of the tsar's last remaining blood kin does not protect you from being put on trial.
You may have picked the right side in the Great Rebellion, but that won't protect you forever.
I never thought so. I protected the young tsar at the time because it was the right thing to do. I did not seek any repayment or benefits.
I was and still am the Grand Duchess of the Far North, no more, no less. I have never sought anything else for myself.
The soldiers of the Far North have fought on the same side as you countless times in the war against the demons, but today I see you with my own eyes for the first time.
The Emperor's Blade... the Royal Guard.
Tell me, how could your kind have died at the hands of those feeble, frail Infected?
......
Your tea, Highness.
Three minutes, lemon and linden honey, as you requested.
Thank you, Ilyusha.
Your service is always impeccable. It reminds me of your sister...
Elisaveta.
Oh, I'm sorry, where were we? Ah, yes, your colleague who died in my jurisdiction—
Excuse me. If you were discussing this matter and its aftermath...
...Ilyusha?
I believe the full responsibility for this matter falls upon me.
Her Imperial Highness entrusted me with unfettered access to this place. I chose to go over her head and issue the blackout order to local governments ahead of time.
Ilyusha.
The tacit approval of the Fourth Army's actions was given during my conversation with their herald.
And the unanswered letters from Grypherburg were destroyed by these hands.
Her Imperial Highness knew nothing.
I said, you don't have to—
Did you think the tsar would believe your story?
I never thought you would stoop so low as to pass off your crimes on a servant, Elisaveta.
But you are still given the luxury of choice. You can choose to end your own life here and now, or face judgment in Grypherburg.
There is little time—
The slender servant suddenly pulls a short sword.
He points it at the impassive entity before him, then—
The Grand Duchess knew nothing.
Foolhardy.
Before the darkness consumes him, the servant suddenly turns the sword around and stabs himself in the chest.
I will... prove...
......
Ilyusha...
Fool. This proves nothing.
The Grand Duchess's expression does not change in the slightest, only a single trail of tear revealing her emotions.
She walks up to the dead servant and closes his eyes.
You're right. He was a foolish boy.
He was impatient. I told him there was another way, but he would not wait, even for a moment.
Elisaveta.
Shh...
You haven't answered my question.
But it doesn't matter anymore. I'll answer it for you. What could have killed a Royal Guard so easily, wiping him away like a speck of dust...?
You knew about the Yurodstvo—
'It is time, shaman.'
(Ancient Sami) 'Sovereign of the beyond—'
(Ancient Sami) 'The will torn from the void!'
(Ancient Sami) 'I implore, unbound—'
—!
Elisaveta! You have colluded with the Sami in order to control the Yurodstvo—
From the summoning, from the blood, from the cold void, a strange shadow emerges from white into crimson, dominating reality.
A million faces, a million pairs of eyes.
Yurodstvo Gabrielus.
......
Indeed...
■... ■■■?
A piercing, low-frequency howl echoes in the air, which seems to be some kind of language, one which reality lacks the means to comprehend.
You are truly—
(Whispers) Finally... success.
There is no wind, and the only entrance is shut, but two pitch-black figures suddenly appear by the sides of the white monstrosity.
—?
Seize it.
As they lunge at the target, the floor beneath its feet collapses, or rather, melts—
The Yurodstvo remains standing, seemingly oblivious to the threat.
■■.
Yurodstvo Gabrielus.
Ursus does not need you.
We do not need you!
No—!
The entity known as the 'Yurodstvo' begins to blur, splitting into countless overlapping silhouettes.
It murmurs, reaching out towards the only living thing here that is not a demonic creation—
The Grand Duchess.
■, ■■■■.
■■■...
Seeing the failure of the first attempt, the Royal Guards immediately switch position.
Black swords impale the Yurodstvo's flickering, warping torso. White and red peel off to reveal a deep, transparent circle.
The howling does not cease.
No, no...
...The Yurodstvo is suspected to have anchored its identity as a family member of one of the miners.
...Miner's child... family of four. The father and mother were executed in 1096, and the grandmother committed suicide soon after. She is the only one left in the household.
She was amongst the miners who escaped. It must be her.
It seems that a traumatic reaction, or desperate pursuit of some kind of emotion, is sufficient to anchor the Yurodstvo in our reality.
Auntie Elisabeth—Auntie Elisabeth!
Where are my apple trees? Why were they replaced with other trees?
Fedya hasn't come. He spends all day staring blankly at mother's bedroom, or crying by himself. If he finds out that the apple trees are gone—
Oh, my dear Nastya.
The apple trees have gotten a terrible illness. They had to be replaced with other trees that could survive there...
The 'rust sickness'? Like mother?
...No, it's not the same. Your mother will get better.
People don't get 'rust sickness'. It's just a common cold. She'll get better.
'Just a common cold'?
...What?
If it's just a common cold...
Why did she grow so thin and frail? Why did she never wake up?
Who are you—
What are you saying?
Perish.
■■■■■, ■■■—
No.
No, no, no! I will not permit it!
It was Nastya—the poor girl no one cared about!
You used her, only to abandon her. This time, I will not allow it—
Come back, Anastasia! Come back to me, and never leave again!
Anastasia—
(Ancient Sami) 'Fire and blood, my wishes upon ye—'
......
—Elisaveta! What... what have you done?!
This is wrong... we have failed! Retreat! Retreat!
Are you... Anastasia? Or...
'You look exactly like your mother, down to the scent of bitter almonds.' That is what she wanted to say, but she could not say it.
The taste of blood fills her throat. Elisaveta gazes at the miracle before her, forgetting to even breathe.
Time passes second by second. No one dares be the first to act.
Ursus...
...does not need an unruly Yurodstvo, nor a princess who never existed.
Elisaveta, you have declared war upon all of Ursus.
......
...Anastasia.
Shall we help them?
Help these poor madmen and grant them the blessing of pain, those people who wanted to hurt you, control you, make you disappear!
Grant them this blessing, until they no longer struggle. Then, they will realize—
Auntie...
I'm here, I'm here, my dear Nastya!
...Auntie.
As you wish.
She looks up fervently at everything. Yet the smile is concocted, as if there is nothing reflected in her eyes that could make herself happy.
The monster now known as Anastasia raises her hand slowly, pointing behind Elisaveta.
I grant you life.
And grant you death.
Gabrielus, your duty—
Accept it.
The Royal Guards show no fear. They do not attempt to dodge or flee, allowing themselves to be consumed by the asymmetric shadow, tearing apart their humanoid forms—
The dripping blackness constantly crushed and reconstructed...
Until it is filled and replaced by something else entirely.
Recompute, Zeroth Order Oil Tank.
Set lifeform entropy to minimum... yeah, forget about the complicated stuff for now. Just simulate ideal conditions.
...
Data fitting failure.
That doesn't work either...
Zeroth Order Oil Tank, log data...
Attempt 2068...
...Still unsuccessful.
What do we do, Kal'tsit...?
You said Rhodes Island would do just fine without you...
...You damn liar.
Kal'tsit! Kal'tsit—wait!
What's up with all those confidential files that you hid? I couldn't understand a word of it.
So you saw them.
Don't pay too much heed to them. They can be unsealed when the time comes. You have plenty of time to study them.
Don't gloss over it. What's up with you handing me full authority over Rhodes Island?
I want to make this an official request.
When trouble comes to Rhodes Island, you will be the one whom the Doctor and Amiya count on, not just in your capacity as chief engineer.
Not as engineer? What else can I do?
You see how much Amiya has grown, and you know how smart the Doctor is. How am I supposed to help—
I have no doubt about Amiya's leadership, the Doctor's decisions, or the skills of the elite operators.
But these are not enough, if Rhodes Island is to become a safe harbor, a home for many people.
With everyone carrying a heavy responsibility, Rhodes Island needs someone who can give strength to others.
Vision is a rare gift, but so is being unperturbed by challenges.
That is your gift, Closure. Nobody does it better than you.
......
You're trying to dump all the work on me because you think I'm a pushover!
I can't promise I won't develop a temper like yours, if I take on that much work.
Well, if you're not willing to take on the responsibility, I'll have to go with my backup plan—
Wait a second!
Look, I promise I'll do my best to help the Doctor and Amiya...
But tell the truth, please—you haven't been yourself ever since you came back from Londinium. We can all tell.
If you're really tired, go and take a long vacation, but stop talking like you won't be around anymore.
Tell me the truth: What sort of future are you planning for?
I'm not making preparations out of pessimism for the future. I'm just hoping Rhodes Island will be in a position to deal with anything that happens.
Rhodes Island will not stop because of the loss of any one person.
You're always cold as a robot, but now I wish you really were one. It wouldn't be so hard to bring you back, if you were.
How am I supposed to put you together from this bunch of data?
I don't know how long I can keep going, if you don't come back, Kal'tsit...
Arrrrgggghhh! My head hurts!
I'm hungry. I should get something to eat...
Is everyone sleeping? No one sneaking in extra shifts, right?
Raidian's door is locked...
Mon3tr forgot to close hers?
...She sure sleeps in an interesting way.
Amiya... Doctor?
......
Can't sleep?
You saw something terrible tonight.
Are you afraid you'll have nightmares?
Stop treating me like a child, Doctor...
Mm, I know you're just joking.
Well... I still have dreams about Dr. Kal'tsit and Theresa... they're not nightmares.
You're not going to bed yet?
I'm worried about you.
I'm worried about what's to come.
Oh... I guess it's my turn to comfort you.
It's alright. We can chat if you can't sleep... seems like it's been a long time since we've had time to talk in quiet like this.
We've been very busy.
You've had a lot on your plate.
I'm not as worried about myself as I'm worried about the other operators.
We haven't fully recovered from what happened to the ship, and a lot has happened in the meantime... now, we have another dilemma in front of us.
I'm worried that people might not pull through. I want to do more for them, but I don't know how...
You've done so much already.
They see you as a leader they can trust.
You've given a lot of people strength.
Really? I hope you're not saying this just to make me happy...
But... I want to believe that I'll at least be someone you can rely on.
......
Doctor... do you think we can trust Chairman Witte?
I trust him.
I'm not sure.
I don't trust him.
I recall that Chairman Witte was a proponent of peace five years ago.
But he could not stop the tragedy that happened in the Far North mines... a tragedy that may yet repeat itself.
He's obviously keeping a lot from us.
I understand his position, but the hidden mysteries of Zelgrad remain unsettling.
But you're still confident that we can work with him to mutual benefit.
The situation in Ursus is complex.
The Zelgrad Sarcophagus is the key.
The research here will have implications beyond Ursus's borders.
I understand that we're dealing with a critical issue.
I keep thinking... how many things like this has Dr. Kal'tsit dealt with before?
What does she think about, when she faces these decisions?
It must be very hard.
She must be very strong.
Mm...
I'm trying to shoulder the responsibility, but sometimes I can't help thinking, if only Dr. Kal'tsit were here...
Doctor... actually, I'm beginning to have doubts.
At Chernobog and Londinium, we had a clear goal, an enemy to overcome... but who is our enemy this time?
We can't stop the fallout of Originium exhaustion, or the deaths brought about by internal strife. People hate each other for reasons beyond Oripathy and race.
I can't help but feel... it's the land itself that we're fighting.
Maybe that's what Rhodes Island has always been about.
Idealism means fighting this great land itself.
I brought this up because I ran into... an unusual girl. She's Cautus too, maybe even younger than me.
She asked whether there was any meaning to what we do, if we know we can't save everyone.
I said yes, but I can't deny... sometimes, it makes me anxious to see that our dream is so far away.
And it's been getting more frequent...
We can't allow the meaning of our actions to be defined by a distant outcome.
It's the right thing to believe in our dreams. That's why we do what we do.
Fear of failure is inevitable—
But it's not an excuse for inaction.
In any case...
I choose to believe in hope.
I believe that Terra has a future.
That's the kind of answer I expect to hear from you.
Just like the stories you used to tell me when I was little. Every story has a different fantasy, but in the end, all of them—
Oh... but you don't remember them, do you...?
Then it's your turn to tell them to me.
Mm-hm...!
The night is cold. Amiya cuddles up to you.
—!
I understand. I understand it all.
You love life and believe in hope. It is your nature, the bond that ties us together.
But how could you forget...?
Hope that can never be realized is nothing more than a lie.