Canto X: The Gaze Bearing

Yet another peculiar question, I see.

Has a single mission ever gone precisely as you expected, Dante? Why should this one be any different?

One might come to wonder why the company keeps throwing its employees into risky situations without letting them in on all available information... Ah, I can practically hear the complaints lodged in the tick-tocks of your winding clockwork.

Like it or not, this is how a bus operates, Dante:

Transporting its passengers from station to station, but not to their destinations. That last part is the responsibility of each passenger.

*sigh* The ticking of your clockwork is quickening indignantly - very well, I'll dispense with the overwrought metaphors now.

If I'm to put it more plainly...

... The company has already taken into account all constants and variables surrounding the Golden Boughs, yes. Theoretically, should everything go according to plan, you could simply walk in and grab the Golden Bough... But there would be no point to it.

Try to question yourself why the company forwent the option of choosing a team of professionals who are less prone to... shenanigans.

Quiet bus? No fun for Charon.

This much, however, I can tell you:

Sinner #5... was never meant to return to this District.

Which means that everything here that is to transpire was, from the very beginning...

... entirely beyond prediction.

... As always.

<Did you know this would happen, Meursault?!>

I did, Manager.

In the absence of a reasonably justifiable cause, such as a contract, engaging in battle with the City's corporate entities is strongly discouraged.

Yeah?! And we're just supposed to twiddle our thumbs while they drag him away?!

S-so where are ya taking him?

A retrial will be scheduled for the execution of the exile's sentence.

<Guys, just... just let's all calm down first.>

<... Can someone ask them to explain in more detail? We need to know what exactly is going on with Meursault's trial and exile order.>

Uh... Hang on... I don't even know where I'd begin to ask...

We will now take him into custody. Please submit a formal declaration of negotiation rights at a later date should you have any objections.

No, we're not objecting to anything yet... It's just that we're completely in the dark about what's going on here.

Did the man himself tell you nothing?

Well? Did he?

No. Nothing at all - I don't even recall him hinting at it.

To our regret... Miss Ishmael speaks true.

The suspect, Meursault, disobeyed the court's permanent exile order and remained in N Corp.'s District without authorization.

Annex 3 of the Eviction Regulations permits a stay of up to 6 hours to account for the possibility of transit en route to other Districts...

But 6 hours have already passed, and we have concluded that the purpose of the suspect's visit is not a transit stay. Does the defendant have any objections regarding this?

None.

... Wait. How did his status suddenly change from "suspect" to "defendant"?

Because the indictment has been filed as we spoke.

<…….>

…….

Mind sharing the trial date with us, at least? As we've said, the man's told us nothing, nada, zilch about this predicament.

We would like to know whether there are any requirements for entering the courtroom as observers.

The proceedings will convene today, in 3 hours.

Although the trial won't be open to the public, you may, as close acquaintances of the defendant, be allowed to attend if you apply for seats in the observer gallery now.

The observer gallery... I don't assume there is any way for observers to intervene in the proceedings, correct?

Correct, as it is generally the case. I'm... not sure why you would assume otherwise, though my knowledge is limited to trial proceedings at N Corp.

W-wait! What about the jury? Can't we enter as part of the jury...?

That option is not available.

Okay, it's a trial, and at trials, they have... Right, a lawyer. You gotta find a lawyer, don't you? Have you found a lawyer yet, Meursault?

No, I have not.

Are you serious? Meursault was with us the whole time. When was he supposed to get a lawyer?!

R-right, right...

Then... who's gonna mount a defense for him? Oh, I know - don'tcha people have something like court-appointed lawyers?

That option is not available.

... For this particular trial, the defendant may choose to defend himself in the absence of a lawyer.

I believe that's sufficient explanation on the extraordinary circumstances.

Wait, we still have -

You'll need to secure a formal negotiation document if you have any remaining queries.

Halt, good people...! Where be this courthouse in which the trial shall take place?!

*sigh*

P-prithee, give us an answer at the very least!

The Collectors in T Corp. were pretty rude, too, but... these people are really something else. It's like they're passive-aggressively trying to let us know that we're being a nuisance to them.

In T Corp., time and wealth are one and the same. One could sense the active desperation not to squander so much as a second.

Here, however... everyone seems to be mired... in ennui.

I kept my mouth shut, because I thought it wise to watch how the situation would develop first...

But now I think anything we could've added afterward would've fallen on deaf ears, if it didn't provoke worse reactions. Those men seemed as uncommitted to their work as the corrupt kleptocrats of S Corp.

Fie, they could have vouchsafed us an answer, at the least...! 'Tis a matter of courtesy...

Ugh, forget about 'em, they'll never bother telling us. I know where the courthouse is - here, lemme draw you a map.

W-wait awhile, Lady Ezra. Let us leave the drawing of the map to the Mentor. Best you direct your attention to -

I have a pretty good idea of what your answer's gonna be, but I'm still gonna ask.

Ya knew this was comin', didn'tcha, Fau? Ya knew about this crap the whole time.

... Yes.

Don'tcha think ya could've at least warned us about it?! Ya know perfectly well that Meur's not the type to dump his baggage on anyone!

Faust taking the initiative would have served no purpose.

It never has. And it never will.

Ya really are... *sigh* forget it.

What's gonna happen to Meursault if... if things don't go well?

Worry thee not, for I have conceived a plan.

... And what plan is that?

With combined efforts, we shall defeat the armsmen of the courthouse and secure a path inside. While young Ishmael standeth guard, I alone shall most sneakily venture into the dungeons beneath! We need only young Heathcliff to purloin the key from the warden and -

Did you lift that straight from the comic book you were reading on the bus yesterday?

... Prison dungeons? In N Corp., huh? Where did you even get that bit from?

Eeep...! That's... I do conceive that strongholds are furnished with dungeons, so...

And this is what I get for indulging my curiosity.

Bamboo, Aeng-du, start looking for a lawyer who can represent Meursault in court. I'll contact the Team Lead, bring her up to speed, and see if she has any advice for us.

You fellas'd do that for us? Oh boy, that'd be a great help!

... No, that'd be quite troublesome, actually.

Does the LCD team not have a different task that must be completed within the day?

Geh... I mean, yes, we do, but you're in a real pickle now and need all the help you can get if you want out of the pickle jar.

Hmm...? Do they?

The lady said otherwise, though. Let's head back and get ready for our task.

But...

Didn't you hear, Aeng-du? "Quite troublesome," she said. I'm not entirely certain of the predicament they face, but it seems that the stones on their board must do without our advice.

Is that truly the reason that you wish to withhold our advice, Mentor?

…….

... Fine. You're sayin' this is LCB's responsibility - okay. Then we'll leave it up to you guys, but be sure to call for us when things go south, got it?

... We will.

Faust is not without a plan.

Sure you aren't. Would be nice if you let us in on it for a change.

*sigh* But you can't, because of that clause in our contract that says you're forbidden from going out of your way to tell the rest of us about a Sinner's past, right?

Yes. That seems to be the case.

Why did you reject the LCD's offer of assistance?

For lack of any meaningful help they could provide, given the nature of this trial. Faust's analysis concludes their presence in the courtroom will only prove to be a deterrent to our mission.

<Fine. So just what exactly are you plannin - >

... The present time constraints will not permit us the luxury of holding a briefing session.

A mere 3 hours remain until the trial doth convene... Ah, verily, we are in a race against time.

First... Let us head to the courthouse. The plan will become clear soon after our arrival...

... without requiring any elaboration.

*sigh* Well, there's no turning back now. Might as well think about what we can actually do.

We know next to nothing about Meursault's past in N Corp....

So I say we pay close attention and carefully listen to every word of the proceedings.

Should've pulled answers from the bloke before he got hauled off. The sod never says a word unless you question it out of him.

Sure, but how were we supposed to know they'd take him away so suddenly?

At the very least... we may safely assume his crime was not a violation of the N Corp. Taboo.

Right... Otherwise, we would've run into N Corp.'s Taboo Hunters left and right since the very first day we met him.

Had fortune aligned the hours, perchance we might have beheld the Yellow Harpoon in his Taboo Hunter days here in N Corp.... But alas...

Yeah... and get Yellow Harpooned to death more times than we can count?

What're you givin' me that look for, C.H.? You lookin' for a fight?

Yeah, lookin' for a fight, C.H?

Wait, Heathcliff... have you decided to join in on the abbreviation game too?

Ack, what the - It rubbed off on me, bloody hell...!

*puff* The start of the C.H. era clocks hard.

I loathe the notion that Young Meursault could have committed deeds so foul as to warrant a trial...! Though when given orders, he is wont to be the first fist to smite his foes upon their faces, and would fain dislocate their jaw even as, uh, even as they cling to the hem of his breeches, weeping for mercy...

Hm. Of all the actions taken by our men during the last operation, his alone merits compliment. It was an efficient method of neutralizing the enemy.

... Sorry, why are you looking at me? ... Oh.

Dante, I can almost see the gears turning in your head, but wild guesses won't get us anywhere right now.

Think about it. If his crime were something normal enough to be guessable, then it wouldn't have resulted in a measure as drastic as permanent exile. So let's get out of our own heads, sit down, and focus on the proceedings.

<That's true...>

You know what, it still bothers me that you were looking at me while trying to guess what could've sent Meursault to trial... Never mind. Let's just make sure to focus on the proceedings later.

Something does feel off about him, though. How should I put this...

It's almost like he's not even present with the rest of us in this courtroom.

What are ya talkin' about? Meur's standing right over there.

Um, yes, he is...

But he feels so distant from everyone, like he's here as a spectator to someone else's trial, not as the defendant...

Like he's looking somewhere else even though his body is standing here...

<Really? What's a defendant supposed to look like at a normal trial?>

Normal trials, eh? Here's what:

Chest puffed, eyes mad-doggin', starin' down the judge like you're sayin' "What're you gonna do about it, wanker?"

Are you speaking from experience, Heathcliff...? Oh, never mind, actually. I don't even want to know...

…….

For the briefest moment...

I felt so alone, isolated from every other living soul in all the world.

Everything I'd done, every choice I'd made that I'd believed at the moment was for the best...

... was questioned without end. Are you sure that was the best course of action? Can you truly say it wasn't an arbitrary decision on your part?

And somewhere along the way, as you keep trying to justify yourself...

... you realize that your decisions have come back around as consequences, as chains that bind you.

How do you... How do you cope with something like that?

You tell yourself that you were right. Over and over again.

You tell yourself that you had no other choice. There was no other choice. Deceive yourself, if you must.

... It's no more than a contrivance to keep oneself from stooping and succumbing in the end.

But in this trial, what we ought to be more concerned about is not self-justification, but how the man will carry himself before the judge.

What you actually have done... matters less than how convincingly and eloquently you can account for it when you're stood in front of the bench.

<*sigh* But he doesn't even have a lawyer to do that for him...>

Please come to order.

All rise. The court is now in session, with the honorable judge presiding.

*groan* Heathcliff... Will you get a move on and get your butt off the chair? They know we're with Meursault. Do you really wanna get on their bad side before the trial even begins?

Like I said, lookin' cowed is the worst thing you can do in a courtroom... You act like a scared little bird; they'll pick you clean.

You may be seated.

Due to the urgency of the matter, this court has suspended the previously scheduled case hearing to prioritize this emergency session.

This will be a summary trial. Unless the defense can prove facts materially inconsistent with the indicted charges, this court will issue a prompt ruling and finish the proceedings within session.

... This bodes ill. They intend to get this fast-tracked.

It's always bad when the court is unwilling to devote much time to a case.

Defendant: Meursault. Registered address: Revoked... Former member of the Maintenance and Management Team at Grand Magasin Sisyphe, once counted among the Ones Who Nail.

Is that correct?

Yes, that is correct.

Prosecution and defense counsel - state your appearances for the record.

For the prosecution, Your Honor.

... Defense? Is the defense not present?

Has the defendant made no separate arrangements for counsel?

... We're really going ahead with this without a lawyer?

And Meursault's expected to... uh, argue his own case?

... The sod barely gets three words out in a day, even with us. Honestly, mate, we'll be lucky if he doesn't just go gruntin', "Mm. Mm." through the whole thing.

Still... remember our cooking contest at K Corp.? Something about that chicken dish seemed to have inspired Meursault to become a veritable orator back then.

I s'pose you're right... One mouthful of that botched slop, and out came every word he'd been saving his whole bloody life...

Ain't there anything here we can ram down his gob?

Where exactly do you expect to find food in a courtroom...? And suppose we do - what're you gonna do, lob it into his mouth from here? C'mon, this isn't a cartoon...

<Wait, where did Faust go?>

Fau? Oh, she's right here - hang on, she was here with me a second ago... Where'd she run off to?

... Could it be that, with the appointed hour arriving, she has gone forth in search of an advocate?

Would she even have enough time...? I mean, applying for observation alone took forever, so...

At this rate, one of us will have to go up there and pretend to be a lawyer.

How could any of us possibly pretend to be a lawyer...? For the last time, this isn't a cartoon...

What's with you and cartoons today?

Hm? If Young Faust be the one thou seekest, why, doth she not stand yonder?

<Eh?>

Dost thou not see her? There, beside Young Meursault! She standeth proudly beneath the undivided gaze of the courtroom!

What are you talking about? Why would Faust be...

... standing...

... next to Meursault...?

Apologies for the tardiness.

Counsel for the defense, Your Honor.

<She really is going to be his lawyer...?>

See? Told you the lass had somethin' brewing in that big head of hers.

No, you didn't.

I had not thought such a means was within our reach. Perhaps... we may relieve our shoulders of some weight.

For in matters of perspicacity... there exists none among us who may eclipse Miss Faust.

Yeah... Having her up there is reassuring, I'll give you that.

You got this, lass! That prosecutor's got nothin' on you! Lay into that woman 'till she's bleedin'! Metaphorically!

... There remains one concern.

What is he doing up there with her?

...?

<... I'm not sure if he knows that himself?>

What treachery is this?! Why should Young Sinclair alone be granted the privilege of commanding the gaze of the entire courtroom?! Aah, it stirreth the bitterest envy within me!

The defense counsel consists of just the two of you, correct?

Err... Yes?

Yes, that is correct.

... Counsel acknowledged.

Prosecution, you may read the indictment.

Your Honor. The prosecution shows that the defendant, Meursault, has already stood before this court for causing severe criminal property damage to N Corp.

<Property damage?>

Y'know... like pickin' a lock to sneak into the backdoor of a shop...

There's also nickin' carriage wheels. Better if they belong to posh tossers.

"Gra-ffi-ti" upon a wall would also fall within that category...

Back home, you'd get off with a lecture or a lil' fine - if it's something small enough to let slide. So it was pretty important to know the neighborhood patrolmen by face.

'Course, yours truly was never the one to get caught~ ... Most of the time. The clumsiest and the slowest ones usually ended up holdin' the bag, though. Unfortunate, I know, but that's just how it goes. There's no sense in everyone getting pinched tryina' save that one guy, right?

Damn right, lass! You leg it without lookin' back no matter who gets left in the dust. Backstreets rule number one.

Be that as it may, I should think that to forsake a lagging fellow in such a manner is to forsake one's fellowship...

... Because the body's want of swiftness can hardly be laid at the feet of one's resolve.

Yi Sang, you... uh, been busted before or something?

But once. It was a day during the years of my reckless youth... when my fellows and I limned a painting on a wall, with the purpose of it being a portrayal of the anguish of difficult times. Little did I know that doing so on private property would prove such a grave offense...

What...? But isn't offending the law the whole point of doing graffiti? You know, being a rebel and all that stuff?

Nay... I did not know that it was such a thing. Not a single face was marred by guilt as my fellows committed the act. I had thought I was alone in my ignorance of new culture, but...

Mate... That's what loyalty is. You get caught, you be proud of yourself, 'coz only true friends are willing to take the fall.

Perhaps, yet I find it wholly unnecessary that they giggled so merrily as they bolted, leaving me a mournful, fallen form on the ground...

Anyways, I'd say Meur still has a chance to skate by with a light sentence if all he did was damage some property~

I don't know how many times I've got to make this point, but if all he did was just "damage some property," N Corp. wouldn't have sentenced him to a permanent exile, would they?

Oh, ya have a point. Yeah, I wonder why...

Oi, mate! Just what dodgy shite were you mixed up in before joinin' us?!

We're in a courtroom! Lower your voice, imbecile!

Please, can't you keep it down for even one second?! You'll get us all kicked out!

As the court may already be aware, Your Honor, the incident caused harm, both immense and grievous, to N Corp.'s interests.

I am aware.

The defense may speak regarding the incident.

Yes, Your Honor. First, a confirmation of facts.

Could you tell us about the incident, Mister Sinclair?

... Huh?

Um, uh... So Meurs - I mean, the defendant was in N Corp., and...

Am I to understand that the defense counsel appeared before this court without even reviewing the case file?

I... I didn't really have the time to read it...

Why's the lad makin' such a bloody mess of it?!

Well, she's really going out of her way to ask him things he obviously knows nothing about... I doubt you'd have fared any better up there.

Why the heck would Fau bring Sinclair with her in the first place?

... Allow me to answer instead.

3 years ago, the defendant, Meursault, was charged with the murder of a Sisyphean Giant in N Corp.'s employ. As this crime broke N Corp.'s Taboo, it was deemed an offense of aggravated criminal damage, for which he was formally indicted.

The employee in question was also the defendant's biological mother.

... What?

The defendant stood before this court 3 days after the incident,

pleaded guilty to every fact charged by the prosecution, and was sentenced to permanent exile from N Corp.

<Am I... Am I hearing this right...?>

D-did she just say "murder"?

His own mum...?

Sinner #5... was never meant to return to this District.

... Case in point.

The defendant explicitly admitted to being aware of these facts - both during the fact-finding questioning and during the interrogation conducted after N Corp.'s assets secured his custody.

And yet, here he is, at this very moment, standing in a courtroom located in none other than N Corp.'s Nest. Nothing could be better proof of his breaking the Taboo.

Your Honor.

... Does the defense wish to add any statements regarding this?

... This is going to be tough.

She'll... get through it somehow.

This is Fau we're talkin' about.

... Your Honor.

The defendant...

... has entered N Corp. without adhering to the required immigration process.

Strictly speaking, his actions may be construed as an attempted illegal entry.

...?!

... I see.

Was the prosecution aware of this?

N-no, Your Honor.

The prosecution moves to append that charge to the indictment...

F-Faust...?

You know we're on Meursault's side, not N Corp.'s, right...?

.......

To summarize, Your Honor... The defendant not only destroyed N Corp.'s most critical asset for its core business - the production of Canned Experience; but also violated the court's order of permanent exile, traveled through District 14, and attempted to enter N Corp. unlawfully.

The defendant's heinous acts have damaged N Corp.'s sustainability and competitiveness among the Wings, Your Honor. To this day, the Canned Experience output has not yet recovered to its former productivity levels. The prosecution submits further details regarding the case:

Records indicate that he visited a cinema the day after he murdered his own mother in cold blood. How could a human being...

... Objection.

Whew... I knew you'd stand up for him! That was just a mistake earlier, right, Faust?

The defendant visited the cinema not on the following day, but on the very day of the incident.

...?

W-wait... wait! B-b-but...!

Mister Meursault... I mean, Mister Defendant... had reasons he couldn't control. That's why he had to... and after what happened to his mother, he... he needed to deal with the grief, so... yeah, he couldn't help coming back... so...

Woe, much like tears they are, the beads of sweat upon Young Sinclair's cheeks...

Mayhaps that is the reality, not a metaphor... For the beads may indeed be formed of tears...

<... Maybe Faust... was never trying to save Meursault to begin with.>

Objection.

You may speak.

The conditions attached to the defendant's permanent exile include provisions designed to accommodate extenuating circumstances.

Should any unavoidable circumstances force him to enter District 14, the defendant is to submit a detailed purpose of visit and a written pledge that he will not enter N Corp. itself, at least 14 days in advance.

In addition, should the defendant enter District 14 without prior authorization, he is to depart, of his own volition, within a 6-hour grace period.

Despite these conditions, the defendant neither submitted the necessary documents nor departed voluntarily.

... Why are you doing this? Why are you objecting me?!

A-as the counsel states, Your Honor.

... What's wrong with White Hair? She got some grudge against the bloke we don't know about?

Things were already lookin' bad... And now the whole courtroom is glaring at Meur.

B-but...! But...!! But!!!

The defendant... has shown... signs of remorse. He...

Objection.

The defense objects, Your Honor. The defendant has displayed no attitude indicative of contrition.

.......

<.......>

Bloody hell... Why's it suddenly so damned bright?

... So... the crime they're accusing Meursault of right now...

... Correct me if I'm wrong... The court's saying he killed his own mother, is that it?

... Mm.

... That seems to be the case, given the context.

In light of these facts, the defense counsel... requests that the maximum sentence available be imposed on the defendant.

Counsel. The defense does not make sentencing requests in this court.

... is what we would ask the prosecution to state.

Ah... yes, of course...

... I get it now. You never meant to defend him in the first place, did you, Faust?

... The defense rests, Your Honor.

... Defendant, do you wish to add a closing argument?

No.

<...!>

... The trial is nearing its conclusion.

The prosecution and the defense have left their respective tables, Executive Manager. We will have a verdict soon.

You little...!

Why, Fau...?!

You...!

Thou...!

This will be explained succinctly, as what each of you intends to say is very much predictable.

No heat-related neurological dysfunction is involved. Faust harbors no private hostility toward Meursault, nor has there been a covert corporate arrangement with N Corp.

Then what the heck was that? Why didya ask them to give Meursault the maximum -

Wait. They're announcing the verdict.

This court will now pronounce final judgment in the matter of the defendant Meursault.

... It is the judgment of this court...

... that the defendant be sentenced to the Sisyphe Penalty, N Corp.'s highest possible punishment permitted by law.

........

The sentence is to be carried out immediately, without possibility of appeal or overturning.

This trial is concluded.

The Sisyphe Penalty...? Does anybody know what that is?

The judge said it's N Corp.'s maximum possible punishment. Is it another name for... the death penalty?

I know death isn't a big deal for us, whether by hanging or whatever, but...

... The mission's plan and objective remain unchanged.

... Very well. I expect this obstacle will not deter us. This is not the first time we have faced such an unforeseen, senseless development. There must be a reason for this...

Still, this is the first time we've been made to watch one of us getting hanged...

.......

<...!>

It's over.

So... What now? Do we lie in cover somewhere nearby until Manager Bud can bring him back?

No. This is the point where the mission will officially commence.

Eh...?

First, the sentencing of Meursault to the Sisyphe Penalty, then his being sent to the gallows.

This was the prerequisite order of events for this mission.

... So that's why you sabotaged his case, huh?

... I get that part, but why did you have to bring me along? I seriously thought I was going to burst into tears up there, Faust...

Regarding that... an apology is in order. This step of the preparation required an individual whose presence could... "downgrade" Faust's competence. The exigencies of the situation permitted no alternative.

What the hell is that supposed to mean...?

The idea may prove difficult for you to understand, but the deliberate concealment of Faust's unparalleled logical precision and perspicacity is far more arduous than you might think.

Are you saying... you dragged me out there because me standing next to you would make you seem... less smart?

Heathcliff might have been a serviceable candidate for this purpose; however, his instinctive faculties have developed to a rather remarkable degree of late. In extremely rare cases, he has displayed a capability to arrive at insights that even I did not anticipate.

There was also the option of bringing along a Sinner prone to spontaneous and unpredictable actions... But that would have introduced the risk of contempt of court in the worst-case scenario, not only delaying the court proceedings but also subjecting the company to a punitive fine...

Your sacrifice was an indispensable one.

... I'll G.Y.B. for this...

Heh.

For what it's worth, Sinc... Ya really took one for the team...

Fau, do ya know where they're taking Meur's... Taking Meur?

That... would be a question for me to answer.

My, it has been a long while, everyone. How time flies - we haven't stood face-to-face since the manor, have we?

... Nelly?

She is garbed in the vestments of style reminiscent of Gubo's... It appears that she has entered N Corp.'s employment.

... When I told you to write your own tale... I didn't say you could sign on with Hermann's pack of tossers and come screwin' us over every chance you got.

What're you here to fuck up this time, anyway...?

Heathcliff...

You were - You were family! That's why I let you go, dammit! Because I wasn't blind to what living in that manor did to you. But you...! Nickin' the Golden Bough weren't enough, was it? You had to join these - !

Wait. I'm here to help you, Heathcliff. Don't be rash.

Help me?

Explain. Now.

... Miss Nelly is indeed a collaborator in the present operation - by way of an agreement concluded with Director Hermann's New League of Nine Littérateurs.

... Huh. No wonder you've been keeping it all hush-hush from the rest of us.

Correct. The secrecy was only intended to alleviate the much-expected reluctance from the Sinners.

Nelly... She's betrayed me twice already. Twice!

Even after I'd freed her - she turned round and twisted the knife! And I'm supposed to, what, trust her again? And go along with -

Let us both forget all that has transpired there, dear Heathcliff. I've buried it all already.

Memories of that stormy, lightless old manor do nothing but knot themselves tighter around the mind.

"Forget"...? What do you know about forgetting, Nelly?

... No, I won't forget them. Even if she's become forgotten to the world, I won't - I can't. Even if that were Cathy's wish.

So no, I won't let anyone force me to leave the past buried, Nelly. Not you, not anyone.

Cathy...? You've lost me again, Heathcliff. Just as you did the last time we met.

It's... it's as though I'd been serving a ghost all those years at that abandoned manor, Heathcliff. You wouldn't know this, but... after Mister Earnshaw's death, rest his soul, the manor was left... completely unoccupied.

You weren't servin' a ghost. That manor had a rightful mistress, dammit!

... I think it's high time we moved on from this subject.

It should be painfully apparent which party has more to lose if we let this distasteful conversation go on and on. Would you not agree, Miss Faust?

Heathcliff, I'm sorry, but -

.......

... Go on, let's hear it. Just how do you intend on helping us?

My word... I made a note of this back at the manor too, but you've certainly grown soft, haven't you? The old Heathcliff would've -

Say another word. Another infuriatin' word, and your eyes just might see the "old Heathcliff" you like blatherin' on about, 'fore I knock your head clean off your shoulders.

*puff* Got more to say? Then blather away. It'll give me time to decide between S.Y.N.C. and having your L.B.

... I've rented a conference room nearby, so why don't we continue our discussion there? I'm sure we don't want to keep the other collaborators waiting.

Besides, this isn't exactly the best place to discuss these rather... sensitive subjects, is it?

The other collaborators being...?

Only a handful of dear old acquaintances who, much like me, require no laborious introduction.

*puff* Agreed, Bats. Can't pick and choose what to remember and what to forget.

.......

...!

While I do recall urging them to expand the hiring pool to those from my past... He is indeed a most unexpected face.

How odd... I don't recall keeping any of this information classified from you, or anyone in our team.

... That fellow wasn't left out. He simply decided to be absent during the dissemination session, on account of focusing more on his research.

The understanding of which I do appreciate; I wear many hats, after all.

Director Hermann's plan to rescue Mister Meursault - I trust the preparations are complete?

Ah, yes - the circuitous infiltration route by way of the Suicide Vending Machine. All systems in place and ready to commence, of course - it's a simple enough preparation to make.

Good. We all heard that, yes? All chuffed? Then please be seated.

<There's something I've got to know... What do you think they have to gain from this?>

This collaboration is most likely an outcome of a transaction rather than that of a mutually beneficial calculation, Executive Manager.

A transaction that must've had something to do with the Mirror, if I am to speak based on guesswork.

If they brought my past fellows into their fold by means of selling the name "League of Nine"... Miss Outis's conjecture may indeed be true.

Well. It seems we need not engage in overlong elucidation - our guests are entirely self-informed as to their circumstances.

*scoff* This is hardly our first encounter. If you're still incapable of noticing something so painfully obvious... well, you wouldn't like what that says about your competence.

... Bloody hell, spit it out already. What do you lot have to gain from this?

That portion of the contract remains confidential, Heathcliff.

I can offer one reassurance, though. Unlike in our previous arrangement, we have no intention of claiming the Golden Bough. It just so happens that our goal becomes more achievable by providing you with assistance.

Do you seek to make us into unwitting agents of chaos, as you had in Hongyuan? Presumably after aught that can only be purloined only under the cover of tumult...

You and your new fellows are quite often the agents of chaos whitherever you venture, unwitting or not. Or could your presence among your fellows have sown the seeds, Yi Sang?

... Your accusation is but a gross generalization.

Embroider the record with gentler thread if it comforts you. The reality of the matter is a truth immutable that cares not for my sympathies.

<.......>

Well, moving on to the plan itself... Frankly, it's all rather simple. The place your fellow has been sent to is called Grand Magasin Sisyphe. And under normal circumstances, the only way by which entrance to that department store is permitted is the Sisyphe Penalty.

Pray, are we to be hanged, too, then?

Would you mind clarifying whether that query was posed in a literal sense, or if it were merely circumlocutory insinuation?

Depending on the nature of your query, one could say that you hit the nail on the head.

Uh...

You would be correct if the latter were your insinuation - as you all must have gathered from observing the execution of the penalty, one must experience death to gain access to the Grand Magasin Sisyphe.

As luck would have it, however, word is that the Grand Magasin has recently faced some... difficulties. Word proven true, considering its current production rate of the Experience Batter.

And this has opened a crack, or a normally inaccessible avenue through which we may, in a proverbial sense, "squeeze you through."

What luck that we are in the presence of the City's top experts at getting themselves killed.

You're not... wrong, but...

But... Manager Bud's never died before, have they?

Nah, but only technically. Every pain we feel when we die, Dante feels 'em too.

Still, I can't help but worry for Dante... Pain isn't the only feeling death brings, after all...

Hah, really? You're worried about death? I thought you said humans were... what was it again? "Born to die"?

.......

Brother, what I said then, it was... I'm -

Jia Baoyu.

I'd have expected you to know better now. We both know the apology waiting behind your teeth is not kindness, nor is it remorse. It is a revolting little lie.

My my, it's like we're all tiptoeing on thin ice. It seems that neither of us found the most pleasant company following the dissolution, did we?

... I would much rather you continue this presentation than engage in pointless banter.

Very well. At least you still retain the virtue of saying precisely what I like to hear.

Going back to the matter at hand... No, you don't actually need to die to enter. Pay closer attention to my words - you need to "experience" death to enter Sisyphe.

Should you fulfill that condition on your end, we have the means to circumvent the Grand Magasin Sisyphe's security measures and grant you entry.

Naturally... that condition will be fulfilled using the Suicide Vending Machine - the main product line that helped Director Hermann strengthen her footing in N Corp.

Hah... So that explains how a G Corp. remnant like her became a director at N Corp.

<Suicide Vending Machine...>

I once read in an information booklet that introduced it as N Corp.'s, uh... newest product. While it's not as widely recognized or popular as Canned Experience, it's been spreading via word of mouth, because the service it offers is extremely thrilling...

It is human nature to pathologically pursue extreme thrills, after all.

And I suppose that is another technology purloined from the Glass Window or the Mirror.

... Now I realize anew that I am beset on all sides by revelations most disagreeable.

Hah! Even now, you let these personal grievances affect you?

... You would reduce it to "personal grievance"? Then I suppose the sentiment with which Brother Young-ji brought the Glass Window into being shall remain forever beyond your ken.

It was a technology made so that those things doomed to fade away in this world might take wing freely once more. Yet vain, vulgar ones such as yourselves would peer into it only to seek out death.

We merely found a purpose better suited to it. Is that not simply the way the wheel of progress turns?

... Don't you dare -

Now, now. How about we leave these old grudges behind us and cooperate? Withdraw that askance glare and let us work together. Surely you do not plan to spend the rest of tonight locked in a bout of words, do you?

... So... we sneak in, yoink Meursault right outta that Grand Magasin or whatever, and presto. Right?

Not quite presto. Your company's affairs have never demonstrated such affection for simple jobs. At the topmost floor of the Grand Magasin is a Golden Bough you all seem to be quite fond of collecting.

And you're showin' us that care because...?

Then, to summarize... We are to infiltrate the Grand Magasin Sisyphe, undetected, via the route secured by the Suicide Vending Machine - courtesy of the New League of Nine - rescue Meursault, obtain the Golden Bough, then exfiltrate with minimal risk. Did I miss anything?

You didn't miss anything, but... there is one detail I must correct.

While it is true that the method of your entry will be unorthodox... it involves more than "minimal risk."

... What?!

Allow me to elaborate: your entry will escape notice. But it won't be long before they become wise to your intrusion, which is where the risks come in.

What... shall transpire, should our presence be detected?

Feathers of N Corp. will be mobilized, of course. They will assault the Suicide Vending Machine we have chosen as your inroad to the Grand Magasin Sisyphe.

That is when we will lend you aid.

What's gonna happen... if we get attacked while using the Suicide Vending Machine?

Is elaboration really necessary? It's obviously going to be something utterly catastrophic.

<Whatever it is, sounds like a risk I don't want us to take...>

Our collaboration with the New League of the Nine... extends to cover such contingencies as well.

Lass, are you sayin' we'll have to trust these bastards to -

- protect the twelve of you? Why yes, that is exactly what we'll be doing. Personally.

... And we're, what, supposed to just put our lives in these fellas' hands?

Oh, please. Do you really think the Director would allow half-measures when her precious son is in your company?

*scoff* Isn't that a comforting thought.

Even if we were to look past the matter of trust... I must voice my doubts about your ability to defend us to begin with. Your performance back in Hongyuan was hardly promising.

Hah, that's because -

... You needn't worry about that. We have newly produced E.G.O gear, fresh out of lab testing, and plenty of new hires to wear them.

When it really comes down to it, we'll finally put that stubborn Captain to use, too. She doesn't like how the solid earth feels? Too bad, time to get to work.

... Wh-wait. This "Captain"... Her name wouldn't happen to be Ahab, would it?

Deary me, you didn't know? She was here before I joined, I believe.

... Just what exactly did you offer her? Help her hunt down the Whale?

While I cannot divulge the details of her terms... that wouldn't be the case, would it?

... And I guess you people couldn't care less how many people her insane rabble-rousing and pigheadedness are going to get killed.

Well, Captain Ahab has her own ways of doing things.

... Maybe. But if I have to watch what she's done happen all over again, right before my eyes... I don't know what I might do.

Hmm. Now I'm convinced that it was a wise decision to exempt the captain from this meeting.

Now that all cards are on the table... how is it? The preparations for the infiltration are now complete. Simply say the word, and we will send you all straight to the Grand Magasin Sisyphe.

<Let's hear it. What's everyone's take?>

I must admit to a certain reluctance in my heart; such an alliance has been tested before, at the Tiekan Temple, to near-immediate breakdown followed by a clash.

Are you certain they are our sole option? Frankly, I would much more readily work with the Ring and their Corridors than work with the New League of the Nine.

Grand Magasin Sisyphe is a dimension that's fundamentally different, so it cannot be entered through a Backdoor, a Corridor, or any manner of portal. At present, we have only two viable avenues of infiltration: submit to N Corp.'s judicial process and receive the Sisyphe Penalty, or employ the New League of Nine's collaboration.

Seems easy enough. Let's get ourselves sentenced to the Sisyphe Penalty, then. We could go to one of them Nest checkpoints and start smashin' walls and windows -

Alas, I would loath to commit such a heedless crime...

Don Quixote... Who do you think Heathcliff was referring to when he said "smashing walls and windows"?

Ah - *cough*

*puff* Now that I've had my turn, it's about time M.'s had his T. anyway, isn't it? Think it over when we're inside. No more idling out here.

I agree with Miss Ryōshū. I can't say I have complete faith in our company... but I do want to put my trust in Miss Faust.

Not a huge fan of this idea either, but... I also think you two are right. I mean, it's not like we're not gonna save Meur 'cuz it's too risky, right?

<... Right. We'll have to work with them.>

Have you all come to a decision?

... Lead us to the Suicide Vending Machine. Let's go.

<So this is it... the Suicide Vending Machine.>

<Is everyone okay?>

I'm achin' all over... and I feel like the world's spinnin', but...

... We're unhurt.

*sigh* Finally.

We can put this irritating bodyguard mission behind us.

... The environment outside has... changed significantly.

Much has occurred in the last 3 months.

Huh, I see... wait, 3 months?

We've been in there for how long?!

Yes, much credit goes to our employees, who worked valiantly to keep you from losing your miserable lives in that box.

<.......>

... There seems to be some sort of commotion afoot... I hear screaming. And what's that smoke in the distance?

We've just received a transmission from Director Hermann. That man, the Chaplain... has... pressed the button.

The button - ?

I won't stop you if you'd rather stick around looking confused, but I would hurry if I were you - your colleague doesn't have much time left.

Oh, I suppose death comes lightly to you since you can simply rewind the dead back to life.

<First things first, we've got to go save Meursault. We can get our bearings about what's been happening outside after that.>

This is... what Grand Magasin Sisyphe looks like from the outside...

All are aslumber within the vats... prisons.

<Meursault!>

Manager. I have secured the Golden Bough.

Is that... Jeanne?

Yes. A Giant who has suffered significant psychological damage, caused by events such as the death of their avatar, becomes immobilized for an extended period of time. Therefore, I have decided to carry her outside.

You can just... barge into a Giant's office and haul them out like a sack of potatoes?

Yes. It was not a difficult task, as the password for the office hasn't been changed.

<That's good, I guess... So, what's up with all the fire? And this smoke...?>

<Wait, this sensation - >

The Mannequins are... pouring out of the factory.

<Could it be... that the Distortions within the Grand Magasin are being unleashed upon the City...?>

... What is the meaning of this...? Have we been cast out of our Cradle, into this alien world beyond our veils of memory...?

We have seen some of them before. Then that means -

That means the party's just getting started, boys and girls.

We will seize our glory once again, as 300 million Distortions wreak havoc through N Corp.

Jacob, ETA for our team?

They will be deployed soon. Though tests will be conducted once all Distortions have been subdued... I have authorized summary decisions for those foul prosthetic wearers.

Pay special attention to the ones that aren't immediately obvious. They're what the trials are really for.

Wait a minute.

That smoke, it's... it's not just smoke from malfunctioning machines... It's...

.......

We must evacuate, Manager.

Someone has pressed the button and activated the site termination protocol.

Meursault! Convict Meursault!

<... The Chaplain!>

It was me. I triggered the Sisyphe Tower's incinerator!

You all saw those monsters inside the Grand Magasin too, didn't you? Those things aren't human. If they are unleashed... they will surely destroy our Wing.

I did what I had to! I had to burn all of them to ashes!

You there, help me stop the ones who've managed to escape!

In fact, I'll - Yes, I'll hire you! You're Distortion specialists, aren't you? I'll hire you to - aagh!

How could you?! How could you, you bastard?!!!

Ahhhh...!

No... No... This can't be real...!

All those lives, precious lives... Humans, humans of flesh, humans who bleed... Oh, the tears... they won't stop. All we had to do was cull the ones that looked like prosthetic users...!

Damn you, you charlatan of a priest! Damn you!!

.......

We have to go, Manager. Now.

... The scent... of humans...

Executive Manager.

Please steel yourself. I suspect the events of today have set things in motion that cannot be stopped.

<... How do you feel about this, Meursault?>

... I believe I feel horror, devastation... and grief.

The chains... cannot be broken, and they will always constrict around me.

Sinner #5. The one who was never meant to return.

Welcome back.

Here we go again. Vroom once, vroom twice.

For now...

Even as we wait for the terrible night to claim us all...

I think we can watch the sunset together and endure it.

The continuation of the Canned Experience business, the backbone of N Corp.'s economy, has become... unsustainable.

Sure, but that's just a supply issue. There's plenty of demand for experiences only the Cans can provide.

Not a single N Corp. citizen can go 2 days without gorging on some Canned Experience.

... Then what are we to -

Oh, come on! What's wrong with everyone? The Sisyphe System is hardly the only way to procure Experience Soup. You know, the way things were done in the good ol' days!

Yes, that's what I'm talking about - draining the Experience Soup straight from the brain matter.

Experiences of unrivaled freshness! Sensational! Human!

Well, yes, but... That method is...

Is what? What's your problem?

Ohh, are you scared of that stuck-up Chaplain?

.......

Wow, when'd you go and get him?

Anyway, that takes care of that, right? The Inquisition has gripped the nail and smote your "problem" away!

.......

Wait, wait. A moment of silence for our valued teammate. 1... 2... 3...

Now that that's done and over with, let's get siphoning, shall we? The most human experience of them all, from the brain of a Giant...

Have you procured it?

Yes, and without much difficulty. All I had to do was gently pick up this slow, crawling thing from the ground.

.......

A pair of eyes, connected to a brain, hugged by an external membrane. This is it.

The dough from Wuthering Heights, Xianhuang Worm from Hongyuan, and now, this human from the Grand Magasin...

We've certainly gathered many clues, haven't we? For the appearance of the Protoplast... I'd say the fall of N Corp. is a fair trade.

Wait, this one isn't -

Eliminate, purge...!

How could they... burn the Rouges...

What are these monsters...?

... Distortions.

It's raining.

Hah... I can hardly tell them apart. Which are human, and which are Distortions?

Brief me on the situation, Nelly.

Distortions that weren't incinerated by the Sisyphe Tower's disposal system have been unleashed, wreaking havoc on the District, Backstreets and Nest alike.

Kromer has... summoned the board of directors again, but the current crisis is unlikely to be resolved in the foreseeable future.

I see. So far, no deviations from the predicted development.

Hm.

The outward appearances of Distortions vary - some assume a mechanical form, while others are biological, bearing much resemblance to those of beasts.

It will become harder to... distinguish prosthesis users from Distortions.

They will be subjected to constant mistrust, living under the endless suspicion of being Distortions.

Still, it is unlikely that people will indiscriminately persecute all prosthetic users. Too many vested interests are involved to turn on prosthetic users merely because they might be Distortions. It's a huge tangled knot of monetary and political interests...

Even if they were to risk going against the countless Fixers and Syndicates, several Wings tap their water into the root of the prosthesis industry. They'd be mad to make enemies of them all...

The Malleus Maleficarum has also finished its preparations and is now ready for combat deployment. They need only give the word to have them march into battle.

With three Ones Who Nail who have been holding the Ones Who Grip at the Sisyphe Tower gone... there isn't anyone left in N Corp. to stop them.

... I presume this is developing precisely as the Ones Who Grip have envisioned.

The unleashed Distortions cause violence, instilling fear in people.

And it just happens that fear is a very good justification for the enactment of policies that require one to "prove" one's humanity.

Kromer and Jacob's influence in N Corp. will burgeon.

Yes, it will. And the Malleus Maleficarum has been waiting with bated breath for those plumes of smoke in the sky to turn into a downpour.

I have little faith that the incinerator at the Grand Magasin Sisyphe was sufficient. They had quite a number of prisoners, didn't they?

Well... we can all predict the kind of rain that will fall from that smoke-cloud of crimson black.

Some have already coined the term "Sisyphean Rain." I wonder if the name will stick.

That cloud is a smoke of Distortions. When it rains, its essence will seep into the soil... and the Distortions of the Grand Magasin Sisyphe will be reborn from the earth.

Kromer found the incineration genuinely tragic, but to Jacob... that was just another part of the plan.

It will be as you predicted, Director. The threat of Distortions will come to the forefront in the City, as a highly observable phenomenon - which will make for the perfect justification to wield power with abandon.

Yes, it will. This smoke... will start a war.

Let's seize our opportunity while all hell breaks loose.

Ah. Must've been just a brief shower. It's stopped raining.

... Huh?

Hm? What is it?

I think I saw a... small child. We only made eye contact for a second, but their eyes just reminded me of another I used to look after. Had the same look to them, and... was about the same height, too.

They were limping into the Backstreets, wearing some kind of ragged covering soaked through with rain. I couldn't make it out clearly because it was so worn, but... the color of that cloak reminded me of a Golden Bough's.

Did you now? Well, I hope that child gets home safely.

Hmm... With the chaos unfolding within the District... I wonder if that child will even live to see tomorrow.

There's probably no one to look after them with everything that's happening.

Thank you for looking after those children.

I think the Fount was integral in keeping their minds from breaking.

For... the homeward journey... to the star...

I'm sorry about what happened before. I know an apology is hardly enough to make amends...

... There's something I'd been meaning to ask. How are you able to stay within the limits of the City?

You're not... humans.

.......

... What about you?

Hello? Is anybody in~?

<The door's locked... Is there nobody inside?>

Clock. M.Y.H.

Clock, move your head, she says... Eep!

<We should probably check somewhere else first.>

Hm... It's not even budging.

.......

Did you not hear what I said? The door's not budging.

*yawn*

<Heathcliff... I think she's talking to you.>

... The door won't budge, yeah. What do you want me to do about it?

What an absurd question. An obstacle emerges - you and that bat of yours terminate it without any thought given to the risk involved or the tactics available. Isn't that supposed to be your day-to-day doctrine of action?

The location beyond is yet to be screened, Executive Manager. Please fall back to a defensible distance. Heathcliff shall breach the door and scout ahead.

Bloody hell, you've got some nerve telling me to put that door in! One look round and you can tell they spent a fortune on this place... What if they make us foot the bill after I've smashed it to bits?

Hm. You make a valid point. As the man says, Executive Manager. Reconnaissance beyond this door should be postponed...

... Are you planning to knock on the stalls all day, Dante?

<You never know...>

It's only proper to do so in a restroom. Toilet etiquette is an important virtue!

All well and good, I suppose... But shouldn't we be on our way and take a look around outside?

<That's the plan.>

<...!>

What's got you rattled, Manager Bud?

<I just heard what sounded like a toilet flushing in there...>

... You're still trying to spook me, even after everything we've been through? Not falling for it anymore... Nope...

<But I really heard it...>

Enough, Clockhead! What d'you reckon gawping inside those toilet stalls is going to do?

The Executive Manager is executing a methodical search pattern! Even these fixtures may conceal hints of intelligence decisive to the operation!

*puff* This master detective inspected this entire restroom the moment we entered. There is nothing left to see, C.H.

This reminds me of when we played detective back in T Corp.~ We had so much fun back then, didn't we, Rodya?

Yeah... we did. Anyway, how about we hurry up and get out of here first?

It seems wisest to venture outside as Miss Ishmael suggests.

... G.G., C.H.

... (She gazes at me without a word. The serene smile on her face suggests that she regards us favorably.)

There are remaining tasks here, Manager.

This place is quiet to an uncanny degree. A "room of rest"... Truly, a chamber wherein one may rest freely.

Ready when you are.

If this is how it's gonna be... Well, I'll need a smoke.

.......

It is rather frustrating that I am unable to be of assistance, trapped in this location. Should you need me, Executive Manager, I, Outis, am ready to be of service at your command.

I'll be restin' here for a bit. Gimme a shout when it's time to leave~

.......

I am ready, Manager.

Dante. I am well aware that circumstances weigh heavily upon us... But ought we not hasten to find Meursault?

No further explanation from my side is necessary.

Was there something else you needed to check? Let's make it quick and get moving. We need to find Meursault ASAP.

*puff* Can't exactly take a proper break when I know one of us could be experiencing the worst thing out there. Let's go if you fellas are all rested up.

Do you suppose Meursault is all right? Being cast out into a strange place like this, all on your own... It'd leave anyone terribly lost and afraid.

<I... don't think he'd feel lost and afraid... But yeah, best we hurry up and find him.>

Fuhu... Then let's be on our way!

Um... Manager... Shouldn't we hurry and start looking for Meursault?

Hath the time arrived for us to resume our adventure? Verily, I remain ever at the ready!

Bloody hell...

Oh. Are we movin' again, then?

Please rest more if you remain fatigued, Executive Manager. Give the order, and I, Outis, shall detach a search party and...

<It's okay. I should go with you guys.>

As expected of our Executive Manager. You are an example to every unit under your command...

Let's head outside. Hanging around here won't solve anything.

Huh. Good thing I've still got some smokes left.

<Is smoking allowed in here?>

Tch... Not sure. I'll light one up once we get outside, then.

Isn't this restroom rather cramped for a "luxury" department store? Maybe it's only a temporary facility until they can build a proper one.

Verily, never before have I beheld a privy of such splendor! If the privy alone boasteth such grandeur, what wonders must await beyond... Manager Esquire! Let us sally forth at once!

Get movin', you lot, or I'm heading out first.

We should establish this location as a forward base and reconnoiter the surrounding area first, Executive Manager.

Hiya, Dante. So when're we leavin'? It's nice and clean in here, sure, but... there's something creepy about this place.

We ready to go? Man, I sure hope we won't see another pile of corpses fallin' down on us. I don't wanna get crushed to death under a pile of rotting meat... That'd be the stuff of 3 nights-long-nightmare.

G.G., C.H.

... It's the restroom.

<Right...>

<Hang on... She can interpret my ticking?!>

... (She says nothing more, but her smile lingers still.>

... Keep following the star, then someday...

... Star...

(She does not reply. It seems any attempt to uncover her identity will prove futile.)

[미사용] 아직 이 안에서 마무리할 일이 있습니다, 관리자님.

<Huh. Looks like our rank went up.>

<I've got no idea what's changed, though... or what new perks come with it.>

<Something seems to have changed... Let's try taking the escalator.>

Hm... It's not even budging.

.......

Did you not hear what I said? The door's not budging.

*yawn*

<Heathcliff... I think she's talking to you.>

... The door won't budge, yeah. What do you want me to do about it?

What an absurd question. An obstacle emerges - you and that bat of yours terminate it without any thought given to the risk involved or the tactics available. Isn't that supposed to be your day-to-day doctrine of action?

The location beyond is yet to be screened, Executive Manager. Please fall back to a defensible distance. Heathcliff shall breach the door and scout ahead.

Bloody hell, you've got some nerve telling me to put that door in! One look round and you can tell they spent a fortune on this place... What if they make us foot the bill after I've smashed it to bits?

<... It's fine. No harm in trying. Smash it.>

Huh...?

All right, you wanted it, Clock.

Hmm. It seems it can't be broken by physical means, Executive Manager.

<......>

Do we... head out now?

Might we rest our steps awhile?

<You want to talk about how everyone's grown as weak as they were immediately after they entered into a contract with me, right?>

I see that it hasn't escaped your notice as well, Manager.

<I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. This is likely not a permanent phenomenon, anyway. Right, Faust?>

... Correct.

Indeed, Entering Sisyphe through indirect means, such as the Suicide Vending Machine, does not change the fact that we have entered another state of existence as "customers" of the department store. Ergo, our bodies as we perceive them in the phenomenal sense must have been reconstructed according to the rules of this place, which involves the Shadowed and the Symbolic -

H-hold on!

So you're basically sayin' that this place is to blame for making us weaker, and we're gonna get back to normal once we're out, am I right?

... Correct.

Hmm~ Then rather than waiting for more explanation or brainstorming for ways to get stronger...

Best we find Meur and get out of this place, chop-chop.

Happy to have a consensus for once. Our highest priority at the moment is locating Meursault; we best table any intelligence pertaining to this phenomenon until that primary objective is accomplished.

And if we run into fights? Any plans for that?

<Not to worry. I don't think they can perceive us very well without Meursault, anyway.>

Surprise, surprise...

What? Finally decided to show me to the restroom?

Got any empty bottles left? A spare palm would do, too.

I... don't think we have any empty bottles or... spare palms... Sorry... ha... ha...

Damn. I don't have enough eyeballs for this season's new collection...

Thank goodness I booked my dermal perm before the trend died! Once they layer the curl into every ridge of my skin, nobody will be able to tear their eyes away from me!

Strangers - stop checking me out. I'm halfway through my makeover treatment. You couldn't tell who I was even if you tried.

*sigh* This is why I hate coming down here. I suppose it can't be helped - the first floor is the only place that provides the service...

Stop staring at me!

This trend had better die soon. I don't have a single patch of bare skin left for another polka dot.

<S-so... Were you able to find them?>

They're gone... And I don't mean that like we lost one or two people - everyone except us vanished into thin air.

C-come on~ Joke's over, everybody, come on out... Th-this isn't funny!

<... I'm not sure what the issue is on their side, but I don't think it's anything to panic about.>

Oh! Right! Dante can see where everyone is. All right, where are the others?

<... They're in the restroom. Looks like they're trying all sorts of things to leave, but... not with much success.>

They wouldn't have doubled back just to loaf around in a situation like this. Maybe there's some rule or phenomenon peculiar to this place that dragged them all back to the restroom?

<Let's go find Meursault first. The restroom issue can... probably wait a little longer.>

<There you are, Meursault! I knew you'd be here.>

I am.

What the heck, Meur! Ya could at least pretend to be surprised to see us. We came to save ya!

.......

<Meursault, do you...>

<... remember everything?>

Yes. I remember every event following my entry to the Grand Magasin Sisyphe, including the events on the second floor.

<I don't think the other Sinners do, though.>

I have heard that the Grand Magasin periodically conducts a reset of its stock, internally designated "Liquidation."

<Right... A "reset"...>

<Okay, so now that we have a second chance... Do you think, if we were to make different choices this time around, we could secure the Golden Bough and escape the Grand Magasin?>

There is no way to know that at the present.

However, some things have carried over through the Liquidation.

<Like what?>

Every item we have purchased from the shops on each floor.

<The eyeballs, too? Good. At least we have that.>

And... this as well, Manager.

<Kinda looks like...>

<... a piece of that thing the Rouges created in the Luxury Hall. That must be where it's from.>

It is likely a vestige of what emerged when we tore through what they called "the Cradle."

<... Um, it's faint, but I think it's beating. Like a heart...>

Hey, hey! Whatcha two gossiping about over there?

<N-no, we weren't gossiping. We were just... having a very normal reunion, y'know?>

<Right, Meursault? Aw, you have no idea how glad I am to see you again!>

... Correct.

...?

Who are you people?

Back off. I found this material first. Finders keepers. It belongs to our store now.

"Material"...? Um... Look, this dude is our... uh, "colleague." Can we have him back, please?

"Colleague"... Hm. I've heard that word before. Is it a brand name?

Uh...

From what we've seen of this place so far... I don't know if common sense is all that reliable in here.

When you said he belongs to your store... does that mean you're gonna put him to work?

No. We have more than enough staff for this shop. It's the material that's in shortage.

Material...? Oh, okay. I suppose you wanna, uh... borrow Meursault's uniform, then...?

You strangers are impossible to communicate with. I'm at my wits' end here...

I said we're in a shortage of material. Material. What's so hard to understand about that?

Didn't you hear the announcement just now? The trend has changed again. A few seasons from now, there will be another thing that becomes the new trend. That's why we - and this shop - will always be in need of more material!

I get that, I get that, but what the hell does that have to do with -

<Meursault, let's get this over with.>

<No point in doing this whole song and dance all over again.>

We will conduct services of equivalent value to the fabric I would offer. In return for the services rendered, you will release me.

Services, huh?

The task of helping the out-of-fashion Mannequins to the exit should provide sufficient value.

In addition, I request a temporary release from your custody to accompany these individuals. These gauntlets in my possession will be effective in helping the Mannequins to the exit.

That's... that's fair. We really need to get that over with, anyway.

Fine, I'll take that deal. Three should be enough.

... The hell's a Mannequin? And what does "helping them to the exit" even mean...?

<Mannequins are what they call Distortions in here, and "helping them to the exit" means "defeating them." ... I think.>

... Dante, did I miss a pamphlet or something?

<... Maybe?>

I will take the lead.

Guys, we have Meursault now. Why don't we just split and never come back?

<I don't think we can solve this problem by just running away, Rodya.>

Uh... why not? I'm a good runner.

Fleeing would not prevent me from being placed in storage.

Hm...? But you're out of "storage" now, aren'tcha?

Maybe this place has its own Laws - just like the Great Lake.

*sigh* Let's do as Meursault says. I don't know why or how, but he seems to be well-acquainted with the department store.

So you managed to help them to the exit. Thanks to you, more customers can now access our shop.

Whew... We've got so much on our plates at the moment. We need to redesign and revamp the entire lineup, what with the trend changing.

Shame we're forced to part with this material, but that's that...

Good grief! The trend changed again while I was wasting time shooting the breeze with you. Scram if you're not buying anything!

Take a look around. The Casualwear Hall is catered to ever-changing trends. No need to weigh your options when it comes to fast fashion - just get one and dress up before the trend goes!

Oh! You look like you've just got here, too! Right?

.......

This employee here isn't so eager to greet us.

<He probably doesn't need to talk to us.>

Welp, then let's not bother 'em and move on? Sounds like a win-win.

.......

.......

I don't recognize the material... What do you think these clothes are made of?

The customers. This means they purchase and wear clothing, but may also become clothing themselves.

Customers? Oh... I see now. That's why the clerk called you "material" earlier.

Right... So how big is Sisyphe's "clientele"? The customers trapped in this place?

Approximately 300 million.

... Pretty sure I misheard that.

You did not. There is no discharge date for the Sisyphe Penalty, and those who enter remain permanently. Its population is theoretically on an infinite upward trend.

I think we've looked at pretty much everything they have to offer here.

Well, let's head to the other store up ahead and find out.

<Yeah, to the next store we go.>

Oh... How regrettable. We carry nothing suitable for Strangers of your... sensibilities. Return once you've cultivated some understanding of fashion - and raised your rank, too.

And how do we raise that?

There is but one way to raise one's standing in a department store, is there not?

... Spend money. Lots of it.

Precisely. Then until we meet again, Strangers of truly... arresting fashion.

Please come back later.

Huh. That's actually a lot nicer than I expected. So chic!

... Let's look around some more.

Ooh, don'tcha think this one's made for Dante?

<Y-you think so?>

Ya bet! That fit is practically beggin' for ya. And we've got those eyeballs from earlier - why not treat yourself?

Hang on. It's the only kind of currency they'll accept around here. We should set our priorities right before we splash cash like -

Eeep... 450 eyeballs? What a ripoff!

Or maybe we're just too broke.

<Yeah, these garments don't seem that interested in being "trendy.">

When a designer's name carries enough weight, ya don't chase trends. Trends chase ya instead.

Slap a famous label and a ridiculous price on something this fancy, and people will line up before ya lift a finger.

No need to run yourself ragged.. to keep up with every little craze.

Welcome, dear customers -

That Mannequin seemed tougher than the others... Ya think it's this golden needle?

Yeah, here's your needle. So... care to explain how this is your key to joining the Luxury brands?

It's just something that's struck me all of a sudden. Does my brand need strong heritage to enter the world of high fashion? No. Technical perfection? Clearly not. Rare, high-grade materials? Not at all... But I've been so obsessed with meeting those arbitrary conditions that I've trapped myself in this glorified glass jar of a lobby.

Yes, a signature piece... What I lacked was the signature piece - do you understand what I'm getting at? - the singular idea that would seize every customer's eye just from a quick glance...

Have you brought me the needle?

Oh, hey! Looks like we have enough Prestige points to move on to the next floor.

Sure looks like it. Wonder if this means we're now Sisyphe VIPs or something?

Oh, hello again! I found the escalator, but it won't run.

Really? That's weird, why wouldn't it...

Wait, it's running now that you're here! You must've found a way to unlock your way onto the upper floor!

Well, we did a lil' shopping... some grunt work... some more grunt work...

Can I tag along? I promise I'll repay you guys as soon as I find a way to make some money myself.

Don't see what the harm could be... Hop right on, I guess?

I can finally go upstairs, thanks to you! I won't forget what you've done for me.

That way... Maybe there's more to gather over there...? Dammit, I took the wrong spot!

This spot is mine. Fuck off!

Whoa, you're a prickly one, aren'tcha. Fine, fine~ we'll back off~

Hey! Lift your foot. Didn't you just step on an eyeball?!

... Uh, are you talking to me?

Did I see that wrong...? Whatever. Stop skulking around, then! You're throwing me off!

... Hey, don't you think you should apologize if you got the wrong idea? *sigh* Actually, never mind.

What exactly are they selling here? No, actually, why's anything being sold here in the first place?

I mean, it's a department store~

Grand Magasin... A department store is, by nature, a place where a myriad little squares crowd upon one another in pursuit of profit.

I suppose we'll have to look around if we want to learn anything more in detai -

<... Yi Sang, come this way for a minute?>

Hm? Is there aught that requires my attention?

Wha? What was that?

What is that?!

I don't know, but whatever it is, something huge...

... has plummeted from above.

You have my gratitude, Dante. I was nearly bathed in their blood.

That was close. We would have sustained a severe impact... had we moved a few steps closer to the side.

Fantastic intuition, Executive Manager! Once again, you have saved the day and prevented unnecessary loss of personnel.

.......

It appears to be... a huge mass of human bodies tangled together, though the remains are far too severely mutilated to discern any individual forms.

A big one dropped. Might be plenty worth salvaging this time. Hope the customers were heavy eyeball-spenders.

Damn it, I'm out of empty bottles! Hey, you borrowed three from me last season. When are you going to pay me back?!

Fuck off! This season's new drop is all... all mine. No one else's!

The Mannequins must first be guided to the exit, Manager. Next is the transaction in which I am the object of exchange.

Come on, Dante. We need to go get Meursault.

That Mannequin seemed tougher than the others... Ya think it's this golden needle?

It looks well over a foot long. At that size... it's more like a harpoon head.

<It feels a lot like that... Golden Resin thing we saw earlier.>

Huh. Then maybe this Mannequin got juiced up by the Golden Bough too?

<Can't say for sure... but I think so. Meursault, could you grab that for now?>

There is still unfinished business left in this area, Manager.

We have not yet attained the rank required to proceed to the next floor.

The escalator now appears operational, Manager.

However, there are still matters to conclude before our departure.

<Well, we returned here just in case, but...>

Executive Manager. Are you able to see Meursault's present surroundings? I recall you awakened a highly convenient ability in an effort to assist the more lacking members of our team.

Would you use that ability and tell us what you see?

Yeah, Manager Bud. Tell us what you see.

<…….>

<I see a carpeted floor, and rows of clothes on display. Meursault's standing absolutely still.>

<He's not tied up, and there's someone who looks like a store clerk beside him.>

Tch. Not much time has passed since the execution, and he already allows himself to be taken captive. An uncharacteristic display of incompetence coming from him - and on multiple fronts.

Huh... Carpet, and clothes on display... Well, it's more than we had to go on before, at least.

What... is this?

Heat lamp for dermal perm. It likely allows for its users to fold wrinkles into shapes they deem aesthetic, or allow them to refine the grains of their skin.

Aha... But why? For what...?

Gonna read that, Dante?

<Uh... Yeah...? But... You can read it first, I don't mind.>

Hmm, let's see... While undergoing the dermal perm procedure, the client's form assumes that of a "procedure customer," and becomes indistinguishable from others... Aha! So that's why they're all wearing those gas masks...

This is the most at ease she's been ever since we entered here.

<Y-yeah...>

<This is not a barrier. It's just two rods connected with a rope, which means I can leap over this. It's safe to leap over this. We are not bound by these rules anyway...>

<RAAAAAAAH!>

Wh-huh? Dante, ya okay?

Did you trip trying to jump over that rope barrier?

<I-I thought I could leap over it if I defined it as something else...>

... Surface level self-deception cannot truly redefine a symbolic element, Manager.

Symbols are things nailed solidly into the deepest parts of consciousness. One must commit to a significant time investment should they wish to redefine the symbol... or be born with the "aptitude" to do so.

<Ugh... Okay, then what about you? Can't you do what you did back at the escalator room?>

... That was... mm.

That was made possible due to the particulars of that situation, in which I and a Giant were both gazing at the same symbol.

What are ya two having so much fun gossipin' about?

<Ah, just discussing ways to get around this thing. Turns out there isn't - let's just take the roundabout route.>

So this is... a "Mannequin?"

<Yeah. I think. Oh, also - only Meursault seems to be able to fight in here, so you can put your mace down.>

Only Meur? How's that?

Of the worlds that comprise the Grand Magasin Sisyphe are "the Symbolic" and "the Shadow."

Only I am permitted to directly interact with items and entities within the Symbolic. Though one may be able to exert a marginally extended level of control as long as they are in my close proximity, it will not be sufficient enough to engage these enemies in battle.

Are ya sayin'... we can't participate in any battles that take place in here?

It is possible in the Shadowed.

O~kay! That kinda doesn't mean anything to me, so thanks for nothing...? Guess we'll have to find out as we go.

*sigh* Let's do that. Sitting here and questioning every little nonsensical thing we find in this place won't get us anywhere.

... Weird. Meursault's just being Meursault, but it's not like Dante to be so calm and collected in a situation like this...

<.......>

Like earlier, when you so confidently stated without proof that these people won't be able to perceive us without Meursault... Ah, well. We'll have time to talk about this later.

No way... The trend changed again?

What's in fashion now? I didn't hear the announcement.

More importantly, how can you be walking around in hideous clothes like those? Aren't you even ashamed of yourselves? That couldn't possibly be the current trend!

Stripes will return one day! Fashion always comes back around!

Kergh... You dress in such repulsive rags... yet you call me outdated...?

Next time... I'll make it. I'll be the one... to make it to the runway...

Don't bother talking to me you're not going to lend me anything...

<... Meursault, can you get those things to look away?>

Yes, Manager.

And we're suddenly letting off steam against random Mannequins because...?

<Don't worry about it.>

Your instruction has been carried out, Manager.

... I'll be honest. Killing someone who's been nothing but nice to us doesn't sit right with me.

... We need money if we're going upstairs.

This was one way to get it... Unless we plan on squatting here selling clothes - or spending the whole day rummaging through corpses like the people outside.

Well, I'm not trying to guilt Dante for making that decision. They must've had something in mind when they ordered Meursault to do that.

<…….>

Stop staring at me!

... Hey, what's up with this map? Looks a bit weird to me...

<Since the space we're inhabiting is more of a mental construct than a physical one, I wouldn't be surprised if its size is many times greater than its appearance might suggest.>

Makes sense, this place is supposed to hold... 300 million people, after all.

Oh, does it say which floor has the Golden Bough?

Why would anyone put that in the direc - Hm. I suppose that's not so implausible in here, lemme take a closer look.

.......

Darn. I don't see it.

<... I figured it would hurt... but I didn't expect it to swallow you whole.>

<You good, Meursault?>

There is no issue.

*sigh* Well, that's a lesson learned. When it trembles, take it as a warning that it's winding up to charge.

That thing can really zoom, huh? Like, all the way from the other end of the room... How the heck are you supposed to dodge that...?

<Just gotta... get good, I guess?>

What's all that?

Clothes that have fallen out of fashion due to the passing of the trend seasons.

Mm...

They're tucked away in such an out-of-the-way corner. It almost seems like someone was trying to h - Wh-what are you doing?

Rummaging through the pile for its contents.

<... Are there anything of note other than eyeballs?>

Few scraps of leather with something written on them.

What do they say?

... "The era of fluorescent plaid trend will be upon us soon, I know it."

"When that time comes, I'll take these clothes and rise to the runway, and - "

... I think that's enough, Meur. Let's move on.

Let's, uh... put those back into the pile.

<... Let's do that.>

You're supposed to show the Mannequins to the exit, not me!

Cut it out! It hurts!

Oww...! That was an accident, right?

Did I offend you or something? Please, I'm sorry. Don't hurt me!

...! Are you customers, or blasphemers?!

Are you here to kill me and scrape the Golden Resin from my flesh?!

What is the issue? Do you not find my label to your liking?

Dyeing clothing with blood? That's a rather outmoded fashion to pursue, isn't it? How tacky.

... Who are you?

<Well... that answers the question. I'm not imagining things.>

You people are always so awfully lucky, aren't you?

Look at that gory mess! Must've fallen from the sixth floor, give or take. This pile'll make this spot famous as a prime drop zone for a while.

... Might you be talking to us?

What took you so long? I've been anxiously waiting for you 'round the clock!

For us? Why the hell would you...?

In any case, aren't those... human bodies that just fell from above...? And what're those people even scavenging...?

Human, she says! Oh, you're positively whimsical, aren't you? Those were customers.

As for the scavengers, they heard a thud, so they've gathered up to try to get anything they can. Life's pretty rough in here, you know.

.......

She's gone.

Should we... keep movin' for now? Straight ahead?

Executive Manager. I recommend returning to the restroom to regroup and reorganize.

I... assent to Young Rodya's counsel. Let us set forth with all haste, forsooth...

<No one's injured, right? I think we'll have time to reorganize later.>

<Let's keep going, like Rodya suggested.>

That woman knows, too.

<...!>

<So you remember too, huh? Everything that happened here - they weren't just a dream or an illusion. We were - >

- rewound? Yes. But whatever happened didn't distort or twist the flow of time. It felt closer to... discarding time.

Tsk. Feels like shit.

<Well, glad to hear that I'm not the only Sinner who remembers all that, at least.>

*puff* Then here's something that'll disappoint you, C.H.: I don't remember anything.

<You don't...?>

I've only noticed the cross-sections of the memories that were severed away. *puff* It's different from having the memories like you.

I can tell you this, though - your confusion isn't all in your head. Something happened, and we all experienced it. That's for certain.

<... Right.>

<Thanks, that's enough assurance for me.>

Heh...

…Hm?

Hang on. Where'd everyone go?

Maybe they fell behind? I mean, the path here got pretty twisty, so...

... That might be the case. Let me go check.

<Don't trouble yourself, Ishmael.>

<Everyone's back in the restroom - I checked. They wouldn't have doubled back just to loaf around in a situation like this, so I assume there's some rule or phenomenon peculiar to this place that dragged them all back in there.>

Aha... Well, if that's the case, I'm sure we can catch up with them once we're back in the restroom.

<Yeah. Our first priority is reuniting with Meursault.>

<For now... let's head to where the Mannequins are.>

Okay, then... we'll help them to the exit.

Good choice. You only need to help three Mannequins to the exit.

Can't wait around all day. Hurry up and make up your mind.

Well? Have you given it some thought?

Giving the clerk what they need is probably best if you require my service, Manager.

Since you're already on the job... hurry up, will you? This season could end any minute...

Thank goodness. I got sent here after being sentenced to the Sisyphe Penalty, but nobody would explain anything to me! All anyone says are riddles and nonsense when it comes to this place - and I mean people outside as well. The ones here? They even get angry and complain about me not having common sense!

And guess what, one person even asked if they could use me as material. Must be some kind of jargon they use in here.

So... when didya get here?

That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out. There are no clocks here, and they have this weird way of counting days. Oh! Speaking of clocks - you've got one for a head! Could you tell me what time it is now? I know for sure it's been ages since my last meal, but somehow I don't feel hungry...

Whoa, are those uniforms? You must've belonged to a pretty serious Syndicate. Just what did you do that they decided to throw everyone in here as a package?

Hm, how should I put this... They charged us with "caring a lil' too much about a certain colleague of ours", if that makes sense?

<... Alright, that's enough chit-chat. Let's keep moving forward.>

Uhh... Really? Shouldn't we try to learn as much as we can about this place?

<Yeah, but this guy's as new to this place as we are. Doubt he's got anything revelatory to share with us.>

Dante, I've said this earlier, but you've been acting real weird today. Real Fau-like.

Can I feel your head? Is it getting fired up again?

<No, it's... nothing like that.>

Hmmm... I'll let it slide a second time. But that's only because it looks like you've got a plan or something cooking up there. Promise to tell us everything later though, 'kay?

<Yeah, I promise.>

Anyways... What's your name, new guy?

The name's Dubois, by the way. People also call me "Scar D."

I'm real sorry, Dubbs, but... we're in a bit of a hurry right now. Got places to be, ya know? If it isn't something super duper important, can we do this... maybe later? Next time we meet?

Ah, uh... I-I see. I don't mind, yeah...

What?! No! I flayed so much skin off my thighs to make those stripe patterns... and it was all for nothing?! I only just got the horizontal lines all the way up to my chin. They can't change the trend now!

I have to fill the new-arrivals displays! Need a plan, need a plan... Maybe tear what's there into a checkered pattern? I can't let those go to clearance!

<Meursault's right over there.>

Huh? How'd you know that, Dante?

<I recognized that part of the room after viewing it through Meursault's sight. Hurry up, time to reunite with Meursault.>

Come on, let's get going.

... Huh, you're fully in your manager mode today... weirdly. Uh, not to say that you usually aren't, but... How should I put this? Yeah, you seem more... confident and decisive than usual.

<Y-you think so?>

Something definitely smells fishy here, Dante... But I'll let it slide just this once.

I shall heed your command, Lord. Apostates who dare plunder the Golden Resin shall -

...!

I see among our clientele... those who gladly bask in the tarnished glow of sacrilege.

Why is he looking at us...? Hey, we were just shopping and minding our own business!

The employee is speaking to the Manager.

That the forces of Le Rouge would seek to foment disorder and profane the sacred domain... Answer, what is this brazen attempt to null the ancient truce?

You listen here, Buddy. I don't even know what this funny "Rouge" business is, 'kay? We're nobodies, we're not in any forces of whatever, and we don't want any trouble!

Ah, then you claim to be Kakis? You, who strut through our store flaunting those irreverent trinkets on your face? Do you expect us to believe you?

If I were to hazard a guess... I'd say the "blasphemous trinkets" are referring to Dante's clock hands...?

I shall grant them no mercy... I shall reclaim that radiant resin with my own hands and shore up the fading light of this sanctuary... Yes - your voice reaches me. As the hand of the will that is Le Noir, I shall make my stand here and...!

W-wait... Lower your weapons, please...

Your aureate traces are... while similar, quite unlike the Golden Resin we must preserve.

Yeah, well, why didn't you listen when we said as much? Could've avoided this whole mess...

Oh! I understand... Your voice resounds within me once more! These are true strangers, innocent of our ways - customers drawn here by the worth of our brand, and nothing more. I shall receive them anew.

Forgive my affront, dear customers. The golden light that hangs over you much resembles the blessed Golden Resin we must preserve.

We haven't met too many people who could pick up the Golden Bough's presence like you did... How'd ya do it?

Every one of us feels that golden pulse... and thirsts for it.

Our guiding light... The golden gleam that weaves us into our desired forms...

We desire it too, that brilliance. But unlike the Rouges who surrendered to their base urges, we Noirs are the eternally sworn guards of the blessed grain.

As you have doubtless noticed... The walls are riddled with the hideous bite marks left by those blasphemous red ones.

Grain of the Golden Resin, indeed... But those Rouge savages are busy shoveling that very essence of the stalwart bastion into their gullets...!

Okay, so... just what is the "Golden Resin"?

<He's probably referring those patches of gold filling the fractures on the walls.>

So they're the "Golden Resin," huh...

The time was nine arboreal Seasons ago - when the Age of Ruin descended upon Grand Magasin Sisyphe in the form of cataclysmic cracks forming upon its walls.

Then, mere moments before doom took us, salvation arrived in a form that couldn't be anything else but divine - brilliant resin of gold, materializing in the cracks that would have been our ruin, patching them back to wholeness. Are we not to praise and worship this providence? Alas... The Rouges fail to comprehend the unequivocal logic in this veneration, and instead elect to flay the walls... Preposterous.

Though a precarious truce between the two factions is in place... None fail to see the truth that is plainly before them: this peace is but a momentary lull, nothing more.

Then... only then... shall my mind be opened to the true "Voice," beyond the broadcast.

...? What was all that fuss about voices earlier, then?

Uh...! Right, indeed... I do hear the "Voice..." What I meant to say is that my mind shall be opened further so that I may hear it more frequently...

Anyways... If ya know a way upstairs, care to let us in on the secret?

Ah, so you are customers who seek to reach the Customer Service Center, I see...

To rise is to gain prestige, and to be prestigious is to spend and consume until your expenditure befits the status they demand.

Though I am bound to my post, to remain in this establishment and attend to its customers...

... perhaps you may be able to ascend in my stead and relay the account of my eternal fidelity toward the Golden Resin...

Gotcha. So if we want to go upstairs, we're gonna need to spend some cash. One more question, if you wouldn't mind - how exactly do we make money around here?

... Money?

The lingo for money here seems to be "eyeballs"... Right?

Oh... You strangers truly possess a determination unlike any other.

Then I shall reveal the means by which eyeballs may be won. Take them from the Mannequins. They seek every opportunity to exhibit themselves without end; if you apply yourselves diligently, you will gather all the eyeballs you require.

And another thing - pray, be constantly vigilant beyond this point, for you will be entering the territory of the Rouges. The vulgar, heathen fiends cannot even drape a bolt of fabric properly, so they rend our Golden Resin and stitch it back together in whatever blasphemous shape that pleases them...

<…….>

... The Rouges... All right. Will keep that in mind.

If there isn't anything else, brave strangers, I am honored to inform you that this establishment is now open to your perusal.

Ah... Do I spy a true connoisseur of fashion? A style much like our own... sophisticated... elegant... and that command of color - exquisite.

Hah! See? Someone gets it.

The compliment was directed at the Manager.

<Huh... Guess I'm pretty "hip" here, as they say?>

Congrats, I guess...

You appear to possess a respectable eye for fashion, so perhaps I can offer an expert's advice on shopping...

The soul of our label is liberation - strangling liberation, to be exact. You passed through the Noirs' store, yes? All those steel pins hammered through the fabric are a hypocritical pantomime of restraint - the philosophy of Le Rouge differs at its very root.

If I may direct your attention... here, do you see the smooth, natural give of the material? You won't see that from any production technique other than toothed - yes, it is quite literal - loopwheeling technique. The hide spills downward, completing a silhouette at once effortless and sublime.

Ah! And I would be remiss not to share that this includes 0.3 ounces of Golden Hide blended into the material. Simply feel it in your hands - ah, it has such a wonderful luster that practically gleams along the surface, doesn't it? Doesn't it?

It-it does...

Ah, do pardon me... I got carried away, didn't I?

The truth is, I am the designer of this label.

Gosh, I could go on for hours about all the troubles I had to overcome to have this tiny corner of the department store to myself. It's no easy task launching a designer label at Sisyphe, you know.

Well... at least she seems to fall into the friendly camp.

Is there a particular silhouette you're after? If you like, I can select a line from my collection that will articulate your physique to perfection.

We're... trying to find our way upstairs, actually.

.......

The upper floors...

Ah, I knew it... You're more interested in the Luxury brands too, aren't you?

But I assure you, the quality standards and the classique air of my designs are not so far behind those of Luxury brands...

Yes, of course, the allure of Luxury brands is undeniable. There once was a time when even I devoted myself to collecting eyeballs like a thing possessed, all for the chance of witnessing the Luxury Hall...

No, we're just...

I know a Rouge who used to work here before they were allowed to join the Luxury Hall. I don't want to badmouth, but I do take umbrage with how they approved somebody who is so clearly my inferior in patterning and design. And to think this "Luxury designer" learned their craft under my tutelage as a greenhorn, can you believe it?

Until... listen, this is where it gets really ridiculous...

... they used their teeth to line each and every one of their items with exactly 76 tooth marks along the necklines and hems. Whatever it was that the customers saw, the general reception claimed it cast a "deconstructive silhouette," and practically emptied their shelves.

Eh, I wouldn't attribute that to their skill when it ultimately amounts to a fluke... My designs are far more sophisticated than theirs, not to mention incomparably elegant.

I deserve to be recognized as a Luxury house, too. A couture label of my own! But just what must I do to -

... Oh, I've a brilliant inspiration.

Would you mind grabbing me a needle from the Exhibiting Mannequins?

Find me a sizable one, and I'll try to make it worth your while.

<…….>

...!

If I give it a nice pattern... like so... I can easily create a sense of three-dimensionality. Just wait until you see the material swell up evenly across the board.

Ohh, I can't wait to feel each hole in the pattern fill up with soft, juicy pus! It'll result in such a supple touch... How's that? It'll fit right in among the masterpieces of the Luxury Hall on the upper floors, won't it? won't it?

S-sure it would, I think...

Is that all you've got to say? You have an eye for beauty - use it! Appreciate what you see!

... 21 punctures along the horizontal axis and 21 along the vertical, intersecting at uniform intervals. That would produce the greatest density.

Of course... A hybrid construction of the quilting process and embossed design formed into diamond shapes.

Anyway, we helped you out, as promised. I think it's about time you held up your end of the deal and told us how to get ourselves upstairs.

Oh, that? You simply need to build up your Prestige Tier. At your current level, of course, you should probably start your shopping journey down at the Casualwear Hall...

... But since you've been tremendously helpful in my fashion ventures, I'll make a special exception for you and allow purchase from my brand.

Mark my words: the next time we meet... perhaps you will see me in the Luxury Hall, showcasing my piece - or shall I say, myself - in an exalted window display. Ahh... What bliss...

Look at me, wasting my time chattering away when the deadline for the next collection is fast approaching... Excuse me while I finish embossing the shoulder seam...

In the meantime, feel free to browse my designer collection! No item is off limits for purchase...

Thought this was just a pile of waste... Looks like there's something more to it?

... There. Under that pile.

<Meursault, can you check what just fell?>

... It appears to be a notebook, or a notepad of sorts.

Hey... maybe it's a diary? Why don't we take a little peek?

I don't know, it feels a bit... icky peering into someone's diary.

I will read out loud what is legible.

"Godda - - otherfu - - tch - like it's some great undertaking to - ing on the - unway..."

"Cockly little - - eenhorn, know your place if you've just climbed up he - "

"Abhorre - - tle shit. I knew it. I knew a - - like them couldn't have made it thi - - ar on their own.

" - thetic leech, working with Le - to - suck up all the - - of the - - artment store."

"I'm goi - to embarrass the - - hit out of them in - - of everyone."

…….

<... This department store's like this through all the floors no matter how high you climb, huh?>

So... you're not hurt anywhere, are you, Meur?

There have been no violent altercations since I entered Sisyphe. I have sustained no injuries.

Why did they seize you in the first place?

The customers of the department store can be classified into four principal groups.

The first group is called Le Rouge, and they prefer leather as a material and a striking red color. Then there is Le Noir, whose members prefer to use refined black color and fabrics in their work. The third group is less a grouping and more a denomination - Le Kaki. They are those who belong to no particular affiliation and instead chase the changing trends.

That employee believed that I was a Kaki, which explains why she took me into her custody to be used as material. There are those among Le Kaki who do not share the same purpose the vast majority of customers share - which is to purchase and don themselves in garments and attire. I belonged to that category.

Wait, what's the fourth?

They are those who never reveal themselves, nor are they called upon by anyone.

I still don't get the full picture... So you need to have a fashion purpose here? Like... buying clothes, trying 'em on and stuff?

The people here... seemed interested in nothing but clothes.

It is less a purpose than a raison d'être.

<Alright... I think that's enough of that for now.>

<Why don't you explain more about the Grand Magasin Sisyphe itself? Rodya and Ishmael would appreciate a quick rundown on that, I think.>

... I will now brief them regarding any pertinent information.

Point one: This is not a physically constructed...

<Summary time. Grand Magasin Sisyphe is not a physical place. It is a virtual reality, and we're here only in our minds. Meursault's body has been put in a vat at the Sisyphe Tower, while our physical bodies are sleeping inside the Suicide Vending Machine we used.>

Sounds like our plan's looking pretty simple: rescue Meur - we did that - find him in one piece - he is - yoink the Golden Bough on the rooftop, and get ourselves outta here. Is that right?

... It is.

Ya sound like... you've been here before, Meur. Have you?

I have not been here before, no. However, I heard some stories from an acquaintance when I worked for N Corp, which explains my in-depth knowledge regarding the Grand Magasin Sisyphe.

Then... I suppose our only option is to climb toward the top. We found a way to sail through the Great Lake - we will find a way to navigate this place as well.

<Let's hurry on ahead. Who knows? Maybe we'll come across an escalator or something.>

<... Damn, it got us while we were distracted.>

It was pretty slow, though. And not even that strong.

Let's try. I don't think Meursault'll have a hard time fighting it unless he lets his guard down.

Mm.

<I already know its patterns...>

<... Sorry. My instructions were late. Are you okay, Meursault?>

There is no issue.

*sigh* Well, that's a lesson learned. When it trembles, take it as a warning that it's winding up to charge.

That thing can really zoom, huh? Like, all the way from the other end... How the heck are you supposed to dodge that...?

<When you hear the sound, just move left or right perpendicular to its origin.>

<Shouldn't be too hard to avoid them, then. Or we could also just kill it before it has a chance to move.>

Oh, wowie!

What, finally willing to guide me to the restroom?

<... Cue Kromer.>

Is there something you're looking for, Dante? We can start looking for Meursault now. There's no need to -

<A corpse pile will be falling here. Any second now...>

Wha? What are ya -

What is that?!

I don't know, but whatever it is, something huge...

... has plummeted from above.

…….

It appears to be... a huge mass of human bodies tangled together, though the remains are far too severely mutilated to discern any individual forms.

A big one dropped. Might be plenty worth salvaging this time. Hope the customers were heavy eyeball-spenders.

Damn it, I'm out of empty bottles! Hey, you borrowed three from me last season. When are you going to pay me back?!

Fuck off! This season's new drop is all... all mine. No one else's!

<Wait... Don't tell me we were sent back again!>

No, Manager.

It appears that... a considerable amount of time has passed.

<And... what is that thing...?>

Hang on... doesn't it look like it's gettin' closer...?

... Pwie seems to have left us messages.

<These notes look... ancient... The ones Pwie wrote at the top are so weathered that I can hardly read the words.>

<Everything was Liquidated. And Pwie kept searching for us after the end... until...>

…….

The basement... has fallen to bedlam. The great cycle yet persists, but it has now turned into a living hell where each devours the other.

Strangers. You must continue climbing if you seek to fulfill the Voice's will. The lower floors hold no purpose for you.

... There's an eyeball here. Did someone drop it?

<... Is that something people normally drop like loose change?>

That woman who claimed to be Kromer's sister said these eyeballs function as currency in this place.

So it is loose change, huh...?

... There's an eyeball here. Did someone drop it?

<... Is that something people normally drop like loose change?>

That woman who claimed to be Kromer's sister said these eyeballs function as currency in this place.

So it is loose change, huh...?

What's all that?

Clothes that have fallen out of fashion due to the passing of the trend seasons.

Someone has gathered them here.

They're tucked away in such an out-of-the-way corner. It almost seems like someone was trying to hide them away...

Ya know how fashion is - it's one big cycle. Maybe somebody stashed 'em here until they can come back in style?

<Could these be items for sale?>

There is very little evidence to support that possibility. They lack proper price tags and have not been maintained, Manager.

Hup...! Aww. No dice. Figures...

W-what are you doing?

I'm tryin' to take one, obviously. Sorry, Meur, but can ya grab whichever one's in the best shape? There's a bunch of other stuff there mixed in with the clothes, too.

... Understood.

Might we rest our steps awhile?

<Why, do you see anything up ahead?>

That remains a subject to be discussed...

I have been set upon by this odd sensation... that which could not be a lone ideation of mine. This is the subject I wished to discuss with you.

I mean... Yeah, it's kinda hard to ignore. We've all grown weaker, like what happened to us when we first entered into that contract with Dante.

.......

... This is likely not a permanent phenomenon. It is probable that the deterioration of your physical prowess is owed to the unique characteristic of the Grand Magasin Sisyphe.

An issue with the very space of this place?

Correct. Entering Sisyphe through indirect means, such as the Suicide Vending Machine, does not change the fact that we have entered another state of existence as "customers" of the department store. Ergo, our bodies as we perceive them in the phenomenal sense must have been reconstructed according to the rules of this place, which involves the Shadowed and the Symbolic -

H-hold on!

So you're basically sayin' that this place is to blame for making us weaker, and we're gonna get back to normal once we're out, am I right?

... Yes.

Hmm~ Then rather than waiting for more explanation or brainstorming for ways to get stronger...

Best we find Meur and get out of this place, chop-chop.

Happy to have a consensus for once. Our highest priority at the moment is locating Meursault; we best table any intelligence pertaining to this phenomenon until that primary objective is accomplished.

And if we run into fights? Any plans for that?

*puff* Killing a W.C. or two won't be a problem even if we've become C.W.

Killing a wandering customer or two won't be a problem even if we've become confused wimps, she says...

<You know what, let's just go find Meursault like Rodya said.>

Surprise, surprise...

What? Finally decided to show me to the restroom?

Got any empty bottles left? A spare palm would do, too.

I... don't think we have any empty bottles or... spare palms... Sorry... ha... ha...

Damn. I don't have enough eyeballs for this season's new collection...

Thank goodness I booked my dermal perm before the trend died! Once they layer the curl into every ridge of my skin, nobody will be able to tear their eyes away from me!

Strangers - stop checking me out. I'm halfway through my makeover treatment. You couldn't tell who I was even if you tried.

*sigh* I just can't with these bums who can't even afford these treatments. Shoo. Scram. Mind your own business.

Stop staring at me!

This trend had better die soon. I don't have a single patch of bare skin left for another polka dot.

<S-so... Were you able to find them?>

They're gone... And I don't mean that like we lost one or two people - everyone except us vanished into thin air.

C-come on~ Joke's over, everybody, come on out... Th-this isn't funny!

<Uh, wait a minute...>

<... All right, I'm not sure what the issue is on their side, but I don't think it's anything to panic about.>

Oh! Right! Dante can see where everyone is. All right, where are the others?

<... They're in the restroom. Looks like they're trying all sorts of things to leave, but... not with much success.>

They wouldn't have doubled back just to loaf around in a situation like this. Maybe there's some rule or phenomenon peculiar to this place that dragged them all back to the restroom?

<Let's go find Meursault first. The restroom issue can... probably wait a little longer.>

<Meursault! So this is the place I saw... What are you doing here?>

... I entered the Grand Magasin, proceeded onward, and arrived at this shop.

What the heck, Meur! Ya could at least pretend to be surprised to see us. We came to save ya!

.......

As far as I'm aware, entry to Sisyphe is beyond ordinary means.

If you were not brought here via the Sisyphe Penalty, then you must have taken another, unknown route.

<... That's right. Hermann and her lackeys helped us.>

I see.

Forget about that. Just what have you been doing here all this time, Meursault?

And what is this place?

I am... currently in storage.

What does that even -

*sigh* Just as averse to explaining yourself as you were outside, even in this place.

Who are you people?

Back off. I found this material first. Finders keepers. It belongs to our store now.

"Material"...? Um... Look, this dude is our... uh, "colleague." Can we have him back, please?

"Colleague"... Hm. I've heard that word before. Is it a brand name?

Uh...

From what we've seen of this place so far... I don't know if common sense is all that reliable in here.

When you said he belongs to your store... does that mean you're gonna put him to work?

No. We have more than enough staff for this shop. It's the material that's in shortage.

Material...? Oh, okay. I suppose you wanna, uh... borrow Meursault's uniform, then...?

You strangers are impossible to communicate with. I'm at my wits' end here...

I said we're in a shortage of material. Material. What's so hard to understand about that?

Didn't you hear the announcement just now? The trend has changed again. A few seasons from now, there will be another thing that becomes the new trend. That's why we - and this shop - will always be in need of more material!

I get that, I get that, but what the hell does that have to do with -

Do any of you strangers have more common sense than this one? This one doesn't get a single word I'm saying!

You're the one who -

I think, Ishy... these people aren't about to hand Meur over just like that. We'll need to make a deal with them.

Sure, but a deal needs two-way communication, you know...

I get whatcha mean, Ishy. Ishy?

I'm just sayin', I don't think asking more questions is our best shot at moving on.

All right. Why don'tcha go ahead and tell me what you want in return for this, uh, "material"?

Now we're getting somewhere. All right, what do you want?

It's a shame to lose such promising material... What to do, what to do...

... All right, then. You can work off the material's value, and I'm willing to call it even. Consider it a part-time job. We're really swamped as it is, changing up the displays and order sheets to keep pace with the latest trends.

S-sure... What kind of errand?

There's an area nearby full of Mannequins.

... Mannequins?

The problem is that those Mannequins are dressed in clothes that have fallen way, way behind the current fashion trend.

What if customers coming here to shop see those hopelessly dated Mannequins and refuse to enter our store?

R-right... That would be a real problem for the shop, wouldn't it...? Yeah... totally...

Yes. Which means I want you to help the Mannequins to the exit.

"Help them to the exit"? Okay, now I'm confused, too. Just what are we supposed to do?

The request is simple.

We are to eliminate the entities they call "Mannequins."

You mean kill them?

You are asking more questions than usual.

What do you expect? I can't understand half of what anyone here says.

.......

I see.

You see what?

I have realized that things here might appear inscrutable from your perspective.

You should understand that, in this place, the word "common sense" may be received differently from its conventional usage.

Well? Are you helping those Mannequins to the exit or not?

Give us a sec~ Haha... We're just taking a quick look around your shop... These clothes are o-out of this world!

Oh, okay! Buy this, and I'll throw in that outfit as well. We're holding an end-of-season sale.

So what's it gonna be? If we wanna save Meursault, we kill the things this person calls Mannequins - is that correct?

Correct.

Haven't you been browsing long enough? Don't you think you ought to buy something after that much window-shopping?

So you managed to help them to the exit. Thanks to you, more customers can now access our shop.

Whew... We've got so much on our plates at the moment. We need to redesign and revamp the entire lineup, what with the trend changing.

Shame we're forced to part with this material, but that's that...

Good grief! The trend changed again while I was wasting time shooting the breeze with you. Scram if you're not buying anything!

통상 대화에용

Take a look around. The Casualwear Hall is catered to ever-changing trends. No need to weigh your options when it comes to fast fashion - just get one and dress up before the trend goes!

Oh! You look like you've just got here, too! Right?

I'll be keeping an eye out for any staircases or elevators leading up!

[미사용] 이제 퀘스트는 없어

.......

This employee here isn't so eager to greet us.

<Is that... normal?>

Vendors of Le Noir establishments are not compelled to initiate provider-client engagement.

Welp, then let's not bother 'em and move on? Sounds like a win-win.

.......

.......

<Come to think of it, almost everything on display in this department store is clothing. Wonder what their production line looks like.>

Grand Magasin Sisyphe offers various opportunities to procure a sundry of material and attachments, Manager.

Well... Outside, I think they get the mats from domesticated animals or plants...

That, or use synthetic fiber for weaving.

Though the label upon each material differ from those of the outside,

the basic manufacturing principles remain the same: butcher the source and use the raw material for production.

The "raw material" being...?

Being the clientele. This means they purchase and wear clothing, but may also become clothing themselves.

Right... So how big is Sisyphe's "clientele"? The customers trapped in this place?

Approximately 300 million.

... Pretty sure I misheard that.

You did not. There is no discharge date for the Sisyphe Penalty, and those who enter remain permanently. Its population is theoretically on an infinite upward trend.

I think we've looked at pretty much everything they have to offer here.

<Those are some pretty bizarre things they're selling here... Do all shops here have such a weird inventory?>

Well, let's head to the other store up ahead and find out.

Oh... How regrettable. We carry nothing suitable for Strangers of your... sensibilities. Return once you've cultivated some understanding of fashion - and raised your rank, too.

And how do we raise that?

There is but one way to raise one's standing in a department store, is there not?

... Spend money. Lots of it.

Precisely. Then until we meet again, Strangers of truly... arresting fashion.

Please come back later.

Huh. That's actually a lot nicer than I expected. So chic!

... Let's look around some more.

Ooh, don'tcha think this one's made for Dante?

<Y-you think so?>

Ya bet! That fit is practically beggin' for ya. And we've got those eyeballs from earlier - why not treat yourself?

Hang on. It's the only kind of currency they'll accept around here. We should set our priorities right before we splash cash like -

<Don't worry, Ishmael. We can't afford it anyway.>

We can't?

Eeep... 450 eyeballs? What a ripoff!

Or maybe we're just too broke.

<Unlike the Casualwear Hall, everything here has the same sort of look.>

These garments do not submit to passing trends.

The collections sold by Contemporary labels of Le Noir and Le Rouge each maintain a deliberate visual consistency, according to the aesthetic doctrine of their respective factions.

<But if they keep making the same kinds of clothes... won't fashion leave them behind? Trends change every 5 minutes in this place.>

That is -

When a designer's name carries enough weight, ya don't chase trends. Trends chase ya instead.

Slap a famous label and a ridiculous price on something this fancy, and people will line up before ya lift a finger.

No need to run yourself ragged.. to keep up with every little craze.

Welcome, dear customers -

That Mannequin seemed tougher than the others... Ya think it's this golden needle?

Yeah, here's your needle. So... care to explain how this is your key to joining the Luxury brands?

It's just something that's struck me all of a sudden. Does my brand need strong heritage to enter the world of high fashion? No. Technical perfection? Clearly not. Rare, high-grade materials? Not at all...

But I've been so obsessed with meeting those arbitrary conditions that I've trapped myself in this glorified glass jar of a lobby.

Yes, a signature piece... What I lacked was the signature piece - do you understand what I'm getting at? - the singular idea that would seize every customer's eye just from a quick glance...

Have you brought me the needle?

Oh, hello again! I found the escalator, but it won't run.

Really? That's weird, why wouldn't it...

Wait, it's running now that you're here! You must've found a way to unlock your way onto the upper floor!

Well, we did a lil' shopping... some grunt work... some more grunt work...

Can I tag along? I promise I'll repay you guys as soon as I find a way to make some money myself.

Don't see what the harm could be... Hop right on, I guess?

I can finally go upstairs, thanks to you! I won't forget what you've done for me.

That way... Maybe there's more to gather over there...? Dammit, I took the wrong spot!

This spot is mine. Fuck off!

Whoa, you're a prickly one, aren'tcha. Fine, fine~ we'll back off~

Hey! Lift your foot. Didn't you just step on an eyeball?!

... Uh, are you talking to me?

Did I see that wrong...? Whatever. Stop skulking around, then! You're throwing me off!

... Hey, don't you think you should apologize if you got the wrong idea? *sigh* Actually, never mind.

<This place... looks like some kind of store...>

What exactly are they selling here? No, actually, why's anything being sold here in the first place?

I mean, it's a department store~

Grand Magasin... A department store is, by nature, a place where a myriad little squares crowd upon one another in pursuit of profit.

I suppose we'll have to look around if we want to learn anything more in detai -

Wha? What was that?

What is that?!

I don't know, but whatever it is, something huge...

... has plummeted from above.

That was close. We would have sustained a severe impact... had we moved a few steps closer to the side.

.......

It appears to be... a huge mass of human bodies tangled together, though the remains are far too severely mutilated to discern any individual forms.

A big one dropped. Might be plenty worth salvaging this time. Hope the customers were heavy eyeball-spenders.

Damn it, I'm out of empty bottles! Hey, you borrowed three from me last season. When are you going to pay me back?!

Fuck off! This season's new drop is all... all mine. No one else's!

The Mannequins must first be guided to the exit, Manager. Next is the transaction in which I am the object of exchange.

Come on, Dante. We need to go get Meursault.

That Mannequin seemed tougher than the others... Ya think it's this golden needle?

It looks well over a foot long. At that size... it's more like a harpoon head.

<It feels a lot like that... Golden Resin thing we saw earlier.>

Huh. Then maybe this Mannequin got juiced up by the Golden Bough too?

<Can't say for sure... but I think so. Meursault, could you grab that for now?>

There is still unfinished business left in this area, Manager.

We have not yet attained the rank required to proceed to the next floor.

The escalator now appears operational, Manager.

However, there are still matters to conclude before our departure.

<Well, we made it back, at least...>

Executive Manager. Are you able to see Meursault's present surroundings? I recall you awakened a highly convenient ability in an effort to assist the more lacking members of our team.

If anything is visible, I propose we use those details to locate the site where he is being detained.

Oh, right. You could do that, couldn't you, Manager Bud? If you can spot anything from his end, that oughta narrow the search down and make things easier for us.

<Hmm... I don't know if it'll work from here, but I'll give it a try.>

<…….>

<I think I see... uh, a carpeted floor? Yeah, that's carpet... and there are strips of fabric up ahead... Clothes, probably. Looks like they've got them on display. Meursault's standing absolutely still.>

<He doesn't seem to be tied up or anything... Huh? There's someone beside him...>

Tch. Not much time has passed since the execution, and he already allows himself to be taken captive. An uncharacteristic display of incompetence coming from him - and on multiple fronts.

Huh... Carpet, and clothes on display... Well, it's more than we had to go on before, at least.

<He doesn't look to be injured or in any immediate danger... Let's start by finding a carpeted room with clothes on display.>

<It looks like an ordinary belt barrier. I should be able to step right over it... But the second I try, it feels impossible.>

That is because we are currently in the Symbolic.

Physically, the object consists only of two metal posts joined by a retractable belt. However, it has been assigned the symbolic function of denying passage.

That function is absolute as far as its symbolic meaning is concerned. It cannot be crossed within this realm, Manager.

<And what's this?>

Looks like a salon heat lamp. I've seen a few before.

I remember spending hours sitting under one, trying to straighten my hair. It... didn't work, obviously.

... There's an eyeball here. Did someone drop it?

<... Is that something people normally drop like loose change?>

That woman who claimed to be Kromer's sister said these eyeballs function as currency in this place.

So it is loose change, huh...?

... There's an eyeball here. Did someone drop it?

<... Is that something people normally drop like loose change?>

That woman who claimed to be Kromer's sister said these eyeballs function as currency in this place.

So it is loose change, huh...?

So this is... a "Mannequin?"

Both this thing and what we saw earlier... they feel a lot like the things we call Distortions. What do you think, Dante?

<They do... I think they really are Distortions.>

No way... The trend changed again?

What's in fashion now? I didn't hear the announcement.

More importantly, how can you be walking around in hideous clothes like those? Aren't you even ashamed of yourselves? That couldn't possibly be the current trend!

Stripes will return one day! Fashion always comes back around!

Kergh... You dress in such repulsive rags... yet you call me outdated...?

Next time... I'll make it. I'll be the one... to make it to the runway...