Chapter 32: Advance

...

... Yes.

Don't you call her that!

...!!

You... You'll help me?

You'll help us?

I don't believe you.

Humans are deceitful creatures.

You steal from the dead and besmirch their reputations. I don't believe you.

Her speech may be smoother, but she's still parroting the same old lines from before.

Well, it's not like you can fix social awkwardness by swapping out a few parts.

...

Stay back.

...!

You say we steal from the dead? That we besmirch their reputation?

That's not true.

I...

I inherited.

I inherited Red Hood.

Or, to be more precise, I wanted to inherit.

In the end, I couldn't.

...

It was my dream. An ideal.

I wanted to be like that.

Your dream...?

But eventually it dawned on me that Red Hood and I were not one and the same.

I realized that the mission wasn't mine to take on.

So I gave up.

...

You said before that

you need to rewrite the story.

That's your mission.

My... my mission...

And you don't give up on your mission,

do you?

...

It's been more than 100 years,

and you haven't given up yet.

...!

No... I haven't.

I'm envious of your resolve.

So, tell me everything. What you know, and what you're trying to do.

If it's not about awakening Anachiro,

and it's somehow about seeing your mission through,

then I can help.

...

I still don't believe you.

The hero Red Hood...

I can't tell if you're carrying on her legacy,

or if you're insulting it.

...

...?

This is...!

*Ahem*

Hey there, everyone, I'm back. Not even death could keep me down!

... Man, this is more awkward than I thought it'd be.

...

I heard you're still all trying to defeat the Queen?

It's been 100 years.

What the heck are you all doing?

Do you think you're the only ones who can get this job done?

You know that's not true.

So please, stop now.

Let someone else take over, and walk away.

I gave up the fight a long time ago, and took some well-deserved time off.

I was fortunate enough to meet some pretty great people along the way.

Well, I guess that's everything.

I-It's her!

Red Hood!

Ah...!

... Yes.

I understand.

You're the ones Red Hood entrusted everything to.

I can't believe it...

...

You... you actually met her.

...

... How was it?

It was good.

She hadn't changed much from the Red Hood I once knew.

Oh...

How I envy you!

I want to see her.

That transcendent beauty of hers.

I want to see it again.

...

Please, help me.

No, help us.

I want to meet Cinderella.

Yep! It's all clear to me this time around.

Well, gooood for you.

Eunhwa, the mission parameters have changed. Will that be okay?

The final say on any decisions made on the field rests with the Commander.

Therefore, there is no issue with any of this.

I can't say I'm entirely comfortable with it though.

It's awfully risky to awaken someone whom you're not even entirely sure is a Heretic or not.

I know Grave insists that she's free from corruption, but there's no way we can be sure of that.

That's correct.

But look at Modernia.

There have been instances where someone has become a Heretic, and then come back. It's not unheard of.

Also,

regardless of what her current situation is, if we can bring Cinderella over to our side,

it would be an incredible boon for the scientific community in the Ark.

It'd be a big step towards reclaiming the surface.

That's true. We don't get many chances to encounter a Heretic.

Still, I have to make it clear how risky this venture is.

The safest course of action would be to destroy the coffin.

The Commander doesn't want to do that.

Yes, I know. But as Eunhwa said, his word is final when we're here.

His judgment may seem counterintuitive at times,

but he's always managed to get results.

All we can do is hope that he's on the mark this time around.

Sounds like you're starting to get the hots for him.

Do you ever shut off that motormouth of yours?

I'd suggest against falling for him. It's tough enough as is with all the competition.

Hmph.

Hehe, that's true.

R-right.

...?

...

Hmm? What is it?

I was just thinking about Behemoth.

Her defensive capabilities are unlike anything we've seen, and those clamps are a formidable weapon. In addition, since she is a Heretic, we cannot discount the possibility of her being able to transform.

We need to steal Glass Slippers from such a monster.

I was thinking about ways in which we can pull this off.

I'm putting my trust in you. In your judgment.

And in Grave as well.

... Thank you.

Don't mention it.

Don't think I forgot that kick you gave me, though.

... Sorry about that.

Apology accepted.

Thanks.

Be careful out there,

everyone.

The areas covered by the Ark structures

are turning back into crystals.

What?! How'd that happen so quickly?

The areas created by the A Pillars should last far longer than that.

Someone is purposefully causing the crystals to expand and force the Ark structures back.

Wow, it really is like a game of tug-of-war.

Must you comment on every little thing?

It's Behemoth.

I didn't factor this into the calculations. I didn't expect the crystals to expand so rapidly.

For now, forget about the A Pillars.

Until we neutralize Behemoth, using them will be a waste of time and resources.

You mean we've got to take her down?

Understood.

So Anachiro... I mean, Cinderella, is no longer a Heretic?

No.

But I thought she was the first Heretic.

She was fixed.

That's right!!

You're well-informed. I'm impressed.

What else do we need to know?

You said she's still asleep,

so how do we wake her?

We must find Glass Slippers.

Her specialized weapon.

Correct.

The code to revive her

is embedded in Glass Slippers.

How did that happen?

She sustained injuries in a previous confrontation.

They were severe enough that

they rendered her comatose.

The Glass Slipper contains a revival code which,

once linked to her, will cause her to awaken.

If you've known what needs to be done, why didn't you do it sooner?

Cinderella's injuries were too great.

I don't possess the necessary skills to repair her.

Given her state at the time, she was unable to link with Glass Slippers.

Her body needed to be fixed first.

I've gathered all the necessary parts and materials.

She's almost fixed.

By using the computational power of the Harmony Cube.

It increases the healing capabilities of the coffin.

So that's why you hijacked the data.

Correct.

Cinderella's body is nearly fully healed.

I just need to do a bit more.

However, even once the repairs are carried out, that won't make her regain consciousness.

That will only happen once she is linked to Glass Slippers.

This is obsolete technology, and so there are few people out there who know how to operate it.

Nothing can be done without Glass Slippers.

Couldn't you have asked for help from the others?

I tried.

...

The humans betrayed me.

... I'm sorry.

Why was she sealed in the crystal?

How could she have survived inside that?

Cinderella's outer layer is composed of a special material. Glass Slippers is fabricated from the same material.

It makes her impervious to the crystals.

In fact, the crystals helped keep her hidden.

Heretics.

Heretics can sense one another.

A few times, we were discovered.

And each time, I almost lost her.

She was taken by the Fire Dragon.

It wasn't easy getting her back.

I'm not strong enough.

I was unable to protect Cinderella against the Heretic's witch hunt,

so I hid her in the crystal,

but I was discovered due to the commotion I made.

I don't remember.

It's been a long time.

That means this crystal region has been around for a long time too.

I get that we need Glass Slippers to revive Cinderella,

but where is it?

Here. Down in the depths.

Behemoth has it.

Figures.

I don't know.

I'm not sure what the Four Beasts are after.

All I'm certain of is that they require Cinderella to accomplish their goal,

and that means Cinderella isn't safe.

We have a perfect opportunity here.

Behemoth is alone, and we are many.

If Behemoth manages to call in her allies, we're done for.

We must hurry.

Come, I'll show you the way.

Before that, we need to do a quick inspection on ourselves.

No, we need to hurry.

You think we don't know that?

We have no idea when we'll run into Behemoth. We need to be prepared.

Preparation is not necessary.

We will simply fight with every last ounce of strength we have.

If you want to fight at full capacity, then prior preparation is key.

Fighting at full capacity simply means giving it your all.

And I'm telling you that in order to do that, we need to prepare.

We can do all of that without prior preparation.

That's not "giving it your all". That's glorified suicide.

It's not suicide at all. It's just giving it all you've got.

...

Hey, why are you shaking like that? Are you cold?

I feel foolish for humoring a moron who doesn't know the first thing about tactics.

Yeah, that's really stupid of you.

...

Wow, you're really shaking a bunch.

Tactics are superfluous. Just give it your all.

Why don't you sit down

and let me teach you a few things about tactics?

No, we must hurry.

Get over here and sit down, before I put you down.

You've got a rotten attitude.

Get over here! Now!

It should be okay. Eunhwa is more lenient towards newcomers.

... In her own way.

Nothing bad is going to happen, so don't worry.

Umm, Rapi.

Yes?

When are you going to apologize to Eunhwa?

...

Vesti! Where are your manners?

Rapi needs some time, that's all.

I know that,

but...

...

...

You know how Eunhwa is.

Actually...

She was devastated when Rapi left.

She hasn't been able to move on since.

It seems to me that she's doing just fine.

You doofus, learn to read the room.

She keeps talking about the past.

About how we accomplished more back then, how we used to do things this way, and so forth.

About how things were better before.

...

Ever since Rapi left...

we've all stayed the same.

Eunhwa's still upset about Rapi leaving without saying anything, and she's been stuck in a rut ever since.

Yes, we've gotten stronger and we can accomplish more tasks now,

but relationship-wise, we're frozen in time.

Things haven't deteriorated, but they haven't improved either.

I... I just don't want it to be like this.

I don't want to stay stuck like this.

I read in a book once that a relationship which doesn't evolve is an unhealthy one.

That describes us to a T.

Vesti...

...

Okay, I understand.

That's why you've been squabbling with Eunhwa.

... Yes.

Eunhwa may be caustic and she often blows up at me,

but we're still friends.

Sounds like you've had a rough go of it.

Oh no, it wasn't all that bad.

It's fun to tease Eunhwa.

... Uh-huh.

That's true. Nothing beats getting a good zinger in on her.

So, Rapi...

You have to help her move on.

... I understand.

You've changed.

Yeah, I'm proud of you.

Ever since we took on this mission, I couldn't get it out of my mind.

I'm glad you all understood what I was getting at.

If everyone is ready to go, we should head out.

Alright.

...

I did.

My ears hurt from all the talking.

What the...?! That's it, I'm going to give you a refresher course.

No.

We need to hurry.

How much further?

Soon.

... Okay.

That weapon you're using.

You called it Seven Dwarves, didn't you?

Yes.

That's the same weapon that Snow White uses.

How did you know that?

My goodness, you all are something.

My question is, what are you doing with Snow White's weapon?

I'm holding onto it, that's all.

Have you met her?

No, I haven't. We don't know each other.

So how...

I intend to meet her and return it to her.

It's just that I haven't met her yet.

Could you help me find her?

Snow White! And the Goddess squad...

...

No.

Cinderella doesn't get along with the rest of the squad.

??

They fought.

So they can't meet.

They did? When?

A long time ago.

Everyone, lay low and check your 10 o'clock.

Behemoth should be there.

What the...

Is she... climbing up the building?

As long as there's a wall, it looks like she can ascend to just about any height.

She just scaled that entire thing. She's on the rooftop now.

She seems to be searching for something.

Us, I presume.

Or the coffin, to be more precise.

Approximately three kilometers.

A single hit won't inflict significant damage on her.

The only attack which will serve any function is a concentrated, continuous assault.

I'm not so sure of that.

I think we can take her.

We may know her weak spot,

but there's no knowing what else she could have up her sleeve.

And let's not forget the fact she's most likely able to transform herself somehow.

Most importantly, we have no way of countering the crystals that she commands.

So stealth is still our best option.

Oh... alright.

What's wrong?

What?

What did you expect when you made it so obvious that you were spying on her?

Fortunately, we've got some distance on her. Let's circle around and...

Behemoth is moving.

Commander!

How the hell did she close that distance so quickly?!

It defies all common sense.

Hmm, I didn't expect you to be able to avoid that.

I'll commend you on having the guts to even attempt sneaking past me.

*Sigh*... You're becoming quite irksome. Take this.

Argh!

Eunhwa!

She's been hit all over!

I made sure to stick you nice and proper. You'll become nourishment for them in no time.

My body... it's getting stiff...!

Let's see how you like this.

Why would you say that? The world is full of strange and mysterious things.

Argh...!

I'll be taking that coffin back, thank you very much.

You... can't have it!

I figured that's what you'd say.

You're not taking it.

Hmm? Was your hair always that color?

Not your business.

Come on, tell me.

Oh no you don't!

You've gotten stronger!

I won't let you beat me again.

Big words for a puny being.

Argh!

Call her all you want, she won't be getting up.

Hey.

How long are you going to keep following me?

And when you catch up to me?

What exactly is your plan?

How do you intend on besting someone as powerful as I?

Haha. Really?

I might have fallen for that bluff if you'd managed to keep your voice from shaking.

Do you know why I haven't killed every last one of you?

It would be so easy. I could walk over and crush all your heads like watermelons right now.

Why don't you think I'm doing that?

That's true as well, but there's an even more important reason.

...

How did you know? Is it that obvious?

Oh, I'm being quite serious.

There are only four of us, so we always end up talking about the same things.

We get along swimmingly as well, and never fight, which is excruciatingly boring.

I've tried striking up a conversation with Grave numerous times, but as you know, she's hardly a skilled conversationalist.

...

Conversation is the foundation of evolution.

I need someone to talk to.

So I thought, why not let you tag along and entertain me?

Every villain has their own set of ideals.

I've got to go. See you around.

You ought to be careful, by the way.

You still have something that I want.

Hehe, that's precisely what makes it all so fun.

They're all knocked out cold.

You should get out of here immediately. If any Raptures come here...

Get yourself and everyone to a safe location.

However, there's no way a human can lift up a Nikke. They're far too h...

... heavy.

Okay!

There's a glass building 50 meters northeast of you. It should be safe there for now.

You're not planning on moving everyone, are you?

It's not possible! There's no way you can move seven Nikkes!

... Understood. I'll continue monitoring the area. You just keep walking straight.

Hold on, I'm picking up vital signs from Grave!

Urgh...

...

I... I can help.

No, thank you.

Has everyone regained consciousness?

We have to keep going. We need to get that coffin back.

...

Do we even stand a chance?

I know that she took us by surprise, but even so, she practically wiped the floor with us.

...

Not even Red Hood did us any good.

Not to mention how Eunhwa was consumed by the crystals.

Hey, watch it, you idiot. I haven't been consumed yet.

You can't even move properly since your body is so stiff!

It's still better than having to hear you prattle on all day.

Commander...

Do you intend on continuing?

Yes?

Don't be ridiculous. I'm continuing with all of you.

Eunhwa, are you sure you're okay? You've had to lean against the wall this entire time.

And? What's the problem?

Your equilibrium system was hit, wasn't it? You can't maintain your balance.

...

You can't even stand properly, let alone aim your weapon.

I can still be useful as a shield.

...

...!

... Roger.

Very well. We'll head back.

Uh, I... I'll...

...

You stay here.

What? Why?

Put a bullet through that freak's head for me.

Show her who the real monster is.

Y-yes! Got it!

I guess that means we're pressing on.

...

Let's go.

Are you sure you're okay, Rapi?

I'm fine.

...

And even if I wasn't,

I'm going to have Behemoth on her back

if it's the last thing I do.

... Huh?

Whoa. I've never heard you talk like that before.

Actually, come to think of it, is this the first time you've been bested in a fight?

I haven't lost yet.

...

Once my repairs are done, I'll come right back.

Wait for me.

What is it?

...

Cinderella still hasn't fully recovered,

and she has been asleep for a long time.

I can't guarantee what condition she'll be in when she awakens.

There's another issue we must keep in mind.

Since she has been asleep for so long,

her brain activity has been suppressed to such an extent

that she could potentially have suffered negative side effects.

She could be a blank state. A tabula rasa on which anything can be written.

She'll be able to become anything.

Like a newly hatched chick.

I hear that baby chickens think that the first thing they see is their mother.

If Behemoth is the first thing she sees after awakening,

she could end up becoming a Heretic herself.

Right.

That's why if you were to open the coffin by force,

her life would be in peril.

I am the only one who can open the coffin.

Cinderella is as dangerous as she is strong.

I cannot allow it to happen again.

Not again.

Exactly how strong is she?

Even if you all were to gang up on her, you wouldn't stand a chance.

Don't use us as an example.

What would happen if she went toe-to-toe with Behemoth?

Hard to say.

What do you mean?

A long time has passed.

I'm not sure if she is still the same.

She might have become weaker.

At any rate, she would beat you all rather easily.

You don't have to keep using us as an example!

But if she is the same,

there is no one in the world who could defeat her.

...

Excuse me.

I have something to report.

The Harmony Cube is reaching the end of its lifespan.

It seems that using multiple A Pillars is taking its toll.

So are you saying we can't use any more A Pillars?

Two or three more may be possible, at most.

Any more than that may prove difficult.

And temporarily on hold.

For now, use the A Pillars in an offensive capacity against Behemoth.

The Harmony Cube can be repaired. It will simply take some time.

No, not yet.

It appears they're having some mobility issues.

Those two? I seriously doubt it.

Of course. I'll talk to you later.

I can't believe I forgot to bring the one who can open this.

I got too carried away showing off.

Should I go back? No, that won't look good.

Hey. What are you doing?

I was just thinking.

You, thinking? Don't make me laugh.

Probably thinking about what to eat for lunch.

Do you want me to decide for you?

Forget it. I'm not hungry.

Oh? You're not?

What is it that's vexing you?

I found this, but I have no clue how to open it.

What's inside it?

Anachiro.

She's sleeping inside this thing.

...

You found it?

Yeah.

How?

She was hidden inside a crystal. It appears that she had been here all along.

No kidding! Haha, she's really got guts.

Amazing how often we overlook what's right under our noses.

Mmm, indeed.

...

Where were you?

Hmm?

You heard me.

Oh, I was... around.

Were you there the whole time?

... Yes.

Then how is it that you only found out just now?

...

Don't you dare give me more vague platitudes.

Where were you? Tell me the truth.

I just...

Spit it out!

I... went to Eden.

Eden?!

Are you out of your mind?!

Why would you go there?

What did you do there?

Nothing much. Just said hi.

Ugh, this is like pulling teeth.

Honestly! I just said hi, that's all.

Were you followed?

No. I'm certain of it.

Okay, that's a relief, but...

*Sigh*... Sometimes I don't know what to do with you.

I told you to keep a close eye on that entire area.

You know that's the closest area to the tunnel. If anything were to go wrong, it would happen there first.

I even planted crystals there! Do you have any idea how valuable those are?

Yes, I know.

If you knew that, then why did you wander off somewhere else?

Because this place is boring. There's nothing here.

What do you think you'll possibly find elsewhere that will be so fun?

We promised each other that we'd try to do our best, and you're already unable to resist temptation?

You've got to straighten up. I gave you the area closest to the tunnel precisely because you said you were bored.

Okay, okay. Sorry.

Still, I found the coffin.

*Sigh*...

So now we need to find a way to open it, right?

Yes. If we were to force it open, we could potentially kill Anachiro, so I'm leaving it be for now.

However, I don't think that woman will tell me how to open this thing.

Open it.

Did you hear me? I said that would kill her.

And? You're talking like we know her personally.

All we need is her body,

so just open it already.

Dead or alive, we can still use her.

But don't you think she could teach us a few things?

I doubt it.

She could make a good addition to our team.

She's a dinosaur. I don't want any old geezers on our team.

Why not? It'd be nice to have an addition to the family.

Pssh, the only reason you would even semi-want that is because you're so lonely.

Just open it already.

I don't feel like it.

...

Fine, I'll do it.

What?

I'll come and open it myself. You wait there.

You're going to swim all the way out here? That'll take a while.

I'm coming.

Don't move and just wait for me.

And don't get all sentimental, either. It's pointless.

So now I'm not allowed to have feelings, either? How boring.

Don't you think, Anachiro?

...

I guess I should get things ready for our guests.

Here it is.

Wow... so beautiful.

You're right. In the other areas, it feels like the crystals just grow randomly,

but here it feels like a pathway lined with flowers.

Did she make this herself?

Yes.

She created, tore down, and recreated different versions of it until she got the shape she wanted.

A true roll of the dice.

But why go through all this trouble?

Glass Slippers is just up ahead, so she wanted to decorate the path.

How do you know all this?

I've come here often.

I thought you said it was guarded closely by Behemoth.

She often leaves her post.

I've attempted to awaken Cinderella many times, but she was not yet fully healed, and I was unable to wake her.

However, Cinderella should be nearly recovered by now.

She can be awakened.

But now Behemoth is here.

I need help.

What if Cinderella is still acting as Anachiro?

What will you do?

I will kill her.

Without hesitation.

How do you plan to do that?

I know her weakness. I can kill her.

Tell us too.

In the worst-case scenario, we may have to put her down as well.

No.

I must be the one to do it.

...

Okay. Let's go.

I'm detecting Behemoth up ahead.

Why, hello there.

Are you here for the coffin?

I put it up near the front.

If you want to go any further, you'll have to go through me.

Hehe, I've always wanted to say that line.

Hmm?

That device from before!

A Pillar, en route.

Oh no you don't! Do you realize how much work I put into this place?

Skipping activation for sequence condition check.

Proceeding straight to Ark creation sequence.

What the...?

My clamp...!

Ah, so this is your plan? I'm plenty strong even without my clamps.

Got it!

Another smoke screen.

Hmm?

...

How disappointing.

Your plan was simply to put up a smokescreen and run off?

How unoriginal.

You all can't even entertain me at this point.

Time to end this.

What?

What is this?

So you didn't run away after all!

Commander, get down!

Skipping straight to Ark generation sequence.

Impressive!

Commander!

D-did it actually work?

I-Impressive. You're amazing, Commander.

Of course! Master is always amazing.

...

... Impressive.

Well done, Commander, truly.

Having said that, we should get moving.

Our opponent is still a Heretic, and it would be wise not to delay.

Here, take my hand.

Oh my, your arms are so...

Yes. Let's go.

Rapi.

Yes?

You've changed too.

Have I?

You've got quite the eye for beauty, haven't you?

...

Not a word of this to anyone.

Hehe, sure.

The coffin is here.

So she was telling the truth. She must have been confident she'd defeat us.

Yeah, if it were me, I would have lied.

Are you proud that you have less morals than a Heretic?

... I always tell the truth.

Good grief...

Where is Glass Slippers?

Up ahead, inside the flower bud.

It was...

right here.

It's gone.

She betrayed us.

What?

Incoming heat source!

It's coming from above!

What's going on? Is it some kind of Crystal Chamber?

Whatever it is, it's flying?

We don't know what it is, but the Harmony Cube is exhibiting a reaction.

Glass Slippers.

That's what Cinderella wears?

Glass Slippers have been covered by crystals.

This... is an insult!

Glass Slippers cannot be used by anyone else other than Cinderella,

so they covered it in crystals.

Incoming attack!

Glass Slippers attack all those who do not wield it.

We have to remove the crystals that cover it.

I thought you said it'd been consumed by them. What would be the point?

Just like Cinderella,

Glass Slippers are unable to be compromised.

Ever.

So as long as we're able to remove those crystals, this thing should be fine?

That's right.

I'll leave this to you.

I have to go and make sure the coffin is okay.

Okay. Leave it to us.

...

Grave, we've done it.

Grave?

Glass Slippers!

Doesn't look much like a shoe to me.

Me neither.

Yes.

Like I told you, Glass Slippers cannot be compromised.

And the coffin?

Also unharmed.

They fed the Harmony Cube fragments to the crystal so that it would expand and cover Glass Slippers.

They wanted to keep this weapon for themselves at any cost.

Why would they want a weapon that they couldn't use?

It could be symbolic.

Perhaps they consider it a legendary weapon of some kind. That's probably why they also decorated the path.

I see...

Yes!

Wh-what is that?

...!

That quickly?!

Here she comes!

Die!

You first.

Urgh!

First up, the brains of the operation.

Commander!

Master!

!!

Wh-what are you saying?! If you don't stop the bleeding...

...!

O-okay...!

... der! Stop the bleeding..! Get... together...!

Hmm...

...

Any other tricks up your sleeve?

Some kind of secret weapon or something along those lines?

Once I took you out, the rest of them came tumbling down like dominoes.

I doubt Grave will divulge how to open this coffin.

*Sigh*...

What should I do?

I really wanted to meet her.

...

??

What's this?

The weight's different.

...

It's empty?

Hehe, you got me.

You were tricked.

You have no idea how much that pisses me off.

Ahhhhhhhh-!!

Wow, look at you standing up.

That must have hurt like hell.

Target area acquired!

Skipping all sequences. Proceeding straight to activation upon impact.

I'm starting to get sick of this.

What the...?!

It's a hit, but slightly to the right.

Adjusting the coordinates. Just a moment.

I will say that's one good thing about these crystals.

You don't have to adjust your aim every single time.

The only downside is that they have a time limit.

I'll fire off a bit more.

I want her to feel the same pain she's inflicted on us.

Go for it.

Argh! What a thorn in my side you all are!

The A Pillar is coming!

!!

Graaaaahhhhh!

Die!

This is a bit danger...!

Your offenses are useless if I'm up close.

I could say the same thing to you.

Don't be so sure about that.

What is this, a suicide attack?

Ahahahahaha!

Wh-why are you laughing?!

Link with Glass Slippers complete!

Finally, Cinderella will awaken!

...

No...

Why... why?!

Comm... ander... Sorry... I couldn't... win...

Pl... ease...

What did I do wrong?

Her body is fine, and the linking went well.

Has it simply been too long?

While I appreciate you trying to fix her up,

I'll take it from here.

Cinderella!

... Who are you?

Hello, Anachiro.

Anachiro?

What's wrong? Is your memory a bit spotty?

You're Anachiro. The first Heretic.

My predecessor.

Anachiro...

Yes, that was it.

That was my name.

... Uh?

Oof!

...

A punch? Really?

A human stepping up to me?

...

Your tenacity is truly impressive,

I'll give you that much.

It's such a waste.

Would you like to join us?

We don't usually add new members to the team, but I'll make an exception for y...

Wait... what is this?

Wh-why is this...!

That Dark Matter...

What's going on?!

??

It's over... Cinderella has been corrupted.

Now I will do what must be done, with my own hands.

...!

!!

Cinderella!

??

Cinderella!

What are you calling me?

My name is Anachiro.

No, you're Cinderella.

Open your eyes.

We can rewrite the past.

We can erase all that shame.

Let's write a new story together.

All stories

should have a happy ending.

Now,

get up.

...?

I said get up!

Cinderella.

...

Do you know me?

I do! I do!

But I don't know you.

Show me your face.

...

It's... not pretty.

Show me.

...

My face is badly damaged.

You might not recognize me.

My voice has changed as well.

It may not sound familiar to you anymore.

... Beautiful.

You were always so beautiful.

...!!

You still are.

You protected me.

Cinderella...

What should I do now?

Tell me. My greatest audience.

...!

What we were supposed to do long ago.

What we wanted to accomplish so badly but were unable to.

Our enemy.

The enemy of humanity.

Bring them down.

My... Goddess of Victory.

The audience has spoken.

I will rewrite this story, and continue it.

I don't know what came over me... did I eat some bad food or something?

Anachiro, what are you waiting for?

Glass Slippers fully connected.

Let it rain.

A story that was once defiled and kept from the world.

An old, forgotten fairy tale.

Now, in this place, in this very moment,

it will be rewritten.

Hold on, what are you doing?! Wait!

Tell me,

am I beautiful now?

You... are radiant.

Hello, Prince Charming.

You've finally come to.

You're the one who found my Glass Slippers and woke me up.

I can hardly think of a more fitting name for you.

I don't like giving explanations.

It's not beautiful.

Go take a look outside.

Everyone is safe. For now.

I'll just take a few more looks in the mirror before I head out.

I must maintain my beauty.

Commander?

Master?

Not too long. A few hours?

But, are you sure you should be walking around?

He's always getting beaten, battered and bruised. He must have built up a tolerance.

Don't be ridiculous.

Having said that, you did recover awfully quickly. Almost unnaturally so.

Well...

Cinderella fought with Behemoth.

She wasn't quite able to overcome her. It was a long brawl.

Behemoth ended up expanding that dark matter of hers,

so much so that it covered her entire body and rendered Cinderella's attacks useless.

It didn't feel like that.

It felt more like a last-minute gambit done out of desperation.

She appeared to be in severe pain.

So, we took advantage of that and escaped.

Not good.

Vesti is completely wrecked and the crystals consumed a majority of Eunhwa's body.

She's operating at a severely limited capacity, but the situation isn't any worse than it was with Hammering.

So long as we replace her body with another, she should be fine.

Emma was also badly hurt since she tried to protect Eunhwa from the crystals that Behemoth was throwing.

It's fair to say that she's out of commission for the time being.

We're waiting until the transport unit arrives.

Her body was torn to shreds, so Mana is looking after her.

Apparently if you're injured to that extent, your consciousness typically shuts down automatically, so Mana was surprised she held out for so long.

Still, Mana said she can repair her. Since Grave has the body of a mass-produced Nikke, swapping it out for a new one shouldn't be too difficult.

Hmmm...

Being so soundly defeated by Behemoth got into her head for a bit,

but she's fired up and determined to get revenge.

She's currently with Absolute.

She told us she wanted to say farewell.

Yes.

I don't get it. She's gonna see them soon enough, so why say goodbye?

Not like that. An emotional farewell.

??

Anyways, that's the situation so far.

Shifty said she'll fill us in on the next step of the plan when she gets details.

Let's rest until then.

To repay the favor.

You all saved me.

How long have you been standing there?

...

I wish to join you

in reclaiming the surface.

It's something I should have done a long time ago.

I'm looking forward to it.

Now, about that thing I mentioned.

...

...

Can we make that happen?

She keeps asking us to install full-body mirrors around the place.

Yeah, every 100 meters. No less.

That was a compromise on my part.

I was originally going to ask for them every 50 meters.

So that I can check my appearance constantly.

I must always be beautiful. We all must be.

...

You sound like a vain celebrity.

The transport unit is scheduled to arrive within an hour.

How are you feeling?

I'm okay. It's nothing fatal.

Is Vesti stable?

Yeah, she's asleep now.

If she stayed awake in her current state, she'd be likely to suffer a Mind Switch.

... I see.

How about you, Eunhwa? Are you okay?

I said don't call me by my name.

Get away from me, will you?

I can move fine without your help.

...

I'm sorry.

What?

Here we go...

I'm sorry for leaving without saying anything.

Truly.

...

I...

I wanted to become Red Hood.

I thought I knew how things would go, and that I had inherited her mission.

...

I long thought about how Red Hood could have become as strong as she did.

She had comrades whom she valued dearly and an important, high-stakes mission.

So, when I met up with and spent time with all of you,

I felt that I had also gained comrades-in-arms who meant a lot to me.

It brought me closer to Red Hood.

I thought if I stayed on this path,

then I would become like her.

That I could carry on her mission.

But it wasn't like that.

I was just pretending.

When I accidentally killed that human being,

I found myself worrying more about the paperwork I'd have to fill out than what I'd done.

That's when I realized I was merely pretending to be Red Hood.

I had no real grasp of what the mission meant, nor what I had to shoulder to see that mission through.

I was a pretender. An empty shell.

So the question was: What was I?

What had I lived for up until then? What had I ever really achieved?

What was I?

What did I look like?

I had so many questions,

but couldn't find any answers.

I felt like I had used you all as players in my embarrassing playacting,

and it filled me with a deep, painful shame.

That's why I couldn't say anything.

So I left.

... Stupid, right?

... Yeah.

You're a real fool.

...

If I had said all of this to you then,

would it have changed anything?

It would have changed everything.

... Okay. Thank you.

You all... are very important to me.

Why now?

There must be a reason you're bringing this up now,

so let's hear it.

I didn't want any of you to stop because of me.

... Tsk.

...

Go.

Go and spend your life with that third-rate squad you like so much.

They operate more on your level.

As for us, we'll go our own way.

Eunhwa...

... I understand. Take care of yourselves.

I'm going now, Emma.

Rapi.

Thank you for being brave.

Is this what you call bravery?

Everyone has a different definition of it.

... Thank you.

...

See you around.

Rapi.

...

Yes. See you around... Eunhwa.

...

...

You forgave her so easily.

You're right.

Maybe I just wanted to hear an answer.

It was quite simple, wouldn't you say?

Hmph.

...

It's time to initiate Tactical Up.

... Oh my.

You mean the one Ingrid prepared?

I thought you were dead set against that. Why the sudden change?

Now we don't have to leave an empty spot for her.

My concern was that if we proceeded with that plan, she'd never have a spot on this team again.

And that... saddened me.

But it's okay now.

Since she won't be coming back.

...

Yeah.

Let's become the best we can be. Just us three.