Trigger

Please, don't do something you'll regret.

What I've done, what I'm doing, and what I will do...

You've got to take it all into consideration.

You can't let your personal feelings get in the way of all this.

So please, think carefully

about what the right decision is.

Decide.

All you need to do is make a choice.

We'll handle the rest.

Just keep in mind.

You mustn't make it personal.

Whatever you decide, it has to be what you feel is best for everyone.

You shouldn't need a lot of time.

Especially since you've already made up your mind.

So out with it.

What do you think?

Should we kill him? Or should we let him live?

We've received an assignment.

Let's get to work.

Why are you closing the door?

You seem puzzled.

Perhaps I wasn't quite clear.

Sit over there. I'll explain everything in detail.

Everything will be made clear very soon.

Go on, sit. Let me fill you in.

The target is the president of C.O.L.

C.O.L. stands for "Cycle of Life". It's a company that buys used electronics, repairs them, then resells them.

Their expansion has been remarkable, in fact, so much that only the Big Three are valued higher.

In fact, some reports indicate that they are actually outperforming the Big Three in terms of purchasing and sales.

In other words, they're raking in the cash.

The money isn't what's important.

I know. I'm just saying.

Anyway, this guy used to be a real bigwig in the Central Government.

Until one day he retired and started this electronics business.

Then it blew up.

All of this is superfluous information.

Fine, then you tell it.

...

This so-called "president" is making large donations to the Central Government.

He's also been investing in the medical industry, and making some hefty donations as well.

It sounds like he's a real standup guy.

But he's been targeted.

Why is that?

He's making waaaaay too much moolah.

What kind of a reason is that?

His income can't come just from trading electronics.

The Judges feel there must be something else going on.

It's up to us to figure out what exactly that is.

Once we have, we'll make our decision and carry it out.

Isn't it obvious?

Whether or not we kill this guy.

We've got to decide whether or not we kill this guy.

The president. Our target. Kill him. Yes or no? Comprende?

There's a high chance he's got his fingers in some legally dubious pies.

That's evil.

No.

We will investigate.

If he has done something illegal, then we'll consider the severity of the crime.

We will be completely impartial in our investigation.

Once we've concluded said investigation, we'll reach our final decision.

You follow me?

To recap: We determine exactly what the target is, or isn't, up to.

Then we make a decision as to whether or not we kill him.

That's how we Perilous Siege work.

This time, you'll be making the final decision, and we'll carry it out.

The Judges have decreed it.

This is a first for us as well.

Usually, our opinions are taken into serious consideration when making the final decision. But this time, you're the one who gets to pull the trigger... figuratively speaking, that is.

Actually, I do have a guess as to why it's different this time around.

Remember how the target donates a whole lot of money to the Central Government?

That's why.

If we eliminate the target, there goes the higher-ups' cash cow.

The target may be obtaining the money using underhanded methods,

but a whole bunch of those profits are being funneled straight to the Central Government.

So they've got cold feet.

Killing him means derailing the gravy train, but letting him live doesn't sit right with them either.

So they're leaving the hard part of making the decision up to you.

Judges vote to select the next target.

Whatever this guy's done, he's obviously crossed the line far enough for the Judges to designate him as a target,

despite the fact many of them are lining their pockets with his ill-gotten money.

That's why they're tossing this hot potato in your lap.

It might also be because you're part of the Central Government too.

Potentially.

Don't say anything that you can't prove to be true.

All right, all right.

We should get going.

We are going to go undercover.

We've already completed the preliminary investigation.

All we have left to do is figure out a few smaller details.

Going undercover is our best option for that.

What are you babbling about?

What good would infiltrating the company do us?

You think they're gonna leave stacks of illegal paperwork laying around for us to find? How stupid do you think they are?

We're going to

become company employees.

That's right. We'll get hired at the target's company, and see what we can dig up.

If we want to find out the truth, we've got to get on the inside.

Starting tomorrow, all we've got to do is show up at the office.

We've got it all taken care of.

We just need to start working from tomorrow morning.

Don't worry, we didn't do anything illegal.

We've got our official employee documentation all in order. They look so good, you'd never know they were fake.

Don't be such a stick in the mud.

Anyway, good luck at work.

That's exactly right. I'm not going to work.

I'm going to look into the medical institutions that the target has been putting money into.

That's important too, y'know.

You and D can handle this side of things without me.

Get some rest tonight. We put our plan into action starting tomorrow.

Ugh, what is it?

A fair question.

Enikk doesn't make judgments unless requested by the Judges.

The target has an uncomfortable association with the Judges. There's no way they'd take this to Enikk.

The only scenario where Enikk would act on her own

would be if someone was causing untold damage to the Ark or its inhabitants.

Otherwise, she grants the Judges full autonomy.

Basically,

regardless of what this guy is up to, it doesn't constitute a major threat to security, at least not in Enikk's eyes.

So long as that's the case, she won't act on her own.

I'll give you an example.

Human trafficking. An unforgivable offense, wouldn't you say?

Not from Enikk's perspective.

Nobody gets killed. It's not a question of how traumatic an experience is or isn't. For Enikk, it's purely numbers. If they don't change, then it's not a problem.

Having said that, human trafficking often involves a litany of other heinous offenses.

However warped it seems, the essential act of human trafficking in and of itself is not a problem as far as Enikk is concerned.

She operates according to different standards than us.

Therefore, this case is something that the Judges and us need to figure out on our own.

Yourself included.

Don't take this lightly.

This can be a heavy burden, but it is one you must carry.

...

...

You think so?

Nope.

...

Nope.

Hey there, you two. You're the new hires, right?

How's the work so far?

Nothing too difficult, I hope?

No, no problems.

Are you the supervisor?

Guilty! I'm the supervising officer for this line.

In that case, if it's all right,

I do have a question for you.

Oh... um... sure. Go right ahead.

How's the cafeteria food here?

Haha, a very important question indeed! I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere with better lunch options than us.

I must admit that I haven't exactly eaten at many other companies, but I still stand by our food here.

Why, are you hungry already?

I didn't have any breakfast because I was nervous.

My goodness! You mustn't forget breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day!

I see that you both started at the same time and are working on the same line.

May I ask how you two know each other?

We're newlyweds.

Just got hitched two weeks ago.

Oh, I see. Well, good luck with all of that!

We're very grateful for you giving us this job. Aren't we, honey?

You two seem like nice people, so let me say this to you.

This is a fine company to work for. It may be tough going at first,

but if you stick it out, you're sure to be noticed.

Take me for example. My legs aren't in the greatest shape, but they still let me work here.

As a matter of fact, I'll be working directly under the president starting tomorrow.

Wow, no kidding?

What does that position entail, exactly?

Actually, I don't know the details myself, but if it's directly under the president, it must be good, right?

Not to mention the pay...

Let's just say I might be in for an early retirement.

You lucky son of a gun!

All you need is a good work ethic. Work hard, and you'll reap the rewards.

The president admires people like that.

I've only been here 3 weeks as well.

You came on as a supervisor, but you've moved up that fast in less than a month? Remarkable.

The president just takes a shine to people who put their noses to the grindstone.

So long as you two work hard, you can become like me too.

I certainly hope so.

Best of luck!

You too.

...

You got something to say?

Presenting an amiable and innocuous image is beneficial to gathering information.

...

You're starting to make me self-conscious.

Let's get back to it.

How'd it go? Did you find anything suspicious?

Even so, there must have been something that caught your attention.

I don't care how minor it seems. I want to hear everything.

...

What, are you planning on starting a new career there or something?

Spare me the workplace complaints and give me the dirt!

...

D, help me out here.

They seem to give out promotions like candy.

Tell me in detail.

That's odd, all right.

No one moves that quickly up the corporate ladder.

Does he have any connections within the company?

I did a background check on him, and didn't turn anything up.

Hmm...

Any other ideas?

All I can do is assume, and you know what that does.

It only makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me".

How are things on your end?

Our target has been pouring money into this hospital almost non-stop.

But it's strange...

It's too clean.

Are you intentionally trying to get on my nerves?

I looked into the patients, and everyone under the sun is staying there.

Literally everyone from high-level executives to part-time students.

There's a wide age range too.

As far as I can tell, it doesn't seem like a hospital that focuses specifically on any age group or class.

The employees aren't skimming anything off the top, and there aren't any funds being misappropriated for unnecessary repairs or maintenance.

There was one crucial thing, however.

That.

I'll tell you what.

This hospital is filled with people who have the same symptoms as that kid.

Only thing is, that's an incredibly rare disease. So uncommon, in fact, that only a couple dozen people in the entire Ark have it.

The mortality rate is quite high.

Not much research has been done regarding this disease because so little is known about it and there are so few recorded cases.

More than 80% of the donations the target has given are going towards the research and treatment of this disease.

He's poured so much money into this place, that research on the disease has progressed by leaps and bounds.

They're also trying to find a meaningful cure.

Nearly everyone who is suffering from this disease has gathered at this hospital.

You see that kid over there? 3 days ago, she was bedridden.

What's your point?

I need to do a bit more digging, but

this place looks clean to me.

For the moment, at least.

I'm going to use my own methods to dig a bit deeper.

The simplest way of going about this would be to concentrate on a few key figures.

Using this.

It hurts like heck, but it won't leave any lasting damage.

If you want to get the truth out of someone, you can't beat this.

We mustn't resort to such underhanded tactics.

Not this again. We're going to be here forever if we don't.

Don't forget.

If you want clean results, then your methods have to be just as clean.

You go ahead and do that.

I'm doing this my way.

Not you too?

Do you have any idea of the lengths people go to cover up the terrible things they do?

If you want to bring them to justice, you've got to be willing to go just as far as they are.

Think of this as a "shortcut".

I despise how these people cover everything up and manipulate the truth.

It sickens me how they keep it all under wraps.

They know what they're doing is wrong, but they do it anyway. They couldn't care less.

We need to be strong in the face of evil, don't you think?

Well, it doesn't get much stronger than this.

I'll give them a taste of their own medicine.

I don't agree with your methods.

Right back at ya.

We should go back.

We need to be at work by 8.

Have a nice day at work.

If we pull any outside strings to attain a higher position,

the other workers might end up getting jealous, or it could ring alarm bells in upper management.

Either way, we don't want to draw any unwanted attention.

So that we'd have a joint bank account. Being together means you can make more money together.

We met at another job. We both wanted to make a lot of money, so we hit it off.

We want to get promoted, so that we can make more money.

We want to buy a house, and be able to eat out whenever we want.

We also want children.

Your focus suffers if you stretch yourself too thin.

We want to concentrate fully on working here. We like this company a lot.

No one's getting hurt, so it's fine.

One should always work hard.

Until who we're after comes to us.

We're talking about a place where you can apparently make a fortune in just 3 weeks.

If we keep our heads down and appear eager, I'm sure someone will seek us out.

Couldn't tell you.

...

!!

Turn around.

I said turn around.

...

Whatever you do, don't look behind you.

Just don't look behind you.

...

Quiet.

I seem to remember hearing something about him having a lot of debt from illegal gambling,

but he never mentioned anything about it himself.

I never saw any warning signs, not from what I remember...

He was such a good worker... How...

He did seem a bit downcast the past few days.

I think it was after he started working for the president.

Whenever I asked if something was wrong, he would just shake his head.

I never thought he'd do such a thing...

Not a one. He would have died for this company.

He had a bad leg, but they hired him anyway, and paid him a full salary. Management rewarded him for his hard work...

Complaining about this place is just about the last thing he'd ever do.

So then why did he...

What exactly does he do under the president?

The only thing we can do is wait.

I already did.

The place was immaculate.

A little too clean in fact.

...

What plan?

Don't lose your head.

We've cultivated a good image at this point.

If we move too quickly, people might sense something is up.

Good idea.

But I can't seem to think of anything that'd work.

Newlyweds.

...

You don't mean...

Oh my stars! How wonderful it is to hear some good news in a dark time like this.

How far along is she? Did the hospital tell you?

Oh! So it's a recent development!

But what are you going to do? Before long, you won't be able to work...

And you'll be needing more money than ever.

Two jobs? I'm not sure.

If you bring it up with them, I don't think it'd be an issue.

...

Would you like me to try and have a word with the higher-ups?

I can tell them the new hire could use the extra money.

Okay, I'll see what I can do.

The president is a good person. I'm sure he'll work something out for you.

Don't you worry.

...

Is there a problem?

Why?

...

I feel the same way.

Excuse me.

You're Diana and Steve, right?

Nice to meet you.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. President.

I heard from some of the other employees that you're looking to take on some additional responsibilities?

Mmm, they informed me of your situation.

I've also heard a few things about both of you.

You two are real hard workers with a whole lotta passion, or so I'm told.

Since you could use a little help financially,

how would you like to come work for me personally?

It's quite simple, really.

C.O.L. is also involved in the transportation business.

We do deliveries to certain special areas.

You'll be responsible for making those deliveries.

The Outer Rim.

Oh, don't worry. It's nothing illegal.

I've been donating electronics to the Outer Rim for some time now.

You know how tough it can be out there.

The people there should have the right to have access to technology, even if it may not be the latest models.

If only that were true.

The Outer Rim is a dangerous place,

or at least that's what most people think.

If you ask me, it's not dangerous at all.

The people there know we have good intentions, and have been nothing but friendly to us.

That I can guarantee.

Anyway, that long-standing prejudice means that a lot of people are hesitant to go to the Outer Rim.

But from what I've heard about you two, something tells me you won't feel that way.

How much does it pay?

Five times what you get now.

F-five times?

Please don't think I'm giving you that much because it's illegal.

It's nothing like that.

It's just my way of showing a little appreciation to those working for me who go above and beyond.

Well, what do you say?

Can we think ab--

Very good.

Be at the number 3 inventory warehouse by 6 o'clock tomorrow morning.

I'll have an employee there waiting. They'll explain everything.

Looking forward to working with you both.

...

That was fast.

Right.

About time you showed up.

Get in.

Your bodyguard.

The president may like to pontificate about how safe the Outer Rim is,

but it's filled with all sorts of seedy characters.

Hurry up and get in. We've got a schedule to keep.

Who's driving?

I am.

Can I drive?

Think you can handle it?

Of course.

Go right ahead. Gives me some time to relax for a bit.

Can I open the trunk before we go?

... Why?

I need to know what's inside. It could affect how I have to drive.

Electronics.

I know that, but I need to know how it's all laid out.

A real professional, I see.

Be my guest. Look, but don't touch.

All right, got it.

Let's hit the road.

Take a right here.

Here. Stop.

That's it. We leave the truck we rode in here.

You see the truck parked there? That's the one we'll drive back.

So we're just leaving this entire truck here?

Right. Someone from the Outer Rim will come and take the items inside.

Why aren't we giving them out ourselves?

You're awfully inquisitive. The last guy asked too many questions as well.

If we hand them out ourselves, we'd be in close proximity to the general population.

Do you have any idea how dangerous that would be?

Let's get a move on. I don't want to linger here.

You got it.

Oh, darn.

I screwed up.

I think I left my wallet in the trunk earlier when I was checking it.

What? Hey, wait...

...

Hey! You can't be opening that without permission.

You know, I just thought of something.

When I was driving, the truck felt awfully loaded down.

Whenever I picked up speed or took a turn, I could really feel the weight bearing down.

But these electronics here couldn't possibly account for all that weight.

... So?

Mind if I take a look inside?

Yes, I do mind.

Just a quick peek.

It ain't gonna happen, lady.

Move aside. Why are you so damn nosy, anyway?

??

Wh-what is this? What's going on?

This can't be happening...

Who are these people?

Are you blind? They're Nikkes.

Are they being sent here to volunteer at the Outer Rim?

In a way.

Don't act so surprised.

Do you really think we'd come all the way to the Outer Rim just to deliver electronics?

Give up acting all innocent.

You should have known something was up when they were willing to pay you a king's ransom for this job.

Who in their right mind would pay you five times your salary for a basic delivery?

How should I know?

Cannon fodder for some local insurrection, maybe. Who cares?

Jeez, another boy scout? First the guy before, now you two.

So I'm the bad guy, is that it?

Just shut up and take the money. We're all out here trying to make a living, aren't we?

So stop glaring at me, and hurry up and get in the truck.

We've got another stop to make.

Does the president know this?

What do you think, genius?

How long have you been doing this?

6 months, give or take.

I had my misgivings in the beginning, but then I remembered the Central Government would only scrap these Nikkes anyway.

It's easier if you just think of them as objects. That's pretty much what they are, anyway.

I see.

Die then.

... Huh?

Gahh!

I was about to kill something that shouldn't be considered human.

Y-you were gonna kill me?!

No.

I don't act based on emotion.

If there is someone who has acted immorally,

and I can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt,

I am authorized to use deadly force.

Should any evidence be brought into question, I will take my own life.

This is the cross I bear.

I carry it with me always.

Ah! Arghhh!!

...

Wait here.

...

Do you really want to know?

I did what I had to.

...!

All right then.

I have never regretted any of my actions.

That man got what he deserved.

...

Let's go back.

Yeah.

Doing some investigation. And extermination.

I focused my investigation on what transpired yesterday.

Read this.

Precisely.

She'll be here soon.

How's it hangin', everyone?

...

Well, aren't we a cheery bunch.

Did you guys forget how to talk or something?

Yikes.

You guys are wound tight today.

You didn't do the deed, did you?

You know...

Gotcha.

What did the Judges say?

Justified. Sentence upheld.

Nicely done.

You've always been good at that part of the job. Catches me a little off guard sometimes.

What'd you find at the hospital?

Oh, that?

I used a variety of different "methods".

I couldn't turn up an ounce of dirt on the place.

Far as I can tell, it's a perfectly respectable establishment.

The place is squeaky clean. So much so, that I'm starting to wonder if I'm missing something.

At any rate, I'm calling it. There isn't anything suspicious about the hospital.

Right, that reminds me.

Our target is attending an event today.

Do you want to go?

The biomedical center is finally completed!

This building will focus specifically on treating rare, harmful diseases.

It is a monumental place that will help countless people live longer, happier lives.

No longer will anyone be refused proper medical treatment purely because they have a rare disease.

No longer will they be denied the necessary governmental care.

As of today, they will find help here at the biomedical center.

Everything from preliminary examinations, to exhaustive treatment, will all be offered free of charge.

You may be asking: Why would we do something where we know we won't make any money?

My answer is: Because all lives are equal!

All lives deserve the same amount of respect, no matter what.

That is what we believe here at Cycle of Life.

Everything for free? That's incredible.

Let's head back.

It's dangerous to stay here.

In more ways than one.

The target knows about us.

Our cover is blown since we sabotaged the delivery and quit our jobs.

We need to act now.

Let's go over everything one more time.

Reasons why we should kill the target:

He sells mass-produced Nikkes and weapons to the Outer Rim.

And it goes deeper than that.

That merchandise gets utilized in civil conflicts, further destabilizing the situation at the Outer Rim and resulting in additional casualties.

Reasons why we shouldn't kill the target:

He built a hospital specializing in rare diseases that offers free treatment for patients.

That gives hope to those who are suffering from these diseases, as well as their families.

This is a tough one.

If we're going by my standards, this guy is a positive and a negative put together, which adds up to zero.

What should we do?

I would kill him if I were you.

I wouldn't.

Because he deserves to die.

Because he doesn't deserve to die.

???

...

I don't see why not.

But he's amped up security in light of what's happened.

I don't know how you'll be able to get close to him.

Quit joking around, will you?

Hehe, sorry. Couldn't resist.

It's true that he's amped up security,

but that won't be a problem for us.

The cross that we bear is heavy indeed,

but if you can endure it,

you're capable of anything.

??

Show up at his front door. I'm sure he'll be at home.

We'll mow through them easily enough.

It's fine. The Judges will take care of it.

Sure, until we've reached a final decision.

Once we're certain what needs to be done,

it's full steam ahead.

Put this on.

It doesn't matter to us, but if you get recognized, it could be an issue for you later on.

Time to move out.

Hold them back!

Agh! Who are these guys?!

Are you here to kill me?

Was ruining my deal not enough for you?

I don't understand this.

Do you have something against me? Do we know each other?

Need to know basis, and you don't need to know.

Fine. If I'm being honest, I wasn't overly curious.

You did a good job with those documents. I had no idea they were forged.

I gave you that job because I took pity on you, since you needed money so badly.

And now you've come here to take me down?

No, this isn't some personal vendetta.

Who sent you?

Again. Need to know basis.

Fine.

There's always been plenty of people who have wanted me dead.

I took care of them all exactly the same way.

This time won't be any different.

This isn't my first rodeo.

Say goodnight.

Ugh!

Tsk!!

A Nikke?!

But how can you harm humans?

...

You are Perilous Siege...!

Those infernal Judges! They've already taken so much, yet they're coming after me?!

Whoa, you know us?

You really are in the upper echelons.

... Have they sent you to kill me?

Not yet.

What?

Our client here would like to have a word with you.

For crying out loud, would it kill you to just play along? What, then? An adjudicator?

It sounds like I might live, depending on how this conversation goes.

You never know.

...

Very well. Let's talk.

That's the cycle of life, is it not?

Huh?

The mass-produced Nikkes. Right. I feel bad for them.

Being sold to the Outer Rim to be used and abused during their final days, which are numbered to begin with. A sorry fate, to be sure.

But if they didn't go to the Outer Rim, they would have just been scrapped, quietly swept under the rug like discarded refuse.

They would have disappeared without a trace.

I took those miserable fates and turned them into an opportunity to make money.

Money that I can use to better other people's lives.

I buy life, and repay it with new life.

I simply provide them with Nikkes and weapons.

What they decide to do with them is out of my hands.

They have other options available to them.

They could have used the Nikkes for labor and dismantled the weapons, using the parts to improve their own livelihoods.

But they didn't.

Out of kindness. It's as simple as that.

I merely wanted to give back to those who had worked so hard for my company.

...

It was to create distance between me and the deals.

I couldn't have people know I was involved in such a shady business. How could I continue with my philanthropy otherwise?

I made sure to request not to inspect the cargo.

Some choose not to heed my warning and end up feeling remorse. Some end up taking their own lives.

There's nothing I can do about that.

Yes.

I am.

Think about this.

Killing me will mean you'll be cutting off support for those people with incurable diseases.

A lot of people will lose their jobs.

If we let you live, those Nikkes and countless people in the Outer Rim will keep dying.

... Mass-produced Nikkes and the people of the Outer Rim.

People in the Ark, who have a future.

Take your pick.

That's enough questions.

Turn around. Don't even think about trying to look back.

It's time for us to decide.

Please, don't do something you'll regret.

What I've done, what I'm doing, and what I will do...

You've got to take it all into consideration.

You can't let your personal feelings get in the way of all this.

So please, think carefully

about what the right decision is.

Decide.

All you need to do is make a choice.

We'll handle the rest.

Just keep in mind.

You mustn't make it personal.

Whatever you decide, it has to be what you feel is best for everyone.

No need to drag it out.

Especially since you've already made up your mind.

So out with it.

What do you think?

Should we kill him? Or let him live?

This is the cross you must bear.

Can you endure it?

Affirmative.

Any last words? A last request is fine as well.

Bite me. You're nothing but Central Government lapdogs.

Commander

Go home.

Take a hot shower and get some sleep.

Tomorrow is a new day.

No.

Go.

It's for the best.

You've set down your cross, but the weight of it remains.

Don't make it any heavier than it already is.

Let us carry it the rest of the way.

Go.

How are you feeling?

...

C.O.L. will be taken over by the Vice President.

I'm told everything will be the same as before.

As for the biomedical center...

The Sovereigns came forward to lend a hand financially.

I always envision the world as being ruled by a cosmic scale.

On one end, you've got good, and evil on the other. All in perfect balance.

The scales occasionally skew to one side or the other.

Evil tends to win out more easily,

where good has a tougher time coming out on top.

That's because it's dependent on sacrifice.

Your money, your time, and your feelings... they're all part of it.

Even after all that, when there are so many people giving so much of themselves

to committing good deeds, it can still be difficult to get the scales to balance.

So I kill the ones who commit evil deeds.

So long as I do that,

I'll tip the scales in good's favor.

Until one day,

the scales will skew towards good permanently, and the world will follow suit.

That is what I believe. That is why I do the work I do.

...

Because of your decision,

I believe the world is a better place.

So don't let the burden consume you.

This cross is no longer yours to bear.

Are you sure?

Consider yourself lucky, mister.

...

Let's get out of here.

Oh, and a friendly reminder.

One word about us, and there won't be enough Judges in the world to protect you.

We'll make sure you disappear without a trace.

Don't forget that.

I'll... keep that in mind.

Farewell.

!!

Let's go. The Judges will handle the rest.

Hey.

Feeling a twinge of regret?

I have good news, so listen up.

They're going to be building more biomedical centers.

They're being proposed by our target... I mean... a certain someone who apparently was deeply affected by your generosity.

He's back on the straight and narrow as well.

It was inevitable.

The rumor about a certain individual selling mass-produced Nikkes to the Outer Rim has spread to the upper echelons of the Central Government.

I think you can guess as to who started those rumors.

At any rate, he's out of our hands now.

I'm sure he'll try something the next chance he gets, but for now, we've put a stop to it.

So let it go.

You don't have to carry this burden with you everywhere you go.

... In life, you come across many different scales.

We can add a bit here and take some there to tilt the balance, but

there's no such thing as perfect balance.

When that happens, I just tilt my head to the side, so that everything looks to be in perfect balance, at least to me.

Rather than trying to make everything perfect, just tilt your head.

It makes getting through life a heck of a lot easier.

I gotta go. See you next time.

Are you watching the rain?

They say it will stop after about 10 minutes, so you'll be able to leave then.

Yes?

...

I...

I'm not sure if I know what being okay feels like.

My life's been hard, and always will be.

It's heavy.

But I'm enduring it.

I believe that

I'm doing the right thing.

I believe that I'm making this world a better place.

It's what makes me able to endure it.

It's okay.

See you next time.