LCB Regular Check-up

Year: 984 - 12

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: 1
Location: ???
I look from beyond the glass window as the Sinners battle furiously inside the large indoor arena.
Outis	You damned imbeciles! What’s the point of everyone rushing at the same enemy that’s already staggered and nearly dead?!
Faust	Faust had attacked that entity first. The blame lies flatly with the others' delayed decisions.
Yi Sang	A-apologies. Yet concerned was I, that to not dispose swiftly of that foe would—
Hong Lu	I think this is a great show of teamwork~
I… had no idea how hopeless the Sinners were in battle without my command...
Outis	Dammit… why won't any of you listen to my orders?!
Heathcliff	Oi, your genius ‘order’ was how the lass’s head ended up dangling from one fourth of a neck!
Outis	Ahem. It was a necessary sacrifice to gain an edge in battle.
Don Quixote	Worry thee not… How befitting of a hero it is to perish in place of her compatri— guh!
Rodion	DONQUI!!!
Don Quixote falls before the merciless onslaught of enemies.
I had so many things I wanted to say to them, most of which were variations of 'you're doing it wrong'. But... I had no choice but to watch as their woefully abysmal decisions continued to bungle the fight.
If I tried, this researcher next to me will get in my way, claiming that they haven’t finished collecting the data.
???	Hm... this one's reaction speed to emergencies is exceptionally fast...
Dante	<So, uh...>
Dante	<… Can I help them now?>
???	Will you stop pacing and compose yourself? We are almost done here.
???	Hm. That should be more than enough data. Take control, manager.
Dante	<…….>
I had a lot I wanted to say, but...
… let’s help the Sinners out of this bind first.

Episode: 2
Location: ???
Dante	<That went well…>
Outis	As expected of our Executive Manager. The exceptional development of your strategic genius reminds me of the earlier years of my career.
Dante	<Uh-huh. Thanks.>
Rodion	Whew, got anything to snack on, guys? I’m starvin’ here after that brawl.
???	You will maintain an empty stomach for the duration of the tests.
???	Next on the docket is...
Gregor	I would’ve asked Meursault for a massage if I knew this was coming. Whose idea was this anyway?
Ishmael	… Well, if you really want to get into it, we can trace this right back to your vacation request, Gregor. Not that this wouldn’t have happened without that, but yeah.
Gregor	Oh c’mon, fellas. There’s gotta more to it than that.
Faust	…….
Sure there was. Not that it would've made any difference.
Because like Ishmael said, this all began with Gregor's particularly egregious stretching.

Episode: 3
…….
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
Ishmael	Wow. That… that sound just now… I didn’t know a human body could make a sound like that.
Gregor	Hm? Ooh… I was just doing some stretches. Can't seem to do 'em without making these noises nowadays.
Sinclair	Huh? What do you mean you... can't...?
Rodion	That right there’s the creakin’ sound of time's ravages, Sinc. Oof… I know Dante’s been turning the clock to rewind our time, but I feel like my joints are starting to grate.
Ishmael	Hmm, I know what you mean. I definitely don’t feel as spry as I used to. Maybe the pain from repeatedly dying and reviving takes a toll after all...
Dante	<Yeah, dying sure is a pain…>
That's when Hong Lu flippantly threw out an innocent comment amidst the complaining Sinners.
Hong Lu	Speaking of which, isn’t it funny how Don Quixote is totally fine even though she’s hundreds of years old? She’s got to be the oldest of us by a lot, right?
Dante	<…….>
Don Quixote	Ahem…
Gregor	Uhm…
Ishmael	Erm…
Hong Lu's unprompted catapulting of such a heavy subject brought the busy air inside the bus to a sudden, stifling halt.
Gregor	Ahm… I… thought we were gonna take some time to actually broach that subject, but uh… you just bulldozed through the whole mess, huh?
Hong Lu	Aha... I must've made things awkward. I didn’t realize everyone was so sensitive about their age...
Don Quixote	That’s, uh— ‘Tis naught to concern thyself with! Be not so—
Of course, there was also someone who could not care less about the bus's air quality.
Heathcliff	Oi, scoot. That’s my designated seat you’re planting your arse in. I’ll whack ya.
Ishmael	On the other hand, here’s this guy without a care in the world. … Almost makes me wonder if he even remembers what just happened.
Sinclair	W-well, maybe this is your chance to get back at him for treating you harshly? Don Quixote, I'm sure you can—
Rodion	Sinc… I’ve never seen your eyes sparkle like that before…
Don Quixote	I… am quite fond of the current temperament of our company. Unless young Heathcliff here suddenly morphs into a villainous scoundrel, I have nary a wish to exact violence upon him, and…
Heathcliff	Right, now that that’s over with… let’s all shut up and keep the chinwag to a minimum, yeah?
Ishmael	Seems plenty villainously dickish to me…
Gregor	Anyways… am I the only one thinking that it’s about time we got the “thing”?
Hong Lu	The “thing”?
Gregor	Well, y’know. The “thing” that we tried a while ago, but didn’t get to enjoy due to some… unforeseen issues.
Ryoshu	Deathmatch.
Gregor	… Not that. Don’t you remember? We even played volleyball by that big body of water.
Meursault	Contextual clues suggest that he is making a request for a vacation.
Rodion	Yep, absolutely yep. Let’s all go to a spa or something, relax, get massages to loosen up our muscles some… please?
Ishmael	You still have expectations for our employers?
Don Quixote	Aha! I recall that young Meursault had given thee quite the exquisite massage, hath he not?
Meursault	I have an astute knowledge of the major muscle groups and nerve structures of the human body.
Yi Sang	For many weeks following that ‘massage’, my body was deprived of any sensory stimulation...
Yi Sang	Thus understood it was, the philosophy of Meursault’s physical therapy—that the most infallible methodology of convalescence from pain is to remove any and all stimulation, including that of pain...
Faust	…….
Faust	It seems… that the time is here.
Faust	Vergilius.
Vergilius	… Mm.
Vergilius	Yes, I knew that this day would eventually come.
Charon	Mhm. The day’s here.
Sinclair	… Why is everyone acting so serious all of a sudden?
Faust	Rodion’s observation is correct. While turning the clock does indeed turn the time, a certain degree of exacerbating fatigue cannot be alleviated.
Faust	This necessitates that we employ a certain measure to verify the status of each Sinner.
Dante	<What… what could it possibly be that it needs this much buildup…?>
Faust	In other words…
Vergilius	It is time for Limbus Company's...
Charon	G-u-l-p. Dramatic gulping noise.
Faust & Vergilius Faust &	Regular check-up.
Dante	<…Regular check-up?>
Vergilius	We did get a call from the higher-ups a while ago, requesting that we send the Sinners in for a regular check-up.
Faust	But it was repeatedly delayed due to several limiting circumstances on our end.
Vergilius	They’ve been obnoxiously hounding us for quite some time. I was starting to get tired of explaining our absence.
Heathcliff	Check-up? What check-up?
Vergilius	Don’t be so on edge, Heathcliff.
Vergilius	Such proceedings are regular occurrences at most corporations.
Dante	<I’ve never personally experienced it myself, but… sounds like they’re just checking to see how we’re doing health-wise.>
I turned around, getting ready to say “right, Ishmael?”...
Ishmael	…….
… only to come face-to-face with Ishmael’s shocked expression, frozen onto her face.
Well, this is unexpected. I thought Ishmael, with her worldly experiences, would leap onto this opportunity to lecture us all about how things worked outside Limbus Company…
Ishmael	R-regular check-ups… are...
Rodion	Ohh, you’re gearin’ up to explain what it is! Coolio.
Rodion	Ya got thirty seconds to wrap it up! Ready, set, go!
Ishmael	N-no…
Ishmael	Not… not the regular check-up…
Yi Sang	Miss Ishmael’s expression seems to suggest otherwise, Miss Rodya…
Vergilius	Ah, I did hear that some Fixer Offices or Associations employ varying methodologies when it comes to regular check-ups, depending on their characteristics.
Ishmael	Locked up… until there’s only one left standing… Locked… blood of my colleagues the only key to escape…
Dante	<What kind of ‘check-up’ did she have to go through…?>
Ishmael wasn’t the only one responding with a pale-faced abject horror at the suggestion.
Gregor	Do… do you even understand what kind of regular ‘check-up’ you’re getting into…?
Gregor	I’m asking if you’re prepared to go through the regular check-up… no matter what happens in the process?
Gregor	Are you prepared to endure through… through everything that…
Heathcliff	What’s wrong with this bloke, now? Mate’s lookin’ all pale.
Sinclair	Ehh, I don’t understand why everyone’s making such a big deal out of this. I don’t think it’s that bad.
Sinclair	I think we used to have annual health check-ups back in school, too.
Rodion	What kinda check-ups?
Sinclair	They’d put us all in the same room, measuring heights, weights, running some basic fitness tests…
Don Quixote	P-prithee, wherefore do they seek the measures of such characteristics?
Outis	Must you really ask? A full knowledge and analyses of each soldier’s status is indispensable intelligence for officers to have on hand.
Sinclair	Uh... What soldiers? I was talking about my school...
Heathcliff	Right, so that don’t explain shite about why you <i>need</i> to know that, does it?!
Heathcliff	Why’d they find it necessary to spray people with those stinkin’ chemicals just to see if someone's got lice in their clothes?!
Dante	<He… must’ve gone through his share of rough check-ups too as a kid, I guess...>
Outis	Hmph, you all keep asking questions with the most obvious answers.
Outis	In fact, I've been wondering when they’d test us.
Outis confidently marched up to the front of other Sinners with an assertive grin, as though she’d been waiting for this very moment.
Outis	The true purpose of this ‘check-up’ must be…
Outis	… to elect a true authority amongst us!
… A ‘true’ authority?
Yi Sang	B-by your parlance ‘true authority’, could it be that you are questioning whom among us is our... 'leader'?
But I’m standing right here?
Outis	I humbly request that you avoid plaguing yourself with any unnecessary misunderstandings about my suggestion, Executive Manager.
Outis	Of course, I must preface this with the declaration that there cannot be an iota of doubt toward Executive Manager Dante's authority.
Dante	<Ohkay…>
Outis	But was this not always a topic of great contention among us? That which of us…
Outis	… is most fit to command this squad of Sinners!!!
Sinclair	Um, isn’t it Ishmael? Or maybe… Faust?
Hong Lu	Hm… that’s what I thought, too.
Outis	This lack of cohesion is precisely why we always fail to face our enemies as a team! Always scrambling, always under-prepared, always taken by surprise…
Outis	You must always be ready to drop to the ground and give five hundred push-ups whenever your superior commands you to do so! Always maintain the willingness to sacrifice your well-being and life for the sake of the glorious victory of your allies! It’s all missing! Where is your readiness for self-sacrifice?!
Ishmael	No one’s arguing with you, Outis. Who are you even talking to…?
Hong Lu	Aha. So, to summarize, the ‘regular check-up’ entails putting us all in a small room and making us fight to the last Sinner standing?
Silence fell upon us at Hong Lu’s succinct summary.
Ryoshu	Battle royale.
Ryoshu	I’ve been looking forward to this.
Heathcliff	… Fuck it. I’ll give you lot one hell of a fight. My fists used to be bloody infamous in the Backstreets—
Ishmael	… Fine. So that's how we’re doing this, huh? I’m ready to roll.
Dante	<Guys, this isn’t—>
Rodion	Okay, so where are we off to?
Faust	…….
Faust	The battle ro—um. Excuse me. The regular check-up takes place at...
The Sinners seemed to be under some serious misunderstanding about what the regular check-up entailed, but Faust had obviously long given up on correcting them.
Faust	… the headquarters.
Yi Sang	The headquarters you speak of… must be the headquarters of Limbus Company?
Faust	Yes.
Ishmael	Ooh… we’re finally getting to visit the headquarters, huh? A whole year after they hired us...
Faust	We should be right on time upon immediate departure.
Don Quixote	T-t-this instant, thou sayest? Yet mine heart is faint prepared… Prithee, allow us some time to prepare our travel provisions!
Ishmael	Where’s the HQ anyway? Hopefully it’s not too far from here.
Faust	That…
Faust	… is a secret. However, I would like to inform you that it exists in a location inaccessible via Mephistopheles.
Gregor	Oh come on… How are we supposed to get there if you’re not gonna tell us where it is?
Outis	Inaccessible via Mephistopheles... You're not about to suggest that we board the WARP trains again, are you?
Don Quixote	Fie, I shan't ever board the WARP trains again…
Faust	Indeed. We will not be boarding a WARP train for this journey.
Ishmael	Hmm, so are we… taking the Backdoors or something?
Heathcliff	Yeah, good point. Let’s take them doors instead.
Yi Sang	A sound suggestion.
Yi Sang	However, in lieu of sufficient information regarding each door, the destination may hold an element of randomness...
Yi Sang	… or, due to the variable nature of its activation period, the resultant destination may not reflect our intended end-coordinates...
Yi Sang	... or, an unexpected closure mid-passage through the frame may behoove us to bid the company our last farewells and embark on an untimely journey of no return.
Sinclair	Uh, are you sure this is a sound suggestion?
Heathcliff	Haah… then I’d rather take that bloody train instead. At least we won’t remember what happened once it's over and done with.
Ryoshu	Battle. Royale.
Faust	So…
Faust	… further research was necessary to ensure safe transportation to the intended destinations.
Outis	Further research? Are you implying that you made modifications to the Backdoor?
Faust	A close assessment. However, it would be more accurate to say that the Backdoor was merely used as a reference.
Dante	<How did you even make the time for research? Weren’t you doing everything with us the whole time?>
Faust	LCA and Faust established multiple communications with a certain new Wing-aspirant company during the spare hours between our travels to garner multiple cooperation efforts regarding the stabilization of the Backdoor.
Gregor	A new Wing…? Are they looking to take over L Corp.’s vacancy or something?
Faust	Quite sharp, Gregor. But the direction of your intuition could be improved.
Faust	It is a company seeking to seize the imminent vacancy of... the ever-declining W Corp.
Gregor	W Corp....
Ishmael	Is that so… Yeah, that makes sense. Stories of W Corp.’s decline have been spreading more and more as of late. And I’m not surprised that some companies would consider this to be an opportunity.
Meursault	Newspapers also featured Op-Eds regarding a possible management crisis at W Corp., with many of them discussing the mysterious disappearances as well.
Outis	I see. So they've been furtively planning and preparing to take over W Corp.'s position as a Wing.
Outis	But… to supplant a Wing even before it falls on its own? Now that's certainly peculiar.
Outis	They must have something, a scheme, perhaps, in the works. And to ally with such ambitious parties is…
Outis	… Is the headquarters looking to start a war of the Wings?
Faust	I, at this moment, am not privy to such details.
Yi Sang	Miss Outis, we needn’t make predictions in such rashness.
Yi Sang	Recall that W Corp. has been mired in troubles both internal and external, having fallen to such desperation as to seek the assistance of our company…
Yi Sang	It is no wild presumption to predict that it shall crumble ere the advent of such violent pandemonium.
Yi Sang	For indeed, inefficiency is the bane of technology that brings ruination to those that fail to overcome it…
Faust	Our research efforts, however, were quite efficient and successful. Its mechanisms are similar to that of the Backdoor, but it eliminates the corridor; instead establishing a direct connection from one door to another. A 'portal', if you will.
Gregor	Oh, so you resolved all the aforementioned side effects, then?
Faust	... Not quite. Similar difficulties to the aforementioned cases were observed. Sometimes the accuracy of the target destination coordinates were lacking. Or, in other cases, the activation period would be cut short, causing the door to shut prematurely and amputate the subject as they were traversing between doors.
Faust	There has been much progress in the stabilization efforts, however, minimizing pentasection incidents. Most recent incidents have been limited to bisections.
Yi Sang	Bisection certainly is an improvement over… pentasection…
Dante	<They both sound equally awful to me…>
Don Quixote	Sob… I would not behold mine own left and right shoes so cruelly sundered, forced to be so far apart upon our coming to the headquarters…!
Vergilius	Well, well.
Vergilius	All this idle chatter of unnecessary concerns tells me that your bus life may have been too uneventful lately.
Outis	Ahem...
Vergilius	Hm. Looks like the ‘research’ arrived while you were wasting time.
I saw a large and unfamiliar vehicle through the window.
Rodion	Is that the vehicle...? It's got no windows, though?
Vergilius	How tiresome.
Vergilius	Now, off the bus.

Episode: 4
Once we disembarked the bus, we made our way into this unfamiliar vehicle of sorts.
Its interior was mostly metallic, filled to the brim with convoluted-looking machines... and on the opposite end of the entrance, a massive door loomed over us.
Location: Mysterious Vehicle
Sinclair	This is...?
Faust	Assistance from P Corp. in the process of developing this device was indispensable.
Sinclair	Wait, that means...
Don Quixote	… In cohorts with young Cesara, are you?
Faust	…….
Don Quixote	Hoyday~! Much did I aspire to regale her with the tale of the contract’s glorious completion, of mine heroism and bravery! ‘Tis quite unfair of thee to meet her all by thy lonesome, young Faust!
Faust	… Your concerns will be taken into account next time.
Faust seemed relieved...
Don Quixote	Ah, worry thee not! For thou hast availed us the sights of Lim-bassss Campany headquarters, thy tit hath been tatted for!
Faust	There are numerous reasons for which you were yet to be allowed into the headquarters, but… as it would be a fruitless effort to explicate them all, we will not cover that subject here.
Gregor	Phew, glad to hear we're not sitting through another lecture.
Faust	The primary reason is, however, that there were several limitations to bringing the members of our department to the headquarters brought upon by frequent trans-Nest movements and irregular scheduling of our missions.
Rodion	Why’dya say all that if ya were gonna explain anyway…?
Outis	Wait, more importantly… what’s that about collaborating with P Corp.?
Rodion	Boy, here we go again.
Faust	P Corp.’s Singularity can be summarized by the following four words: Expansive Space Warping technology.
Sinclair	Oh, right… Didn’t you say that Miss Cesara told you something about how the principle of P Corp.’s Singularity is a lot like how La Manchaland works?
Dante	<... Right. La Manchaland was much larger on the inside than it looked from the outside.>
Ishmael	Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask…
Ishmael	Don’t other Wings already make liberal use of different kinds of space-expanding Singularities?
Ishmael	It’s, how should I put this… isn’t it a bit too mundane of a City tech for P Corp. to call space manipulation its unique thing?
Faust	That was quite the… intelligent question.
Gregor	Compliments! How nice~
Faust	Ishmael is correct in suggesting that technology to expand a given space is a commonly employed technology by other Wings as well.
Faust	An example of one such invention making use of this space-expansion technology, but isn’t a P Corp. Singularity, would be Mephistopheles.
Faust	The ultimate purpose of P Corp.’s space-expansion technology…
Faust	… is to create the safest place in the world.
Faust	A perfectly protected construct, its interior sheltered from the world outside no matter how severely its exterior is battered; to have a sound structural integrity no matter what, its interiors safe from any and all harm.
Faust	Therefore, the more expensive the P Corp. product is, the safer its interior is from damaging outside conditions such as extreme pressure or shock.
Faust	Perhaps the way in which the interior is completely insulated from the outside is comparable to a full disconnect from the outside world by sheltering in a separate dimension.
Faust	In conclusion, the exterior of this vehicle utilized P Corp.’s Singularity, which means that it can protect its interior from all forms of impact. Not to mention that it has enough room to hold more than thirteen people inside.
Rodion	Uh, don’t dimensional trunks or containers also transport things to other dimensions?
Sinclair	Nnnnngh...
Rodion	Hm? Sinc, why are ya freezin’ up all of a sudden?
Sinclair	There was this… creepy story that used to circulate among kids back when I was in school…
Sinclair	Here's how it goes. So a Devyat’ Association employee makes a delivery to a house, then looks away for a second…
Sinclair	… and a curious kid crawls into their Courier Trunk, and…
Sinclair	I-I’m gonna stop the story here… Look, that story kept me up at night for a whole week, okay? I couldn’t stop having nightmares about that scenario where…
Gregor	Hey, come on. Sometimes a story’s just a story…
Ishmael	Not necessarily…
Faust	Unfortunately, the story that inspired Sinclair’s week-long nightmares was most likely an accurate retelling of a true story.
Faust	Several regulations were added to Hana and Devyat’ Association’s rules to prevent cases of people being stored in dimensional containers.
Yi Sang	From a certain perspective, it may be said that the WARP technology employed by W Corp. shares a degree of similitude.
Yi Sang	The parallel lies in the fact that it also transports humans to a different dimension, the difference being that they are ‘packaged’ in a safer manner.
Faust	Therefore, perhaps enough of a connection exists to say that they operate on the same scale.
Rodion	Anyhoo, the point is that we’ll always have access to the headquarters as long as we have this vehicle thing, right?
Outis	This will certainly make the logistics of communication and supply much more convenient. One question, however: how does the company plan to move this instrument, as I expect that would be much trouble on its own? Has that detail been hashed out yet?
Faust	No.
Faust	In order to establish a more tangible level of communication with Limbus Company headquarters, an effective means of transportation such as this vehicle will be installed in the Nests across the City.
Faust	In summary, an efficient means of transportation such as this vehicle here, developed using P Corp. and the aspirant W Corp.’s technology, will gradually be installed at various points across the City.
Ishmael	In-in every Nest?
Vergilius	Of course not. The technology is still experimental. It is astronomically expensive to install and operate.
Vergilius gave us a firm clarification.
Faust	Activating now.
Faust tinkers with various machines and contraptions within the vehicle, and the giant door from earlier began to tremble, making a loud noise.
Don Quixote	W-wherefore is that gate over yonder shuddering so?!
Yi Sang	Energies, now linked, are routing toward that gate.
When the gauge displays around the glowing door filled, the door began to slowly open.
Faust	Entering now.
When it fully opened, Faust made her way inside like it was just another door.
Dante	<W-well, let's follow her inside.>
Location: -1
There was a bizarre and incomprehensible noise of machines, coupled with a low droning noise...
Faust	… Yes, we have arrived.
Faust	Welcome to the Limbus Company headquarters. This…
This place is teeming with people dressed in all sorts of odd outfits walking briskly between their busy schedules.
I hear heavy doors opening and closing from here and there, alongside that odd sensation I've been feeling from time to time.
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Faust	… is the Floor of the LCE Department.
Dante	<…LCE?>
Rodion	Haah... Hopefully we’ll get to proudly stride in through the HQ's front gate one day.

Episode: 5
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
???	…….
Faust	…….
???	…….
Faust	…….
???	…….
Heathcliff	... Right, are we waitin’ for something to happen? Or are we all suddenly unfamiliar with the concept of introducing ourselves?!
???	Given that no one appears to be willing to introduce me, allow me the liberty of self-introduction.
Hohenheim	My name is Hohenheim, the chief researcher of this company.
Faust	To be precise, he is the chief researcher of the LCE Department.
Hohenheim	To be more precise, I am <i>the</i> chief researcher responsible for the entirety of Limbus Company.
Faust	To be even more precise, the only reason he retains that role is because Yi Sang and I have been excluded from the research personnel files due to our statuses as Sinners.
Faust	Someone must stay behind to continue the research, after all.
Hong Lu	Aha, so you two are friends?
Faust	While it seems entirely unnecessary to establish a label on this relationship, it could be said that we are acquaintances who routinely and unwillingly maintain a regular level of communication with one another.
Hohenheim	Ah, I am in agreement. For the first time since we were acquainted.
Hohenheim	I hear that our department has reached out several times to yours to remind you of this regular check-up?
Faust	The nature of the LCB department necessitates that we are constantly on the move from one Nest to another, which makes it rather difficult for us to give you an immediate reply. I would have expected someone like you to already be well aware of this obvious detail.
Hohenheim	Yes, I was very well aware. I am also quite aware of the fact that your department has been giving us that same reply over and over again like an answering machine.
Dante	<Uh…>
Hohenheim	And this must be Dante, the Executive Manager of the Limbus Company Sinners.
Dante	<I’d like to say “Hi, nice to meet you”... but I don’t suppose he can hear what I’m saying.>
Faust	The manager extends their greetings.
Hohenheim	Charmed. It is grueling and arduous work to be in a position of leadership. Especially when communication issues come into play.
Hohenheim	Sometimes, I cannot help but wonder if my researchers and I are even speaking the same language, so I do commiserate.
Outis	Hm… how… odd. Their clothes are…
Hohenheim	Ah, yes. Allow me to introduce you all to Marton and Alyssa, two of the few researchers directly in my command.
Sinclair	Are they wearing gear extracted from Abnormalities? But how…?
Hohenheim	Happy to have someone who recognizes them.
Ishmael	Are they like… gears scavenged from the former L Corp.?
Meursault	While there are partial similarities to their gears, enough differences are present to distinguish them.
Hohenheim	Indeed. We attempted our own brand of extractions. Successfully, I might add.
Faust	While the news of the production of E.G.O Gear in Limbus Company’s style was already received, this is the very first time they are observed in person.
Ishmael	So… you must have Abnormalities contained in this facility.
Dante	<So that’s why I’ve been sensing Abnormalities in here, huh…>
Dante	<But… I’m sensing Distortions and Peccatula too.>
Faust	Indeed, as they are containment and research subjects for LCE Department as well.
Faust	Hmmm…
Faust closely observed the E.G.O gear Hohenheim was wearing like an exceptionally harsh judge in a fashion contest.
Faust	Hm…
Faust	Apart from a few imperfections in the finish, the level of E.G.O extraction visible here is quite acceptable.
Hohenheim	Input appreciated.
Hohenheim	This is a product of thousands of repeated experiments and subsequent failures that have been meticulously conducted and studied in order to extract it with an acceptable level of stability.
Hohenheim	But at the end of the day, I did it. Like I always do.
Ishmael	…….
Ishmael	<i>You</i> did it? Are you sure you want to take all the credit when your team is standing right behind you?
Alyssa	We’re used to it…
Heathcliff	Oh, piss off… I’m going mad surrounded by these self-absorbed twats.
Heathcliff	I’m just about ready to get violent on some poor bastard. Let’s get on with the check-up so we can get back to the bus, yeah?
Hohenheim	I feel the very same urgency you express.
Hohenheim	There is much we must cover, regrettably, given that this is the first-ever regular check-up performed as a group since your employment.
Faust	Faust also does not wish to pass more time without substance. Let us begin.
Hohenheim	Very well. Our first task shall be to assess your abilities in response to emergency situations.
Ishmael	Wait, he just pressed something—
Dante	<Emergency situations...?>
The walls of the laboratory suddenly started separating and sliding into place; when it settled, I realized that it had locked the Sinners away in some kind of hold, isolating them from me, Vergilius, and Charon.
Ishmael	What the hell, this is just an ambush!
Hohenheim	Yes, it is. The purpose of this test is to measure your behaviors and response in case of a surprise attack, so ambush it is.
Dante	<Was this discussed beforehand, Vergilius?!>
Vergilius	You look anxious, Dante. Well, I suppose you weren't let in on this either. I wasn't, for your information.
Vergilius	Just go with their flow, Dante. “So it goes” would be an apt response.
Vergilius	I’ll find a room somewhere where Charon and I might sit down and enjoy some nice tea. Come find me with Faust once this is over.
Dante	<…….>
Charon	Charon wants cake, too.
Marton	Oh, hey. We’ve got some leftover cake from our last office party. Come this way, please.
An employee appeared and led Vergilius and Charon away into a nearby office room.
Dante	<... Okay, so this is the regular check-up, huh? Let’s get this done.>

Episode: 6
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
We went through various tests, including command ability trials using Peccatula Invidiae…
Don Quixote	Har, Manager Esquire! Heigh-ho! I have attained a score most perfect!
Yi Sang	Mm… to be surpassed by Miss Don Quixote in a contest of knowledge… Must I delve further in my studies…?
Gregor	Hey, Yi Sang. Bud. They were testing our Fixer Association knowledge, huh?
Rodion	Totally~ Honestly, she's got more than enough Fixer fixation for the entire bus.
All kinds of general knowledge, trivia quizzes…
Marton	What’s the first thing you focus on when meeting a new person?
Heathcliff	… The look in their eyes? How strong they look? Bloody hell, this ain’t easy.
Alyssa	Your leadership style is…
Meursault	Strong, decisive, and goal-oriented.
Sinclair	You are, Meursault…?
We were finally allowed a quick break after going through all kinds of mysterious, strange personality tests as well.
Hohenheim	Next—basic fitness test for all Sinners. We can finally get started on the real meat of this check-up.
Sinclair	Wait, then what were all those tests you guys were running on us?
Marton	They were conducted in order to collect various data that the LCE Department has been missing. In other words… we capitalized on this opportunity to fulfill our private curiosities.
Alyssa	Still, I’d say it was very productive! We now know a lot about you guys that’ll help us support the LCB going forward.
Alyssa	Alright, we're gonna go over some tests that can be conducted in groups first. Please form a line here.
Gregor	W-what, like this?
Ishmael	Let's get this over with. Looks like we've got a long day ahead of us.
Hong Lu	Wow, these are some comfy clothes they've given us.
Heathcliff	Right? I could totally see myself wearin' these to sleep.
Alyssa	To sleep...? They're LCE property, so you better return them as soon as we're done here.
Rodion	Gotcha. By the way, can ya take a look at my wrist here before we actually get started? I’ve been feelin’ a bit of soreness there, but Dante won’t turn the clock for just me, y’know?
Yi Sang	Turning of the clock for such trivialities may cause the formation of an unfavorable habit... perhaps Meursault can remedy your pain.
Meursault	I am always prepared to administer necessary aid, should you request it.
Rodion	A-actually, ya know what? I'm totally fine now~! Don'tcha worry!
Alyssa	Please stand still. If you think I can't see some of you on your tiptoes, you'd be very wrong. Heels on the ground, please.
Sinclair	But... My heels are on the ground?
Don Quixote	Fie…
Alyssa	And uh... can you snuff out your cigarettes before the test begins?
Gregor	Oh, this one isn’t lit. It’s just there so I can… look cool…
Alyssa	Aha…
Alyssa	… And what about—
Ryoshu	Bold. But scram.
Alyssa	O-okay. So the basic group tests are complete.
Hohenheim	…….
Hohenheim	I seem to have forgotten something quite important I had to establish prior to beginning the tests in earnest.
Hohenheim	I need an assistant.
Dante	<An assistant?>
Hohenheim	I need an assistant to help me smooth out the testing procedures.
Rodion	Uh… ya got two of ‘em already. Right behind you, if ya need directions.
Marton	Oh, we’re not Mr. Hohenheim’s assistants. We’re specifically assistant <i>researchers</i>.
Hohenheim	Yes, of course. There is much that distinguishes these two occupations.
Hohenheim	I would like for one of you to be my assistant for the duration of this check-up…
Rodya suddenly raised her hand.
Hohenheim	I wasn’t planning on asking for volunteers, but… now that you’ve raised your hand, I’ll give you the floor.
Rodion	Don’t ask me to do it. It's just not my vibes, ya know? I’ll take a researcher job, though. I'm a big fan of her style.
Rodya trailed off, greedily caressing the clothes of one of the researchers.
Alyssa	What… what are you doing…?
Hohenheim	… I didn’t really have you in mind anyway, but duly noted nonetheless.
Faust	I would also like to refuse your nomination.
Faust	The position of an assistant to Hohenheim implies that the said assistant is, when it comes to skill, inferior to the person they are assisting.
Hohenheim	Again, I didn’t have you in mind either, but your passionate expression of intent is nonetheless appreciated.
Heathcliff	Tsk, I wonder who came up with this brilliant idea of putting two smartarses together to waste time pointing out each other's minor mistakes?
Sinclair	U-uh, if I were to talk about myself, I want to open by saying that I was a class vice-president in school, a diligent model student who assiduously facilitated the tasks of the class president in—
Yi Sang	Ahem, ahem...
Gregor	What’s with everyone getting so anxious to get picked here?
Gregor	Do you fellas actually want to be his assistant…? Getting in the front and center of things is just bothersome, you know?
Sinclair	I… kinda felt like I had to apply for the position, for some reason…
Hohenheim	Well, the decision has already been made. Do note that the selection criteria is fully based on my very subjective opinion.
Hohenheim	You there, orange-haired Sinner…
Ishmael almost threw me to the ground as she confidently strode up to the front of the line.
Dante	<Oof…>
Ishmael	Greetings, Mr. Hohenheim. As you must be aware if you’ve taken a look at my documents, I’ve rarely let anyone down during my various tenures at Offices and Associations. You'll have nothing to worry as long as I'm by your side.
Ishmael	Also, can I add this experience to my resume if I ever get a chance to submit a transfer request to work at the headquarters?
Gregor	Didn’t know you were still holding onto that hope.
Hohenheim	I… called on you to ask you to move, because you were standing in front of the Sinner I chose.
Ishmael	…….
Everyone turned around to look at Heathcliff, who was absentmindedly scratching at the bridge of his nose.
Heathcliff	Huh?
Heathcliff	Me… huh? Me?
It seemed that Ishmael was even more shocked than Heathcliff was.
Ishmael	Wait, but… wha… but… why? I’m right here, why would you pick someone like…
Hohenheim	It is a common misconception among many researchers…
Hohenheim	… to assume that the higher their level of education and the more elaborate their resume, the better candidate one makes for a research project participant.
Ishmael	B-but... but that's just common sense, isn't it? At least when it comes to research...?
Hohenheim	However, were you aware that most great discoveries are made from a potent mix of spontaneity and intuition?
Hohenheim	A perfect descriptor for our friend here, I would say.
Heathcliff	Uh… uhh…
Hohenheim	What say you, Heathcliff? I believe that this aggressive and passionate approach of yours gives you more than sufficient qualification to command and lead them in my stead.
Heathcliff	Uhm… Is… is that right?
He replied, scratching his head.
Rodion	Be honest now, Yi Sang. Ya were kinda lookin’ forward to getting picked, weren’tcha?
Yi Sang	…….
Yi Sang	It is but fate that things that were once good in the eyes of the mainstream are to be made less desirable with the passage of time.
Yi Sang	And when one does indeed fall out of favor, the intelligentsia of the bygone days must rightly excuse themselves to the realm of memories and past…
Yi Sang replied with a particularly downcast look.
Hohenheim	I am glad to have you on board as my new assistant.
Heathcliff	Righty-ho. So… uh, ahem. What have I got to do now?
Hohenheim	Nothing too complicated. You only need to liberally express your free spirit, just as you are now.
Marton	Aha, now I see what he's doing.
Marton	Hohenheim sure knows which one of the group to coax to make things go over smoothly.
Marton whispered quietly at me in a voice that only I could hear.

Episode: 7
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Heathcliff seemed eager to, as Hoheinheim had suggested, express his ‘free spirit’ to the best of his capabilities.
Heathcliff	Right, you there! Get in line! Single file, lads! Let’s make this easy for all of us!
Hong Lu	But aren’t you also participating in the test with the rest of us, Heathcliff?
Heathcliff	Y-yeah, but… I’m the assistant!
Ishmael	Since when do you wear glasses?
Hohenheim	Glasses are basic apparatuses of all researchers.
Hohenheim	Look, slightly pushing up on the glasses helps to put on the air of a studious, learned individual. Like so.
Marton	Just like how slightly pushing up the frames of my glasses while wondering what to have for lunch makes it seem as though I am contemplating on the more profound aspects of life.
Heathcliff	Oi, let’s not make this any harder than it’s gotta be, lass. Snuff out that cig in your mouth.
Ryoshu	Been a while since I heard a pig squeal.
Heathcliff	Blimey, can’t you just do as I say for once?!!!
Dante	<Huh, he’s actually pretty effective…>
Hohenheim	Hm… it seems that we are now ready to conduct the tests. Finally.
Alyssa	The primary purpose of this test…
Alyssa	... is to see, on a physical level, how your current abilities scale compared to yourselves before your hiring.
Dante	<I see… so they’re trying to see how much they've progressed since before they joined the company…?>
I had a feeling this would happen, but the mere mention of the words 'progression’ caused a rather loud ruckus among the Sinners.
Outis	If I were to speak for myself, Executive Manager, I can confidently say that the thought of progressing as a person and in all aspects of life is ingrained into my very being.
Outis	Thus, as a fruit of those efforts, I have grown to be much more precise and scathing in my critique of others’ mistakes.
Dante	<Is that… progress, though?>
Yi Sang	Mm...
Yi Sang	Perhaps I have learned to let certain thoughts rest in favor of others.
Yi Sang	I once allowed myself to be trapped in overlong ruminations on worries of all manners, idly abiding as I was consumed by my very thoughts...
Yi Sang	... now, I have come to accept certain things as they are.
Dante	<Ooh…>
Yi Sang	And I’ve come to… sometimes, allow my mind to form bereft of rigorous reason.
Yi Sang	Floating away gently, as though on a rolling stream… Is that not quite pleasant?
Dante	<Ah... Okay. I... guess that is progression, of sorts…>
Sinclair	I’m pretty sure I’m less of a picky eater than I used to be.
Sinclair	My grip strength is much stronger, too…
Rodion	Ooh~
Sinclair	Look, look. I think I’m getting calluses on my palms.
Ishmael	Well, you don't really have to try to prove it to us…
Ishmael	… because the enemies we’re fighting have been getting stronger, too. That's an undeniable truth.
Ishmael	We did experience a pretty spectacular year, you know.
Yi Sang	A brutal year, yet so potent with significance.
Dante	<Hm, true. I guess growth really does come with time, huh…>
Sinclair	Right? I feel like the bonds between us got a lot deeper. We've all grown closer, you know? Like glue.
Gregor	Like glue, huh. I like it.
Hohenheim	Ah, a certain misunderstanding seems to be brewing in tandem with this uplifting exchange of heart-to-hearts; allow me to step in and nip it in the bud.
Hohenheim	Let me give it to you straight…
Hohenheim	All of your abilities were diminished the moment you were hired by this company. Equally defanged and depowered, if you will.
Heathcliff	Equally... defanged?
Hohenheim	In other words, all of your abilities have been brought down to the… ah, yes. To the same general level as our eleventh Sinner here.
Sinclair	... Why am I your point of reference?
Hohenheim	Ah, if this is what you meant earlier by "growing closer, like glue", then I suppose it was quite the apt choice of words.
Heathcliff	Oi, take that back.
Sinclair	… I take it back.
Sinclair	… not! So you’re not really that much stronger than I am, huh?
Rodion	Woooow, Sinc. Is that the sound of your sense of self-preservation shattering into the ether?
Heathcliff	That's it, you bloody c—
Ishmael	Excuse me! I need to know why that happened.
Ishmael	Did we all get depowered because of the Golden Bough? Wait, does this have anything to do with those chains that appeared when we first entered into a contract with Dante…?
Hohenheim	Indeed. One of the powers of a Golden Bough is ‘connection’.
Hohenheim	You are now all fairly, evenly, and equally…
Hohenheim	mediocre.
Sinclair	…….
Hohenheim’s comment and the subsequent stare seemed a bit targeted…
Hohenheim	Think of it as something akin to Qliphoth Deterrence employed by the Lobotomy Corporation.
Outis	So, the truth is finally revealed. This was why I, Outis, grew so pathetically weak the moment I joined this company.
Don Quixote	Art thou implying that thou hast always known?
Outis	Of course! Had I been in my prime, I could’ve wiped the floor with you miserable doormats in a matter of seconds.
Ishmael	… You wipe floors with doormats?
Gregor	Man, we're all so prone to saying whatever once the burden of proof is gone, huh?
Gregor	Hah... So that's why my murderous arm's been quiet ever since they hired me. It didn't really have anything to do with my heart, after all...
Dante	<Gregor…>
Heathcliff	Oi, what's the use of all this chatter?! What matters is that we’ve all been brought down to the level of the lad.
Sinclair	But… I got calluses on my palms…
Yi Sang	Yet… not all of the Golden Bough's effects must have been of detriment to us.
Yi Sang started, carefully attempting to navigate through a conversation that appeared to be turning into a tinderbox.
Yi Sang	Was it not the advantages granted to us by the Golden Bough impaled in the Pallid Whale of the Great Lake by which we triumphed?
Rodion	Wha? Really?
Faust	Correct. Had the Pallid Whale been at its full strength, it is highly likely that we may still have been trapped inside its stomach, struggling to survive.
Faust	Also, it can also be said that the diminishing effect was not applied in equal measure across all affected subjects.
Rodion	That makes sense, I guess. I never coulda knocked Heath out with one punch if I was only as strong as Sinc. It’s a real handy trick, ya know?
Heathcliff	…….
Faust	Additionally, certain individual quirks cannot be suppressed by the Golden Bough.
Faust	Certain quirks that one may consider to be an individual’s ‘idiosyncrasies’.
Hong Lu	Ohhh~ So that explains Ryōshū’s impressive bladework with Mr. Bumble back at the T Corp. factory!
Ryoshu	Heh… Won’t waste my breath boasting.
Dante	<You never do anyway.>
Hohenheim	Well, if your strengths have indeed progressed since the onboarding, then the average must have risen as well. One of the purposes of these tests is to measure that very difference.
Ishmael	So what exactly goes into these tests? I know there's a District that uses a machine that can analyze most aspects of the subject with a quick scan, so is it going to be something like that?
Hohenheim	There are dozens, if not hundreds of ways to determine one’s abilities without the assistance of machinery. Ah, in fact, I know of a perfectly appropriate methodology for this group.
Dante	<A perfectly appropriate methodology…?>
Hohenheim	We spent some time out of our busy schedules to tailor each test for each Sinner of the LCB.
Alyssa	That was pretty tough, I’ll have you guys know.
Gregor	Tailored tests for each Sinner, huh… I don’t really like the sound of that, if you ask me.
Hohenheim	We…
Hohenheim	… will utilize the Peccatula… and the Distortion phenomenon.
Rodion	Huh. That doesn’t sound much like some super innovative method you were building up to. What a letdown…
Ishmael	Right? Honestly, for all their talk, I thought they’d come up with something more impressive than that…
Hohenheim	… Assistant?
Heathcliff	Alright, that’s enough chatter! Now get in there!

Episode: 8
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Heathcliff	Uhh, let’s see. First one on the block’s...
Heathcliff had already begun flipping through the papers in his hands.
… What an unfamiliar sight.
Heathcliff	Right. You, and you there! Inside, now!
Heathcliff the assistant pointed toward Hong Lu and Sinclair.
Hohenheim	Hello. One, two, testing. Am I coming through?
Hohenheim	As you must be well aware by now, the Peccatula are entities that have failed to even Distort.
Sinclair	…….
Hong Lu	It seems like we’ll be fighting the Peccatula again.
Sinclair	O-oh, right. I have a question. It's something that's been nagging at me the whole time since I arrived...
Sinclair	... Aren't these tests basically just... us killing people for no reason?
Sinclair	They're all safely contained, which means that they don't pose any danger to anyone...
Heathcliff	Why’s he being such a bleedin’ heart all of a sudden? Oi, we’ve been slaughterin’ countless scores of those sods, so what’s the holdup now?
Sinclair	Yeah, but we didn’t have any choice back then because we were on a mission. And—
Hong Lu	Do you believe that taking a life to live is unlike taking a life for the sake of it?
Sinclair	… I do.
Hohenheim	…….
Hohenheim	I understand. It seems that human memory is, after all, made to be finite. Save for few exceptional individuals, people are prone to misplacing memories even from yesterday.
Hohenheim	So, who are they, Dante? Who do you believe they are, this group you lead?
Hohenheim	Given the expected communication difficulties between us, allow me to make this a multiple choice question. One, family. Two, friends. Three, colleagues.
Dante	<Um… I guess they’re closest to… colleagues?>
Hong Lu	Dante says “three, colleagues”~
Hong Lu was practically squished against the containment unit window, holding up three his fingers. He must've heard us talking.
Hohenheim	Incorrect. It’s ‘none of the above’.
Hohenheim	The truth is that they are ‘Sinners’. Not family, not friends, not colleagues. ‘Prisoners’.
Sinclair	I know…
Hohenheim	Ah, but the knowledge of something and the acceptance of it must be distinguished.
Hohenheim	I learned that people are prone to forgetting their places when the going gets easy, when life becomes comfortable enough for them to consider the luxury of timely meals to be a certainty. Thus I find these reminders to be quite useful.
Hohenheim	These Sinners, bound to Limbus Company, are still fettered by their chains and shackles. Naturally, they have no access to such a thing as the right to refuse.
Hohenheim	Or would it be easier for you to accept that fact if I were to suggest that you consider this but a mere extension of your responsibilities?
Dante	<…….>
Dante	<I know they’re Sinners, but you can’t talk to them like—>
Faust	…….
Hohenheim	Ah, translations are unnecessary. I think I get the picture of what was said, given the atmosphere of this room.
Hohenheim	Dante, when you agreed to the contract, you must have made a deal of sorts—to gain something to your benefit. Am I correct?
Hohenheim	Your memories, your head, and your past…
Hohenheim	There must be so much that you would like to know. And perhaps your desire to get them back is what stops you from simply quitting.
Dante	<…….>
Hohenheim	What I mean to say with this little demonstration is that no one in this room has any right to grumble or refuse.
Dante	<Faust, is he usually…?>
Faust	Yes, this is his usual demeanor.
Ishmael	Hello, I know I’m not the one to talk, but… you don’t exactly have a lot of friends, do you?
Hohenheim	Those who rise above their peers tend to attract a certain degree of hostility from others. Now, shall we begin? We are severely behind schedule.
Hohenheim	While the combatants do what they do, please pay attention to the following presentation about the Peccatula projected onto this glass panel.
Hohenheim	This lecture has been prepared with the assumption that its students have an average level of knowledge; so, if you consider this presentation to be boring or too difficult to understand, then you may consider your knowledge level to be below average.
Heathcliff	All this material seems quite elementary to me! Not sure what's so difficult about this!
Ishmael	Yeah, save that for when the lecture actually starts.
Hohenheim	As you must already know, there are seven categories of Peccatula. And as far as I am aware, the highest stage of Peccatula you observed was in stage 3. <size=80%>So far, at least…</size>
Don Quixote	Wherefore didst thou utter a little muttering of “... so far, at least…” at the end of thine words, good sir?
Hohenheim	Sharp. Well, it's simple. We researchers have a habit of avoiding absolutes in all things. Never say never, or so they say.
Gregor	So you’re not ruling out the possibility that we might be running into Peccatula beyond stage 3, huh.
Hohenheim	Indeed. We prefer not to put down such arbitrary limitations.
Hohenheim	… Anyway, the first type of many Peccatula to be covered today is ‘Peccatula Irae’—red Peccatulum of Wrath.
Hohenheim	The nature of fire is to burn and burn until there is nothing left to be burned.
Hong Lu	I see. They’re quite literally burning with rage.
Hong Lu	Now that I think back on it, didn’t you express something like that before, Sinclair? I remember you screaming so fiercely that you could hardly control your own body.
Sinclair	… Mm.
Sinclair	On the other hand… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get angry or upset, Hong Lu.
Hong Lu	Aha, that’s…
Hong Lu	Because the realization of meaninglessness extinguishes the reason for the spark to start a fire.
Sinclair	Ohh… I see now…!
Sinclair	No matter how much Heathcliff or Ms. Outis bully me...
Sinclair	… expressing my anger at that is meaningless at the end of the day. … Okay, I did enjoy it a little when I had to ‘accidentally’ step on Heathcliff’s toes, but…
Dante	<What… what exactly is the takeaway supposed to be here...?>
Hong Lu	Yes. That is exactly how it is.

Episode: 9
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Heathcliff	Next up… you three! Let’s get in there!
Gregor	Indoor voice will do, bud. We can hear you just fine without you shouting at the top of your lungs…
Hohenheim	Now, let us discuss Peccatulum Pigritiae—Sloth.
Hohenheim	Stones are sturdy, but that's all there is to them. They are directionless and unmoving—completely surrendered to inertia.
Hohenheim	They are trapped in their current lot in existence until someone else comes along to roll them away. Truly, there is no better symbol for sloth than them.
Faust	…….
Meursault	It is efficient to live within the bounds of rigidly established routines.
Gregor	Ngh… getting lumped in with these two is making me real self-conscious all of a sudden. Like I’m just some lazy, incompetent—
Faust	Do not compare yourself to Faust, Gregor. Should Faust become the point of reference for one's competency, the overwhelming majority of the City's population would be deemed incompetent.
Meursault	Mm.
Gregor	... I'll admit that I'm not the most diligent person in the room, but I'm taking back that comment about being incompetent.
Gregor	Check this out, fellas. I'm not that rusty just yet.
Meursault	Charging alone into danger poses— Too late.
Faust	... This will be harder than expected. Let us provide assistance.

Episode: 10
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Hohenheim	Next up is Gulae—Gluttony.
Hohenheim	Roots of plants dig through the dirt in search of nutrients.
Hohenheim	What distinguishes them is, however, that they are not satisfied with satiation alone; the roots continue to grow, seeking increasingly greater supply of nutrients.
Heathcliff	Hang on a minute, what's this?
Heathcliff, after flipping through a few more pages ahead, looked up at Hohenheim and shouted.
Heathcliff	Are we really going to do this song and dance for each and every one of these Peccatulum? Why don't we lump 'em together like how you've paired up us Sinners?
Outis	Hah! Running low on patience already? Only simpletons would make such a basic suggestion.
Outis	It's standard protocol, in case you weren't aware. I am also unhappy about this process, but sometimes we must swallow our complaints and do as we're told for the sake of proper test results.
Hohenheim	Hm. You make a valid proposition.
Outis	... What?
Hohenheim	Very well. I also fail to see the necessity in fighting these Peccatula one by one, especially given the busy schedule ahead of us. Your suggestion is accepted, assistant.
Heathcliff	Huh? What? Really?
Dante	<Aren't you the one who suggested it...?>
Outis	If we didn't have to fight them one by one anyway, then why didn't we do this from the start?
Alyssa	Because testing them one by one yields a more accurate result.
Alyssa	Studies suggest that the margin of error may grow by 0.06% when testing multiple entities at once.
Outis	I see. But I say the benefits of a smaller margin of error outweighs the convenience of lumping them all together. Why don't we proceed as planned?
Heathcliff	Bloody hell, just let it go, yeah?
Rodion	Yeah, Outis. C'mon~
Outis	Tsk, this very carelessness is why—
Dante	<I think we can risk a 0.06% greater margin of error, right?>
Outis	… Indeed, it is sometimes necessary to prioritize efficiency over the pursuit of perfection. I will abide by the Executive Manager's judgment.
Heathcliff	…….
Rodion	…….
Hohenheim	Very well. Then allow me to explain Peccatula Morositatis—Gloom as well.
Hohenheim	Have you ever immersed yourselves in deep waters? Quite easy to sink to the depths, no?
Hohenheim	However... the deeper one sinks, the harder does it become to rise again. The pressure suffocates you from all directions—no matter how much you thrash around, desperately looking for something to grab onto, all you find is futility. Such is gloom.
Outis	I suppose one of the few benefits of working for this company is that its constant motion gives no time for such emotions to drag us down. Especially now that I have some level of confidence that they might actually keep their end of the contract.
Rodion	Ooh, sounds like a disagreement's brewing~ Even after I've joined the bus team, I still feel like I'm floundering deep in some ditch, ya know? Though I'm only here 'cuz I wanna be here, but still.
Outis	... Are you sure you're in that 'ditch' by choice? Maybe you just don't know how to rise to the surface again.
Rodion	Ha ha... I don't appreciate hearing that from someone who doesn't even know what I'm talking about.
Heathcliff	... Ahem. W-well, it's all ready now. In you go.
Hohenheim	You too, assistant. You aren't exempt from the tests.
Heathcliff	Huh? Me too?
Heathcliff	Perfect timing... I've been gettin' a bit tired of all this mental exercise. Right, then... let's wrap this up quick!

Episode: 11
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Heathcliff	Well, they weren't too much trouble. Next up's you two! Get in there!
Ishmael	With Ryōshū? Um... let's do this, I guess?
Ryoshu	S.T.
Ishmael	What?
Sinclair	S-she wants to 'switch teams'...
Ishmael	Really? Now? What's your problem this time, Ryōshū?
Ryoshu	Hmph. Your dulled harpoon doesn't interest me.
Ryoshu	It's dulled so much that I doubt it can even impale that sickly nerd over there.
Dante	<I... don't think she'll have too much trouble impaling Hohenheim.>
Ryoshu	Hm. I'd much rather watch that Bloodfiend fight again.
Don Quixote	T-thou speakest of... me? That's, uh, ahem, 'tis quite the pickle...
Heathcliff	Oi, she wants to switch teams. Is that alright?
Hohenheim	Of course not.
Heathcliff	You heard the man. Let's go.
Ryoshu	Tsk.
Ishmael	I'll admit that my harpoon's not as sharp as it used to be. And I'll admit that I've lost a bit of my edge since then.
Ishmael	But we're all sailing on the same boat—I'm not going to hold you or anyone else back. I'm always ready to go back to razor-sharpness when the need arises.
Ryoshu	... Hmph.
Ryoshu	… I'm swapping you out as soon as you start making a fool of yourself.
Heathcliff	Lass, I thought I've been clear enough on this—<i>Switching teams ain't a thing!</i>
Hohenheim	Peccatulum Superbiae—Pride.
Hohenheim droned on, as if the bickering Sinners didn't exist in his world.
Hohenheim	Wheels. Symbol of technology and the vector of humanity's ultimate pursuit. The wheel, in its boundless pride, rolls on and on in search of the perfect circle, something unconquered even by nature.
Faust	Yet… it remains uncaring for the flesh it rends nor the grass it tramples in its path.
Ishmael	Isn't that... just confidence, not pride? You can't get anything done by just sitting idly in place.
Hohenheim	One might even say that pride is but another name for overconfidence. It oft claims trailblazers or those who have never tasted failure.
Ishmael	Hah. Someone like you, Hohenheim?
Hohenheim	... Well, that certainly is a perspective. Next up is Luxuriae—Lust.
Dante	<Moving on just like that, huh...>
Hohenheim	The meaning of Peccatulum Luxuriae, 'Lust', is not exactly what it says on the tin. A more illustrative description would say that it is... ah, yes. An obsession to spread a fragment of what forms the self. A desire to propagate, to breed.
Hohenheim	Of course, there is more to this concept than just that. While the word itself may be subject to interpretations limited to the carnal understanding...
Yi Sang	... To share one's knowledge, one's ideas, to invite others into gaining the understanding of a sliver of oneself... You seek to express that such things are 'Lust' as well.
Hohenheim	Not bad. I always appreciate these discussions with the learned—there never is any dead air.
Heathcliff	…….
Ishmael	Admit it, Heathcliff. All of that flew right over your head, didn't it?
Ryoshu	Why even ask? Unnecessary.
Heathcliff	... Shut up and get in there.

Episode: 12
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Don Quixote	Verily, nigh is the time for young Yi Sang and I to face the test!
Yi Sang	The nature of our trial shall take form as Peccatula Invidiae.
Hohenheim	I assume that we all have a first-hand experience with static shocks?
Don Quixote	... Hoh? Doth static shock have aught to do with Envy?
Hohenheim	Anyone who's been subject to both static shock and the envy of others must know that the latter stings in the same manner as the former does.
Don Quixote	Mm… I ill comprehend thine explanations…
Yi Sang	Ah, I see.
Yi Sang	To explain in plainer example—Miss Don Quixote, you have always been fond of, and held great respect for, the illustrious Color Fixers. Am I correct?
Don Quixote	Verily, I should be second to none were my passion for them to be measured!
Yi Sang	Now... imagine yourself at a convention of sorts—in which the said illustrious Color Fixers are holding an event to disseminate their autographs. And imagine that you are a part of the excited queue.
Don Quixote	Oho...! Indeed, I have mentally placed myself there! Proceed!
Yi Sang	Yet, in great misfortune, the event comes to a close—mere moments before you were to receive your autograph.
Don Quixote	Alack for woe! Fate playeth such cruel jest on my pitiful soul!
Yi Sang	Now, do imagine—what sort of emotion would you feel for the fellow fan who received the final autograph, immediately before you were to receive yours, ere the chance was robbed?
Don Quixote	Well, 'twould be quite the jealousy burning within mine heart, a painfully tingling sensation in my— ooh!?
Hohenheim	My, you certainly enjoy explaining things, don't you? I suppose all scholars are kindred spirits, after all.
Heathcliff	You two! Quit the chinwag and get in there!
Don Quixote	V-verily! Then onward, to a new adventure!
Yi Sang	Mm, then I shall follow.

Episode: 13
The foundation that led to this disaster was laid by none other than Yi Sang, whose only sin was making an innocent, tragically casual comment.
Sometime after we ran our final tests…
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Marton	Please vacate the room, people. Cleanup coming through.
Yi Sang	Ah, apologies... Miss Don Quixote has aught to...
Don Quixote	Prithee, avail me but a moment…! The shoelaces upon Rocinante have come undone...
Ishmael	What? How...? I remember tying like seven different knots on your shoes.
Don Quixote	Ahh, yet 'twere quite the hideous access-sorry to be forced upon Rocinante... I have tied one of them once again in the shape of a ribbon!
Rodion	Yeah, the knots didn't look that great. Ribbons are cute!
Ishmael	Oh boy…
Yi Sang	… Yet one must begin to wonder…
Yi Sang	… about the consequences of Miss Don Quixote freeing her feet from Rocinante at her present state?
Don Quixote	Hm? Whatever art thou suggesting? Rocinante is none other than mine eternal steed, bound to me by fate itself! None shall ever dare sever the bond betwixt us!
Yi Sang	It was a query posed toward Miss Faust, yet I appreciate your answer all the same…
And Faust’s reply was what set fire upon that rather combustible foundation.
Faust	I cannot know.
Rodion	Wha…?
Faust	An obvious outcome, given that no relevant data has ever been collected.
Rodion	Well, then… no time like the present to get collectin', huh? Good thing we're in a lab too–where else are we gonna get another chance to do that?
Faust	This course of action is highly inadvisable.
Ishmael	Yeah, sounds like a bad time to me. I heard all kinds of horrible stuff happened on that train the moment her shoes came off.
Dante	<Sure did…>
Don Quixote	But that’s…!
Don Quixote	‘Twas but an independent decision called by Rocinante itself due to certain... extreme circumstances that had naught to do with mine will!
Ishmael	Well, you know. Potayto-potahto.
Hohenheim	Hm, I was already quite aware that the core of that individual may as well lie in her pair of running shoes…
Don Quixote	Fie on thee! Thou shan’t treat a person such as I like some useless shell!
Gregor	What if we slipped her shoes off and on again really quickly?
Hohenheim	The standards here at the LCE department demand precise measurements.
Hohenheim	In other words, these tests would be meaningless if all we are measuring is a 'hollow shell'.
Don Quixote	… A hollow… shelllllllll…!
Faust	We have indulged your predictable provocations enough, Hohenheim. It seems necessary to remind you that you have not yet received the full report of what transpired during that incident.
Faust	In other words, you are risking the occurrence of an unexpected event.
Hohenheim	You concern yourself unnecessarily. The construction of my laboratory boasts a rather solid build.
Hohenheim	Not even Abnormalities on the more powerful side of things can puncture holes in its walls.
Hohenheim	Oh, very well. I will not force your hand. However, due to your unwillingness, I am behooved to record as such in my research journal...
Hohenheim	“Due to the concerned Sinner's <i>utterly terrified</i> reaction at the prospect of having to remove her shoes, I must unfortunately leave only a half-complete test result here…”
Don Quixote	Utterly... terrified...? Terrified...?!
Hohenheim	Ah, and for your information, these research reports…
Alyssa	… are stored for at least a decade.
Hohenheim	Yes, we will have possession of a full record of your plain cowardice for at least ten years.
Don Quixote	…….
Marton	Outcome: N/A… Reason: subject… was… too scared… to participate.
Don Quixote	After much contemplation… I have come to conclude that dearest Rocinante deserveth a moment of respite as well.
Don Quixote	And I, Don Quixote, shall demonstrate before thee that Don Quixote is still Don Quixote in her core still, without Rocinante's assistance!
Dante	<Are you sure this is a good idea, Faust…?>
Faust	Hohenheim… If your employment at Limbus Company ever comes to a unilateral termination, I suppose the cause will be rather apparent: your highly irresponsible level of curiosity.
Not a good idea, got it...
Hohenheim	That would be my greatest honor as a researcher.
Rodion	Hey, if anything ever goes wrong, Yi Sang’ll be on the ready to slip those shoes right back onto your feet at a moment’s notice, ‘kay?
Yi Sang	I shall be on the ready...
Don Quixote	Behold me not with such excessive anticipation, all! There shan’t be any new revelations here…!
Don Quixote begins to untie her shoes, seething…
Don Quixote	…….
Don Quixote	Mm, this seven-layered knot poseth... quite the difficulty. Young Ishmael, wherefore hast thou tied these cords with such unwavering tightness?
Ishmael	I was hoping they'd be the last knot those shoelaces would ever tie...
Don Quixote	Of course... Ah... there we go. Rest thee well, Rocinante...
Don Quixote	For I...
Location: -1
Don Quixote	…….
The Sinners and I were all quite nervous, but none of us stepped forward to stop this experiment.
Why didn't we stop this? Was it because we thought we knew removing Rocinante doesn't necessarily mean that she'll be losing control, because we saw its effects on the WARP train and at La Manchaland?
Or was it because we assumed that Rocinante was now just a disguise, and now that Don Quixote has accepted her past as Sancho, removing it wouldn't affect her psyche at all?
Whichever was the case, it was a mistake to ignore that nagging feeling.
These researchers don’t know what facing Don Quixote... Sancho, the Second Kindred, is like.
We do.
… Mother…
???	O Mother...
???	Our existence is death in perpetuity.
???	Complete us, fill our hunger…!
???	We pray unto you, fill us with the blood of humans, with the blood of humans...
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Dante	<Nngh…>
The teeming, shouting voices suddenly begin to echo in my head.
They’re the voices of all the Children he had embraced…
… Or perhaps, this was the Bloodfiends’ instinct given voice, imprinted upon them at the moment of their birth.
‘Proliferate this disease, embrace this unending hunger for blood, and propagate the Family.’
So many voices, so much yearning, so much desire.
Every single Kindred that has ever existed in the past…
… kneels before Don Quixote.
Location: -1
???	Oh… dearest Mother.
???	As your Children…
???	When shall we be permitted to quench this thirst for blood…?
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Dante	<…I must drink blood.>
Dante	<I have to drink all the blood…>
Dante	<... all the blood that the Family deserved to drink. I must.>
Ishmael	Dante? Dante, wake up!
Heathcliff	A-ain’t this a lot like the last time at that building when the fire on their head suddenly exploded?!
…I have to… I gotta… get a hold of myself…
Dante	<Thirst…>
My body can't even feel thirsty, this doesn't make any sense…!
Dante	<Gah, haaah… I-I’m okay. I’m okay now.>
Faust	… What did you see, Dante?
Dante	<…If we want to bring Don Quixote back, we're going to need to quench her thirst somehow.>
Dante	<We need something to sate the combined thirst… the desire… of every single Kindred…>
Gregor	That’s not good. Do you keep any blood in here? Let’s at least try to quench what’s—
Marton	Uhh, yeah. We have some blood samples. If you need them…
Outis	Dammit, have you been listening to what the Executive Manager’s been saying?! It’s the <i>combined</i> thirst of every single Kindred! A few blood samples aren't going to do anything…!
Sinclair	So you’re going to sit here and do nothing?!
Heathcliff	Ain’t this just a matter of gettin’ her shoes back on?!
Gregor	Right, Yi Sang! Shoes! Shoes! Get those shoes back on her feet!
Yi Sang	I cannot! A bizarre wall of pressure surrounds her!
Ryoshu	This is one luxury cig. Good flavor.
Alyssa	I… bought those luxury cigarettes with our last bonus pay…
Hohenheim	These readings are incredible. So much power, even in a state that is, for all intents and purposes, complete emaciation...
Heathcliff	What? You... you egged her on knowing this would happen?
Hohenheim	I had many outcomes in mind. Some were quite similar to this, but... this is beyond even the most extreme of my predictions.
Heathcliff	How the fuck are you so calm about this?! We've got to do something! You haven't even seen how hard the lass hits!
Hohenheim	What would be the use of panicking now? If the outcome does not align with the predictions, the first course of action should be to analyze the given data.
Hohenheim	However...
Hohenheim	It doesn’t seem like our containment measures will be the answer here. Thus the task of stopping her seems to fall straight onto all of you.
Faust	…….
Faust	Time for us to pay the price of curiosity.

Episode: 14
Don Quixote?	I must…
Don Quixote?	I have to be the Mother... to all of them... the Family's thirst, it's...
Vergilius	No, my lady. You needn't be the Mother of anyone here. Here...
Vergilius	... you are a Sinner, nothing more.
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Vergilius	I will not place the blame of this incident on anyone, Dante.
Dante	<…….>
Vergilius	I understand that no one could have expected this outcome,
Vergilius	given the dearth of intelligence regarding the binding tool the First Kindred had gifted to the third Sinner.
Vergilius	… Well, then.
I hadn't had that much firsthand experience with watching Vergilius fight, but... this was certainly the most exhausted I've seen him after a fight.
... I decided to say nothing, and turned the clock.
After some time passed…
Don Quixote	…….
Dante	<Don Quixote, what happened? Did you lose consciousness? Or did something affect your memory…?>
Don Quixote	Manager Esquire, I…
Don Quixote	My memories were fine.
Don Quixote	But there were… I heard something as soon as I removed my shoes.
Dante	<… Voices, right?>
Don Quixote	Once again, you have witnessed me.
Don Quixote	Yes, the voices. So many voices.
Ishmael	Vo... voices…?
Don Quixote	The voices… of my Family.
Sinclair	But… the Bloodfiends of La Manchaland are all…
Sinclair trailed off.
Every single Bloodfiend left inside La Manchaland was killed when the amusement park collapsed.
In other words, most of Don Quixote’s lower Kindreds were dead.
Don Quixote	That is… indeed, that is correct. But I cannot well explain how—the only way I might explain this is… that it was as though my very blood remembered them still.
Don Quixote	I recognized some of them. And some were voices of those I once deeply cared for.
Don Quixote	It seems that I was, against my own desire, made to ascend to my Father’s seat. Perhaps I always was, ever since then.
Don Quixote	… And I was struck not only by my own thirst, but the combined thirst of every single one of the Children.
Gregor	Thirst…
Don Quixote	Indeed, I am also bound by that thirst.
Don Quixote	It is only natural. Because I am a Bloodfiend.
Don Quixote	Thus the pressure of it all broke my hold of sanity, and…
Don Quixote	… I… hurt you all. As Don Quixote the Bloodfiend, a higher Kindred… not as Don Quixote, a Sinner and your friend.
Sinclair	Don Quixote, this isn’t your fault, it’s…
Don Quixote	No, such words are now meaningless…
She looked down at her pair of shoes, their strings again neatly tied.
Hohenheim	The higher office will now be regularly supplying you with artificial blood packs.
Hohenheim approached us, after spending a while vigorously scribbling something in his notes.
Hohenheim	The blood substitute will be very similar to real blood in terms of composition... and we won't have any issues with supply.
Don Quixote	…….
Hohenheim	I don't suppose you actually believed that mere willpower would be enough to withstand this urge?
Don Quixote	... I have done quite well suppressing it thus far.
Hohenheim	Indeed. And that was precisely the wick attached to the ticking time bomb within the LCB.
Hohenheim	Must I remind you that the soundness of this 'limiter' of yours is quite tenuous, as today's events have demonstrated?
Faust	Is it your implication that the purpose of conducting this reckless experiment was to determine the full extent of the latent danger?
Heathcliff	I dunno, it seemed like he was in it only to sate his curiosity.
Hohenheim	Call it merely the auspice of opportune convenience. This risk factor had to be measured sooner or later—had I known the full extent of the danger she posed, I would have immediately requested a forceful summoning of your department.
Hohenheim	Of course, as large as this void of unknowns was, we were able to fill it with much new information.
Don Quixote	…….
Hohenheim	Certain analyses can be drawn by comparing the reports regarding Bloodfiends and this very experiment.
Hohenheim	Let us discuss the thirst you experienced first, for example—the combined desire of every lower Kindred.
Hohenheim	Indeed, it is true. The Manchegan Kindreds have been completely eradicated due to the events at La Manchaland. But you still heard the voices of your 'Children', yes?
Don Quixote	... What are you trying to say?
Hohenheim	I aim to discuss the powerful binding force contained within 'blood'.
Hohenheim	LCD's cooperative report explains that 'blood' is not merely a carrier of nutrients, but something more. That it contains certain abstract values as well.
Hohenheim	We sent in a complaint, that the report was far too vague in its wording, and we received a reply their On-site Investigative Reasoning Team Leader spat out, the contents of which were equally fascinating.
Hohenheim	This desire of their kind... this 'thirst', is something that may as well be imbued and imprinted on the Familial bloodline. Normally, the weight of that thirst is far too heavy for any individual to bear—which is why they propagate. To bear the unbearable burden together.
Hohenheim	... But considering that all of that desire is now focused unto an individual, on account of the extinction of her entire Family line, it is easy to see why her hold to sanity was so easily broken, no matter the strength of her will.
Hohenheim	She alone was made to bear the responsibility, the pressure, the duty... of having to raise the Family once again.
Hohenheim	And because none of those needs are currently met, there comes the endlessly exacerbating thirst, thirst, and more thirst…
Hohenheim	It is quite fascinating to see how your kind preserves these very abstract values in the physical form of blood.
Hohenheim	The mere words 'thirst' does quite the insufficient job of describing the intensity with which you have lost control. This was my oversight, I must admit.
Don Quixote	…….
Hohenheim	I do respect your efforts to be liberated from your nature, I truly do. But I also maintain that it is highly advisable for you to regularly consume the provided blood packs.
Don Quixote	... Understood.
Don Quixote	But… one day, I wish to dismount from Rocinante…
Don Quixote	… and walk bare of feet, and feel the earth under my own skin.
Hohenheim	I was able to establish one positive fact from this exercise, however.
Don Quixote	What might that be…?
Hohenheim	That there are those who would, quite literally, throw their lives on the line to stop you even if you were to take off your shoes.
Hohenheim	In other words, I don't believe it to be necessary for other departments to exercise any separate control over you.
Don Quixote	…….
Hohenheim	Well, now that I’ve had a first-hand account of your conditions, I will write the following in the report.
Hohenheim	Still quite unstable… yet, with the effort from the subject herself, and efforts from various other environmental factors… this subject has been deemed sufficiently controllable.
Hohenheim	Once again, I do respect your efforts. Or any kind of effort, really.
Hohenheim	Because I've never had much use for it myself.
Don Quixote	…….
Don Quixote took a deep breath, then turned to face the Sinners. By then, her eyes had regained their usual, softer look.
But… sorrow was seeping through the tone of her voice. Despite her theatrical manner of speech returning, her tone reminded me of our time at La Manchaland.
Don Quixote	My deepest apologies, dearest friends. Forsooth, I shall ever-persevere to see that Rocinante... my shoes... are never to be removed again.
Heathcliff	Lass, you're lookin' at it all wrong.
Heathcliff	You're going to remove those shoes one day, yeah? And that's what you're going to persevere towards.
Don Quixote	…….
Don Quixote	Verily.
I think she let out a brief, quiet laughter.
Don Quixote	Ah, Manager Esquire.
Don Quixote	Perchance, is there aught that thou concealest from my knowledge?
Dante	<Whu-what do you mean?>
Don Quixote	…….
Dante	<I... don't think so?>
It’s no coincidence that, at this very moment, I noticed Faust looking in my direction.
I don’t know if I made the right choice here, but…
Faust nodded lightly, as though to say that I did. I stopped hesitating, and the tick-tocking noise came to a stop.
Don Quixote	Mm... very well, then.
Dante	<…….>
However, I cannot help but admit that I felt some degree of anxiety as I watched Don Quixote walk away as though nothing had happened.

Episode: 15
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Hohenheim	Well, now that that’s over and done with, I would like the Sinners to come gather around here.
Hohenheim placed the Sinners in a single file before him, and began.
Hohenheim	Now, the regular check-up is complete.
Hohenheim	We finally have enough data to compare your pre-employment statuses to those of your current selves.
Gregor	Which means…?
Hohenheim	Indeed. We were able to measure your pre-employment combat capabilities as well.
Outis	Oho… and what are your conclusions?
Hohenheim	Allow me to preface this by saying that there isn't much significance in establishing this particular hierarchy of power on a linear scale. Like I said, you are all equally mediocre at the present anyway, and—
Heathcliff	Oh, there’s plenty of significance all right! We’ve all gotta know who’s the big boss!
Outis	While this is but a speculation of the worst-case scenario, we must know which one of us has the most right and authority to lead the rest of the Sinners in case our Executive Manager becomes, due to some unknown yet inexorable circumstances, unavailable!
Dante	<H-hey, that’s…>
Ryoshu	I don't listen to anyone weaker than I am.
Gregor	Hm… What if there was a reason I was the first one asked to introduce himself…?
There was a burgeoning interest among the Sinners to see which one of them would be at the apex of this scale, were they to be measured by their strengths prior to their employment.
Dante	<H-hey, maybe before I lost my memories, even I—>
Ishmael	Dante, don't.
Hohenheim	It is interesting how every collective has the desire to get the clear picture of the pecking order.
Hohenheim	A negative expression of this desire may even lead to juvenile behaviors among children—for example, stealing their colleague's lunches for meager reasons such as scoring higher than they did on a test.
Rodion	You’re not speaking from personal experience, are ya…?
Hohenheim	Thus, I believed that trying to conceal the outcome of the tests from you would be quite meaningless.
Hohenheim	Each of your placements in that line you are standing in signifies that very order you were so curious to know. I do not wish to waste any more breath on this subject.
There was a long, long silence.
Then the Sinners all simultaneously turned to look at the person standing in the frontmost position of the line.
Yi Sang	…….
This has to be the longest, most awkward, most loaded silence I’ve ever felt in my life.
Yi Sang	Ahm, hm…
Yi Sang	Much did I wish to hold shrouded in my fathoms, yet I yearned still to convey that we are all more than meets the eye.
Yi Sang	Yet there remains a certain abundance within my heart… Perhaps the tests of this day paint a picture of both of my qualities.
Yi Sang	Thus spoke I, Yi Sang.
Sinclair	Um… Yi Sang…
Yi Sang	I will place trust in the faith that all of you shall one day sprout wings as I have.
Sinclair	Yi Sang… it’s the other way around…
Hohenheim	Ah yes. The line was made from my point of view.
Hohenheim	From here, the Sinner wielding that oversized lance is the one at the front of this line.
Yi Sang	…….
Sinclair	Well… you said some cool words, though. We… got this, right? Yi Sang…?
Don Quixote	…….
Don Quixote	W-well, ‘tis quite the bashful occasion… Ahem… to be the center of such fervent attention of one such company…
Rodion	I wouldn’t say ‘fervent’ is the right word… ‘worried’, maybe…?
Don Quixote	… I shall be vigilant…
No one seemed to have any objections or doubts about who the strongest Sinner was, given the earlier event.
Outis	On second thought, it appears that it would be best if we left the c…command to… Ishmael, as we have done so far.
Outis mumbled through gritted teeth.
Don Quixote	Forsooth, I am in agreement! I am more partial to roles as a defending Fixer or a squire! ‘Tis oft the case that such side characters enjoyed greater popularity since time immemorial.
Hohenheim	Very happy to see this discussion not coming to blows. Now, are we all ready to move on from this?
Gregor	Wait a minute…
Gregor	Aren’t we all forgetting something pretty important?
Rodion	That's just how the world works, Greg... No one remembers anyone between the first place and the last place. I even forgot my own placement in the order...
Gregor	No, I mean…
Gregor	Fellas, I wasn’t even a part of the list.
Rodion	Oh, were you not?
Heathcliff	Who cares, mate? There’s twelve of us. Some people just fall out of the radar, big deal. Let’s just get on with it.
Gregor	H-hey, you can’t just disregard me like swatting away a fly—
Ishmael	Eh, I'd guess somewhere around my level, probably. Or Heathcliff’s.
Ishmael replied in a voice that had clearly lost all interest in this discussion.
Hohenheim	Ah, you’re the Sinner with that bizarre insectoid arm.
Hohenheim	We had no choice but to place you in the least favorite category of all researchers.
Hohenheim	Exceptions.
Marton	Ugh…
Alyssa	Ughh…
Yi Sang	Mmmhhhh…
Faust	…….
Dante	<They really hate that, huh.>
Hohenheim	In other words, you are… a unique case that cannot well be placed in a list or a scale. To do so would be irresponsible.
Hohenheim	I’d say you carry a certain potential.
Gregor	That, uh… potential, is it? Does that mean that I could also be first place if all goes well?
Hohenheim	It could very well be the reverse, given the definition of 'potential'.
Yi Sang	Let not this query harrow your mind, Gregor. Your day will come.
Gregor	Feels funny, getting consoled by the guy who placed last…
//줄 세우는 CG 없다고 치고 최대한 묘사로 하는 거 (차순위)

Episode: 16
After some time passed…
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Hohenheim	Next, we must discuss the classification numbers.
Hohenheim	We have been assigning Risk Levels for Distortions, just as we have for Abnormalities. The observation logs you have written for us were of great help, of course.
Hohenheim	My researchers struggled to… parse the handwriting of certain Sinners, however, but it was good data all the same.
Marton	We once had a three-hour debate over a letter.
Heathcliff	Heh… even that bloody governess gave up on trying to fix my handwriting.
Heathcliff grinned proudly and wiped the side of his nose.
Hohenheim	As you must all be well aware, the current system of classification numbers has a rather significant oversight.
Hohenheim	Because Abnormalities were creations of the former L Corp., our classification system had to be lifted whole from their system.
Hohenheim	However, the criteria by which the former L Corp. measured the Risk Levels was the amount of their energy production.
Hohenheim	As a correlation of sorts, it was often the case that the more aggressive Abnormalities produced more energy. But their destructive capabilities were not a part of the criteria, despite the correlation.
Hohenheim	That is why certain Abnormalities were assigned relatively lower Risk Levels, despite their potential to kill even multiple higher-ranking employees.
Ishmael	They were an energy company at the end of the day. It makes sense that their priority would be to measure the energy output.
Hohenheim	However, here, both Abnormalities and Distortions must be suppressed via direct confrontation. Thus, the former L Corp.’s classification system is rather incongruent with our purposes.
Rodion	Hm… I once heard someone say that we should be wary of people who drone on and on in the intro…
Hohenheim	Thus, it became necessary for us to re-organize the Distortions’ Risk Levels and Classification codes.
Hong Lu	Wow, how interesting! So whose job is that going to be?
Hohenheim	I… am rather taken aback by the naiveté with which you ask me that question.
Ishmael	Us. It’s us. Sinners without ‘the right to refuse’, was it?
Rodion	Wait a sec~ aren’tcha just offloading your own work onto us?
Faust	A privilege given to researchers.
Heathcliff	Oi, oi! Don’t be so ignorant, yeah?
Heathcliff	This is all just to… uh… in order to research the Distortions right, we gotta…
Hohenheim	<size=80%>The other way around, assistant.</size>
Heathcliff	… Ah… we’ve got to do research into Distortions in order to solve them better! It’s elementary shite!
Ishmael	Hohenheim’s really got you wrapped around his finger, you know that?
Hohenheim	According to the LCD On-site Investigative Reasoning Team Leader, the progression of a Distortion is much like that of a disease.
Hohenheim	The fate of an Abnormality awaits at the end of the Distortion phenomenon, after all.
Hohenheim	When a Distortion progresses into an Abnormality, all preexisting individuality is erased, replaced with the totality of an Abnormality.
Faust	Thus, it is impossible to ‘bring back’ a Distortion that has already transformed into an Abnormality. It will no longer have that reversibility that they once had in the Distortion phase.
Gregor	So… a Distortion like that Time Ripper fella will eventually become an Abnormality too, if left untouched?
Hohenheim	If you are referring to the subject HE-7-PI-20-01, then yes.
Hohenheim	This is simply a prediction, of course. Because that particular subject isn’t contained here, I cannot say with absolute certainty that its progression into an Abnormality will be observed.
Meursault	Mm. A correct assessment.
Hong Lu	Oh? Didn’t Limbus Company collect the Time Ripper?
Hohenheim	We hoped we would, but T Corp. was very adamant about their claim over the entity, to the point where they refused to even sit at the negotiation table. I found their time-ripping ability quite fascinating, but… sometimes I must know when to cut my losses, I suppose.
Ishmael	Wait, so that HE-something… is the new classification code format?
Hohenheim	Indeed. Because it is difficult to identify and observe the origin and the shape of a Distortion, we decided to forgo that information and instead replace them with their Sin Affinities and the expected damage scale.
Faust	Sin Affinities… ‘PI’ must refer to Pigritia—Sloth.
Yi Sang	It appears that the classification now mimics the classification of the Peccatula.
Hohenheim	They do indeed follow the same thought process, if we’re being technical here. I wouldn’t say it mimics it—it would be more accurate to say that, as the Peccatula are at once the origins of the Distortion phenomena and its byproducts, the affinities can be transferred one-to-one.
Ryoshu	What's the 'expected damage scale'?
Ishmael	Combat capability, I’m guessing. I remember them saying that the Risk Levels were determined based on the Enkephalin production rates, which is not the most meaningful information to us who have to fight them directly.
Hohenheim	It was a tad inconvenient to put a nebulous idea like ‘combat capabilities’ into a singular, numerical scale of power. Certain entities have idiosyncrasies and variables that may make such a linear measure quite meaningless.
Hohenheim	So, instead, we decided to measure the expected amount of damage that Limbus Company personnel might suffer should they engage these entities in battle.
Hohenheim	While this ‘Time Ripper’ poses very little threat against the Sinners due to your idiosyncrasies, the unique nature of their weapon means they can immediately deal a nigh-fatal blow to anyone from the LCC Department with a single strike.
Hohenheim	That is why this Distortion was given a rather high expected damage scale of ‘six’, from a scale of one to ten. Please do note that this is not a perfect system, and these values are there only as references.
Yi Sang	Will this standard be applied to Abnormalities as well?
Hohenheim	We have plans to do so, yes. Risk Levels and expected damage scales will be coming before their classification codes.
Hohenheim	Speaking of which, I have something to show you all.
Sinclair	What… is it?
Hohenheim	What else, other than the Monolith? One with the highest potential values among Limbus Company's businesses.
Hohenheim	Thus, the development of transportation, management, and processing methodologies of the Monolith is a glowing achievement indeed.
Yi Sang	The artifact, by its very nature, poses a great danger. I hesitate to embrace its use so willingly…
Hohenheim	A great danger? But wouldn't you say that we are beset by danger at all times?
Hohenheim	The arbitrariness in deciding how dangerous something is, comes from the degree to which it poses a risk.
Hohenheim	As you must already know, the Monolith here is a device that can force a Distortion.
Hohenheim	It is scattered throughout the City just like the Golden Bough, at first only in possession of the Fingers and the Syndicates of the Backstreets to now being collected by companies both large and small and nameless... like a plague.
Marton	We also learned that they have become rather high-priority targets for some Wings out there.
Hohenheim	As luck would have it, we managed to begin our research, expedition, and collection of the Monoliths much earlier than the others. Now, we are already at the stage in which we may partake in the processing and the sales of these artifacts, expanding our business ventures.
Hohenheim	You could say that we narrowly avoided the very unsavory fate of having to tussle with the Wings for the possession of these artifacts.
Hohenheim	Because we may have had to confront the Wings directly were that the case.
Dante	<…….>
Ishmael	Asking out of pure curiosity here. What would happen if we were ever assigned a City Threat Level?
Rodion	Ishy, how ‘bout we don’t ask questions we don’t ever wanna find out the answers to?
Ishmael	I mean… what if we, due to some contractual shenanigans, end up going against the Associations? I think it’d be a good thing to know ahead of time, just in case.
Outis	… Seems like a question worth entertaining to me.
Hohenheim	Let’s see. From Canard to Star of the City… I suppose your assignment will be somewhere between Urban Plague and Urban Nightmare.
Ryoshu	Not S.O.C. yet, are we?
Hohenheim	It almost sounds as if you want to be given a threat level... hm.
Hohenheim	It is true that you, upon first sight, due to your revival powers and the potential of the Identity technology, may appear to pose a rather troublesome risk. However, you have a very clear and obvious weakness.
Faust	Indeed. All of our advantages will be moot upon the manager’s death.
Hohenheim slowly turns around to look at me, prompting Faust and the other Sinners to follow suit.
Sinclair	What if we protected them, though…?
Hohenheim	I am impressed by your optimism, given the kinds of enemies you have faced thus far.
Hohenheim	We don’t even need to go so far back in time to discuss the incidents with the Fixer Siegfried, or Big Brother Ricardo I read from your reports. Should the third Sinner suddenly seek to attack the manager with her full might… Do you truly believe that the rest of you would be enough to protect them?
Don Quixote	…….
Hohenheim	No. The flow of this world is that the manager will be preserved, that no such thing may come to pass…
Faust	That’s enough, Hohenheim. Any further divulgence, and Faust will open a disciplinary committee to discuss the consequences of your careless words.
Hohenheim	Not there yet, are we? Very well… Whichever is the case, you do have the potential to become a Star of the City threat at some time in the future. But… do remember that it would be best if you could avoid that unfortunate designation.
Hohenheim	And please, don’t forget that that is only true so long as you have Limbus Company’s backing.

Episode: 17
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Hohenheim	We are almost done with the regular check-up.
Hohenheim	Finally, we have a chance for you to overcome an adversity based on what you have learned thus far…
Hohenheim	… and for me to prove my hypothesis.
Dante	<What hypothesis is he talking about?>
Hohenheim	No need to worry. My hypotheses have never been wrong. Most of the time.
Hohenheim	This experiment is entirely of my own design and supervision.
Hohenheim	And I will faithfully follow my own pure curiosities and instincts as a researcher.
Rodion	Guys, I have a feeling we’re not gonna like where this goes…
Hohenheim	Now, do you see this Monolith here?
Ishmael	Yep, I do. That’s a Monolith alright. But…
Hohenheim	Ah, don’t you worry. My researchers will be the ones to activate the artifact.
Gregor	A-activate the artifact?
Hohenheim	Not on <i>you</i>, relax.
Hohenheim	I understand that none of you would be willing participants to this experiment.
Ishmael	I swear, if you’re going to force us to distort saying that we have no right to refuse or something, I’m gonna…
Heathcliff	Yeah, hang on. I can’t let you do that, even as your assistant.
Outis	Yes. But, if you must, we are willing to send the weakest Sinner among us for—
Dante	<…….>
Outis	Um, forget I said that. That was foolish of me to say.
Hohenheim	I will be the subject of the experiment myself.
Outis	You’re going to… distort yourself? Am I hearing you right?
Hohenheim	Aren’t you curious to see what kind of Distortion you’d end up becoming? I’m sure this is a question you have all entertained at least once.
Heathcliff	No. I ain’t curious. It ain’t a very pleasant experience, either.
Hohenheim	Stop gritting your teeth like that, assistant. It will have an adverse effect on your long-term dental health.
Ishmael	… What if you just end up turning into a Peccatulum?
Ishmael	You could end up becoming a Peccatulum, just another one of the fodder we slaughtered our way through for the ‘tests’ earlier. You’re risking that?
Hohenheim	It is indeed a possibility.
Hohenheim	It would signify nothing more than my very own limitations.
Hohenheim	Just a mediocre shell.
Hohenheim	If such an incident comes to pass, these employees will transport me to a containment unit. We even made a bet on what kind of Peccatulum I would turn into.
Marton	He bet on Gulae, I on Invidiae, and her on Pigritiae.
Sinclair	But how could you…
Hohenheim	Think about it like this. If I were to become a Peccatula, it would be akin to… losing at a game of chance.
Hohenheim	Of course, what counts as a 'loss' may depend on what I, at that precise time, consider to be losing. But, the mere fact of turning into a Peccatulum...
Hohenheim	... reaves me of any value to life.
I'd say he was being 'too hard on himself'... but that felt like too simple an expression to describe his tone.
Hohenheim	The company would most likely attempt to transport me to a containment unit, but I disagree with that decision. I would like to ask you to dispose of me on the spot.
Hohenheim	I am well aware that I’m not the kind of congenial person who earns others’ favor at first meeting, if at all. I also don't believe that our brief relationship has been the most amicable kind. Therefore, I see little reason why you would hesitate to cut me down.
Hohenheim	Of course, Sinners with gentle hearts like this young Sinclair here may express certain distaste against this decision…
Hohenheim	... but once I become a Peccatulum, it may as well mean that Hohenheim, the entity, has ceased to be. So I hope no unnecessary emotions like guilt clouds your judgment in killing the Peccatulum, a mere byproduct.
Faust	…….
Ishmael	But… what if something unexpected happens?
Ishmael	We’re talking about your life here. Don’t you have any manuals with backup plans or…
Hohenheim	This is a very simple matter. Nothing more than a coin flip. Heads, or tails.
Faust	It appears that you are still insisting on your absurd 50:50 theory.
Hohenheim	I am a researcher who wishes to humiliate the field of mathematical statistics, unlike the general lay of the academia.
Hohenheim	I believe there is a certain romanticism to research. It is much more exciting to run as many tests and gain as many samples as we can than to be stuck behind a desk, poring day and night over books and paper, isn't it?
Hohenheim	If it’s tails, then you may dispose of me immediately, and the employees here will take care of the rest. Don’t forget to destroy the key inside that coat pocket and the files inside my cabinets, for example…
Alyssa	Yes, we remember.
Hohenheim	If I were to successfully Distort, we would be halfway to success.
Hohenheim	My, for the first time, I am feeling quite the envy for you all. I wish I could be a witness to my very own Distortion…
Ishmael	Huh…
Hohenheim	If you’ve been paying attention to my lectures, perhaps you could even come up with a classification code for my Distortion too, going by the standards we have discussed earlier.
Hohenheim	Not that I have a very high expectation that you would. I’ve recently come to a realization that people nodding along to my words is not a signifier of comprehension, but instead an expression of societal niceties.
Marton	…. Nods.
Hohenheim	Then, the manager here will open the entrance to my Dungeon of the Fathoms…
Hohenheim	… and you will progress through the Mirror Dungeon, as you have always done when facing a Distortion, to reach into its deepest fathoms to face my Distortion once again.
Hohenheim	I wish you the best of luck in your suppression efforts.
Ryoshu	Hm. Hexasection.
Hohenheim	And once you’ve made it that far, it is likely that you will find me unconscious. Or, if luck would have it, conscious.
Gregor	Unconscious? Are you sure this is safe?
Hohenheim	A degree of case-by-case variance is to be expected. It may take some time for a full recovery, but it will happen, should you succeed.
Marton	That reminds me, that’s how this ‘Bamboo-hatted Kim’ was brought back as well.
Outis	Bamboo-hatted Kim… He’s recovered?
Alyssa	He is safely contained within our facilities.
Hohenheim	Ah, it seems that they are ready to activate the Monolith.
Hohenheim	I am confident that I, even as a Distortion, will be quite the exceptional specimen.
Heathcliff	Hang on, just like that?
Hong Lu	You’re not a Peccatulum.
Hohenheim	Indeed… and I…
Hohenheim	… I can still hear them…
Hohenheim	Yes, I… remember. I still do.
Marton	I know he’ll be back, but… Gosh, this is pretty unnerving.
Dante	<…Don’t worry. We’ll bring him back, no matter what.>
Faust	The manager says that ‘we will bring him back, no matter what’.
Alyssa	Sure sounds like a dependable sort, this manager of yours. Very well. Please, take a look at this.
Dante	<Is this... a note? Did he write us tips on how to do this, or something?>
Alyssa	He says that all you have to do is read what's on that note in front of his Distortion. Apparently it's some kind of... a code.
Dante	<I don't think he'll hear anything but ticking noises from me... Can you read this, Meursault?>
Meursault	It will be done as you commanded.
Meursault nodded, then began to read the words from the note aloud.
Meursault	Lobotomy Corporation. Five Minutes. Potentiality. Anticipation. Right-hand.
The moment Meursault uttered them...
The all-too-familiar portal began to appear around Hohenheim's Distortion, as though they were a key to a door.
Scattering shards of familiar yet alien sights appeared intermittently beyond the shimmering veil.
Hohenheim had already entered the portal as we stood there gawking. But we could still hear his voice echoing through the laboratory.
Hohenheim	I suppose I’ll be forced to share my past here. The past I never wanted to share, the past no one cares to learn about.
Hohenheim	It is something I must endure for the sake of this experiment. However…
Hohenheim	… I needn’t expose every little detail of it.
Hohenheim	It’s… all in the past now anyway, isn’t it?

Episode: 18
Location: Lobotomy Corp. Branch, Past?
???	…….
Dante	<What’s going on with them…?>
Hohenheim	Good. It appears that I can censor these with my own will, at least to a degree.
Hohenheim	Your mission here is to classify my Distortion, reach the end of this Dungeon of the Fathoms, and bring me back.
Hohenheim	Your mission, however, does <i>not</i> involve digging into my past.
Gregor	This is…?
Yi Sang	It appears that we… have a passing familiarity with this place…
???	You… us…
Yi Sang	What is it that they seek to convey?
Hohenheim	I don’t believe any level of proper communication will be feasible, given that you are in a Dungeon of the Fathoms.
Heathcliff	Well, then do somethin’ about it!
Hohenheim	I regret to tell you that the setting of this Dungeon is out of my hands. Had it been up to me, I would have manifested a place that was much more fascinating than this. Like that Library, fabled to have every book in existence…
Ishmael	You… used to work for the Lobotomy Corporation…?
Hohenheim	One of my past careers, yes.
???	… Us… us…
Diplomacy did not seem to be an option here—the censored people brandished their weapons threateningly and stood in our path.
Looks like... we're going to have to take them down if we want to make any progress here.
Dante	<It can't be helped. Let's get ready for a fight...>

Episode: 19
Location: Lobotomy Corp. Branch, Past?
Rodion	So, how do we know this guy’s actually Distorted?
Rodion	He doesn’t sound any different from his usual self…
Faust	The sanity degradation due to Distortion affects every subject differently.
Gregor	I mean, yeah, but… censoring his own Fathoms…?
Hong Lu	But... Hohenheim, you’re in a Dungeon of the Fathoms.
Hong Lu	We will see through it with Dante’s powers, whether you want to show us or not.
Hohenheim	You make a fair assessment.
Hohenheim	How about this, then?
Hohenheim	If you are to see them anyway, allow me to save you the trouble and give you a quick run-down instead. Come visit me as soon as you finish watching my tale.
Hohenheim	This tale began when that man walked into my laboratory.
Hohenheim	Yes, I had a personal laboratory all to myself. One of the few perks of being an elite researcher.
Ishmael	... This guy’s just telling the story however he wants to, isn’t he?
Location: Hohenheim's Laboratory, Past
???	…eim.
???	Mr. Hohenheim.
Hohenheim	Let me think… I don’t quite remember what he looked like.
Hohenheim	Something like this, perhaps?
Hohenheim	Ah, whichever is the case—I was planning to censor his appearance anyway.
???	Ey, I wanted to talk to you about something.
Hohenheim	Stop. Are you here to express your displeasure with me?
???	The what now?
Hohenheim	If you are, do let me know from the get-go. I had a feeling it was about time this would happen. 3 months—not a bad record for working without a workplace conflict.
Hohenheim	Oh, if this is about quitting, then you would find a much better audience among the Human Resources team.
???	No, I mean…
???	I’m just here to thank ya.
???	For picking me, some dude from the Backstreets, to work here. I heard it was you who made the hiring decision.
???	I dunno how to put this, but—you’re the only one who saw my, what's the word… yeah, my potentiality. You saw something that no one’s cared to look into before, know what I mean?
Hohenheim	Ah, but it had nothing to do with something so grandiose like his ‘potentiality’.
Hohenheim	A Wing does not hire people from the Backstreets for something so insignificant.
Hohenheim	While this information has never been publicly available, Lobotomy Corporation's primary criterion was ‘trauma’.
Hohenheim	Candidates with horrible, insurmountable trauma were often favored by the company.
Hohenheim	And, in an indirect way, it was only natural that they would begin to favor candidates who originate from the Backstreets.
Hohenheim	… Your greetings are acknowledged, Jimmy. Now, feel free to leave my office.
???	I ain't Jimmy.
???	Anyways, I’ve been meaning to ask, Mr. Hohenheim… why do ya always enjoy being alone?
Hohenheim	It may come as a surprise to you, but I am very adept at spending my time all on my own. It is one of the hundreds of distinguishing features that set me apart from ordinary men.
???	Say, don’tcha need someone to be like, your loyal right-hand man?
Hohenheim	My right hand is doing just fine, thank you very much.
???	Do you believe in potentialities, Hohenheim?
Hohenheim	Hm. What an unrelentingly stubborn employee he was, even in hindsight.
???	Thanks to you, I do. And I’ve been thinkin’... if I keep at it, one day I might even find myself living it large in a Nest. Changing’ my world little by little.
???	Kinda like how a thing like me managed to snag a position here at Lobotomy Corporation.
???	So, I’m thinkin’ here… that I wanna stick around in your circle.
Hohenheim	To bring about such drastic changes to one's life is in the realm of feasibility for an exceptional researcher like myself, indeed. But you are, like most of the rabble, painfully average in most qualities and therefore unlikely to be the moving force in that change.
Hohenheim	I have no faith in universal things like ‘potentialities’; I have faith in myself and myself alone. Besides, I am not very partial to mathematical statistics like the probability theory anyway.
Hohenheim	So, I would like to keep both my right and left hands as my own. Have a nice day.
???	… Wanna know something about me?
???	I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t really ‘think’ about things. Action before deliberation, ya get me?
Hohenheim	Ah, thoughtless and carefree. Possibly the only merit to be found in those who originate from the Backstreets.
Hohenheim	… Or was that a thinly veiled threat of physical assault?
???	No, I’m talkin’ about the new Abno that just got shipped here.
???	It's a tricky one to manage, I'll tell ya what. It reads your mind, screwin' up all kinds of strategies or whatever as long as it's based on hard logic.
Hohenheim	…….
???	Wanna shoot for the Department of the Year award… together?
Hohenheim	… You seem to be rather skilled in the art of transactions.
???	One of the few merits found in those who originate from the Backstreets.
Hohenheim	I will admit, I suppose I was overcome by a certain ennui back then.
Location: Lobotomy Corp. Branch, Past?
Hohenheim	And in hindsight, it was foolish of me to engage in such inane conversations.
???	… You… …le…
???	… us…
Hohenheim	Ah, the remnants of my past come to haunt us.
Hohenheim	Perhaps it is I whom they truly wish to hurt.

Episode: 20
Location: Hohenheim's Laboratory, Past
???	It's finally here, the Department of the Year award.
Hohenheim	Indeed, I have finally done it.
???	…….
Hohenheim	With some minor assistance from you, of course. And… some other employees…
???	C’mon. Admit it. Don’t ya notice that a lot more employees are saying hello, good morning, and what have you to you in the hallways compared to when your reputation was a bit… y’know? It’s all because I’m just that good of a right-hand man.
Hohenheim	I… will admit that your intuitive and spontaneous eye was of… some assistance when it came to identifying certain observations among Abnormalities.
???	<i>This</i> is the ‘potentiality’ I was talking about, man!
???	The same thing you saw in me when you decided to get me on board.
Hohenheim	Apologies for ruining the moment, but…
Hohenheim	The next few years quickly and busily flew by without much trouble.
Hohenheim	Of course, we picked up ourselves a few more ‘Department of the Year’ awards, some promotions, and some collaborative researches.
Hohenheim	Yet all things must come to an end.
Hohenheim	The infamous fall of Lobotomy Corporation, for one.
???	You… …ft us…
Hohenheim	So, I don’t suppose you have any trouble hazarding what they're all telling me, even as the words come out fragmented.
???	You… …left… us…
Hohenheim	Nothing but words of endless resentment.
???	You… left us… behind…
Location: Lobotomy Corp. Branch, Past
Dante	<…!>
Yi Sang	The fall of the former L Corp…
Gregor	... I remember what Miss Yuri told us.
Gregor	The site crumbled in an instant, trapping the employees in there with the Abnormalities…
???	What… what is this sound?
Hohenheim	I...
???	The whole structure is quaking. What the hell is...
Announcement	[INITIATING SITE BURIAL IN 100 SECONDS.]
Announcement	[ANY REMAINING EMPLOYEES MUST IMMEDIATELY EVACUATE THE STRUCTURE.]
Announcement	[COUNTING DOWN. 95… 94…]
???	The escape pods to the surface are here, but there’s only one seat left. They're saying that the next one's in… five minutes.
Hohenheim	I-I…
Location: Lobotomy Corp. Branch, Past?
Hohenheim	Listen closely.
Hohenheim	At the risk of sounding rather callous, I must inform you that the chance of survival in cases of crises such as this is usually granted only to a very small minority of those affected.
Hohenheim	Some, who prioritize the fairness of the process may settle on primitive methods such as drawing lots to see who gets to escape…
Hohenheim	And in more barbaric groups, the survivor would be decided by none other than the rule of might.
Hohenheim	However, I am glad to find myself among those who are on the side of intelligence. So I make this argument, a suggestion before you.
Hohenheim	Compare yourselves, whose sole, final purpose in life is clinging to your mediocre office jobs and making good on your debt payments…
Hohenheim	... and me, who has produced several groundbreaking, epochal theses and research results at such an early age.
Hohenheim	Whose life, in your eyes, is of greater worth?
Hohenheim	Yes, and that is how this tale ends.
Hohenheim	The compound collapsed ninety seconds later. I left the employees of my department behind and boarded the escape pod elevator, and survived.
Ishmael	How… how could you…? Without even a hint of remorse…?
Hohenheim	Wrath is a hideous emotion.
Hohenheim	I am here today only because I have always maintained a cold, rational head.
The L Corp. Branch within Hohenheim’s Dungeon of the Fathoms begins to crumble.
It almost appeared as though his heart was crumbling as well.
Hohenheim	Well, now that's over with... I invite you to come face me, the Distortion.
Hohenheim	And the experiment will come to an end.
Dante	<But… just finding and defeating his Distortion in a fight…>
Dante	<... I don’t think that’ll bring him back. I just know it.>
Ishmael	I… agree.
Ishmael	We're still in deep waters here… this can't possibly be all there is to it.

Episode: 21
Location: Hohenheim's Laboratory, Past
We arrived at the entrance to Hohenheim's laboratory.
Hohenheim	This may be my final order to you.
Hohenheim	Either suppress me and return safe and sound to where you came from, or... fail the suppression, place me in a containment unit, and perhaps we can observe what happens next.
Dante	<…….>
That's when Heathcliff suddenly strode forward.
Heathcliff	Hohenheim, you…
Heathcliff	Do you still believe in that potentiality?
Hohenheim	…….
Heathcliff	I do.
Heathcliff	It’s what keeps me going.
Heathcliff	You only hire researchers from the Backstreets, don’t you? I heard from ‘em earlier.
Heathcliff	They told me that you’re a right pompous bloke, but… thanks to you, they can continue to research and believe that there might be things in the world that's worth working toward.
Hohenheim	…….

Episode: 22
Location: Lobotomy Corp. Branch, Past
???	The escape pods to the surface are here, but there’s only one seat left. They're saying that the next one's in… five minutes.
Hohenheim	I-I…
???	Look, I don’t actually believe you hired me because you saw my potential or something like that.
???	But I want to believe that you found the hope in potentialities because of me.
???	A hope, an anticipation that we can make things better as long as we keep at it.
Hohenheim	I can't leave you all behind… I can't just save my skin without... Not without… everyone.
???	This is what a right-hand man does, isn't it?
???	Take my potentiality you found and rise. Take it with you to the surface.
Hohenheim	But you, Johann... what about you...?
Johann	Well, maybe next time... some other time.
Location: Hohenheim's Laboratory, Past
Hohenheim	Wrath… is a hideous emotion.
Hohenheim	That is why I did nothing at the entrance of that branch.
Hohenheim	Only…
Hohenheim	… remembering, nothing more.
Hohenheim	Remembering the ones I’ve left behind.
... I can sense the Dungeon of the Fathoms slowly beginning to close.
Some time later...
Location: LCE Research Team Lab. Unit
Hohenheim	Ah, I've returned, safe and sound.
Marton	Welcome back, boss.
Hohenheim	…….
Hohenheim	I… to be frank, I once wished to be someone like yourself, Heathcliff.
Ishmael	What are you talking about? We don’t want Heathcliff to be like Heathcliff.
Hohenheim	Because it’s not easy to put my faith not in games of numbers, but in those slimmest potentialities of the world and continue to exist.
Hohenheim	I know it’s not very befitting a researcher to be so, but… it is quite the romantic attitude for a human to embody, is it not?
Hohenheim	Well, the experiment is over. It was…
Rodion	A huge success, all thanks to us. Right?
Hohenheim	No. It was a failure.
Hohenheim	I had established this hypothesis that the sole answer was to hold a firm belief in the self, and nothing else.
Hohenheim	Had my hypothesis been correct, I... would have remained a Distortion.
Hohenheim	Thus I would like to extend my gratitude to all of you. Thank you for making me fail.
Faust	…….
Hohenheim	It seems that the classification for my Distortion was HE-5-SU.
Hohenheim	Disappointingly mediocre, but I don’t suppose it can be helped.
Hohenheim	The world is a place where we must find the ray of potentiality among the mediocre, after all.
Faust	… Let us move on now. Mephistopheles is prepared to depart.
Hohenheim’s researchers waved at us.
Sinclair	We'll... meet again, right?
Ishmael	Ew, no thank you.
Hohenheim	Everything has an end. So, do consider this to be our final meeting.
Gregor	Down to the last exchange, this guy…
Location: -1
The last thing we saw before the portal activated were the LCE researchers pushing up their glasses in our general direction.
Though I'd only taken a step or two, the entire world around us seemed to transform, landing us back inside the transportation instrument.
Now that I think about it, we didn't even get to learn why Gregor's bones made those cracking noises.
All we learned from this experience is that the Sinners have all become... 'mediocre'... but they each held certain potentialities within themselves.
Each of us mulling over the events at the LCE, we returned to the bus where Charon and Vergilius were waiting for us.
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