31. Hound

(Growling sound)

A hit!

I told you, I'm not holding back anymore.

Stay back!

Remote detonator?

You don't want me to push this button.

Bah...

Relax. She won't do it.

What?

I told you. She's a coward.

Everything she has is because of Yulia. She won't do anything without her authorization.

Damn... You know me too well, Sui.

That's why I'm here, to help you do something you'll never be able to do by yourself.

And something I haven't had the courage to do until now...

What?

Wipe your memory.

We're here, Commander.

Ah... You still remember this place?

It's the northern barracks where we did our training.

That's when I first noticed you. A child with fire in her eyes.

You're poking fun at me.

Are you armed?

Yeah, why?

Point it at me.

... General?

That's an order.

Trust me, when I'm done talking, you will gladly point the gun at me.

General? What are you saying?

What I'm about to tell you sounds crazy, even to me. Lots of people are going to die.

All the preparations are complete... but you can still stop it happening... if you kill me.

... What are you going to do?

Assassinate Niz, declare war on Eastrise and re-establish the Joint Council.

What...

Do you want me to repeat myself?

I heard what you said. But WHY, why would you do it?

You think I prepared a speech for this very moment?

Just tell me the truth.

To face Nebu's coming offensive, we will require the strength of Eastrise...

I said... the TRUTH!!!

... It's all for the good of Bifrost, Nanook.

I don't understand.

You don't have to understand. You just need to make a decision.

Kill me now and stop the war.

I...

Or join me, and we can launch this war together!

Either way, you'll have blood on your hands, Nanook.

I...

But if you don't kill me, I will make you my hound, Nanook.

You will be my weapon and also my pet.

If I tell you to jump, you'll jump. If I tell you to spin, you'll spin.

Now, choose.

I... I can't...

CHOOSE!!!

Aaah!

Hehe... (Giggles)...

Hahahahaha!

...

You've wanted to die for a long time, Nanook.

Ever since you failed to stop Yulia launching her war, up to now.

You're just pretending to be one of the stupid bad guys, hoping your death will one day atone for your weakness.

So? What are you going to do about it, Sui?

I'm not going to kill you, even though you long for it.

Sova, Awakener, put your headphones on.

You think you can calm me down... but I am not in the thrall of the Great Relic.

You ought to know, the bell is powerful enough to wipe a person's memories.

Are you mad? Wiping my memory won't change anything I did or absolve me of my crimes!

But at the very least... you will start living for yourself again, and no longer be Yulia's puppet.

Nanook, all this time I have been waiting for you to wake up.

So what... You're going to take me back to that forest... and turn me into your own puppet?

Would you rather die in the service of Yulia?

Live for yourself, while you figure out what you want to do with your life.

That's it.

What happened...? Is she asleep?

I wiped her memories. She's no longer your enemy.