Canto III: The Unconfronting/Story Episodes

Curtains close on a blithe yet chilling comedy.
Afterward, I could vaguely sense
that a tragedy lies in wait.
The bus rumbled along.
In the window, I saw fall a silent night.

3-1: Humming Along

Vergilius informs us of where we will be going next. While everyone seems happy and energetic, one Sinner is reacting rather strangely…

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
The sun is almost set, leaving the bus to be shrouded in dusk.
	Bus Driver Charon	… … ……
Charon’s humming a song while driving.
I found myself singing along in my head to that strangely familiar tune.
	Guide Vergilius	The most beautiful of performances are born from broken and ruined things. Ironic, the way the world works.
Vergilius spoke, having noticed that I was looking at the driver’s seat.
	Guide Vergilius	Alas, they have not the privilege to fully appreciate the glee of their own music… Oh, how unjust that is.
	Manager DANTE	<……>
	Guide Vergilius	Charon, you look like you’re in a good mood today.
Charon nodded.
	Bus Driver Charon	Mhm, joy brings out singing.
	Guide Vergilius	I see.
	Guide Vergilius	Although…
	Guide Vergilius	As far as I remember, you would often hum that song when you felt down.
	Bus Driver Charon	Charon has no such memories.
	Bus Driver Charon	Charon sings when she’s happy.
Vergilius’s eyes seemed to well with a subdued shade of dark.
The kind of hue that would be picked right away if one wanted to express solitude as a color.
But it only lasted for a brief moment…
So I decided to dismiss it as the vivid sunset playing tricks with the light.
	Guide Vergilius	…The world Charon hums now is one that lacks sound and color.
	Guide Vergilius	She’s going through a long tunnel with no exit in sight.
I’m sure that, just like the history of my own life that I’ve forgotten…
Charon and Vergilius must have their own threads of cruel reminders.
	Guide Vergilius	Ah, pardon me. I believe that’s enough of personal stories, Dante.
	Guide Vergilius	Your work is to manage your crew, not befriend this old guide.
When I looked at his face again, that momentary hint of sadness had fleeted, replaced with a faint smile.
I gave him a few nods, then turned around to check on the Sinners.
Our bus passengers have had lifted spirits for a while now.
It helped that they did what they were assembled for and secured a Golden Bough for the first time.
All the Sinners were busy talking about their exploits in J Corp’s District.
	Sinner #9 RODION	You should’ve seen me show that card right there. Seriously, that was a real highlight~
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	…I’m starting to get sick of hearing the same story for the seventh time in a row, so let me change the subject: Where are we going this time?
	Guide Vergilius	This time… we’re headed to K Corp’s Nest.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	District 11, eh? Job’s taking me to all sorts of places I’d never have thought to visit.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	‘Tis home to another great individual! And you are certain to find a souvenir shop there! I’ve always yearned for a limited-edition figurine set!
	Sinner #9 RODION	Ooo~ Didn’t it also have a restaurant chain famous for its hamburg steak?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Huff… Life has gotten much easier these days, hasn’t it? Back in my marching days, all I had was a pinch of salt in my mouth.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I know, right? The only food I could swallow during my voyage was canned soup that tasted like iron.
	Sinner #9 RODION	…C-Can’t wait to try the steak~ Right, Ryōshū?
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Well, imagining the variances in blood-color by region does make me salivate.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Ugh… Can’t discuss anything with you. Hey, kiddo! What do you wanna eat?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	……
Looking for someone to share tales with and have a sensible conversation, Rodya naturally turned to Sinclair.
However…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Sinclair?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Wha—?! Gosh, golly what’s wrong?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	He’s turned pale. He’s also suffering from hyperventilation and tremors.
	Manager DANTE	<H—How long has he been like this?>
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Ever since Mister Vergilius mentioned K Corp.
	Manager DANTE	<Why didn’t you tell me earlier?>
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	…Because you did not order me to do so.
Meursault stared at me like I was at fault for not doing the obvious.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I… I just got an upset stomach. Sorry.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Really sure you’re okay…?
	Manager DANTE	<Now that I think about it…>
	Manager DANTE	<Faust, I’m noticing a trend where one of us has visceral reactions to the destinations that Vergilius reveals.>
	Manager DANTE	<Additionally, when we arrive, it turns out that the place does have a history with the person in question.>
	Manager DANTE	<Does that have something to do with the reason we joined the company?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	…You just referred to the team as “we”.
	Manager DANTE	<Huh?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It’s a part of my mission to detect the slightest of changes.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	s for your question, while I can’t tell you the reasons for recruiting the Sinners in detail…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	There’d be no point in denying that our destinations and the backgrounds of each Sinner are indeed related to a degree.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	…Do all uppish snobs have some condition that makes them yap on and on about things that can be answered with a plain yes or no?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Hysteron proteron isn’t always correct. Faust simply adopts the most effective mode of communication for the given situation.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Hyst… Hysterowhat?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	…It means that you’re struggling to understand Faust because you’re too uneducated, not that Faust is overeducated.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Why you…!
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Euhgk…
Just as Heathcliff approached Faust with his bat shaking in fury…
Sinclair suddenly started throwing up on the floor.
The bus finally quieted down after that.

3-2: Inspection

To everyone’s surprise, we’re told that our destination is K Corp’s Nest. The entry procedures one must go through to set foot in a Nest are supposedly quite complicated.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
Shortly after the situation with Sinclair was dealt with…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	By the way, you meant the Backstreets of District 11 when you said K Corp’s Nest, yeah?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	missed pointing it out earlier since everyone got a bit excited there…
	Guide Vergilius	I rarely misspeak, if ever.
	Guide Vergilius	I know what I said, Gregor. K Corp’s Nest is where we’re going.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Huh, alright, but if we’re entering a Nest…
	Guide Vergilius	Indeed, there’s the immigration process.
	Sinner #9 RODION	I don’t have a K Corp. visa. Y’ain’t about to tell me everyone else got one, right?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	What. Why’re you lookin’ at me?
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	The solution is simple: C. I.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	And keep on D. E. R. ‘til we’ve breached the defense.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	In short, CIDER. Huhu…
Whatever that eccentric abbreviation means for Ryōshū, the Sinners have learned to stop questioning it.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	A company as big as ours might get a free pass.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Not to mention, breaking through using the method dear Ryōshū suggested will take ages. How badly must you underestimate a Nest actively governed by a Wing to say that?
	Manager DANTE	<Oh, I see, no one’s gonna take into account how much I’ll suffer for that CIDER, huh?>
Sadly, none of our Sinners bothered to respond to me in any capacity.
	Guide Vergilius	As Ishmael said, we’ll pass the immigration without needing a visa.
	Guide Vergilius	Limbus Company has backing from the shareholders of a wide array of fields.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Oh, do you happen to know the shareholder of H Corp, then?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	They once personally visited our home because my younger sibling insisted upon having a red passport as a kid.
	Guide Vergilius	Couldn’t say, I’m merely a humble guide who wouldn’t be in the position to know such a thing.
	Guide Vergilius	Otherwise, the question doesn’t seem like one that’s really worth answering.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	How harsh…
	Guide Vergilius	That leaves the route to the checkpoint as our concern.
	Guide Vergilius	Thorough inspection means that there are plenty of people looking for an easy way in, including those who’d take the pass by force.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	…I hear several interlopers surrounding the bus.
	Manager DANTE	<Welp… Have bus—will battle.>

Post-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
	Bus Driver Charon	Cock-a-hoop Charon’s cock-a-hoop parking.
	Guide Vergilius	Alright, off the bus. Time to get inspected.
	Guide Vergilius	Ah, and let me add this just in case you’re feeling inclined to your usual antics.
	Guide Vergilius	Don’t go around making a scene expecting things to go your way…
	Guide Vergilius	Because that will not be how it works in this particular place.
I thought his words were pretty intimidating, but despite the worries…
Location: K Corp. Checkpoint
	K Corp. Checkpoint Announcement	We welcome all visitors to K Corp’s Nest openheartedly.
	K Corp. Checkpoint Announcement	Please form an orderly line as you enter, and stand where the instructions indicate.
The menacing and interrogative atmosphere could subdue the temper of any first-time visitors—and the Sinners were no exception.
I could occasionally hear Sinclair sniffling, followed by Rodya and Gregor calming him.
Any of my questions why were met with heads shaken sideways.
	Guide Vergilius	Look here, how nice it is to see you all stay in line and behave. Like a brood of chicks on an outing.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Wait, why’re you out here…
	Manager DANTE	<What made you follow us outside the bus this time…?>
Noticing my flustered reaction at the unexpected company, Vergilius opened his mouth.
	Guide Vergilius	Because this is a Nest, Dante.
	Guide Vergilius	If one of you were to get into unexpected trouble here…
	Guide Vergilius	Well, Dante, the responsibility will be a bit too heavy for you to bear alone.
When Vergilius put it like that…
It sounded as if he were saying “You’re not reliable enough to be sent without supervision.”
…But I knew it’d be wise to keep this to myself.

3-3: Code Purple

We wait our turn to undergo the checkpoint official’s interview, with Vergilius and Ishmael instructing us on the process. Here’s hoping we’ll pass…

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: K Corp. Checkpoint
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	The line’s moving quickly. It’ll be our turn in about 10 minutes at most.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Will all thirteen of us need to answer immigration questions? They won’t be able to understand Manager Dante, so what should we do?
Ishmael seemed to have a habit of speaking quickly and being more inquisitive when she got anxious.
	Guide Vergilius	I was just about to get to that.
	Guide Vergilius	Listen up. The K Corp. official will only ask very simple questions to the passengers in this line.
	Guide Vergilius	And your answers will be similarly concise.
	Guide Vergilius	When the border official asks about the nature of your visit…
	Guide Vergilius	Say: “I’m here for business on the behalf of Limbus Company, please refer to my work visa.”
	Guide Vergilius	Remember this exact phrase so that you can recite it word for word.
	Guide Vergilius	I’ll take care of the rest, so you just have to prove that you aren’t here to cause trouble.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	If even memorizing that is too much of a burden for you, I suggest that you keep your mouth shut.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	You can present your employee card instead.
	Manager DANTE	<Keep quiet and don’t cause trouble. Easiest tasks in the world.>
I sneakily mumbled a sarcastic remark.
I was worried that Faust might rat me out, but thankfully…
Vergilius was idly staring off into space, sparing me from his scathing commentary.
	Guide Vergilius	Now, next up.
	Guide Vergilius	If you have a question, make sure to first ask yourself if it’s actually meaningful.
	Guide Vergilius	Then quietly raise your hand.
Several hands were lifted, including mine.
	Guide Vergilius	Rodion.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Since this trip is for business, we can carry our weapons, yeah~?
	Guide Vergilius	Correct. Next.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Then, Greg’s creepy-crawly arm and Dante’s chichi clockhead’re getting a pass too?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	That should be the case. For your reference, our manager’s head counts as a prosthetic rather than a weapon, which means it’d be approved even if what we had were a tourist visa, powers to revive notwithstanding
Ishmael took the role of the model student and answered in Vergilius’s stead.
It feels like something changed about Ishmael’s attitude since the casino job…
She seems to have decided to take matters into her own hands after I betrayed her expectations of my capabilities as a leader.
	Guide Vergilius	Precisely.
Gregor and I put our hands down at the same time.
	Guide Vergilius	And, Ryōshū. Put out your cigarette before you speak.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	…I didn’t raise my hand.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	……
Vergilius was doing his best to ignore Don Quixote’s arm stretched skyward…
But he finally caved and gave the woman with an adamantly raised hand the chance to speak.
	Guide Vergilius	…Fine, Don Quixote. What is it?
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	For what purpose doth that barrier of glass serve?
Following Don Quixote’s finger, our attention was drawn to the glass wall stood in the middle of the building.
On the other side of that clear dividing wall…
Were countless people waiting in line.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	That line’s slowed to a crawl, people are sat on the floor waiting for it to move.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Looks like they’ve been there for quite some time.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	There are many armed guards as well. Three times as many compared to this side.
	Guide Vergilius	…Most of the glass walls you find inside buildings are there for safety reasons.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Well~ Simply put, that line’s for Backstreets folks. Each Nest handles immigration differently, but wherever it may be, it’s super-duper hard to get into another Nest without a proper visa.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Why’d you think those bullies jumped us on the way to the checkpoint? They wanted our visa so they could enter the Nest.
	Guide Vergilius	…A problem we are not in our power to resolve.
However, that answer didn’t satisfy Don Quixote.
Whether it was the fault of the gloomy yet oppressive atmosphere of the area beyond the wall…
Or the disturbances happening in there, I couldn’t say.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Manager, it’s our turn now.
	Manager DANTE	<Huh? Right…>
Our line moved at such a quick pace, we barely had time to chat before it was our turn to answer the official’s questions.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Remember: When you’re asked about the purpose of your visit…
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	…Remind me one more time and I’ll show SANGRIA to you and the official or whatever
Despite Ishmael’s worries, our inspection was smooth sailing.
	K Corp. Checkpoint Official	Please state your affiliation and purpose of visit.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Ah, I’ve come from Limbus Company on business. Here’s my employee card.
	K Corp. Checkpoint Official	…All checked out. Next.
	K Corp. Checkpoint Official	From Limbus Company. Business reasons. Take a look at my card and all that.
	K Corp. Checkpoint Official	…All checked out. Next.
After our first Sinner proved who we work for, it was a breeze for the rest of us.
The official asked the same question in the same dry tone, took a cursory glance at our faces and employee cards―though based on their speed, it seemed more like a customary gesture rather than an actual look over―then let each Sinner pass.
	District 11 People in Line	…… ……
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	…Something’s amiss over there.
The glass wall standing between us and them was thick enough to block out sound.
It was hard for us to tell what was going on through the wall.

However, I could see what was happening unambiguously; someone with cuffed hands was being dragged away by security.
And a small child was crying next to them, clearly scared and confused.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	…We shouldn’t bother. I don’t know what happened, but I guess someone broke a taboo.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Yeah, sure. Those impoverished vandals and their audacity to break the taboo of not stuffing enough cash in the right people’s pockets, am I right?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	…Are you mocking me right now?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Huh. What, I thought you didn’t care? Guess someone’s knickers are in a twist.
While I was distracted by Heathcliff loudly celebrating his first successful tease on Ishmael…
Our usual suspect sprang forth at her least expected moment yet again.
	K Corp. Checkpoint Official	Please state your affiliation and purpose of visit.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	……
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	I am come to liberate the weak and powerless!
An emotion is expressed for the first time on the checkpoint official’s face.
Flabbergastation.
They looked up at Don Quixote with a face screaming that it was flabbergasted.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Release them at once! Can you not see that they are suffering?
	K Corp. Checkpoint Official	…Please state your affiliation and purpose of visit.
The official ignored her demand and parroted the same question.
All the while, Don Quixote was getting more upset by the minute.
And then…

In looking through the transparent wall again…
I saw the desperate child mouth a scream at the man dragged away in handcuffs:
	??? Child	“Daaa

	??? Child	aaddy!”

	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	If you are unwilling to take action, then I shall myself!
	K Corp. Checkpoint Official	…Hoo.
	K Corp. Checkpoint Official	Code purple. Code purple. Violation of Taboo K185 on site.
	K Corp. Checkpoint Official	Requesting Thrombocyte units. Repeat, requesting Thrombocyte…
Veering away from inquiry like a broken record, the official spoke an intimidating immune response to the radio.
	K Corp. Announcement	Attention all personnel: Code purple. Code purple. Circulation Hall 2, Inspection Booth 14. Thrombocyte, Leukocyte.
Blaring sirens accompanied the perplexing announcement, all the while thick metal gates shut around us.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	…Should’ve smashed her skull in and carried her in a body sack.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I doubt that would’ve made much of a difference.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Thrombo, Leuko… I believe they refer to platelets and white blood cells respectively.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It must be them. Fitting for K Corp, I’d say.
Looking in the direction Faust indicated, we all saw what she meant.
Security forces wearing menacing uniforms were staring at us.

3-4: Taboo

Our Dear Don Quixote’s intolerance for injustice rears its troublesome head again. Armed staff from K Corp. surround us on all sides, all the while Vergilius watches with his arms crossed, upset at our repeated failures to behave.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: K Corp. Checkpoint
	Manager DANTE	<I’ve gotten used to this sort of situation, but it looks pretty serious.>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Indeed. We’ve violated a taboo of the Wing, after all.
	Manager DANTE	<It’s not like anyone was hurt—can’t we just talk this through?>
Faust looked straight into my face.
For Faust to face someone directly when she usually stares into empty space as she speaks can only indicate one thing:
I must have said something incredibly frustrating.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	No matter the Wing, infringement of a taboo means—
A loud explosion left Don Quixote dismembered where she stood.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	—that lethal measures can be taken against the violator without warning.
It looks like border control isn’t willing to forgive us until they dismember the rest of the Sinners…
Armed security staff was surrounding us on all sides.
	Guide Vergilius	…You never cease to surprise me.
	Guide Vergilius	You managed to wring out the last drop of expectation I had left for you.
	Guide Vergilius	I’m keeping out. Pin the whole thing on her, or take responsibility, or whatever.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I thought you accompanied us to handle situations that our manager can’t alone?!
	Guide Vergilius	I came with you to take care of inevitable problems, not have a pissing session in the wind.
Vergilius casually pushed his way through the line of armed guards and leaned against a wall.
He then crossed his arms, as if to further drive home that he’ll remain a spectator.

Post-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: K Corp. Checkpoint
	Manager DANTE	<Really just gonna watch from there?>
	Guide Vergilius	You won’t sway me with that look, Manager.
	Guide Vergilius	I’m nothing more than a guide that none pay heed to; it would be impertinent of me to brandish my weapon.
	Guide Vergilius	Well, to meddle one final time: K Corp’s Singularity takes the form of healing bullets that restore most wounds in the blink of an eye.
	Guide Vergilius	I suppose it could be compared to that ability of yours.
	Manager DANTE	<Hey, wait…!>
Completely ignoring my feeble plea—not that they could hear it—K Corp’s security guards closed in on us.

3-6: HP Bullets

HP Bullets infused with K Corp’s Singularity render all damage we inflict on our foes useless. The Sinners are running out of patience.

Post-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: K Corp. Checkpoint
K Corp’s Singularity: HP Bullets.
Any would-be fatal injuries we managed to inflict were healed away with a single shot of those regenerative rounds.
It was only a matter of time before the thread by which Heathcliff’s patience was hung snapped.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	I can’t take it anymore! This has got to be the most pointless fight in the world! Can’t you see?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	I told you. Entering into conflict with a Wing is an exercise in futility.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Just didn’t know the futility would hit us right away~
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	The flesh regrows as soon as it’s removed.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	It is difficult to continue on with combat.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	……
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Really… Art can be rubbish like this, huh…
Ryōshū made the most pained expression I’ve seen from her, begrudgingly swinging her sheath around.
Cuts and slashes will mend before even a drop of blood can spill from them. There couldn’t be a worse battle for Ryōshū to fight.
	Manager DANTE	<Isn’t there anything we can do…?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	HP, or Helapoiesis, is a bioengineered technology that allows for the continuous repair of damaged or lost cells.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	One dose already lasts considerably long, so imagine what that means for those in the Nest who receive constant supplies…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	To put it simply, you can’t reasonably defeat them in combat.
Even Faust was shaking her head in despondency, but then…
	??? ???	Mwahahahahaha!!! In the height of chaos, I have arrived at last!!
A peal of overwhelmingly energetic laughter rang through the air.

3-7: Siegfried

A man approaches from outside with tremendous speed. This exceedingly jovial and uncomfortably energetic fellow is Siegfried, who appears to have an acquaintance with Vergilius; after a friendly exchange, he rushes at our Sinners.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: K Corp. Checkpoint
A figure approached us with terrifying force, reminiscent of a frenzied beast.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	‘Ey, what the… What’s that thing running at us?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	ETA is three seconds. Manager, your judgement?
	Manager DANTE	<I… I dunno, I’m not sure what to…>
Vergilius was the only one who showed no surprise.
To be more clear, he was more displeased than unsurprised at this apparently expected arrival.
	Guide Vergilius	Ah, there you are. K Corp’s superstar.
A jovial-looking man appeared amidst the chaos with an obnoxious laugh.
	??? ???	Greetings one and all! You are free to share stories of the heroic feats you are to witness here, but photographs and more will require permission from K Corp!
	??? ???	Alas, I must attend a magazine interview in half an hour, so I cannot overlinger. I pray you to understand!
	Guide Vergilius	Was wondering when you’d come.
	Guide Vergilius	I heard you became a wagie serving a Wing, Siegfried.
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Ahaha! I see your tongue is as sharp as ever, dear fellow!
	A Fixer? Siegfried	I rushed here at once in response to code purple, and methinks your friends were the perpetrators!
	Guide Vergilius	Not exactly friends. I hope you understand that I have nothing to do with the commotion.
	A Fixer? Siegfried	In that case…
	Guide Vergilius	Yup, I’m counting on you to give them a spicy lesson.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	What are you two muttering about? Don’t bode well.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Agreed. From under what stone did he come out?
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Hahahah! Well well, it appears that some of you come from faraway lands. Right then, I shall grant you all the privilege of photography for this special occasion!
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	He treats us like worshippers on the streets. How dare y—
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
	Manager DANTE	<Don Quixote, what’s wrong?>
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Th, tha, the, tha, th-tha, the, th, th, tha, that, TH, THE, HH, THAT MAN, HE, HIM, THE MAN HIMSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
	Guide Vergilius	We’re in a hurry, so get this done within one minute if possible. And keep that clockhead out of this.
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Hmm… A prosthetic, is it? Right then, make it 50 seconds!!!

Both a skilled fighter and talented performer, I could only watch in awe as he proved himself to be nothing short of a “hero”.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Khgh!
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Now, look here once more! I’m sure our fans will love it!
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	This blighter… is too damn strong.
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Hm? What did you do just now? Hahahah! Well, isn’t that cute!
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Gah…!
One after another, he made short work of the Sinners.
Vergilius watched the carnage with a pleased expression.
	Manager DANTE	<……>
	Guide Vergilius	About time they learned what happens if they kick up a ruckus in a Nest thinking they can get away with it.
	Guide Vergilius	…Dante, you may not remember it at the moment, but at one point you used to be something of a bigwig… so to speak.
	Manager DANTE	<I… I was?>
I just couldn’t picture it.
Right now, I’m just a powerless leader who fumbles in any emergency—constantly being chewed up, spat out, and ignored in the trash by my Sinners.
They’ve even started treating me as the team’s field medic; to think that this miserable manager used to be the respected leader of many sometime in the past.
I felt a genuine desire to ask Faust for another way to recover my memories.
	Guide Vergilius	However, your memory loss does not wholly excuse all the faults in your performance as the manager. I’m certain you understand what I mean.
	Manager DANTE	<……>
I thought of the staff at the K Corp. checkpoint.
They showed no pity for the family they were about to tear apart, treating it all as nothing more than part of the due procedure.
Although Don Quixote got us into trouble when she sprang forth to rectify injustice…
I just know it would’ve haunted my sleep for days if we turned a blind eye.
And seeing Heathcliff tighten the grip on his weapon to veins as he witnessed the disturbance…
If not Don Quixote, I feel at least one of us would have intervened.
Truth be told, I didn’t do everything in my power to keep Don Quixote down. Vergilius isn’t necessarily wrong when he says the blame rests on me for causing this.
	Manager DANTE	<Taking back my head might not be for the best after all, Vergilius.>
	Guide Vergilius	Ah, dear… I’ve got to tell them to put a microphone next time.
	Guide Vergilius	…I’ll take it that you’ve gotten my point.
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Hurrah! 46.5 seconds! Another day, another heroic tale of justice written!!
	Guide Vergilius	Ah, looks like the curtains have closed. Time to rewind, Dante.

3-8: Effie―Saude, too

After a chaotic encounter with Siegfried, we meet with a couple of familiar faces at the exit, greeting us with the same confidence and comportment…

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: K Corp. Checkpoint
After twelve whirls of agony, the Sinners were all back in one piece.
The massacre must’ve been humbling because it feels rather strange seeing them this quiet.
	A Fixer? Siegfried	How’s life been, Red Gaze? We’ve rarely had a chance to meet in recent times. Haven’t shown up to the ‘League of Excellent Nest-dwelling Fixers’ lately, either…
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Were you unable to read the dozens of invitations I sent you?
	Guide Vergilius	Changed addresses. And I don’t have the time to lick top-brass boots like you’re doing.
	Manager DANTE	<I don’t know what happened between these two, but… Vergilius is a bit hostile here, right?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	The difference in disposition between them is rather clear, isn’t it, Dante?
	Manager DANTE	<In what ways?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Simply put, Mr. Siegfried can be described as a pro-Wing Fixer based on the views he’s expressed.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	On the other hand, our guide Vergilius sought independence as a Fixer.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	He believed that a Fixer loses sight of their core principles the moment they become subordinate to an influential entity.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	He is someone who is strict towards those with power, after all.
While speaking with Faust, I saw Don Quixote quake and approach Siegfried with shaky hands.
She must’ve been honored to see him, even after being mincemeat by his hands mere moments ago.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	F, fe, fa, feh, afa… a fan, I am! I have collected figurines sculpted after you! Though I’ve yet to get my hands on limited editions… I set my heart on becoming a magnificent Fixer such as you!
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Aha! An aspiring Fixer! I have little time to spare, but more than enough for an autograph!
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	I… Is that true? Then would you sign… an autograph… here… Ehehe…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Slow breaths, Don Quixote…
	K Corp. Checkpoint Announcement	Attention. Code purple, dismissed. Code purple, dismissed. All codes cleared.
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Huzzah! That’s a job done well!
	A Fixer? Siegfried	Now then, until next we meet! Hahahaha!!
Leaping with tremendous force, Siegfried vanished into the air…
Although there was a small delay, we did get the travel permit in the end.
Vergilius returned to the bus in the meantime. Or, perhaps he only got off knowing that we’d run into that Siegfried.
He looked rather upset as he walked away, but no one else seemed to care that much…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Ufu, wuhuhu…
Clueless to the surrounding frigidness, Don Quixote was happy as a clam, caressing the sheet of paper autographed by Siegfried.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	I must be caught in a dream! Manager Esquire! Will you pinch my cheek just once?
Just as I was about to give the blissful Don Quixote a word while we walked out of the border checkpoint…
An armored vehicle stopped before us.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…A newfound foe? Bold of them to challenge us right in front of a Nest’s checkpoint.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	This vehicle is from… LCC, the clearance department.
Following Faust’s plain reply, the vehicle’s doors opened.

	LCCB Effie	Ah geez, what took you so long? We had to cycle three laps waiting for it to be over.
A couple of familiar faces appeared out of the car.
Effie, and Saude.
Even though their outfits had changed, their faces were greased with just as much confidence and poise.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Oh, people from the Before Team, eh? Something about you looks different, I’ve gotta say.
	LCCB Saude	That was a disguise we had in order to infiltrate the casino. It was ultimately useless, though.
	Manager DANTE	<……>
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	…Still got that sharp tongue too, huh.
My chest ached a little at the thought of the harmonious cacophony that was our last operation.
	LCCB Effie	Pft… Saude, you see that hand on the clock trembling? You’ll make them cry.
	LCCB Saude	I was just being playful. While you had much room for improvement in regard to skill, I’ve made up my mind to admit that the LCB department has its own character.
n spite of the rough path we took, it sounds like we did leave a positive impression on the two.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	The Before Team was supposed to be on site at this hour, wasn’t it?
	LCCB Effie	The others should be there already. We decided to wait for you because we had useful intel to share
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Hmm… In any case, you cared about us, right?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Pfhu, do we have a couple of new fans knee-deep in our charm?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Y’know~ Something like—the sorta food that’s cooked from ghastly ingredients, but the end result’s a pleasant surprise.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Yep, had a lot of that on the battlefield. Miserable to swallow, but somehow memorable…
	LCCB Saude	…What kind of food have you two been eating?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Um, by the way, what’s the intel you were going to share with us?
	LCCB Effie	It’s about our target location. It seems another faction has occupied the place already.
	LCCB Effie	We’re putting in more manpower than usual as a result.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Hmph, I bet they are yet another swarm of gadflies attracted by opportunity.
As Outis pointed out, we weren’t new to encounters against groups of foes drawn near the Golden Boughs.
For our first mission, straggling soldiers from G Corp. took shelter in the abandoned facility.
And on our second, a variety of gangs inhabited the casino.
	LCCB Effie	Unfortunately, our opponents this time won’t be some crummy no-names like before.
	LCCB Effie	We took a peek at the immigration inspection records and found out that N Corp. dispatched a legion of employees a few weeks ago. Same destination as ours, too.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	From N Corp?
	LCCB Effie	Though this wasn’t an officially disclosed activity, seeing that K Corp. has let them pass means they might have made a deal under the table.
	LCCB Saude	Which… if it’s true that N Corp. has sent staff in advance, then the journey won’t be a smooth one.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	…I see. I’m worried we might make enemies of several Wings as we go on.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	In the long term, conflicts with Wings will be an unavoidable step in the process.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Judging from the fact that N Corp. hasn’t made this motion officially known, it could end as a simple conflict of interest.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Furthermore… We can’t discount the possibility that it’s not the Golden Bough they’re after.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Doesn’t change that we’re convenient pawns for our higher-ups to throw around either way…
	LCCB Effie	Oh, right, I heard some morons caused a scene at the K Corp. checkpoint. Did you guys see who they were?
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	…R—Rumor travels with such haste. ‘Twas as though… astride Rocinante.
Don Quixote hung her head, possibly in embarrassment.
Perhaps she’s finally starting to learn that her reckless actions have repercussions.
…That, or I’m mistaken and she’s glad that more people know of what she’s done.
	LCCB Saude	A shame I missed it. That’s not the kind of spectacle you see every day.
	LCCB Saude	Really, who in their right mind would mess with a Wing at a border checkpoint unless they had lives to spare…
	Manager DANTE	<……>
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	……
	LCCB Saude	…Please, don’t tell me.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Come on, we don’t have much time, so we should get going.
	LCCB Effie	Ah, dear. Mr. Vergilius is nowhere to be seen again.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	…Oh, him? He went back to the bus first.
	LCCB Saude	What a pity. I didn’t want to miss my chance to say hello…
	LCCB Effie	We’ll leave an impression on him next time, mark my words. I’m planning to ask him if we can join the team in your stead.
	Manager DANTE	<What, that’s the reason you wanted to meet him?>
	LCCB Saude	That wasn’t entirely a joke. See you at the site, then.
	LCCB Effie	If you can get there in one piece, anyway.

3-9: The Deal They Struck

Returning to the bus, I sense an uneasiness in the air. It looks like Vergilius isn’t going to let today’s incident go unpunished. Buena suerte, Don Quixote…!

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
A pouty Charon and the cold stare of Vergilius awaited us on the bus…
The air was heavy with a sense of oppression, leaving little room for lighthearted jokes.
	Bus Driver Charon	You’re late. Charon counted to one hundred and you still didn’t come.
	Guide Vergilius	Charon.
She seemed to have a few more words ready to be flung in that icy tone, but Vergilius put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a glance.
	Bus Driver Charon	Verg, Charon will remember this.
	Guide Vergilius	Sorry about that. I’ll buy you something sweet later.
Charon sat in the driver’s seat without further complaint, and Vergilius slowly turned to us.
If there was one thing the Sinners and I were all good at, it’d be sensing imminent danger and making way.
Dispersing from the group, we scuttled away into our seats…
Leaving only Don Quixote anxiously standing in the aisle of the bus.
	Guide Vergilius	Let’s hear your excuse, Don Quixote.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	I… could not turn a blind eye to the weak being persecuted—
	Guide Vergilius	No, wrong.
My vision couldn’t follow what happened in that instant.
I have nothing to blink, so it shouldn’t have been possible for me to miss a moment, and yet…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Gahgk…! Ghk…
When I caught up with the situation…

The first thing that came into my sight was Don Quixote brought to the ground, shoulder trampled under Vergilius’s shoe.
	Guide Vergilius	I asked for an excuse, not a justification of your views.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Gnnngh…!
	Guide Vergilius	This isn’t the first time, either, Don Quixote. You’re responsible for three separate incidents already.
	Guide Vergilius	That’s three separate times you’ve jeopardized our work with your deranged behavior.
	Guide Vergilius	What do you think? Speak.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Wh… While mine own actions did inconvenience my colleagues…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Hngk… GUAAAH!!!
Don Quixote’s pained groan grew louder, but no one stepped in.
Of course, she was being punished for her own actions…
But more than anything, it was evident that disrupting this wasn’t going to make the situation better.
	Guide Vergilius	I was asking for your thoughts. Why do you not understand this?
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	I—I was speaking only to be interrupted!
	Guide Vergilius	What you should’ve said to me at the get-go was an apology, Don Quixote.
	Guide Vergilius	Anything you’d add should be an elaboration on how you plan to improve your conduct.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	What unjust… Agh! Thou’rt demanding a specific answer out of me…!
	Guide Vergilius	Don’t you know? A company already has the “correct” answers for its employees. The questions are only asked to see if you can get it right.
	Guide Vergilius	You’re sorely mistaken if you believe the company is sincerely curious about your input
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Kagh… If—If the company insists so, then I—!
	Guide Vergilius	…I’m sick of this.
Vergilius kicked Don Quixote, tossing her to the floor.

Then, gripping her fall by the collar…
	Guide Vergilius	I’m sure you remember what went down when you joined.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	…!
	Guide Vergilius	I hope you haven’t forgotten the deal we struck that day. …Miss. Don. Quixote.
Vergilius’s eyes glistened with a much brighter hue of red than usual…
Staring directly into them, Don Quixote soon gave back a nod without another word.
	Guide Vergilius	…That’s all. Back to your seat.
Watching someone who usually exuded pride and confidence quickly shift to such a discouraged, crestfallen state didn’t exactly make for a pleasant sight.
Though, a deal that got Don Quixote to go silent simply by bringing it up…
It makes me wonder what it was about.
	Guide Vergilius	The same goes for the rest of you.
	Guide Vergilius	A company isn’t a platform for fulfilling egocentric dreams or preaching big ideas.
	Guide Vergilius	If you would still go against the terms of your employment contract to act unprompted, consider the consequences before you do.
	Guide Vergilius	You’ll spend a grueling period of being unable to escape; not through death, nor through struggles at severance.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	I guess getting help from that guy―who was that again, Mister… Zack Friture, or something―must’ve ruffled his feathers.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	It’s… Lord Siegfried…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Sheesh, the mission hasn’t even started and we already got a scolding~ Have some tact before you act, ‘kay?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Phew… I knew this day would come sooner or later. We should all be careful from now on
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Why are you two birds gawking at me? Looking to get stoned?
	Guide Vergilius	……
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	…Fine, I got it! Tsk.

3-10: Inquisitors

With everything sorted out, we finally resume out journey to the town of Calw. Before we can bask in our momentary peace, someone claiming to be an "inquisitor" leaves a hole in the back window of our bus.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
With the conflict sorted out, the bus finally departed.
Looking out the windows evoked a strange feeling in the passengers.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Check out those people, they look like they haven’t a care in the world…
	Manager DANTE	<This is way different from the roads we’ve been through.>
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Aha, I guess this is our manager bud’s first time traveling in the middle of a Nest.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	There’s a world of difference between the Nests and the Backstreets. Besides, each Nest has its own cultural heritage.
	Guide Vergilius	Attention, all.
	Guide Vergilius	Our destination is the town of Calw, situated in Nest K. Investigation revealed that a passage connected to a Lobotomy Corp. branch exists somewhere in that village.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…!
As soon as the name ‘Calw’ was mentioned, Sinclair lapsed into fear once again and started trembling.
As if something were coming after him…
	Guide Vergilius	But, as you have told me, a third party has occupied the area surrounding that branch facility. That’s why I requested an additional recon operation from Clearance.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Preliminary Observation Unit 3 from the Before Team has been dispatched. Mr. Effie and Ms. Saude should be with them by now.
	Guide Vergilius	We’ll receive a report from them once they get a good grasp of the situation.
Shortly afterward, the bus entered a quiet woodland path leading to the village.
Lush green trees rarely found in the Backstreets began to decorate the scene, providing a comforting sight. But that was soon disturbed by something odd.
I could see an ominous billow of smoke rise in the distance.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Why is… smoke… coming from…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Sinclair…?
	Guide Vergilius	Charon, turn.
	Bus Driver Charon	Evasive maneuver. Rumble-tumble.
The bus made a sharp turn to the left, shortly before a giant nail flew in and noisily embedded itself in the back window
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Wha… Who the hell was that?! I almost kicked it!
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Hmm… Though I hadn’t run a test with a projectile at such velocity, this does suggest that the windows need to be reinforced a little
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	That was aimed directly at us. They must be the faction the Before Team warned us about… The Employees of N Corp.
	Bus Driver Charon	Verg, Mephi got hurt. Charon’s sad.
	Guide Vergilius	Doesn’t look like they’ll stop anytime soon.
	Guide Vergilius	Off the bus, all.
Location: Path towards Calw
As we got off the bus, a group stood in the way, clad from head to toe in rusty armor with faded coats of white.
	??? ???	Halt. You may not use this road.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	You should’ve said so in the first place, ‘cause what about our windshield? Ah, bugger…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	You’re rather rude for someone who attacked without warning. Isn’t it at least common courtesy to state your affiliations?
	Nagel und Hammer Inquisitor	We are Inquisitors. We are the nail that fixes the blasphemous, and the hammer that strikes down the sinful
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	So, N Corp… That’s one convoluted way to tell someone that you’re an employee of Nagel und Hammer.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	…Also known as “Nail and Hammer”.
	Nagel und Hammer Inquisitor	You shall not proceed as we are in the midst of cleansing heretical dissidents.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Heretics? Hey now, we just want to pass through, not looking for any trouble. We’re on the, uh…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	A tour…! That’s right, and this is a tour bus.
	Manager DANTE	<……>
Labeled as tourists all of a sudden, the Sinners exchanged looks in silence.
To prevent another disastrous first impression, Gregor was doing what he could―even though his efforts fell flat for the most part―to gently appease the armored crowd.
Accompanied by an attempt at the kind, harmless smile a tourist would wear.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Greg, I’ve been thunkin’ this since the job at the mine, but… are you that into these kinds of bits…?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	That’s not exactly it…
The quivering corners of his mouth roused pity in my heart.
	Nagel und Hammer Inquisitor	In that case, you shall prove yourselves to be untainted.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Fine, tell us how so we can get on with it.
The Inquisitor suddenly pointed in my direction.
	Nagel und Hammer Inquisitor	Behead that blasphemous traveler.
	Manager DANTE	<M… Me?!>
	Nagel und Hammer Inquisitor	And kneel before our hammer as you consecrate their head to us.
	Nagel und Hammer Inquisitor	Such will prove that you are untainted ones, and your journey shall continue without hindrance.
	Nagel und Hammer Inquisitor	You will, of course, have to part with the defiled vehicle as well.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Love to spew on, don’t you blokes? Oi, I don’t know who you think we are, but do we look daft enough to do as you say?
Furious, Heathcliff was the first to quit playing as a harmless tourist.
	Manager DANTE	<Heathcliff… You didn’t have to…>
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Proper trifling twits, tch. Who are you telling me to kneel?
	Manager DANTE	<……>
The Inquisitor—as was declared to us—nodded in response.
	Nagel und Hammer Inquisitor	Understood. Then I declare all of you to be heretics.
With that, the group of Inquisitors moved into position at once, ready to attack.

3-11: Inquisitors 2

The advance party contacted us at last. The mysterious voice coming from the transmitter was a telltale sign that something was up, throwing Sinclair into another fit of terror.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
Getting back on the bus, Vergilius greets us by casually lifting a hand.
	Guide Vergilius	Weren’t they a little trickier to deal with than your usual foes?
	Sinner #9 RODION	I keep saying we could be done with ‘em a lot faster if you lent a hand~
	Guide Vergilius	And as I always answer, there won’t be any point to this if I help you.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Those people… They labelled us as heretics. Just what is their judgement based on?
	Manager DANTE	<I think they were targeting me.>
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Nagel und Hammer… The Wing that values experience above all else.
Meursault muttered vaguely.
	Manager DANTE	<Experience?>
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Humans are made to have experiences and actions appropriate for their worth… That is what they say of it.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	They told us to offer up the severed head of our manager.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	That means…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…They’re back. They didn’t forget. Coming back like that, to—
Sinclair was almost having a fit at this point.
Rodya looked at him with pitying eyes, but there was little she could do about it.
	Bus Driver Charon	Verg-verg, the sound box is being noisy.
	Guide Vergilius	…Looks like the advance team has words for us.
	LCCB Effie	Pzzt Zzzt Zzzt This is… Pzzz…
	LCCB Effie	Zzzt Pzzt Saude is… Pzzz…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Gimme that.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Effie, this is the bus. How are things over there?
	LCCB Effie	“…You shall bear here your every sin and be purified.”
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Effie?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Was that… Effie’s voice? Or something else?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	No, actually… Was that even a human voice at all?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Whistles…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Sinclair, what are you talking about?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	You heard the whistles! Right at the end… Faintly…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Was there now…?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	It’s her! That wretch is there! After all this time… To destroy the rest of our town…
	Manager DANTE	<Calm down, Sinclair. What do you mean by whistles, and who is this “wretched” woman?>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	She’s waiting for me. That was a message calling for me!
Resentful tears were streaming from Sinclair’s face as he rambled.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Hang on, there are people like the ones we met on the road up ahead…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	We should go back…
	Manager DANTE	<What?>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Can’t we… just head back? I don’t wanna go—let’s just turn around. Just tip the steering wheel and…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Kiddo… What’s wrong? What’re you so worried you’ll walk into?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	We shouldn’t go. We’ll all die—we need to go back.
	Guide Vergilius	Emil Sinclair. Don’t be absurd…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	……
Outis was calmly flicking her wrist.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I delivered a light blow to the stomach to knock him unconscious for a short while, nothing more.
	Guide Vergilius	We’re in agreement for once, it seems. I was this close to stepping in.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I don’t need cowards on my battlefield. Can’t I throw him out of the bus?
	Manager DANTE	<That… might be a bit too far.>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…If you say so, Manager.
Outis looked down at Sinclair with a displeased face.
Even though he was the timid sort, he’s never opposed something so strongly until now.
This unprecedented behavior of his bothered me…
But I couldn’t bring myself to ask him why, as he didn’t seem to be in any state to tell me.
Soon enough, Sinclair came back to his senses. He stared out the window with vacant eyes.
	Manager DANTE	<…The others are all out fighting.>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I’m… sorry. I’ll go join them.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I can’t keep dragging others down.

3-13: Silent Night

We’ve reached the town of Calw. A familiar song welcomes us, followed by the morbid sight of trees festooned with horrifying things.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Calw - Town Square
The smoke that was faintly visible through the bus windows covered the whole town.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Ugh… What a mess this is, huh.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	By the way… Don’t you hear a familiar song from somewhere?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oh, yeah, I know this one. Used to hear this tune an awful lot on snowy days…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	They played it a bunch during wartime to raise our spirits. Did the exact opposite for me.
The song evoked various memories in the group.
For me… I’m not sure. It’s definitely familiar, but it doesn’t bring up any clear images in my head.
However, I could still feel a faint splash of feeling from deep in my heart.
Maybe I knew this song before I lost my memory.
This mist of emotion roused inside me, though… It doesn’t feel precious or warm.
An ache.
An inexplicable sting is what I felt.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Right… That day…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	It was snowy like this… and that song was playing…

The trees before us were decorated with grim ornaments
All sorts of internal organs and mechanical parts were hung from the branches, as if someone put people’s innards on full display
	Sinner #9 RODION	Bleck… Isn’t this going too far?
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	A classic… but, more kitschy than anything.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	…There are no survivors nearby.
Then, everything finally fell into place.
It’s just like…

	??? ???	Ah~ Ahh~! Mic test, mic test!!
A piercing sound caused the group to cover their ears.
	??? ???	Enjoying your Noel, everyone?
	??? ???	The night isn’t really silent, but it sure is holy.
	Manager DANTE	<…? Isn’t Christmas still a fair way off?>
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	You’re right, it’s not any time soon.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	My name is Kromer. I’m a humanitarian who loves purity, and the one who grips the hammer
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	I don’t know how you managed to get here, but you’re trespassing on private property.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	As you can see… this hallowed ground is undergoing our nailing judgement. I hope you like the decorations I set up.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Well, let’s just say that you got lost… Turn back now and a fine will be all you have to pay.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	I’m feeling generous… Today is the Nativity after all!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Oh, before that. Is Guido there?

	Nagel und Hammer Guido	Here I stand.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Good. Just in case, do you see any heretics over there?
The massive man named Guido who responded to her turns to us.
He intently stares into each of us, until his eyes fall upon me.
He gazes at me for a very long time.
Although he was wearing a mask, those eyes of his…
They froze us completely still, as if his glare nailed us to the ground.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	I see an impure one and their followers.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	And with them… the child you spoke of.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Hahahah! Really! My Sinclair is back?
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Come see me, Sinclair. I’ll be waiting at that familiar spot!
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Gr…hrrrkh… Kro…mer…
I can hear Sinclair grinding and gnashing his teeth.
He made a dreadful noise; I couldn’t be sure if it was from hatred or fear.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Take out the rest, Guido. Or should I myself? I wouldn’t mind.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	I urge you to focus on hammering the impure, O One Who Grips.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Hahahahaha! Good, good!! Let’s keep up the purification!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Now then, everyone. Merry Christmas!
A number of Inquisitors gathered around Guido.
He stands firm behind them.
…He’s not making any movement, but his presence alone is threatening enough.
An intense aura of hostility was radiating straight from him.

Post-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Calw - Town Square
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	…That was a tough opponent. We should move before they come back to their senses.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	What a shameful thing to say. A soldier does not retreat before the enemy when victory is in sight.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Can’t you save the military drill for a better time?
	Manager DANTE	<Ishmael is right. That’s not someone we can beat easily.>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…We will fall back.
Outis reluctantly backed down.
	Manager DANTE	<Sinclair, do you know what that Kromer meant by “that familiar spot”?>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	That’s… well…
Sinclair shook. He was seemingly overwhelmed with dread.
But I could also see a teeth-grinding anger in him that surpassed his fear.
Looking at him, a thought blossomed in my mind.
	Manager DANTE	<You need to talk, Sinclair.>
	Manager DANTE	<Tell us what you know, and you’ll prevent half the deaths we might suffer.>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	It’ll also raise the likelihood of our success. I’m looking forward to hearing something useful.
…I hope I’m doing the right thing as the manager.
Sinclair shook his head upon hearing my words, breathed in, and finally opened his mouth after some struggle.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…My house. That’s where Kromer must be.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	So, you know that bird?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Bollocks, my head is still pounding thanks to her shrill laugh.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…I met her at school.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Oh boy, she’s a friend of yours? Whatever’s going on, sure hope you can talk it out…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	She’s not my friend. Kromer killed my family.
	Sinner #9 RODION	……
	Sinner #9 RODION	My bad.
A prosthetic head hanging from a tree slowly turned to face us.
Lights and sparks occasionally flickered within.
	Calw Townsfolk A Prosthetic Head	Sin…cl…a…ir… Bzt… Pzzt…
	Calw Townsfolk A Prosthetic Head	Why… did you… return…
	Sinner #9 RODION	…Sinclair, are those your neighbors?
Rodya asked while looking at the dismembered prostheses.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	It looks like they were… I really hope that isn’t the case, though…
Sinclair replied, watching with a grim look on his face as their bare wires sparked and short-circuited.
The robotic head soon stopped moving, only emitting discordant things.
Then, a song begins to fill the air.
	Calw Townsfolk A Prosthetic Head	Silent night…
All the heads hung from the trees are singing the same song.
The carol leaking through the vocal units of so many lifeless heads lands on the flames below.
	Calw Townsfolk A Prosthetic Head	Holy night…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	It’s clearer than ever now… Prosthetic body parts are “heresy” to them.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Though it has been quite a while since prostheses were first introduced to the City…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Many people still find them foreign and alienating.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…Our town.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Our town was called… “The Holy Site of Nest K’s Prosthetic Industry”. Most of the residents worked in manufacturing high-end prosthesis components.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Kromer has been keeping an eye on our town for a long time.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	So, was your family…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Yeah, my father was the owner of a fledgling prosthetics company too.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Is that why…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	No.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	The way I see it, attributing it to a high-flown cause of any kind is giving them too much credit.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	They’re… just lunatics, consumed by madness and violence.
Ishmael asserted to him.
After a while of staring at the “Christmas” trees decorated with his neighbors, Sinclair turned to me.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Manager, I have a question if it’s alright with you.
	Manager DANTE	<What is it?>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Well… How does it feel?
	Manager DANTE	<Feel?>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Yeah.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I mean, how does it feel to have a prosthetic replacement for your head?
I was a little taken aback since I’ve never had anyone ask that kind of question before.
The issue is that there’s no way to know how I might have felt before I got a clock for a head.
	Manager DANTE	<Uhm… That’s…>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Oh! It’s—um… I’m not trying to argue with you or anything.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…T-That was probably rude of me. I apologize.
	Manager DANTE	<No need, it’s alright.>
The other Sinners were a billion times ruder to me with their daily interactions, anyway.
	Manager DANTE	<I’m afraid I can’t answer that… I don’t remember a single thing about my life before this clock.>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I see…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I’ve always wondered what it feels like when there’s something sitting where your head should be…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	My family said it’s no different from wearing a hat or a watch…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	But I just couldn’t picture it well no matter how I approached it.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	And now, I’m the only survivor thanks to that.
	Manager DANTE	<I’m sure the procedure seemed terrifying at such a young age. You don’t have to feel guilty about that.>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	That’s not it…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	It’s nothing like that…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I’m afraid I’m not as innocent as you might think, Dante…
Sinclair quietly hung his head.
I racked my brains for an appropriate reply, but no suitable words of comfort came up.
Only the unpleasant sounds of sparks and flames filled the street.

3-15: Purification

Prosthetic bodies pile up like a landfill in a corner of the town. It brings me to think about what my "true self" is.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Calw - Town Square
Prosthetic bodies pile up like a landfill in a corner of the town.
I could see that some of them were still conscious, letting out pained moans.
The Inquisitors paid no heed; they strenuously jammed nails through each of their victims’ chests, over and over, executing their “pure” intent.
	Nagel und Hammer An Inquisitor	I’ve surely pierced their heart, yet still a pulse remains in their body.
	Nagel und Hammer Fellow Inquisitor	It must be patched with steel. Even the core of their humanity has been tainted by heresy.
	Nagel und Hammer Fellow Inquisitor	How filthy. A disgrace to flesh and bone.
The Inquisitor began carefully pouring a bottle of liquid over the prosthetic person in what looked like a solemn ritual.
Judging from the pungent smell, it was most certainly oil.
	Nagel und Hammer Fellow Inquisitor	Imbibe the oil of humanity, ye heretical soma.
	Nagel und Hammer Fellow Inquisitor	Those who cannot return to the earth, find solace in scattering to smoke.
A lit match was then thrown on the pile, letting rise a huge flame.
With the sounds of sparks flying about, the air is soon filled with an acrid smell.
It’s not quite like the smell of burning flesh.
The spreading fire finally brings the crackling glimmer in those prosthetic bodies to permanent darkness.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	If this hellscape is their idea of purification, I’d rather stay unclean.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Nagel und Hammer has always been devoted to scrutinizing the idea of humanity.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Some criticized prosthetic use, as they believed that pain is a necessary component of the human experience. However, it never escalated to the extent of direct action that we are witnessing now.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	I’ve been meaning to ask… How do you know so much about N Corp?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	…I was once employed by N Corp.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Wha…? You used to work with those people?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	I have never worked with those specific individuals, but in terms of affiliation, you can say that I did.
Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve heard Meursault actively talk about himself.
He would rarely recount anything related to him. Perhaps he felt it wasn’t necessary to speak at all.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Why didn’t you tell us that earlier? You carry one of those freaky weapons then?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Am I obligated to elaborate?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	The hell… Why don’t you explain what makes you different from those nutters, then?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Listen, mate… As much as I like to call our daft manager clockface, I don’t think they deserve by any means to be on the stake or chopping block.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Those buggers talk big about purifying and all that, but all I see are a bunch of loonies who just needed an excuse to kill, eh?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Speak up, then. Are you like those screwloose bucketheads?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	There was a time when I thought about such things.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Though I did not come to a conclusion.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	I want that damn conclusion now! Are you gonna up and butcher all the townsfolk if your manager just says so?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Must I give an answer? That does not aid us in handling our work.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	An employee must follow their employer’s orders. The terms Vergilius presented state as much.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	If the manager orders me to do such a thing, I will do it. I may provide my input if I am told that it is necessary, but I do not have a habit of rambling my thoughts unprompted.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	…Pardon? Are you ‘round the twist? Do you got a chunk of metal for your brains like the folks here?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	I am 16% proteins, 60% water, 7% minerals, and so forth; I am clearly different in terms of composition.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Moreover, unnecessary heavy metals do not comprise any portion of my body.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	That is another difference.
Heathcliff’s face contorted with frustration.
Meursault was already an enigma, and he only felt ever more distant after this conversation.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Now that you mention it, there’s something I’ve been wondering.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I’ve been thinking on whether Manager Dante should be seen as a “human”.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	What do you mean?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	What if… when dear Dante is speaking… it’s actually the clock and not the person we know as “Dante” behind those words?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Eh? You trying to tell me we were being led by an actual clock?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Good grief… You’re reaching uncharted depths of idiocy with your theories. I can’t even be bothered to refute them.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Don’t misunderstand, I do like our Dante with their clock-headedness.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Honestly, same. Why don’t you just give up finding your old head and stick with that one?
	Sinner #9 RODION	I know it’s prob not gonna be the case, but what if Dante’s real head turned out to be super evil or something?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Well, there’s only one of us who’d know about our manager bud’s past…
Gregor’s eyes naturally fell on Faust.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	…That’s confidential information. Its access is restricted to the highest security level.
	Manager DANTE	<…And I get the feeling I won’t be able to read it for myself.>
It’s only natural.
I have no idea who or what I originally was, so I had nothing at my disposal to refute Hong Lu’s lighthearted accusation.
Maybe he’s right, and I really am just a clock.
Even if I ask Faust, there’s no telling if she’ll give me a real answer, and I wouldn’t be able to discern the truth in such a thing either.
There’s even a slim chance that the real ‘Dante’ is hidden away somewhere, and that I’m some advanced imitation trained to believe I have free will.
In any case, sitting here and ruminating won’t get me anywhere.
	Manager DANTE	<Who knows, maybe I’ll mount this thing on the wall when I find my real head.>
Ishmael sent me a chastising glare for even suggesting something like that, but she had no choice other than to shrug
Well, it is true.

3-16: Fortitude

I can only feel pity for Sinclair’s struggle to repress his fear. In looking at me, he is soon reminded of an old friend.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Calw - Town Square
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Okay, what should we do now? If we move quietly, we might be able to pass by the other Inquisitors unnoticed.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Dante… I… I’d like to apologize in advance.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	As you know… I’m not as experienced with fighting like the others…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Our foes might jab me in the heart over and over for that…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Will you… bear that for me?
Sinclair was trembling so badly that it’d be pitiful for anyone to witness.
I could tell he was desperately trying to suppress his fear.
It wouldn’t be the first time Sinclair has died. Whenever he bit the dust, I made sure to bring him back.
But today, he’s newly asking for my understanding. He looked determined to confront them directly even if it means he’ll die again and again.
A feeling quite unlike the fright a usual battle evokes…
Maybe he’s holding the kind of fear that comes with a certain courage.
In that case…
	Manager DANTE	<Are you scared, Sinclair?>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…!
Sinclair suddenly turned around and gave me a startled look.
	Manager DANTE	<Hmm? Did I say something weird?>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	No, it’s just… I was reminded of a friend who asked me the same question.
Sinclair opened his mouth after a brief pause. His voice cracked.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…I agree with what Heathcliff said.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Prosthetic head or not, you would’ve been the same person regardless, Dante.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I guess the same could be said for my family.
	Manager DANTE	<Thanks, Sinclair.>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…Hoo.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	It’s nothing. I can’t have you be too thankful when I’m about to make you suffer by throwing my life away. Haha.
Just as I realized that I forgot to ask what he said in response to the same question his friend had…
Sinclair had already charged into the fray.

3-17: Bonfire

We arrived at the Sinclair family estate. Crucified prosthetic bodies await us in the courtyard. One of them is someone we can’t bear to see straight.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: The Old Sinclair Estate
Sinclair’s home was the largest mansion in the neighborhood, standing at the innermost part of town.
One could see from a distance that a huge flame was engulfing the estate.
I took a moment to try and imagine what this town could have looked like during its peaceful times.
To bring to mind the times when the trees we saw near the town still had lush, verdant leaves.
How Sinclair would’ve been during those times.
Or when everyone around him had died.
I couldn’t paint a clear picture of either happiness or despair.
Nonetheless, I only hope that Sinclair can brace himself for the misfortune he’ll soon have to face.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	This is… awful, to say the least…
A courtyard that could have once been a vast, flourishing garden was now full of nails erected tall.
A variety of prosthetic bodies were pierced by those towering nails.
And the house was enveloped in ferocious flame, ready to consume everything around it.
While everyone’s attention was drawn to the prostheses…
Sinclair’s eyes drifted to a corner of the yard.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	The graves, they’re… dug up…?
Following his gaze, I could see three graves that were violated.
Sinclair’s expression alone was enough for me and all the other Sinners to guess who they were for.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	…To execute the dead—this is nothing short of a devil’s work.
Father, mother, and sister.
The family he mentioned… That’s where they should be resting.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Halt… One Uniform, straight ahead.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	That whistling…
	??? ???	Kehehe. I mean, it’s just too funny when you think about it.
Someone walked out of the burning household.
Her laugh was simply sinister in every way imaginable.

	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Why put so much effort into burying bodies that can’t even rot… Am I right?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Kromer…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	I’m sure you’ll find ‘em around somewhere if you look hard enough. I do remember nailing those three
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Be a good boy, and I might just tell you where they are…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Well, Sinclair? You’ve grown a spine, coming all the way here.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Enough of one to look at a few dead bodies too, right?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Why… Just… Why all this…?
Sinclair couldn’t even speak properly.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Where did our Before Team get off to? They’ve got to turn up at this point…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Ah~ Sinclair’s got some buddies!

	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Looking for the other filthy ratlets that snuck in here?
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Okay, okay. Watch closely. I’ll turn on the lights, so open your eyes wide!

	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Tadaa!
	LCCB Effie	Krgh, khaag…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Effie…?
Effie was barely breathing. His limbs had been cut away, and deformed prosthetics were crudely lodged in their place.

	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Effie!!!
He was too mutilated to even speak a single word.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	……
	Sinner #2 FAUST	In his current state, it will take around two days for him to completely die.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	And the pole piercing through him will only amplify his suffering.
	Manager DANTE	<Then…>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Manager, I happen to know of a method to end a life with as little pain as possible.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	It’s one that saw many uses, in fact…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	May I ask you to give me the order?
I looked to both Gregor and Ishmael.
They gazed back at me, and… as if in acknowledgement, dropped their heads low and bit their lips.
I understood what that meant.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…Rest in peace.
The collar of Outis’s clothes brushed against the wind.
Then silence.
And—it’s then broken by Kromer’s roaring laughter.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Pfh… Pwahahahaha!!
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Ah.
At the same time, I could hear something else break.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Really, it’s hilarious to watch you all care for each other when you’ll all meet the same fate anyway!
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Brings you back, doesn’t it, Sinclair?
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Your face back then was real priceless.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Kromer.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	You have to die.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Yeah, I think that’s the right way.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	You’ll die by my—!
He was interrupted by the sound of a nail dragging across the floor.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…It’s Guido.
We thought we had felled him with our best, but not a scratch was on his body now. It was as if all his injuries healed in that short time.
Seeing him walk towards us in perfect condition fatigued the Sinners…
Rendered speechless, all they can muster from their hearts is a deep groan of contempt.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Guido, why couldn’t you take out the others?
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	Forgive my ineptitude, O One Who Grips. My incompetence allowed them to escape.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	You have to stay alert. You never know what’s hidden under those cursed steel craniums.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	I shall keep your word at heart, O One Who Grips.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Since the reunion is over, I’ll be heading back.
Kromer turns around to walk into the burning mansion.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Kromer!!!
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Get back here! I’ll… I swear, you—! I’ll grab you with my hand and—
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	Nope, Sinclair.
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	It’s always been the other way around…
A long smirk dances across Kromer’s entire face; it’s hard to tell if it’s the violent blaze or Kromer’s vice that is consuming the other.
And then…
	Nagel und Hammer Kromer	I am the one who grips.

3-18: Scheiterhaufen

Kromer walked inside the burning mansion. The Sinners are dismayed by Guido’s unflinching advance.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: The Old Sinclair Estate
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Rrraaaaaaah!!!
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Hey, wait…!
Sinclair leapt forth to chase Kromer before anyone could stop him.
However, he’s blocked by the remaining N Corp. Inquisitors.
In response, he swings his weapon with a tremendous force I never thought he could exert, crushing the head of the one who grabbed him.
The Inquisitor collapses to the ground before even a gasp could escape their mouth.
Sinclair would normally keep to the back of our group; this was the first time I saw him charge in unprompted like that.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	…What the—? The hell have you been dawdling in the back for if you could do that?
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	I remember with clarity that I had ended your lives.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	I undoubtedly witnessed torn brain tissue spill through the cracks in your skulls.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	And yet, here you heretics are, before me on your feet.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	You’re not the one to complain about miraculous recoveries…
Guido examines me closely with his piercing glare.
He then slowly nods as if his observation gave him the knowledge he needed.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	You there, the one possessing the head of a heretic.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	You must be the false shepherd enticing this herd into blasphemy.
He proceeds to nudge his chin at the nailed corpses in the courtyard.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	They committed the grave sin of entering the site of hallowed rites with their unclean bodies.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	Thus, they have been punished with the same penalty as heretics receive.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	They have also been subjected to the humiliation of bodily mechanical intrusions being installed against their will.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	But you are different.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	The sin of worshipping a heretic is less severe than indulging in heresy oneself.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	Therefore, as long as you are willing to repent and cleanse your minds of sin…
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	We, the Hammer, are willing to demonstrate forgiveness.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	So I implore you, ye pitiable foolish sinners, led astray by temptation.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	Shake off the allure of that false miracle, and kneel before me.
The confrontation came to a standstill. No one seemed willing to speak first.
	Manager DANTE	<So you’ve all been under my spell or something all along? Who’d’ve thought that.>
I tried cracking a joke to lighten the mood a little, but no one laughed.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Dante… That man… He just insulted you. He doesn’t even see you as a human being.
	Manager DANTE	<I mean, you guys call me clockface all the time too…>
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	That’s not the same at all! Besides, I’ve never used that nickname…
Ishmael grunted.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	So you think throwing some fancy words around will be enough to persuade us, eh…
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Listen up, Faceplate: You’re the one who needs a little shaking off. Seems to me your human brain’s just as defective.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	……
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	You were given ample opportunity.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	You are no different from those we hung and nailed after all.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	I am a Hammer.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	I am a tool for the One Who Grips, tasked with the great mission of piercing the false flesh of heretics.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	I shall bind thee to a nail, and lay thee down furthest from soil.
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	For he who shan’t repent…
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oi, when are you gonna finish your stupidly long taunt?
	Nagel und Hammer Guido	…is not granted rest beneath the earth.

Post-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: The Old Sinclair Estate
The ground shook as Guido finally fell.
I couldn’t help but wonder if we really did him in, yet we were too exhausted to bother and take his helmet off to check his breathing.

Sinclair was repeatedly jabbing his spear into a dead Inquisitor.
The corpse was mangled beyond recognition, its blood and organs spilling all over the floor.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Sinclair… Calm down.
He didn’t seem to care about anything other than the body he was set out to destroy.
Occasional pants of rage and tearful gasps were all that came out of his mouth.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I’ll… kill… them all…
I knew stopping him was the right thing to do, but no one dared to step in.
It was evident that he was too blinded by ire to listen to us.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	I know a way most simple to bring him back to senses!
At that, Don Quixote suddenly jumped Sinclair and pinned him to the ground.
And then…

She started laying into his face.
One fist thrown after the other.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Oh, um… Shouldn’t we do something?
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Leave ‘em be. A couple calves tussling isn’t worth intervening.
A cloud of dust rose from her ruthless beating…
After a while, Don Quixote cut her onslaught.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Pray tell, how dost thou feel now?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Hng, khh…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Pardon my rash action. Oft I would find myself overcome by fervor, rampaging much the same as a riderless horse.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	At such moments, mine old friends helped me to come to myself—by beating me senseless.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	‘Twas, at times, the only remedy to the fever that had overtaken me.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Aha, so in that sense, Vergilius must be a good friend of yours too, right?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Pfheh…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Well— I…!

	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Hic… Huhk…
Tears plinked down from Sinclair’s bruised eyes.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I’ll get her for this…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I’ll go to my home… and skewer that bitch… I’ll skewer her with a stake…! And then—
The rest of his sentence was overrun with pained sobbing.
After a while of sniffling, Sinclair finally seemed to calm down as he put a hand to his face and started muttering.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I… lost everything overnight…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Back then… they didn’t parade their ‘Nagel und Hammer’ name around. You didn’t see large groups like that in the open.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	But, at some point…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	People calling themselves “Hammers” started showing up in town, one by one, and…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Eagh, hic…
	Sinner #9 RODION	It’s okay, kiddo. No need to push yourself…
Rodya gently pat him on the back.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I still think that sometimes…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	This is all just a bad dream and I’m having trouble waking up…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	It always comes… Every morning, before I open my eyes…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Maybe this time… I’ll wake up and see my familiar ceiling… Just maybe.
After he said that, he broke into tears.
It only made sense to wait for him to settle down.

3-20: Underpass

Sinclair showed us to the basement with a suspicious passage. Faust assumes this tunnel was made by N Corp’s staff.

Pre-Battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Basement Area
We entered the charred mansion, and Sinclair led us to the basement.
When he opened the door…
Location: Underground Passage
A long underpass leading to an unknown destination was revealed to us.
	Manager DANTE	<To think there’d be a tunnel down here…>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	So… if my guess is right, then this passage should lead to the branch facility.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Why’re you keeping this shifty shaft in your basement?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	It wasn’t here before.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	What? Then how’d you know we oughta go to the basement?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	It’s like how magnetic fields draw a compass needle northward… I was brought here by intuition.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	……
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…Isn’t that what it is?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	You’re bringing us along to use as sensors for the Boughs.
Sinclair quietly looked at Faust.
Instead of answering him, she strode past him and stood before the door.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Judging from the material, this tunnel seems to have been made relatively recently.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It was likely dug by N Corp’s expeditionary forces when they had occupied the town.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It won’t be a short trip. Given that this passage was excavated for their use, we will assuredly run into foes on the way.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	…We should move once we are ready.
	Manager DANTE	<……>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Don’t give me that look, Dante.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	…I am simply not in the position to comment on it.

3-22: Branch K-02

We’ve arrived at the branch. The room we walked into was like a torture chamber, lined with devices, contraptions, and bits of flesh.

Within Story Dungeon

Main article: Branch K-02/Floor 1

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Canto III: The Unconfronting/Story Episodes

3-1: Humming Along

Pre-Battle

3-2: Inspection

Pre-Battle

Post-Battle

3-3: Code Purple

Pre-Battle

3-4: Taboo

Pre-Battle

Post-Battle

3-6: HP Bullets

Post-Battle

3-7: Siegfried

Pre-Battle

3-8: Effie―Saude, too

Pre-Battle

3-9: The Deal They Struck

Pre-Battle

3-10: Inquisitors

Pre-Battle

3-11: Inquisitors 2

Pre-Battle

3-13: Silent Night

Pre-Battle

Post-Battle

3-15: Purification

Pre-Battle

3-16: Fortitude

Pre-Battle

3-17: Bonfire

Pre-Battle

3-18: Scheiterhaufen

Pre-Battle

Post-Battle

3-20: Underpass

Pre-Battle

3-22: Branch K-02

Within Story Dungeon