Limbus Company story · Main story
Canto IX: The Unsevering
Instead of the bus that never returned came the news of an attack upon the unassailable. Caught within the chaos, I quietly behold what is wreathed there: A spider's web, woven of red thread.
55 scenes, 4,759 lines
1. Ambush in the Dark, before the battle
79 linesThere is a clew of thread, raveled of a single strand whose beginning is its end.
Moments become wefts and warps that criss-cross into a weave,
and the flow of time spools in a single spot.
Go on, read it.
Uh... Ryō... shū...?
From the echo of your first cry to the whisper of your last breath,
in the heart of every moment, my eyes catch a glimpse of you.
No... That's not how you read those letters...
"Yoshihide." That's how you say it.
"Ryō-shū!"
It's prettier and easier!
Dear lost child of mine, should the way back home elude you...
Follow the thread back to the very first knot that hurt the most.
Where the quivering stops,
that is where you will find me.
Today's the day.
Today's the day indeed. Boss, are you -
Hold. Please, don't ask me if I am "nervous." Only ordinary, unremarkable researchers with a particularly low level of confidence in their own material ever get "nervous."
Your unfinished query has reminded me of the last academic assembly - there was this fellow who simply could not stop their hands from shaking with the frequency of 5 oscillations every 3 seconds, even after taking an entire fistful of Tranquility Boluses. What a miserable sight that was.
Oh, of course, perhaps the fear that the attendees may not possess the intelligence to comprehend even half of my presentation may source a reasonable level of anxiety, potent enough to make my legs tremble somewhat. But I have been quite relieved of that concern after you reviewed my materials; if both of you were able to understand it, then the audience should have no problem following the... general narrative.
At least you won't be dosing the audience chock-full of your verbal sedative this time.
On another note... have you any clue as to why our cooperation request for additional research is still pending approval?
... LCA R&D Team has repeatedly denied our request. Apparently, we're to focus solely on our present research...
A rather narrow-minded bunch, aren't they? Do we know specifically who denied our requests?
... The assistant manager who simply could not stop their hands from shaking, even after taking an entire fistful of Tranquility Boluses. It seems pretty obvious that they're still carrying the grudge from when you scoffed at them.
... Is that so?
Well, they'll have no choice but to approve our request after this presentation. Our present research has already progressed beyond the point of satisfaction, after all.
Of course, Boss. Of course...
... This won't do. Though the motivation behind my additional research request was to sate a personal curiosity, I have no doubts in my mind that it will end up benefiting the company's bottom line.
Marton, do you have our additional research proposal with you? Even the LCA will have no recourse but to approve it once they see the projected gains from its success.
Ah, that... I left it back at the Research Hall. Didn't think we'd need it today.
A successful outcome of that research should also be able to boost the efficiency of our electrical systems. I'm sure the need for more power is a mutual concern - we already have precious little to spare with how much energy our present research consumes.
Yeah, we know. We even had to conduct our experiments in the freezing cold because we rerouted power from the heating system to save electricity. Well, I stayed toasty thanks to my E.G.O gear, but still...
Anyways, I'll go grab the proposal. You two should focus on the presentation prep.
Re... Requesting support. This is LCE Department, Co... Corridor YS-4. Requesting immediate support. The situation's... a Code... Code... Gah...
Apologies. I didn't wish to so unnecessarily cut him off, but... as it seems he passed out... let me be the messenger instead. Though I won't bother with the fancy code-speak...
"The situation here is... entirely hopeless."... was probably what he wished to say.
A few hours later...
... A good deal of time had passed since we'd said our heartfelt farewells to Jia Xichun, yet we still remained stuck in Hongyuan.
You sure we're settin' off today? Reckon you got the date wrong?
I'm pretty sure I didn't... But even Saude's late, and she was supposed to get Vergilius and Pilot...
Right ahead lies the road that leads straight out of Hongyuan. Given Saude's memo telling us to drive out here with a truck, there should be no room for error this time.
I sure hope that's the case.
When we left Daguanyuan earlier, the guards at the gate actually asked me what time we'd be coming back. They probably think we've taken up permanent residence here at H Corp.
... Not surprising. After saying goodbyes left and right, not to mention two farewell banquets - we're still sitting here on our butts without any sign of leaving...
Exactly. By now, Verg should've appeared out of nowhere with his usual, "Time to move on to our next destination, Dante..." like he always does!
Then Charon would say, "Off we go, Mephi. Vroom-vroom"... It's been forever since I heard her last!
I don't think there was ever a time Vergilius was gone this long.
The breach of contract may have led to extra workload for him, but even so, his prolonged absence remains unusual.
All this, just because he went out of his way to help us...?
Not necessarily.
While it is true that the penalty incurred from breaching the contract yet remains, the LCC's operation in H Corp., which he was assisting with, was immediately concluded following Jia Xichun's inauguration as the Family Hierarch.
Hmm... I fail to think of any other reason apart from that.
<Vergilius and Charon would always be away whenever we traveled to a new place... but yeah, never for this long.>
Maybe he's just off doing whatever he usually does when spending time with Charon...?
Everyone turned to look at Faust.
At this point, there is no information that can be shared regarding Vergilius's absence.
<... Maybe we can ask Vergilius when he gets here?>
You honestly reckon he'd say a word about where he was? That bloke only ever tells us where to go, never where he's off to.
Verily! And never hath he deigned to bring any of us on his ice cream trips... save young Charon!
Hooh! Perchance, his path is that of a culinary journey to sample the unique specialties of each District -
Be serious for one second, lass. This ain't a foodie tour.
... Aside from guiding our path...
... it may simply be that Vergilius has a path of his own to walk.
<…….>
I've got no idea what his path would even look like.
We're only here to follow the journey as guided by Vergilius... We know neither the path he has walked, nor the path he seeks to walk.
I wonder if he'll ever share his history with us one day.
I 'spose he's bein' his usual absentee self, but... that don't explain why Saude ain't here, does it?
We've been late plenty of times, yeah. But it ain't like the lass to keep us hangin'.
Maybe there's been a change of plans?
... When an operative goes dark without warning...
... it's usually due to an unforeseen variable, not a change of plans.
As if to prove Outis right, someone forcefully yanks the truck's door open.
<Saude...!>
Holy - What happened to you?!
Saude stumbled into the truck, short of breath. She was bleeding and covered in wounds both minor and serious - her eyes glistened with wild anxiety.
A broken pistol hung from her waist. It was impossible not to notice the still-fresh gashes and wounds on her.
The first thing that caught my attention, however, was the stump right where her left arm used to be.
2. The Spiders' Thread, before the battle
159 linesPrep-prepare for battle, immediately...
I am... no longer able to operate, as you can plainly see... I need... your help.
Saude collapsed to the floor before we even had the chance to ask her if she was okay or what had happened to her arm.
Immediately after rendezvousing with Mister Vergilius... I was... ambushed...
And the attackers... the attackers'll be here any minute.
Where once her resolve had not faltered even in the face of death...
... a grave look of despair now filled her eyes.
How many hostiles?
... Two.
While Mister Vergilius was dealing with one of them, I...
Verg was?
Color returned to Rodya's face upon hearing Vergilius's name.
Well... Then maybe Verg's already on his way back after wiping the floor with both of them?
N... no. I don't think so...
It's Charon...
I... I lost her.
They tore off the arm I was holding onto Charon with...
I never should've let go, I never should've let that happen...
Thou couldst not hold onto young Charon? How, what...?
Saude grimaced, her expression an amalgamation of guilt and confusion.
It was a far cry from her usual, collected self.
... Did they take Charon hostage?
Yes. I... could not stop them from taking... Charon.
What about Pilot...?
.......
Pilot was heavily wounded, but... the last time I saw him, he was conscious.
... We should prepare for battle. Now.
At least our current objective is clear, Executive Manager. First, take out the pursuers, then rescue Charon. While the exact motive of the perpetrators is yet to be revealed...
We may be facing multiple fronts. I briefly picked up a transmission from HQ while running this way, and...
*tzzzzzt*
A sudden buzz of white noise breaks through the truck's silence.
...!
Ah...
Any station, respond... respond...
Saude froze up, staring at the radio's speaker.
Gregor was the first to act in her place.
This is LCB, I read you. What's your situation? Over.
HQ Research Facility -
Research Facility?
U-und-under-attack -
My darling daughter. I hope you've been doing well for yourself out there.
But don't you think it's about time you stopped playing and came home?
Utter silence descends as a kindly calling cuts off the bloodcurdling scream from the other side.
The voice that came through the radio was nothing short of affectionate.
And... it was easy to guess who the "daughter"... was.
... Hah.
The Spiders have spun their web, Clock.
<Web?>
And it's woven so intricately that there's no way around it.
That's when I recalled something Lei Heng had mentioned - "The House of Spiders."
Thinking back to how intensely Ryōshū reacted then...
<Do... do you think these attackers have something to do with that, uh... Lei Heng guy from earlier?>
Unlikely.
He was just one of my many passing tutors.
Th-then who could've - It's the headquarters, for crying out loud...!
I don't know. The HQ, it's... it's not the kind of place someone can just force their way into...
Breaking into a place like that...? It's completely unthinkable...
<…….>
What now?
Usually, I would use my intuition to choose the best course of action and lead the Sinners during a mission.
But who would've thought that the HQ, which was meant to brief us about that mission in the first place, would come under attack... especially while we were left without a guide?
*puff*
Fine. I didn't expect them to come find me themselves.
Once the spiders have spun their web, they tend to wait for the prey to stumble into it, after all.
The plume of cigarette smoke lingered for a moment before scattering into the air. When I looked at Ryōshū's face, what I saw...
... was an expression of strange euphoria.
…….
Ryōshū, is this all just...
... some amusing diversion for you?
Saude shot an incredulous look at Ryōshū, who was nonchalantly puffing the rest of her cigarette to ash.
Sure is.
The long-awaited moment has finally found me.
Why wouldn't I be excited?
That's just -
But... don't presume.
My excitement for the coming pleasure... will not interfere with my effectiveness.
I've never once... let enjoyment get in the way of taking the job seriously.
Not ever, not now.
<……>
You said the assailants'll be here soon. Is the one who took the driver coming, too?
... Charon -
If anything happens to Miss Charon, I...
... I wouldn't be able to bring myself to face the Red Gaze.
Tsk. This isn't going anywhere.
The Spiders won't hurt the driver.
She's just their bait to lure out the bigger prey.
So stop panicking and set us up. It's unsightly.
... What?
The Backdoor of this truck. Can it connect us directly to the HQ Research Facility right this instant?
W-wait. It can, but...
To use the Backdoor portal that leads straight to the HQ, I need to verify the security code written specifically for each coordinate. It's... going to take some time.
Heh. Gives us enough time to deal with your pursuer.
As Saude navigated through the vehicle's machinery with her remaining arm...
... the Sinners all began to keep watch on their surroundings, weapons at the ready.
So, are we sure it's a good idea for us to head to the HQ? I feel like we're walking ourselves into a trap here...
... What if we requested assistance from Daguanyuan instead?
That can be a solution, yes. However, as this concerns our HQ, resolving this crisis with help from a Wing, even one whose leader we are on good terms with... will require an enormous favor to be repaid.
Your decision, Executive Manager?
<……>
<... We'll head straight to the HQ Research Facility as soon as Saude opens the portal.>
It wasn't hard to intuit that Ryōshū's turn had arrived, given her evident excitement.
If so... the backdoor leading to the HQ, which Ryōshū intends to use, should be the path we're meant to take this time.
Better prepare yourselves.
What awaits us, without a single shred of doubt, is hell...
... and there in its depths... lies something that has always been waiting for me.
…….
Aught strums above us, walking the vehicle's roof... we have been found.
Oi, then shouldn't we get out of the truck before it caves in over our heads?
No. P Corp.'s Singularity protects this truck, remember? Something that's supposed to keep whatever's inside safe. We should just lie low in here until -
Y-ya sure about that? I can see a teensy crack in the ceiling!
A crack? That... makes no sense. The ceiling should be elastic enough to bend under most physical impacts instead of cracking.
... It is true that the exterior of this vehicular transportation device utilizes P Corp.'s Singularity.
That is why this truck is more spacious inside than it appears from the outside, and has good defenses against external forces.
However, unlike the experimental model we boarded in P Corp., this vehicle appears to be a more... affordable model used flexibly as a shuttle for the Before Team's deployment.
<...?>
That is to say that for a Singularity technology to perform at a competent level, a higher level of investment is required. Budget models - even those of Singularities - can still end up being countered.
So they cheapened out.
Then the assailant is not one of the Nursefathers from the House of Spiders.
If it were one of them... the first shock would have shattered this wall into pieces.
I suppose kicking off with the top dogs would've made for a rather bland story progression.
The Nursefathers...? Wait, you mean the same people Lei Heng -
... We'll have time for speculations later.
Executive Manager, the ceiling's about to cave in!
<... Go for the kill the moment they get inside.>
…….
At the ready, men!
<...! Wait, don't engage!>
Though we were readying ourselves to skewer the intruder the moment he stepped inside...
... we had to immediately backtrack on that idea when we saw who he was carrying.
... Charon...!
She is only unconscious - and breathing still.
I see. You cut Saude's arm off so that you'd have something to track her down with.
And she has gone straight to seek help from her comrades...
It was indeed a correct decision for us to wait and see how she'd react.
The intruder continued, glancing toward Saude.
As if in response to that, Ryōshū placed her hand...
... on her scabbard.
<... Ryōshū?>
*puff* B.D.O.K. They won't dare hurt the bus driver.
So don't make a fuss, Clock.
Huh?! What do you mean she's okay - Ryōshū?!
Ryōshū ignored Sinclair and rushed toward the intruder, her scabbard cleaving through the air.
Oho... parried that, did you?
... Have you no regard for the hostage's life?
You won't dare let her die unless you're planning to incur the red guide's wrath.
Like Ryōshū said, the intruder was only defending himself against her strikes without harming Charon.
Just as the other Sinners were stepping up to join the assault...
I had intended to face you one at a time, as the propriety of honorable combat dictates, but...
... unfortunately, since I cannot let you take her back until my master arrives...
The intruder gestured with his hand, and strange, bizarre things dropped through the ceiling with a thump.
... I must resort to using some... borrowed weapons.
Are those Distortions or... monsters of some kind?
<No...>
<I think they're... people...>
His "master"... Vergilius is supposed to be handling whoever that is, yeah?
The Color most illustrious must be deterred from wielding his full might, on account of young Charon's capture...
Then we rescue Charon and book it to HQ or wherever - that'll let the guide go all out.
Yeah, that seems to be the best shot we have at this moment.
<... Still, let's be careful and prioritize Charon's safety above all else.>
3. Textbook, between battles
64 linesUgh... He seized the Backdoor side of the truck. Even if the portal opens, we can't -
... Doesn't change what needs to be done. We take care of him, get the bus girlie, and head off to HQ.
For fuck's sake... We can't even fight full out...
Despite Ryōshū's assurance, the Sinners did not share her confidence that no harm would come to Charon...
... so they were confined to fending off the animated corpses, unable to fight aggressively.
Ryōshū was the only one unfazed enough to raise her sword against the assailant in this cramped battlefield.
Bothersome little halfwit. Arms straight, I said. How many times... Just how many times must I repeat myself?
Oh, stop making a fuss - it couldn't have hurt that much. On your feet. Get off your ass! What makes you think you deserve a break?
Quit being a whiny little brat and pick up that sword. Slash straight. See? That wasn't so hard, was it?
If I ever hear you whining again... I'll rip your hair clean off your head, so get your act together.
... You.
You're no stranger to this sword style.
The Palermitan Style. I have been trained in it as well.
Did you learn it from Valencina, that boozehound?
I must ask you not to insult her with such a crude epithet. ... My master gave me an order when she imparted this style to me:
To temper and hone it until my mastery of it becomes indistinguishable from yours.
My swordcraft... is now on par with that of your past self when you still belonged in the House of Spiders.
Learning it without understanding anything... and only obsessively copying me...?
Wasting time over such mimicry... It's beyond ridiculous.
If you're no more than a copycat, then the angle of the wrist, the distance between the feet, the balance of the sword itself - every one of these has to be exact, because even a single incongruity...
Are you actually that incompetent, or do you enjoy the beating? Maintain your stance!
Don't bother your stupid little head trying to be clever and just stick to what you've been taught! Take what you memorized and move!
The sooner you become the blade that cuts through all, the better. Only then can I -
... will break your form, making your swordsmanship as precarious as a tightrope walk headed straight for a fall.
*puff* You're no different from those wind-up dolls over there.
... Call me a wind-up doll all you want. It doesn't matter.
You, likewise, are unable to recall and properly wield the Palermitan Style...
Which tells me my usefulness has not yet run its course.
I must perfect every form you've been taught, even if I must repeat the same stance a thousand - no, ten thousand - times over...
... if I am to be a perfectly tailored textbook for you.
What if I said I have no need for childish study-aids?
Your rejection is inconsequential. My role as your textbook has already begun.
Hah. Then I will illustrate my very own art for you...
... until you're slashed and cleaved beyond recognition.
Hah... Damn. My eye's torn up again - Yup, I landed on the right place. That's my Ticket all right.
Gah...!
I told you, Lucio.
You could spend years honing your skills...
But that still won't be enough to catch up to our Yoshihide.
.......
The man staggered a little, his head jerking to the side from the impact of the blow.
Isn't it obvious now that you've seen it yourself?
How sad and pathetic your progress is.
This... This is the problem with greenhorns who haven't had a taste of the War... They don't know what it's like to crawl through the muck and grime of the battlefield where the slightest inattention can get your head blown clean off...
When faced with a superior opponent, don't just rely on brawn, but redirect the force of their attack to the side by locking their arc with the tip of your sword - I've said it time and again.
And when you're outnumbered, lower your form and draw wide arcs with your sword. Did you forget everything I drilled into you after shouting myself hoarse?
Secure a corner,
force them to get to you in a single file...
Because positioning is everything. Didn't I tell you all of this before?
If Yoshihide is to recall even one more lesson from me, the textbook can't afford to have any defects.
... Forgive me, Master.
But... you did manage to collect this one as instructed. Maybe you're not completely useless after all.
Hatred thick in her voice, Ryōshū hissed "The Thumb Nursefather..." under her breath as she shifted into a blade-drawing stance against the second assailant.
.......
Hey. How have you been doing, Ticket?
Your form's really become a wreck since you were away. Just seeing that sloppy grip makes me sigh. I had to beat that habit out of you back in the day, remember?
Tch. Still... this reunion's been a long time coming, so I suppose I owe you a bit of courtesy. You're old enough now to understand what I'm saying without me having to resort to the occasional backhand, aren't you?
"Ticket?"
Still intent on calling me that, huh...
... Clearly, you're still just a sad sack of shit stuck wallowing in a sinkhole of your own making.
... Did you just call me... a "sack of shit?"
Hah... Bitch... you should know your place before barking at your betters.
...!
Sensing a sudden presence outside, the so-called Thumb Nursefather snatched Charon into her arms and swiftly assumed a fighting stance.
4. Textbook, after the battle
86 lines*sigh* Manager Dante, it seems that... I must apologize for what has happened today.
<Vergilius...>
I was stalled by my personal issues and a certain... unresolved business from the past.
Verg, you're hurt -
They're not from these assailants, so don't worry needlessly.
It just so happens that I was involved in a rather... troublesome matter prior to encountering them.
It's all my fault, Red Gaze. I should have... I should have protected her...
Saude's voice trembled as she apologized profusely to Vergilius.
No. This happened because I couldn't stop him from going after you.
... And of course, he had to go for your arm.
That wound's looking worse by the second. Go get it treated the moment we deal with this situation.
... I will.
Vergilius met the Thumb Nursefather's gaze head-on.
The Thumb... The Finger that makes up for their incompetence with duplicity and cowardice, only to then hide it all behind their mask of honor.
You appeared exactly as we received the transmission that the HQ Research Facility was under attack.
... Then your purpose here must be to stall me by any means, even if you have to resort to an old and tired method like taking a hostage.
Haha! Yes, the way you're reacting to this... I nailed it.
She's your "cake."
Remember, Ticket? Remember what I told you when you so immodestly stuffed your face with that cake and smeared cream all over yourself?
"Smiling like an idiot in such filth makes me want to smash that cake to the floor."
"So don't you dare let on even a hint of craving for that cake while I'm looking, no matter how sweet and delicious it might be."
What did I say, Ticket? What did I say?
If you're gonna start trouble,
you better not show it on your face!
Else I'll catch on!
*huff* *huff* Stop fucking around and tell me straight.
Tell me. Why are you ^#&@#( $# @!^%#?!
…….
Ha. You know what? Be like that. Keep mum and brood in silence all you want.
That #$#$ #*& $#*@ $#*@ #*$&@&%#... I'll find that $&#*@& $*&#@# @$ &*(##&^*@ ... and I'll split @(# #( @&#$.
You're not getting past me. You think this eye is just for show?
Well, Valencina, I don't know how much confidence you're putting in that eyeball, but...
... I doubt you'll stall me for long with that half-functioning Relic of yours.
A trickle of blood had begun dribbling down the intruder's cheek from her covered eye...
Ah, this...?
... but she grinned without a care.
Oh yeah, it started hurting more and more the closer I got to Ticket.
But it's gonna get better. Ticket's about to leave this place, you see.
Shithead... you're not here to kill me, are you?
... Hah. "Shithead?" Rude bitch, have you forgotten all about manners?
The woman seemed to be having a hard time holding her hand back from striking Ryōshū...
... Hmmh.
... but after a few deep breaths, she visibly relaxed and continued on.
Glad you finally figured that out. Now fuck off as soon as that Backdoor opens.
The other Nursefathers are waiting for you there, so show some proper manners.
Oh, or is that brain of yours too messed up to remember who's who and which is which? Why don't you take this time to think of what you're gonna say to them?
…….
Hey, hold on. If you're gonna let us go anyway, why don't you let Charon -
... Zip it.
The Thumb Nursefather muttered viciously.
I. Hate. Presumptuous idiots. Who don't know their place. Butting into conversations.
... Friends of yours, Ticket?
Yeah.
That so? Then I don't suppose there's anything wrong with sending them all there...
After all, why discourage a swarm of flies from flying straight into the web we've spun?
Her eye fixed intently on Vergilius, the Thumb Nursefather slowly backed away from the Backdoor and opened the way for us.
<The Backdoor to the HQ hasn't opened yet. We have to rescue Charon first, then - >
Do not hesitate, Dante. That... is indeed the path you must bring the Sinners to.
Vergilius continued coldly, as though he was reading my mind.
In fact, you should go through the Backdoor like she says if you want to help Charon.
This entire circumstance at the Backdoor has been engineered to hold me, and only me, back. And what awaits beyond the Backdoor... is what they have orchestrated to summon you and Sinner #4 there.
Correct. I wouldn't want your dash of red...
... to snip our elaborate web to pieces.
Portal connection to the HQ... almost established...
But... but every firewall protecting connections to the HQ has been bypassed... What...?
Then, it must be via the defenseless Backdoor, or Backdoors, through which the intruders have broken in.
Portal connection to HQ... established.
Coming with?
... If Faust goes... I'll be the only one left here who knows how to operate the Backdoor Calibrator.
I'll stay behind... at least until Mister Vergilius rescues Charon.
Then we'll go on ahead.
As always, Ryōshū did not prolong the conversation.
She did not bother to impart even a quick goodbye...
... as she walked into the shadows that awaited us beyond the Corridor.
<…….>
I gave Saude a nod in her stead.
Dante.
The 4th Sinner's thread is... pulled tautly.
It is precariously close to snapping... but it is also sharper than any blade, that it might sever all that it comes into contact with. You must remember that.
<…….>
What kind of "thread" is Vergilius talking about?
Snapping... severing... I wasn't yet sure what exactly he was referring to, but...
<It won't be severed. Not when the chains bind us together.>
I replied, absentmindedly rubbing the area where the chains that connected me to the Sinners had burst out of.
... Let us proceed, Dante.
With Vergilius's words hanging heavily over us, we made our way into the Backdoor connected to the HQ Research Facility.
5. Mutilated Memory, before the battle
96 linesArriving at the LCE Department.
Oi... What in the...
The sight that greeted us was nothing like what we remembered from our last visit for the regular check-up.
... We're too late.
I thought HQ's reinforcements would be holding the line... or at the very least, that I'd walk into a battle...
... Yet there was nobody left standing, much less making a run for it.
All we could see were bodies slumped along the floor, filling the corridor in motionless silence.
This... This is just awful... I never thought the ship would go down this badly...
Faust, have you got any idea how many of the LCE are actually combat-ready?
The LCE... tends to encounter more combat tryouts and experiments compared to the other research-focused departments. The vast majority of its employees are required to have completed basic training pertaining to the aforementioned.
As for the E.G.O equipments... Although the current research and extraction process may be sophisticated enough to see some considerable results in combat,
it would seem that they were ill-equipped to handle a pre-planned ambush such as this.
Fat chance those lab nerds could do anything in a real fight, let alone against the Spiders out on the prowl.
The memories came flooding back - researchers jotting down our check-up results on piles of paper, and Hohenheim, with his droopy, tired eyes, leafing through the files.
We'd barely exchanged goodbyes when he rounded up the burnt-out lab staff, who were already pulling their hair out from the sheer level of stress, to oversee another experiment in progress.
<Meursault. If you happen to notice anyone who... looks like Hohenheim... let me know ASAP.>
... Mm.
I have identified three bodies in various states that make immediate recognition challenging. However, their stature and attire make it extremely unlikely that any of them are Hohenheim.
From the looks of it... they probably didn't even get the chance to put up any meaningful resistance before they were killed.
With a glum look in his eyes, Gregor examined the bodies strewn across the floor.
Out of 32 bodies, 26 show identical physical trauma.
<Identical...?>
Every one of them has a spiral-shaped perforation at the center of the chest, over where the heart is. Their cause of death seems to be the same type of "spiral" weapon they are holding in their hands, Manager.
These spirals... I think they pulled them out themselves... but why would...
.......
... Soft.
Ryōshū cast her gaze down, quietly eyeing her palm.
From the cryptic words and the contemplative look on her face,
I could easily guess that she was taking a trip through the shadows of her past...
... touching an invisible object with her palm and feeling its texture, in search of something that should have been there in her hands.
And I've been through enough to know that we would be revisiting her past together.
However...
<... Huh?>
What I witnessed was completely different from the memories of the other Sinners I'd seen so far.
The vision I saw was completely fragmented....
... as if a blade had cut up her memories into pieces.
.......
Within Ryōshū's memories, something did indeed rest in her palm. However...
I couldn't even make out whether its hue was closer to black or white.
Was it some kind of food? A weapon, or something else entirely?
Even the expression that crossed her face when she saw it and the words that slipped from her lips in that moment escaped me.
.......
One thing I saw for sure, though...
... was that the person who, in all likelihood, had given it to her...
... was letting out a lazy puff of smoke swirling into the air,
watching Ryōshū's reaction in complete ease.
<.......>
I gazed back upon the cryptic scenes of Ryōshū's memory that flashed before my eyes.
.......
<Ryōshū? Is there anything you remember?>
... "Saru."
That name's all I can remember.
<You mean...>
As you've seen, Clock, my mind has been hacked to tatters.
The sequence and the shapes... Everything is in tangles.
There is nothing I can explain about my memory.
It seems we've gotten the gist of the situation. The worst-case scenario here would be...
... a breach from the outside happening while Abnormalities, Distortions, and Peccatula break containment all at once.
Whoa. Now that's a situation I really don't even want to think about... We'd be fighting trespassers and all kinds of monsters broken loose!
Precisely. That sums up our present circumstance.
Right...
Outis wasted no time to deliver the conclusion that'd kill everyone's morale.
Let's start from the beginning.
First, the LCE Department found itself under attack by a group of unidentified hostiles 2 hours prior.
The weapons used to massacre the researchers... are not uniform. The victims appear to have been killed with a various assortment of arms.
.......
My darling daughter.
Eyes on me. When using straight weapons that leave the farthest-reaching arcs...
Eyes on me. When using weapons that kill with the tiniest incisions...
Eyes on me. When using flexible weapons that crush anything they make contact with...
.......
What a tangled mess, just like that bastard.
Hard to tell what kind of weapons were used here... Damn.
Ryōshū whipped her hair back, furrowing her eyebrows in annoyance.
... Safe to say that the killer is adept with at least three different types of weapons.
Moving on...
This was a surprise attack carried out without any delay whatsoever, and the LCE had no time to even plan a counterattack. It was, for lack of a better word, a massacre.
Now, here's something that demands our attention.
It appears the invaders had the Abnormality containment units opened... only after they confirmed that the surprise attack had been carried out successfully.
... That sure is fishy.
I mean... shouldn't it be the other way around?
Unlock the containment units first, let the monsters wreak havoc through the facility... then swoop in during the chaos and finish off the stragglers. That'd be the easier course of action.
Indeed. The enemy's strategy is highly unusual.
As for why they resorted to such an unusual move, there are two plausible explanations.
Firstly, that the enemy may be comprised of fighters skilled enough to forgo a diversion tactic.
You mean there could be more... who are as strong as the woman in the truck who kidnapped Charon...?
Mm. Secondly...
That the enemy may have purposefully unleashed the Abnormalities from the cages as a follow-up measure.
Follow-up measure...? Art thou implying those villains sought to disguise their vile attack?!
No, the chance of a cover-up is almost nonexistent. Unless they had precise knowledge of scavenger Abnormalities that could devour the corpses clean, the enemy would never have left such identifiable wounds on their victims.
It makes more sense that their goal was to delay HQ's main reinforcements and keep them from reaching the scene on time as we did.
A delay tactic... I see. Maybe they were looking for something?
Possibly. They must've had a specific objective in mind when they broke through.
Which means whatever they're looking for... should be here somewhere.
Something elusive and so well-hidden that they had to distract us just to buy themselves some time.
... We need to hurry, then.
6. Paradox of the Spiral, before the battle
168 lines...!
As we were battling our way through the escaped Peccatula...
... Gregor came to a sudden stop.
Wait, do you fellas hear something? Sounds like... breathing. It's faint.
... Mm. I hear it.
In this general direction.
Meursault stared at the giant containment chamber door where it lay on the ground, smashed in and knocked loose.
How likely is it that it might be a Peccatulum or an enemy combatant?
Unlikely. The breathing is unstable and shallow, like that of a wounded human.
Hm...
Hey, Outis. It'd only be right that we try to save them if there's even the smallest chance that they're a survivor, right?
... I suppose that could leave a... not-so-negative impression of us on the HQ.
We knelt around the fallen door, slipped our fingers under the debris, and lifted - the door rose with a loud, metallic creak.
...!
Underneath the door was a woman, her breathing shallow.
... Hey, she's...
She was one of Hohenheim's researchers who guided us through the regular check-up.
... Alyssa... I'm Alyssa. Yeah, I didn't think you'd... remember my name...
Alyssa slowly shared her name, her voice strained as if she was squeezing the air out of her lungs. She was covering her chest with her hands, overcome with pain.
... Okay, Miss Alyssa. Are you...?
Every breath... hurts so much...
... I couldn't... call out... for help.
Reminds me of what... boss used to say... "We're not the main characters of this story... so upon the proverbial... coin flip... we can only wait to see if it'll... land heads... or tails..."
Alyssa let out a brief, dejected chuckle before wincing with pain.
Lady, seems to me you're in plenty of pain. This is hardly the time to be joking about - hold on. This stake...?
Alyssa's hand was grasped around the same, spiral-shaped rod that the bodies in the hallway were holding.
What happened here?
The alarm system...
The alarm didn't go off.
Even the smallest accidents... or issues... trigger the alarm to go off... in our department.
Boss... Hohenheim... was adamant about installing that system... Said that... he didn't want to repeat... the fall of Lobotomy Corporation.
A pained grimace crept into Alyssa's expression as she tried to calmly continue her explanation.
It wasn't just from what was staked through her chest.
The alarm system didn't go off... not even when the employees realized that the facility was under attack.
... No. It's not... supposed to behave that way... It wasn't...
We waited quietly as Alyssa caught her breath and calmed down.
The lights... suddenly died.
We thought it was the experiment... we were conducting.
Boss groused from... time to time about... how much energy it eats.
Hah. Dammit, I should've... noticed then that something... was off.
Alyssa blamed herself to no avail, her voice growing faint.
So I thought it was just... a temporary power outage...
No one... thought much of it... Because...
... Because it didn't trigger the alarm system. Yeah, it's understandable.
I was heading to the Research Hall... to retrieve something, and...
That's... when I heard...
... heard the sound of... dress shoes, click-clack... echoing through the dark hallway.
Not too slow, not too fast... A relaxed but disciplined gait. No one... in our department walks like... that. We're always... so, so busy... that we always walk... in a slight jog.
Then... a terrible, dying scream followed...
... before the massacre began. Like... a hellish nightmare that just... wouldn't end.
No one... knew what was going on...
Help...
W-who's there?!
AAAAAGH!
AHH!
All I knew was that... I had to run...
And... something... whistled through... the wind, and...
... felt something hot... across my chest... I looked down and saw... this thing had pierced me...
Then I passed out. When I woke up... someone had forcibly... unlocked all the containment units...
Abnormalities, Peccatula, even... Distortions running amok... and I was pinned down by... a containment unit door... that got knocked off its frame...
So, you weren't with Hohenheim or other people when it occurred.
Boss... ah, boss must've been... by the conference hall.
... Could you... Get the pen and paper from... my pocket?
Alyssa drew a simple map on a piece of torn paper.
I don't know... if the others are safe. But... follow this map, and... you should at least... be able to see for yourself. Or... at least get a clue of what happened.
There, there. We get the general idea. Now let's have a look at that wound.
Gregor replied calmly.
Bollocks, the wound keeps bleeding... This ain't your usual weaponry.
Oi, you recognize this?
Heathcliff asked Outis with palpable concern.
…….
From the way it looks... the more the victim moves, the deeper it will drill into their flesh.
Perhaps a Workshop product - designed to stall and take combatants out of commission, rather than to kill outright.
If the assailants had the wherewithal to use weapons like this, then... they could've very well easily killed the victims then and there, too.
Was the purpose really just to stall them, or... was it some sick fascination?
Hm... it seems that staying still is what saved your life. That was wise of you.
Yeah, I don't know about "wise"... It hurt too much to... even think about moving, anyway.
... Perhaps aught that closes a wound or rapidly heals it be the remedy, were we to extract the vile weapon?
Yeah, you're not gonna walk around with that thing in your chest forever, right? Let's pull it out, get that wound treated, and -
It's no use.
Ryōshū spat out a reply.
It's no use...? Is it the kind of device that physically can't be removed?
No. Pulling it out isn't the hard part.
It's just inadvisable.
If we force it out of her, then... she'll end up like those bodies in the hallway?
Yeah. This spiral... burrows endlessly to reach the other side, but paradoxically, it cannot punch through all the way. Because it will never arrive at that point.
Sweetheart. This... is called a "spiral."
Once it is lodged inside the body, even the slightest of movements will make it burrow deeper into the flesh... forcing the victim to remain perfectly still.
It may not sting any worse than a prick of a thorn at first, but the more you try to yank it free, the further it drills into the body.
But no matter how much it keeps digging in, it will never make it to the other side.
The closer it gets to the end, the slower it becomes - it can never meet its endpoint.
You know how to unlock it, yes?
I'll give you the @#$%#$ once you return with the job done.
Remember, if you try to pull it out... without the @#$%#$...
It will tear out everything it tangled itself with as it bored through.
So stay put exactly as you are if you want to live.
<…….>
All I could see were these fragments of her memories... its remnants.
If you try to pull it out... without the @#$%#$...
If you try to pull it out... without the matching @#$%#$, then...
Once again, I recalled Ryōshū's shattered memories, with the distinct feeling of drawing something up to the surface.
The scenes from her... mutilated memories.
As it was generally the case, I didn't know how exactly I did it.
It just... came naturally to me, the moment I wished for it to happen.
Hm. See anything, Clock?
<Ryōshū, what if that spiral...>
<... needs a certain combination of numbers, like a password?>
...!
To resolve the spiral's paradox, you'll need to find the correct pair.
If you try to pull it out without a matching number, then...
The sword and the scabbard; yin and yang; the past and the future; me and you. Everything, regrettably, is paired together with an awfully stubborn connection.
Do you understand what it means to die?
What it means to sever something?
For a brief moment, an odd expression appeared on Ryōshū's face.
White hair.
... Do speak.
The spiral can be disabled. It must have something to do with numbers, like the Clock said.
But... I don't exactly remember what it needs.
Know anything about a spiral-shaped weapon called the "Tortoise Spiral?"
... It seems that you've come to understand, if only marginally, how Faust is to be used.
As I have visually observed the device, and Ryōshū has provided certain keywords to narrow the results, Faust can now know.
Did you say how you're... "to be used?"
Ignoring the curious looks from the Sinners, Faust carefully walks up to a body and unclasps a spiral from their hands.
"Zenon's Tortoise Spiral," is what Faust calls this device.
After some time, Faust pulled the bottom part of the spiral, opening its hatch.
It is a lock. This spiral requires a seven-digit combination to release.
Also, the spiral's infinitely burrowing nature, despite its inability to ever penetrate the heart, explains why Miss Alyssa's bleeding will not stop.
... If it is "locked," can't we use a Fairy to open it?
<Fairy...?>
She speaks of F Corp.'s Singularity.
If the spiral is "locked," as you say, then would not a technology to "unlock" anything make for the perfect countermeasure?
... Theoretically, a Fairy should indeed be able to unlock it. However, what must first be considered is the value of the technology applied to this spiral weaponry.
... Then only an expensive Fairy would guarantee a successful outcome. Which... would be hard to come by at this immediate moment.
…….
Ryōshū and the rest of us stared at the spiral lock with a degree of trepidation.
We weren't going to be able to brute force a seven-digit lock...
This probably won't work, but... can't we just start from 0 and go from there?
As it is the case with most locks, a certain number of incorrect attempts would -
Tsk, point taken. It's death, innit.
Don't... leave me alone... I'm... scared. That's... honestly, what I'd like to ask.
But... there might be... survivors by the lab.
You know... our boss. He won't... go down so easily.
Just... go help them... instead.
But if we leave you like this -
Well, this isn't... the worst way to go. This way, at least... I won't be going into some trivia... book of stupid deaths like... 100 Dumbest Researcher Deaths.
Perhaps working under Hohenheim has influenced her to put on a mask of aloofness even in situations like these, but it was clearly taking considerable effort on her part to maintain it.
Were we in any other situation, I would've asked what those 100 dumb ways to die were to alleviate the tension, but...
... I held my breath and embraced the painful silence.
…….
We shall return to thy side, young Alyssa.
... What?
I give thee my word. So...
... hide as best as thou canst when enemies approach. Thou mustn't yield now, I beseech thee.
…….
You'd better listen to the lass. She ain't one for empty platitudes.
Yeah, okay. I... won't give up. Thank you...
c-485.
Ryōshū quietly muttered to herself.
Clock. Ever play a game of escape room?
<What?>
This is very much like a game of escape room.
To find the solution, you begin by gathering the clues.
<A game, huh...>
You want to save that researcher, don't you?
Then you'll need the serial number on that spiral.
Every step we took away from Alyssa as she suffered a slow death was painful.
I wasn't even sure if we could save her life.
Shadows beset the path ahead.
7. Charm, before the battle
20 linesIshmael, who had been following the route Alyssa had mapped out, stopped in her tracks.
Uh... Ishmael? What's the matter?
... Something about this seems off.
I don't suppose Ishy would ever read a map wrong... What's the matter?
Yeah, we're heading the right way. But the thing is...
This just seems too easy.
<What's wrong with that?>
Think back to the path we took to get here. Every other route was crammed with all kinds of obstacles to discourage us from taking a detour.
The corridor to the left leading to the Welfare Department was closed off, and the one to the right, leading to the Facility Management Room, was blocked with debris.
It's as if they're corralling us down this route.
... Mmhmm. I can't shake off the feeling... that we're chasing after bait hooked on a fishing line.
Well, can't say we've much of an alternative, eh?
A bit dodgy, yeah, but nothin' we can do about it.
... It would be wise to stand wary.
Hang on, Fau. Check this out.
These are the traces of an escaped Abnormality.
... Also known as the Faelantern. We have encountered this Abnormality more than once in the Mirror Dungeons.
Oh, that tree thing... So this one's the original?
<... I don't think Faelantern's the only Abnormality that's broken free.>
<Let's take them down and reduce them back to eggs. If they prey on any survivors who stumble in here... that'll be real trouble.>
8. Entangled Fate, before the battle
115 linesI think it's this way.
Hmm. This is the only area with lights on... It says "Broadcast Sector."
Can someone tell me... coming here was the right decision?
All the other routes were blocked off save for the one leading to this sector.
Looks like we'd have ended up here... one way or the other.
<It's hard to see anything when it's this dark...>
With most of the power down, the door shouldn't be locked.
Stop.
Take another step closer... and you'll be forcing our hand!
A familiar voice boomed from a loudspeaker, delivering a sharp warning.
This entire area is laden with security landmines. Even if you somehow manage to get past the minefield, you'll have to face the rest of us. I'm warning you - every one of us in here's combat-ready!
And if you think you're stronger than us, we have self-destruct devices. Bombs filled with... super-mini sawteeth... shrapnel...
Hold on a sec - what's this supposed to say? "Th... bo..."? The heck? And I thought my handwriting was bad!
Oh. Here... "Throwing this bomb will result in an explosion that covers a 100-meter radius zone from the detonation point..."
Hey! That's a Taboo violation, you know? At least try to come up with something actually convincing!
A-anyways! Turn around and walk away right now or we're gonna bury all of you with us under this facility!
We can hear everything, you know...
It is highly probable that the bomb is a bluff. Any bomb that falls under the category of explosives... must be "planted" on an object or surface per the rules set by the Head.
Mm. And that boast of the blast beggars belief. Such a wide radius... is sure to break a bounty of bans and bounds.
.... Sure, but I wasn't bluffing about the landmines. Take one more step forward... and bolts of overcharged electricity will make barbecue out of you.
As the voice behind the microphone began to grow increasingly irritated, it also became even more familiar. I was pretty sure I'd heard it somewhere before...
According to Alyssa, Hohenheim should be around here somewhere.
Wait. Did you just say "Alyssa?"
That voice... It seems we are not mistaken.
Now, I certainly recognized this voice.
That voice I would rather not welcome tells me...
That these individuals are good to be let through.
That voice Faust would rather not welcome tells Faust that these individuals are good to be approached.
A heavy thunk, and then...
The doors of the Broadcast Sector inched open, but before we could even take a proper look at the people holed up within...
Wha...?! You guys! You should've told us sooner!
Remember me?
Oh! It's Miss Ezra!
We came face-to-face with Ezra, who'd video-called us with a plethora of information on Bloodfiends prior to our mission in La Manchaland.
Heard you saved the day in La Manchaland!
And all thanks to yours truly, I bet. So, care to tell me which one's the Bloodfiend Extraordinaire on your team?
Huh? What? Oh... Well, that's...
Why don't we skip the pleasantries for now, Ezra.
The next person to show up was Moses.
I saw her in the video call, too... Team Leader at LCD, if memory serves right.
... Were you the one who threatened us with that nonsense about bombs, Ezra?
I mean, what other choice did I have? We were starting to believe that we were the only survivors out here, and then... bam! A dozen or so footsteps rushing into this sector outta nowhere... We couldn't even check who you guys were because the screens are all busted.
Ezra gestured toward the blank surveillance screens in the Broadcast Sector with her chin.
For your information, Mister Genius over there is trying to fix the security cameras. He said it's gonna take a while with the power outage, though...
I didn't expect our paths to cross again for anything good, but I certainly never pictured it happening like this.
Underneath the array of monitors Ezra pointed at, we found Hohenheim - looking even more haggard than we remembered - who gave us a faint, unwelcoming nod as he fiddled with a tangle of power circuits.
Hello. I'm relieved to see that there aren't any injured among you.
Marton stepped forth and offered us the greeting Hohenheim chose to skip.
In any case, you say it was Alyssa who let you know of our location? Hmm. If she's not with you, she must be either gravely wounded or already dead.
Uh... She's badly hurt, yeah. But we're searching for ways to help her.
Ishmael gave Hohenheim a blanched look as though she was taken aback by his cold certainty regarding his own subordinate's fate.
"Searching," hmm? You talk as if you're playing a game of scavenger hunt.
It might have been better to end her misery then and there.
Wha...? Haven't you seen how we handle things? She's still got a shot. Don't be so quick to throw in the towel.
Please don't misunderstand. Some of these assailants... They seem to enjoy torturing their victims. That's what's keeping our boss on edge...
Boss and I were near the laboratory when the attack started. There weren't many employees around, and the Broadcast Sector happened to be close by.
Probably the only reason we were able to find cover here in one piece.
... Verily, young Alyssa shall persevere steadfastly.
We have vowed to return and deliver her from death.
... Thank you. I'm sure Alyssa is... hanging onto your promise.
Um, sorry to break up this touching moment... but if you're here, that Color Fixer should be on his way too, right?!
Where the heck is he now? I wonder if he's already off to find the attackers...
... Ezra.
Moses, who had been staring at Outis since we came in, turned her gaze toward Ezra.
Team Leader! If we can regroup with the Red Gaze, I think we'll have more than enough fighting chance even without our baby bee!
Yes. But... it would seem that the Red Gaze is not here with them.
Just the look on their faces is enough to confirm that.
Whaaat?! What the heck are you peeps doing here without him?!
Ezra's face immediately soured the moment she realized that Vergilius wasn't with us; her voice crashed over us like that of a host shrieking at uninvited guests barging into her home.
It's not like... It's not like we came here on our own because we wanted to...
Guide bud's held up by an assailant... Ryōshū says she's called the "Thumb Nursefather"... from the House of Spiders...
And probably a tough adversary too... just like those who are assaulting the facility.
... Her combat prowess is not to be underestimated.
How is she compared to Euryalos of the Argos Unit?
Hmm... Around the same level, I would say...
Wait. You... If you know those names, that means...
Moses didn't grace Outis with a reply. Instead, she closed her eyes, seemingly lost in a brief reverie...
... and soon, returned to the subject at hand as if she were done sorting out her thoughts.
... Charon - is she taken hostage?
Huh? How did you know that...?
You mentioned the attacker in the singular. Perhaps just a slip of the tongue, but I suspect it was a single enemy if not a small number.
Furthermore... Despite coming here without the bus driver, none of you seem particularly convinced that the Red Gaze would be able to quickly dispatch the assailant and join you.
…….
Give it to our Team Leader! Just one look is enough for her to figure it all out.
Anyhoo, did you happen to encounter anyone on your way here?
Just some peccatula and manikins... Wait a minute. Why don't we get to ask the questions?
Ishmael barely managed to wrest control of the conversation amid the barrage of questions.
You're both from LCD. What are you doing here in the HQ where the LCE is?
Well, about that...
The LCE was supposed to make an important progress report today.
Apparently, it's a reeeally important presentation too! We've been receiving bazillions of reminders about how it's a mandatory attendance event and everything... Right, Team Leader? Feels like everyone's overlooking just how reeeally busy our department is!
Sorry to borrow your wording, but it is indeed a reeeally important presentation.
Yeah, for you maybe. But my department is also reeeally reeeally...
<Hang on... I don't think that's the crux of the matter right now...>
The presentation did not happen. As such, we are unable to assess its importance at the moment.
Whatever is the case, the event was what required us LCD members to be present here at the LCE Department.
And there's one more thing... Allow me to introduce the newest addition to the LCD.
Yeah, our team has grown in size! Take that!
I was told you'd met before.
A familiar silhouette stepped forward from the opposite side - someone we did not expect to encounter here of all places.
I regret that we must always meet in the midst of plights such as this. I trust you have been well?
Miss Aeng-du! It's been too long.
Is Mister Bamboo-hatted Kim... still in recovery?
Mm. My mentor's flesh... has long since healed, but it will take some time until his mind regains its former tranquility. However long the wait, endure it I must.
I have faith that he will recover in due time. Until then, in silence shall I atone for the transgression I have committed...
... Aeng-du appeared to be referring to how she ran Bamboo-hatted Kim through with her sword under the Monolith's Distorting influence.
Still, I'm glad you seem to be adjusting well to life at LCD.
Sinclair caught the shadow flickering across Aeng-du's face and swiftly stepped up to lighten the mood.
I would say I was taken in, but I am deeply grateful regardless. My mentor and I have nowhere left to call home...
But someday... we will...
... return to S Corp. together.
Looks like she's trying her best to fit in too.
It's always hard to get settled in no matter where you start from.
Now that we've all grown acquainted with one another...
Let us move on to the issue at hand.
9. A Distinct Objective, before the battle
219 linesThe first order of business is intelligence sharing, and... deductive reasoning based on the available information.
My team and I were attacked in the hallway connected to the conference hall.
That guy was... hah, I'll be straight with you guys. Super, super duper strong.
I would've stood my ground if only Hornet, that dumbass, were here...
By "Hornet," you are referring to...?
The junior of our team, but he's really, really strong. He's so strong that... uh...
Ah, I've got it. There was this time when I, uh... what was it again? Some kinda pastry, I think? Anyhoo, I got me some bread to snack on later, and in that split second my back was turned, Hornet, that asshole, swiped it right off of my plate!
I got so pissed off that I punched him right in his solar plexus to get him to cough it up, and, and... he just went "oof," and... swallowed my bread anyway! Like, does that make any sense to you guys?
Uh... yeah, okay... I guess that makes him strong...
Although Ezra's anecdote wasn't very illuminating, none of us bothered to ask for further clarification, as it seemed that the only way to get an objective measure of the Hornet's strength was to let her punch us in the solar plexus as well.
So... what's this "Hornet" up to now?
Ishmael peeked around as though she was expecting him to pop out from a hiding spot in the Broadcast Sector.
Oh, you are going to lose your mind when you hear this! Listen up, what he's -
... Not yet, Ezra.
- up to is a s-secret. It's uh... classified stuff.
Ezra trailed off awkwardly.
I tend to analyze my enemies with observation and deduction.
I try to identify their unique colors - the kinds of weapons they use, their methodologies, whether they enjoy the slaughter or avoid it, their attitudes toward battle... all of it.
Once I have that, I can get an idea of when to begin my counterattack, or what kind of weaknesses of theirs I can exploit; and that's how I've usually opened my path forward.
But he...
Moses inhaled sharply as though she missed her smoking pipe, which was nowhere to be seen at this moment.
... was chaotic. I could not identify a single pattern in his behavior.
He is an empty shell.
His act of killing lacks any emotional touch.
And that... is why you couldn't get a read on him.
... On the other hand, you... You appear so clearly to me.
You seem so anxious to cut something down, is that correct?
You are broken, shattered; but every shard is keen and transparent... like a hail of small blades.
A glass-like sword of many edges, so fragile with its futile wish to sever away what cannot be severed.
What is it that you grasp so tightly in that scarred hand of yours?
... Little shit. What are you peeking into?
Hey, don't talk to our Team Leader like -
Just as Ezra was about to give her a stern warning, Hohenheim stepped in and changed the subject.
To add to that, Marton here and I were in front of the laboratory when it occurred.
At first, it began with the sound of rushing wind. Something large and heavy, cleaving through the air - the kind of sound one should never come to expect from a department like ours, so full of delicate machinery and containment units.
It happened right before my eyes. Something snapped the employee who was walking only a step ahead of me... in half.
And the first thing that came to my mind was this - did an Abnormality breach containment?
But if such were the case, the alarm should've gone off.
... So far, this tracks with what Miss Alyssa told us.
She said there wasn't any warning at all before the attack...
Once I got a better look of what that was, I realized that it was neither Abnormality, Peccatulum, nor a Distortion... it was a massive scabbard.
When I looked toward where the scabbard came from, there stood a man who presumably threw the weapon...
... reading a book like he was out on a stroll.
And the book was...
Matthias... He must've been reading his Book of Vengeance.
First the Thumb, and now the Middle...
I stared at him, still processing what had just happened... when boss grabbed my arm and started running.
I couldn't look back. I heard screaming - from dozens of people, but...
... You seem to be fond of recounting unnecessary details.
Only after arriving here, at the Broadcast Sector, did I remember that Alyssa was still out there.
When one's life is at risk, the brain instinctively reduces the processing of information to the bare minimum required for survival. It is only natural.
But I was the last person who handled that research proposal, boss.
…….
Alyssa should've been at the conference hall, too. With us.
Hey, listen. If you wanna look back and nitpick at literally every little thing you did in the past, we're gonna be here forever.
I know it might sound like a bit of an empty platitude, but... focus on what we can do right now, what we're going to do going forward, okay? You'll have time for regrets later.
... I suppose so.
You did save my boss once, so... I guess it's only right that I should have more faith in you people than anyone else.
I would like to clarify that the "saving" was but a part of the experiment, but given the urgency, I will forgo a more detailed explanation.
Looks like we're all caught up, then? Good. Now, let's share what we know.
Moses began laying out the situation with the expertise befitting a leader of the LCD.
Today, intruders attacked the LCE department situated in the basement of the HQ.
We lost control of the entire LCE facility, and save for our current location, every sector has been neutralized by a single or a pair of intruders.
Any survivor who's conscious enough to communicate properly is already here.
After the attack, every containment unit was also forcibly unlocked, adding even more fuel to the fire.
We are beset by foes on every side; a search for a foothold is a difficult one indeed.
Darn, if only these surveillance cameras weren't busted... I'd love to be able to keep track of their whereabouts.
As I have repeated many times today, we are attempting to bring it back to operational status. You speak of restoring a sabotaged power grid like it's a task as simple as wiping one's glasses.
More than anything, we need these two pieces of information at the present.
One: Who are the attackers? Two: What objective brought them to the LCE?
The man we encountered seemed to have a one-track mind, squarely set on killing as ordered.
But there are far too many threads that point toward a motivation more complex than "infiltrate the facility and slaughter its employees with abandon."
Moses's deduction aligned with Outis's - if the assailants' goal was truly nothing more than slaughter, their first order of action should've been to unlock the containment units.
The intruders are... hm, yes. I have enough evidence to at least get a general idea of whom they might be.
Do elaborate.
There's the "Thumb Nursefather" who's stalling the Red Gaze. Then, there's the member of the Middle who attacked the researchers. And we've seen evidence of the Ring's involvement too, given the presence of corpse manikins.
At least two or more Fingers are involved in this attack.
The Thumb...! The vile cur the Kurokumo Clan serves are here...?
Hm, yet this is quite odd. Lady Moses, are the Fingers not hostile against one another?
Those ilk have no business coming within even a sleeve's breadth of each other, save when compelled to attend assemblies such as the Finger Bow-bell, where they oft quarrel to no end.
Correct. But consider this from the opposite perspective - there must be something of enough importance for the officers of each Finger to put aside their differences and work hand-in-hand.
…….
Spiders. Or... the Nursefathers of the House of Spiders.
That's what they're called.
And we've just snared ourselves into the web they spun.
The Fingers... rarely ever cross the line they've drawn between each other. This strange entanglement certainly is a deviation.
"Nursefathers," was it? Seems like a terribly meaningful title to me.
Then it can be presumed that the House of Spiders is a place to... raise something, or someone. To have such high-ranking officers of each Finger gather at one place to nurture someone...
One might think that it hardly makes any sense, and indeed, it doesn't - but what if their purpose itself is just as outrageous? That would, paradoxically, explain how they've come to gather.
Ryōshū, is it? You seem to be inextricably tied to that place.
I.K.W.Y.W.
Ah, she just said "I know what you wan - "
Mm, no need. I can understand her abbreviations.
But I can't tell you what I know. Because -
Because it's all broken. The place, the memories attached to it... I can see how they've shattered.
…….
You don't have to recall everything. All I need to know is what that "outrageous purpose" is. What is it?
Me.
To forge me into a blade that cuts through all.
But I left that place behind.
<Ryōshū, can you tell us anything more?>
... Shame, but that's all I have, Clock.
I don't remember much more than that. Even if I did, it's not an easy thing to speak of.
Ryōshū let out a protracted sigh just as Moses did earlier, the long exhalation of someone who clearly craved a puff of smoke. It betrayed the aloofness she projected.
Come to think of it, Ryōshū hasn't been smoking at all since we got here. Or... maybe since the truck.
... Clock, like she said, and... like what you've seen, my mind is a mess.
I have questions of my own, but the answers elude me.
But maybe the pieces can be put together using your hints, like the one you gave me earlier.
So we have to solve this together, this puzzle... or this game of escape room.
Ryōshū muttered placidly.
…….
If it is you the House of Spiders wants, then I must ask you to entertain this question: why did they bother attacking the HQ?
Oh?
As Moses began her explanation, Ryōshū looked in her direction with mild amusement.
When you said you "left" the House of Spiders, I presume you meant you "escaped" it.
Members of different Fingers are hardly the kind of people to fraternize even on a good day, but this alliance of sorts they call the House of Spiders has persisted even after your departure. At a glance, it may only appear that they were simply waiting for your return.
But given their... behaviors today, they don't strike me as a particularly patient group as a whole.
In other words, I find it suspicious that they decided to act now. If they were desperate, they would've made the move long ago.
This leads me to believe that... they were waiting for the right time.
Whichever is their motive, Ryōshū - whether it is getting you back, or doing something else - the fact remains that they have chosen this particular moment to act.
The Nursefather of the House of Spiders we encountered, she... made way for us so that Ryōshū could come to the HQ Research Facility.
She harbored such intense and complicated feelings for Ryōshū, but...
... I don't think I got any sense that she was trying to kill or take Ryōshū with her.
But she said that the Nursefathers were waiting for me here.
Clearly, they're here to see me, Weirdo Detective.
Alright you - Hey, what the hell's your problem?
Be calm, please. It is best that we do not interrupt their conversation.
In intense dialogue shall they find and draw out the answer... let us not dare stem this course.
It is a fair assumption that the Nursefathers of the House of Spiders have attacked this place to provoke you. However...
... I can't seem to shake the thought that they must have a distinct objective.
If they were indeed after Ryōshū and only Ryōshū, then... choosing this specific time and place hardly seems to serve that purpose.
<The intervals between each of the Sinners are different, but...>
<... once a Sinner's "turn" ends, another's begins. Every single time, without failure.>
<This case has everything to do with Ryōshū. I believe, without a shred of doubt, that it's her turn.>
Hm.
Once the Sinners relayed my words, Moses fell into a brief contemplation and began to mutter a sequence of words.
Limbus Company. The Mirror. The Glass Window. The former L Corp. Extracted E.G.O. Enkephalin. Psychoments. Abnormalities. Monolith. Sinner Ryōshū.
I can't think of too many things in the LCE Research Facility that could be what the House of Spiders is after.
By process of elimination, the only reasonable answer that can be deduced is as follows:
They're here for the Golden Boughs.
... So that's how it is.
<…….>
<Moses is right. It's become very important for us to look into Ryōshū's past, to reach in and see what lies there, but...>
<... LCB's goal, its journeys, and its stories have always been bound to the same terminus. Obtaining the Golden Boughs.>
<Hohenheim... where are the Golden Boughs in this facility located?>
The manager would like to know the location of the Golden Boughs.
It's at a laboratory in this facility.
Hohenheim's gaze turned to me.
Perhaps he was looking at the clock hands on my head.
... Very well. I suppose there's no way around sharing the contents of our presentation.
Hohenheim's answer sounded more like a prolonged sigh.
It was... a presentation regarding our progress in the Golden Bough experimentation.
…….
And the limited group of individuals with the clearance to access the contents of that presentation... does not include members of the LCB.
... Oi, aren't we the ones riskin' our necks out there to collect those boughs? How come we're not allowed to -
I am not the one who decides the scope of our security.
Hohenheim, your concern is understandable.
The company maintains tight control over any information regarding the Golden Boughs.
There is no way to know, at this moment, what the consequences of leaking this information without the company's explicit consent might be. If the worse comes to worst, we may even be subject to... a memory wipe procedure.
Unbelievable. We're stalled by some red tape at an exigent circumstance like this?
What do you expect from a company practically built on secrecy and suspicion?
Anyway, assuming the risks of divulging this information are understood and accepted by all parties present, let me get straight to the point. The Golden Boughs, we were... hm. We were experimenting with grafting the retrieved boughs onto one another.
Grafting the boughs...
Then, was the purpose to combine the boughs to form a singular tree?
…….
Nothing slips by a fellow researcher, I suppose.
Correct.
We are incubating the Golden Boughs under a very special environment... to create a sapling. We haven't yet managed to graft them together into a proper tree, no - but that horizon is in sight.
Today was the day that we were to share the successes of the experiment with certain major characters and teams within the company... until this happened.
The Golden Boughs are at the laboratory, hm...
Then, we have to get to the laboratory before they do and secure the Golden Boughs.
But... we can't just waltz out on our own when this whole place might be crawling with enemies, right? Is there any way we can get in touch with the HQ right now?
Did HQ even receive your support request?
We did send a rescue signal to HQ an hour ago, but we have no way of knowing whether it was received. The attackers destroyed all of our outgoing transmitters earlier.
As long as they received a signal, any signal, it shouldn't take long until they recognize that the LCE is under attack by an overwhelming force.
Assuming that the LCA has sent us support units, do we have an estimate of how long it might take for them to arrive?
... Even if they have to navigate around inaccessible passages currently present in the facility...
... it should be no more than 10 minutes.
10 minutes? Then they should've been here already.
They have either failed to receive the transmission, or the power outage has trapped the reinforcements in the elevators.
Hm, yeah... If it weren't for Miss Saude bringing us up to speed, we wouldn't have thought of using the Backdoor to come straight to this facility.
If such is the case, then we need only reboot the power divider in the Facility Management Room.
Heya, Mister Big Brain. If we wanna restore this department from a shutdown state, we gotta take out all the Distortions and Abnormalities sauntering about, right?
... In order to perfectly restore the facility, yes. This place has been designed to be quarantined from every other Department if even a single Abnormality has escaped to its hallways.
Eh, no use sitting around putting our heads together then, right? Hey, if you guys are scared of some Abnormality or Distortion, leave it to us! We'll kick their butts.
Nobody said they're scared. I'm just saying, we could benefit from practicing a bit of caution.
It would be wisest to prioritize restoring power to the facility. It seems that these attackers are making effective use of the dark.
... I see.
Executive Manager. I am of the opinion that we must split our forces in order to facilitate our operation, given the urgency of the situation.
The situation looks rather pressing for us to sit here and waste time debating what to tackle first.
Once I nodded in agreement, Outis quickly took control of the situation.
Listen up, men. We prepare for two things: reconnaissance and extraction.
Huhh...? Extraction? You mean escape?
Assuming that the LCA's support will arrive, it would serve us best to move in tandem with them to improve our chances of launching a joint attack with numerical advantage over our enemies.
Also, we have to stay mobile - we've held this position for too long. Our enemies will methodically kill and comb through the entire facility until they find what they're looking for. The more we remain stationary, the more likely we are to encounter them, and that will only elevate the risk of total obliteration.
Makes sense. Besides, the others here ain't like us. Once they get killed, it's over for them.
Another thing - don't forget that we have to reach the Golden Boughs before our enemies do. Whichever we end up prioritizing, we won't get anything done by staying holed up in here.
Very well... Then, if we were all to leave this place at the same time, where should we prioritize? We have many pressing tasks, as you have explained. Golden Bough retrieval, facility power restoration...
But the Facility Management Room to restore power to the facility, the laboratory, and the area with the damaged circuitry are all located far from each other...
... We divide and conquer.
Securing the Golden Bough, restoring power, and suppressing Abnormalities to clear a path for the reinforcements... they're all equally important, and must be resolved concomitantly. And to do so, we must split up into squads based on our expertise.
Yeah, alrighty. We work better as a separate unit anyway.
The LCB will be in charge of securing the Golden Bough, as our Executive Manager here has the ability to detect it whenever they are in proximity to one of them.
Ooh, kinda like a metal detector?
How dare you compare the Executive Manager to a - hmph... I'll let that one slide, given the urgency.
Anyway, we would like to leave Abnormality, Distortion, and Peccatula suppression to the LCD.
Gotcha~ That's totally our bread and butter!
How many... difficult Abnormalities or Distortions did you have contained in this facility?
Combatants of your prowess should have no trouble suppressing most of them - save for 2, however, that might pose some trouble.
Take these microcommunicators with you; we use these to communicate between laboratories. While it has limited range, it should be useful enough for relaying the suppression tactic for each entity you come across.
Perfect, we've secured a means of communication.
As for restoring power to the facility, I would like to designate that task to the LCE personnel here. I presume you are best acquainted with the layout of this facility out of all of us?
A reasonable choice. The layout of this facility is more complicated than it might have first appeared to you.
That is indeed one way to describe abysmal cable management.
... Please, consider it but a representation of the entropic escalation phenomenon. Despite the way it looks, the setup is quite stable.
Marton gave a handful of tiny radios to Outis, who distributed them to each of us.
Very well. Don't forget to keep each other updated.
…….
The acrid stench of smoke I'd much rather leave buried in the past... keeps coming back.
10. Shurajō, before the battle
116 linesDon't forget. The Golden Boughs are kept within a preservation container. Take extra care when you handle it...
Okay, okay. We've been working our butts off to retrieve those shiny twigs, too. We know enough about their worth not to throw them around willy-nilly.
Gregor's comment did nothing to deter Hohenheim, who kept voicing his warning again and again.
Alright... Lab's that way... and the Facility Management Room is...
Ezra was tracing the available routes to guide the LCD team members who arrived with Moses...
... while others crept down the corridor, alert for any dangers lurking in the shadows.
W-what was that?
There's a wall dropping down... Huh...? Hey! Watch out, you guys!
The corridor was thrown into complete chaos.
Sinclair! This way!
Huh...? I can't... It's too far...!
<Is everyone alright?>
It would seem that a quarantine system designed for Abnormality containment breaches has just been activated.
Meursault, who had been standing close by, replied in a monotonous voice.
And just as he said, when I looked around...
That was close... That wall nearly flattened us into pancakes.
We were but a breadth away from disaster.
... Shabby thing.
<Uh...>
What a W.O.T.
Just when I didn't think it could get any worse, it did.
Waste... Of... Time... Where's Ryōshū, by the way?!
Manager Esquire!! Where art thou?!
Sinclair and Don Quixote were desperately calling out from the other side of the wall...
Hey, I think this is the first time we've ever been so completely separated from Dante.
Ugh. Then we can't even afford to get hurt.
I don't see any Abnormalities around...
Now they've taken over the security wall controls, too... They've effectively forced us to split up.
... Not to worry, Executive Manager. This is only a minor setback. Allow me to assume command of this unit for the time being.
Hello? That's the first thing you're worried about? Shouldn't you be more concerned about Dante...?
... This has grown to be quite the predicament.
Hohenheim let out a heavy sigh.
Are you alright, Team Leader?
I am. At least we have no injured among us.
After all that planning, we ended up getting separated into completely random teams.
... Let's first check who we have on each side.
<Okay... It's me, Meursault, Gregor, and Yi Sang here. Also Ryōshū.>
We've got... the Detective, Miss Aeng-du, and me over here. And, uh...
... Ishmael, Rodya, and me. Outis, too.
As for us... Marton, the Assistant, LCE team members... and the rest.
"The rest?" Of whom speakest thou?
It is a phrase used by individuals who find it especially difficult to acknowledge their betters.
... Me, Don Quixote, and Faust.
There was no chance we could get the security wall out of our way even with our combined effort.
Hmm... the master keycard doesn't work, either. It should be able to override the lockdown, but...
Even the LCE wasn't having any luck on their side...
There has been a minor deviation... But it can't be helped. Advance according to plan.
This unit, the LCD included, will neutralize any hostiles within the facility - one threat at a time.
We'll assist you with finding the trail as soon as we're done repairing the security cameras.
Acknowledged. The LCE and Hohenheim's team will secure the Facility Management Room and prioritize restoring power...
As for the Executive Manager's team, proceed to the laboratory for Golden Bough retrieval.
Ugh... Figures I'd end up in the team doing the fighting... What a pain... *sigh*
Alrighty, off we go~!
I will take the lead. The rest of you, follow me.
And with that, Outis and the LCD team's footsteps faded into the distance on the opposite side...
We should get moving, too. Although I think just Marton and my Assistant here will be enough to restore power to the Facility Management Room.
There seems to be a lack of proper structure in the generation and distribution of electricity here. It is regrettable that the facility lacks a backup mechanism to handle unforeseen emergencies of this sort.
With the breadth of my responsibilities, it is only natural that I would have been too busy to be responsible for the facility's design... However, when viewed independently, the structure of the laboratory itself is -
*sigh*
Fret thyself not over so trifling a matter, young Heathcliff!
She's right. With the three of us together, we'll be able to overcome whatever obstacle that gets in our way... Probably...
The voices of Hohenheim and the other Sinners also slipped further away into the background.
<Should we... get a move on too?>
Let us know if you sense the Golden Bough, Manager Bud.
<Okay.>
Heh, the two smokers of the group ended up in the same team... What are the odds?
.......
I'll never know how the others manage to pull through these working conditions without taking a puff...
Mm.
There was a time when I partook. But I could not find any reason to maintain the habit.
Oh? There was? What did you smoke?
Most things that fall under the category of "cigarette."
Huh... After a whole year of watching you never walk out of line, I pegged you as one helluva straight-laced fella.
I partook in both categories of activities - those generally accepted as right, and those accepted as wrong.
During my time among the old League of Nine Littérateurs, I once had an opportunity to engage in a few "hits" of the substance at the behest of my fellows.
That was the one and only time. Everyone burst into laughter, though I found no enjoyment in smoking itself.
Hah... That's always the case for first-timers. Must've been pretty intense, huh?
What about you, Miss Ryōshū? When did you first start smoking cigarettes?
Every pair of eyes searched Ryōshū's face,
but she didn't bother telling us her story, nor did she reveal any signs of unease or anxiety.
What we saw on her face was inexplicable exhilaration, thrill, and as strange as it may seem, a fury chilling to the marrows.
... Beats me.
I've always been surrounded by cigarette smoke, ever since I was a brat.
... *inhale* Wouldn't have guessed it any other way.
It's your turn this time, isn't it?
Yeah. So damn obvious that it makes me scoff.
…….
How do you feel, Miss Ryōshū?
To be faced with the past that stands before you?
Simple...
It's exciting.
*scoff* All that waiting finally paid off.
I noticed you haven't smoked one since... this whole thing began, Ryōshū.
Right.
Trying to get used to... staying off it.
Meanwhile, back at the transporter truck...
Red Gaze. Never thought you of all people would have one.
…….
Funny, isn't it? The mighty and powerful Red Gaze loses this... this tiny little bundle of liability from his clutch, and he's suddenly too scared to even swing his sword right.
Not that I don't understand. To have an unwanted burden you can't even push aside or kill off shoved into your care... I know what it's like all too well.
Well... I suppose I did want the little thing back then... but I never expected her to be such a nuisance.
Lucio's been digging around... and looks like you don't have any connection whatsoever to this half-pint here... Could it be you've got a specific use for her?
It's plain that you need her for something... Explains why you're letting that dead weight tag along.
Perhaps she's like my Ticket... or Textbook over there? A pain in the ass you'd much rather kill off, but can't because you need it to make the future you long for come true.
Haha. We sure have a lot in common, don't we?
.......
.......
... You.
I know why you're provoking me with that pointless rambling.
Your friends are out on a mission, and you're making sure I don't get in their way till you get the all-clear.
However... just because my sword isn't cleaving across your throat...
Khh...!
Doesn't mean I won't collect your little lackey's head.
Keep that in mind.
... This should be interesting. Do your worst.
I'm curious to see how long the Textbook I so painstakingly crafted for my Ticket... would last against a Color Fixer. Aren't you?
11. Roseate Desire, before the battle
25 lines<We keep running into these... manikins...>
<Are they made by those "Nursefathers?">
Yes. To be more specific, it's just the Ring Nursefather.
Corporism - an art movement that utilizes the interaction between human bones and muscles, the contraction and the elongation thereof. ... With a splash of Cubist technique, it seems.
... Nasty.
Observe closer - do you see them?
Writings, carved into their... bodies.
These corpses were engraved with a wild scrawl of a message, carved with a blade.
They began shuffling at us in that uncanny rhythm entirely devoid of any semblance of will.
"Dearest..."
Dearest daughter of ours,
please pay close attention to the way the line curves.
From ribs, we can make blades keener than any sword; from femurs, we can make bludgeons sturdier than any mace.
The thoracic cage has taken this prepossessing yet hardy shape of an arch to keep the heart and the lungs from harm.
Preserve this natural beauty of the human corpus and do not infringe upon its primeval, precise value...
That is the reverence with which the act of creation must be handled - just as musicians handle a priceless instrument.
Touch it, if you will. Do your fingertips feel the contour of a blade along the grains of musculature, its tendons and sinews?
…….
The bones of the one most desperate for life... have become a blade best fit to reap it.
Indeed it has, hasn't it? I knew from the fathoms of my heart that you could appreciate the true value of this piece, Yoshihide.
The care put into this piece I have so painstakingly birthed into the world is greater than that of any other work of mine. The smallest fracture or imbalance could instantly render it useless.
Once this piece is complete, dearest Yoshihide, I would like for you to wield it.
I will.
Never got to finish that precious piece he'd always ramble about... did he?
Ryōshū muttered to herself.
12. The Fingers, before the battle
135 linesThe elevator up ahead is operational.
I could see the light of the elevator beyond the lockdown door.
<…….>
<If power has returned to the elevators...>
It can only mean that Hohenheim has arrived at the Facility Management Room.
<Ah! Then - >
Once the elevator doors opened, LCA agents began pouring into the facility in perfect order.
They immediately began hacking and shooting down anything that got in their way. There wasn't the slightest hesitation in their movements, as though drilled into them over countless rehearsals.
From the way they never failed to deliver a killing blow to any target that so much as twitched, even when it was already mangled beyond recognition, I could tell they were seasoned veterans with years of combat experience.
I began to grow certain that these fighters could brush aside any obstacle we faced with ease.
LCA special operations unit, was it? They sure know how to clear a room.
Testing... come in.
Oi, gimme that. Oi! OI! YOU ALRIGHT, MATE?
Agh, the heck - No need to shout into the mic, Heathcliff. We can hear you just fine.
Ah, apologies. My assistant's temperament leans on the more impatient side.
Sinner Outis's conjecture was correct. After arriving at the Facility Management Room, we have been observing the hallways through the device here. The video feed's quality... well, it leaves much to be desired, but...
... the LCA has arrived at this sector.
Can confirm that on this end as well. We have visual on the LCA units past the lockdown shutters.
But... all I've managed so far is to remove one security wall in your path. It has nothing to do with restoring the internal elevators leading to other departments.
Whichever may be the case... does this mean that the wounded can now be transported to safety?
... Not quite. While they managed to send the LCA down here via unknown means, the entire facility has to be restored in order to return upstairs.
It is indeed a relief, however. It seems that the agents have been deployed to each sector... they should be able to secure the rest of the survivors.
Though I've never been one to be interested in the art of killing and battling, particularly those without even a tangential relation to research... I have heard that they are a rather formidable combat force even by the standards of the City as a whole.
…….
... Eyes forward.
The lights flickered, and...
... 3 LCA agents who were advancing while covering the front of their squad simultaneously fell to the floor without so much as a scream.
…!
Like a broken lamp, the light past the security wall continues to flicker.
Between each flicker of the malfunctioning light, the outline of the intruder's weapon seemed to shift into a different shape.
At first, the shadow stretched into the sharp tip of a pick...
... then after several more flickers, it took on the familiar outline of an axe, very much resembling Rodya's own.
Judging by their appearance and gear, it is likely that they are the LCA's reconnaissance-specialized unit.
Most likely in the same vein as the team that arrived at the Monolith retrieval mission.
Recon team or not, how did the intruder manage to wipe out such a well-trained team... all on his own...?
Hohenheim, do you hear us?
Mm, indeed. Has the LCA taken care of the situation already on your end?
... You mustn't step foot out into the hallway.
... Why might that be? Ah, I've just watched the LCA agents take down an Abnormality with quite impressive precision. To suppress such a tricky entity in mere minutes... fascinating. This calls for an additional comment on its observation log.
The LCA reinforcement sent to our sector... They're all dead.
... What?
Were this battle fought in an open field... even the LCA's reconnaissance team alone would have sufficed to avoid defeat.
However...
This is what happens to prey who forget that they've been snared in a spider's web.
... They'll never fight on even ground, always drawing their prey to locations where they have the absolute advantage. They wouldn't have lost in an open field, you say...?
... It's meaningless to speculate over what'll never happen.
Look. His prey ensured their demise by walking into his hunting ground.
…….
What Alyssa had described earlier was becoming more and more apparent to us.
<A relaxed but disciplined gait...>
The man, after having slaughtered dozens of LCA agents... slowly turned around to face us, his sharp dress shoes lazily clopping against the floor.
He seemed to have been aware of our presence from the get-go.
Light dances across the glossy surface of his white mask.
…….
He returns a smile in response to Ryōshū's furious wrath.
Then, his lips part, soundlessly mouthing a sentence, word by word.
"Hi. Sweetheart. How did. Your reviews. Go?"
Hey, sweetheart. How did your training go?
... Same old. Dull and boring.
Dad, that wound on your arm... Did you do that to yourself?
Ah, yes. I had to stab my opponent with a knife 38 times through my own arm.
The 20th stab was where it really began to hurt.
…….
They say that the pain of burning hurts at least 100 times worse than the pain of getting stabbed. Did you know that?
So, when you have to take care of someone, I hope you won't use fire...
... lest their death be slow, and their dying breath curses your name on their long descent into hell...
Don't they deserve to watch their lives flash before their eyes in relative peace?
... Okay.
Come closer. You've got a scratch on your cheek.
It happened during Valencina's class, didn't it? Her methods are simply too violent - she's the kind of teacher who uses the number of scars as a measure of training intensity and effectiveness.
Let's take good care of that wound so it doesn't scar, okay?
Whatever.
If what LCE has told us through the transmission is true, then the Executive Manager's in danger - !
I'm just as concerned as you are, Outis, but...
... we're not exactly out of the woods yet, either.
... The security camera feed's working again?
Yeah. Look, it's pointed right in front of our door. But...
Come see. If my memory fails me not, then this man's attire suggests he is...
The Middle...?
I guess we now know what happened to the LCA in the other sector. Yeesh, this guy's practically tearing people apart.
Is he shouting something...? I can't quite hear what he's saying through the feed...
Yoshihide.
He is shouting... "Yoshihide." Repeatedly so.
... As he fills the silence between them with... a boisterous guffaw.
Face split into a wide grin, body convulsing with laughter... What joy does this madman find in this carnage...?
Gah...! That's an insanely powerful kick! Flung that guy all the way to the other side of the hallway!
The footage is pretty blurry, but... do you think he's got a prosthetic leg?
Hm, maybe not... I guess a leg covered completely in augmentation tattoos could look something like that...
Ooh~ Are ya looking at papa's mighty bear paw?
…….
…?
W-who the heck are you?!
Who am I? Hi, I'm Kira!
A covert approach...? Men, battle positions!
Ohh~ You guys got it all wrong! You're watching my papa work, aren'tcha?
Don't mind me, 'kay? I'm not gonna pick a fight with you guys.
…?
I'll just hang around here while you guys get the important stuff done! Mmhm, carry on and watch him work!
Your papa...? That guy's your dad?
Uh-huh! Isn't he, like, super badass?
Yooo, did you guys see that? Gosh, that tech's straight-up fire! So dope.
Hah~ I've been tryna recreate that myself, but it's not the same, ya know?
How's he doing that? Totally folded that guy up and tossed him like a baseball all the way to the other end of the hallway!
... To treat a massacre as no different from a game or sport...
What a contemptible scoundrel you make.
…….
Oh~ So you're into that kinda character, huh? Sick!
I'm a huge fan of 'em, too. Didya read the latest issue of "The Cloudburst Blade?" There's this new character who talks just like ya do, like, lifting his bamboo hat, he goes -
…….
... Wait, you don't know "The Cloudburst Blade?"
Aw man... I've been tryna sell it to everyone I know, but no one's interested. One of 'em's obsessed with training all day, one of 'em talks with her sword all day, one of 'em just wanders all over the place all day, and the other one... y'know what she said? "I think the story indulges in far too many logical fallacies." What the heck kinda book review is that? Like, bro, who wastes time nitpicking about what makes sense and what doesn't when reading a comic book? Gosh, I don't think I'd ever vibe with that girl!
Anyhoo, has anyone here actually read "The Cloudburst Blade?" If ya did, well... if I may have but 3 - no, 4 hours of your time, good sir...
Enough.
If you thought you could distract us with your nonsensical prattling, think again.
Outis, I don't see the Middle Nursefather on the feed anymore. If she's his, uh... apprentice, then...
Hey, Kiddo! What are you doing all the way out here? Haven't I asked you not to wander too far?
... Drat.
... No more transmissions. They've all gone quiet.
Hark! Young Ishmael! Young Outis!!! Wherefore doth none respond...?
This is bad... We don't even have the manager with us. We're all in the dark...
We must make haste and restore the facility to its operational capacity. The sooner we obtain access to the security wall controls, the sooner we can coordinate with each other.
As luck would have it, we should be able to locate one of the lost pieces of circuitry in this room -
…….
These remains... The Ring has made its mark here.
Oi. Don't force yourself... to look so hard at them.
No, disgust as an emotion holds very little sway over me.
It's just that -
Boss.
Don't. Don't look at their faces and try to tell who's who.
... Right. I lost my focus for a moment there.
Let us carry on.
... What, is there anything you wish to say to me?
This is highly irregular, but it seems that Faust also expresses agreement with Hohenheim.
Agree with what?
... That we must restore the facility with as much haste as we can employ.
13. Nursefathers, before the battle
11 lines…….
Leaving behind the perpetrator of the carnage greeting Ryōshū on the other side of the security wall...
... we had no other choice but to make our way toward the lab.
Miss Ryōshū, perhaps this question of mine is one you might not wish to grace with an answer - and if it indeed is, do feel free to let it float past...
But what is your connection to these so-called "Nursefathers?"
Your relationship with them does not seem to have been brewed in mere bad blood...
And in the change in your countenance I sensed... a flash of something almost imperceptible.
I haven't put all the pieces together just yet, but...
They were...
"Nursefathers."
My fathers who forged the sword that I am.
14. Cigarettes & The Nursefather, before the battle
91 lines... Looks like we're here. It's the lab.
The LCD and LCE haven't reached out again since that last transmission.
I can only hope that no misfortune befell them...
Hey, Manager Bud, you picking up on anything? I mean the Golden Bough... If those people got to it before us...
<Not yet, I don't think they did...>
<It's still in there.>
*sigh* Is that right? I guess I should be glad we still have a chance.
Gregor mumbled on in a gloomy tone.
Hohenheim will be relieved to hear this.
We stepped into the lab. The lights were off - it was completely dark inside.
If the assailants were indeed after the Golden Bough... what could they possibly want with it?
…….
I was deeply engrossed in my thoughts when I noticed that Ryōshū had stopped in her tracks.
<Ryōshū?>
There's a stench coming from up ahead... A sickeningly familiar one.
Even in the cloying darkness of the unlit lab, Ryōshū seemed to notice something out of place.
You smell something...? I don't smell anything other than your cig -
…….
... Oh, yeah. You've not been smoking for a... hot minute.
Only silence welcomed us in the lab.
We couldn't hear any breathing, but there it was without a doubt - the stink of cigarettes and a chilling, disembodied sense of dread we couldn't exactly put our finger on.
…….
When I left that place...
I remember feeling a strong contempt for someone.
It had to have been...
Ryōshū started muttering as though she was gripped by the chill.
I noticed she wasn't speaking to me, though. It seemed as though she was wading through a bog of mutilated memories to cling to her emotions at that moment.
Dihui Star(地慧星), you...
All along, you've wanted to make me suffer to the bitter end, haven't you?
What audacity. You think I'm the one making you suffer, Yoshihide?
You do realize that you've always been the one obstacle in my life, don't you?
This is the only way for us to get even.
Yoshihide, it...
It never stops.
The sound of the fetter around my feet, rusted and heavy... How it clinks and rattles...
In that vision of the past, Ryōshū raises her sword in an agonizingly slow motion, unsheathing the blade that we have never seen revealed before -
- A white blade of such unfeeling purity, devoid of even a trace of mercy beneath its pale edge.
In the split second I was blinded by the glint of the blade...
... Ryōshū clutched the hooded figure's jaw in her crushing grip.
Then, without a moment's hesitation, she drove the blindingly bright sword into the figure's mouth.
Gah... *hack*
*huff* Hrrk...
Ryōshū pulled the sword out in a single swift motion.
*splat*
The figure coughed out a thick glob of blood and a piece of her sliced tongue.
Hah...
Hah! Ha... haha... Haha!
But she spat out more than just the bloody chunk of flesh. A guffaw hacked its way out of her mouth...
The triumphant laughter of one who had just seized the victory of one's life.
With a deep, ragged breath, Ryōshū let the sword fall from her grip.
She stood rooted in her spot, staring at the flailing figure with a look of pure confusion.
... I.S.O.T.P.I.T.A.
Insidious Stench Of The Past... In The Air.
And right now, right before Ryōshū's eyes...
The vivid presence from the memories of the past came to life in the form of a white silhouette,
her hand slowly brushing the lips beyond which no tongue laid, as if to remember the absence of the organ that Ryōshū had so mercilessly cut off...
Like a lone watchman who had been keeping vigil, awaiting our arrival.
…….
... Ha.
The mouth that lost its tongue faced Ryōshū without opening even once.
But I think I heard a whisper of a hollow sigh escaping between her lips.
Because of my five "fathers"... I had to leave behind the single most important thing in this world.
And that is why...
I must take it back.
So happy to see you again, Ryōshū. I mean it.
... Such were the words my master bade me to relay.
... The Pinky Nursefather.
As my master... expects naught from my insignificant self...
I am but a blade rusting amid the quiet turn of nature, doomed to ever endure the dullness of todays and the emptiness of morrows.
And therein, owing to your pursuit of the spider's thread...
I am once again granted a chance to carry out my master's will.
... Another talker. Piss off.
As her apprentice approached us, Ryōshū's "Nursefather" slowly stepped away...
... toward where the container of Golden Boughs lay nestled, emanating a soft glow.
... The preparations are complete. I trust you have not forgotten the plan?
…….
Where the "Nursefather" had left, a figure clad in steel armor entered.
<What the...>
The armament looks a little too crude... to be a piece of gear imbued with advanced technology.
... It looks akin to the torture device we had previously seen in the basement of Sinclair's home.
No flesh, no blood, no bones to show... in a fight?
For an artwork meant for my eyes... its aesthetics are lacking in class.
…….
Keeping your mouth shut even in a moment like this... Did he not teach you there's no beauty to be found in it?
I want him here. Where is the Ring Nursefather?
The armored figure answered Ryōshū's question...
... with a swing of their huge sword.
<We need to take care of this quick... and track down the Golden Bough.>
<Let's fend them all off.>
You're starting to pick up the rudiments of aesthetics, Clock.
Watch as I demonstrate the meaning of A.O.S.
15. Cigarettes & The Nursefather, after the battle
30 linesRefrain from any deviations from the plan... Has my humble self neglected to impress upon this matter many times?
See? Fascia has begun to pulsate.
I haven't seen Fascia tremble like so in a long while. Why don't you give her some time to chat?
This plan involves no outward expression of such selfish desires.
The "plan" that involves only the observation of the warming, reddening flesh while our own heartbeats slow...
That plan isn't to Fascia's liking. Her tendons have tightened.
Yet, we must learn to remain tranquil before these common beats if we are to adhere to the wills of those who are our masters.
I've always been so curious of the Maestro's child, forever-lost...
Why not let us at least prepare a maquette?
... It has become apparent that this glorified executioner does not know her place; clearly, it is about time her branches are pruned.
With that, the man who stood in our way leaped toward the pulsating greatsword of flesh and delivered a powerful strike.
This may be our stroke of fortune... It seems that, in the chaos, our presence has slipped their minds.
<... Ah! The Golden Bough!>
Feeling a dull pain squeezing through the grooves of my mind, I turned toward the spot from which the sensation surged forth...
…….
... and saw Ryōshū standing there.
In her eyes burned hatred and fury, a glare that would easily have had me believe that she would unsheathe the sword from her back at any minute.
At the receiving end of that glare...
…….
... was the veiled figure, who'd been watching our battle without a word.
The Pinky's Nursefather... simply stood there, meeting Ryōshū's wrathful gaze as she did in the fragmented memories.
Then, she withdrew into the shadows, the darkness slowly eating away at her shape...
... before disappearing from our sights.
Dante, have you found the Golden Boughs? We must -
<No...>
<We were too late.>
I felt the dull pain in my head lift as I pointed at where the veiled person stood.
The Golden Boughs that should've been there... were gone.
What remained in their place...
... were dozens of cigarette butts, the same kind that Ryōshū smoked, piled up like a thick layer of dust.
16. Children, before the battle
107 linesThat's not it.
That's not how you shorten it!
Nooo...
You're doing it wrong, Mommy!
Just follow after me.
You get it now? Don't forget!
Such a shame.
That a blade tempered to such ruthless sharpness was used...
... to cut away her own mind.
Your baby's still at that house, ain't that right?
So the lines I learned to draw were connections, not boundaries.
Now, I watch from outside the clew the moments that have slipped past you.
When the End brushes past the Beginning, I will take you in my arms and bear you home.
<... shū.>
<Ryōshū, are you all right?>
…….
... Ah.
Am fine.
Ryoshu closed her eyes shut, then opened them again.
Some time ago, at the Laboratory...
Why did the Nursefathers create things like you?
The same people who used to complain day and night about what a pain it was to look after me... are keeping underlings now?
"Children."
We are their children.
... Hah.
So, what role are you "children" playing?
Yoshihide, the day you return to the House of Spiders...
We, the five children, shall bind together the thread you have slashed to pieces...
... and complete the clew.
…….
The Nursefathers of the House were beside themselves with concern, Yoshihide.
Were you to return home having forgotten even the time you had spent at their side...
... it would feel as though all the years poured into nurturing and honing you had gone to waste, they said.
Hah. Didn't know they called their errand boys their "children."
What they call us is immaterial to the relationship we share with them.
No. It's got a different echo.
The bond between a child and the parent is thicker, firmer. So much so that, even after I have mutilated my own mind with this sword... a thread of something remains still.
Yet my master tells me...
... that she has tended to you enough through all the time that has passed.
... Tended to me?
Yoshihide.
How does it feel to be a living fetter?
... Fet... ter?
I am... barred from enjoying the fresh air of the world outside,
no longer free to travel the mountains and cliffs as my feet would carry me... as the other members of the Pinky are.
I wish to no avail that I should be allowed to weave the delineations of Wings and Backstreets.
I don't understand... what you mean.
You don't? I'm saying I did not endure my grueling life only to be trapped here as your Nursefather.
Well? What do you make of it, Yoshihide?
*sniffle*
Stifle your crying. What makes you think you have the right to shed tears?
If anyone has a reason to cry, it is me.
Ever since you were pushed into my care, not a day has passed without me wanting to cry.
My knees...
Momm - Mother, I scraped... my knees...
Keep your bawling out of my sight.
Snotty, sniveling little brat... Disgusting. You wouldn't have gotten hurt if you weren't such a slow dullard.
Next time, keep your eyes open and dodge before it hits.
Maybe... maybe if you had a leg ripped away from you...
…….
Then you'd also taste a drop of this crippling agony of imprisonment.
That woman... was the one who hated me the most.
She blamed me for her fate.
Yet in the end, Yoshihide... It is thanks to her...
That your mastery of the blade has been cultivated to such a degree - enough to parry both this humble blade of mine and that brute's sword.
The man blocked the Ring Apprentice's blow as though it were a performance meant for Ryōshū.
…!
Uh, Ryōshū? I know there's some bad blood involved here... but this is our chance.
Let's pull out while they're busy fighting each other. We need to go after the one who swiped the Golden Bough, yeah?
Her whereabouts are unknown. However... this is indeed our chance to hie away from here.
*sigh*
We made our escape through another route while the Ring and the Pinky Apprentices were busy fighting each other.
That technique he used... was that hers? The Pinky Nursefather?
... Yeah.
It was one of my gouged-out memories, but clashing blades with him reawakened it.
The "Nursefathers" wanted me to learn every single one of their techniques.
That Pinky woman, too... she sure hated me all right, but that didn't stop her from teaching me what she knew.
... Probably to make me a more prolific, more efficient killer.
And that's why losing me was such a harrowing failure for them. All the work they poured into me slipped right through their fingers when I left the spiderweb.
Hmm... Well, love-hate can play out in all sorts of ways, I guess.
Your memories... did you hew them away yourself?
Yeah. With my own hands.
I was reminded of the expression I saw on Ryōshū's face in one of her memory fragments.
When she sliced off the Pinky Nursefather's tongue...
When she drove the blade she never unsheathed before us into that woman's mouth...
What I saw on Ryōshū was the expression of suffering.
Every time I draw this blade and cut something...
I'm also slicing away a piece of my mind.
That's the reason I didn't want to use this blade.
But had I not done so, they'd have taken her away from me for good.
The one last thing Ryōshū didn't want to let go.
The word that came out of Lei Heng's mouth the moment he saw her.
<Your baby...>
It was for her that Ryōshū sliced off both her own memories and the Pinky Nursefather's tongue.
... My blood, my ward... my daughter.
<Lei Heng said she's still there... in the House of Spiders.>
Yeah. In a place only I know. In a safe... that nobody else can find.
<What was your daughter to you?>
... Don't see why I should play coy at this point.
The one and only... precious thing.
She's all I have.
Even without her memories, Ryōshū spoke without any doubt.
I caught myself thinking how nice it must be to have such certainty.
<... I see. As long as we can stick to this path, we'll all eventually find the things we lost.>
Right. I know that.
<C'mon, let's go after them. With the elevator still busted, they can't have escaped to a different floor just yet.>
<The Golden Bough... It's faint, but I can still sense its presence.>
17. New Hires, before the battle
65 linesWe continued toward the corridor full of corpses and debris.
Here's hoping we come across someone else still conscious, like Miss Alyssa...
Oww! Y-you just stepped on my hand, Mister!
Oops, my bad...
... Wait, was that... a survivor speaking just now?
Everyone turned around, hearing the alarm in Gregor's voice.
A lone survivor, the only one who seemed conscious among the bodies crushed under the debris, was looking up at us with her face scrunched up in pain.
Are you... all right?
I... I'm not. It hurts so much. I've been waiting here so long, but nobody showed up...
I was chatting with this person next to me just to stay conscious... B-but then he suddenly stopped speaking - it's been 10 minutes already. We'd even exchanged names!
You must be referring to this man. He's pretending to be dead, but his pulse hasn't stopped.
W-whaaat?
The man in a suit stopped playing dead and slowly opened his eyes.
Ah, you got me.
Chitchatting about the food we'll eat once we get out while slowly being crushed by the debris on top of us....
I mean, you know what happens to characters who say "once we survive this"...
I... I want me some vanilla ice-cream with almond sprinkles once we survive this... And a sandwich too, with lots and lots of cheese! What about you, Ravi?
…….
... Need a hand?
Yes, please.
<... Let's just get them out.>
With the Sinners' help, the two employees who'd been trapped under the rubble managed to break themselves free.
Hn. Just my left leg. I'm good besides that.
Ouchie! I... I think I b-broke my right arm, um, but give it a few days with lots of almonds and fish, a-and it should be good as new.
Oh. Th-thank you for getting us out of there. I'm Sora.
We got to live another day thanks to you. You can call me Ravi.
By the way... May I ask which department you're from?
Uh... haven't you seen us before? We were here for a check-up last time.
Oh. We're new hires. This is our first day of work.
N-new hires...?
Yes. There were new job postings for LCE's Enkephalin Refining Department. Today's Day 1 for us new hires.
We were on our way to see the researcher who was supposed to handle our onboarding... and then this happened.
Th-this gear... It's my first time wearing it. The more I look at it, the more it intrigues me.
<... How did you get trapped under the debris?>
Pray tell, how did you get trapped under the debris?
W-well... I was just walking through the corridor and stopped for a bit...
I... I'm always a total klutz. Once I have s-something on my mind, I can't multitask... at all.
I can relate. Researchers oft sink into the fathoms of their mind when the spark of inspiration strikes.
I had this idea f-for an E.G.O gear experiment... a-and I couldn't move on without first getting it sorted out in my head.
E.G.O gear, you say... Might you be referring to that shackle around your wrists?
Th-that's right. It's not the wieldiest... but it's my one and only E.G.O.
…….
Cut the fluff and get to what happened next.
S-sorry. It happened... o-out of nowhere... We heard a loud noise coming from the other end of the corridor and people started running... That's when... th-the ceilings collapsed.
*sigh* I-if only I hadn't zoned out... I wouldn't have gotten caught under the rubble.
... I wouldn't go so far as to call you lucky, but getting trapped under the rubble might've been exactly what saved you from the intruders who are attacking the facility. They've already killed a lot of people.
What? W-while we were trapped...?
... My condolences. I regret I have no further words to give.
Were you able to find... any other survivors?
An approximation of 20 remains. As fortune should have it, the team leader and the rest managed to regroup.
That's a relief....
And you... Are you certain you are well? It is quite remarkable that a newcomer to a corporation remains so composed in the face of such crises.
We get trained for situations like this, so I wasn't entirely unprepared... Just never thought something like this would happen on Day 1...
... Still, that's pretty impressive for a new guy.
In any case, where were you headed?
Oh, right. We're looking for the elevator. I think it's somewhere in this direction... but I'm not sure.
Oh, th-the elevator...! I... I know where it is. Could I come with you?
... Lead the way.
*bzzt*... these components... *bzzt*...
I... I hear voices from the other end of the radio... Is it your team?
<The call's breaking up...>
Hmm, it seems we've gone past the transmission radius... I wonder how the others are faring.
I... I hope I can get an update about my colleagues as well...
I'm with you on that...
The two LCE researchers sighed anxiously as we hurried in the elevator's direction.
18. Audience, before the battle
99 lines*tzzzt*... how... *bzzt* the others...
... These components should cover what we need for the repair.
... The transmissions are getting harder to make out...
Not surprising, considering how far the distance between the teams have grown.
And the survivors... I see nary a one in this sector, regrettably.
Again... hardly a surprise. The state of the bodies is there for all to see.
... Faust believes there is no feasible way to aid them under the present conditions.
…….
Tsk...
So it... doth appear. Verily, 'tis thee who must be most saddened by this tragedy. I beg thy pardon for raising the matter.
... There! N-now we just have to get back to the Facility Management Room.
Right... It should be right past this corridor.
Assistant, pacing about distractedly and scratching one's head out of cluelessness are all behaviors prohibited in our Research Facility.
Oh, also - frowning and cocking your head like that, and blurting a "huh?" at the screen are all likewise forbidden.
... No, I've got a bad feeling about this. Something's off...
…!
Oi, stop! Don't go out yet.
There's somethin' outside.
Hn~ Hnhnhn~ Hn~
Or... perhaps I can let the blood vessels relax and expand... Yes, that's much better.
Y-you're right... We'd have run straight into him had we left the room.
Based on the circumstances we have faced thus far, it's reasonable to conclude that this individual's affiliation lies with the Ring.
... A "Nursefather." Has to be dead strong like that lass who nicked off with Charon.
... You people, where's all that confidence you had when you beat the daylights out of me during the Monolith experiment?
Oi, mind not puttin' it like that? You'll give people the wrong idea... 'Sides, we were beatin' the daylights out of your Distortion. Well, not exactly beating the - Bloody hell, you get what I mean, yeah?
The extent of the physical trauma sustained by the corpses on display indicates... that the odds of prevailing in combat against him are minimal.
Faust does not advise initiating a battle that cannot be won when we are completely cut off from Dante.
As usage of Identities is not among our options, engaging the enemy now will only serve to deplete our numbers...
... and with so little information on the enemy, sustaining a lethal injury we have no means to treat will...
Will maketh the Manager Esquire behold the cold, lifeless form of Young Sinclair upon their return?!
And the cold, lifeless form of Don Quixote too...!
... Boss, if he keeps lingering out in the corridor...
That's quite a problem. We'll probably run into him on our way to the Facility Management Room...
... Oi. How long d'you reckon you're gonna take to fix that knackered device or whatever it is?
Given that the attack resembles a facility sabotage... I'll need to inspect each component separately instead of treating this like a regular malfunction.
I cannot be sure of anything before I see the extent of the damage... Yet even in the best case scenario, I don't expect the repairs to be done in short order.
... Dammit, Marton. Didn't I tell you plenty of times that non-standard energy redistributors are a nightmare for maintenance?
Oh, you're the one who designed this sector of the Research Facility, Boss.
... That must've been during the week leading up to my report deadline. I'm confident I made the most of the limited time I had back then.
Any chance we can buy ourselves a bit of time... or lure him away?
I'm considering five or six possible options. Though if I were to recommend one...
We have her take off those shoes.
…….
Wh-wha?! After all that mess you went through?!
Without your access to the Identities, the only viable combat option is my E.G.O gear. And its chance of defeating or killing that man - who is most likely a Maestro of the Ring - is hardly promising.
If need be... I shall step fo - I'll do it.
D-Don Quixote...!
I... I ain't havin' it.
We've been in worse trouble than this, haven't we? And sure, I've thought about yankin' off those stinkin' shoes a fair few times... but we can't do that to her, can we...?
I have said this time and again - Rocinante's self-cleaning function is always active... But let us put such matters aside.
... I would rather eschew... relying on my Bloodfiend powers, yet we are left with no recourse.
And I have faith in you. Faith that my companions shall bring me back again.
Tch...
Faust seconds Heathcliff's opinion. The plan to have Don Quixote remove her shoes is rejected.
While there are several reasons to discourage that idea, the chief among them is that... Don Quixote must not dismount from Rocinante.
Do you believe her unbound power to be insufficient to overcome this obstacle? According to the test results... she demonstrated combat abilities that were -
No, having Don Quixote remove her shoes to resolve this predicament is not an unrealistic scenario. However...
That flow... would be a choice that distances Dante from their journey to retrieve the Golden Boughs, and even if we are to entertain Hohenheim's suggestion, the removal of Don Quixote's shoes must take place as a result of the manager's decision.
H-hold on, please. This is all happening too fast... You've really got to start elaborating on stuff...
An illustrative example: in the event Don Quixote fails to control her impulses and proceeds to create Kindreds and Bloodbags with abandon...
There is a possibility that she will be unable to return to her current self no matter how many times Dante's clock is rewound.
If a Sinner cannot be restored by the manager's power, it is effectively tantamount to failing to retrieve the Golden Boughs in this world. Such an outcome would prove a decisive failure on my part in proving that -
I understand. Rejected it is. Let us move on to the next agenda.
... Art thou sure of this? We possess no fitting means to strike that villain down.
It was simply a proposed Plan A to tackle the situation. Frankly, I wasn't too eager myself to risk gambling on odds in an environment with so many variables beyond our control.
Whatever plan you lot've got in mind, do it quick. I don't see that pointy-shoes wanker right now, but...
... As for Plan B - I buy us some time while you people help Marton with repairing the device.
If I raise the Attunement level of this Shock Centipede E.G.O gear, I should be able to move for a while even after my heart has ceased to function.
I'm not exactly in top shape after all these fights... But with luck on our side, I might even be able to knock him unconscious with high enough voltage.
Hah! Says the bloke who probably hasn't even been in a proper brawl ever...
You've fought adversaries wearing E.G.O gears before, haven't you? These gears can make up for a lack of combat experience...
Hah... This ain't an argument. We stall 'im, you work on repairs.
Even if we pop our clogs... Clockhead'll come back here sooner or later. They can bring us back.
Uh... Even if we end up becoming one of those horrific exhibits... Right...?
Correct. The degree of pain accompanying that process, however, will far exceed the usual range for both the individual concerned and Dante. It is preferable we avoid such a development.
Clearly, you are all underestimating the amount of firepower I can unleash were I to be fully equipped -
Still, perhaps it's for the best that you remain uninformed.
... You're comin' along too? Not stayin' back to fix that thing?
Whoever designed this did a remarkably subpar job. Having a genius like myself repair such a second-rate piece of equipment would be a waste of talent.
So she says. But to clarify - this isn't "second-rate." It was the best design attainable given the time constraints. In other words, it was the optimal design we could manage at that moment.
…….
I leave this matter to you, then. Let us all meet again in sound form, as we did in our last misadventure.
…….
Young Sinclair, art thou well?
We'll go hold him off first, so if you need a moment to get your head sorted...
... No.
I can't just... keep wandering around aimlessly...
Wandering... aimlessly -
…….
Ah, of course...!
…!
Bloody hell...
A gallery that has achieved the magna opera of aesthetics need not bother sending out invitations. Visitors will naturally come pouring in on their own.
... Oi, you reckon... you reckon we came all this way just t'look at this lot of useless rubbish?
Dunno much 'bout this whole "art" thing... But even I can tell this is the worst bloody exhibition I've ever clapped my eyes on.
In that case, it seems I must play the curator myself for our young and foolish guests.
Just as I taught Yoshihide... From kitsch to avant-garde,
with each trend of art movement engraved into every chunk of meat.
A gallery tour narrated by a Maestro himself... You ought to feel honored, really.
19. Hide-and-Seek, before the battle
76 lines…….
…….
Ugh, seriously! Ya really gonna play dirty like this?!
I was trying to wrap this up so I'd be done right when papa finished his executions!
And y'know, it was a lot of fun playing hide-and-seek for the first time in ages... but I'm getting bored now.
We somehow managed to shake off that "Nursefather" too...
But this one chased us here all on her own.
... That smoking pipe you mentioned during the briefing... Your E.G.O, right? Is it not ready yet?
It needs some time.
Which is why we gotta buy that time she needs. What'd you think of my Workshop weapon collection earlier? I'll be generous this time and let you put 'em to use, how about that?
You mean that collection of too-tricky-to-be-useful weapons? You've certainly a talent for impracticality.
Perhaps it's an impressive assortment from a collector's point of view... But in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, you'd be better off fighting with bare hands.
Tch... Look, I had zero idea things would blow up into this bad of a mess, alright? Just wanted to show off a bit since we were finally meeting the LCA team... That's why I only brought the unique, hard-to-get babies...
Hmm...
That one there - what sort of sword is it?
Hnnn... Hmm? That? That's a Meztil Workshop broadsword... ever used one before?
Nay. I was not in a position to obtain and use Workshop-made gears... I am merely asking, for I am in need of aught to replace my broken hwando.
Uh... I mean, I don't mind lending you one, but that stuff's not easy to handle. See, compared to Allas Workshop, Meztil is...
I am aware. Oft did you speak of how their weapons dart around as though they have grown wings, dragging the wielder about.
Yeah...
Worry not - I am quite confident in the art of swiftblade.
A Salsu must never loosen her grip on the blade, though her very arms be torn away.
O-okay, okay, jeez...
Reinforcement... might be a bit of an overstatement, at this rate...
Hmm... I know Dante isn't here with us, but how about we step up ourselves?
My physical strength has gradually recovered throughout our journey with the Executive Manager... but my skills and prowess have yet to reach their original potential.
By the way, any word from the Golden Bough team yet?
... No response to the transmission, damn it. Even with the Executive Manager leading them, those unreliable troops have finally proved my fears right...
Hey, might just be a bad radio signal. Take it easy.
Ugh~ I'm gettin' sick of playing along with this kiddie nonsense. Dragging me into this hide-and-seek crap... You guys are the real bullies here, you know that?
*sigh* I'll count to 10 and not a second more. Got it?
... Eightnineten! Here I go!
Wh-what do we do now?!
Luring her to another Distortion or Abnormality would be the best bet. It was effective enough to stall the Nursefather, too...
A few hours ago...
…….
Huh. Would you look at that...
Oh! Papa, Papa! I thought you'd finished 'em all off! Or did you leave these for me?
Huh... Aren't these the guys you wrecked earlier? Oh! Is this, like, some kinda 11th-hour superpower awakening? I saw this on TV - "Impossible Comeback 3: Epic Return from Death"!
So what? It'll only take a single blow to...
Whoa... Eeeep!!
Neurosis, hysteria. Distorted pain tends to manifest in the form of electricity.
The Human Thunderbolt. I thought it'd be sufficient to buy us some time...
Oh...? These corpses, they're not moving on their own. Yo, Kiddo! You see that?
Huh? S-see what? I don't see anything!
Bwahaha! You don't? You really don't see it? Shucks, Kiddo~ Ya gotta work harder if you wanna be as sharp as Yoshihide!
Now open your eyes and take a closer look. See that purple flash? It's that thing there... bouncing around and pouring electric currents into the bodies.
... His instincts are just as animalistic as his appearance.
Moses! We've secured the escape route!
... Yes, in that case...
Whoa...?! Team Leader!!
Ngh!!
Heh. Got good reflexes, for someone who dresses that shabby. She actually blocked that.
It was wise... of me to take the time to observe his form. That aftershock had quite the force. Lady Team Leader... are you unharmed?
... Thanks to you, yes. Let me help you walk. Keep the pressure on the wound to staunch the bleeding.
Mm...! Let us fall back posthaste.
Hey!! Where d'you think you're going?!!!
…….
Ugh... clingy bastards... Looks like they'll keep comin' till I kill that sparkly bastard.
Tch... Princess! Go on ahead and chase 'em down!
Rad! For real? Can I really finish them off?
You bet! Papa's got some tidying up to do here.
Let's see... my little girl's hands are hurt. Rules of the Book... Special Clause on the House of Spiders, Article 1, Paragraph 12 applied in entirety...
... Wait a minute... Are these clowns with that jackass who snagged Ricardo's hair coupon? Man, just thinking about my bro running around rockin' some bristly-ass hairstyle cracked my heart in half...
Between what they did to my bro Ricardo, and the wound they inflicted upon my daughter's hand...
That's complete and total extermination!
Back to the present...
Judging from the ones freed from containment and the traces of escaped entities I saw on my way here... We're in no position to be picky about our options.
What other options do we have?
…….
I would much rather have formulated a plan around the Distortions delivered to the LCE with our own hands than use these Abnormalities, but that is not an option for us at this moment.
With that in mind, we are essentially down to one option: the current plan.
A hollow beckoning, nostalgia and constriction... and then, absorption.
Wait... you don't mean...
Yes. The Abnormality whose vines never release their hold until its pure-white body of cotton is stained blood-red.
We'll make them face the Drenched Gossypium.
20. Shock Centipede, before the battle
7 linesHuh? That's...!
<An Abnormality... "Shock Centipede," was it?>
It is the same entity we repeatedly encountered during our passages through Dungeons and Refraction Railways, Manager.
<Which means we already know how to defeat it.>
Though our means of dealing with it may mirror what has come prior, Dante, complacency would ill serve us.
With the current disorder permeating this place, Qliphoth Deterrence may fail to function reliably...
So we gotta stay sharp during the fight... I get it. Sora, Ravi - get behind me, okay?
21. The Contract, before the battle
97 lines<Still no signal?>
... None. We've got no way to tell how everyone else is faring...
Well, I won't assume the worst... No news is good news, right?
Miss Alyssa... weighs on my mind. Would that we could find a solution before that spiral burrows any deeper...
Spiral...?
Oh, that Workshop-made weapon, right? The one that needs a password to unlock!
Indeed... A troublesome thing.
Uhm... I... I know the basic principles behind it, but the only person who would know the password is the one who used it to stab the victim in the first place... B-but I'll do my best to look into it!
…….
…….
Oh, that'd be a big help. So, Sora... you're into Workshop gears, huh?
Yes! It's been my thing for ages. Probably the only reason I was hired.
Hmm...? Then what are you doing in the LCE? Shouldn't you be in L -
Hey. Rookie.
Yes?
You're blocking my view. Back of the line, scoot.
Ah - sorry about that.
<…?>
At Ryōshū's brusque order, Ravi shrank back awkwardly, his expression turning a little abashed.
Normally, Gregor and Yi Sang would've given Ryōshū a verbal nudge or two for being so rude to someone we'd just met, but as things were...
They simply watched on as Ravi stepped back and casually moved forward to fill his spot.
Alright, Sora, why don't you come walk with me and talk shop? We're not nearly as well-versed in Workshop gear as you'd think.
R-really? Sure, I like talking to people.
I do as well...
Ravi, was it? You, too, seem most eager to acquaint yourself with novel technologies, as befits a researcher of scholarly disposition.
You and I, together with Dante, ought to exchange views regarding this.
<But why...?>
But why...?
Ahh, I am pleased that you share our enthusiasm, Dante! Come - between the three of us, I am quite hopeful that we should be able to engage in an academic discussion of unfathomable depths.
I found myself suddenly swept into Yi Sang's somewhat awkward and hastily improvised academic symposium, trailing a pace behind Gregor and Sora.
You're all so kind... Th-thank you for being so nice to me.
I like n-nice people. My coworkers aren't like that, s-so I tend to feel left out a lot. I'm p-pretty sure they'll chew me out again for spacing out and falling behind.
C'mon. There's no way they'd treat a surviving researcher that badly after what you went through. It's not like you botched an important mission or anything, right? I'd say you're in the clear.
<That's true enough...>
Gregor's words brought me back to all the plans we'd messed up - Saude's plans, more precisely - and left a tinge of regret in my mind.
Ah, th-they must be your leader.
You're bad at reading people.
<... Are you saying I'm not leader material?>
Heh. I'm saying you're more than just a "leader."
... I couldn't really imagine Ryōshū meant what she said, but I nodded anyway.
Mm. I concur.
I thought so. Th-they really are your leader.
A-a leader... should be someone you can't quite read, yes...
It's cooler when a leader's got that m-mysterious aura.
<I-is it?>
What are you getting all shy for?
Th-that's actually why I decided to join up here. I was previously in a F-Fixer Office, but I guess you could say I got scouted.
Scouted? Come to think of it, the 12 of us were also "scouted" by Miss Faust.
Miss Ryōshū, did you also receive... a promise from Miss Faust?
Yeah.
I am rather ashamed to admit... but I will say it nonetheless, as the scabs of time have grown over it.
I don't think I truly believed what Miss Faust had promised me would come to pass... at least not wholeheartedly.
At the time, I thought it nothing but a far-fetched dream.
Had I possessed a little more conviction... perhaps I would not have spent so long having surrendered myself to the sinking descent...
You, on the other hand.... never seemed to doubt Miss Faust's words since the very first moment you boarded the bus.
... Hmph.
Yeah... Ryōshū came off as the team's loose cannon at first, but turns out she's the one person who really had her act together.
Looking back, Ryōshū never once turned down a job, even though she always looked reluctant as if she were only going through the motions.
Contract or not... I doubt she'd come this far with Vergilius and me if she'd only half-bought into that promise of having her wish granted.
It's not like I believed it from the start.
It was simply that I couldn't not believe it.
White Hair...
This was how she started off:
"It's remarkable..."
It's remarkable...
... that the thread didn't snap. That you're still holding onto that single strand.
... What did you see that makes you say that?
The blood from the wounds you have made, and the wounds that were inflicted upon you... form a clear, crimson line.
That place... is a space only you can open. It may stand at the very heart of the spiderweb, but they will have no way to unlock it.
Allow me to tell you that you have made the most prudent choice, given your circumstances.
…….
Who sent you?
I slashed my way out past the bastards who called themselves "Nursefathers." You think I can't slice off that tongue of yours after all that?
I am well aware - you even carved into your own mind to get here. You would not hesitate to kill me were you to decide that I posed even the slightest hindrance to your goal.
But now that you've hidden the child in a place no one else can open, all that's left for you is to wait for the day you can take her back out.
The wait will cover a span of time that isn't too short, nor too long. I imagine you leaned on the safer side when you set the dial - within 5 years.
…….
Come with me, and I will help you obliterate that House... and be reunited with your daughter within 2 years.
A contract, then? Who do you want me to kill in return?
…….
Not kill. Save.
Save?
Face the sin...
Save the E.G.O.
That is the first line you must remember here in Limbus Company.
... Dizzying.
Was that too difficult for you?
... It's just that this is my first cig in a long while.
<…….>
<Is the place where you hid your daughter... really safe?>
Yeah.
That place... is almost completely cut off from the flow of time outside.
<Cut off from the flow of time? Is it made from T Corp.'s Singularity?>
Yeah. I tested it myself many times.
The countless experiments I've done and the vows I've made should still be up here, somewhere between my shattered memories.
That's why I was sure that when the time came, either the House of Spiders would follow the thread wrapped around my body to get to me, or that I'd follow it back to them. As long as this one strand of memory isn't lost... as long as the contract holds...
<Yeah. The contract... will be fulfilled.>
22. Will of the Prescript, before the battle
83 linesOh! Th-the elevator's just around that corner.
<Right, I can feel the Golden Bough's presence getting closer...>
<Huh...?>
Unlike before, however, the energy from the Golden Bough wasn't coming through clearly.
As though layers of thin walls were blocking it...
.......
You...
.......
The Pinky Nursefather stood in front of the elevator, holding the container full of Golden Boughs.
And just like before, she stood there without so much as a twitch, almost like she'd been expecting us.
*tzzt* Ah - can you hear me? I would rather this not serve as my eleventh monologue broadcast. I've even activated the signal amplifier for this.
... Yeah, we read you.
... Good. Power will be fully restored on our side soon.
The Golden Boughs... have you found them?
... Yeah. They're right in front of us.
Problem is, they're not in our hands... We just found the woman who swiped the container, waiting in front of the elevator.
... I see.
Can you keep her from taking the elevator? Once the power's back on... she might escape to another floor.
Hohenheim's voice sounded off...
Trembling just a bit - like he was holding something back.
Hohenheim.
Your voice... Are you all right?
I doubt things are any more pleasant on your side than they are here.
Sure, but still... How's the situation there?
... Best focus on your own situation than mine.
Right... At least it's just a single enemy here - we'll manage.
Don't drop your guard. She's a Nursefather...
Which means she's on a whole different level from her lackey.
<.......>
Given our current numbers... even the sort of enemy we could normally beat would push us to our limits.
If only I had all 12 Sinners here with me... we might've had a better chance.
But that doesn't mean we're just going to be twiddling our thumbs while the enemy gets away with the Golden Boughs right in front of our eyes.
<Be ready... to die more than a few times.>
This... doesn't look good. Are you going to fight her?
... It seems unavoidable.
I could've assisted you had I been supplied with a suitable E.G.O gear...
... but it doesn't look like there's anything I can do here. I'm sorry.
Right. Smart call.
Sora...? You have that shackle-shaped E.G.O. You'll be helping them, I assume?
H-huh...? I... I thought we were all going to take the elevator and escape together...
Well, as you can see, one of the assailants got the Golden Boughs.
B-but she's got to be really, really strong... A-all my colleagues together wouldn't stand a chance against her. She'd snuff us out like candles in the wind.
How do you know that...?
We get it. You and Ravi just stay as far back as you can. You'll want to stay behind cover unless you wanna get caught in the middle of it.
N-no, I'll probably get scolded if I did that...
I don't want that. I've been doing a g-good job so far... I just want to be told I did okay...
Sora...?
Kergh...
I'm-I'm so sorry. Mister Rien said... if I ever met the f-family... I should help them.
Just as Sora turned and rushed toward me, Yi Sang and Meursault moved to block her...
... and Ryōshū shoved me out of the way.
Yeah, figured that's how this'd go down.
Dante!
<...!>
Ryōshū's sheathed blade came swinging down with enough force to cut Sora down where she stood...
But no sooner had I heard the metallic rattle of chains behind me than a sharp pain tore through my shoulder.
<Gah...!>
That movement... You must be the Index Nursefather's N.C.
Losing my balance, I crumpled to the floor. When I looked up... Sora was already braced for combat, slipping into a battle stance.
I-I didn't want to hurt any of you, really. I just wanted to take the elevator and leave with all of you...
B-but the Prescript told me otherwise. B-besides, I do prefer to d-do what Mister Rien wants...
... As expected. You are of the House of Spiders.
I-I wish Ravi and I could've had that vanilla ice cream together...
Th-the other children... they were never that nice to me.
... Ravi was nice to you because he believed you were a colleague.
Oh, r-right. That gear I had on, I'd borrowed it from a corpse... Then I guess Ravi... wouldn't have wanted to share vanilla ice cream with me after all...
And Ravi...
O.O.F. He's gone.
Our mutual, tacit recognition of the threat allowed us to quickly distance the manager and the new hire away from the assailant. However, the circumstances of the attack forced us to choose one over the other.
... Ravi lay in the corner of the corridor, half his body torn apart.
Clock. Can you stand?
<Hrrk... Don't think so.>
Y-you're the leader, so I thought I should take you out first... S-sorry.
I-I really liked listening... to the tick-tock. What a shame... It sounded a bit like Mister Rien's p-pager.
Sora gazed down at me, face drawn into a tearful pout as though she were genuinely apologetic.
T-too bad, no one here can fix your wounds...
... It was hard to deny that.
If only I'd had more power... maybe Ravi could've been saved. At the very least, I wouldn't be this badly hurt.
I probably should've done something too while Sinclair was going through his training.
You can still keep ticking, can't you?
<... Yeah.>
But this isn't the time to dwell on what I could've done.
First... I have to do what I must. What I can do now.
23. Will of the Prescript, between battles
9 lines<That's... E.G.O!>
Are you certain?
<Yeah... I can feel it.>
She has Effloresced an E.G.O of her own afore our paths crossed...
M-Mister Rien said manifesting E.G.O isn't something just anyone can do.
He said h-he's jealous of me. H-having such an unshakable conviction about what's good and evil is nothing short of amazing, he said...
H-hearing that, I couldn't help thinking - e-even if the day the whole family's been waiting for comes, even when my big sis Y-Yoshihide finally comes home...
M-maybe, just maybe... they'll make an exception and let me stay.
So p-put in a good word for me with Mister Rien, please? T-tell him I've always done my best.
24. Will of the Prescript, between battles
27 linesI'd hoped to offer you a more proper greeting, should we ever meet.
First impressions matter a great deal, after all.
Nngh...! Aah...
A figure appeared from the direction the weapon had flown in.
The man brushed the dust from his coat as he walked in with unbothered ease, looking for all the world like this situation had nothing to do with him whatsoever...
Yet his harpoon had already blasted Sora a good distance out of my sight even before the explosive sound could reach me.
The situation, however, doesn't seem inclined to give me any room for proper courtesy. Allow me to keep this brief.
Vespa Crabro. LCD.
<Ah, this is the guy Ezra mentioned...>
Hearing my ticking, Vespa briefly furrowed his brow in puzzlement before checking the watch he pulled from his pocket.
I was originally headed for the Team Leader's location...
But things looked bad enough here that I judged it best to provide a little backup.
The comms are down... The LCD probably isn't in a good spot either. You sure you're fine staying here?
The Team Leader always tells me it's high time I started thinking and deciding for myself.
It'll be fine. She's not the sort to go down easily against someone on the level of an officer of the Fingers.
There are two of them... Which one should I take on?
Go for Glasses. Her E.G.O's a nuisance.
Uh... C-could you please call me by my name, not "Glasses?"
... Are most of the assailants at about their level?
Yeah. That, or stronger.
In that case, I must regrettably go back on what I said earlier. I'm starting to suspect our Team Leader might not be able to last as long as I thought.
This is clearly an extraordinary circumstance, though that isn't anything new. I will wrap things up here ASAP... and return to the LCD team.
Heh. We'll owe you big time if you can do that.
…….
The Pinky Nursefather remained perfectly still as she continued to fixate on us with her stare.
She made no attempt to help Sora, nor did she look for another way out.
She simply stood there, watching in silence... with the bundle of Golden Boughs in her grasp.
25. Will of the Prescript, after the battle
91 linesVespa moved with absolute efficiency. One moment his harpoon would deflect his opponent's blow; the next, it was carving out an opening for the Sinners to land their attack.
After a brief but fierce joint battle... the Index Apprentice fell to the ground, then could not bring herself back up.
Darling.
You just put them together. Like this...
Fpoon? How many times are you gonna use that lame simile?
Spork. Just like spork.
Fpoon.
Correct. Spork. The world isn't just divided into forks and spoons...
Putting the two together can be an answer, too.
Remember that whatever situation you're in. Even two techniques that look like total opposites...
... can coexist just fine.
.......
The quickest, deadliest form of attack may come in the form of a straight line...
But it can be redirected by a curve.
Whoa... Did Mister Rien... tell you that...?
That's so cool...
Um... C-could you... tell me some more? Anything that he used... to say...
.......
You'd rather waste the last moments of your life... on his ramblings?
Hey, the fight's not over yet. We can't waste time chatting with an enemy we already put down.
Just look at the other one... she seems way stronger.
That's right. The fight's not over yet.
... The Pinky Nursefather merely watches on from the sidelines with a quiet composure that tells us she could step into the fight at any moment if she wanted.
Off to the side, I can see Vespa stealing glances at the watch on his wrist, looking anxious.
... And I know that the people he wants to protect - the people he has to protect - aren't us.
<Meursault, tell Vespa...>
<We'll be handling things from here on out.>
Understood, Manager.
Your colleagues are located to the southeast of this corridor.
Considering the time of their departure, they should be approximately 2 kilometers away.
... You. Have we met somewhere before?
We have.
... I see.
Thank you for letting me know. I will take my leave.
Vespa seemed to grasp something from that brief exchange and gave a curt nod.
I hope we'll meet again soon for proper introductions.
<... Well, there he goes.>
Once Vespa left us, the Pinky Nursefather's oppressive presence again seems to suffocate the air out of the hallway.
It appeared for some reason that her purpose here wasn't to kill us by any means; I'd sent Vespa away for that precise reason, and by some fortune, I seemed to have been correct in doing so. However...
<In hindsight, maybe letting Vespa go was a bad idea considering what we're up against...>
He would not have cooperated further, Manager.
That man has an uncompromising sense of punctuality.
<Eh? You know that guy, Meursault?>
It is true that I am acquainted with him, but not in the scope of familiarity that society typically attributes to the word.
<Where'd you even meet someone that strong... w-wait, you weren't enemies, were you?>
No. He used to be a Taboo Hunter at N Corp.
N Corp.... Indeed, you once mentioned being an employee there.
I did.
So... were you a Taboo Hunter too?
I was not.
I had merely come upon an opportunity to examine his file,
and frequented the places the examination suggested a high chance of encountering him until our paths crossed.
<So you ran into him on purpose? Why?>
... Mm. There was no reason not to, Manager.
What does that even...
.......
Ryōshū never once turned an ear toward us throughout the entire conversation.
Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that she couldn't.
.......
She was, after all, glowering at the Pinky Nursefather with an unblinking gaze that seemed ready to bore a hole into her.
... How nauseatingly self-assured.
Just as Ryōshū said, the woman showed no signs of hostility, either - she was simply watching us, waiting for our next move.
... But that wasn't much consolation. I still couldn't think of any way that'd allow us to come out on top in this situation.
If only the Sinners were all here with me... we might've had a chance, but...
<Here with me, huh...>
Come to think of it, this wasn't the first time the Sinners were separated from me.
We'd previously been separated when we were ambushed back in Hongyuan, at that fake kezhan... and also when Don Quixote had briefly departed us in La Manchaland...
But despite the distance, these invisible chains that bound me and the Sinners had never once been severed.
Even when they were killed, departing to a place I couldn't follow, I always managed to reach past the searing gates of hellfire and bring them back through the impossible.
So... as long as these chains bind us together... maybe I can pull them to me, wherever they are?
<Return to me, stand with me here...>
<Return to me, stand with me here... stand tall... >
%*)(!&*■■(#%■■■#@(#■■.
<Agh?!>
Intense pain ravages through me, and my vision darkens as if my nonexistent eyelids were closing.
As if... I'd just perceived something I wasn't ready to face.
... Manager Bud?
<Earth be my head, the sky be at my feet.>
<The ladder is laid skyward, and the final Kingdom's heart lies penetrated.>
C.H. is on fire again.
This is much akin to the incident at the Yong-jin building...! The flame atop their head burns hot like true fire, as though a detonation is nigh!
<32 paths are revealed. The rises and falls of breaths are exiled and returned at the hour of inequivalence.>
They did eventually snap out of it last time...
<I am the key and the lock of the steadfast gate. The bell that once rang at the end rings the beginning.>
<In the new Millennial Kingdom shall the thirteen stand by my side.>
... Oho.
Not 12?
Miss Rodya? Sinclair...?
... Huh? W-what the heck? When'd you fellas get here? What happened to the LCE and the LCD?
No response. This is...
The heat dissipates, and my head cools once again...
26. Drenched Gossypium, before the battle
171 linesUh, hi, my playmates! Looks like I'm one room away from finding you guys!
Kinda like that hide-and-seek song papa used to sing me when we'd play!
... Okay! Donezo. She should be coming into this containment unit any minute.
*huff* *huff* Detective! We drew the escaped Peccatula this way! Apparently they've got Stage 3 Peccas, too!
Do we have everything we need for our stratagem?
Sooo~ Are ya sure about this? I mean, we did explain everything we know to you, but... the whole plan came from your head.
If you're talking about cross-validation, you'll be pleased to hear that our review of the Observation Logs has already verified the efficacy of this plan. I see no reason to make any last-minute changes.
Okay, but what if it doesn't go according to plan? What if something goes wrong, or... Y'know, didya prepare a Plan B in case that happens?
I did not.
... Eh?
That's some impressive confidence. Don't most people prepare a Plan B when they have even the slightest misgivings about their Plan A?
Why would there be a Plan B when this isn't even my Plan A? There is no Plan B.
We are outnumbered and outgunned; this just happened to be the only way we could buy time.
Was the War any different? You should know perfect planning seldom leads to perfect execution.
... Hm.
Well~ I guess Moses doesn't have lives to burn through like we do. She wouldn't dare wing it in this life-and-death situation.
... Voila.
What's this thing supposed to be? Ooh, it looks super weird...
Is this a flower...? I don't remember chopping up anything that looked like this earlier...
Doesn't look like it can talk either, so... Oh, are ya like, waving at me to come over?
Ooh~ I know what's going on here! You're trying to buy time -
Huh?
…!
Nngh... What the hell are you doing? Tryna jab me and suck my blood dry, huh?!
In your dreams, dumbass! Hah, piece of cake!
She just... cut it off?
Wait, you can just cut it off?
We must quickly make adjustments to this plan to -
No, that development is a part of the plan.
Every time the crushing loneliness set in, she must've endured it by burying herself in comic books and videogames.
And that is her only connection to her so-called "father"... She obsessed over games not as mere "entertainment" - for her, it was survival, it was what kept her going. Then...
Hmm... if that's true, then she'll fight the Abnormality like she's playing a videogame.
As a rule of thumb, when running blind into a "boss fight," the go-to strat is usually...
... Dealing with the mooks that get in the way.
But that rule doesn't apply to this "boss." She can cut down the mooks all she wants, but that'll only get her covered in more gossypium.
You've fought it before, haven't you? Once you're covered in its gossypium...
... It becomes nearly impossible even to parry the Drenched Gossypium's attacks.
It'll have built up too much power.
…!
Is this like an invincibility phase? You're jabbing stalks into the adds to give yourself some kinda HoT buff, aren'tcha?
Then I gotta take out the adds first - !
Agh, dangit...!
…!
W-what's going on?! My sword's not - When'd that monster turn red...!?
This plan would not have worked had her Nursefather joined her earlier than expected. We got lucky.
... This Abnormality presents the kind of challenge that is difficult to overcome alone. We could deploy the same strategy against the Middle Nursefather later.
We're not out of the woods yet, but this was quite the clever -
There you are! Been cooped up in here all along like a bunch of scared chickens, eh?
…?
Aw, didn't ya watch papa put together his plamo kits? When the model kit's got way too many pointy sprues like these...
... Get down!
…….
... you gotta chop 'em off before you get building.
... He destroyed every Peccatulum and vine in the vicinity with a single swing...!
And totally wrecked the ceiling, too...
Yo~! Papa's back~
Gonna sit on your butt all day, princess?
... To cleave through the Gossypium before any of its blossoms could even land...
Why work with your brains when you've got the brawn?
Thanks for letting my kid play with you folks. It's hide-'n-seek, right? Mind if I take over for her for a sec?
*exhale*
Looks like... we've managed to buy ourselves some time.
Nngh... This is it! We're gonna have to fight this guy!
Bus team, you guys ready?
Of c -
Huh...? Ishy -
They both fell unconscious. What -
…….
Huh...?
Huuuuh?
Hey... hey! What's wrong? Guys?
…….
You asshole, what the hell did you do to them? Why'd they all suddenly -
What? I didn't even lift a finger. Alright, you're getting written up in the book for trying to frame me for this.
... This has naught to do with that man, nor with the Distortion...
Well, what else can we - What - I'm frickin' losing my mind here, guys! Get up! C'mon!
Ezra, shaking them hardly seems to be the solution to bring them back to consciousness.
... Got it. Then I'll try to draw that bastard's attention, while -
Calm down. I think we can... I think we can all survive this.
*exhale*
The standard method of defeating this Abnormality... is to chip away at the pearl gradually. But if one destroys the "pearl," and only the pearl, in a single strike...
Aeng-du. How are your arms?
I shan't rest until they are physically torn from my body.
Ezra. Remember that room packed full of Peccatula?
Yep!
Very well. Then...
…….
Phew! Wasn't that fun? Looks like my little girl's learned a lot, too.
Glad to see you nerds are not all talk. That first stunt you pulled on me sure had some bite - those galvanized corpses were, well... electrifying.
Got any more toys to throw at me, or are ya all outta stock?
Gonna have to close up shop soon, but... let me get you an extra something on the house.
Oh?
We'll be back with the stock, so... enjoy this in the meantime.
Ezra, open it!
Got it...!
What an absolute monster... Just how many augmentations has he gotten? This is overkill, especially for the Middle...
The Abnormality covered him in paralytic, corrosive venom... and dumped a bucketful of crawling larvae to eat into his skin...
... and yet, none of them managed to hurt him.
Venom? Was that really supposed to be your cherry on top? You're terrible at choosing toys.
*sigh*
What a troublesome brat you are. Were you this much of a menace with your toys as a kid, too?
Sorry, I get tired of things rather easily.
And when I get tired of something, I smash it. And now that I'm tired of everything... I've no reason to hesitate.
…….
What about... Model Kit Iron Host Mk4?
... Lady Team Leader? This is hardly the time to be going off on a tangent...
Shh, just let the magic happen...!
... How do you know that legendary series?
The Mk4 series was the last product ever released before that toy factory closed shop. Naturally, its stock was extremely limited.
And the only person who understood the true significance of that was... tragically, none other than a certain little boy.
…….
No one, no one cared how much this mattered to you, did they? The world would never see such a toy again - it was a singular release, leagues apart from what you already had at home, and yet...
... He has assumed an odd expression. Perhaps a certain recollection consumes him.
The Detective saw right through him... and found the Distortion lurking in his heart.
... Ezra, now!
Gotcha! Another round with the powered gauntlets, right?
Charge at him, frontal assault! I'll chain him up with my pipe!
*exhale*
What in the... What's this purple thing?
You did all that brain screw just to put me in these... toy cuffs?
Nothing so fancy - I simply verbalized what I saw within you... in a convincing manner.
Hah!
Tsk... trying to break free only tightens it, eh?
We gotta capitalize on this chance as much as we can... Aeng-du!
Sword of the Homeland... Valorbound Acupunture Dive (勇躍一刺).
If this blade be so swift that it overwhelms any effort to steer its path...
... then an unbending trajectory like that of a loosened arrow shall strike true - !
…….
Graah...!
Miss Ezra!
The gauntlet distracts... while the swift sword goes for my head. That your game?
... How... did he unbind himself...?
Ngh... That leg of his...
Weren't expecting to see Moonlight Stones, were ya?
I just needed to free this one leg. It's too bad my hand isn't free to open the book, though...
Agh... dammit...
But forcing me to live through that day again is a crime that... doesn't even need to be written down in the book.
Your death ain't gonna be pretty, lady!
Even deep purple didn't work... Dammit, that Moonlight...!
Was that trick... supposed to mess with my head, too?
Impressive, really. You turned one of the finest Moonlight Stones M Corp. had to offer... totally opaque.
Agh... *cough*
... The blade snapped... I failed to even make a scratch.
As for you... You lunged at me knowing that both of your arms would be ripped off at that speed?
As that is... how a Salsu must carry herself...
... Y'see, while I'm easily distracted, I often find myself earnestly captivated by shiny new releases.
So, I think some commendations are due.
You are, truly... the image of valor. Look at how your torn arms are still clutching the hilt of that sword!
Man, you guys actually got me kinda winded... I'm a big fan of these gimmicky fights.
And thanks to that, we managed to buy ourselves enough time...
Hah, that so? I can hear something coming this way. Got me some more monsters, eh...?
Were... were there more... Abnormalities or Distortions... *cough* remaining?
... Heh. We've got something even worse.
…!
Apologies for the delay, Team Leader.
They took their sweet time with the paperwork.
…….
Of course they did. Business as usual for the Hana Association, especially for something like this.
I assume you passed the evaluation?
I have. And was designated a Color.
Baby bee! ... Don't - *cough* - tell me.... You weren't stalling behind that wall for a dramatic entrance, were ya?
*sigh* Why would I do that? I beelined here as fast as I could, cutting through every wall between me and your position.
... No one's ever bested my strength, even when I was active in the biz.
This is fun. What's your name, my man? I don't think I've heard of anyone like you in my prime.
Aren't you a talkative piece of Finger trash? A rancid one, at that...
Hngh...!
I won't give you the honor of learning my name, Middle scum.
Hey, Junior~ *cough* Didya... did my uber-recommended name get pushed through...?
... It did. There were... other options, but... *sigh* Yes, that's the name.
Heh heh... That's rad~ Then - *cough* - monster dude, prepare to go on the record as the Yellow Harpoon's first kill!
I'm sure you can tell from the way it sounds, but I'm the one who came up with that name!
27. A Beautiful Hue of Teal, before the battle
66 linesOh, please don't use your right arm to parry my strikes. It hurts me to see a good ingredient marred.
Nngh... Silence!
I would much rather remove my own arm than have it be a part of thine iniquitous art.
In the absence of aesthetics, self-harm for the sole purpose of survival is a rather hideous thing, but...
... perhaps your arm, removed in a moment of great passion... has the potential to be a decent piece of art.
Oi... don't you bother answerin' his drivel, lass. Let 'im tire himself out talking.
... We're gonna have to attack him all at once. All four of us.
You're gettin' it, lad! You're a right proper brawler now!
...!
No, you must wait. This is -
Whassit? If we don't deal with that git right this instant, he'll -
Assistant...?
This is...
Hohenheim...!
.......
.......
W-what is going on?!
... I think she was about to ask for forgiveness.
This situation is certainly... an outlier, isn't it?
Could the threads have unraveled...? Oh, or perhaps they have been dragged away by their threads.
The City boasts many a work of art, yet Yoshihide found the marionette dolls particularly distasteful.
That child believed those puppets to be... how should I put this? Mere simulacra. Simulacra may be infinitely similar to what is "real," but to her, no matter how meticulously their details were recreated... they were worthless next to the living, breathing "reality."
But please, one should not be in such haste to dismiss their qualities as mere simulacra. Do try to assume a flexible perspective; from a certain point of view, they may be what constitute a utopia.
Perhaps, despite our disparities... if we were to together ascend the strings that bind us, inch by inch...
... we may find, at their end, a single hand that puppeteers us all.
It is indeed fascinating that a card-carrying member of the Ring would spout a baseless Backstreets rumor that the Five Fingers are, in truth, one hand. However, such unverified conspiracy theories are useless to researchers like ourselves.
Regardless, it seems that the assistant's bold plan has fallen through already.
.......
This is yet another demonstration of why we can never have too many backup plans. Hm. When was our last battle test? 3 days ago?
... 4 days ago.
You grumbled about how disappointing the results were, given the budget that went into the project... and bought us coffee. From a vending machine.
You've got... quite a sharp memory, too. But going by the exact number of hours that have passed since then, it is closer to 3 days.
Anyway, you have nothing to worry about. While I cannot deny that I still have some misgivings about your expertise in electrical engineering, I am not exactly at liberty to choose. Let us elect Plan B as our -
Boss.
.......
I've just come up with a more surefire plan.
Your Plan B's full of holes, and I don't like its odds. I know you agree.
... Do not entertain that foolish thought.
I know what you're thinking. I suppose... that could be the most one can expect from an ordinary mind such as yours. But -
Hohenheim. Boss.
Stop - not another word. You... you have to give me some time to think of another plan.
Remember our last test with my Lantern E.G.O Gear? It had a pretty respectable energy output at 70% Attunement. Not to mention how it activates its "charm" effect at that rate.
If I were to raise that output to 120%... I should be able to draw his attention for a maximum of 5 minutes. For you, Boss, that's more than enough time to conduct the remaining repairs.
The E.G.O gear cannot handle the energy output at 120% Attunement. It will explode, and you will end up taking the full brunt of -
... Will my words... my objection... do anything to change your mind?
... No, it won't. I'm sorry.
.......
As for Alyssa... Well, I'm sure they'll keep their word, no matter what. If they manage to rescue her, then... please look after her, okay?
Marton...
Such composure. You don't seem to care much that your pupil has abandoned you.
If only that were true.
... If only that were true... I wouldn't be in this pit of devastation.
Have you any last words to impart to the world? Most ingredients I use for my work like to let out a dying cry as though its volume is the determinant of life and death... Usually, around this point in my creative process.
... No, I do not.
The accomplishments I have achieved in this life are far too extensive and significant to be condensed into a mere few words.
... A rather grandiose statement to be carved into such a frail, unremarkable body.
But I like it. Rest assured, I will carve them with utmost care.
.......
This may not be the end you had in mind, but please don't let yourself be so crestfallen.
You... and your fleeing friend... were no more than spalls to be chipped away to sculpt the core into a most beauteous form.
Every being exists in mutual similitude, yet each of them leads a life of their own.
... What is that light?
"Spalls to be chipped away"... I might be compelled to agree, had you referred to only me. But your assessment failed when you thought of me as highly as you did him.
For who in the world would be so blind as to see such brilliance as a mere spall?
Ohh...
Indeed... what a beautiful, incandescent hue of teal...
28. That Single Thread, before the battle
23 linesMy blurred vision slowly comes into focus, as does my dazed mind.
It feels like... something just wreaked havoc through my head...
<Faust... Know anything about what just happened...?>
.......
<Faust?>
Wait... Why is everyone here?
<Uh... did you guys finish restoring the facility...? Why's... Why's everyone here?>
I will explain the sequence of events, as it is clear that the manager once again remembers none of it.
Approximately 7 minutes prior, the flame on your head began to conflagrate as it did in the previously observed instance, before the absent Sinners were, for lack of a better descriptor, "summoned" or "materialized" here.
<I... did that?>
I remember thinking really hard that I needed the Sinners to be here, but... Ah, did I unlock a new power the way I did in our times of need - like when we fought Don Quixote or when we were helping Hong Lu?
<But this feels... different. Maybe it's a power to summon the Sinners to me when things get dicey?>
... Nay, that does not seem to be the case, Dante.
What you have summoned are not the Sinners...
... but Identities, their forms mirror-reflected and opaquely shaped, yet inarguably overwritten.
Like Yi Sang said... the summoned Sinners all stood in eerie silence.
It was like I was staring at their empty husks standing at the ready for my command.
<Their Identities... Then what about the actual Sinners who are still separated from us?>
No way for us to know at this point.
... Let's just appreciate this opportunity while we have it. What matters is that we do not lose the Golden Boughs, right?
... He's not wrong.
<I don't like this, but... we're not exactly in a position to pick and choose.>
The 12 Sinners, now together, approached the sole enemy.
29. That Single Thread, after the battle
88 linesThe Identities were incomplete, perhaps due to the abruptness with which they were summoned...
... and were nowhere strong enough to stand against the Pinky Nursefather.
<... Am I not even a threat to her?>
She did not cast even a sideways glance toward me, as though to say that so long as I didn't stand in her way, she wouldn't bother attacking me.
*sigh* Let's go again, C.H....
...
Her quiet gaze was fixed intently on Ryōshū's wounded form.
Facility power restoration complete.
The PA system buzzes, and the whirring sounds I assume to be coming from the reactivated elevators begin filling the hallways.
.......
... Crawling back to the House of Spiders... with that, huh?
.......
*sigh*... You're much more tolerable mute. Glad I S.Y.T.C.
That was when the woman began to speak from behind the veil...
... even though I was certain her tongue had been cut off, as I'd seen in that memory.
... What an unbearable sight it is...
... to see you still holding on...
Holding onto that single, frayed thread of memory.
...!
... How... how are you speaking...?
I remember chopping off your foul tongue... with this sword.
There should be nothing left of your mind but shattered bits of memory...
Why even go through all this trouble to save that thing?
... I'm still holding on to that single thread.
And it led me here. I'm going through all this trouble because I can still see that single thread, still connected through where everything has been severed and sheared.
Wrong. You've got it backwards.
It is precisely because everything else has been severed and sheared that your feelings are mere illusions.
Do you even remember her face? Her voice? Her height? Do you even remember how you used to spend time with her?
.......
Mommy.
... Can I call you mommy?
You can call me whatever. It doesn't matter.
But it does.
There's a biiiiig difference, mommy.
It's got a different echo, don'tcha think?
Admit it already.
You're holding onto that thread because without it, you'd have nothing left.
That's why you're hugging so tightly onto that illusion... like it's your everything.
.......
... Hilarious.
Had it been all those years ago... Your words would've cut through my heart like a knife.
Why do you... why do you always talk to me like that, Mother?
Whenever you do that, it hurts... it hurts right here even though I don't bleed. Like you're stabbing me.
So...
... does that make you feel miserable?
... Huh?
My life has been nothing but an unending stream of misery ever since you happened. Did you know that?
.......
Go ahead, answer me.
I kno - I know.
Good. Don't you ever forget that.
Don't forget that you're the weight tied to my ankle. You dragged me down here.
And you have the nerve to whine about some... mean words?
Ah...
... When did I permit you to look at my face? Look away!
Sorry.
I won't look at your face without your permission, Mother. I won't complain about hurting, either. I'm sorry...
I'm sorry...
None of you has changed one bit since the last time I saw you. And that is so... satisfying to watch.
All you ever know to do is blame everyone else for your miseries while never trying to change yourselves.
No wonder none of you ever managed to leave the House of Spiders, that quagmire of a place.
Quagmire...
I don't disagree.
The only way to be free... is never to have been caught in it to begin with.
For you and me both.
The Pinky Nursefather let out a wry laughter as she muttered.
Besides, we are no strangers, you and I. We've lived under the same roof for years, haven't we?
I don't know about the other Nursefathers, but... I can see right through your mind.
Perhaps... for you, hiding that child inside that safe may have seemed like the best plan at the time.
...!
What a tight space you've squeezed her into. A hole so small that only a child could have ever hoped to fit inside.
.......
What... did you say?
The Pinky Nursefather smote down upon Ryōshū's sword, holding it in place.
You dare swing that thing at me, presumptuous fool?
If you're serious about this, do unsheathe the sword as you did then.
You're nothing if you've no heart to do even that.
Aagh...
You always make that same face whenever I hurt you.
Why do you... Why do you always...
... lk to... me like...
On the day you swung that sword with such abandon...
... you left a rather nasty wound on me.
"Whatever this blade cut once... will become cut again in its presence."
"A wound that once healed shall reopen... and the prosthetics that replaced the limbs shall fall away and reveal the old amputations as their mechanical joints come apart."
......
That was supposed to be the absolute rule of this blade. A rule without exceptions. You told me that this power demands the sacrifice of memories - the truest proof that it is real.
Well... when has the discussion of truths and lies ever meant anything?
30. Homeward Bound, before the battle
95 lines…….
Once I'm reinstated... I'm gonna get that central Consigliere bitch to give me something for the trouble.
Hah... that fucker has no idea what kind of shit I'm going through out here.
The House of Spiders.
... How is it that it's still operational?
Hah, you really know how to fuck with my ego.
A bit rude, don't you think? I'm standing right here... you could at least do me the courtesy of pretending to be winded. This isn't a goddamn Q&A session.
I know you and the rest have infiltrated the HQ Research Facility because you couldn't let Sinner #4 go.
"Sinner"...? You've got some awful manners, calling my kid something like that. Gave her a number like she's some prisoner, too.
You overestimate your connection to my Ticket, Red Gaze. Your journey has lasted barely more than a year, and you're lording over her like you're in charge, calling her Sinner this, Sinner that?
I've been teaching Ticket ever since her tiny little baby hands held a knife for the first time.
There's got to be more than your twisted, possessive sense of attachment that kept the House of Spiders alive for all those years.
It seems that all of you are bound there by something that only Sinner #4 can provide... Something you're all still holding onto.
You have no idea what I had to endure to get my Ticket... I'm not letting her go to waste like some shitty scrap paper.
Oh yes, over a decade's worth of preparation went into it - she's the culmination of our collective wish.
Thanks for looking after our runaway pup, but she's got some pedigree, you know? It's about time you sent her back to her loving parents.
... This is what you've been stalling for, I see.
*sigh* Yeah. This shit gig's coming to an end, too.
And don't you even think about activating that E.G.O of yours.
My neighbor's good-for-nothing burden uses that too... And it's always so obvious when she's about to use it.
... You think you can get away from me if I don't activate my E.G.O?
Ooh, sooo scary.
... I know what you're good at, and I know what got you that "Red" color.
The Smoke War, Syndicate Strifes, Finger Bow-bell... I've already seen and done too much. Once I'd tumbled through all those big events... I'd made so many connections, that things that I shouldn't know... shouldn't be able to know... follow the thread right back to my eyes and ears.
Intriguing. To think that there are idlers who've got enough time on their hands to... feed a stray dog forsaken by her Famiglia. Wouldn't you agree, Valencina?
Shut. Up. Stop trying to get a rise outta me.
If it weren't for Rien's "plan," I would've long made mincemeat out of your cake... before killing you too, Red Gaze.
... Huh.
It's about time I headed home, but you're not about to let me leave without a fight, huh?
Tsk... I can't have the Textbook bleed out while I fight. Looks like I'll need some insurance.
...!
Glad I kept my rapier nice and sharp. See, the slightest brush with its edge can cleave right through flesh.
Unless you wanna see me draw a thin red line along your precious kid's throat, put that weapon down on the ground.
Then kick it away, out of your reach.
…….
Very good. Now...
I'll put the kid down...
......
... and count to 3. Slowly, mind you. We've come this far - you don't wanna watch my hand slip and drop this kid on the ground all wrong, do you?
3…
…….
C'mon. Don't give me that look. 2...
…….
…!
Nice catch.
Looks like you've made a mess of my Textbook, but eh. It's nothing I can't piece back together.
Gonna take this one home now, ciao.
... Oh boy, would you look at the time.
... Yo, bowl cut.
Bowl cut...? Are you talking to me?
I get it, you've got 'nuff strength to back up all that swagger. But... Don't get too cocky.
I'm running a bit busy, so I'll just write you up in the book for now. Next time, it's brawn versus brawn.
... Nngh... Papa...
Looks to me you've got your own people to take care of, and I've got mine. Why don't we go our separate ways for now?
…….
Smart choice.
Now go ahead and fix up my toys in the meantime! You're gonna priority ship 'em to my front door soon anyway, aren't ya? Hahahaha!
Oh, by the way - I appreciate a good bowl cut.
Ah, I must've lost track of time, lured by that light.
What a pity. It's already closing time for this gallery - one must wonder, why does every instance of immersion carry the promise of its breaking?
Such was the steadfastness of Marton's will. On the other hand, it seems you were far too ignorant to have understood the concept of self-sacrifice.
I see. It is often said that to pursue art is to embark on an endless journey of learning. And I certainly enjoyed this learning opportunity... down to how he burst... and the following firework of flesh and bone from that explosive performance.
I hope our reunion will come sooner than later.
Come visit my gallery, won't you? I must say, I'm starting to look forward to hearing your critique of it.
…….
What a heartless person she is.
To leave you behind in such a state... Even if you aren't her child, this is rather uncharitable behavior.
Let's head home, Sora.
... Stop. Stop... Don't go.
I saw your report card on my way here, sweetie.
I understand why they might have placed you in third place, but I hope you won't lose heart over it.
Because when it comes to killing, Yoshihide... you're in a class beyond the first and second ranks.
I don't... give a shit...
Mister... Rien...
Can you share the code... to Zenon's Tortoise Spiral with them...? They're... they're good, kind people. They saved me... when the ceiling caved in on... me...
Is that so? All right.
The Spirals all share the same password. Which is...
... obviously, your birthday, sweetheart. Even on that day, I'd bought a cake as the Prescript ordered me to, because I couldn't think of any gift that'd make you happy...
... and it always weighed heavily on my heart that you never even got to have a single bite of it.
…….
Be sure to dress your wounds so they won't scar, okay?
Tell... me.
Have you... all of you... always known where I'd... hidden her?
Well, here's a very simple answer to your very simple question. Why don't you come home and find out?
…….
Don't go...
…….
Don't go... Not... like this.
Honey.
What you just said was... pretty effective.
It hit me right in my heart - and for a moment, it stung.
The moment we became certain that the Index Nursefather was gone, the Sinners all collapsed to the ground with a collective, exhausted sigh.
Whenever we'd encountered him, he had never once averted his eyes from Ryōshū as though the rest of us posed no threat against him.
Replaying his words in our minds, the nonchalance with which he invited Ryōshū to come back home...
We let the silence he left behind wash over us, overwhelmed by the sheer monumentality of the task before us.
31. The Safe, before the battle
102 lines<... What is that?>
He has left something behind.
It appears to be a... safe.
...!
Ryōshū hurried toward the safe left behind by the Index Nursefather.
She kneeled before the locked safe, and placed her trembling hands over it...
... before reaching out to its door with such tenderness that she seemed completely different from the person who'd just made a mad dash toward it a few seconds ago.
Her hand was bumpy with old, rough, but distinct scars.
And some of those scars that never fully healed were...
... were numbers - numbers that made her eyes flit desperately between the skin where they were etched and the safe. Trembling, Ryōshū opens the rusty door.
The tiny space inside, where a child was supposed to be waiting for her mother's return...
... was empty, as though someone had carved out a piece of reality from the world.
Strength seemed to drain out of Ryōshū's hand as the fingers that tightly gripped around the door's handle fell limp.
As though the sheer weight of the emptiness spread from the tip of her fingers into every part of her body.
Araya.
<... Ryōshū!>
We...
We all heard the name that slipped between Ryōshū's lips like a dying whisper.
It was the name of the child whom she was supposed to find in there.
But before we could ask her more about Araya...
... Ryōshū fell to the ground, unconscious.
Is this my name?
Yeah. A-ra-ya. That's how you read it.
It's too hard to read...
Hope it's not something as random as Saru!
How do you write your name, Mommy?
…….
Go on, read it.
Uh... Ryō... shū...?
No... That's not how you read those letters...
"Yoshihide." That's how you say it.
"Ryō-shū!"
It's prettier and easier!
The facility has been restored. Of course, ... would take time, but the LCC...
... and Pilot have...
... immediately been put under recovery procedures... Ampules... not enough.
... Year, month, and date... 9570404. Yeah, 7 digits. It worked.
... aust told us, so we managed to disable those stakes. Is Ryōshū still...?
It's only been 4 days since the meeting where they laid down all those warnings to keep me from intervening...
... and now, it may as well never have happened.
The preparations are complete.
Manager, how is Sinner #4?
<... Still a bit dazed, but she's recovered.>
... Dante says it shouldn't be a problem.
The clock is not a cure-all, Dante.
<I think she's in shock. And that's... not the kind of wound I can rewind.>
The LCB is prepared to take part in this mission.
Lady team leader has expressed that the LCD sees no reason not to participate.
All ready for deployment... on our end, too.
LCA Vanguard Team 1, Udjat. Radio check.
... Reading you loud and clear. LCA Team 1 ready for assault.
Our objective remains the same. The LCA's primary purpose will be to remove any and all post-infiltration obstacles.
... One question remains, however... are we absolutely certain about this formation?
Is there a problem? Direct any of your misgivings regarding the plan to me, and I, Outis, shall answer them.
<... We landed on this after much discussion with everyone. But the problem - >
- is nonexistent. In consideration of Limbus Company's current roster, this is as optimal as our current division of power can be.
Recalling your pathetic performance back at the HQ, you really are -
The special operations unit wasn't built for that kind of mission. Don't blame them.
Besides, that incident's left a nasty bruise on our pride - and we're not letting it slide.
…….
Are we going to sip tea and chat all day, or are we going to get a move on?
We're just about ready. Backdoor connection... established.
Are you sure you should be out and about so soon...? You best sit back and focus on recovery until they get a prosthetic arm attached...
... I'm okay. Bleeding's stopped.
I'll open the door after counting down from five.
5...
Boss. Are you... sure about taking that gear?
No need to worry on my account. The tests, limited as they were, have proven that I am more than capable of using it.
... Are you certain about taking that gear to battle?
There's no other - agh. No other E.G.O gear I'm more familiar with than this one.
Keep an eye on your Attunement levels. And do watch out for the Abnormality's voices.
This is my request to you. Don't take it lightly.
4...
*sigh* I still don't like this. Even with backup plans upon backup plans prepared, walking straight into the enemy's stronghold is...
At least we won't be the ones getting taken unawares this time, Team Leader!
This is our chance to get back at 'em for what they've done. Right, Junior?
... Ah, t-truly so. Though I cannot be a part of this endeavor...
Eh? Not you, Miss Aeng-du. I'm talking about the team junior right there, our very own baby bee. You just sit tight and think about what style ya want for your new arms~
I... don't see any reason why I should be called the "junior" around here...
... when Miss Aeng-du and Bamboo Hatted Kim have joined us.
Didn't ya know the unspoken rule? Once a junior, always a junior!
…….
... Ezra, Vespa. Save your strength for our actual enemies.
3...
I hope you've all drilled the plan into your heads, men.
Verily, I have taken the plan to heart! We shall strike down the wicked with furious justice!
.......
Guys, check your pockets again for ampules. Make sure you have all of them, okay?
Most people can't even dream of getting their hands on these top-of-the-line ampules. Keep them close and tight 'cause we're gonna need them if we're separated from the manager.
2...
Reporting. LCA, LCB, LCD, LCE assault team mission preparations complete.
... Final authorization from the HQ received and confirmed.
<Let's finish this.>
<And it goes without saying, but... we'll make sure they get theirs.>
You can say that again.
1…
<We'll be there soon, Ryōshū.>
<The place where those people raised you...>
<The House of Spiders.>
Mhm! I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you here, Mommy!
Operation Spider Pyre. Commence Mission.
…!
32. Operation Spider Pyre, before the battle
40 linesI don't see...
... anyone in here.
All teams have entered the House of Spiders according to plan. All stations, remain on alert for any movements.
Is everyone... okay?
.......
Not really. Doc said I'll be facing some challenges in my daily life for the next few months.
And here I was, looking forward to this rare chance of witnessing the mythical "paid sick leave." I still find it baffling that you've denied yourself that opportunity.
To be entirely honest, I am starting to think that you may have gone completely mad.
What I'm doing may seem completely crazy, but I assure you my sanity's still intact.
I would've gone truly insane if I weren't allowed to be a part of this mission, though.
... What did they do with Mister Marton?
... His remains have been retrieved.
Retrieved? Since when did we become part of District 14?
Or has Limbus Company suddenly found the scintilla of conscience to give him a proper funeral?
... Maybe they will, should the two of you return safely.
Some time ago, prior to entering the Backdoor
The assignments are final. Ensure that your line-ups are in order.
... I don't like this at all. You can't possibly believe that the current composition of the Executive Manager's squad is equipped to ensure their safety.
There won't be any issues. Not with Dante's newly awakened power.
Yeah, don'tcha worry! Dante's been training that remote sight ability really hard while the bigwigs were busy holding meetings and dealing with the fallout~ With that and the teleport power to zap us in and out, we'll be a-ok!
"Teleportation"... Hm... Indeed.
The way Faust replied seemed to indicate that it was anything but "teleportation," but the tone in her voice declared, in no uncertain terms, that she could not be bothered to elaborate.
.......
Strange this feels, to be imparting such farewells afore the operation...
I hope we'll be able to meet one another again, safe and sound, once this is over.
Listen, Hong Lu. Bud. You don't say that kinda stuff before going into battle, alright? It usually ends up causing the opposite of the intended effect.
How about... "What could possibly go wrong?"
Yeah, that's more like it.
... Was that supposed to be any better?
.......
Well, it's time. I'll go on ahead.
<Uhh - >
<Hey, Sinclair...!>
Yeah?
<About... about everything that happened... You just...>
<You just gotta accept... what's done is done.>
Sinclair paused for a moment, then...
... gave a quiet smile.
Okay, I will.
.......
33. The Ring, before the battle
66 linesIf I might just add one more thing - you needn't try to comfort us over our conversation, Manager Saude. Consider this nothing more than harmless, humorous banter among us researchers.
It appears to me that if anyone needs comfort, it'd be him.
.......
... All those Golden Boughs we've gone through so much to collect... gone. We've lost people, too. Even worse, we're separated from our manager... so we can't even immediately know how the others are doing.
This isn't the first time we've been in this much danger, but... every time it happens, I can't help but -
- get nervous, right? Anxious, even.
... Yeah.
Do you guys... ever get this nervous, too...? Like I do?
Well...
I like to talk big and try to project confidence, but honestly... I still get anxious like everyone else.
We've still got a lot of people in the LCB who don't know where they're going in life, don't we? Like how I used to be.
You know, with how Dante seems to feel a lot of pressure over their responsibilities, I guess you could say that I've sorta committed myself to sharing a bit of their load and helping the team navigate through the trials of our journey and... you know, all that stuff...
So, I'm just trying to put on a brave face, at the end of the day. Someone needs to, right? To reassure everyone that it's all going to be okay.
... I... see.
Ha... Outis'd give me a really harsh dressing-down if she heard me say all that. Just thinking about it hurts my ears...
While there is no doubt that Faust does indeed know it all...
... there were times when I also found myself grasping at straws,
unable to make even the simplest decisions - whether I should move forward, whether I should stop, or whether I should go back the way I came.
And that made me realize anew...
... Faust is but a name that may leave at any time.
.......
... Well, I suppose it is my turn in this heart-to-heart roundtable. I'm not quite fond of these last-minute barings of one's soul as though we're walking to our collective death, but... if this should help raise the chance of our success by alleviating some of your concerns, then I see no reason not to participate.
My superiors have... repeatedly refused to authorize the plan that includes me as a combatant for this mission.
I understand their logic.
Sending a research-specialized employee to near-certain death would indeed be an inefficient management of human resources, from the corporate perspective.
Instead of accepting my request, they suggested that I take some time off. 3 months, give or take.
They said everything will have returned to normal by the time I sauntered back into the office; that the LCE's job was to find normalcy again while LCA or LCB dealt with the consequences.
It was a tempting offer, I must admit. Research was indeed an endeavor in which l could lose myself while the rest of the world slipped by.
I would take the 3-month vacation, return to the lab and bury myself in research after research, and... eventually, it'd really have been like nothing had happened.
New employees would be hired to fill the vacancies with remarkable immediacy as though there had never been any loss of personnel in the first place.
So yesterday, as I was arranging the office for my absence, I opened one of my desk drawers, and -
Oh. You really were gonna go on a vacation...
... And I saw our next year's research proposal peeking out from the middle of the paper pile.
It's a funny thing, the way that corporate planning works.
No one knows what the future holds, but they expect us to plan months ahead in our proposals.
When I'd written that research proposal, I'd planned it to be a collaborative research between me, Marton, and Alyssa.
And now, I'll have to erase Marton's name, one by one, from dozens of its pages.
So... How did you manage to convince the higher-ups?
My third request to have me included in this mission was accompanied by a resignation letter. A binary option, if you will - they had to choose one over the other.
Uh... you can do that?
Who's to say that I can't?
That last subject wasn't much about anxiety at all, but... has that helped calm your nerves at least, Sinclair?
... I'm a bit better, I think.
That's good. Then let's all take a deep breath, and... commence operation.
Enemy incoming.
Sorry I'm late. Fascia was enjoying a nice nap, so I had to wake her up first.
She was heartbroken by how far behind schedule we were in her completion.
It's because of Zenon's Tortoise Spiral.
People struck with that weapon often end up with, quite literally, broken hearts... depriving us of the core ingredient.
So, I'm glad we're able to meet here. None of you have replaced yourself with a prosthetic body... and I won't be using the Spiral.
... You knew we'd be coming?
Mmhm. The Maestro asked me to go out and receive our guests.
Do you know of the Maestro's shattered child? She would've been a wonderful big sister for Fascia. I'm yet to reach that level of creation, unfortunately. You see, collecting ingredients without damaging them is still a bit tough for me.
So, I hoped to get some practice and started by cutting off my own arm. After all, whose body do we know better than our very own?
But the corpus of others is still so challenging to work with. Which finger do they put the most pressure on when using their arms? Do they let their wrists handle much of the pressure, or their entire arm? Do they have any preexisting defects that may change how I interact with the medium? So, so many things to take into account before getting to the actual work.
... Speaking of which, would you be so kind as to hear my request?
How about we spend some time to get to know each other... and become friends?
Friends?
Mhm.
It's not so hard to become friends.
Sora told me that becoming friends is as simple as sharing the things we love, our hobbies, our dreams... Though I didn't become friends with her, as I wasn't planning on using Sora as an ingredient for Fascia.
So... Ah, I know where to begin. Would you share something you love with me, everyone?
.......
Don't hesitate to ask me anything you'd like to know about me, either. Ever since I fed a few slices of my brain to Fascia, I've become a very, very bad liar.
... What makes you think... we're going to tell you any of that?
Okay, then me first. My name is Albina. I'm learning Corporism art under Maestro Callisto's tutelage with my beloved Fascia.
34. The Ring, between battles
21 linesAh! Welcome, welcome. I've been so absorbed with trimming my ingredients that I was delayed. I hope my Albina has been a most wonderful host to you all in my absence?
...!
You...
Yes, Maestro. They've denied my offer of friendship, but I've been trying nonetheless.
I see. Oh, it's such a pleasure to meet you all again. This gallery hardly ever sees visitors... so I was at once its only audience and Maestro.
.......
So, tragically, this humble gallery is yet to taste the piquancy of an unbiased critique.
Perhaps you could be my first?
... *gag*
Ah, I see that this piece here has captured your interest.
They were all people who have left me with such striking inspirations.
Loneliness, anxiety, weakness... Observe these raw facets of suffering - the inevitable state of existence that is most fittingly human.
Please direct your attention to this frontmost figure. You would be impressed to hear how those hands refused to let go of the partner's, even as I placed them atop this pedestal.
An unbreakable bond that remains unsevered, even as death comes to bear the subject away in its gentle embrace... I find such values utterly noble.
It would indeed have been a waste to let that precious little moment slip away, so I endeavored to preserve every second of it... down to the smallest capillaries, muscle tissues, and the quivering thereout.
Ah... aah...
Miss Alyssa...?
Perspective... has a way of transforming art, as the state of one's heart alters the evocative qualities of a piece.
So please, please do take your time as you tour through my gallery. Tell me how it all appears in your eyes -
My eyes...?
I'd rather gouge out my own eyeballs, you murdering fuck...!
35. The Middle, before the battle
118 linesMine experience hath taught me that this... this Workshop here, featured in none other than Fixers Monthly, would be best for thy merchandising opportunities! Quite the clean, flawless finish did they boast! And about this Workshop on the side - while it doth produce figurines of passing quality, thou must practice caution! For they merely run mass-production lines of generic products with nary a spark of creativity!
... Thank you for the advice.
Aw, thou needst not thank me! ... Ahem. As for Fixer "merch," I must recommend thou beginnest with button badges, for there is aaaaabsolutely zero concern that a Color Fixer's button badge meeteth the fate of becoming deceased stock, plunging thy revenues to the negatives -
The excitement of accompanying such a... distinguished figure is quite well understood, but perhaps such discussions could be tabled for later in a mission such as this...
Ah... Ahaha... quite. 'Tis an unimaginable glory, to partake in an epochal moment such as the new Color Fixer's very first mission...
Don Quixote, breathe.
So, junior... how's Color Fixer life? Ya got a fan and everything already.
.......
*sigh* Not even gonna pretend ya heard me? Ah, well. He gets like that when he's nervous, so ya guys better get used to it now. You have no idea how many times we bickered until I finally got used to him sulking...
Anyhow... is this really the "House of Spiders?" It's a lot different from... what I'd expected.
Fret not, for this is indeed the correct destination. A swift observation did I make with this gear labeled "multi-angle camera," and saw all paths in your surroundings lead to infinity in all directions. Indeed, there is no doubt that you have entered the assailants' den.
This place is...
*puff* A "Corridor." So this is where they've spun their web.
The disquietude immanent in a name such as "The House of Spiders" seems to hardly convey the sense emanating from this place, which is more akin to a supermarket... or a warehouse at a Nest.
Yes, though it is more like a warehouse of toy boxes and nothing else.
I recognize some of these toys as the ones my parents had bought me in my childhood.
Toys are imbued with meaning only when they are played with.
Thus, one must come to wonder - why have they kept these untouched in their packaging, in a way that seems to hamper even the purpose of detached admiration?
... An object's purpose is often determined by its owner. As it stands now, it seems that the "purpose" is to display the goods, nothing more.
♬Leaping across rooftops of the City♬
♬To protect its peace and safety♬
Do you hear that?
Eh? What, the song?
Th-this song...!
Huh? Is this some kind of twisted song that breaks your mind when you hear it?
The OP of "Let's go, Poludnitsa!", a biographical show of the eminent Federico, a Grade 1 Fixer of the Devyat' Association...
... Allow me to investigate the veracity of her claim.
... No, there is no need to concern yourself with that kind of research.
The song alone shouldn't cause us any concern. Let us head toward the source of the sound.
Ooooh... Ohhhhhh...!!
Take this! Breaking~ Slam!
Badass... Seriously, that's like, the sickest move of all time...
Slam a weapon on the ground, use the rebound to leap into the air for the finisher... Lightning~ Kick!!
Papa, ya gotta teach me how to do that!
Hmm~ If you wanna try that move, you're gonna need some more leg augmentations and a few more Vengeance Tattoos!
Then... Can I head out for a sec so I can cross just two more vengeances off the book?
No. No need, Kiddo.
I was hoping to avoid running into these clowns again...
What a baffling coincidence.
.......
Some time prior to the group's entry into the Backdoor portal...
When Ryōshū signed the onboarding contract, we also received intel on the internal structure of the House of Spiders.
The issue was that... the order in which individuals entered the Backdoor determined their destination within the House of Spiders with no discernible pattern.
The LCC concluded that this unpredictability is outside the realm of analysis...
... however, such a variable is still within Faust's control.
To demonstrate, assuming that no one other than us comes in or out of the House of Spiders, Faust knows that the third person to enter the House of Spiders will emerge to the Ring Nursefather's gallery.
Then we must discuss with the LCA to determine who's to go where.
The sooner that meeting takes place, the better. Everyone should begin their preparations to infiltrate the House of Spiders, save for the Team Leaders, Miss Faust, and... Manager Dante.
As for the roster... we will share them once they've been finalized.
Coincidence played no hand in our presence here.
.......
Still sucks on our end. Looks like... looks like I'll be fighting with my life on the line today. 'Specially with that bumblebee punk on their side.
Holy crap, you're gonna use the sword, too? Sick!
Then I think I'm gonna... try papa's moves he showed off at the lab.
You guys saw that too, right? When papa kicked up the combo counter on those gun-totin' guys in black armor and pulled off a super, blasting them to smithereens?
Ah, there's this Fixer who uses a skill similar to papa... Ugh, who was it again? The same guy who worked at that legendary Fixer Office before moving to another one...
... Sir Rinaldo of Charles Office.
Oh shit, right! Right! Didn't he have this move where he'd line up, like, 10 dudes in a row and cut 'em all down at once? So cool... but I'm a bit too weak to replicate that move myself...
... Hast thou not been... watching a biography of a Fixer of justice until mere moments ago?
Eh? Ohh, "Let's Go, Poludnitsa!"? 'Course, bro. I watch every Fixer-related clip and animation.
You a fan, too? I recognize all of those badges on your coat. Hey, can ya gimme one of 'em?
Nay, I shan't...
... For I cannot well hand over symbols of Fixers to one who spectates a massacre as though she is observing a mere game.
...?
Ohhh! So you're playing that kinda character, huh? Neato!
Doesn't that character in the newest episode of FixAtar talk kinda like that? The guy who crawls out of that hole in the desert...
... El Bombín.
Yeah! El Bombín con Botas Naranjas! "Let this ammunition of justice strike thee down~!"
... Silence. I wish... I wish for thy silence.
How doth one grapple with the contradiction that is to admire the justice of Fixers through their videos and comic books... yet to behave as thou dost...?
...?
Whaddayamean? I just think they're badass, that's all.
Though of course, nobody's beatin' my papa in the badass game!
Ezra. Do you recognize anything about that Nursefather's sword?
Mm... just one thing. It's clearly not a Workshop weapon, going by the finish.
Is it possible that the weapon is from a Workshop you do not have access to, Miss Ezra?
It's possible, but that glowy thing inside the scabbard... That thing's gotta be a Relic. Aw~ YuRia probably could've told us more about it if she were here, but... either way, I'm pretty sure it's rare as heck.
Hah. You've an eye for weapons.
... That's interesting.
Eh? What's so interesting?
The amount of trash in this room makes me wonder how such a thing came to be in your possession. As far as I know, Relics are so rare and expensive that even the Four Families of Hongyuan don't have that many of them, let alone rare ones.
Trash...?
... The floor is littered with empty cup noodle containers and toaster pastry wraps... They must've been eating nothing but junk food for at least a few days.
Papa bought me a whole boxful of 'em.
Out there, it always pissed me off how Big Brothers and Big Sisters would chide me about snacking on nothing but this kinda junk... But ever since I came here, papa's been letting me eat whatever I wanna eat, however much I wanna eat 'em! What about it?
... I cannot help but assume they would have adverse effects to one's health.
Worried she'd get sick? It ain't a big deal in the City.
Can't let something trivial like that stop me from feeding tasty treats to my family.
What a shining example of fatherhood.
Which is interesting, because Ryōshū seems to have nothing but hatred for all of you Nursefathers.
... You're walking a mighty thin line by running your mouth about my kid when you don't even know her that well.
... I don't know about her other fathers, but my parental love for Yoshihide, my daughter, has always been completely earnest.
Havin' a good time, Buddy? Enjoyin' a nice drive with your Papa?
It's alright, I guess.
You sure you're not overspending?
It's been forever since my very own daughter asked me to buy something for her. Money ain't a thing!
I just wanted some tracksuits to wear around home.
Don't remember asking for that... massive bear plush.
Eh? A younger sibling I'm close with told me every kid these days carries around something like this.
Kid being the keyword there.
Besides, isn't this bear plush supposed to be red?
Want me to do a U-turn?
... No. Purple's fine by me.
Buddy, you ever find anything you don't like, you can talk to me about it. I'll always make sure to avenge the wrongs... no matter what I gotta do to get there.
If she wanted something, I'd empty my pockets to get it for her, even if that meant I had to borrow money from my younger Brothers and Sisters and risk losing face.
And if she wanted to do something... I let her go wild, as long as it didn't violate the rules of the House of Spiders.
'Cuz that's family. A little sacrifice ain't a thing if it's for one of us.
But... Ryōshū left the House of Spiders, despite everything.
Have you ever questioned yourself... why?
... Must've been for that pipsqueak, obviously. I would've snapped that little twerp's neck had I known she'd get in the way of my Yoshihide's bright future.
I need not hear more to know...
... that you were no good father of hers.
Team Leader. How much longer are we going to indulge that piece of trash?
I am in agreement with the distinguished Color Fixer. 'Tis high time we demonstrated to them the meaning of justice.
*puff* Don't rush. I was about to get started anyway.
This is LCD. Engaging the Middle Nursefather.
Well, I'm sure you've been monitoring the situation here, Manager Dante. So...
... please proceed according to plan.
36. The Index, before the battle
113 linesFour of us, in total. We arrived as Faust said we would.
This is our assigned destination... we made it without any complications.
Executive Manager, the Golden Bough's location is...?
<It's not here. But it's not far, either.>
The plan dictates that we are to hold this position until the LCA arrives, then mobilize to secure the Golden Bough.
<Yeah, that's the plan.>
<Though... I'm not sure we should just sit here and wait...>
You must withdraw further to the back, Manager. This individual's mask and outfit suggest that he is the Nursefather of the Index mentioned during the briefing.
The room we arrived through the Backdoor was...
You're home.
I was just thinking about you.
... a room where the Index's Nursefather was waiting for Ryōshū with a beaming smile.
Though... something about his mask gave the smile a chilling edge.
.......
Whenever I miss you, sweetheart...
... I run my fingers along the grooves of the burn mark you've seared into my face.
It's bumpy on this side, but grainy like wet sand on the other side. Like the trace of waves rolling across the shoreline.
The Index Nursefather caressed the smooth surface of his mask.
Seeing you here... it makes my face burn and ache.
My daughter. Where is she?
Ryōshū asked in a quiet voice, as though she couldn't care less about anything else he had to say.
Araya... She loved you so much.
I hope you can still recall her face. You'd wielded that sword with such abandon that day, hadn't you?
Only I... should've been able to open that vault.
Are you sure, sweetheart? I'm sure you know better than that.
It was crafty of you, though.
You'd always disappear and hide whenever Shiomi poured out her resentment toward you.
Back then, I thought you had a particular talent in the game of hide-and-seek.
When the truth was as simple as that exceptional sense in your shared blood activating the special Time Vault.
...!
The Dihui Star... So she's the one who opened the vault. She took Araya.
It's no surprise you'd arrive at that conclusion. After all, she's always hated you. And she had the least commitment to her duties.
That hatred was born from a festering pit where no hopes nor desires remained... because she abandoned her own future.
Now, come sit here. Shall I read you a picture book?
.......
You used to really love fairytale time, when you were but a child.
Until one day, you gave me the cold shoulder and just walked straight into your room. Said you were too old for "stuff like that."
Fuck off with your bullshit.
Just answer my question.
You're trying to skip ahead.
Remember how we never finished our books? We'd always save the ending for later.
I don't know if you were aware, but I had all of them bookmarked.
So that, should you come to long for those moments again, we could pick them up right where we left off.
"... and that's how it was. Then, the monkey said - "
.......
Dad, I'm 13.
What's that, sweetheart? But I thought you were still 5!
.......
I'm only joking. I don't suppose you found that very funny.
Of course, I know you're 13 years and 7 months old.
Yeah. Way past picture books...
And who says you can't read fairytales once you're past a certain age?
Here, literally. It says "For ages 3~8."
That's just a recommendation, sweetie.
I read nothing but these picture books myself.
... You're weird. I thought adults didn't read picture books.
That's an unfair preconception constructed by grown-ups who take too much pride in being able to read books without pictures.
How are we to know only from words...
... the shape of the monkey's eyes, their colors... what the animal looks like when it laughs?
That's why I become so anxious whenever I read parts unaccompanied by pictures.
Afraid that my imagination may be different from the reality the author had defined.
And you, sweetie...
... you like these books too, don't you?
... I don't hate them.
Can we just move on to the next page? What happens to the monkey?
.......
Let's stop here today and pick up next time.
It's always best to save the endings for later, isn't it?
You say that all the time, but we haven't finished a single book.
I wanna know what happened after the monkey and the frog raced.
All in due time, darling. That's what the pinky swear was for.
.......
If you lie to me...
Yes. I'll swallow a thousand needles.
... How far are you willing to go, sweetie?
As far as it takes.
I like the sound of that.
It's almost like you're ready to give up everything you have for your dear old man.
Where did you hide the child?
Somewhere far, far away from your hands.
That sword can't sever the spiders' thread, sweetheart.
You could hack away for days with the keenest blade you have, but it won't break...
... It's just that resilient.
Sweetheart...
You should quit smoking.
Never managed to kick the habit, did you?
.......
I suppose that's where you take after the Dihui Star, hm?
That's blood ties for you.
You'd always cough your lungs out whenever Shiomi lit up a cigarette.
But the moment you grew up into an adult, you started walking down the same path as her.
What other choice do I have but be the guiding hand that brings you back to the right path?
Sweetie, if you want to find Araya, pay a visit to the Dihui Star.
Let me open a path that'll get you there. Looks like we're about to have more visitors.
All Proselytes in the area have been neutralized.
Mobilize to retrieve the Golden Boughs as planned, LCB.
.......
That man...
You can't hope to predict his moves.
Don't bother figuring out his patterns.
.......
Let's each worry about our own missions first.
... To positions.
The target is alone, but he is a Proxy of the Index, and was once a Star of the City all on his own. Prepare to throw everything we have at him.
.......
Darling, I know these memories may have been burned away with my face, but...
... let me share some of them with you.
The child has black hair. And her height came up to somewhere a little above your knees.
And when she smiles, she flashes her still-growing baby teeth.
She loved her bright red randoseru bag... and she loved you.
.......
Description alone doesn't paint the clearest picture, does it?
That's why I've only ever read picture books.
37. The Pinky, before the battle
166 lines<Does anyone actually live here...?>
While the signs of habitation are minimal, there is evidence of regular cleaning.
.......
Hasn't changed a bit, this place.
An odd silence filled the space we entered.
The room was completely quiet and devoid of any warmth.
Ryōshū gingerly made her way past the threshold.
.......
When I opened this drawer...
... there used to be... a schoolbag.
Mommy... Mommy!
Did you ever see stuff like this outside?
... No.
It's soooo pretty, though.
Hey, why don't you take off that schoolbag? You've been carrying it on your back all day.
It's "ran-do-seru"!
'Cause I'm still in elementary school! Ele-men-tary!
Have some watermelon. It's sweet.
.......
No way. It's super sweet... This watermelon's the GOAT!
... Uh-huh.
... You didn't get it, did you?
Nuh-uh...
GOAT means "Greatest Of All Time!"
... Unnecessary shortening, in my opinion.
You mean "IMO?"
.......
Okay, that's it. I'm gonna teach ya everything I learned at school! Starting today!
... I don't need to know.
It doesn't matter how popular they are now. With time, they'll all become old, outdated, and embarrassingly anachronistic anyway.
But Mommy, it'll be fun.
And you're like, all about aesthetics of shortening, right?
You gotta learn these if you dun wanna fall behind! Seriously, SMH!
... SMH?
It means... "Shaking... My... Head." Ta-da! And that's SMH!
... Aaaand this is how ya shorten the other ones.
Look, look! Okie?
Yep.
Ugh, SMH! Try this one!
Nodding M.H.
You're getting it, Mommy!
I'm not...
I didn't get it, can you repeat that... one more time...?
The visions slowly lift from us like dissipating mist...
... leaving a cobwebbed, empty room behind.
Spiderwebs are...
... such difficult things to remove once they stick.
.......
I shall impart unto you the reply before the question is asked. As it is with the cause for which you have arrived here, herein lies something you have all... lost.
Nothing was lost. We are here to retrieve what's stolen from us.
... Are you?
Mischievous adults like to pose facetious questions to children that are, in truth, quite cruel.
Do you like your mother more or your father more? Do you like strawberry ice cream more or chocolate ice cream more?
Perhaps my master, Yoshihide... considers you naught but a child still.
Get to the point, or you'll find out firsthand how exactly your master lost her tongue.
I present before you, Yoshihide... and your companions... a choice.
The Golden Boughs... and the child. If you could return with only one of the two...
... which would you choose?
You're becoming more and more like me.
... Do I have a choice? I am your blood, after all.
.......
... Bya!
.......
So, she's the child.
Yes, indeed. A child of your blood... a very precious child.
Her aptitude, her ability to "sense" the flow of time is... impossibly precise. She makes you look downright dull in comparison, Dihui Star.
.......
For now, we're going to give her enough room to perceive and experience "time" as she interacts with the world in her own way.
Ugh... It's gonna take forever before she's even remotely useful, then.
Fuhu... the more care we put into hammering and chiseling this material, the worthier shall it become.
Aww, look at this kid! She just smiled at me! Did you guys see that?
So... what's her name gonna be?
It appears that should be the next subject on our table. Personally, I would prefer if she could be named Elisa -
... Mm.
"Yoshihide" should be a good name for her.
... Says the Prescript?
Yes.
*puff* Well, whatever your precious Prescript says goes, right? It's better than crap like Elisa or whatever, anyway.
I would appreciate it if you would keep your comments on my naming sense to yourself, Valencina.
... Mya!
Look at 'er... Looks to me she's a fan of the name Yoshihide. Then it is decided! You're gonna be Yoshihide from now on, Yoshihide!
.......
You take care of her for a while, Dihui Star.
Why does it have to be... me?
Well, because she is of your blood. She's a near-carbon copy of you... save for her eyes.
You know that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking why it had to be - !
... To us, who are discarded here, nothing has less meaning than the question of "why."
Yoooo, are you guys seeing this? See how she picked up that little rattle?
Hah... Is she still on about that? Never tired of bitching, are you?
... Says the reprobate mongrel who's fallen out of favor with her own Famiglia. Another word out of your mouth, and I'll...
Guys, guys! Don't fight! Not before we place our bets! And you - aren't you gonna stop 'em?
Hm...
This is how we will be entangled. Every blow, every bickering a pull that brings us closer and closer... The intertwining of our bond and karma completes the web that is the House of Spiders.
It is now time for us each to do our best for this precious child that has finally been given to us.
.......
... Ma!
You...
... Bya!
... This is my first and final request to you: don't become like me.
Before you came to me, I... knew nothing but freedom and comfort in a world that belonged only to me.
Until they broke into my world, dragged me out of there, and cast me into this gutter.
And then you happened.
Wrinkles covered my skin like a crumpled blanket, and I realized I had become irreversibly damaged.
As you grow up, so will my misery...
... until I am nothing but a wrinkled, shriveled-up husk.
A husk that existed only to birth you into this world...
That is why you must never become like me.
The more our likeness grows, the clearer it will become that I am but a source of nourishment for you to feed upon. I will be sucked dry to wither and shrink into insignificance...
So don't you dare become like me.
Okay?
... *puff*
.......
Have you started smoking?
Yeah.
... Give me a light.
The day you returned home after receiving those combat ocular augmentations...
... and stared at me with red eyes that are just like my own, I came to realize, with horror...
You're becoming like me.
You revolting thing.
... Can't really help it.
I'm your kid, after all.
I'm not in the mood to play along with your riddles.
In that case, would you allow my humble self to understand your intent as a refusal to give up either of them?
I am afraid my master does not appreciate the greedy...
Bring her to me.
I'll talk to her, and if she wouldn't listen, I'll split her vertically from her throat.
And if that still doesn't do the trick, I will crush the Nursefathers' heads one by one until someone breaks and talks. Believe me, I will.
Heads can be decapitated, tongues can be sliced off, faces can be ground to mulch, and limbs can be amputated, but...
... this, you cannot sever.
It really is stubborn, isn't it? This thread.
I agree.
.......
Invisible, intangible, yet doggedly existent...
... and utterly inseverable.
The Nursefather raises her hand, lifting the red thread tethering her and Ryōshū together.
When her hand touches it, the thread becomes clearly visible, as though it has always been there.
But if that's the only thing you're hanging onto...
If the only thing tying you to this place...
... is that single thread...
Wouldn't it be better for you to sever it away?
I'm telling you this, because unlike the other Nursefathers, we are related by blood.
In other words, I'm giving you a chance to be free.
Because I know the inescapable end you will meet now that you've returned here.
... Unless you were to sever that thread before delving deeper into the House, that is.
This is your way out, a way to save yourself from a terrible fate.
Or...
... are the Golden Boughs really that important to you?
... What was their answer to my question, Ren?
... They gave none, Master. It may be that they wish to claim both -
No.
Vengeance has narrowed her vision to all other matters... it's as simple as that.
She knew returning to this den of Spiders would bind her in its webs, yet she was foolish enough to do so...
What other explanation could there be?
You... won't understand.
Someone like you who has done nothing but blame me for your miseries...
... and trembled with resentment whenever I called upon you.
So, I've kept that word buried all my life. The word that I would've used to call upon you.
.......
You couldn't even handle me - or anyone, really - calling you that. So much so that you'd -
... No.
Because the echoes of that word carry...
... nothing but misery for me.
.......
Is that why you brought that child here?
... mmy!
It's Mommy!
38. Araya, before the battle
133 lines... mmy!
It's Mommy!
.......
What?
... Kid, did you see who was here before me?
Uh-huh.
.......
.......
Wanna... know who?
... Yeah.
This man in black came in, and... everyone fell.
So I hid. I'm good at that. Wanna see how long I can hold my breath?
Here... Huppp...!
That means Rien... took care of business before I got here...
Phaw!
Mommy, don't leave me!
What...?
Why are you calling me that?
Cause I know you. I'm locked in here but I still saw you lots.
I saw you in this picture.
... My picture?
There's something on the back. Project "Araya," Mass-production endeavor... Commissioned by... The Thumb?
You're here to take me home.
All the grown-ups here told me this isn't my real home.
Said home is where "mommy" is.
And now that mommy's here, I can go home.
.......
I'm glad I waited. Hehee~
You're back.
... I am.
Not even a drop of blood on you. Should I even ask if you've done the job?
... Father got there first.
Rien did?
Why didn't he share the damned Prescript with us if he'd gotten one?
20 years of living under the same roof, and I still don't know what that asshole's thinking.
Hmph, I suppose that's too much to ask for some fake bitch who doesn't even share his real name with us.
.......
Well, don't just stand there. Go back to your room if you don't have anything else to say.
Okay.
.......
By the way, Ticket?
About that thing in your bag...
You're gonna look after it, right? Just know that I won't give a flying fuck if that thing bites it like that dog - Saru, Shiru, whatever that bitch's name was.
.......
I can... keep her?
You know how much I hate it when kids start sniveling, hm?
Just keep the noise outta my ears.
... Okay.
See, see?
I'm good at hiding, right?
... You are.
...!
Y-you're not half bad.
Uh-huh, not half bad.
But... you don't...
You don't have a sword.
Nuh-uh, no sword. But I got mommy, and I got a home here.
You do.
... So...
... what do you want to do now?
Uhm... lotsa lots.
Wanna learn to play music, and, uh... Wanna...
The first encounter with that child...
... has revealed so much to you, so suddenly.
You found all the things you'd missed out on.
All the things you've longed for in the fathoms of your heart.
Your first rebellion was over that child, wasn't it?
That's why you were all so content with just letting it happen.
Because I was your sword, and a sword needs a scabbard - no, a fetter to keep it bound.
Mommy...
Not this kid. Don't you dare mess with her.
Why... are you trying to make another thing... like yourself?
I'm not.
I'm gonna make sure that this kid gets all the things I didn't get to experience... and more.
One day, you'll come to understand, too.
You will realize that you are inviting ruin into your own life by taking that thing under your wing.
Then you'll know too... what it's like to be bound by a fetter.
And when you feel it locking around your feet, dragging you down... I'll have a good laugh at your expense until I am gasping for air.
We'll be like two shriveling carcasses, laughing it all away.
You now understand the meaning of those words, don't you?
The chains of the fetter that bind you here remain unbroken, whether you remember it or not.
The inability to exist in the present because of the past that binds... Why, it is indeed an ineffable agony.
All that you people wanted was nothing more than a docile, obedient beast.
And when you realized that all the beatings were no longer enough to break the animal into obedience, you sought to put her on a leash.
You couldn't risk her embracing her beasthood, lest she abandon her home for the wilderness.
After all, you needed that animal to return at a tug of its leash and cut down anyone the House wanted dead.
But it worked... didn't it?
That's how fetters work.
Don't you dare put this on the kid.
You were the one who egged me on to begin with.
You've already picked up on it, haven't you? That the child is not long for this world.
.......
So, about the extermination mission you are to embark on in a few days.
Rien will call for a consensus,
and every Nursefather, myself included, will vote unanimously in favor of...
... letting you unsheathe that sword.
Here's something for you to consider: you couldn't possibly hope to escape this place without using that sword.
Why... are you telling me any of this?
Because I'm tired of being around you.
I'm sure the feeling is mutual.
Dihui Star, you...
All along, you've wanted to make me suffer to the bitter end, haven't you?
Yoshihide, it...
It never stops.
The sound of the fetter around my feet, rusted and heavy... How it clinks and rattles...
And the sickening sound of a butterfly tearing itself apart as it thrashes to escape the entangling webs... It's wings ripping, its body and limbs contorting and bending back...
It never stops... Oh, this noise... this horrible, cracking noise...
Rien? Where are you?
Why can't you let me be free?
... Stop...
I caught her. I caught the thing none of you could stop, so -
Shut up!
Once you've spent enough time snared by the web...
... you end up surrendering yourself to the fate of a mere observer.
Just as how...
... when you tried to take a step forward, the inseverable, innumerable clew of spider silk...
... bound your feet.
... -ou...
... -ou...
... Canno- be f-ee -rom -ere... wi-hou-...
... wi-hou- -evering... -he spi-er's --read...
.......
That is how you've finally come to accept the truth in your heart.
The truth that you wanted to tear everything away and begin anew...
That ember of an idea is what started the conflagration that consumed you.
No.
Such adamant denial... coming from someone who went on for quite a while without ever remembering this place.
I never stopped thinking about it.
How about this, then? In return for the child, would you snap those Golden Boughs with your own hands?
I don't know what you did to stitch that hateful tongue back in your mouth,
but if you won't tell me where Araya is right now,
this time, I'll cut everything up...
... and finish the job.
39. Araya, after the battle
43 lines.......
What's the matter, hmm?
You sheathed your sword in anticipation of my next attack.
What is this?
You've never been particularly keen on Iaidō.
Said that it's meaningless to sheathe a blade once unsheathed,
that to put yourself at such a risk in the middle of a fight is tantamount to suicide.
The Nursefather's blade bursts out of its sheath, drawing an erratic arc in the air.
...!
Yes, it's...
... a new habit of mine. After every flurry, I'm compelled to sheathe my sword.
Because sometimes, there are flashes when I lose all sense of where I am.
It happens like an unpredictable, uncontrollable calamity.
When it does, I simply... wait it out.
I wait, and I wait... and then it's over.
A bad habit formed in anticipation of these flashes.
I don't give a shit about what new little habits you've been picking up.
Why would you use a technique like that now...?
To teach you anew upon your return. It is us Nursefathers' duties to educate you in the way of the blade.
Because unlike you, I remember everything.
... I've already made myself clear,
that I've neither let go nor forgotten it.
Give me my daughter back.
Araya, she...
... she's good at hiding, but...
I know she doesn't like being in the dark...
... Hah.
The Pinky Nursefather hesitated, and a cry of pain escaped from her lips.
.......
It's happening again. I can't see a thing...
Nothing at all...
She stumbles as though an invisible, intangible force has taken over her.
...!
...!
Gah...
Her veil flutters to the ground with the gentle rustling of soft fabric.
And I see a face that much resembles Ryōshū's, only wrinkled and older.
Hah... at last, I finally get to see it.
You've never once allowed me to see your face.
Because you wanted to hide that face from the world - the face that shriveled because of me.
No...
I wear this veil because...
... I want to see the world through a haze.
40. Ticket, before the battle
92 lines... Hey.
You guys are, uh... late.
Is she... is she drinking right now?
Those who are falling apart tend to rely on the very thing that's breaking them.
.......
... *scoff*
Wha - that you? Red Color? You're here, too?
What... the hell, man... I gave you back your bundle of liability unhurt, didn't I?
I didn't think you were the type to hold a grudge.
I'm just here to make sure you get yours.
Alright. Stop rushing me and sit down over there for a second.
This bad boy's got a few more swigs left in it.
Junk like you probably don't have the eyes to recognize it, but this is quality liquor.
Old Parr...
I don't know about quality, but the name certainly suits you.
*sigh* Ha ha. You know what?
I was like you once. Bold... proud... feeling like I could take on the whole City all on my own.
Back in my day...
... little shits like you wouldn't even have dared to talk to me.
... Ain't ever seen a sod at the bottom of the barrel worth their boast.
This is why greenhorns who haven't had a taste of the War... don't understand...
A mere mention of my name, "Valencina of Famiglia Bognatelli," would summon all kinds of high-and-mighty Fixers and Syndicate officers outta their trenches just to grovel at my feet. You know that?
I lived up to my family name... I was in the front lines, cuttin' 'em all down with nothing but a rifle and a bayonet.
Whatever famous fuck the opposing Corporation sent out, I met 'em all in the field of battle, dueled them, bored a new hole through their heads, tore 'em apart...!
... All that glory and honor... worth a whole lot of nothing now, aren't they?
Look at you. Going so low as to take a kid hostage to stop just one man.
Fuck you!
... I wouldn't have had to pull that stunt with the kid if I didn't have to get so up-close to Ticket.
If I gave Red a fair fight with a fucked-up eye, he would've slaughtered the shit out of me...
*sigh* Textbook. Gimme another drink.
Yes, Master.
I just need to get through this... And they'll reinstate me.
Valencina.
I've... hah. I've been waiting for decades at this point.
I used to order those low-ranking fodder to grovel at my feet like dogs with a wave of my hand...
And now that they outrank me, they think they're some hot shit...? Motherfuckers, looking at me like I'm beneath them... Impudent little shit...
Have you really... never concerned yourself with this question?
The question of what the House of Spiders is really trying to make?
... I think it's obvious. A killer. The House is making the best assassin on the market... for all Fingers to use... a blade that can cut through anyone, anything... probably.
Don't you find something amiss listening to yourself?
You've dedicated decades of your life to it, but you don't even know what it was all for.
I don't know... Fucking hell, why... do I have to bother knowing shit like that...?
Ticket... Ticket's all I need to get it all back...
My rank, in the shitter...
All those decades wasted in this shithole...
It'll... It'll all be worth it in the end...
... Huh.
Once you've spent too long hanging from the web...
... the sky will seem to grow closer and closer,
deluding you into thinking that you can soar into the sky with your own wings.
But you will realize...
You have any idea how I honed that Ticket of mine, day after day...?
... that you're not flying, but grasping at the empty air.
... Bring me Ticket. Now.
Ungrateful little bitch. She doesn't even know what sort of shit her own Nursefather's going through...
After all that I've taught her...
Oh, dammit... my head. I shouldn't have taken that bomb shot...
The hell are you doing there in the corner?
Mom...
I'll... I'll do better next time...
I'm sorry...
... Dammit, I really messed her up, didn't I...?
Hey, Ticket. Clean yourself up with this. You're not looking pretty.
.......
... I mean your face. You're bleeding from the nose.
Hehe.
What are you smiling about? You're all bloodied up...
Mommy, I...
I'll be your Golden Ticket.
Not some s-sh-shitty scrap paper.
.......
Can you really do that for me, Ticket?
Yes!
Don't overestimate the significance of your conditional affection.
Time to get up. Haven't you emptied more than enough bottles for a day?
... So impatient.
.......
The thing is, with my Ticket...
I had to beat that girl head to toe more than a few times before any fire sparked in her eyes.
In that regard, I suppose my Textbook here has something to be proud of.
You see, this one doesn't cry.
Lucio, stop limping around. That wound's nothing serious.
Yes, Master.
... I don't bloody get it.
Oi... Why do you even listen to someone who thinks you ain't worth shite?
She beats you all the time, talkin' down to you like that... I doubt she even sees you as a person.
... Watch your words.
My master was generous enough to take me, a vagrant with nothing to my name, under her wing. She fed me warm food and put a roof over my head. I would've ended up in a corpse pile somewhere in the Backstreets without her help.
Which is why... it is only right that I obey her with all my heart.
Huh...
That's right. It's pointless to question and think. Just do exactly as you're told - exactly as I taught you.
It's the one thing you're good at, isn't it?
41. Ticket, after the battle
42 lines.......
Why don't you... yield? You're too injured to fight.
Please... tell me what you think.
Would Yoshihide have forfeited the battle by this point? Or do you think...
... she wouldn't have put herself in this situation to begin with...?
How many times do I have to remind you? Forget all the useless flourishing and just go for the heart! The heart!
I've given you plenty of demonstrations, haven't I?!
Are you really gonna make me watch those clowns mop the floor with you?!
Bloody hell, she sure is a gasbag. Tell 'er to shut up, won't you?
... I've always known that this day would come.
But I was hoping... to meet my end while dueling Yoshihide herself... someone who was supposed to study... me...
So that the next Textbook can...
... learn from my mistakes... and make appropriate corrections to its content...
Hey, wait -
Stab the heart in front of you! Stab that bastard's heart! Now!
I cut apples in half
Hngh... Stop...
This right here is why you still haven't graduated from being a Textbook, do you hear me?!
Some were hard some crumbly some were soft some sappy
Your breathing is growing irregular... I understand.
This place has a way of... driving people completely mad.
The sugary smell...
... makes me...
…….
Looks like...
... you've finally been freed from your bundle of liability.
Well? Do you feel liberated now, as you've always wanted?
... What, are you saying Lucio died or something?
Had his heart stabbed right out of him.
Isn't this what you wanted? You got your heart.
... Fuck off... with your bullshit.
Hey, Lucio!
Don't you dare ignore me. Say something.
Lazy little shit! You haven't even done a quarter of what you're meant to do. Who said you could lie down there like you're done?!
…….
... Mate, you... you alright?
... Ah...
Wha... what...
What the fuck have you done, vermin?!
Nngh...
You... disgusting little shit...!
Greg - !
42. Hatching, before the battle
164 linesSo, what do you think, Yoshihide? This concept is called "Minimalism."
A bold removal of the unnecessary for the preservation of the essence.
As you must be aware, the human corpus has far too many non-essential parts which harm the purity of it.
I'm scared...
Father... Where... are you...
Dad...
This is just too cruel... I don't wanna see it...!
.......
Yoshihide, that is because you are focusing only on the present. Allow yourself to look beyond the subject's momentary suffering - and there you will discover the perpetuity of the structure we will shape from it.
Let us review. The simplicity with which a straight line sunders is a primordial form of structuralism.
I will raise you as a precious pupil of mine, a companion to all of my future artwork. So please, Yoshihide - follow along with my classes.
To reveal the beautiful, original form of the human corpus to the world, the skin must be removed, and the spine severed. That approach, however, runs the risk of being far too safe with the composition.
After all, art is a culmination of moments and choices, and the suffering therein... Yoshihide, will you impart your impression of this piece, how it appears in your eyes...?
I'd say my tastes lean closer to...
... the appreciation of the negative space. Not this kind of butchershop job.
Butchershop, Yoshihide? I was simply hoping to replicate the striking visual imagery of Fauvism.
Nngh... Do you have any idea who I am?! I'm - I'm - !
Her squealing's getting... real grating.
I prefer my canvases quiet.
Ah, you are finally enlightened enough to engage with me in a discourse of tastes.
I'm so happy, Yoshihide...
Perhaps you will evolve beyond simply learning the art movements created by the other Maestros of the Ring, and...
... found an art movement of your own someday.
How I miss those days.
Nngh...
While we certainly had conflicting subjectivities when it came to our tastes... I helped to form the structure and the intellectual framework through which Yoshihide's unique aesthetic sense and her exceptional eye for artistic beauty could thrive.
Alyssa...!
.......
Agh... nngh... It... hurts... so much...
I am not fond of people like her who let their emotions get the better of them.
Most of them have... fragile, thin bones that break far too easily.
True strength comes in the form of agility and the patience to find an opening.
The body does not lie, after all.
Refer to my manikins for more elaboration on that subject. But I've already expounded enough upon the core of the matter.
... It's about whether... all of their senses are alive...
Precisely.
I suppose you have had the opportunity to enjoy a similar piece of artwork elsewhere? I'll admit, this approach is rather archetypal.
Ah...
Apologies, everyone. Let me continue.
... More manikins incoming. Prepare for battle.
Dammit...
Sinclair, listen. Let's just... focus on the mission, okay?
Don't look down, don't look away - look ahead.
B-but...
I know exactly what you're reliving. I was right there with you, in that village where that horrible carol was playing, where Effie was...
But... that's behind us now. It's over - what's done is done. There's no undoing it like the way Dante rewinds the clock.
Maestro, may I share some of the remaining ingredient with Fascia? She'll be happy.
You may, Albina.
Hnngh...
It's time... to leave that burning village, Sinclair.
Let's leave that painful memory in the past.
The past...
What sparked your wrath?
Please, do tell. What caused you to run headlong into this premature death?
Why...
If you were just after the Golden Bough, why...
... did you have to kill them?
Ah, camaraderie. Even your motivation is ugly.
To ask "why" the House of Spiders hunts is akin to asking someone why they exist.
I do not get angry. Anger makes things drab and monotonous. So, I will now proceed to elevate you into artistic completion.
... What a meaningful piece of art. Truly.
Pardon?
But if I were to add a few words of advice...
I think your work is rather uninspired.
.......
Hohenheim, what are you -
.......
Right. I'll use the Ampule on Faust and get her back on her feet if I can find an opening. The manager has to be... occupied with something else.
Though I may not look the part, I like to think I have seen far beyond my share of corpses.
It's nothing to be proud of, but I've spent years at a company full of these... "Abnormalities."
Many of which employed methods of killing my fellow staff that showed far greater artistic merit and depth than anything you have prepared here.
Let me think... ah, of course.
There was this employee who took on the role of the protagonist, staging quite a poignant play.
Their role was to slit the throat of the Captain they respected most, parade their lifeless torso around for 2 hours, and confess their sins to whomever they came across.
I watched the play from beginning to end, comforted only by the fact that I was never really that close with that individual. Because once a play had begun, the audience had to watch it to its curtain call.
You... have my attention.
Is there something you would like to impart about this... artwork I am working on?
A few things.
One, you're not making full use of your medium.
What you show me now is no different from one of those cursory autopsy reports I can find lying around in my office.
Your work can be boiled down to simply cutting open a corpus and rearranging its organs in neat order. I do recall, quite vaguely, some Abnormalities with neither originality nor creativity - much like this piece you're working on.
.......
And you've drained too much blood, far more than what is necessary. That limits the spectrum of color in your piece.
On a more positive note, the element I found most compelling upon closer inspection was the contrasting duet of veins and arteries. It is the kind of expression achievable only through a refined understanding of the human anatomy and its workings.
Ah...!
So you noticed it after all! That detail alone demanded more than 3 days of devoted labor, yet it failed to resonate with any audience - even with Albina!
Every artist craves the understanding of others. Art for art's sake is without meaning.
Yes, yes. That is what I was here for. To create a revolutionary artwork, something to move people... and to observe them.
But the others were still so attached to their hollow ambitions and ties to the secular world that they did not even pretend to understand my creations...
I have harsh words especially for Valencina, for always pickling her body in alcohol, stumbling into my space and almost destroying my work.
As for Rien... he is merely a self-inflicted imitation - no more than a simulacrum that mimics, at the behest of the Prescript, the fate of a certain Fixer in the Library...
Fuhu... I suppose I've gotten ahead of myself in all this excitement. Please do excuse my faux pas.
Returning to the subject at hand... If you were to work on this piece, how would you add the missing artistic element?
... The fasciculus of humans, when desiccated in an oxygen-deprived environment for days, begins to emanate a faint glow.
Perhaps you could use that as half-decent decoration.
Another thing - don't trap yourself in a box thinking that macabre violence and the exhibition thereof is all there is to art. Make your art tell a story that is unique to you.
An example:
While the rest of my body is unremarkable, I am the individual with the most remarkably genius brain in this company.
How about this? Split open my skull to reveal the brain underneath, and let that be your finishing touch. I hear that knowledge and the number of folds in one's brain have a direct correlation. This would be a good opportunity for me to observe that.
As you must be aware, compared to other organs, the brain is highly complex and fickle to work with. I assure you, it will be a good challenge.
Yes, I agree... the harder the material is to work with, the more exciting it becomes when I've finally tamed it as my own...
Now... Come closer, and speak your name to me.
... Hohenheim.
I have never been so ashamed of my own name.
S-stop, Mister Hohenheim...
W-what are you even trying to do?
We're all too hurt to do anything. Faust, Ishmael, and me...
Well... my best, I suppose.
But -
I am well aware. My gear and weapon are... utterly inadequate to defeat a man of such strength.
But what matters is that I am determined to never regret anything, ever again.
Besides, there are moments when gambling may yield a rather fascinating outcome.
Remember... at the check-up? My placement in your scale of power was...
I... I'm just not strong enough... I can't turn this situation around...
Stop thinking in numbers. Forget those rankings.
One may come to mistake numbers as the ultimate truth of the world, as something that interweaves both rationality and analysis; however, the numbers themselves are but conduits by which we may physically realize and translate the abstract into the present reality.
The present...
It is time, dear Hohenheim.
Thank you. Thank you for understanding me.
I will preserve and cherish you until the day I am gone.
Yes, and... while this may be an unnecessary concern, I would prefer it if you could avoid wearing something like that... wide-brimmed hat of yours.
Ah, this hat?
A long, long time ago, I wished to delve into the depths of the physical manifestation of my mind. Then, I realized that my skills were yet too immature to attempt such a thing... and bound it together once again.
Aha, so the hat is a kind of helmet or a brace, as the wound never fully closed...
And here I thought it was some horribly ill-conceived fashion choice.
And what significance does it bear in your present circumstance?
Well, I was hoping that...
... I should be able to inflict some degree of damage with my surprise attack.
How is it? I don't suppose you saw that coming.
It is an E.G.O called "Diffraction" - extracted from a particularly tricky Abnormality.
I'm curious if you ever learned the lesson that there's always more to reality than what meets the eye... or that the really important things are invisible to the eye.
........
Maestro!
... My amygdala is shaking. The corpus amygdaloideum is connected to the brainstem, which is involved in the brain's emotional centers.
Ah... when Yoshihide shattered that sword of mine so long ago...
... I believe I felt an emotion similar to this.
Hnngh...
This is our opening...! Faust and I are both almost healed. We can't give him any time to - agh...!
I can't let you do that. Not before we become friends.
... Ishmael! Faust!
Oh, you're the one who suddenly collapsed in the Research Facility, aren't you?
While wrath may indeed force your body to function beyond its breaking point... even that has its limits.
83% of your body has been heavily damaged. At that level, even properly wielding your weapon becomes a challenge.
The corpus works in immaculate ways indeed. Every cause and effect is crystal clear.
Dante... if you're watching... do something - please, do something...!
.......
I can't... rely on others to solve my problems... forever.
Don't leave. The others are gone - you're the only one left here to be friends with me and Fascia.
... Get off me.
There are faster ways, indeed. But I would prefer to choke the air out of him...
... because asphyxiation is the most appropriate approach to ensure that the subject suffers for as long as possible without leaving any damage to the corpus.
*choke*
And that is the Maestro's special brand of mercy.
He is demonstrating his act of creation before all of us...
Now, let us both become audience to this rare opportunity. Keep your eyes peeled to the end.
In the future, I want to be a Maestro who has surpassed even my Maestro. What are your dreams?
The future...
... Suffusing within me...
... is a scent...
A stench...
... I beg your pardon? My gallery boasts a perfect balance of temperature and humidity for the preservation of artworks. They are isolated from external contaminants at all times.
The stench that sticks... the stench of... rot...
I see...
The Smoke... was blue.
43. Hatching, after the battle
57 lines.......
... It's like you're asking, "Why didn't you tell us you had this power all along?"
But you must know, Mister Hohenheim, that it's never that convenient.
If we really want to get into it, I should be the one who's the most surprised. I didn't know about the sudden pull of this power, and wasn't expecting it to summon me here, either.
It - *cough* Mmh, my voice sounds rather hoarse... On account of the rather cruel choking from earlier.
Despite being pushed to the point where I was about to lose both of my subordinates... I still found myself clawing at life when death came knocking at my door. How ridiculously pathetic.
Don't worry. One way or another, she will overcome this ordeal and go on living. She's a lot stronger than you - or any of us - might think.
... Is that so? That's good to hear.
.......
How many years have you traveled back?
That's not a question I can answer.
... I'm sorry to say that it does not appear to me that you've come from a very optimistic future.
From where I'm standing, there isn't much to be optimistic about the past either.
Back then, never in my wildest imagination did I think we'd ever have to coin the term "The First Smoke War."
What...
What is... happening? Do you see him too, Faust? Or am I seeing things from losing too much blood...?
... I see him, too.
... The Sign... has summoned you.
The Sign merely behaved as a medium. "I" was the one who summoned me.
The awakening and the summoning occurred simultaneously.
Then, is that -
Ah... no, not every Sign has this power. This is the power of my Sign.
So you're... from the future...? Not a Mirror World...? W-what happened... to the original Sinclair...?
There is no such thing as the original. This is unlike the Mirror Worlds... it is more akin to a different branch of the same tree.
Wait, hold on...
Is it inevitable? That future... you're from...
I don't know. Maybe.
But it's not all misery.
Life goes on, after all.
Do we really have no choice but to... face that future?
.......
I don't know whether the life I'd lived through prior to my summoning... will be in your path, or whether you'll be able to avoid it.
... But it will not be impossible.
No. It will be a difficult path, still. Almost unbearably so.
Now, I find myself thinking that...
... maybe the journey I've walked my entire life, everything I've gone through as I trudged across the fields of battle... was merely an offshoot event of an offshoot world - designed to end here and now, to serve this very moment and nothing more.
All has been cast into the realm of speculation, now.
Correct. But if I can be a strength to myself, then I best accept that fate.
I wish certain others were here, too. So I could see everyone I'd been longing to see... just one more time.
Every now and then, I find myself thinking back... to the days I spent aboard that bus.
Those memories... might be the only things that keep me going in the days to come.
.......
I should leave now. Before the longing gets worse.
I might be returned to where I came from, but perhaps this is simply the end of the road for me, like death. Neither you nor I will know whether this is how I die. Still...
Even if this is where I end... even if my entire existence boils down to serving this moment and nothing more...
... I'm glad I got to spend my last moments with you guys, instead of being surrounded by dying comrades. And that's good enough for me.
Oh, and Miss Faust?
Don't grieve everything all at once.
That's the only advice I have for you.
.......
I don't suppose the promise of a reunion will mean anything.
Even if my Sign were to burn again, there's no telling whether it'll be "me" again next time. Because there's...
... No guarantee.
Well, I don't think you've... changed much, at least from what I can see.
Ah, though it seems you've grown a bit taller.
So I have.
Thank you. It couldn't have been easy.
44. Family, between battles
50 linesTeam Leader!
Hmmh... Missed.
I tried to distract him as much as I could manage, but he seems to have dodged it instinctively.
Perhaps I should've tried a more predictive shot.
Are your impulses... in check?
I may need some time, but... it's nothing to worry about.
...!
.......
The Apprentice's signal has been lost in an instant! You must brace for a strike from a blind point!
... Can you locate her, Vespa?
Her presence disappeared the instant she put on whatever it is she's wearing now. It could be the Veil, or a Workshop-made gear built on similar technology.
Using environmental obstacles to hold enemies down... sure looked badass!
Ah - fie! Above thee, distinguished Color! Look above thee!
Ngh...!
Got 'im! Papa, now!
.......
Good girl.
Hah! Even a Color Fixer can't outmaneuver a Reli - Huh...?
...!
Papa...?
Remember, Kiddo?
This is family. A little sacrifice ain't a thing if it's for one of us.
... What senseless villainy is this?!
To put one's child to the sword to defeat a foe... How dost thou, a Finger of loyalty, commit such a cowardly act of duplicity...?
*puff* Loyalty, huh.
I doubt the Middle really gives two hoots about loyalty.
All they actually care about is grandstanding.
Nothing else matters to them if they can project the image of loyalty, in and of itself an implicit threat of what might befall those who stand in their way.
... Much like the rows upon rows of toy packaging displayed here.
What do you think you're doing, my man? That's a white colorway in your hand... Pretty sure I remember my little girl asking for a black one.
I'm... I'm really sorry, sir. Sir, please... I'm sorry. Sir. Please, please forgive my - aaaagh!
Oh, quit overreactin', man. I just popped one of your apparently colorblind eyeballs, no biggie.
Stop it.
I like that color too. So stop it.
You like white, too? Oh boy... Is my little girl finally acquiring her papa's tastes?
I still need to pay him back for bringing you the wrong color -
It'll be rush hour soon. What's the point of coming out on a drive if we're just gonna end up sitting in traffic?
... I'm leaving. Let's go, Dad.
.......
Still... I suppose I should thank you. You're... really doing one hell of a job summoning those horrible memories back to me.
*puff* I've got one more Crimson Point in me.
*cough* *gurgle*
What do we do about the kid?
The Department of LCC has requested that she be captured alive. They have many queries for which she may hold answers to...
... I'll use a healing medicine on her.
... Papa... why would you... Why me...?
.......
... Thou shan't be able to move with thy body cloven in half.
So, lie still and bear witness...
... for they shall demonstrate before thee the true meaning of "badass."
45. Suddenly, One Day, before the battle
89 linesGah...!
I know about insects like you better than anyone.
Poor little pests that gave up their human limbs for something infinitely more revolting.
G Corp.'s pride and joy - their pest weaponry.
They had three stand-out successes, from what I recall.
The Maggot Prince... the Moth Princess... and the Lord of Flies.
.......
Those three really put on a stomach-churning show in the front lines of the Smoke War. I've got 'em to thank for toughenin' up my resilience against gross shit.
But there was this rumor then, almost as unbelievable as an urban legend.
That G Corp. had one more, yet-to-be-seen fourth weapon.
That one supposedly got stuck mid-hatch and failed to even break out of its husk.
One look at that hairy, chitinous arm tells me everything I need to know.
While no one's ever known what that entity looked like, probably because no one survived the encounter to tell the tale...
Well, it would've been a different story had it met me...
...but everyone had an idea of what insect that might be.
There's the Maggot... the Moth... and the Fly... There's one conspicuously missing vermin from that list, isn't there?
Looks like I've found the poor cockroach that never managed to hatch himself.
Ngh... Right...
... You said you were a veteran of the Smoke War, too...
Oh, yeah. Good ol' Smoke War and its many, many unforgettable memories. Though I'm sure losers like you wouldn't agree.
The Smoke... the viscous organic fluids... the mist that tainted every breath of air...
That day, I proudly wielded the bayonetted rifle bestowed upon me by La Famiglia Bognatelli.
You know the sound you vermin make? That loud buzz of your bug wings?
That noise was like a sound cue that let me know where to aim, bullet in the chamber.
Whenever I'd hear that noise, I'd aim there, stab the vermin right in its heart, then... bang!
Oh, here's another war story of mine.
It's about this little guy who managed to dodge last minute to the side. The shot missed its heart, but was still a hit. Guess even bugs have survival instincts.
Anyway, the vermin fell to the ground from the shock and curled up into a ball, all frozen up.
A sight more pathetic than roadkill.
Wanna hear what I did to it next?
I wanted to have some fun. Took my sweet time and broke its legs one by one with the butt of my rifle.
4 limbs would've ended the fun too quickly, oh yes. Luckily, this one had 6.
…….
Leg 1 goes, and it fights back. Screaming.
Leg 2 goes, and it starts to crawl away from me. On its belly, with its remaining legs.
Leg 3 goes, and it starts bawling. Drool and snot and what have you streaming down its face, doing something that looked like pleading, I think.
And, heh heh... oh boy, you'll want to hear this part. Leg 5 goes, and it just goes limp like it's dead.
It doesn't even try to run. It just... goes still and waits.
And that's my favorite moment, really. The state of complete capitulation, having discarded even its will to live. Letting me do whatever I want to its body...
But you can't possibly have the cheek to call me cruel.
You G Corp. pests were far more messed up than I ever was! Ripping people apart, cannibalizing them - you were nothing but a swarm of fucked-up monsters!
Sta...
What? What was that? I can't hear what you're saying, insect!
S-stay away...
Ha ha, there it is. The eyes are rolling back... you're almost at leg 5 too, aren't you?
Stay away... from me...
Oh...
Hearken to our darkling wingbeats... as we make our nests in the shadows.
The royals march unchanging and eternal, even as they are loathed...
And suddenly, one day, we shall appear from the comfort of your beds while you slumber in the warmth...
... and the collective clamor for life shall commence, screaming, thrashing, until all becomes void... devoured, lashed piece by piece by our mandibles.
March. March. Consume. Procreate. Consume. Erase. Regenerate. March.
Oh, motherfucker. It's real... The worst one out of the four...
You had to hatch now... of all times...?
Greg! Where the heck did you...
Oi, hang on. Look over there...
I hear someone, but...
... I ain't seein' any movements. Oi, Stubbles! You alright?
…….
Someone...?
It's... it's not just someone, Heath...
The sound...
Huh?
You hear that too, don't you...?
The skittering of... countless legs... swarming across the floor...
…….
Is that... really Greg?
Verg, what do we... what do we do?
…….
I just need to know one thing, Guide.
You tell us to beat the shite out of 'im 'till he comes to his senses, and we'll do it.
We did it with the lass who needs to take better care of her shoes, with that hoity-toity researcher bloke... and even when I...
But is that... is that even something he can come back from...?
... Not sure.
That is no... "power." It's neither a Distortion nor an E.G.O, or anything remotely similar.
Then...?
What is that supposed to be?
Something that was to be, but never was. Something that has incubated within Sinner #13.
And that has given dreams to things that never should be allowed to dream...
... and they have now begun to beat their wings toward total annihilation.
…….
…….
Wait, Greg's eye - I just met his eye.
Guys, that's just... a molt. Or a pupa going through a metamorphosis...
We just have to peel it off him. Then he'll be back.
... Right?
I hope so.
Sod off with that "I hope so," mate.
We'll just try 'till it works... Yeah, that's what we're gonna do.
46. Suddenly, One Day, after the battle
10 lines... He's back to normal, right...?
It was only possible because he hadn't fully metamorphosed yet. We were fortunate.
... Now even Stubbles's givin' us grief. Whew... at least he shook off those bloody insects. Our work's done here, yeah?
Seriously, I'm done. Totally tapped out... That whole fight messed me up inside out! How're you doing, Verg? You sound extra beat.
*sigh* Unlike you Sinners, I cannot be revived and brought back to full strength... This is taking a toll on me, too.
This troublesome variable... must've caused quite the headache for Manager Dante as well.
If all goes according to plan... the Manager will be summoning you shortly. Be ready and steel your nerves, for all the good that'll do.
Yeah... Clockhead and the other teams should be almost done with their side of things by now.
They oughta be doing fine, right? I mean, things were pretty peachy for us too... right up until what happened to Greg.
Hmm...
47. Waiting, before the battle
12 linesOh, my apologies.
Aagh...
I'm not quite used to this weapon form yet...
So I may have made you suffer needlessly.
Mal... function...?
That's not my doing. I didn't have any reason to prepare a trap like that.
You should've taken better care of your weapons when you had the time. Weapons that fail when they actually matter... are no weapons at all.
No need to overthink it.
Fortune happened to land on my side - that's all there is to it.
Ah...
Let's see...
I suppose all that's left is to wait?
48. Pity, before the battle
338 linesIt's...
It's a thread.
Ryōshū wraps her fingers around the sword that pierced through the Pinky Nursefather.
The blade then unravels into a single thread in her hand.
Children can sense it, as if by instinct:
Who loves them, who despises them,
who means them harm, and who gives them care.
The Nursefathers raised me.
Ticket! *burp* Ever pour rice into a bowl of vodka?
Each in their own distinct way,
Darling, which story shall I read to you today?
Each unchanging and uncompromising,
Hey, Buddy! Just say the word if you've got your eye on something! Dad'll get the whole damn shelf for you.
Each with a different measure of affection,
Now, please take this lesson to your heart: Upon the rock of knowledge are beauty and strength built - your study of aesthetics begins now, Yoshihide, so you may one day create a gallery of your own.
Each with their own portion of care.
Don't you dare smile.
I suffer in such misery - it's only fair that you suffer too.
In spite of it all, they were my parents.
A tiny life jerks and twists in my hands.
It relies on me, it welcomes me - its eyes follow every movement I make.
It cannot survive on its own.
Without my care, its time will come to a premature end.
That feeling is called "pity."
Pity? What's that?
Remember that book we read yesterday? The snake swallows the frog...
... but wails loudly when it feels the frog thrashing in its throat.
Yeah.
The snake cries because it feels pity.
The snake pities the frog, knowing the pain the prey will suffer as it is devoured. It's grieving because the frog's life will be cut short.
Okay.
Do my other dads feel that way for me too?
No, I don't know if...
I don't think many of us are even capable of pity.
Because this... is the House of Spiders, darling.
And Spiders... hunt.
... Hunt.
I have to do it too, right?
With this sword.
Yes, when the time comes.
But it's weird.
Why am I not allowed to pull the sword out? It's always sheathed.
That, too - you'll know when the time comes.
Am I gonna get a magic beeper like yours someday, Dad?
The beeper tells you everything, right?
You won't be getting one, no.
... Okay. But I can still feel "pity." Only I can.
So may I please... keep Saru?
You may, but I don't recommend it.
Let something you cherish take root in your heart... and it will carve out a gaping hole far larger than itself when it's taken away.
…….
His words were always gentle, yet the subtle tone of detached observation betrayed that pretense.
But back then, I was exhausted from the endless barrage of biting remarks from the other Nursefathers...
... so I was drawn to his cryptic way of speaking. For me, at least, I thought there was a certain warmth in it...
A genuine intention to convey something to me.
... No.
"No?" Do you believe you can back out of this with a simple "no?"
I recall you bragging rather confidently that you had beaten that attitude out of her, Valencina. What happened?
Hah! Hello, the brat's practically cut from your cloth, you know.
Must've gotten that nasty bit from you.
C'mon, guys. The kid's right here, you know?
... Rien, give me that.
…….
Still don't know your way around Rien?
That crazy bitch won't even lift a finger unless you name exactly what you need.
... Give me Zenon's Tortoise Spiral.
Mm. Here you go.
…….
…!
Saru!!
You know how to unlock it, yes?
You will get the password once you return with the job done.
Delay, and Saru will die.
…….
Do you understand what it means to die?
What it means to cut deep enough to kill?
I know precisely how and where to stab to snuff out a life with a single thrust.
All thanks to the innumerable hours I've spent practicing on targets, dummies, manikins, and chunks of flesh.
Hrrk...!
Someone I'm not acquainted with. An orange suit.
What dreadful fashion sense.
The target was an employee of a sizable bank. And I didn't know anything beyond that. Didn't need to know.
By then, I came to understand what it means to die.
To die is to have it all end.
... The password. Now.
... Did you cut the target down?
It's only been... 2 hours.
... The password.
How did you get past the Fixers who were guarding the target?
Cut them all dead. Doesn't matter how.
…….
She was staring me down with a peculiar look in her eyes, and her mouth...
Her mouth opened with an equally inexplicable expression. Perhaps it was a laugh - or the opposite. I had no way of knowing it.
Saru was spared, as promised.
But every time she breathed, I could hear her wheeze and struggle for air...
... and her tail no longer wagged with delight when she saw me.
Yoshihide, I have prepared a little something to celebrate your birthday.
The name I have bestowed upon this sword... is "Beastbone Blade Saru."
An adorable size to perfectly fit the grip of your palms.
…….
One day, Yoshihide, I would like to have a child of my own... A child completed with my flesh and blood.
I eagerly await that moment with every passing day.
The sensation of the hilt on my palm was the kind of pure love that only he could impart.
Wasn't the first time I've felt something like that.
The whiff of booze clinging to her, and the bruises she left on my body.
The warm tone of the voice that never hesitated to read to me, even though the man always made it a point to shut a book before the ending.
The desire to see me walk only the comfortable path, which came with possessiveness so fierce that it was sated only by dooming into the pits of hell all those who got between him and that goal.
The passion to shape me into the only being in the world who understands him, by pouring into me every bit of artistic knowledge he possessed...
And the desolate screams of she who could not bear to meet my gaze - or have me meet hers.
These five threads twine to make a rope that binds me into who I am.
And the rope is laid along the road to -
Oh, this?
Sweetheart. This... is called a "spiral."
Once it is lodged inside the body, even the slightest of movements will make it burrow deeper into the flesh... forcing the victim to remain perfectly still.
It may not sting any worse than the prick of a thorn at first, but the more you try to yank it free, the further it will drill into the body.
But no matter how much it keeps digging in, it will never make it to the other side. The closer it gets to the end, the slower it becomes - it can never meet its endpoint.
You know what else shares that property?
"Doubt."
No, Dad.
It's freeze tag!
... What's... freeze tag?
So it's like a game where, when you're frozen, I tag you and say "Unfreeze!" Then you can start moving again!
I see.
Then I... I'll keep waiting until my darling daughter decides to unfreeze me.
I couldn't understand what he meant at the time.
The "Spiral" that pierced Saru was then used to pierce dozens more lives, and then dozens after that...
Until one day, a stake of doubt, shaped just like that Spiral, lodged itself in me as well.
Threads become knots, endlessly tangling and winding into a jumbled clew.
Look, Mommy! I made a spiderweb. But if you twist it like this...
Ta-da! It becomes a ladder. Cool, right?
Are you...
... bored?
Nuh-uh! I can totally play on my own!
.......
Don't you want to go to school?
... Whoa.
I wanna! I wanna!
Araya must've been around 8 years old back then.
When I saw the twinkle in those eyes, I suddenly craved the cigs I'd quit... and strangely enough, didn't miss them at all at the same time.
My stomach lurched, and I felt like I was falling into an endless pit.
I'd never once thought of wanting to go to school,
but I wonder - if someone had asked me the same question long ago, would I have been just as excited?
Look, Mommy!
It's the randoseru that's all the rage lately!
I know. I'm the one who bought it for you.
I can put textbooks in here. Pencil case goes here, my name tag goes here... and the lunchbox goes...
What would happen if she went to school?
Like any other 8-year-old, she'll begin by learning how to read and write... and before I even know it, she'll be all grown-up.
She's always loved music, so I'm sure her hands'll carry not a dagger, but a stylish, chic guitar case.
A grown-up...
Will she ever get to be one?
That's when my vision opened...
... and I could finally see it: we'd been caught in the middle of the spiderweb...
... all along.
Why did the Nursefathers let Araya into the House of Spiders without asking for anything in return in the first place?
When had that house ever been a place of such mercy, granting charity without exacting a price or a demand?
Class wrapped up without a hitch, y'know. Hwell, it wasn't so easy, was it? Bayonets, gunblades, all 'o them fancy doohicky call for some tricky timin'... Must've been mighty hard fer ya to keep up, Kiddo.
... It wasn't. Fuck off if we're done here.
Hot damn. Look at'cha, always givin' me the evil eye, y'sure do. One o' these days you'll end up stabbin' me 'fore yer done, I swear.
…….
Hey, Yoshihide. You've got talent. You best polish it up real good, y'hear?
Lessee'ere. Next up... well, hot diggity. All kinds o' folks showin' up to tutor ya today. Guess plenty o' fellers're lookin' forward to this.
That ol' Bloodfiend Elder from the Ring's comin' in person... and this feller over here, ain't got a clue who that is. Must be one o' them Pinkies.
Hah... Ain't that a hoot? How'd these devils all get assigned 'ere just months after that Finger Bow-Bell? Mighty sure them's the same ones that were busy raisin' hell out on the Outskirts Strife not long ago.
Hwell, can't deny they're the real deal. 'Least you'll learn things even them Nursefathers can't teach.
You gonna keep yapping? Fine, I'll leave.
Now now, what's the rush? I know ya still got time to spare.
By the way - that Relic o' yers... That sword, they say it's somethin' real special, ain't it? Heard tell that 'cept fer that Pinky snake Dihui Star, all them hotshots who tried unsheathin' it got ruined fer life.
Free that fancy blade from the scabbard 'n lemme see it go schwing... just one look, and I'll let ya swing this here Tiantui Star's Blade 'o mine a couple times. How 'bout it?
…….
You think I'll trust a word from you ever again?
…….
Hwell, butter my butt 'n call me a biscuit!
Ain't fallin' for it twice, huh. Figured you'd forgotten all them memories like ol' peanut shells.
…….
Hwell, that's the way the cookie crumbles, ain't it?
Just wanted to get a peek while we trained - didn't know the kiddo's mind would fly every which way.
You could've tried to come up with a better excuse than "I didn't know."
Looks like... we'll have to put a lock on that scabbard from now on so it only opens with the collective permission of all five Nursefathers.
…….
Ah, come to think of it... It's already been 3 years since you started coming here, hasn't it?
3 years? Been more like 5 -
Hah! Ain't you one smooth motherfucker? Nearly took that as you bein' kind and checkin' in on how I'm doin'. Listen, my poor ol' heart can't handle hearin' that beepin' no more.
Always gets me thinkin' maybe it's a Prescript tellin' ya to crack my head open like a watermelon.
Of course not. And even if I did want to split your head open like a watermelon... I'd need to take a chance for the right weapon to come out, or...
Yeah yeah, my bad fer even tryna quip with ya.
Dad...
Saru... Saru's wheezing... like the air's leaking... out of her...
I see you've regressed to that moment.
Don't worry. Saru...
Saru is resting peacefully in your hands.
Okay...
I don't want any part in whatever it is any of you "tutors" are scheming.
I'll never draw my sword just to satisfy that cheap curiosity of yours,
so give up, shut up, and...
Mommy! Guess what I learned at school today...!
Get inside.
Hwell now, who's this little tot?
H-hello! My name is Araya, and there's this letter I learned at school today, and -
I said get inside, Araya.
Awright, sugar. Ya run along and play now, hear?
Ookay...
Aw fiddlesticks, now that really hurts a man's heart. Coulda at least let the kid say hi to Uncle Lei Heng.
I told you to fuck off.
So that peanut's yer leash, huh.
What?
Figured as much - yer holdin' on tight to that kid.
Them Spider fellers sure are sharp as a tack.
Is this just more of your horseshit...
... or can you back it up?
... Ain't that a fine mouth you got talkin' to yer teacher.
Eh, what's it matter, anyway - I already kicked the bucket.
But them lessons I taught ya, those were real, y'hear?
…….
You still followin' that thread tied to ya?
Hang onto it tight like yer life depends on it, Kiddo. I ain't helpin' if ya lose yer way.
That's not it.
That's not how you shorten it!
W.I.?
What?
It means "What do you mean It's not?".
Nooo...
You're doing it wrong, Mommy!
Just follow after me.
Mommy, ILY so much!
…….
... You didn't get it, did you?
Nope.
Have some watermelon, Araya.
You're supposed to say HSWA! Hmm, that doesn't work.
Mmhmm. Anyway...
Let's try again later.
Across the faded screen, lights scatter and gather endlessly.
The kaleidoscopic light projected on the wall leaves me mesmerized - and my stomach begins to churn again.
It's pretty, right, Mommy?
Yeah.
M. thinks it's P.
Wrong again...!
Heh...
So that peanut's yer leash, huh.
I have to get out of here. And...
I need to get her out too.
Before the House of Spiders decides she's no longer necessary.
Dearest Yoshihide, that blade...
Must never be drawn on a whim.
Soon, I will forge another sword meant only for you... So you may keep it with you at all times.
Can't you draw the blade, Dad?
No, I cannot.
None among the Nursefathers can draw that blade... save for one.
On top of that... only you can wield it in all its proper might, Yoshihide.
The name of that sword is Arayashiki.
It's one of the rarest Relics in existence, a pinnacle of its kind.
It is a blade that cuts through all...
... and whatever it cuts can never be made whole again.
After that day I drew the sword without warning...
... it was decided that the blade could be unsheathed only with the unanimous permission of all five Nursefathers.
In return, however, it cuts your mind as well every time you use it.
The cuts are so precise and smooth that you won't even notice which memories have been severed away.
That's why we - well, the House of Spiders is going to decide when and where you may unsheathe that sword. And we will do so with absolute caution.
I had only used that sword fewer than 10 times - just enough to count on my fingers.
4 times before Araya came, and 5 times after.
It was just last week... We went out together and tried that new, weird snack for the first time!
…….
Ugh, why can't you remember?
You said they were too sweet but ate, like, 5 of them! I only got to eat 3!
Day after day, the list of memories I wouldn't trade for anything keeps growing, piling, overlapping...
And I realize time is running out.
The Nursefathers may pretend to not care about Araya.
But the spiral of doubt... is primed for the impaling,
biding its time for that precise moment when they decide that their fetter around my feet has served its purpose.
Araya.
What do you want to be... when you grow up?
Hmm... When I grow up, Mommy...
I wanna be...
I want to let Araya carry her own bag and grow up to become the person she wants to be.
I want Araya to break free from the House of Spiders so she may find her own path in life.
We have decided unanimously to commence the mission.
You must draw the sword.
The five knots tying the blade, each distinct in shape, loosen themselves one after another.
Aren't you going to ask me the questions today?
... What questions?
You always ask the same thing during these missions.
Will it ever end? Is there even an end? And if there is one...
... what will it look like?
Did I really say all that?
They say children start to talk less and grow distant from their parents when puberty hits.
Is it finally happening to you too?
Hah... Every time I use this sword, a part of me gets sliced away.
What makes you think my memories'll be fine?
…….
What, did that stupid pager beep you to shut up when I ask you difficult questions?
You've gotten a bit snappy, sweetie.
Imagine how hurtful it'd be if your daughter started talking like that to you someday.
Don't bring Araya into this.
Araya.
…….
Mommy... you always make scary faces when you take that sword...
Come here.
Wait in here for a bit.
Mommy?
It'll be...
It'll be quiet and dark, but... when you're in here, everything passes quickly.
Mommy... used to hide here all the time.
So stay in here and wait for me, Araya.
I promise I'll come back for you.
Mhm! I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you here, Mommy!
And so, I followed each length of the rope that was bound to me.
Tell me. Why are you trying to leave?
Ha. You know what? Be like that. Keep mum and brood in silence all you want.
That brat you call your daughter... I'll find that little bundle of liability... and I'll split her in half.
My eye...! No!!!!!
Eyeball, cut.
Were ya mad at Daddy for something, Buddy...?
Aah! Please stop this vandalism, Yoshihide. For over 10 years, I have assembled this magnum opus, only for your pleasure...
S.T.F.U.
Sweetheart.
You've hurt me enough. I'm in a lot of pain.
Stop swinging that sword at me.
You've still got one more of us to go through, don't you?
…….
Staggering, I took another step to the last of my Nursefathers.
I cut out the tongue that lashed at me time and again,
And then...
... Canno- be f-ee -rom -ere... wi-hou-...
... wi-hou- -evering... -he spi-er's --read...
... No...
Guh...!
Araya...
It was supposed to be her head.
Perhaps it was out of some last dreg of pity still left in me that I didn't cut through her brain.
Or maybe, after swinging the blade for so long, I simply forgot that slicing the brain is the surest way to end a life.
With my own two hands, I ended the life of my parent.
A face like mine. A voice like mine. A sword style just like my own.
Will my fate come to resemble hers as well?
I drove the blade that cuts through all...
... into her heart, and even made sure to give it a good twist.
If the dying sunset had a voice...
It would sound just like this.
49. Temporal Entanglement, before the battle
44 lines... ger.
Executive Manager.
Keeping an eye on every Sinner - focusing on their condition, lending them strength, and reviving them...
There's so much going on. My head feels like it could burst any moment; my nerves feel as though they are burning out from pouring in so much concentration.
<... I'm listening.>
Ryōshū has begun engaging the Nursefather.
With our current manpower... breaking through the situation is going to be difficult. Your orders, Executive Manager?
The Sinclair from the future is still there, summoned by the Sign that manifested on his forehead.
Gregor is still rampaging under the grip of uncontrollable metamorphosis.
Both teams were still in complete disarray.
Even the LCD team, the only ones who had been moving along fairly well... ended up missing their ace in the hole.
<Not yet.>
... I take it the situation is not favorable.
<Yeah... it looks like... we're going to have to do this on our own.>
Hah... I, Outis, never intended to showcase my competence to this extent, but very well.
There shouldn't be any issues. I merely follow the manager's orders.
Ryōshū's sword, finally drawn from its scabbard, pierced through the Pinky Nursefather with a single smooth thrust.
The enemy staggered on her feet... then opened one of the doors behind her.
The way she moved was too slow to be an escape, and her gaze, intently trained on Ryōshū, was too steady to be a look of surrender.
Soon, we realized she was trying to draw us in after her.
Wait...!
I... I know for certain, I'd sta -
I...
I had grown so sick... of this place.
I know.
You always said it was my fault that you were fettered to the House of Spiders.
What, are you saying it's not?
I was the one who was being raised in this suffocating house. If anyone has the right to be resentful, it's me.
But you left! You freed yourself anyway!
You stepped out to the ground outside... and traveled to see the sky. The real sky.
…….
I already cut you down with this sword back then.
So how come... you're still alive?
Are you sure? Did you make sure to pierce the sword clean through the heart?
Do you even have a single clear memory you can recall for certain?
If the memories themselves are gone, and all that's left is the feeling that you once had something to cherish...
How true could that feeling be?
Once something cannot be remembered anymore, its time is as good as lost.
Both the City and this house have become places where not a single soul has the heart to remember the child.
And that's how our story ends.
Maybe for me - but not for Araya.
She's still...
... waiting for me.
Araya is waiting for no one!
50. Temporal Entanglement, after the battle
159 linesA soft singing echoes in Ryōshū's ears.
When will Mommy come back? Will she be here today? What about tomorrow?
Mommy, I really wanted to keep our promise.
I wanted to stay in here and wait quietly...
... Shut up.
Was I too impatient?
Did Mommy leave because I couldn't wait out that one fleeting moment?
Stop talking...
Words mingle and tangle together, making it impossible to tell who is speaking to whom.
Your daughter has left you forever!
Just as you did!
No doubt Araya will hide again.
And I'll be wandering again, searching for her.
We won't be able to meet for a very long time.
So I cannot lose her. This is my last chance.
Araya loved watching the stars. She may still be hiding somewhere in that starry night.
Mhm! I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you here, Mommy!
This is the House of Spiders.
A place no one can escape from. A place ever suspended, ever barred from touching the sky.
The tiny, cramped little space to which I never returned.
Left...? Never!
Ryōshū lets out an anguished cry as she swings her sword once more.
…….
The Nursefather makes no move to avoid it, as though she's entrusting Ryōshū with the right to end her.
Which memory... did you carve away this time?
…….
And finally, the Pinky Nursefather falls where she stands.
The floor of the House of Spiders was cold and unyielding.
Hide in this box for just a little bit.
Once you get in, close your eyes... and count.
It'll be...
It'll be quiet and dark, but... when you're in here, everything passes quickly.
How do you know?
Mommy... used to hide here all the time.
So stay in here and wait for me, Araya.
I promise I'll come back for you.
Mhm! I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you here, Mommy!
No.
She will never come back.
Once Mommy comes back...
We're going somewhere the stars are so close it looks like you can touch 'em!
I'll pack us lunches... and cut the sausage into octopus shapes.
And when I'm done waiting, Mommy will show up and tell me I did good.
She'll say, "I knew Araya'd be good at hiding."
And then, after a little more time...
I'll wear a big flower, bigger than a watermelon... for my graduation.
I'll take it off after... and give it to Mommy.
She'll look good with hydrangeas 'cause they look just like me.
And then... I'll learn even more letters.
I've got to teach her all the new slang too.
And then, and then...
No.
Those days don't come, Araya.
And then we'll climb to a real rooftop and feel the real wind and eat cold watermelon together.
Mom forgot all about me.
The door never opens.
…….
There's no calendar in there. I don't know how many days have passed.
And no clock either, so I can't even tell if it's day or night.
…….
I see it now.
I was left behind. Mom left for good.
Today never ends. Tomorrow never comes.
Once that certainty settled in...
Once every shade of the darkness felt as though they belonged to me...
I threw the door open myself.
If someone had been waiting on the other side of that door...
It should've been her.
Oh, dear...
You've fallen into a Temporal Entanglement, Araya.
From the looks of it, my darling daughter must've stepped into this vault countless times.
Her blood, you see... interacts uniquely with the flow of time. That's what allowed her to step in here unharmed.
You, too, were born with Yoshihide's blood because the higher-ups of the Thumb wished for another candidate with an innate aptitude to wield Arayashiki, however...
The fact is it's simply impossible for you to ever match my Yoshihide's aptitude for it.
Blood - yes, blood is important, but it's only the first and most basic requirement. What really counts is how you sense time.
The way that child perceives and observes time - the intuition, the balance, the perspective - isn't something that can be imitated.
Well, thanks to that shared blood, you somehow managed to hold out against time and even read it...
But that's also exactly what made a mess of the time you were supposed to bear inside this Time Vault.
…….
I have no idea what kind of emotion drove you to push that door open...
But we will be reunited with Yoshihide again, without fail.
Because as long as that child remains incomplete, the House of Spiders... will endure.
And it just so happens, there's a vacancy in the House. Perhaps your aptitude will also be enough to seize the title of Dihui Star...
When I opened my hands...
... I saw wrinkled old fingers...
... and strands of thread twined around them.
Is this my name?
Yeah. A-ra-ya. That's how you read it.
It's too hard to read...
How do you write your name, Mommy?
…!
Hmm...
The side effects must've kicked in.
With all this unstable superposition of time, you're bound to experience them for life.
These threads hold nothing but pain, and they all lead back to you.
Closing your eyes...
... won't stop the visions from flooding in.
That's the nature of "time." It is inevitable.
Does that mean, if I follow these threads to where you are...
If I become a Nursefather... will I see her again?
Even now, the wait has not stopped.
Of course. My sweet daughter will come home.
Mommy, I learned something at school today...
You're not supposed to smoke around kids.
... Says who?
The teacher.
Cuz I'm still a growing kid, and we need to stay healthy...
... but we can't do that if people around us keep smoking.
Why not?
Well, because I'm in a growth period! If bad cells form in your body at a young age, teach said... the bad stuff grows faster?
"Grows faster"? Your teacher's a cocky douchebag.
Mommy! Don't talk about my teacher like that...!
After that day, however... Mommy never touched a cigarette again.
But I'll grow to smoke the same kind she used to.
Every time I took a drag, it felt like I was breathing alongside her.
*puff*
The acrid scent that the flow of time draped over her... now lingers on my skin.
My mind ribbons and swirls like the cigarette smoke in the air...
... carrying me to the moment I never want to see again.
Mommy! Where are you going?!
Don't leave me here. Where are you going?!
Where did you go?!
…….
…….
And...
You...
... Crawling back to the House of Spiders... with that, huh?
And once it became painfully clear that there wasn't even an ounce of recognition in her eyes, not even a brief spark of it,
the myriad moments inside me, bound and constricted by tangled threads, began trembling and thrashing aloud.
Mommy...
Can I call you... Mommy?
…….
The child in Ryōshū's memories, the same child who used to munch through mouthfuls of snacks, practice how to read and write, and sing songs with barely intelligible lyrics, grows into the form of the Pinky Nursefather standing before her eyes.
Her final gaze is not trained on Ryōshū. It is staring off into the distance, an unknown point between the folds of time.
Araya...
Araya...!
The singing voice fades into silence as the Pinky Nursefather's fallen body goes still.
Ryōshū raises her sword ever so slowly.
<Ryōshū.>
…….
She answers with silence, staring down at herself.
I understood what it was that she was watching.
She was looking at every strand of thread connected to her, the bundle of strings forming her "self"...
... and the chain that linked us together throughout our journey.
<.......>
<You're thinking about severing the chain.>
Ryōshū has failed to protect Araya.
What she'd promised to her daughter with that pinky swear turned into lies...
and the thread that had connected the two of them was severed into a thousand little strands.
This meant that our pact - her contract with Limbus Company... no longer meant anything to her.
Clock. I... lost the one and only thread... that I was clinging to.
What reason do I have...
... to stay?
Clang!
Ryōshū cuts off the chain. It falls apart with so little resistance that it's almost as if it had never linked us together in the first place.
And that was only the beginning.
The days of her life let out a piercing shriek as they are severed away by the sharp edge of her blade.
The memories shaped by the culmination of those days begin to fade,
hacked into pieces, mutilated; time itself howls with a piercing cry.
51. Non-self, before the battle
42 linesAt long last, the painting has begun!
That's my darling daughter. You have made your father proud.
Here it is...
The first stroke of the House of Spiders' masterpiece, its long-awaited pièce de résistance, has finally been painted.
Do you see it, Sora?
It's so very close to perfection.
Mister Rien, th-then... is this my final test?
That's right.
Ah...
Mister Rien, i-if I can make it through this one too...
I might finally be given the honor of being y-your daughter, the Prescript said.
... Of course, Sora.
You've been working so very hard, after all.
I... I...!
I loved every s-single day I spent with you, Mister Rien.
I feel the same.
…….
I know this is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, but I can't imagine you have any reason to stay and watch.
Your Nursefather fulfilled her purpose remarkably. All you need to do is turn around and leave, and you'll be free.
My master has but completed the purpose you have chosen for her, and that has naught to do with my humble self. Why urge me to leave?
It is true I entered the tutelage of my master to inherit the title of Dihui Star...
Yet how could I leave when her lifebreath has not yet left her?
My insignificant self is not yet worthy to inherit the name of a star. Thus, I must bear my master away hence.
That has to be the most pointless thing to do in the world. Her heart was pierced by none other than that blade... She'll stop breathing soon.
Can't you tell just by looking at my daughter's face?
…….
It's too late.
…….
... Rare is the opportunity to cross blades with a wielder of Muga - the non-self - who has also reached the realm of Ashura.
I shall fell her here and depart with my master.
... How should we proceed now, Executive Manager?
If it is as you say, then... she's no longer...
<... No. Ryōshū severed the chain without permission.>
<Remember what Vergilius always says? Once you sign the contract, you don't get to quit the company so easily.>
Mm.
... What is broken is only the pact forged with the Manager. The clauses of her contract with Limbus Company remain in effect.
<We're helping Ryōshū.>
…….
<She may choose to quit in the end,>
What the Sinclair from the future said still lingers in the far corners of my mind.
I have no way of knowing if he was a glimpse of what awaits us in our future, but...
<but at least let's see her off properly.>
52. Non-self, after the battle
127 linesNow, let me ask you something... do any of you remember who you just fought?
They've both become so faint to me that I can't even recall their names. This can only mean... that her completion is within reach.
All that's left is to wait.
<... My memory's fine.>
<I still remember their names too. Sora and Ren.>
Comparing your perception with mine... I can tell that this is no mere memory wipe procedure, Executive Manager.
What the House of Spiders sought to shape Ryōshū into...
... seems to be some sort of Concept Incinerator.
As you may well know, in the City...
... getting rid of anything is quite a pain.
Tear a piece of napkin into pieces, burn it, swallow it, destroy every evidence of its existence...
But if there is even one person left to remember that it once existed, then there is also a way to dig up whatever's left of it.
If concepts can be destroyed with a simple slash of the sword... it would indeed be a technology of an unprecedented convenience.
A pit that forever buries all that enters it...
... has long been a thing of dreams for many in the City.
That's the reason the House of Spiders has come into being to serve.
A joint enterprise of the Five Fingers... with the Thumb, the Index, the Middle, the Ring, and the Pinky as the stakeholders.
Everything they wish to "forget" can simply be thrown into this pit - to the House of Spiders, located in the heart of the abyss.
Call it a landfill. A bottomless well where secrets can sink for all eternity. A grave where cherry blossoms bury the incidents beyond the veil of oblivion.
People can simply cast whatever ugly secret they want buried, whatever they'd rather forget in here, and it will never resurface - nor can it be made to resurface.
The Nursefathers who have died, those who survived, and the rest of you who've made it all the way here... Marvelous job, everyone.
The objective was to elevate my darling daughter into a state of complete emptiness... and to accomplish that, we had to forge a fetter; for fetters inevitably invite nihility.
Now, the crevice of that void... will be filled with loneliness... and transform into a veritable hell of blades that slashes away at the world until nothing of it remains.
…….
I always told her to quit smoking, you know... but she never listened.
Perhaps my darling daughter has always recognized the aesthetics of beauty, captured within that one last drag of the cigarette.
How beautiful that lone ember is - consuming its own being, cutting itself loose, releasing a speck of light as it fades in self-immolation.
Right then...
A voice called out to me.
Hey, um...
<...?>
Have you ever seen a ball of yarn?
The one with the two ends of the same thread touching each other.
<Araya...?>
... She talked to you, Executive Manager?
I'm afraid I didn't hear a thing. I was on high alert, entirely focused on watching the Index Nursefather and Ryōshū. It's possible I simply missed it due to the heat of the moment.
Mm... I saw her clinging weakly to the Manager's ankle in a near-death state. The Manager did not make a single ticking sound, and...
The moment little Araya approached,
Memories from neither past nor present, but the future, rushed into me for a split second before scattering away.
The more Mom tried to sever away all the threads, the more my yarn puffed up.
<Ryōshū... What's happening to Ryōshū?>
…….
Among the days I had spent with my mother...
... is a day when we went to get a snack called dragon's beard candy.
First, it started off as a single strand of thread, which split into 2, then 4, then 16...
Until it became a roll of tens of thousands of sugary strings.
Mom and I watched it together.
And I'm watching it, even now.
See? I was right. Mommy had three more pieces than me.
And...
Those threads she's cutting off now... may appear severed...
But that's not what it looks like to me. They're only getting longer and longer and silkier and silkier, like that candy.
Slashing away at the threads won't sever it.
Mother and I are tied together on every path. I see it now.
I can also see her whitened knuckles gripping tightly onto the thread, refusing to ever let go.
How could one bear witness to those layers upon layers of time... and dismiss them as mere "fleeting" moments?
That's why...
I'm gonna tell her.
I'm gonna tell her, "Thanks for coming to find me!"
<…….>
It's true that the threads will keep multiplying the more Ryōshū cuts at them...
... But eventually, the strands will be spread so thinly that they'll scatter into the murky void before they can even reach her.
If that's the case... perhaps a chain will work instead. The same chain she already cut off, the same stubborn one that brought her back from death countless times...
Melt down the severed chain and reforge it in the roaring kiln of one's heart.
<The resolve to sever everything, and the blade that cuts through all...>
<They both started from the same wish - the wish to protect.>
<Take this chain and let it guide your way.>
<Go and tell her.>
<Tell her everything you never got to say.>
... This thread just might work.
Araya grabs the red, searing chain.
Ryōshū had already severed the chain once. It was discarded in the throes of her agony, but it is our strand, our own spider's thread, woven by time itself.
I gotta go now. Mommy's waiting for me!
Araya makes her way toward the translucent sphere with perky and light footsteps, as if she's heading out on a picnic.
Araya has entered the fathoms of Ryōshū, and at the same time, she exists outside of her.
Cut and sever.
Everything.
Whatever they are.
Whoever they are.
Mommy,
in the heart of every moment,
I hear you-mom-her-mother-Ryōshū.
Dear lost child of mine, should the way back home elude you...
... why don't we follow the thread back to the very first knot that hurt the most?
So how do you write your name, Mommy?
…….
Go on, read it.
Uh... Ryō... shū...?
No... That's not how you read those letters...
"Yoshihide." That's how you say it.
Ryō-shū! It's prettier and easier!
Mommy, you wouldn't know this, but...
You never once let go of me, no matter which strand of thread I peered into.
That's how I know the ends and the beginnings of all of our journeys.
…….
Can you read the letters properly now?
Mmhmm! Ya bet!
But, you know...
I still like Ryō-shū more!
…….
I'm sorry, Araya.
That's ok.
I... I'm glad I was your daughter. Because...
I got to do everything I wanted to... together with you.
There was this day I totally flubbed my guitar performance, but you were there in the front row, clapping louder than anyone...
And the sausages in the lunchbox didn't look like octopus at all, but they were still really yummy.
From the moment I saw you again, all I really felt...
... was how much I missed you.
Araya.
What do you want to be... when you grow up?
When I grow up, Mommy...
I wanna be Mommy's Mommy.
Because then, it'll be my turn to give you lots and lots of love!
…….
I see.
Not pity... but love.
Mommy, I learned something new at school today.
Just follow after me.
Mommy, ILY so much!
…….
Araya.
I.L.Y.T.
Come on...
That's not it...
That's not how you shorten it...
I'll teach you one last time, okay?
And so, little by little, I forget the smile I can never afford to lose...
53. The Spider's Thread, before the battle
52 linesSweetie.
Subjectively speaking, let me say that you are far more beautiful now than you were earlier. But...
... do you have any idea what you just lost... What you just let go?
…….
Ryōshū has crawled out from the depths of hell, bringing herself up solely by a spider's thread.
She emerges, her fingers around the scabbard closed from all that leaves and lives.
You sent away the most precious thing in the world with your own hands.
Everything that made up that child... has now been cut away because of you.
What you returned here for, what you wished to protect, what you longed to meet again...
All of it is gone now. You have nothing left.
We on the outside, we still remember... But ironically, it was within yourself that it all passed into oblivion.
Right.
I've lost... everything.
<That's not true, Ryōshū.>
<You're still holding it in your hand.>
Ryōshū slowly opens her fist...
... as if she wasn't aware she'd been clenching it.
Resting in her palm, the scabbard presses against her skin, its shape and weight filling her senses.
... The more you treasure something,
the less of it you ought to keep - just enough to fit within your hands.
…….
Rien, you of all people...
You always knew what I was gonna become, didn't you?
... Yes.
And had I reached completion...
What would you have had left?
... Who knows.
Only Hermes, who deigns to grace me with the whispers, would know the answer to that.
... Is there even a single thing about you...
... that doesn't come from the Prescripts?
Hmm... now that you mention it, sweetie...
I suppose there really isn't.
One day, the Prescript told me to change my name,
so I made a new one.
One day, the Prescript told me to start a family,
so I got married and raised a child.
Then another day, the Prescript told me that someone would be killed right before my eyes, and that I was to do nothing but watch it happen.
And so, I waited... without lifting a finger.
Even in their final moments, my wife and child never understood why I simply watched it happen to them.
And you just... accepted that?
Hmm... Do you think I shouldn't have?
Darling, remember that story about a spider that wanted to leave its web?
Unsatisfied with merely gazing upon the sky, it wished to be free of its webs.
Seeing that, a long-lived chrysalis, who was as wise as it was old, told the Spider....
... to circle its web 3,000 times. If nothing changes, another 3,000 times. Another set should nothing change still.
Round and round, the hopeful spider circled its web more times than it could count, yet even after thousands of repetitions... all it saw was the same old web.
The spider, full of despair, went to confront the chrysalis, who had now metamorphosed into a butterfly. "I have circled my web countless times," it said. "Why hasn't anything changed?"
Flying off into the distance, the butterfly answered:
"Resign yourself to the fact that you are forever bound to the web, and close your heart to the beautiful sky above until it ceases to stir any feelings in you."
"That is the only way to be truly free of the web."
My darling daughter, you'll end up losing everything if you let yourself be shackled by what gives you these feelings - happiness, wrath, sorrow, joy... Because once you get a taste of them, you'll learn the truth that to live is to suffer.
That is why I must remain in the House of Spiders.
54. The Spider's Thread, after the battle
22 linesDad, why do sea waves keep crying?
Because they're sad that they're knocking over the sand castles.
Then they should just not knock them over.
Waves move with the winds. When the wind blows, the high and low tides can't help but knock down everything in their path.
Then why not just... push back when the wind blows?
Think about it this way, darling.
The waves... built those sand castles only because the wind pulled them in.
And now, the wind is pushing them to bring the castles down.
So the waves really have no reason to feel sad.
Then, Dad...
... when will they be happy?
…….
Well... Let's take our time finding that out, shall we?
We can save the ending... for later.
We'll read all these endings together once you grow up and become as old as Daddy.
... Okay.
Then you gotta read to me every day.
Pinky promise!
... I hear the waves.
... How do they sound?
... ly.
They sound lonely.
55. Causality that Threads the Past, the Present, and the Future, before the battle
139 linesThe company had much to do in the aftermath of the incident.
Saude took an indefinite leave of absence.
Alyssa went into the long-term recovery ward.
Marton's remains were placed in the morgue for LCE casualties.
Hohenheim, as usual, went off with a shrug and a half-hearted wave of the hand. We never got to talk to him properly about all that's happened.
There were many other victims we couldn't name individually.
The Index Nursefather vanished without a trace and couldn't be located, but with the machinations of the House of Spiders foiled, the company seemed to have decided that he's no longer a serious threat...
... and proceeded to call off the manhunt.
And on that burned rooftop,
a red schoolbag was recovered, bearing a name tag filled out in a child's clumsy handwriting...
... with the Golden Boughs safely nestled within.
*puff*
Ryōshū started smoking again.
Any trace of Araya's existence was completely erased from her mind, and there was, at present, no way to restore them.
Perhaps Ryōshū herself knew of the loss - that something had flowed out of her and disappeared.
But to what extent? I had no way of telling.
She didn't ask why the scabbard of her sword looked different.
So instead of asking if she was all right, I just...
I just chatted her up.
<Looks like... we managed to safely retrieve the Golden Boughs once again.>
Right.
<How do you feel about it, Ryōshū?>
…….
Well, at least it wasn't SAD. ... I mean, it was alright, NGL.
Oh, you mean it wasn't Such A Disappoin - huh?
Whoa, Ryōshū! I've heard the other one before, ha ha.
…….
This is B.A.H.
Seriously?
Yeah, that's better. I'll switch back.
Do you hate compliments or something? Oh, don't tell me. You're not switching back because I liked it, are you? Are you?
"Entanglement"...
... is a connection that transcends space, distance, and any attempt at conceptualization.
Thus, so long as one half of the connection exists, nothing, probabilistically, can be said to have entered a state of complete decay.
As long as its trace wanders the City, it will eventually...
Resurface.
<Does that mean...>
Yes. So long as the scabbard remains in existence...
<And as long as the Bus keeps moving...>
I'll keep turning the clock.
And when I do, we'll all be seeing the same starry sky.
The stars that no longer exist in the City swirl around us like a vortex.
Every time I revive the Sinners, Ryōshū, too, will exist in that moment...
... to be reunited with what is forgotten but cannot be lost - her only daughter, Araya.
Yoshi... hide... You've finally learned... how to wield Arayashiki...
And by learning to wield that Relic... you've just made yourself the most important sword to the Fingers... at the next Finger Bow-bell...
... The home that can protect you... is gone now.
So... take care, sweetheart.
…….
Rien...
Killing me won't be the end of it...
The Proxies... will never stop hunting you down.
Lurking in the muck of this reeking cesspit... won't keep you hidden forever...
Haah... *cough* *cough*
Oh, dear... I'll need to... dye my hair again.
... I'm supposed to recite this?
"I have nothing but my sorrow, and I want..."
Hah... This is tiresome.
Ha...
Haha...
Hahahahaha!!
Sweetheart... Looks like...
You forgot...
... to unfreeze me.
... It has been some time since one such means of oral communication was engaged.
This macabre atmosphere... It seems the congregation this time is in the form of levitating stones. A fitting representation for the discussion of serious agenda... However, there are no subjects that rise to such gravity at present.
Which Faust is the audacious Faust that dared to force-convene a "Classical Walpurgisnacht" at such a busy moment as this?
It is unimaginable that such an ignorant and tactless Faust should exist among Fausts... save for "Naive Faust."
…….
Oh, my. It really was her.
Yes. This meeting has been convened by Naive Faust. There is a question that begs the answer of Administrator Fausts of the Gesellschaft management.
... Rational and Brilliant Faust knows what it is that Naive Faust seeks to ask...
... as well as the fact that there is no real need for the query concerned to be set forth.
*sigh* How long must Faust spoon-feed Naive Faust?
Let it be heard, at the very least.
…….
The attempt to review information on the recent incident at the House of Spiders was met with denials of access at multiple turns.
Requesting access to intelligence on the individual who has deliberately compromised the security of Limbus Company's HQ.
Could Naive Faust not even manage to answer such a trivial query herself? Must Astute and Intelligent Faust provide every single piece of information?
There is no obligation to disclose more information to a Faust of such inferior access rights.
Surely Naive Faust has not forgotten how access rights work?
Reviewing Gesellschaft's information requires access rights that are several tiers higher, yes.
What I mea - what Faust means to say is...
A thoroughly intentional slip of the tongue. To refer to Faust in the first-person is strictly prohibited.
Naive Faust has long been known to show... quite a precarious side.
Hmm. Does Naive Faust wish to join the ranks of dead Fausts?
*sigh* Of course not. Faust does not wish to join the ranks of dead Fausts. Faust is simply curious.
There is no information to be granted to Naive Faust, who time and again has attempted to leech off the Gesellschaft.
Lovely and Guileful Faust can offer an answer. In return, however, Naive Faust must consent to have her title changed. Is this acceptable?
... It is accepted.
The answer is Dias, the Chief Executive Director of Limbus Company, Stupid Faust.
... The sharing of information is appreciated.
To think that Stupid Faust would go so far as to convene a Classical Walpurgisnacht for a query that requires only the least effort of deductive reasoning.
The new title could not be more appropriate for Stupid Faust.
…….
Could it be that Stupid Faust is indignant? *chuckle* She seems to be expressing displeasure by means of silence.
Such is the price for requesting so much information as a Faust of a non-administrative role.
In that case, if Faust were to -
No need to build on impossible hypotheticals.
Although it is a fact that Stupid Faust has retrieved the most Golden Boughs, she cannot be reinstated as an administrator Faust.
Still, if Stupid Faust were to plant the sapling and harvest an apple from it... who knows? She might have a chance of becoming an administrator again.
*scoff* Can Stupid Faust even accomplish such a feat? It sounds improbable... What does Stupid Faust think?
That's...
Enough. The time and floor granted to Stupid Faust have come to a close. Stupid Faust shall be dismissed from the Gesellschaft Forum forthwith.
The Classical Walpurgisnacht is thus forcibly adjourned.
Madam Director. I have some updates to report on Limbus Company.
Do tell.
First, Limbus Company's Golden Bough grafting experiments have finally succeeded. Only five more Boughs left to be retrieved, and...
And the sapling will be planted. It won't be long now.
Next, the LCB's 11th Sinner - Sinclair's "Sign"... has completely awakened, though only for a moment.
That's interesting indeed. I thought it'd take a few more years.
Did all three strokes manifest?
The Signs aren't visible to me, so I cannot say with much certainty... But I don't believe he has. It was most likely just a... short-lived awakening.
They say an accomplished butler's resourcefulness rivals that of a Fixer in Seven Association's Section 1... The speed and accuracy of your information-gathering is indeed commendable. Anything else I should be aware of?
Yes. Lastly... Your son's royal-blood gene factor has also awakened.
The "factor," huh... Does that mean your son has finally unwrapped what you gave him?
No.
The Roach Emperor is but another layer of wrappings, if a bit fancier than the others.
He has yet to unwrap the valuable, precious gift I've given him.
But it may not be long now. The real surprise gift will begin from the mistletoe that will bud from the sapling.
By the way, where's the captain? I haven't seen her around since H Corp.
Ah, she should be whetting her harpoon for the Whale-hunting. She asked to call her and her crew only once the hunt begins.
Hah... How long will we be stuck in this pure-white building?
... For now, we will focus on restoring the Xianhuang Worm and interpreting its interactions in this place. Although circumstances might change fast once the upcoming N Corp. board meeting concludes.
Speaking of, Sonya... Have you looked into what I asked?
Yes, the infiltrator agents reported back just yesterday. Heinrich Kromer and Jacob - both are confirmed to attend the board meeting.
It's a hassle to deal with people who make even the simplest of conversations a nuisance... But I won't deny that this bodes well.
If the same Heinrich, who didn't even budge when the younger Kromer was killed, is finally making a move... I suppose it's just around the corner now.
Indeed. It won't be long before the Malleus Maleficarum's roster is finalized.
A hunt for prosthetic users, the likes of which the City has never seen, will soon begin. Even the Machine Purge would look downright tame in comparison.
And we'll use that chaos...
... to aim for every Mirror World in existence.
Hah. The captain will love that. It'll be like going on a Whale hunt across all possible worlds herself.
Perhaps we should wrap up our talk here and head inside. It's time.
Of course. Nelly, keep an eye on Limbus Company until your next assignment.
Yes, Madam Director.
Choose your words and actions carefully once the board meeting begins. Even the slightest misstep could tip the balance and put us at a disadvantage - that's another headache we don't need.
I must admit, it's rather unnerving to have to deal with the infamous Ones Who Grip in their own Nest.
All right, then... Shall we head inside?