Mini Episodes/Season 4

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The 3rd Walpurgis Night

These 2 Mini Episodes were added on May 2nd, 2024 along with the addition of the Mirror of the Wuthering, the 3rd Walpurgis Night, and the Into a Certain Library's Book micro-event and Combat Encounter, taking place after the events of Canto VI: The Heartbreaking. The 'The Night Returns' Story Episode is played upon first entering the micro-event Combat Encounter, while the 'Fairy Festival' Story Episode is played upon clearing said Encounter.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
[Sirens blare. Green lights illuminate the bus.]
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Ah…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Woah… how are these green lights still… green?
Another unexpected alarm. But we all react with measured astonishment, as we'd all grown rather used to the randomness of it all.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It is unlikely that it has completely evaded the influence of T Corp.'s Singularity. However, it can be said that this partial retention of color can be attributed to the fact that Walpurgis Night is a transitory moment in which numerous possibilities coincide.
	Manager DANTE	<Makes sense…>
Faust nonchalantly walking up to the driver's seat and shutting off the alarm.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Lo! 'Tis return'd, this Wal-Walpu-whatever night!
Don Quixote and her eyes that begin twinkling at the smallest bit of diversion after another long-period of idle standby.
It's all just become a part of the routine.
Even mysterious things like these 'Walpurgis Nights'.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Oh. An additional volatility, aside from the Walpurgis Night, has been detected.
	Manager DANTE	<An additional volatility?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Indeed. The entrance to a new Mirror Dungeon has opened.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oh, yeah. That.
Heathcliff mutters quietly as he rises from his seat.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	I thought it was about time a new one popped up. It happens every time we go through the bloody wringer. ... Didn't expect it to appear with the green flashes, though.
Heathcliff lightly struck the end of his club against the floor in visible anticipation.
… The word that was once engraved into his club had changed.
A few days ago, I saw him sitting at the back of the bus, busily sanding and carving something into his club.
I didn't have to ask to know what he meant by that new word, so…
… I decided to not bring it up to anyone else.
Only Heathcliff and I retained that memory, after all.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Thought I was goin' mad from tedium. C'mon, let's go bash some sods.
	Guide Vergilius	How nice.
	Guide Vergilius	I like seeing some initiative from the Sinners. Miss Faust?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Indeed. Let us move without delay.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Dante, bring us to the corridor past the Backdoor.
	Manager DANTE	<… Got it.>
Trying my best to shake this odd, uncomfortable feeling that Heathcliff's newfound enthusiasm didn't come off as entirely optimistic, I led the Sinners to the Backdoor.
Location: Bus's Backdoor
	Manager DANTE	<Two types of doors at once, huh…>
Two new sets of doors, just as Faust had predicted.
One set of doors was, as I expected, two metal doors resonant with the sound of wuthering gusts. A new Mirror Dungeon.
And the other set of doors was…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Are these... papers?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	It's… all sparkly.
It was an unfamiliar door, radiating with an odd gleam of light.
Technically, we did see the weird, radio-frequency-like squiggly lines around the door before, but everything else about it was new.
	Sinner #9 RODION	I guess this one doesn't connect to the Lobotomy Corporation like the last one did…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Weird. I think I'm hearing… Is that jazz?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oi, is this even a door…? It's more like a window than a door, innit?
Right… this new entrance definitely resembled a large window rather than a door. The window was blurry, and all I could see past it were some globs of shapes moving about.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	There appear to be several shambling entities past the entrance…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	…….
Faust seemed to have realized something, but she didn't tell us what it was. Instead, she merely looked in my direction without saying a word.
… I'm starting to get what she means by that look.
	Manager DANTE	<… Guess I'll have to get in there to see what this is all about. Right, Faust?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	You are experiencing regular growth in capabilities. Faust considers this to be a positive development.
	Manager DANTE	<… Yeah.>
Location: ???
A field of green and a wall of tall, great trees appear before us as we enter the door. But at this point, it'll take a bit more than this to surprise us.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Ah, so nice to have our colors back for once, huh~?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Quiet. There's an Abnormality.
	Manager DANTE	<So these things were what we saw past the window earlier…?>
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	We are yet to be discovered. I recommend that we prepare for combat, Manager.
I didn't even need to tell the Sinners what they were. It was pretty clear from the get-go that we'd be fighting an abnormality; the Sinners all stood ready to charge into battle at my command.
But… it's a bit different this time.
	Manager DANTE	<So… Faust. I'm starting to get the hang of this Walpurgis Night thing. And…>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Please, do continue.
	Manager DANTE	<… I think there's something different about these Abnormalities. Can you explain why?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… Considering the nature of Abnormalities, every encounter with an Abnormality would be equivalent to an encounter with a summoned entity.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Nevertheless, there exists a certain degree of difference when we encounter them in a Refraction Railway or a Mirror Dungeon.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	That is to say…?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	We enter a site once known as 'The Library'. A building that inexplicably appeared above the former L Corp. headquarters.
Location: The Library - A Space Within a Book
	Sinner #2 FAUST	And this exact location is said to be a space that exists within a book in which the Abnormality resides.
'The Library'…? Where have I heard that term before? Some Sinners talked about it, that's for sure…
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Quite… Yet this 'space' is fairly distinct from the containment units we had witnessed afore at one of the branches.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	It appears as though an ideal habitat has been established precisely for that Abnormality's residence. A rather striking difference from the very limited space and unaccommodating environment provided by the containment units.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes. You may compare this place to a terrarium. The Abnormality inhabiting this place has transformed its environs to a form most suitable for its dwelling.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Here are some comparisons that may make it easier for one to comprehend: a fish would fill this space with water, and a worm would fill this space with soil.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Hmm…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Gotcha. So, as long as the Abnormality exists within this 'book', it can deck this place out with whatever fits its fancy, huh?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It would be more accurate to say that an Abnormality, once outside the confines of the Qliphoth Deterrence, can rebuild its environment to fit its needs.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Woah, that's kinda like free housing, huh…?
That's when…
… Don Quixote, who was standing rather far from the group, who was made aware of these revelations only after Meursault had relayed them to her…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Book…? Our journey hath brought us inside a BOOK, thou sayeth?!
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	T-th-th-the Library of legend that vanished like a mirage, for truth…?!
… suddenly blew up with explosive enthusiasm once again.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	… I will add a preamble in the future to prevent such outbursts.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	We've been detected, Executive Manager.
	Manager DANTE	<Yeah… Let's get this over with first.>

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: The Library - A Space Within a Book
	Manager DANTE	<That was way harder than I expected…>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Faust explains that we find ourselves in the Library's past. We are participating in a certain repeated battle within the Library; its purpose was to attain something called 'the Realization of the Floor of History'.
	Manager DANTE	<Um… Yeah. Sorry, I don't understand most of what you said.>
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Floor of History, huh. Are there other Floors, too?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	That appears to be the case, yes. It can be extrapolated from the collected intelligence that the Library is, like some normal libraries, composed of several floors divided by subjects such as 'Literature' or 'Religion'.
Doesn't sound too different from your average library, but… I doubt it's that straightforward.
	Manager DANTE	<Anything more you can tell us about that Library, Faust? Something more detailed?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Um…
Faust's voice carries an air of troubled uncertainty.
And I'm starting to realize why.
	Manager DANTE	<So you don't… know about that just yet, right?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… I see that you have intuited a certain degree of truth, Dante. I don't suppose there is any more reason for me to remain evasive regarding this particular subject.
Faust let out a barely noticeable—but clearly shocked—gasp before regaining her usual calm demeanor.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes. I am yet to become a Faust who has access to that information.
	Manager DANTE	<Yet to become…?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… As your journey continues, I may also gradually gain recognition and access to further knowledge.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	One thing is certain, however. Faust regards this consistent, continuous improvement to be a positive development, Dante.
	Manager DANTE	<… I see.>
The longer my journey, the greater her knowledge, huh…
… Maybe that explains why she kept falling silent in the middle of her lectures.
I have no idea how long this journey will last for, but…
	Manager DANTE	<… Who knows. Maybe we'll find ourselves at that Library one day.>
With that, I returned to the Sinners wandering about the scattered pages of the Abnormality.

A Familiar Siren

This Mini Episode was added on July 4th, 2024 along with Line 4: Masquerade, playing upon game startup. Its events take place after that of 3rd Walpurgis Night and Intervallo IV: Timekilling Time.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Dante's Room
	Manager DANTE	<... Right, I think we can conclude our consultation session here.>
I've been holding regular consultations with the Sinners for a while now.
My session with Heathcliff ended earlier than I'd expected.
	Manager DANTE	<So... what are you writing in that notebook?>
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oh, this?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	I thought writing 'em down could come in handy later. In case I have to remember something.
Heathcliff's been holding that notebook in his hands ever since this session started...
It didn't seem like he was making a full record of our entire conversation; it was more like he was writing things down if they seemed worthy of remembering.
	Manager DANTE	<Are you writing about... Catherine?>
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Won't deny that that's a part of it.
His expression becomes inscrutably complex upon hearing her name; he breathes in a lungful of air and lets out a deep sigh.
He smiles awkwardly before sliding his notebook across the desk in my direction.
I take a quick glance at the pages. Its contents are as disorganized and chaotic as his handwriting...
But...
I also notice that several of those disorganized notes are records of his memories with Catherine, scribbled next to notes of significant moments in our journey. Records of memories he doesn't want to lose.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	... Well, it ain't nothing important.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Right, if we're done here, I'm off.
Heathcliff takes the notebook and leaves the room. I catch a glimpse of his bitter expression as he steps through the doorway.
... It isn't long before Rodya practically bursts through the door.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Hey, saw Heathcliff leaving the room just now and thought it was my turn. That was a pretty quick meeting, huh?
	Manager DANTE	<Yeah, we didn't really talk about much.>
	Sinner #9 RODION	I dunno what's gotten into him lately. He's been so... tame?
	Manager DANTE	<Well, I'm not complaining... Why don't you take a seat, Rodya?>
Rodya hummed cheerfully as she sat down. She really didn't seem too different from her usual self.
Our 'consultations' usually consisted of some minor chitchat and watching her munch on some snacks, but...
	Manager DANTE	<Hey, so... I think there's something we have to talk about today.>
	Sinner #9 RODION	Y-yeah? Ooh, you're so serious today. What's up~?
	Manager DANTE	<Do you remember what you asked me when we were dealing with the Case of Timekilling Time, Rodya?>
	Sinner #9 RODION	... I dunno, what'd I say?
A *lot*.
Rodya carefully looks away, her fingers fiddling with the snacks prepared for these consultations. I'm starting to grow uncertain whether this is a good time to bring this up when she's still so obviously evasive about it.
I really don't want the mood to get as frosty as it did during the investigation...
... but this overly chipper, chatty attitude is just a bandage haphazardly pulled over a scar that still hurts, isn't it?
I sit there, looking at Rodya and her fabricated smile. I have to ask.
Yeah. This is exactly what these consultations are for. What better time to do this than now?
	Manager DANTE	<I'm talking about the time you asked me about Sonya. About what would've happened if you—>
... The alarm had to choose this precise moment, when I finally gathered enough courage to bring this up... to go off.
	Manager DANTE	<...!>
	Manager DANTE	<Wait, that was...!>
I reflexively get to my feet at the blaring alarm.
A few seconds later, I hear someone tapping on the bus PA system.
And not long after that, a brief *bzzt* plays from the speaker installed in my room.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Aa-ah. Aa-ah. Testing. Announcing from the driver's seat: all units taking R&R on the bus must assemble in the hallway ASAP.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I repeat. All units taking R&R on the bus—
	Bus Driver Charon	... Driver's seat, Charon's seat.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Augh, stop pulling me! I am in the process of relaying a very important announcement!
	Bus Driver Charon	Stop getting in the way between Charon and Mephi.
	Guide Vergilius	Haaah...
Vergilius' deep sigh was the last thing we heard from the bus' PA system before Charon and Outis' brief squabble came to an abrupt end.
	Sinner #9 RODION	My, a new Backdoors thingie? That's what the alarm usually means, right?
	Manager DANTE	<Let's see... I'm gonna guess that this one's for a Refraction Railway...?>
	Sinner #9 RODION	Bleh, not a fan of those Railways. They're so exhausting...
Rodya grumbles for a moment before rising from her seat.
Kinda seems like she's trying to smoothly maneuver away from answering my question...
	Sinner #9 RODION	Whatcha standing around for, Dante? C'mon, aren'tcha going to see what's going on?
	Manager DANTE	<Um... Yeah, I'm coming.>
I leave my empty consultation notes behind and follow Rodya out to the hallway.
Location: Bus’s Backdoor
Out to a very crowded hallway.
The murmur rises and rises; the Sinners were each sharing their ideas as to what this alarm might be for.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I-it's got to be the Refraction Railway this time, right?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Yep. Line 4, most likely... huh. This is gonna suck, isn't it?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Atten-tion! The Executive Manager has arrived!
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Ahem. I have assembled your forces already in a timely manner.
	Manager DANTE	<T-thanks.>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Welcome, Dante.
	Manager DANTE	<I heard the radio... Is it a Refraction Railway this time?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes. The fourth line of the Refraction Railway, to be exact.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Hey, I think they're getting used to this.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	... W.T.H.A.W.G.I.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	"Woe! 'Tis a Hearkening At—"
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	"When... The Hell..."
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	It appears that she is requesting information pertinent to our schedule regarding our entry to the Railway.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	To be exact, I think she's asking... "When the hell are we going in?"
Ryōshū, who had been listening with a knitted brow as each Sinner hazarded their guesses, appeared to have finally found peace.
Sinclair was right on the money.
Hey, at least Gregor and Yi Sang got half of that right, too...
The bus alarms weren't the only things growing increasingly familiar to us. The Sinners were really getting to know one another as well.
	Manager DANTE	<Well, let's go check it out right now.>
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Then I shall open the gates!
Location: Refraction Railway Platform
The door opens with a creak, and a bright blue light fills my vision.
The blue ambiance almost seems to drop the temperature of the entire room.
Another Railway Line, completely different from Line 3 and its orange hue.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Manager Esquire, behold! These curtains, these masks... I say, visions of par-tay lay before us, forsooth!
	Manager DANTE	<Masks?>
I follow Don Quixote, who had run off on her own again, with my eyes. It was as she said; the walls were lined with various masks, each wearing different expressions.
I wonder if this has something to do with the theme of enemies we're about to meet here...
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Ooooh?! Hie thee hither, one and all! Here is a woman, her appearance a spitting image of Lady Outis!
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	... What?
There was urgency in her voice. I quickly ran to where Don Quixote was with the other Sinners in tow.
And there she was, an exact copy of Outis, standing before us.
... I hope this isn't anything serious...
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Woah... she wasn't kidding.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I-I hope this isn't a lure left behind by an Abnormality or something like that...
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oi. How about we don't tempt fate, lad?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Hm. But she's quiet, unlike Outis. And shrouded in a weird shadow.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Woaah~ Look, here's one that looks just like me~!
Hong Lu stood next to a humanoid shape that mimicked every move he made.
When he raised his hands, the shape raised its hands. When he closed his eyes, the shape closed its eyes.
Right, almost like a shadow with the darkness and its mimicry...
	Manager DANTE	<Wait, that... that looks like one of Hong Lu's Identities.>
I notice two, three more humanoid shadows standing nearby.
What on earth is going on?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	We'd be much better off if they were some byproduct of an Abnormality. However, if they are clones...
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	We must move swiftly to exterminate them, Executive Manager.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I request that you immediately order us to prepare for battle.
	Manager DANTE	<Gimme a sec, I'll ask Faust first if—>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	No! You must make a judgment call at this instant! If they are indeed clones, then the Head will—!
This isn't the first time she's asked to make a decision like this, but...
... she's never been this serious or adamant about it before.
Yi Sang noticed the tension and quickly stepped in between the two of us.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Miss Faust... would you kindly share what you know of this phenomenon?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes. This entity is not a clone.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Therefore, even if a week were to pass, the Head will not mobilize.
Faust nodded sagely as though she had just learned something new, before looking in my direction.
Right, she probably wants me to explain what this is. I quickly blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.
	Manager DANTE	<... That one feels like a Peccatulum.>
... I wasn't completely sure, but that's the feeling I've so grown used to sensing whenever we encountered the Peccatula.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	A Peccatulum...
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	It's blindly mimicking whatever Hong Lu is doing. I'm not sure if it has much, or anything, in the way of consciousness or ego. It doesn't look like a one-to-one copy of him, either.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Please becalm yourself, Miss Outis. It appears that aught has unnerved you.
Outis bows, embarrassment apparent but her head cleared with relief.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	My deepest apologies, Executive Manager. I should not have acted in such an unsightly manner before you.
Clearly, I still have a lot to learn about the Sinners. Every instance of these moments seem to unveil something new.
I was trying to get a better read on Outis' expression when Heathcliff suddenly asked a question out loud.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Uh... I thought them 'Peccatula' are supposed to look like monsters, innit?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Distortions and the Peccatula must not be judged on a reference based on 'common sense', such as their physical appearance.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	B-but do you think we can handle them?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Oh, yeah. If they're going to swarm us like they did at the manor, or if they manage to somehow copy Vergilius... that's going to be a problem.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Recall the Railways of Refraction we have suffered ere this one's arrival. It should not present before us a foe we cannot defeat. Yet the process shall be as grueling as it always has been, I suspect.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Faust is aware that this entity is a Peccatulum of Envy... Peccatulum Invidiae. Considering the strengths of the Peccatula we have faced thus far, it is unlikely that we will encounter enemies too far beyond our ability to defeat.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Mm. The lack of precise tiered labeling system means that it is difficult for one to make a subjective judgment.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Speaking of which, what's the ETA on the new Risk Levels and Classifications for the Peccatula and Distortions?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	The LCD has informed us that they have made significant progress regarding that project. It is likely that further details will be shared once they become more concrete.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Ah, that's good to know~
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Oops! Looks like the Peccatula are running away all of a sudden.
As we stood there talking to one another, a Peccatulum that resembles Hong Lu suddenly shoved him to the side and began sprinting elsewhere.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	"What the hell, mate?! Don't just sit there and gawk at 'em when they're all leggin' it!
Heathcliff also sprinted after the figure, but he soon came to a sudden stop before starting to slowly back away.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oh, blimey...
A subway train slides into the platform with a loud horn.
Past the windows I see... a subway car filled to the brim with purple shadows.
... Shadows in the shape of the Sinners.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Huh... That's... that's a lot of 'em.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Ugh... I think I recognized like three shadows that look just like me...
That ridiculous sight was enough to stop us all dead in our tracks, allowing the Peccatulum to board the subway car...
And the door shut behind him.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	I sense... aught in the way of disquietude from this Refraction Railway.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Fellas, there's another one coming this way!
As soon as the subway train carrying the Peccatula leave the station, a new one begins to roll in.
To my relief, this one doesn't look like it's packed to the brim with shadow people.
	Manager DANTE	<But... what is that?>
	Manager DANTE	<There are curtains, and... masks? I don't remember seeing anything like that on the last Railways we challenged.>
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	How uninspired.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Hey, I didn't notice it earlier 'cuz of all that mess with clones and everything, but... doesn't that train look much more elaborate than what we've seen before?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Right~ It's adorned with all kinds of decorations.
Just as the Sinners were gawking at the ostentatiousness that was this train, something burst forth from the train car door.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Aah-woagh! H-huh, did that thing just roll out a carpet for us...?
	Manager DANTE	<It's like something's inviting us in there...>
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	I ill like such manner of invitation...
I agreed with Yi Sang. This isn't an invitation I'm happy to jump at, but...
... I'm sure we'll face even worse things in our journey. I'll take every chance we get to strengthen the Sinners.
	Manager DANTE	<... Let's go.>
I took my first steps onto the carpet...
... and boarded the subway train.

The 4th Walpurgis Night

These 2 Mini Episodes were added on September 5th, 2024 along with the 4th Walpurgis Night and the The Noon of Violet micro-event and Combat Encounter, taking place after Intervallo IV: Murder on the WARP Express. The 'Ordeal of Violet' Story Episode is played upon first entering the micro-event's Combat Encounter, and the 'Grant Us Love' Story Episode is played upon first clearing said Encounter.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: L Corp. Headquarters?
	Manager DANTE	<Alright… I did as you asked, Faust.>
I looked up toward Faust, away from the PDA in my hands, as it rattled and fixed the Identity Cards into each slot.
… Today's the Fourth Walpurgis Night.
The location… it's that same Lobotomy Corp. Headquarters of the past we visited—its point in time and the branch of possibility uncertain.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Thank you. Please proceed with the slotted Identities to suppress the imminent Ordeal.
	Manager DANTE	<Phew…>
I've slotted in the Lobotomy Corp. Identities I pulled up during the previous Walpurgis Nights.
… Faust probably wants to study the correlation between Walpurgis Night itself and the Identities that can be pulled up only during each Walpuris Night.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Well, it ain't much of my business what Identity we're 'sposed to wear, but…
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	… can't you at least bother tellin' us where we are? I swear, it's always you two who—
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Yeah, I agree. We won't know what to do if you keep the important stuff just between the two of you, right…?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Uh… yeah, what he said. I was trying to find a way to avoid sounding irritated.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	You've a way of mincin' words, don't you? Thanks, lad.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Huh? Uh… I guess, ha ha.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	F.U.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Functionality Upgrade…? Come on, don't talk about me like I'm a machine or something…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Ahm.
Faust cleared her throat in an attempt to clear the air and stem the conversation from going on a tangent.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	We are… at the "Information Team" department of the former L Corp. Headquarters.
Location: L Corp. HQ Information Team Corridor
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	"Information Team"…? Hm, well do I recall that the place we had visited was called the "Control Team" department.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Maybe they add a new department with every Walpurgis Night?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	The Training Team and the Safety Team, both adjacent to this department, are currently accessible. Therefore, your assessment is untrue.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	However… it is possible that there is a reason the first place the door connected to was this location. Perhaps further analyses may yield more concrete information.
… She's trying to take a more active role in learning things for herself. It seems that the events at the WARP Train rattled her more than I'd thought.
She's probably concerned that similar loss of connection to that repository of Fausts' knowledge may occur again.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Hmm… this place is pretty barren, huh? The more I look around, the more I see just… purple.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Huh… you got that right. Can't chalk that up to just being a corporate office, if you ask me. Doesn't seem like a great workplace environment at all.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	A good commander decorates their subordinates' living spaces with their morale in mind, even if it means going against their own tastes. Whoever heads this department must be somewhat quite unfit to lead.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I bet they're not the only one who's unfit to lead~
Ishmael, who was rummaging through a pile of miscellaneous items, muttered from a distance as Outis mused at the ceiling.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I found some employee doodles and scribbles back here.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Oh, I suppose the department leads were called 'Sephirah'. They're saying something about how their Sephirah is… whew, now that's some spicy profanity.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	I will read them.
	Manager DANTE	<M-Meursault, you don't have to read the insults and profanities!>
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	… Understood. In that case, I will instead peruse the document first and produce a comprehensive summary.
Some time later…
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	That is all.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Okay. So… first of all, thanks for skipping past all the profanities. But…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Wow… that made me feel bad. And I've got nothing to do with this place.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	It is not uncommon to see department leads shouting and butting heads, but…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… perhaps a physical altercation would have been preferable to letting such bitter animosity fester like this.
… It was clear to us that the Sephirot did not share a very healthy work relationship with one another.
Not to mention that not many employees really put their faith in their Sephirot.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Hey, this Sephirah they call 'Malkuth'… she must've been the Sephirah of the Control Team department where we fought the Ordeal last time…
	Sinner #9 RODION	I can tell from the way she talks that she treats her employees like parts of a machine. Driving them to their deaths, replacing them when they inevitably crumble… I guess a Wing is a Wing, after all.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Yeah… Look, here's a conversation log with 'Hod', the Sephirah of the Training Team. Looks like she started off pretty rough, but managed to avoid making things hostile in the office…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Mhm, from the sounds of it, she really cares for her employees… Oh, well~ That's a whole another type of annoying though, y'know?
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Then… her heart would never have rested easy as long as she was here; the grievances of the employees would have reached her ears nonetheless.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	She may have given herself doses of painkillers she hid under the label of altruism, that she truly cared for them despite it all.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	And this 'Yesod' must have been… I see, the Sephirah of the Information Team department here. Clearly, a stickler for the rules.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	"Viper" he was called. Perchance he had an unsavory habit of sinking his teeth into his employees?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	It's only a figure of speech. Hm… he does seem like the irritating type, but he would have served as a decent strategist.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Ah, this appears to be a meticulous record of the work schedules. According to that digital calendar, the upcoming schedule is…
[First Trumpet.]
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… fast approaching. There is no time to share the details regarding the Ordeal.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I suppose we should've checked the documents first.
A heavy thump of the lights follows Outis' deep sigh. The lobby lights suddenly changed, and the floor began to tremble.
	Manager DANTE	<Well… can't say I'm surprised. We knew that an Ordeal was coming, after all.>
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Still, I wished we'd have some prior knowledge of our enemies this time…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Gyaaaah…! What in the name of Wings is that creature?! Vermin, is it…? 'Tis so far, yet appeareth so grand in size…!
Naturally, we whipped around to look at Don Quixote, who then directed our attention toward something writhing in the distance…
… a thing of bizarre shape, crawling and squirming.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	If they have appeared in the Safety Team's corridors as well, then…
	Sinner #9 RODION	There's more— there's more…!
	Manager DANTE	<Faust…! Anything you can tell us about them before they start rushing us?!>
I shouted, watching with horror as the curiously violet grub-like creature slowly spawned into the hallway from thin air.
Even though she probably didn't have much to tell me about them anyway.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	They will not… rush us. There were reports that these entities are rather slow.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	In fact, they're… an Ordeal of Violet. Time: Dawn…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	If they are indeed Violet, then it is unlikely that we will have much time to discuss this further.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	We must immediately engage them, starting from the Safety Team hallway. A similar situation is very likely imminent in the Information Team and the Training Team hallways.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Huh… huh? So what, we've got to crush 'em like there's a timer or something?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	That would be an apt attitude, yes; the entities will soon be manifesting in every department. If we fail to quickly clear this zone and seek and destroy them in other departments…
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	… If we don't…?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… then we may come face-to-face with the kind of pandemonium we would rather not have the displeasure of experiencing.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Every Qliphoth Counter in each department will immediately drop to zero…
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	… and thus the Abnormalities contained within shall be released.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oh bollocks, come on! We JUST got off that bloody WARP train! I'd think we've had enough of the Wing shenanigans to deal with by now?!
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Yeah, yeah. Zip it and grab your weapon. I'm going in!

Speaker		Dialogue
[After Suppressing the Dawn of Violet, the deployed Sinners rush into the Training Team lobby, and…]
The Noon of Violet Grant Us Love We could only hear the faintest and weakest of their acts. We sought for love and compassion from them.
[Grant Us Love descends from a portal in the ceiling of the room, landing with a shockwave that instantly killed all Sinners present.]
Some time later…
Location: L Corp. HQ Training Team Lobby
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Phew, that's a relief… At least it wasn't indestructible.
A rubble of broken stones lay about the exhausted Sinners' feet.
But that didn't last long.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	I see… It fades away to naught.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes. While the entity took the form of a stone stele, an object commonly composed of inorganic matter, it is likely that its existence itself is perceived as a religious artifact in certain indeterminate locales.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Mm~ True. That giant object did suddenly appear out of thin air before dropping right in front of us.
The stele, which had once threatened the Sinners with its tentacles, soon disappeared from our sight like it never existed.
If Faust hadn't pushed me into the hallway just in time, I'd have been…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	[Past.] Dante!
WHAM!
	Manager DANTE	<We would've all died forever if that thing had crushed me, too…>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	We were not crushed by the stele, to be exact. The real issue was the shockwave that came after the crash.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	I thought I slipped away in time, but… I had no idea the shockwave would be so deadly.
	Manager DANTE	<We're going to have to find a way to deal with that shockwave somehow, or it'll be too risky to continue with our Walpurgis Night expedition.>
I'm not saying that I'm scared of the pain I have to go through when reviving the Sinners. Which really, really hurts, of course, especially when it's twelvefold, but…
… I'm not sure if I want to ask them to repeatedly run a mission that's guaranteed to kill them in the end.
Moreover, we don't even know if whatever we'll find here will be worth all the trouble.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	According to the information given, it is said that Ordeals cannot occur in immediate succession…
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	… They can't occur right after one another…? What, did the giant piece of rock have nothin' to do with an Ordeal, then?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes, it was indeed an Ordeal of Violet. However, this was… the Noon of Violet.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Ordeals of the Noon are a degree higher than Ordeals of the Dawn, which we already have experience with.
Faust's brows were frowning at a nigh-imperceptible angle; she was sighing even as she relayed that information to us, clearly perturbed by something.
… I suddenly recalled what Faust speculated back at the WARP train: that the Gesellschaft may have made a purposeful omission.
	Manager DANTE	<You think this is the Gesellschaft withholding information from you again?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	There is no evidence to say for certain. They did not withhold the information regarding the Ordeal of Noon; thus, a more likely explanation is that this was merely a manifestation of a rare possibility.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… Yet your suggestion does concern me.
	Manager DANTE	<…….>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	If it was indeed a manifestation of a rare possibility, then we must seek for clues in this Walpurgis Night that may point us to an explanation.
	Manager DANTE	<So… should we explore further?>
But—
	??? ???	Hello, everyone! Can you hear me…?
A loud buzz, crackle, and an unfamiliar voice broke through the awkward silence we were meandering in.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Blimey! Who said that?!
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Ooh! I hearken unto thee!!!
	??? ???	Oh… I guess I can't hear your answers anyway.
	Training Team Sephirah Hod	Ahem, ahem. Ignore what I just said. Hello, this is Hod from the Training Team speaking!
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Mm. It appears that the Sephirah 'Hod', whose name we first learned of in the earlier document, is the one speaking to us.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Aha… so this is her voice, huh?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Gotta say, this is kinda what we all expected her to sound, right?
	Training Team Sephirah Hod	We are all investigating how and why an Ordeal of Noon occurred immediately after the Dawn.
	Training Team Sephirah Hod	I understand that an unfamiliar situation like this may cause a sense of alarm and anxiety. But there's nothing to worry about as long as you remember the instructions under the Exception #40-AA Measure, which I made sure to mention in every training session!
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Exception #40-AA…? Just how many exceptions did she come up with…?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	She must be a leader with a very hands-on approach to team management. Commanders who are overprotective of their personnel often make such mistakes.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	G-guys, I don't think it's time to share our first impressions…! We don't know what measure she's talking about! At this rate, we'll get—
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Oh.
There was a dull 'thwick' just as Sinclair began to air his concerns.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Uh, d-d-did-did I just get… shot…?!
	Training Team Sephirah Hod	You there, at the lobby… You've been dozing off during our drills, haven't you?
	Training Team Sephirah Hod	I'm pretty sure I explained that in outlier cases like these, we'll be firing Physical Intervention Shield bullets we share with the middle layer…
	Training Team Sephirah Hod	So why are you acting all surprised like you've never been shot before…? Haah…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Shield… bullets…?
	Manager DANTE	<Huh, that 'bullet' does look kinda familiar, actually…>
We carefully approached Sinclair to take a closer look at where the projectile hit him.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Oh hey, I recognize this. This looks just like the decay ampule…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… that almost melted me into a puddle back at K Corp. Eugh, I'm getting unpleasant goosebumps just from thinking about it.
	Sinner #9 RODION	You were totally badass though, Ishy~ Jumping right in front of Dante, taking the bullets for them and everything!
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Hah, then she went ahead and hurled a bloody harpoon into Clockhead's shoulder herself only a few months later.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Heh. Like a good circular narrative structure.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Okay, you smartasses…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It is not a K Corp. ampule. While it is true that K Corp.'s technology was used to regenerate its employees, a barrier field like this fundamentally differs from the type of technology used by K Corp.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… It is said that Lobotomy Corporation maintained collaborative relationships with other Wings, including K Corp. Through the said collaborations, they obtained bullets and ampules of diverse functionalities useful for the workings of this company.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It appears that this Shield bullet is a result of one such partnership.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Wait, then this bullet will…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It is said that this bullet can partially negate physical damage… which is also known as 'RED damage' in Lobotomy Corporation terminology.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It will likely shield us from the shockwave created by the stele as well.
	Training Team Sephirah Hod	We'll have a counseling session later about your lack of focus during training… For now, please try to suppress this Ordeal of Noon as soon as possible.
	Training Team Sephirah Hod	I'll give everyone a Physical Intervention Shield, so let's try to take care of this Ordeal with as few casualties as possible!
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Dante, let us…
	Manager DANTE	<… Oh, right. Let's get a move on and deal with the other steles as well.>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Indeed. It would be preferable if we returned after confirming the destruction of steles in other areas as well.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	We will have to visit Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters of different possibilities as well; we will make use of the Sephirah and the Shield as soon as we are able then.
	Manager DANTE	<Mm… good idea.>
Thanks to the unexpected support from a Sephirah, we were able to explore further through the Walpurgis Night.
	Training Team Sephirah Hod	… All those trainings were for their own good. Is that so hard to understand…?
It was just that… I couldn't help but think back to Hod's last few utterances that managed to slip through the static.
It made me wonder what really went down here, at the Headquarters of Lobotomy Corporation.

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