Branch K-02/Floor 3

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Story Episodes

Ritual Square (1)

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Unending Hill of Corpses
I see endless mounds of dead bodies.
The Inquisitors were raising their arms in unison as if to worship something.
And there Kromer stood at the highest peak.
She held out her hands in a prayerlike gesture toward the Golden Bough atop an altar.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	The fathoms of the ego are already open. I see someone has resonated with the Bough before us.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	The hell are they up to? What’re they raising their hands for?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	…Prayer.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	…What is this sound?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	This feels awfully familiar… Somehow annoyingly tingly… and unpleasant…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	…It’s a school bell. Our boy hated school that much, eh.
The playful conversation seemed to lighten the mood of the Sinners.
Save for one.
The one who should have been the owner of the fathoms still showed unease.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	N-No… I don’t want to show my memories, they, they’re…
Unfortunately, his plea held no power over the realm.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Alright, everyone! Listen up!
	Nagel und Hammer An Inquisitor	The One Who Grips so declares.
	Nagel und Hammer Fellow Inquisitor	The One Who Grips so declares.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Not only are those heretics disturbing our sacred rite, they are now after the offering that is rightfully ours to consecrate!
	Nagel und Hammer An Inquisitor	Disgraceful and defiled are they.
	Nagel und Hammer Fellow Inquisitor	Disgraceful and defiled are they.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Go forth and die! Do not fear your end!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	As long as the offering of gold is with us, you shall be brought back to life again and again!
	Nagel und Hammer An Inquisitor	We shall fear not, for the One Who Grips is with us.
	Nagel und Hammer Fellow Inquisitor	We shall fear not, for the One Who Grips is with us.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	And… Sinclair.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Hurry over. You belong in my hands.
	Nagel und Hammer An Inquisitor	No greater joy exists than to be wielded by the One Who Grips.
	Nagel und Hammer Fellow Inquisitor	No greater joy exists than to be wielded by the One Who Grips.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I—I…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Sinclair.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Did you bring the coin?
Location: Rowdy Classroom
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		…The breaks between classes are always lively since everyone gathers around to talk.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		The adults would often watch us from afar and take this as a heartwarming sight.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But there’s something they don’t realize.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		When you take a closer look, these merry interactions are brimming with envy, vainglory, pride, and guile.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Children are crafty creatures.
	Student Reminisced Classmate	I heard Rahul from the next class over’s getting surgery on both arms by his father. Gonna be with some new tech that’s never been shown before. How cool is that?
	Student Reminisced Schoolmate	You know this actor on all the magazine covers? Did I ever mention they’re getting an eye transplant at my mom’s clinic? The waitlist was so long, they personally begged to be moved up.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I grow more anxious with each boastful story my classmates tell.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		What can I share? Their expecting eyes pointed at me felt like they could turn into scoffing leers at any moment.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	T-This is a secret, but…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I swallowed nervously.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Maybe they weren’t asking me for a story after all.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But I had to keep their curious eyes on me.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I knew for sure that I’d become an outcast the moment they looked away.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	My dad… signed a contract with P Corp. They saw the technology he was working on and agreed to give their full support.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My goodness, just what was I thinking when I spilled that?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Out of the fear that I’d be isolated from my peers, I carelessly spelled my own ruin.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Maybe I was compelled by some childish urge, or an inherent desire to be recognized by the other students.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		“Now Emil, this is a confidential agreement for our business. You mustn’t tell another soul.” His insistent reminder echoed in my head—I could see his face.
	Student Reminisced Classmate	Whoa… Is that for real, Sinclair?
	Student Reminisced Schoolmate	P Corp? Like that Wing?! Wow… I’m jealous.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I became the center of conversation in a split second. I can feel the stimulated eyes of the other kids in class drawn to me.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Superiority was pretty damn sweet.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I guess I was driven by a depraved craving for attention.
	Student Reminisced Classmate	Oh right, Sinclair! Your procedure’s soon, isn’t it? Y’know, the prosthetics.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Y—Yeah, of course. They told me I’ll get the… newest model.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		If they paid just a bit of attention to my face…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		They’d have noticed the reluctance in my expression.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Fortunately, no one ever pointed it out.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		A massive wave of guilt eventually washed over me after our break was over and I was finally left alone.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I was supposed to keep that a secret… What if Father finds out?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Ah…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Blood was leaking from my fingertip.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		The bad habit of biting my nails whenever I felt anxious ended up hurting me.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I tried clipping them as short as I could to work on breaking it…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But I never considered that I might bite into my skin instead.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Watching blood droplets fall on the desk, I thought of something.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Once I graduate, I’ll get a prosthetic replacement…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		And then I’ll never get hurt or see my blood ever again.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But… Is that really…
	Student Kromer	You’re… bleeding.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Someone casts a shadow over my desk with a whimsical whistle.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		She was a classmate I rarely talked to, so I could barely remember her name.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Flustered, I stuttered out my response awkwardly.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Wuh… What… was that?
	Student Kromer	Listen, what you said earlier… Is it legit?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Um, y-yeah… It’s legit.
	Student Kromer	I see. Your father must be a real big deal, isn’t he?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Yeah, uhm… I guess.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Her unexpected flattery has me embarrassed.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		As if my father’s greatness were somehow my own.
	Student Kromer	Though… Why did you make that face?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	H—Huh?
	Student Kromer	You know… You were thinking it to yourself.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Then she lowers her head and whispers for only me to hear.
	Student Kromer	That it’s filthy.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My eyes widen.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Not just because I was surprised by how she knew what I was thinking…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But the fact that a total stranger like her had been able to figure out exactly what I’d been hiding.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	H-How did you know?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I could’ve gotten away with it if I’d just denied her accusations, but tactlessly, I asked her that with a dumbfounded look on my face.
	Student Kromer	Pffh… Because… I agree with you on that.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	You… You agree?
	Student Kromer	You can see a lot from those who are on the same wavelength as you.
	Student Kromer	Nice to meet you. I’m Kromer.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Ever since then…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Kromer and I became friends who’d talk often.

Ritual Square (2)

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		As a household rule, my family used to have breakfast at the same table every morning.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		It was a pleasant time when our whole family would share stories and encouraging words.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I liked those mornings, that rule was ever so kind and gentle to my heart.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		A natural and unchanging world that belonged to me. My world.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		That world began to feel alienating one day…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		The day when my sister sat at that table after her prosthetic transformation was complete.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My world had begun to change when my father’s head was replaced with an unfamiliar contraption of steel, circuits, and wires.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Our family breakfast no longer provided warmth and connection. It became an occasion of detachment where I talked less and less.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Ah… I had started to feel an inherent abhorrence for prostheses.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	“That’s filthy…”
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My heart couldn’t accept the idea of replacing one’s flesh and bones with something else, let alone the need for it.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Why do we use prosthetic bodies?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I carefully asked for an explanation, and the reply was simple.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		The human body, in its unmodified state, is too “old-fashioned”.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		It needs to be sustained with food, revitalized with sleep lest it should fail from fatigue, and injuries take a long time to heal.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		All this makes the human body incredibly inefficient.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		He concluded that prostheses will grow more commonplace as time goes on, and ultimately become a regular part of our daily lives.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I thought to myself:
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		“Why don’t I just fall behind the times then if that’s what the mainstream will be?”
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		…Though that wasn’t an argument rooted in logic.
Location: Classroom
	Student Kromer	Yo, Sinclair… You don’t actually wanna take the replacement procedure, do you?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I nodded without a word.
	Student Kromer	But your parents sure wouldn’t like it if you confessed that.
	Student Kromer	Isn’t it frustrating that there’s nothing you can do about it?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I nod again.
	Student Kromer	What if I helped you out? You could live a free life with no worries about any of that junk.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	B-But, how?
	Student Kromer	That, you’ll find out next time.
	Student Kromer	In exchange…
	Student Kromer	In return for helping you with your problem, you’ll help me deal with a grudge of my own too.

Ritual Square (3)

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Classroom
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		One day, a new transfer student named Demian was placed in the class next to mine.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		He was surrounded by a crowd every time I saw him.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But I got the sensation that he didn’t feel attached to anyone around him.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		To me, he seemed as if he were almost floating in the air; he was aloof like that.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Likewise, he didn’t seem too interested in me, either.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		That’s how it was at first, at least.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		It happened during a boring engineering class.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My eyes kept drifting away from the board, and before I knew it, they were looking out the window instead.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Through that window, I saw him taking a walk.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Like usual, he was surrounded by his fellow students, wearing a faint smile.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Even his expression felt different from the kind someone his age should make; that smile carried a mature yet solitary aura.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Basking in the sunlight, he stroked his hair.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Huh?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I thought I caught a glimpse of some weird red thing on his forehead.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Was I mistaken? Maybe it was the blinding sunlight reflecting off his skin.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		And then…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I had the feeling I made eye contact with him.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	……
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Some students were still chatting outside.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		As soon as I felt his gaze, I quickly averted my eyes and looked down at my desk.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Ever since that strange incident, Demian started to talk to me in a friendly manner.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Oddly enough, on the days when Demian approached me, Kromer didn’t come to greet me.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Nevertheless, whenever she had a chance to, she’d come and make sure that I remembered our promise.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	I often have this dream, Sinclair.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	In it, I climb an endlessly long ladder. Then everything down below comes into view. The Nest, the Backstreets, the Outskirts, all of it.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	And when I look beneath my feet, all the lights are out in the City, as if the end of all things had come.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	Fallen into silent death, empty of any motion.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	Indeed, it’s the state of death itself.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Demian, have you been to the Outskirts?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I whispered to him, frightened.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		He was talking about a forbidden place where no one could or should go.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	Sinclair, the world as people want to define it can’t be divided into places of where you should and shouldn’t go.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	Do you think love and freedom can be found within the confines of this Nest? Compared to here, life is much richer in the Outskirts.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	There’s something I’ve been pondering for a long time, and I thought that maybe that’s where I could find the answer.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Whenever I spoke with Demian, I could feel my soul mature a little.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But I never mentioned my fears about the upcoming prosthetic procedure or my peculiar relationship with Kromer.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Even though he wanted to know more about me, I was hesitant to share my secrets.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I was too ashamed to bear my deeply hidden fears before him.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		And finally…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		The promised day had come.
	Student Kromer	Yo, Sinclair, can you show me your basement?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Her words struck me out of nowhere, yet they were as light as a feather.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		She asked me that as though it were something as simple as picking up an eraser, and I almost caught myself agreeing to it.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	W-Why our basement, exactly?
	Student Kromer	If the rumor I just so happened to hear is right, your house is connected to a scandalous place. There’s something I’ve got to check.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	But my parents…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		“…won’t like it.” I couldn’t even bring myself to finish this humiliating sentence.
	Student Kromer	If you let me check it out, Sinclair…
	Student Kromer	I swear I’ll keep that promise with you, cross my heart.
	Student Kromer	Just sneak me the basement key and I can navigate just fine…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Unable to detect the faint, familiar feeling hidden in her words, I slowly nodded…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Thus, the world of evil began there, right in the middle of our house.

Ritual Square (4)

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		After stealing the key without my parents noticing, I took Kromer to the basement of my estate as I had promised.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		From there, she led me to a dirty air vent.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Crawling in the unlit vent for a while, a dank, grimy odor and the sounds of small critters scuttling about assaulted my senses.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My clothes were stained with filth, my throat was parched, and I was overcome with the desire to go back.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		That’s when I noticed that the smell my nose picked up had just changed from the stench so far.
	Student Kromer	Can you feel it?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Kromer whispered to me.
	Student Kromer	There’s something up ahead…!
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		This might have been the last chance I had to turn back.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		It might have been better to dissuade her with all kinds of sweet placations to leave and come back later.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Even if I knew that empty flattery wouldn’t work on her.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But before I could try, a vile curiosity came over me.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I was entering a world where villains belonged for the first time.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		And for some reason…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I gave up turning back.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		All while knowing in my heart that I was squandering my last chance.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Oh, the loathsome sight I had to witness; it was something I couldn’t think to behold twice.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Could “monstrosity” be an apt description for what I saw?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		It seemed too sentient for that, yet it also seemed decidedly wrong to say that it was even remotely human.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Huk… Guhgh…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Shuddering in fear, I started to regret stepping into this world.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Sinclair, you idiot, look at yourself. Hoping by some miracle to get another chance right after you’ve wasted it.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Along with my regret, I had the feeling that I’d never forget what I saw that day until the moment I die.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	K—Kro…mer… I… I’ve gotta go back…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		On the other hand, Kromer was enraptured.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		She was mesmerized by the scene, watching intently as though she had made a discovery of a lifetime.
	Student Kromer	……
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Leaving Kromer all enamored to herself, I crawled backward for the exit.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Why is my basement connected to such a horrid place?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		How did Kromer know this?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Why isn’t she scared, either?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I could almost hear Kromer’s spine-chilling whistles with the wind blowing from behind.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		The very next day, Kromer came to school as if nothing had happened.
	Student Kromer	Sinclair, thank you so much more for showing me precious things.
	Student Kromer	Take these as my thanks.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		She handed two mysterious coins to me.
	Student Kromer	Always keep them at your side. Got it?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		All I could do was nod.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Since then, the things I saw in that vent constantly haunted my mind.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		And I began to consciously avoid Kromer.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I could picture myself involuntarily trembling in terror just by looking at her.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But there was something I needed to take back from her.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		The basement key.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My parents could find out at any moment. One minute of sorting thekeys is all it would take.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		For the first time, I betrayed my parents living in a world of warmth…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I was afraid that my deviation from their world would end up becoming an irrefutable fact.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Kromer… Won’t you give it back now?
	Student Kromer	Give back what?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	The… basement key…
	Student Kromer	…Pft.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I mustered the courage to ask one day.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Kromer burst into laughter, as though she didn’t expect this from me. Intimidated, I slowly stepped back.
	Student Kromer	Pwahahaha!!! Oh, and here I was wondering what you were struggling so hard to say…
	Student Kromer	Fine, you can have it, Sinclair. We don’t need the key anymore.
	Student Kromer	And besides…
	Student Kromer	Your grudge will most certainly bear fruit, Sinclair. You didn’t want to get your procedure, right?
	Student Kromer	You remember our promise? You fulfilled my grudge, so it’s only fair that I pay you back.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I was too absorbed in the relief of getting my key back to realize what Kromer was really talking about, and I curse my ignorance for it.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		About what Kromer’s “we” really meant.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		About why she said it’s not needed any more, and how she was going to fulfill my grudge…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I didn’t think to question a single thing, and for that…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I regret my inaction; I curse my foolishness.

Ritual Square (5)

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	So you ended up giving Kromer the key.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	How do you know that?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Demian had this ability to get a grip on things I’d never mentioned to him.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		When I asked him about it, he just said it's “something you learn by carefully observing others”, and didn’t elaborate further.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	Sinclair, a series of much more painful events may await you in the future.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	But you mustn’t give up.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	That pain will foster your growth into a beautiful being.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		No matter how complicated and perplexing those statements seemed, Demian’s mystic charm made them all sound convincing.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Listening to his speech gave me the hope that I could really grow. I was hopeful that I could become a worthy being.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Yeah… But I don’t really get it though, Demian.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	It’s up to you to find out. Make sure to tell me your answer when you do.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		His voice was soft, and his eyes imparted pleasantness, but I still felt compelled to do as he said.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		His eyes must have held some kind of power.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Disarming those who make eye contact with him, sapping them of mental strength.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		If that’s the case, why didn’t he warn me?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		It’s something I still ask myself to this day.

Ritual Square (6)

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		It was Christmas Eve, and the whole town was filled with jingles and joy.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Under the blessing of the holy night, I was planning to confess my sin to my family.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I wanted to tell them that I made the foolish mistake of stealing the basement key and that I’d go back to being a good son.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		That the short time I spent away from the right path was agonizing. That I learned how peaceful and fulfilling the world I’d been living in truly was.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My family might be surprised at first, but I was sure they’d welcome me back into their paradise.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		That was how it should’ve been.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		However…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Huh…?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I was supposed to hear a robot dog greet me when I stood at the gate, but my home was covered in silence and darkness.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		When I walked inside, I was confronted with a fallen paradise.
	My Dear Family Sister	Sinclair… Run…
	My Dear Family Father	Si… Sincl… S-S-Sisisi―
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Someone smashes my father’s head.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		It’s a disturbing individual wearing rusty silver armor.
	Reminisced Person ???	How unsightly of these non-humans to still admire humanity and display false emotion.
	Student? Kromer	Let those impure things be, Guido. It’s their survival instincts kicking in.
	Student? Kromer	Or should I say… they’re scared of shutting down? Haha!
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Pieces of metal, flesh, and blood fly into the air before hitting the floor.
	Student? Kromer	Sinclair! You’re here!!!
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Ah… Ahh…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Kromer approaches, carrying a hammer stained with blood and flesh.
	Student? Kromer	Oh, this thing?
	Student? Kromer	Ever since I was little, I couldn’t stand being involved with filthy affronts to humanity like these.
	Student? Kromer	Because I’m a humanitarian who loves all things human!
	Student? Kromer	Now imagine how it feels to face the son of a pack of those affronts to humanity…
	Student? Kromer	Just what should I do with you, Sinclair? Hmm?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My legs have long given up.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		My mouth couldn’t move. It was as if my whole body refused to cooperate.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I saw Kromer standing right before me. I couldn’t dare look up. Terror kicked in with the realization that she was so close to me, and my eyes shut themselves tight.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		The thought that the same hammer that crushed my father, mother, and sister would now come for me was unbearable.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		……
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		But nothing happened.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Confused, I carefully opened my eyes and lifted my head.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Kromer was watching me.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Making a perfect smile just like the one she’d made when she first came to my desk and told me her name.
	Student? Kromer	Well, you are my hero, Sinclair.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		She then reaches into the pocket on my school shirt and takes out a coin.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		It’s one of the two she handed me the other day.
	Student? Kromer	From now on… You’ll doubt everything, be anxious of everything… and live in ever-constant terror as your memories of me haunt you.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Nhh… Ungh…
	Student? Kromer	And, when the time comes… I will call for you.
	Student? Kromer	Hey! Someone take this kid to safety! Lay a finger on him and I’ll make you regret it.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Amidst the piercing noise, storms of heavy footsteps, and disorientation…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I lost consciousness.

Ritual Square (7)

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Middle of an Alleyway
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		When I came to my senses, I found myself in an alleyway at midday, heated by the sun.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I stayed there on the ground, dazed and confused.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I could see a haze rise from the surface.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	Sinclair. A crack has been made in your world.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I felt like I was starting to understand what the strange feeling I often got from Demian was.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I always found it weird how I never heard his footsteps.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Why does everything arrive in desolate silence as if it belongs to no world at all?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		The loss of my family, the world of evil, all this despair…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		And you, too.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	Are you scared, Sinclair?
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		He spoke to me.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		He had the eyes of a person who saw through everything, and the attitude of someone who predicted this series of events.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		He didn’t even wait for me to reply, like he knew what I was going to say.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	One day, you’ll break it altogether and soar.
	Mysterious Transfer Student Demian	And I… wish to see you completely bare.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		He responded as if he already knew the answer I was hesitating on.
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		Although his words seemed to radiate warmth…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I felt a certain chill, like biting into the cold insides of a half-cooked turkey…
Sinner #11 SINCLAIR		I couldn’t help but fall unconscious again.

Hill of Corpses

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Unending Hill of Corpses
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Well? Sinclair? Were you able to find an answer in your heart’s path?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…Kromer.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Ahaha, don’t give me that look.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	It’s not even time yet…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	You’re making me want to kill you.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Ahu… No, no. I should abstain… I can’t let immediate entertainment distract me from the more important things.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Sinclair, the only way to retrieve a Golden Bough that’s begun to resonate is…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I know.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Even if it weren’t for our mission…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I’d still tear that bitch to pieces… and drink up her remains.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Pfh… Ahahaha!!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Kuhuu… Oh, Sinclair…! When did you learn to act so tough? That’s not like you at all… What a riot… Pfft.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Still… Well, I guess you’ve made some friends since then.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	You won’t run away this time, will you?

Mid-battle

Played after bringing Kromer to 1HP.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Unending Hill of Corpses
The Sinners were fatigued and damaged, some already dead.
As opposed to us, Kromer still stands triumphantly. She reaches for the inside of Sinclair’s coat in what seems like a declaration of his fate.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Now then, it’s time, Sinclair.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	I’ll be taking the second coin… your last chance.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Why are you… doing this to me…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Why… me…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Sinclair, do you wanna know why I gave you back the basement key when you asked?
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Listen close. It’s not because I’d made my discovery or baked a copy of it.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	It’s because you were my key.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	You see, I happen to know of a way to take a peek at the futures that might come true.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	I saw one among them where you and I travel from Nest to Nest, slaughtering heretics together all around the City.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Even though you were raised by heretics bearing revolting metal bodies…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Part of you still felt disgusted by them. Funny, isn’t it?
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	You would stab them in the head with your halberd!
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	D-Don’t you lie to me…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	While I smash their heads with a hammer!
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Stop it…!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Ahaha… In that world, you looked like the freest person in the universe, transcending everything.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	No…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	You’re lying!!!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Whether I’m lying or not…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Ufu.
Kromer suddenly cracked a wry laugh and stopped moving.
	Manager DANTE	<The Golden Bough…!>
The Golden Bough on the altar resonated with her cackle, and began to glow brighter.
Then…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Aah…! It’s begun… At last, my final grudge will be fulfilled!
A mass of flesh engulfs her lower half.
From the hideous organic growth, bundles of ambiguous appendages stretch outward in countless numbers.
As if desire and madness were made manifest…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Come… Sinclair.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Rip me up and chew me down.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	If you can, that is… Keheh.

Post-battle (1)

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Unending Hill of Corpses
The fleshy hill exuded potent acid, melting Sinclair’s legs. All the other Sinners were being dissolved by the caustic secretion too.
He trips and hits the ground. No, perhaps I should say he was thrown off his feet.
In spite of that, he still crawls towards Kromer.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Yes! That’s it! It hurts, doesn’t it? You’re filled with rage, aren’t you? Accept it all! Welcome it with open arms!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	And watch me! Watch my glorious body, closer to the purest form of humanity than ever before! This flesh here! The sheer, unmatched strength of purity!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Ahh, Sinclair… Look at how human you are! You can become like me too!
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I’ll… You’re…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Sinclair, you were scared all along, weren’t you? You lost your family, and you had to ride a bus with these strangers, forced to do things you didn’t want.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	You knew in your heart that you didn’t belong there, right?
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Didn’t you want to run? Didn’t you want to quit it all? Am I wrong?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I swear, I…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Join me, Sinclair! Don’t avoid this, embrace it! Complete my grudge!
The arm Sinclair was using to hold his weapon was growing limp by the second.
He nevertheless continues in Kromer’s direction.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	You must accept the pain! Only when we have transcended suffering itself can we be reborn!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Bloat the flesh, spill the blood! Adding on the most human things each second!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	To the purest world where the impurities plaguing the city of all folks have been filtered out!
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Mama… Papa… Sis…
Sinclair vacantly mutters, looking at the faces of his now dead fellow Sinners.
I couldn’t leave him like this.
	Manager DANTE	<Sinclair! Listen to me!>
I’m embarrassed that it took me so long to take action, but it was better late than never.
Act like the manager I am.
	Manager DANTE	<I know you think a lot! I know there’s a lot going on in your head that you can’t share with others!>
That’s how he was.
Worried that he might be a burden, he constantly put his mind through doubts and ruminations, most of which he never let on about.
He’s chewed up many a thought in the form of guilt.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	My family died because of me…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I said stuff I really shouldn’t have…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Exactly! It’s all your fault—so embrace it! That’s the way to become wholly reborn!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Follow me… and rest in my grip!
	Manager DANTE	<Don’t listen to her!>
	Manager DANTE	<You have to see! Look at her! Observe her carefully!>
Alas, my voice didn’t seem to reach him.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Ah…
Sinclair’s weapon leaves his hand and lands on the ground.
His advance for Kromer has stopped.
Yep, looks like this is the end for us.
I can feel my body melting into the mound.
I knew I’d die trying to play the proper manager sooner or later.
But…
	Manager DANTE	<Sinclair…>
I have to tell him more.
I have to tell him that Kromer’s spewing a heap of lies, threats, hypocrisy, and exaggeration.
Every nerve in my body is screaming that I shouldn’t give up on him.
I can feel the burning pain of my melting body…
	Manager DANTE	<Look, look closely! Sinclair!>
	Manager DANTE	<Not with your eyes, but with your heart!>
I screech at Sinclair.
	Manager DANTE	<Only then… will you see what matters most.>
	??? Demian	Only then… will you see what matters most.
In that moment…
Someone quietly appeared.
	??? Demian	And when you can see the things that matter most…
	??? Demian	You won’t have to stifle yourself with shallow threats or cheap tricks.
	??? Demian	…Isn’t that right, Sinclair?
He moved with grace and airiness, as though he floated in the air.
He seemed lighter than anyone else, unbound by anything.
Contrary to his impression of freedom from all worldly longings, an oppressive air seemed to accompany every step he took.
And, with just a wave of his right arm…
Kromer’s upper body vanished in a clean cut.

Post-battle (2)

Played after the cutscene.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Unending Hill of Corpses
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	D… Demian…
	??? Demian	You’ve changed your own fate, Sinclair.
	??? Demian	Right now, you’re neither a coward nor a hero. But you’ve still yet to let go of your fears completely.
	??? Demian	I’ve said it before, haven’t I? “When you fear someone…”
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	“That’s because… you gave them the power to have control over you…”
	??? Demian	That’s right. And I… don’t want anyone else to domineer over you.
	??? Demian	Which is why I got rid of that Kromer.
The man referred to as Demian then started to walk. He took airy steps as though he were embarking on a light trip.
	??? Demian	The world is about to head for a new birth. And, only a few individuals can get there.
	??? Demian	Sinclair, you’re one of them.
Sinclair fainted before he could answer…
Demian slowly made his way over to me.
	??? Demian	Kromer… attempted to become a god, like those which people of the past were said to believe in. Sinclair almost became her stepping stone.
	??? Demian	In the end, though, one has to break an egg on their own.
	??? Demian	Kromer put in quite a bit of effort, doing this and that to create a throwback to the time when Sinclair lost his first coin.
	??? Demian	Irregardless of the fact that Christmas is still a while away…
	??? Demian	It’s ironic that they resorted to creating false imagery, something they loathed so deeply. Don’t you think so?
	Manager DANTE	<What are you talking about? Who are you?>
	??? Demian	A pleasure to meet you, Dante.
	??? Demian	So, you’re the adult who will condition Sinclair at the moment.
	??? Demian	As for who I am…
	??? Demian	And for what I was talking about; you’ll see in due time.
	Manager DANTE	<…?!>
	??? Demian	When Sinclair takes flight with unshakable faith in the power of the heart…
	??? Demian	Right. When he becomes one with beautiful stars…
	??? Demian	…That is when I’ll return.
	??? Demian	Take good care of Sinclair until then, Dante.
	Manager DANTE	<You… You can hear me?>
	??? Demian	I can hear all sorts of chirps and trills, Dante. It’s only natural that I hear your voice.
	??? Demian	As always…
	??? Demian	What matters most is something you can’t see or hear.
The boy with a blue scarf vanished without notice…
After that, the mounds began to melt away.
They dissolve into mixtures of flesh and mud.
With them gone, a single Golden Bough appeared before me, spreading its warm light.
Sinclair’s world was gradually melting with the hills.
I excruciatingly drag what’s left of my upper body across the floor to reach Sinclair.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	……
He was still breathing.
And so was I; I figured I should still be able to turn the clock.
Thus, that means I’m still their manager, and I should act like one.
Plus, as I learned in my dying moments…
I have to strive to become a more sensible manager.
With all that, I need to tell him…
	Manager DANTE	<It might have been your fault, Sinclair.>
	Manager DANTE	<But that’s okay, really… It’s one small mistake—one anyone could make.>
	Manager DANTE	<Don’t beat yourself up so much about it.>
I pat him on the back with my half-melted right arm.
Sinclair doesn’t reply.
To be truthful, trying to identify someone to blame all this on would be a never-ending endeavor.
From each of us going and carrying our sins onto the bus.
To my loss of head and memory, accompanied by an involuntary appointment as the executive manager.
…At the root of all this, I might find no one but myself to blame.
Staying bound by that fact, though, will only keep us from taking our next steps.
	??? ???	…We found ‘em!
I can hear multiple footsteps approaching our horribly incapacitated team.
…Vergilius must’ve figured we’d get into a mess and called the After Team to scoop us off the ground.
	LCCA ???	This looks like the individual we seek. Do I inject it now?
	LCCA ???	The others can be revived as long as this one lives. Focus all resources on restoring their body.
	Manager DANTE	<Hrk…?!>
I felt a jab in my shoulder, and then a strange sensation enveloped the parts of my body that had melted off.
	LCCA ???	We were provided three HP ampules. Do I use all three on them?
	LCCA ???	Keep an eye on the regeneration progress and use them at your discretion.
	LCCA ???	Lucky straphangers… They’re rolling in luxury thanks to having a Color on their team—one with a friend in K Corp at that, too…
	LCCA ???	…ction …firmed. Addi…
The voices around me start to fade.
Sinclair’s bawling lamentation dimly rings through the emptiness.
Our third mission marked its sober end in dismal defeat.
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
Even though we recovered the Golden Bough, we lost.
On the other hand, the bus was more vibrant than usual, possibly out of everyone’s attempts to disregard the depressing outcome.
	Guide Vergilius	I bought enough chicken kebabs for all of you to have one, so if anyone didn’t get theirs, go and put your detective caps on by yourselves.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Such curious cuisine. What is the intention of skewering chicken meat with a stick?
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	I may be familiar with this kind of dish… a kkochi of the dak variety.
	Bus Driver Charon	A sweet smell. The kind Mephi likes.
Stimulated, Charon revved the engine.
Charon was humming another familiar tune. I could recognize the song this time.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Charon, isn’t Christmas still a long ways off?
	Bus Driver Charon	Don’t put a damper on Charon’s fun, Bug Guy.
	Bus Driver Charon	If Charon feels like it’s Christmas, then that’s that.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Bu— C’mon, I called you by your name for once!
	Sinner #9 RODION	Well, why don’tcha settle the score by giving her a “bus girlie” then~ Y’know, tit-for-tat and all that?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Grrr…
	Guide Vergilius	……
Vergilius was watching the scene unfold, leaving his food to cool and hardly taking a bite even though he was the one who bought it all.
Perhaps he’s gone quiet because of Charon’s song.
It does come to mind that he said she was going through a tunnel.
And then…
I turned my gaze to Sinclair, who was awkwardly laughing amongst the other Sinners.
	Manager DANTE	<If we’re going through a long tunnel…>
	Manager DANTE	<Then what we do is wait for the morning to arrive, right?>
	Guide Vergilius	……
	Sinner #9 RODION	Ahahaha! What was that about, Dante? Drop the goofy poetry and have a kebab! C’mon! Say aah~
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Our manager has no mouth.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	The executive manager has no need for a mouth as they’re perfectly capable of commanding us without a word. Do keep that in mind.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Golly… Don’t you ever get tired of licking their boot so clean, Outis?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oi! …Got more of this scran? It’s peak.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Heyo, BG. Gimme a light.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	…Thought I wouldn’t know what that’s short for?
I thought about giving a speech to the Sinners about how this fruitful yet unsuccessful mission changed my mindset…
But I soon shelved the idea.
I told Sinclair to not let a failure of the moment bind him, after all.
Instead, I’ve resolved to make up for this less than ideal outcome on our next mission.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	May I… have thine attention, Red— I mean, Sir Vergilius.
	Guide Vergilius	What.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	I do believe I have acted with sufficient caution as you so hath warned…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Thusly… if I may, would you allow me to lay claim upon a skewer?
	Guide Vergilius	…Go right ahead.
As Don Quixote’s excited jubilation adds a layer of vigor to the already lively bus…
The message I couldn’t speak—but one I’m sure has been conveyed in one way or another—spreads between us.
…And so the morning came.
CREDITS ROLL END CANTO III: THE UNCONFRONTING

Boss

Stage 1

Kromer

Stage 2

Kromer the Dreamer of Human Wholeness