The Magic Hellbus

Year: 984 - 05

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6 - Episode 7 - Episode 8 - Episode 9 - Episode 10

Episode: 1
It’s been about two weeks since we took care of the job at K Corp.
And the immense dullness of traveling through a Nest by car was just starting to sink in.
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
Dante	<…Pretty sure I saw a road that looked exactly like this one 30 minutes ago.>
Faust	The way roads are built in the Nests and Backstreets is rather dissimilar.
Faust	If we were navigating the Backstreets, we would have been able to find a shortcut through the alleyways and corners…
Faust	But navigating a Nest in an automobile means driving through this absolutely abominable traffic congestion.
Rodion	I guess that’s why people with cash to spare spend it on W Corp's WARP Trains and such~
Don Quixote	The WARP trains, they are...
The bus fell silent, as though everyone seemed to simultaneously recall the WARP Train they saw in the Mirror Worlds.
Sinclair	I-I think I prefer riding the bus…
Meursault	D'accord.
Rodion	Why don’t we all take a nice little nap like Heath? I’m bored to death just staring out the window.
So we spent days upon days of boredom on the bus, making very little progress…
Toward a tunnel that seemed to lead somewhere.
Faust	We’re almost there. The road will free up once we exit this tunnel.
Just as Faust said, the traffic jam appeared to visibly improve—allowing us to make actual progress.
Dante	<That’s good. I can’t see much yet, but I’m glad we’re almost there…>
Dante	<Speaking of which, our destination was…>
Yes, indeed. Once again, we were being blindly led along by our guide to who knows where.
Dante	<Don’t you think… it’s about time he started telling us where we’re going?>
Faust	Dante is asking where our destination is.
…I was asking if he could start telling us where we’re headed before we leave, but I thought better of it.
Vergilius	Our current destination is…
Vergilius	Ah. Our final destination is a Lobotomy Corp. branch located at U Corp.
Ishmael	...!
Rodion	Mmmh… What was that, Ishy? You up? Ya spooked me.
Ishmael	Oh… Sorry.
I wasn't sure why Ishmael suddenly jolted, but… I decided to carry on with our conversation for now.
Dante	<Wait, so by our final destination, you mean…>
Vergilius	We are currently headed to a temporary stop.
Just as Vergilius finished his sentence, the bus emerged from the lengthy tunnel…
Don Quixote	Woahhh!
Sinclair	That’s…!
I looked to the window, which had suddenly turned bright...
And the cleanest sandy beach and the most turquoise blue ocean I had ever seen graced my eyes.
Don Quixote	Do I behold the G-Great Lake yonder?!
With Don Quixote’s enthusiastic exclamation, Sinners began waking up from their naps one by one.
Gregor	…Whew, now that's a sight I've not seen in a long time!
Rodion	Oh Greg, darling! You’ve been here before? I’ve only ever heard of this place, never been myself…
The Sinners each began excitedly chattering about the sea.
Ishmael	Wait, wait… It can't be my turn already...!
Except for one, that is.
Ishmael	I… No, we're still not ready for this...
Dante	<Ishmael… you good?>
Ishmael	N-no. Uh… give me a moment… I need some time to think…
While I was still worried about Ishmael’s sudden gloominess, I had faith that she would be okay. She was always on top of things, after all.
Besides, my attention was drawn to the bubbling enthusiasm that seemed to have possessed the Sinners.
Don Quixote	S-so, we are journeying toward the Great Lake?!
Sinclair	I’ve only heard of the Great Lake but never saw it myself… So this is what it looks like, huh…
Don Quixote	Ooh… Perhaps our trying journey shall finally be rewarded with a seaside picnic!
Hong Lu	Aha~ I suppose spending a nice vacation here could be a fun experience!
Yi Sang	If we were permitted to rest, I wish to lie upon the summery sand and gaze up at the skies.
Rodion	I could use some nice tanning on a long bench~
Don Quixote	I wish to try the game of beach volleyball! With everyone, that is!
Heathcliff	Hah, sounds like the craic.
The Sinners were all eagerly chatting about things they wanted to do.
It was nice to see them excited for once, but…
Gregor	Hey, guide bud. Are we really stopping at the beach…?
…Everyone seemed to be conveniently forgetting the fact that Vergilius never mentioned if we were stopping at the beach.
Vergilius	What do you think?
Vergilius	Charon.
Charon	Gonna hitch wheels in a ditch. Screech.
The formerly-on-track bus suddenly swerved, and everyone was thrown around the bus as is often the case.
Don Quixote	Owowow… What treachery is this? An ambush?!
Vergilius	No. This is our stop.
The Sinners got to their feet one by one, groaning with pain…
Rodion	W-what the…
Location: ???
Don Quixote	WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE WINGS?!!!!
Only the despairing cries of Sinners echoed in the dark and damp view outside the windows.

Episode: 2
Location: ???
Don Quixote	This cannot be… How art we to enjoy our vacaciones at a locale such as this?
Gregor	This may come as a surprise to you, Don Quixote… But Vergilius never mentioned that we’re here on a vacation.
Ryoshu	Well… it is rather quaint. NB.
Rodion	Aw~ What was the point of showing us that beautiful beach earlier, then?
Sinclair	Right… I wish I never even saw the beach, then I wouldn’t be so disappointed…
Don Quixote	Hark! Right thither is the afreseen beach!
Don Quixote	Wherefore art we not journeying in that direction?! Its air appears pristine, its skies clear!
Faust	Because that's not our destination.
Don Quixote	This cannot be…
The Sinners' faces grew dark with disappointment.
Can’t say that I wasn’t a little excited to have some proper rest myself, but…
Dante	<I had a feeling this was going to happen…>
Dante	<S-so, where is this, exactly?>
It’d be in everyone’s interest to focus on what's next.
Faust	This is…
Location: Backstreets of District 21
Ishmael	…District 21. Backstreets of U Corp… Haah… Dammit, we're really not ready for this.
Faust	…Yes.
Dante	<So that’s why there hasn’t been congestion since the tunnel? Because we’re not in a Nest?>
Faust	That depends on the Nest and their Backstreets, so such generalizations are not encouraged.
Faust	That seems to be the case this time, however.
Hong Lu	Is that a private beach over there? The water… its colors are very different from this side's.
Outis	I see. A boundary, as though hewn by a blade. Those are telltale signs of the place's nature…
Faust	Indeed, this is…
Ishmael	…The Great Lake. That’s just how it has always been. You can assume that a well-maintained vacation spot like that… is usually Nest territory.
Faust	My explanations keep getting hijacked.
Dante	<Does this place count as the Backstreets when it's so open?>
Faust	The definition of Backstreets isn't limited to literal streets between buildings. It refers to all territories within districts not embraced by the Nests.
Dante	<Right…>
Heathcliff	Look at all this minging rubbish, the place is in shambles. I’d be gobsmacked if this weren’t the Backstreets.
Don Quixote	Oho! Behold, hither is a rather useful-
Don Quixote	……
Heathcliff	What? Finish your sentence!
Don Quixote	…It moved.
Heathcliff	What?
Don Quixote	This radio… it moved! Do the radios of District 21 scamper about?
Heathcliff	Wha… What are you on abou- Woah?!
At Heathcliff's cry, everyone turned towards a certain pile of trash.
And there it was, all of a sudden... a monster.

Episode: 3
Location: Backstreets of District 21
Heathcliff	Haah… So what are these bug-crab-things?!
Gregor	Hey now… What are you looking at me for? What makes you think I’d know?
Heathcliff	I wasn’t even gawking at you! You’re paranoid, that’s what! Can't even talk about bugs around this guy...
Gregor	Ugh…
Ishmael	...They're trash crabs.
Dante	<They're what?>
Ishmael interjected all of a sudden.
Ishmael	Trash crabs. They collect trash or scrap like that on their shells, and use them as their homes and weapons.
Ishmael	They’re a tiresome lot… They ambush people working by the waters, attack those wandering in the area, and their numbers grow by the day…
Ishmael	But they're just one of the innumerable small fries of the Great Lake. What's more important, and more treacherous, is...
Dante	<I-Ishmael?>
I was about to check in with Ishmael, as I probably shouldn't let this go on for any longer, but…
Mika	Hey guys~ Already hard at work, huh?
A couple of people in work overalls seemed to be approaching from a distance.
Rain	Mika, Mika! They’re our valued customers. Watch your manners…
Mika	Oh… Okay, I guess?
Ryoshu	What’re those R&Ts?
Sinclair	I think she’s calling them Rags and Tags…
Mika	Rain, they’re calling us ragtags… Do I really have to watch my manners?
Rain	Shh, shh…
Outis	They could be enemies. You two! Identify yourselves!
Rain	Have you not been informed about us at all…?
Outis	No, not at all. That's why I'm suspicious of you two—coming up with seemingly plausible yet unverifiable identities... Like spies.
Mika	I’m sorry, wouldn’t real spies come up with a more structured approach…?
Faust	Indeed. Outis, they are our cooperators who will be assisting us this time.
Outis	Khm… Then speak sooner next time.
Faust	Pleased to meet you, Mika, Rain. We are LCB, also known as the Limbus Company Bus Department.
Mika	Bus… Right. That’s what that person said, too—you guys are the bus blokes.
Faust	I was informed that the LCC Before Team was here first. By "that person", do you mean…
Rain	Sorry, let me check the business card again… LCC…B. Right, all accounted for.
Mika	Now that we’re clear, why don’t we continue this conversation back at the shop? Let’s take a look at that bus, too.
Mika	This is an awkward place to talk, you know?
Dante	<We're... their customers?>
Gregor	Okay... Care to tell us what we're doing here?
Faust	Our destination, U Corp, is a Nest composed of various nautical structures. Therefore, Mephistopheles in its current form cannot reach there.
Ishmael	And… the Great Lake’s environs are unpredictable.
Ishmael	You’re going to need a ship… that can withstand such capriciousness.
Vergilius	That's right. Which is why we sought out a contract with an adequate shop to modify the bus.
Gregor	Huh… Adequate, you say...?
Vergilius	…Hmph. Let’s go in.
Rodion	Umm… Did our last staff dinner really hit the budget that hard? I thought we were allowed to eat as much as we wanted.
Like Rodya said, looking at the somewhat dilapidated shop made me curious about the company’s finances…
But nothing good could ever come out of this conversation, so I decided to table the thought.

Episode: 4
Location: Inside Molar Boatworks
Mika	Rain~ I’m going to take a look at this bus, so why don’t you get them to recepti— I mean, entertain the guests?
Rain	…Okay.
The Sinners were led into what appeared to be a workshop packed with tools and various mechanical apparatus.
Outis	Hm. It seems to me that this workshop is capable of making more sophisticated modifications than it initially appeared.
Rain	Ah, you recognize these?
Outis	During the war, it was of utmost importance to have a general understanding of arms and gear workshops.
Rain	Aha…
This awkward conversation was cut short by a sudden and deafening noise.
Rain	W-what's that sound?
Faust	...That was Mephistopheles' scream... or the alarm, rather.
Mika	I'm sorry! I think I did something wrong!
Rain	Are those stomping noises also you, Mika?
Sinclair	Look, outside!
Meursault	They appear to be of the same species as the one we encountered earlier.
Sinclair	T-they do look pretty similar.
Meursault	Hm, they are not "pretty similar", they are indeed of the same species.
Dante	<E-everyone, outside, now!>
Outside...
Location: Molar Boatworks Entrance
A giant enemy crab with a massive shipping container on its back loomed over us.
Well, at least for a brief moment.
We were soon overwhelmed by the sound of heavy metal scraping against the floor.
Outis	Men, spread out!
Heathcliff	Where do we have to get crackin' this time?!
Just as we were all collectively losing our minds...
Olga	Its noggin, of course.
A dark figure leapt down from somewhere onto the creature's head.
King Trash Crab	Screeech!
Olga	Sit still... Quit strugglin'!
Olga	Hup!
A blinding light and a deafening explosion assault the crab's shell.
GUOOOOOOOOHHHH	GUOOOOOOOOHHHH!
Olga	Hmph.
Sinclair	I-is it fleeing...?
The figure leaped gracefully from the back of the fleeing creature and slowly approached us...
Olga	Ha!
She squelched over the depressing mudflat in her swim fins and stood before us, a colossal harpoon resting on her shoulder.
Olga	Right, so you lot are... the bus people that fella mentioned?
After some time passed...
Location: Inside Molar Boatworks
Faust	Allow me to formally introduce them, with Olga this time.
Faust	They are from the Molar Boatworks, here to help us with 'modifications' for Mephistopheles.
Olga	Woah... We're getting a whole intro and everything? Color me flattered.
Rain	Big Sis, they're still our dear customers! We should watch our...
Olga	Aw, come on! I didn't do nothing wrong, did I? Bugger, I didn't even do anything yet!
Rain	Sigh… 'Yet' being the keyword here...
Rain	Our business just opened, so there's nothing wrong with being a little careful.
Vergilius	...I'd imagine the sudden switch in your career path couldn't have been easy. Was it manageable...
Vergilius	...Olga, Grade 5 Fixer.
Olga	Well~
Don Quixote	F I X E R ? !
Olga	W-wha?
Don Quixote	Thou'rt a Fixer?! I thought I had caught scent of a noble one! Wherefore hast thou strayed from the path of a Fixer? The life of a Fixer must have been a grueling one, surely? Where was thy most prolific district?! Which Association and which test hast thou taken to rise to become a Grade 5 Fixer? A workshop exam at Tres Association, indeed? Hmm? Hmm?
Vergilius	…….
Don Quixote	Fine, yes I understand...!
Vergilius	I apologize, Olga. Soon there will be peace and quiet.
Olga	The Red Gaze...
Olga	Gree...tings? I guess? Blimey, it's been so long since I had to be so polite!
Vergilius	Well, that's polite enough.
Vergilius	It seems that people have been returning one by one from the books since the incident at the 'Library'.
Vergilius	How was it for you?
Olga	Same story here~ One moment I was like 'Huhn? Am I dead?' And next, I'm suddenly waking up somewhere around here!
Olga	No Mika, no Rain, stomach hankerin', thought I should grab myself a nosh, so~
Olga	...And uh... how'd it go again?
Rain	A trash crab appeared, you fashioned a few things around you into a weapon, smashed its head in, turned it into a barbecue, Bob's your uncle.
Olga	And Fanny's your aunt~ Tasted like arse, though.
Rain	Then you started selling scrap metal from the back of those crabs.
Olga	Haah~ Okay, Rain. How about I leave the storytelling to you, yeah?
Rodion	Hm~ That Olga lady's got a pretty flippant personality, huh?
Dante	<Yeah, Rodya. Like someone else I know.>
Rodion	Uhuhu, I have no idea who you're talking about~
Olga	Ohoho? What's this? That's a... prosthetic head, innit?
Rain	Big Sis, we'll be here all day if you keep derailing...
Olga	Tsk, okay. I gotcha, I gotcha.
The woman they called Olga fell back, clicking her tongue...
...And a man they called Rain came forward, bringing us up to speed.
He was a Fixer, working alongside Olga and Mika until they were all sucked into the Library, getting wrapped up in these things called receptions...
And just when he thought he was a goner, he suddenly came to, began wandering, and found Olga...
They began collecting scrap metal together, with Mika joining along the way, and ended up running a workshop almost like they used to run the office back in the old days.
Vergilius	...Hm. So there wasn't any particular order in which they were returned from the book.
Vergilius	...The patterns have yet to reveal themselves to me.
Vergilius muttered something to himself, looking at Faust who stood near him...
Faust	......
Faust nodded silently.
Ishmael	......
I knew that there was something between the two of them, but it was always about something apocryphal that I couldn't even begin to understand...
...Besides, I was starting to get worried about Ishmael, who was growing increasingly distraught. It was about time I talked to her about her sudden change.
Dante	<I-Ishmael, so you've been here before? It looked like you recognized those crabs from earlier.>
Ishmael	...Yes. Is that a problem?
Dante	<Huh? No... not really.>
Dante	<I'm just wondering how they taste. It sounds like people eat those crabs.>
Ishmael	I can see plain as day what you're trying to do with that inane question, but...
Ishmael	I'll entertain it anyway. Yes. I've had it more than a few times as crab chowder.
Ishmael	It was a pretty digestible flavor, once I got past the vomit traveling back up my esophagus.
Ishmael	Does that answer your question?
Dante	<Uh... yeah. T-thanks?>
Yeah, I didn't think that was the best question I could've come up with, but... her reception was much colder than I'd expected...
Sinclair	So... that thing is edible, huh... Eugh, it almost looks like an A-Abnormality or a Distortion.
Dante	<No, I don't think that's an Abnormality or a Distortion.>
Sinclair	Really? Then...
Faust	Since Dante can distinguish between an Abnormality and a Distortion, they were able to tell without me explaining.
Faust	They are living organisms. Mutants, if you will. Theoretically speaking, there shouldn't be any problem with ingesting them.
Hong Lu	Grandmother used to collect mutated animals, too. I've never seen anything like this one, though—what a priceless experience!
Mika	Yep, so they're pretty much our daily grub!
The woman they called Mika was walking over from inside the boat workshop, an inscrutable look on her face.
Olga	Mika! So how much of it do we gotta work on 'ere?
Mika	You know, there's this thing that my father who worked in a workshop used to say.
Mika	The whole shebang.
Heathcliff	What, all the way down to the engines, or something like that?
Mika	No, not that far. ...I won't dare go tinkering with that thing, either.
Mika	I saw the internals of the bus, and... it's on a whole 'nother level of complexity.
Mika	But yeah, pretty much everything else has to be changed. No floatation device, no propellers, no steering gear, nothing.
Dante	<So... what do we do now?>
Faust	This was to be expected. Please present us with a solution.
Mika	Did the manager say something? Or do they just tick-tock sometimes? Well, anyway.
Mika	We do have a plan to fix it. What we lack are the parts.
Gregor	Parts for the bus... What, do you need us to collect scrap or something?
Mika	Yep, exactly. And from what I've seen so far, I'm certain you and your company are... cut out for the job.
With that, Mika pointed away...
Toward where the trash crabs were.
Mika	Defeat the trash crabs, and you should be able to collect the scrap they're carrying.
Gregor	...How many do we need to kill?
Mika	Uh... a lot?
Gregor	Haah... Of course. That's what we're here for, isn't it?
Vergilius	Precisely.
Vergilius	Your job at this stop is to collect parts to modify the bus. It's a far simpler and easier job than retrieving a Golden Bough.
Vergilius	Now then, while I converse with our cooperators...
Vergilius	Everyone, to the beach.
Don Quixote	That is no beach...
Ishmael	...Yes, it is. Even that mudflat is a part of the Great Lake... also known as the sea.

Episode: 5
Location: Backstreets of District 21
We've been at it for about two days, perhaps.
We were able to defeat a considerable number of trash crabs and collect enough scrap to fill a whole wagon and then some.
Location: Molar Boatworks Entrance
Mika	Right, I think this'll be enough for us to get started.
Rodion	Phew~ Can we rest now? Listen, I can hear my shoulders creaking with every move~
Sinclair	Rodion, can you stop that? It looks like you're flexing at them...
Gregor	Well, it'll take some time to modify the bus, so we'll at least have a few days to enjoy.
Gregor	Though... this place doesn't exactly resemble a tourist attraction.
The Sinners were all busy stretching and chattering, relieved that the work was finally over...
But I had a terrible feeling that this was probably not the end of our toil.
Mika	Hm? Enjoy what?
Rodion	Huh...?
Of course. I knew it.
Mika	I said it was enough to 'get started'.
Gregor	Which... means...?
Mika	Which means you'll have to go collect more scrap, of course.
Gregor	How much... more, to be exact?
Mika	Umm... about... five times the amount you've collected so far?
Rain	Mika, we're going to have to work on the rear wheels too.
Mika	Sorry, seven times.
Meursault	Considering our current productivity rate, it seems that we will not be provided with adequate rest.
Meursault	Perhaps reducing the time dedicated to sleep would be contributive to our collective effort.
Don Quixote	N-no. This cannot be! We simply cannot!!!
Don Quixote looked as though she was about to collapse, a woeful look on her face.
Rodion	Hang on a sec, though~ How does collecting these pieces of scrap even help modify the bus?
Mika	Of course, if we were simply bolting these scraps onto the bus willy-nilly, it wouldn't amount to much...
Mika	But using U Corp's Singularity to fuse the parts, we can make them work as though they were tailor-made for this bus.
Rodion	U Corp...? I thought their deal was some kind of a food packaging tech?
Rodion	You know, stuff that stops the contents inside from spoiling or changing in any way until you open the packaging? I used to eat a bunch of their canned food...
Rain	Funny, Big Sis said the exact same thing. Some Nests have more than one way of using their Singularity, in case you didn't know.
Faust	...If the working principle is the same, one can always utilize the Singularity's fundamentals to patent a Singularity-based technology at A Corp. U Corp is not only known for its stasis preservation packaging but also for its resonance tuning fork.
Ishmael	Resonance tuning fork...
Ishmael	Just like that bastard...
Ishmael	Entwined, fused with... things...
Ishmael	And eventually devour them all... as though they've never even existed...
Dante	<Ishmael... What's the problem?>
Ishmael	Dante. You have to tell Vergilius immediately.
Ishmael	Tell him that we have to collect the Golden Boughs of other branches first.
Dante	<Give me a moment, Ishmael... Are you okay?>
Ishmael	No, no. We are not ready. We're inexperienced, we don't know enough about the Great Lake, nor about the whale...
Ishmael	I know, I'll help you out. I'll help you make Vergilius understand. We shouldn't go there, not yet. I'm telling you, that place is...!
Heathcliff	Blimey, what's gotten you goin' mardy, eh? What, gettin' collywobbles from the crab chowder or something?
Ishmael	We all scraped through the same crab guts, but I'm totally fine.
Heathcliff	So what's got you throwin' a wobbly? This ain't the first time we're going in not knowing a nit about what we're doing. We've been dead enough times to get used to it!
Ishmael	Dying your way through a mission isn't really something to be proud of, Heathcliff.
Ishmael	If we were your average Fixers, we would've been dead and gone on our very first mission, our names scraped clean from whatever Association's registry.
Heathcliff	You think me daft? I've had enough years toilin' and brushing with death for the Syndicates of the Backstreets to know that I've got but one life!
Heathcliff	But it's different now! Clockface's here to bring us back every time!
Ishmael	Don't you think we've simply been lucky that Dante was able to bring us back intact?
Heathcliff	What-what's up with this attitude? If an Abnormality cracks my skull, turn the clock and I'll let it crack my leg next time. We can keep crawlin' back until they're smashed to pieces, no?
Ishmael	Oh, so you think we've seen everything there is to see at this point? You know that's not true.
Ishmael	In the worst case scenario, Dante could turn the clock all day and not be able to bring us back!
Ishmael	...What if we encounter something we can never come back right from.
Ishmael	Especially that monstrous whale... Hah, nevermind.
Heathcliff	Oh, don't do that. Like I won't understand a thing.
Heathcliff	It narks me when you treat me like a stupid sod.
Ishmael	...Ha.
Heathcliff	You-!
Yi Sang	Now, if you will allow me to inquire!
It was perhaps because he was never the type to do such a thing...
But the crowd immediately fell silent when Yi Sang suddenly, loudly, and uncharacteristically intruded upon their argument.
Yi Sang	Let us call to mind the various desires of ours that we so enthusiastically proclaimed on our journey here.
Yi Sang	It is true, there is still significant toil to be had. Yet it can also be said that we have accomplished a certain milestone. Perhaps a momentary respite is warranted.
Yi Sang	Isn't that true, Dante?
Dante	<Yi Sang...!>
This is the first time Yi Sang appeared so dependable since we started our bus journey...!
I nodded emphatically.
Dante	<Yeah, I agree with Yi Sang. I think we can slow down for a bit and do some team-building activities together, how's that sound?>
Rain	Sure, I think you guys can take some time off.
Rain	We'll let you know once we're ready.
Don Quixote	Excelsior! In that case!
Don Quixote	I say that we partake in a game of beach volleyball!
With Don Quixote's well-timed assist...
The almost icy mood seemed to defrost slightly.

Episode: 6
Location: Backstreets of District 21
Don Quixote	I have witnessed it myself!
Don Quixote	There was, and I speak with certainty, what hath appeared to be a ball of sorts amongst the stranded trash!
Don Quixote	'Twould be no puffery to say that 'tis true injustice to deny ourselves merriment when a ball, able bodies, and beach all await us!
Sinclair	Can we... really call this a beach, though?
Gregor	Don Quixote, I told you. We're not here for a vacation.
Don Quixote	That I am well aware, Dear Gregor! I appreciate thine advice, yet I simply do not have it within mine heart to deny such a proposal when an opportunity to bring us together presents itself!
Gregor	Yeah, okay. At least hold back that big grin next time, why don't you?
Yi Sang	Yes, I am in agreement with Don Quixote.
Gregor	...Yi Sang?
Yi Sang	Upon reflection, I have no memory of engaging in such a sport with my fellows.
Yi Sang	I cannot say that I am particularly talented in games of the ball variety... but this appears to be as good a time as any to experience it for once.
Yi Sang	So let us partake in this game of volleyed balls.
Gregor	Sheesh...
Ishmael	We're so not ready...
Heathcliff	...Hah.
Ishmael	This isn't the time to play ball games... We've been slacking too much as of late... Yeah, we were too lucky last time.
Ishmael was starting to practically ooze all over with an ominous aura.
...It might be a good idea to divert her attention for a bit.
Dante	<...Let's play beach volleyball.>
Don Quixote	A wise decision! I shall retrieve el balón~!
Gregor	Oh boy...
Outis	This is a downtime activity designated by none other than our Executive Manager. Everyone, quit grimacing and accept it with gratitude!
Gregor	Okay, okay... Haah, I just hope I don't pull my back playing this game.
Meursault	I am aware of the rules and the specifications of this game. Allow me to draw the arena.
There were grumbling Sinners, beaming Sinners, reticent Sinners...
Their reactions were all varied, but everyone eventually moseyed out to an empty lot to play beach volleyball.
I stretched, hoping that this activity would help break up the tense atmosphere...
Some time later...
Don Quixote	Now, let us commence!
The field was drawn over a squelchy mudflat.
The worn ball rocketed into the air with Don Quixote's serve...
Yi Sang	I-is this how the game is played?
With Yi Sang's nice recieve, it was starting to look like we had a proper game going.
Rodion	Yup, yup~ Ahaha, you're pretty good!
Hong Lu	Hup!
Gregor	Oof.
Ishmael	Meaningless, all of this...
Outis	Khm... hah!
Sinclair	Outis, I think that serve would've killed me if I hadn't dodged it in time...
Outis	Consider this a part of our training.
Ryoshu	……
Dante	<Ryōshū, you're not supposed to hit the ball with your sword...!>
Don Quixote	Aha~! Forsooth!! I have received thy ball!
Sinclair	Uh, uhh... hup!
Ishmael	Haah, we're wasting time we could be using to study the whales' characteristics...
Heathcliff	...Ugh!
Ishmael	Sigh... And we don't even have a compass to guide us through the Great Lake...
Meursault	Hm.
Ishmael	Damn it... and that bastard has still got to be alive, somehow...
Heathcliff	…For fuck’s sake, woman!
Heathcliff, unable to stand Ishmael's attitude any longer, kicked the ball with enough force that it just might burst...
Heathcliff	Haah...?
...And the ball flew way over the mark, and toward the boundary separating us from the pristine beach we saw a few days ago.
Dante	<Did the ball just... pop?>
Faust	It most certainly has. There appears to be a field of plasma invisible to our eyes.
Dante	<A field of plasma...? Who put a field of plasma on a beach...?!>
Faust	A barrier of sorts, installed to separate the Nest from the Backstreets. Along the borders of every Nest are installations that serve the same function, though their specific methods may vary.
Rodion	Of course. There are always fences and whatnot to stop Backstreets residents from crawling into their precious Nests.
Rodion	But with that technology, they could've simply made the ball disappear without a trace, instead of leaving the torn mess. Which gotta mean...
Rodion	They want to enjoy watching clueless souls be ripped to pieces, I bet. Huh, glad the rich folk are having so much 'fun' with our lives.
Faust	...I have no comment to make regarding the device's particular purpose or its sadistic nature.
Don Quixote	I-it took me a whole hour of my time to procure us the ball...
Gregor	Brace yourselves. The sound of the ball popping attracted the trash crabs.
Heathcliff	...We'll have a chat after this.
Ishmael	......
I... really thought that this could be the activity to dramatically bring us all together.
Dante	<It's all gone to hell... Why does this keep happening...?>
Gregor	Isn't it about time you got used to this, manager bud? Come on, let's first take care of business.

Episode: 7
Location: Molar Boatworks Entrance
Dante	<Hey, Ishmael.>
Ishmael	...Yes.
Dante	<Can we talk, at least for a bit?>
I called over to Ishmael once the battle was over.
Right, I've never done anything like this before... I don't even know if this is the right thing to do, or what kind of results this conversation is going to yield, but...
I can't just sit here and watch.
Ishmael	Yeah. Whatever.
Dante	<It looks to me that you've been preoccupied with something ever since we got here...>
Dante	<You know, you're not really participating in group activities and things like that.>
Ishmael	Isn't it obvious? There's something more important at hand, but they're all busy enjoying themselves, playing this stupid game.
Dante	<Something more important... is this about the Great Lake?>
Ishmael	Yes.
Dante	<That we, in our current state, shouldn't go there?>
Ishmael	No.
Dante	<Right... So, why do you think that we don't have a chance against whatever is there?>
Ishmael	I told you. We're not ready.
Ishmael	We're going to need at least half a year to acclimate to the Great Lake and the things that are there.
Ishmael	Or, we could try to gain more experience, enough to overwhelm our disadvantages. And that goes the same for you, Dante. You need to be strong enough to at least take care of yourself.
Ishmael	Which I can help with. And Outis... I'm sure she can help with your training, too.
Outis	... If push comes to shove, yes.
Dante	<W-wait. Wait.>
Dante	<Half a year, Ishmael...? We just don't have that much time to spare.>
Ishmael	Really? Is that why we were playing beach volleyball? Because we don't have the time to spare?
Ishmael	And... it's not like I'm saying that we should just sit on our butts and do nothing for half a year. I'm saying that we should visit other destinations first before coming back here.
Faust	That is impossible. Not every location of Golden Boughs in the Nests has been identified, and the Before Team hasn't completed their preliminary surveys yet.
Ishmael	Excuses.
Ishmael	I've known for a while that you've had some fancy ulterior motive.
Ishmael	...And whatever that is, this is a mistake you won't ever forget.
Faust	... Perhaps.
Dante	<......>
Ishmael	Gah, what a mess.
Ishmael	In that case, we should at least map a detailed sailing route and plan out a combat strategy...
Heathcliff	Prattling on and on and on...
Just when I thought our discussion was reaching a stalemate, Heathcliff butted in.
Ishmael	What's your problem?
Heathcliff	Shut your gob. Think you're the only one struggling here? We've all died more times than we can count. Every single one of us!
Heathcliff	So I'm telling you that it'll work out again, somehow!
Ishmael	And I'm telling you that the Great Lake is different. What if the manager drowns? What if that thing eats us and our bodies can't be recovered?
Ishmael	Do you understand? This isn't anything like we've been through so far! This could be the end of us!
Ishmael	Then I... won't have the chance to kill that bastard...
Heathcliff	...Okay. Let's say that you're right. If we go now, we're all going to bite it and I won't be able to get Cath... I mean, get back up.
Heathcliff	So what's wrong with faffin' about for a little while? What, are those whales working out or something?
Heathcliff	You've been mucking up the mood ever since we got here, so how about you use some bloody common sense to not bring everyone else down with you!
Ishmael	That's rich coming from you, Heathcliff.
Ishmael	What 'common sense' do you have of the Great Lake? Have you even seen a whale? Since when were you such a know-it-all?
Ishmael	What do you even know about a sailor's life? Hah, how would you? All day you're whining about your girlfriend or something, dozing off in the bus, or throwing a hissy fit once in a while!
Heathcliff	... Quit it.
Ishmael	It's kill or be killed, by everything from the depths of the waters to the heights of the skies crawling and falling onto the deck...
Ishmael	Innumerable natural disasters like acid typhoons, tuna tsunamis, cerebra storms, and multitude of other terrors of the lake I can't even recall the names of!
Ishmael	And from the storms, high-waves as tall as mountains! Following that, those fucking monsters that wash up on the deck!
Ishmael	Look away for a moment and your mate, whom you've trusted with your life, is slain! Everyone and every goddamn thing goes mad and are transformed into something else entirely on that abominable lake!
Ishmael	It's something that a pathetic lovey-dovey tenderfoot like you...
Ishmael	...Won't ever understand, not after dying a hundred deaths.
Heathcliff	I told you to quit it!
Before anyone could even step in, Heathcliff swung wildly at Ishmael.
Ishmael	Ach...
Heathcliff	You don't know shite about me, a prick like you!
Yi Sang	F-fellows...
The tussle was such a blitz that no one could even attempt to intervene; Yi Sang almost looked pitiful as he stood there bewildered.
For a moment, it appeared as though Heathcliff had the upper hand as his fist struck Ishmael right in her jaw...
Ishmael	Aaaarrrgggh!
Heathcliff	Woah?!
Just as Ishmael appeared to throw a punch, she kicked Heathcliff's leg, throwing him to the ground.
Dante	<I-Ishmael, wait!>
In the blink of an eye, Ishmael took up her mace.
She raises the mace high, as though she could strike down at any moment. Her arm trembles with uncontrollable fury.
Heathcliff	...Yeah, what'll you do? Bash my head in? Like I did you before?
Heathcliff	Fine, kill me. No matter. I'll be right as rain in a minute.
Heathcliff	...I was a fool to think you'd be any different from me.
Heathcliff	Hah, everyone's the same, after all.
Ishmael	...!
Dante	<Ah...>
I wasn't sure what caused her sudden change of heart, but it was a relief of sorts, at least. She looked at Heathcliff with her eyes wide open... and dropped the mace to the ground.
Yi Sang	I wished that I would not have to again be witness to such belligerency amongst friends...
Yi Sang	Yet, such quarrels among fellows is but an ineluctability, perhaps...
Olga	Hyaah~ now that brings me back, watching them fight! We used to tussle just like they do now.
Rain	Big Sis, shush! Shh!!
Mika	Haah...
Faust	Dante, I neglected to mention this to you since we have not had a dispute like this since our first mission...
Faust	But you could be held responsible in the future for management failure, should a similar workplace conflict arise.
Dante	<I...>
What the hell was I supposed to do about this?
...Was what I wanted to say, but I managed to hold my metaphorical tongue.
Outis	How does the fault lie with the Executive Manager, Faust? It's those two fools who got into this senseless altercation.
Faust	Preventing senseless altercations between coworkers is a job of a manager.
Outis	You...
Sinclair	S-stop it, everyone...
Don Quixote	Indeed, such behavior ill fits the heroic nature of Limbus Company.
Sinclair's hesitance, Don Quixote's attempts to defuse, Faust's impassive voice, and Outis's increasingly rising voice in my defense.
All of that combined was starting to get incredibly irritating...
Dante	<Stop...>
Dante	<Guys. Enough.>
I had no other recourse left at this moment.
Dante	<Ishmael, Heathcliff.>
Heathcliff	...What.
Ishmael	......
Dante	<The two of you, stop working together for a while. Distance yourselves.>
Dante	<At least... at least until I can think of a way to deal with you two.>
Heathcliff	It's not like I enjoy looking at her mug.
Ishmael	...Ok.
Thus the mood fell into a pit as depressing as this mudflat...
Rain	Okay, okay... We have an approximate quote now, so feel free to go collecting those scraps.
Sinners	……
We spent the next few days collecting scraps with the rest of the Sinners.

Episode: 8
The days were as suffocating for them as it was for me.
Well, save for Outis, maybe...
Outis	You there! Connecting those parts will cause an issue with the intake fan!
Mika	What do we do, then? That's like three separate wires.
Outis	Amateurish. Allow me to demonstrate.
Outis	Hmph, this is nothing compared to what I had to do back in the day, when I worked with the engineering corps...
...Outis, who appeared to be rather knowledgeable in engineering, continued to support Molar Boatworks' bus modifications.
Yi Sang	Miss Faust, do you by any chance possess any documentation of items that the Sinners may be partial to, or have preferences for in their personal information forms?
Faust	...We do not keep records of such details.
Faust	Yi Sang, as I have informed you repeatedly, it is the best policy as a Sinner to leave the decisions to the manager's...
Olga	Oiiyi~ There's nothing like booze and gettin' right sloshed to mend a broken friendship! What, maybe you could try my secret weapon?
Rain	No way... you mean the king trash crab brain wine that you've been talking about?
Rodion	Ooh... color me interested, actually.
Yi Sang	N-no... no, I don't think I will. I shall inquire them myself. Thank you still.
Olga	Mmm, doubt it'll work~
Yi Sang was trying to come up with various ways to bring Heathcliff and Ishmael's feud to a close.
Ryoshu	SYNC.
Meursault	No, SILO would be preferable here.
Ryoshu	Tsk... hm?
Ryoshu	Ah, yes... Perhaps doing so while they're still alive would be a way of pursuing a new direction in art in the vein of an avant-garde spirit.
Meursault	My suggestion was not to inflict them further pain. Simply a more appropriate method of engaging in the culinary arts.
Mika	I'm sorry, but... when's dinner? You've been having this same conversation for the last 30 minutes...
Olga	Rain... I'm dyin' here... I can hear the trash crabs going at it in my belly...
Rain	Big Sis, please get a hold of yourself...!
It seemed that Ryōshū and Meursault were trying to come up with a way to make the trash crabs more palatable. Not that I had any taste buds or a mouth, but... it was starting to resemble actual food, at least in its presentation.
Rodion	Kiddos! They're going that way!
Don Quixote	A child—
Trash Crabs	Gwah!
Don Quixote	—I am not! Now, Young Sinclair! ¡El golpe de gracia!
Sinclair	Gregor, I'll take its left leg!
Gregor	Gotcha~ Hup!
Most other Sinners were busying themselves with hunting trash crabs and collecting scrap.
They say that practice makes perfect. And everyone was already performing rather well-coordinated attacks even without my input.
As for Heathcliff...
Hong Lu	Woah, Gregor~! Are you showing off your rotisserie skills?
Ryoshu	Insipid. Your flames lack flair.
Sinclair	W-wait! He's just cremating it!
Meursault	It has been extracted. However, this can no longer serve its function as a proper source of nutrients.
Don Quixote	G-give it hither! I have consumed naught but 3 legs so far!
Yi Sang	...Ah!
Location: Molar Boatworks Entrance
Yi Sang	Heathcliff!
Heathcliff	......
Dante	<Heathcliff...?>
Heathcliff	Ah, oi. That's, uh...
Heathcliff	The guide and I had a chat. I'm... okay now.
Rodion	Was it... really just a chat?
Heathcliff	...Ugh.
Heathcliff	J-Just drop it! I won't trouble you lot... no more. That's all.
Heathcliff	So uh... spare me some nosh?
I don't know if Vergilius really had just a 'talk' with Heathcliff, but...
I'm glad that, unlike most other times, he was here to at least get Heathcliff to calm down.
But Ishmael...
Vergilius	...A moment, Dante?
Vergilius	Haah, well... As one-sided as this chat is going to be...
Dante	<…….>
Vergilius	As I'm sure you've already been told in brief...
Vergilius	I conducted a little meeting with the two "problem individuals".
Vergilius	You will see that the 'discipline' has proven effective with Heathcliff.
Vergilius	While Ishmael's case... hasn't quite been resolved.
Vergilius	Or to be more precise, there is no reason to resolve it.
Dante	<What are you talking about?>
Vergilius	You must be asking what I'm talking about.
Vergilius	I hope you aren't expecting me to kindly explain everything to you. You will realize it on your own soon enough.
Vergilius	After all, this... babysitting and fostering nonsense is not a part of my work, Manager Dante.
Dante	<I know you're putting in extra work... and I appreciate it.>
Vergilius	...I'd like it if I didn't have to intervene anymore.
Vergilius	You may consider the "talk" I voluntarily had with the two a small favor from me for your decent performance recently.
Vergilius	Now, I have remaining business with the Fixers of Molar Office.
...Like that, Ishmael was left alone, with little progress to speak of.
According to the people from the boatworks, she apparently snuck out alone late at night to make various preparations.
Even when I visited her, when I found her hanging about and called over to her...
Location: Backstreets of District 21
Ishmael	……
She didn't respond to me at all.
She wasn't ignoring me. Rather... she seemed too deeply fixated on what she was doing.
What should I do about her? No, what was I supposed to do then?
While a clear answer still eluded me...
Mephistopheles' mise à mer was entering its final stages.

Episode: 9
Location: Molar Boatworks Entrance
All the Sinners, save for Ishmael, gathered to behold the finished product.
Don Quixote	Ooh! Do I behold with mine eyes the transformed bus?
Yi Sang	Would one call this a busboat, or a boatbus?
Dante	<I think I'll go with busboat?>
Sinclair	Where did the wheels go? We'll need them again once we're done with U Corp's District...
Outis	A needless concern. Of course it has been modified to be amphibious, with both a boat form and a bus form.
Gregor	What is this, some kind of magic bus...?
Faust	The myriad of possibilities Mephistopheles holds means it has always been capable of various functions. Hasn't Faust expounded upon this detail once?
Mika	Now now, that's enough of that... Let's start it up.
Don Quixote	Gulp...
As Mika fiddled with its controls, the bus... I mean, the boat... I mean, the busboat shuddered awake...
Dante	<Huh?!>
And sputtered off with the odd screeching noise we heard earlier.
Mika	Nhgh... I think we're missing something. Maybe it's the form transmogrifier that's messing up.
Rodion	Yeow~ I thought my eardrums were going to burst. What could possibly be causing that noise?
Rain	Mika... I think it's that one part we had to make do with what we had.
Outis	What was that? Did you just say "make do"?
Mika	W-we didn't have a choice! There weren't enough parts in stock...
Mika	There's this one thing that was supposed to be irreplaceable, but the problem is...
Dante	<…!>
Rain	...This wasn't the sound of its engine, was it?
Faust	It's the gigantic mutant we've encountered before. It's headed this way.
Yi Sang	It is likely drawn here by the same clamor as afore.
Olga	Hmm hmm, that's good news~
Olga	That big boy has the exact part we're missing on its back, don't it?
Mika	I-it does, I guess...
Rain	Big Sis, are you really...?
Olga	I am, really~ It's that one expensive and tricky to manufacture part, isn't it?
Rain	Don't you remember the way it killed the employees of other boat workshops?
Olga	Well, that's because it crashed into us, not because we were hunting the bastard for parts.
Olga	But now~ I have these lads and lassies to help us.
Olga	Besides, it killed the people that helped us start Molar Boatworks from our bum days, didn't it? Looks like this is just the time to give it a right smashing down its noggin.
Olga	And make me some more wine outta its brain juice, too...
Rain	...Big Sis?
Rodion	C-can we get some, too?
Sinclair	Wha, what do you mean, "we"?
Mika	Hmm, this king trash crab is supposed to be a few years old. So it has to be the same one from earlier.
Heathcliff	Anyway... all we need to do is catch and kill that prick, innit?
Olga	Right on~
Heathcliff	You heard 'er, clockface.
Heathcliff turned to me, visibly eager to go up and crush some shells.
Ishmael	Let's not. Isn't this better for us?
Dante	<Ishmael?!>
Rodion	Gee, Ishy... Where have you been all this time?
Ishmael	I was making preparations for our survival on the Great Lake, obviously.
Ishmael	The least I can do is make an exhaustive guide on whales you can study up on, right?
Rodion	You know I don't read that kinda stuff...
Ishmael	Then I'll keep reminding you until you have no choice but to read it.
Ishmael	See, manager? We still need more time. There is so much more to prepare.
Ishmael	That king trash crab can be repelled, can't it? Then let's do that and finish modifying the bus later. With more time in our hands...
Dante	<Ishmael... I'm not sure. My lack of memory doesn't help, of course, but...>
Ishmael	……
Dante	<I don't get what you're so scared of, or what we're supposed to be preparing for.>
Dante	<As much as I want to respect your opinions and reflect them... I don't think this is the best for all of us. So—>
Ishmael	There is no "all of us".
Dante	<...Huh?>
Ishmael	Let's be honest here. Is any one of us devoting themselves for the sake of this "all of us"?
Ishmael	We all signed a contract with Limbus Company for our own goals. I did, Yi Sang did as we saw last time, and all the other Sinners did.
Ishmael	Aren't we only in this together to achieve our personal aims?
Ishmael	And you, too...
Ishmael	You're forcing yourself to look for those Golden Boughs, things you've probably never heard of once in your life, just so you can get your memories back.
Ishmael	You have a more selfish motive than anyone else here, so why do you pretend like you're doing anything for all of us?
Outis	How dare you raise your voice against—
Vergilius	Enough.
Outis	...Tch.
Vergilius, who seemed to have been discreetly listening in on our conversation, joined the conversation as though he's been a part of it from the start.
Vergilius	Ishmael. I believe I made myself clear during our meeting.
Vergilius	The 'contract' comes first.
Ishmael	...The contract, huh.
Ishmael	Sure, this is a company I'm working for. Of course it does.
Ishmael glared at me with a face unlike anything she'd shown before.
I sensed... clear hostility in her eyes.
Ishmael	Fine, I'll abide by the oh-so honorable contract. Manager. Give me your orders, and I'll follow them.
Ishmael	So, if there's anything you want from me from now on, state them. Clearly.
Ishmael	I won't get out of line by providing unsolicited help or explanations any longer.
Dante	<…….>
Ishmael	What are we waiting for? Weren't you going to order us to go kill that giant crustacean? I'll gladly obey as it is stipulated in the contract, Manager Dante.
After Ishmael finished speaking, she blankly stared at me as if awaiting my order...
To which I could only reply with:
Dante	<...Let's go.>
As soon as I finished, Ishmael turned around and left the shop as if on cue.
All I could do was lead the other Sinners and follow her.
Dante	<…!>
Just then,
I heard vicious sounds of crashing waves and roars of an all-crushing storm.
Visions of destruction pass before me.
Limbs and bits of flesh tearing off in the shredding storm that brings crashing waves, Ishmael hanging onto the ship for dear life...
And a behemoth of an eye, its overwhelming and all-consuming size looming over the ship, watching her in silence.
Perhaps... This could be a clue to Ishmael's perplexing behavior.

Episode: 10
According to Vergilius...
The people at the boatworks have been saving up for a trip back to V Corp's Backstreets where their Fixer Office used to be.
After experiencing a WARP train malfunction, they apparently decided they'd rather take the car.
...I considered telling them the truth I learned from a number of Identities, but I figured ignorance is bliss and kept my figurative mouth shut.
...Maybe I feared that the things I said could bring bad results again.
Like how Ishmael has fallen out with me.
Location: Molar Boatworks Entrance
Mika	C'mon... Get working...
Olga	Ohh, we've got 'em now!
Mika	Phew... Looks like our job's done.
Rain	And... lucky you, the tide is in. You should be able to set off now.
Mika	Now, then... Switch to boat mode!
Don Quixote	Oooh?! It transforms thusly, then!
Mika	I've got to say, I have great admiration for whoever designed this vehicle. I heard stories of it, but to see it in motion firsthand...
Mika	If you tried, it could most certainly change into other forms, as long as the core is intact.
Mika	How can such a core be real? I'm just... amazed, for lack of a better term.
Faust	Indeed, Faust is amazing.
Rain	Alright, now... Get in your vehicle. You can switch the mode again once you're in the water.
Location: The Great Lake
Aboard the now boat-shaped Mephistopheles, we forged ahead, into the ever-rising waters.
My relationship with Ishmael was still precarious, which was something I still wasn't sure what to do about...
But since some of the Sinners were also trying to be supportive towards Ishmael, I decided that it would be best if I tried to come up with a solution in the meantime.
Maybe I'll find out more the further we get from the shores of the Great Lake.
Location: Molar Boatworks Bay
Rain	Mm. It's sailing, all right.
Olga	Does that mean we can get paid and go out for a meal now?
Rain	We actually got our money a minute ago. As soon as we fulfilled our end of the contract, a delivery Fixer from Dévjat' Association came by and paid us the remainder.
Olga	Oho~ Our contractor turned out to be a pretty big deal, huh?
Olga	Hot damn, now that's a catch! How about we take a break from trash crabs and splurge for some pork? Pork belly barbecue!
Rain	Sounds good, Big Sis.
Olga	Hahaha! ...By the way, Mika?
Mika	Yes?
Olga	When did we add a submersible mode to the modifications?
Mika	We... didn't?
Rain	The ship looks like it's listing...
Heathcliff	Oi! Get the water out, quick!
Sinclair	Buckets! Where are the buckets?!
Yi Sang	I have found a hole! This must be...
Ryoshu	T. D.
Charon	We're off, glub glub.
Ishmael	Sigh...
Rain	...I'll get the lifeboat.
Mika	Guess we should also prepare penalty fees to pay...
Olga	Haha... We're so screwed.
...With our frantic attempts to drain the bus, and Charon's skillful rowing...
We managed to get back to the boatworks and have the bus repaired...
With that, our voyage on the Great Lake began somehow in earnest...
Previous Chapter - Back To Top - Next Chapter