Limbus Company story · Main story
Canto V: The Evil Defining
Amidst the conflict that knew no end, We set sail on the Great Lake. Into its ineffable Waves, Into the flames of a certain wrath.
61 scenes, 3,618 lines
1. Setting Sail, before the battle
83 linesIt hasn't been so long since this bus... I mean, busboat was hounded by the sirens and the flashing green lights.
The Sinners were sitting uncomfortably, trying to get some shut-eye in the ship cabins(formerly known as the bus cabins). The thought of returning to their rooms didn't even seem to occur to them.
......
After gazing out the window for a while, Faust came to her feet and approached the helm(formerly known as the wheel).
Ms. Faust.
Yes. We have received a signal.
<Faust?>
Hurk... Haah... The long-awaited signal has arrived, then...?
Oooh! Then shall our adventure in the Great Lake finally commence?!
What signal? I don't hear or see anything... Not even an alarm.
A smoke signal outside our visual range has been picked up by Mephistopheles.
A smoke signal... the beacons are lit, then. I guess that's what we've been sitting on our butts for.
Sailing is a go. Splish splash.
Soon... we will be moving away from the coastal area and draw closer to what one could call the Great Lake approach.
Activating automatic navigation system now.
How, how! Thou meanest to say that what we have experienced so far... was not the Great Lake?
By strict definition... Yes, it was. We have been inside the Great Lake's borders for a while. Yet I make the distinction based on the information available to you, as our path has so far lacked any real threats.
No real... threats, thou sayeth. After all that...
Lo! Yi Sang there has hitherto been burying his face in that very bucket, I shall have thee know...!
I... mind me not, plea - hurk...
I had thought the bucket's purpose was to remove water from the ship in case of a flooding... yet all it hath heretofore removed were contents of Yi Sang's stomach...
And! That uh, Wal-puree-gisoonaught? That incident is still quite fresh in my mind!
Walpurgis Night.
And... not many of those 'threats' could be attributed to the dangers of the Great Lake.
False Cause Fallacy.
... Quite the rush of daunting ideas thou hast thrown in mine direction. I shall henceforth continue to slumber, then...
NO! We have just entered a hostile environment. We must rouse ourselves from sleep and ready ourselves for what dangers there may be.
<Outis?>
All hands, to defensive stations!
Outis suddenly leaped to her feet and began barking orders at the Sinners.
Guh?!
... What in the bloody...
... Augh, my heart dropped for a sec there.
Outis, this ship is currently steered by an automated navigation system. As its name suggests, it will automatically avoid any threats the Great Lake may pose. Should a threat prove to be unavoidable, it will sound an alarm.
Bah... Do you really expect me to trust that incomprehensible contraption?
Besides, this 'automated navigation system' is nothing but some slapdash, last-minute installation by the Boatworks Fixers!
... Indeed, Faust was not the one who installed this system. So, no. Its reliability is not absolute.
Well said. It is well-known wisdom that the path of a sailor is fraught with dangers unknown, which is to say that a human must handle it!
Then shalt thou be the one to lead this vessel to victory?!
I must rise to the occasion, as Executive Manager unfortunately lacks any memories pertinent to sailing. Luckily, I am quite experienced with a leadership position.
Ooho... Commander!
I am no commander! I am... your Captain!
Executive Manager! Allow me to briefly assume your authority so that I may lead this vessel as its temporary Captain.
She continued before I even had the chance to reply.
Atten-tion! Sailing, that is to say, the act of traveling across bodies of water...
After an indeterminate amount of time...
... And that concludes the fundamentals of sailing! Have you been taking your notes, men?
Snore, snore.
Oho, marvelous! Quite a considerable amount of new knowledge I have acquired! 'Tis akin to an adventure, is it not?!
'Twas one of mine humble eight-hundred-and-sixty-three old dreams to sail the Great Lake as an adventurer, like a challenger of storms, a queller of rogue waves!
Such an exact number of aspirations you have.
Outis, Ma'am? I have a q-question!
Yes, you are recognized.
Uh... What's that complicated looking lever over there?
... Um.
Ah, It has been a riddle in mine head as well! What may be the function of that peculiar device?
Ooh, perchance it shall load and fire a volley of cannonballs at the press of a button? Kacha-chaw! Puh-puh-puh-pow!
A lever of transformative variety. It shall be an auspicious day in which we are availed sight of this contraption in action.
......
... Hm...
Uh, Outis...?
Hmph. I've been seeing more and more of these as of late. These so-called 'bleeding-edge' technologies are hollow inventions that have nothing to show for it aside from their pretty exteriors.
A blind pursuit of convenience breeds increased risk. There's nothing but ruin at the end of the road paved with overreliance on these bleeding-edge technologies!
Fervor fueled in the furnace of bolts and engine oil, the ship's blood and sweat...
A combined force of the commanding officer's decisive leadership and their subordinates' firm loyalty.
<Blood? What?>
That is how proper workshops of tradition and history are supposed to be run! Now THAT is how true comrades are born!
I don't know what she's talking about... but that was kind of cool...! I can feel something rising from deep within my chest...!
Commander! Ah, I mean, Captain! This 'bleeding edge' technology is bleating like a mule! Whatever shall we do?
......
I, Outis... Shall prove it to the world.
That I don't need this high-tech junk to sail!
Now, seawoman Don Quixote, set the power lever to the maximum output!
Power lever to the maximum output! Aye aye, Captain!
Seaman Sinclair! Set the helm to the neutral position and hit the switch!
Set the helm to the neutral position, s-set the helm to the neutral position, and... h-hit the switch!
LET'S GOOOOO!!!!!
The engine... has fallen silent.
The automatic navigation system has failed. It is an old model; rebooting will be complete in approximately five hours.
That's what you get for abandoning your bus driver.
<Wait, wait. So we're just stuck here?>
Of course not. While Mephistopheles' engine may be inoperable as it has melded with the automatic navigation system, the ship itself can still move.
We still have a manually activated backup power system on standby.
2. The Laws, before the battle
144 linesNow, men! Clear orders and solidarity are of paramount importance in times like these!
Right leg on 'HEAVE', left leg on 'HO'! Let's go!
HEAVE!
HO!
HEAVE!
... HEAVE HO HOW is it fair that you get to stand there barkin' orders at us while we're pedaling our bums off?
A most dimwitted question. A Captain must preserve her strength, or risk putting her subordinates in danger.
That is precisely why I am refraining from partaking in this collaborative effort myself!
<…….>
... Since when were you our Commander?
<Well, she did say she's the Captain, not the Commander...>
…….
Those damn seagulls can flock off already.
How 'bout we kidnap them seagulls and train them to pedal the generator?
Oi, Faust! Smartarse! I thought you were a genius; make it so! That should be easy-peasy for your brilliant intellect, no?
I can make it happen, indeed. Yet I do not, as it is inefficient. Rudimentary toilet training will be the first step in making them viable as a consistent source of labor.
Charon's bored. Charon wants to vroom-vroom.
I'm tagging out. You're the driver, so do your job. That should keep you occupied for a while.
Oho, ya sure about that? Vergie's not gonna let that slide~ That's how ya get yourself a 'consultation', y'know?
Haah... Wait...! Let's think about this for a hot minute.
Let's think about the actual reason we're sweating, pedaling the crap out of the generator, huh?
... To nitpick and seek someone to take the fall for every little thing is... a stinking thought. All that happens on the road to success is merely a part of the process.
Look, I'm not saying that we should play the blame game. I'm just wondering why we're pedaling so darn hard to begin with. It's not like there's something coming after us.
We're headed toward one of the largest ports of U Corp., and we know exactly where that is and how to get there.
It's not like the port's gonna sail away, right? Why all this urgency?
…….
I mean, am I wrong? The Great Lake has been very tranquil so far. It's not like some monster's going to suddenly appear out of nowhere and attack us, right?
It appears that your consolidated field experience has evolved into a form of intuition. Fascinating, Gregor.
What...?
Faust finds this development optimistic.
We must exit this area within the next 10 minutes. We are... falling somewhat behind the forecast of my predictions.
Okay... that was ominous. Why precisely 10 minutes?
The 'laws of the Great Lake'.
Ohh... I knew it! It's that darn law of the Great Lake again, huh?!
...?
Your foreknowledge of the laws of the Great Lake is an unexpected development, Rodion. Quite difficult to believe that, even with the consolidated experience, your intuition would -
Sorry, sorry~ I just wanted to look like I was in on it for once. Girl gets tired of asking every time, ya know.
The Great Lake of U Corp. has laws that... must never be broken.
And yes. The port can and will sail away, Gregor.
It's a bloody lake... What laws could it possibly have?
What, are the Lake coppers going to come spank the bad boys with a stick for breaking class rules?
There better be a law that lets me SYNC, whiny brat. My ears are starting to bleed.
'Haah... Guys, knock it off.'
I could almost hear a well-timed sigh followed by honest but brutal, piercing words. It was like someone recorded her sigh and played it in my head.
But Ishmael was nowhere to be seen on the deck.
So, if there's anything you want from me from now on, state it. Clearly.
She wasn't kidding. Ishmael remained in her room, not a peep to be seen nor heard despite the commotion.
Not appearing once through all that's happened since... the incident.
As much as I would like to provide you with an explanation, leaving this zone takes precedence.
According to my calculations, our last conversation left us with 7 minutes.
We are approximately 15km away from the edge of this zone as the crow flies.
Each person must pedal to generate enough energy to travel at least 10km per hour if we are to escape in time.
Wonderful. I love to see some proper teamwork for once.
Hyaah! Rocinante! Our destination is nigh! Gallop on!
Where does... that girl... get her energy from... Ugh, augh...
Cough, cough... I think I'm done for... Just go on ahead without me...
And leave you where... We're on... a ship... agh.
Hup. Hup. Hup. Hup.
Diaphragmatic breathing is conducive to maintaining consistent speed in an exercise of this intensity.
Especially more so when each Sinner is responsible for about 10km per hour of energy output. Any higher and it would have required hyperpnea to maintain that speed.
Do you ever get tired, girl?!
No. 3 minutes remaining, now.
Aough... We don't even know what happens in 3 minutes! Why are we doing this?!
<She said there's no time! Just step on it with your life!>
Charon wanted to vroom-vroom. This is squeak-squeak.
Squeak-squeak. That's no fun.
Hm hm hm~ I didn't know how energizing work songs could be.
Huuh?! How do you guys have so much energy left?
This is not even a warm-up compared to the training my family forced me to do~
Ach, you lot! Shut your gobs and pedal!
30 seconds remaining.
30... 30 seconds...!
Khaaaa! Quite the thrill this is!!! Now this! Is true adventure!!!
'Tis like charging an overwhelmingly colossal enemy, is it no - Ach?! Cough! Ack!
Save your words. Your breathing. Remain. In the flow. Breathe in. Out. Breathe in. Out. Breathe in. Out. Breathe in. Out. Breathe in. Out.
Huff... Huff... How... much... time...
10 seconds remaining.
4 seconds.
4? Why are you not... doing this by multiples of 5...?!
Look alive, deckhands! Put your back into it! Toil, men! Toil!
Somehow, we managed to escape the zone before Faust counted down to zero.
Some Sinners immediately threw themselves to the deck of the ship like limp puppets, while some looked like they'd just taken a quick rest at a park bench.
<So... we made it somehow, but...>
I don't see any signs of those 'laws'... Am I missing something... Frau Faust?
Agh... I swear, if all this 'law of the Great Lake' drivel was some hogwash you made up...
... just to make this journey go just a tad faster, I'm going to seriously...
The tranquil Lake surface we just pedaled through... was gone, as though it was never even there.
In its place was an immense... something. Its innumerable legs - or tentacles - writhed, rising above the Lake's surface. I couldn't even tell where the thing ended and where the Lake began.
Did it burst from the Lake? Or...
Were we traveling unawares on its body this whole time?
PHWAAAH?!
I couldn't even find the right word to describe the magnitude of that thing. Its appearance sent waves across the waters all the way to the zone we were in...
Mephistopheles shook violently as though it was about to capsize. It need not be said that the Sinners on the deck were given an untimely shower.
Woah... That was too close! We were almost pancaked...
W-well! No a-adventure is complete with uh, cough, cough... nar-nary a peril, of course...
N.B. Now this is more like it.
We have no chance of weathering a single strike from one of its limbs.
No. But 'it' will leave us alone as long as we are 'here'.
That is the law of the Great Lake.
Now we have time for my explanations.
Though the laws of the Great Lake are numerous, I will relay only the pertinent information for now.
Lingering longer than a predetermined amount of time in a single Lake will cause one to be struck by the 'Waves' of each Lake.
'Waves'...? That didn't look like any waves I've seen before.
There are also laws governing the time and direction in which ships are permitted to cross the borders between the Lakes.
Wait up. So... if we ever just come to a stop for a bit, that... octopus tentacle-like thing'll whack us?
Precisely. Thus, it naturally follows that everything on the Great Lake is in a constant state of motion to position itself according to the laws.
And the route toward our destination will also change accordingly.
Hmm... Can I get, like, a written list of these laws? My nanny used to stick a piece of paper with our family rules in my room. Not that I could follow them all, but…
That's when...
... I heard a door open. Whoever opened it did so with obvious irritation.
... The Waves finally hit, huh?
<Ish... mael?>
After such a long period of isolation, Ishmael staggered out of her room at last.
You can't just scribble the laws of the Great Lake down on a notepad and call it a day. Each Lake has wildly different sets of laws, even though the overarching laws governing the Great Lake are pretty straightforward.
More importantly, you should know that unauthorized recording of their laws is one of U Corp's better-known Taboos.
Then my body will remember it.
... Tattooing them on your body, if that is what you are referring to, is also prohibited.
Taboo Hunters of U Corp. have been sent in pursuit of individuals who have attempted precisely that. It is best that we do not produce any written records of their laws.
<… What have you been doing all this time, Ishmael?>
Whetting my harpoon.
<Your harpoon? Why?>
Because I need it to be sharper.
Because I'll give her the kind of pain that makes her wish she was dead. She'll feel it, even from the smallest cuts.
… Then why don't you spare us from your misery and crawl back into your hole.
I'm afraid that if I did, I'd later emerge to a deck littered with your melted, unrecognizable flesh.
And I'm not rearing to see a sight like that again.
Besides...
Watching you landsmen waste time tinkering with a ship you don't even understand, wasting precious time... has been unbearable.
Even though it's been a long time since the incident at the Boatworks, her biting yet anxious lectures have not dulled at all.
I was afraid that she might stir up trouble among the Sinners again...
<... Okay, fine.>
But she was out here with the rest of us, and I wanted to believe that that was more than enough. I decided not to question her further.
... Hm. I had a feeling this would happen.
Ishmael walked up to the helm.
What are you doing? We are smooth sailing at the moment. A northbound breeze is pushing us along.
I guess it could look that way for some people. Simple, one-dimensional, predictable ground pounders like you.
You little... How dare you insult my -
<Outis, let's hear her out.>
... You got lucky, swabbie.
<Okay, Ishmael. Tell us... How are we not smooth-sailing? We've got the wind at our backs.>
That's no wind.
We're getting dragged.
<Dragged? By what?>
Those ships.
3. Resonance Tuning Fork, before the battle
58 linesJust like Ishmael said, two massive vessels were approaching us not far from where we were.
<We're not exactly on a collision course with them, though...?>
Ishmael didn't entertain me with an answer. Instead, she took the helm and threw it wildly in one direction.
<Woaah!>
This skill... Splashy drift...?
Huh, didn't know ships could drift like a bus...
Charon, impressed. Redhead... not bad.
You have competition, Charon.
...! Hold up.
That's weird. She turned the helm all the way... Why are we still headed between those two ships?
I-it's like we're stuck on rails...
Though Ishmael turned the Mephistopheles' helm around to the opposite direction of the two ships...
... We were getting dragged even faster by them.
And there was nothing we could do about it.
Ishy?! Don't tell me you hit the reverse gear?!
I turned the engine off.
What...
Woah... are those ships melding into one another?
You bloody loon!! That's what you've got to say?! We're about to get squashed like bugs!
You, swabbie! What happened to all of that bravado from earl -
Shut up.
...!
I'm going to use the momentum of the pull when it's the strongest to get us out of here. And...
W-we're going to crash!!!
Now.
Immediately before the crash, Ishmael deftly revved the engine and adjusted several levers in a series of decisive motions before speeding us between and past the two vessels.
The back of our ship...
The ship's stern was crushed... but it was better than getting completely sandwiched between those two ships.
Mephistopheles' engine can reconstruct damage of this severity within the next few days.
Wait, this is more than just some damage... It's like they deleted a part of our ship.
Gone, as though it had never even been a part of the ship's blueprint.
I took another look at where the stern used to be. It was as the Sinners said; the stern wasn't crushed. It was effectively deleted as though it had never been there.
It left a bizarre looking cross-section behind.
It's U Corp.'s Singularity, the resonance tuning fork.
Ships operating in the Great Lake can merge and separate when needed. As though they've always been a single vessel or as though they've never been parts of the same ship.
Resonance tuning forks used by vessels of that size are strong enough to pull in smaller boats without tuning forks like ours, or even ones with tuning forks with mismatching wavelengths.
... Oh, right. Apologies for taking the helm without your orders, Manager.
<No, don't. You just saved all of our lives...>
I wasn't trying to. But thank you for understanding anyway.
Oh, and please accept my apology for giving unsolicited advice. A certain somebody won't stop flapping her gums at me, so I had to. It's not like I can plug my ears in the middle of a voyage, right?
......
Tsk. I've heard my share of blunt, foul-mouthed talk during the war. She's not the first to do so.
Doesn't matter. As long as she can live up to her words... No need to get in the way, I suppose.
I'm sorry, Executive Manager. I must... take a short break.
Be not so crestfallen, Commander... I mean... Captain...!
Silence. Executive Manager is our commanding officer. Always been.
Downcast and shoulders slumped, Outis made her way into the ship cabins(formerly the bus cabins).
Our destination is near. Welcome to one of the Five Great Ports of U Corp., the Marlin Port.
Faust's voice was dry and emotionless, as though what had just happened didn't affect her one bit.
Wow... That's so big.
That has to be one of the biggest ships I'd ever seen.
Hong Lu was right. We were approaching a massive ship, so large that it could almost be mistaken for an island.
Whichever was the case, it was clear that the port was a mega-structure built from countless metal shipping containers.
Mist fades, and what was unseen before unveils itself. I scarcely did expect the pall to shroud a structure such as this.
Ship...? I don't know, can we really call that a ship at this point?
<Can't help but agree there. Ishmael, does that count as a ship in the Great Lake?>
Your landsman common sense is useless at the Great Lake.
Ships that use resonance tuning forks like those are as common as crimes are in the backstreets. Or, I guess, as common as the Whales are in the Great Lake.
4. Kidnappers, before the battle
158 linesWell, then. This is where we will go our separate ways... for a short while.
Charon and I have business to attend to here.
Business? Why? What is it this time~?
......
... I'm looking to buy some Mermaid perfume. Let's leave it at that.
Vergilius said, looking straight at an advertisement before us.
'Bottles of Mermaid Perfume, extracted straight from their left fins! Special discount!'
Oho! Art thou planning to procure some for us as well? Quite curious I am, of that 'Mermaid Perfume'. What other curiosities of the Great Lake await us, I wonder?
A significant source of income for the people of U Corp. comes from selling Whale and Mermaid products. Whale oil, Mermaid tears, Mermaid perfumes, Whale cuisine, and more, to list a few examples.
Ooo! Lo! I spy a purveyor of iced creams over yonder!
… Sardine Whale flavored ice cream…? How is that appetizing to you?
… Sardines are quite the savoury nosh, even if they do have a funny look to them.
Alas, I am more keen to learn the flavors of the Marlin Whale ice cream...
Will you not accompany us to our destination, dear guide?
... I've done my job as your guide.
I point you in the right direction, and that's where my responsibilities end. It's not my job to accompany you all the way there.
While you may be correct... your words also come across as rather impersonal.
Then you heard me right, Yi Sang. I don't intend to make friends with any of you. Nor do I want to.
Hah. Don't let these small talks give you the wrong impression.
Now, Ms. Faust.
Our allies are expecting us.
The Before Team on the ground will relay us the location of the Lobotomy Corp. Branch housing the Golden Bough.
According to our last communication, they should be waiting for us... there.
This place is a bit spooky...
I don't see anyone here. What's up with that, Fau?
... I can tell from your tone that you doubt me. This is the location I was relayed.
Huh, so we got here first? Bloody Brilliant. Before team? More like Belated team, innit?
Allow me to make a minor correction. We arrived about 1 hour and 30 minutes behind schedule.
Hm, odd. LCCB Agents we met back at J Corp were already on the scene and...
......
I'm sure that comment reminded everyone of the same duo.
It did for me, too.
Thinking about them even for a brief moment is...
Snrk! Snore...
It appears that they have elected to sleep in lieu of our appearance.
…….
Effie, Saude... We didn't deserve you two.
Ungh... Ain't none of ye got a watch, eh?! What the hell's wrong with ye lot?!
Ah... Apologies... In our hurry, we happened upon an unforeseen mishap on our journey here...
Gah, then why didn'tcha take that into account before ye left? Yawn~
Someone, from the corner of the shipping container, rises from their nap and stretches.
<They sound... oddly aggressive...>
...!
My, my!
<Hong Lu, wait - >
Your badge is upside-down. Remember to always keep your appearance tidy!
…….
Huh? What's this sticky red thing on your...
On his chest hung an upside-down LCCB Agent badge.
It was soaked in blood.
... Yawn. I hoped that this badge would have a more dramatic effect.
Let's see 'ere~ Limbus Company... Before Team... Team Leader.
The fool was loitering around in our territory. I've gots to say, that was bravely stupid.
Hmph. That sorry production was an insult to art. Get to the point before I SYNC.
Phew, lads! So tardy, yet so impatient. Why don't ye first give us a listen?
Yer lookin' fer... the Golden... whatchamacallit, aren't ye?
...!
What have you done to the Team Leader?
Hold your horses now. Lad's alive and well.
This is a hostage negotiation, then.
This ain't me first ransom rodeo, if ye know what I mean.
'Tis simple. Give us the cash, and we return yer friend.
We don't get the cash, and we give yer friend an impromptu burial in a shipping container, right 'ere.
Kidnappers, eh... Pieces of shite...
Woah, woah! I wouldn't do that if I were ye, laddie. Think before ye act, eh?
Anything goes wrong, and yer friend bites it.
It's very straightforward if I do say so meself. Just do as we say, and ye and that friend of yours continue on yer merry adventure. Get back to findin' yer Golden... whatchamacallit.
Hells, we'll even throw in a full-on gourmet tour guide for ye. Just to sweeten the deal.
... You bloody maggot...
Okay, okay... Gotcha. I see what's going on here. Give us some time to discuss this, why don't you?
Look, there's no point in escalating this. It'll do nothing but draw unnecessary attention to us.
And if our impulsive actions get that LCCB Agent killed...
True. They hold the upper hand in this negotiation.
But I don't believe these fools know much about the Golden Bough. They likely kidnapped him by chance, thinking they could get a hefty ransom out of him.
Though we have come across many men and women of evil nature in our adventure, Such brazen villainy has heretofore not been encountered...
How classless. It is grotesquery without a cause.
Charging them head-on will only sic their friends after us. Friends who may be involved with a powerful local Syndicate.
Our chance of victory is slim, should such an event come to pass. We do not possess enough intel on U Corp. to effectively maneuver that situation.
Yeah... We don't even know how big the Syndicate behind this guy is. But from the way he said his lines... this probably isn't his first time doing this, right?
Um... then there's also a chance that they're just small fries, isn't there?
If they're small fries, let's crush 'em all. We'll hit them before they even have the chance to lay a finger on the hostage!
... No. It could mean that their Syndicate may be so small and scattered that it is impossible to be traced.
Ugh...
<So we don't know anything... Great.>
Are they really going to... If we don't pay up...
Blast it. I know their kind. Scum like them are around every corner of the City. If this goes cock-up, they'll kill the hostage and won't even leave a body for us to find.
All kinds of awful images and ominous speculation begin to overwhelm us.
The so-called kidnappers were crowding amongst themselves, giggling and chattering. They knew that our options were limited.
<Okay... Then I'm going to start off by asking how much they want.>
We're out of our element here... The best I can do is to try to gather some information, at least.
Huh.
A short, exasperated sigh escaped Ishmael's lips. She had been standing here this whole time, arms crossed over the harpoon that rested upon her chest.
You're going to pay them? Those bastards? Are you crazy?
<What else can we do? Even now, the hostage...>
I don't care about your excuses.
I only care to know if this really is the best course of action you could come up with.
Any doubts about the manager's decisions -
' - are unnecessary'. Yeah. You're as predictable as always.
Executive Manager's decisions are orders. To doubt them is insubordination. Ishmael, it doesn't matter how competent of a seadog you are -
Hah, okay. If you say so. But who cares? They've not given me an order. They didn't forbid me from doing anything. So what's your problem here?
... I just can't sit here and watch this play out.
Ishmael strode toward the Kidnappers. It was plain from her tone and expression that she did not care one bit about what the other Sinners said.
I'll gladly accept the consequences...
She shot me a fleeting glance before raising her harpoon.
... for insubordination, manager.
Then thrust her well-sharpened harpoon right into one of the kidnappers' forehead.
<...?!>
The entire course of her action, from start to finish, was so full of absolute confidence, that...
... no one even thought to stop her.
I couldn't, either.
O.O.F.
Ryōshū was right. The kidnapper... suffered a total obliteration of forehead.
Ishmael...? What did you just...
W-what did you just do?!
Sinclair was the first to snap out of this stupefied silence.
The LCCB Agent they took hostage... We just put him at risk...! Because of us, h-he could...!
Sinclair was trembling hard. I couldn't tell if it was the welling tears he was holding back... or an uncontrollable fury.
Just like then...! Just like back then with... Effie, with Saude...!
It was only few months ago when...! Don't tell me you've moved on already!
<...!>
Sinclair's... memories?
I saw an image of Saude and Effie - both smiling. Both were excellent field Agents.
And because they were both excellent Agents, they suffered to their last moments before our eyes.
Helplessly watching as they slowly expired in front of him, at his old home at that...
That day must have been scorched into his memories.
I recalled Ishmael's vision that I witnessed back at the Boatworks.
... Was that also a moment that was burned into her memories, I wonder...
......
Ishmael didn't seem to find Sinclair's questions worth answering. She strode toward one of the closed shipping containers and kicked it open.
A body, that had been dead for so long that its complexion and consistency barely resembled that of a living human, slumped to the floor.
<...!>
This one's been dead for at least a week. And of course, isn't our LCCB Agent.
Ishmael kicks the body, tossing it on its back.
From the looks of it, this one was a tourist visiting Marlin Port. Probably loaded too, if they could afford to travel to the Great Lake just for its sights. They would've been able to afford whatever ransom the pirates demanded.
Kidnap. Extort. Execute. These Syndicates have been repeating these three steps for a good while at U Corp., even as their names and organizations changed with time. They're everywhere, like vermin.
It would be more accurate to call them 'pirates' here.
They never return the hostages. They'll keep asking for more and more ransom until the money well dries up...
Ishmael poked the body with her foot.
Then they kill the hostages. Like they did this one in.
... Quite numerous, the prevalence of such tragedies must be... How can this be? Wherefore doth no hero rise to the occasion and put a stop to these villains?
I-I believed this to be a place of tourism, is it not?
Well... That usually means that there's a bigger fish looking out for these small fries.
Nay! That matters not! To let such villains run rampant in the City is...!
Ah, it must be the case that the Fixers of the City are yet unaware of this travesty. Mayhaps they were preoccupied tending to others in need, indeed! Naught else but that explains this!
Were we to send a missive to one of the just and honorable Associations of the -
Don Quixote... Please.
Isn't it about time you woke up from your delusions? I've had enough of your ramblings about 'justice'. Your 'villains'.
I...!
Y-you know what? Nevermind. It's like I'm talking to a brick wall. You're not going to listen to me anyway. It's so frustrating to have to sit here and just...
This shabbiness is... why we can't get anything done in time...
By now, we should've been talking to the LCCB Agent, getting the intel we need...!
Ishmael's eyes darted around with wrath, impatience, and anxiety.
A metaphorical storm, an amalgamation of senses.
......
She was billowing wildly and helplessly in the tempest. I could not even hope to hold her steady.
Y-ye have brought this on yerself...!
This is our waters! Do ye even know what Syndicate ye dogs just...!
Yeah. If we're doing this... Then let's get it over with.
5. Insubordination, after the battle
49 linesYe bastards... When our boss hears of this, yer all finished...!
So if ye... uh, bow down and... beg fer...
W-wait! I'm not finished! Get away! Git!
Oh, that's convenient.
<......>
Nice. Now we know we can go up the chain and talk to their 'boss' in charge. Let's stop wasting our time here.
I don't want to have to crack open these shipping containers one by one and go through mountains of rotting corpses.
You can still point, right?
......
P... please...
The location of your boss. Mark it on this map with your finger.
I wasn't sure when she picked it up, but Ishmael was carrying a travel brochure of Marlin Port. She shoved it in the pirate's face, who struggled for a moment before pointing to a location on the map.
As soon as her trembling finger reached the paper...
<Ishmael, Wait - >
Well, we have our next stop. What are we waiting for?
Ishmael walked out, leaving nothing but shipping containers full of both old and fresh bodies behind.
What are the odds that the LCCB Agent we were supposed to meet is still alive...?
Depends on how rich they think we are.
... He could already be dead, then.
Even if the worst comes to pass, we should still find his body. That'll at least give us something.
... If that's all we find at the end of this, his corpse... Ishmael...
I... don't think I could forgive...
Ha... who, me?
No. Us. We who... didn't even try to save them.
<Faust.>
I am listening.
<Should we do something? Is she going to be okay? I mean, Ishmael...>
I can give you answers regarding her insubordination and her emotional state.
But this is not a matter in which Faust's answers can be of much assistance.
Executive Manager, such insubordination and nigh rogue behavior would have resulted in an on-the-spot execution in any other organization.
I am aware that punishing the Sinners is not a part of the authority given to you, but there must be penalties befitting her actions for proper management.
<Outis, you're always on my side.>
<Pretty much always, now that I think about it...>
I have been... a leader of men once, as you are now. I can sympathize with your troubles.
<I don't know if I can manage Ishmael anymore... I just don't.>
<Though it looked like she was acting rash, maybe it was... maybe she knew the right thing to do in this scenario.>
<If Ishmael suddenly decides to quit, or something...>
Faust will doubtless proceed to educate me on the various clauses that prevent Ishmael from quitting...
But it's not like I could force her to come along should this hostility escalate. Besides, she'd already acted without my orders earlier.
She did say that she'd follow my orders. But I wasn't sure how long that would last.
Executive Manager. That doesn't matter.
We don't need there to be 12 Sinners.
<... Are you saying that we leave Ishmael?>
Executive Manager. I have wandered for many years in far, far lands before making my journey here. And I have done so with steadfast determination - for a single clause on my contract with the company.
I came ready to face all the hardships that the journey entails. Adversity, conflict, and loss of comrades are simply facts of this quest that I must weather. Truth be told, I expect all of them to happen at some point in our journey.
Oh, I will always remain by your side, of course.
She smoothly added the last part, but...
But there was a growing suspicion at the back of my mind that, maybe, not everyone felt a sense of belonging from this group.
Maybe I was the only one who sought a sense of belonging from them. That we'd fight as one no matter what ordeal this journey threw in our way.
6. The Club, before the battle
63 linesThe location, as marked by the pirate's blood, led us to...
... The entrance of a club. Faint music could be heard echoing out from behind the doors.
<So... this is the place?>
... Any of us been to a loud, flamboyant, deluxe dance club like this before?
Well, if I had to guess... My bet would be on you.
Oh, come on~ A flashy bar like this? At my Backstreets?
I doubt it would've had much business back there, hmm?
People would sometimes host secret Backstreets parties, but Sonya somehow always caught on~
<So, why are we talking about this?>
Don't you see, Dante? Bouncers, at the gate.
Welcome; how many do you have with you today?
Two. Come on, man. Don'tcha remember me? I'm on the list.
Ah... my apologies. Please, enter.
Look, look! They're checking something with the guests before letting them in. We gotta squeeze in there all smooth somehow...
Welp, since Rodya's out... Next in the line is...
Huh? What, me?
The hell are you blathering about? I'll smash your skull in!
Mm~ I'd take that as a compliment if I were you, Heath~
Ahem... S-should I?
Khm. Sorry to disappoint, but my Syndicate was less about music and dance and more about... blood, loyalty, things like that.
I'm more of a small watering hole or an old pub bloke than a fancy clubber. Gettin' sloshed, drinkin' from old rickety tables... Yeah, that's more like it.
Me.
Music: Screams of fear and pain. Deluxe: Walls painted red with blood. Dance: People with crushed joints, forced to dance...
Yeah, that's... not a club.
Well, I can't think of anyone else, then...
I have been to such a club.
Quite often.
<......>
... Y-you're joking.
I am not. I fail to see why that is difficult for you to accept.
It was merely one of the places I visited when I used to wander in search of life's joys.
A cursory observation of their procedures reveals that it is, in fact, a private club. As a general rule, visitors must receive the bouncers' permission prior to entry.
Most bouncers are of above-average mass and are likely to be armed.
Key elements to getting past the bouncers are...
You'd be right... if this was just any other club.
Ishy...?
Ishmael walked past us and up to the club entrance.
This is a home to a leader of a Syndicate. The question you should be asking is... what are the *other* ways of entering this establishment?
And I'm sure the answer lies with a Syndicate member.
Easy enough, right?
What brings you here, if I may ask?
I...
...?
I'm... Queequeg's... friend.
You're... whose friend?
Queequeg.
You recognized that name, didn't you?
At the mere mention of that name, the bouncer's expression changed from that of indifference to disbelief.
Wait...
$@$#@$@#….
The bouncer whispers something into the radio.
<Is he really going to let us in?>
Are you truly a friend of this Queequeg?
... What if I am?
Where is Queequeg?
…….
It's the Boss askin'.
Right... so your Boss is in the club, huh.
I ask again. Where is Queeq...
The Twinhooks are on our way. I repeat. We are...
<I thought we were trying to sneak in?!>
No.
I just wanted to know if their Boss was home. We should be able to get all the intel we want from them.
7. The Club 2, before the battle
16 linesWoah, I can't believe they're letting us in like this!
<... Let's go.>
I wanted to correct him that the bouncers weren't letting us in, that they were either face-down in some ditch or fleeing, and we were just letting ourselves in...
But I guess I wasn't in the mood.
Heyy... you here with anyone?
Yes. I have twelve companions with me.
T-twelve...?
There! Get 'em!
Aaah! S-sorry for disturbing you!
Okay everyone~ Let's do the famous 'Marlin Dance' of our beloved Marlin port!
Arms out~ Like this! Swing~ and lock! Swing~ and lock!
Ngh... what's with all the booming bass?
It feels as though the sound waves are vibrating my entire brain matter...
Get out of my way or you'll all be sorry.
Ishmael swung her mace, shattering a nearby table to pieces...
And that was more than enough for the clubbers to realize the seriousness of the situation. They quickly ran to the exit and vacated the club.
8. The First Mate, after the battle
15 linesY-you better tell us where your boss is before t-things turn ugly...
Hmph... Go drink some more milk before ye start tossin' around threats like that, laddie.
I-I'm serious! Talk, or the next thing getting s-smashed is your h-h-...
... Your skull.
Ha... ha ha... O-okay. Let's calm down.
Captain ain't 'ere. If it's hostages yer lookin' for... the first mate should know.
Directions.
The last room... at the end of that... uh, corridor...
... Go.
Aaah...
Not that way...! Get out of this club.
Huhh?! A-aye! I'm sorry!!
... Oi, kid... You're getting better at this, aren't you?
I don't want to get complimented for doing something like this...
I just... I just think we have to get to the hostage as soon as possible.
9. The First Mate 2, before the battle
22 linesWhew~ You've certainly made a mess out there. Tell me. Who sent ya? A rival Captain? Or are you looking to collect my head for the bounty?
Haah… So you're the boss here?
Yeah. I'm Smee, first mate of the Twinhook Pirates.
Heard ya wanted to see me. What, want an autograph?
We were last informed that you were the second-in-command.
We seek your superior. Tell us of their whereabouts.
Hook? ... That asshat has to be drowning in bottles of Fairy Wine somewhere, three sheets to the wind.
So I pretty much run this joint. De facto and all, you know?
And ya gotta understand our predicament. The perfume business has never been the most lucrative venture at this port, so we're just looking to branch out... A purely business decision, devised by none other than yours truly.
Understood. So you must have the information we seek.
We are in search of a certain individual held hostage by this establishment. Hand over the information regarding his whereabouts.
Hostage? Oh, what a crude choice of words. We prefer to call him our guest.
... Guest?
Yep. Well, then... how about a deal?
Tell me everything you know about Queequeg. And I'll see to it that the guest you're looking for is safely returned.
Besides, that guest of ours... He's a big shot, ain't he? LC... something's Team Leader?
Oh, and one of you's a... friend of Queequeg, right?
......
Tell me everything you know about Queequeg.
What she's up to, who she's with, the last thing she said to you... I want to hear all of it.
I'm sure there's no need to remind you who's got the upper hand here.
Ha... I wish I could tell you. I really do.
10. The First Mate 2, after the battle
86 linesW-wait! You better stay away! Lay a finger on me, and you'll regret it!
You have no idea who's looking out for me.
What?
It's... don't freak out now... a Big Brother. From 'the Middle'.
... Oho. a B.B?
And this Queequeg? The Middle put a pretty hefty bounty on her pretty head, in case you didn't know.
She not only dared to quit the Middle, but also decided to fall off the face off the earth. Now that's what you call prime stupidity.
Given that the Middle... never forgets.
... Okay. Are you finished?
Wait, really...? You're still going to kill me?
It's our mess. I'm not about to leave any loose threads behind.
It's the Middle we're talking about! The Middle! Don't you know who they are?!
......
Wait! Fine, fine! I'll tell you where your friend is!
The shipping container you're looking for... We keep our living hostages in shipping containers marked with a green triangle. And since he's a recent catch, you can go find him on the East side, probably...
Green triangle, huh? What if there's more than one of those? What if it's in a different shade of green? What if you're just lying to get out of a pinch?
You should be able to tell! You should be able to tell right away! I'm serious... Please!
... There you have it. I'd say that's more than enough confirmation. Happy now, Sinclair?
......
Sinclair was frowning, but Ishmael didn't seem to care.
She stood there, rubbing the wrist of her weapon arm. It almost appeared as though she was measuring the amount of strength needed to turn Smee's head into pulp in one fell swoop.
<... Wait. Killing her could cause us a lot of trouble.>
<We know where the hostage is, and I think that's good enough. Let's head back.>
... I don't feel the need to convince you, manager. Kindly get out of my way.
I don't want to waste any more time on this.
Y-you know what else is a waste of time? Killing me. How 'bout we just go on our merry ways, huh?
I disagree.
<Ishmael!>
I can be pretty fast.
Ishmael's eyes were still lost and wandering. She swung back her harpoon arm, ready to strike, and...
Before I even realized what I was doing... I was leaping in the way.
...!
Executive Manager!
Dante... are you insane?
You, you're the one who's insane!!! You dare lay your hands on our Executive Manager? Was insubordination not enough?!
S... Smart choice.
If you killed me... a Big Brother or even a Big Sister would've gone after you.
I recalled the time when... the exact opposite happened.
When Ishmael leaped in front of me, taking the malfunctioning machine's bullets in my place...
And called my name as her body liquefied.
As though she had faith that my name alone could make everything right again.
Did you just... Did you just take a harpoon for that bitch?
If I aimed a bit to the side, I would've hit you in the face! Your stupid clock face!! Do you understand?!
<Yeah, I do... Boy, you really did whet the heck outta that harpoon... This really hurts.>
Wha... Can you please stop it! With your stupid goddamn quips!
Executive Manager.
Her words and actions just now are more than enough to constitute a full-on mutiny. She made an attempt on the life of her direct superior!
I can no longer sit idly by and watch. Though you may not have the punitive authority...
We must make a detailed report of these incidents and relay it to the higher-ups of the company to discuss our future actions.
<It's okay, Outis. I chose to get in her way.>
This is NOT okay!!
That individual has consistently and repeatedly caused serious setbacks to our mission!
And that, Executive Manager, is crossing the line!
<Outis. I said it's okay.>
<I didn't take the harpoon for that woman. I took it for Ishmael.>
Haah?
What, did you flip a switch and decide to become a humanitarian all of a sudden?
You never had to dirty your hands with a drop of blood. Not even once...
You just sat back and ordered us to bloody ours in your stead.
And now you're telling us to, what, 'ease up on the murders'? What are you even trying to say? That you don't want us to get traumatized anymore? Some touchy-feely shit like that?
<No, it's just my intuition.>
<... That probably wasn't very convincing, was it?>
No. Of course not... Intuition comes from experience. From memories.
You remember jack all before the clock, Dante. How can I trust your intuition?
<That woman... I think she's in a pretty important position of power, at least in this District. Killing her before thinking things through could complicate things.>
Did it not occur to you that NOT killing her could also complicate things?
<... I just think killing everyone in our way left and right like this...>
<... Won't help us in the future.>
... In the future, huh.
<Sorry... I can't... I don't have any better explanation for what I just did.>
I don't know how far in the future you're talking about, but...
... I'm sure we have different things in store for us there, Dante.
<Ah...>
Dante...
Do not ever put yourself at risk in such a manner again.
<Come on... That advice coming from one of you guys? Not very convincing.>
Responsibility of twelve lives weigh upon your shoulders, Dante. Thus you must watch yourself twelvefold.
Doubly so, in that... should you perish... we do not possess the means to bring you back.
And...
Ones that cannot be brought back... leave behind an unbearably painful void.
Yi Sang was right. My shoulder was in an unbearable amount of pain.
Oi... You uh, all right, clockhead?
<Yeah, I'm good. The clock still works.>
What? That's not what I... Hah, Looney bugger. You're not all there either. Or maybe it just took you a while to lose it, eh?
And here I thought we at least had one sane person on the bus. But you're no different.
Heathcliff shook his head and walked away.
11. Shipping Containers, before the battle
6 lines<You think all of these shipping containers are full of...>
Right... Let's try to not linger on that thought.
I tried my best to not speculate about what terrible things the pirates might be hiding in that mountain of shipping containers.
Hey! Who's there? How'd ya find this place?!
Ah, hey, we're just here to check out that shipping container with a green triangle over here~ And we'll be right outta your hair, 'kay?
<Let's take them out before anything worse happens to our Agent...>
12. Mr. Pilot, before the battle
61 linesThis one... It's gotta be this shipping container. And in here should be the LCCB Team Captain...
Pshaw...! I... I really thought I was done for. Sniff, sniff...
……
Name's Pilot. LCCB Preliminary Observation Unit 3 Assistant Manager.
Wait, you're not the Team Leader? But the pirates said they captured the LCCB Team Leader...?
Hey... I'm standing right here... What's up with the obvious disappointment...?
Anyways - thank you for savin' my life! I heard so many stories about y'all. The LCB, huh?
<What kind of stories, I wonder...>
Happy to make your acquaintance, sirs and ladies! I've been a huge fan ever since I joined the company!
... Uhh, why are y'all looking at me like that...?
Long story short, there was a whole mess with this other guy who claimed to be a fan. So... yeah. You gotta understand.
Khm, ahm...
Ohh, and I've a message to deliver to you guys.
Ahem, ahem...
"Hey. I bet you guys are chaotically running around somewhere in U Corp. like headless chickens and messing everything up."
... Time for O.O.F.
W-wait! I'm just delivering the message exactly as she said it, intonations and all!
Watch out~ Don't cha think it might've been better to start with "and I quote"~? And tell us who this 'she' is, too.
Abbreviations and omissions are two completely different things. I'll let this slide, fledgling. Just this once.
Who 'she' is? Well, of course! It's none other than...
Manager Miss Saude herself!
<...!>
Saude... is alive?
M-manager...? Did she get promoted?
She's still in recovery, but After Team arrived just in the nick of time and treated her wounds, saving her life.
... I'm glad it wasn't a posthumous promotion.
Manager Saude wanted to meet all of y'all too, but couldn't make it on account of her bein' on a different mission.
<I'm glad she's okay...>
Is Saude... okay?
'Course! It wasn't the smoothest recovery, but she's now healthy enough to eat some grub and hold a lengthy conversation.
That's great, but I was asking, because...
She lost her partner. Right before her eyes.
......
Oh...
Pilot produced a piece of old, folded paper and began reading from it.
'This is a reminder to all LCCB employees. We, the Before Team, are assigned the paramount task of clearing the path before anyone else does. Every bloodied step, every flesh given becomes another stepping stone for your fellow Limbus Company employees to follow into the future.'
That's the very first line from the new hire training guide we were issued.
And I'm proud of it! I'm proud of the sacrifices we make. Most of my coworkers at LCCB just want to make a quick buck before quitting and say I'm the odd one, though.
You're... proud of sacrifice?
Seriously?
Now now, Ishy~ Whaaat? You want Sardine Whale flavored ice cream? No way, me too! Why don't we head out and get some together~?
Hey, let me go. Let me g - Gah, how are you so strong -
Rodya grabbed Ishmael's arm and began practically dragging her outside.
<Well... just in case she gets into another fight...>
......
I decided to sneakily follow them from a distance.
Ishy, ya gotta stop bringing down the mood like that~ We saved his life, didn't we?
I understand that things are a bit rough right now, but let's be a bit more patient, 'kay~?
Rodion, that back there... that's just indoctrination. They're brainwashing them.
No one wants to admit that they're just throwing themselves into a meat grinder. So they wrap that neatly in the name of self-sacrifice...
I know.
Then why...
People need a way to endure that reality and go on living somehow. Some people live from paycheck to paycheck. Sometimes... they just don't have a choice.
......
Let's hear out our overzealous friend, how 'bout that?
... Don't talk down to me like you're coddling some baby.
We're not that close, Rodion.
But I'll listen, just this once.
... Fine, fine~
Rodya seemed to have noticed that I was following them all along. She signaled me with a quick wink...
... And I was able to return to where the other Sinners were before they did.
13. Mr. Pilot 2, before the battle
146 lines'Tis injustice that thou hast left me out of thine iced-crrream jaunt...
It tasted like fish! Not worth the walk~ Maybe they put ground Mermaid in there.
Ground Mermaid... in ice cream...?
Boy, I'm nervous. What an audience, huh...?
T.O.S.T.O.O.F.
...? I'm sorry?
... Talk...
S... F.S.
Haah... Or Suffer The Obliteration Of Forehead...
...!
I appreciate you translatin' it... I... I feel a bit better...
She reminded me a lot of our LCC Before Team Director just now.
Must be a helluva boss, huh...
Heh...
Where do I begin...
It took us a hot minute to pinpoint the location of the Lobotomy Corp. Branch housing the Golden Bough, actually...
Me and my teammates, we ran a pretty tight ship...
But the Twinhook Pirates of U Corp. Backstreets caught wind of us sniffin' around!
Listen 'ere lad! This be the cheapest bottle of oil in all the Great Lake, I tell ye!
What? How? That's ridiculous! Y'all are tellin' me that this Whale oil of dubious origin is worth HOW much?!
Wait...! Yeah, no wonder! You pretty much antagonized them to their faces!
Okay, in my defense, those fellers was about to rob us blind!
I mean... Couldn't you have just paid a bit of money for some intel, though...?
W-well, anyway...
After a thorough search, we identified the exact location of the Lobotomy Corp. Branch with the Golden Bough.
Did you find the Golden Bough?
Yup. Saw that fabled golden light, too. "Too bright yet not too bright", was it?
I had to see it with my own two eyes to understand what that meant.
Boy, what an incredibly incandescent glow that was, even from deep within the Lobotomy Corp. Branch Ship.
Observation: check! Confirmation: check! All we had left to do on the docket was the report.
Oh! Our job, by the way, was advance reconnaissance to confirm the presence of a Golden Bough.
They say that plenty of advance reconnaissance teams encounter Abnormalities or get wiped out in the process.
We were about to make our return journey, considering the mission a resounding success, when...
So those pirates followed you guys there, huh...
Team Leader Haru assured us that nothing was out of the ordinary and that these uh, interruptions by opposin' parties happened all the time.
But...
So... I don't really care what you're doing all the way out here on this creepy ship, but...
This gentleman here was rather curious about what business you guys were up to. So I tagged along. No objections, hmm?
Pilot's face turned pale with fear for the first time since he started recounting this story.
... That's when I heard the weapon slip outta our Team Leader's hand and onto the ground.
Our Team Leader's an experienced field agent with a decorated track record...
She... I've never seen her just give up like that. She ain't the kind to be so easily rattled...
So I turned to look at her, and the look on her face was...
I say, that was a look of resignation.
Would I be correct in assuming that she had something to say at that moment?
... "Mission failed". Verbatim.
... Who'd she see? To immediately give up like that...
... "An officer from the Middle shouldn't be here..." Again, verbatim.
... Hm.
...!
I'm guessing the guy had like... a huge fancy tattoo? That glowed purple?
H-huh, how'd you know? That was the very first thing I noticed about him, actually. That... weird-lookin', purple-glowin' tattoo.
Still, I thought that maybe, just maybe, we had a shot...
We're Unit 3, after all... We weren't no slouches, and we had some impressive names with us...
You didn't.
... And I do not recall much more after that...
When I came to, I was on the floor, face down...
At first, I thought I'd gone deaf and couldn't hear a thing. Y'know, when a bomb goes off right next to you, your ear starts ringin' and all. Thought I'd burst my eardrums.
... But that wasn't it, no. It was my team... shoutin' and screamin', shoutin' and screamin'... And all of it combined into some kind of a incomprehensible cacophony. I just couldn't register that at first.
Ah...
Once I recognized that, I also noticed... a deep rumbling, echoing underneath all that.
A bizarre, terrible rumbling... that sounded like it was echoing from a place far away from the Branch.
... Bizarre rumbling?
Yes ma'am. It was almost like a distant explosion. And it seemed like others were picking up on that odd noise too.
The pirates... suddenly started actin' all nervous.
And even the 'Big Brother' from 'the Middle' was rattled.
... They all called him 'the Big Brother'? Did you hear that right? I guess there really was a big fish looking out for the pirates...
Yes ma'am. Loud and clear. They called him 'Big Brother'.
Keh... Kehehe... Hah! I wonder how those fools are doing nowadays.
Take only the high-value hostages. We're leaving. Now.
That right there is one of the Five Calamities. We have to book it before that thing gets here. We're all dead meat if we don't.
One last thing I remember... is our Team Leader.
Right before I lost consciousness... The Team Leader, she...
Stuck her employee card badge to my chest when the pirates weren't looking...
Back then, I didn't understand what she was doin'. But now that I had some time to think about it...
She did that so I'll look more valuable... so they'll take me hostage instead of leavin' me to die... Me, who's just a rookie...
To summarize... Every LCCB Agent was either injured or unconscious...
The Middle got involved out of nowhere... And there was this 'Calamity' that even the Middle bloke was scared of...
Can you give us the coordinates to the Lobotomy Corp. Branch, Mr. Pilot?
O-of course.
Pilot produced a piece of paper that had been folded over many times and handed it over to Faust.
It's all right there, ma'am. Down to every last bit of detail you'll need. I hid it from them to the best of my abilities. I'm glad that I was able to complete my mission, at least.
......
Wait.
That 'Calamity'. Was there anything else about it that stood out?
There's got to be more.
... Pale...
It was... white. An off-white color unlike anythin' I'd ever laid my eyes on before. It was, ah... towerin' and pallid. And that... rumbling... I'm sure I've heard of it before...
Ah! Right, It reminded me of U Corp's Singularity! That rumbling... sounded a lot like them tuning forks when they combined stuff together.
... Yeah... Almost there...
Let me tag along with y'all!
I could be your guide in the Lobotomy Corp. Branch!
Indeed, this was to be a joint operation with the LCCB where they were supposed to accompany us to the Lobotomy Corp. Branch.
What is your decision, Dante?
<......>
<Tell him that while I appreciate his offer, I decline.>
<People that get involved with us... often don't make it out in one piece.>
... I.A.
We just saved your life! Mate, show some gratitude!
Uh... Thank you...?
Mr. Pilot, remain on standby until the After Team arrives. Then, return to base and report your findings.
Ah... so they declined, huh?
The stories were true, I don't hear nothin' but the ticking of their clock...
Executive Manager, in their endless generosity, has also deigned to thank you for your offer. Remember that as you return.
Alright...
W-well then, best of luck to y'all.
That's all I needed. Bye.
... Sigh.
Ishmael was the first to leave the room.
Uh... Umm... Well, this meeting was pretty short-lived.
But say hello to Saude for us, will ya?
And... please tell her that I'm thankful for what she did for us.
Back then... I couldn't bring myself to tell her even that.
I'll be... sure to tell her that.
You have endured well despite the tribulations, Pilot.
Aww, Yi Sang! How kind of ya~
It appeared to me that he deserved such words.
.......
Kh... Agh...
I wanna see my team again...
They were all so kind to me, me bein' the rookie of the team and all...
......
Maybe... maybe there are survivors at the Lobotomy Corp. Branch...
Pilot's eyes, which had been welling up for a while, eventually broke like a dam. Tears flowed down his cheeks to the ground.
... We shall bring them home. You have my word.
And mine, too.
... We won't fail again.
…….
I have examined the variable coordinates Mr. Pilot provided us.
<What exactly are variable coordinates?>
Ships beyond a certain magnitude, like our Lobotomy Corp. Branch or the Marlin Port, receive partial laws of the Great Lake in an encrypted form from U Corp.
U Corp. holds a strict monopoly on the intel regarding the laws of the Great Lake within the Nest. Of course, the vessels that receive that intel pay various prices for that privilege.
They use that partial information to calculate at which location their vessels must be during which specific period to ensure a safe voyage, and finalize it into a standardized form known as 'variable coordinates'.
Portships often send out their coordinates to other vessels, as they want to host as many guests as possible. But vessels that prioritize privacy and secrecy, like the former L Corp. Branch in question, will never do so.
So... the Lobotomy Corp. Branch we're looking for... is kinda like a treasure ship, huh? Then there's gotta be a black market out there for people willing to pay big money for its coordinates...
Impressive deduction.
Also, unlike normal coordinates, variable coordinates are composed of lengthy and encrypted codes.
Therefore, vessels sailing across the Great Lake start by entering the variable coordinates of their destination. Based on that information, said vessels will follow a certain route charted via the automated navigation system that periodically confirms the current location of their destination.
Wow~ That's a lot of big words! So basically, if we enter the information we got from Mr. Pilot here, we can somehow find our way to the Lobotomy Corp. Branch?
... It's useless in the waters of the Outskirts, beyond the borders of U Corp.
Indeed. But the Lobotomy Corp. Branch is within U Corp.'s borders. We will have no trouble analyzing the vessel's travel patterns as long as we have its variable coordinates.
<Gotcha. Then let's get a move on.>
Yi Sang and Sinclair nodded with determination, while the other Sinners followed suit and hurried on.
…….
Though I didn't catch a clear view...
I think Ishmael nodded, too.
14. Ice Cream, before the battle
48 linesWe made our way past the mountains of shipping containers and back to where we first docked...
I saw Vergilius and Charon on a bench, watching us approach. The latter of the two was clearly suffering from crushing boredom.
Charon ate ice cream. It was cold but disappeared fast.
D-did it not have the putrid scent of the sea?
Putrid? Charon doesn't know what that means.
'Tis... a flavor not unlike licking a fish...
Blonde girl licks fish? Funny tastes. Charon, shudder shudder.
Something's happened, by the looks on your faces.
Explain.
Allow me to explain...! Upon our arrival at the promised location -
... That is none of my concern. I only want to know what intel you have learned. And make it short.
We know where the Golden Bough is. It's in a Lobotomy Corp. Branch in the middle of the Great Lake.
... Of course it's in a Lobotomy Corp. Branch. Did you learn anything else?
We obtained its variable coordinates.
I know what you're about to say... "That's it? That's all you got?" or something... But just listen to the trouble we went through to...
No, that's good enough. Almost makes me want to applaud you all.
Oh my?
Vergilius, there was...
Ah, I know exactly what you're about to tell me.
I will deal with it. Stay out of this.
…….
You look impatient, Ishmael.
I see that our earlier... 'consultation' did not ease your anxiety.
Of course not. I don't even know what's happening with my mission. We're wading blindly through a misty sea...
Yet here we are, shoving our noses in everything, everywhere. It's driving me up the wall.
Hah, relax. You must know that no path is ever direct in the Great Lake. I did not expect this much lack of patience from someone who spent most of her life here.
Can I assume the mess you've left the manager's shoulder in... is also a consequence of your impatience?
That's…
Well... Clearly, an unintentional mistake. If it wasn't, you wouldn't be sitting before me with your throat intact.
…….
Why do you fail to look further, Ishmael? By now, you must have realized what awaits you at the end of this journey.
That 'contract clause' you're so impatient about... is bound to make an appearance as long as you follow the manager's peculiar misadventures.
Your combative attitude against the manager will only delay that inevitability.
It happened four times. That's not a very big sample.
Well... I'm good at reading how these things usually flow.
...!
... If you're so sure about it... then fine. I won't let frustration get the better of me. I won't step out of line... not any more than necessary.
Ishmael, what happened... happened. You will still have to write up a form explaining your actions and the circumstances surrounding them.
Gladly.
As long as the guide is right.
H-have you brought us any ice cream, by any...
…….
Bother not... I was merely curious of the famed ice cream of Marlin port... I shall board the busboat posthaste...
I appreciate the effort, Yi Sang~
Your appreciation is more than enough...
<He's not going to answer me anyway, but... What were you two up to?>
Dante is asking a meaningless question.
Don't let them rub off on you, Dante. What, was I actually supposed to bring a tub of Whale ice cream for everyone?
15. Pirates, before the battle
35 linesSo uh, Ishmael... This Lobotomy Corp. Branch is still a ways away. Why don't you rest up for a bit while you can? That's what we always do, anyway.
Or at least let me take the next shift. I've done my fair share of night... yawn... watches.
Gregor's yawn betrayed his confidence. Ishmael didn't care - she wasn't going to move from her station anyway.
......
Ishmael looked like she was waiting for something to happen. Or maybe she was deathly afraid of something...
She did not, not even for a second, leave the telescope(courtesy of Rain, most likely) installed on the modified Mephistopheles.
That's a good attitude, swabbie. It has been my long-held belief that letting your guard down is to let your comrades down.
I asked Outis her thoughts out of curiosity, but she simply replied that Vergilius had already acted upon the matter. If the Executive Manager would not take action, then that was that.
She also explained that while she would not hesitate to clash with Ishmael again should the need arise, she would not continue this pointless tussle that only lowered the team's morale.
<I guess that's good enough...>
Hmm... But we're in the middle of a Lake...
And as long as we stick to the, uh, the laws of the Great Lake, I don't see us getting -
...!
There, ahead...
Ishmael suddenly got up and hurried into the cabins as though she noticed something through the telescope.
- attacked by anything. My bad.
Time to drift again, redhead?
It's too late to change course. That trick won't help us here.
They went through the trouble of hiding themselves in an artificial fog of war... We're obviously their target.
It's a matter of time before they catch up with this ship, now that they know our location.
Deal with them as you will.
Manager, permit us to board their ship.
<Are you sure that boarding their ship is the best course of action if we want to save our ship?>
According to my experience, yes.
<... Okay. I'll leave it to you, then.>
... I hope you'll continue to make wise choices like that.
I sighed with relief, as she seemed to be going along with me for now...
With that, I took a few steps behind the other Sinners and watched her.
We'll hook their ship with harpoons, force them into a melee range! Somebody grab the helm and turn it on my signal!
Hm. Then someone should be on standby, ready to shut the engine off at the right moment.
Hey, you! Bring some extra rope. You! Wait for her signal inside the wheelhouse!
Ishmael's explanations were rapid and confident. Outis nodded along affirmatively. The other Sinners were quick to follow their instructions.
Watching Ishmael throw her razor-sharp harpoon toward the pirate ship... I started to feel... that something was off.
There they were, the Sinners... working so well together like clockwork. But underneath all that, maybe all that mattered to them was... their own goals.
I was wondering if all the times I've spent thinking, hoping, and contemplating about our futures together were... pointless. ... This thought lingered for a while in my head.
16. Pirates 2, after the battle
26 linesYe crafty bastards, we were going to board yer ship first...!
We've got places to be, things to do~ Okay~?
Now, answer my question. Lie or flap your gums meaninglessly, and I'll tear the lips off your mugs.
Speak. Who sent you plonkers after us?
We can't let someone who dared to lay a finger on our first mate leave in one piece.
Yer very breath brings shame to our Syndicate! By Captain Hook's orders, ye won't leave here alive!
Heh, ain't that bloody marvelous. I like seeing a good camaraderie.
... So what'd I say about flapping your gums meaninglessly?
Khaha! Think yer threats'll rattle us? We're no tenderfoots, ye stupid sons of bachelors!
What a clingy bunch... We spared their first mate's life, and this is the thanks we get?
You think this is what Smee meant? That we'll regret it if we...
No.
Your juvenile whining... That's not from shame.
Huh?
When all of your mates lay dead, consumed, manipulated and led into a meat grinder by a collective insanity of a madwoman... when you are left in that endless void where the only sound is the beating of your heart...
W-wait...
And when you realize that... your heart continues to beat because it's still desperately, pathetically clinging onto life, despite all that...
That's... When you'll feel true shame.
Wait, wait. Looking at the sorry state of yer boat, I can hazard ye have no clue what yer doin' out here...
Spare me and I'll tell ye what ye need to know. I'll even put in a good word to the bossman for ye.
Nothing to lose here eh, lass? You won't have anyone to put in a good... word!... If you kill me.
......
Haha...! Am I getting through to ye? Spare me, and ye just might sail out of this Lake with yer -
... Haah. I'm tired of listening to these inane, meaningless pleas.
That was the last one, right? Let's go back to our ship.
The ship was still as death. Its sails fluttered a forlorn dance in the winds.
17. The Waves, before the battle
77 lines<So something's been bothering me...>
<Wasn't it weird how they all seemed so... certain?>
<That if we kept going this way, we'd run into some other huge disaster?>
It is nothing of note, manager. It is but a byproduct of their firm belief in their advantage over us.
I have observed an oddity, however. They had installed numerous spikes on the lower side of their ship's hull.
Are they not for ramming into other vessels? I have heard that such tactics were occasionally used in naval combat.
They were installed far too low in the water to be useful as a means of ramming another ship. It can be extrapolated from the metal's level of corrosion that the spikes, concentrated on the keel of the boat, have been installed recently.
How did you see the keel of the boat...?
The water was clearer up close than it appeared from a distance.
Mm~ Maybe they were trying to stop something from climbing up to the ship?
Can't imagine that any fish would swim blindly into the keel of a boat. They're not birds crashing into windows.
Maybe it was nothing~ Y'know how superstitious pirates can be. What if it's like a good luck charm?
Mmh... Maybe we should've let Assistant Manager Pilot tag along.
Know anything about this, Frau Faust?
No pertinent information has been updated.
The most we could do is to ensure that we do not violate any laws of the Great Lake.
Thus continued our journey to the Lobotomy Corp. Branch with the variable coordinates Pilot gave us...
... Paranoia of the unknown weighing heavily on our shoulders.
After an indeterminate amount of time...
... Outis, we will have to steer the ship portside.
... What?
Outis, who was looking out ahead from the bow of the ship, whipped around. Whatever Faust said seemed to have hit her unexpectedly.
Hey. It hasn't been an hour since you told us that we'll have to cross this zone in a straight line.
We are falling short of our target speed. At our current rate, we will be struck by the next zone's Waves as soon as we exit here.
Is that the damned law of this zone?
Indeed.
Though our encounter with the pirates was rapidly resolved, we still fell behind schedule. The variable coordinates now points to a different route.
... How much time are we going to have to waste here?
According to the variable coordinates... the necessary roundabout path will cost us three more days.
... Huh.
Outis bit her lip with discontent before suddenly turning in my direction.
Executive Manager, I have a genius plan. A plan that will not only accelerate this operation but also increase the chances of securing and rescuing the lives of the LCCB Agents.
If we were to waste three more days at sea, there is very little guarantee for their well-being.
<Well... What's the plan?>
... We keep going forward.
With that, Outis slowly raised the acceleration lever.
…!
What?
... Hm.
Are you nuts? We'd be sailing right into the Waves, you know that?
I know what the Waves are, swabbie. I'm not as ignorant of the Great Lake as you might think. You've had plenty of experience weathering and conquering Waves as well, haven't you?
Yeah! But that's because they were unavoidable! Because we lacked enough information to take the roundabout path! I've never sailed knowingly into the Waves before.
But you still prevailed, didn't you?
.......
And that was when you didn't have someone to bring you back. I say that this is well within our capabilities.
Besides, there is the added benefit of accelerating our mission, and the higher possibility of rescue that the Executive Manager and a few underlings wanted.
It was clear to me that you, Ishmael, weren't so happy with how slow our progress has been. What is it? Did you suddenly gain a yearning for a three-day sunbathing break?
Instead of responding to Outis's sarcastic remark, Ishmael squinted in the direction the boat was speeding in.
The tides… the odor… the speed… the color… that Lake over there is… the Blue Whirling Lake of Murk and Fish-Reek. I haven't suffered its Waves before, but I know many ships that have. Many of which are now lying at the bottom of that Lake.
Fine. As long as we don't join them.
W-what if we just went to take a quick look… And if we feel like it's too much for us, we can just go back the way we came from… Right?
Go back the - There is no such thing… as going back in this Lake!
Your decision, Dante?
<... Let's try following Outis' plan.>
Understood. Crossing the zone's borders to the target Lake.
You've got to be kidding me... Haah. Outis, you better be right...
As soon as those words left Ishmael's mouth, there was a flash in the sky.
<Thunder...?>
... It's really starting to pour.
We're in the eye of the storm.
<Wait... But the sky was clear just moments ago! How could this...?>
The Waves are already here, manager.
... Hm. That was an entertaining display.
Charon, this seems like a good opportunity to test that function.
Ok. Switching to Endure mode.
That's when reality began to sink in.
What had happened to, what happens to, and what will happen to everyone and everything that entered this Lake without preparation for what's to come.
<What should… What do we do now, Ishmael?>
… There's this adage that every greenhorn sailor of the Great Lake hears before they set their first sail.
'There is but one thing you can count on if you find yourself in an unfamiliar Lake whose Waves are alien to you.'
A colossal wave rises to its crest before us.
... S.I.C. Ready your weapons if you want to delay the inevitable.
'It's not your sailing prowess, your far-seeing eyes of a pathfinder, or the unbreakable bond between you and your mates.'
'Many sailors fail to endure this trial and instead choose to become sacrifices to the depths of the Lake.'
Huh? S-something's climbing onto our ship?!
'Trust nothing but your own resolve to hold steadfast in the face of terror, in the face of calamity.'
'Though the raging Lake may remain indifferent to the will of your meager existence.'
18. The Waves, after the battle
21 linesNo words come to mind to rightly describe that... creature.
The unfathomable entities inhabiting the depths of the Lakes are called 'Whales'. And those that emerge from them are called 'Mermaids'.
That's the 'Whale of the Porous Hand'... I was... really hoping to avoid that one...
<Is that... one of the Whales they were talking about at U Corp.?>
Do Mermaids raid ships, too...? I read about them once as a child, but these don't look anything like how they did in the books...
Mermaids... I still remember the horrible bedtime stories my brother used to tell me about them…
So... they make perfumes outta these... things...?
Vergie... isn't this a good time for you to lend us a hand for once?
Really? That's the guy who practically spectated like a bystander when we got slaughtered back at K Corp. He didn't even blink.
Ah, he did wave at us, though! But I couldn't wave back because my wrists were getting snapped in half!
Of course, I won't sit idly by as Mephistopheles sinks, if it ever comes to that. But...
Know that I will take action only under a very particular set of circumstances.
In which all of you are slaughtered, the enemies have crushed the manager's head and are about to tear the hands off that clock.
<Are... Are you serious right now...?>
Dante, I can't allow them to take the company's precious assets right before my eyes now, can I?
So I'm afraid that you won't see me step in before every single one of you are dead.
Mr. Guide... Are you really as good as they say? Maybe the stories about you were just tall tales, y'know...
That's... no. Do not.
Uh, yeah. That's just - Not...
Two previous victims of Vergilius interjected, albeit in hollow voices, to rebut Rodya's rather dangerous remark.
So either take them out, welcome them aboard with open arms, or whatever. I'm leaving it up to all of you.
19. The Waves 2, after the battle
25 lines… Screech!
Huff... Huff...
How... many... left...?
None.
Then this is the last one.
…….
There was something off about those... 'Mermaids' that crawled out of that Whale.
A feeling not so different from looking at an Abnormality or a Distortion.
<Mermaids... were they human, once?>
I guess I should've explained better...
Not every creature that lives in the depths of the Great Lake are called 'Whales'. Whales specifically refer to...
... everything in the Great Lake that can parasitize humans.
And Whales give birth to 'Mermaids'.
<… And where do the Mermaids come from?>
They're people devoured by Whales that came with the Waves. There's no guarantee that we won't meet the same fate.
See? Now you know why you could turn the clock all day and fail to bring us back.
I see now.
The Waves will be unrelenting, unabating...
And Ishmael, who'd already weathered and braved these endless, crashing Waves…
... Was starting to snap, strand by strand.
I have... a mission that I can't fail...
And I'll kill everything that stands in my way...
Even if I were to stumble, even if every part of me were to fall apart... I'll see it through to the end.
Determined and ferocious. Both good attitudes to have when setting sail on an adventure.
Because our voyage is just getting started.
20. Cruise Party, before the battle
64 linesThe Lake...
When I look into its waters... I see my shimmering reflection.
Maybe I'm just as refracted and twisted like my reflection in the water. It doesn't matter which Lake we're on... I always look so warped, so unstable...
<…….>
I happened upon Ishmael's musings around the time we were on our way to the elusive Lobotomy Corp. Branch of the Great Lake. It had been a while since our last disastrous incident.
Maybe my distorted reflections were just... me.
Even from a distance, it was evident that Ishmael was gazing down at her own reflection in the water.
I rested my wandering feet and decided to watch her for a moment.
I... wanted to see what Ishmael was looking at. Together.
My hands were... peeling... bleeding...
Saltwater seeped into my gaping wounds. It hurt so much. So, so much that I thought I might faint if I didn't let go...
But I couldn't.
I...
What was I holding on to?
<…!>
Executive Manager, there is a matter that requires your attention! We are approaching our next coordinates.
<O-okay!>
I'll go see, too.
Ishmael woke from her introspection and straightened herself. She strode toward us.
What's up ahead?
The radar's caught something. We have visual on...
... A solitary ship.
And it looks like we have 3 hours to kill before we're allowed to move on to the next Lake. Unless...
... the Executive Manager would authorize us to weather the Waves once more...
<No, Outis.>
<The losses were worse than I anticipated... And remember what Ishmael said. We were extremely lucky the Waves that came for us was a relatively manageable one.>
Yes, Executive Manager.
Thanks to Outis, who quickly abandoned the idea, the Sinners and I could observe this new vessel with somewhat lighter hearts.
Ah, what a relief. That doesn't look like a pirate ship. That's...
OOOOOOOOOOOHHH!
LO! That is a Mini-Cruuuiise ship over yonder!
A veritable par-tay ship! A vessel of par-taying!
Even from this distance, I could see the colorful balloons and banners decorating the ship.
I! LOVE! TO! PARRR-TAY!
None shall be vexed, no matter how I frolic at a party! Naught will pay mind to how I leap and run and shout in there! What joy, is it not?!
Vergie... Go easy on the girl, why don'tcha...?
…….
But... mmm. I'm sure they sell local delicacies there, too... Liquor... Treats not found anywhere else in the City...
Rodya and Don Quixote both shot twinkling glances in my direction, then at Vergilius. Then back at me.
Vergilius shrugged. Whatever we decided to do here was none of his business.
<... Well... Maybe they can tell us something about the nearby Lobotomy Corp. Branch. Or maybe they know something about the LCCB Agents...?>
Hmm, hmhm~ Hm hm~
Don Quixote was rhythmically swaying her shoulders... Maybe she's trying to imitate the Marlin Dance she glimpsed back at the Club.
Heigh-ho!!! Allow me to ask thee and thy fine company a few questions!!
The faintly blaring music was the only response from the ship.
Maybe they can't hear us over the music. Boy, music these days... they're just too loud for me...
It'll be faster if we just head over there and ask them in person.
<......>
<I guess we can quickly stop by and ask them a few questions.>
We had three hours to kill anyway. Might as well make ourselves useful and collect some intel.
Ishmael shot a glance at Vergilius before staring at the floor wordlessly.
... I'd say it's a reckless idea to just row up to a random vessel we don't know anything about, like its owner or its history, but if the Executive Manager insists...
Sure. Let's 'stop by'.
Now that was a very Outis thing to say, innit?
... It's just the attitude I decided to adopt.
Now, this boat will come in useful.
Will this boat... not capsize?
Should I pack some life vests or a buoy?
By the time all 13 of us squeezed our way in, the skiff was absolutely packed and precariously swaying. Some Sinners' faces darkened with concern.
<Don't worry, guys. Even if you all drown, I'll bring you guys right back. All right as rain.>
…….
<J-just kidding...>
Right, then. Drink responsibly, everyone.
In a manner that was extremely out of character, Vergilius waved at us. ... Does he know something that we don't?
21. Cruise Party 2, before the battle
50 lines<I still don't see anyone on the deck...>
Wait but a moment. I shall make use of mine lungs to howl a bellow so powerful that they have no recourse but to heed us!
HAAARK!!!!!
Shut it! You'll burst my eardrums.
By the way... is it okay for us to just barge into a... yacht party like this?
We don't have the, uh... an invitation or anything like it, either.
Puff out your chest, Greg~ The more the merrier, right? They'll understand~
I couldn't care less about a party. We're here to gather intel. Waste any more time, and I'm leaving you behind.
Wow... This... this place really is fancy...!
Numerous liquor bottles and half-eaten food were strewn about haphazardly all over the deck.
It appears that this party must have ended very recently and abruptly.
Ah! I spy light shining from the ship's interiors! I shall go swiftly like the wind and verify its sources!!!
Don Quixote, running on sheer excitement for a party, scuttled to the cabins.
Well, that's one loudmouth gone... Then...!
Heathcliff slammed his fist into the loudspeaker that's been blaring music this entire time.
Blimey... Now that's a relief. Thought my eardrums were about to burst.
<…….>
I decided to remain silent. The music *was* pretty loud.
Well, it's awful quiet up here now that the music's gone.
Oh, this reminds me of a similar story my nanny used to tell me. It's an old story, but...
Don Quixote returns with a dumbfounded expression on her face.
There was... naught...
What? What was naught? Food? Drinks? Both?
There was... no one.
Yet... the lights were left on... With nary a soul to be seen inside...
Ridiculous. It is clear that, mere moments ago, a large group of people were having a party on the deck. How could there be no one aboard?
F-for truth! Mayhaps... they are busying themselves with a game of hide-and-seek...?
Can't imagine that the crowd that left all these liquor bottles behind would be the kind that enjoys playing hide-and-seek like kids at a party...
So what, they just vanished into thin air? Like they were - Wait, did the Waves already...?
There is one remaining possibility: the ship's storage space.
Are ya saying that these party people... left all this uneaten food and liquor behind just to huddle in a cramped storage room...?
Ohh~ I remember now! Yes! The story went just like this!
Once, a huge manor sent out invitations for a grand party. But when the guests arrived, they found the manor vacant and engulfed in deathly silence...
H-how about we get the music going again?
I smashed the radio, lad.
If this ship was struck by the Waves, we have to get out of here, now...
Then... Boom! Boom! Banging noises, coming from behind a door slightly ajar...! So, of course, they went in there to investigate, and...
And...?! And?!
…….
... And there they were! Bodies as stiff as corpses in rigor mortis, arms stretched forward, hopping, up and down...!
OH! That's... I-I...!!! I think I'll go check out the storage space!!
Sinclair, wherefore art thy palms so sodden?
It's genetics...!
Sinclair hurriedly left the room in search of the ship's storage.
... Which was the dance that was all the rage back then, apparently~
... The art of dancing... must truly be an art of great profundity...
Well, that was some damp squib. I thought it was actually going somewhere.
I had thought with quite the confidence that this would be a tale of the living dead.
Now what'd ya do that for? You scared the kid off... Where'd he go?
<... I'll go find Sinclair.>
22. Cruise Party 3, before the battle
36 lines<It's pretty dark in here...>
The hallway to the storage was significantly narrower than the party deck.
I had nothing but faint, occasionally flashing lights to guide me through this dark hallway. I decided to proceed carefully.
<Seriously, this place is way creepier than wherever Hong Lu was going with his story...>
<Sinclair...?>
<You there?>
I wasn't sure where these water droplets were falling from, but they were really getting on my nerves.
I don't see anything here. Not that I could in this dark, even if there were...
All I see is a very faint ray of light, and...
…….
<Sinclair?>
... and Sinclair. It seemed to me that he'd been standing here for a good while. Exactly how long... I wasn't sure.
... Uh.
Sinclair stood there, still like death. He looked up.
<... What are you looking at?>
Now that I'm in here... I noticed that there was something funny about the ray of light.
I assumed that the light I saw was from a lamp or something, but... no. It was just there, surrounding the general area where Sinclair stood.
There was no light source.
So the light's shining in from the outside, maybe...?
No, that doesn't make sense either. We're deep in the ship's storage, a big metal box with no opening for even a single strand of natural light.
Besides, it's nighttime. This is getting more and more bizarre by the second. Where is this light coming from...?
<…!>
<Sinclair, we gotta get out of here!>
…….
<Run, NOW!>
<Come on!>
Fear of the unknown intensifies. What I saw defied every bit of common sense I had accumulated over the journey, and I had to get Sinclair out of there - I snatched and tugged his limp wrist.
<Come on, wake up!!!>
That seemed to have done the trick. Sinclair suddenly snapped back to reality and began screaming. He bolted out of the room.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Huh?! The lad's lost the plot! What in the bloody -
THEREWASAPERSONFLOATINGINTHEAIRAPERSONINTHEAIRFLOATINGSOMEONEWASUPTHEREJUSTSUSPENDEDINTHEAIR!!!
... Okay, now I'm actually creeped out.
That can't be... a person.
Then that was...
What, you think we have enough time for a lecture? Prepare for battle.
23. Cruise Party 4, after the battle
38 lines<So they were... Mermaids...>
Yeah. Whoever sailed on this ship... they were probably too distracted by the party to realize that they broke a law of the Lake. So...
<So they ended up getting devoured by a Whale.>
<And this deserted ship... is the aftermath.>
Even if we stick to every single law of the Lake, depending on the type of its Waves, getting too close to a ship that broke the law could get us swept up in the aftermath.
Their single lapse of judgment led to this chilling catastrophe.
I remembered Ishmael looking into the Lake, muttering to herself. I also remembered the rough, biting words she threw at us.
This was the reality of the Great Lake that Ishmael survived before joining us.
A place where even the smallest mistake could mean total annihilation.
A place where one must struggle endlessly to survive the terrible unknown.
<So this was the kind of path Ishmael sailed before joining us...>
If only... If only I'd known... Then maybe I could've been more understanding of her.
I keep going back to my quarrel with Ishmael back at the Boatworks. I can't stop thinking about it.
We have dispatched the Mermaids that descended onto the deck, but lingering any longer may draw the rest of them to us.
This party is over. Let's return to our ship.
We left the cruise ship as fast as we could.
After an indeterminate amount of time...
<So we didn't find anything...>
<I made the wrong call. I shouldn't have made such a rash decision.>
…….
It's okay. At least we're still alive.
And that was that. Ishmael didn't say more.
It is fortunate, however, that we procured ourselves some ration for the journey ahead.
Hey, the radar's caught something. It's... large.
... That is very close to the center of the coordinates.
Then that dot on the radar has to be...
... The Lobotomy Corp. Branch of District 21.
... I'm going out for some air.
Ishmael slowly returned to the spot by the ship's railings where she stood muttering to herself.
For a moment, I wondered if I should follow her like I did earlier, but...
<…….>
... But maybe she wanted some time alone to think about things. I decided to leave her be.
... Get your shit together.
Bury your feelings from them.
I have a mission I must see through to the end - my one and only mission. I've sharpened my harpoon for that singular moment.
I... have to be colder. Harsher.
I have... a mission that I can't fail...
And if anything even dares to stand in my way, I'll...
24. The Calamity, before the battle
78 linesAh... There it is.
Our destination, the Lobotomy Corp. Branch of U Corp.
You think they're still there...? The survivors Pilot mentioned?
... Unless aught has transpired since then, we still have time aplenty.
As Sinclair and Yi Sang shared their thoughts, the large structure loomed ever closer, out of the mist and into our line of sight.
Ho. Creepy.
Every Sinner, save for Ryōshū, froze.
That's... the Lobotomy Corp. Branch...?
We are as close as it is physically possible to be to the center of the area delineated by the coordinates. The structure's size and appearance match the intel we received as well.
Ah... Ahh...
The sight was enough to shut everyone up.
To hope that there may be any survivors in this structure was far too optimistic a notion for what appeared before us.
I observe the Lobotomy Corp. logo between the white materials.
So that's... really...
Only the smeared logo of the Lobotomy Corp. Branch glistened amidst mounds of pallid, blasphemous white. This was the undeniable reality we found ourselves in.
What the hell happened here...?
Pilot said that the last thing that the Twinhook Pirates said before leaving this place was...
'The Calamity is coming', wasn't it?
This sight summons to my mind memories from the earlier days of this company. The manner in which the organic tissues are... plastered over the walls is quite reminiscent of that experience.
Eugh... Back at the D Corp. Branch, right? I hope there's no poison gas trap or anything like that in here...
At D Corp., there was a traitor in our midst. Thus, it would be false equivalency to use that experience to gauge the intensity of this mission.
Yeah, I... don't think it'll be much better here... if not worse.
Then... Pilot's team is already...
We should consider them lucky if they haven't been turned into Mermaids...
<So the Calamity was...>
The Calamity that Pilot mentioned didn't destroy the Lobotomy Corp. Branch.
It transformed this place into something uncanny. Something so grotesque that total obliteration would've been preferable to whatever happened here.
Well, destruction isn't the only kind of calamity in this world.
The Great Lake is home to five Calamities. Well... four now, I suppose.
Whatever do you mean?
I meant that... Hm. You'll find out soon enough.
It won't matter how careful you are. At the Great Lake, the Calamities will always find you. The laws of the Great Lake don't apply to them... making it impossible to predict their patterns.
And now's the time to row your way into the ruins the Calamity left behind.
Take the skiff to the Lobotomy Corp. Branch. It's on the Lake adjacent to this one.
I'll be keeping my distance and watching from this Lake, just in case of an emergency.
<Isn't that exactly why you should be coming with us?>
Who knows what the guide bud's thinking, eh?
After a quick tinkering from Faust, the skiff tied to the side of Mephistopheles began its slow descent.
It's the same skiff we used to get to the cruise ship.
We're getting a lot of use out of this boat.
Mm, I still don't trust this dinghy... It's too small.
The small engine on the skiff revved gently, and our short, sputtering journey to the Lobotomy Corp. Branch began.
Are Lakes usually this foggy? The Lake earlier was pretty misty, too...
Mm, we must remain vigilant! Fogged up horizons are climate quite ripe for an ambush! Forsooth, 'tis the number one rule of adventuring tales!
There was a growing sense of trepidation among the Sinners...
... as we climbed the pale membrane-enveloped stairs leading up to the Lobotomy Corp. Branch.
Hey, Dante? Can you... sense it? The Golden Bough?
<Not yet...>
Hmm... You sure about that?
Rodya was visibly disappointed. Maybe she was half-hoping that I'd tell her that the Golden Bough wasn't here, so we should turn around and head right back to Mephistopheles.
Ugh, I know I'm the worry wart of the team whenever we gotta check out places like this, but... I have a real bad feeling about this, guys...
The closer we got to the entrance, the more reluctant the Sinners's gaits became.
As though they were growing increasingly wary that some unseen enemy could ambush them at any second.
What's the holdup? Aren't you coming?
Don't you feel it? This dread... I thought it would affect you most. You're the one who spent years on the Lake, after all.
So? That's what's stopping you?
It's... Haah...
Wait by the entrance if you're not going.
What did you expect, mate? I've given up talking sense into her a while ago.
I thought she'd gotten a bit more cooperative as of late. ... Guess I was wrong.
Well... We do have to go.
Ishmael appeared to be the only Sinner uninterested in the Golden Bough.
The Golden Bough, the unfathomable, bone-chilling horrors of the Lake...
I was starting to believe that she considered all of that nothing but obstacles between her and her mission.
What may be this pale, mucous membrane covering the entirety of this structure?
Some kind of mold... Maybe?
I.F.
To identify it as fungi would require it to exhibit characteristics unlike the ones we can observe here...
Hm. I agree. They don't appear to be fungi. In fact...
They appear to be made of organic, living flesh tissue. See the blood vessels here. They've grown into random shapes without purpose or intent.
Ridiculous. I am surrounded by I.F.
What do you mean?
Art reliant on the chaos of existence cannot create patterns such as these.
Look at the big picture, fool.
Gazing upon the big picture, I only see a pointless disputation that does naught but wastes our vigor.
... Tsk.
You do not intend to stall, no? See thither. Ishmael already walks at a fair distance away from us.
…….
25. The Whaler, before the battle
187 lines......
Don Quixote had stopped dead in her tracks. She was looking blankly at a section of the wall.
See anything interesting, kiddo?
Here. In the wall.
Huh...?
There is... a person in this wall.
... M-maybe it's a sculpture?
... If there is anyone capable of sculpting something so true to life as this, I'll drop everything and plead the artist to take me in as their student.
Ahh...
Hurk... No... Are they the people Pilot was looking for...?
Hark! Heed mine words!
Why the heck would ya talk to it?!
… … ….
Behold! This man is alive!
Oh, this is the worst. This is the absolute worst. It's making me real queasy...
... Hm.
…….
Hark, mine friends! This man is alive! We must free him from this bond posthaste!
Mm... Even if we wanted to, looks like it's a bit late for him.
Total disassembly is the only way I see it ever getting out of there. Heh.
Wha...
Well, by now we should be getting used to these failures...
The body is firmly lodged in the walls. No ordinary human strength could separate his body from it.
With superhuman strength, you risk tearing the body to several parts.
Fie, this is an evil that... cannot go unanswered...
Impressive... There's no sign of anyone forcing it into the walls.
This is quite a natural exhibition. As though this was how it was conceived from the very beginning.
We thought... I thought it would be different this time. We made a promise, gave our word...
…….
Unlike the other Sinners, Ishmael didn't even spare a glance to those that were trapped within the walls.
Manager, staring at them won't magically summon the Golden Bough to your palms. Say something so we can get a move on.
<I guess there's nothing we can do for them. Still...>
And I've said repeatedly that I don't want to waste time.
We don't have to worry about the laws of the Lake here, so why don't we make this a more leisurely -
Sure, look around all you want. But you won't find any survivors here.
A testament against thy claim is right here!
Those things aren't really alive. They're only pretending to be.
Yet...
I recognize these. They're ruin left behind by... the thing. The thing that leaves nothing unchanged in its wake.
It could swallow the world in the blink of an eye. But it also spews it back out just as quickly.
And what it spews out... never comes back right...
Isn't it funny? If it's going to spew it out anyway, what's the point of devouring it in the first place?
I don't understand... Why does it try to devour everything it comes across?
<Are you... talking about that same Whale you mentioned before...?>
…….
In no tales of adventure have I heard one mention of such a terrifying Whale! Is it truly a Whale?!
Then why didn't you listen when I told all of you that we weren't ready? If you did, at least we could've been in the right headspace for the Lake. But no.
<So you're saying that... that Whale you met devoured this building?>
Yes.
<How can you be sure of that?>
Because... this pale ruin is what that Whale leaves behind. Everything turns pallid... like this building.
…!
W... It... me... div...
I have visual on a suspicious individual.
Maybe it's an Abnormality? We're in a Lobotomy Corp. Branch, after all...
Y-yeah. Let's just say that that's what it is and chop it down.
... Wait, wait a minute! That might be a survivor!
Well, didn't you say there won't be any survivors left here? Which is it?
I did. And that's why it's... so... incredible...
Hey!
<I-Ishmael! You shouldn't get so close to...!>
Ishmael strides toward the figure.
Maybe she's being mind-controlled by an Abnormality?!
No such signs have been detected. There is nothing out of the ordinary in her eyes.
He... Iah.
The closer Ishmael gets, the more of the figure's body is taken over by the pallid, off-white membrane. The voice grows increasingly incoherent.
…. … …… … ……. …
That's impossible.
Just now... It was... talking. Like a human.
<... Ishmael...>
You saw it too! Just now, it...!
<Ishmael! You have to get away from - >
No, no. This can't be real. I-if what I've known my whole life about this place is... About the Great Lake...
She is experiencing heightened emotions.
<Damnit, Ishmael!!>
I could've asked one of the Sinners to stop her, but... Before I even realized what I was doing... I was running toward Ishmael.
I think it was guilt that pushed me to act. Guilt that I may have played a part in driving Ishmael to this point.
Dante! You mustn't -
Oh.
But guilt can sometimes help.
The figure's face shifted again when I approached Ishmael.
The white membrane covering their face begins to withdraw, as though an unseen force is peeling it off the skin.
The mouth didn't come back... but the eyes that looked at us were unmistakably human-shaped.
They were blinking. With effort.
… … ……. … ……
The membrane... is gone...?
This... When you approached it, this damn white membrane... it... faded.
It appears that the Golden Bough is counteracting its effects.
Faust approached us.
Dante, it appears that the shard of the Golden Bough lodged into your clock is counteracting the infection of this... Pallidification effect to a degree.
The figure, whose mouth was still wrapped under a pallid membrane, blinks wearily. As though they could understand what we were saying.
... Counter... acting?
Wait, so with a Golden Bough...
A Mermaid can... Ha ha. A Mermaid can turn back into a human? Is that what you're saying? Did I get that right? Faust?
... While that theory has not been properly cross-examined...
Just! ... Just tell me if it's possible.
Though it was curt... I've never heard such intense desperation in her voice before.
... Yes. Although it may be limited to... Mermaids of the Whale that presumably devoured this structure.
Ha... Ha ha...
Manager... Dante... Just what are you...?
Realizing that there was something that I could've done... The memories of that day... the nightmare that I tried so hard to lock away...
They're coming back right before my eyes.
I can see them, vomited from that Whale, sinking, floating in the briny sea... All of them...
Ishmael looked at me with a vacant expression.
You hear it too, don't you...?
You hear how the waves roared that day...
Ishmael was right... Emotions of the past begin flooding, roaring before me.
Ishmael...
She stands alone in a sea of tall, rolling waves.
<…….>
I nodded, carefully.
... Once, I was a seafarer.
A Fixer. A sailor.
I was something in that awkward middle ground... which we called Whalers.
Do you understand? No... Do you see them?
Do you see the looks on the faces of those who dared to wager everything... and those who had nothing left to wager?
Whaling ships carry people like them across the waves.
<So... You've seen it yourself? The Whale that devoured this place?>
The Whales we've met so far... transform those they devour into something completely different. Into something utterly unrecognizable from who they were before by rearranging and replacing their whole body.
But that Whale... is different.
Those devoured by the Pallid Whale aren't transformed. They're still themselves... just wrapped in a pale membrane.
Hah. I guess it's a stretch to say that they're still themselves.
Sometimes, we'd sail our ship toward the Outskirts.
There, we'd see those ships. Those... false ships.
The ships that have turned completely pallid.
It's an old wisdom among Whalers that those ships must be avoided at all costs, even if it meant going all the way around the Lake they're in.
Because the sailors consumed by that Whale retain everything, their habits, their skills...
Except they wander the Lake only to attack everything they come across.
The Captain of 'the Pequod', our ship...
She had a mission. To hunt that Pallid Whale with her own two hands.
The entire time we sailed on the Pequod... she sermonized our ears off about what a worthy, honorable mission it was to hunt that Whale.
It was annoying, and we knew that she wasn't exactly all there, but...
... No. Maybe she just knew how to sink the rest of us to the depths of her insanity.
Her mission soon became our very own. To hunt that Pallid Whale became our salvation. Our destiny.
That Captain drove everyone on that ship mad.
When the time finally came to face that Whale, the Whale from which all hatred, all evils of the world spout...
We were promptly crushed. Devoured. Reduced to a scattered pile of driftwood.
When I came to, floating in the vast coldness of the sea, holding onto my dear life to a piece of driftwood... there was nothing left. Nothing.
And when I realized what I was holding onto wasn't a piece of driftwood, but the...
That's why I can never forgive her...
At a certain point, this stopped being a conversation.
Ishmael's words grew increasingly aimless like a vortex of the sea, endlessly whirling in place...
Now, it was clear what Ishmael's mission was. Where the tip of her razor-sharp harpoon aimed.
It was aimed at the Captain that drove them all to damnation - an overwhelming tide of hatred and obsession burned fiercely in her direction.
I'm going to kill her... with my own two hands...
There was no room for reason or rationality to convince her otherwise.
<…….>
I suppose bringing up that I saw from Ishmael's obsession...
... a glimpse of her old Captain... won't do anything to help right now.
<Ishmael... We don't even know if that Captain is still alive.>
I was... desperately hanging onto my best mate's coffin. The coffin of someone with whom I'd shared everything. That's when I, through the tempest, saw the Captain.
I saw that fucker standing alone, facing down that Whale as it devoured her ship. Laughing mad.
Her fiercely loyal crew were floating on the surface of the Outskirts sea, powerless to do anything but wait until they too were devoured. But none of that mattered to her.
That bastard is alive.
She has to be alive still. She has to be.
So... I have to find her...
We have to... not before... we kill the Captain...
<Ishmael...>
I wanted to ask her which "we" she was referring to,
But...
I was starting to think that nothing I say would improve anything, if it didn't outright bring everything crashing down.
... That was when an imperceptibly light breeze broke through the silence.
A solitary butterfly.
It moved with grace tinged with fragility, as though it did not fear the weight of this heavy silence.
It took a moment to gently flutter onto a puddle.
…….
... That is a butterfly.
Hmph, you think any ordinary butterfly would wander into a place like this?
After a quick respite, the butterfly fluttered its wings and took off once again.
It's like... the butterfly is asking us to follow.
Is it an Abnormality? Finally. I was wondering when they'd show their ugly mugs.
…….
<It might be a trap... But we're lost. It's the only thing with any sense of direction we have at the moment.>
I am in agreement.
I am... also quite intrigued by the butterfly.
… … …. …
What do you think they are... saying?
I have been lending them my ear, yet none has yet to reach me.
They are speaking in a certain pattern, though I am unable to decipher it.
It is a code, of sorts. A mix of sound frequencies and encryption patterns.
Ah...
Don Quixote was at the far back end of the line, looking back at the figure.
I suppose... it is true that without Manager Esquire, there could be no resolution to thy predicament...
When I walked away, the pallid membrane grew over the face again, burying it.
And... it began to shamble.
Is it as Ishmael said...? Will they now roam the Great Lake, attacking everyone and everything they come across?
Not only their physical senses but also their sense of self... forgotten deep under the pallid membrane.
26. The Lake and the Butterfly, after the battle
93 lines… … …. …
The Mermaids... I think there's less of them now...
Someone stood there, waiting for us. He must have arrived here much earlier than we have.
Quite the arduous journey you've endured.
The butterfly we were following folded its wings and settled gently...
... into his sloshing head.
The figure's voice was clear and precise unlike that of the Mermaids.
And not like an Abnormality.
…!
I didn't expect to find any unharmed survivors...
<No, wait. Is he... a Distortion...?>
Oi, clockhead. You friends with that bowlhead?
A Distortion? Like... that Bingbong's Bar & Fryers owner from earlier?
I see that many of you are rather flummoxed by my appearance.
This is but one of the many ways one may choose to understand the journey that is the world.
So, please do not be so wary.
Oooh... Thy head... splishes and sploshes so.
Under the night sky where the stars have gone out, I await the coming dawn.
Call me Rim.
…….
We're not here to introduce ourselves. So why don't we cut to the chase.
Explain yourself. You must have some reason for coming to this mad Mermaid-infested place.
And we didn't see any other boat than our own by the docks of this structure. So explain how you -
I have no need of ships should I wish to cross the ocean.
I am simply here to have a look at all of you.
Wow~ We're really starting to put our name out there!
You are those who follow the bough's golden ray.
Okay, if you're here to see us, knowing what we're looking for...
... No way, are you about to tell us where the Golden Bough is?
Huh, isn't it obvious that he's here to stop us from -
Yes, indeed I am.
... Man, I'm really off my game.
To seek the bough within this structure is to understand the futility of time.
I still can't sense the Golden Bough this deep into the Branch; there was truth to what he said. The Bough was no longer here.
Then to where must we journey?!
I am certain that you are already aware that there are parties other than your own that are interested in the Boughs.
You have surrendered one to them after toiling for it, in fact.
Tsk...
H-how do you know that?
The Whale, once fated to roam the Outskirts for all eternity... is now drawn by that same incandescent, gilded calling.
You're saying that the Whale came from the Outskirts all the way to the Great Lake of U Corp. for the Golden Bough?
Quite. And swallowed this structure whole with that delicate Bough.
The Abnormalities here have also left with that magnificent yet fragile Whale, drawn by that selfsame calling.
What you seek is no longer to be found here.
Excuse me, why are you sharing this information with us?
It matters not who lays claim upon the Golden Bough, or to what end they use it. It is no more than a mere fluttering of wings.
We simply seek to steer the echoes of that fluttering toward a better direction.
We? Who are you talking about?
We are those who watch all, those who bide the time. Those who will be sovereigns of a Star.
Yet, we are those who cannot all embody the same Star.
A red mark briefly flashed on his head.
I've seen that mark before.
…!
Those who watch, you say...
Yi Sang shot a silent gaze in Rim's direction.
Rim.
Have you also watched the breaking of the League, then? Have you any idea of what fate has befallen our old fellows?
I do.
Yet you have done... naught but observe?
…….
Is he one of your old... friends, Yi Sang?
A part of my life that you have witnessed afore.
One of those who left when the League of Nine scattered into the winds.
You have last uttered to me that you would journey to the ocean, yet...
Indeed, I was one of them. Once.
I shall answer your question, Yi Sang. You ask whether I have done naught but watch?
That is a question born of vacuity.
For you, the League is dead. Yet, for some, its death was but a beginning.
I am certain that you are... well aware of that yourself.
When does something end? When does something begin? The distinction is arbitrary and signifies naught.
The shattering of the League was a beginning for Brother Young-ji as well.
…….
I see... You have cast it aside long, long time ago.
My eyes were simply opened to the stem of this world.
The singular, yet all-important stem.
Once your eyes are opened to it... everything else becomes...
... As hollow as the fall of wilted petals.
I just need to know one thing.
If... the Golden Bough is inside the Whale that devoured this place... And if the Golden Boughs can really...
Somehow... counteract the Pallidification effects...
Ishmael's breathing was quick and light. She couldn't finish her sentence.
It can be said that, indeed, what you believe, what you wish to be true, is correct.
…….
I see.
I hope I have been a useful signpost to you all.
To where do you seek to depart again?
I was once a mere pond who only knew where the sea, the rivers, and the City were.
Now I seek to reach there with my wings.
That is all.
Stop right there... You know too much! Think we're about to let you leave, just like that?
Pity. Try as you might to hold me now, I flow betwixt your fingers.
Well, then.
With that, he stepped into the puddle... and disappeared into its depths.
27. The Lake and the Butterfly 2, before the battle
10 lines…. … …. …
Pallid bipedals began to fill the void Rim left behind.
It can be deduced that it was his influence that kept the Mermaids at bay.
But why...?
I can only theorize that their primal sense of certain ebbs and flows of energy remained even as their reason eroded.
You're saying that he scared 'em off or something...?
<Sinclair, on his forehead, there was...>
... Yeah.
The one who bisected Kromer with a flick of his wrist. The one who silently approached me to talk.
I remember the one marked with the bright red sign.
28. The Lake and the Butterfly 3, after the battle
27 linesLooks like Rim wasn't lying. I don't think there's a Golden Bough here.
I don't feel the bough, either.
Now... what will you do?
All organic matter other than us in this Lobotomy Corp. Branch have doubtless been infected.
That Rim guy... If he's got that mark...
You think he's in cahoots with the flying blue kid from before? ... Are we gonna be okay?
Well, he did help us at the end of the day. Even if he approached us very quietly.
N.W.C.D. What were we supposed to do?
I guess so. There was nothing we could've done.
Still... I don't think Demian held any animosity against us.
Not against you, maybe.
Executive Manager. I still remain doubtful of that man's intentions.
He didn't even share with us what their goals were before fleeing the scene.
Oi, you must know something about the bowlhead. You knew that bloke, didn't you?
Rim has changed too much... I cannot even begin to fathom his intentions.
<Let's... get out of here first.>
<It's pretty clear that the Golden Bough isn't here anymore...>
... What fate befalls those who remain?
A fate we can do nothing about.
I am well aware, yet...
I think I understand how you're feeling. But sometimes, you just gotta learn to let go.
If there's anything I've learned from my life... it's that some things are too far gone to be helped.
... Very well, Sir Heathcliff.
What's gotten into you, Heath? Didn't know you knew how to comfort someone like that~
... Ugh. I wasn't going to suffer that lass's gloom.
With the Pallid Mermaids' unintelligible signals echoing behind us futilely... we decided to leave the Lobotomy Corp. Branch.
We will likely never understand them.
29. Harpoons, before the battle
58 lines<No Golden Bough, no survivors...>
A.T.F.N.
No. It was a good chance to observe art crafted from a different perspective. I suppose all that wasn't for nothing. Heh.
Well~ We're going to be a-okay. A big win always follows a big loss like this~
We're going to have to scour the middle of the Great Lake to find that Bough... Mm. Maybe I should've learned how to swim...
If we are to believe Rim, that Golden Bough... is inside the Pallid Whale.
Are we truly journeying in search of the Pallid Whale...
A Whale as big as a windmi - I mean, as large as a mansion? Nay, as grand as a castillo?
Can... we even catch something like that?
Even if we catch up to it, what then? Ask it nicely to please puke the Bough back into our palms?
Guys, maybe we should just go back...
Go back?
Oh, I-I mean~
And then what? What are you going to do after we 'go back'? What, give up the Golden Bough, just like that?
Pretend like nothing happened and just move on to our next mission?
…….
I don't know how or when it's become acceptable in this group to throw away a Golden Bough just like that, but...
... not me. I'm not going back. I've endured too much to go back now...
There was just ONE thing that kept me going in this shitty company. One thing.
And you know what that is, Faust.
…….
It is as Ishmael said. Abandoning the Golden Bough retrieval in the present situation is not permitted. Success is still within reach.
But... we cannot move at this moment.
It would be best that we rendezvous with Vergilius before discussing our next course of action.
Hah, I see. It's that stupid law of the Great Lake again, huh?
Yes, it is. We have 2 hours remaining.
Wow! Good work, Heathcliff! You're so smart.
You little...
Woah!
A sudden shock shook everyone.
<Let's get outta here first!>
W-what madness is this?!
I observe multiple ships on the horizon, beyond the wall of mist. None of their silhouettes resemble Mephistopheles.
W-what the... Misfire, maybe?
W-wait! Look around!
The water level... it'll be up to our britches any minute!
It was as Heathcliff said. When we first got to this branch, the water level was down there... But now, it had risen high enough that the waves were lapping at the platform we were standing on.
It's high tide. It appears that this Lake's water levels rise and fall depending on the time of day.
They have launched something in our direction.
Brace for impact! Here comes another!
So... not a misfire, then...
Numerous harpoons suddenly riddled the ground we were on.
We were being bombarded with harpoon shots - flung with nary a care whether it hit someone or not.
Agh...
Ryoshu parried a few harpoons away with the back of her sword, but there were simply too many.
It's those Twithook Pirates again, huh... Gotta say, I can respect their tenacity.
Those trash are here only thanks to your very stubborn mercy, Dante.
<…….>
Say not such things... What Manager Esquire did that day was a judgment most noble. 'Twas not an easy decision, forsooth...
Wait! Just use your noggins for once.
They're bound to that Lake, just as we are to this one.
Harpoon us all they want, it's not like them sods can drag their ships toward us. So, in the meanwhile... whassit...
No.
That's... not what the Pirates use harpoons for.
<…….>
<So that's how...>
Ha ha, now ye know why they call us the Twinhooks!
Are ye ready, kids? Who wants to ride the harpoon?!
30. The Big Brother, before the battle
110 lines<We're fending them off somehow, but...>
That ship in the middle sure is eye-catching.
Things are usually that gaudy for a reason, you know?
...! Uh... oh...
T-that guy, standing there at the center...
Rodya rarely ever showed this much fear and anxiety.
<That weird guy up there? He's been posing like that over there ever since this whole mess started.>
Posing? That's not what I'm talking about, Dante...
Don't you recognize his tattoos? He's...
Hmph. A B.B. of the Middle.
What's... a B**ch Brother...?
... I think she meant 'Big Brother'...?
…!
…….
<…….>
<Sorry about bringing this up now, but...>
<What's... the Middle?>
<Just a mere mention, or a mere sight of them alone seems to... shock and intimidate a lot of people. Remember how they pretty much traumatized Pilot?...>
I heard that, the Fingers, which the Middle is a part of...
... are... on a completely different level from your average Syndicates. I've never met any of them face-to-face before, but...
No. People like us... We're never supposed to meet them like this.
We're all going to be F.U.B.A.R.
Time for my one last cig. This is a good day to die, isn't it?
<... Ryōshū, even you...?>
... If a trial must be weathered, we will weather it with dignity and tenacity, Dante.
All right. How was the warmup?
Big Bro's givin' y'all time for a warmup! Appreciate it!
<He's wearing Sunglasses? In this gloomy weather...?>
All hands. Prepare for battle.
Executive Manager, this battle... this foe... will not be like any other we have encountered before. Under such dire circumstances, ensuring the safety of the commanding officer has to be our primary objective.
Please, find a safe place to hide. Make sure to stay out of his sight...
Boring. Didn't think you would take this long for a warm-up.
Let us negotiate! If you're seeking to negotiate... we're more than ready to listen.
Negotiate with a villain such as he...? How...
Well, looks like we're the ones begging for our lives now...
I-I didn't think that a Big Brother of the Middle would be here, in person...
Yeah. But I am.
So... In all those years I've spent as a part of the Middle...
I had this ONE iron rule that I never broke.
... Until today, that is.
Your raid of my personal safe has forced my hand!
Hot damn... Unbelievable! What awful mind thinks of doin' something so heinous...?
... What? Ain't this about what happened back at the Twinhooks' club?
A bulky, ancient book hung from his waist, secured in place by thick chains. He lifted it with his hand.
So here on this day, I declare your sins, o guilty ones.
Your unforgivable sins...!
Look, we had a little kerfuffle with Ms. Smee, but...
... Your subordinate, she... remains safe and unharmed.
W-wait, no! Stop -
......
Smee? Who's that?
Oh, uh... whisper, whisper...
<... No way. He didn't know...?>
... My interjection may have been unnecessary.
Well then... uh, okay. Let's see... With that sin piled on top...
The Big Brother began flipping through the pages, taking time to wet his fingers...
That's 'The Book of Vengeance'. Once your name's written on that book... F.U.B.A.R is also written into your fate. Hilarious. So hilarious that I might go mad... Ha ha.
Listen. We live in a binary world. The world that is luscious... and the world that is bristly. Are you aware of their differences?
Silence.
The urge to blurt out "what the hell are you talking about?" was palpable, yet it was suppressed by an unknown, incredibly patient, force.
The luscious...
Is what flows and wraps gently around your hand when your fingers comb through it...
And the bristly... is what roughly stabs and pokes out between your fingers.
Patience, perseverance, and a delicate pair of talented hands are crucial to becoming the most luscious that one can be.
<…….>
Do you understand?
Do you understand now, the incredible amount of effort that goes into maintaining this hair in the right shape and the perfect lusciousness?
There once was a coupon. A coupon to get the coveted personal hands-on hair care...
... from the director of a top-level luxury hair salon on one of the richest ports of U Corp., the Stingray Portship! Continuously, for FIVE HOURS!
It is said that, with that coupon, anyone could enter the world of the luscious! And anyone with a coupon had the privilege of an appointment-free visit!
<…….>
Oh.
<So... we're being accused of taking his... coupons for a hair salon?>
So when you called him a B**ch Brother...
I meant that he can be a real Bitch to get rid of once you piss him off.
Damnit... We should've steered clear of these bastards...
They were to be my first steps into the world of the luscious.
Yet, the coupon thief...
... has left me stranded indefinitely in the world of the bristly...
Behold. Behold the testament to your heinous sins.
The Big Brother tossed a piece of paper before us.
On it was... a picture.
<... Heathcliff?>
I-I didn't know the safe was his! Look! It's got colorful kitty stickers on it! You've got to be absolutely barmy to assume that it's the safe of the Middle's Big Brother, right?!
Everyone has... different tastes, just like the numerous, colorful Lakes of the Great Lake.
Your blatant lack of respect for diverse, differing tastes will have to be added to the Book of Vengeance as well.
Someone, please shut Heath up before he adds anything more to that book...
Hup...
<Heathcliff... Did you even know who, what, or where these coupons were for?>
Of course not... Bloody hell...
Sob... We are the villains in this tale, then? Have we become naught but little thieving rascals? Wherefore hast thou committed such villainy, Heathcliff...
Thou hast not once given a second look at a hair salon, yet why...
I-I've got my reasons...
There is one good news, however...
The chance of your absolution, even if you were to return the coupons, is infinitesimal. Infinitely close to nil, in fact.
Thus, keeping the coupons will make no difference to the outcome of this encounter, Heathcliff. They are now yours.
The bad news...
... is that we'll all be O.O.F.-ed before Heathcliff even gets the chance to use them...
With his extended, passionate speech coming to an end, the Big Brother of the Middle and Don Quixote both wiped the tears from their eyes.
And the price of your sins...
Uh... Let's see. Title 8, Section 20 says...
On row A... Line 6... Hair Salon Coupons...
<That book has instructions in case someone steals their hair salon coupons?!>
Aha! I've found it.
Complete and total extermination of all involved parties; execute the coupon thief and any and all of their affiliates. Effective immediately.
Hmph. Truly, a B.B.
My name's Ricardo, a Big Brother of the Middle. Let my name be the last thing you remember before you perish. Memories are important, after all.
Ryōshū threw her one last cig to the ground, smoked down to the butt...
Unsatisfying... I'll get a proper luxury cig next time. ... If there is a next time.
And the Big Brother quite literally soared into the air.
31. The Big Brother, after the battle
53 linesYou regenerate... Like nothing happened.
Unlike my hairdo... Which should have received its rightful care that day... and will never recover...
Can my clock even make a difference against someone so overwhelmingly powerful?
My legs began to shake. Strategy, resurrections... it all seemed completely meaningless against this onslaught.
Dan... te.
Faust's voice calling my name has never sounded more hollow.
<... Speak, Faust.>
You must come up with a new plan...
My bodily functions will cease again in a matter of moments. This may be my last meaningful advice to you.
And sooner or later, that man from the Middle will come for you.
<What...>
The involvement of an individual affiliated with the Middle... should not have happened.
It will not matter how many times you turn the clock... That man will crush your clock as soon as he tires of inventing different ways of killing Heathcliff.
There is a button on the back of your head. Tap it ... times... Hold it ... times...
I'd grown accustomed to total annihilation.
We've had plenty on our journey here.
The Sinners always gave their lives to learn our enemies' weaknesses or patterns, while I worked out a strategy from the rear.
And the answer would always be somewhere within our reach.
Slowly but surely, we'd figure out the answer. And for that promise of an answer, the Sinners rose again.
But...
This time was...
Once you have completed the sequence, you have 30 seconds before the charge in your head explodes.
In other words, you can self-detonate.
<…….>
That is our last resort - an emergency preventative measure to stop our enemies from getting their hands on the Golden Boughs.
While the explosion radius may be small, the heat and the force it generates are powerful enough to melt even the Stars of the City. It should be effective enough to cremate the Golden Boughs as well...
<What about Vergilius? He said he'd come help before... my... head...>
... I see that you now have the full understanding of our predicament. We have no way of relaying our present situation to him. Even if he did learn of our troubles, he has no means to reach us within the next two hours.
<What about the Sinners? When I'm gone, you guys are...>
I am well aware of the consequences. My world will meet its end here. That is why this is your last resort.
<I-I could keep running away. I'll take the boat and try to stay alive until the laws of the Lake lets Vergilius cross the borders, and...>
... There is a chance, yes. But it is incredibly slim.
<……>
This was the second time after Siegfried.
The overwhelming sense of dread. So overwhelming that it breaks even our fighting spirits.
The incident with Siegfried was humiliating, but he wasn't there to obliterate us. He was just there to teach us a lesson...
But this man... He's not going to stop until he's completely broken every Sinner's will. Until he's satisfied. Until the 'humiliation' the Middle faced is recuperated... He will kill.
... Even though this may be the end of LCB, the world... no. Limbus Company must continue to exist... Dante, you must make a judgment call.
Look what we have here.
I've torn you to pieces, yet with burning eyes, you still attempt to rise.
Agh... We can't... not here... Not like this...
Haha! Tick-tock and bring back the dead, huh?!
What a world we live in. Is that kinda tech even allowed in the City, though? Guess I'll go ask the Great Sister once I get back.
<Ishmael, we...>
... Can't win.
I'm sure Ishmael knew that better than anyone. I couldn't bring myself to tell her the same thing.
Shut up.
Stop fucking around and do your job.
Give it another try, why don'tcha?
Kach...
Bring me... back... Again...
Ishmael and I were nothing more than entertainment to him.
With every turn of the clock, with every revival, he howled with laughter and clapped with joy.
32. The Big Brother 2, before the battle
69 linesGood, good! You nicked my sunglasses!
Too bad~ You'll have to try again!
... Damn it...!
I... didn't face... all those Waves just to...!
As long as I can keep trying, I can...!
The mist thickens.
It expands, devouring everything - our futures, our hopes, and any slim chance of victory we had.
And so does the fog of my sight, of my mind.
Will this continue until... either Ishmael gives up...
Or until he gets tired of this little game?
Until he simply walks over and crushes my clock?
Could Vergilius piece my shattered clock back?
Is that even possible?
If... I did as Faust told me to and blew up my head...
Not even a shred of me would be...
... Your repertoire's starting to get old.
How about we just zoom right past that and to the main event? I call this clock bashing~!
<…!>
No...! Dante! Run! Get out of here!
That clock fella's gotta be someone so very precious to you, hmm? Just look at her, hanging onto my leg... after all that beating.
Not the manager... No...! Not Dante...! Not Dante...!
Should I... press the button?
Is that really going to be my last ever thought?
There was a distant sound. Like an answer to my question.
That solemn sound tolled clearly through the blinding fog.
…….
It was a skiff. One much smaller, much more modest than ours.
From beyond the misty veil, the skiff slowly glided across the water in our direction. On it was a solitary figure holding an oar. A giant harpoon was attached to the bow of the ship.
But why...?
The Big Brother of the Middle...
Who could probably break that puny skiff in half with his bare hands...
... stares at it in stunned silence.
…….
It became clear that the skiff didn't float here by accident...
... when the figure on the boat began gently rowing in our direction.
Through the mist, we saw something flash atop the skiff.
The figure hurled something in our general direction. It flew so fast that no human eye could catch it.
I didn't even have the time to register that something was thrown... before I noticed that something was piercing the Big Brother's left shoulder.
Then, a powerful shockwave, far mightier than anything the pirates had fired earlier struck us. The air itself quaked.
It was not a distance that most people would even think about jumping across, but...
... the figure leaped over from the skiff to the Lobotomy Corp. Branch gracefully and with agility.
The man from the Middle, who so far had appeared unassailable... stumbled, and fell to his knees. His shoulder was skewered.
Haah... You...!
That's when I finally noticed that what the figure had thrown... was a harpoon.
A harpoon too immense to be thrown by a mere person, let alone at such a blinding speed.
The hooded figure's arm was wreathed in a familiar light.
You old geezer...
Thought you were out there, fishing... What, you think you're some hot shit now that they made you a Color? Just because you hunted the Marlin Whale? Are you challenging the Middle to a hunt like we're some Whale? That it?
You're not the kind of idiot that would attack me without knowing the consequences.
The Middle is no different from a Whale, hm. But that's not why I am here.
I'm just after a fish that got away.
Ha... ha ha... 'Course you are... I'm sure there's no need for me to remind you that the Middle never forgets.
Feel free to write me down in the remaining margins of that nasty little book, if you wish.
The old man tugs the harpoon lodged in the Big Brother's shoulder.
Hngh...
The 'Big Brother' tried to hold his ground against the harpoon's pull... Until there was a crunch.
Those that do not bend... break.
The harpoon tore off his entire shoulder with it.
... It was a force that would have turned most people into tattered meat.
Not bad.
Would you like to give it another try?
... Fine, fine! I'll leave for now. But... don't you forget.
The Middle remembers. It doesn't matter what I did here; the Middle will remember everyone and everything that dared to turn their back on it.
And the Middle always pays its debts. In whichever form…
…….
Ishmael and I had no choice but to watch in silent awe as the old man approached us.
The harpoon was still in his hand, and if he wished to strike us with it... we could never hope to get out of its way.
I'm looking for the fish that consumed this structure.
Are you two also here to fish?
33. The Indigo Elder, before the battle
111 linesThis was unexpected of you, Faust.
For you of all Sinners to be the one to bring aboard a 'big shot' to our humble abode.
Tsk, do you have any idea how many times that prick killed us? The least you could do is -
Yes... that reminds me. I'll have to re-open my personal consultation hours for a certain kleptomaniac among us.
……..
Vergilius' obvious discontent at the involvement of an outsider didn't seem to bother Faust.
I considered him indispensable to the completion of this mission.
And why is that?
Because I am the only one who can hunt that Pallid Whale.
... Of course you are.
The Indigo Elder.
Indigo? He is a Color?! Thou meanest to say that I at this very moment am sharing a space with not one but TWO COLOR FIXERS...?
I heard that you were wandering the Great Lake to hunt its Whales.
And last I heard, you hunted one of the five Calamities, the All-impaling Marlin Whale.
... Hrm.
The old man grunted. It was neither a confirmation nor a denial, but that was the way the old man was. Everyone understood that.
All circumstantial evidence suggests that the Golden Bough was devoured by the Whale stranded at the Great Lake.
Yes, that very same Pallid Whale of the Five Calamities, normally observed in the Outskirts.
... Hm. Of course. That's how these things always tend to flow.
We've wasted much time, so I'll be blunt. I wish to hunt the Pallid Whale.
Yes. And time's all we have.
Moreover, we know where the Whale is headed.
And I am certain that you have spent a significant amount of time observing and learning that Whale to hunt it.
…….
I've got a plan.
And I'll do anything to make it work. Even if you want me there only as bait.
And this is how we'll do it.
… …… … …….
The crowd fell silent when Ishmael finished explaining her plan.
... You're mad. All that thrashing's finally sent you off the deep end.
I'm just going there for my mission. And the Golden Bough just happens to be in the same direction.
I'll leave it up to you. Well, to the manager, since their decision matters the most.
This Company, me... We're both just trying to find a way to reach our goals. That's all this is.
…….
Besides, does anyone have a better idea?
No. Can't agree to that. We're making a mistake by even entertaining that barmy idea.
……
I must ask you one last thing.
Will you join us to fish, Red?
The Indigo Elder suddenly broke his silence with a question.
…….
I'm not experienced or particularly skilled at hunting marine life, but...
... I have other, more important concerns that prevent me from joining.
So, no. Unless the worst comes to pass, I will not take part.
…….
The old man rose from his seat and walked off as though he was about to leave.
Wait... Wait a moment.
We don't need the guide. With a proper plan, we are more than capable of completing this mission.
To give up so quickly is -
I never said I am.
This loud, screaming ship won't do in our hunt for the Pallid Whale.
<Screaming? I didn't think Mephistopheles was that loud.>
To hunt it, the boat must remain near and covert. A narrow and sturdy boat is what we need.
... Huh? So all you needed to hear was that Vergilius wasn't going to help out? Why?
Right? This could go much smoother if Vergie was with us.
We can prepare a boat that fits your specifications, should you request it.
That's all right. I'll sail on my own skiff.
That old dinghy? That Whale could split it in two with a light wag of its tail.
... No. That skiff... It may not look like much, but it is extremely durable.
I see that X Corp.'s alloys have been used in its construction. That could not have been an easy ingredient to come by.
Ooh... another benefit of having a Color bestowed upon thee, then?! I have heard tale of -
Hrm...
Instead of entertaining that bombardment of questions...
... he approached me.
<…?>
I noticed it in the earlier scuffle. That clock seems to have been you and your crew's lifeline.
I know not how it works, but I presume it is a Singularity of sorts.
It will not work against the Whale.
So start now. Get used to the idea that not everything can be brought back.
<Why...>
<Why did you accept? Even after Vergilius opted out?>
It was a question I've been unable to let go.
Dante asks why you accepted our request, even after Vergilius opted out of it.
You ask me the wrong question. I would have denied your request, had Red agreed to take part.
Let's say that Red joined us. We would together battle the Whale in a long and arduous struggle. In the end, the Whale would surely go down - taking one of us with it.
That is why I would have opted out if Red chose to join us.
<…?>
Because the hunt would no longer be mine.
Whatever doth thou mean? Thy intentions elude me...
I mean that I would not be able to test the limits.
…….
The limits? What are you even talking about?
Look, to hunt that Whale, we have to prepare with everything we have. And...
Out of fear, humans drew borders even to the Outskirts that lie beyond the City limits.
Beyond it are stars that lie beyond the edge of understanding, beyond even the concept of fear itself.
I am but a fisherman seeking to cross the borders and challenge that very understanding.
... Are you talking about what lies beyond the Outskirts? Its outreaches?
That Whale... devours everything. It brings nothing but calamity... How could you..
Ah, so you have been a prey once, sailor.
Countless Lakes here also devour. Summon calamities.
If you find yourself at a crossroads, if you find that your life is worth nothing in the face of what lies before you...
Recall this conversation.
…….
I'm no good with advice. Never was.
Still, I thought I'd part a few words...
... as a fellow seafarer. Suppose I felt a bit of kinship.
As per the old man's directions, we rode on the skiff prepared on Mephistopheles.
I saw Ishmael, moments before boarding the skiff on Mephistopheles.
This was Ishmael's plan, but... I had no way of knowing what she was really thinking.
I had an inkling, yes. And so far, I've been going along with those vague guesses. Vague guesses that led to disasters.
So I had to ask her myself.
<Ishmael. What do you really want?>
What I really want...
<…!>
I see another vision of Ishmael.
She was hiding it well from the other Sinners and Vergilius. But I could clearly see what she really wanted. Her true desire.
<Ishmael, you...!>
She was lifting a body from the waters.
A body that was torn asunder. Shattered bones, strips of muscle tissue, flesh... Ishmael trembled with elation before what looked like the Captain's mutilated corpse.
What?
Come on, let's get going.
34. Rocks, before the battle
57 linesAs we discussed earlier, we took a different route from the Indigo Elder. We were to first arrive at separate destinations for our plan.
<... Something's floating over there.>
Not long after we crossed the line where the lake water turned dark grey, we noticed something pale peeking out from the lake.
Are those... Islands? There's a lot of them...
They may be reefs. Perhaps that is this Lake's challenge... To navigate it while avoiding them to the best of our abilities.
Well, they sure do look rocky. But... They're too big to be called reefs.
Do you sense aught, Dante?
We may attempt to discover a path that does not lead into an area cluttered with such obstacles, yet that would require us to hazard a path unknown. It may lead to this plan's ruin.
<Hm...>
If you can sense even the most general direction of the Golden Bough, please relay it to me. I can use that to approximate its location.
I can assure you a degree of accuracy, now that we have with us additional data provided by the Indigo Elder.
Huh? Why couldn't you have just been our magic compass to begin with, clockhead?
They are able to do this only under the peculiar conditions of the Great Lake, which has very few in the way of obstacles.
The urban areas of the City are dense with structures, both high and low, and into the underground. The higher population density also complicates matters. Considering that Dante can detect the Golden Bough only in close proximities, considering that there may be insurmountable obstacles in our way, their sense will not be of much help there.
Tsk. So they're back to being just your usual clockhead anywhere else.
<Huh, so that's why... that's why I could feel the Golden Bough here, even when it was so far away...>
I raised my finger and pointed toward the general direction of this vague feeling.
Confirmed. We will turn the ship around in that direction.
Ishmael wordlessly steered the ship according to Faust's words.
We grew ever nearer to the island... or a reef. A heavy silence descended upon the Sinners.
... Oh.
Until Ishmael gasped with a sudden realization.
It's this Lake.
There was an incomprehensible look on Ishmael's face.
Maybe I saw unrestrained joy. The joy of finding something she's been searching for so long. Such an overwhelming, all-consuming happiness that her facial muscles began to twitch on their own.
Maybe I saw extreme fear. The fear in the face of destined, unavoidable horror. The Lake's splashing waves hit her trembling face and rolled down her cheeks. Or, maybe, she was sweating from dread.
Ishmael, do you have any new information to share with us?
... Yeah. Here... I know what to do from here. I know exactly what to do.
Outis, I can't clearly see what's in front of us from back here. Tell me precisely what you see. Their numbers, their sizes, all of it.
... Trying to avoid the wild currents and find a safe path around these rocks? Understood.
Outis nodded emphatically before rising from her seat to gaze at the path ahead. She balanced herself as the ship rocked.
About 350 meters ahead. Miniscule, plain patterned, glistening rock. About 500 meters ahead of that is a medium-sized rock. It has a bump on top of it that stands out.
Continue.
Hm. And not so far ahead from there is a large island with a rough, porous surface... Oh, upon closer inspection, it's like an archipelago of three... four similar islands.
Good.
Ishmael began fiddling with the steering gear and the engine's output levers as though something had clicked in her mind.
... Good. We've made it past the first rock.
Its texture was a bit... different from that of a normal rock, wasn't it?
G.E. That's not the texture of a rock. Or even soil.
We just passed the second one.
Oi, what's so weird about the texture? I can't see over the big boy and the long one.
Hmph. That there... is a living, breathing thing.
What?
... Wait... Swabbie! Watch where you're steering this ship! We're going to crash into that third rock at this rate!
And that's what I'm going to do, Outis. That's where we get off.
That rock? That creepy, porous rock over there?
Oi, feel free to crash into a rock on your free time, but don't take all of us with you! There's not even a single tree up there, let alone a person. What the bloody hell are we anchoring there for?
You gotta screw your head on in a different direction in the Great Lake, Heathcliff.
What are you talking abou -
A loud shock and an ear-splitting sound of the skiff scratching and sliding against something cut Heathcliff off.
Do you even know where you're going, woman?!
... Oh yes, she knows. Huhu.
Wait, that white color... Ishmael?
Yeah. Those aren't islands or rocks.
What we thought were islands suddenly rumbled, vibrating, as ground tremors from an earthquake.
They're... all part of a Whale.
A colossal creature shudders as it wakes from a long slumber.
35. The Pallid Whale, after the battle
53 linesRight... I get it. I get it now. All of these 'rocks' were actually Whales. And I get that Mermaids pop out of those pores.
But I think it's a loony thing that... Why are we even drawing their ire, huh? We could've just gone around them!
Looking to let off some steam? Hankerin' for a game of whack-a-mole all of a sudden? Is that it?
Of course not.
This is just the only method I know.
... You better be ready to explain what you're talking about.
Heathcliff, furious... wasn't the only Sinner looking at Ishmael with expectant eyes.
There were Outis and the other Sinners who all looked to her for some answers.
<Ishmael.>
And I was too, of course.
Haah... I also didn't think I'd actually be doing this...
Well... so there's this legend-like tale.
Legend...?
Each Lake of the Great Lake has its own culture, with many wandering and choosing to call those places their homes. So, naturally, there are as many tales as there are Lakes.
But there's that one tale of a certain Lake that is passed down orally from sailor to sailor. Just like the legends of old.
The legend of the 'Gloomy Grey Lake of Wafting and Rumbling'. Sailors sang the legend of that Lake, passing it down for years upon years.
Doom, and hew thy veiled path to misty seas.
Begloom, and let Whales draw their pearls in search of pallid hue.
Toom, shall be thy mist-path, heeding the weeping Whales.
... Whatever does that mean?
It's simple. Hit the Porous Whales to wake them, draw out and hunt their Mermaids, and the path to the Pallid Whale should clear of the mist.
Do you really believe that? You expect us to just... believe that hogwash?
Blimey, didn't think I'd ever get to say these words before my deathbed, but...
Are you stupid?
... Pfft.
Haah... Listen. What does waking these Whales up have anything to do with getting rid of that thick fog? It's got to make even a little bit of sense, no?
Heathcliff discusses the correlation between actions and consequences. This truly is a rare experience indeed.
Shut up, smartarse... I'm serious.
... And you think the law that sends Waves after us if we don't cross the borders at the exact right moment makes sense?
Huh?
You think the law that makes us go in circles before reaching our destination, the law that doesn't let us go back the way we came from, makes any sense?
I've been telling you this whole time. Common sense has no place in the Great Lake.
That's just the way this place works, okay? Just... You just have to accept that.
... Fine. I'll give you that. But they're like the laws of the City. As outlandish as they are, they're still strict laws that can be calculated into those variable coordinates or whatnot. What you're blathering here is some vague old song. Am I supposed to believe something so absurd?
Yes. Because I've seen it myself.
......
Years ago, when a young, stupid, but motivated sailor boarded the ship, she had the most unfortunate opportunity of witnessing this very legend with her own eyes.
Because that's how she saw the Pallid Whale.
Heathcliff fell silent, scratching his head. The rest of the Sinners also nodded and began whispering.
... I really don't like you.
Took the words right out of my mouth.
I don't like... any of this. But I know that you're not the kind of lass to lie or tell tall tales just to get the upper hand in a petty squabble.
…….
Fine, let's go all the way to the end. I'll keep whacking those mole-like things with this club.
I can also accept your explanation. But... from now on, I would appreciate it if you could share your knowledge with us first before doing anything.
... I'll try.
In a way, I am relieved that we now have a definite path forward.
<... Yeah. Well, let's go find our next Whale.>
Yes, Executive Manager.
All aboard, men!
... Truly, the ocean mist is splitting as though a blade has hewn it in half.
Once we eliminated the Mermaids of the last Whale singled out by Ishmael, the fog slowly began to fade. Behind it was a different Lake, beyond the grey sea.
Haah... Finally.
36. The Pallid Whale 2, before the battle
137 linesThe weather there is quite hostile.
Meursault was right. The Lake beyond the borders was nigh pitch-black. The waves crested tall, rising and crashing violently under the thundering rainstorm.
Mm... The wild winds have begun to sway the boat...
Yi Sang's face was starting to grow pale.
I'm starting to wonder if we can... really do this.
Did we ever let that stop us from trying?
Ha, I guess that's true~
... All right. Heading into the zone.
Are there any laws of that Lake that we must be mindful of?
I don't know the laws of that Lake, nor its Waves.
I remember the way the fog split open. I remember the obsidian sea and the endless tempest.
But the rest of it... All I remember is that the Captain was excitedly delivering a speech at witnessing the legends come to life, and that we were all busy preparing for the Whale hunt.
... So, what awaits us ahead is a real adventure. We'll be sailing blindly into the night.
... Gulp.
Then... we'll have to face everything head-on.
Yes. If the Waves come to claim us, we will face them. Head-on.
... Even the Whale.
... No signs of that Whale yet, though.
Back then, it attacked us mere minutes after we entered the Lake.
Everyone was as tense as they could ever be, looking around nervously...
Wait, what's... that? There's something there, something tall.
A close approach is recommended. I have a source of light to improve our visibility.
Meursault got up with a lantern and pointed the light toward where Sinclair indicated.
There's... several of them...?
What's that...? Hell, who put 'em there? What are they even for?
Maybe they're like lighthouses...?
Lighthouses? Yeah, I can kinda see that...
......
<Do you remember seeing anything like that, Ishmael?>
No... I don't even have a hazy recollection of it. I've never seen it before in my...
...!
I-Ishmael. Has the nausea of the swaying sea gotten to you as well?
Your face has grown rather pale...
I knew that that can't be true.
A seasick sailor only exists in jokes. Besides, Ishmael was doing just fine mere moments ago.
Then... she must've had a sudden realization.
I see... So that's what it looked like. Even a small part of it is...
A terrifying realization.
W-what is it?
You'll find out soon enough. Even if you don't want to.
There, a rogue wave ahead...!
All hands, brace! Grab onto what you can!
A-ah! Agh...!
Before we even had the chance to say anything, a leviathan of a wave rose to its crest, then crashed onto us from above...
And sucked us deep into the Lake before throwing us back to the surface.
Pah...!
... We were lucky. There was a high chance that the following vortex would have dragged the vessel deep underwater.
L-lucky? You saw what was down there, that was...
<... Everyone okay?>
Everyone was soaking wet, nearly hyperventilating, but... mostly awestruck by what we've just witnessed.
We have everyone, but...
Huh? Huh...? What we just saw down there... were...
They weren't lighthouses... They were...
Tails of colossal Whales...!
Wow... Okay... I really wanna give up now, ha ha.
I wanna go back to the time when I didn't know what the Whales really looked like...
So this is the Lake where the Whales come to sleep...
Yeah. If they're deep in the water with their necks bent like that... I could see their tails rising tall over the surface.
But... There's no way they missed this commotion.
T-t-t-the ship is... We're... we're keeling over!
... The Whales are waking up.
'We're finally here.'
... I think that's what Ishmael whispered. But the storm, the waves buried her voice deep into the Lake.
If the Indigo Elder made it here as we planned...
WOAAAAAAHHHHH!
OVER YONDER, I-IS THAT THE WHALE?!
We didn't have to wonder even for a second about what Don Quixote was screaming at.
An entire herd of entities, each dwarfing every single Whale we've weathered throughout this journey, emerged from the waters all at once. In unison, they began migrating in a singular direction. To witness something like that was...
…….
... enough to make even Meursault gape with plain bewilderment.
Looks like things are going according to plan.
Then we'll have to do our part.
Ah!
There, there!
There was a Whale that stood out even among the herd of ineffably immense Whales.
Pallid as the pale death... Its hide, thick with scar tissue.
That one's particularly scarred.
Ha, ha ha ha... I've found it!
Yes... He was right. The wounds, the scars that we... the Pequod made... they're all still there.
I assume that you have finally located the Whale?
I believe so, yes.
As always... the chance of success must be miniscule.
Indeed it is.
OARSMEN!!!!!!!
Ishmael thundered.
<Ishmael...?>
No, louder than the thunder itself. As though her personality itself had suddenly shifted. Her voice seemed to overwhelm the very storm itself.
ANSWERS, YOU DOGS!!!!! OARSMEN!!!!
Huh?! A-aye!
Set route to that pallid thing! FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!! ROW!
... Full speed ahead! Row!
Even Outis was swept up in this sudden turn of events, repeating after Ishmael's bellowing commands.
Is this what Ishmael was like when she sailed the Lakes? Or...
Ha... HA HA...!
... Or is this the Captain?
I see light. ... It's the Indigo Elder.
The old man and his skiff was sliding across the waters toward the Whale.
Listen well!
The rest of the awakened Whales have gone after the bait I've laid for them!
Then the plan worked! Now... Ah...!
It wasn't clear whether it was the thunder or the old man's bellow that awakened the Pallid Whale. Its eyelids began to lift.
... It's been so long since I've witnessed anything like this up close.
It was an eye of astronomical proportions, so immense that it no longer resembled an eye - but a reflective mirror of the world.
Oh, how I wished to see you eye-to-eye.
The old man, harpoon in hand, draws closer to the whale with a grim, stony expression. Ishmael also aims her harpoon at the great Whale, her face nearly tearing with uncontainable joy. Some sinners tremble with fear, while others prepare themselves.
All of it, the world... contained in a single reflective eye that stretched even beyond our peripheral visions.
... Now here's your bait, fish. Bite on it.
I know you have no other choice. Biting, devouring's all you've ever known.
OARSMEN!!!!! SPLIT THE SEA WITH YOUR OARS!!!!!
I respect you, Pallid Whale. I respect that you have lived years in numbers that I cannot even begin to imagine. I respect that you hail from a place beyond my ken.
But...
I will take this chance to stand before you, to challenge you. And with this challenge, to the edge of understanding I will row.
The giant harpoon soars across the black sky like a bolt of levin and strikes the Pallid Whale.
Now is our chance! Row on, row on!
Ishmael rose tall and alone, looking straight out beyond the speeding boat's swaying bow, harpoon in her hand.
I've been thinking... ever since then... about what feelings you might dig up from my heart if I saw you again.
Ha... But this feeling is much more straightforward than I expected.
... Nice meeting you again, you FUCKING WHALE!
…! ……!
Compared to the old man's harpoon, the harpoon Ishmael hurled was like a needle.
But once struck, as though its body was wracked by an immense, unbearable pain, the Pallid Whale's maw opened - and the air itself began to vibrate.
Its maw opens!
......
Go. I will now fish this beast.
Every Sinner heard the old man's voice.
Every Sinner begins rowing with all their might.
In desperation. As though death itself was in our pursuit.
As though it was our fate, our destiny to row.
We were sucked into an endless abyss...
... and a rapid vortex pulled us into the maws of the beast, tenebrous as a well under a moonless sky.
<…!>
There was a deep noise.
And like a droplet in sea, we melted into the fathomless dark.
Acknowledge. Acknowledge. How goes the plan?
Acknowledge. Hey!
... Looks like the radio's broken for good.
Mhm. Worrying.
37. Into the Dark, after the battle
34 linesIt is said that Queequeg's ropes, twisted by her powerful grip and her esoteric techniques…
... are tougher than any other rope in the world.
Queequeg told me to not leave her alone in the cold, dark Lake.
That she didn't want the Whales and Mermaids to tear her apart and devour her when her corpse sinks deep into its waters.
I agreed.
The wounds on her skin that only I knew of... the memories of her pain... I didn't want those monsters to heartlessly rip into them, to gorge themselves with her scarred flesh.
So, Queequeg built herself a coffin.
Built hardily and fastened with ropes twisted and knotted with all her strength. So that her coffin would not sink no matter how precariously the ship swayed.
Huff... Huff...
My hands gripping onto that very same rope tied to the coffin... were starting to peel and bleed.
And my dearest friend's hollow coffin was the only thing keeping me afloat on that whirling Lake.
Any... Is there anyone out there?
ANYONE?!!!!!!!!
In that empty lake, stranded amidst the Pequod's desolation, I called out from the top of my lungs.
Please, anyone... say something. Anything.
When I realized that everyone I ever had any ties to had, in the blink of an eye, been taken from this world,
my gasping, wheezing self, barely holding onto life seemed...
Come aboard my ship. And sail with me to the cold abyss of the Lake.
…!
Not even I, drowning yet breathing, could escape Captain Ahab...
Even in this deafening silence, Ahab's echoing bellows strangle me...
Even in death my mates remain trapped with the Captain.
Agh... Argh...
In joy, and in sorrow... I'll never forget...
... the strands that were ripped away from me.
I'll be buried in this Lake forever to my last gasping breath.
Try as I might to escape the rising waters, only loneliness fills my lungs.
Haah... Haaah... Gah...
Always told you. I did.
Rope. Grab tight. Or sink.
You...
How long have you been... here?
Always. Always been here.
…….
38. Into the Dark, after the battle
50 linesThe immediate sensation upon waking up was that it was moist and cold, yet oddly warm in some places.
<Where... are we?>
Mm... There's this long river-like thing. If we follow it, maybe...
... there'll be something at the end of it?
Hong Lu... How can you always be so calm about everything?
Is he...? I think that's just how that fella is with pretty much everything.
No... That's not what I'm...
I mean, where do you guys think this is...?
We just...
I am well aware.
We rowed into the maws of the beast. Of our own volition.
Not long ago...
I'm proposing that we... enter the stomach of the Whale that devoured the Golden Bough.
... You're mad. All that thrashing's finally sent you off the deep end.
I'm just going there for my mission. And the Golden Bough just happens to be in the way.
I'll leave it up to you. Well, to the manager, since their decision matters the most.
This Company, me... We're both just trying to find a way to reach our goals. That's all this is.
…….
Besides, does anyone have a better idea?
If that thing swallowed the Golden Bough... and if that Golden Bough really counteracts that damned Pallid Whale's Pallidification effects, then...
... We just might be able to survive without getting affected by it.
That's a gamble, Ishy. There's just...
Yeah. You should know. It's one of your favorite things.
What do you think, manager?
Ishmael looked at me with expectant eyes as though she knew I had no choice but to agree to this plan.
Her eyes were telling me: 'You came this far for the Golden Bough. You're not going to go back empty-handed now, are you?'
…….
Six hours.
If I don't hear anything from you in six hours, LCA will be taking over the rest of this mission.
Okay, LCA takes over the mission, then... what?
Well. If they hear the very unfortunate news that all of you decided to row into the Whale's belly and got yourselves trapped...
They'll be having a long internal discussion about how they could blow that Pallid Whale apart.
Then a very lengthy battle will ensue.
<Okay, so let me get this straight... If we fail to find the Golden Bough stuck somewhere inside the Whale's stomach in six hours, you won't hesitate blowing us to smithereens along with the Whale? Did I get that right?>
I will not relay that comment.
…….
<Faust, what do you think of our odds?>
Our odds are non-zero. But it may as well be nil.
At least with the currently known variables.
So we *have* a chance.
<... Do you have any other ideas that might get us the Golden Bough?>
No, not at this moment.
What I can tell you, however, is that we have a history of dramatically completing missions with a veritably low chance of success.
<Okay, then. Let's get this done.>
... Indeed. The lack of plan becomes the plan itself.
This solidifies the veracity of my new theory even further.
Luckily, we didn't lose any Sinners on the way down. All 12 of them made it down here, just as we planned.
But...
<Guys, where's - where's the boat?>
The boat was nowhere to be seen.
39. Into the Dark, after the battle
22 linesMen! We will commence a search. This boat must be found as soon as possible.
No, there is no need for a search.
400 meters to your right. There is the boat -
Quite observant you are. Let's not waste any time and return to the boat.
Allow me to finish. There is the boat in a ditch. 75% of its hull integrity has been breached and its remains are scattered on the ground.
<…….>
Wow, so this was a piece of our boat, huh?
... That vessel was designed to be used more than three times.
Hong Lu was pointing at the pitiful sight of an absolutely busted looking pieces of the propeller...
... Well, to be exact, busted pieces of the propeller and what appeared to once have been our boat's engines. Something comes to a sputtering halt amidst the wreckage.
Thus it rests here forevermore...
This would have been quite the painful sight for Mika and Rain.
…….
<... This is a pretty painful sight for us, too.>
Uh, so... What do we...
Manager. You can still sense the Golden Bough, right?
<Yeah. Unlike at the Lobotomy Corp. Branch, I can definitely feel that it's somewhere 'in here'. But it's also pretty far away, so I can't tell where it exactly - >
... Great. Are you ready to turn the clock?
<What's that about turning the clock?>
<Ohh...>
The Whale's pallor had taken over their bodies and minds.
Of course. It only makes sense that this place is crawling with Mermaids.
40. Into the Dark, after the battle
31 linesHaah... Yeah, let's bounce before more of those Mermaids show up.
Bounce where...? We're trapped inside a Whale.
Are we... are we gonna end up looking like them, too? You know, we've been... 'devoured'.
The Golden Bough inside Dante's head is likely counteracting the Pallidification effects on the Sinners' bodies.
But there is no guarantee that this defensive effect would last forever.
We must take into account that we are in an unknown environment.
In other words, spending too long here could turn us into Mermaids, just like them...
I wasn't sure if I could bring back a Sinner that's turned into a Mermaid.
<But... Where do we even go?>
<I don't have even the slightest idea as to where we might be...>
Weird... I didn't know it could rain inside a Whale's belly.
I was still unsure where to go, so much so that I was starting to feel completely lost... when Hong Lu suddenly blurted something about rain.
<... What are you talking about?>
Oh, it's just that I felt a few droplets of water on my shoulder.
... Wait.
So this is the first place we landed on after the Whale swallowed us whole, innit?
<Right...>
Sorry, I just sometimes need someone to confirm my common senses.
When you eat something... where does it usually land first?
My stomach, of course. My poor, starving stomach...
... I see your point, Heathcliff.
The stomach constantly secretes acid in order to digest the food effectively.
Yeah, I think I learned about it in school. It's usually some kind of powerful acid...
That... dissolves everything it touches...
Ohh~
So that's why my clothes melted where the water touched. Feels a bit prickly, too.
I stared at Hong Lu's shoulder. Something had burrowed a hole there, and the surrounding skin was sizzling and melting away.
Are we fated to become porridge... so soon after our arrival...?
There is one positive discovery, however. This creature appears to share similar biological mechanisms and shapes as an ordinary organic lifeform.
<Everyone... We gotta run...!>
<I don't care how many pieces of you there are left, just make sure that there's something left for me to bring back...>
41. Into the Dark, after the battle
68 linesAnd so we ran, trying to weave our way between the pouring stomach acid...
... without even knowing where we were supposed to go.
Wow, man. What a... what a funny sight, eh?
Funny? That's more suspicious than funny.
You're too loud...! Great, now we caught their attention.
<...? Who's there?>
Hey. I heard you guys... talking down there.
Those Mermaids... speak...?
We're not... Mermaids. Ever seen a Mer...maid this chatty?
Their Pallidification effects have only partially progressed.
So what does that make them? Half-human, half-fish?
Well, we don't got... much time. So I'll make it... short.
This zone... floods with acid every 10 minutes... or so.
Unless you guys are all... made of steel...
... you better decide fast! Either ta...ke the rope we're about to lower down, or...
... become sludgy nutrient... for the Whale and be one with it... forever and ever.
Well, even if you were to all turn into sludge, we can still salvage your weapons. We don't got nothing to lose.
Some of 'em are already starting to melt.
<Do we even have a choice?>
ROPE! NOW!
They muttered something amongst themselves, as though they found something funny about this situation... and tossed an odd-looking rope in our direction.
This rope feels funny.
That rope right... there's made of capillary we pulled straight... from its lungs. It'll last more than... an hour, even in its stomach acid.
Greg... Why'd you even ask that...? Eugh, I hate it...
With Rodya and her grumblings in tow, we struggled up the bundle of capillary rope.
<... Phew. I don't know who you guys are... But thanks.>
Hell yeah, what a catch! We'll net us upwards of 3 gold coins for this.
I think this tick-tocking friend might be worth more than that.
A catch? You think you fished us up?
We come here every... once in a while to check if... anyone's washed up, yeah.
But most of 'em poor castaways... are already almost full Mermaids by the time we find 'em. In a matter of... minutes, they're all rearing to kill us. And the rest are... just your every-day Mermaids.
Haha, so this is a special occasion, then?
This is probably the first time ever... that we found sailors that could not only... talk, but also weren't halfway turned... into Mermaids.
<So why do you guys come here every once in a while, then?>
The clock friend... here keeps tick-tockin'. Are they saying some...thing? Doubt they're a full-on robot.
Don't most... people prefer to keep the ability to speak even when re...placing their bodies with prosthetics? Guess the trends have re...ally changed since we got here.
Uh, so that buddy there... Well, it's a long story. But yeah, they can't communicate normally.
Hm, all... good. Everyone's got a sto...ry they don't want to tell.
We can sympathize a little. Talking ain't... the easiest thi...ng to do.
Consider yourselves lucked out, fellas! You guys ran into us, of all things!
Cuz we'll be getting out of here real soon!
We followed their confident, guiding steps, but there was no way to look at this situation without a bit of suspicion.
<Where do you think they're taking us?>
<What if they're leading us into a trap...?>
If they were trying to attack us, they would've done so when we were almost at the top of the cliff. We were completely vulnerable to attacks there.
And...
Ishmael opened her mouth as though she was about to say something, then stopped herself before turning around. It looked like she hadn't finished processing her thoughts yet.
... I'm sure I've seen that harpoon before somewhere...
So what ship a...re you guys from again?
Um... It's called the... The Limbus. You probably haven't heard of it, yeah...
Well, talk straight, man! It's not like you're a Mermaid. Who's your Captain? If they're from U Corp, their name just might ring a bell.
Um... who's... our Captain again?
<I dunno, guys. I've never taken the helm. Not sure if I can call myself a Captain here.>
The helm... Forsooth... If this be all about who handles the wheel...
I am quite well aware of our Captain!!! Charon is our Captain, indeed!
Aha... nope. Never hea...rd of 'em. I guess it's really been... a while, then...
He scratched his head. 'Captain' Charon clearly didn't ring a bell.
You... How long has it been since you were trapped in here?
Eight months.
No, dumbass! This is our third year! Our last count was at 644 days, so...
I dunno, la...dy. I quit coun...ting the days a while ago. I've completely lost tra...ck of time since we got stuck deep in...side where the sun don't shine.
... I see.
I know only one person who ties a knot to their harpoon like that...
Oh, this? It's called the Desper...ate's Knot. Even in our town, only the... experienced few knows how to tie it.
So... they're here...?
I... I think I know you.
Ishmael comes to a sudden stop. So do our guides.
... Not because of what she said.
42. Into the Dark, after the battle
23 linesHere we are! Welcome to Pequod Town.
We're back, Cap'n! Look what we fished up!
<Captain?>
Quite the catch indeed! You certainly are an excellent scout, Starbuck!
A wiry old woman approached us, her harsh voice tickling our ears.
Two gold coins for you, lad. And here's one for the twins.
Thank you, Cap'n.
It has been a long, long while since our Pequod Town gained new villagers.
... Villagers? Not guests?
That woman seems to think us already bound to this village.
I knew it...
Welcome. I have built this village and watched over these poor, wretched souls. Soon, I shall set sail on the final voyage with my crew.
I am Captain Ahab.
<... Ah, Ishmael...!>
You have... no idea how I've waited... how I've longed for this moment. You won't ever know.
Because I'll gut you like a fish before you even have the chance to find out.
Muttering, Ishmael charged at Ahab.
What a way to greet your Captain, Ishmael.
The Captain remained serene, even as Ishmael suddenly charged at her.
I-Ishmael...?! Wa...it, now that you mention it -
You thankless bastards. You dare attack our Cap'n?!
We'll show you what we're made of!
We'll toss you back into that river of acid!
43. Into the Dark, after the battle
12 linesNot a lot of good men left, Ahab.
…!
Ishmael quickly leaped to the side, evading a harpoon that struck the spot she was just standing on.
Who's this now...?
My crew is nothing if not loyal. More so than anyone in the world.
And this one here is second to none when it comes to harpooneering.
So... do you still fail to see that to attack me here is to court death?
…….
A sailor wearing an odd-looking mask joined the fray.
Blimey... Look at the size of that harpoon.
A direct hit from that will turn your bones to dust. That one... That one's a real warrior. Huhu...
Gah! Could you stop being so bloody creepy for one second? Givin' me the shivers outta nowhere...
44. Into the Dark, after the battle
54 linesAll of you. Strong.
But no sailors.
Why, talk, so, slow? Irritating.
If you're not abbreviating with acronyms... then all you're doing is wasting time.
Ishmael's mace nicked the harpooneer's mask. She came dangerously close to smashing their skull.
Should've gotten out of my way when I gave you the chance... Now I'm going to have to bash your face in.
But you. You are sailor.
... Right.
... We both are.
Queequeg!!!
In a sudden, explosive burst of energy, Ishmael bolted forth like a cannonball toward Queequeg before holding her in a tight embrace.
Whew... wasn't she saying something about bashing her face in just moments ago?
This embrace is what one does when meeting an old fellow.
You fear they may flutter away unless you hold them tightly so.
Your hair color. Can't forget.
Your name. I know.
But no attacking Captain.
Why...? I'm just...
You attack Captain again, I attack you.
Then kill or be killed. One of us.
…….
Well now, whatever shall you do? Starbuck here has, out of the kindness of his heart, rescued you from jaws of death. Invited you to my village!
Yet you've elected to attack me, as if to spit on that very kindness.
Were we sailing the Great Lake, I would have had all of you tied and thrown overboard to be crushed underneath the keel of our ship, your lungs bloating with the Lake's waters.
There were at least 40 people living in Pequod Town. And that was a conservative estimate.
From their vicious glares, I could tell that every single one of them was a fiercely loyal follower of Ahab.
Here we were in this unfamiliar environment, trapped and lost...
<Things aren't looking so good...>
A single word from Ahab, and they'll all be upon us...
If we were to retreat... behind us is the river of stomach acid. Ahead of us is an unknown territory.
Haha!! Lads, lasses! Cast fear from your hearts.
It is lucky for you, that...
... I am nothing if not merciful. I shall forgive your transgressions thus far.
I have questions I would like to ask you, and I am certain that you have a few for me as well.
If you are willing to talk, then enter the Captain's quarters.
In peace, mind.
Ahab casually turned around and marched into one of the buildings. She carried herself with utmost confidence.
It was almost like she knew that we would follow. That we had no choice but to follow.
... Oi, them blokes that were glarin' at us... They're gone, like nothing happened.
Captain forgave. Then everyone also forgives. I forgive, too.
Huh... To turn her back on someone who was charging at her with murderous intent just moments ago... It's...
Yes. She is confident.
Confident that she's got the numerical advantage, even if we were to press the offensive. Confident that we know there's more for us to lose by attacking her than by going along with her.
With what just happened... she's made it clear as day that, at least while we're in here, she has absolute control of the situation.
<…….>
Talk with her? In peace...? Nonsense...
<It's not like we have a way out of here...>
Ishmael's gaze followed Queequeg, who walked wordlessly behind the Captain.
Haah.
... Let's go.
Let's listen to what that bastard's got to say.
There's nowhere to run, after all.
For her, or for us.
…….
45. Into the Dark, after the battle
133 linesUm... So what's that on the board over there?
The number of gold coins assigned to... each crewman and woman.
We can collect 'em by fish...ing up useful stuff or by hunting Mermaids.
Hm... And who's the one paying you?
The Captain, ob...viously?
Are you saying that there is economic activity within the Whale's stomach?
What need of gold coins could you have in here? Let alone the means of procuring them?
Told ya. We'll be outta here in just... a little bit.
And once we're off this Whale, I'll get pa...id 63 gold coins.
With that much dough... I just might be able to snag myself a half...way decent ship. Unless the inflation's gone... nuts, that is.
Oh, by the way, ever be...en to the Marlin portship lately? Any chance you saw the sting...ray flattop grill place? I wonder if it's still... open.
Ohh... That sounds delish! Where is it?
Looks like Ahab's giving out gold coins to her crew for their labor.
The promise of a reward for services rendered... I'm sure that's a strong motivator.
Hey, Ishmael. You really caught me off... guard earlier.
Seriously, I didn't... think I'd find... you here, of all places.
When we're outta here, we should go cr...ash at a bar and drink rum straight from a bar...rel! We'll make it a competition, just like the good ol...d days!
Right, so did you get a chance to say hello to every...one? A little chat?
And oh m...an, you sure did grow your ha...ir out! Whatever happened to 'long hair is annoying'?
... That's a lot of questions at once.
I don't think any of them want to chat with me. I can tell from the looks they're giving me...
Sometimes, peo...ple from other... ships would join us in the village...
... But none of 'em lasted more than a d...ay. We're the only ones who's made it this long.
And it's all thanks to a solu...tion our Captain ca...me up with.
... A solution?
A way to stop our bodies and minds from turning pal...lid.
<What is it?>
As you can see... with...out our Captain, we would've long been turn...ed into Mermaids. Without the Captain, this village wouldn't exist.
So anyone that dares to anta...gonize the Captain... is our... enemy.
Because to stand against the Cap...tain is to stand against our very survival.
You've changed, Starbuck.
I remember you butting heads with the Captain all the time.
... Did I?
... Don't forget who trapped all of you here in the first place. Led us to our deaths.
Ishmael coldly walks past Starbuck before entering the office.
<I thought he was an old mate of yours?>
Starbuck... first mate of the Pequod.
He wanted to be a good person to everyone. And he was the closest of the crew to the Captain's ear.
Which meant that they also squabbled pretty often, but... it didn't matter in the end.
Ahab was equally indifferent to everyone anyway.
Please, excuse the state of my office.
A bottle of rum and this would have gone down much smoother. Yet, after all the time we've spent stuck in here... I've not seen a single bottle of it float its way in.
Executive Manager, allow me to take charge of this negotiation.
Ishmael... cannot be trusted to make a rational decision. And you, Executive Manager, cannot properly communicate with this woman. She will only hear your ticking sounds.
<Sure...>
Captain Ahab, is it? We...
Allow me to hazard a guess. You rowed in here, voluntarily, in search of something that the Pallid Whale devoured.
This means that you and your present company have also found a way to keep yourselves from turning into Mermaids.
... Well, I don't suppose there's any point hiding it when we've already come this far.
We are in search... of a certain object. Its appearance is as thus...
Don Quixote started explaining, looking around excitedly as though she expected the Captain to suddenly produce the Golden Bough from her pockets.
Wait, are we really going to just tell her everything? Why don't we talk about this between us first, and -
I know what you seek. A golden stick of sorts, I presume.
Am I wrong?
Wh-what?
We couldn't even deny her accusations thanks to Gregor's extremely telling reaction.
I know where to find it.
I can even bring you to it.
Hmph, how do we know that you aren't bluffing?
Yeah. W-what if you just overheard while we were talking...?
I shall prove it to you, then. From that branch emanates a very far-reaching golden light. Its glow is warm and bright, yet not bright enough to be blinding.
... It appears that she at least knows of a Golden Bough.
What she has just told us is more than what an unrelated individual should be able to know.
Hm... Still, I don't believe she's really about to tell us where the Bough is.
You presume that I would not part with this information? I have nothing to hide!
Ahab slammed the desk and leaned aggressively toward us.
She wore a knowing grin, as though she knew exactly what we wanted and what we were about to say to get it.
Let us speak plainly here. I have naught to hide from you. In fact, I daresay that it is you who are withholding things from me.
You called that stick the 'Golden Bough' did you? Well, then. That 'Golden Bough' is at the dead center of this accursed whale.
At the dead center...
The epicenter of this deep, resonant thumping. The spring of life that fuels this beast.
The heart. The heart that seeps with all that is evil in the world.
<…!>
But... You are in luck.
It just so happens to be that the Pequod has set course for that very same destination. And we plan to set sail in the very near future.
Because the only way out of the Whale is by destroying its heart.
That's interesting. I wonder if this is just a coincidence?
What's so interesting about it?
Isn't it interesting that, after all those years they spent preparing for their journey to the heart, we just happened to arrive as they were about to set sail~?
I have naught else to say but merely refer to the nature of fate. The threads of fate itself is weaved so that I, Ahab, shall be the one to pierce the heart of the Pallid Whale.
I have set more sails in the belly of this beast than the number of your gritted teeth combined. I have been to every nook and cranny of this place, all of which I clearly recall.
There is no method upon this earth that I have not attempted to pierce this beast's hide.
So allow me to preclude a few options for you. This beast's hide is as thick and impenetrable as R Corp.'s fortress. All the weapons in the world will not be able to pierce it.
Tried to stab it. With my Harpoon.
Wound it, yes. Puncture a hole, no.
Well, If you find my words so difficult to believe, then feel free to give it a try with your own weapons.
Mine attempts hardly left a mark...
If she's right, then... It won't matter what the Indigo Elder does, and it won't matter what LCA does...
It won't matter how hard they'll try, they can't get us out of here...
I... we know better than anyone.
The crushing pain of surviving at a place such as this with no hope of rescue. No sane mind survives such torment for long.
Behold my pitiful crew! They hold on, tooth and nail, to their sense of self as the pallid membrane tries to devour them whole!
Nothing here. Nothing. None.
We can do naught here but scavenge the flotsam that washes up to its stomach. Mermaid corpses Queequeg brings back from her hunts are our only source of subsistence.
Fins. Soft.
... How the heck did you guys even survive here...?
Faith. The faith that, as long as we foll...ow our Captain, she'll eventually lead us... out of here.
That's the hope we hold onto.
…….
Now, give my offer a listen.
I, Captain Ahab of the Pequod, the leader of the Pequod Town, have a responsibility to bring every single one of my crew home. Thus I make this offer to you.
I will destroy this bastard's heart. For long have I prepared; now, all that remains to be done is to set the plan in motion.
Our goals are the same, yet we each seek different treasures.
Assist me in my plan. We will hunt this Whale and escape, and the Golden Bough shall be yours.
... We must discuss this amongst ourselves first.
Take as much time as you want.
Ahab nodded with a generous smile. We huddled in one corner of her office to discuss this.
The boat that carried us here is beyond salvaging.
Thus, it follows that we require a new boat for us to escape the Whale.
Moreover, moving across the bodily fluids of this Whale is necessary if we are to conduct an investigation of its interiors. For that, we require a new boat.
Hmph, then commandeering their vessel is also one of our options -
Guys, they can hear us! Pipe down!
Our ship. Hard to sail. Complex.
Only Pequod crew can handle Pequod boats.
What'd I say...?
... How much time would it take if we were to build a boat from scratch?
Considering that we possess no necessary materials, considering that we must reinforce it to be resistant to the Whale's acid... The estimated time of completion is...
<No, no. Let's... not even think about that.>
Let's not.
Ha, so that's your offer? I could smell your bullshit coming from a mile away.
She's not changed one bit. Driving people to their deaths with bullshit that, at a glance, seems plausible.
... Nothing's changed.
Yeah... there's something off about her. Maybe we should just do this ourselves...
Right. Never trust something that requires too much explainin'.
I think they've spent a long time building a plan to destroy the heart and escape this place... Can we really do it on our own, from scratch?
I... also don't know how long we could hold out in here.
Yeah... That Captain probably knows this place better than anyone...
So our other options are... either turn into Mermaids and kill each other, or remain trapped in here forever. Are they really the only alternatives we've got?
The Red Gaze shall not abandon us...! Bwaah hah haaah...
We're having trouble coming to an agreement. I will mediate. Let's battle to the last person standing, and have them decide.
The Sinners were all expressing their opinions... which were all very diametrically opposed to one another with little hope of meeting somewhere in the middle.
And I...
... was unnerved by how easily Ahab managed to see right through us.
46. Into the Dark, after the battle
84 linesI see that you are having some trouble coming to an agreement amongst yourselves.
That is quite understandable. It should be clear as day that the answer is right before your eyes. My offer is perfect for your present, rather desperate, situation.
But that is the whims of fate! These seemingly implausible, coincidental opportunities are the threads of fate weaving the path ahead for us!
You must first learn to be someone who grips their destiny when it presents itself. It is common wisdom among every seafarer.
Ugh...
Sinclair shuddered a little.
A lot has happened. Various moments of past 'coincidences' must have passed before every Sinner's eyes.
When we were almost sandwiched between two ships, when we encountered those floating Mermaids on a deserted ship,
When we fought a Whale and its byproducts that came with the Waves...
You and your arrogant, all-knowing speeches haven't changed one bit.
Don't delude yourself. I'm not joining hands with you ever again. Even now I can't wait to chew you up and tear you apart.
Hahaha! What face! What words! The girl has finally learned how to speak like a proper seadog worth her salt! Haven't you, Ishmael?
Didn't think you'd remember my name.
How could I not?
I heard your voice moments before the Whale swallowed me whole. The echoes of your voice calling my name, scattering to the winds amidst the desolation. Hah. I can hear it clearly, as though it happened but a day ago.
…….
Even for a brief moment, through the tempest, our eyes met. And I peered into the depths of your heart.
Into the depths of your true desire.
Ahab strode toward Ishmael.
Ishmael stood her ground. She glared at the old woman with bloodshot eyes.
So I'll give you what you want.
Her voice was low... yet personal. Honest.
Huh. Let's see what kind of crap you come up with this time.
Because what I want...
... Is my heart.
…!
Ishmael. Listen well. I am... the first and the only person who watched the birth of your life's greatest wish.
There was an awakening deep within you. A hateful obsession, screaming and thrashing with frenzy so that you may one day gut me yourself.
That very desire is what has brought you before me, past the trials and tribulations the world has thrown in your way. Am I wrong?
The Golden Bough they seek? You don't give a shit about that. Of course you don't.
My very heart is your Golden Bough, your plunder, the treasure you so desperately seek at the end of your journey.
I knew that, deep inside, you were still a sailor and a harpooneer. An excellent one at that.
From the moment of our reunion to now, you've been stabbing me over and over again in your head. And not once have you averted your eyes.
And what a harpooneer that makes you! Were I a Whale, I would have willingly given you my heart to kill.
You'll give me your heart...
You know better than anyone that I do not lie, Ishmael! You know where the bow of my accumulated passion has set course to!
Help me destroy this Whale's heart...!
And I, Captain Ahab, shall willingly give you my life.
It matters not the manner in which you end me. I will accept it all gladly.
Haah...
Ahab snatches Ishmael's harpoon, and brings it close to her throat.
...!
Now! Do you not wish to tear open my arteries?
Allow me to make this task even easier for you. Shall I turn my neck so that my veins are plain to see?! All of this is yours... as long as I can achieve my goal.
Oh, what a keen harpoon you have whetted! I can imagine the nights you've spent sharpening it, drawing a picture of my painful demise. You must have felt it - the call of destiny, your fate! Just as I have!!!
No one on this earth understands you better than I do, Ishmael! I know that very longing, that very burning hatred that consumes your days!
Yeah... You're right. I'm barely holding myself back from tearing into your arteries.
Yet you do not act.
…….
Because even now, even as the tip of your razor-sharp harpoon tickles the fuzz on my neck, you know the truth so well.
That you are still too weak to kill me.
How pitiful, yet how clever... The girl knows her place.
And that cleverness serves you well. A foolish sailor would not have accepted this very generous offer of mine.
As long as I can kill the Pallid Whale with my two hands... I care not about what happens next.
My heart is yours to harpoon, Ishmael.
I will be made complete at that very moment. What happens afterward... I could not care less.
Ha... Haha... Ha...
Ishmael laughed and laughed.
She did not fight back with her biting tongue, nor did she sharply and rationally criticize the Captain's words as she did ours.
She laughed and laughed and laughed, glaring straight into Ahab's eyes.
Yes... I like the look in your eyes.
I can already see it. In fact, I may as well have already heard your decision from that look.
Yeah... Enjoy your last voyage, Ahab.
And whatever it takes, survive to the end of this voyage, until you destroy the Whale's heart.
And I'll happily destroy you the moment you are made complete.
Ha! Ahahahaha!!
YES! Now I see the eyes of a proper seadog! Finally, conviction burns within your eyes!
I shall not disappoint, Ishmael. Allow my heart to beat like the very tempest, allow my heart to bleed hotter than the boiling blood of the Lava Whale. So that it may be a target worthy of your harpoon.
HA! HAHAHAHA!!
A sense of overwhelming dread emanated from the pair's mad laughter. Neither I nor the other Sinners dared to intrude.
Their laughters were very much alike.
To the point where I wasn't sure which belonged to Ishmael and which belonged to Ahab.
What I was thinking then... I'm not really sure.
It wasn't like we had any other choice, but...
<…….>
... maybe I was hoping that Ishmael would refuse the offer.
So you're joining us for the jour...ney to the heart?
Ain't that... nice. It's encouraging to have you lively-look...ing fellas along for the ride! Not a hint of that pale mem...brane to be seen on yous.
Oh, speaking of which... How are you all so... okay?
How come the Pallid Wha...le's got no effect on an...y of you?
Curious, Starbuck asked.
Forsooth, that is - Mmmph?!
... It's a long story. We just happened to get lucky... and I'll leave it at that.
Gregor cut in and blocked Don Quixote's mouth.
47. Into the Dark, after the battle
59 linesThere are tasks that must be completed if we are to reach the heart.
Two ships, two routes. They must go their separate ways to reach the heart.
The Pequod will make its way through the pancreas.
Question.
Shoot.
Why are you the ones going through the pancreas?
The Whale's pancreas is vast and filled with treacherous acid. To go in there without knowing when and where the acid will spew from is to dance with death.
So I'm electing to bring those that have toiled here for years, not inexperienced landsmen such as you.
Starbuck shrugged next to the Captain.
I must also mention that the pancreas is heavily populated by the Mermaids. It is better that we sailors, who have spent our entire lives hunting Mermaids and Whales, take that route instead.
While there aren't any particularly powerful or troublesome Mermaids there, our numerical advantage will still be useful in that path.
At the end of its pancreas, we will hew open its largest vein.
Then its left heart atrium will open to supply blood to the area.
Okay, so what about us...?
You will take this path. The right heart atrium connected to the lungs. This is a narrow path, so a smaller vessel will serve you well.
Some... other things have made their way into the path I send you on. They are neither Whale nor Mermaid. Their numbers are small, but each of them may pose a difficult fight.
…….
What you lack in numbers, I assumed, will be made up by your individual prowess. You and your men will shine in targeted strikes, not all-out battles that the Pequod will face through the pancreas.
Were you not here, I would have had to send Starbuck, Queequeg, and at least eight other good men that way. A boat divided will have a higher chance of failing. In fact, it had been a rather significant concern of mine.
But you have arrived, fitting perfectly into this conundrum of a puzzle as though fate itself has ordained it. Destiny is one fickle thing, is it not?
Ms. Ahab... must be referring to the Abnormalities that were swallowed alongside the Lobotomy Corp. Branch.
So you know something about those odd creatures. Indeed, our encounter was ordained by fate! The very destiny that leads me to the heart of the Whale!
Kill the monsters there, hew open the arteries, and the right atrium shall open.
And we will meet again at the heart where the atriums meet.
Then I shall enter and destroy its core... The heart of the heart, if you will.
Verily, you proclaim that there is a heart within a heart?!
I see that you have little experience contending a foe so great as the Whale.
It is obvious that such a colossal creature would have a heart that fuels its heart.
<Is that supposed to be obvious...?>
The sun shall shine on us again only when we destroy the heart beating with the very essence of evil! Through the Whale's sundered flesh shall the gentle light rain over us!
And you will impale me with the final harpoon, to end my breath once and for all!
... Heh.
While I am yet to analyze the geography of this entity... The general structure of the plan appears sound to me, Executive Manager.
<Yeah... I agree.>
Looks like Ahab wasn't kidding about checking every nook and cranny of the belly of the Whale.
She did all that with a singular desire to hunt, to kill this great Whale once and for all. And for such a long time...
I still don't like this. Are we supposed to just, what, listen to some dodgy Captain orderin' us around? I thought the clockhead here was our boss.
Why don't we just finish this with our own hands instead of relying on her? Let's just do this ourselves. Let one or two of us go mad and turn into a Mermaid. At least it would've been our work at the end of the day.
A most irresponsible suggestion.
I would have been the first to suggest that, had I not estimated our losses to be higher than 'one or two' of us.
So why didn't you?
We are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to information on this battlefield. The Executive Manager's life may be at risk at any moment.
Not even witless rookies risk or gamble with the lives of their superiors. And all that for your pride? What foolishness.
... Tsk.
As long as we destroy the heart... I can end her.
As long as we destroy the heart...
She grits her teeth as she repeats it to herself like a mantra.
So that she may never forget, not even for a moment.
Right, then. We will meet again at our rendezvous point.
Let this be a good voyage to us all.
…….
The sunlight is within our grasp, my dearest crew.
We will soon breathe deep the metallic, traitorous stench of the City's air.
Ahab provided us with a boat that could bring us all the way to the heart.
Only Pequod crew steers Pequod boat.
So, I steer.
Queequeg joined us as our helmswoman.
Queequeg wasn't lying - this boat wasn't like any other boat we'd ever seen. Its body was made of flesh and bones. I also noted that a few pieces of metal plates were visible between the organic materials.
... Only a crew of the Pequod could possibly know how to steer this bizarre ship.
48. Into the Dark, after the battle
73 linesIshmael stares wordlessly at Queequeg.
I... I thought you... everyone... died.
Me too. Also thought you dead.
Where I was, we bury dead people. No burning.
In earth. In hearts. Deep. Never to dig up again.
Because, we have to forget.
Did you bury me... too?
I...
... want to see sunset again.
That keeps me going. Breathing. Throwing harpoons.
... I thought you didn't like the outside world?
Sunset, always warm. Wherever it sets.
…….
<I'm hearing a terrifying cry... coming from far away...>
It's the Mermaids' cry...
Our future. If we fail to escape.
Cry and cry. Trying to kill all we see.
Then melt. Very slowly. And later...
Float away. Like we were never here.
Don't want to be Mermaid.
The Pallid Whale. Have to kill it. Only then, we get out.
<…!>
I see another vision of Ishmael.
It's growing more and more frequent... Maybe it's the influence of the Golden Bough.
Crying.
Every night, a terrifying cry echoes from the holds.
Pip, it's your turn to go down there.
The Mermaids cried every single night. So, we had to lock them deep in the holds.
Pip doesn't wanna go down there... It's scary.
That's just the luck of your draw, Pip. I'm sorry, but... you gotta accept it.
Isn't it weird, Queequeg...?
Why are we... doing any of this?
…….
Ishmael. Steel yourself.
We'll see Pallid Whale. Soon.
Which means all this be over. Soon.
Yeah. It'll all be over, soon...
So when this voyage is over...
What is this mess? Can you not even man your stations properly, you deckhands?
Captain! Pip doesn't wanna go down there. Pip's scared to death. It's so scary down there.
Every night Pip hears. Every night he scratches at the locked door.
Get a hold of yourself, Pip. That's just a Mermaid.
Pip knows, Pip saw... That was...
That was our mate Stubb, Captain. The Pallid Whale ate Stubb and the boat he was on, and...
Pip. Turn away from the sound of the holds. Look far beyond to the Great Lake.
The Pallid Whale's day of reckoning draws near.
The louder the Mermaid cries, the closer we are to our goal.
That creature will lead us to the Pallid Whale.
…….
That night, I snuck into Captain Ahab's quarters.
To enter the Captain's quarters, unauthorized, was like breaking a Taboo. Every sailor knew that.
If I was caught... I would've had to accept whatever punishment they decided to levy upon me for committing a sin that may as well have been a mutiny.
But I don't know what I was thinking when I walked in there.
...!
C-Captain Ahab... I...
…….
C-Captain?
The Captain's eyes were locked on the map of the Great Lake stuck to the ceiling of her quarters.
She did not stir.
I looked at this sight for a moment... before stumbling out of the Captain's quarters.
I had to.
So, you went into the Captain's quarters, huh?
M-mister Starbuck...
Captain never gets a proper shut-eye. Even when she sleeps, she sleeps with her eyes wide open.
She's always looking for that Pallid Whale somewhere in the Great Lake. Even as she dreams...
Captain ain't sleeping. She's awake. Always is.
Yeah... on the Pequod, the Captain had a tight leash around us.
We were merely gasping on what little air she permitted us.
Go and get some rest. Like Captain said, that Whale's gotta be close.
I don't always understand the Captain, and sometimes I wish she'd entertain some different ideas...
... But we won't have to suffer much more of that.
We'll all be free soon.
Once we kill the Pallid Whale and leave this ship... We...
49. Into the Dark, after the battle
20 linesThat. Not Mermaid. Not Whale. Monster from other Outskirts?
Their official denomination is 'Abnormalities'. They were once contained within the Lobotomy Corp. Branch, but the Whale has devoured them.
I saw similar things before. But not Abnormality. Different.
Yes, indeed. In the Outskirts, anything is within the realm of possibility. I find it credible that you may have encountered similar entities in the Outskirts.
Abnormalities. Born how?
They were once human. These have been created by humans as a source of new energy.
They have wishes. Looks like.
You ask if the Abnormalities have... specific wants or desires, yes?
Yes. They know what they want? What they desire. What they wish?
Well, looks like wants and desires are all they have left.
......
Must be nice.
Knowing what you want. Knowing what you desire.
Queequeg was ceaselessly scratching at her arm as her eyes remained fixed on the Abnormalities.
She was scratching so hard that blood and pale gunk were starting to seep from her torn skin.
…!
Queequeg, stop. You're bleeding...
... Still doing that, huh...?
... Born again.
Cocoon. Couldn't become one.
50. Into the Dark, after the battle
114 linesQueequeg?
What are you doing?!
Queequeg used to spend some nights...
... in crushing loneliness. In unbearable pain.
Queequeg sat in the corner of a dark, dark room. She looked down at her arms.
Then, with a small dagger she uses for cutting harpoon ropes...
She mercilessly tore into her arms. Like she was carving something into her flesh.
This is price.
I peered closer. Her body was covered with countless, strange tattoos. Over them were scars of old and gnashed wounds, cut as though to hide the tattoos drawn on her skin.
Did you... do that to yourself?
I did.
But... why?
Because of shame. Because the tattoos... I engraved them. Myself.
Queequeg... don't do this.
We'll go look for a place that could erase your tattoos. There's got to be one out there, at one of the nests. So... stop hurting yourself like this.
My tattoos, tattooed in a special way. So no normal way to erase.
And... even if there is...
I won't erase like that.
... Why?
No way to be free from... past.
On a Whaling ship, any discussion of the crew's pasts was an unspoken taboo.
Whalers were often running from their pasts,
Wanted to wash their pasts away in the Waves,
Or threw themselves against the Waves in their desperate need for money.
Ishmael. You already knew.
I come from the Middle.
... I had a hunch when I saw your tattoos.
The Middle... never forgets.
Everyone in the Backstreets knows the story. Though it may just be one of those tall tales, it's not a tale one can so casually laugh off.
Once, a child bumped into a stranger and spilled ice cream on his clothes.
The stranger, whose clothes were spoiled, comforted the crying child and sent him on his way home.
That stranger was an officer of the Middle. And the spoiled clothes happened to be his favorite set.
That day was the last day anyone, including the child, ever saw the child's family.
Maybe it's just dark humor. Maybe it's just one of those countless, baseless urban legends. But no one dares to treat this tale like it is.
Because the Middle really was like that.
But the Middle that I've heard of...
…….
I know that the Middle accepts anyone into their fold... But... I also heard that once you're a part of the Middle... they'll never let you go...
Yes. The Middle remembers. The Middle never forgets. Never.
So, can't leave. So they captured me.
They said to me... to really leave, erase everything of the Middle from me. If not, they catch me again.
My tattoo is the Middle's brand. So I cut up the brand. Have to.
My speech, also touched by the Middle. So I went to doctor... to cut up my tongue. To cut up my brain. To break myself.
......
And I ran. Again.
Even after you lost your speech... even after you cut your whole body up to erase your tattoos... they're still coming after you...? That's too high a price...
Not true.
Back then... I was...
... a maggot.
Hey, you're being too hard on yourself, even if it's just a metaphor...
Crawling in filth. Thinking filth was everything.
Thought filth was the world. Thought I knew the world.
They wanted to make me 'Big Sister'.
So I killed. And killed. And killed. Not because of orders. Killed with my own hands. Because I wanted to. Because I wanted respect as Big Sister.
... No.
We're all... still in our cocoons. Soon, we'll break out of our shells and be born again… okay?
Born again...
Yeah. Once this voyage is over...
... let's go find it together.
A way to break out of our cocoons...
How?
I dunno. That's why I want to go find it with you, together.
This is first time.
First time I heard Ishmael... saying she don't know.
…….
That's how we started looking beyond this voyage.
Kraken Port. That's gonna be the home of my very own seafood grill joint. I've eyed up a nice place during our last voyage, y'know.
Aren'tcha just copying that one popular place from Marlin Port?
I ain't!
Pip wants to be rich.
Pip wants to be a landlord. Landlords make a ton of money, y'know.
Heh. I've got my eyes on you, kid. You're gonna be my dishwasher. I've seen how you scrape the oil off the ship!
No, Starbuck. You'll rent Pip's building. And you better pay rent on time.
... My first mate badge don't mean crap to you guys, don't it?
Pfft.
People who wanted to bury their pasts. People living from one day to the next without dreams, without futures. People like me.
Between every close call, between every moment of triumph, amidst the brutal trials we endured in solidarity, we began to sketch the rough pictures of our futures.
I sketched something for myself, too.
In that sketch... I'm walking alongside Queequeg in some small port shrouded in mist and the smell of fish.
Maybe we're holding large textbooks in our hands.
Or... maybe we're carrying suspiciously well-maintained weapons.
Or maybe we're just heading somewhere with our hands full of tasty treats for the day.
And... we kept sketching.
How we will continue to live out the rest of our days. How we will persevere.
Here, Ishmael stared wordlessly into her shimmering reflection. Into the rippling and opaque river of acid surrounding the boat.
Just as she stared into the Lake back aboard Mephistopheles.
Her expression was so solemn and withdrawn... that I couldn't bring myself to even approach her.
In the opaque waters, Ishmael saw...
Herself.
Her future that now rested forever out of reach, at the cold abyss of the Lake.
Her friends who could never return.
How would it feel to know that your dreams will never come true?
I was too absorbed in this hazy, ruminating thought to realize that I'd approached Ishmael and struck up a conversation.
<Ishmael, once this whole ordeal is over and we go back to Mephistopheles...>
She turns around.
<…….>
<How about we all go get ice cream together?>
<You know, the one Don Quixote wanted.>
It won't matter whatever future I bring up with Ishmael now. None of it would reach her.
So... the most I could offer her now was a hopeful, immediate tomorrow.
Something a little closer than the future that Ishmael is trying so hard to take back.
Go... back?
What will you do, manager...
... if I told you that I don't want to go back?
<... What do you mean?>
Once we destroy the heart, and once I squeeze the life out of Ahab with my own two hands...
…….
... What... would I... go back to? Why would I... go on?
Is that an official resignation request?
... No. Forget it.
<…….>
If Ishmael finally gets what she wants...
What's 'next'? Would there even be anything left?
Should I... is it right for me to even ask her to continue onto the 'next'?
51. Into the Dark, after the battle
84 linesOi, your headband...!
It's all mucked up with blood. Now that's a right terrifyin' look, innit...?
Nothing a quick wash in the water can't fix.
Your headband. Familiar.
Familiar knot. Desperate's Knot.
Queequeg... I survived by hanging onto the ropes you tied to your coffin.
The ropes that you could have held... Instead, I held onto it with my dear life...
That rope...
... also for you.
You want me to... bucket out oil from in there?
Yep. It's not as hard as it looks, though.
The cadaver of a Whale hung from a hook and swayed from side to side. Its stench was awful.
The smaller and more nimble you are, the easier it will be.
I'm not that small, though...
It's a job for greenhorns anyway! Less talk, more oil-bucketing. Get on with it, will ya?
A Whaler's toil does not end with killing the Whale.
Whalers also had to bucket and carry the inordinate amount of oil from the dead Whale.
I mean... How the hell do I know what's in there...?
Well, whaddaya think? Whale oil! It feeds us, it keeps us warm...
Aboard the Pequod was a man named Stubb, the second mate. He was a man of irritable disposition.
I...
I can't. Into that abyss, on nothing but a rope that looks like it'll snap from a slight breeze? I can't...
... Those words nearly escaped my mouth, when...
…….
What... are you doing?
Your rope. Tie it to my waist.
B-but why?
Tethered like so. Now if you fall, I fall.
You. Me. Together.
Her sentences were stuttering and incomplete. But there was something there that oddly soothed me.
Together...
Someone to catch me if I fell.
Someone to watch over me if I fell.
So I tied one end of the rope to Queequeg's waist, and the other on mine.
Ah... Huh...?
Funny I should mention that.
The rope was too short, too flimsy. It immediately snapped...
And I was sent hurtling down into the lard-filled belly of the Whale.
Kah! Gaah...
What was harder to bear than the entrails, the viscera, the oil, and various other things I didn't want to think about... was the pitch-black darkness.
Mmph! Mmrph!
Whale oil makes a sound as it quivers and reverberates.
The reverberating oil tries to become one with everything it touches.
Some City folk talk about this phenomenon using big words like ultravibro-fusion, oscillation frequency... How such elements are used to produce the resonance tuning forks, their wavelengths and fuel...
But the point is, a Whale's oil covers and devours anyone it comes in contact with.
And when you're devoured by a living Whale's oil, you become a mermaid.
And when you're devoured by a dead Whale's oil, your sense of self slowly scatters, until there is nothing of you left.
... Ha, ha... Haah...
That's when I...
... realized how tiny and fragile I was. How insignificant of a thing I was.
Maybe the Whales were just lonely.
And that's why they carried within them the oil that had the power to turn others just like them.
Maybe, people are the same...
Out of loneliness, we want to make something, someone ours. To paint them just like us, to fill them with things that make us.
I don't even know what makes me. How could I possibly paint others like me... if even I don't know what I am?
Maybe I'm shallower than a Whale.
I, who boarded the Pequod just because I wanted to live a life unlike those of others. Just because living a humdrum life was too boring for me...
I...
What do I even want?
In the dark, where the distinction of all things begin to blur...
I saw light.
A ray of light scattered through an opening. I saw a rope drop from there. A rope lowered from the heavens into this dark, lonely abyss.
This rope. I wanted to hold onto this rope and live.
Because it was there, right before me.
Ishmael!
Rope, hold tight!
Ah...
Man... Dying in that oil... Now that would've left nothin' for nobody to remember.
Yeah. Guess I almost died one of the most meaningless deaths in the City...
I was born again that day, maybe.
The rope I held onto that day... was a rope that could never be severed.
That rope. It snapped.
No, no. It can... We can make it whole again. We'll tie another knot. As long as we can make it to the heart...
... you'll be free.
Once we, trapped here...
We had to think one thing. One thing only. To not become Mermaids.
Doubting. Hesitating. And pale begin to grow on skin.
You know. Like Whale oil.
I thought one thing. To meet you again, to go on a new adventure with you, I have to escape. Have to kill the Whale.
But to do that, I had to cut... the rope.
To not become a Mermaid, I think that one thought. I think that one thought again and again. And suddenly...
I, buried you.
The Whale-heart. To kill it...
I put my heart to sleep.
52. Into the Dark, after the battle
20 linesSo this is the second atrium the Captain mentioned...
<It's the center of the heart once we get past here, huh...>
Queequeg approached me.
Your name, I know. They call you Dante.
<Yeah. That's my name. They call me Dante...>
Your words. I can't hear. Like Whale voices, like Mermaid voices.
You bring back dead crew.
<... Well, I guess that's all I do...>
But not just body-death.
Heart-death, too.
<... Heart?>
I couldn't help but be confused by what Queequeg said.
Unless she's talking about an actual heart... I never had any powers like that. No one ever told me that I did, either.
You don't make them lose way.
Their way. Where they really want to go.
You tell them. With your clock sound.
<…….>
Dante. Something I wish.
I want... Ishmael to...
... find her way.
53. Into the Dark, after the battle
21 lines<Whew, we just need to get past that Abnormality. Then we can get to cutting the Whale's arteries.>
Looks like we can cross that sinew-like bridge over there.
Queequeg suddenly steps in between us and the bridge.
H.W. What are you doing?
The bridge. Made of flimsy veins.
This way. Original plan.
This looks like the way, but no. Not the way. Once one person cross, bridge snap under next.
<What...?>
Outis was the first to put the pieces together.
I get it. You already knew that this path was going to snap. Despite that, you have led us here. That means...
You were going to cross this bridge, and drop all of us behind you.
... Blimey. What'd I say? There was something iffy about this plan! Oi, is this that loony Captain's orders?
... She said... sacrifice, necessary.
Can't go forward unless someone falls.
I wanted to escape. I wanted to escape with Pequod crew.
And we were just acceptable losses on the way, huh? Just like that?
Yes.
Then why... did you change your mind?
Want to know, now.
Know... what?
My way. My path.
54. Into the Dark, after the battle
58 linesHe got bit, trying to save Pip. The Whale bit him when he tried to save Pip, he...
Shit, why'd that oil barrel have to fall on our oarsman...?
None of it made sense from the start, making that kid row as a replacement...!
Captain, please tell Pip. Is Stubb going to die?
…….
What did I say?
As long as you are my crew! None of you! Shall die without my explicit permission.
And I don't remember giving any of you permission to die just yet.
B-but... I... What will happen to...
The Pequod is on the brink of reaching the Pallid Whale of hatred! All we need is a good compass that'll lead us to it.
This Mermaid before us will serve that role better than anything.
B-but, Captain, I... am not... a Mermaid...
…!
Whatever that Whale devoured will eventually turn into a Pallid Mermaid. You must know that.
Incarcerate this Mermaid in the large cistern down by the holds. Its instinct will drive it toward the Whale of hatred.
…….
Captain... Captain... Please, no...!
Starbuck, send down a skiff.
... What? Now?
... Aye.
A few moments later, I heard a splash of water. All hands of the ship emerged from their stations and gathered around Ahab.
And Ahab... thundered.
Ooh! I hear him! Listen well, for it is Stubb who speaks! Heed his voice!
…?
What the hell is she...
All of you! Listen well! The voice of the great sailor Stubb echoes from across that Lake! The great sailor Stubb who so willingly threw his life in danger for the hunt of the Whale!
... I... the great...
In our urgency, we had no time to bring him back aboard!
Yet he lives! He did not die! Though he is overboard, floating on the Lake after this fateful battle, he will soon find safety aboard the skiff I have lowered for him!
He shouts! Oh yes, he bellows for our victory! And he bellows that we must go on, sail forth to victory!
What kind of insanity is...
... We. Sail forth.
... Queequeg?
This voyage will soon meet its victorious end. Then I shall sail to the nearest port!
And there he shall await us, the great Stubb! With a profound smile he shall greet us.
He will be rightly rewarded. And of course, we will all share tales of this long voyage over many sleepless nights!
With... a profound... smile... I...
And there you shall all be as well! We will buy rounds upon rounds of drinks for everyone in the tavern in Stubb's name!
Once! This voyage is over! EVERYTHING! WILL! COME TO BE!
... Once this voyage is over.
Once this voyage... Over.
Once... this voyage... is over...
The Whale of Hatred... is finally... in our sights...
You'll kill it, right...? Captain...
Let us answer his calling! We will kill the Whale of Hatred... WE WILL KILL THE PALLID WHALE!
All aboard, men! All aboard for the hunt for the evil...!
All aboard on this voyage to hunt the fount of all evils of the world, of the City, the hateful evil that pushes you all to the brink of death!
All of your struggles, all of your injustices, all of your pains and losses... that very evil sprang forth from that very Whale...
So we'll kill it! We'll kill it and watch as the new dawn breaks upon a world that has been mended!
... Aye!
SHOUT! BELLOW!
Aye, Captain...!
Ehehehe, goodbye! Stubb!! Let's meet again! Again, and again!
... Aye!!!
Yeah. It'll all be over when we kill the Pallid Whale.
When we kill the Whale of all evils...
<So all along, we've not only...>
<... been trapped inside the Whale, but also in her palms, all along...>
55. Into the Dark, after the battle
18 linesAhab's commands led us straight to her singular goal, the heart.
<We've all been played by the Captain... From the moment we met her...>
As the Pequod's Crew...
Sailing for nothing, no one, but Ahab herself.
Clockhead. You see it too, don't you?
Captain Ahab has the uncanny ability to effortlessly delve deep into one's heart, to fish out their deepest wishes.
Those hidden, yet desperate wishes.
Everyone bites onto that bait. Getting dragged deeper and deeper into the abyss.
Bite the bait and sink with the Captain, snared by those sweet words and the tantalizing hope that she dangles right in front of you. Not even knowing that you're slowly suffocating.
It's your job, clockhead. Fish her back up. The lass is sinking.
Broke it. Captain's orders.
Broke Captain's orders. Can't see sunset again.
No, you can. You'll see the sunset again. As long as you sail your own path...
Because we'll get to the heart. No matter what.
Ah...!
Can you hear that? The distant beating of the heart.
The heart, beating...
<It'll take us some time... But let's pay close attention to the heartbeat and feel our way there.>
56. Into the Dark, after the battle
7 linesFinally, once this is over... We can get out of here.
<I guess Ahab's not here yet...>
Tsk... is that an Abnormality?
Something twitched before us. An entity skewered by numerous fluorescent bars.
… Get out of my way.
<Watch out, it's charging!>
Perhaps it felt threatened when Ishmael grabbed her harpoon. It leaped out of the Lake and began rushing toward us.
57. Into the Dark, after the battle
42 linesOh, you are doing much better than I expected.
Hey, you... Don't tell me you've just been twiddling your thumbs, watching us fight?
I would have just gotten in your way.
It appeared that Ahab lost most of her crew on her way here.
…….
Rest of crew not here. Only five now. Why?
You dare question me now, eh? Your present company must've rubbed off on you.
I have enough men left. The rest were... disposable. They must have left you quite the impression, Queequeg.
Say it. Why.
Before I do... Queequeg, where's your greeting for your Captain? For your surviving compatriots?
Especially when... the heart presents itself before us! We are THIS close to killing the Whale!
Pip hates Mermaids!!! W-want to! Now! Want to get out of here!!!
But the pale keeps trying to eat Pip. This. Ugh, ughh. It won't come off.
The Pallidification is progressing, the closer we get to the heart. It is starting to get rather... bothersome.
The Pallidification effect was intensifying, indeed.
But you. All of you are somehow completely unaffected.
And... this ticking sound! It has been getting on my nerves!
Ahab strode toward me.
Tell me. What will I find in your clock-head?
<…!>
Ahab looks into my head.
And I, in turn, raise my head to return the gaze.
<This is...!>
Ahab's journey through the pancreas plays right before my eyes.
Cap'n... You said... you won't let me be... a Mermaid...
Well, then... this was not the right method indeed.
Huh...? No...! Don't cut that! Everyone behind you will...!
Captain! That was Pip! Pip cut the vein!
Wonderful! Imagine how overjoyed Stubb would be, were he to witness your exploits!
Think he's watching over Pip? Can we kill the hateful Whale?! Heheh! Ahahahaha!
Huh... Huuh? Aaaaaahhhh!
C-Captain... What did you just...?
I kicked the lad in there. Looks like that wasn't the right path.
You dare beg for your life?
C-Captain. That's not it. It's...
With every moment, every second we waste, the end of days grows near! Every beating of that Pallid Whale's heart is a bell tolling for the end of the world!
We can stop the apocalypse with our own two hands! Yet you kneel here and dare to grovel for your life?!
You mean to make your crew's sacrifices to have been for naught?! Unbelievable!
N-no, Captain...
I can die, for this cause I will...!
Nay, not death! I have never, and will never order my men to their deaths.
I send them to greatness, not death.
58. Into the Dark, after the battle
69 linesYour head... What an odd power it has. Just like the peculiarities of each Whale.
... Pequod crew sank. Right before heart.
Because of you.
It was a mistake to expect even a hint of surprise or shame from the Captain...
... when it was revealed that she'd sent her crew to their deaths.
Hahahaha!
Yes, you can say that. You may indeed claim that I have sacrificed my crew.
By now they must be wandering the Whale's guts, transformed into Mermaids. Lucky ones probably turned to sludge in acid.
But why...
I know this heart better than anything else in the world. I know it better than my own body. The pancreas we have journeyed through is an endlessly winding maze! And if our limbs were to be melted off, we'd have no means of recovering them as you do.
I had to calculate the ideal path to the heart, losses be damned. I see no injustice committed in my pursuit of practicality.
I even encouraged and reminded them of their pride and greatness as they drew their last breaths.
When it could not be helped, I made sure that they perished before fear overwhelmed them.
My crew and I are one, bound by oath! The promise that we will hunt the Pallid Whale, whatever it takes!
Are we not, Ishmael?! Now, we shall...
... Sail... to the heart?
Quite! Yet we need one last piece of the puzzle before we set sail.
Ahab turns to face me again, glaring at me with her burning eyes.
That shard of the Bough.
<What are you...>
I, Captain Ahab, cannot be deceived! That thing in your clock-head... is a piece of that Golden Bough, is it not? It is that Golden thing that counteracts the Pallidification effects! Am I wrong in assuming that this is how you and your crew have remained untouched by its effects?!
Soon, our final battle for everything that we hold dear will commence. And for victory, I shall spare no quarter.
No one knows what will happen here, at the heart of the Whale from which all evils of the City, the world, spout.
And is it not patently clear that you are the only one inexperienced in combat?
What if you were to perish...? What fate shall befall your crew?
What fate shall befall your crew, should you meet a pathetic end without having destroyed the Whale's heart!
<That's...>
Everyone here, including your crew and mine, will turn into Mermaids within hours.
<So... what the hell do you want me to do?>
Hand it over. That golden shard in your head.
And I swear by my name that I will personally see to it that everyone trapped within this Whale safely makes it to the world outside.
Captain ain't wrong, you know...
<Huh. I guess that makes... some sense.>
It takes but a single sacrifice... to ensure that everyone survives. Down to every single crew.
I... I detest that. I shall not relinquish Manager Esquire's head to thee...!
Then what? Fail to destroy its heart and let us all be Mermaids together? Is that how you wish your tale to end?
That's...
My friends. Is there not something out there, past this Pallid Whale's flesh, that awaits your return?
Laying your lives down just to save the life of some useless clock cannot possibly be your dream.
You must have something that drives you! A desire, a goal, a mission that you must see to its end once you escape this Whale!!!
Captain Ahab cuts through our hearts, cracking them little by little, and nests in there.
Even the Sinners may have been moved by her speech, even for a brief moment.
And that brief moment is all it takes for that thought to spread through the heart as water freezes between the cracks of a rock.
That's what she's always done, I'm sure.
And all of a sudden, when everything reaches a crescendo... it will shatter.
Ishmael. Her crew. This is what Ahab had done to them...
<Tell her what I'm about to say, Faust.>
Understood.
<You're not going to be responsible for the Sinners.>
<And no one knows what'll happen to the Sinners if my head is crushed.>
<I'm not going to let the doubts you cast chart our futures.>
<Because I am their Manager.>
Ooh…
Hmph, predictable. Pleading for your life now, are you?
<Besides... I don't want to die.>
…….
Sacrifice. A gilded name given to death so that it won't feel as hollow when it claims us.
I've seen the Sinners die a thousand deaths. And I've shared that very same pain that killed them countless times.
I've felt the weight of their every death... so I can't bring myself to wrap them up in a pretty box labeled 'sacrifice'.
Instead, I endure. Endlessly.
What gives our collective struggle significance, what gives our suffering meaning... is us. We share the weight and convey our own meanings to our battles.
So that everyone can reach for their own dreams.
That's why this struggle is no sacrifice.
I won't seek death willingly.
Ahab... You really haven't changed. ... No, you've become even more revolting.
I struggled, I thrashed, yet... Again, you had us in the palm of your hands…
Commandeering our ship, turning me into one of your crew again…
Silence!!! Shut up. This... is a moment of paramount importance.
The path to the heart opened as Ahab finished her words.
59. Into the Dark, after the battle
33 linesDo you see it? This... is the heart.
An amalgamation of all that the Pallid Whale has ever devoured.
This makes the Pallid Whale breathe, this makes its heart pound, and from here its evil spouts! Behold! It spews evil again! Again! Again! And again!
Stop laughing like you're happy when your path here was paved with the lives of your own crew.
I suffered my whole life. Everything, my dreams, my friends, all of them… sank right before my eyes. You… it was you. You did that to me. You…!
Indeed, That was I! I led my crew to their deaths.
And what of it?
Their fates were sealed the moment the Whale swallowed them. Fated to become Mermaids, fated to wander the Whale's belly until they keeled over and died. I saved them!
I merely reap my recompense for extending their lives, even for a fleeting moment!
I looked after them, watched over them, and led them to this place... And for that, I have been rightly rewarded.
I was the one who sparked the proverbial fire in their meaningless, pathetic lives. It has always been me!
I still remember the day you lot boarded my ship, not even a spark of light manifest in your aimless eyes. What a pathetic display that was, nothing more than flotsam bobbing up and down without cause!
I gave your worthless lives a reason to go on. And on the Pequod, you sailed with conviction!
No… You devoured the crew whole. You painted over their wills, just like the Whales - no! Just like the Pallid Whale! Molding them and shaping them to fit your wants and needs.
We didn't board your ship solely to hunt some stupid Whale. And you knew that.
I didn't. In truth, I could not care less about your reasons. The moment they set foot upon MY ship, their sights should have rightly been set upon the Pallid Whale!
In fact... You must know better than anyone that their hearts were flimsy. That they let themselves be swallowed because they were shallow; that they let themselves be molded because they were weak.
I am the only one who matters. What matters is that I have declared this beast evil - and that is my commandment, my belief, my religion, and my creed.
When I perish, this world shall perish as well. So my very life, my very existence itself, is then the world! And I have deemed it so! No one will be the helmsman of my life but myself!!! No one shall live my life in my stead!!!
What do you, all of you, believe in? Tell me. Is your belief unbreakable? Is it absolute?
My beliefs are absolute! My definitions of good and evil are clear-cut! Thus my beliefs are unclouded, unassailable. Because I have made it so.
That is why I will never be broken. That is why I stand tall, unshakable, as a missionary of my own faith.
I have blessed you with my absolute definitions of good and evil! So that you may live your life with unhesitating, unwavering tenacity!!!
…….
Starbuck stands next to Ahab. He wears a wide smile, as though a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.
…….
Queequeg also slowly positions herself next to Ahab. I could not read her expression through the mask, but her shoulders appeared... laden.
…….
Then you are my definition of evil.
All of my hatred, all of my goals, all of my failures, all of my past, all of my... losses!
They all came from you, Ahab!
Very well! Then crash unto me like the Waves! Let your world and mine clash!
Let us see whose evil is the more tenacious, the more overwhelming!!!
60. Into the Dark, after the battle
6 linesYou could've given your crew a chance!
A chance to see for themselves where they stood...!
Always in my wake... are pallid, opaque traces.
You say that I stole their chances? Wrong. They merely followed in my wake, setting their course to the same destination as mine.
Because had they not done so, they could not have endured this world. Because they were weak! I was their lighthouse in this world of tempest... I gave them an unambiguous path to follow!
The last of my sailors! By me! Heed my orders! Pursue them!
61. Into the Dark, after the battle
113 linesYou should have stabbed me! That harpoon should have pierced my heart! How! Why were you the one to - !
We must find the Pallid Whale! Look alive, men! Spring! Roar!
Harpooneers, tighten the ropes around your harpoons! Helmsman, set course to the Whale!
Full sail! Full sail, my first mate! Row! To the Pallid Whale from which the all evils of the world spout, we sail!
Navigators, chart course…! We set sail! We set… sail…
Ahab roars. She cries out to her crew, but they will never return.
Her voice scatters to nothingness.
I will watch you live. Because you are the proof of my wandering years.
So that I may endlessly struggle against the devouring seas. The testament to my sins. My Whale.
No, you will not look down at me…!
I am Captain Ahab. I, I…!
Pale blood explodes from the gaping rupture in the Whale's heart.
As though the Pequod's crew were raising a toast to victory.
Drink to the Pallid Whale's death.
Drink to the downfall of Captain Ahab.
Thus the voyage came to an end.
Oi... The Whale's not letting us out, it's caving in on itself...!
So what she said about destroying the heart and escaping...
Of course... Full of lies to the end.
Well, it technically wasn't a lie. We will eventually end up outside the Whale.
She didn't say anything about being outside the Whale in one piece, I guess. Ugh, I shoulda seen this coming~
THUMP!
Someone, something dropped a large, sturdy rope from above us.
…!
<Who dropped that rope...?>
Doesn't matter, let's take it!
Ishmael stared at that rope for a moment.
What are you standing around there for? Let's go.
This rope...
I have a feeling that this rope won't snap.
You... You should have killed me...
I should have been the one to kill the Whale...!
What... about her?
... We'll let her watch as this place crumbles around her.
The Captain must go down with the ship, after all.
We all grabbed onto the rope and climbed.
Like Ishmael said, this rope did not snap. We felt the cool breeze blowing in from the outside.
We never once looked back at the abyss that was the Whale.
Never.
After some time...
Apparently the Whale's hide's too thick and tough for most things to puncture...
... So how'd ya do it? Hmm? Hmmm?
The Indigo Elder did not seem to mind Rodya's persistent, somewhat rude questioning; he replied patiently.
I do not know if it is because the Pallid Whale swallowed the Golden Bough... or because it swallowed you and your friends. But its behaviors changed in ways that I had never seen before. I presume that something had gone wrong with its brain.
So I punctured a hole in it with my anchor. That is all.
Now... two of the five Calamities of the Lake have met their end by your hands.
Will you remain here, Indigo Elder?
Why would I leave? The sea still harbors three Calamities.
Hm.
Oh... That butterfly...
A solitary butterfly takes a moment to rest, before fluttering over the Lake's surface.
That butterfly looks similar to the one we saw in the Lobotomy Corp. Branch.
It appears to be the exact same Butterfly.
I'm envious. To be able to cross the Lakes so unbound, so freely like that.
<What do you think his deal was? Rim...>
<He did help us at the end of the day, but...>
He has certain expectations of us. I expect that he will return.
I don't like being a pawn in some dodgy bloke's games.
I think... he was watching us from a short distance away. Maybe a step away.
Ishmael was gazing beyond the Lake's horizons.
She no longer casts her gaze into its waters.
<Ishmael.>
Oh, I was reading the winds.
We're cutting it close. I expect to see the Waves rushing in our direction at any minute.
... Heh.
Ishmael chuckled lightly.
Then let's face it head-on this time. Ready, Dante?
<I... don't know how to sail.>
Haah... Don't you understand? After all that? It doesn't matter how good of a sailor you are.
What's important... is that someone is there to help steer you right.
And as the first mate of this ship, I'll trust and follow your directions.
So... you're my Captain. For now.
My skiff will go on an adventure of its own one day. But for now, I've tied that skiff to a bigger ship called Limbus Company and you.
Because I really want to find out what's waiting for me at the end of this voyage.
... Besides, you guys are the only friends I have left.
<Ishmael...>
I'll trust your decisions and your orders, Captain. But I'm not going to just accept them at a face value. I'll constantly question and try to understand them.
So that when I see that my compass no longer aligns with yours, I can take my skiff and sail away.
So that I won't let anything consume me again. So that I won't lose myself again.
I can see the Waves rushing toward us from a distance.
The Waves are as colossal as always. There is a little fear in my heart.
Yet...
<Well, I think we can manage that.>
Heh.
Waves incoming in 15 seconds. Get to the helm, Swab - No.
First mate Ishmael.
You're not even the Captain, Outis. Come on.
Sorry for intruding.
But Charon's got the helm. Hold on, everyone.
Khm...
Haaah...
Now that's a proper Ishmael sigh. I haven't heard her do that in a long while.
With it, she tightly gripped a handle of the bus, her gaze fixed on the approaching Waves.
Determined to never allow herself to be swept up by the tempest that the waves bring.
Her hair, the color of sunset, flows and flutters in the wind.
The wind feels... nice.
It's a perfect breeze to push us toward a new voyage.
Mhm. Voyage to ice cream. Splish splash.
My, what a mess...
…….
Is it still... not in your sights...?
That cannot be... We must continue our search... Comb... every corner...
Sorry that the Whale died.
But you don't have to completely give up on life, do you? What you've lost is but a 'single' Whale.
You... You're here to point and jeer at this Captain Ahab, have you...?
Captain. In this world of infinite possibilities... Do you really think that there is but a single Pallid Whale?
…….
Yes, now there's a spark in your eyes. I think we're starting to understand each other.
I'll help you kill that Whale. And I'll make sure that you're the one who gets to do it this time.
So that you may hunt every Pallid Whale in every world.
All I require from you is your staunch determination and conviction.
So, is that more than enough reason for you to come aboard my ship?
Let's make this voyage a good one.