Chapter 12: Hometown

Clear.

What's a giant underground base doing here?

When did those foul beasts have time to construct it?!

This isn't good.

There's too much interference, I can't scan anything.

We could lose communications at any time...

Then we need to do something about the jamming.

That's the problem.

Because of the jamming, the scanning doesn't work, and without that, we can't find the source.

It's a catch-22.

Don't worry. Drake always knows what to do in these kinds of situations.

What?!

Drake, do you sense any movement? Almost like a heavy feeling?

Yes, I do!

Good, pinpoint it.

Sure, but only if you get on your knees and beg.

Ah...!

Just kneel down, it's not that hard.

A hero never kneels!

Both knees on the ground, otherwise no help from me!

Can't you give us a break? Just do it, please.

Hey, my services come at a price!

I'll buy you nutrium.

Now we're talking.

... What is it?

She'll look around if we buy her some meat.

No! I mean how is Drake able to find the jammers?

Cause she's special!

That doesn't explain anything.

Drake's body can sense radio waves.

Every wave is unique, so she's able to pick up all the ones she's sensed before.

... Is she as good as an operator?

Not quite.

But pretty close. I'd say... maybe 70%?

Now I know why Matis operates across such a wide area.

I am.

We've got it all! We use electricity as auxiliary power to shorten our missions.

We can rely on Maxwell to build and repair machines.

Meanwhile, Drake can detect radio waves, which vastly increases our operational area.

Then you've got me. My heroism gives our offensive capabilities a big boost!

I don't quite understand that last ability you mentioned...

All of these things combined make Matis the most powerful squad in all the land.

The strongest...

Any objections?

... Nothing.

You're welcome to share your opinions!

...

It's just that... in light of the enemy we're up against,

I wonder what the 'strongest' actually means.

...

Sorry. Forget I said anything.

This way!

Oh, I think she found something.

Good! Let's go!

It's here!

... You really found it.

Excellent. Let's get rid of the bastards protecting it and destroy the jammer.

Wait! Are you... destroying it now?

Of course! Communications are barely operational right now.

I'm sure we could figure out some potential use for it, but that's a luxury we don't have time for now.

... Understood.

Then let's destroy it.

Jammer has been disabled. Communications coming in clear.

I'll initiate a scan of the nearby...

5 meters to the right! Lots of strong energy signals!

!

That's our blind spot!

Nobody move.

Say the magic word, or I'll blow your heads clean off.

Psst... it's 'firepower'.

We're good here. They're friendlies.

What's the big idea sneaking up on us like that?!

Haha. It's your fault for not realizing when we were this close.

Shifty-

Erm... sorry. They were actually so close that I couldn't identify the signal.

That stunt you all pulled back there didn't do you any good. You haven't gotten anywhere.

No kidding, we could have taken our time getting here.

Isn't a 'thank you' in order? We cleared the way for you, after all.

Considering how you all bungled up the bridge, I'd say we're even.

...

I'm sorry. I really put my foot in my mouth this time.

Wow, you can do that? So flexible!

Let me see! Let me see!

Be quiet, you idiots. We're behind enemy lines.

All members are present and accounted for. I'll guide you to the target location where the Heretic fragments are located.

Did you really not encounter anything on the way here?

There were tentacles.

... Tentacles?

We were ambushed by tentacles. They popped out from the ground and everyone except for the Commander was hit.

Judging from the size, I'd say they belonged to a Tyrant class, maybe bigger.

How are you holding up?

We're fine. Just a couple scratches.

... That's a relief.

Shifty, how far do we have left?

At your current speed, you'll arrive at the target location within an hour.

But we are getting closer, right?

Huh? Well... according to the coordinates, yes.

If you say so.

What?

Nothing.

Hey. You feel it too?

Not sure... best not to say anything for now. No need to make things more complicated than they already are.

Yes, Commander.

What? Does your stomach hurt? You want me to keep a lookout? Need some music?

... You need to do something about that mouth of yours.

Oh yeah? What should I do with it? How about a kiss? Muah muah muah.

...

I've never seen Eunhwa actually shake with anger before...

Eunhwa.

I know. You don't have to tell me.

Everyone stop.

Why? We're making good progress.

Try and actually use yours eyes for a change. Look around you.

This is the same place we were before.

What?

Look, over there.

That's the marking from before.

Have we entered some kind of never-ending labyrinth?

Those only exist in fantasy novels. This is real life.

The coordinates seem to indicate that we have been moving.

That means the surroundings are shifting along with our movements.

Is that even possible?

Not if the entire place is under the Rapture's control.

First the tentacles, now this... our opponent may be more formidable than we thought.

... Weird.

Yeah, why would do they go to such lengths?

I don't see the point of this when we have an operator.

They may be after Nikkes with no operator.

It's a perfect way to induce panic.

Creating a place of this magnitude, just in hopes of some Nikkes accidentally entering... it's not exactly efficient.

What is this place anyway? Why do they have to come so far just for these Heretic fragments?

No, there must be something else going on. Something we're not seeing.

Any idea what it could be?

No.

I've got a bad feeling about this.

Don't worry!

Just look at the warriors standing before you!

We are the strongest squad Missilis and Elysion have to offer! Whoever the opponent is, we will be victorious!

I appreciate that, but...

we could be in the belly of the beast for all we know.

Then we'll tear the stomach apart and escape!

Yes. If the opponent is a Rapture, it's simply a matter of killing it.

I don't believe we have anything to worry about.

Very reassuring... You all sure have high opinions of yourselves.

It comes with being the best.

I have it too. Pride in yourself is something only the strong possess.

As for me, my particular strong suit is...

Yeah yeah, we get it. You're number one. There's noooobody cooler than Neon.

Thank you. I will do my utmost to live up to my reputation in the future.

...

Am I seeing things, or is there something wrong with the monitor?

What's wrong?

Everything around you keeps moving.

Makes sense to me. After all, we're the ones moving too.

But the coordinates are fixed. In fact, you're not moving at all from your position.

Hmmm... What should we do?

Our surroundings are fluctuating. This is a first for me, so your guess is as good as mine.

Can you try a more precise scan?

There's no point. Every time I do a scan, it comes back with different results.

There might be a pattern, but it would take me some time to figure it out.

The location of the Heretic fragment is still the same?

Roger.

Then our only choice is to just keep going and break through.

Pulling back is also an option.

The safest option is to figure out the pattern before proceeding.

Don't be ridiculous. We will do no such thing.

I feel the same.

Don't want to tarnish your 100% success rate?

Precisely. It's a major point of pride for us.

So, if I'm getting this right...

Scanning won't do us any good 'cause we can't figure out the pattern. However, we still need to move through our surroundings, which are in flux,

and acquire the Heretic fragments. Right?

You're finally catching on.

You forgot to mention how we're the best squad around, but you got the basics, yes.

Well this is great, juuust fantastic.

Don't worry. I see a way.

A way to the afterlife?

My hero senses are tingling. I think I know where to go.

Are you talking about that path over there? The one that's writhing left and right.

That's right!

I should have known natural-born heroes like us would think alike!

What about you, Drake? Do you feel it?

Yes! I feel it!

All right then, let's go. We'll show you the way.

So you're expecting me to just have faith in this gut feeling of yours?

We know the way. I'm sure of it.

It's here.

Give me a break. Why would I believe a bunch of dimwits who'd betray us at a moment's...

Eunhwa.

...

Fine, let's go.

But you guys take the lead.

You'll probably just shoot them as soon as their backs are turned.

You think what you like, you rust bucket.

So what are you thinking?

I'll explain on the way.

Matis, let's move.

Let the hero's journey begin!

Shifty, what's the latest?

So far, so good. You're getting closer to the target.

Relying on intuition at a time like this... might as well rub a lucky rabbit's foot while we're at it.

Not mere intuition, but hero senses!

Yeah yeah, I know. Stop turning around and hurry up.

Eunhwa, Emma.

...

...

What is this, a karate contest for mimes?

...

...

Wait, what?

... Really?

Damn...

Damn damn damn.

... Nothing.

Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Commander.

It's here.

Confirming...

True.

Target reached.

Proceed with the mission.

Yes, Commander.

Clear.

Corruption.

Here. Here. Here.

Here. Here. Here.

This way! This way! This way!

Not sure, but at some point after meeting up with us, they were corrupted.

I wasn't sure at first, but it became clear once we got here.

Perhaps it was from the tentacle they mentioned.

I'm okay.

Probably because it didn't pierce me deep enough.

Yes. Rapi was not corrupted.

Her eye movement. Certain facial tics are a dead giveaway as well.

I'm quite adept at noticing them.

We should have told Master.

No. They would have stopped us if we had.

Your treatment of Nikkes is admirable, Commander.

However, we are smack-dab in the enemy stronghold. There's no reason to say or do anything that will create any more confusion.

I'm sorry.

I am willing to accept the consequences for my actions.

No, we used suppression bullets.

Corrupted Nikkes are at risk of becoming Irregulars, and are typically discarded. However,

there are several cases of them being revived through a memory wipe.

So long as it's done within 3 hours.

Yes. They were trying to lure us here.

Just like it was

with Marian.

...

...

They must have lured us here for a reason.

Operator, what have you got on the immediate surroundings?

That substance near the center is most likely a Heretic fragment.

For now, no Rapture movement was detected.

So we just take it and leave? That can't be right.

Commander, please connect the CombiLink. I will see if I can control it.

!!

High energy response within 1 meter! Tyrant class or higher!

Is it above us?

No, below!

No! The reaction is coming from all over the room.

Th-the entire room is a Rapture!

Not good!

Be careful! One hit from those tentacles and you'll be corrupted!

Thanks, Professor. You think I don't know that?!

Encounter.

All functions terminated.

No Rapture activity within a 5km radius. They all retreated.

Location of Heretic Fragment confirmed.

Proceed with recovery.

Yes, Commander.

What is it?

...?

... Roger.

I'll bring back the members of Matis and see if there is anything that still poses a threat.

Mission complete. Three transport planes and two battalions will be there within the hour,

courtesy of Deputy Commander Andersen and President Ingrid.

...

...

It was supposed to be done. That's the advantage to having a supporter.

I will scan the whole room more thoroughly.

What I'm concerned about are these boxes. What do you think they are?

There are piles of them.

Who knows?

Shifty, can we open them?

I'm not detecting any energy reaction inside, so... sure?

Should we open it normally, or with our guns?

Up to you.

All right, I'll open it...

This... And this...

Huh? Picking up a weak reaction...

And a little bit of this...

Wait, don't open it!

Eep!

!!

My God!

What the hell is this?!

Eek...!

...

M-master. What was that?

Y-you mean all these boxes here... So many...!

N-not real? Really?

...

Reinforcements have arrived above you.

They should be at your location within 5 minutes.

...

...

Ugh... Argh...!

I'm... Hero of jus... tice...!

I will not...! Be defeated...! Like this!

Laplace!

She's overcome the suppression bullet?

She's still affected by the corrosion. Shoot her again!

Aargh!!!

Keuk...!

Plasma field initiate! Get away from Laplace! If you approach her, you'll be evaporated!

I am the hero of justice! I am the beacon of hope!

I am the shining light! All those who defy me shall burn!

Justice! Justice! Justice!

Justice! Justice! Justice!

She's aiming straight for the transport plane!

Laplace, what are you doing?!

Uh... Ahhhhh...!

Ahahahahah!!

I... am! He... ro...! I will never get everyone in... dan... ger!

Argh...! Argh...!

I'm...! Sorry...!

Forgive... me...!

Laplace!

Eun... hwa...! Take care of the rest...!

!!

Stop.

Extrinsic squad has arrived!

Motion has ceased.

"Guillotine, the cannon she threw has energy response."

It may explode. Shut it off.

You leave me with no choice. It didn't have to be this way.

I will now break the seal of the demon king which slumbers within me.

Run wild, One Winged Demon!

Shine! Ancient Owl!

Score another one for the good guys.

What frightful destruction this power can bring.

Let's withdraw.

Nevertheless, I have no choice but to use it.

Such destructive power that beckons me, and I cannot resist its call. I'm as a moth to the fl...

I said let's withdraw.

...

V-very well. I will grant you this request... just this once.

As you may know, we are beings that should not be exposed to the outside world.

Should you let our existence be known, the grim reaper himself will come to tear your soul apart...

Guillotine, shut it.

...

Begin.

!? What happened...?

Now! Fire!

!!

Suppression complete.

All clear. Reinforcements are on their way.

Just follow their instructions, and you're home free.

Commander, about what we just saw...

Very good.

Let's head back.

You did well.

The Heretic Fragment has been safely secured.

We will transport it inside a high-density 12-layered security strongbox we call an Atlas Case. The component analysis is currently in progress.

We'll have the results soon enough.

They went into cold sleep.

The corruption won't proceed any further, but they'll be out of action for the time being.

They're not going to go through the memory wipe?

Syuen is strongly opposed to it.

Until another solution is found, they will be kept in suspended animation.

The report indicates that you were also struck by the Rapture's tentacle,

yet were not subject to any corruption.

Correct.

Commander, what do you know about memory wiping?

Then this won't take as long.

Corruption is when the Rapture's code infects the NIMPH and changes its mechanism.

The altered NIMPH continues to forcibly issue commands to the brain, in essence becoming an extension of the Raptures.

The fact that you are not effected despite being stabbed by the tentacle means

there is no NIMPH in your brain.

In other words, it was true that the memory wipe did not work on you.

Yes. It is true.

Nevertheless, we still need to investigate further.

Okay. I will take my time.

Are you really going to take out her brain?

No, a simple brain scan will suffice. All I want is to check for the existence of the NIMPH.

Phew...

The real question is how she was exposed to the Vapaus which shut off the NIMPH in the brain.

Any thoughts on how this happened?

No.

... Very well then. We'll take our time and look into this.

No, I haven't.

There is information in the Central Government database but

it only pertains to the nanomachines being erased. That means the information you have is all that remains.

There is no record of its origin or what it is made of.

But as I mentioned, we'll find out soon enough.

The bullets you have are still there. Rapi has a history of being exposed to Vapaus.

This means the Vapaus isn't singular.

Since we have all this information, the rest is only a matter of time.

Yes.

If we correlate the results of the investigation with the circumstances before and after, I can get a rough picture of what the results will be.

I'll be convinced once the composition of the Heretic Fragments is analyzed.

Umm... What was inside those boxes?

...

Nikkes. No doubt about it.

I... understand.

We are investigating that as well. You must have patience.

Return to the Outpost and get some rest. I'll let you know if I get any updates.

If you're going straight to the Outpost, I'll come along.

Consider it an escort.

...

...

...

Sit.

I prefer standing. This won't take long, will it?

What are you doing here?

I was invited, unlike other people.

Syuen. Should I use it?

No, Mihara. Syuen has to look more grumpy.

Ah, right. Sorry.

It's okay. The old Mihara in you is slowly coming back.

Yuni, it's been a while.

Yes, it has.

...

The same goes for you, Mihara.

Hmm? Do I know you?

Don't you remember? I told you all about them.

Ah yes.

Anis, Neon, and... Rapi, right?

Haha, it certainly has been a while.

How have you been?

Not too bad.

...

Everyone all caught up? Can we get down to business?

How much do you need?

Money. How much do you need?

The Vapaus. How much are you willing to sell it for?

Name your price.

Where did you hear about this?

Hey, I'm a CEO too, you know. You didn't think you and Andersen could hide this from me forever, did you?

You have it, don't you? Sell it to me.

I'm willing to pay, so hand it over.

Yes. You got a problem with that?

If I terminate the NIMPH, doesn't that mean I can cure them from the corruption?

So name your price.

You know, you really shouldn't play favorites like that.

What?

You always go on about how Nikkes are hunks of junk, yet you're going through all this for Matis's sake.

Shouldn't they be the same as any other Nikke to you?

You didn't lift a finger when the same thing happened to Mihara, so why are you acting like you care now?

They're special, not like you scrap heaps.

How so?

You don't need to know that.

Come on, Commander., sell me the Vapaus.

Then give it to me as a gift.

You are being awfully stubborn.

You must forgive my bluntness, but Matis nearly sabotaged the entire mission.

Destroying the bridge, being subjected to corruption, putting the Counters and Absolute in danger...

Not to mention the tremendous operational costs incurred as a result.

I even had to end up using my "ace-in-the-hole".

This is all on your shoulders.

...

Yet despite all of this, you still come here and ask us to give you the Vapaus? That's a new low for you.

Then let me borrow that bucket of bolts.

??

The memory wipe didn't work on you because you were exposed to Vapaus. You weren't affected by the corruption either.

!!

!!

Shut your mouth! That is all confidential information.

If you let me borrow her, I'll do all the research. I'll even take care of all the expenses.

Eeeek...!

What is your major malfunction?! Do I have to get down on my knees and beg?

What, do you think you're better than me? I told you I'd pay! I'll give you as much as you want!

My children, I have to save them! Don't you realize how important this is?

Mihara!

Yes, ma'am.

After exchanging senses, commit suicide!

Take your head and smash it to pieces.

... Yes, ma'am...

Enough!

I won't allow such a heinous act to take place here!

Stay out of my way, you old hag!

I'm saving you, you Idiot.

...

... What?

...

You expect me to believe you?

...

Please find a way.

If you can, I'll forever be in your debt.

But if you can't find a way...

I'll kill you.

Turns out it was worth tagging along.

What's going on between Syuen and Matis? What's got her undies in such a twist?

...

Rapi.

...!

... Yuni.

Rapi, you didn't lose your memory.

Mihara went through the same memory wipe that you did.

You remember everything,

but Mihara doesn't remember anything.

...

You must be happy that you remember everything.

Mihara doesn't remember.

You must be happy that you can still get along with Anis and Neon.

I'm like a stranger to Mihara now.

You must be happy that you're alive.

Mihara... is dead.

Yuni.

...

I should get going as well. See you later.

...

...

... No.

... It hurts.

Oh, hi there. We've just finished cleaning up.

It's a bit chaotic in here.

There was an accident.

Report.

Roger.

The Heretic Fragment will be referred to as Material H.

Heretic... H... makes sense.

After confirming that Material H is composed of various nanomachines, we examined its response to electrical stimulation.

Upon electrical stimulation, a tentacle shaped appendage extended and immediately attacked all 18 Nikkes in the nearby vicinity.

After the Nikkes were neutralized, they proceeded to be absorbed by the material.

... Absorbed?

Yes. Material H does not respond to humans or machines, but only to Nikkes.

After absorbing all of the Nikkes, its weight increased by 378 grams.

That's all?

Nikkes are completely disintegrated during the absorption process, after which it is assumed that only substances deemed necessary are absorbed.

Since the accident, it is now being stored in an Atlas case.

What is the Heretic Fra... I mean, what is Material H's current weight?

Approximately 12kg. To date, it appears it has absorbed 450 Nikkes.

Then all those boxes piled up in the underground facility were...

We've concluded our investigation into the underground facility.

Would you care to hear our findings?

You do that.

The underground facility is what the Intelligence department refers to as an ant colony.

The section that you were in is just a small portion of the structure.

There are many more similar facilities spread throughout the area.

We haven't figured out the exact size, but it is estimated to be close to 1300 square kilometers.

...

And all the routes head towards one area, which is the center where Material H was situated.

Fluctuating routes are used to induce panic or inflict corruption.

If their prey perishes close to Material H, they are used as food.

If they are far from the center, they are put in "storage" rooms scattered through the colony.

The purpose of this underground facility is to produce Material H using Nikkes.

Our conclusion is that they are attempting to resurrect the Heretic.

It's not an ant colony, it's a breeding facility.

We estimate there are approximately 200 Nikkes who are "stored" in the underground facility.

It is believed they are Nikkes who became lost during a patrol or other mission.

This figure aligns with how many Nikkes have been reported M.I.A. in that area.

Ludmilla said it's gotten more difficult to find Nikkes who have gone missing.

It appears the ant colony is to blame for all those lost Nikkes.

How many Raptures are in the underground facility?

Comparatively speaking, not that many according to the size of the facility. Nothing we couldn't overpower. However...

because the Heretic Modernia has joined the war, all squads have retreated.

Marian...

That concludes our report.

Ah, yes.

This is just something I noticed.

What?

The underground facility that the Raptures created

has a very similar structure to the Ark.

You could even call it a miniature version.

... I see.

Good job, Mana.

Roger.

Is everyone here?

Yes.

...

I'm here!

We're preparing for all-out war.

Our objectives are two-fold.

One is to destroy the underground facility.

The other is apprehend the Heretic Modernia. If that's not possible, then we kill her.

If we succeed, humanity will be one step closer to reclaiming the surface.

What is the plan?

We are going to plant explosives on the walls of the underground facility.

Phase 1 is detonating the explosives and making the facility collapse upon itself.

The passageways are all very narrow and full of Raptures as well as the Heretic, so

we'll be selecting only the most battle-hardened squads with good mobility.

Sounds perfect for Absolute.

I will send Cafe Sweety. Go get'em mademoiselles!

... We don't have any.

... I understand.

After the facility collapses, Modernia will come up to the surface.

Of course, there will be quite a few Raptures above ground at that time.

Chatterbox is sure to make an appearance as well.

Phase 2 will be defeating all the Raptures and clearing a path to Modernia.

Once we do that, we move on to the final phase.

For the final phase, apprehending Modernia is our top priority.

Not destroying her?

That's right.

What are you going to do?

Counters. We are going to have the Commando unit come into contact with the Heretic.

Do whatever you can.

If you really want to save Marian, do everything in your power to persuade her or appeal to her.

We are giving you a chance.

If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even know about this underground facility.

However, the moment you realize that she cannot be reasoned with,

shooting her with the Vapaus becomes your top priority.

It's been confirmed that the Heretic is comprised of nanomachines.

One bullet made of Vapaus

is the best option.

Although, I'm not entirely sure what will happen.

She might die, or it might not do anything.

... Maybe a miracle will happen.

...

All I can say is that I personally hope

there's a happy ending to this story.

The operation commences tomorrow at 05:00. Get a good night's sleep.

I'll discuss the rest with you in detail.

Hey.

You might be seeing me tomorrow.

Just a heads up.

Leave Chatterbox to me.

It's mine.

Get some rest.