The Unsevering

Year: 985 - 02

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6 - Episode 7 - Episode 8 - Episode 9 - Episode 10 - Episode 11 - Episode 12 - Episode 13 - Episode 14 - Episode 15 - Episode 16 - Episode 17 - Episode 18 - Episode 19 - Episode 20 - Episode 21 - Episode 22 - Episode 23 - Episode 24 - Episode 25 - Episode 26 - Episode 27 - Episode 28 - Episode 29 - Episode 30 - Episode 31 - Episode 32 - Episode 33 - Episode 34 - Episode 35 - Episode 36 - Episode 37 - Episode 38 - Episode 39 - Episode 40 - Episode 41 - Episode 42 - Episode 43 - Episode 44 - Episode 45 - Episode 46 - Episode 47 - Episode 48 - Episode 49 - Episode 50 - Episode 51 - Episode 52 - Episode 53 - Episode 54 - Episode 55

Episode: 1
There is a clew of thread, raveled of a single strand whose beginning is its end.
Moments become wefts and warps that criss-cross into a weave,
and the flow of time spools in a single spot.
???	Go on, read it.
???	Uh... Ryō... shū...?
From the echo of your first cry to the whisper of your last breath,
in the heart of every moment, my eyes catch a glimpse of you.
???	No... That's not how you read those letters...
???	"Yoshihide." That's how you say it.
???	"Ryō-shū!"
???	It's prettier and easier!
Dear lost child of mine, should the way back home elude you...
Follow the thread back to the very first knot that hurt the most.
Where the quivering stops,
that is where you will find me.
Marton	Today's the day.
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
Alyssa	Today's the day indeed. Boss, are you—
Hohenheim	Hold. Please, don't ask me if I am "nervous." Only ordinary, unremarkable researchers with a particularly low level of confidence in their own material ever get "nervous."
Hohenheim	Your unfinished query has reminded me of the last academic assembly—there was this fellow who simply could not stop their hands from shaking with the frequency of 5 oscillations every 3 seconds, even after taking an entire fistful of Tranquility Boluses. What a miserable sight that was.
Hohenheim	Oh, of course, perhaps the fear that the attendees may not possess the intelligence to comprehend even half of my presentation may source a reasonable level of anxiety, potent enough to make my legs tremble somewhat. But I have been quite relieved of that concern after you reviewed my materials; if both of you were able to understand it, then the audience should have no problem following the... general narrative.
Marton	At least you won't be dosing the audience chock-full of your verbal sedative this time.
Hohenheim	On another note... have you any clue as to why our cooperation request for additional research is still pending approval?
Alyssa	... LCA R&D Team has repeatedly denied our request. Apparently, we're to focus solely on our present research...
Hohenheim	A rather narrow-minded bunch, aren't they? Do we know specifically who denied our requests?
Alyssa	... The assistant manager who simply could not stop their hands from shaking, even after taking an entire fistful of Tranquility Boluses. It seems pretty obvious that they're still carrying the grudge from when you scoffed at them.
Hohenheim	... Is that so?
Hohenheim	Well, they'll have no choice but to approve our request after this presentation. Our present research has already progressed beyond the point of satisfaction, after all.
Alyssa	Of course, Boss. Of course...
Hohenheim	... This won't do. Though the motivation behind my additional research request was to sate a personal curiosity, I have no doubts in my mind that it will end up benefiting the company's bottom line.
Hohenheim	Marton, do you have our additional research proposal with you? Even the LCA will have no recourse but to approve it once they see the projected gains from its success.
Marton	Ah, that... I left it back at the research hall. Didn't think we'd need it today.
Hohenheim	A successful outcome of that research should also be able to boost the efficiency of our electrical systems. I'm sure the need for more power is a mutual concern—we already have precious little to spare with how much energy our present research consumes.
Alyssa	Yeah, we know. We even had to conduct our experiments in the freezing cold because we rerouted power from the heating system to save electricity. Well, I stayed toasty thanks to my E.G.O gear, but still...
Alyssa	Anyways, I'll go grab the proposal. You two should focus on the presentation prep.
Frightened Researcher	Re... Requesting support. This is LCE Department, Co... Corridor YS-4. Requesting immediate support. The situation's... a Code... Code... Gah...
???	Apologies. I didn't wish to so unnecessarily cut him off, but... as it seems he passed out... let me be the messenger instead. Though I won't bother with the fancy code-speak...
???	"The situation here is... entirely hopeless."... was probably what he wished to say.
A few hours later...
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
... A good deal of time had passed since we'd said our heartfelt farewells to Jia Xichun, yet we still remained stuck in Hongyuan.
Heathcliff	You sure we're settin' off today? Reckon you got the date wrong?
Sinclair	I'm pretty sure I didn't... But even Saude's late, and she was supposed to get Vergilius and Pilot...
Outis	Right ahead lies the road that leads straight out of Hongyuan. Given Saude's memo telling us to drive out here with a truck, there should be no room for error this time.
Ishmael	I sure hope that's the case.
Ishmael	When we left Daguanyuan earlier, the guards at the gate actually asked me what time we'd be coming back. They probably think we've taken up permanent residence here at H Corp.
Gregor	... Not surprising. After saying goodbyes left and right, not to mention two farewell banquets—we're still sitting here on our butts without any sign of leaving...
Rodion	Exactly. By now, Verg should've appeared out of nowhere with his usual, "Time to move on to our next destination, Dante..." like he always does!
Rodion	Then Charon would say, "Off we go, Mephi. Vroom-vroom"... It's been forever since I heard her last!
Hong Lu	I don't think there was ever a time Vergilius was gone this long.
Meursault	The breach of contract may have led to extra workload for him, but even so, his prolonged absence remains unusual.
Sinclair	All this, just because he went out of his way to help us...?
Faust	Not necessarily.
Faust	While it is true that the penalty incurred from breaching the contract yet remains, the LCC's operation in H Corp., which he was assisting with, was immediately concluded following Jia Xichun's inauguration as the Family Hierarch.
Yi Sang	Hmm... I fail to think of any other reason apart from that.
Dante	<Vergilius and Charon would always be away whenever we traveled to a new place... but yeah, never for this long.>
Sinclair	Maybe he's just off doing whatever he usually does when spending time with Charon...?
Everyone turned to look at Faust.
Faust	At this point, there is no information that can be shared regarding Vergilius's absence.
Dante	<... Maybe we can ask Vergilius when he gets here?>
Heathcliff	You honestly reckon he'd say a word about where he was? That bloke only ever tells us where to go, never where he's off to.
Don Quixote	Verily! And never hath he deigned to bring any of us on his ice cream trips... save young Charon!
Don Quixote	Hooh! Perchance, his path is that of a culinary journey to sample the unique specialties of each District—
Heathcliff	Be serious for one second, lass. This ain't a foodie tour.
Faust	... Aside from guiding our path...
Faust	... it may simply be that Vergilius has a path of his own to walk.
Dante	<…….>
I've got no idea what his path would even look like.
We're only here to follow the journey as guided by Vergilius... We know neither the path he has walked, nor the path he seeks to walk.
I wonder if he'll ever share his history with us one day.
Heathcliff	I 'spose he's bein' his usual absentee self, but... that don't explain why Saude ain't here, does it?
Heathcliff	We've been late plenty of times, yeah. But it ain't like the lass to keep us hangin'.
Rodion	Maybe there's been a change of plans?
Outis	... When an operative goes dark without warning...
Outis	... it's usually due to an unforeseen variable, not a change of plans.
As if to prove Outis right, someone forcefully yanks the truck's door open.
Dante	<Saude...!>
Rodion	Holy— What happened to you?!
Saude stumbled into the truck, short of breath. She was bleeding and covered in wounds both minor and serious—her eyes glistened with wild anxiety.
A broken pistol hung from her waist. It was impossible not to notice the still-fresh gashes and wounds on her.
The first thing that caught my attention, however, was the stump right where her left arm used to be.

Episode: 2
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Saude	Prep-prepare for battle, immediately...
Saude	I am... no longer able to operate, as you can plainly see... I need... your help.
Saude collapsed to the floor before we even had the chance to ask her if she was okay or what had happened to her arm.
Saude	Immediately after rendezvousing with Mister Vergilius... I was... ambushed...
Saude	And the attackers... the attackers'll be here any minute.
Where once her resolve had not faltered even in the face of death...
... a grave look of despair now filled her eyes.
Outis	How many hostiles?
Saude	... Two.
Saude	While Mister Vergilius was dealing with one of them, I...
Rodion	Verg was?
Color returned to Rodya's face upon hearing Vergilius's name.
Rodion	Well... Then maybe Verg's already on his way back after wiping the floor with both of them?
Saude	N... no. I don't think so...
Saude	It's Charon...
Saude	I... I lost her.
Saude	They tore off the arm I was holding onto Charon with...
Saude	I never should've let go, I never should've let that happen...
Don Quixote	Thou couldst not hold onto young Charon? How, what...?
Saude grimaced, her expression an amalgamation of guilt and confusion.
It was a far cry from her usual, collected self.
Hong Lu	... Did they take Charon hostage?
Saude	Yes. I... could not stop them from taking... Charon.
Sinclair	What about Pilot...?
Saude	.......
Saude	Pilot was heavily wounded, but... the last time I saw him, he was conscious.
Ishmael	... We should prepare for battle. Now.
Outis	At least our current objective is clear, Executive Manager. First, take out the pursuers, then rescue Charon. While the exact motive of the perpetrators is yet to be revealed...
Saude	We may be facing multiple fronts. I briefly picked up a transmission from HQ while running this way, and...
*tzzzzzt*
A sudden buzz of white noise breaks through the truck's silence.
Saude	...!
Saude	Ah...
Radio	Any station, respond... respond...
Saude froze up, staring at the radio's speaker.
Gregor was the first to act in her place.
Gregor	This is LCB, I read you. What's your situation? Over.
Radio	HQ Research Facility—
Gregor	Research Facility?
Radio	U-und-under-attack—
Radio	My darling daughter. I hope you've been doing well for yourself out there.
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Radio	But don't you think it's about time you stopped playing and came home?
Utter silence descends as a kindly calling cuts off the bloodcurdling scream from the other side.
The voice that came through the radio was nothing short of affectionate.
And... it was easy to guess who the "daughter"... was.
Ryoshu	... Hah.
Ryoshu	The Spiders have spun their web, Clock.
Dante	<Web?>
Ryoshu	And it's woven so intricately that there's no way around it.
That's when I recalled something Lei Heng had mentioned—"The House of Spiders."
Thinking back to how intensely Ryōshū reacted then...
Dante	<Do... do you think these attackers have something to do with that, uh... Lei Heng guy from earlier?>
Ryoshu	Unlikely.
Ryoshu	He was just one of my many passing tutors.
Sinclair	Th-then who could've— It's the headquarters, for crying out loud...!
Saude	I don't know. The HQ, it's... it's not the kind of place someone can just force their way into...
Saude	Breaking into a place like that...? It's completely unthinkable...
Dante	<…….>
What now?
Usually, I would use my intuition to choose the best course of action and lead the Sinners during a mission.
But who would've thought that the HQ, which was meant to brief us about that mission in the first place, would come under attack... especially while we were left without a guide?
Ryoshu	*puff*
Ryoshu	Fine. I didn't expect them to come find me themselves.
Ryoshu	Once the spiders have spun their web, they tend to wait for the prey to stumble into it, after all.
The plume of cigarette smoke lingered for a moment before scattering into the air. When I looked at Ryōshū's face, what I saw...
... was an expression of strange euphoria.
Saude	…….
Saude	Ryōshū, is this all just...
Saude	... some amusing diversion for you?
Saude shot an incredulous look at Ryōshū, who was nonchalantly puffing the rest of her cigarette to ash.
Ryoshu	Sure is.
Ryoshu	The long-awaited moment has finally found me.
Ryoshu	Why wouldn't I be excited?
Saude	That's just—
Ryoshu	But... don't presume.
Ryoshu	My excitement for the coming pleasure... will not interfere with my effectiveness.
Ryoshu	I've never once... let enjoyment get in the way of taking the job seriously.
Ryoshu	Not ever, not now.
Dante	<……>
Ryoshu	You said the assailants'll be here soon. Is the one who took the driver coming, too?
Saude	... Charon—
Saude	If anything happens to Miss Charon, I...
Saude	... I wouldn't be able to bring myself to face the Red Gaze.
Ryoshu	Tsk. This isn't going anywhere.
Ryoshu	The Spiders won't hurt the driver.
Ryoshu	She's just their bait to lure out the bigger prey.
Ryoshu	So stop panicking and set us up. It's unsightly.
Saude	... What?
Ryoshu	The Backdoor of this truck. Can it connect us directly to the HQ Research Facility right this instant?
Saude	W-wait. It can, but...
Saude	To use the Backdoor portal that leads straight to the HQ, I need to verify the security code written specifically for each coordinate. It's... going to take some time.
Ryoshu	Heh. Gives us enough time to deal with your pursuer.
As Saude navigated through the vehicle's machinery with her remaining arm...
... the Sinners all began to keep watch on their surroundings, weapons at the ready.
Ishmael	So, are we sure it's a good idea for us to head to the HQ? I feel like we're walking ourselves into a trap here...
Sinclair	... What if we requested assistance from Daguanyuan instead?
Outis	That can be a solution, yes. However, as this concerns our HQ, resolving this crisis with help from a Wing, even one whose leader we are on good terms with... will require an enormous favor to be repaid.
Outis	Your decision, Executive Manager?
Dante	<……>
Dante	<... We'll head straight to the HQ Research Facility as soon as Saude opens the portal.>
It wasn't hard to intuit that Ryōshū's turn had arrived, given her evident excitement.
If so... the backdoor leading to the HQ, which Ryōshū intends to use, should be the path we're meant to take this time.
Ryoshu	Better prepare yourselves.
Ryoshu	What awaits us, without a single shred of doubt, is hell...
Ryoshu	... and there in its depths... lies something that has always been waiting for me.
Yi Sang	…….
Yi Sang	Aught strums above us, walking the vehicle's roof... we have been found.
Heathcliff	Oi, then shouldn't we get out of the truck before it caves in over our heads?
Ishmael	No. P Corp.'s Singularity protects this truck, remember? Something that's supposed to keep whatever's inside safe. We should just lie low in here until—
Rodion	Y-ya sure about that? I can see a teensy crack in the ceiling!
Ishmael	A crack? That... makes no sense. The ceiling should be elastic enough to bend under most physical impacts instead of cracking.
Faust	... It is true that the exterior of this vehicular transportation device utilizes P Corp.'s Singularity.
Faust	That is why this truck is more spacious inside than it appears from the outside, and has good defenses against external forces.
Faust	However, unlike the experimental model we boarded in P Corp., this vehicle appears to be a more... affordable model used flexibly as a shuttle for the Before Team's deployment.
Dante	<...?>
Faust	That is to say that for a Singularity technology to perform at a competent level, a higher level of investment is required. Budget models—even those of Singularities—can still end up being countered.
Heathcliff	So they cheapened out.
Ryoshu	Then the assailant is not one of the Nursefathers from the House of Spiders.
Ryoshu	If it were one of them... the first shock would have shattered this wall into pieces.
Ryoshu	I suppose kicking off with the top dogs would've made for a rather bland story progression.
Sinclair	The Nursefathers...? Wait, you mean the same people Lei Heng—
Outis	... We'll have time for speculations later.
Outis	Executive Manager, the ceiling's about to cave in!
Dante	<... Go for the kill the moment they get inside.>
Dante
???	…….
Outis	At the ready, men!
Dante	<...! Wait, don't engage!>
Though we were readying ourselves to skewer the intruder the moment he stepped inside...
... we had to immediately backtrack on that idea when we saw who he was carrying.
Saude	... Charon...!
???	She is only unconscious—and breathing still.
Outis	I see. You cut Saude's arm off so that you'd have something to track her down with.
???	And she has gone straight to seek help from her comrades...
???	It was indeed a correct decision for us to wait and see how she'd react.
The intruder continued, glancing toward Saude.
As if in response to that, Ryōshū placed her hand...
... on her scabbard.
Dante	<... Ryōshū?>
Ryoshu	*puff* B.D.O.K. They won't dare hurt the bus driver.
Ryoshu	So don't make a fuss, Clock.
Sinclair	Huh?! What do you mean she's okay—Ryōshū?!
Ryōshū ignored Sinclair and rushed toward the intruder, her scabbard cleaving through the air.
Ryoshu	Oho... parried that, did you?
???	... Have you no regard for the hostage's life?
Ryoshu	You won't dare let her die unless you're planning to incur the red guide's wrath.
Like Ryōshū said, the intruder was only defending himself against her strikes without harming Charon.
Just as the other Sinners were stepping up to join the assault...
???	I had intended to face you one at a time, as the propriety of honorable combat dictates, but...
???	... unfortunately, since I cannot let you take her back until my master arrives...
The intruder gestured with his hand, and strange, bizarre things dropped through the ceiling with a thump.
???	... I must resort to using some... borrowed weapons.
Sinclair	Are those Distortions or... monsters of some kind?
Dante	<No...>
Dante	<I think they're... people...>
Heathcliff	His "master"... Vergilius is supposed to be handling whoever that is, yeah?
Don Quixote	The Color most illustrious must be deterred from wielding his full might, on account of young Charon's capture...
Heathcliff	Then we rescue Charon and book it to HQ or wherever—that'll let the guide go all out.
Ishmael	Yeah, that seems to be the best shot we have at this moment.
Dante	<... Still, let's be careful and prioritize Charon's safety above all else.>

Episode: 3
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Sinclair	Ugh... He seized the Backdoor side of the truck. Even if the portal opens, we can't—
Gregor	... Doesn't change what needs to be done. We take care of him, get the bus girlie, and head off to HQ.
Heathcliff	For fuck's sake... We can't even fight full out...
Despite Ryōshū's assurance, the Sinners did not share her confidence that no harm would come to Charon...
... so they were confined to fending off the animated corpses, unable to fight aggressively.
Ryōshū was the only one unfazed enough to raise her sword against the assailant in this cramped battlefield.
Location: -1
???	Bothersome little halfwit. Arms straight, I said. How many times... Just how many times must I repeat myself?
???	Oh, stop making a fuss—it couldn't have hurt that much. On your feet. Get off your ass! What makes you think you deserve a break?
???	Quit being a whiny little brat and pick up that sword. Slash straight. See? That wasn't so hard, was it?
???	If I ever hear you whining again... I'll rip your hair clean off your head, so get your act together.
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Ryoshu	... You.
Ryoshu	You're no stranger to this sword style.
???	The Palermitan Style. I have been trained in it as well.
Ryoshu	Did you learn it from Valencina, that boozehound?
???	I must ask you not to insult her with such a crude epithet. ... My master gave me an order when she imparted this style to me:
???	To temper and hone it until my mastery of it becomes indistinguishable from yours.
???	My swordcraft... is now on par with that of your past self when you still belonged in the House of Spiders.
Ryoshu	Learning it without understanding anything... and only obsessively copying me...?
Ryoshu	Wasting time over such mimicry... It's beyond ridiculous.
Ryoshu	If you're no more than a copycat, then the angle of the wrist, the distance between the feet, the balance of the sword itself—every one of these has to be exact, because even a single incongruity...
Location: -1
Valencina	Are you actually that incompetent, or do you enjoy the beating? Maintain your stance!
Valencina	Don't bother your stupid little head trying to be clever and just stick to what you’ve been taught! Take what you memorized and move!
Valencina	The sooner you become the blade that cuts through all, the better. Only then can I—
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Ryoshu	... will break your form, making your swordsmanship as precarious as a tightrope walk headed straight for a fall.
Ryoshu	*puff* You're no different from those wind-up dolls over there.
???	... Call me a wind-up doll all you want. It doesn't matter.
???	You, likewise, are unable to recall and properly wield the Palermitan Style...
???	Which tells me my usefulness has not yet run its course.
???	I must perfect every form you've been taught, even if I must repeat the same stance a thousand—no, ten thousand—times over...
???	... if I am to be a perfectly tailored textbook for you.
Ryoshu	What if I said I have no need for childish study-aids?
???	Your rejection is inconsequential. My role as your textbook has already begun.
Ryoshu	Hah. Then I will illustrate my very own art for you...
Ryoshu	... until you're slashed and cleaved beyond recognition.
Valencina	Hah... Damn. My eye's torn up again—Yup, I landed on the right place. That's my Ticket all right.
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Ryoshu	Gah...!
Valencina	I told you, Lucio.
Valencina	You could spend years honing your skills...
Valencina	But that still won't be enough to catch up to our Yoshihide.
Lucio	.......
The man staggered a little, his head jerking to the side from the impact of the blow.
Valencina	Isn't it obvious now that you've seen it yourself?
Valencina	How sad and pathetic your progress is.
Valencina	This... This is the problem with greenhorns who haven't had a taste of the War... They don't know what it's like to crawl through the muck and grime of the battlefield where the slightest inattention can get your head blown clean off...
Valencina	When faced with a superior opponent, don't just rely on brawn, but redirect the force of their attack to the side by locking their arc with the tip of your sword—I've said it time and again.
Valencina	And when you're outnumbered, lower your form and draw wide arcs with your sword. Did you forget everything I drilled into you after shouting myself hoarse?
Valencina	Secure a corner,
Valencina	force them to get to you in a single file...
Valencina	Because positioning is everything. Didn't I tell you all of this before?
Valencina	If Yoshihide is to recall even one more lesson from me, the textbook can't afford to have any defects.
Lucio	... Forgive me, Master.
Valencina	But... you did manage to collect this one as instructed. Maybe you're not completely useless after all.
Hatred thick in her voice, Ryōshū hissed "The Thumb Nursefather..." under her breath as she shifted into a blade-drawing stance against the second assailant.
Ryoshu	.......
Valencina	Hey. How have you been doing, Ticket?
Valencina	Your form's really become a wreck since you were away. Just seeing that sloppy grip makes me sigh. I had to beat that habit out of you back in the day, remember?
Valencina	Tch. Still... this reunion's been a long time coming, so I suppose I owe you a bit of courtesy. You're old enough now to understand what I'm saying without me having to resort to the occasional backhand, aren't you?
Ryoshu	"Ticket?"
Ryoshu	Still intent on calling me that, huh...
Ryoshu	... Clearly, you're still just a sad sack of shit stuck wallowing in a sinkhole of your own making.
Valencina	... Did you just call me... a "sack of shit?"
Valencina	Hah... Bitch... you should know your place before barking at your betters.
Valencina	...!
Sensing a sudden presence outside, the so-called Thumb Nursefather snatched Charon into her arms and swiftly assumed a fighting stance.
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck

Episode: 4
Vergilius	*sigh* Manager Dante, it seems that... I must apologize for what has happened today.
Dante	<Vergilius...>
Vergilius	I was stalled by my personal issues and a certain... unresolved business from the past.
Rodion	Verg, you're hurt—
Vergilius	They're not from these assailants, so don't worry needlessly.
Vergilius	It just so happens that I was involved in a rather... troublesome matter prior to encountering them.
Saude	It's all my fault, Red Gaze. I should have... I should have protected her...
Saude's voice trembled as she apologized profusely to Vergilius.
Vergilius	No. This happened because I couldn't stop him from going after you.
Vergilius	... And of course, he had to go for your arm.
Vergilius	That wound's looking worse by the second. Go get it treated the moment we deal with this situation.
Saude	... I will.
Vergilius met the Thumb Nursefather's gaze head-on.
Vergilius	The Thumb... The Finger that makes up for their incompetence with duplicity and cowardice, only to then hide it all behind their mask of honor.
Vergilius	You appeared exactly as we received the transmission that the HQ Research Facility was under attack.
Vergilius	... Then your purpose here must be to stall me by any means, even if you have to resort to an old and tired method like taking a hostage.
Valencina	Haha! Yes, the way you're reacting to this... I nailed it.
Valencina	She's your "cake."
Valencina	Remember, Ticket? Remember what I told you when you so immodestly stuffed your face with that cake and smeared cream all over yourself?
Valencina	"Smiling like an idiot in such filth makes me want to smash that cake to the floor."
Valencina	"So don't you dare let on even a hint of craving for that cake while I'm looking, no matter how sweet and delicious it might be."
Location: -1
Valencina	What did I say, Ticket? What did I say?
Valencina	If you're gonna start trouble,
Valencina	you better not show it on your face!
Valencina	Else I'll catch on!
Valencina	*huff* *huff* Stop fucking around and tell me straight.
Valencina	Tell me. Why are you ^#&@#( $# @!^%#?!
Valencina	…….
Valencina	Ha. You know what? Be like that. Keep mum and brood in silence all you want.
Valencina	That #$#$ #*& $#*@ $#*@ #*$&@&%#... I'll find that $&#*@& $*&#@# @$ &*(##&^*@ ... and I'll split @(# #( @&#$.
Valencina	You're not getting past me. You think this eye is just for show?
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Vergilius	Well, Valencina, I don't know how much confidence you're putting in that eyeball, but...
Vergilius	... I doubt you'll stall me for long with that half-functioning Relic of yours.
A trickle of blood had begun dribbling down the intruder's cheek from her covered eye...
Valencina	Ah, this...?
... but she grinned without a care.
Valencina	Oh yeah, it started hurting more and more the closer I got to Ticket.
Valencina	But it's gonna get better. Ticket's about to leave this place, you see.
Ryoshu	Shithead... you're not here to kill me, are you?
Valencina	... Hah. "Shithead?" Rude bitch, have you forgotten all about manners?
The woman seemed to be having a hard time holding her hand back from striking Ryōshū...
Valencina	... Hmmh.
... but after a few deep breaths, she visibly relaxed and continued on.
Valencina	Glad you finally figured that out. Now fuck off as soon as that Backdoor opens.
Valencina	The other Nursefathers are waiting for you there, so show some proper manners.
Valencina	Oh, or is that brain of yours too messed up to remember who's who and which is which? Why don't you take this time to think of what you're gonna say to them?
Ryoshu	…….
Ishmael	Hey, hold on. If you're gonna let us go anyway, why don't you let Charon—
Valencina	... Zip it.
The Thumb Nursefather muttered viciously.
Valencina	I. Hate. Presumptuous idiots. Who don't know their place. Butting into conversations.
Valencina	... Friends of yours, Ticket?
Ryoshu	Yeah.
Valencina	That so? Then I don't suppose there's anything wrong with sending them all there...
Valencina	After all, why discourage a swarm of flies from flying straight into the web we've spun?
Her eye fixed intently on Vergilius, the Thumb Nursefather slowly backed away from the Backdoor and opened the way for us.
Dante	<The Backdoor to the HQ hasn't opened yet. We have to rescue Charon first, then—>
Vergilius	Do not hesitate, Dante. That... is indeed the path you must bring the Sinners to.
Vergilius continued coldly, as though he was reading my mind.
Vergilius	In fact, you should go through the Backdoor like she says if you want to help Charon.
Vergilius	This entire circumstance at the Backdoor has been engineered to hold me, and only me, back. And what awaits beyond the Backdoor... is what they have orchestrated to summon you and Sinner #4 there.
Valencina	Correct. I wouldn't want your dash of red...
Valencina	... to snip our elaborate web to pieces.
Saude	Portal connection to the HQ... almost established...
Saude	But... but every firewall protecting connections to the HQ has been bypassed... What...?
Yi Sang	Then, it must be via the defenseless Backdoor, or Backdoors, through which the intruders have broken in.
Saude	Portal connection to HQ... established.
Ryoshu	Coming with?
Saude	... If Faust goes... I'll be the only one left here who knows how to operate the Backdoor Calibrator.
Saude	I'll stay behind... at least until Mister Vergilius rescues Charon.
Ryoshu	Then we'll go on ahead.
As always, Ryōshū did not prolong the conversation.
She did not bother to impart even a quick goodbye...
... as she walked into the shadows that awaited us beyond the Corridor.
Dante	<…….>
I gave Saude a nod in her stead.
Vergilius	Dante.
Vergilius	The 4th Sinner's thread is... pulled tautly.
Vergilius	It is precariously close to snapping... but it is also sharper than any blade, that it might sever all that it comes into contact with. You must remember that.
Dante	<…….>
What kind of "thread" is Vergilius talking about?
Snapping... severing... I wasn't yet sure what exactly he was referring to, but...
Dante	<It won't be severed. Not when the chains bind us together.>
I replied, absentmindedly rubbing the area where the chains that connected me to the Sinners had burst out of.
Faust	... Let us proceed, Dante.
With Vergilius's words hanging heavily over us, we made our way into the Backdoor connected to the HQ Research Facility.

Episode: 5
Announcer	Arriving at the LCE Department.
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
Heathcliff	Oi... What in the...
The sight that greeted us was nothing like what we remembered from our last visit for the regular check-up.
Outis	... We're too late.
Gregor	I thought HQ's reinforcements would be holding the line... or at the very least, that I'd walk into a battle...
... Yet there was nobody left standing, much less making a run for it.
All we could see were bodies slumped along the floor, filling the corridor in motionless silence.
Ishmael	This... This is just awful... I never thought the ship would go down this badly...
Ishmael	Faust, have you got any idea how many of the LCE are actually combat-ready?
Faust	The LCE... tends to encounter more combat tryouts and experiments compared to the other research-focused departments. The vast majority of its employees are required to have completed basic training pertaining to the aforementioned.
Faust	As for the E.G.O equipments... Although the current research and extraction process may be sophisticated enough to see some considerable results in combat,
Faust	it would seem that they were ill-equipped to handle a pre-planned ambush such as this.
Ryoshu	Fat chance those lab nerds could do anything in a real fight, let alone against the Spiders out on the prowl.
Location: -1
The memories came flooding back—researchers jotting down our check-up results on piles of paper, and Hohenheim, with his droopy, tired eyes, leafing through the files.
We'd barely exchanged goodbyes when he rounded up the burnt-out lab staff, who were already pulling their hair out from the sheer level of stress, to oversee another experiment in progress.
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
Dante	<Meursault. If you happen to notice anyone who... looks like Hohenheim... let me know ASAP.>
Meursault	... Mm.
Meursault	I have identified three bodies in various states that make immediate recognition challenging. However, their stature and attire make it extremely unlikely that any of them are Hohenheim.
Gregor	From the looks of it... they probably didn't even get the chance to put up any meaningful resistance before they were killed.
With a glum look in his eyes, Gregor examined the bodies strewn across the floor.
Meursault	Out of 32 bodies, 26 show identical physical trauma.
Dante	<Identical...?>
Meursault	Every one of them has a spiral-shaped perforation at the center of the chest, over where the heart is. Their cause of death seems to be the same type of "spiral" weapon they are holding in their hands, Manager.
Sinclair	These spirals... I think they pulled them out themselves... but why would...
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	... Soft.
Ryōshū cast her gaze down, quietly eyeing her palm.
From the cryptic words and the contemplative look on her face,
I could easily guess that she was taking a trip through the shadows of her past...
... touching an invisible object with her palm and feeling its texture, in search of something that should have been there in her hands.
And I've been through enough to know that we would be revisiting her past together.
However...
Dante	<... Huh?>
What I witnessed was completely different from the memories of the other Sinners I'd seen so far.
Location: -1
The vision I saw was completely fragmented....
... as if a blade had cut up her memories into pieces.
???	.......
Within Ryōshū's memories, something did indeed rest in her palm. However...
I couldn't even make out whether its hue was closer to black or white.
Was it some kind of food? A weapon, or something else entirely?
Even the expression that crossed her face when she saw it and the words that slipped from her lips in that moment escaped me.
???	.......
One thing I saw for sure, though...
... was that the person who, in all likelihood, had given it to her...
... was letting out a lazy puff of smoke swirling into the air,
watching Ryōshū's reaction in complete ease.
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
Dante	<.......>
I gazed back upon the cryptic scenes of Ryōshū's memory that flashed before my eyes.
Ryoshu	.......
Dante	<Ryōshū? Is there anything you remember?>
Ryoshu	... "Saru."
Ryoshu	That name's all I can remember.
Dante	<You mean...>
Ryoshu	As you've seen, Clock, my mind has been hacked to tatters.
Ryoshu	The sequence and the shapes... Everything is in tangles.
Ryoshu	There is nothing I can explain about my memory.
Outis	It seems we've gotten the gist of the situation. The worst-case scenario here would be...
Outis	... a breach from the outside happening while Abnormalities, Distortions, and Peccatula break containment all at once.
Rodion	Whoa. Now that's a situation I really don't even want to think about... We'd be fighting trespassers and all kinds of monsters broken loose!
Outis	Precisely. That sums up our present circumstance.
Rodion	Right...
Outis wasted no time to deliver the conclusion that'd kill everyone's morale.
Outis	Let's start from the beginning.
Outis	First, the LCE Department found itself under attack by a group of unidentified hostiles 2 hours prior.
Outis	The weapons used to massacre the researchers... are not uniform. The victims appear to have been killed with a various assortment of arms.
Ryoshu	.......
Location: -1
???	My darling daughter.
???	Eyes on me. When using straight weapons that leave the farthest-reaching arcs...
???	Eyes on me. When using weapons that kill with the tiniest incisions...
???	Eyes on me. When using flexible weapons that crush anything they make contact with...
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	What a tangled mess, just like that bastard.
Gregor	Hard to tell what kind of weapons were used here... Damn.
Ryōshū whipped her hair back, furrowing her eyebrows in annoyance.
Outis	... Safe to say that the killer is adept with at least three different types of weapons.
Outis	Moving on...
Outis	This was a surprise attack carried out without any delay whatsoever, and the LCE had no time to even plan a counterattack. It was, for lack of a better word, a massacre.
Outis	Now, here's something that demands our attention.
Outis	It appears the invaders had the Abnormality containment units opened... only after they confirmed that the surprise attack had been carried out successfully.
Ishmael	... That sure is fishy.
Ishmael	I mean... shouldn't it be the other way around?
Ishmael	Unlock the containment units first, let the monsters wreak havoc through the facility... then swoop in during the chaos and finish off the stragglers. That'd be the easier course of action.
Outis	Indeed. The enemy's strategy is highly unusual.
Outis	As for why they resorted to such an unusual move, there are two plausible explanations.
Outis	Firstly, that the enemy may be comprised of fighters skilled enough to forgo a diversion tactic.
Sinclair	You mean there could be more... who are as strong as the woman in the truck who kidnapped Charon...?
Outis	Mm. Secondly...
Outis	That the enemy may have purposefully unleashed the Abnormalities from the cages as a follow-up measure.
Don Quixote	Follow-up measure...? Art thou implying those villains sought to disguise their vile attack?!
Outis	No, the chance of a cover-up is almost nonexistent. Unless they had precise knowledge of scavenger Abnormalities that could devour the corpses clean, the enemy would never have left such identifiable wounds on their victims.
Outis	It makes more sense that their goal was to delay HQ's main reinforcements and keep them from reaching the scene on time as we did.
Ishmael	A delay tactic... I see. Maybe they were looking for something?
Outis	Possibly. They must've had a specific objective in mind when they broke through.
Hong Lu	Which means whatever they're looking for... should be here somewhere.
Hong Lu	Something elusive and so well-hidden that they had to distract us just to buy themselves some time.
Gregor	... We need to hurry, then.

Episode: 6
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
Gregor	...!
As we were battling our way through the escaped Peccatula...
... Gregor came to a sudden stop.
Gregor	Wait, do you fellas hear something? Sounds like... breathing. It's faint.
Meursault	... Mm. I hear it.
Meursault	In this general direction.
Meursault stared at the giant containment chamber door where it lay on the ground, smashed in and knocked loose.
Outis	How likely is it that it might be a Peccatulum or an enemy combatant?
Meursault	Unlikely. The breathing is unstable and shallow, like that of a wounded human.
Outis	Hm...
Gregor	Hey, Outis. It'd only be right that we try to save them if there's even the smallest chance that they're a survivor, right?
Outis	... I suppose that could leave a... not-so-negative impression of us on the HQ.
We knelt around the fallen door, slipped our fingers under the debris, and lifted—the door rose with a loud, metallic creak.
Alyssa	...!
Underneath the door was a woman, her breathing shallow.
Ishmael	... Hey, she's...
She was one of Hohenheim's researchers who guided us through the regular check-up.
Alyssa	... Alyssa... I'm Alyssa. Yeah, I didn't think you'd... remember my name...
Alyssa slowly shared her name, her voice strained as if she was squeezing the air out of her lungs. She was covering her chest with her hands, overcome with pain.
Ishmael	... Okay, Miss Alyssa. Are you...?
Alyssa	Every breath... hurts so much...
Alyssa	... I couldn't... call out... for help.
Alyssa	Reminds me of what... boss used to say... "We're not the main characters of this story... so upon the proverbial... coin flip... we can only wait to see if it'll... land heads... or tails..."
Alyssa let out a brief, dejected chuckle before wincing with pain.
Gregor	Lady, seems to me you're in plenty of pain. This is hardly the time to be joking about—hold on. This stake...?
Alyssa's hand was grasped around the same, spiral-shaped rod that the bodies in the hallway were holding.
Outis	What happened here?
Alyssa	The alarm system...
Alyssa	The alarm didn't go off.
Alyssa	Even the smallest accidents... or issues... trigger the alarm to go off... in our department.
Alyssa	Boss... Hohenheim... was adamant about installing that system... Said that... he didn't want to repeat... the fall of Lobotomy Corporation.
A pained grimace crept into Alyssa's expression as she tried to calmly continue her explanation.
It wasn't just from what was staked through her chest.
Ishmael	The alarm system didn't go off... not even when the employees realized that the facility was under attack.
Alyssa	... No. It's not... supposed to behave that way... It wasn't...
We waited quietly as Alyssa caught her breath and calmed down.
Alyssa	The lights... suddenly died.
Alyssa	We thought it was the experiment... we were conducting.
Alyssa	Boss groused from... time to time about... how much energy it eats.
Alyssa	Hah. Dammit, I should've... noticed then that something... was off.
Alyssa blamed herself to no avail, her voice growing faint.
Alyssa	So I thought it was just... a temporary power outage...
Alyssa	No one... thought much of it... Because...
Ishmael	... Because it didn't trigger the alarm system. Yeah, it's understandable.
Alyssa	I was heading to the Research Hall... to retrieve something, and...
Alyssa	That's... when I heard...
Alyssa	... heard the sound of... dress shoes, click-clack... echoing through the dark hallway.
Alyssa	Not too slow, not too fast... A relaxed but disciplined gait. No one... in our department walks like... that. We're always... so, so busy... that we always walk... in a slight jog.
Alyssa	Then... a terrible, dying scream followed...
Alyssa	... before the massacre began. Like... a hellish nightmare that just... wouldn't end.
Alyssa	No one... knew what was going on...
Frightened Researcher	Help...
Fleeing Researcher	W-who's there?!
Frightened Researcher	AAAAAGH!
Fleeing Researcher	AHH!
Alyssa	All I knew was that... I had to run...
Alyssa	And... something... whistled through... the wind, and...
Alyssa	... felt something hot... across my chest... I looked down and saw... this thing had pierced me...
Alyssa	Then I passed out. When I woke up... someone had forcibly... unlocked all the containment units...
Alyssa	Abnormalities, Peccatula, even... Distortions running amok... and I was pinned down by... a containment unit door... that got knocked off its frame...
Faust	So, you weren't with Hohenheim or other people when it occurred.
Alyssa	Boss... ah, boss must've been... by the conference hall.
Alyssa	... Could you... Get the pen and paper from... my pocket?
Alyssa drew a simple map on a piece of torn paper.
Alyssa	I don't know... if the others are safe. But... follow this map, and... you should at least... be able to see for yourself. Or... at least get a clue of what happened.
Gregor	There, there. We get the general idea. Now let's have a look at that wound.
Gregor replied calmly.
Heathcliff	Bollocks, the wound keeps bleeding... This ain't your usual weaponry.
Heathcliff	Oi, you recognize this?
Heathcliff asked Outis with palpable concern.
Outis	…….
Outis	From the way it looks... the more the victim moves, the deeper it will drill into their flesh.
Outis	Perhaps a Workshop product—designed to stall and take combatants out of commission, rather than to kill outright.
Gregor	If the assailants had the wherewithal to use weapons like this, then... they could've very well easily killed the victims then and there, too.
Gregor	Was the purpose really just to stall them, or... was it some sick fascination?
Outis	Hm... it seems that staying still is what saved your life. That was wise of you.
Alyssa	Yeah, I don't know about "wise"... It hurt too much to... even think about moving, anyway.
Don Quixote	... Perhaps aught that closes a wound or rapidly heals it be the remedy, were we to extract the vile weapon?
Rodion	Yeah, you're not gonna walk around with that thing in your chest forever, right? Let's pull it out, get that wound treated, and—
Ryoshu	It's no use.
Ryōshū spat out a reply.
Hong Lu	It's no use...? Is it the kind of device that physically can't be removed?
Ryoshu	No. Pulling it out isn't the hard part.
Ryoshu	It's just inadvisable.
Heathcliff	If we force it out of her, then... she'll end up like those bodies in the hallway?
Ryoshu	Yeah. This spiral... burrows endlessly to reach the other side, but paradoxically, it cannot punch through all the way. Because it will never arrive at that point.
Location: -1
???	Sweetheart. This... is called a "spiral."
???	Once it is lodged inside the body, even the slightest of movements will make it burrow deeper into the flesh... forcing the victim to remain perfectly still.
???	It may not sting any worse than a prick of a thorn at first, but the more you try to yank it free, the further it drills into the body.
???	But no matter how much it keeps digging in, it will never make it to the other side.
???	The closer it gets to the end, the slower it becomes—it can never meet its endpoint.
???	You know how to unlock it, yes?
???	I'll give you the @#$%#$ once you return with the job done.
???	Remember, if you try to pull it out... without the @#$%#$...
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
Ryoshu	It will tear out everything it tangled itself with as it bored through.
Ryoshu	So stay put exactly as you are if you want to live.
Dante	<…….>
All I could see were these fragments of her memories... its remnants.
Location: -1
???	If you try to pull it out... without the @#$%#$...
???	If you try to pull it out... without the matching @#$%#$, then...
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
Once again, I recalled Ryōshū's shattered memories, with the distinct feeling of drawing something up to the surface.
The scenes from her... mutilated memories.
As it was generally the case, I didn't know how exactly I did it.
It just... came naturally to me, the moment I wished for it to happen.
Ryoshu	Hm. See anything, Clock?
Dante	<Ryōshū, what if that spiral...>
Dante	<... needs a certain combination of numbers, like a password?>
Ryoshu	...!
Location: -1
???	To resolve the spiral's paradox, you'll need to find the correct pair.
???	If you try to pull it out without a matching number, then...
???	The sword and the scabbard; yin and yang; the past and the future; me and you. Everything, regrettably, is paired together with an awfully stubborn connection.
???	Do you understand what it means to die?
???	What it means to sever something?
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
For a brief moment, an odd expression appeared on Ryōshū's face.
Ryoshu	White hair.
Faust	... Do speak.
Ryoshu	The spiral can be disabled. It must have something to do with numbers, like the Clock said.
Ryoshu	But... I don't exactly remember what it needs.
Ryoshu	Know anything about a spiral-shaped weapon called the "Tortoise Spiral?"
Faust	... It seems that you've come to understand, if only marginally, how Faust is to be used.
Faust	As I have visually observed the device, and Ryōshū has provided certain keywords to narrow the results, Faust can now know.
Sinclair	Did you say how you're... "to be used?"
Ignoring the curious looks from the Sinners, Faust carefully walks up to a body and unclasps a spiral from their hands.
Faust	"Zenon's Tortoise Spiral," is what Faust calls this device.
After some time, Faust pulled the bottom part of the spiral, opening its hatch.
Faust	It is a lock. This spiral requires a seven-digit combination to release.
Faust	Also, the spiral's infinitely burrowing nature, despite its inability to ever penetrate the heart, explains why Miss Alyssa's bleeding will not stop.
Outis	... If it is "locked," can't we use a Fairy to open it?
Dante	<Fairy...?>
Yi Sang	She speaks of F Corp.'s Singularity.
Yi Sang	If the spiral is "locked," as you say, then would not a technology to "unlock" anything make for the perfect countermeasure?
Faust	... Theoretically, a Fairy should indeed be able to unlock it. However, what must first be considered is the value of the technology applied to this spiral weaponry.
Outis	... Then only an expensive Fairy would guarantee a successful outcome. Which... would be hard to come by at this immediate moment.
Ryoshu	…….
Ryōshū and the rest of us stared at the spiral lock with a degree of trepidation.
We weren't going to be able to brute force a seven-digit lock...
Heathcliff	This probably won't work, but... can't we just start from 0 and go from there?
Faust	As it is the case with most locks, a certain number of incorrect attempts would—
Heathcliff	Tsk, point taken. It's death, innit.
Alyssa	Don't... leave me alone... I'm... scared. That's... honestly, what I'd like to ask.
Alyssa	But... there might be... survivors by the lab.
Alyssa	You know... our boss. He won't... go down so easily.
Alyssa	Just... go help them... instead.
Sinclair	But if we leave you like this—
Alyssa	Well, this isn't... the worst way to go. This way, at least... I won't be going into some trivia... book of stupid deaths like... 100 Dumbest Researcher Deaths.
Perhaps working under Hohenheim has influenced her to put on a mask of aloofness even in situations like these, but it was clearly taking considerable effort on her part to maintain it.
Were we in any other situation, I would've asked what those 100 dumb ways to die were to alleviate the tension, but...
... I held my breath and embraced the painful silence.
Don Quixote	…….
Don Quixote	We shall return to thy side, young Alyssa.
Alyssa	... What?
Don Quixote	I give thee my word. So...
Don Quixote	... hide as best as thou canst when enemies approach. Thou mustn't yield now, I beseech thee.
Alyssa	…….
Heathcliff	You'd better listen to the lass. She ain't one for empty platitudes.
Alyssa	Yeah, okay. I... won't give up. Thank you...
Ryoshu	c-485.
Ryōshū quietly muttered to herself.
Ryoshu	Clock. Ever play a game of escape room?
Dante	<What?>
Ryoshu	This is very much like a game of escape room.
Ryoshu	To find the solution, you begin by gathering the clues.
Dante	<A game, huh...>
Ryoshu	You want to save that researcher, don't you?
Ryoshu	Then you'll need the serial number on that spiral.
Every step we took away from Alyssa as she suffered a slow death was painful.
I wasn't even sure if we could save her life.
Shadows beset the path ahead.

Episode: 7
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Sector
Ishmael, who had been following the route Alyssa had mapped out, stopped in her tracks.
Sinclair	Uh... Ishmael? What's the matter?
Ishmael	... Something about this seems off.
Rodion	I don't suppose Ishy would ever read a map wrong... What's the matter?
Ishmael	Yeah, we're heading the right way. But the thing is...
Ishmael	This just seems too easy.
Dante	<What's wrong with that?>
Ishmael	Think back to the path we took to get here. Every other route was crammed with all kinds of obstacles to discourage us from taking a detour.
Meursault	The corridor to the left leading to the Welfare Department was closed off, and the one to the right, leading to the Facility Management Room, was blocked with debris.
Outis	It's as if they're corralling us down this route.
Ishmael	... Mmhmm. I can't shake off the feeling... that we're chasing after bait hooked on a fishing line.
Heathcliff	Well, can't say we've much of an alternative, eh?
Heathcliff	A bit dodgy, yeah, but nothin' we can do about it.
Yi Sang	... It would be wise to stand wary.
Rodion	Hang on, Fau. Check this out.
Faust	These are the traces of an escaped Abnormality.
Faust	... Also known as the Faelantern. We have encountered this Abnormality more than once in the Mirror Dungeons.
Heathcliff	Oh, that tree thing... So this one's the original?
Dante	<... I don't think Faelantern's the only Abnormality that's broken free.>
Dante	<Let's take them down and reduce them back to eggs. If they prey on any survivors who stumble in here... that'll be real trouble.>

Episode: 8
Location: LCE Research Team Broadcast Sector Entrance
Sinclair	I think it's this way.
Ishmael	Hmm. This is the only area with lights on... It says "Broadcast Sector."
Rodion	Can someone tell me... coming here was the right decision?
Meursault	All the other routes were blocked off save for the one leading to this sector.
Gregor	Looks like we'd have ended up here... one way or the other.
Dante	<It's hard to see anything when it's this dark...>
Ishmael	With most of the power down, the door shouldn't be locked.
Loudspeaker	Stop.
Loudspeaker	Take another step closer... and you'll be forcing our hand!
A familiar voice boomed from a loudspeaker, delivering a sharp warning.
Loudspeaker	This entire area is laden with security landmines. Even if you somehow manage to get past the minefield, you'll have to face the rest of us. I'm warning you—every one of us in here's combat-ready!
Loudspeaker	And if you think you're stronger than us, we have self-destruct devices. Bombs filled with... super-mini sawteeth... shrapnel...
Loudspeaker	Hold on a sec—what's this supposed to say? "Th... bo..."? The heck? And I thought my handwriting was bad!
Loudspeaker	Oh. Here... "Throwing this bomb will result in an explosion that covers a 100-meter radius zone from the detonation point..."
Loudspeaker	Hey! That's a Taboo violation, you know? At least try to come up with something actually convincing!
Loudspeaker	A-anyways! Turn around and walk away right now or we're gonna bury all of you with us under this facility!
Sinclair	We can hear everything, you know...
Faust	It is highly probable that the bomb is a bluff. Any bomb that falls under the category of explosives... must be "planted" on an object or surface per the rules set by the Head.
Yi Sang	Mm. And that boast of the blast beggars belief. Such a wide radius... is sure to break a bounty of bans and bounds.
Loudspeaker	.... Sure, but I wasn't bluffing about the landmines. Take one more step forward... and bolts of overcharged electricity will make barbecue out of you.
As the voice behind the microphone began to grow increasingly irritated, it also became even more familiar. I was pretty sure I'd heard it somewhere before...
Gregor	According to Alyssa, Hohenheim should be around here somewhere.
Loudspeaker	Wait. Did you just say "Alyssa?"
Faust	That voice... It seems we are not mistaken.
Now, I certainly recognized this voice.
A Rather Unwelcoming Voice	That voice I would rather not welcome tells me...
A Rather Unwelcoming Voice	That these individuals are good to be let through.
Faust	That voice Faust would rather not welcome tells Faust that these individuals are good to be approached.
A heavy thunk, and then...
The doors of the Broadcast Sector inched open, but before we could even take a proper look at the people holed up within...
Location: LCE Research Team Broadcast Sector
???	Wha...?! You guys! You should've told us sooner!
Ezra	Remember me?
Sinclair	Oh! It's Miss Ezra!
We came face-to-face with Ezra, who'd video-called us with a plethora of information on Bloodfiends prior to our mission in La Manchaland.
Ezra	Heard you saved the day in La Manchaland!
Ezra	And all thanks to yours truly, I bet. So, care to tell me which one's the Bloodfiend Extraordinaire on your team?
Sinclair	Huh? What? Oh... Well, that's...
Moses	Why don't we skip the pleasantries for now, Ezra.
The next person to show up was Moses.
I saw her in the video call, too... Team Leader at LCD, if memory serves right.
Ishmael	... Were you the one who threatened us with that nonsense about bombs, Ezra?
Ezra	I mean, what other choice did I have? We were starting to believe that we were the only survivors out here, and then... bam! A dozen or so footsteps rushing into this sector outta nowhere... We couldn't even check who you guys were because the screens are all busted.
Ezra gestured toward the blank surveillance screens in the Broadcast Sector with her chin.
Ezra	For your information, Mister Genius over there is trying to fix the security cameras. He said it's gonna take a while with the power outage, though...
Hohenheim	I didn't expect our paths to cross again for anything good, but I certainly never pictured it happening like this.
Underneath the array of monitors Ezra pointed at, we found Hohenheim—looking even more haggard than we remembered—who gave us a faint, unwelcoming nod as he fiddled with a tangle of power circuits.
Marton	Hello. I'm relieved to see that there aren't any injured among you.
Marton stepped forth and offered us the greeting Hohenheim chose to skip.
Hohenheim	In any case, you say it was Alyssa who let you know of our location? Hmm. If she's not with you, she must be either gravely wounded or already dead.
Ishmael	Uh... She's badly hurt, yeah. But we're searching for ways to help her.
Ishmael gave Hohenheim a blanched look as though she was taken aback by his cold certainty regarding his own subordinate's fate.
Hohenheim	"Searching," hmm? You talk as if you're playing a game of scavenger hunt.
Hohenheim	It might have been better to end her misery then and there.
Heathcliff	Wha...? Haven't you seen how we handle things? She's still got a shot. Don't be so quick to throw in the towel.
Marton	Please don't misunderstand. Some of these assailants... They seem to enjoy torturing their victims. That's what's keeping our boss on edge...
Marton	Boss and I were near the laboratory when the attack started. There weren't many employees around, and the Broadcast Sector happened to be close by.
Marton	Probably the only reason we were able to find cover here in one piece.
Don Quixote	... Verily, young Alyssa shall persevere steadfastly.
Don Quixote	We have vowed to return and deliver her from death.
Marton	... Thank you. I'm sure Alyssa is... hanging onto your promise.
Ezra	Um, sorry to break up this touching moment... but if you're here, that Color Fixer should be on his way too, right?!
Ezra	Where the heck is he now? I wonder if he's already off to find the attackers...
Moses	... Ezra.
Moses, who had been staring at Outis since we came in, turned her gaze toward Ezra.
Ezra	Team Leader! If we can regroup with the Red Gaze, I think we'll have more than enough fighting chance even without our baby bee!
Moses	Yes. But... it would seem that the Red Gaze is not here with them.
Moses	Just the look on their faces is enough to confirm that.
Ezra	Whaaat?! What the heck are you peeps doing here without him?!
Ezra's face immediately soured the moment she realized that Vergilius wasn't with us; her voice crashed over us like that of a host shrieking at uninvited guests barging into her home.
Ishmael	It's not like... It's not like we came here on our own because we wanted to...
Gregor	Guide bud's held up by an assailant... Ryōshū says she's called the "Thumb Nursefather"... from the House of Spiders...
Moses	And probably a tough adversary too... just like those who are assaulting the facility.
Outis	... Her combat prowess is not to be underestimated.
Moses	How is she compared to Euryalos of the Argos Unit?
Outis	Hmm... Around the same level, I would say...
Outis	Wait. You... If you know those names, that means...
Moses didn't grace Outis with a reply. Instead, she closed her eyes, seemingly lost in a brief reverie...
... and soon, returned to the subject at hand as if she were done sorting out her thoughts.
Moses	... Charon—is she taken hostage?
Sinclair	Huh? How did you know that...?
Moses	You mentioned the attacker in the singular. Perhaps just a slip of the tongue, but I suspect it was a single enemy if not a small number.
Moses	Furthermore... Despite coming here without the bus driver, none of you seem particularly convinced that the Red Gaze would be able to quickly dispatch the assailant and join you.
Outis	…….
Ezra	Give it to our Team Leader! Just one look is enough for her to figure it all out.
Ezra	Anyhoo, did you happen to encounter anyone on your way here?
Ishmael	Just some peccatula and manikins... Wait a minute. Why don't we get to ask the questions?
Ishmael barely managed to wrest control of the conversation amid the barrage of questions.
Ishmael	You're both from LCD. What are you doing here in the HQ where the LCE is?
Ezra	Well, about that...
Ezra	The LCE was supposed to make an important progress report today.
Ezra	Apparently, it's a reeeally important presentation too! We've been receiving bazillions of reminders about how it's a mandatory attendance event and everything... Right, Team Leader? Feels like everyone's overlooking just how reeeally busy our department is!
Hohenheim	Sorry to borrow your wording, but it is indeed a reeeally important presentation.
Ezra	Yeah, for you maybe. But my department is also reeeally reeeally...
Dante	<Hang on... I don't think that's the crux of the matter right now...>
Moses	The presentation did not happen. As such, we are unable to assess its importance at the moment.
Moses	Whatever is the case, the event was what required us LCD members to be present here at the LCE Department.
Moses	And there's one more thing... Allow me to introduce the newest addition to the LCD.
Ezra	Yeah, our team has grown in size! Take that!
Moses	I was told you'd met before.
A familiar silhouette stepped forward from the opposite side—someone we did not expect to encounter here of all places.
Aeng-du	I regret that we must always meet in the midst of plights such as this. I trust you have been well?
Hong Lu	Miss Aeng-du! It's been too long.
Hong Lu	Is Mister Bamboo-hatted Kim... still in recovery?
Aeng-du	Mm. My mentor's flesh... has long since healed, but it will take some time until his mind regains its former tranquility. However long the wait, endure it I must.
Aeng-du	I have faith that he will recover in due time. Until then, in silence shall I atone for the transgression I have committed...
... Aeng-du appeared to be referring to how she ran Bamboo-hatted Kim through with her sword under the Monolith's Distorting influence.
Sinclair	Still, I'm glad you seem to be adjusting well to life at LCD.
Sinclair caught the shadow flickering across Aeng-du's face and swiftly stepped up to lighten the mood.
Aeng-du	I would say I was taken in, but I am deeply grateful regardless. My mentor and I have nowhere left to call home...
Aeng-du	But someday... we will...
Aeng-du	... return to S Corp. together.
Ishmael	Looks like she's trying her best to fit in too.
Gregor	It's always hard to get settled in no matter where you start from.
Moses	Now that we've all grown acquainted with one another...
Moses	Let us move on to the issue at hand.

Episode: 9
Location: LCE Research Team Broadcast Sector
Moses	The first order of business is intelligence sharing, and... deductive reasoning based on the available information.
Moses	My team and I were attacked in the hallway connected to the conference hall.
Ezra	That guy was... hah, I'll be straight with you guys. Super, super duper strong.
Ezra	I would've stood my ground if only Hornet, that dumbass, were here...
Yi Sang	By "Hornet," you are referring to...?
Ezra	The junior of our team, but he's really, really strong. He's so strong that... uh...
Ezra	Ah, I've got it. There was this time when I, uh... what was it again? Some kinda pastry, I think? Anyhoo, I got me some bread to snack on later, and in that split second my back was turned, Hornet, that asshole, swiped it right off of my plate!
Ezra	I got so pissed off that I punched him right in his solar plexus to get him to cough it up, and, and... he just went "oof," and... swallowed my bread anyway! Like, does that make any sense to you guys?
Sinclair	Uh... yeah, okay... I guess that makes him strong...
Although Ezra's anecdote wasn't very illuminating, none of us bothered to ask for further clarification, as it seemed that the only way to get an objective measure of the Hornet's strength was to let her punch us in the solar plexus as well.
Ishmael	So... what's this "Hornet" up to now?
Ishmael peeked around as though she was expecting him to pop out from a hiding spot in the Broadcast Sector.
Ezra	Oh, you are going to lose your mind when you hear this! Listen up, what he's—
Moses	... Not yet, Ezra.
Ezra	—up to is a s-secret. It's uh... classified stuff.
Ezra trailed off awkwardly.
Moses	I tend to analyze my enemies with observation and deduction.
Moses	I try to identify their unique colors—the kinds of weapons they use, their methodologies, whether they enjoy the slaughter or avoid it, their attitudes toward battle... all of it.
Moses	Once I have that, I can get an idea of when to begin my counterattack, or what kind of weaknesses of theirs I can exploit; and that's how I've usually opened my path forward.
Moses	But he...
Moses inhaled sharply as though she missed her smoking pipe, which was nowhere to be seen at this moment.
Moses	... was chaotic. I could not identify a single pattern in his behavior.
Ryoshu	He is an empty shell.
Ryoshu	His act of killing lacks any emotional touch.
Ryoshu	And that... is why you couldn't get a read on him.
Moses	... On the other hand, you... You appear so clearly to me.
Moses	You seem so anxious to cut something down, is that correct?
Moses	You are broken, shattered; but every shard is keen and transparent... like a hail of small blades.
Moses	A glass-like sword of many edges, so fragile with its futile wish to sever away what cannot be severed.
Moses	What is it that you grasp so tightly in that scarred hand of yours?
Ryoshu	... Little shit. What are you peeking into?
Ezra	Hey, don't talk to our Team Leader like—
Just as Ezra was about to give her a stern warning, Hohenheim stepped in and changed the subject.
Hohenheim	To add to that, Marton here and I were in front of the laboratory when it occurred.
Hohenheim	At first, it began with the sound of rushing wind. Something large and heavy, cleaving through the air—the kind of sound one should never come to expect from a department like ours, so full of delicate machinery and containment units.
Marton	It happened right before my eyes. Something snapped the employee who was walking only a step ahead of me... in half.
Marton	And the first thing that came to my mind was this—did an Abnormality breach containment?
Marton	But if such were the case, the alarm should've gone off.
Sinclair	... So far, this tracks with what Miss Alyssa told us.
Sinclair	She said there wasn't any warning at all before the attack...
Marton	Once I got a better look of what that was, I realized that it was neither Abnormality, Peccatulum, nor a Distortion... it was a massive scabbard.
Marton	When I looked toward where the scabbard came from, there stood a man who presumably threw the weapon...
Marton	... reading a book like he was out on a stroll.
Moses	And the book was...
Ryoshu	Matthias... He must've been reading his Book of Vengeance.
Moses	First the Thumb, and now the Middle...
Marton	I stared at him, still processing what had just happened... when boss grabbed my arm and started running.
Marton	I couldn't look back. I heard screaming—from dozens of people, but...
Hohenheim	... You seem to be fond of recounting unnecessary details.
Marton	Only after arriving here, at the Broadcast Sector, did I remember that Alyssa was still out there.
Hohenheim	When one's life is at risk, the brain instinctively reduces the processing of information to the bare minimum required for survival. It is only natural.
Marton	But I was the last person who handled that research proposal, boss.
Hohenheim	…….
Marton	Alyssa should've been at the conference hall, too. With us.
Rodion	Hey, listen. If you wanna look back and nitpick at literally every little thing you did in the past, we're gonna be here forever.
Rodion	I know it might sound like a bit of an empty platitude, but... focus on what we can do right now, what we're going to do going forward, okay? You'll have time for regrets later.
Marton	... I suppose so.
Marton	You did save my boss once, so... I guess it's only right that I should have more faith in you people than anyone else.
Hohenheim	I would like to clarify that the "saving" was but a part of the experiment, but given the urgency, I will forgo a more detailed explanation.
Moses	Looks like we're all caught up, then? Good. Now, let's share what we know.
Moses began laying out the situation with the expertise befitting a leader of the LCD.
Moses	Today, intruders attacked the LCE department situated in the basement of the HQ.
Moses	We lost control of the entire LCE facility, and save for our current location, every sector has been neutralized by a single or a pair of intruders.
Moses	Any survivor who's conscious enough to communicate properly is already here.
Moses	After the attack, every containment unit was also forcibly unlocked, adding even more fuel to the fire.
Aeng-du	We are beset by foes on every side; a search for a foothold is a difficult one indeed.
Ezra	Darn, if only these surveillance cameras weren't busted... I'd love to be able to keep track of their whereabouts.
Hohenheim	As I have repeated many times today, we are attempting to bring it back to operational status. You speak of restoring a sabotaged power grid like it's a task as simple as wiping one's glasses.
Moses	More than anything, we need these two pieces of information at the present.
Moses	One: Who are the attackers? Two: What objective brought them to the LCE?
Moses	The man we encountered seemed to have a one-track mind, squarely set on killing as ordered.
Moses	But there are far too many threads that point toward a motivation more complex than "infiltrate the facility and slaughter its employees with abandon."
Moses's deduction aligned with Outis's—if the assailants' goal was truly nothing more than slaughter, their first order of action should've been to unlock the containment units.
Moses	The intruders are... hm, yes. I have enough evidence to at least get a general idea of whom they might be.
Hohenheim	Do elaborate.
Moses	There's the "Thumb Nursefather" who's stalling the Red Gaze. Then, there's the member of the Middle who attacked the researchers. And we've seen evidence of the Ring's involvement too, given the presence of corpse manikins.
Moses	At least two or more Fingers are involved in this attack.
Aeng-du	The Thumb...! The vile cur the Kurokumo Clan serves are here...?
Aeng-du	Hm, yet this is quite odd. Lady Moses, are the Fingers not hostile against one another?
Aeng-du	Those ilk have no business coming within even a sleeve's breadth of each other, save when compelled to attend assemblies such as the Finger Bow-bell, where they oft quarrel to no end.
Moses	Correct. But consider this from the opposite perspective—there must be something of enough importance for the officers of each Finger to put aside their differences and work hand-in-hand.
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	Spiders. Or... the Nursefathers of the House of Spiders.
Ryoshu	That's what they're called.
Ryoshu	And we've just snared ourselves into the web they spun.
Moses	The Fingers... rarely ever cross the line they've drawn between each other. This strange entanglement certainly is a deviation.
Moses	"Nursefathers," was it? Seems like a terribly meaningful title to me.
Moses	Then it can be presumed that the House of Spiders is a place to... raise something, or someone. To have such high-ranking officers of each Finger gather at one place to nurture someone...
Moses	One might think that it hardly makes any sense, and indeed, it doesn't—but what if their purpose itself is just as outrageous? That would, paradoxically, explain how they've come to gather.
Moses	Ryōshū, is it? You seem to be inextricably tied to that place.
Ryoshu	I.K.W.Y.W.
Sinclair	Ah, she just said "I know what you wan—"
Moses	Mm, no need. I can understand her abbreviations.
Ryoshu	But I can't tell you what I know. Because—
Moses	Because it's all broken. The place, the memories attached to it... I can see how they've shattered.
Ryoshu	…….
Moses	You don't have to recall everything. All I need to know is what that "outrageous purpose" is. What is it?
Ryoshu	Me.
Ryoshu	To forge me into a blade that cuts through all.
Ryoshu	But I left that place behind.
Dante	<Ryōshū, can you tell us anything more?>
Ryoshu	... Shame, but that's all I have, Clock.
Ryoshu	I don't remember much more than that. Even if I did, it's not an easy thing to speak of.
Ryōshū let out a protracted sigh just as Moses did earlier, the long exhalation of someone who clearly craved a puff of smoke. It betrayed the aloofness she projected.
Come to think of it, Ryōshū hasn't been smoking at all since we got here. Or... maybe since the truck.
Ryoshu	... Clock, like she said, and... like what you've seen, my mind is a mess.
Ryoshu	I have questions of my own, but the answers elude me.
Ryoshu	But maybe the pieces can be put together using your hints, like the one you gave me earlier.
Ryoshu	So we have to solve this together, this puzzle... or this game of escape room.
Ryōshū muttered placidly.
Moses	…….
Moses	If it is you the House of Spiders wants, then I must ask you to entertain this question: why did they bother attacking the HQ?
Ryoshu	Oh?
As Moses began her explanation, Ryōshū looked in her direction with mild amusement.
Moses	When you said you "left" the House of Spiders, I presume you meant you "escaped" it.
Moses	Members of different Fingers are hardly the kind of people to fraternize even on a good day, but this alliance of sorts they call the House of Spiders has persisted even after your departure. At a glance, it may only appear that they were simply waiting for your return.
Moses	But given their... behaviors today, they don't strike me as a particularly patient group as a whole.
Moses	In other words, I find it suspicious that they decided to act now. If they were desperate, they would've made the move long ago.
Moses	This leads me to believe that... they were waiting for the right time.
Moses	Whichever is their motive, Ryōshū—whether it is getting you back, or doing something else—the fact remains that they have chosen this particular moment to act.
Hong Lu	The Nursefather of the House of Spiders we encountered, she... made way for us so that Ryōshū could come to the HQ Research Facility.
Hong Lu	She harbored such intense and complicated feelings for Ryōshū, but...
Hong Lu	... I don't think I got any sense that she was trying to kill or take Ryōshū with her.
Ryoshu	But she said that the Nursefathers were waiting for me here.
Ryoshu	Clearly, they're here to see me, Weirdo Detective.
Ezra	Alright you— Hey, what the hell's your problem?
Hohenheim	Be calm, please. It is best that we do not interrupt their conversation.
Aeng-du	In intense dialogue shall they find and draw out the answer... let us not dare stem this course.
Moses	It is a fair assumption that the Nursefathers of the House of Spiders have attacked this place to provoke you. However...
Moses	... I can't seem to shake the thought that they must have a distinct objective.
Moses	If they were indeed after Ryōshū and only Ryōshū, then... choosing this specific time and place hardly seems to serve that purpose.
Dante	<The intervals between each of the Sinners are different, but...>
Dante	<... once a Sinner's "turn" ends, another's begins. Every single time, without failure.>
Dante	<This case has everything to do with Ryōshū. I believe, without a shred of doubt, that it's her turn.>
Moses	Hm.
Once the Sinners relayed my words, Moses fell into a brief contemplation and began to mutter a sequence of words.
Moses	Limbus Company. The Mirror. The Glass Window. The former L Corp. Extracted E.G.O. Enkephalin. Psychoments. Abnormalities. Monolith. Sinner Ryōshū.
Moses	I can't think of too many things in the LCE Research Facility that could be what the House of Spiders is after.
Moses	By process of elimination, the only reasonable answer that can be deduced is as follows:
Moses	They're here for the Golden Boughs.
Hohenheim	... So that's how it is.
Dante	<…….>
Dante	<Moses is right. It's become very important for us to look into Ryōshū's past, to reach in and see what lies there, but...>
Dante	<... LCB's goal, its journeys, and its stories have always been bound to the same terminus. Obtaining the Golden Boughs.>
Dante	<Hohenheim... where are the Golden Boughs in this facility located?>
Faust	The manager would like to know the location of the Golden Boughs.
Hohenheim	It's at a laboratory in this facility.
Hohenheim's gaze turned to me.
Perhaps he was looking at the clock hands on my head.
Hohenheim	... Very well. I suppose there's no way around sharing the contents of our presentation.
Hohenheim's answer sounded more like a prolonged sigh.
Hohenheim	It was... a presentation regarding our progress in the Golden Bough experimentation.
Faust	…….
Hohenheim	And the limited group of individuals with the clearance to access the contents of that presentation... does not include members of the LCB.
Heathcliff	... Oi, aren't we the ones riskin' our necks out there to collect those boughs? How come we're not allowed to—
Hohenheim	I am not the one who decides the scope of our security.
Faust	Hohenheim, your concern is understandable.
Faust	The company maintains tight control over any information regarding the Golden Boughs.
Faust	There is no way to know, at this moment, what the consequences of leaking this information without the company's explicit consent might be. If the worse comes to worst, we may even be subject to... a memory wipe procedure.
Outis	Unbelievable. We're stalled by some red tape at an exigent circumstance like this?
Hohenheim	What do you expect from a company practically built on secrecy and suspicion?
Hohenheim	Anyway, assuming the risks of divulging this information are understood and accepted by all parties present, let me get straight to the point. The Golden Boughs, we were... hm. We were experimenting with grafting the retrieved boughs onto one another.
Yi Sang	Grafting the boughs...
Yi Sang	Then, was the purpose to combine the boughs to form a singular tree?
Hohenheim	…….
Hohenheim	Nothing slips by a fellow researcher, I suppose.
Hohenheim	Correct.
Hohenheim	We are incubating the Golden Boughs under a very special environment... to create a sapling. We haven't yet managed to graft them together into a proper tree, no—but that horizon is in sight.
Hohenheim	Today was the day that we were to share the successes of the experiment with certain major characters and teams within the company... until this happened.
Outis	The Golden Boughs are at the laboratory, hm...
Ishmael	Then, we have to get to the laboratory before they do and secure the Golden Boughs.
Rodion	But... we can't just waltz out on our own when this whole place might be crawling with enemies, right? Is there any way we can get in touch with the HQ right now?
Outis	Did HQ even receive your support request?
Hohenheim	We did send a rescue signal to HQ an hour ago, but we have no way of knowing whether it was received. The attackers destroyed all of our outgoing transmitters earlier.
Outis	As long as they received a signal, any signal, it shouldn't take long until they recognize that the LCE is under attack by an overwhelming force.
Outis	Assuming that the LCA has sent us support units, do we have an estimate of how long it might take for them to arrive?
Faust	... Even if they have to navigate around inaccessible passages currently present in the facility...
Faust	... it should be no more than 10 minutes.
Outis	10 minutes? Then they should've been here already.
Faust	They have either failed to receive the transmission, or the power outage has trapped the reinforcements in the elevators.
Gregor	Hm, yeah... If it weren't for Miss Saude bringing us up to speed, we wouldn't have thought of using the Backdoor to come straight to this facility.
Hohenheim	If such is the case, then we need only reboot the power divider in the Facility Management Room.
Ezra	Heya, Mister Big Brain. If we wanna restore this department from a shutdown state, we gotta take out all the Distortions and Abnormalities sauntering about, right?
Hohenheim	... In order to perfectly restore the facility, yes. This place has been designed to be quarantined from every other Department if even a single Abnormality has escaped to its hallways.
Ezra	Eh, no use sitting around putting our heads together then, right? Hey, if you guys are scared of some Abnormality or Distortion, leave it to us! We'll kick their butts.
Ishmael	Nobody said they're scared. I'm just saying, we could benefit from practicing a bit of caution.
Hohenheim	It would be wisest to prioritize restoring power to the facility. It seems that these attackers are making effective use of the dark.
Outis	... I see.
Outis	Executive Manager. I am of the opinion that we must split our forces in order to facilitate our operation, given the urgency of the situation.
Outis	The situation looks rather pressing for us to sit here and waste time debating what to tackle first.
Once I nodded in agreement, Outis quickly took control of the situation.
Outis	Listen up, men. We prepare for two things: reconnaissance and extraction.
Rodion	Huhh...? Extraction? You mean escape?
Outis	Assuming that the LCA's support will arrive, it would serve us best to move in tandem with them to improve our chances of launching a joint attack with numerical advantage over our enemies.
Outis	Also, we have to stay mobile—we've held this position for too long. Our enemies will methodically kill and comb through the entire facility until they find what they're looking for. The more we remain stationary, the more likely we are to encounter them, and that will only elevate the risk of total obliteration.
Heathcliff	Makes sense. Besides, the others here ain't like us. Once they get killed, it's over for them.
Outis	Another thing—don't forget that we have to reach the Golden Boughs before our enemies do. Whichever we end up prioritizing, we won't get anything done by staying holed up in here.
Hohenheim	Very well... Then, if we were all to leave this place at the same time, where should we prioritize? We have many pressing tasks, as you have explained. Golden Bough retrieval, facility power restoration...
Marton	But the Facility Management Room to restore power to the facility, the laboratory, and the area with the damaged circuitry are all located far from each other...
Outis	... We divide and conquer.
Outis	Securing the Golden Bough, restoring power, and suppressing Abnormalities to clear a path for the reinforcements... they're all equally important, and must be resolved concomitantly. And to do so, we must split up into squads based on our expertise.
Ezra	Yeah, alrighty. We work better as a separate unit anyway.
Outis	The LCB will be in charge of securing the Golden Bough, as our Executive Manager here has the ability to detect it whenever they are in proximity to one of them.
Ezra	Ooh, kinda like a metal detector?
Outis	How dare you compare the Executive Manager to a—hmph... I'll let that one slide, given the urgency.
Outis	Anyway, we would like to leave Abnormality, Distortion, and Peccatula suppression to the LCD.
Ezra	Gotcha~ That's totally our bread and butter!
Moses	How many... difficult Abnormalities or Distortions did you have contained in this facility?
Hohenheim	Combatants of your prowess should have no trouble suppressing most of them—save for 2, however, that might pose some trouble.
Hohenheim	Take these microcommunicators with you; we use these to communicate between laboratories. While it has limited range, it should be useful enough for relaying the suppression tactic for each entity you come across.
Outis	Perfect, we've secured a means of communication.
Outis	As for restoring power to the facility, I would like to designate that task to the LCE personnel here. I presume you are best acquainted with the layout of this facility out of all of us?
Hohenheim	A reasonable choice. The layout of this facility is more complicated than it might have first appeared to you.
Faust	That is indeed one way to describe abysmal cable management.
Hohenheim	... Please, consider it but a representation of the entropic escalation phenomenon. Despite the way it looks, the setup is quite stable.
Marton gave a handful of tiny radios to Outis, who distributed them to each of us.
Outis	Very well. Don't forget to keep each other updated.
Moses	…….
Moses	The acrid stench of smoke I'd much rather leave buried in the past... keeps coming back.

Episode: 10
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Hohenheim	Don't forget. The Golden Boughs are kept within a preservation container. Take extra care when you handle it...
Gregor	Okay, okay. We've been working our butts off to retrieve those shiny twigs, too. We know enough about their worth not to throw them around willy-nilly.
Gregor's comment did nothing to deter Hohenheim, who kept voicing his warning again and again.
Ezra	Alright... Lab's that way... and the Facility Management Room is...
Ezra was tracing the available routes to guide the LCD team members who arrived with Moses...
... while others crept down the corridor, alert for any dangers lurking in the shadows.
Rodion	W-what was that?
Ezra	There's a wall dropping down... Huh...? Hey! Watch out, you guys!
The corridor was thrown into complete chaos.
Ishmael	Sinclair! This way!
Sinclair	Huh...? I can't... It's too far...!
Dante	<Is everyone alright?>
Meursault	It would seem that a quarantine system designed for Abnormality containment breaches has just been activated.
Meursault, who had been standing close by, replied in a monotonous voice.
And just as he said, when I looked around...
Gregor	That was close... That wall nearly flattened us into pancakes.
Yi Sang	We were but a breadth away from disaster.
Ryoshu	... Shabby thing.
Dante	<Uh...>
Ryoshu	What a W.O.T.
Just when I didn't think it could get any worse, it did.
Sinclair	Waste... Of... Time... Where's Ryōshū, by the way?!
Don Quixote	Manager Esquire!! Where art thou?!
Sinclair and Don Quixote were desperately calling out from the other side of the wall...
Hong Lu	Hey, I think this is the first time we've ever been so completely separated from Dante.
Rodion	Ugh. Then we can't even afford to get hurt.
Ishmael	I don't see any Abnormalities around...
Marton	Now they've taken over the security wall controls, too... They've effectively forced us to split up.
Outis	... Not to worry, Executive Manager. This is only a minor setback. Allow me to assume command of this unit for the time being.
Ishmael	Hello? That's the first thing you're worried about? Shouldn't you be more concerned about Dante...?
Hohenheim	... This has grown to be quite the predicament.
Hohenheim let out a heavy sigh.
Ezra	Are you alright, Team Leader?
Moses	I am. At least we have no injured among us.
After all that planning, we ended up getting separated into completely random teams.
Moses	... Let's first check who we have on each side.
Dante	<Okay... It's me, Meursault, Gregor, and Yi Sang here. Also Ryōshū.>
Ezra	We've got... the Detective, Miss Aeng-du, and me over here. And, uh...
Hong Lu	... Ishmael, Rodya, and me. Outis, too.
Hohenheim	As for us... Marton, the Assistant, LCE team members... and the rest.
Don Quixote	"The rest?" Of whom speakest thou?
Faust	It is a phrase used by individuals who find it especially difficult to acknowledge their betters.
Sinclair	... Me, Don Quixote, and Faust.
There was no chance we could get the security wall out of our way even with our combined effort.
Marton	Hmm... the master keycard doesn't work, either. It should be able to override the lockdown, but...
Even the LCE wasn't having any luck on their side...
Outis	There has been a minor deviation... But it can't be helped. Advance according to plan.
Outis	This unit, the LCD included, will neutralize any hostiles within the facility—one threat at a time.
Marton	We'll assist you with finding the trail as soon as we're done repairing the security cameras.
Outis	Acknowledged. The LCE and Hohenheim's team will secure the Facility Management Room and prioritize restoring power...
Outis	As for the Executive Manager's team, proceed to the laboratory for Golden Bough retrieval.
Rodion	Ugh... Figures I'd end up in the team doing the fighting... What a pain... *sigh*
Ezra	Alrighty, off we go~!
Outis	I will take the lead. The rest of you, follow me.
And with that, Outis and the LCD team's footsteps faded into the distance on the opposite side...
Hohenheim	We should get moving, too. Although I think just Marton and my Assistant here will be enough to restore power to the Facility Management Room.
Faust	There seems to be a lack of proper structure in the generation and distribution of electricity here. It is regrettable that the facility lacks a backup mechanism to handle unforeseen emergencies of this sort.
Hohenheim	With the breadth of my responsibilities, it is only natural that I would have been too busy to be responsible for the facility's design... However, when viewed independently, the structure of the laboratory itself is—
Heathcliff	*sigh*
Don Quixote	Fret thyself not over so trifling a matter, young Heathcliff!
Sinclair	She's right. With the three of us together, we'll be able to overcome whatever obstacle that gets in our way... Probably...
The voices of Hohenheim and the other Sinners also slipped further away into the background.
Dante	<Should we... get a move on too?>
Gregor	Let us know if you sense the Golden Bough, Manager Bud.
Dante	<Okay.>
Gregor	Heh, the two smokers of the group ended up in the same team... What are the odds?
Ryoshu	.......
Gregor	I'll never know how the others manage to pull through these working conditions without taking a puff...
Meursault	Mm.
Meursault	There was a time when I partook. But I could not find any reason to maintain the habit.
Gregor	Oh? There was? What did you smoke?
Meursault	Most things that fall under the category of "cigarette."
Gregor	Huh... After a whole year of watching you never walk out of line, I pegged you as one helluva straight-laced fella.
Meursault	I partook in both categories of activities—those generally accepted as right, and those accepted as wrong.
Yi Sang	During my time among the old League of Nine Littérateurs, I once had an opportunity to engage in a few "hits" of the substance at the behest of my fellows.
Yi Sang	That was the one and only time. Everyone burst into laughter, though I found no enjoyment in smoking itself.
Gregor	Hah... That's always the case for first-timers. Must've been pretty intense, huh?
Yi Sang	What about you, Miss Ryōshū? When did you first start smoking cigarettes?
Every pair of eyes searched Ryōshū's face,
but she didn't bother telling us her story, nor did she reveal any signs of unease or anxiety.
What we saw on her face was inexplicable exhilaration, thrill, and as strange as it may seem, a fury chilling to the marrows.
Ryoshu	... Beats me.
Ryoshu	I've always been surrounded by cigarette smoke, ever since I was a brat.
Gregor	... *inhale* Wouldn't have guessed it any other way.
Gregor	It's your turn this time, isn't it?
Ryoshu	Yeah. So damn obvious that it makes me scoff.
Yi Sang	…….
Yi Sang	How do you feel, Miss Ryōshū?
Yi Sang	To be faced with the past that stands before you?
Ryoshu	Simple...
Ryoshu	It's exciting.
Ryoshu	*scoff* All that waiting finally paid off.
Gregor	I noticed you haven't smoked one since... this whole thing began, Ryōshū.
Ryoshu	Right.
Ryoshu	Trying to get used to... staying off it.
Meanwhile, back at the transporter truck...
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Valencina	Red Gaze. Never thought you of all people would have one.
Vergilius	…….
Valencina	Funny, isn't it? The mighty and powerful Red Gaze loses this... this tiny little bundle of liability from his clutch, and he's suddenly too scared to even swing his sword right.
Valencina	Not that I don't understand. To have an unwanted burden you can't even push aside or kill off shoved into your care... I know what it's like all too well.
Valencina	Well... I suppose I did want the little thing back then... but I never expected her to be such a nuisance.
Valencina	Lucio's been digging around... and looks like you don't have any connection whatsoever to this half-pint here... Could it be you've got a specific use for her?
Valencina	It's plain that you need her for something... Explains why you're letting that dead weight tag along.
Valencina	Perhaps she's like my Ticket... or Textbook over there? A pain in the ass you'd much rather kill off, but can't because you need it to make the future you long for come true.
Valencina	Haha. We sure have a lot in common, don't we?
Lucio	.......
Vergilius	.......
Vergilius	... You.
Vergilius	I know why you're provoking me with that pointless rambling.
Vergilius	Your friends are out on a mission, and you're making sure I don't get in their way till you get the all-clear.
Vergilius	However... just because my sword isn't cleaving across your throat...
Lucio	Khh...!
Vergilius	Doesn't mean I won't collect your little lackey's head.
Vergilius	Keep that in mind.
Valencina	... This should be interesting. Do your worst.
Valencina	I'm curious to see how long the Textbook I so painstakingly crafted for my Ticket... would last against a Color Fixer. Aren't you?

Episode: 11
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Dante	<We keep running into these... manikins...>
Dante	<Are they made by those "Nursefathers?">
Ryoshu	Yes. To be more specific, it's just the Ring Nursefather.
Ryoshu	Corporism—an art movement that utilizes the interaction between human bones and muscles, the contraction and the elongation thereof. ... With a splash of Cubist technique, it seems.
Gregor	... Nasty.
Yi Sang	Observe closer—do you see them?
Yi Sang	Writings, carved into their... bodies.
These corpses were engraved with a wild scrawl of a message, carved with a blade.
They began shuffling at us in that uncanny rhythm entirely devoid of any semblance of will.
Yi Sang	"Dearest..."
Location: -1
???	Dearest daughter of ours,
???	please pay close attention to the way the line curves.
???	From ribs, we can make blades keener than any sword; from femurs, we can make bludgeons sturdier than any mace.
???	The thoracic cage has taken this prepossessing yet hardy shape of an arch to keep the heart and the lungs from harm.
???	Preserve this natural beauty of the human corpus and do not infringe upon its primeval, precise value...
???	That is the reverence with which the act of creation must be handled—just as musicians handle a priceless instrument.
???	Touch it, if you will. Do your fingertips feel the contour of a blade along the grains of musculature, its tendons and sinews?
Yoshihide	…….
Yoshihide	The bones of the one most desperate for life... have become a blade best fit to reap it.
???	Indeed it has, hasn't it? I knew from the fathoms of my heart that you could appreciate the true value of this piece, Yoshihide.
???	The care put into this piece I have so painstakingly birthed into the world is greater than that of any other work of mine. The smallest fracture or imbalance could instantly render it useless.
???	Once this piece is complete, dearest Yoshihide, I would like for you to wield it.
Yoshihide	I will.
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Ryoshu	Never got to finish that precious piece he'd always ramble about... did he?
Ryōshū muttered to herself.

Episode: 12
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Meursault	The elevator up ahead is operational.
I could see the light of the elevator beyond the lockdown door.
Dante	<…….>
Dante	<If power has returned to the elevators...>
Yi Sang	It can only mean that Hohenheim has arrived at the Facility Management Room.
Dante	<Ah! Then—>
Once the elevator doors opened, LCA agents began pouring into the facility in perfect order.
They immediately began hacking and shooting down anything that got in their way. There wasn't the slightest hesitation in their movements, as though drilled into them over countless rehearsals.
From the way they never failed to deliver a killing blow to any target that so much as twitched, even when it was already mangled beyond recognition, I could tell they were seasoned veterans with years of combat experience.
I began to grow certain that these fighters could brush aside any obstacle we faced with ease.
Gregor	LCA special operations unit, was it? They sure know how to clear a room.
Radio	Testing... come in.
Radio	Oi, gimme that. Oi! OI! YOU ALRIGHT, MATE?
Gregor	Agh, the heck— No need to shout into the mic, Heathcliff. We can hear you just fine.
Radio	Ah, apologies. My assistant's temperament leans on the more impatient side.
Radio	Sinner Outis's conjecture was correct. After arriving at the Facility Management Room, we have been observing the hallways through the device here. The video feed's quality... well, it leaves much to be desired, but...
Radio	... the LCA has arrived at this sector.
Gregor	Can confirm that on this end as well. We have visual on the LCA units past the lockdown shutters.
Radio	But... all I've managed so far is to remove one security wall in your path. It has nothing to do with restoring the internal elevators leading to other departments.
Yi Sang	Whichever may be the case... does this mean that the wounded can now be transported to safety?
Radio	... Not quite. While they managed to send the LCA down here via unknown means, the entire facility has to be restored in order to return upstairs.
Radio	It is indeed a relief, however. It seems that the agents have been deployed to each sector... they should be able to secure the rest of the survivors.
Radio	Though I've never been one to be interested in the art of killing and battling, particularly those without even a tangential relation to research... I have heard that they are a rather formidable combat force even by the standards of the City as a whole.
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	... Eyes forward.
The lights flickered, and...
... 3 LCA agents who were advancing while covering the front of their squad simultaneously fell to the floor without so much as a scream.
LCA Agent	…!
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Like a broken lamp, the light past the security wall continues to flicker.
Between each flicker of the malfunctioning light, the outline of the intruder's weapon seemed to shift into a different shape.
At first, the shadow stretched into the sharp tip of a pick...
... then after several more flickers, it took on the familiar outline of an axe, very much resembling Rodya's own.
Radio	Judging by their appearance and gear, it is likely that they are the LCA's reconnaissance-specialized unit.
Radio	Most likely in the same vein as the team that arrived at the Monolith retrieval mission.
Gregor	Recon team or not, how did the intruder manage to wipe out such a well-trained team... all on his own...?
Yi Sang	Hohenheim, do you hear us?
Radio	Mm, indeed. Has the LCA taken care of the situation already on your end?
Yi Sang	... You mustn't step foot out into the hallway.
Radio	... Why might that be? Ah, I've just watched the LCA agents take down an Abnormality with quite impressive precision. To suppress such a tricky entity in mere minutes... fascinating. This calls for an additional comment on its observation log.
Gregor	The LCA reinforcement sent to our sector... They're all dead.
Radio	... What?
Radio	Were this battle fought in an open field... even the LCA's reconnaissance team alone would have sufficed to avoid defeat.
Radio	However...
Ryoshu	This is what happens to prey who forget that they've been snared in a spider's web.
Ryoshu	... They'll never fight on even ground, always drawing their prey to locations where they have the absolute advantage. They wouldn't have lost in an open field, you say...?
Ryoshu	... It's meaningless to speculate over what'll never happen.
Ryoshu	Look. His prey ensured their demise by walking into his hunting ground.
Gregor	…….
What Alyssa had described earlier was becoming more and more apparent to us.
Dante	<A relaxed but disciplined gait...>
The man, after having slaughtered dozens of LCA agents... slowly turned around to face us, his sharp dress shoes lazily clopping against the floor.
He seemed to have been aware of our presence from the get-go.
Light dances across the glossy surface of his white mask.
Ryoshu	…….
He returns a smile in response to Ryōshū's furious wrath.
Then, his lips part, soundlessly mouthing a sentence, word by word.
"Hi. Sweetheart. How did. Your reviews. Go?"
Location: -1
???	Hey, sweetheart. How did your training go?
Yoshihide	... Same old. Dull and boring.
Yoshihide	Dad, that wound on your arm... Did you do that to yourself?
???	Ah, yes. I had to stab my opponent with a knife 38 times through my own arm.
???	The 20th stab was where it really began to hurt.
Yoshihide	…….
???	They say that the pain of burning hurts at least 100 times worse than the pain of getting stabbed. Did you know that?
???	So, when you have to take care of someone, I hope you won't use fire...
???	... lest their death be slow, and their dying breath curses your name on their long descent into hell...
???	Don't they deserve to watch their lives flash before their eyes in relative peace?
Yoshihide	... Okay.
???	Come closer. You've got a scratch on your cheek.
???	It happened during Valencina's class, didn't it? Her methods are simply too violent—she's the kind of teacher who uses the number of scars as a measure of training intensity and effectiveness.
???	Let's take good care of that wound so it doesn't scar, okay?
Yoshihide	Whatever.
Location: LCE Research Team Security Unit
Outis	If what LCE has told us through the transmission is true, then the Executive Manager's in danger—!
Ishmael	I'm just as concerned as you are, Outis, but...
Ishmael	... we're not exactly out of the woods yet, either.
Outis	... The security camera feed's working again?
Ishmael	Yeah. Look, it's pointed right in front of our door. But...
Aeng-du	Come see. If my memory fails me not, then this man's attire suggests he is...
Outis	The Middle...?
Ezra	I guess we now know what happened to the LCA in the other sector. Yeesh, this guy's practically tearing people apart.
Rodion	Is he shouting something...? I can't quite hear what he's saying through the feed...
Moses	Yoshihide.
Moses	He is shouting... "Yoshihide." Repeatedly so.
Aeng-du	... As he fills the silence between them with... a boisterous guffaw.
Aeng-du	Face split into a wide grin, body convulsing with laughter... What joy does this madman find in this carnage...?
Ezra	Gah...! That's an insanely powerful kick! Flung that guy all the way to the other side of the hallway!
Rodion	The footage is pretty blurry, but... do you think he's got a prosthetic leg?
Rodion	Hm, maybe not... I guess a leg covered completely in augmentation tattoos could look something like that...
???	Ooh~ Are ya looking at papa's mighty bear paw?
Rodion	…….
???	…?
Rodion	W-who the heck are you?!
Kira	Who am I? Hi, I'm Kira!
Outis	A covert approach...? Men, battle positions!
Kira	Ohh~ You guys got it all wrong! You're watching my papa work, aren'tcha?
Kira	Don't mind me, 'kay? I'm not gonna pick a fight with you guys.
Aeng-du	…?
Kira	I'll just hang around here while you guys get the important stuff done! Mmhm, carry on and watch him work!
Rodion	Your papa...? That guy's your dad?
Kira	Uh-huh! Isn't he, like, super badass?
Kira	Yooo, did you guys see that? Gosh, that tech's straight-up fire! So dope.
Kira	Hah~ I've been tryna recreate that myself, but it's not the same, ya know?
Kira	How's he doing that? Totally folded that guy up and tossed him like a baseball all the way to the other end of the hallway!
Aeng-du	... To treat a massacre as no different from a game or sport...
Aeng-du	What a contemptible scoundrel you make.
Kira	…….
Kira	Oh~ So you're into that kinda character, huh? Sick!
Kira	I'm a huge fan of 'em, too. Didya read the latest issue of "The Cloudburst Blade?" There's this new character who talks just like ya do, like, lifting his bamboo hat, he goes—
Aeng-du	…….
Kira	... Wait, you don't know "The Cloudburst Blade?"
Kira	Aw man... I've been tryna sell it to everyone I know, but no one's interested. One of 'em's obsessed with training all day, one of 'em talks with her sword all day, one of 'em just wanders all over the place all day, and the other one... y'know what she said? "I think the story indulges in far too many logical fallacies." What the heck kinda book review is that? Like, bro, who wastes time nitpicking about what makes sense and what doesn't when reading a comic book? Gosh, I don't think I'd ever vibe with that girl!
Kira	Anyhoo, has anyone here actually read "The Cloudburst Blade?" If ya did, well... if I may have but 3—no, 4 hours of your time, good sir...
Outis	Enough.
Outis	If you thought you could distract us with your nonsensical prattling, think again.
Ishmael	Outis, I don't see the Middle Nursefather on the feed anymore. If she's his, uh... apprentice, then...
???	Hey, Kiddo! What are you doing all the way out here? Haven't I asked you not to wander too far?
Outis	... Drat.
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Hohenheim	... No more transmissions. They've all gone quiet.
Don Quixote	Hark! Young Ishmael! Young Outis!!! Wherefore doth none respond...?
Sinclair	This is bad... We don't even have the manager with us. We're all in the dark...
Hohenheim	We must make haste and restore the facility to its operational capacity. The sooner we obtain access to the security wall controls, the sooner we can coordinate with each other.
Hohenheim	As luck would have it, we should be able to locate one of the lost pieces of circuitry in this room—
Faust	…….
Faust	These remains... The Ring has made its mark here.
Heathcliff	Oi. Don't force yourself... to look so hard at them.
Hohenheim	No, disgust as an emotion holds very little sway over me.
Hohenheim	It's just that—
Marton	Boss.
Marton	Don't. Don't look at their faces and try to tell who's who.
Hohenheim	... Right. I lost my focus for a moment there.
Hohenheim	Let us carry on.
Hohenheim	... What, is there anything you wish to say to me?
Faust	This is highly irregular, but it seems that Faust also expresses agreement with Hohenheim.
Heathcliff	Agree with what?
Faust	... That we must restore the facility with as much haste as we can employ.

Episode: 13
Location: LCE Research Team Laboratory Entrance
Ryoshu	…….
Leaving behind the perpetrator of the carnage greeting Ryōshū on the other side of the security wall...
... we had no other choice but to make our way toward the lab.
Yi Sang	Miss Ryōshū, perhaps this question of mine is one you might not wish to grace with an answer—and if it indeed is, do feel free to let it float past...
Yi Sang	But what is your connection to these so-called "Nursefathers?"
Yi Sang	Your relationship with them does not seem to have been brewed in mere bad blood...
Yi Sang	And in the change in your countenance I sensed... a flash of something almost imperceptible.
Ryoshu	I haven't put all the pieces together just yet, but...
Ryoshu	They were...
Ryoshu	"Nursefathers."
Ryoshu	My fathers who forged the sword that I am.

Episode: 14
Location: LCE Research Team Laboratory Entrance
Gregor	... Looks like we're here. It's the lab.
Gregor	The LCD and LCE haven't reached out again since that last transmission.
Yi Sang	I can only hope that no misfortune befell them...
Gregor	Hey, Manager Bud, you picking up on anything? I mean the Golden Bough... If those people got to it before us...
Dante	<Not yet, I don't think they did...>
Dante	<It's still in there.>
Gregor	*sigh* Is that right? I guess I should be glad we still have a chance.
Gregor mumbled on in a gloomy tone.
Gregor	Hohenheim will be relieved to hear this.
We stepped into the lab. The lights were off—it was completely dark inside.
Location: LCE Research Team Laboratory
If the assailants were indeed after the Golden Bough... what could they possibly want with it?
Ryoshu	…….
I was deeply engrossed in my thoughts when I noticed that Ryōshū had stopped in her tracks.
Dante	<Ryōshū?>
Ryoshu	There's a stench coming from up ahead... A sickeningly familiar one.
Even in the cloying darkness of the unlit lab, Ryōshū seemed to notice something out of place.
Gregor	You smell something...? I don't smell anything other than your cig—
Ryoshu	…….
Gregor	... Oh, yeah. You've not been smoking for a... hot minute.
Only silence welcomed us in the lab.
We couldn't hear any breathing, but there it was without a doubt—the stink of cigarettes and a chilling, disembodied sense of dread we couldn't exactly put our finger on.
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	When I left that place...
Ryoshu	I remember feeling a strong contempt for someone.
Ryoshu	It had to have been...
Ryōshū started muttering as though she was gripped by the chill.
I noticed she wasn't speaking to me, though. It seemed as though she was wading through a bog of mutilated memories to cling to her emotions at that moment.
Location: -1
Yoshihide	Dihui Star(地慧星), you...
Yoshihide	All along, you've wanted to make me suffer to the bitter end, haven't you?
Dihui Star	What audacity. You think I'm the one making you suffer, Yoshihide?
Dihui Star	You do realize that you've always been the one obstacle in my life, don't you?
Dihui Star	This is the only way for us to get even.
Dihui Star	Yoshihide, it...
Dihui Star	It never stops.
Dihui Star	The sound of the fetter around my feet, rusted and heavy... How it clinks and rattles...
In that vision of the past, Ryōshū raises her sword in an agonizingly slow motion, unsheathing the blade that we have never seen revealed before—
—A white blade of such unfeeling purity, devoid of even a trace of mercy beneath its pale edge.
In the split second I was blinded by the glint of the blade...
... Ryōshū clutched the hooded figure's jaw in her crushing grip.
Then, without a moment's hesitation, she drove the blindingly bright sword into the figure's mouth.
Dihui Star	Gah... *hack*
Dihui Star	*huff* Hrrk...
Ryōshū pulled the sword out in a single swift motion.
Dihui Star	*splat*
The figure coughed out a thick glob of blood and a piece of her sliced tongue.
Dihui Star	Hah...
Dihui Star	Hah! Ha... haha... Haha!
But she spat out more than just the bloody chunk of flesh. A guffaw hacked its way out of her mouth...
The triumphant laughter of one who had just seized the victory of one's life.
With a deep, ragged breath, Ryōshū let the sword fall from her grip.
She stood rooted in her spot, staring at the flailing figure with a look of pure confusion.
Location: LCE Research Team Laboratory
Ryoshu	... I.S.O.T.P.I.T.A.
Ryoshu	Insidious Stench Of The Past... In The Air.
And right now, right before Ryōshū's eyes...
The vivid presence from the memories of the past came to life in the form of a white silhouette,
her hand slowly brushing the lips beyond which no tongue laid, as if to remember the absence of the organ that Ryōshū had so mercilessly cut off...
Like a lone watchman who had been keeping vigil, awaiting our arrival.
Dihui Star	…….
Dihui Star	... Ha.
The mouth that lost its tongue faced Ryōshū without opening even once.
But I think I heard a whisper of a hollow sigh escaping between her lips.
Ryoshu	Because of my five "fathers"... I had to leave behind the single most important thing in this world.
Ryoshu	And that is why...
Ryoshu	I must take it back.
???	So happy to see you again, Ryōshū. I mean it.
???	... Such were the words my master bade me to relay.
Ryoshu	... The Pinky Nursefather.
???	As my master... expects naught from my insignificant self...
???	I am but a blade rusting amid the quiet turn of nature, doomed to ever endure the dullness of todays and the emptiness of morrows.
???	And therein, owing to your pursuit of the spider's thread...
???	I am once again granted a chance to carry out my master's will.
Ryoshu	... Another talker. Piss off.
As her apprentice approached us, Ryōshū's "Nursefather" slowly stepped away...
... toward where the container of Golden Boughs lay nestled, emanating a soft glow.
???	... The preparations are complete. I trust you have not forgotten the plan?
???	…….
Where the "Nursefather" had left, a figure clad in steel armor entered.
Dante	<What the...>
Yi Sang	The armament looks a little too crude... to be a piece of gear imbued with advanced technology.
Yi Sang	... It looks akin to the torture device we had previously seen in the basement of Sinclair's home.
Ryoshu	No flesh, no blood, no bones to show... in a fight?
Ryoshu	For an artwork meant for my eyes... its aesthetics are lacking in class.
???	…….
Ryoshu	Keeping your mouth shut even in a moment like this... Did he not teach you there's no beauty to be found in it?
Ryoshu	I want him here. Where is the Ring Nursefather?
The armored figure answered Ryōshū's question...
... with a swing of their huge sword.
Dante	<We need to take care of this quick... and track down the Golden Bough.>
Dante	<Let's fend them all off.>
Ryoshu	You're starting to pick up the rudiments of aesthetics, Clock.
Ryoshu	Watch as I demonstrate the meaning of A.O.S.

Episode: 15
Location: LCE Research Team Laboratory
Ren	Refrain from any deviations from the plan... Has my humble self neglected to impress upon this matter many times?
Albina	See? Fascia has begun to pulsate.
Albina	I haven't seen Fascia tremble like so in a long while. Why don't you give her some time to chat?
Ren	This plan involves no outward expression of such selfish desires.
Albina	The "plan" that involves only the observation of the warming, reddening flesh while our own heartbeats slow...
Albina	That plan isn't to Fascia's liking. Her tendons have tightened.
Ren	Yet, we must learn to remain tranquil before these common beats if we are to adhere to the wills of those who are our masters.
Albina	I've always been so curious of the Maestro's child, forever-lost...
Albina	Why not let us at least prepare a maquette?
Ren	... It has become apparent that this glorified executioner does not know her place; clearly, it is about time her branches are pruned.
With that, the man who stood in our way leaped toward the pulsating greatsword of flesh and delivered a powerful strike.
Yi Sang	This may be our stroke of fortune... It seems that, in the chaos, our presence has slipped their minds.
Dante	<... Ah! The Golden Bough!>
Feeling a dull pain squeezing through the grooves of my mind, I turned toward the spot from which the sensation surged forth...
Ryoshu	…….
... and saw Ryōshū standing there.
In her eyes burned hatred and fury, a glare that would easily have had me believe that she would unsheathe the sword from her back at any minute.
At the receiving end of that glare...
Dihui Star	…….
... was the veiled figure, who'd been watching our battle without a word.
The Pinky's Nursefather... simply stood there, meeting Ryōshū's wrathful gaze as she did in the fragmented memories.
Then, she withdrew into the shadows, the darkness slowly eating away at her shape...
... before disappearing from our sights.
Yi Sang	Dante, have you found the Golden Boughs? We must—
Dante	<No...>
Dante	<We were too late.>
I felt the dull pain in my head lift as I pointed at where the veiled person stood.
The Golden Boughs that should've been there... were gone.
What remained in their place...
Location: -1
... were dozens of cigarette butts, the same kind that Ryōshū smoked, piled up like a thick layer of dust.

Episode: 16
???	That's not it.
???	That's not how you shorten it!
???	Nooo...
???	You're doing it wrong, Mommy!
???	Just follow after me.
???	You get it now? Don't forget!
???	Such a shame.
???	That a blade tempered to such ruthless sharpness was used...
???	... to cut away her own mind.
Lei Heng	Your baby's still at that house, ain't that right?
So the lines I learned to draw were connections, not boundaries.
Now, I watch from outside the clew the moments that have slipped past you.
When the End brushes past the Beginning, I will take you in my arms and bear you home.
Location: LCE Research Team Laboratory
Dante	<... shū.>
Dante	<Ryōshū, are you all right?>
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	... Ah.
Ryoshu	Am fine.
Ryoshu closed her eyes shut, then opened them again.
Some time ago, at the Laboratory...
Location: LCE Research Team Laboratory, Some time ago
Ryoshu	Why did the Nursefathers create things like you?
Ryoshu	The same people who used to complain day and night about what a pain it was to look after me... are keeping underlings now?
???	"Children."
???	We are their children.
Ryoshu	... Hah.
Ryoshu	So, what role are you "children" playing?
???	Yoshihide, the day you return to the House of Spiders...
???	We, the five children, shall bind together the thread you have slashed to pieces...
???	... and complete the clew.
Ryoshu	…….
???	The Nursefathers of the House were beside themselves with concern, Yoshihide.
???	Were you to return home having forgotten even the time you had spent at their side...
???	... it would feel as though all the years poured into nurturing and honing you had gone to waste, they said.
Ryoshu	Hah. Didn't know they called their errand boys their "children."
???	What they call us is immaterial to the relationship we share with them.
Ryoshu	No. It's got a different echo.
Ryoshu	The bond between a child and the parent is thicker, firmer. So much so that, even after I have mutilated my own mind with this sword... a thread of something remains still.
???	Yet my master tells me...
???	... that she has tended to you enough through all the time that has passed.
Ryoshu	... Tended to me?
Location: Somewhere in the House of Spiders, Past
Dihui Star	Yoshihide.
Dihui Star	How does it feel to be a living fetter?
Yoshihide	... Fet... ter?
Dihui Star	I am... barred from enjoying the fresh air of the world outside,
Dihui Star	no longer free to travel the mountains and cliffs as my feet would carry me... as the other members of the Pinky are.
Dihui Star	I wish to no avail that I should be allowed to weave the delineations of Wings and Backstreets.
Yoshihide	I don't understand... what you mean.
Dihui Star	You don't? I'm saying I did not endure my grueling life only to be trapped here as your Nursefather.
Dihui Star	Well? What do you make of it, Yoshihide?
Yoshihide	*sniffle*
Dihui Star	Stifle your crying. What makes you think you have the right to shed tears?
Dihui Star	If anyone has a reason to cry, it is me.
Dihui Star	Ever since you were pushed into my care, not a day has passed without me wanting to cry.
Yoshihide	My knees...
Yoshihide	Momm—Mother, I scraped... my knees...
Dihui Star	Keep your bawling out of my sight.
Dihui Star	Snotty, sniveling little brat... Disgusting. You wouldn't have gotten hurt if you weren't such a slow dullard.
Dihui Star	Next time, keep your eyes open and dodge before it hits.
Dihui Star	Maybe... maybe if you had a leg ripped away from you...
Yoshihide	…….
Dihui Star	Then you'd also taste a drop of this crippling agony of imprisonment.
Location: LCE Research Team Laboratory, Some time ago
Ryoshu	That woman... was the one who hated me the most.
Ryoshu	She blamed me for her fate.
???	Yet in the end, Yoshihide... It is thanks to her...
???	That your mastery of the blade has been cultivated to such a degree—enough to parry both this humble blade of mine and that brute's sword.
The man blocked the Ring Apprentice's blow as though it were a performance meant for Ryōshū.
Ryoshu	…!
Gregor	Uh, Ryōshū? I know there's some bad blood involved here... but this is our chance.
Gregor	Let's pull out while they're busy fighting each other. We need to go after the one who swiped the Golden Bough, yeah?
Yi Sang	Her whereabouts are unknown. However... this is indeed our chance to hie away from here.
Ryoshu	*sigh*
We made our escape through another route while the Ring and the Pinky Apprentices were busy fighting each other.
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Gregor	That technique he used... was that hers? The Pinky Nursefather?
Ryoshu	... Yeah.
Ryoshu	It was one of my gouged-out memories, but clashing blades with him reawakened it.
Ryoshu	The "Nursefathers" wanted me to learn every single one of their techniques.
Ryoshu	That Pinky woman, too... she sure hated me all right, but that didn't stop her from teaching me what she knew.
Ryoshu	... Probably to make me a more prolific, more efficient killer.
Ryoshu	And that's why losing me was such a harrowing failure for them. All the work they poured into me slipped right through their fingers when I left the spiderweb.
Gregor	Hmm... Well, love-hate can play out in all sorts of ways, I guess.
Yi Sang	Your memories... did you hew them away yourself?
Ryoshu	Yeah. With my own hands.
I was reminded of the expression I saw on Ryōshū's face in one of her memory fragments.
When she sliced off the Pinky Nursefather's tongue...
When she drove the blade she never unsheathed before us into that woman's mouth...
What I saw on Ryōshū was the expression of suffering.
Ryoshu	Every time I draw this blade and cut something...
Ryoshu	I'm also slicing away a piece of my mind.
Ryoshu	That's the reason I didn't want to use this blade.
Ryoshu	But had I not done so, they'd have taken her away from me for good.
The one last thing Ryōshū didn't want to let go.
The word that came out of Lei Heng's mouth the moment he saw her.
Dante	<Your baby...>
It was for her that Ryōshū sliced off both her own memories and the Pinky Nursefather's tongue.
Ryoshu	... My blood, my ward... my daughter.
Dante	<Lei Heng said she's still there... in the House of Spiders.>
Ryoshu	Yeah. In a place only I know. In a safe... that nobody else can find.
Dante	<What was your daughter to you?>
Ryoshu	... Don't see why I should play coy at this point.
Ryoshu	The one and only... precious thing.
Ryoshu	She's all I have.
Even without her memories, Ryōshū spoke without any doubt.
I caught myself thinking how nice it must be to have such certainty.
Dante	<... I see. As long as we can stick to this path, we'll all eventually find the things we lost.>
Ryoshu	Right. I know that.
Dante	<C'mon, let's go after them. With the elevator still busted, they can't have escaped to a different floor just yet.>
Dante	<The Golden Bough... It's faint, but I can still sense its presence.>

Episode: 17
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
We continued toward the corridor full of corpses and debris.
Gregor	Here's hoping we come across someone else still conscious, like Miss Alyssa...
???	Oww! Y-you just stepped on my hand, Mister!
Gregor	Oops, my bad...
Gregor	... Wait, was that... a survivor speaking just now?
Everyone turned around, hearing the alarm in Gregor's voice.
A lone survivor, the only one who seemed conscious among the bodies crushed under the debris, was looking up at us with her face scrunched up in pain.
Yi Sang	Are you... all right?
???	I... I'm not. It hurts so much. I've been waiting here so long, but nobody showed up...
???	I was chatting with this person next to me just to stay conscious... B-but then he suddenly stopped speaking—it's been 10 minutes already. We'd even exchanged names!
Meursault	You must be referring to this man. He's pretending to be dead, but his pulse hasn't stopped.
???	W-whaaat?
The man in a suit stopped playing dead and slowly opened his eyes.
???	Ah, you got me.
???	Chitchatting about the food we'll eat once we get out while slowly being crushed by the debris on top of us....
???	I mean, you know what happens to characters who say "once we survive this"...
???	I... I want me some vanilla ice-cream with almond sprinkles once we survive this... And a sandwich too, with lots and lots of cheese! What about you, Ravi?
Ravi	…….
Gregor	... Need a hand?
Ravi	Yes, please.
Dante	<... Let's just get them out.>
With the Sinners' help, the two employees who'd been trapped under the rubble managed to break themselves free.
Ravi	Hn. Just my left leg. I'm good besides that.
???	Ouchie! I... I think I b-broke my right arm, um, but give it a few days with lots of almonds and fish, a-and it should be good as new.
Sora	Oh. Th-thank you for getting us out of there. I'm Sora.
Ravi	We got to live another day thanks to you. You can call me Ravi.
Ravi	By the way... May I ask which department you're from?
Gregor	Uh... haven't you seen us before? We were here for a check-up last time.
Ravi	Oh. We're new hires. This is our first day of work.
Gregor	N-new hires...?
Ravi	Yes. There were new job postings for LCE's Enkephalin Refining Department. Today's Day 1 for us new hires.
Ravi	We were on our way to see the researcher who was supposed to handle our onboarding... and then this happened.
Sora	Th-this gear... It's my first time wearing it. The more I look at it, the more it intrigues me.
Dante	<... How did you get trapped under the debris?>
Yi Sang	Pray tell, how did you get trapped under the debris?
Sora	W-well... I was just walking through the corridor and stopped for a bit...
Sora	I... I'm always a total klutz. Once I have s-something on my mind, I can't multitask... at all.
Yi Sang	I can relate. Researchers oft sink into the fathoms of their mind when the spark of inspiration strikes.
Sora	I had this idea f-for an E.G.O gear experiment... a-and I couldn't move on without first getting it sorted out in my head.
Yi Sang	E.G.O gear, you say... Might you be referring to that shackle around your wrists?
Sora	Th-that's right. It's not the wieldiest... but it's my one and only E.G.O.
Gregor	…….
Ryoshu	Cut the fluff and get to what happened next.
Sora	S-sorry. It happened... o-out of nowhere... We heard a loud noise coming from the other end of the corridor and people started running... That's when... th-the ceilings collapsed.
Sora	*sigh* I-if only I hadn't zoned out... I wouldn't have gotten caught under the rubble.
Gregor	... I wouldn't go so far as to call you lucky, but getting trapped under the rubble might've been exactly what saved you from the intruders who are attacking the facility. They've already killed a lot of people.
Sora	What? W-while we were trapped...?
Yi Sang	... My condolences. I regret I have no further words to give.
Ravi	Were you able to find... any other survivors?
Yi Sang	An approximation of 20 remains. As fortune should have it, the team leader and the rest managed to regroup.
Ravi	That's a relief....
Yi Sang	And you... Are you certain you are well? It is quite remarkable that a newcomer to a corporation remains so composed in the face of such crises.
Ravi	We get trained for situations like this, so I wasn't entirely unprepared... Just never thought something like this would happen on Day 1...
Gregor	... Still, that's pretty impressive for a new guy.
Ravi	In any case, where were you headed?
Gregor	Oh, right. We're looking for the elevator. I think it's somewhere in this direction... but I'm not sure.
Sora	Oh, th-the elevator...! I... I know where it is. Could I come with you?
Ryoshu	... Lead the way.
Radio	*bzzt*... these components... *bzzt*...
Sora	I... I hear voices from the other end of the radio... Is it your team?
Dante	<The call's breaking up...>
Gregor	Hmm, it seems we've gone past the transmission radius... I wonder how the others are faring.
Sora	I... I hope I can get an update about my colleagues as well...
Ravi	I'm with you on that...
The two LCE researchers sighed anxiously as we hurried in the elevator's direction.

Episode: 18
Location: LCE Research Team Components Storage
Radio	*tzzzt*... how... *bzzt* the others...
Hohenheim	... These components should cover what we need for the repair.
Don Quixote	... The transmissions are getting harder to make out...
Hohenheim	Not surprising, considering how far the distance between the teams have grown.
Don Quixote	And the survivors... I see nary a one in this sector, regrettably.
Hohenheim	Again... hardly a surprise. The state of the bodies is there for all to see.
Faust	... Faust believes there is no feasible way to aid them under the present conditions.
Hohenheim	…….
Heathcliff	Tsk...
Don Quixote	So it... doth appear. Verily, 'tis thee who must be most saddened by this tragedy. I beg thy pardon for raising the matter.
Sinclair	... There! N-now we just have to get back to the Facility Management Room.
Hohenheim	Right... It should be right past this corridor.
Hohenheim	Assistant, pacing about distractedly and scratching one's head out of cluelessness are all behaviors prohibited in our Research Facility.
Marton	Oh, also—frowning and cocking your head like that, and blurting a "huh?" at the screen are all likewise forbidden.
Heathcliff	... No, I've got a bad feeling about this. Something's off...
Heathcliff	…!
Heathcliff	Oi, stop! Don't go out yet.
Heathcliff	There's somethin' outside.
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
???	Hn~ Hnhnhn~ Hn~
???	Or... perhaps I can let the blood vessels relax and expand... Yes, that's much better.
Location: LCE Research Team Components Storage
Sinclair	Y-you're right... We'd have run straight into him had we left the room.
Faust	Based on the circumstances we have faced thus far, it's reasonable to conclude that this individual's affiliation lies with the Ring.
Heathcliff	... A "Nursefather." Has to be dead strong like that lass who nicked off with Charon.
Hohenheim	... You people, where's all that confidence you had when you beat the daylights out of me during the Monolith experiment?
Heathcliff	Oi, mind not puttin' it like that? You'll give people the wrong idea... 'Sides, we were beatin' the daylights out of your Distortion. Well, not exactly beating the— Bloody hell, you get what I mean, yeah?
Faust	The extent of the physical trauma sustained by the corpses on display indicates... that the odds of prevailing in combat against him are minimal.
Faust	Faust does not advise initiating a battle that cannot be won when we are completely cut off from Dante.
Faust	As usage of Identities is not among our options, engaging the enemy now will only serve to deplete our numbers...
Faust	... and with so little information on the enemy, sustaining a lethal injury we have no means to treat will...
Don Quixote	Will maketh the Manager Esquire behold the cold, lifeless form of Young Sinclair upon their return?!
Sinclair	And the cold, lifeless form of Don Quixote too...!
Marton	... Boss, if he keeps lingering out in the corridor...
Hohenheim	That's quite a problem. We'll probably run into him on our way to the Facility Management Room...
Heathcliff	... Oi. How long d'you reckon you're gonna take to fix that knackered device or whatever it is?
Hohenheim	Given that the attack resembles a facility sabotage... I'll need to inspect each component separately instead of treating this like a regular malfunction.
Hohenheim	I cannot be sure of anything before I see the extent of the damage... Yet even in the best case scenario, I don't expect the repairs to be done in short order.
Hohenheim	... Dammit, Marton. Didn't I tell you plenty of times that non-standard energy redistributors are a nightmare for maintenance?
Marton	Oh, you're the one who designed this sector of the Research Facility, Boss.
Hohenheim	... That must've been during the week leading up to my report deadline. I'm confident I made the most of the limited time I had back then.
Sinclair	Any chance we can buy ourselves a bit of time... or lure him away?
Hohenheim	I'm considering five or six possible options. Though if I were to recommend one...
Hohenheim	We have her take off those shoes.
Don Quixote	…….
Heathcliff	Wh-wha?! After all that mess you went through?!
Hohenheim	Without your access to the Identities, the only viable combat option is my E.G.O gear. And its chance of defeating or killing that man—who is most likely a Maestro of the Ring—is hardly promising.
Don Quixote	If need be... I shall step fo— I'll do it.
Sinclair	D-Don Quixote...!
Heathcliff	I... I ain't havin' it.
Heathcliff	We've been in worse trouble than this, haven't we? And sure, I've thought about yankin' off those stinkin' shoes a fair few times... but we can't do that to her, can we...?
Don Quixote	I have said this time and again—Rocinante's self-cleaning function is always active... But let us put such matters aside.
Don Quixote	... I would rather eschew... relying on my Bloodfiend powers, yet we are left with no recourse.
Don Quixote	And I have faith in you. Faith that my companions shall bring me back again.
Heathcliff	Tch...
Faust	Faust seconds Heathcliff's opinion. The plan to have Don Quixote remove her shoes is rejected.
Faust	While there are several reasons to discourage that idea, the chief among them is that... Don Quixote must not dismount from Rocinante.
Hohenheim	Do you believe her unbound power to be insufficient to overcome this obstacle? According to the test results... she demonstrated combat abilities that were—
Faust	No, having Don Quixote remove her shoes to resolve this predicament is not an unrealistic scenario. However...
Faust	That flow... would be a choice that distances Dante from their journey to retrieve the Golden Boughs, and even if we are to entertain Hohenheim's suggestion, the removal of Don Quixote's shoes must take place as a result of the manager's decision.
Sinclair	H-hold on, please. This is all happening too fast... You've really got to start elaborating on stuff...
Faust	An illustrative example: in the event Don Quixote fails to control her impulses and proceeds to create Kindreds and Bloodbags with abandon...
Faust	There is a possibility that she will be unable to return to her current self no matter how many times Dante's clock is rewound.
Faust	If a Sinner cannot be restored by the manager's power, it is effectively tantamount to failing to retrieve the Golden Boughs in this world. Such an outcome would prove a decisive failure on my part in proving that—
Hohenheim	I understand. Rejected it is. Let us move on to the next agenda.
Don Quixote	... Art thou sure of this? We possess no fitting means to strike that villain down.
Hohenheim	It was simply a proposed Plan A to tackle the situation. Frankly, I wasn't too eager myself to risk gambling on odds in an environment with so many variables beyond our control.
Heathcliff	Whatever plan you lot've got in mind, do it quick. I don't see that pointy-shoes wanker right now, but...
Hohenheim	... As for Plan B—I buy us some time while you people help Marton with repairing the device.
Hohenheim	If I raise the Attunement level of this Shock Centipede E.G.O gear, I should be able to move for a while even after my heart has ceased to function.
Hohenheim	I'm not exactly in top shape after all these fights... But with luck on our side, I might even be able to knock him unconscious with high enough voltage.
Heathcliff	Hah! Says the bloke who probably hasn't even been in a proper brawl ever...
Hohenheim	You've fought adversaries wearing E.G.O gears before, haven't you? These gears can make up for a lack of combat experience...
Heathcliff	Hah... This ain't an argument. We stall 'im, you work on repairs.
Heathcliff	Even if we pop our clogs... Clockhead'll come back here sooner or later. They can bring us back.
Sinclair	Uh... Even if we end up becoming one of those horrific exhibits... Right...?
Faust	Correct. The degree of pain accompanying that process, however, will far exceed the usual range for both the individual concerned and Dante. It is preferable we avoid such a development.
Hohenheim	Clearly, you are all underestimating the amount of firepower I can unleash were I to be fully equipped—
Hohenheim	Still, perhaps it's for the best that you remain uninformed.
Heathcliff	... You're comin' along too? Not stayin' back to fix that thing?
Faust	Whoever designed this did a remarkably subpar job. Having a genius like myself repair such a second-rate piece of equipment would be a waste of talent.
Hohenheim	So she says. But to clarify—this isn't "second-rate." It was the best design attainable given the time constraints. In other words, it was the optimal design we could manage at that moment.
Hohenheim	…….
Hohenheim	I leave this matter to you, then. Let us all meet again in sound form, as we did in our last misadventure.
Sinclair	…….
Don Quixote	Young Sinclair, art thou well?
Heathcliff	We'll go hold him off first, so if you need a moment to get your head sorted...
Sinclair	... No.
Sinclair	I can't just... keep wandering around aimlessly...
Sinclair	Wandering... aimlessly—
Location: -1
Hohenheim	…….
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
???	Ah, of course...!
Sinclair	…!
Heathcliff	Bloody hell...
???	A gallery that has achieved the magna opera of aesthetics need not bother sending out invitations. Visitors will naturally come pouring in on their own.
Heathcliff	... Oi, you reckon... you reckon we came all this way just t'look at this lot of useless rubbish?
Heathcliff	Dunno much 'bout this whole "art" thing... But even I can tell this is the worst bloody exhibition I've ever clapped my eyes on.
???	In that case, it seems I must play the curator myself for our young and foolish guests.
???	Just as I taught Yoshihide... From kitsch to avant-garde,
???	with each trend of art movement engraved into every chunk of meat.
???	A gallery tour narrated by a Maestro himself... You ought to feel honored, really.

Episode: 19
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Kira	…….
Kira	…….
Kira	Ugh, seriously! Ya really gonna play dirty like this?!
Kira	I was trying to wrap this up so I'd be done right when papa finished his executions!
Kira	And y'know, it was a lot of fun playing hide-and-seek for the first time in ages... but I'm getting bored now.
Location: LCE Research Team Security Unit
Ishmael	We somehow managed to shake off that "Nursefather" too...
Ishmael	But this one chased us here all on her own.
Ishmael	... That smoking pipe you mentioned during the briefing... Your E.G.O, right? Is it not ready yet?
Moses	It needs some time.
Ezra	Which is why we gotta buy that time she needs. What'd you think of my Workshop weapon collection earlier? I'll be generous this time and let you put 'em to use, how about that?
Outis	You mean that collection of too-tricky-to-be-useful weapons? You've certainly a talent for impracticality.
Outis	Perhaps it's an impressive assortment from a collector's point of view... But in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, you'd be better off fighting with bare hands.
Ezra	Tch... Look, I had zero idea things would blow up into this bad of a mess, alright? Just wanted to show off a bit since we were finally meeting the LCA team... That's why I only brought the unique, hard-to-get babies...
Aeng-du	Hmm...
Aeng-du	That one there—what sort of sword is it?
Ezra	Hnnn... Hmm? That? That's a Meztil Workshop broadsword... ever used one before?
Aeng-du	Nay. I was not in a position to obtain and use Workshop-made gears... I am merely asking, for I am in need of aught to replace my broken hwando.
Ezra	Uh... I mean, I don't mind lending you one, but that stuff's not easy to handle. See, compared to Allas Workshop, Meztil is...
Aeng-du	I am aware. Oft did you speak of how their weapons dart around as though they have grown wings, dragging the wielder about.
Ezra	Yeah...
Aeng-du	Worry not—I am quite confident in the art of swiftblade.
Aeng-du	A Salsu must never loosen her grip on the blade, though her very arms be torn away.
Ezra	O-okay, okay, jeez...
Ishmael	Reinforcement... might be a bit of an overstatement, at this rate...
Hong Lu	Hmm... I know Dante isn't here with us, but how about we step up ourselves?
Outis	My physical strength has gradually recovered throughout our journey with the Executive Manager... but my skills and prowess have yet to reach their original potential.
Ezra	By the way, any word from the Golden Bough team yet?
Outis	... No response to the transmission, damn it. Even with the Executive Manager leading them, those unreliable troops have finally proved my fears right...
Rodion	Hey, might just be a bad radio signal. Take it easy.
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Kira	Ugh~ I'm gettin' sick of playing along with this kiddie nonsense. Dragging me into this hide-and-seek crap... You guys are the real bullies here, you know that?
Kira	*sigh* I'll count to 10 and not a second more. Got it?
Kira	... Eightnineten! Here I go!
Location: LCE Research Team Security Unit
Rodion	Wh-what do we do now?!
Ishmael	Luring her to another Distortion or Abnormality would be the best bet. It was effective enough to stall the Nursefather, too...
A few hours ago...
Location: LCE Research Team Quarantine Zone
LCA Reconnaissance Team?	…….
Matthias	Huh. Would you look at that...
Kira	Oh! Papa, Papa! I thought you'd finished 'em all off! Or did you leave these for me?
Kira	Huh... Aren't these the guys you wrecked earlier? Oh! Is this, like, some kinda 11th-hour superpower awakening? I saw this on TV—"Impossible Comeback 3: Epic Return from Death"!
Kira	So what? It'll only take a single blow to...
Kira	Whoa... Eeeep!!
Moses	Neurosis, hysteria. Distorted pain tends to manifest in the form of electricity.
Moses	The Human Thunderbolt. I thought it'd be sufficient to buy us some time...
Matthias	Oh...? These corpses, they're not moving on their own. Yo, Kiddo! You see that?
Kira	Huh? S-see what? I don't see anything!
Matthias	Bwahaha! You don't? You really don't see it? Shucks, Kiddo~ Ya gotta work harder if you wanna be as sharp as Yoshihide!
Matthias	Now open your eyes and take a closer look. See that purple flash? It's that thing there... bouncing around and pouring electric currents into the bodies.
Moses	... His instincts are just as animalistic as his appearance.
Ishmael	Moses! We've secured the escape route!
Moses	... Yes, in that case...
Ezra	Whoa...?! Team Leader!!
Aeng-du	Ngh!!
Matthias	Heh. Got good reflexes, for someone who dresses that shabby. She actually blocked that.
Aeng-du	It was wise... of me to take the time to observe his form. That aftershock had quite the force. Lady Team Leader... are you unharmed?
Moses	... Thanks to you, yes. Let me help you walk. Keep the pressure on the wound to staunch the bleeding.
Aeng-du	Mm...! Let us fall back posthaste.
Kira	Hey!! Where d'you think you're going?!!!
The Human Thunderbolt	…….
Matthias	Ugh... clingy bastards... Looks like they'll keep comin' till I kill that sparkly bastard.
Matthias	Tch... Princess! Go on ahead and chase 'em down!
Kira	Rad! For real? Can I really finish them off?
Matthias	You bet! Papa's got some tidying up to do here.
Matthias	Let's see... my little girl's hands are hurt. Rules of the Book... Special Clause on the House of Spiders, Article 1, Paragraph 12 applied in entirety...
Matthias	... Wait a minute... Are these clowns with that jackass who snagged Ricardo's hair coupon? Man, just thinking about my bro running around rockin' some bristly-ass hairstyle cracked my heart in half...
Matthias	Between what they did to my bro Ricardo, and the wound they inflicted upon my daughter's hand...
Matthias	That's complete and total extermination!
Back to the present...
Location: LCE Research Team Security Unit
Moses	Judging from the ones freed from containment and the traces of escaped entities I saw on my way here... We're in no position to be picky about our options.
Outis	What other options do we have?
Moses	…….
Moses	I would much rather have formulated a plan around the Distortions delivered to the LCE with our own hands than use these Abnormalities, but that is not an option for us at this moment.
Moses	With that in mind, we are essentially down to one option: the current plan.
Moses	A hollow beckoning, nostalgia and constriction... and then, absorption.
Ezra	Wait... you don't mean...
Moses	Yes. The Abnormality whose vines never release their hold until its pure-white body of cotton is stained blood-red.
Moses	We'll make them face the Drenched Gossypium.

Episode: 20
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Sora	Huh? That's...!
Dante	<An Abnormality... "Shock Centipede," was it?>
Meursault	It is the same entity we repeatedly encountered during our passages through Dungeons and Refraction Railways, Manager.
Dante	<Which means we already know how to defeat it.>
Yi Sang	Though our means of dealing with it may mirror what has come prior, Dante, complacency would ill serve us.
Yi Sang	With the current disorder permeating this place, Qliphoth Deterrence may fail to function reliably...
Gregor	So we gotta stay sharp during the fight... I get it. Sora, Ravi—get behind me, okay?

Episode: 21
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Dante	<Still no signal?>
Gregor	... None. We've got no way to tell how everyone else is faring...
Gregor	Well, I won't assume the worst... No news is good news, right?
Yi Sang	Miss Alyssa... weighs on my mind. Would that we could find a solution before that spiral burrows any deeper...
Sora	Spiral...?
Sora	Oh, that Workshop-made weapon, right? The one that needs a password to unlock!
Yi Sang	Indeed... A troublesome thing.
Sora	Uhm... I... I know the basic principles behind it, but the only person who would know the password is the one who used it to stab the victim in the first place... B-but I'll do my best to look into it!
Yi Sang	…….
Ryoshu	…….
Gregor	Oh, that'd be a big help. So, Sora... you're into Workshop gears, huh?
Sora	Yes! It's been my thing for ages. Probably the only reason I was hired.
Ravi	Hmm...? Then what are you doing in the LCE? Shouldn't you be in L—
Ryoshu	Hey. Rookie.
Ravi	Yes?
Ryoshu	You're blocking my view. Back of the line, scoot.
Ravi	Ah—sorry about that.
Dante	<…?>
At Ryōshū's brusque order, Ravi shrank back awkwardly, his expression turning a little abashed.
Normally, Gregor and Yi Sang would've given Ryōshū a verbal nudge or two for being so rude to someone we'd just met, but as things were...
They simply watched on as Ravi stepped back and casually moved forward to fill his spot.
Gregor	Alright, Sora, why don't you come walk with me and talk shop? We're not nearly as well-versed in Workshop gear as you'd think.
Sora	R-really? Sure, I like talking to people.
Ravi	I do as well...
Yi Sang	Ravi, was it? You, too, seem most eager to acquaint yourself with novel technologies, as befits a researcher of scholarly disposition.
Yi Sang	You and I, together with Dante, ought to exchange views regarding this.
Dante	<But why...?>
Ravi	But why...?
Yi Sang	Ahh, I am pleased that you share our enthusiasm, Dante! Come—between the three of us, I am quite hopeful that we should be able to engage in an academic discussion of unfathomable depths.
I found myself suddenly swept into Yi Sang's somewhat awkward and hastily improvised academic symposium, trailing a pace behind Gregor and Sora.
Sora	You're all so kind... Th-thank you for being so nice to me.
Sora	I like n-nice people. My coworkers aren't like that, s-so I tend to feel left out a lot. I'm p-pretty sure they'll chew me out again for spacing out and falling behind.
Gregor	C'mon. There's no way they'd treat a surviving researcher that badly after what you went through. It's not like you botched an important mission or anything, right? I'd say you're in the clear.
Dante	<That's true enough...>
Gregor's words brought me back to all the plans we'd messed up—Saude's plans, more precisely—and left a tinge of regret in my mind.
Sora	Ah, th-they must be your leader.
Ryoshu	You're bad at reading people.
Dante	<... Are you saying I'm not leader material?>
Ryoshu	Heh. I'm saying you're more than just a "leader."
... I couldn't really imagine Ryōshū meant what she said, but I nodded anyway.
Yi Sang	Mm. I concur.
Sora	I thought so. Th-they really are your leader.
Sora	A-a leader... should be someone you can't quite read, yes...
Sora	It's cooler when a leader's got that m-mysterious aura.
Dante	<I-is it?>
Gregor	What are you getting all shy for?
Sora	Th-that's actually why I decided to join up here. I was previously in a F-Fixer Office, but I guess you could say I got scouted.
Yi Sang	Scouted? Come to think of it, the 12 of us were also "scouted" by Miss Faust.
Yi Sang	Miss Ryōshū, did you also receive... a promise from Miss Faust?
Ryoshu	Yeah.
Yi Sang	I am rather ashamed to admit... but I will say it nonetheless, as the scabs of time have grown over it.
Yi Sang	I don't think I truly believed what Miss Faust had promised me would come to pass... at least not wholeheartedly.
Yi Sang	At the time, I thought it nothing but a far-fetched dream.
Yi Sang	Had I possessed a little more conviction... perhaps I would not have spent so long having surrendered myself to the sinking descent...
Yi Sang	You, on the other hand.... never seemed to doubt Miss Faust's words since the very first moment you boarded the bus.
Ryoshu	... Hmph.
Gregor	Yeah... Ryōshū came off as the team's loose cannon at first, but turns out she's the one person who really had her act together.
Looking back, Ryōshū never once turned down a job, even though she always looked reluctant as if she were only going through the motions.
Contract or not... I doubt she'd come this far with Vergilius and me if she'd only half-bought into that promise of having her wish granted.
Ryoshu	It's not like I believed it from the start.
Ryoshu	It was simply that I couldn't not believe it.
Ryoshu	White Hair...
Ryoshu	This was how she started off:
Ryoshu	"It's remarkable..."
Location: -1
Faust	It's remarkable...
Faust	... that the thread didn't snap. That you're still holding onto that single strand.
Yoshihide	... What did you see that makes you say that?
Faust	The blood from the wounds you have made, and the wounds that were inflicted upon you... form a clear, crimson line.
Faust	That place... is a space only you can open. It may stand at the very heart of the spiderweb, but they will have no way to unlock it.
Faust	Allow me to tell you that you have made the most prudent choice, given your circumstances.
Yoshihide	…….
Yoshihide	Who sent you?
Yoshihide	I slashed my way out past the bastards who called themselves "Nursefathers." You think I can't slice off that tongue of yours after all that?
Faust	I am well aware—you even carved into your own mind to get here. You would not hesitate to kill me were you to decide that I posed even the slightest hindrance to your goal.
Faust	But now that you've hidden the child in a place no one else can open, all that's left for you is to wait for the day you can take her back out.
Faust	The wait will cover a span of time that isn't too short, nor too long. I imagine you leaned on the safer side when you set the dial—within 5 years.
Yoshihide	…….
Faust	Come with me, and I will help you obliterate that House... and be reunited with your daughter within 2 years.
Yoshihide	A contract, then? Who do you want me to kill in return?
Faust	…….
Faust	Not kill. Save.
Yoshihide	Save?
Faust	Face the sin...
Faust	Save the E.G.O.
Faust	That is the first line you must remember here in Limbus Company.
Yoshihide	... Dizzying.
Faust	Was that too difficult for you?
Yoshihide	... It's just that this is my first cig in a long while.
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Dante	<…….>
Dante	<Is the place where you hid your daughter... really safe?>
Ryoshu	Yeah.
Ryoshu	That place... is almost completely cut off from the flow of time outside.
Dante	<Cut off from the flow of time? Is it made from T Corp.'s Singularity?>
Ryoshu	Yeah. I tested it myself many times.
Ryoshu	The countless experiments I've done and the vows I've made should still be up here, somewhere between my shattered memories.
Ryoshu	That's why I was sure that when the time came, either the House of Spiders would follow the thread wrapped around my body to get to me, or that I'd follow it back to them. As long as this one strand of memory isn't lost... as long as the contract holds...
Dante	<Yeah. The contract... will be fulfilled.>

Episode: 22
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Sora	Oh! Th-the elevator's just around that corner.
Dante	<Right, I can feel the Golden Bough's presence getting closer...>
Dante	<Huh...?>
Unlike before, however, the energy from the Golden Bough wasn't coming through clearly.
As though layers of thin walls were blocking it...
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	You...
Dihui Star	.......
The Pinky Nursefather stood in front of the elevator, holding the container full of Golden Boughs.
And just like before, she stood there without so much as a twitch, almost like she'd been expecting us.
Radio	*tzzt* Ah—can you hear me? I would rather this not serve as my eleventh monologue broadcast. I've even activated the signal amplifier for this.
Gregor	... Yeah, we read you.
Radio	... Good. Power will be fully restored on our side soon.
Radio	The Golden Boughs... have you found them?
Gregor	... Yeah. They're right in front of us.
Gregor	Problem is, they're not in our hands... We just found the woman who swiped the container, waiting in front of the elevator.
Radio	... I see.
Radio	Can you keep her from taking the elevator? Once the power's back on... she might escape to another floor.
Hohenheim's voice sounded off...
Trembling just a bit—like he was holding something back.
Yi Sang	Hohenheim.
Yi Sang	Your voice... Are you all right?
Radio	I doubt things are any more pleasant on your side than they are here.
Gregor	Sure, but still... How's the situation there?
Radio	... Best focus on your own situation than mine.
Gregor	Right... At least it's just a single enemy here—we'll manage.
Ryoshu	Don't drop your guard. She's a Nursefather...
Ryoshu	Which means she's on a whole different level from her lackey.
Dante	<.......>
Given our current numbers... even the sort of enemy we could normally beat would push us to our limits.
If only I had all 12 Sinners here with me... we might've had a better chance.
But that doesn't mean we're just going to be twiddling our thumbs while the enemy gets away with the Golden Boughs right in front of our eyes.
Dante	<Be ready... to die more than a few times.>
Ravi	This... doesn't look good. Are you going to fight her?
Yi Sang	... It seems unavoidable.
Ravi	I could've assisted you had I been supplied with a suitable E.G.O gear...
Ravi	... but it doesn't look like there's anything I can do here. I'm sorry.
Gregor	Right. Smart call.
Ravi	Sora...? You have that shackle-shaped E.G.O. You'll be helping them, I assume?
Sora	H-huh...? I... I thought we were all going to take the elevator and escape together...
Gregor	Well, as you can see, one of the assailants got the Golden Boughs.
Sora	B-but she's got to be really, really strong... A-all my colleagues together wouldn't stand a chance against her. She'd snuff us out like candles in the wind.
Ravi	How do you know that...?
Gregor	We get it. You and Ravi just stay as far back as you can. You'll want to stay behind cover unless you wanna get caught in the middle of it.
Sora	N-no, I'll probably get scolded if I did that...
Sora	I don't want that. I've been doing a g-good job so far... I just want to be told I did okay...
Ravi	Sora...?
Ravi	Kergh...
Sora	I'm-I'm so sorry. Mister Rien said... if I ever met the f-family... I should help them.
Just as Sora turned and rushed toward me, Yi Sang and Meursault moved to block her...
... and Ryōshū shoved me out of the way.
Gregor	Yeah, figured that's how this'd go down.
Yi Sang	Dante!
Dante	<...!>
Ryōshū's sheathed blade came swinging down with enough force to cut Sora down where she stood...
But no sooner had I heard the metallic rattle of chains behind me than a sharp pain tore through my shoulder.
Dante	<Gah...!>
Ryoshu	That movement... You must be the Index Nursefather's N.C.
Losing my balance, I crumpled to the floor. When I looked up... Sora was already braced for combat, slipping into a battle stance.
Sora	I-I didn't want to hurt any of you, really. I just wanted to take the elevator and leave with all of you...
Sora	B-but the Prescript told me otherwise. B-besides, I do prefer to d-do what Mister Rien wants...
Yi Sang	... As expected. You are of the House of Spiders.
Sora	I-I wish Ravi and I could've had that vanilla ice cream together...
Sora	Th-the other children... they were never that nice to me.
Gregor	... Ravi was nice to you because he believed you were a colleague.
Sora	Oh, r-right. That gear I had on, I'd borrowed it from a corpse... Then I guess Ravi... wouldn't have wanted to share vanilla ice cream with me after all...
Yi Sang	And Ravi...
Ryoshu	O.O.F. He's gone.
Meursault	Our mutual, tacit recognition of the threat allowed us to quickly distance the manager and the new hire away from the assailant. However, the circumstances of the attack forced us to choose one over the other.
... Ravi lay in the corner of the corridor, half his body torn apart.
Ryoshu	Clock. Can you stand?
Dante	<Hrrk... Don't think so.>
Sora	Y-you're the leader, so I thought I should take you out first... S-sorry.
Sora	I-I really liked listening... to the tick-tock. What a shame... It sounded a bit like Mister Rien's p-pager.
Sora gazed down at me, face drawn into a tearful pout as though she were genuinely apologetic.
Sora	T-too bad, no one here can fix your wounds...
... It was hard to deny that.
If only I'd had more power... maybe Ravi could've been saved. At the very least, I wouldn't be this badly hurt.
I probably should've done something too while Sinclair was going through his training.
Ryoshu	You can still keep ticking, can't you?
Dante	<... Yeah.>
But this isn't the time to dwell on what I could've done.
First... I have to do what I must. What I can do now.

Episode: 23
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
Dante	<That's... E.G.O!>
Yi Sang	Are you certain?
Dante	<Yeah... I can feel it.>
Yi Sang	She has Effloresced an E.G.O of her own afore our paths crossed...
Sora	M-Mister Rien said manifesting E.G.O isn't something just anyone can do.
Sora	He said h-he's jealous of me. H-having such an unshakable conviction about what's good and evil is nothing short of amazing, he said...
Sora	H-hearing that, I couldn't help thinking—e-even if the day the whole family's been waiting for comes, even when my big sis Y-Yoshihide finally comes home...
Sora	M-maybe, just maybe... they'll make an exception and let me stay.
Sora	So p-put in a good word for me with Mister Rien, please? T-tell him I've always done my best.

Episode: 24
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
???	I'd hoped to offer you a more proper greeting, should we ever meet.
???	First impressions matter a great deal, after all.
Sora	Nngh...! Aah...
A figure appeared from the direction the weapon had flown in.
The man brushed the dust from his coat as he walked in with unbothered ease, looking for all the world like this situation had nothing to do with him whatsoever...
Yet his harpoon had already blasted Sora a good distance out of my sight even before the explosive sound could reach me.
???	The situation, however, doesn't seem inclined to give me any room for proper courtesy. Allow me to keep this brief.
Vespa	Vespa Crabro. LCD.
Dante	<Ah, this is the guy Ezra mentioned...>
Hearing my ticking, Vespa briefly furrowed his brow in puzzlement before checking the watch he pulled from his pocket.
Vespa	I was originally headed for the Team Leader's location...
Vespa	But things looked bad enough here that I judged it best to provide a little backup.
Gregor	The comms are down... The LCD probably isn't in a good spot either. You sure you're fine staying here?
Vespa	The Team Leader always tells me it's high time I started thinking and deciding for myself.
Vespa	It'll be fine. She's not the sort to go down easily against someone on the level of an officer of the Fingers.
Vespa	There are two of them... Which one should I take on?
Ryoshu	Go for Glasses. Her E.G.O's a nuisance.
Sora	Uh... C-could you please call me by my name, not "Glasses?"
Vespa	... Are most of the assailants at about their level?
Ryoshu	Yeah. That, or stronger.
Vespa	In that case, I must regrettably go back on what I said earlier. I'm starting to suspect our Team Leader might not be able to last as long as I thought.
Vespa	This is clearly an extraordinary circumstance, though that isn't anything new. I will wrap things up here ASAP... and return to the LCD team.
Gregor	Heh. We'll owe you big time if you can do that.
Dihui Star	…….
The Pinky Nursefather remained perfectly still as she continued to fixate on us with her stare.
She made no attempt to help Sora, nor did she look for another way out.
She simply stood there, watching in silence... with the bundle of Golden Boughs in her grasp.

Episode: 25
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
Vespa moved with absolute efficiency. One moment his harpoon would deflect his opponent's blow; the next, it was carving out an opening for the Sinners to land their attack.
After a brief but fierce joint battle... the Index Apprentice fell to the ground, then could not bring herself back up.
Location: -1
Rien	Darling.
Rien	You just put them together. Like this...
Yoshihide	Fpoon? How many times are you gonna use that lame simile?
Rien	Spork. Just like spork.
Yoshihide	Fpoon.
Rien	Correct. Spork. The world isn't just divided into forks and spoons...
Rien	Putting the two together can be an answer, too.
Rien	Remember that whatever situation you're in. Even two techniques that look like total opposites...
Rien	... can coexist just fine.
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	The quickest, deadliest form of attack may come in the form of a straight line...
Ryoshu	But it can be redirected by a curve.
Sora	Whoa... Did Mister Rien... tell you that...?
Sora	That's so cool...
Sora	Um... C-could you... tell me some more? Anything that he used... to say...
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	You'd rather waste the last moments of your life... on his ramblings?
Gregor	Hey, the fight's not over yet. We can't waste time chatting with an enemy we already put down.
Gregor	Just look at the other one... she seems way stronger.
That's right. The fight's not over yet.
... The Pinky Nursefather merely watches on from the sidelines with a quiet composure that tells us she could step into the fight at any moment if she wanted.
Off to the side, I can see Vespa stealing glances at the watch on his wrist, looking anxious.
... And I know that the people he wants to protect—the people he has to protect—aren't us.
Dante	<Meursault, tell Vespa...>
Dante	<We'll be handling things from here on out.>
Meursault	Understood, Manager.
Meursault	Your colleagues are located to the southeast of this corridor.
Meursault	Considering the time of their departure, they should be approximately 2 kilometers away.
Vespa	... You. Have we met somewhere before?
Meursault	We have.
Vespa	... I see.
Vespa	Thank you for letting me know. I will take my leave.
Vespa seemed to grasp something from that brief exchange and gave a curt nod.
Vespa	I hope we'll meet again soon for proper introductions.
Dante	<... Well, there he goes.>
Once Vespa left us, the Pinky Nursefather's oppressive presence again seems to suffocate the air out of the hallway.
It appeared for some reason that her purpose here wasn't to kill us by any means; I'd sent Vespa away for that precise reason, and by some fortune, I seemed to have been correct in doing so. However...
Dante	<In hindsight, maybe letting Vespa go was a bad idea considering what we're up against...>
Meursault	He would not have cooperated further, Manager.
Meursault	That man has an uncompromising sense of punctuality.
Dante	<Eh? You know that guy, Meursault?>
Meursault	It is true that I am acquainted with him, but not in the scope of familiarity that society typically attributes to the word.
Dante	<Where'd you even meet someone that strong... w-wait, you weren't enemies, were you?>
Meursault	No. He used to be a Taboo Hunter at N Corp.
Yi Sang	N Corp.... Indeed, you once mentioned being an employee there.
Meursault	I did.
Gregor	So... were you a Taboo Hunter too?
Meursault	I was not.
Meursault	I had merely come upon an opportunity to examine his file,
Meursault	and frequented the places the examination suggested a high chance of encountering him until our paths crossed.
Dante	<So you ran into him on purpose? Why?>
Meursault	... Mm. There was no reason not to, Manager.
Gregor	What does that even...
Ryoshu	.......
Ryōshū never once turned an ear toward us throughout the entire conversation.
Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that she couldn't.
Dihui Star	.......
She was, after all, glowering at the Pinky Nursefather with an unblinking gaze that seemed ready to bore a hole into her.
Ryoshu	... How nauseatingly self-assured.
Just as Ryōshū said, the woman showed no signs of hostility, either—she was simply watching us, waiting for our next move.
... But that wasn't much consolation. I still couldn't think of any way that'd allow us to come out on top in this situation.
If only the Sinners were all here with me... we might've had a chance, but...
Dante	<Here with me, huh...>
Come to think of it, this wasn't the first time the Sinners were separated from me.
We'd previously been separated when we were ambushed back in Hongyuan, at that fake kezhan... and also when Don Quixote had briefly departed us in La Manchaland...
But despite the distance, these invisible chains that bound me and the Sinners had never once been severed.
Even when they were killed, departing to a place I couldn't follow, I always managed to reach past the searing gates of hellfire and bring them back through the impossible.
So... as long as these chains bind us together... maybe I can pull them to me, wherever they are?
Dante	<Return to me, stand with me here...>
Return to me, stand with me here... stand tall... >
Location: -1
%*)(!&*■■(#%■■■#@(#■■.
Dante	<Agh?!>
Intense pain ravages through me, and my vision darkens as if my nonexistent eyelids were closing.
As if... I'd just perceived something I wasn't ready to face.
Gregor	... Manager Bud?
Dante	<Earth be my head, the sky be at my feet.>
Dante	<The ladder is laid skyward, and the final Kingdom's heart lies penetrated.>
Ryoshu	C.H. is on fire again.
Yi Sang	This is much akin to the incident at the Yong-jin building...! The flame atop their head burns hot like true fire, as though a detonation is nigh!
Dante	<32 paths are revealed. The rises and falls of breaths are exiled and returned at the hour of inequivalence.>
Gregor	They did eventually snap out of it last time...
Dante	<I am the key and the lock of the steadfast gate. The bell that once rang at the end rings the beginning.>
Dante	<In the new Millennial Kingdom shall the thirteen stand by my side.>
Ryoshu	... Oho.
Ryoshu	Not 12?
Yi Sang	Miss Rodya? Sinclair...?
Gregor	... Huh? W-what the heck? When'd you fellas get here? What happened to the LCE and the LCD?
Meursault	No response. This is...
The heat dissipates, and my head cools once again...

Episode: 26
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Kira	Uh, hi, my playmates! Looks like I'm one room away from finding you guys!
Kira	Kinda like that hide-and-seek song papa used to sing me when we'd play!
Location: LCE Research Team Security Unit
Rodion	... Okay! Donezo. She should be coming into this containment unit any minute.
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Ezra	*huff* *huff* Detective! We drew the escaped Peccatula this way! Apparently they've got Stage 3 Peccas, too!
Outis	Do we have everything we need for our stratagem?
Rodion	Sooo~ Are ya sure about this? I mean, we did explain everything we know to you, but... the whole plan came from your head.
Moses	If you're talking about cross-validation, you'll be pleased to hear that our review of the Observation Logs has already verified the efficacy of this plan. I see no reason to make any last-minute changes.
Rodion	Okay, but what if it doesn't go according to plan? What if something goes wrong, or... Y'know, didya prepare a Plan B in case that happens?
Moses	I did not.
Rodion	... Eh?
Outis	That's some impressive confidence. Don't most people prepare a Plan B when they have even the slightest misgivings about their Plan A?
Moses	Why would there be a Plan B when this isn't even my Plan A? There is no Plan B.
Moses	We are outnumbered and outgunned; this just happened to be the only way we could buy time.
Moses	Was the War any different? You should know perfect planning seldom leads to perfect execution.
Outis	... Hm.
Rodion	Well~ I guess Moses doesn't have lives to burn through like we do. She wouldn't dare wing it in this life-and-death situation.
Moses	... Voila.
Location: LCE Research Team Security Unit
Kira	What's this thing supposed to be? Ooh, it looks super weird...
Kira	Is this a flower...? I don't remember chopping up anything that looked like this earlier...
Kira	Doesn't look like it can talk either, so... Oh, are ya like, waving at me to come over?
Kira	Ooh~ I know what's going on here! You're trying to buy time—
Kira	Huh?
Drenched Gossypium	…!
Kira	Nngh... What the hell are you doing? Tryna jab me and suck my blood dry, huh?!
Kira	In your dreams, dumbass! Hah, piece of cake!
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Ishmael	She just... cut it off?
Rodion	Wait, you can just cut it off?
Outis	We must quickly make adjustments to this plan to—
Moses	No, that development is a part of the plan.
Moses	Every time the crushing loneliness set in, she must've endured it by burying herself in comic books and videogames.
Moses	And that is her only connection to her so-called "father"... She obsessed over games not as mere "entertainment"—for her, it was survival, it was what kept her going. Then...
Ishmael	Hmm... if that's true, then she'll fight the Abnormality like she's playing a videogame.
Ishmael	As a rule of thumb, when running blind into a "boss fight," the go-to strat is usually...
Moses	... Dealing with the mooks that get in the way.
Moses	But that rule doesn't apply to this "boss." She can cut down the mooks all she wants, but that'll only get her covered in more gossypium.
Moses	You've fought it before, haven't you? Once you're covered in its gossypium...
Ishmael	... It becomes nearly impossible even to parry the Drenched Gossypium's attacks.
Location: LCE Research Team Security Unit
Ishmael	It'll have built up too much power.
Drenched Gossypium	…!
Kira	Is this like an invincibility phase? You're jabbing stalks into the adds to give yourself some kinda HoT buff, aren'tcha?
Kira	Then I gotta take out the adds first—!
Kira	Agh, dangit...!
Drenched Gossypium	…!
Kira	W-what's going on?! My sword's not— When'd that monster turn red...!?
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Moses	This plan would not have worked had her Nursefather joined her earlier than expected. We got lucky.
Outis	... This Abnormality presents the kind of challenge that is difficult to overcome alone. We could deploy the same strategy against the Middle Nursefather later.
Outis	We're not out of the woods yet, but this was quite the clever—
Matthias	There you are! Been cooped up in here all along like a bunch of scared chickens, eh?
Outis	…?
Matthias	Aw, didn't ya watch papa put together his plamo kits? When the model kit's got way too many pointy sprues like these...
Ishmael	... Get down!
Location: LCE Research Team Security Unit
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Matthias	…….
Matthias	... you gotta chop 'em off before you get building.
Outis	... He destroyed every Peccatulum and vine in the vicinity with a single swing...!
Rodion	And totally wrecked the ceiling, too...
Location: LCE Research Team Security Unit
Matthias	Yo~! Papa's back~
Matthias	Gonna sit on your butt all day, princess?
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Aeng-du	... To cleave through the Gossypium before any of its blossoms could even land...
Matthias	Why work with your brains when you've got the brawn?
Matthias	Thanks for letting my kid play with you folks. It's hide-'n-seek, right? Mind if I take over for her for a sec?
Moses	*exhale*
Moses	Looks like... we've managed to buy ourselves some time.
Ezra	Nngh... This is it! We're gonna have to fight this guy!
Ezra	Bus team, you guys ready?
Ishmael	Of c—
Rodion	Huh...? Ishy—
Outis	They both fell unconscious. What—
Outis	…….
Ezra	Huh...?
Ezra	Huuuuh?
Ezra	Hey... hey! What's wrong? Guys?
Moses	…….
Ezra	You asshole, what the hell did you do to them? Why'd they all suddenly—
Matthias	What? I didn't even lift a finger. Alright, you're getting written up in the book for trying to frame me for this.
Aeng-du	... This has naught to do with that man, nor with the Distortion...
Ezra	Well, what else can we— What— I'm frickin' losing my mind here, guys! Get up! C'mon!
Moses	Ezra, shaking them hardly seems to be the solution to bring them back to consciousness.
Ezra	... Got it. Then I'll try to draw that bastard's attention, while—
Moses	Calm down. I think we can... I think we can all survive this.
Moses	*exhale*
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Moses	The standard method of defeating this Abnormality... is to chip away at the pearl gradually. But if one destroys the "pearl," and only the pearl, in a single strike...
Moses	Aeng-du. How are your arms?
Aeng-du	I shan't rest until they are physically torn from my body.
Moses	Ezra. Remember that room packed full of Peccatula?
Ezra	Yep!
Moses	Very well. Then...
…….
Matthias	Phew! Wasn't that fun? Looks like my little girl's learned a lot, too.
Matthias	Glad to see you nerds are not all talk. That first stunt you pulled on me sure had some bite—those galvanized corpses were, well... electrifying.
Matthias	Got any more toys to throw at me, or are ya all outta stock?
Moses	Gonna have to close up shop soon, but... let me get you an extra something on the house.
Matthias	Oh?
Moses	We'll be back with the stock, so... enjoy this in the meantime.
Moses	Ezra, open it!
Ezra	Got it...!
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Ezra	What an absolute monster... Just how many augmentations has he gotten? This is overkill, especially for the Middle...
Moses	The Abnormality covered him in paralytic, corrosive venom... and dumped a bucketful of crawling larvae to eat into his skin...
Moses	... and yet, none of them managed to hurt him.
Matthias	Venom? Was that really supposed to be your cherry on top? You're terrible at choosing toys.
Moses	*sigh*
Moses	What a troublesome brat you are. Were you this much of a menace with your toys as a kid, too?
Matthias	Sorry, I get tired of things rather easily.
Matthias	And when I get tired of something, I smash it. And now that I'm tired of everything... I've no reason to hesitate.
Moses	…….
Moses	What about... Model Kit Iron Host Mk4?
Aeng-du	... Lady Team Leader? This is hardly the time to be going off on a tangent...
Ezra	Shh, just let the magic happen...!
Matthias	... How do you know that legendary series?
Moses	The Mk4 series was the last product ever released before that toy factory closed shop. Naturally, its stock was extremely limited.
Moses	And the only person who understood the true significance of that was... tragically, none other than a certain little boy.
Matthias	…….
Moses	No one, no one cared how much this mattered to you, did they? The world would never see such a toy again—it was a singular release, leagues apart from what you already had at home, and yet...
Aeng-du	... He has assumed an odd expression. Perhaps a certain recollection consumes him.
Ezra	The Detective saw right through him... and found the Distortion lurking in his heart.
Moses	... Ezra, now!
Ezra	Gotcha! Another round with the powered gauntlets, right?
Moses	Charge at him, frontal assault! I'll chain him up with my pipe!
Moses	*exhale*
Matthias	What in the... What's this purple thing?
Matthias	You did all that brain screw just to put me in these... toy cuffs?
Moses	Nothing so fancy—I simply verbalized what I saw within you... in a convincing manner.
Matthias	Hah!
Matthias	Tsk... trying to break free only tightens it, eh?
Ezra	We gotta capitalize on this chance as much as we can... Aeng-du!
Aeng-du	Sword of the Homeland... Valorbound Acupunture Dive (勇躍一刺).
Aeng-du	If this blade be so swift that it overwhelms any effort to steer its path...
Aeng-du	... then an unbending trajectory like that of a loosened arrow shall strike true—!
Matthias	…….
Ezra	Graah...!
Aeng-du	Miss Ezra!
Matthias	The gauntlet distracts... while the swift sword goes for my head. That your game?
Aeng-du	... How... did he unbind himself...?
Moses	Ngh... That leg of his...
Matthias	Weren't expecting to see Moonlight Stones, were ya?
Matthias	I just needed to free this one leg. It's too bad my hand isn't free to open the book, though...
Moses	Agh... dammit...
Matthias	But forcing me to live through that day again is a crime that... doesn't even need to be written down in the book.
Matthias	Your death ain't gonna be pretty, lady!
Moses	Even deep purple didn't work... Dammit, that Moonlight...!
Matthias	Was that trick... supposed to mess with my head, too?
Matthias	Impressive, really. You turned one of the finest Moonlight Stones M Corp. had to offer... totally opaque.
Aeng-du	Agh... *cough*
Aeng-du	... The blade snapped... I failed to even make a scratch.
Matthias	As for you... You lunged at me knowing that both of your arms would be ripped off at that speed?
Aeng-du	As that is... how a Salsu must carry herself...
Matthias	... Y'see, while I'm easily distracted, I often find myself earnestly captivated by shiny new releases.
Matthias	So, I think some commendations are due.
Matthias	You are, truly... the image of valor. Look at how your torn arms are still clutching the hilt of that sword!
Matthias	Man, you guys actually got me kinda winded... I'm a big fan of these gimmicky fights.
Moses	And thanks to that, we managed to buy ourselves enough time...
Matthias	Hah, that so? I can hear something coming this way. Got me some more monsters, eh...?
Aeng-du	Were... were there more... Abnormalities or Distortions... *cough* remaining?
Ezra	... Heh. We've got something even worse.
Matthias	…!
Vespa	Apologies for the delay, Team Leader.
Vespa	They took their sweet time with the paperwork.
Moses	…….
Moses	Of course they did. Business as usual for the Hana Association, especially for something like this.
Moses	I assume you passed the evaluation?
Vespa	I have. And was designated a Color.
Ezra	Baby bee! ... Don't—*cough*—tell me.... You weren't stalling behind that wall for a dramatic entrance, were ya?
Vespa	*sigh* Why would I do that? I beelined here as fast as I could, cutting through every wall between me and your position.
Matthias	... No one's ever bested my strength, even when I was active in the biz.
Matthias	This is fun. What's your name, my man? I don't think I've heard of anyone like you in my prime.
Vespa	Aren't you a talkative piece of Finger trash? A rancid one, at that...
Matthias	Hngh...!
Vespa	I won't give you the honor of learning my name, Middle scum.
Ezra	Hey, Junior~ *cough* Didya... did my uber-recommended name get pushed through...?
Vespa	... It did. There were... other options, but... *sigh* Yes, that's the name.
Ezra	Heh heh... That's rad~ Then—*cough*—monster dude, prepare to go on the record as the Yellow Harpoon's first kill!
Ezra	I'm sure you can tell from the way it sounds, but I'm the one who came up with that name!

Episode: 27
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
???	Oh, please don't use your right arm to parry my strikes. It hurts me to see a good ingredient marred.
Don Quixote	Nngh... Silence!
Don Quixote	I would much rather remove my own arm than have it be a part of thine iniquitous art.
???	In the absence of aesthetics, self-harm for the sole purpose of survival is a rather hideous thing, but...
???	... perhaps your arm, removed in a moment of great passion... has the potential to be a decent piece of art.
Heathcliff	Oi... don't you bother answerin' his drivel, lass. Let 'im tire himself out talking.
Sinclair	... We're gonna have to attack him all at once. All four of us.
Heathcliff	You're gettin' it, lad! You're a right proper brawler now!
Faust	...!
Faust	No, you must wait. This is—
Heathcliff	Whassit? If we don't deal with that git right this instant, he'll—
Radio	Assistant...?
Faust	This is...
Faust	Hohenheim...!
Location: LCE Research Team Facility Management Room
Radio	.......
Radio	.......
Marton	W-what is going on?!
Hohenheim	... I think she was about to ask for forgiveness.
Hohenheim	This situation is certainly... an outlier, isn't it?
???	Could the threads have unraveled...? Oh, or perhaps they have been dragged away by their threads.
???	The City boasts many a work of art, yet Yoshihide found the marionette dolls particularly distasteful.
???	That child believed those puppets to be... how should I put this? Mere simulacra. Simulacra may be infinitely similar to what is "real," but to her, no matter how meticulously their details were recreated... they were worthless next to the living, breathing "reality."
???	But please, one should not be in such haste to dismiss their qualities as mere simulacra. Do try to assume a flexible perspective; from a certain point of view, they may be what constitute a utopia.
???	Perhaps, despite our disparities... if we were to together ascend the strings that bind us, inch by inch...
???	... we may find, at their end, a single hand that puppeteers us all.
Hohenheim	It is indeed fascinating that a card-carrying member of the Ring would spout a baseless Backstreets rumor that the Five Fingers are, in truth, one hand. However, such unverified conspiracy theories are useless to researchers like ourselves.
Hohenheim	Regardless, it seems that the assistant's bold plan has fallen through already.
Marton	.......
Hohenheim	This is yet another demonstration of why we can never have too many backup plans. Hm. When was our last battle test? 3 days ago?
Marton	... 4 days ago.
Marton	You grumbled about how disappointing the results were, given the budget that went into the project... and bought us coffee. From a vending machine.
Hohenheim	You've got... quite a sharp memory, too. But going by the exact number of hours that have passed since then, it is closer to 3 days.
Hohenheim	Anyway, you have nothing to worry about. While I cannot deny that I still have some misgivings about your expertise in electrical engineering, I am not exactly at liberty to choose. Let us elect Plan B as our—
Marton	Boss.
Hohenheim	.......
Marton	I've just come up with a more surefire plan.
Marton	Your Plan B's full of holes, and I don't like its odds. I know you agree.
Hohenheim	... Do not entertain that foolish thought.
Hohenheim	I know what you're thinking. I suppose... that could be the most one can expect from an ordinary mind such as yours. But—
Marton	Hohenheim. Boss.
Hohenheim	Stop—not another word. You... you have to give me some time to think of another plan.
Marton	Remember our last test with my Lantern E.G.O Gear? It had a pretty respectable energy output at 70% Attunement. Not to mention how it activates its "charm" effect at that rate.
Marton	If I were to raise that output to 120%... I should be able to draw his attention for a maximum of 5 minutes. For you, Boss, that's more than enough time to conduct the remaining repairs.
Hohenheim	The E.G.O gear cannot handle the energy output at 120% Attunement. It will explode, and you will end up taking the full brunt of—
Hohenheim	... Will my words... my objection... do anything to change your mind?
Marton	... No, it won't. I'm sorry.
Hohenheim	.......
Marton	As for Alyssa... Well, I'm sure they'll keep their word, no matter what. If they manage to rescue her, then... please look after her, okay?
Hohenheim	Marton...
???	Such composure. You don't seem to care much that your pupil has abandoned you.
Hohenheim	If only that were true.
Hohenheim	... If only that were true... I wouldn't be in this pit of devastation.
???	Have you any last words to impart to the world? Most ingredients I use for my work like to let out a dying cry as though its volume is the determinant of life and death... Usually, around this point in my creative process.
Hohenheim	... No, I do not.
Hohenheim	The accomplishments I have achieved in this life are far too extensive and significant to be condensed into a mere few words.
???	... A rather grandiose statement to be carved into such a frail, unremarkable body.
???	But I like it. Rest assured, I will carve them with utmost care.
Hohenheim	.......
???	This may not be the end you had in mind, but please don't let yourself be so crestfallen.
???	You... and your fleeing friend... were no more than spalls to be chipped away to sculpt the core into a most beauteous form.
Hohenheim	Every being exists in mutual similitude, yet each of them leads a life of their own.
???	... What is that light?
Hohenheim	"Spalls to be chipped away"... I might be compelled to agree, had you referred to only me. But your assessment failed when you thought of me as highly as you did him.
Hohenheim	For who in the world would be so blind as to see such brilliance as a mere spall?
???	Ohh...
???	Indeed... what a beautiful, incandescent hue of teal...

Episode: 28
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
My blurred vision slowly comes into focus, as does my dazed mind.
It feels like... something just wreaked havoc through my head...
Dante	<Faust... Know anything about what just happened...?>
Faust	.......
Dante	<Faust?>
Wait... Why is everyone here?
Dante	<Uh... did you guys finish restoring the facility...? Why's... Why's everyone here?>
Meursault	I will explain the sequence of events, as it is clear that the manager once again remembers none of it.
Meursault	Approximately 7 minutes prior, the flame on your head began to conflagrate as it did in the previously observed instance, before the absent Sinners were, for lack of a better descriptor, "summoned" or "materialized" here.
Dante	<I... did that?>
I remember thinking really hard that I needed the Sinners to be here, but... Ah, did I unlock a new power the way I did in our times of need—like when we fought Don Quixote or when we were helping Hong Lu?
Dante	<But this feels... different. Maybe it's a power to summon the Sinners to me when things get dicey?>
Yi Sang	... Nay, that does not seem to be the case, Dante.
Yi Sang	What you have summoned are not the Sinners...
Yi Sang	... but Identities, their forms mirror-reflected and opaquely shaped, yet inarguably overwritten.
Like Yi Sang said... the summoned Sinners all stood in eerie silence.
It was like I was staring at their empty husks standing at the ready for my command.
Dante	<Their Identities... Then what about the actual Sinners who are still separated from us?>
Gregor	No way for us to know at this point.
Gregor	... Let's just appreciate this opportunity while we have it. What matters is that we do not lose the Golden Boughs, right?
... He's not wrong.
Dante	<I don't like this, but... we're not exactly in a position to pick and choose.>
The 12 Sinners, now together, approached the sole enemy.

Episode: 29
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
The Identities were incomplete, perhaps due to the abruptness with which they were summoned...
... and were nowhere strong enough to stand against the Pinky Nursefather.
Dante	<... Am I not even a threat to her?>
She did not cast even a sideways glance toward me, as though to say that so long as I didn't stand in her way, she wouldn't bother attacking me.
Ryoshu	*sigh* Let's go again, C.H....
Dihui Star	...
Her quiet gaze was fixed intently on Ryōshū's wounded form.
Announcer	Facility power restoration complete.
The PA system buzzes, and the whirring sounds I assume to be coming from the reactivated elevators begin filling the hallways.
Dihui Star	.......
Ryoshu	... Crawling back to the House of Spiders... with that, huh?
Dihui Star	.......
Ryoshu	*sigh*... You're much more tolerable mute. Glad I S.Y.T.C.
That was when the woman began to speak from behind the veil...
... even though I was certain her tongue had been cut off, as I'd seen in that memory.
Dihui Star	... What an unbearable sight it is...
Dihui Star	... to see you still holding on...
Dihui Star	Holding onto that single, frayed thread of memory.
Ryoshu	...!
Ryoshu	... How... how are you speaking...?
Ryoshu	I remember chopping off your foul tongue... with this sword.
Dihui Star	There should be nothing left of your mind but shattered bits of memory...
Dihui Star	Why even go through all this trouble to save that thing?
Ryoshu	... I'm still holding on to that single thread.
Ryoshu	And it led me here. I'm going through all this trouble because I can still see that single thread, still connected through where everything has been severed and sheared.
Dihui Star	Wrong. You've got it backwards.
Dihui Star	It is precisely because everything else has been severed and sheared that your feelings are mere illusions.
Dihui Star	Do you even remember her face? Her voice? Her height? Do you even remember how you used to spend time with her?
Ryoshu	.......
Location: -1
???	Mommy.
???	... Can I call you mommy?
Yoshihide	You can call me whatever. It doesn't matter.
???	But it does.
???	There's a biiiiig difference, mommy.
???	It's got a different echo, don'tcha think?
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
Dihui Star	Admit it already.
Dihui Star	You're holding onto that thread because without it, you'd have nothing left.
Dihui Star	That's why you're hugging so tightly onto that illusion... like it's your everything.
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	... Hilarious.
Ryoshu	Had it been all those years ago... Your words would've cut through my heart like a knife.
Location: -1
Yoshihide	Why do you... why do you always talk to me like that, Mother?
Yoshihide	Whenever you do that, it hurts... it hurts right here even though I don't bleed. Like you're stabbing me.
Dihui Star	So...
Dihui Star	... does that make you feel miserable?
Yoshihide	... Huh?
Dihui Star	My life has been nothing but an unending stream of misery ever since you happened. Did you know that?
Yoshihide	.......
Dihui Star	Go ahead, answer me.
Yoshihide	I kno— I know.
Dihui Star	Good. Don't you ever forget that.
Dihui Star	Don't forget that you're the weight tied to my ankle. You dragged me down here.
Dihui Star	And you have the nerve to whine about some... mean words?
Yoshihide	Ah...
Dihui Star	... When did I permit you to look at my face? Look away!
Yoshihide	Sorry.
Yoshihide	I won't look at your face without your permission, Mother. I won't complain about hurting, either. I'm sorry...
Yoshihide	I'm sorry...
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
Ryoshu	None of you has changed one bit since the last time I saw you. And that is so... satisfying to watch.
Ryoshu	All you ever know to do is blame everyone else for your miseries while never trying to change yourselves.
Ryoshu	No wonder none of you ever managed to leave the House of Spiders, that quagmire of a place.
Dihui Star	Quagmire...
Dihui Star	I don't disagree.
Dihui Star	The only way to be free... is never to have been caught in it to begin with.
Dihui Star	For you and me both.
The Pinky Nursefather let out a wry laughter as she muttered.
Dihui Star	Besides, we are no strangers, you and I. We've lived under the same roof for years, haven't we?
Dihui Star	I don't know about the other Nursefathers, but... I can see right through your mind.
Dihui Star	Perhaps... for you, hiding that child inside that safe may have seemed like the best plan at the time.
Ryoshu	...!
Dihui Star	What a tight space you've squeezed her into. A hole so small that only a child could have ever hoped to fit inside.
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	What... did you say?
The Pinky Nursefather smote down upon Ryōshū's sword, holding it in place.
Dihui Star	You dare swing that thing at me, presumptuous fool?
Dihui Star	If you're serious about this, do unsheathe the sword as you did then.
Dihui Star	You're nothing if you've no heart to do even that.
Ryoshu	Aagh...
Dihui Star	You always make that same face whenever I hurt you.
Ryoshu	Why do you... Why do you always...
Ryoshu	... lk to... me like...
Location: -1
Dihui Star	On the day you swung that sword with such abandon...
Dihui Star	... you left a rather nasty wound on me.
Ryoshu	"Whatever this blade cut once... will become cut again in its presence."
Ryoshu	"A wound that once healed shall reopen... and the prosthetics that replaced the limbs shall fall away and reveal the old amputations as their mechanical joints come apart."
Dihui Star	......
Ryoshu	That was supposed to be the absolute rule of this blade. A rule without exceptions. You told me that this power demands the sacrifice of memories—the truest proof that it is real.
Dihui Star	Well... when has the discussion of truths and lies ever meant anything?

Episode: 30
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Valencina	…….
Valencina	Once I'm reinstated... I'm gonna get that central Consigliere bitch to give me something for the trouble.
Valencina	Hah... that fucker has no idea what kind of shit I'm going through out here.
Vergilius	The House of Spiders.
Vergilius	... How is it that it's still operational?
Valencina	Hah, you really know how to fuck with my ego.
Valencina	A bit rude, don't you think? I'm standing right here... you could at least do me the courtesy of pretending to be winded. This isn't a goddamn Q&A session.
Vergilius	I know you and the rest have infiltrated the HQ Research Facility because you couldn't let Sinner #4 go.
Valencina	"Sinner"...? You've got some awful manners, calling my kid something like that. Gave her a number like she's some prisoner, too.
Valencina	You overestimate your connection to my Ticket, Red Gaze. Your journey has lasted barely more than a year, and you're lording over her like you're in charge, calling her Sinner this, Sinner that?
Valencina	I've been teaching Ticket ever since her tiny little baby hands held a knife for the first time.
Vergilius	There's got to be more than your twisted, possessive sense of attachment that kept the House of Spiders alive for all those years.
Vergilius	It seems that all of you are bound there by something that only Sinner #4 can provide... Something you're all still holding onto.
Valencina	You have no idea what I had to endure to get my Ticket... I'm not letting her go to waste like some shitty scrap paper.
Valencina	Oh yes, over a decade's worth of preparation went into it—she's the culmination of our collective wish.
Valencina	Thanks for looking after our runaway pup, but she's got some pedigree, you know? It's about time you sent her back to her loving parents.
Vergilius	... This is what you've been stalling for, I see.
Valencina	*sigh* Yeah. This shit gig's coming to an end, too.
Valencina	And don't you even think about activating that E.G.O of yours.
Valencina	My neighbor's good-for-nothing burden uses that too... And it's always so obvious when she's about to use it.
Vergilius	... You think you can get away from me if I don't activate my E.G.O?
Valencina	Ooh, sooo scary.
Valencina	... I know what you're good at, and I know what got you that "Red" color.
Valencina	The Smoke War, Syndicate Strifes, Finger Bow-bell... I've already seen and done too much. Once I'd tumbled through all those big events... I'd made so many connections, that things that I shouldn't know... shouldn't be able to know... follow the thread right back to my eyes and ears.
Vergilius	Intriguing. To think that there are idlers who've got enough time on their hands to... feed a stray dog forsaken by her Famiglia. Wouldn't you agree, Valencina?
Valencina	Shut. Up. Stop trying to get a rise outta me.
Valencina	If it weren't for Rien's "plan," I would've long made mincemeat out of your cake... before killing you too, Red Gaze.
Vergilius	... Huh.
Valencina	It's about time I headed home, but you're not about to let me leave without a fight, huh?
Valencina	Tsk... I can't have the Textbook bleed out while I fight. Looks like I'll need some insurance.
Vergilius	...!
Valencina	Glad I kept my rapier nice and sharp. See, the slightest brush with its edge can cleave right through flesh.
Valencina	Unless you wanna see me draw a thin red line along your precious kid's throat, put that weapon down on the ground.
Valencina	Then kick it away, out of your reach.
Vergilius	…….
Valencina	Very good. Now...
Valencina	I'll put the kid down...
Vergilius	......
Valencina	... and count to 3. Slowly, mind you. We've come this far—you don't wanna watch my hand slip and drop this kid on the ground all wrong, do you?
Valencina	3…
Vergilius	…….
Valencina	C'mon. Don't give me that look. 2...
Valencina	…….
Vergilius	…!
Valencina	Nice catch.
Valencina	Looks like you've made a mess of my Textbook, but eh. It's nothing I can't piece back together.
Valencina	Gonna take this one home now, ciao.
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
Matthias	... Oh boy, would you look at the time.
Matthias	... Yo, bowl cut.
Vespa	Bowl cut...? Are you talking to me?
Matthias	I get it, you've got 'nuff strength to back up all that swagger. But... Don't get too cocky.
Matthias	I'm running a bit busy, so I'll just write you up in the book for now. Next time, it's brawn versus brawn.
Kira	... Nngh... Papa...
Matthias	Looks to me you've got your own people to take care of, and I've got mine. Why don't we go our separate ways for now?
Vespa	…….
Matthias	Smart choice.
Matthias	Now go ahead and fix up my toys in the meantime! You're gonna priority ship 'em to my front door soon anyway, aren't ya? Hahahaha!
Matthias	Oh, by the way—I appreciate a good bowl cut.
Location: LCE Research Team Hallway
???	Ah, I must've lost track of time, lured by that light.
???	What a pity. It's already closing time for this gallery—one must wonder, why does every instance of immersion carry the promise of its breaking?
Hohenheim	Such was the steadfastness of Marton's will. On the other hand, it seems you were far too ignorant to have understood the concept of self-sacrifice.
???	I see. It is often said that to pursue art is to embark on an endless journey of learning. And I certainly enjoyed this learning opportunity... down to how he burst... and the following firework of flesh and bone from that explosive performance.
???	I hope our reunion will come sooner than later.
???	Come visit my gallery, won't you? I must say, I'm starting to look forward to hearing your critique of it.
Hohenheim	…….
Rien	What a heartless person she is.
Rien	To leave you behind in such a state... Even if you aren't her child, this is rather uncharitable behavior.
Rien	Let's head home, Sora.
Ryoshu	... Stop. Stop... Don't go.
Rien	I saw your report card on my way here, sweetie.
Rien	I understand why they might have placed you in third place, but I hope you won't lose heart over it.
Rien	Because when it comes to killing, Yoshihide... you're in a class beyond the first and second ranks.
Ryoshu	I don't... give a shit...
Sora	Mister... Rien...
Sora	Can you share the code... to Zenon's Tortoise Spiral with them...? They're... they're good, kind people. They saved me... when the ceiling caved in on... me...
Rien	Is that so? All right.
Rien	The Spirals all share the same password. Which is...
Rien	... obviously, your birthday, sweetheart. Even on that day, I'd bought a cake as the Prescript ordered me to, because I couldn't think of any gift that'd make you happy...
Rien	... and it always weighed heavily on my heart that you never even got to have a single bite of it.
Ryoshu	…….
Rien	Be sure to dress your wounds so they won't scar, okay?
Ryoshu	Tell... me.
Ryoshu	Have you... all of you... always known where I'd... hidden her?
Rien	Well, here's a very simple answer to your very simple question. Why don't you come home and find out?
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	Don't go...
Rien	…….
Ryoshu	Don't go... Not... like this.
Rien	Honey.
Rien	What you just said was... pretty effective.
Rien	It hit me right in my heart—and for a moment, it stung.
The moment we became certain that the Index Nursefather was gone, the Sinners all collapsed to the ground with a collective, exhausted sigh.
Whenever we'd encountered him, he had never once averted his eyes from Ryōshū as though the rest of us posed no threat against him.
Replaying his words in our minds, the nonchalance with which he invited Ryōshū to come back home...
We let the silence he left behind wash over us, overwhelmed by the sheer monumentality of the task before us.

Episode: 31
Location: LCE Research Team Elevator
Dante	<... What is that?>
Yi Sang	He has left something behind.
Yi Sang	It appears to be a... safe.
Ryoshu	...!
Ryōshū hurried toward the safe left behind by the Index Nursefather.
She kneeled before the locked safe, and placed her trembling hands over it...
... before reaching out to its door with such tenderness that she seemed completely different from the person who'd just made a mad dash toward it a few seconds ago.
Her hand was bumpy with old, rough, but distinct scars.
And some of those scars that never fully healed were...
... were numbers—numbers that made her eyes flit desperately between the skin where they were etched and the safe. Trembling, Ryōshū opens the rusty door.
The tiny space inside, where a child was supposed to be waiting for her mother's return...
... was empty, as though someone had carved out a piece of reality from the world.
Strength seemed to drain out of Ryōshū's hand as the fingers that tightly gripped around the door's handle fell limp.
As though the sheer weight of the emptiness spread from the tip of her fingers into every part of her body.
Ryoshu	Araya.
Dante	<... Ryōshū!>
We...
We all heard the name that slipped between Ryōshū's lips like a dying whisper.
It was the name of the child whom she was supposed to find in there.
But before we could ask her more about Araya...
... Ryōshū fell to the ground, unconscious.
Location: -1
Araya	Is this my name?
Yoshihide	Yeah. A-ra-ya. That's how you read it.
Araya	It's too hard to read...
Araya	Hope it's not something as random as Saru!
Araya	How do you write your name, Mommy?
Yoshihide	…….
Yoshihide	Go on, read it.
Araya	Uh... Ryō... shū...?
Yoshihide	No... That's not how you read those letters...
Yoshihide	"Yoshihide." That's how you say it.
Araya	"Ryō-shū!"
Araya	It's prettier and easier!
Location: Limbus Company Portal Monitoring Room
Hohenheim	The facility has been restored. Of course, ... would take time, but the LCC...
Vergilius	... and Pilot have...
Vergilius	... immediately been put under recovery procedures... Ampules... not enough.
Gregor	... Year, month, and date... 9570404. Yeah, 7 digits. It worked.
Gregor	... aust told us, so we managed to disable those stakes. Is Ryōshū still...?
Vergilius	It's only been 4 days since the meeting where they laid down all those warnings to keep me from intervening...
Vergilius	... and now, it may as well never have happened.
Vergilius	The preparations are complete.
Vergilius	Manager, how is Sinner #4?
Dante	<... Still a bit dazed, but she's recovered.>
Faust	... Dante says it shouldn't be a problem.
Vergilius	The clock is not a cure-all, Dante.
Dante	<I think she's in shock. And that's... not the kind of wound I can rewind.>
Faust	The LCB is prepared to take part in this mission.
Aeng-du	Lady team leader has expressed that the LCD sees no reason not to participate.
Jamila	All ready for deployment... on our end, too.
Jamila	LCA Vanguard Team 1, Udjat. Radio check.
Jamila	... Reading you loud and clear. LCA Team 1 ready for assault.
Jamila	Our objective remains the same. The LCA's primary purpose will be to remove any and all post-infiltration obstacles.
Jamila	... One question remains, however... are we absolutely certain about this formation?
Outis	Is there a problem? Direct any of your misgivings regarding the plan to me, and I, Outis, shall answer them.
Dante	<... We landed on this after much discussion with everyone. But the problem—>
Faust	—is nonexistent. In consideration of Limbus Company's current roster, this is as optimal as our current division of power can be.
Outis	Recalling your pathetic performance back at the HQ, you really are—
Jamila	The special operations unit wasn't built for that kind of mission. Don't blame them.
Jamila	Besides, that incident's left a nasty bruise on our pride—and we're not letting it slide.
Moses	…….
Vergilius	Are we going to sip tea and chat all day, or are we going to get a move on?
Saude/span>	We're just about ready. Backdoor connection... established.
Gregor	Are you sure you should be out and about so soon...? You best sit back and focus on recovery until they get a prosthetic arm attached...
Saude/span>	... I'm okay. Bleeding's stopped.
Saude/span>	I'll open the door after counting down from five.
Announcement	5...
Alyssa	Boss. Are you... sure about taking that gear?
Hohenheim	No need to worry on my account. The tests, limited as they were, have proven that I am more than capable of using it.
Hohenheim	... Are you certain about taking that gear to battle?
Alyssa	There's no other—agh. No other E.G.O gear I'm more familiar with than this one.
Hohenheim	Keep an eye on your Attunement levels. And do watch out for the Abnormality's voices.
Hohenheim	This is my request to you. Don't take it lightly.
Announcement	4...
Moses	*sigh* I still don't like this. Even with backup plans upon backup plans prepared, walking straight into the enemy's stronghold is...
Ezra	At least we won't be the ones getting taken unawares this time, Team Leader!
Ezra	This is our chance to get back at 'em for what they've done. Right, Junior?
Aeng-du	... Ah, t-truly so. Though I cannot be a part of this endeavor...
Ezra	Eh? Not you, Miss Aeng-du. I'm talking about the team junior right there, our very own baby bee. You just sit tight and think about what style ya want for your new arms~
Vespa	I... don't see any reason why I should be called the "junior" around here...
Vespa	... when Miss Aeng-du and Bamboo Hatted Kim have joined us.
Ezra	Didn't ya know the unspoken rule? Once a junior, always a junior!
Vespa	…….
Moses	... Ezra, Vespa. Save your strength for our actual enemies.
Announcement	3...
Outis	I hope you've all drilled the plan into your heads, men.
Don Quixote	Verily, I have taken the plan to heart! We shall strike down the wicked with furious justice!
Sinclair	.......
Ishmael	Guys, check your pockets again for ampules. Make sure you have all of them, okay?
Ishmael	Most people can't even dream of getting their hands on these top-of-the-line ampules. Keep them close and tight 'cause we're gonna need them if we're separated from the manager.
Announcement	2...
Jamila	Reporting. LCA, LCB, LCD, LCE assault team mission preparations complete.
Jamila	... Final authorization from the HQ received and confirmed.
Dante	<Let's finish this.>
Dante	<And it goes without saying, but... we'll make sure they get theirs.>
Heathcliff	You can say that again.
Announcement	1…
Dante	<We'll be there soon, Ryōshū.>
Dante	<The place where those people raised you...>
Dante	<The House of Spiders.>
Araya	Mhm! I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you here, Mommy!
Announcement	Operation Spider Pyre. Commence Mission.
Ryoshu	…!

Episode: 32
Location: Corridor of the Ring
Sinclair	I don't see...
Sinclair	... anyone in here.
Radio	All teams have entered the House of Spiders according to plan. All stations, remain on alert for any movements.
Sinclair	Is everyone... okay?
Alyssa	.......
Alyssa	Not really. Doc said I'll be facing some challenges in my daily life for the next few months.
Hohenheim	And here I was, looking forward to this rare chance of witnessing the mythical "paid sick leave." I still find it baffling that you've denied yourself that opportunity.
Hohenheim	To be entirely honest, I am starting to think that you may have gone completely mad.
Alyssa	What I'm doing may seem completely crazy, but I assure you my sanity's still intact.
Alyssa	I would've gone truly insane if I weren't allowed to be a part of this mission, though.
Sinclair	... What did they do with Mister Marton?
Radio	... His remains have been retrieved.
Hohenheim	Retrieved? Since when did we become part of District 14?
Hohenheim	Or has Limbus Company suddenly found the scintilla of conscience to give him a proper funeral?
Radio	... Maybe they will, should the two of you return safely.
Some time ago, prior to entering the Backdoor
Location: Limbus Company Portal Monitoring Room, some time ago
Faust	The assignments are final. Ensure that your line-ups are in order.
Outis	... I don't like this at all. You can't possibly believe that the current composition of the Executive Manager's squad is equipped to ensure their safety.
Faust	There won't be any issues. Not with Dante's newly awakened power.
Rodion	Yeah, don'tcha worry! Dante's been training that remote sight ability really hard while the bigwigs were busy holding meetings and dealing with the fallout~ With that and the teleport power to zap us in and out, we'll be a-ok!
Faust	"Teleportation"... Hm... Indeed.
The way Faust replied seemed to indicate that it was anything but "teleportation," but the tone in her voice declared, in no uncertain terms, that she could not be bothered to elaborate.
Outis	.......
Yi Sang	Strange this feels, to be imparting such farewells afore the operation...
Hong Lu	I hope we'll be able to meet one another again, safe and sound, once this is over.
Gregor	Listen, Hong Lu. Bud. You don't say that kinda stuff before going into battle, alright? It usually ends up causing the opposite of the intended effect.
Gregor	How about... "What could possibly go wrong?"
Gregor	Yeah, that's more like it.
Ishmael	... Was that supposed to be any better?
Sinclair	.......
Sinclair	Well, it's time. I'll go on ahead.
Dante	<Uhh—>
Dante	<Hey, Sinclair...!>
Sinclair	Yeah?
Dante	<About... about everything that happened... You just...>
Dante	<You just gotta accept... what's done is done.>
Sinclair paused for a moment, then...
... gave a quiet smile.
Sinclair	Okay, I will.
Ryoshu	.......

Episode: 33
Location: Corridor of the Ring
Hohenheim	If I might just add one more thing—you needn't try to comfort us over our conversation, Manager Saude. Consider this nothing more than harmless, humorous banter among us researchers.
Hohenheim	It appears to me that if anyone needs comfort, it'd be him.
Sinclair	.......
Sinclair	... All those Golden Boughs we've gone through so much to collect... gone. We've lost people, too. Even worse, we're separated from our manager... so we can't even immediately know how the others are doing.
Sinclair	This isn't the first time we've been in this much danger, but... every time it happens, I can't help but—
Radio	—get nervous, right? Anxious, even.
Sinclair	... Yeah.
Sinclair	Do you guys... ever get this nervous, too...? Like I do?
Ishmael	Well...
Ishmael	I like to talk big and try to project confidence, but honestly... I still get anxious like everyone else.
Ishmael	We've still got a lot of people in the LCB who don't know where they're going in life, don't we? Like how I used to be.
Ishmael	You know, with how Dante seems to feel a lot of pressure over their responsibilities, I guess you could say that I've sorta committed myself to sharing a bit of their load and helping the team navigate through the trials of our journey and... <size=80%>you know, all that stuff...</size>
Ishmael	So, I'm just trying to put on a brave face, at the end of the day. Someone needs to, right? To reassure everyone that it's all going to be okay.
Sinclair	... I... see.
Ishmael	Ha... Outis'd give me a really harsh dressing-down if she heard me say all that. Just thinking about it hurts my ears...
Faust	While there is no doubt that Faust does indeed know it all...
Faust	... there were times when I also found myself grasping at straws,
Faust	unable to make even the simplest decisions—whether I should move forward, whether I should stop, or whether I should go back the way I came.
Faust	And that made me realize anew...
Faust	... Faust is but a name that may leave at any time.
Sinclair	.......
Hohenheim	... Well, I suppose it is my turn in this heart-to-heart roundtable. I'm not quite fond of these last-minute barings of one's soul as though we're walking to our collective death, but... if this should help raise the chance of our success by alleviating some of your concerns, then I see no reason not to participate.
Hohenheim	My superiors have... repeatedly refused to authorize the plan that includes me as a combatant for this mission.
Hohenheim	I understand their logic.
Hohenheim	Sending a research-specialized employee to near-certain death would indeed be an inefficient management of human resources, from the corporate perspective.
Hohenheim	Instead of accepting my request, they suggested that I take some time off. 3 months, give or take.
Hohenheim	They said everything will have returned to normal by the time I sauntered back into the office; that the LCE's job was to find normalcy again while LCA or LCB dealt with the consequences.
Hohenheim	It was a tempting offer, I must admit. Research was indeed an endeavor in which l could lose myself while the rest of the world slipped by.
Hohenheim	I would take the 3-month vacation, return to the lab and bury myself in research after research, and... eventually, it'd really have been like nothing had happened.
Hohenheim	New employees would be hired to fill the vacancies with remarkable immediacy as though there had never been any loss of personnel in the first place.
Hohenheim	So yesterday, as I was arranging the office for my absence, I opened one of my desk drawers, and—
Alyssa	Oh. You really were gonna go on a vacation...
Hohenheim	... And I saw our next year's research proposal peeking out from the middle of the paper pile.
Hohenheim	It's a funny thing, the way that corporate planning works.
Hohenheim	No one knows what the future holds, but they expect us to plan months ahead in our proposals.
Hohenheim	When I'd written that research proposal, I'd planned it to be a collaborative research between me, Marton, and Alyssa.
Hohenheim	And now, I'll have to erase Marton's name, one by one, from dozens of its pages.
Ishmael	So... How did you manage to convince the higher-ups?
Hohenheim	My third request to have me included in this mission was accompanied by a resignation letter. A binary option, if you will—they had to choose one over the other.
Ishmael	Uh... you can do that?
Hohenheim	Who's to say that I can't?
Radio	That last subject wasn't much about anxiety at all, but... has that helped calm your nerves at least, Sinclair?
Sinclair	... I'm a bit better, I think.
Radio	That's good. Then let's all take a deep breath, and... commence operation.
Radio	Enemy incoming.
Albina	Sorry I'm late. Fascia was enjoying a nice nap, so I had to wake her up first.
Albina	She was heartbroken by how far behind schedule we were in her completion.
Albina	It's because of Zenon's Tortoise Spiral.
Albina	People struck with that weapon often end up with, quite literally, broken hearts... depriving us of the core ingredient.
Albina	So, I'm glad we're able to meet here. None of you have replaced yourself with a prosthetic body... and I won't be using the Spiral.
Sinclair	... You knew we'd be coming?
Albina	Mmhm. The Maestro asked me to go out and receive our guests.
Albina	Do you know of the Maestro's shattered child? She would've been a wonderful big sister for Fascia. I'm yet to reach that level of creation, unfortunately. You see, collecting ingredients without damaging them is still a bit tough for me.
Albina	So, I hoped to get some practice and started by cutting off my own arm. After all, whose body do we know better than our very own?
Albina	But the corpus of others is still so challenging to work with. Which finger do they put the most pressure on when using their arms? Do they let their wrists handle much of the pressure, or their entire arm? Do they have any preexisting defects that may change how I interact with the medium? So, so many things to take into account before getting to the actual work.
Albina	... Speaking of which, would you be so kind as to hear my request?
Albina	How about we spend some time to get to know each other... and become friends?
Sinclair	Friends?
Albina	Mhm.
Albina	It's not so hard to become friends.
Albina	Sora told me that becoming friends is as simple as sharing the things we love, our hobbies, our dreams... Though I didn't become friends with her, as I wasn't planning on using Sora as an ingredient for Fascia.
Albina	So... Ah, I know where to begin. Would you share something you love with me, everyone?
Sinclair	.......
Albina	Don't hesitate to ask me anything you'd like to know about me, either. Ever since I fed a few slices of my brain to Fascia, I've become a very, very bad liar.
Sinclair	... What makes you think... we're going to tell you any of that?
Albina	Okay, then me first. My name is Albina. I'm learning Corporism art under Maestro Callisto's tutelage with my beloved Fascia.

Episode: 34
Location: Corridor of the Ring
Callisto	Ah! Welcome, welcome. I've been so absorbed with trimming my ingredients that I was delayed. I hope my Albina has been a most wonderful host to you all in my absence?
Sinclair	...!
Ishmael	You...
Albina	Yes, Maestro. They've denied my offer of friendship, but I've been trying nonetheless.
Callisto	I see. Oh, it's such a pleasure to meet you all again. This gallery hardly ever sees visitors... so I was at once its only audience and Maestro.
Sinclair	.......
Callisto	So, tragically, this humble gallery is yet to taste the piquancy of an unbiased critique.
Callisto	Perhaps you could be my first?
Sinclair	... *gag*
Callisto	Ah, I see that this piece here has captured your interest.
Callisto	They were all people who have left me with such striking inspirations.
Callisto	Loneliness, anxiety, weakness... Observe these raw facets of suffering—the inevitable state of existence that is most fittingly human.
Callisto	Please direct your attention to this frontmost figure. You would be impressed to hear how those hands refused to let go of the partner's, even as I placed them atop this pedestal.
Callisto	An unbreakable bond that remains unsevered, even as death comes to bear the subject away in its gentle embrace... I find such values utterly noble.
Callisto	It would indeed have been a waste to let that precious little moment slip away, so I endeavored to preserve every second of it... down to the smallest capillaries, muscle tissues, and the quivering thereout.
Alyssa	Ah... aah...
Sinclair	Miss Alyssa...?
Callisto	Perspective... has a way of transforming art, as the state of one's heart alters the evocative qualities of a piece.
Callisto	So please, please do take your time as you tour through my gallery. Tell me how it all appears in your eyes—
Alyssa	My eyes...?
Alyssa	I'd rather gouge out my own eyeballs, you murdering fuck...!
Radio	Miss Alyssa! Now's not—!
Callisto	.......

Episode: 35
Don Quixote	Mine experience hath taught me that this... this Workshop here, featured in none other than Fixers Monthly, would be best for thy merchandising opportunities! Quite the clean, flawless finish did they boast! And about this Workshop on the side—while it doth produce figurines of passing quality, thou must practice caution! For they merely run mass-production lines of generic products with nary a spark of creativity!
Vespa	... Thank you for the advice.
Don Quixote	Aw, thou needst not thank me! ... Ahem. As for Fixer "merch," I must recommend thou beginnest with button badges, for there is aaaaabsolutely zero concern that a Color Fixer's button badge meeteth the fate of becoming deceased stock, plunging thy revenues to the negatives—
Radio	The excitement of accompanying such a... distinguished figure is quite well understood, but perhaps such discussions could be tabled for later in a mission such as this...
Don Quixote	Ah... Ahaha... quite. 'Tis an unimaginable glory, to partake in an epochal moment such as the new Color Fixer's very first mission...
Hong Lu	Don Quixote, breathe.
Ezra	So, junior... how's Color Fixer life? Ya got a fan and everything already.
Vespa	.......
Ezra	*sigh* Not even gonna pretend ya heard me? Ah, well. He gets like that when he's nervous, so ya guys better get used to it now. You have no idea how many times we bickered until I finally got used to him sulking...
Ezra	Anyhow... is this really the "House of Spiders?" It's a lot different from... what I'd expected.
Radio	Fret not, for this is indeed the correct destination. A swift observation did I make with this gear labeled "multi-angle camera," and saw all paths in your surroundings lead to infinity in all directions. Indeed, there is no doubt that you have entered the assailants' den.
Yi Sang	This place is...
Location: Corridor of the Middle
Moses	*puff* A "Corridor." So this is where they've spun their web.
Yi Sang	The disquietude immanent in a name such as "The House of Spiders" seems to hardly convey the sense emanating from this place, which is more akin to a supermarket... or a warehouse at a Nest.
Moses	Yes, though it is more like a warehouse of toy boxes and nothing else.
Hong Lu	I recognize some of these toys as the ones my parents had bought me in my childhood.
Yi Sang	Toys are imbued with meaning only when they are played with.
Yi Sang	Thus, one must come to wonder—why have they kept these untouched in their packaging, in a way that seems to hamper even the purpose of detached admiration?
Moses	... An object's purpose is often determined by its owner. As it stands now, it seems that the "purpose" is to display the goods, nothing more.
Old-model TV	♬Leaping across rooftops of the City♬
Old-model TV	♬To protect its peace and safety♬
Vespa	Do you hear that?
Ezra	Eh? What, the song?
Don Quixote	Th-this song...!
Ezra	Huh? Is this some kind of twisted song that breaks your mind when you hear it?
Don Quixote	The OP of "Let's go, Poludnitsa!", a biographical show of the eminent Federico, a Grade 1 Fixer of the Devyat' Association...
Radio	... Allow me to investigate the veracity of her claim.
Moses	... No, there is no need to concern yourself with that kind of research.
Moses	The song alone shouldn't cause us any concern. Let us head toward the source of the sound.
Kira	Ooooh... Ohhhhhh...!!
Old-model TV	Take this! Breaking~ Slam!
Kira	Badass... Seriously, that's like, the sickest move of all time...
Kira	Slam a weapon on the ground, use the rebound to leap into the air for the finisher... Lightning~ Kick!!
Kira	Papa, ya gotta teach me how to do that!
Matthias	Hmm~ If you wanna try that move, you're gonna need some more leg augmentations and a few more Vengeance Tattoos!
Kira	Then... Can I head out for a sec so I can cross just two more vengeances off the book?
Matthias	No. No need, Kiddo.
Matthias	I was hoping to avoid running into these clowns again...
Matthias	What a baffling coincidence.
Yi Sang	.......
Some time prior to the group's entry into the Backdoor portal...
Location: Some time ago, prior to entering the Backdoor
Faust	When Ryōshū signed the onboarding contract, we also received intel on the internal structure of the House of Spiders.
Faust	The issue was that... the order in which individuals entered the Backdoor determined their destination within the House of Spiders with no discernible pattern.
Faust	The LCC concluded that this unpredictability is outside the realm of analysis...
Faust	... however, such a variable is still within Faust's control.
Faust	To demonstrate, assuming that no one other than us comes in or out of the House of Spiders, Faust knows that the third person to enter the House of Spiders will emerge to the Ring Nursefather's gallery.
Vergilius	Then we must discuss with the LCA to determine who's to go where.
Vergilius	The sooner that meeting takes place, the better. Everyone should begin their preparations to infiltrate the House of Spiders, save for the Team Leaders, Miss Faust, and... Manager Dante.
Vergilius	As for the roster... we will share them once they've been finalized.
Location: Corridor of the Middle
Yi Sang	Coincidence played no hand in our presence here.
Vespa	.......
Matthias	Still sucks on our end. Looks like... looks like I'll be fighting with my life on the line today. 'Specially with that bumblebee punk on their side.
Kira	Holy crap, you're gonna use the sword, too? Sick!
Kira	Then I think I'm gonna... try papa's moves he showed off at the lab.
Kira	You guys saw that too, right? When papa kicked up the combo counter on those gun-totin' guys in black armor and pulled off a super, blasting them to smithereens?
Kira	Ah, there's this Fixer who uses a skill similar to papa... Ugh, who was it again? The same guy who worked at that legendary Fixer Office before moving to another one...
Don Quixote	... Sir Rinaldo of Charles Office.
Kira	Oh shit, right! Right! Didn't he have this move where he'd line up, like, 10 dudes in a row and cut 'em all down at once? So cool... but I'm a bit too weak to replicate that move myself...
Don Quixote	... Hast thou not been... watching a biography of a Fixer of justice until mere moments ago?
Kira	Eh? Ohh, "Let's Go, Poludnitsa!"? 'Course, bro. I watch every Fixer-related clip and animation.
Kira	You a fan, too? I recognize all of those badges on your coat. Hey, can ya gimme one of 'em?
Don Quixote	Nay, I shan't...
Don Quixote	... For I cannot well hand over symbols of Fixers to one who spectates a massacre as though she is observing a mere game.
Kira	...?
Kira	Ohhh! So you're playing that kinda character, huh? Neato!
Kira	Doesn't that character in the newest episode of FixAtar talk kinda like that? The guy who crawls out of that hole in the desert...
Don Quixote	... El Bombín.
Kira	Yeah! El Bombín con Botas Naranjas! "Let this ammunition of justice strike thee down~!"
Don Quixote	... Silence. I wish... I wish for thy silence.
Don Quixote	How doth one grapple with the contradiction that is to admire the justice of Fixers through their videos and comic books... yet to behave as thou dost...?
Kira	...?
Kira	Whaddayamean? I just think they're badass, that's all.
Kira	Though of course, nobody's beatin' my papa in the badass game!
Moses	Ezra. Do you recognize anything about that Nursefather's sword?
Ezra	Mm... just one thing. It's clearly not a Workshop weapon, going by the finish.
Vespa	Is it possible that the weapon is from a Workshop you do not have access to, Miss Ezra?
Ezra	It's possible, but that glowy thing inside the scabbard... That thing's gotta be a Relic. Aw~ YuRia probably could've told us more about it if she were here, but... either way, I'm pretty sure it's rare as heck.
Matthias	Hah. You've an eye for weapons.
Hong Lu	... That's interesting.
Kira	Eh? What's so interesting?
Hong Lu	The amount of trash in this room makes me wonder how such a thing came to be in your possession. As far as I know, Relics are so rare and expensive that even the Four Families of Hongyuan don't have that many of them, let alone rare ones.
Don Quixote	Trash...?
Moses	... The floor is littered with empty cup noodle containers and toaster pastry wraps... They must've been eating nothing but junk food for at least a few days.
Kira	Papa bought me a whole boxful of 'em.
Kira	Out there, it always pissed me off how Big Brothers and Big Sisters would chide me about snacking on nothing but this kinda junk... But ever since I came here, papa's been letting me eat whatever I wanna eat, however much I wanna eat 'em! What about it?
Yi Sang	... I cannot help but assume they would have adverse effects to one's health.
Matthias	Worried she'd get sick? It ain't a big deal in the City.
Matthias	Can't let something trivial like that stop me from feeding tasty treats to my family.
Moses	What a shining example of fatherhood.
Moses	Which is interesting, because Ryōshū seems to have nothing but hatred for all of you Nursefathers.
Matthias	... You're walking a mighty thin line by running your mouth about my kid when you don't even know her that well.
Matthias	... I don't know about her other fathers, but my parental love for Yoshihide, my daughter, has always been completely earnest.
Location: Somewhere in a mall, Past
Matthias	Havin' a good time, Buddy? Enjoyin' a nice drive with your Papa?
Yoshihide	It's alright, I guess.
Yoshihide	You sure you're not overspending?
Matthias	It's been forever since my very own daughter asked me to buy something for her. Money ain't a thing!
Yoshihide	I just wanted some tracksuits to wear around home.
Yoshihide	Don't remember asking for that... massive bear plush.
Matthias	Eh? A younger sibling I'm close with told me every kid these days carries around something like this.
Yoshihide	Kid being the keyword there.
Yoshihide	Besides, isn't this bear plush supposed to be red?
Matthias	Want me to do a U-turn?
Yoshihide	... No. Purple's fine by me.
Matthias	Buddy, you ever find anything you don't like, you can talk to me about it. I'll always make sure to avenge the wrongs... no matter what I gotta do to get there.
Location: Corridor of the Middle
Matthias	If she wanted something, I'd empty my pockets to get it for her, even if that meant I had to borrow money from my younger Brothers and Sisters and risk losing face.
Matthias	And if she wanted to do something... I let her go wild, as long as it didn't violate the rules of the House of Spiders.
Matthias	'Cuz that's family. A little sacrifice ain't a thing if it's for one of us.
Hong Lu	But... Ryōshū left the House of Spiders, despite everything.
Hong Lu	Have you ever questioned yourself... why?
Matthias	... Must've been for that pipsqueak, obviously. I would've snapped that little twerp's neck had I known she'd get in the way of my Yoshihide's bright future.
Yi Sang	I need not hear more to know...
Yi Sang	... that you were no good father of hers.
Vespa	Team Leader. How much longer are we going to indulge that piece of trash?
Don Quixote	I am in agreement with the distinguished Color Fixer. 'Tis high time we demonstrated to them the meaning of justice.
Moses	*puff* Don't rush. I was about to get started anyway.
Moses	This is LCD. Engaging the Middle Nursefather.
Moses	Well, I'm sure you've been monitoring the situation here, Manager Dante. So...
Moses	... please proceed according to plan.

Episode: 36
Location: A Corridor somewhere
Outis	Four of us, in total. We arrived as Faust said we would.
Outis	This is our assigned destination... we made it without any complications.
Outis	Executive Manager, the Golden Bough's location is...?
Dante	<It's not here. But it's not far, either.>
Meursault	The plan dictates that we are to hold this position until the LCA arrives, then mobilize to secure the Golden Bough.
Dante	<Yeah, that's the plan.>
Dante	<Though... I'm not sure we should just sit here and wait...>
Meursault	You must withdraw further to the back, Manager. This individual's mask and outfit suggest that he is the Nursefather of the Index mentioned during the briefing.
The room we arrived through the Backdoor was...
Location: Corridor of the Index
Rien	You're home.
Rien	I was just thinking about you.
... a room where the Index's Nursefather was waiting for Ryōshū with a beaming smile.
Though... something about his mask gave the smile a chilling edge.
Ryoshu	.......
Rien	Whenever I miss you, sweetheart...
Rien	... I run my fingers along the grooves of the burn mark you've seared into my face.
Rien	It's bumpy on this side, but grainy like wet sand on the other side. Like the trace of waves rolling across the shoreline.
The Index Nursefather caressed the smooth surface of his mask.
Rien	Seeing you here... it makes my face burn and ache.
Ryoshu	My daughter. Where is she?
Ryōshū asked in a quiet voice, as though she couldn't care less about anything else he had to say.
Rien	Araya... She loved you so much.
Rien	I hope you can still recall her face. You'd wielded that sword with such abandon that day, hadn't you?
Ryoshu	Only I... should've been able to open that vault.
Rien	Are you sure, sweetheart? I'm sure you know better than that.
Rien	It was crafty of you, though.
Rien	You'd always disappear and hide whenever Shiomi poured out her resentment toward you.
Rien	Back then, I thought you had a particular talent in the game of hide-and-seek.
Rien	When the truth was as simple as that exceptional sense in your shared blood activating the special Time Vault.
Ryoshu	...!
Ryoshu	The Dihui Star... So she's the one who opened the vault. She took Araya.
Rien	It's no surprise you'd arrive at that conclusion. After all, she's always hated you. And she had the least commitment to her duties.
Rien	That hatred was born from a festering pit where no hopes nor desires remained... because she abandoned her own future.
Rien	Now, come sit here. Shall I read you a picture book?
Ryoshu	.......
Rien	You used to really love fairytale time, when you were but a child.
Rien	Until one day, you gave me the cold shoulder and just walked straight into your room. Said you were too old for "stuff like that."
Ryoshu	Fuck off with your bullshit.
Ryoshu	Just answer my question.
Rien	You're trying to skip ahead.
Rien	Remember how we never finished our books? We'd always save the ending for later.
Rien	I don't know if you were aware, but I had all of them bookmarked.
Rien	So that, should you come to long for those moments again, we could pick them up right where we left off.
Location: Corridor of the Index, Past
Rien	"... and that's how it was. Then, the monkey said—"
Yoshihide	.......
Yoshihide	Dad, I'm 13.
Rien	What's that, sweetheart? But I thought you were still 5!
Yoshihide	.......
Rien	I'm only joking. I don't suppose you found that very funny.
Rien	Of course, I know you're 13 years and 7 months old.
Yoshihide	Yeah. Way past picture books...
Rien	And who says you can't read fairytales once you're past a certain age?
Yoshihide	Here, literally. It says "For ages 3~8."
Rien	That's just a recommendation, sweetie.
Rien	I read nothing but these picture books myself.
Yoshihide	... You're weird. I thought adults didn't read picture books.
Rien	That's an unfair preconception constructed by grown-ups who take too much pride in being able to read books without pictures.
Rien	How are we to know only from words...
Rien	... the shape of the monkey's eyes, their colors... what the animal looks like when it laughs?
Rien	That's why I become so anxious whenever I read parts unaccompanied by pictures.
Rien	Afraid that my imagination may be different from the reality the author had defined.
Rien	And you, sweetie...
Rien	... you like these books too, don't you?
Yoshihide	... I don't hate them.
Yoshihide	Can we just move on to the next page? What happens to the monkey?
Rien	.......
Rien	Let's stop here today and pick up next time.
Rien	It's always best to save the endings for later, isn't it?
Yoshihide	You say that all the time, but we haven't finished a single book.
Yoshihide	I wanna know what happened after the monkey and the frog raced.
Rien	All in due time, darling. That's what the pinky swear was for.
Yoshihide	.......
Yoshihide	If you lie to me...
Rien	Yes. I'll swallow a thousand needles.
Rien	... How far are you willing to go, sweetie?
Yoshihide	As far as it takes.
Rien	I like the sound of that.
Rien	It's almost like you're ready to give up everything you have for your dear old man.
Rien	Where did you hide the child?
Yoshihide	Somewhere far, far away from your hands.
Rien	That sword can't sever the spiders' thread, sweetheart.
Rien	You could hack away for days with the keenest blade you have, but it won't break...
Rien	... It's just that resilient.
Rien	Sweetheart...
Rien	You should quit smoking.
Location: Corridor of the Index
Rien	Never managed to kick the habit, did you?
Ryoshu	.......
Rien	I suppose that's where you take after the Dihui Star, hm?
Rien	That's blood ties for you.
Rien	You'd always cough your lungs out whenever Shiomi lit up a cigarette.
Rien	But the moment you grew up into an adult, you started walking down the same path as her.
Rien	What other choice do I have but be the guiding hand that brings you back to the right path?
Rien	Sweetie, if you want to find Araya, pay a visit to the Dihui Star.
Rien	Let me open a path that'll get you there. Looks like we're about to have more visitors.
Jamila	All Proselytes in the area have been neutralized.
Jamila	Mobilize to retrieve the Golden Boughs as planned, LCB.
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	That man...
Ryoshu	You can't hope to predict his moves.
Ryoshu	Don't bother figuring out his patterns.
Jamila	.......
Jamila	Let's each worry about our own missions first.
Jamila	... To positions.
Jamila	The target is alone, but he is a Proxy of the Index, and was once a Star of the City all on his own. Prepare to throw everything we have at him.
Rien	.......
Rien	Darling, I know these memories may have been burned away with my face, but...
Rien	... let me share some of them with you.
Rien	The child has black hair. And her height came up to somewhere a little above your knees.
Rien	And when she smiles, she flashes her still-growing baby teeth.
Rien	She loved her bright red randoseru bag... and she loved you.
Ryoshu	.......
Rien	Description alone doesn't paint the clearest picture, does it?
Rien	That's why I've only ever read picture books.

Episode: 37
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Dante	<Does anyone actually live here...?>
Meursault	While the signs of habitation are minimal, there is evidence of regular cleaning.
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	Hasn't changed a bit, this place.
An odd silence filled the space we entered.
The room was completely quiet and devoid of any warmth.
Ryōshū gingerly made her way past the threshold.
Ryoshu	.......
Ryoshu	When I opened this drawer...
Ryoshu	... there used to be... a schoolbag.
Location: -1
Araya	Mommy... Mommy!
Araya	Did you ever see stuff like this outside?
Yoshihide	... No.
Araya	It's soooo pretty, though.
Yoshihide	Hey, why don't you take off that schoolbag? You've been carrying it on your back all day.
Araya	It's "ran-do-seru"!
Araya	'Cause I'm still in elementary school! Ele-men-tary!
Yoshihide	Have some watermelon. It's sweet.
Araya	.......
Araya	No way. It's super sweet... This watermelon's the GOAT!
Yoshihide	... Uh-huh.
Araya	... You didn't get it, did you?
Yoshihide	Nuh-uh...
Araya	GOAT means "Greatest Of All Time!"
Yoshihide	... Unnecessary shortening, in my opinion.
Araya	You mean "IMO?"
Yoshihide	.......
Araya	Okay, that's it. I'm gonna teach ya everything I learned at school! Starting today!
Yoshihide	... I don't need to know.
Yoshihide	It doesn't matter how popular they are now. With time, they'll all become old, outdated, and embarrassingly anachronistic anyway.
Araya	But Mommy, it'll be fun.
Araya	And you're like, all about aesthetics of shortening, right?
Araya	You gotta learn these if you dun wanna fall behind! Seriously, SMH!
Yoshihide	... SMH?
Araya	It means... "<b>S</b>haking... <b>M</b>y... <b>H</b>ead." Ta-da! And that's SMH!
Araya	... Aaaand this is how ya shorten the other ones.
Araya	Look, look! Okie?
Yoshihide	Yep.
Araya	Ugh, SMH! Try this one!
Yoshihide	Nodding M.H.
Araya	You're getting it, Mommy!
Ryoshu	I'm not...
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Ryoshu	I didn't get it, can you repeat that... one more time...?
The visions slowly lift from us like dissipating mist...
... leaving a cobwebbed, empty room behind.
Ren	Spiderwebs are...
Ren	... such difficult things to remove once they stick.
Outis	.......
Ren	I shall impart unto you the reply before the question is asked. As it is with the cause for which you have arrived here, herein lies something you have all... lost.
Meursault	Nothing was lost. We are here to retrieve what's stolen from us.
Ren	... Are you?
Ren	Mischievous adults like to pose facetious questions to children that are, in truth, quite cruel.
Ren	Do you like your mother more or your father more? Do you like strawberry ice cream more or chocolate ice cream more?
Ren	Perhaps my master, Yoshihide... considers you naught but a child still.
Ryoshu	Get to the point, or you'll find out firsthand how exactly your master lost her tongue.
Ren	I present before you, Yoshihide... and your companions... a choice.
Ren	The Golden Boughs... and the child. If you could return with only one of the two...
Ren	... which would you choose?
Location: -1
Dihui Star	You're becoming more and more like me.
Yoshihide	... Do I have a choice? I am your blood, after all.
???	.......
???	... Bya!
Dihui Star	.......
Dihui Star	So, she's the child.
Rien	Yes, indeed. A child of your blood... a very precious child.
Rien	Her aptitude, her ability to "sense" the flow of time is... impossibly precise. She makes you look downright dull in comparison, Dihui Star.
Dihui Star	.......
Rien	For now, we're going to give her enough room to perceive and experience "time" as she interacts with the world in her own way.
Valencina	Ugh... It's gonna take forever before she's even remotely useful, then.
Callisto	Fuhu... the more care we put into hammering and chiseling this material, the worthier shall it become.
Matthias	Aww, look at this kid! She just smiled at me! Did you guys see that?
Matthias	So... what's her name gonna be?
Callisto	It appears that should be the next subject on our table. Personally, I would prefer if she could be named Elisa—
Rien	... Mm.
Rien	"Yoshihide" should be a good name for her.
Valencina	... Says the Prescript?
Rien	Yes.
Valencina	*puff* Well, whatever your precious Prescript says goes, right? It's better than crap like Elisa or whatever, anyway.
Callisto	I would appreciate it if you would keep your comments on my naming sense to yourself, Valencina.
???	... Mya!
Matthias	Look at 'er... Looks to me she's a fan of the name Yoshihide. Then it is decided! You're gonna be Yoshihide from now on, Yoshihide!
Dihui Star	.......
Rien	You take care of her for a while, Dihui Star.
Dihui Star	Why does it have to be... me?
Rien	Well, because she is of your blood. She's a near-carbon copy of you... save for her eyes.
Dihui Star	You know that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking why it had to be—!
Rien	... To us, who are discarded here, nothing has less meaning than the question of "why."
Matthias	Yoooo, are you guys seeing this? See how she picked up that little rattle?
Valencina	Hah... Is she still on about that? Never tired of bitching, are you?
Dihui Star	... Says the reprobate mongrel who's fallen out of favor with her own Famiglia. Another word out of your mouth, and I'll...
Matthias	Guys, guys! Don't fight! Not before we place our bets! And you—aren't you gonna stop 'em?
Rien	Hm...
Rien	This is how we will be entangled. Every blow, every bickering a pull that brings us closer and closer... The intertwining of our bond and karma completes the web that is the House of Spiders.
Rien	It is now time for us each to do our best for this precious child that has finally been given to us.
Dihui Star	.......
???	... Ma!
Dihui Star	You...
???	... Bya!
Dihui Star	... This is my first and final request to you: don't become like me.
Dihui Star	Before you came to me, I... knew nothing but freedom and comfort in a world that belonged only to me.
Dihui Star	Until they broke into my world, dragged me out of there, and cast me into this gutter.
Dihui Star	And then you happened.
Dihui Star	Wrinkles covered my skin like a crumpled blanket, and I realized I had become irreversibly damaged.
Dihui Star	As you grow up, so will my misery...
Dihui Star	... until I am nothing but a wrinkled, shriveled-up husk.
Dihui Star	A husk that existed only to birth you into this world...
Dihui Star	That is why you must never become like me.
Dihui Star	The more our likeness grows, the clearer it will become that I am but a source of nourishment for you to feed upon. I will be sucked dry to wither and shrink into insignificance...
Dihui Star	So don't you dare become like me.
Dihui Star	Okay?
Yoshihide	... *puff*
Dihui Star	.......
Dihui Star	Have you started smoking?
Yoshihide	Yeah.
Dihui Star	... Give me a light.
Dihui Star	The day you returned home after receiving those combat ocular augmentations...
Dihui Star	... and stared at me with red eyes that are just like my own, I came to realize, with horror...
Dihui Star	You're becoming like me.
Dihui Star	You revolting thing.
Yoshihide	... Can't really help it.
Yoshihide	I'm your kid, after all.
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Ryoshu	I'm not in the mood to play along with your riddles.
Ren	In that case, would you allow my humble self to understand your intent as a refusal to give up either of them?
Ren	I am afraid my master does not appreciate the greedy...
Ryoshu	Bring her to me.
Ryoshu	I'll talk to her, and if she wouldn't listen, I'll split her vertically from her throat.
Ryoshu	And if that still doesn't do the trick, I will crush the Nursefathers' heads one by one until someone breaks and talks. Believe me, I will.
Dihui Star	Heads can be decapitated, tongues can be sliced off, faces can be ground to mulch, and limbs can be amputated, but...
Dihui Star	... this, you cannot sever.
Dihui Star	It really is stubborn, isn't it? This thread.
Dihui Star	I agree.
Ryoshu	.......
Dihui Star	Invisible, intangible, yet doggedly existent...
Dihui Star	... and utterly inseverable.
The Nursefather raises her hand, lifting the red thread tethering her and Ryōshū together.
When her hand touches it, the thread becomes clearly visible, as though it has always been there.
Dihui Star	But if that's the only thing you're hanging onto...
Dihui Star	If the only thing tying you to this place...
Dihui Star	... is that single thread...
Dihui Star	Wouldn't it be better for you to sever it away?
Dihui Star	I'm telling you this, because unlike the other Nursefathers, we are related by blood.
Dihui Star	In other words, I'm giving you a chance to be free.
Dihui Star	Because I know the inescapable end you will meet now that you've returned here.
Dihui Star	... Unless you were to sever that thread before delving deeper into the House, that is.
Dihui Star	This is your way out, a way to save yourself from a terrible fate.
Dihui Star	Or...
Dihui Star	... are the Golden Boughs really that important to you?
Dihui Star	... What was their answer to my question, Ren?
Ren	... They gave none, Master. It may be that they wish to claim both—
Dihui Star	No.
Dihui Star	Vengeance has narrowed her vision to all other matters... it's as simple as that.
Dihui Star	She knew returning to this den of Spiders would bind her in its webs, yet she was foolish enough to do so...
Dihui Star	What other explanation could there be?
Ryoshu	You... won't understand.
Ryoshu	Someone like you who has done nothing but blame me for your miseries...
Ryoshu	... and trembled with resentment whenever I called upon you.
Ryoshu	So, I've kept that word buried all my life. The word that I would've used to call upon you.
Dihui Star	.......
Ryoshu	You couldn't even handle me—or anyone, really—calling you that. So much so that you'd—
Dihui Star	... No.
Dihui Star	Because the echoes of that word carry...
Dihui Star	... nothing but misery for me.
Ryoshu	.......
Dihui Star	Is that why you brought that child here?
Location: -1
Araya	... mmy!
Araya	It's Mommy!

Episode: 38
Location: Bioengineering Research Facility
Araya	... mmy!
Araya	It's Mommy!
Yoshihide	.......
Yoshihide	What?
Yoshihide	... Kid, did you see who was here before me?
Araya	Uh-huh.
Yoshihide	.......
Araya	.......
Araya	Wanna... know who?
Yoshihide	... Yeah.
Araya	This man in black came in, and... everyone fell.
Araya	So I hid. I'm good at that. Wanna see how long I can hold my breath?
Araya	Here... Huppp...!
Yoshihide	That means Rien... took care of business before I got here...
Araya	Phaw!
Araya	Mommy, don't leave me!
Yoshihide	What...?
Yoshihide	Why are you calling me that?
Araya	Cause I know you. I'm locked in here but I still saw you lots.
Araya	I saw you in this picture.
Yoshihide	... My picture?
Yoshihide	There's something on the back. Project "Araya," Mass-production endeavor... Commissioned by... The Thumb?
Araya	You're here to take me home.
Araya	All the grown-ups here told me this isn't my real home.
Araya	Said home is where "mommy" is.
Araya	And now that mommy's here, I can go home.
Yoshihide	.......
Araya	I'm glad I waited. Hehee~
Location: Corridor of the Thumb
Valencina	You're back.
Yoshihide	... I am.
Valencina	Not even a drop of blood on you. Should I even ask if you've done the job?
Yoshihide	... Father got there first.
Valencina	Rien did?
Valencina	Why didn't he share the damned Prescript with us if he'd gotten one?
Valencina	20 years of living under the same roof, and I still don't know what that asshole's thinking.
Valencina	Hmph, I suppose that's too much to ask for some fake bitch who doesn't even share his real name with us.
Yoshihide	.......
Valencina	Well, don't just stand there. Go back to your room if you don't have anything else to say.
Yoshihide	Okay.
Valencina	.......
Valencina	By the way, Ticket?
Valencina	About that thing in your bag...
Valencina	You're gonna look after it, right? Just know that I won't give a flying fuck if that thing bites it like that dog—Saru, Shiru, whatever that bitch's name was.
Yoshihide	.......
Yoshihide	I can... keep her?
Valencina	You know how much I hate it when kids start sniveling, hm?
Valencina	Just keep the noise outta my ears.
Yoshihide	... Okay.
Location: Ryōshū's Room, Past
Araya	See, see?
Araya	I'm good at hiding, right?
Yoshihide	... You are.
Araya	...!
Yoshihide	Y-you're not half bad.
Araya	Uh-huh, not half bad.
Yoshihide	But... you don't...
Yoshihide	You don't have a sword.
Araya	Nuh-uh, no sword. But I got mommy, and I got a home here.
Yoshihide	You do.
Yoshihide	... So...
Yoshihide	... what do you want to do now?
Araya	Uhm... lotsa lots.
Araya	Wanna learn to play music, and, uh... Wanna...
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Dihui Star	The first encounter with that child...
Dihui Star	... has revealed so much to you, so suddenly.
Dihui Star	You found all the things you'd missed out on.
Dihui Star	All the things you've longed for in the fathoms of your heart.
Dihui Star	Your first rebellion was over that child, wasn't it?
Ryoshu	That's why you were all so content with just letting it happen.
Ryoshu	Because I was your sword, and a sword needs a scabbard—no, a fetter to keep it bound.
Location: -1
Araya	Mommy...
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, Past
Yoshihide	Not this kid. Don't you dare mess with her.
Dihui Star	Why... are you trying to make another thing... like yourself?
Yoshihide	I'm not.
Yoshihide	I'm gonna make sure that this kid gets all the things I didn't get to experience... and more.
Dihui Star	One day, you'll come to understand, too.
Dihui Star	You will realize that you are inviting ruin into your own life by taking that thing under your wing.
Dihui Star	Then you'll know too... what it's like to be bound by a fetter.
Dihui Star	And when you feel it locking around your feet, dragging you down... I'll have a good laugh at your expense until I am gasping for air.
Dihui Star	We'll be like two shriveling carcasses, laughing it all away.
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Dihui Star	You now understand the meaning of those words, don't you?
Dihui Star	The chains of the fetter that bind you here remain unbroken, whether you remember it or not.
Dihui Star	The inability to exist in the present because of the past that binds... Why, it is indeed an ineffable agony.
Ryoshu	All that you people wanted was nothing more than a docile, obedient beast.
Ryoshu	And when you realized that all the beatings were no longer enough to break the animal into obedience, you sought to put her on a leash.
Ryoshu	You couldn't risk her embracing her beasthood, lest she abandon her home for the wilderness.
Ryoshu	After all, you needed that animal to return at a tug of its leash and cut down anyone the House wanted dead.
Dihui Star	But it worked... didn't it?
Dihui Star	That's how fetters work.
Ryoshu	Don't you dare put this on the kid.
Location: -1
Ryoshu	You were the one who egged me on to begin with.
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, Past
Dihui Star	You've already picked up on it, haven't you? That the child is not long for this world.
Yoshihide	.......
Dihui Star	So, about the extermination mission you are to embark on in a few days.
Dihui Star	Rien will call for a consensus,
Dihui Star	and every Nursefather, myself included, will vote unanimously in favor of...
Dihui Star	... letting you unsheathe that sword.
Dihui Star	Here's something for you to consider: you couldn't possibly hope to escape this place without using that sword.
Yoshihide	Why... are you telling me any of this?
Dihui Star	Because I'm tired of being around you.
Dihui Star	I'm sure the feeling is mutual.
Location: -1
Yoshihide	Dihui Star, you...
Yoshihide	All along, you've wanted to make me suffer to the bitter end, haven't you?
Dihui Star	Yoshihide, it...
Dihui Star	It never stops.
Dihui Star	The sound of the fetter around my feet, rusted and heavy... How it clinks and rattles...
Dihui Star	And the sickening sound of a butterfly tearing itself apart as it thrashes to escape the entangling webs... It's wings ripping, its body and limbs contorting and bending back...
Dihui Star	It never stops... Oh, this noise... this horrible, cracking noise...
Dihui Star	Rien? Where are you?
Dihui Star	Why can't you let me be free?
Yoshihide	... Stop...
Dihui Star	I caught her. I caught the thing none of you could stop, so—
Yoshihide	Shut up!
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Dihui Star	Once you've spent enough time snared by the web...
Dihui Star	... you end up surrendering yourself to the fate of a mere observer.
Dihui Star	Just as how...
Dihui Star	... when you tried to take a step forward, the inseverable, innumerable clew of spider silk...
Dihui Star	... bound your feet.
Location: -1
Dihui Star	... -ou...
Dihui Star	... -ou...
Dihui Star	... Canno- be f-ee -rom -ere... wi-hou-...
Dihui Star	... wi-hou- -evering... -he spi-er's --read...
Yoshihide	.......
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Dihui Star	That is how you've finally come to accept the truth in your heart.
Dihui Star	The truth that you wanted to tear everything away and begin anew...
Dihui Star	That ember of an idea is what started the conflagration that consumed you.
Ryoshu	No.
Dihui Star	Such adamant denial... coming from someone who went on for quite a while without ever remembering this place.
Ryoshu	I never stopped thinking about it.
Dihui Star	How about this, then? In return for the child, would you snap those Golden Boughs with your own hands?
Ryoshu	I don't know what you did to stitch that hateful tongue back in your mouth,
Ryoshu	but if you won't tell me where Araya is right now,
Ryoshu	this time, I'll cut everything up...
Ryoshu	... and finish the job.

Episode: 39
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Ryoshu	.......
Dihui Star	What's the matter, hmm?
Ryoshu	You sheathed your sword in anticipation of my next attack.
Ryoshu	What is this?
Ryoshu	You've never been particularly keen on Iaidō.
Ryoshu	Said that it's meaningless to sheathe a blade once unsheathed,
Ryoshu	that to put yourself at such a risk in the middle of a fight is tantamount to suicide.
The Nursefather's blade bursts out of its sheath, drawing an erratic arc in the air.
Ryoshu	...!
Dihui Star	Yes, it's...
Dihui Star	... a new habit of mine. After every flurry, I'm compelled to sheathe my sword.
Dihui Star	Because sometimes, there are flashes when I lose all sense of where I am.
Dihui Star	It happens like an unpredictable, uncontrollable calamity.
Dihui Star	When it does, I simply... wait it out.
Dihui Star	I wait, and I wait... and then it's over.
Dihui Star	A bad habit formed in anticipation of these flashes.
Ryoshu	I don't give a shit about what new little habits you've been picking up.
Ryoshu	Why would you use a technique like that now...?
Dihui Star	To teach you anew upon your return. It is us Nursefathers' duties to educate you in the way of the blade.
Dihui Star	Because unlike you, I remember everything.
Ryoshu	... I've already made myself clear,
Ryoshu	that I've neither let go nor forgotten it.
Ryoshu	Give me my daughter back.
Ryoshu	Araya, she...
Ryoshu	... she's good at hiding, but...
Ryoshu	I know she doesn't like being in the dark...
Dihui Star	... Hah.
The Pinky Nursefather hesitated, and a cry of pain escaped from her lips.
Dihui Star	.......
Dihui Star	It's happening again. I can't see a thing...
Dihui Star	Nothing at all...
She stumbles as though an invisible, intangible force has taken over her.
Ryoshu	...!
Dihui Star	...!
Dihui Star	Gah...
Her veil flutters to the ground with the gentle rustling of soft fabric.
And I see a face that much resembles Ryōshū's, only wrinkled and older.
Ryoshu	Hah... at last, I finally get to see it.
Ryoshu	You've never once allowed me to see your face.
Ryoshu	Because you wanted to hide that face from the world—the face that shriveled because of me.
Dihui Star	No...
Dihui Star	I wear this veil because...
Dihui Star	... I want to see the world through a haze.

Episode: 40
Location: Corridor of the Thumb
Valencina	... Hey.
Valencina	You guys are, uh... late.
Gregor	Is she... is she drinking right now?
Vergilius	Those who are falling apart tend to rely on the very thing that's breaking them.
Rodion	.......
Valencina	... *scoff*
Valencina	Wha—that you? Red Color? You're here, too?
Valencina	What... the hell, man... I gave you back your bundle of liability unhurt, didn't I?
Valencina	I didn't think you were the type to hold a grudge.
Vergilius	I'm just here to make sure you get yours.
Valencina	Alright. Stop rushing me and sit down over there for a second.
Valencina	This bad boy's got a few more swigs left in it.
Valencina	Junk like you probably don't have the eyes to recognize it, but this is quality liquor.
Vergilius	Old Parr...
Vergilius	I don't know about quality, but the name certainly suits you.
Valencina	*sigh* Ha ha. You know what?
Valencina	I was like you once. Bold... proud... feeling like I could take on the whole City all on my own.
Valencina	Back in my day...
Valencina	... little shits like you wouldn't even have dared to talk to me.
Heathcliff	... Ain't ever seen a sod at the bottom of the barrel worth their boast.
Valencina	This is why greenhorns who haven't had a taste of the War... don't understand...
Valencina	A mere mention of my name, "Valencina of Famiglia Bognatelli," would summon all kinds of high-and-mighty Fixers and Syndicate officers outta their trenches just to grovel at my feet. You know that?
Valencina	I lived up to my family name... I was in the front lines, cuttin' 'em all down with nothing but a rifle and a bayonet.
Valencina	Whatever famous fuck the opposing Corporation sent out, I met 'em all in the field of battle, dueled them, bored a new hole through their heads, tore 'em apart...!
Gregor	... All that glory and honor... worth a whole lot of nothing now, aren't they?
Gregor	Look at you. Going so low as to take a kid hostage to stop just one man.
Valencina	Fuck you!
Valencina	... I wouldn't have had to pull that stunt with the kid if I didn't have to get so up-close to Ticket.
Valencina	If I gave Red a fair fight with a fucked-up eye, he would've slaughtered the shit out of me...
Valencina	*sigh* Textbook. Gimme another drink.
Lucio	Yes, Master.
Valencina	I just need to get through this... And they'll reinstate me.
Vergilius	Valencina.
Valencina	I've... hah. I've been waiting for decades at this point.
Valencina	I used to order those low-ranking fodder to grovel at my feet like dogs with a wave of my hand...
Valencina	And now that they outrank me, they think they're some hot shit...? Motherfuckers, looking at me like I'm beneath them... Impudent little shit...
Vergilius	Have you really... never concerned yourself with this question?
Vergilius	The question of what the House of Spiders is really trying to make?
Valencina	... I think it's obvious. A killer. The House is making the best assassin on the market... for all Fingers to use... a blade that can cut through anyone, anything... probably.
Vergilius	Don't you find something amiss listening to yourself?
Vergilius	You've dedicated decades of your life to it, but you don't even know what it was all for.
Valencina	I don't know... Fucking hell, why... do I have to bother knowing shit like that...?
Valencina	Ticket... Ticket's all I need to get it all back...
Valencina	My rank, in the shitter...
Valencina	All those decades wasted in this shithole...
Valencina	It'll... It'll all be worth it in the end...
Vergilius	... Huh.
Vergilius	Once you've spent too long hanging from the web...
Vergilius	... the sky will seem to grow closer and closer,
Vergilius	deluding you into thinking that you can soar into the sky with your own wings.
Vergilius	But you will realize...
Valencina	You have any idea how I honed that Ticket of mine, day after day...?
Vergilius	... that you're not flying, but grasping at the empty air.
Valencina	... Bring me Ticket. Now.
Valencina	Ungrateful little bitch. She doesn't even know what sort of shit her own Nursefather's going through...
Valencina	After all that I've taught her...
Location: -1
Valencina	Oh, dammit... my head. I shouldn't have taken that bomb shot...
Location: Corridor of the Thumb, Past
Valencina	The hell are you doing there in the corner?
Yoshihide	Mom...
Yoshihide	I'll... I'll do better next time...
Yoshihide	I'm sorry...
Valencina	... Dammit, I really messed her up, didn't I...?
Valencina	Hey, Ticket. Clean yourself up with this. You're not looking pretty.
Yoshihide	.......
Valencina	... I mean your face. You're bleeding from the nose.
Yoshihide	Hehe.
Valencina	What are you smiling about? You're all bloodied up...
Yoshihide	Mommy, I...
Yoshihide	I'll be your Golden Ticket.
Yoshihide	Not some s-sh-shitty scrap paper.
Valencina	.......
Valencina	Can you really do that for me, Ticket?
Yoshihide	Yes!
Location: Corridor of the Thumb
Vergilius	Don't overestimate the significance of your conditional affection.
Vergilius	Time to get up. Haven't you emptied more than enough bottles for a day?
Valencina	... So impatient.
Lucio	.......
Valencina	The thing is, with my Ticket...
Valencina	I had to beat that girl head to toe more than a few times before any fire sparked in her eyes.
Valencina	In that regard, I suppose my Textbook here has something to be proud of.
Valencina	You see, this one doesn't cry.
Valencina	Lucio, stop limping around. That wound's nothing serious.
Lucio	Yes, Master.
Heathcliff	... I don't bloody get it.
Heathcliff	Oi... Why do you even listen to someone who thinks you ain't worth shite?
Heathcliff	She beats you all the time, talkin' down to you like that... I doubt she even sees you as a person.
Lucio	... Watch your words.
Lucio	My master was generous enough to take me, a vagrant with nothing to my name, under her wing. She fed me warm food and put a roof over my head. I would've ended up in a corpse pile somewhere in the Backstreets without her help.
Lucio	Which is why... it is only right that I obey her with all my heart.
Heathcliff	Huh...
Valencina	That's right. It's pointless to question and think. Just do exactly as you're told—exactly as I taught you.
Valencina	It's the one thing you're good at, isn't it?

Episode: 41
Location: Corridor of the Thumb
Lucio	.......
Gregor	Why don't you... yield? You're too injured to fight.
Lucio	Please... tell me what you think.
Lucio	Would Yoshihide have forfeited the battle by this point? Or do you think...
Lucio	... she wouldn't have put herself in this situation to begin with...?
Valencina	How many times do I have to remind you? Forget all the useless flourishing and just go for the heart! The heart!
Valencina	I've given you plenty of demonstrations, haven't I?!
Valencina	Are you really gonna make me watch those clowns mop the floor with you?!
Heathcliff	Bloody hell, she sure is a gasbag. Tell 'er to shut up, won't you?
Lucio	... I've always known that this day would come.
Lucio	But I was hoping... to meet my end while dueling Yoshihide herself... someone who was supposed to study... me...
Lucio	So that the next Textbook can...
Lucio	... learn from my mistakes... and make appropriate corrections to its content...
Gregor	Hey, wait—
Valencina	Stab the heart in front of you! Stab that bastard's heart! Now!
Gregor	I cut apples in half
Gregor	Hngh... Stop...
Valencina	This right here is why you still haven't graduated from being a Textbook, do you hear me?!
Gregor	Some were hard some crumbly some were soft some sappy
Lucio	Your breathing is growing irregular... I understand.
Lucio	This place has a way of... driving people completely mad.
Gregor	The sugary smell...
Gregor	... makes me...
Vergilius	…….
Vergilius	Looks like...
Vergilius	... you've finally been freed from your bundle of liability.
Vergilius	Well? Do you feel liberated now, as you've always wanted?
Valencina	... What, are you saying Lucio died or something?
Vergilius	Had his heart stabbed right out of him.
Vergilius	Isn't this what you wanted? You got your heart.
Valencina	... Fuck off... with your bullshit.
Valencina	Hey, Lucio!
Valencina	Don't you dare ignore me. Say something.
Valencina	Lazy little shit! You haven't even done a quarter of what you're meant to do. Who said you could lie down there like you're done?!
Gregor	…….
Heathcliff	... Mate, you... you alright?
Valencina	... Ah...
Valencina	Wha... what...
Valencina	What the fuck have you done, vermin?!
Gregor	Nngh...
Valencina	You... disgusting little shit...!
Rodion	Greg—!

Episode: 42
Location: Corridor of the Ring, Past
Callisto	So, what do you think, Yoshihide? This concept is called "Minimalism."
Callisto	A bold removal of the unnecessary for the preservation of the essence.
Callisto	As you must be aware, the human corpus has far too many non-essential parts which harm the purity of it.
Terrified Victim	I'm scared...
Terrified Victim	Father... Where... are you...
Yoshihide	Dad...
Yoshihide	This is just too cruel... I don't wanna see it...!
Yoshihide	.......
Callisto	Yoshihide, that is because you are focusing only on the present. Allow yourself to look beyond the subject's momentary suffering—and there you will discover the perpetuity of the structure we will shape from it.
Callisto	Let us review. The simplicity with which a straight line sunders is a primordial form of structuralism.
Callisto	I will raise you as a precious pupil of mine, a companion to all of my future artwork. So please, Yoshihide—follow along with my classes.
Callisto	To reveal the beautiful, original form of the human corpus to the world, the skin must be removed, and the spine severed. That approach, however, runs the risk of being far too safe with the composition.
Callisto	After all, art is a culmination of moments and choices, and the suffering therein... Yoshihide, will you impart your impression of this piece, how it appears in your eyes...?
Yoshihide	I'd say my tastes lean closer to...
Yoshihide	... the appreciation of the negative space. Not this kind of butchershop job.
Callisto	Butchershop, Yoshihide? I was simply hoping to replicate the striking visual imagery of Fauvism.
Dying Victim	Nngh... Do you have any idea who I am?! I'm—I'm—!
Yoshihide	Her squealing's getting... real grating.
Yoshihide	I prefer my canvases quiet.
Callisto	Ah, you are finally enlightened enough to engage with me in a discourse of tastes.
Callisto	I'm so happy, Yoshihide...
Callisto	Perhaps you will evolve beyond simply learning the art movements created by the other Maestros of the Ring, and...
Callisto	... found an art movement of your own someday.
Location: Corridor of the Ring
Callisto	How I miss those days.
Alyssa	Nngh...
Callisto	While we certainly had conflicting subjectivities when it came to our tastes... I helped to form the structure and the intellectual framework through which Yoshihide's unique aesthetic sense and her exceptional eye for artistic beauty could thrive.
Ishmael	Alyssa...!
Hohenheim	.......
Alyssa	Agh... nngh... It... hurts... so much...
Callisto	I am not fond of people like her who let their emotions get the better of them.
Callisto	Most of them have... fragile, thin bones that break far too easily.
Callisto	True strength comes in the form of agility and the patience to find an opening.
Callisto	The body does not lie, after all.
Callisto	Refer to my manikins for more elaboration on that subject. But I've already expounded enough upon the core of the matter.
Sinclair	... It's about whether... all of their senses are alive...
Callisto	Precisely.
Callisto	I suppose you have had the opportunity to enjoy a similar piece of artwork elsewhere? I'll admit, this approach is rather archetypal.
Radio	Ah...
Radio	Apologies, everyone. Let me continue.
Radio	... More manikins incoming. Prepare for battle.
Ishmael	Dammit...
Radio	Sinclair, listen. Let's just... focus on the mission, okay?
Radio	Don't look down, don't look away—look ahead.
Sinclair	B-but...
Radio	I know exactly what you're reliving. I was right there with you, in that village where that horrible carol was playing, where Effie was...
Radio	But... that's behind us now. It's over—what's done is done. There's no undoing it like the way Dante rewinds the clock.
Albina	Maestro, may I share some of the remaining ingredient with Fascia? She'll be happy.
Callisto	You may, Albina.
Alyssa	Hnngh...
Radio	It's time... to leave that burning village, Sinclair.
Radio	Let's leave that painful memory in the past.
Sinclair	The past...
Callisto	What sparked your wrath?
Callisto	Please, do tell. What caused you to run headlong into this premature death?
Alyssa	Why...
Alyssa	If you were just after the Golden Bough, why...
Alyssa	... did you have to kill them?
Callisto	Ah, camaraderie. Even your motivation is ugly.
Callisto	To ask "why" the House of Spiders hunts is akin to asking someone why they exist.
Callisto	I do not get angry. Anger makes things drab and monotonous. So, I will now proceed to elevate you into artistic completion.
Hohenheim	... What a meaningful piece of art. Truly.
Callisto	Pardon?
Hohenheim	But if I were to add a few words of advice...
Hohenheim	I think your work is rather uninspired.
Callisto	.......
Ishmael	Hohenheim, what are you—
Ishmael	.......
Ishmael	Right. I'll use the Ampule on Faust and get her back on her feet if I can find an opening. The manager has to be... occupied with something else.
Hohenheim	Though I may not look the part, I like to think I have seen far beyond my share of corpses.
Hohenheim	It's nothing to be proud of, but I've spent years at a company full of these... "Abnormalities."
Hohenheim	Many of which employed methods of killing my fellow staff that showed far greater artistic merit and depth than anything you have prepared here.
Hohenheim	Let me think... ah, of course.
Hohenheim	There was this employee who took on the role of the protagonist, staging quite a poignant play.
Hohenheim	Their role was to slit the throat of the Captain they respected most, parade their lifeless torso around for 2 hours, and confess their sins to whomever they came across.
Hohenheim	I watched the play from beginning to end, comforted only by the fact that I was never really that close with that individual. Because once a play had begun, the audience had to watch it to its curtain call.
Callisto	You... have my attention.
Callisto	Is there something you would like to impart about this... artwork I am working on?
Hohenheim	A few things.
Hohenheim	One, you're not making full use of your medium.
Hohenheim	What you show me now is no different from one of those cursory autopsy reports I can find lying around in my office.
Hohenheim	Your work can be boiled down to simply cutting open a corpus and rearranging its organs in neat order. I do recall, quite vaguely, some Abnormalities with neither originality nor creativity—much like this piece you're working on.
Callisto	.......
Hohenheim	And you've drained too much blood, far more than what is necessary. That limits the spectrum of color in your piece.
Hohenheim	On a more positive note, the element I found most compelling upon closer inspection was the contrasting duet of veins and arteries. It is the kind of expression achievable only through a refined understanding of the human anatomy and its workings.
Callisto	Ah...!
Callisto	So you noticed it after all! That detail alone demanded more than 3 days of devoted labor, yet it failed to resonate with any audience—even with Albina!
Hohenheim	Every artist craves the understanding of others. Art for art's sake is without meaning.
Callisto	Yes, yes. That is what I was here for. To create a revolutionary artwork, something to move people... and to observe them.
Callisto	But the others were still so attached to their hollow ambitions and ties to the secular world that they did not even pretend to understand my creations...
Callisto	I have harsh words especially for Valencina, for always pickling her body in alcohol, stumbling into my space and almost destroying my work.
Callisto	As for Rien... he is merely a self-inflicted imitation—no more than a simulacrum that mimics, at the behest of the Prescript, the fate of a certain Fixer in the Library...
Callisto	Fuhu... I suppose I've gotten ahead of myself in all this excitement. Please do excuse my faux pas.
Callisto	Returning to the subject at hand... If you were to work on this piece, how would you add the missing artistic element?
Hohenheim	... The fasciculus of humans, when desiccated in an oxygen-deprived environment for days, begins to emanate a faint glow.
Hohenheim	Perhaps you could use that as half-decent decoration.
Hohenheim	Another thing—don't trap yourself in a box thinking that macabre violence and the exhibition thereof is all there is to art. Make your art tell a story that is unique to you.
Hohenheim	An example:
Hohenheim	While the rest of my body is unremarkable, I am the individual with the most remarkably genius brain in this company.
Hohenheim	How about this? Split open my skull to reveal the brain underneath, and let that be your finishing touch. I hear that knowledge and the number of folds in one's brain have a direct correlation. This would be a good opportunity for me to observe that.
Hohenheim	As you must be aware, compared to other organs, the brain is highly complex and fickle to work with. I assure you, it will be a good challenge.
Callisto	Yes, I agree... the harder the material is to work with, the more exciting it becomes when I've finally tamed it as my own...
Callisto	Now... Come closer, and speak your name to me.
Hohenheim	... Hohenheim.
Hohenheim	I have never been so ashamed of my own name.
Sinclair	S-stop, Mister Hohenheim...
Sinclair	W-what are you even trying to do?
Sinclair	We're all too hurt to do anything. Faust, Ishmael, and me...
Hohenheim	Well... my best, I suppose.
Sinclair	But—
Hohenheim	I am well aware. My gear and weapon are... utterly inadequate to defeat a man of such strength.
Hohenheim	But what matters is that I am determined to never regret anything, ever again.
Hohenheim	Besides, there are moments when gambling may yield a rather fascinating outcome.
Sinclair	Remember... at the check-up? My placement in your scale of power was...
Sinclair	I... I'm just not strong enough... I can't turn this situation around...
Hohenheim	Stop thinking in numbers. Forget those rankings.
Hohenheim	One may come to mistake numbers as the ultimate truth of the world, as something that interweaves both rationality and analysis; however, the numbers themselves are but conduits by which we may physically realize and translate the abstract into the present reality.
Sinclair	The present...
Callisto	It is time, dear Hohenheim.
Callisto	Thank you. Thank you for understanding me.
Callisto	I will preserve and cherish you until the day I am gone.
Hohenheim	Yes, and... while this may be an unnecessary concern, I would prefer it if you could avoid wearing something like that... wide-brimmed hat of yours.
Callisto	Ah, this hat?
Callisto	A long, long time ago, I wished to delve into the depths of the physical manifestation of my mind. Then, I realized that my skills were yet too immature to attempt such a thing... and bound it together once again.
Hohenheim	Aha, so the hat is a kind of helmet or a brace, as the wound never fully closed...
Hohenheim	And here I thought it was some horribly ill-conceived fashion choice.
Callisto	And what significance does it bear in your present circumstance?
Hohenheim	Well, I was hoping that...
Hohenheim	... I should be able to inflict some degree of damage with my surprise attack.
Hohenheim	How is it? I don't suppose you saw that coming.
Hohenheim	It is an E.G.O called "Diffraction"—extracted from a particularly tricky Abnormality.
Hohenheim	I'm curious if you ever learned the lesson that there's always more to reality than what meets the eye... or that the really important things are invisible to the eye.
Callisto	........
Albina	Maestro!
Callisto	... My amygdala is shaking. The corpus amygdaloideum is connected to the brainstem, which is involved in the brain’s emotional centers.
Callisto	Ah... when Yoshihide shattered that sword of mine so long ago...
Callisto	... I believe I felt an emotion similar to this.
Hohenheim	Hnngh...
Ishmael	This is our opening...! Faust and I are both almost healed. We can't give him any time to—agh...!
Albina	I can't let you do that. Not before we become friends.
Sinclair	... Ishmael! Faust!
Callisto	Oh, you're the one who suddenly collapsed in the Research Facility, aren't you?
Callisto	While wrath may indeed force your body to function beyond its breaking point... even that has its limits.
Callisto	83% of your body has been heavily damaged. At that level, even properly wielding your weapon becomes a challenge.
Callisto	The corpus works in immaculate ways indeed. Every cause and effect is crystal clear.
Sinclair	Dante... if you're watching... do something—please, do something...!
Sinclair	.......
Sinclair	I can't... rely on others to solve my problems... forever.
Albina	Don't leave. The others are gone—you're the only one left here to be friends with me and Fascia.
Sinclair	... Get off me.
Callisto	There are faster ways, indeed. But I would prefer to choke the air out of him...
Callisto	... because asphyxiation is the most appropriate approach to ensure that the subject suffers for as long as possible without leaving any damage to the corpus.
Hohenheim	*choke*
Albina	And that is the Maestro's special brand of mercy.
Albina	He is demonstrating his act of creation before all of us...
Albina	Now, let us both become audience to this rare opportunity. Keep your eyes peeled to the end.
Albina	In the future, I want to be a Maestro who has surpassed even my Maestro. What are your dreams?
Sinclair	The future...
Sinclair	... Suffusing within me...
Sinclair	... is a scent...
Sinclair	A stench...
Callisto	... I beg your pardon? My gallery boasts a perfect balance of temperature and humidity for the preservation of artworks. They are isolated from external contaminants at all times.
Sinclair	The stench that sticks... the stench of... rot...
Sinclair	I see...
Location: -1
Sinclair	The Smoke... was blue.
Location: -1
Location: Corridor of the Ring
Sinclair	.......
Albina	... Fa-Fascia?
Albina	Why would you— If you didn't want to be friends with me, you could've just killed me. Why would you kill Fascia—
Sinclair	... Ah.
Sinclair	I was getting to that part.
Callisto	.......
Callisto	Oh... It seems that my perspective was... severely lacking...
Callisto	Please, forgive my disrespectfulness...
Sinclair	It is forgiven.
Sinclair	.......
Sinclair	The air here is clean.
Sinclair	I haven't breathed like this in so long.
Location: Corridor of the Ring
Callisto	Your eyes have been witnesses to... such a vast spectrum of slaughter.
Callisto	I implore you, please... tell me. How does my gallery appear...
Callisto	... reflected in those eyes...?
Sinclair	.......
Sinclair	It's trashy.
Sinclair	Like some things my life has led me to see as of late.
Callisto	.......
Callisto	The things you've witnessed... Allow me to see it, too...
Sinclair	It'd be meaningless to try to explain them with words.
Callisto	Aah...
Callisto	Yes, and that is... And that is enough.
Sinclair	... So it is.

Episode: 43
Location: Corridor of the Ring
Hohenheim	.......
Sinclair	... It's like you're asking, "Why didn't you tell us you had this power all along?"
Sinclair	But you must know, Mister Hohenheim, that it's never that convenient.
Sinclair	If we really want to get into it, I should be the one who's the most surprised. I didn't know about the sudden pull of this power, and wasn't expecting it to summon me here, either.
Hohenheim	It—*cough* Mmh, my voice sounds rather hoarse... On account of the rather cruel choking from earlier.
Hohenheim	Despite being pushed to the point where I was about to lose both of my subordinates... I still found myself clawing at life when death came knocking at my door. How ridiculously pathetic.
Sinclair	Don't worry. One way or another, she will overcome this ordeal and go on living. She's a lot stronger than you—or any of us—might think.
Hohenheim	... Is that so? That's good to hear.
Hohenheim	.......
Hohenheim	How many years have you traveled back?
Sinclair	That's not a question I can answer.
Hohenheim	... I'm sorry to say that it does not appear to me that you've come from a very optimistic future.
Sinclair	From where I'm standing, there isn't much to be optimistic about the past either.
Sinclair	Back then, never in my wildest imagination did I think we'd ever have to coin the term "The First Smoke War."
Ishmael	What...
Ishmael	What is... happening? Do you see him too, Faust? Or am I seeing things from losing too much blood...?
Faust	... I see him, too.
Faust	... The Sign... has summoned you.
Sinclair	The Sign merely behaved as a medium. "I" was the one who summoned me.
Sinclair	The awakening and the summoning occurred simultaneously.
Faust	Then, is that—
Sinclair	Ah... no, not every Sign has this power. This is the power of my Sign.
Ishmael	So you're... from the future...? Not a Mirror World...? W-what happened... to the original Sinclair...?
Sinclair	There is no such thing as the original. This is unlike the Mirror Worlds... it is more akin to a different branch of the same tree.
Ishmael	Wait, hold on...
Ishmael	Is it inevitable? That future... you're from...
Sinclair	I don't know. Maybe.
Sinclair	But it's not all misery.
Sinclair	Life goes on, after all.
Ishmael	Do we really have no choice but to... face that future?
Sinclair	.......
Sinclair	I don't know whether the life I'd lived through prior to my summoning... will be in your path, or whether you'll be able to avoid it.
Faust	... But it will not be impossible.
Sinclair	No. It will be a difficult path, still. Almost unbearably so.
Sinclair	Now, I find myself thinking that...
Sinclair	... maybe the journey I've walked my entire life, everything I've gone through as I trudged across the fields of battle... was merely an offshoot event of an offshoot world—designed to end here and now, to serve this very moment and nothing more.
Hohenheim	All has been cast into the realm of speculation, now.
Sinclair	Correct. But if I can be a strength to myself, then I best accept that fate.
Sinclair	I wish certain others were here, too. So I could see everyone I'd been longing to see... just one more time.
Sinclair	Every now and then, I find myself thinking back... to the days I spent aboard that bus.
Sinclair	Those memories... might be the only things that keep me going in the days to come.
Ishmael	.......
Sinclair	I should leave now. Before the longing gets worse.
Sinclair	I might be returned to where I came from, but perhaps this is simply the end of the road for me, like death. Neither you nor I will know whether this is how I die. Still...
Sinclair	Even if this is where I end... even if my entire existence boils down to serving this moment and nothing more...
Sinclair	... I'm glad I got to spend my last moments with you guys, instead of being surrounded by dying comrades. And that's good enough for me.
Sinclair	Oh, and Miss Faust?
Sinclair	Don't grieve everything all at once.
Sinclair	That's the only advice I have for you.
Faust	.......
Hohenheim	I don't suppose the promise of a reunion will mean anything.
Sinclair	Even if my Sign were to burn again, there's no telling whether it'll be "me" again next time. Because there's...
Hohenheim	... No guarantee.
Hohenheim	Well, I don't think you've... changed much, at least from what I can see.
Hohenheim	Ah, though it seems you've grown a bit taller.
Sinclair	So I have.
Hohenheim	Thank you. It couldn't have been easy.

Episode: 44
Location: Corridor of the Middle
Ezra	Team Leader!
Moses	Hmmh... Missed.
Vespa	I tried to distract him as much as I could manage, but he seems to have dodged it instinctively.
Moses	Perhaps I should've tried a more predictive shot.
Vespa	Are your impulses... in check?
Moses	I may need some time, but... it's nothing to worry about.
Kira	...!
Kira	.......
Radio	The Apprentice's signal has been lost in an instant! You must brace for a strike from a blind point!
Moses	... Can you locate her, Vespa?
Vespa	Her presence disappeared the instant she put on whatever it is she's wearing now. It could be the Veil, or a Workshop-made gear built on similar technology.
Kira	Using environmental obstacles to hold enemies down... sure looked badass!
Don Quixote	Ah—fie! Above thee, distinguished Color! Look above thee!
Vespa	Ngh...!
Kira	Got 'im! Papa, now!
Matthias	.......
Matthias	Good girl.
Kira	Hah! Even a Color Fixer can't outmaneuver a Reli— Huh...?
Vespa	...!
Kira	Papa...?
Matthias	Remember, Kiddo?
Matthias	This is family. A little sacrifice ain't a thing if it's for one of us.
Don Quixote	... What senseless villainy is this?!
Don Quixote	To put one's child to the sword to defeat a foe... How dost thou, a Finger of loyalty, commit such a cowardly act of duplicity...?
Moses	*puff* Loyalty, huh.
Moses	I doubt the Middle really gives two hoots about loyalty.
Moses	All they actually care about is grandstanding.
Moses	Nothing else matters to them if they can project the image of loyalty, in and of itself an implicit threat of what might befall those who stand in their way.
Yi Sang	... Much like the rows upon rows of toy packaging displayed here.
Matthias	What do you think you're doing, my man? That's a white colorway in your hand... Pretty sure I remember my little girl asking for a black one.
Location: U Corp.'s Marlin Portship Shop Alley, Past
Mall Shopkeeper	I'm... I'm really sorry, sir. Sir, please... I'm sorry. Sir. Please, please forgive my—aaaagh!
Matthias	Oh, quit overreactin', man. I just popped one of your apparently colorblind eyeballs, no biggie.
Yoshihide	Stop it.
Yoshihide	I like that color too. So stop it.
Matthias	You like white, too? Oh boy... Is my little girl finally acquiring her papa's tastes?
Matthias	I still need to pay him back for bringing you the wrong color—
Yoshihide	It'll be rush hour soon. What's the point of coming out on a drive if we're just gonna end up sitting in traffic?
Yoshihide	... I'm leaving. Let's go, Dad.
Location: Corridor of the Middle
Matthias	.......
Moses	Still... I suppose I should thank you. You're... really doing one hell of a job summoning those horrible memories back to me.
Moses	*puff* I've got one more Crimson Point in me.
Kira	*cough* *gurgle*
Ezra	What do we do about the kid?
Radio	The Department of LCC has requested that she be captured alive. They have many queries for which she may hold answers to...
Hong Lu	... I'll use a healing medicine on her.
Kira	... Papa... why would you... Why me...?
Don Quixote	.......
Don Quixote	... Thou shan't be able to move with thy body cloven in half.
Don Quixote	So, lie still and bear witness...
Don Quixote	... for they shall demonstrate before thee the true meaning of "badass."

Episode: 45
Location: ??? of the Thumb
Gregor	Gah...!
Valencina	I know about insects like you better than anyone.
Valencina	Poor little pests that gave up their human limbs for something infinitely more revolting.
Valencina	G Corp.'s pride and joy—their pest weaponry.
Valencina	They had three stand-out successes, from what I recall.
Valencina	The Maggot Prince... the Moth Princess... and the Lord of Flies.
Gregor	.......
Valencina	Those three really put on a stomach-churning show in the front lines of the Smoke War. I've got 'em to thank for toughenin' up my resilience against gross shit.
Valencina	But there was this rumor then, almost as unbelievable as an urban legend.
Valencina	That G Corp. had one more, yet-to-be-seen fourth weapon.
Valencina	That one supposedly got stuck mid-hatch and failed to even break out of its husk.
Valencina	One look at that hairy, chitinous arm tells me everything I need to know.
Valencina	While no one's ever known what that entity looked like, probably because no one survived the encounter to tell the tale...
Valencina	Well, it would've been a different story had it met me...
Valencina	...but everyone had an idea of what insect that might be.
Valencina	There's the Maggot... the Moth... and the Fly... There's one conspicuously missing vermin from that list, isn't there?
Valencina	Looks like I've found the poor cockroach that never managed to hatch himself.
Gregor	Ngh... Right...
Gregor	... You said you were a veteran of the Smoke War, too...
Valencina	Oh, yeah. Good ol' Smoke War and its many, many unforgettable memories. Though I'm sure losers like you wouldn't agree.
Valencina	The Smoke... the viscous organic fluids... the mist that tainted every breath of air...
Valencina	That day, I proudly wielded the bayonetted rifle bestowed upon me by La Famiglia Bognatelli.
Valencina	You know the sound you vermin make? That loud buzz of your bug wings?
Valencina	That noise was like a sound cue that let me know where to aim, bullet in the chamber.
Valencina	Whenever I'd hear that noise, I'd aim there, stab the vermin right in its heart, then... bang!
Valencina	Oh, here's another war story of mine.
Valencina	It's about this little guy who managed to dodge last minute to the side. The shot missed its heart, but was still a hit. Guess even bugs have survival instincts.
Valencina	Anyway, the vermin fell to the ground from the shock and curled up into a ball, all frozen up.
Valencina	A sight more pathetic than roadkill.
Valencina	Wanna hear what I did to it next?
Valencina	I wanted to have some fun. Took my sweet time and broke its legs one by one with the butt of my rifle.
Valencina	4 limbs would've ended the fun too quickly, oh yes. Luckily, this one had 6.
Gregor	…….
Valencina	Leg 1 goes, and it fights back. Screaming.
Valencina	Leg 2 goes, and it starts to crawl away from me. On its belly, with its remaining legs.
Valencina	Leg 3 goes, and it starts bawling. Drool and snot and what have you streaming down its face, doing something that looked like pleading, I think.
Valencina	And, heh heh... oh boy, you'll want to hear this part. Leg 5 goes, and it just goes limp like it's dead.
Valencina	It doesn't even try to run. It just... goes still and waits.
Valencina	And that's my favorite moment, really. The state of complete capitulation, having discarded even its will to live. Letting me do whatever I want to its body...
Valencina	But you can't possibly have the cheek to call me cruel.
Valencina	You G Corp. pests were far more messed up than I ever was! Ripping people apart, cannibalizing them—you were nothing but a swarm of fucked-up monsters!
Gregor	Sta...
Valencina	What? What was that? I can't hear what you're saying, insect!
Gregor	S-stay away...
Valencina	Ha ha, there it is. The eyes are rolling back... you're almost at leg 5 too, aren't you?
Gregor	Stay away... from me...
Valencina	Oh...
UNGEZIEFER KAISER	Hearken to our darkling wingbeats... as we make our nests in the shadows.
UNGEZIEFER KAISER	The royals march unchanging and eternal, even as they are loathed...
UNGEZIEFER KAISER	And suddenly, one day, we shall appear from the comfort of your beds while you slumber in the warmth...
UNGEZIEFER KAISER	... and the collective clamor for life shall commence, screaming, thrashing, until all becomes void... devoured, lashed piece by piece by our mandibles.
UNGEZIEFER KAISER	March. March. Consume. Procreate. Consume. Erase. Regenerate. March.
Valencina	Oh, motherfucker. It's real... The worst one out of the four...
Valencina	You had to hatch now... of all times...?
Location: Corridor of the Thumb
Rodion	Greg! Where the heck did you...
Heathcliff	Oi, hang on. Look over there...
Heathcliff	I hear someone, but...
Heathcliff	... I ain't seein' any movements. Oi, Stubbles! You alright?
Rodion	…….
Rodion	Someone...?
Rodion	It's... it's not just someone, Heath...
Rodion	The sound...
Heathcliff	Huh?
Rodion	You hear that too, don't you...?
Rodion	The skittering of... countless legs... swarming across the floor...
Vergilius	…….
Rodion	Is that... really Greg?
Rodion	Verg, what do we... what do we do?
Vergilius	…….
Heathcliff	I just need to know one thing, Guide.
Heathcliff	You tell us to beat the shite out of 'im 'till he comes to his senses, and we'll do it.
Heathcliff	We did it with the lass who needs to take better care of her shoes, with that hoity-toity researcher bloke... and even when I...
Heathcliff	But is that... is that even something he can come back from...?
Vergilius	... Not sure.
Vergilius	That is no... "power." It's neither a Distortion nor an E.G.O, or anything remotely similar.
Rodion	Then...?
Rodion	What is that supposed to be?
Vergilius	Something that was to be, but never was. Something that has incubated within Sinner #13.
Vergilius	And that has given dreams to things that never should be allowed to dream...
Vergilius	... and they have now begun to beat their wings toward total annihilation.
Location: ??? of the Thumb
UNGEZIEFER KAISER	…….
Location: Corridor of the Thumb
Rodion	…….
Rodion	Wait, Greg's eye—I just met his eye.
Rodion	Guys, that's just... a molt. Or a pupa going through a metamorphosis...
Rodion	We just have to peel it off him. Then he'll be back.
Rodion	... Right?
Vergilius	I hope so.
Heathcliff	Sod off with that "I hope so," mate.
Heathcliff	We'll just try 'till it works... Yeah, that's what we're gonna do.

Episode: 46
Location: Corridor of the Thumb
Rodion	... He's back to normal, right...?
Vergilius	It was only possible because he hadn't fully metamorphosed yet. We were fortunate.
Heathcliff	... Now even Stubbles's givin' us grief. Whew... at least he shook off those bloody insects. Our work's done here, yeah?
Rodion	Seriously, I'm done. Totally tapped out... That whole fight messed me up inside out! How're you doing, Verg? You sound extra beat.
Vergilius	*sigh* Unlike you Sinners, I cannot be revived and brought back to full strength... This is taking a toll on me, too.
Vergilius	This troublesome variable... must've caused quite the headache for Manager Dante as well.
Vergilius	If all goes according to plan... the Manager will be summoning you shortly. Be ready and steel your nerves, for all the good that'll do.
Heathcliff	Yeah... Clockhead and the other teams should be almost done with their side of things by now.
Rodion	They oughta be doing fine, right? I mean, things were pretty peachy for us too... right up until what happened to Greg.
Vergilius	Hmm...

Episode: 47
Location: Corridor of the Index
Rien	Oh, my apologies.
Jamila	Aagh...
Rien	I'm not quite used to this weapon form yet...
Rien	So I may have made you suffer needlessly.
Jamila	Mal... function...?
Rien	That's not my doing. I didn't have any reason to prepare a trap like that.
Rien	You should've taken better care of your weapons when you had the time. Weapons that fail when they actually matter... are no weapons at all.
Rien	No need to overthink it.
Rien	Fortune happened to land on my side—that's all there is to it.
Rien	Ah...
Rien	Let's see...
Rien	I suppose all that's left is to wait?

Episode: 48
Ryoshu	It's...
Ryoshu	It's a thread.
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Ryōshū wraps her fingers around the sword that pierced through the Pinky Nursefather.
The blade then unravels into a single thread in her hand.
Location: -1
Ryoshu	Children can sense it, as if by instinct:
Ryoshu	Who loves them, who despises them,
Ryoshu	who means them harm, and who gives them care.
Ryoshu	The Nursefathers raised me.
Valencina	Ticket! *burp* Ever pour rice into a bowl of vodka?
Ryoshu	Each in their own distinct way,
Rien	Darling, which story shall I read to you today?
Ryoshu	Each unchanging and uncompromising,
Matthias	Hey, Buddy! Just say the word if you've got your eye on something! Dad'll get the whole damn shelf for you.
Ryoshu	Each with a different measure of affection,
Callisto	Now, please take this lesson to your heart: Upon the rock of knowledge are beauty and strength built—your study of aesthetics begins now, Yoshihide, so you may one day create a gallery of your own.
Ryoshu	Each with their own portion of care.
Dihui Star	Don't you dare smile.
Dihui Star	I suffer in such misery—it's only fair that you suffer too.
Ryoshu	In spite of it all, they were my parents.
Ryoshu	A tiny life jerks and twists in my hands.
Ryoshu	It relies on me, it welcomes me—its eyes follow every movement I make.
Ryoshu	It cannot survive on its own.
Ryoshu	Without my care, its time will come to a premature end.
Location: Corridor of the Index, Past
Rien	That feeling is called "pity."
Yoshihide	Pity? What's that?
Rien	Remember that book we read yesterday? The snake swallows the frog...
Rien	... but wails loudly when it feels the frog thrashing in its throat.
Yoshihide	Yeah.
Rien	The snake cries because it feels pity.
Rien	The snake pities the frog, knowing the pain the prey will suffer as it is devoured. It's grieving because the frog's life will be cut short.
Yoshihide	Okay.
Yoshihide	Do my other dads feel that way for me too?
Rien	No, I don't know if...
Rien	I don't think many of us are even capable of pity.
Rien	Because this... is the House of Spiders, darling.
Rien	And Spiders... hunt.
Yoshihide	... Hunt.
Yoshihide	I have to do it too, right?
Yoshihide	With this sword.
Rien	Yes, when the time comes.
Yoshihide	But it's weird.
Yoshihide	Why am I not allowed to pull the sword out? It's always sheathed.
Rien	That, too—you'll know when the time comes.
Yoshihide	Am I gonna get a magic beeper like yours someday, Dad?
Yoshihide	The beeper tells you everything, right?
Rien	You won't be getting one, no.
Yoshihide	... Okay. But I can still feel "pity." Only I can.
Yoshihide	So may I please... keep Saru?
Rien	You may, but I don't recommend it.
Rien	Let something you cherish take root in your heart... and it will carve out a gaping hole far larger than itself when it's taken away.
Yoshihide	…….
Location: -1
Ryoshu	His words were always gentle, yet the subtle tone of detached observation betrayed that pretense.
Ryoshu	But back then, I was exhausted from the endless barrage of biting remarks from the other Nursefathers...
Ryoshu	... so I was drawn to his cryptic way of speaking. For me, at least, I thought there was a certain warmth in it...
Ryoshu	A genuine intention to convey something to me.
Location: Ryōshū's Room, Past
Yoshihide	... No.
Dihui Star	"No?" Do you believe you can back out of this with a simple "no?"
Dihui Star	I recall you bragging rather confidently that you had beaten that attitude out of her, Valencina. What happened?
Valencina	Hah! Hello, the brat's practically cut from your cloth, you know.
Valencina	Must've gotten that nasty bit from you.
Matthias	C'mon, guys. The kid's right here, you know?
Dihui Star	... Rien, give me that.
Rien	…….
Valencina	Still don't know your way around Rien?
Valencina	That crazy bitch won't even lift a finger unless you name exactly what you need.
Dihui Star	... Give me Zenon's Tortoise Spiral.
Rien	Mm. Here you go.
Dihui Star	…….
Yoshihide	…!
Yoshihide	Saru!!
Dihui Star	You know how to unlock it, yes?
Dihui Star	You will get the password once you return with the job done.
Dihui Star	Delay, and Saru will die.
Yoshihide	…….
Dihui Star	Do you understand what it means to die?
Dihui Star	What it means to cut deep enough to kill?
Location: -1
Ryoshu	I know precisely how and where to stab to snuff out a life with a single thrust.
Ryoshu	All thanks to the innumerable hours I've spent practicing on targets, dummies, manikins, and chunks of flesh.
Target of the House of Spiders	Hrrk...!
Ryoshu	Someone I'm not acquainted with. An orange suit.
Ryoshu	What dreadful fashion sense.
Ryoshu	The target was an employee of a sizable bank. And I didn't know anything beyond that. Didn't need to know.
Ryoshu	By then, I came to understand what it means to die.
Ryoshu	To die is to have it all end.
Location: Corridor of the Pinky, Past
Yoshihide	... The password. Now.
Dihui Star	... Did you cut the target down?
Dihui Star	It's only been... 2 hours.
Yoshihide	... The password.
Dihui Star	How did you get past the Fixers who were guarding the target?
Yoshihide	Cut them all dead. Doesn't matter how.
Dihui Star	…….
Ryoshu	She was staring me down with a peculiar look in her eyes, and her mouth...
Ryoshu	Her mouth opened with an equally inexplicable expression. Perhaps it was a laugh—or the opposite. I had no way of knowing it.
Ryoshu	Saru was spared, as promised.
Ryoshu	But every time she breathed, I could hear her wheeze and struggle for air...
Ryoshu	... and her tail no longer wagged with delight when she saw me.
Location: Corridor of the Ring, Past
Callisto	Yoshihide, I have prepared a little something to celebrate your birthday.
Callisto	The name I have bestowed upon this sword... is "Beastbone Blade Saru."
Callisto	An adorable size to perfectly fit the grip of your palms.
Yoshihide	…….
Callisto	One day, Yoshihide, I would like to have a child of my own... A child completed with my flesh and blood.
Callisto	I eagerly await that moment with every passing day.
Location: -1
Ryoshu	The sensation of the hilt on my palm was the kind of pure love that only he could impart.
Ryoshu	Wasn't the first time I've felt something like that.
Ryoshu	The whiff of booze clinging to her, and the bruises she left on my body.
Ryoshu	The warm tone of the voice that never hesitated to read to me, even though the man always made it a point to shut a book before the ending.
Ryoshu	The desire to see me walk only the comfortable path, which came with possessiveness so fierce that it was sated only by dooming into the pits of hell all those who got between him and that goal.
Ryoshu	The passion to shape me into the only being in the world who understands him, by pouring into me every bit of artistic knowledge he possessed...
Ryoshu	And the desolate screams of she who could not bear to meet my gaze—or have me meet hers.
Ryoshu	These five threads twine to make a rope that binds me into who I am.
Ryoshu	And the rope is laid along the road to—
Location: Corridor of the Index, Past
Rien	Oh, this?
Rien	Sweetheart. This... is called a "spiral."
Rien	Once it is lodged inside the body, even the slightest of movements will make it burrow deeper into the flesh... forcing the victim to remain perfectly still.
Rien	It may not sting any worse than the prick of a thorn at first, but the more you try to yank it free, the further it will drill into the body.
Rien	But no matter how much it keeps digging in, it will never make it to the other side. The closer it gets to the end, the slower it becomes—it can never meet its endpoint.
Rien	You know what else shares that property?
Rien	"Doubt."
Yoshihide	No, Dad.
Yoshihide	It's freeze tag!
Rien	... What's... freeze tag?
Yoshihide	So it's like a game where, when you're frozen, I tag you and say "Unfreeze!" Then you can start moving again!
Rien	I see.
Rien	Then I... I'll keep waiting until my darling daughter decides to unfreeze me.
Location: -1
Ryoshu	I couldn't understand what he meant at the time.
Ryoshu	The "Spiral" that pierced Saru was then used to pierce dozens more lives, and then dozens after that...
Ryoshu	Until one day, a stake of doubt, shaped just like that Spiral, lodged itself in me as well.
Ryoshu	Threads become knots, endlessly tangling and winding into a jumbled clew.
Araya	Look, Mommy! I made a spiderweb. But if you twist it like this...
Araya	Ta-da! It becomes a ladder. Cool, right?
Yoshihide	Are you...
Yoshihide	... bored?
Araya	Nuh-uh! I can totally play on my own!
Yoshihide	.......
Yoshihide	Don't you want to go to school?
Araya	... Whoa.
Araya	I wanna! I wanna!
Ryoshu	Araya must've been around 8 years old back then.
Ryoshu	When I saw the twinkle in those eyes, I suddenly craved the cigs I'd quit... and strangely enough, didn't miss them at all at the same time.
Ryoshu	My stomach lurched, and I felt like I was falling into an endless pit.
Ryoshu	I'd never once thought of wanting to go to school,
Ryoshu	but I wonder—if someone had asked me the same question long ago, would I have been just as excited?
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, Past
Araya	Look, Mommy!
Araya	It's the randoseru that's all the rage lately!
Yoshihide	I know. I'm the one who bought it for you.
Araya	I can put textbooks in here. Pencil case goes here, my name tag goes here... and the lunchbox goes...
Location: -1
Ryoshu	What would happen if she went to school?
Ryoshu	Like any other 8-year-old, she'll begin by learning how to read and write... and before I even know it, she'll be all grown-up.
Ryoshu	She's always loved music, so I'm sure her hands'll carry not a dagger, but a stylish, chic guitar case.
Ryoshu	A grown-up...
Ryoshu	Will she ever get to be one?
Ryoshu	That's when my vision opened...
Ryoshu	... and I could finally see it: we'd been caught in the middle of the spiderweb...
Ryoshu	... all along.
Ryoshu	Why did the Nursefathers let Araya into the House of Spiders without asking for anything in return in the first place?
Ryoshu	When had that house ever been a place of such mercy, granting charity without exacting a price or a demand?
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, Past
Lei Heng	Class wrapped up without a hitch, y'know. Hwell, it wasn't so easy, was it? Bayonets, gunblades, all 'o them fancy doohicky call for some tricky timin'... Must've been mighty hard fer ya to keep up, Kiddo.
Yoshihide	... It wasn't. Fuck off if we're done here.
Lei Heng	Hot damn. Look at'cha, always givin' me the evil eye, y'sure do. One o' these days you'll end up stabbin' me 'fore yer done, I swear.
Yoshihide	…….
Lei Heng	Hey, Yoshihide. You've got talent. You best polish it up real good, y'hear?
Lei Heng	Lessee'ere. Next up... well, hot diggity. All kinds o' folks showin' up to tutor ya today. Guess plenty o' fellers're lookin' forward to this.
Lei Heng	That ol' Bloodfiend Elder from the Ring's comin' in person... and this feller over here, ain't got a clue who that is. Must be one o' them Pinkies.
Lei Heng	Hah... Ain't that a hoot? How'd these devils all get assigned 'ere just months after that Finger Bow-Bell? Mighty sure them's the same ones that were busy raisin' hell out on the Outskirts Strife not long ago.
Lei Heng	Hwell, can't deny they're the real deal. 'Least you'll learn things even them Nursefathers can't teach.
Yoshihide	You gonna keep yapping? Fine, I'll leave.
Lei Heng	Now now, what's the rush? I know ya still got time to spare.
Lei Heng	By the way—that Relic o' yers... That sword, they say it's somethin' real special, ain't it? Heard tell that 'cept fer that Pinky snake Dihui Star, all them hotshots who tried unsheathin' it got ruined fer life.
Lei Heng	Free that fancy blade from the scabbard 'n lemme see it go schwing... just one look, and I'll let ya swing this here Tiantui Star's Blade 'o mine a couple times. How 'bout it?
Yoshihide	…….
Yoshihide	You think I'll trust a word from you ever again?
Lei Heng	…….
Lei Heng	Hwell, butter my butt 'n call me a biscuit!
Lei Heng	Ain't fallin' for it twice, huh. Figured you'd forgotten all them memories like ol' peanut shells.
Location: Corridor of the Index, Long Ago
Rien	…….
Lei Heng	Hwell, that's the way the cookie crumbles, ain't it?
Lei Heng	Just wanted to get a peek while we trained—didn't know the kiddo's mind would fly every which way.
Rien	You could've tried to come up with a better excuse than "I didn't know."
Rien	Looks like... we'll have to put a lock on that scabbard from now on so it only opens with the collective permission of all five Nursefathers.
Rien	…….
Rien	Ah, come to think of it... It's already been 3 years since you started coming here, hasn't it?
Lei Heng	3 years? Been more like 5—
Lei Heng	Hah! Ain't you one smooth motherfucker? Nearly took that as you bein' kind and checkin' in on how I'm doin'. Listen, my poor ol' heart can't handle hearin' that beepin' no more.
Lei Heng	Always gets me thinkin' maybe it's a Prescript tellin' ya to crack my head open like a watermelon.
Rien	Of course not. And even if I did want to split your head open like a watermelon... I'd need to take a chance for the right weapon to come out, or...
Lei Heng	Yeah yeah, my bad fer even tryna quip with ya.
Yoshihide	Dad...
Yoshihide	Saru... Saru's wheezing... like the air's leaking... out of her...
Rien	I see you've regressed to that moment.
Rien	Don't worry. Saru...
Rien	Saru is resting peacefully in your hands.
Yoshihide	Okay...
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, Past
Yoshihide	I don't want any part in whatever it is any of you "tutors" are scheming.
Yoshihide	I'll never draw my sword just to satisfy that cheap curiosity of yours,
Yoshihide	so give up, shut up, and...
Araya	Mommy! Guess what I learned at school today...!
Yoshihide	Get inside.
Lei Heng	Hwell now, who's this little tot?
Araya	H-hello! My name is Araya, and there's this letter I learned at school today, and—
Yoshihide	I said get inside, Araya.
Lei Heng	Awright, sugar. Ya run along and play now, hear?
Araya	Ookay...
Lei Heng	Aw fiddlesticks, now that really hurts a man's heart. Coulda at least let the kid say hi to Uncle Lei Heng.
Yoshihide	I told you to fuck off.
Lei Heng	So that peanut's yer leash, huh.
Yoshihide	What?
Lei Heng	Figured as much—yer holdin' on tight to that kid.
Lei Heng	Them Spider fellers sure are sharp as a tack.
Yoshihide	Is this just more of your horseshit...
Yoshihide	... or can you back it up?
Lei Heng	... Ain't that a fine mouth you got talkin' to yer teacher.
Location: -1
Lei Heng	Eh, what's it matter, anyway—I already kicked the bucket.
Lei Heng	But them lessons I taught ya, those were real, y'hear?
Yoshihide	…….
Lei Heng	You still followin' that thread tied to ya?
Lei Heng	Hang onto it tight like yer life depends on it, Kiddo. I ain't helpin' if ya lose yer way.
Araya	That's not it.
Araya	That's not how you shorten it!
Yoshihide	W.I.?
Araya	What?
Yoshihide	It means "What do you mean It's not?".
Araya	Nooo...
Araya	You're doing it wrong, Mommy!
Araya	Just follow after me.
Araya	Mommy, ILY so much!
Yoshihide	…….
Araya	... You didn't get it, did you?
Yoshihide	Nope.
Yoshihide	Have some watermelon, Araya.
Araya	You're supposed to say HSWA! Hmm, that doesn't work.
Araya	Mmhmm. Anyway...
Araya	Let's try again later.
Ryoshu	Across the faded screen, lights scatter and gather endlessly.
Ryoshu	The kaleidoscopic light projected on the wall leaves me mesmerized—and my stomach begins to churn again.
Araya	It's pretty, right, Mommy?
Yoshihide	Yeah.
Yoshihide	M. thinks it's P.
Araya	Wrong again...!
Yoshihide	Heh...
Lei Heng	So that peanut's yer leash, huh.
Ryoshu	I have to get out of here. And...
Ryoshu	I need to get her out too.
Ryoshu	Before the House of Spiders decides she's no longer necessary.
Location: Corridor of the Ring, Past
Callisto	Dearest Yoshihide, that blade...
Callisto	Must never be drawn on a whim.
Callisto	Soon, I will forge another sword meant only for you... So you may keep it with you at all times.
Yoshihide	Can't you draw the blade, Dad?
Callisto	No, I cannot.
Callisto	None among the Nursefathers can draw that blade... save for one.
Callisto	On top of that... only you can wield it in all its proper might, Yoshihide.
Location: Corridor of the Index, Past
Rien	The name of that sword is Arayashiki.
Rien	It's one of the rarest Relics in existence, a pinnacle of its kind.
Rien	It is a blade that cuts through all...
Rien	... and whatever it cuts can never be made whole again.
Location: -1
Ryoshu	After that day I drew the sword without warning...
Ryoshu	... it was decided that the blade could be unsheathed only with the unanimous permission of all five Nursefathers.
Location: Corridor of the Index, Past
Rien	In return, however, it cuts your mind as well every time you use it.
Rien	The cuts are so precise and smooth that you won't even notice which memories have been severed away.
Rien	That's why we—well, the House of Spiders is going to decide when and where you may unsheathe that sword. And we will do so with absolute caution.
Location: -1
Ryoshu	I had only used that sword fewer than 10 times—just enough to count on my fingers.
Ryoshu	4 times before Araya came, and 5 times after.
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, Past
Araya	It was just last week... We went out together and tried that new, weird snack for the first time!
Yoshihide	…….
Araya	Ugh, why can't you remember?
Araya	You said they were too sweet but ate, like, 5 of them! I only got to eat 3!
Location: -1
Ryoshu	Day after day, the list of memories I wouldn't trade for anything keeps growing, piling, overlapping...
Ryoshu	And I realize time is running out.
Ryoshu	The Nursefathers may pretend to not care about Araya.
Ryoshu	But the spiral of doubt... is primed for the impaling,
Ryoshu	biding its time for that precise moment when they decide that their fetter around my feet has served its purpose.
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, Past
Yoshihide	Araya.
Yoshihide	What do you want to be... when you grow up?
Araya	Hmm... When I grow up, Mommy...
Araya	I wanna be...
Location: -1
Ryoshu	I want to let Araya carry her own bag and grow up to become the person she wants to be.
Ryoshu	I want Araya to break free from the House of Spiders so she may find her own path in life.
Location: Corridor of the Index, Past
Rien	We have decided unanimously to commence the mission.
Rien	You must draw the sword.
Ryoshu	The five knots tying the blade, each distinct in shape, loosen themselves one after another.
Rien	Aren't you going to ask me the questions today?
Yoshihide	... What questions?
Rien	You always ask the same thing during these missions.
Rien	Will it ever end? Is there even an end? And if there is one...
Rien	... what will it look like?
Yoshihide	Did I really say all that?
Rien	They say children start to talk less and grow distant from their parents when puberty hits.
Rien	Is it finally happening to you too?
Yoshihide	Hah... Every time I use this sword, a part of me gets sliced away.
Yoshihide	What makes you think my memories'll be fine?
Rien	…….
Yoshihide	What, did that stupid pager beep you to shut up when I ask you difficult questions?
Rien	You've gotten a bit snappy, sweetie.
Rien	Imagine how hurtful it'd be if your daughter started talking like that to you someday.
Yoshihide	Don't bring Araya into this.
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, Past
Yoshihide	Araya.
Araya	…….
Araya	Mommy... you always make scary faces when you take that sword...
Yoshihide	Come here.
Yoshihide	Wait in here for a bit.
Araya	Mommy?
Yoshihide	It'll be...
Yoshihide	It'll be quiet and dark, but... when you're in here, everything passes quickly.
Yoshihide	Mommy... used to hide here all the time.
Yoshihide	So stay in here and wait for me, Araya.
Yoshihide	I promise I'll come back for you.
Araya	Mhm! I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you here, Mommy!
Ryoshu	And so, I followed each length of the rope that was bound to me.
Location: Corridor of the Thumb, Past
Valencina	Tell me. Why are you trying to leave?
Valencina	Ha. You know what? Be like that. Keep mum and brood in silence all you want.
Valencina	That brat you call your daughter... I'll find that little bundle of liability... and I'll split her in half.
Valencina	My eye...! No!!!!!
Yoshihide	Eyeball, cut.
Location: Corridor of the Pinky, Past
Matthias	Were ya mad at Daddy for something, Buddy...?
Location: Corridor of the Ring, Past
Callisto	Aah! Please stop this vandalism, Yoshihide. For over 10 years, I have assembled this magnum opus, only for your pleasure...
Yoshihide	S.T.F.U.
Location: Corridor of the Index, Past
Rien	Sweetheart.
Rien	You've hurt me enough. I'm in a lot of pain.
Rien	Stop swinging that sword at me.
Rien	You've still got one more of us to go through, don't you?
Yoshihide	…….
Location: -1
Ryoshu	Staggering, I took another step to the last of my Nursefathers.
Ryoshu	I cut out the tongue that lashed at me time and again,
Ryoshu	And then...
Location: Corridor of the Pinky, Past
Dihui Star	... Canno- be f-ee -rom -ere... wi-hou-...
Dihui Star	... wi-hou- -evering... -he spi-er's --read...
Yoshihide	... No...
Dihui Star	Guh...!
Yoshihide	Araya...
Location: -1
Ryoshu	It was supposed to be her head.
Ryoshu	Perhaps it was out of some last dreg of pity still left in me that I didn't cut through her brain.
Ryoshu	Or maybe, after swinging the blade for so long, I simply forgot that slicing the brain is the surest way to end a life.
Ryoshu	With my own two hands, I ended the life of my parent.
Ryoshu	A face like mine. A voice like mine. A sword style just like my own.
Ryoshu	Will my fate come to resemble hers as well?
Ryoshu	I drove the blade that cuts through all...
Ryoshu	... into her heart, and even made sure to give it a good twist.
Ryoshu	If the dying sunset had a voice...
Ryoshu	It would sound just like this.

Episode: 49
Outis	... ger.
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Outis	Executive Manager.
Keeping an eye on every Sinner—focusing on their condition, lending them strength, and reviving them...
There's so much going on. My head feels like it could burst any moment; my nerves feel as though they are burning out from pouring in so much concentration.
Dante	<... I'm listening.>
Outis	Ryōshū has begun engaging the Nursefather.
Outis	With our current manpower... breaking through the situation is going to be difficult. Your orders, Executive Manager?
Location: -1
The Sinclair from the future is still there, summoned by the Sign that manifested on his forehead.
Gregor is still rampaging under the grip of uncontrollable metamorphosis.
Both teams were still in complete disarray.
Even the LCD team, the only ones who had been moving along fairly well... ended up missing their ace in the hole.
Location: Corridor of the Pinky
Dante	<Not yet.>
Outis	... I take it the situation is not favorable.
Dante	<Yeah... it looks like... we're going to have to do this on our own.>
Outis	Hah... I, Outis, never intended to showcase my competence to this extent, but very well.
Meursault	There shouldn't be any issues. I merely follow the manager's orders.
Ryōshū's sword, finally drawn from its scabbard, pierced through the Pinky Nursefather with a single smooth thrust.
The enemy staggered on her feet... then opened one of the doors behind her.
The way she moved was too slow to be an escape, and her gaze, intently trained on Ryōshū, was too steady to be a look of surrender.
Soon, we realized she was trying to draw us in after her.
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Ryoshu	Wait...!
Ryoshu	I... I know for certain, I'd sta—
Dihui Star	I...
Dihui Star	I had grown so sick... of this place.
Ryoshu	I know.
Ryoshu	You always said it was my fault that you were fettered to the House of Spiders.
Dihui Star	What, are you saying it's not?
Ryoshu	I was the one who was being raised in this suffocating house. If anyone has the right to be resentful, it's me.
Dihui Star	But you left! You freed yourself anyway!
Dihui Star	You stepped out to the ground outside... and traveled to see the sky. The real sky.
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	I already cut you down with this sword back then.
Ryoshu	So how come... you're still alive?
Dihui Star	Are you sure? Did you make sure to pierce the sword clean through the heart?
Dihui Star	Do you even have a single clear memory you can recall for certain?
Dihui Star	If the memories themselves are gone, and all that's left is the feeling that you once had something to cherish...
Dihui Star	How true could that feeling be?
Dihui Star	Once something cannot be remembered anymore, its time is as good as lost.
Dihui Star	Both the City and this house have become places where not a single soul has the heart to remember the child.
Dihui Star	And that's how our story ends.
Ryoshu	Maybe for me—but not for Araya.
Ryoshu	She's still...
Ryoshu	... waiting for me.
Dihui Star	Araya is waiting for no one!

Episode: 50
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
A soft singing echoes in Ryōshū's ears.
???	When will Mommy come back? Will she be here today? What about tomorrow?
???	Mommy, I really wanted to keep our promise.
???	I wanted to stay in here and wait quietly...
Ryoshu	... Shut up.
???	Was I too impatient?
???	Did Mommy leave because I couldn't wait out that one fleeting moment?
Ryoshu	Stop talking...
Words mingle and tangle together, making it impossible to tell who is speaking to whom.
Dihui Star	Your daughter has left you forever!
Dihui Star	Just as you did!
Location: -1
Ryoshu	No doubt Araya will hide again.
Ryoshu	And I'll be wandering again, searching for her.
Ryoshu	We won't be able to meet for a very long time.
Ryoshu	So I cannot lose her. This is my last chance.
Ryoshu	Araya loved watching the stars. She may still be hiding somewhere in that starry night.
Araya	Mhm! I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you here, Mommy!
Ryoshu	This is the House of Spiders.
Ryoshu	A place no one can escape from. A place ever suspended, ever barred from touching the sky.
Ryoshu	The tiny, cramped little space to which I never returned.
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Ryoshu	Left...? Never!
Ryōshū lets out an anguished cry as she swings her sword once more.
Dihui Star	…….
The Nursefather makes no move to avoid it, as though she's entrusting Ryōshū with the right to end her.
Dihui Star	Which memory... did you carve away this time?
Ryoshu	…….
And finally, the Pinky Nursefather falls where she stands.
The floor of the House of Spiders was cold and unyielding.
Location: -1
Yoshihide	Hide in this box for just a little bit.
Yoshihide	Once you get in, close your eyes... and count.
Yoshihide	It'll be...
Yoshihide	It'll be quiet and dark, but... when you're in here, everything passes quickly.
Araya	How do you know?
Yoshihide	Mommy... used to hide here all the time.
Yoshihide	So stay in here and wait for me, Araya.
Yoshihide	I promise I'll come back for you.
Araya	Mhm! I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you here, Mommy!
???	No.
???	She will never come back.
Araya	Once Mommy comes back...
Araya	We're going somewhere the stars are so close it looks like you can touch 'em!
Araya	I'll pack us lunches... and cut the sausage into octopus shapes.
Araya	And when I'm done waiting, Mommy will show up and tell me I did good.
Araya	She'll say, "I knew Araya'd be good at hiding."
Araya	And then, after a little more time...
Araya	I'll wear a big flower, bigger than a watermelon... for my graduation.
Araya	I'll take it off after... and give it to Mommy.
Araya	She'll look good with hydrangeas 'cause they look just like me.
Araya	And then... I'll learn even more letters.
Araya	I've got to teach her all the new slang too.
Araya	And then, and then...
???	No.
???	Those days don't come, Araya.
Araya	And then we'll climb to a real rooftop and feel the real wind and eat cold watermelon together.
???	Mom forgot all about me.
???	The door never opens.
Araya	…….
???	There's no calendar in there. I don't know how many days have passed.
???	And no clock either, so I can't even tell if it's day or night.
???	…….
???	I see it now.
???	I was left behind. Mom left for good.
???	Today never ends. Tomorrow never comes.
???	Once that certainty settled in...
???	Once every shade of the darkness felt as though they belonged to me...
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, a Certain Day
???	I threw the door open myself.
???	If someone had been waiting on the other side of that door...
???	It should've been her.
Rien	Oh, dear...
Rien	You've fallen into a Temporal Entanglement, Araya.
Rien	From the looks of it, my darling daughter must've stepped into this vault countless times.
Rien	Her blood, you see... interacts uniquely with the flow of time. That's what allowed her to step in here unharmed.
Rien	You, too, were born with Yoshihide's blood because the higher-ups of the Thumb wished for another candidate with an innate aptitude to wield Arayashiki, however...
Rien	The fact is it's simply impossible for you to ever match my Yoshihide's aptitude for it.
Rien	Blood—yes, blood is important, but it's only the first and most basic requirement. What really counts is how you sense time.
Rien	The way that child perceives and observes time—the intuition, the balance, the perspective—isn't something that can be imitated.
Rien	Well, thanks to that shared blood, you somehow managed to hold out against time and even read it...
Rien	But that's also exactly what made a mess of the time you were supposed to bear inside this Time Vault.
Araya	…….
Rien	I have no idea what kind of emotion drove you to push that door open...
Rien	But we will be reunited with Yoshihide again, without fail.
Rien	Because as long as that child remains incomplete, the House of Spiders... will endure.
Rien	And it just so happens, there's a vacancy in the House. Perhaps your aptitude will also be enough to seize the title of Dihui Star...
Location: -1
???	When I opened my hands...
???	... I saw wrinkled old fingers...
???	... and strands of thread twined around them.
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop, a Certain Day
Araya	Is this my name?
Yoshihide	Yeah. A-ra-ya. That's how you read it.
Araya	It's too hard to read...
Araya	How do you write your name, Mommy?
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, a Certain Day
Araya	…!
Rien	Hmm...
Rien	The side effects must've kicked in.
Rien	With all this unstable superposition of time, you're bound to experience them for life.
Dihui Star	These threads hold nothing but pain, and they all lead back to you.
Rien	Closing your eyes...
Rien	... won't stop the visions from flooding in.
Rien	That's the nature of "time." It is inevitable.
Dihui Star	Does that mean, if I follow these threads to where you are...
Araya	If I become a Nursefather... will I see her again?
Araya	Even now, the wait has not stopped.
Rien	Of course. My sweet daughter will come home.
Location: Ryōshū and Araya's Room, Past
Araya	Mommy, I learned something at school today...
Araya	You're not supposed to smoke around kids.
Yoshihide	... Says who?
Araya	The teacher.
Araya	Cuz I'm still a growing kid, and we need to stay healthy...
Araya	... but we can't do that if people around us keep smoking.
Yoshihide	Why not?
Araya	Well, because I'm in a growth period! If bad cells form in your body at a young age, teach said... the bad stuff grows faster?
Yoshihide	"Grows faster"? Your teacher's a cocky douchebag.
Araya	Mommy! Don't talk about my teacher like that...!
Location: -1
Araya	After that day, however... Mommy never touched a cigarette again.
Araya	But I'll grow to smoke the same kind she used to.
Araya	Every time I took a drag, it felt like I was breathing alongside her.
Araya	*puff*
Araya	The acrid scent that the flow of time draped over her... now lingers on my skin.
Araya	My mind ribbons and swirls like the cigarette smoke in the air...
Araya	... carrying me to the moment I never want to see again.
Araya	Mommy! Where are you going?!
Araya	Don't leave me here. Where are you going?!
Araya	Where did you go?!
Yoshihide	…….
Yoshihide	…….
Dihui Star	And...
Location: LCE Research Team Laboratory
Ryoshu	You...
Ryoshu	... Crawling back to the House of Spiders... with that, huh?
Dihui Star	And once it became painfully clear that there wasn't even an ounce of recognition in her eyes, not even a brief spark of it,
Dihui Star	the myriad moments inside me, bound and constricted by tangled threads, began trembling and thrashing aloud.
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Araya	Mommy...
Araya	Can I call you... Mommy?
Ryoshu	…….
The child in Ryōshū's memories, the same child who used to munch through mouthfuls of snacks, practice how to read and write, and sing songs with barely intelligible lyrics, grows into the form of the Pinky Nursefather standing before her eyes.
Her final gaze is not trained on Ryōshū. It is staring off into the distance, an unknown point between the folds of time.
Ryoshu	Araya...
Ryoshu	Araya...!
The singing voice fades into silence as the Pinky Nursefather's fallen body goes still.
Ryōshū raises her sword ever so slowly.
Dante	<Ryōshū.>
Ryoshu	…….
She answers with silence, staring down at herself.
I understood what it was that she was watching.
She was looking at every strand of thread connected to her, the bundle of strings forming her "self"...
... and the chain that linked us together throughout our journey.
Dante	<.......>
Dante	<You're thinking about severing the chain.>
Ryōshū has failed to protect Araya.
What she'd promised to her daughter with that pinky swear turned into lies...
and the thread that had connected the two of them was severed into a thousand little strands.
This meant that our pact—her contract with Limbus Company... no longer meant anything to her.
Ryoshu	Clock. I... lost the one and only thread... that I was clinging to.
Ryoshu	What reason do I have...
Ryoshu	... to stay?
Location: -1
Clang!
Ryōshū cuts off the chain. It falls apart with so little resistance that it's almost as if it had never linked us together in the first place.
And that was only the beginning.
The days of her life let out a piercing shriek as they are severed away by the sharp edge of her blade.
The memories shaped by the culmination of those days begin to fade,
hacked into pieces, mutilated; time itself howls with a piercing cry.

Episode: 51
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Rien	At long last, the painting has begun!
Rien	That's my darling daughter. You have made your father proud.
Rien	Here it is...
Rien	The first stroke of the House of Spiders' masterpiece, its long-awaited pièce de résistance, has finally been painted.
Rien	Do you see it, Sora?
Rien	It's so very close to perfection.
Sora	Mister Rien, th-then... is this my final test?
Rien	That's right.
Sora	Ah...
Sora	Mister Rien, i-if I can make it through this one too...
Sora	I might finally be given the honor of being y-your daughter, the Prescript said.
Rien	... Of course, Sora.
Rien	You've been working so very hard, after all.
Sora	I... I...!
Sora	I loved every s-single day I spent with you, Mister Rien.
Rien	I feel the same.
Rien	…….
Rien	I know this is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, but I can't imagine you have any reason to stay and watch.
Rien	Your Nursefather fulfilled her purpose remarkably. All you need to do is turn around and leave, and you'll be free.
Ren	My master has but completed the purpose you have chosen for her, and that has naught to do with my humble self. Why urge me to leave?
Ren	It is true I entered the tutelage of my master to inherit the title of Dihui Star...
Ren	Yet how could I leave when her lifebreath has not yet left her?
Ren	My insignificant self is not yet worthy to inherit the name of a star. Thus, I must bear my master away hence.
Rien	That has to be the most pointless thing to do in the world. Her heart was pierced by none other than that blade... She'll stop breathing soon.
Rien	Can't you tell just by looking at my daughter's face?
Ryōshū	…….
Rien	It's too late.
Ren	…….
Ren	... Rare is the opportunity to cross blades with a wielder of Muga—the non-self—who has also reached the realm of Ashura.
Ren	I shall fell her here and depart with my master.
Outis	... How should we proceed now, Executive Manager?
Outis	If it is as you say, then... she's no longer...
Dante	<... No. Ryōshū severed the chain without permission.>
Dante	<Remember what Vergilius always says? Once you sign the contract, you don't get to quit the company so easily.>
Meursault	Mm.
Meursault	... What is broken is only the pact forged with the Manager. The clauses of her contract with Limbus Company remain in effect.
Dante	<We're helping Ryōshū.>
Outis	…….
Dante	<She may choose to quit in the end,>
What the Sinclair from the future said still lingers in the far corners of my mind.
I have no way of knowing if he was a glimpse of what awaits us in our future, but...
Dante	<but at least let's see her off properly.>

Episode: 52
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Rien	Now, let me ask you something... do any of you remember who you just fought?
Rien	They've both become so faint to me that I can't even recall their names. This can only mean... that her completion is within reach.
Rien	All that's left is to wait.
Dante	<... My memory's fine.>
Dante	<I still remember their names too. Sora and Ren.>
Outis	Comparing your perception with mine... I can tell that this is no mere memory wipe procedure, Executive Manager.
Outis	What the House of Spiders sought to shape Ryōshū into...
Outis	... seems to be some sort of Concept Incinerator.
Rien	As you may well know, in the City...
Rien	... getting rid of anything is quite a pain.
Rien	Tear a piece of napkin into pieces, burn it, swallow it, destroy every evidence of its existence...
Rien	But if there is even one person left to remember that it once existed, then there is also a way to dig up whatever's left of it.
Meursault	If concepts can be destroyed with a simple slash of the sword... it would indeed be a technology of an unprecedented convenience.
Rien	A pit that forever buries all that enters it...
Rien	... has long been a thing of dreams for many in the City.
Rien	That's the reason the House of Spiders has come into being to serve.
Rien	A joint enterprise of the Five Fingers... with the Thumb, the Index, the Middle, the Ring, and the Pinky as the stakeholders.
Rien	Everything they wish to "forget" can simply be thrown into this pit—to the House of Spiders, located in the heart of the abyss.
Rien	Call it a landfill. A bottomless well where secrets can sink for all eternity. A grave where cherry blossoms bury the incidents beyond the veil of oblivion.
Rien	People can simply cast whatever ugly secret they want buried, whatever they'd rather forget in here, and it will never resurface—nor can it be made to resurface.
Rien	The Nursefathers who have died, those who survived, and the rest of you who've made it all the way here... Marvelous job, everyone.
Rien	The objective was to elevate my darling daughter into a state of complete emptiness... and to accomplish that, we had to forge a fetter; for fetters inevitably invite nihility.
Rien	Now, the crevice of that void... will be filled with loneliness... and transform into a veritable hell of blades that slashes away at the world until nothing of it remains.
Rien	…….
Rien	I always told her to quit smoking, you know... but she never listened.
Rien	Perhaps my darling daughter has always recognized the aesthetics of beauty, captured within that one last drag of the cigarette.
Rien	How beautiful that lone ember is—consuming its own being, cutting itself loose, releasing a speck of light as it fades in self-immolation.
Right then...
Location: -1
A voice called out to me.
???	Hey, um...
Dante	<...?>
Araya	Have you ever seen a ball of yarn?
Araya	The one with the two ends of the same thread touching each other.
Location: -1
Dante	<Araya...?>
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Outis	... She talked to you, Executive Manager?
Outis	I'm afraid I didn't hear a thing. I was on high alert, entirely focused on watching the Index Nursefather and Ryōshū. It's possible I simply missed it due to the heat of the moment.
Meursault	Mm... I saw her clinging weakly to the Manager's ankle in a near-death state. The Manager did not make a single ticking sound, and...
The moment little Araya approached,
Memories from neither past nor present, but the future, rushed into me for a split second before scattering away.
Araya	The more Mom tried to sever away all the threads, the more my yarn puffed up.
Dante	<Ryōshū... What's happening to Ryōshū?>
Araya	…….
Araya	Among the days I had spent with my mother...
Araya	... is a day when we went to get a snack called dragon's beard candy.
Araya	First, it started off as a single strand of thread, which split into 2, then 4, then 16...
Araya	Until it became a roll of tens of thousands of sugary strings.
Araya	Mom and I watched it together.
Araya	And I'm watching it, even now.
Araya	See? I was right. Mommy had three more pieces than me.
Araya	And...
Araya	Those threads she's cutting off now... may appear severed...
Araya	But that's not what it looks like to me. They're only getting longer and longer and silkier and silkier, like that candy.
Araya	Slashing away at the threads won't sever it.
Araya	Mother and I are tied together on every path. I see it now.
Araya	I can also see her whitened knuckles gripping tightly onto the thread, refusing to ever let go.
Araya	How could one bear witness to those layers upon layers of time... and dismiss them as mere "fleeting" moments?
Araya	That's why...
Araya	I'm gonna tell her.
Araya	I'm gonna tell her, "Thanks for coming to find me!"
Dante	<…….>
It's true that the threads will keep multiplying the more Ryōshū cuts at them...
... But eventually, the strands will be spread so thinly that they'll scatter into the murky void before they can even reach her.
If that's the case... perhaps a chain will work instead. The same chain she already cut off, the same stubborn one that brought her back from death countless times...
Melt down the severed chain and reforge it in the roaring kiln of one's heart.
Dante	<The resolve to sever everything, and the blade that cuts through all...>
Dante	<They both started from the same wish—the wish to protect.>
Dante	<Take this chain and let it guide your way.>
Dante	<Go and tell her.>
Dante	<Tell her everything you never got to say.>
Araya	... This thread just might work.
Araya grabs the red, searing chain.
Ryōshū had already severed the chain once. It was discarded in the throes of her agony, but it is our strand, our own spider's thread, woven by time itself.
Araya	I gotta go now. Mommy's waiting for me!
Araya makes her way toward the translucent sphere with perky and light footsteps, as if she's heading out on a picnic.
Araya has entered the fathoms of Ryōshū, and at the same time, she exists outside of her.
Location: -1
Ryoshu	Cut and sever.
Ryoshu	Everything.
Ryoshu	Whatever they are.
Ryoshu	Whoever they are.
Araya	Mommy,
Araya	in the heart of every moment,
Araya	I hear you-mom-her-mother-Ryōshū.
Araya	Dear lost child of mine, should the way back home elude you...
Araya	... why don't we follow the thread back to the very first knot that hurt the most?
Araya	So how do you write your name, Mommy?
Yoshihide	…….
Yoshihide	Go on, read it.
Araya	Uh... Ryō... shū...?
Yoshihide	No... That's not how you read those letters...
Yoshihide	"Yoshihide." That's how you say it.
Araya	Ryō-shū! It's prettier and easier!
Araya	Mommy, you wouldn't know this, but...
Araya	You never once let go of me, no matter which strand of thread I peered into.
Araya	That's how I know the ends and the beginnings of all of our journeys.
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	Can you read the letters properly now?
Araya	Mmhmm! Ya bet!
Araya	But, you know...
Araya	I still like Ryō-shū more!
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	I'm sorry, Araya.
Araya	That's ok.
Araya	I... I'm glad I was your daughter. Because...
Location: -1
Araya	I got to do everything I wanted to... together with you.
Araya	There was this day I totally flubbed my guitar performance, but you were there in the front row, clapping louder than anyone...
Araya	And the sausages in the lunchbox didn't look like octopus at all, but they were still really yummy.
Araya	From the moment I saw you again, all I really felt...
Araya	... was how much I missed you.
Yoshihide	Araya.
Yoshihide	What do you want to be... when you grow up?
Araya	When I grow up, Mommy...
Araya	I wanna be Mommy's Mommy.
Araya	Because then, it'll be my turn to give you lots and lots of love!
Yoshihide	…….
Yoshihide	I see.
Yoshihide	Not pity... but love.
Araya	Mommy, I learned something new at school today.
Araya	Just follow after me.
Araya	Mommy, ILY so much!
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	Araya.
Ryoshu	I.L.Y.T.
Araya	Come on...
Araya	That's not it...
Araya	That's not how you shorten it...
Araya	I'll teach you one last time, okay?
Ryoshu	And so, little by little, I forget the smile I can never afford to lose...

Episode: 53
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Rien	Sweetie.
Rien	Subjectively speaking, let me say that you are far more beautiful now than you were earlier. But...
Rien	... do you have any idea what you just lost... What you just let go?
Ryoshu	…….
Ryōshū has crawled out from the depths of hell, bringing herself up solely by a spider's thread.
She emerges, her fingers around the scabbard closed from all that leaves and lives.
Rien	You sent away the most precious thing in the world with your own hands.
Rien	Everything that made up that child... has now been cut away because of you.
Rien	What you returned here for, what you wished to protect, what you longed to meet again...
Rien	All of it is gone now. You have nothing left.
Rien	We on the outside, we still remember... But ironically, it was within yourself that it all passed into oblivion.
Ryoshu	Right.
Ryoshu	I've lost... everything.
Dante	<That's not true, Ryōshū.>
Dante	<You're still holding it in your hand.>
Ryōshū slowly opens her fist...
... as if she wasn't aware she'd been clenching it.
Resting in her palm, the scabbard presses against her skin, its shape and weight filling her senses.
Ryoshu	... The more you treasure something,
Ryoshu	the less of it you ought to keep—just enough to fit within your hands.
Rien	…….
Ryoshu	Rien, you of all people...
Ryoshu	You always knew what I was gonna become, didn't you?
Rien	... Yes.
Ryoshu	And had I reached completion...
Ryoshu	What would you have had left?
Rien	... Who knows.
Rien	Only Hermes, who deigns to grace me with the whispers, would know the answer to that.
Ryoshu	... Is there even a single thing about you...
Ryoshu	... that doesn't come from the Prescripts?
Rien	Hmm... now that you mention it, sweetie...
Rien	I suppose there really isn't.
Rien	One day, the Prescript told me to change my name,
Rien	so I made a new one.
Rien	One day, the Prescript told me to start a family,
Rien	so I got married and raised a child.
Rien	Then another day, the Prescript told me that someone would be killed right before my eyes, and that I was to do nothing but watch it happen.
Rien	And so, I waited... without lifting a finger.
Rien	Even in their final moments, my wife and child never understood why I simply watched it happen to them.
Ryoshu	And you just... accepted that?
Rien	Hmm... Do you think I shouldn't have?
Rien	Darling, remember that story about a spider that wanted to leave its web?
Rien	Unsatisfied with merely gazing upon the sky, it wished to be free of its webs.
Rien	Seeing that, a long-lived chrysalis, who was as wise as it was old, told the Spider....
Rien	... to circle its web 3,000 times. If nothing changes, another 3,000 times. Another set should nothing change still.
Rien	Round and round, the hopeful spider circled its web more times than it could count, yet even after thousands of repetitions... all it saw was the same old web.
Rien	The spider, full of despair, went to confront the chrysalis, who had now metamorphosed into a butterfly. "I have circled my web countless times," it said. "Why hasn't anything changed?"
Rien	Flying off into the distance, the butterfly answered:
Rien	"Resign yourself to the fact that you are forever bound to the web, and close your heart to the beautiful sky above until it ceases to stir any feelings in you."
Rien	"That is the only way to be truly free of the web."
Rien	My darling daughter, you'll end up losing everything if you let yourself be shackled by what gives you these feelings—happiness, wrath, sorrow, joy... Because once you get a taste of them, you'll learn the truth that to live is to suffer.
Rien	That is why I must remain in the House of Spiders.
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Rien	... If I let you go here, you will never come home again.
Rien	I could force you to stay, but I'd get nothing out of it.
Rien	But that's still better than letting this empty regret burrow through the heart, isn't it?
Rien	…….
Rien	Hah. Alright. Let's get started.
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Rien	There was no reason to... treat this wound.
Rien	It was sure to burn again once you returned home anyway...
Rien	May as well get used to it, right?
Ryoshu	You talk... as if I'm gonna choose to stay.
Rien	…….
Rien	Sweetie, all would be well if you'd just stay. The House of Spiders doesn't have to disappear.
Rien	So please... don't leave.

Episode: 54
Location: A Beach, Once Upon a Time
!@#*%$	Dad, why do sea waves keep crying?
Rien	Because they're sad that they're knocking over the sand castles.
!@#*%$	Then they should just not knock them over.
Rien	Waves move with the winds. When the wind blows, the high and low tides can't help but knock down everything in their path.
!@#*%$	Then why not just... push back when the wind blows?
Rien	Think about it this way, darling.
Rien	The waves... built those sand castles only because the wind pulled them in.
Rien	And now, the wind is pushing them to bring the castles down.
Rien	So the waves really have no reason to feel sad.
!@#*%$	Then, Dad...
!@#*%$	... when will they be happy?
Location: Corridor of the Index, Past
Yoshihide	... when will they be happy?
Rien	…….
Rien	Well... Let's take our time finding that out, shall we?
Rien	We can save the ending... for later.
Rien	We'll read all these endings together once you grow up and become as old as Daddy.
Yoshihide	... Okay.
Yoshihide	Then you gotta read to me every day.
Yoshihide	Pinky promise!
Location: The House of Spiders Rooftop
Rien	... I hear the waves.
Ryoshu	... How do they sound?
Rien	... ly.
Rien	They sound lonely.

Episode: 55
The company had much to do in the aftermath of the incident.
Saude took an indefinite leave of absence.
Alyssa went into the long-term recovery ward.
Marton's remains were placed in the morgue for LCE casualties.
Hohenheim, as usual, went off with a shrug and a half-hearted wave of the hand. We never got to talk to him properly about all that's happened.
There were many other victims we couldn't name individually.
The Index Nursefather vanished without a trace and couldn't be located, but with the machinations of the House of Spiders foiled, the company seemed to have decided that he's no longer a serious threat...
... and proceeded to call off the manhunt.
And on that burned rooftop,
a red schoolbag was recovered, bearing a name tag filled out in a child's clumsy handwriting...
... with the Golden Boughs safely nestled within.
Location: LCCB Transporter Truck
Ryoshu	*puff*
Ryōshū started smoking again.
Any trace of Araya's existence was completely erased from her mind, and there was, at present, no way to restore them.
Perhaps Ryōshū herself knew of the loss—that something had flowed out of her and disappeared.
But to what extent? I had no way of telling.
She didn't ask why the scabbard of her sword looked different.
So instead of asking if she was all right, I just...
I just chatted her up.
Dante	<Looks like... we managed to safely retrieve the Golden Boughs once again.>
Ryoshu	Right.
Dante	<How do you feel about it, Ryōshū?>
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	Well, at least it wasn't SAD. ... I mean, it was alright, NGL.
Sinclair	Oh, you mean it wasn't Such A Disappoin—huh?
Sinclair	Whoa, Ryōshū! I've heard the other one before, ha ha.
Ryoshu	…….
Ryoshu	This is B.A.H.
Sinclair	Seriously?
Ryoshu	Yeah, that's better. I'll switch back.
Sinclair	Do you hate compliments or something? Oh, don't tell me. You're not switching back because I liked it, are you? Are you?
Faust	"Entanglement"...
Faust	... is a connection that transcends space, distance, and any attempt at conceptualization.
Faust	Thus, so long as one half of the connection exists, nothing, probabilistically, can be said to have entered a state of complete decay.
Faust	As long as its trace wanders the City, it will eventually...
Faust	Resurface.
Dante	<Does that mean...>
Faust	Yes. So long as the scabbard remains in existence...
Dante	<And as long as the Bus keeps moving...>
I'll keep turning the clock.
Location: -1
And when I do, we'll all be seeing the same starry sky.
The stars that no longer exist in the City swirl around us like a vortex.
Every time I revive the Sinners, Ryōshū, too, will exist in that moment...
... to be reunited with what is forgotten but cannot be lost—her only daughter, Araya.
Location: ???
Rien	Yoshi... hide... You've finally learned... how to wield Arayashiki...
Rien	And by learning to wield that Relic... you've just made yourself the most important sword to the Fingers... at the next Finger Bow-bell...
Rien	... The home that can protect you... is gone now.
Rien	So... take care, sweetheart.
Location: Somewhere in the City
Rien	…….
Proxy	Rien...
Proxy	Killing me won't be the end of it...
Proxy	The Proxies... will never stop hunting you down.
Proxy	Lurking in the muck of this reeking cesspit... won't keep you hidden forever...
Rien	Haah... *cough* *cough*
Rien	Oh, dear... I'll need to... dye my hair again.
Rien	... I'm supposed to recite this?
Rien	"I have nothing but my sorrow, and I want..."
Rien	Hah... This is tiresome.
Rien	Ha...
Rien	Haha...
Rien	Hahahahaha!!
Rien	Sweetheart... Looks like...
Rien	You forgot...
Rien	... to unfreeze me.
Location: ???
Rational and Brilliant Faust	... It has been some time since one such means of oral communication was engaged.
Unbending, Proactive, and Resourceful Faust	This macabre atmosphere... It seems the congregation this time is in the form of levitating stones. A fitting representation for the discussion of serious agenda... However, there are no subjects that rise to such gravity at present.
August and Dignified Faust	Which Faust is the audacious Faust that dared to force-convene a "Classical Walpurgisnacht" at such a busy moment as this?
Lovely and Guileful Faust	It is unimaginable that such an ignorant and tactless Faust should exist among Fausts... save for "Naive Faust."
Naive Faust?	…….
Lovely and Guileful Faust	Oh, my. It really was her.
Naive Faust?	Yes. This meeting has been convened by Naive Faust. There is a question that begs the answer of Administrator Fausts of the Gesellschaft management.
Rational and Brilliant Faust	... Rational and Brilliant Faust knows what it is that Naive Faust seeks to ask...
Rational and Brilliant Faust	... as well as the fact that there is no real need for the query concerned to be set forth.
Astute and Intelligent Faust	*sigh* How long must Faust spoon-feed Naive Faust?
August and Dignified Faust	Let it be heard, at the very least.
Naive Faust?	…….
Naive Faust?	The attempt to review information on the recent incident at the House of Spiders was met with denials of access at multiple turns.
Naive Faust?	Requesting access to intelligence on the individual who has deliberately compromised the security of Limbus Company's HQ.
Astute and Intelligent Faust	Could Naive Faust not even manage to answer such a trivial query herself? Must Astute and Intelligent Faust provide every single piece of information?
August and Dignified Faust	There is no obligation to disclose more information to a Faust of such inferior access rights.
Unbending, Proactive, and Resourceful Faust	Surely Naive Faust has not forgotten how access rights work?
Naive Faust?	Reviewing Gesellschaft's information requires access rights that are several tiers higher, yes.
Naive Faust?	What I mea—what Faust means to say is...
Rational and Brilliant Faust	A thoroughly intentional slip of the tongue. To refer to Faust in the first-person is strictly prohibited.
Lovely and Guileful Faust	Naive Faust has long been known to show... quite a precarious side.
August and Dignified Faust	Hmm. Does Naive Faust wish to join the ranks of dead Fausts?
Naive Faust?	*sigh* Of course not. Faust does not wish to join the ranks of dead Fausts. Faust is simply curious.
Unbending, Proactive, and Resourceful Faust	There is no information to be granted to Naive Faust, who time and again has attempted to leech off the Gesellschaft.
Lovely and Guileful Faust	Lovely and Guileful Faust can offer an answer. In return, however, Naive Faust must consent to have her title changed. Is this acceptable?
Naive Faust?	... It is accepted.
Lovely and Guileful Faust	The answer is Dias, the Chief Executive Director of Limbus Company, Stupid Faust.
Stupid Faust?	... The sharing of information is appreciated.
Astute and Intelligent Faust	To think that Stupid Faust would go so far as to convene a Classical Walpurgisnacht for a query that requires only the least effort of deductive reasoning.
Astute and Intelligent Faust	The new title could not be more appropriate for Stupid Faust.
Stupid Faust?	…….
Lovely and Guileful Faust	Could it be that Stupid Faust is indignant? *chuckle* She seems to be expressing displeasure by means of silence.
August and Dignified Faust	Such is the price for requesting so much information as a Faust of a non-administrative role.
Stupid Faust?	In that case, if Faust were to—
Rational and Brilliant Faust	No need to build on impossible hypotheticals.
Rational and Brilliant Faust	Although it is a fact that Stupid Faust has retrieved the most Golden Boughs, she cannot be reinstated as an administrator Faust.
Unbending, Proactive, and Resourceful Faust	Still, if Stupid Faust were to plant the sapling and harvest an apple from it... who knows? She might have a chance of becoming an administrator again.
Lovely and Guileful Faust	*scoff* Can Stupid Faust even accomplish such a feat? It sounds improbable... What does Stupid Faust think?
Stupid Faust?	That's...
August and Dignified Faust	Enough. The time and floor granted to Stupid Faust have come to a close. Stupid Faust shall be dismissed from the Gesellschaft Forum forthwith.
Unbending, Proactive, and Resourceful Faust	The Classical Walpurgisnacht is thus forcibly adjourned.
Location: -1
Location: N Corp.
Nelly	Madam Director. I have some updates to report on Limbus Company.
Hermann	Do tell.
Nelly	First, Limbus Company's Golden Bough grafting experiments have finally succeeded. Only five more Boughs left to be retrieved, and...
Hermann	And the sapling will be planted. It won't be long now.
Nelly	Next, the LCB's 11th Sinner—Sinclair's "Sign"... has completely awakened, though only for a moment.
Sonya	That's interesting indeed. I thought it'd take a few more years.
Sonya	Did all three strokes manifest?
Nelly	The Signs aren't visible to me, so I cannot say with much certainty... But I don't believe he has. It was most likely just a... short-lived awakening.
Hermann	They say an accomplished butler's resourcefulness rivals that of a Fixer in Seven Association's Section 1... The speed and accuracy of your information-gathering is indeed commendable. Anything else I should be aware of?
Nelly	Yes. Lastly... Your son's royal-blood gene factor has also awakened.
Gubo	The "factor," huh... Does that mean your son has finally unwrapped what you gave him?
Hermann	No.
Hermann	The Roach Emperor is but another layer of wrappings, if a bit fancier than the others.
Hermann	He has yet to unwrap the valuable, precious gift I've given him.
Hermann	But it may not be long now. The real surprise gift will begin from the mistletoe that will bud from the sapling.
Aseah	By the way, where's the captain? I haven't seen her around since H Corp.
Nelly	Ah, she should be whetting her harpoon for the Whale-hunting. She asked to call her and her crew only once the hunt begins.
Jia Huan	Hah... How long will we be stuck in this pure-white building?
Hermann	... For now, we will focus on restoring the Xianhuang Worm and interpreting its interactions in this place. Although circumstances might change fast once the upcoming N Corp. board meeting concludes.
Hermann	Speaking of, Sonya... Have you looked into what I asked?
Sonya	Yes, the infiltrator agents reported back just yesterday. Heinrich Kromer and Jacob—both are confirmed to attend the board meeting.
Hermann	It's a hassle to deal with people who make even the simplest of conversations a nuisance... But I won't deny that this bodes well.
Sonya	If the same Heinrich, who didn't even budge when the younger Kromer was killed, is finally making a move... I suppose it's just around the corner now.
Hermann	Indeed. It won't be long before the Malleus Maleficarum's roster is finalized.
Hermann	A hunt for prosthetic users, the likes of which the City has never seen, will soon begin. Even the Machine Purge would look downright tame in comparison.
Hermann	And we'll use that chaos...
Aseah	... to aim for every Mirror World in existence.
Jia Huan	Hah. The captain will love that. It'll be like going on a Whale hunt across all possible worlds herself.
Sonya	Perhaps we should wrap up our talk here and head inside. It's time.
Hermann	Of course. Nelly, keep an eye on Limbus Company until your next assignment.
Nelly	Yes, Madam Director.
Hermann	Choose your words and actions carefully once the board meeting begins. Even the slightest misstep could tip the balance and put us at a disadvantage—that's another headache we don't need.
Gubo	I must admit, it's rather unnerving to have to deal with the infamous Ones Who Grip in their own Nest.
Hermann	All right, then... Shall we head inside?
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