Canto IX: The Unsevering/Story Episodes/Part I
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Instead of the bus that never returned
came the news of an attack upon the unassailable.
Caught within the chaos,
I quietly behold what is wreathed there:
A spider's web, woven of red thread.
|Part II →
came the news of an attack upon the unassailable.
Caught within the chaos,
I quietly behold what is wreathed there:
A spider's web, woven of red thread.
9-1: Ambush in the Dark
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
There is a clew of thread, raveled of a single strand whose beginning is its end.
| ||
Moments become wefts and warps that criss-cross into a weave,
| ||
and the flow of time spools in a single spot.
| ||
 | ||
 |
??? |
Go on, read it. |
|
|
??? |
Uh… Ryō… shū? |
From the echo of your first cry to the whisper of your last breath,
| ||
in the heart of every moment, my eyes catch a glimpse of you.
| ||
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|
??? |
No… That's not how you read those letters… |
|
|
??? |
"Yoshihide." That's how you say it. |
|
|
??? |
"Ryō-shū!" |
|
|
??? |
It's prettier and easier! |
Dear lost child of mine, should the way back home elude you…
| ||
Follow the thread back to the very first knot that hurt the most.
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Where the quivering stops,
| ||
that is where you will find me.
| ||
 | ||
 |
Marton |
Today's the day. |
 |
Alyssa |
Today's the day indeed. Boss, are you— |
 |
Hohenheim |
Hold. Please, don't ask me if I am "nervous." Only ordinary, unremarkable researchers with a particularly low level of confidence in their own material ever get "nervous." |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Your unfinished query has reminded me of the last academic assembly—there was this fellow who simply could not stop their hands from shaking with the frequency of 5 oscillations every 3 seconds, even after taking an entire fistful of Tranquility Boluses. What a miserable sight that was. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Oh, of course, perhaps the fear that the attendees may not possess the intelligence to comprehend even half of my presentation may source a reasonable level of anxiety, potent enough to make my legs tremble somewhat. But I have been quite relieved of that concern after you reviewed my materials; if both of you were able to understand it, then the audience should have no problem following the… general narrative. |
|
|
Marton |
At least you won't be dosing the audience chock-full of your verbal sedative this time. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
On another note… have you any clue as to why our cooperation request for additional research is still pending approval? |
|
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Alyssa |
… LCA R&D Team has repeatedly denied our request. Apparently, we're to focus solely on our present research… |
|
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Hohenheim |
A rather narrow-minded bunch, aren't they? Do we know specifically who denied our requests? |
|
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Alyssa |
… The assistant manager who simply could not stop their hands from shaking, even after taking an entire fistful of Tranquility Boluses. It seems pretty obvious that they're still carrying the grudge from when you scoffed at them. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
… Is that so? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Well, they'll have no choice but to approve our request after this presentation. Our present research has already progressed beyond the point of satisfaction, after all. |
|
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Alyssa |
Of course, Boss. Of course… |
|
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Hohenheim |
… This won't do. Though the motivation behind my additional research request was to sate a personal curiosity, I have no doubts in my mind that it will end up benefiting the company's bottom line. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Marton, do you have our additional research proposal with you? Even the LCA will have no recourse but to approve it once they see the projected gains from its success. |
|
|
Marton |
Ah, that… I left it back at the Research Hall. Didn't think we'd need it today. |
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Hohenheim |
A successful outcome of that research should also be able to boost the efficiency of our electrical systems. I'm sure the need for more power is a mutual concern—we already have precious little to spare with how much energy our present research consumes. |
|
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Alyssa |
Yeah, we know. We even had to conduct our experiments in the freezing cold because we rerouted power from the heating system to save electricity. Well, I stayed toasty thanks to my E.G.O gear, but still… |
|
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Alyssa |
Anyways, I'll go grab the proposal. You two should focus on the presentation prep. |
| [Music cuts out harshly as background fades to black.] | ||
 | ||
|
|
Frightened Researcher |
Re… Requesting support. This is LCE Department, Co… Corridor YS-4. Requesting immediate support. The situation's… a Code… Code… Gah… |
|
|
??? |
Apologies. I didn't wish to so unnecessarily cut him off, but… as it seems he passed out… let me be the messenger instead. Though I won't bother with the fancy code-speak… |
|
|
??? |
"The situation here is… entirely hopeless."… was probably what he wished to say. |
 | ||
 |
HEATHCLIFF |
You sure we're settin' off today? Reckon you got the date wrong? |
 |
SINCLAIR |
I'm pretty sure I didn't… But even Saude's late, and she was supposed to get Vergilius and Pilot… |
 |
OUTIS |
Right ahead lies the road that leads straight out of Hongyuan. Given Saude's memo telling us to drive out here with a truck, there should be no room for error this time. |
 |
ISHMAEL |
I sure hope that's the case. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
When we left Daguanyuan earlier, the guards at the gate actually asked me what time we'd be coming back. They probably think we've taken up permanent residence here at H Corp. |
 |
GREGOR |
… Not surprising. After saying goodbyes left and right, not to mention two farewell banquets—we're still sitting here on our butts without any sign of leaving… |
 |
RODION |
Exactly. By now, Verg should've appeared out of nowhere with his usual, "Time to move on to our next destination, Dante…" like he always does! |
|
|
RODION |
Then Charon would say, "Off we go, Mephi. Vroom-vroom"… It's been forever since I heard her last! |
 |
HONG LU |
I don't think there was ever a time Vergilius was gone this long. |
 |
MEURSAULT |
The breach of contract may have led to extra workload for him, but even so, his prolonged absence remains unusual. |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
All this, just because he went out of his way to help us…? |
 |
FAUST |
Not necessarily. |
|
|
FAUST |
While it is true that the penalty incurred from breaching the contract yet remains, the LCC's operation in H Corp., which he was assisting with, was immediately concluded following Jia Xichun's inauguration as the Family Hierarch. |
 |
YI SANG |
Hmm… I fail to think of any other reason apart from that. |
 |
DANTE |
<Vergilius and Charon would always be away whenever we traveled to a new place… but yeah, never for this long.> |
|
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SINCLAIR |
Maybe he's just off doing whatever he usually does when spending time with Charon…? |
|
|
FAUST |
At this point, there is no information that can be shared regarding Vergilius's absence. |
|
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DANTE |
<… Maybe we can ask Vergilius when he gets here?> |
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HEATHCLIFF |
You honestly reckon he'd say a word about where he was? That bloke only ever tells us where to go, never where he's off to. |
 |
DON QUIXOTE |
Verily! And never hath he deigned to bring any of us on his ice cream trips… save young Charon! |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
Hooh! Perchance, his path is that of a culinary journey to sample the unique specialties of each District— |
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HEATHCLIFF |
Be serious for one second, lass. This ain't a foodie tour. |
|
|
FAUST |
… Aside from guiding our path… |
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|
FAUST |
… it may simply be that Vergilius has a path of his own to walk. |
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DANTE |
<…….> |
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HEATHCLIFF |
I 'spose he's bein' his usual absentee self, but… that don't explain why Saude ain't here, does it? |
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HEATHCLIFF |
We've been late plenty of times, yeah. But it ain't like the lass to keep us hangin'. |
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RODION |
Maybe there's been a change of plans? |
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OUTIS |
… When an operative goes dark without warning… |
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|
OUTIS |
… it's usually due to an unforeseen variable, not a change of plans. |
|
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DANTE |
<Saude…!> |
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RODION |
Holy— What happened to you?! |
9-2: The Spiders' Thread
Pre-battle
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
 |
Saude |
Prep-prepare for battle, immediately… |
|
|
Saude |
I am… no longer able to operate, as you can plainly see… I need… your help. |
|
|
Saude |
Immediately after rendezvousing with Mister Vergilius… I was… ambushed… |
|
|
Saude |
And the attackers… the attackers'll be here any minute. |
|
|
OUTIS |
How many hostiles? |
|
|
Saude |
… Two. |
|
|
Saude |
While Mister Vergilius was dealing with one of them, I… |
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RODION |
Verg was? |
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RODION |
Well… Then maybe Verg's already on his way back after wiping the floor with both of them? |
|
|
Saude |
N… no. I don't think so… |
|
|
Saude |
It's Charon… |
|
|
Saude |
I… I lost her. |
|
|
Saude |
They tore off the arm I was holding onto Charon with. |
|
|
Saude |
I never should've let go, I never should've let that happen… |
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DON QUIXOTE |
Thou couldst not hold onto young Charon? How, what…? |
|
|
HONG LU |
… Did they take Charon hostage? |
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|
Saude |
Yes. I… could not stop them from taking… Charon. |
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SINCLAIR |
What about Pilot…? |
|
|
Saude |
……. |
|
|
Saude |
Pilot was heavily wounded, but… the last time I saw him, he was conscious. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
… We should prepare for battle. Now. |
|
|
OUTIS |
At least our current objective is clear, Executive Manager. First, take out the pursuers, then rescue Charon. While the exact motive of the perpetrators is yet to be revealed… |
|
|
Saude |
We may be facing multiple fronts. I briefly picked up a transmission from HQ while running this way, and… |
|
|
Saude |
…! |
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|
Saude |
Ah… |
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|
Radio |
Any station, respond… respond… |
|
|
GREGOR |
This is LCB, I read you. What's your situation? Over. |
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|
Radio |
HQ Research Facility— |
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GREGOR |
Research Facility? |
|
|
Radio |
U-und-under-attack— |
| [A flash of colors then darkness.] | ||
|
|
Radio |
My darling daughter. I hope you've been doing well for yourself out there. |
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|
Radio |
But don't you think it's about time you stopped playing and came home? |
| [Ryōshū fades in.] | ||
 |
RYŌSHŪ |
… Hah. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
The Spiders have spun their web, Clock. |
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DANTE |
<Web?> |
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|
RYŌSHŪ |
And it's woven so intricately that there's no way around it. |
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DANTE |
<Do… do you think these attackers have something to do with that, uh… Lei Heng guy from earlier?> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Unlikely. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
He was just one of my many passing tutors. |
|
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SINCLAIR |
Th-then who could've— It's the headquarters, for crying out loud…! |
|
|
Saude |
I don't know. The HQ, it's… it's not the kind of place someone can just force their way into… |
|
|
Saude |
Breaking into a place like that…? It's completely unthinkable… |
|
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DANTE |
<…….> |
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|
RYŌSHŪ |
*puff* |
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|
RYŌSHŪ |
Fine. I didn't expect them to come fine me themselves. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Once the spiders have spun their web, they tend to wait for the prey to stumble into it, after all. |
|
|
Saude |
……. |
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|
Saude |
Ryōshū, is this all just… |
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|
Saude |
… some amusing diversion for you? |
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|
RYŌSHŪ |
Sure is. |
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|
RYŌSHŪ |
The long-awaited moment has finally found me. |
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|
RYŌSHŪ |
Why wouldn't I be excited? |
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|
Saude |
That's just— |
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RYŌSHŪ |
But… don't presume. |
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|
RYŌSHŪ |
My excitement for the coming pleasure… will not interfere with my effectiveness. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I've never once… let enjoyment get in the way of taking the job seriously. |
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RYŌSHŪ |
Not ever, not now. |
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DANTE |
<…….> |
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|
RYŌSHŪ |
You said the assailants'll be here soon. Is the one who took the driver coming, too? |
|
|
Saude |
… Charon— |
|
|
Saude |
If anything happens to Miss Charon, I… |
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|
Saude |
… I wouldn't be able to bring myself to face the Red Gaze. |
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RYŌSHŪ |
Tsk. This isn't going anywhere. |
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RYŌSHŪ |
The Spiders won't hurt the driver. |
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RYŌSHŪ |
She's just their bait to lure out the bigger prey. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
So stop panicking and set us up. It's unsightly. |
|
|
Saude |
… What? |
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RYŌSHŪ |
The Backdoor of this truck. Can it connect us directly to the HQ Research Facility right this instant? |
|
|
Saude |
W-wait. It can, but… |
|
|
Saude |
To use the Backdoor portal that leads straight to the HQ, I need to verify the security code written specifically for each coordinate. It's… going to take some time. |
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RYŌSHŪ |
Heh. Gives us enough time to deal with your pursuer. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
So, are we sure it's a good idea for us to head to the HQ? I feel like we're walking ourselves into a trap here… |
|
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SINCLAIR |
… What if we requested assistance from Daguanyuan instead? |
|
|
OUTIS |
That can be a solution, yes. However, as this concerns our HQ, resolving this crisis with help from a Wing, even one whose leader we are on good terms with… will require an enormous favor to be repaid. |
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|
OUTIS |
Your decision, Executive Manager? |
|
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DANTE |
<…….> |
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DANTE |
<… We'll head straight to the HQ Research Facility as soon as Saude opens the portal.> |
|
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RYŌSHŪ |
Better prepare yourselves. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
What awaits us, without a single shred of doubt, is hell… |
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|
RYŌSHŪ |
… and there in its depths… lies something that has always been waiting for me. |
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YI SANG |
……. |
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YI SANG |
Aught strums above us, walking the vehicle's roof… we have been found. |
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HEATHCLIFF |
Oi, then shouldn't we get out of the truck before it caves in over our heads? |
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ISHMAEL |
No. P Corp.'s Singularity protects this truck, remember? Something that's supposed to keep whatever's inside safe. We should just lie low in here until— |
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RODION |
Y-ya sure about that? I can see a teensy crack in the ceiling! |
|
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ISHMAEL |
A crack? That… makes no sense. The ceiling should be elastic enough to bend under most physical impacts instead of cracking. |
|
|
FAUST |
… It is true that the exterior of this vehicular transportation device utilizes P Corp.'s Singularity. |
|
|
FAUST |
That is why this truck is more spacious inside than it appears from the outside, and has good defenses against external forces. |
|
|
FAUST |
However, unlike the experimental model we boarded in P Corp., this vehicle appears to be a more… affordable model used flexibly as a shuttle for the Before Team's deployment. |
|
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DANTE |
<…?> |
|
|
FAUST |
That is to say that for a Singularity technology to perform at a competent level, a higher level of investment is required. Budget models—even those of Singularities—can still end up being countered. |
|
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HEATHCLIFF |
So they cheapened out. |
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RYŌSHŪ |
Then the assailant is not one of the Nursefathers from the House of Spiders. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
If it were one of them… the first shock would have shattered this wall into pieces. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I suppose kicking off with the top dogs would've made for a rather bland story progression. |
|
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SINCLAIR |
The Nursefathers…? Wait, you mean the same people Lei Heng— |
|
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OUTIS |
… We'll have time for speculations later. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Executive Manager, the ceiling's about to cave in! |
|
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DANTE |
<… Go for the kill the moment they get inside.> |
 | ||
 |
??? |
……. |
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OUTIS |
At the ready, men! |
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DANTE |
<…! Wait, don't engage!> |
|
|
Saude |
… Charon…! |
|
|
??? |
She is only unconscious—and breathing still. |
|
|
OUTIS |
I see. You cut Saude's arm off so that you'd have something to track her down with. |
|
|
??? |
And she has gone straight to seek help from her comrades… |
|
|
??? |
It was indeed a correct decision for us to wait and see how she'd react. |
|
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DANTE |
<… Ryōshū?> |
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RYŌSHŪ |
*puff* B.D.O.K. They won't dare hurt the bus driver. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
So don't make a fuss, Clock. |
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SINCLAIR |
Huh?! What do you mean she's okay—Ryōshū?! |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Oho… parried that, did you? |
|
|
??? |
… Have you no regard for the hostage's life? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
You don't dare let her die unless you're planning to incur the red guide's wrath. |
|
|
??? |
I had intended to face you one at a time, as the propriety of honorable combat dictates, but… |
|
|
??? |
… unfortunately, since I cannot let you take her back until my master arrives… |
|
|
??? |
… I must resort to using some… borrowed weapons. |
|
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SINCLAIR |
Are those Distortions or… monsters of some kind? |
|
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DANTE |
<No…> |
|
|
DANTE |
<I think they're… people…> |
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HEATHCLIFF |
His "master"… Vergilius is supposed to be handling whoever that is, yeah? |
|
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DON QUIXOTE |
The Color most illustrious must be deterred from wielding his full might, on account of young Charon's capture… |
|
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HEATHCLIFF |
Then we rescue Charon and book it to HQ or wherever—that'll let the guide go all out. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Yeah, that seems to be the best shot we have at this moment. |
|
|
DANTE |
<… Still, let's be careful and prioritize Charon's safety above all else.> |
9-3: Textbook
Mid-battle
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Ugh… He seized the Backdoor side of the truck. Even if the portal opens, we can't— |
|
|
GREGOR |
… Doesn't change what needs to be done. We take care of him, get the bus girlie, and head off to HQ. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
For fuck's sake… We can't even fight full out… |
 |
??? |
Bothersome little halfwit. Arms straight, I said. How many times… Just how many times must I repeat myself? |
|
|
??? |
Oh stop making a fuss—it couldn't have hurt that much. On your feet. Get off your ass! What makes you think you deserve a break? |
|
|
??? |
Quit being a whiny little brat and pick up that sword. Slash straight. See? That wasn't so hard, was it? |
|
|
??? |
If I ever hear you whining again… I'll rip your hair clean off your head, so get your act together. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
… You. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
You're no stranger to this sword style. |
|
|
??? |
The Palermitan Style. I have been trained in it as well. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Did you learn it from Valencina, that boozehound? |
|
|
??? |
I must ask you not to insult her with such a crude epithet. … My master gave me an order when she imparted this style to me: |
|
|
??? |
To temper and hone it until my mastery of it becomes indistinguishable from yours. |
|
|
??? |
My swordcraft… is now on par with that of your past self when you still belonged in the House of Spiders. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Learning it without understanding anything… and only obsessively copying me…? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Wasting time over such mimicry… it's beyond ridiculous. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
If you're no more than a copycat, then the angle of the wrist, the distance between the feet, the balance of the sword itself—every one of these has to be exact, because even a single incongruity… |
|
|
Valencina |
Are you actually that incompetent, or do you enjoy the beating? Maintain your stance! |
|
|
Valencina |
Don't bother your stupid little head trying to be clever and just stick to what you've been taught! Take what you memorized and move! |
|
|
Valencina |
The sooner you become the blade that cuts through all, the better. Only then can I— |
|
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RYŌSHŪ |
… will break your form, making your swordsmanship as precarious as a tightrope walk headed straight for a fall. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
*puff* You're no different from those wind-up dolls over there. |
|
|
??? |
… Call me a wind-up doll all you want. It doesn't matter. |
|
|
??? |
You, likewise, are unable to recall and properly wield the Palermitan Style… |
|
|
??? |
Which tells me my usefulness has not yet run its course. |
|
|
??? |
I must perfect every form you've been taught, even if I must repeat the same stance a thousand—no, ten thousand—times over… |
|
|
??? |
… if I am to be a perfectly tailored textbook for you. |
|
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RYŌSHŪ |
What if I said I have no need for childish study-aids? |
|
|
??? |
Your rejection is inconsequential. My role as your textbook has already begun. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Hah. Then I will illustrate my very own art for you… |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
… until you're slashed and cleaved beyond recognition. |
|
|
Valencina |
Hah… Damn. My eye's torn up again—Yup, I landed on the right place. That's my Ticket all right. |
| [A person crashes in.] | ||
|
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RYŌSHŪ |
Gah…! |
|
|
Valencina |
I told you, Lucio. |
|
|
Valencina |
You could spend years honing your skills… |
|
|
Valencina |
But that still won't be enough to catch up to our Yoshihide. |
|
|
Lucio |
…… |
|
|
Valencina |
Isn't it obvious now that you've seen it yourself? |
|
|
Valencina |
How sad and pathetic your progress is. |
|
|
Valencina |
This… This is the problem with greenhorns who haven't had a taste of the War… They don't know what it's like to crawl through the muck and grime of the battlefield where the slightest inattention can get your head blown clean off… |
|
|
Valencina |
When faced with a superior opponent, don't just rely on brawn, but redirect the force of their attack to the side by locking their arc with the tip of your sword—I've said it time and again. |
|
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Valencina |
And when you're outnumbered, lower your form and draw wide arcs with your sword. Did you forget everything I drilled into you after shouting myself hoarse? |
|
|
Valencina |
Secure a corner, |
|
|
Valencina |
force them to get to you in a single file… |
|
|
Valencina |
Because positioning is everything. Didn't I tell you all of this before? |
|
|
Valencina |
If Yoshihide is to recall even one more lesson from me, the textbook can't afford to have any defects. |
|
|
Lucio |
… Forgive me, Master. |
|
|
Valencina |
But… you did manage to collect this one as instructed. Maybe you're not completely useless after all. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
…… |
|
|
Valencina |
Hey. How have you been doing, Ticket? |
|
|
Valencina |
Your form's really become a wreck since you were away. Just seeing that sloppy grip makes me sigh. I had to beat that habit out of you back in the day, remember? |
|
|
Valencina |
Tch. Still… this reunion's been a long time coming, so I suppose I owe you a bit of courtesy. You're old enough now to understand what I'm saying without me having to resort to the occasional backhand, aren't you? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
"Ticket?" |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Still intent on calling me that, huh… |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
… Clearly, you're still just a sad sack of shit stuck wallowing in a sinkhole of your own making. |
|
|
Valencina |
… Did you just call me…a "sack of shit?" |
|
|
Valencina |
Hah… Bitch… you should know your place before barking at your betters. |
|
|
Valencina |
…! |
| [Vergilius appears. He and Valencina begin an intense clash of blades.] | ||
Post-battle
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
 |
Vergilius |
*sigh* Manager Dante, it seems that... I must apologize for what has happened today. |
 |
DANTE |
<Vergilius...> |
|
|
Vergilius |
I was stalled by my personal issues and a certain... unresolved business from the past. |
|
|
RODION |
Verg, you're hurt— |
|
|
Vergilius |
They're not from these assailants, so don't worry needlessly. |
|
|
Vergilius |
It just so happens that I was involved in a rather... troublesome matter prior to encountering them. |
|
|
Saude |
It's all my fault, Red Gaze. I should've have... I should've have protected her... |
|
|
Vergilius |
No. This happened because I couldn't stop him from going after you. |
|
|
Vergilius |
... And of course, he had to go for your arm. |
|
|
Vergilius |
That wound's looking worse by the second. Go get it treated the moment we deal with this situation. |
|
|
Saude |
... I will. |
|
|
Vergilius |
The Thumb... The Finger that makes up for their incompetence with duplicity and cowardice, only to then hide it all behind their mask of honor. |
|
|
Vergilius |
You appeared exactly as we received the transmission that the HQ Research Facility was under attack. |
|
|
Vergilius |
... Then your purpose here must be to stall me by any means, even if you have to resort to an old and tired method like taking a hostage. |
|
|
Valencina |
Haha! Yes, the way you're reacting to this... I nailed it. |
|
|
Valencina |
She's your "cake." |
|
|
Valencina |
Remember, Ticket? Remember what I told you when you so immodestly stuffed your face with that cake and smeared cream all over yourself? |
|
|
Valencina |
"Smiling like an idiot in such filth makes me want to smash that cake to the floor." |
|
|
Valencina |
"So don't you dare let on even a hint of craving for that cake while I'm looking, no matter how sweet and delicious it might be." |
|
|
Valencina |
*huff* *huff* Stop fucking around and tell me straight. |
|
|
Valencina |
Tell me. Why are you ^#&@#($#@!^%#?! |
|
|
Valencina |
....... |
|
|
Valencina |
Ha. You know what? Be like that. Keep mum and brood in silence all you want. |
|
|
Valencina |
That #$#$ #*& $#*@ $#*@ #*$&@&%#... I'll find that $&#*@& $*&#@# @$ &*(##&^*@ ... and I'll split @(##(@&#$. |
|
|
Valencina |
You're not getting past me. You think this eye is just for show? |
|
|
Vergilius |
Well, Valencina, I don't know how much confidence you're putting in that eyeball, but... |
|
|
Vergilius |
... I doubt you'll stall me for long with that half-functioning Relic of yours. |
|
|
Valencina |
Ah, this...? |
|
|
Valencina |
Oh yeah, it started hurting more and more the closer I got to Ticket. |
|
|
Valencina |
But it's gonna get better. Ticket's about to leave this place, you see. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Shithead... you're not here to kill me, are you? |
|
|
Valencina |
... Hah. "Shithead?" Rude bitch, have you forgotten all about manners? |
|
|
Valencina |
... Hmmh. |
|
|
Valencina |
Glad you finally figured that out. Now fuck off as soon as that Backdoor opens. |
|
|
Valencina |
The other Nursefathers are waiting for you there, so show some proper manners. |
|
|
Valencina |
Oh, or is that brain of yours too messed up to remember who's who and which is which? Why don't you take this time to think of what you're gonna say to them? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Hey, hold on. If you're gonna let us go anyway, why don't you let Charon— |
|
|
Valencina |
... Zip it. |
|
|
Valencina |
I. Hate. Presumptuous idiots. Who don't know their place. Butting into conversations. |
|
|
Valencina |
... Friends of yours, Ticket? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Yeah. |
|
|
Valencina |
That so? Then I don't suppose there's anything wrong with sending them all there... |
|
|
Valencina |
After all, why discourage a swarm of flies from flying straight into the web we've spun? |
|
|
DANTE |
<The backdoor to the HQ hasn't opened yet. We have to rescue Charon first, then—> |
|
|
Vergilius |
Do not hesitate, Dante. That... is indeed the path you must bring the Sinners to. |
|
|
Vergilius |
In fact, you should go through the Backdoor like she says if you want to help Charon. |
|
|
Vergilius |
This entire circumstance at the Backdoor has been engineered to hold me, and only me, back. And what awaits beyond the Backdoor... is what they have orchestrated to summon you and Sinner #4 there. |
|
|
Valencina |
Correct. I wouldn't want your dash of red... |
|
|
Valencina |
... to snip our elaborate web to pieces. |
|
|
Saude |
Portal connection to the HQ... almost established... |
|
|
Saude |
But... but every firewall protecting connections to the HQ has been bypassed... What...? |
|
|
YI SANG |
Then, it must be via the defenseless Backdoor, or Backdoors, through which the intruders have broken in. |
 | ||
|
|
Saude |
Portal connection to HQ... established. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Coming with? |
|
|
Saude |
... If Faust goes... I'll be the only one left here who knows how to operate the Backdoor Calibrator. |
|
|
Saude |
I'll stay behind... at least until Mister Vergilius rescues Charon. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Then we'll go on ahead. |
|
|
DANTE |
<.......> |
|
|
Vergilius |
Dante. |
|
|
Vergilius |
The 4th Sinner's thread is... pulled tautly. |
|
|
Vergilius |
It is precariously close to snapping... but it is also sharper than any blade, that it might sever all that it comes into contact with. You must remember that. |
|
|
DANTE |
<.......> |
|
|
DANTE |
<It won't be severed. Not when the chains bind us together.> |
|
|
FAUST |
... Let us proceed, Dante. |
9-4: Mutilated Memory
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Announcer |
Arriving at the LCE Department. |
 | ||
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Oi... What in the... |
|
|
OUTIS |
... We're too late. |
|
|
GREGOR |
I thought HQ's reinforcements would be holding the line... or at the very least, that I'd walk into a battle... |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
This... This is just awful... I never thought the ship would go down this badly... |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Faust, have you got any idea how many of the LCE are actually combat-ready? |
|
|
FAUST |
The LCE... tends to encounter more combat tryouts and experiments compared to the other research-focused departments. The vast majority of its employees are required to have completed basic training pertaining to the aforementioned. |
|
|
FAUST |
As for the E.G.O equipments.. Although the current research and extraction process may be sophisticated enough to see some considerable results in combat, |
|
|
FAUST |
it would seem that they were ill-equipped to handle a pre-planned ambush such as this. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Fat chance those lab nerds could do anything in a real fight, let alone against the Spiders out on the prowl. |
|
|
DANTE |
<Meursault. If you happen to notice anyone who... looks like Hohenheim... let me know ASAP.> |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
... Mm. |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
I have identified three bodies in various states that make immediate recognition challenging. However, their stature and attire make it extremely unlikely that any of them are Hohenheim. |
|
|
GREGOR |
From the looks of it... they probably didn't even get the chance to put up any meaningful resistance before they were killed. |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
Out of 32 bodies, 26 show identical physical trauma. |
|
|
DANTE |
<Identical...?> |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
Every one of them has a spiral-shaped perforation at the center of the chest, over where the heart is. Their cause of death seems to be the same type of "spiral" weapon they are holding in their hands, Manager. |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
These spirals... I think they pulled them out themselves... but why would... |
 | ||
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... Soft. |
|
|
DANTE |
<... Huh?> |
 | ||
|
|
??? |
....... |
|
|
??? |
....... |
|
|
DANTE |
<.......> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
DANTE |
<Ryōshū? Is there anything you remember?> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... "Saru." |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
That name's all I can remember. |
|
|
DANTE |
<You mean...> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
As you've seen, Clock, my mind has been hacked to tatters. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
The sequence and the shapes... Everything is in tangles. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
There is nothing I can explain about my memory. |
|
|
OUTIS |
It seems we've gotten the gist of the situation. The worst-case scenario here would be... |
|
|
OUTIS |
... a breach from the outside happening while Abnormalities, Distortions, and Peccatula break containment all at once. |
|
|
RODION |
Whoa. Now that's a situation I really don't even want to think about... We'd be fighting trespassers and all kinds of monsters broken loose! |
|
|
OUTIS |
Precisely. That sums up our present circumstance. |
|
|
RODION |
Right... |
|
|
OUTIS |
Let's start from the beginning. |
|
|
OUTIS |
First, the LCE Department found itself under attack by a group of unidentified hostiles 2 hours prior. |
|
|
OUTIS |
The weapons used to massacre the researchers... are not uniform. The victims appear to have been killed with a various assortment of arms. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
??? |
My darling daughter. |
|
|
??? |
Eyes on me. When using straight weapons that leave the farthest-reaching arcs... |
|
|
??? |
Eyes on me. When using weapons that kill with the tiniest incisions... |
|
|
??? |
Eyes on me. When using flexible weapons that crush anything they make contact with... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
What a tangled mess, just like that bastard. |
|
|
GREGOR |
Hard to tell what kind of weapons were used here... Damn. |
|
|
OUTIS |
... Safe to say that the killer is adept with at least three different types of weapons. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Moving on... |
|
|
OUTIS |
This was a surprise attack carried out without any delay whatsoever, and the LCE had no time to even plan a counterattack. It was, for a lack of a better word, a massacre. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Now, here's something that demands our attention. |
|
|
OUTIS |
It appears the invaders had the Abnormality containment units opened... only after they confirmed that the surprise attack had been carried out successfully. |
|
|
OUTIS |
The weapons used to massacre the researchers... are not uniform. The victims appear to have been killed with a various assortment of arms. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
... That sure is fishy. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
I mean... shouldn't it be the other way around? |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Unlock the containment units first, let the monsters wreak havoc through the facility... then swoop in during the chaos and finish off the stragglers. That'd be the easier course of action. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Indeed. The enemy's strategy is highly unusual. |
|
|
OUTIS |
As for why they resorted to such an unusual move, there are two plausible explanations. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Firstly, that the enemy may be comprised of fighters skilled enough to forgo a diversion tactic. |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
You mean there could be more... who are as strong as the woman in the truck who kidnapped Charon...? |
|
|
OUTIS |
Mm. Secondly... |
|
|
OUTIS |
That the enemy may have purposefully unleashed the Abnormalities from the cages as a follow-up measure. |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
Follow-up measure...? Art thou implying those villains sought to disguise their vile attack?! |
|
|
OUTIS |
No, the chance of a cover-up is almost nonexistent. Unless they had precise knowledge of scavenger Abnormalities that could devour the corpses clean, the enemy would never have left such identifiable wounds on their victims. |
|
|
OUTIS |
It makes more sense that their goal was to delay HQ's main reinforcements and keep them from reaching the scene on time as we did. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
A delay tactic... I see. Maybe they were looking for something? |
|
|
OUTIS |
Possibly. They must've had a specific objective in mind when they broke through. |
|
|
HONG LU |
Which means whatever they're looking for... should be here somewhere. |
|
|
HONG LU |
Something elusive and so well-hidden that they had to distract us just to buy themselves some time. |
|
|
GREGOR |
... We need to hurry, then. |
9-7: Paradox of the Spiral
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
GREGOR |
...! |
|
|
GREGOR |
Wait, do you fellas hear something? Sounds like... breathing. It's faint. |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
... Mm. I hear it. |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
In this general direction. |
|
|
OUTIS |
How likely is it that it might be a Peccatulum or an enemy combatant? |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
Unlikely. The breathing is unstable and shallow, like that of a wounded human. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Hm... |
|
|
GREGOR |
Hey, Outis. It'd only be right that we try to save them if there's even the smallest chance that they're a survivor, right? |
|
|
OUTIS |
... I suppose that could leave a... not-so-negative impression of us on the HQ. |
 | ||
|
|
Alyssa |
...! |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
... Hey, she's... |
|
|
Alyssa |
... Alyssa... I'm Alyssa. Yeah, I didn't think you'd... remember my name... |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
... Okay, Miss Alyssa. Are you...? |
|
|
Alyssa |
Every breath... hurts so much... |
|
|
Alyssa |
... I couldn't... call out... for help. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Reminds me of what... boss used to say... "We're not the main characters of this story... so upon the proverbial... coin flip... we can only wait to see if it'll... land heads... or tails..." |
|
|
GREGOR |
Lady, seems to me you're in plenty of pain. This is hardly the time to be joking about—hold on. This stake...? |
|
|
GREGOR |
What happened here? |
|
|
Alyssa |
The alarm system... |
|
|
Alyssa |
The alarm didn't go off. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Even the smallest accidents... or issues... trigger the alarm to go off... in our department. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Boss... Hohenheim... was adamant about installing that system... Said that... he didn't want to repeat... the fall of Lobotomy Corporation. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
The alarm system didn't go off... not even when the employees realized that the facility was under attack. |
|
|
Alyssa |
... No. It's not... supposed to behave that way... It wasn't... |
|
|
Alyssa |
The lights... suddenly died. |
|
|
Alyssa |
We thought it was the experiment... we were conducting. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Boss groused from... time to time about... how much energy it eats. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Hah. Dammit, I should've... noticed then that something... was off. |
|
|
Alyssa |
So I thought it was just... a temporary power outage... |
|
|
Alyssa |
No one... thought much of it... Because... |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
... Because it didn't trigger the alarm system. Yeah, it's understandable. |
|
|
Alyssa |
I was heading to the Research Hall... to retrieve something, and... |
|
|
Alyssa |
That's... when I heard... |
|
|
Alyssa |
... heard the sound of... dress shoes, click-clack... echoing through the dark hallway. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Not too slow, not too fast... A relaxed but disciplined gait. No one... in our department walks like... that. We're always... so, so busy... that we always walk... in a slight jog. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Then... a terrible, dying scream followed... |
|
|
Alyssa |
... before the massacre began. Like... a hellish nightmare that just... wouldn't end. |
|
|
Alyssa |
No one... knew what was going on... |
|
|
Frightened Researcher |
Help... |
|
|
Fleeing Researcher |
W-who's there?! |
|
|
Frightened Researcher |
AAAAAGH! |
|
|
Fleeing Researcher |
AHH! |
|
|
Alyssa |
All I knew was that... I had to run... |
|
|
Alyssa |
And... something... whistled through... the wind, and... |
|
|
Alyssa |
... felt something hot... across my chest... I looked down and saw... this thing had pierced me... |
|
|
Alyssa |
Then I passed out. When I woke up... someone had forcibly... unlocked all the containment units... |
|
|
Alyssa |
Abnormalities, Peccatula, even... Distortions running amok... and I was pinned down by... a containment unit door... that got knocked off its frame... |
|
|
FAUST |
So, you weren't with Hohenheim or other people when it occurred. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Boss... ah, boss must've been... by the conference hall. |
|
|
Alyssa |
... Could you... Get the pen and paper from... my pocket? |
|
|
Alyssa |
I don't know... if the others are safe. But... follow this map, and... you should at least... be able to see for yourself. Or... at least get a clue of what happened. |
|
|
GREGOR |
There, there. We get the general idea. Now let's have a look at that wound. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Bollocks, the wound keeps bleeding... This ain't your usual weaponry. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Oi, you recognize this? |
|
|
OUTIS |
....... |
|
|
OUTIS |
From the way it looks... the more the victim moves, the deeper it will drill into their flesh. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Perhaps a Workshop product—designed to stall and take combatants out of commission, rather than to kill outright. |
|
|
GREGOR |
If the assailants had the wherewithal to use weapons like this, then... they could've very well easily killed the victims then and there, too. |
|
|
GREGOR |
Was the purpose really just to stall them, or... was it some sick fascination? |
|
|
OUTIS |
Hm... it seems that staying still is what saved your life. That was wise of you. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Yeah, I don't know about "wise"... It hurt too much to... even think about moving, anyway. |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
... Perhaps aught that closes a wound or rapidly heals it be the remedy, were we to extract the vile weapon? |
|
|
RODION |
Yeah, you're not gonna walk around with that thing in your chest forever, right? Let's pull it out, get that wound treated, and— |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
It's no use. |
|
|
HONG LU |
It's no use...? Is it the kind of device that physically can't be removed? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
No. Pulling it out isn't the hard part. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
It's just inadvisable. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
If we force it out of her, then... she'll end up like those bodies in the hallway? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Yeah. This spiral... burrows endlessly to reach the other side, but paradoxically, it cannot punch through all the way. Because it will never arrive at that point. |
|
|
??? |
Sweetheart. This... is called a "spiral." |
|
|
??? |
Once it is lodged inside the body, even the slightest of movements will make it burrow deeper into the flesh... forcing the victim to remain perfectly still. |
|
|
??? |
It may not sting any worse than a prick of a thorn at first, but the more you try to yank it free, the further it drills into the body. |
|
|
??? |
But no matter how much it keeps digging in, it will never make it to the other side. |
|
|
??? |
The closer it gets to the end, the slower it becomes—it can never meet its endpoint. |
 |
??? |
You know how to unlock it, yes? |
|
|
??? |
I'll give you the @#$%#$ once you return with the job done. |
|
|
??? |
Remember, if you try to pull it out... without the @#$%#$... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
It will tear out everything it tangled itself with as it bored through. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
So stay put exactly as you are if you want to live. |
|
|
DANTE |
<.......> |
|
|
??? |
If you try to pull it out... without the @#$%#$... |
|
|
??? |
If you try to pull it out... without the matching @#$%#$, then... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Hm. See anything, Clock? |
|
|
DANTE |
<Ryōshū, what if that spiral...> |
|
|
DANTE |
<... needs a certain combination of numbers, like a password?> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
...! |
|
|
??? |
To resolve the spiral's paradox, you'll need to find the correct pair. |
|
|
??? |
If you try to pull it out without a matching number, then... |
|
|
??? |
The sword and the scabbard; yin and yang; the past and the future; me and you. Everything, regrettably, is paired together with an awfully stubborn connection. |
|
|
??? |
Do you understand what it means to die? |
|
|
??? |
What it means to sever something? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
White hair. |
|
|
FAUST |
... Do speak. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
The spiral can be disabled. It must have something to do with numbers, like the Clock said. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
But... I don't exactly remember what it needs. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Know anything about a spiral-shaped weapon called the "Tortoise Spiral?" |
|
|
FAUST |
... It seems that you've come to understand, if only marginally, how Faust is to be used. |
|
|
FAUST |
As I have visually observed the device, and Ryōshū has provided certain keywords to narrow the results, Faust can now know. |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Did you say how you're... "to be used?" |
|
|
FAUST |
"Zenon's Tortoise Spiral," is what Faust calls this device. |
|
|
FAUST |
It is a lock. This spiral requires a seven-digit combination to release. |
|
|
FAUST |
Also, the spiral's infinitely burrowing nature, despite its inability to ever penetrate the heart, explains why Miss Alyssa's bleeding will not stop. |
|
|
OUTIS |
... If it is "locked," can't we use a Fairy to open it? |
|
|
DANTE |
<Fairy...?> |
|
|
YI SANG |
She speaks of F Corp.'s Singularity. |
|
|
YI SANG |
If the spiral is "locked," as you say, then would not a technology to "unlock" anything make for the perfect countermeasure? |
|
|
FAUST |
... Theoretically, a Fairy should indeed be able to unlock it. However, what must first be considered is the value of the technology applied to this spiral weaponry. |
|
|
OUTIS |
... Then only an expensive Fairy would guarantee a successful outcome. Which... would be hard to come by at this immediate moment. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
This probably won't work, but... can't we just start from 0 and go from there? |
|
|
FAUST |
As it is the case with most locks, a certain number of incorrect attempts would— |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Tsk, point taken. It's death, innit. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Don't... leave me alone... I'm... scared. That's... honestly, what I'd like to ask. |
|
|
Alyssa |
But... there might be... survivors by the lab. |
|
|
Alyssa |
You know... our boss. He won't... go down so easily. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Just... go help them... instead. |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
But if we leave you like this— |
|
|
Alyssa |
Well, this isn't... the worst way to go. This way, at least... I won't be going into some trivia... book of stupid deaths like... 100 Dumbest Researcher Deaths. |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
....... |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
We shall return to thy side, young Alyssa. |
|
|
Alyssa |
... What? |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
I give thee my word. So... |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
... hide as best as thou canst when enemies approach. Thou mustn't yield now, I beseech thee. |
|
|
Alyssa |
....... |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
You'd better listen to the lass. She ain't one for empty platitudes. |
|
|
Alyssa |
Yeah, okay. I... won't give up. Thank you... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
c-485. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Clock. Ever play a game of escape room? |
|
|
DANTE |
<What?> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
This is very much like a game of escape room. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
To find the solution, you begin by gathering the clues. |
|
|
DANTE |
<A game, huh...> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
You want to save that researcher, don't you? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Then you'll need the serial number on that spiral. |
9-8: Charm
Pre-battle
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
 | ||
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Uh... Ishmael? What's the matter? |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
... Something about this seems off. |
|
|
RODION |
I don't suppose Ishy would ever read a map wrong... What's the matter? |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Yeah, we're heading the right way. But the thing is... |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
This just seems too easy. |
|
|
DANTE |
<What's wrong with that?> |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Think back to the path we took to get here. Every other route was crammed with all kinds of obstacles to discourage us from taking a detour. |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
The corridor to the left heading to the Welfare Department was closed off, and the one to the right, leading to the Facility Management Room, was blocked with debris. |
|
|
OUTIS |
It's as if they're corralling us down this route. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
... Mmhmm. I can't shake off the feeling... that we're chasing after bait hooked on a fishing line. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Well, can't say we've much of an alternative, eh? |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
A bit dodgy, yeah, but nothin' we can do about it. |
|
|
YI SANG |
... It would be wise to stand wary. |
|
|
RODION |
Hang on, Fau. Check this out. |
|
|
FAUST |
These are the traces of an escaped Abnormality. |
|
|
FAUST |
... Also known as the Faelantern. We have encountered this Abnormality more than once in the Mirror Dungeons. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Oh, that tree thing... So this one's the original? |
|
|
DANTE |
<... I don't think Faelantern's the only Abnormality that's broken free.> |
|
|
DANTE |
<Let's take them down and reduce them back to eggs. If they prey on any survivors who stumble in here... that'll be real trouble.> |
9-11: Entangled Fate
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
 | ||
|
|
SINCLAIR |
I think it's this way. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Hmm. This is the only area with lights on... It says "Broadcast Sector." |
|
|
RODION |
Can someone tell me... coming here was the right decision? |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
All the other routes were blocked off save for the one leading to this sector. |
|
|
GREGOR |
Looks like we'd have ended up here... one way or the other. |
|
|
DANTE |
<It's hard to see anything when it's this dark...> |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
With most of the power down, the door shouldn't be locked. |
 |
Loudspeaker |
Stop. |
|
|
Loudspeaker |
Take another step closer... and you'll be forcing our hand! |
|
|
Loudspeaker |
This entire area is laden with security landmines. Even if you somehow manage to get past the minefield, you'll have to face the rest of us. I'm warning you—every one of us in here's combat-ready! |
|
|
Loudspeaker |
And if you think you're stronger than us, we have self-destruct devices. Bombs filled with... super-mini sawteeth... shrapnel... |
|
|
Loudspeaker |
Hold on a sec—what's this supposed to say? "Th... bo..."? The heck? And I thought my handwriting was bad! |
|
|
Loudspeaker |
Oh. Here... "Throwing this bomb will result in an explosion that covers a 100-meter radius zone from the detonation point..." |
|
|
Loudspeaker |
Hey! That's a taboo violation, you know? At least try to come up with something actually convincing! |
|
|
Loudspeaker |
A-anyways! Turn around and walk away right now or we're gonna bury all of you with us under this facility! |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
We can hear everything, you know... |
|
|
FAUST |
It is highly probable that the bomb is a bluff. Any bomb that falls under the category of explosives... must be "planted" on an object or surface per the rules set by the Head. |
|
|
YI SANG |
Mm. And that boast of the blast beggars belief. Such a wide radius... is sure to break a bounty of bans and bounds. |
|
|
Loudspeaker |
... Sure, but I wasn't bluffing about the landmines. Take one more step forward... and bolts of overcharged electricity will make barbecue out of you. |
|
|
GREGOR |
According to Alyssa, Hohenheim should be around here somewhere. |
|
|
Loudspeaker |
Wait. Did you just say "Alyssa?" |
|
|
FAUST |
That voice... It seems we are not mistaken. |
|
|
A Rather Unwelcoming Voice |
That voice I would rather not welcome tells me... |
|
|
A Rather Unwelcoming Voice |
That these individuals are good to be let through. |
|
|
FAUST |
That voice Faust would rather not welcome tells Faust that these individuals are good to be approached. |
 | ||
|
|
??? |
Wha...?! You guys! You should've told us sooner! |
|
|
Ezra |
Remember me? |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Oh! It's Miss Ezra! |
|
|
Ezra |
Heard you saved the day in La Manchaland! |
|
|
Ezra |
And all thanks to yours truly, I bet. So, care to tell me which one's the Bloodfiend Extraordinaire on your team? |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Huh? What? Oh... Well, that's... |
 |
Moses |
Why don't we skip the pleasantries for now, Ezra. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
... Were you the one who threatened us with that nonsense about bombs, Ezra? |
|
|
Ezra |
I mean, what other choice did I have? We were starting to believe that we were the only survivors out here, and then... bam! A dozen or so footsteps rushing into this sector outta nowhere... We couldn't even check who you guys were because the screens are all busted. |
|
|
Ezra |
For your information, Mister Genius over there is trying to fix the security cameras. He said it's gonna take a while with the power outage, though... |
|
|
Hohenheim |
I didn't expect our paths to cross again for anything good, but I certainly never pictured it happening like this. |
|
|
Marton |
Hello. I'm relieved to see that there aren't any injured among you. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
In any case, you say it was Alyssa who let you know of our location? Hmm. If she's not with you, she must be either gravely wounded or already dead. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Uh... She's badly hurt, yeah. But we're searching for ways to help her. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
"Searching," hmm? You talk as if you're playing a game of scavenger hunt. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
It might have been better to end her misery then and there. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Wha...? Haven't you seen how we handle things? She's still got a shot. Don't be so quick to throw in the towel. |
|
|
Marton |
Please don't misunderstand. Some of these assailants... They seem to enjoy torturing their victims. That's what's keeping our boss on edge... |
|
|
Marton |
Boss and I were near the laboratory when the attack started. There weren't many employees around, and the Broadcast Sector happened to be close by. |
|
|
Marton |
Probably the only reason we were able to find cover here in one piece. |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
... Verily, young Alyssa shall persevere steadfastly. |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
We have vowed to return and deliver her from death. |
|
|
Marton |
... Thank you. I'm sure Alyssa is... hanging onto your promise. |
|
|
Ezra |
Um, sorry to break up this touching moment... but if you're here, that Color Fixer should be on his way too, right?! |
|
|
Ezra |
Where the heck is he now? I wonder if he's already off to find the attackers... |
|
|
Moses |
... Ezra. |
|
|
Ezra |
Team Leader! If we can regroup with the Red Gaze, I think we'll have more than enough fighting chance even without our baby bee! |
|
|
Moses |
Yes. But... it would seem that the Red Gaze is not here with them. |
|
|
Moses |
Just the look on their faces is enough to confirm that. |
|
|
Ezra |
Whaaat?! What the heck are you peeps doing here without him?! |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
It's not like... It's not like we came here on our own because we wanted to... |
|
|
GREGOR |
Guide bud's held up by an assailant... Ryōshū says she's called the "Thumb Nursefather"... from the House of Spiders... |
|
|
Moses |
And probably a tough adversary too... just like those who are assaulting the facility. |
|
|
OUTIS |
... Her combat prowess is not to be underestimated. |
|
|
Moses |
How is she compared to Euryalos of the Argos Unit? |
|
|
OUTIS |
Hmm... Around the same level, I would say... |
|
|
OUTIS |
Wait. You... If you know those names, that means... |
|
|
Moses |
... Charon—is she taken hostage? |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Huh? How did you know that...? |
|
|
Moses |
You mentioned the attacker in the singular. Perhaps just a slip of the tongue, but I suspect it was a single enemy if not a small number. |
|
|
Moses |
Furthermore... Despite coming here without the bus driver, none of you seem particularly convinced that the Red Gaze would be able to quickly dispatch the assailant and join you. |
|
|
OUTIS |
....... |
|
|
Ezra |
Give it to our Team Leader! Just one look is enough for her to figure it all out. |
|
|
Ezra |
Anyhoo, did you happen to encounter anyone on your way here? |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Just some peccatula and manikins... Wait a minute. Why don't we get to ask the questions? |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
You're both from LCD. What are you doing here in the HQ where the LCE is? |
|
|
Ezra |
Well, about that... |
|
|
Ezra |
The LCE was supposed to make an important progress report today. |
|
|
Ezra |
Apparently, it's a reeeally important presentation too! We've been receiving bazillions of reminders about how it's a mandatory attendance event and everything... Right, Team Leader? Feels like everyone's overlooking just how reeeally busy our department is! |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Sorry to borrow your wording, but it is indeed a reeeally important presentation. |
|
|
Ezra |
Yeah, for you maybe. But my department is also reeeally reeeally... |
|
|
DANTE |
<Hang on... I don't think that's the crux of the matter right now...> |
|
|
Moses |
The presentation did not happen. As such, we are unable to assess its importance at the moment. |
|
|
Moses |
Whatever is the case, the event was what required us LCD members to be present here at the LCE Department. |
|
|
Moses |
And there's one more thing... Allow me to introduce the newest addition to the LCD. |
|
|
Ezra |
Yeah, our team has grown in size! Take that! |
|
|
Moses |
I was told you'd met before. |
 |
Aeng-du |
I regret that we must always meet in the midst of plights such as this. I trust you have been well? |
|
|
HONG LU |
Miss Aeng-du! It's been too long. |
|
|
HONG LU |
Is Mister Bamboo-hatted Kim... still in recovery? |
|
|
Aeng-du |
Mm. My mentor's flesh... has long since healed, but it will take some time until his mind regains its former tranquility. However long the wait, endure it I must. |
|
|
Aeng-du |
I have faith that he will recover in due time. Until then, in silence shall I atone for the transgression I have committed... |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Still, I'm glad you seem to be adjusting well to life at LCD. |
|
|
Aeng-du |
I would say I was taken in, but I am deeply grateful regardless. My mentor and I have nowhere left to call home... |
|
|
Aeng-du |
But someday... we will... |
|
|
Aeng-du |
... return to S Corp. together. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Looks like she's trying her best to fit in too. |
|
|
GREGOR |
It's always hard to get settled in no matter where you start from. |
|
|
Moses |
Now that we've all grown acquainted with one another... |
|
|
Moses |
Let us move on to the issue at hand. |
9-12: A Distinct Objective
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
|
|
Moses |
The first order of business is intelligence sharing, and... deductive reasoning based on the available information. |
 | ||
|
|
Moses |
My team and I were attacked in the hallway connected to the conference hall. |
|
|
Ezra |
That guy was... hah, I'll be straight with you guys. Super, super duper strong. |
|
|
Ezra |
I would've stood my ground if only Hornet, that dumbass, were here... |
|
|
YI SANG |
By "Hornet," you are referring to...? |
|
|
Ezra |
The junior of our team, but he's really, really strong. He's so strong that... uh... |
|
|
Ezra |
Ah, I've got it. There was this time when I, uh... what was it again? Some kinda pastry, I think? Anyhoo, I got me some bread to snack on later, and in that split second my back was turned, Hornet, that asshole, swiped it right off my plate! |
|
|
Ezra |
I got so pissed off that I punched him right in his solar plexus to get him to cough it up, and, and... he just went "oof," and... swallowed my bread anyway! Like, does that make any sense to you guys? |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Uh... yeah, okay... I guess that makes him strong... |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
So... what's this "Hornet" up to now? |
|
|
Ezra |
Oh, you are going to lose your mind when you hear this! Listen up, what he's— |
|
|
Moses |
... Not yet, Ezra. |
|
|
Ezra |
—up to is a s-secret. It's uh... classified stuff. |
|
|
Moses |
I tend to analyze my enemies with observation and deduction. |
|
|
Moses |
I try to identify their unique color—the kinds of weapons they use, their methodologies, whether they enjoy the slaughter or avoid it, their attitudes toward battle... all of it. |
|
|
Moses |
Once I have that, I can get an idea of when to begin my counterattack, or what kind of weaknesses of theirs I can exploit; and that's how I've usually opened my path forward. |
|
|
Moses |
But he... |
|
|
Moses |
... was chaotic. I could not identify a single pattern in his behavior. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
He is an empty shell. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
His act of killing lacks any emotional touch. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
And that... is why you couldn't get a read on him. |
|
|
Moses |
... On the other hand, you... You appear so clearly to me. |
|
|
Moses |
You seem so anxious to cut something down, is that correct? |
|
|
Moses |
You are broken, shattered; but every shard is keen and transparent... like a hail of small blades. |
|
|
Moses |
A glass-like sword of many edges, so fragile with its futile wish to sever away what cannot be severed. |
|
|
Moses |
What is it that you grasp so tightly in that scarred hand of yours? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... Little shit. What are you peeking into? |
|
|
Ezra |
Hey, don't talk to our Team Leader like— |
 | ||
|
|
Hohenheim |
To add to that, Marton here and I were in front of the laboratory when it occurred. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
At first, it began with the sound of rushing wind. Something large and heavy, cleaving through the air—the kind of sound one should never come to expect from a department like ours, so full of delicate machinery and containment units. |
|
|
Marton |
It happened right before my eyes. Something snapped the employee who was walking only a step ahead of me... in half. |
|
|
Marton |
And the first thing that came to my mind was this—did an Abnormality breach containment? |
|
|
Marton |
But if such were the case, the alarm should've gone off. |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
... So far, this tracks with what Miss Alyssa told us. |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
She said there wasn't any warning at all before the attack... |
|
|
Marton |
Once I got a better look of what that was, I realized that it was neither Abnormality, Peccatulum, nor a Distortion... it was a massive scabbard. |
|
|
Marton |
When I looked toward where the scabbard came from, there stood a man who presumably threw the weapon... |
|
|
Marton |
... reading a book like he was out on a stroll. |
|
|
Moses |
And the book was... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Matthias... He must've been reading his Book of Vengeance. |
|
|
Moses |
First the Thumb, and now the Middle... |
|
|
Marton |
I stared at him, still processing what had just happened... when boss grabbed my arm and started running. |
|
|
Marton |
I couldn't look back. I heard screaming—from dozens of people, but... |
|
|
Hohenheim |
... You seem to be fond of recounting unnecessary details. |
|
|
Marton |
Only after arriving here, at the Broadcast Sector, did I remember that Alyssa was still out there. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
When one's life is at risk, the brain instinctively reduces the processing of information to the bare minimum required for survival. It is only natural. |
|
|
Marton |
But I was the last person who handled that research proposal, boss. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
....... |
|
|
Marton |
Alyssa should've been at the conference hall, too. With us. |
|
|
RODION |
Hey, listen. If you wanna look back and nitpick at literally every little thing you did in the past, we're gonna be here forever. |
|
|
RODION |
I know it might sound like a bit of an empty platitude, but... focus on what we can do right now, what we're going to do going forward, okay? You'll have time for regrets later. |
|
|
Marton |
... I suppose so. |
|
|
Marton |
You did save my boss once, so... I guess it's only right that I should have more faith in you people than anyone else. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
I would like to clarify that the "saving" was but a part of the experiment, but given the urgency, I will forgo a more detailed explanation. |
|
|
Moses |
Looks like we're all caught up, then? Good. Now, let's share what we know. |
 | ||
|
|
Moses |
Today, intruders attacked the LCE department situated in the basement of the HQ. |
 | ||
|
|
Moses |
We lost control of the entire LCE facility, and save for our current location, every sector has been neutralized by a single or pair of intruders. |
 | ||
|
|
Moses |
Any survivor who's conscious enough to communicate properly is already here. |
|
|
Moses |
After the attack, every containment unit was also forcibly unlocked, adding even more fuel to the fire. |
|
|
Aeng-du |
We are beset by foes on every side; a search for a foothold is a difficult one indeed. |
|
|
Ezra |
Darn, if only these surveillance cameras weren't busted... I'd love to be able to keep track of their whereabouts. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
As I have repeated many times today, we are attempting to bring it back to operational status. You speak of restoring a sabotaged power grid like it's a task as simple as wiping one's glasses. |
|
|
Moses |
More than anything, we need these two pieces of information at the present. |
|
|
Moses |
One: Who are the attackers? Two: What objective brought them to the LCE? |
|
|
Moses |
The man we encountered seemed to have a one-track mind, squarely set on killing as ordered. |
|
|
Moses |
But there are far too many threads that point toward a motivation more complex than "infiltrate the facility and slaughter its employees with abandon." |
|
|
Moses |
The intruders are... hm, yes. I have enough evidence to at least get a general idea of whom they might be. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Do elaborate. |
|
|
Moses |
There's the "Thumb Nursefather" who's stalling the Red Gaze. Then, there's the member of the Middle who attacked the researchers. And we've seen evidence of the Ring's involvement too, given the presence of corpse manikins. |
|
|
Moses |
At least two or more Fingers are involved in this attack. |
|
|
Aeng-du |
The Thumb...! The vile cur the Kurokumo Clan serves are here...? |
|
|
Aeng-du |
Hm, yet this is quite odd. Lady Moses, are the Fingers not hostile against one another? |
|
|
Aeng-du |
Those ilk have no business coming within even a sleeve's breadth of each other, save when compelled to attend assemblies such as the Finger Bow-bell, where they oft quarrel to no end. |
|
|
Moses |
Correct. But consider this from the opposite perspective—there must be something of enough importance for the officers of each Finger to put aside their differences and work hand-in-hand. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Spiders. Or... the Nursefathers of the House of Spiders. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
That's what they're called. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
And we've just snared ourselves into the web they spun. |
|
|
Moses |
The Fingers... rarely ever cross the line they've drawn between each other. This strange entanglement certainly is a deviation. |
|
|
Moses |
"Nursefathers," was it? Seems like a terribly meaningful title to me. |
|
|
Moses |
Then it can be presumed that the House of Spiders is a place to... raise something, or someone. To have such high-ranking officers of each Finger gather at one place to nurture someone... |
|
|
Moses |
One might think that it hardly makes any sense, and indeed, it doesn't—but what if their purpose itself is just as outrageous? That would, paradoxically, explain how they've come to gather. |
|
|
Moses |
Ryōshū, is it? You seem to be inextricably tied to that place. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I.K.W.Y.W |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Ah, she just said "I know what you wan—" |
|
|
Moses |
Mm, no need. I can understand her abbreviations. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
But I can't tell you what I know. Because— |
|
|
Moses |
Because it's all broken. The place, the memories attached to it... I can see how they've shattered. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
Moses |
You don't have to recall everything. All I need to know is what that "outrageous purpose" is. What is it? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Me. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
To forge me into a blade that cuts through all. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
But I left that place behind. |
|
|
DANTE |
<Ryōshū, can you tell us anything more?> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... Shame, but that's all I have, Clock. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I don't remember much more than that. Even if I did, it's not an easy thing to speak of. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... Clock, like she said, and... like what you've seen, my mind is a mess. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I have questions of my own, but the answers elude me. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
But maybe the pieces can be put together using your hints, like the one you gave me earlier. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
So we have to solve this together, this puzzle... or this game of escape room. |
|
|
Moses |
....... |
|
|
Moses |
If it is you the House of Spiders wants, then I must ask you to entertain this question: why did they bother attacking the HQ? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Oh? |
|
|
Moses |
When you said you "left" the House of Spiders, I presume you meant you "escaped" it. |
|
|
Moses |
Members of different Fingers are hardly the kind of people to fraternize even on a good day, but this alliance of sorts they call the House of Spiders has persisted even after your departure. At a glance, it may only appear that they were simply waiting for your return. |
|
|
Moses |
But given their... behaviors today, they don't strike me as a particularly patient group as a whole. |
|
|
Moses |
In other words, I find it suspicious that they decided to act now. If they were desperate, they would've made the move long ago. |
|
|
Moses |
This leads me to believe that... they were waiting for the right time. |
|
|
Moses |
Whichever is there motive, Ryōshū—whether it is getting you back, or doing something else—the fact remains that they have chosen this particular moment to act. |
|
|
HONG LU |
The Nursefather of the House of Spiders we encountered, she... made way for us so that Ryōshū could come to the HQ Research Facility. |
|
|
HONG LU |
She harbored such intense and complicated feelings for Ryōshū, but... |
|
|
HONG LU |
... I don't think I got any sense that she was trying to kill or take Ryōshū with her. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
But she said that the Nursefathers were waiting for me here. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Clearly, they're here to see me, Weirdo Detective. |
|
|
Ezra |
Alright you— Hey, what the hell's your problem? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Be calm, please. It is best that we do not interrupt their conversation. |
|
|
Aeng-du |
In intense dialogue shall they find and draw out the answer... let us not dare stem this course. |
|
|
Moses |
It is a fair assumption that the Nursefathers of the House of Spiders have attacked this place to provoke you. However... |
|
|
Moses |
... I can't seem to shake the thought that they must have a distinct objective. |
|
|
Moses |
If they were indeed after Ryōshū and only Ryōshū, then... choosing this specific time and place hardly seems to serve that purpose. |
|
|
DANTE |
<The intervals between each of the Sinners are different, but...> |
|
|
DANTE |
<... once a Sinner's "turn" ends, another's begins. Every single time, without failure.> |
|
|
DANTE |
<This case has everything to do with Ryōshū. I believe, without a shred of doubt, that it's her turn.> |
|
|
Moses |
Hm. |
|
|
Moses |
Limbus Company. The Mirror. The Glass Window. The former L Corp. Extracted E.G.O. Enkephalin. Psychoments. Abnormalities. Monolith. Sinner Ryōshū. |
|
|
Moses |
I can't think of too many things in the LCE Research Facility that could be what the House of Spiders is after. |
|
|
Moses |
By process of elimination, the only reasonable answer that can be deduced is as follows: |
|
|
Moses |
They're here for the Golden Boughs. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
... So that's how it is. |
|
|
DANTE |
<.......> |
|
|
DANTE |
<Moses is right. It's become very important for us to look into Ryōshū's past, to reach in and see what lies there, but...> |
|
|
DANTE |
<... LCB's goal, its journeys, and its stories have always been bound to the same terminus. Obtaining the Golden Boughs.> |
|
|
DANTE |
<Hohenheim... where are the Golden Boughs in this facility located?> |
|
|
FAUST |
The manager would like to know the location of the Golden Boughs. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
It's at a laboratory in this facility. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
... Very well. I suppose there's no way around sharing the contents of our presentation. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
It was... a presentation regarding our progress in the Golden Bough experimentation. |
|
|
FAUST |
....... |
|
|
Hohenheim |
And the limited group of individuals with the clearance to access the contents of that presentation... does not include members of the LCB. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
... Oi, aren't we the ones riskin' our necks out there to collect those boughs? How come we're not allowed to— |
|
|
Hohenheim |
I am not the one who decides the scope of our security. |
|
|
FAUST |
Hohenheim, your concern is understandable. |
|
|
FAUST |
The company maintains tight control over any information regarding the Golden Boughs. |
|
|
FAUST |
There is no way to know, at this moment, what the consequences of leaking this information without the company's explicit consent might be. If the worse comes to worst, we may even be subject to... a memory wipe procedure. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Unbelievable. We're stalled by some red tape at an exigent circumstance like this? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
What do you expect from a company practically built on secrecy and suspicion? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Anyway, assuming the risks of divulging this information are understood and accepted by all parties present, let me get straight to the point. The Golden Boughs, we were... hm. We were experimenting with grafting the retrieved boughs onto one another. |
|
|
YI SANG |
Grafting the boughs... |
|
|
YI SANG |
Then, was the purpose to combine the boughs to form a singular tree? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
....... |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Nothing slips by a fellow researcher, I suppose. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Correct. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
We are incubating the Golden Boughs under a very special environment... to create a sapling. We haven't yet managed to graft them together into a proper tree, no—but that horizon is in sight. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Today was the day that we were to share the successes of the experiment with certain major characters and teams within the company... until this happened. |
|
|
OUTIS |
The Golden Boughs are at the laboratory, hm... |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Then, we have to get to the laboratory before they do and secure the Golden Boughs. |
|
|
RODION |
But... we can't just waltz out on our own when this whole place might be crawling with enemies, right? Is there any way we can get in touch with the HQ right now? |
|
|
OUTIS |
Did HQ even receive your support request? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
We did send a request signal to HQ an hour ago, but we have no way of knowing whether it was received. The attackers destroyed all of our outgoing transmitters earlier. |
|
|
OUTIS |
As long as they received a signal, any signal, it shouldn't take long until they recognize that the LCE is under attack by an overwhelming force. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Assuming that the LCA has sent us support units, do we have an estimate of how long it might take for them to arrive? |
|
|
FAUST |
... Even if they have to navigate around inaccessible passages currently present in the facility... |
|
|
FAUST |
... it should be no more than 10 minutes. |
|
|
OUTIS |
10 minutes? Then they should've been here already. |
|
|
FAUST |
They have either failed to receive the transmission, or the power outage has trapped the reinforcements in the elevators. |
|
|
GREGOR |
Hm, yeah... If it weren't for Miss Saude bringing us up to speed, we wouldn't have thought of using the Backdoor to come straight to this facility. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
If such is the case, then we need only reboot the power divider in the Facility Management Room. |
|
|
Ezra |
Heya, Mister Big Brain. If we wanna restore this department from a shutdown state, we gotta take out all the Distortions and Abnormalities sauntering about, right? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
... In order to perfectly restore the facility, yes. This place ahs been designed to be quarantined from every other Department if even a single Abnormality has escaped to its hallways. |
|
|
Ezra |
Eh, no use sitting around putting our heads together then, right? Hey, if you guys are scared of some Abnormality or Distortion, leave it to us! We'll kick their butts. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Nobody said they're scared. I'm just saying, we could benefit from practicing a bit of caution. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
It would be wisest to prioritize restoring power to the facility. It seems that these attackers are making effective use of the dark. |
|
|
OUTIS |
... I see. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Executive Manager. I am of the opinion that we must split our forces in order to facilitate our operation, given the urgency of the situation. |
|
|
OUTIS |
The situation looks rather pressing for us to sit here and waste time debating what to tackle first. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Listen up, men. We prepare for two things: reconnaissance and extraction. |
|
|
RODION |
Huhh...? Extraction? You mean escape? |
|
|
OUTIS |
Assuming that the LCA's support will arrive, it would serve us best to move in tandem with them to improve our chances of launching a joint attack with numerical advantage over our enemies. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Makes sense. Besides, the others here ain't like us. Once they get killed, it's over for them. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Another thing—don't forget that we have to reach the Golden Boughs before our enemies do. Whichever we end up prioritizing, we won't get anything done by staying holed up in here. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Very well... Then, if we were all to leave this place at the same time, where should we prioritize? We have many pressing tasks, as you have explained. Golden Bough retrieval, facility power restoration... |
|
|
Marton |
But the Facility Management Room to restore power to the facility, the laboratory, and the area with the damaged circuitry are all located far from each other... |
|
|
OUTIS |
... We divide and conquer. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Securing the Golden Bough, restoring power, and suppressing Abnormalities to clear a path for the reinforcements... they're all equally important, and must be resolved concomitantly. And to do so, we must split up into squads based on our expertise. |
|
|
Ezra |
Yeah, alrighty. We work better as a separate unit anyway. |
 | ||
|
|
OUTIS |
The LCB will be in charge of securing the Golden Bough, as our Executive Manager here has the ability to detect it whenever they are in proximity to one of them. |
|
|
Ezra |
Ooh, kinda like a metal detector? |
|
|
OUTIS |
How dare you compare the Executive Manager to a—hmph... I'll let that one slide, given the urgency. |
 | ||
|
|
OUTIS |
Anyways, we would like to leave Abnormality, Distortion, and Peccatula suppression to the LCD. |
|
|
Ezra |
Gotcha~ That's totally our bread and butter! |
|
|
Moses |
How many... difficult Abnormalities or Distortions did you have contained in this facility? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Combatants of your prowess should have no trouble suppressing most of them—save for 2, however, that might pose some trouble. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Take these microcommunicators with you; we use these to communicate between laboratories. While it has limited range, it should be useful enough for relaying the suppression tactic for each entity you come across. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Perfect, we've secured a means of communication. |
 | ||
|
|
OUTIS |
As for restoring power to the facility, I would like to designate that task to the LCE personnel here. I presume you are best acquainted with the layout of this facility out of all of us? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
A reasonable choice. The layout of this facility is more complicated than it might have first appeared to you. |
|
|
FAUST |
That is indeed one way to describe abysmal cable management. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
... Please, consider it but a representation of the entropic escalation phenomenon. Despite the way it looks, the setup is quite stable. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Very well. Don't forget to keep each other updated. |
|
|
Moses |
....... |
|
|
Moses |
The acrid stench of smoke I'd much rather leave buried in the past... keeps coming back. |
9-13: Shurajō
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
 | ||
|
|
Hohenheim |
Don't forget. The Golden Boughs are kept within a preservation container. Take extra care when you handle it... |
|
|
GREGOR |
Okay, okay. We've been working our butts off to retrieve those shiny twigs, too. We know enough about their worth not to throw them around willy-nilly. |
|
|
Ezra |
Alright... Lab's that way... and the Facility Management Room is... |
| [An alarm begins to sound.] | ||
|
|
RODION |
W-what was that? |
|
|
Ezra |
There's a wall dropping down... Huh...? Hey! Watch out, you guys! |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Sinclair! This way! |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Huh...? I can't... It's too far...! |
 | ||
|
|
DANTE |
<Is everyone alright?> |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
It would seem that a quarantine system designed for Abnormality containment breaches has just been activated. |
|
|
GREGOR |
That was close... That wall nearly flattened us into pancakes. |
|
|
YI SANG |
We were but a breadth away from disaster. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... Shabby thing. |
|
|
DANTE |
<Uh...> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
What a W.O.T.[1] |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
Waste... Of... Time... Where's Ryōshū, by the way?! |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
Manager Esquire!! Where art thou?! |
|
|
HONG LU |
Hey, I think this is the first time we've ever been so completely separated from Dante. |
|
|
RODION |
Ugh. Then we can't even afford to get hurt. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
I don't see any Abnormalities around... |
|
|
Marton |
Now they've taken over the security wall controls, too... They've effectively forced us to split up. |
|
|
OUTIS |
... Not to worry, Executive Manager. This is only a minor setback. Allow me to assume command of this unit for the time being. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Hello? That's the first thing you're worried about? Shouldn't you be more concerned about Dante...? |
|
|
Hohenheim |
... This has grown to be quite the predicament. |
|
|
Ezra |
Are you alright, Team Leader? |
|
|
Moses |
I am. At least we have no injured among us. |
|
|
Moses |
... Let's first check who we have on each side. |
|
|
DANTE |
<Okay... It's me, Meursault, Gregor, and Yi Sang here. Also Ryōshū.> |
|
|
Ezra |
We've got... the Detective, Miss Aeng-du, and me over here. And, uh... |
|
|
HONG LU |
... Ishmael, Rodya, and me. Outis, too. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
As for us... Marton, the Assistant, LCE team members... and the rest. |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
"The rest?" Of whom speakest thou? |
|
|
FAUST |
It is a phrase used by individuals who find it especially difficult to acknowledge their betters. |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
... Me, Don Quixote, and Faust. |
|
|
Marton |
Hmm... the master keycard doesn't work, either. It should be able to override the lockdown, but... |
|
|
OUTIS |
There has been a minor deviation... But it can't be helped. Advance according to plan. |
|
|
OUTIS |
This unit, the LCD included, will neutralize any hostiles within the facility—one threat at a time. |
|
|
Marton |
We'll assist you with finding the trail as soon as we're done repairing the security cameras. |
|
|
OUTIS |
Acknowledged. The LCE and Hohenheim's team will secure the Facility Management Room and prioritize restoring power... |
|
|
OUTIS |
As for the Executive Manager's team, proceed to the laboratory for Golden Bough retrieval. |
|
|
RODION |
Ugh... Figures I'd end up in the team doing the fighting... What a pain... *sigh* |
 | ||
|
|
Ezra |
Alrighty, off we go~! |
|
|
OUTIS |
I will take the lead. The rest of you, follow me. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
We should get moving, too. Although I think just Marton and my Assistant here will be enough to restore power to the Facility Management Room. |
|
|
FAUST |
There seems to be a lack of proper structure in the generation and distribution of electricity here. It is regrettable that the facility lacks a backup mechanism to handle unforeseen emergencies of this sort. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
With the breadth of my responsibilities, it is only natural that I would have been too busy to be responsible for the facility's design... However, when viewed independently, the structure of the laboratory itself is— |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
*sigh* |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
Fret thyself not over so trifling a matter, young Heathcliff! |
|
|
SINCLAIR |
She's right. With the three of us together, we'll be able to overcome whatever obstacle that gets in our way... Probably... |
|
|
DANTE |
<Should we... get a move on too?> |
|
|
GREGOR |
Let us know if you sense the Golden Bough, Manager Bud. |
|
|
DANTE |
<Okay.> |
|
|
GREGOR |
Heh, the two smokers of the group ended up in the same team... What are the odds? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
……. |
|
|
GREGOR |
I'll never know how the others manage to pull through these working conditions without taking a puff... |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
Mm. |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
There was a time when I partook. But I could not find any reason to maintain the habit. |
|
|
GREGOR |
Oh? There was? What did you smoke? |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
Most things that fall under the category of "cigarette." |
|
|
GREGOR |
Huh... After a whole year of watching you never walk out of line, I pegged you as one helluva straight-laced fella. |
|
|
MEURSAULT |
I partook in both categories of activities—those generally accepted as right, and those accepted as wrong. |
|
|
YI SANG |
During my time among the old League of Nine Littérateurs, I once had an opportunity to engage in a few "hits" of the substance at the behest of my fellows. |
|
|
YI SANG |
That was the one and only time. Everyone burst into laughter, though I found no enjoyment in smoking itself. |
|
|
GREGOR |
Hah... That's always the case for first-timers. Must've been pretty intense, huh? |
|
|
YI SANG |
What about you, Miss Ryōshū? When did you first start smoking cigarettes? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... Beats me. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I've always been surrounded by cigarette smoke, ever since I was a brat. |
|
|
GREGOR |
... *inhale* Wouldn't have guessed it any other way. |
|
|
GREGOR |
It's your turn this time, isn't it? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Yeah. So damn obvious that it makes me scoff. |
|
|
YI SANG |
……. |
|
|
YI SANG |
How do you feel, Miss Ryōshū? |
|
|
YI SANG |
To be faced with the past that stands before you? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Simple... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
It's exciting. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
*scoff* All that waiting finally paid off. |
|
|
GREGOR |
I noticed you haven't smoked one since... this whole thing began, Ryōshū. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Right. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Trying to get used to... staying off it. |
|
|
Valencina |
Red Gaze. Never thought you of all people would have one. |
|
|
Vergilius |
……. |
|
|
Valencina |
Funny, isn't it? The mighty and powerful Red Gaze loses this... this tiny little bundle of liability from his clutch, and he's suddenly too scared to even swing his sword right. |
|
|
Valencina |
Not that I don't understand. To have an unwanted burden you can't even push aside or kill off shoved into your care... I know what it's like all too well. |
|
|
Valencina |
Well... I suppose I did want the little thing back then... but I never expected her to be such a nuisance. |
|
|
Valencina |
Lucio's been digging around... and looks like you don't have any connection whatsoever to this half-pint here... Could it be you've got a specific use for her? |
|
|
Valencina |
It's plain that you need her for something... Explains why you're letting that dead weight tag along. |
|
|
Valencina |
Perhaps she's like my Ticket... or Textbook over there? A pain in the ass you'd much rather kill off, but can't because you need it to make the future you long for come true. |
|
|
Valencina |
Haha. We sure have a lot in common, don't we? |
|
|
Lucio |
……. |
|
|
Vergilius |
……. |
|
|
Vergilius |
... You. |
|
|
Vergilius |
I know why you're provoking me with that pointless rambling. |
|
|
Vergilius |
Your friends are out on a mission, and you're making sure I don't get in their way till you get the all-clear. |
|
|
Vergilius |
However... just because my sword isn't cleaving across your throat... |
|
|
Lucio |
Khh...! |
|
|
Vergilius |
Doesn't mean I won't collect your little lackey's head. |
|
|
Vergilius |
Keep that in mind. |
|
|
Valencina |
... This should be interesting. Do your worst. |
|
|
Valencina |
I'm curious to see how long the Textbook I so painstakingly crafted for my Ticket... would last against a Color Fixer. Aren't you? |
9-14: Roseate Desire
Pre-battle
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
DANTE |
<We keep running into these... manikins...> |
|
|
DANTE |
<Are they made by those "Nursefathers?"> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Yes. To be more specific, it's just the Ring Nursefather. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Corporism--an art movement that utilizes the interaction between human bones and muscles, the contraction and elongation thereof. ... With a splash of Cubist technique, it seems. |
|
|
GREGOR |
... Nasty. |
|
|
YI SANG |
Observe closer--do you see them? |
|
|
YI SANG |
Writings, carved into their... bodies. |
|
|
YI SANG |
"Dearest..." |
|
|
??? |
Dearest daughter of ours, |
 | ||
|
|
??? |
please pay close attention to the way the line curves. |
|
|
??? |
From ribs, we can make blades keener than any sword; from femurs, we can make bludgeons sturdier than any mace. |
|
|
??? |
The thoracic cage has taken this prepossessing yet hardy shape of an arch to keep the heart and the lungs from harm. |
|
|
??? |
Preserve this natural beauty of the human corpus and do not infringe upon its primeval, precise value... |
|
|
??? |
That is the reverence with which the act of creation must be handled--just as musicians handle a priceless instrument. |
|
|
??? |
Touch it, if you will. Do your fingertips feel the contour of a blade along the grains of musculature, its tendons and sinews? |
|
|
Yoshihide |
……. |
|
|
Yoshihide |
The bones of the one most desperate for life... have become a blade best fit to reap it. |
|
|
??? |
Indeed it has, hasn't it? I knew from the fathoms of my heart that you could appreciate the true value of this piece, Yoshihide. |
|
|
??? |
The care put into this piece I have so painstakingly birthed into the world is greater than that of any other work of mine. The smallest fracture or imbalance could instantly render it useless. |
|
|
??? |
Once this piece is complete, dearest Yoshihide, I would like for you to wield it. |
|
|
Yoshihide |
I will. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Never got to finish that precious piece he'd always ramble about... did he? |
9-16: The Fingers
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
 | ||
|
|
MEURSAULT |
The elevator up ahead is operational. |
|
|
DANTE |
<.......> |
|
|
DANTE |
<If power has returned to the elevators...> |
|
|
YI SANG |
It can only mean that Hohenheim has arrived at the Facility Management Room. |
|
|
DANTE |
<Ah! Then—> |
 | ||
|
|
GREGOR |
LCA special operations unit, was it? They sure know how to clear a room. |
| [None of the characters speaking through the radio appear on-screen.] | ||
|
|
Radio |
Testing... come in. |
|
|
Radio |
Oi, gimme that. Oi! OI! YOU ALRIGHT, MATE? |
|
|
GREGOR |
Agh, the heck—No need to shout into the mic, Heathcliff. We can hear you just fine. |
|
|
Radio |
Ah, apologies. My assistant's temperament leans on the more impatient side. |
|
|
Radio |
Sinner Outis's conjecture was correct. After arriving at the Facility Management Room, we have been observing the hallways through the device here. The video feed's quality... well, it leaves much to be desired, but... |
|
|
Radio |
... the LCA has arrived at this sector. |
|
|
GREGOR |
Can confirm that on this end as well. We have visual on the LCA units past the lockdown shutters. |
|
|
Radio |
But... all I've managed so far is to remove one security wall in your path. It has nothing to do with restoring the internal elevators leading to other departments. |
|
|
YI SANG |
Whichever may be the case... does this mean that the wounded can now be transported to safety? |
|
|
Radio |
... Not quite. While they managed to send the LCA down here via unknown means, the entire facility has to be restored in order to return upstairs. |
|
|
Radio |
It is indeed a relief, however. It seems that the agents have been deployed to each sector... they should be able to secure the rest of the survivors. |
|
|
Radio |
Though I've never been one to be interested in the art of killing and battling, particularly those without even a tangential relation to research... I have heard that they are a rather formidable combat force even by the standards of the City as a whole. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Eyes forward. |
 | ||
 | ||
 | ||
 |
LCA Agent |
...! |
 | ||
|
|
Radio |
Judging by their appearance and gear, it is likely that they are the LCA's reconnaissance-specialized unit. |
|
|
Radio |
Most likely in the same vein as the team that arrived at the Monolith retrieval mission. |
|
|
GREGOR |
Recon team or not, how did the intruder manage to wipe out such a well-trained team... all on his own...? |
|
|
YI SANG |
Hohenheim, do you hear us? |
|
|
Radio |
Mm, indeed. Has the LCA taken care of the situation already on your end? |
|
|
YI SANG |
... You mustn't step foot out into the hallway. |
|
|
Radio |
... Why might that be? Ah, I've just watched the LCA agents take down an Abnormality with quite impressive precision. To suppress such a tricky entity in mere minutes... fascinating. This calls for an additional comment on its observation log. |
|
|
GREGOR |
The LCA reinforcement sent to our sector... They're all dead. |
|
|
Radio |
... What? |
|
|
Radio |
Were this battle fought in an open field... even the LCA's reconnaissance team alone would have sufficed to avoid defeat. |
|
|
Radio |
However... |
|
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RYŌSHŪ |
This is what happens to prey who forget that they've been snared in a spider's web. |
|
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RYŌSHŪ |
... They'll never fight on even ground, always drawing their prey to locations where they have the absolute advantage. They wouldn't have lost in an open field, you say...? |
|
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RYŌSHŪ |
... It's meaningless to speculate over what'll never happen. |
|
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RYŌSHŪ |
Look. His prey ensured their demise by walking into his hunting ground. |
|
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GREGOR |
....... |
|
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DANTE |
<A relaxed but disciplined gait...> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
 | ||
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|
??? |
Hey, sweetheart. How did your training go? |
|
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Yoshihide |
... Same old. Dull and boring. |
|
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Yoshihide |
Dad, that wound on your arm... Did you do that to yourself? |
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|
??? |
Ah, yes. I had to stab my opponent with a knife 38 times through my own arm. |
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|
??? |
The 20th stab was where it really began to hurt. |
|
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Yoshihide |
....... |
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|
??? |
They say that the pain of burning hurts at least 100 times worse than the pain of getting stabbed. Did you know that? |
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|
??? |
So, when you have to take care of someone, I hope you won't use fire... |
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|
??? |
... lest their death be slow, and their dying breath curses your name on their long descent into hell... |
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|
??? |
Don't they deserve to watch their lives flash before their eyes in relative peace? |
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Yoshihide |
... Okay. |
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|
??? |
Come closer. You've got a scratch on your cheek. |
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|
??? |
It happened during Valencina's class, didn't it? Her methods are simply too violent—she's the kind of teacher who uses the number of scars as a measure of training intensity and effectiveness. |
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|
??? |
Let's take good care of that wound so it doesn't scar, okay? |
|
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Yoshihide |
Whatever. |
 | ||
|
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OUTIS |
If what LCE has told us through the transmission is true, then the Executive Manager's in danger—! |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
I'm just as concerned as you are, Outis, but... |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
... we're not exactly out of the woods yet, either. |
|
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OUTIS |
... The security camera feed's working again? |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Yeah. Look, it's pointed right in front of our door. But... |
|
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Aeng-du |
Come see. If my memory fails me not, then this man's attire suggests he is... |
 | ||
|
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OUTIS |
The Middle...? |
|
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Ezra |
I guess we now know what happened to the LCA in the other section. Yeesh, this guy's practically tearing people apart. |
|
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RODION |
Is he shouting something...? I can't quite hear what he's saying through the feed... |
|
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Moses |
Yoshihide. |
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Moses |
He is shouting... "Yoshihide." Repeatedly so. |
|
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Aeng-du |
... As he fills the silence between them with... a boisterous guffaw. |
|
|
Aeng-du |
Face split into a wide grin, body convulsing with laughter... What joy does this madman find in this carnage...? |
|
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Ezra |
Gah...! That's an insanely powerful kick! Flung that guy all the way to the other side of the hallway! |
|
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RODION |
The footage is pretty blurry, but... do you think he's got a prosthetic leg? |
|
|
RODION |
Hm, maybe not... I guess a leg covered completely in augmentation tattoos could look something like that... |
 |
??? |
Ooh~ Are ya looking at papa's mighty bear paw? |
|
|
RODION |
....... |
|
|
??? |
...? |
|
|
RODION |
W-who the heck are you?! |
|
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Kira |
Who am I? Hi, I'm Kira! |
|
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OUTIS |
A covert approach...? Men, battle positions! |
|
|
Kira |
Ohh~ You guys got it all wrong! You're watching my papa work, aren'tcha? |
|
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Kira |
Don't mind me, 'kay? I'm not gonna pick a fight with you guys. |
|
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Aeng-du |
...? |
|
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Kira |
I'll just hang around here while you guys get the important stuff done! Mmhm, carry on and watch him work! |
|
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RODION |
Your papa...? That guy's your dad? |
|
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Kira |
Uh-huh! Isn't he, like, super badass? |
|
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Kira |
Yooo, did you guys see that? Gosh, that tech's straight-up fire! So dope. |
|
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Kira |
Hah~ I've been tryna recreate that myself, but it's not the same, ya know? |
|
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Kira |
How's he doing that? Totally folded that guy up and tossed him like a baseball all the way to the other end of the hallway! |
|
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Aeng-du |
... To treat a massacre as no different from a game or sport... |
|
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Aeng-du |
What a contemptible scoundrel you make. |
|
|
Kira |
....... |
|
|
Kira |
Oh~ So you're into that kinda character, huh? Sick! |
|
|
Kira |
I'm a huge fan of 'em, too. Didya read the latest issue of "The Cloudburst Blade"? There's this new character who talks just like ya do, like, lifting his bamboo hat, he goes— |
|
|
Aeng-du |
....... |
|
|
Kira |
... Wait, you don't know "The Cloudburst Blade"? |
|
|
Kira |
Aw man... I've been tryna sell it to everyone I know, but no one's interested. One of 'em's obsessed with training all day, one of 'em talks with her sword all day, one of 'em just wanders all over the place all day, and the other one... y'know what she said? "I think the story indulges in far too many logical fallacies." What the heck kinda book review is that? Like, bro, who wastes time nitpicking about what makes sense and what doesn't when reading a comic book? Gosh, I don't think I'd ever vibe with that girl! |
|
|
Kira |
Anyhoo, has anyone hear actually read "The Cloudburst Blade"? If ya did, well... if I may have but 3—no, 4 hours of your time, good sir... |
|
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OUTIS |
Enough. |
|
|
OUTIS |
If you thought you could distract us with your nonsensical prattling, think again. |
|
|
ISHMAEL |
Outis, I don't see the Middle Nursefather on the feed anymore. If she's his, uh... apprentice, then... |
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|
??? |
Hey, Kiddo! What are you doing all the way out here? Haven't I asked you not to wander too far? |
|
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OUTIS |
... Drat. |
 | ||
|
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Hohenheim |
... No more transmissions. They've all gone quiet. |
|
|
DON QUIXOTE |
Hark! Young Ishmael! Young Outis!!! Wherefore doth none respond...? |
|
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SINCLAIR |
This is bad.. We don't even have the manager with us. We're all in the dark... |
|
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Hohenheim |
We must make haste and restore the facility to its operational capacity. The sooner we obtain access to the security wall controls, the sooner we can coordinate with each other. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
As luck would have it, we should be able to locate one of the lost pieces of circuitry in this room— |
 | ||
|
|
FAUST |
....... |
|
|
FAUST |
These remains... The Ring has made its mark here. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Oi. Don't force yourself... to look so hard at them. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
No, disgust as an emotion holds very little sway over me. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
It's just that— |
|
|
Marton |
Boss. |
|
|
Marton |
Don't. Don't look at their faces and try to tell who's who. |
|
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Hohenheim |
... Right. I lost my focus for a moment there. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
Let us carry on. |
|
|
Hohenheim |
... What, is there anything you wish to say to me? |
|
|
FAUST |
This is highly irregular, but it seems that Faust also expresses agreement with Hohenheim. |
|
|
HEATHCLIFF |
Agree with what? |
|
|
FAUST |
... That we must restore the facility with as much haste as we can employ. |
9-17: Nursefathers
Pre-battle
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
 | ||
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
YI SANG |
Miss Ryōshū, perhaps this question of mine is one you might not wish to grace with an answer—and if it indeed is, do feel free to let it float past... |
|
|
YI SANG |
But what is your connection to these so-called "Nursefathers?" |
|
|
YI SANG |
Your relationship with them does not seem to have been brewed in mere bad blood... |
|
|
YI SANG |
And in the change in your countenance I sensed... a flash of something almost imperceptible. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I haven't put all the pieces together just yet, but... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
They were... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
"Nursefathers." |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
My fathers who forged the sword that I am. |
9-18: Cigarettes & The Nursefather
Pre-battle
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
GREGOR |
... Looks like we're here. It's the lab. |
|
|
GREGOR |
The LCD and LCE haven't reached out again since that last transmission. |
|
|
YI SANG |
I can only hope that no misfortune befell them... |
|
|
GREGOR |
Hey, Manager Bud, you picking up on anything? I mean the Golden Bough... If those people got to it before us... |
|
|
DANTE |
<Not yet, I don't think they did...> |
|
|
DANTE |
<It's still in there.> |
|
|
GREGOR |
*sigh* Is that right? I guess I should be glad we still have a chance. |
|
|
GREGOR |
Hohenheim will be relieved to hear this. |
 | ||
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
DANTE |
<Ryōshū?> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
There's a stench coming from up ahead... A sickeningly familiar one. |
|
|
GREGOR |
You smell something...? I don't smell anything other than your cig— |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
GREGOR |
... Oh, yeah. You've not been smoking for a... hot minute. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
When I left that place... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I remember feeling a strong contempt for someone. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
It had to have been... |
|
|
Yoshihide |
Dihui Star (地慧星), you... |
 | ||
|
|
Yoshihide |
All along, you've wanted to make me suffer to the bitter end, haven't you? |
|
|
Dihui Star |
What audacity. You think I'm the one making you suffer, Yoshihide? |
|
|
Dihui Star |
You do realize that you've always been the one obstacle in my life, don't you? |
|
|
Dihui Star |
This is the only way for us to get even. |
|
|
Dihui Star |
Yoshihide, it... |
|
|
Dihui Star |
It never stops. |
|
|
Dihui Star |
The sound of the fetter around my feet, rusted and heavy... How it clinks and rattles... |
 | ||
|
|
Dihui Star |
Gah... *hack* |
|
|
Dihui Star |
*huff* Hrrk... |
|
|
Dihui Star |
*splat* |
|
|
Dihui Star |
Hah... |
|
|
Dihui Star |
Hah! Ha... haha... Haha! |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... I.S.O.T.P.I.T.A.[2] |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Insidious Stench Of The Past... In The Air. |
|
|
Dihui Star |
....... |
| [The Dihui Star's sprite features an abnormal glitch effect as if she were a mirage or projection.] | ||
|
|
Dihui Star |
... Ha. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Because of my five "fathers"... I had to leave behind the single most important thing in this world. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
And that is why... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I must take it back. |
 |
??? |
So happy to see you again, Ryōshū. I mean it. |
|
|
??? |
... Such were the words my master bade me to relay. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... The Pinky Nursefather. |
|
|
??? |
As my master... expects naught from my insignicant self... |
|
|
??? |
I am but a blade rusting amid the quiet turn of nature, doomed to ever endure the dullness of todays and the emptiness of morrows. |
|
|
??? |
And therein, owing to your pursuit of the spider's thread... |
|
|
??? |
I am once again granted a chance to carry out my master's will. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
... Another talker. Piss off. |
|
|
??? |
The preparations are complete. I trust you have not forgotten the plan? |
 |
??? |
....... |
|
|
DANTE |
<What the...> |
|
|
YI SANG |
The armament looks a little too crude... to be a piece of gear inbued with advanced technology. |
|
|
YI SANG |
... It looks akin to the torture device we had previously seen in the basement of Sinclair's home. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
No flesh, no blood, no bones to show... in a fight? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
For an artwork meant for my eyes... its aesthetics are lacking in class. |
|
|
??? |
....... |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Keeping your mouth shut even in a moment like this... Did he not teach you there's no beauty to be found in it? |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
I want him here. Where is the Ring Nursefather? |
|
|
DANTE |
<We need to take care of this quick... and track down the Golden Bough.> |
|
|
DANTE |
<Let's fend them all off.> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
You're starting to pick up the rudiments of aesthetics, Clock. |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
Watch as I demonstrate the meaning of A.O.S.[3] |
Post-battle
Played when both Ren and Albina reach 50% HP.
| Speaker | Dialogue | |
|---|---|---|
| [The upper half of Albina's armor slips off, and a panel on her metallic sword falls, revealing pulsating flesh.]
[Just as she begins to shake violently, Ren steps in. He holds out his ōdachi in a warning, preventing her from progressing.] | ||
|
|
Ren |
Refrain from any deviations from the plan... Has my humble self neglected to impress upon this matter many times? |
 |
Albina |
See? Fascia has begun to pulsate. |
|
|
Albina |
I haven't seen Fascia tremble like so in a long while. Why don't you give her some time to chat? |
|
|
Ren |
This plan involves no outward expression of such selfish desires. |
|
|
Albina |
The "plan" that involes only the observation of the warming, reddening flesh while our own heartbeats slow... |
|
|
Albina |
That plan isn't to Fascia's liking. Her tendons have tightened. |
|
|
Ren |
Yet, we must learn to remain tranquil before these common beats if we are to adhere to the wills of those who are our masters. |
|
|
Albina |
I've always been so curious of the Maestro's child, forever-lost... |
|
|
Albina |
Why not let us at least prepare a maquette? |
|
|
Ren |
... It has become apparent that this glorified executioner does not know her place; clearly, it is about time her branches are pruned. |
|
|
YI SANG |
This may be our stroke of fortune... It seems that, in the chaos, our presence has slipped their minds. |
|
|
DANTE |
<... Ah! The Golden Bough!> |
|
|
RYŌSHŪ |
....... |
|
|
Dihui Star |
...... |
|
|
YI SANG |
Dante, have you found the Golden Boughs? We must— |
|
|
DANTE |
<No...> |
|
|
DANTE |
<We were too late.> |
|Part II → Story Chapters
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Story | |||
| Detour Tales | Intervallos | ||
| Mini Episodes | |||
