4 4 301 DialogEnable 1 Vera So what's with this urgent "assignment"? Why did you summon me here halfway through my mission? That could catch unnecessary attention. 1
5 5 301 Nikola does not answer her question. Instead, he seems to be lost in thought, hesitating—a rare sight for Vera.
6 6 301 Vera If you have nothing else to say, I'm going back. I hate wasting time... 1
7 7 301 Nikola raises his head and looks into Vera's eyes. He slowly opens his mouth.
8 8 201 1 500012
9 9 301 1 Nikola I want you to eliminate a Construct. A deserter who ran from the battle. 1
10 10 301 Nikola sends the mission details to Vera's terminal. Such missions are usually the jobs of the Purifying Force, but Nikola would also assign certain special ones to Vera directly.
11 11 203 1 0.25 400
12 12 201 2 500168 -400
13 13 301 1 Vera What is this frame...? 2
14 14 401 2 1515
15 15 301 Vera notices the information about an all-new frame in the files. Nikola nods and casts it to the holographic display.
16 16 301 Nikola It's your new frame, secretly designed for anti-Construct combat, with its power and armor significantly boosted. It hasn't officially entered service in Babylonia records, so... keep it off the books. Have I made myself clear? 1
17 17 204 2 13
18 18 301 Vera Designed for anti-Construct combat... A filthy "executioner" that specializes in taking the lives of their peers. It does suit me well, but... 2
19 19 204 2
20 20 301 Vera Why is there a need to use an unofficial frame with such urgency? Stop bluffing and tell me, who is this target? 2
21 21 301 Nikola To kill a hero that has gone out of control... Only a filthy executioner like you can do such a job. 1
22 22 301 Nikola stares into Vera's eyes for a long time before finally saying the name of the target.
23 23 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Nikola The mission target is... "Lloyd". 1
34 30 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Lloyd I knew it would be you... Miss Vera.
35 31 301 Seeing Vera, Lloyd makes the same smile that he always carries, despite his visibly severe Punishing Virus infection. No one would be surprised if he turned into a Corrupted in the next minute.
36 32 301 Lloyd Is this your new frame...? It looks quite similar to the previous one, but it gives me a completely different feeling.
37 33 301 Vera This new frame is designed for killing Constructs... and I'm here for you.
38 34 301 Vera speaks apathetically without her usual grin.
39 35 301 Lloyd Yeah... I know...
40 36 301 Lloyd's calm response makes Vera feel annoyed for no reason.
41 37 301 Vera Why? Why are you not running away...?
42 38 301 According to Nikola, Lloyd was leading a squad of Construct soldiers in a regular mission, but they were surrounded by Corrupted. Lloyd fled, leaving all other soldiers behind.
43 39 301 Vera What the heck did you run into...?
44 40 301 Lloyd It was just one Corrupted... But it alone had brought despair to all of us.
45 41 301 Lloyd You probably won't believe me, but that Corrupted had its own consciousness, along with superior strength. It called itself "Gabriel", and it even had the ability to command other Corrupted.
46 42 301 Lloyd But it wasn't after those soldiers... Its target had always been me.
47 43 301 Vera A Corrupted with its own consciousness...
48 44 301 When Vera was still working for Kurono, she once heard about the special Corrupted—the Ascendants.
49 45 301 Lloyd No matter how hard we fought, we could just barely hold off the attacks from Gabriel and the countless Corrupted.
50 46 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Lloyd finally managed to break through the siege alone, but it was all part of its plan.
54 50 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Gabriel I'd like to propose a deal. As a Construct, you have "qualified" to become one of us. I can spare the lives of those soldiers if you accept the test of the Ascension-Network. 1
55 51 203 1 0.25 400
56 52 201 2 500348 4 -400
57 53 301 1 Lloyd Do you want me to believe a Corrupted? I'm not crazy. 2
58 54 301 Gabriel shakes its head and closes the book in its hand.
59 55 301 Gabriel Unlike you humans, I do not lie, especially when I'm facing a weak foe. 1
60 56 301 Gabriel raises its hand, and the Corrupted surrounding the soldiers far away immediately stop attacking, only keeping a loose circle around them.
61 57 301 Gabriel And... you don't have a choice either. 1
62 58 301 As Gabriel speaks, it reaches out a bony left hand toward Lloyd. Inside its palm, blood-red virus begins to form...
63 59 301 RImgBg1Shake As Lloyd's infection level rapidly goes up, his mind is devoured by an excruciating agony.
64 60 204 2 6
65 61 301 1 Lloyd Ugh...! 2
66 62 202 1 2 1
67 63 301 Even so, Lloyd manages to stab Gabriel's arm with the banner spear. He quickly leaps back and jumps into the forest underneath the cliff.
68 64 201 1 500101
69 65 301 AniZhuanchangBegin 1 Gabriel I didn't see that coming... but it doesn't matter. My job is done. The Ascension-Network will do its job now. 1
75 69 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Lloyd I couldn't do anything except run... The Punishing Virus infection hurts more than any wound. 1
76 70 301 Lloyd But why do I still want to stay alive? No matter how awful I get, I don't want to die... 1
77 71 301 Lloyd's right hand keeps trembling from the infection, hardly holding on to his banner spear. He strips his uniform apart and ties it up.
78 72 301 Lloyd How terribly clumsy of me... I'm so weak and timid, but still want to fight to live until the last moment. 1
79 73 201 1 500345 8
80 74 301 1 Vera There's nothing shameful about fighting to live... You didn't do anything wrong, but I'm still going to take your life. 1
81 75 301 Vera gazes at Lloyd as she unsheathes the katana. The next moment, it clashes with the head of his banner spear—and she finally smiles again.
82 76 204 1 13
83 77 301 Vera Come, show me how much you have grown! 1
84 78 202 1 1
85 79 201 1 500349 4
86 80 301 1 Lloyd Miss Vera! 1
87 81 301 Lloyd roars and strikes at Vera's leg, but she steps on the spear, pressing it down with her entire body. He is unable to pull it out.
88 82 201 1 500345 5
89 83 301 1 Vera Die! 1
90 84 202 1 2 1
91 85 301 Lloyd hesitates for one instant, and Vera's blade almost lands on his head.
102 96 301 Lloyd splits the spear in half and blocks Vera's blade with the section that is not held down before launching a kick at Vera's abdomen. Vera pulls the katana back and blocks it, but she is still pushed back quite a few steps.
103 97 202 1 2 1
104 98 201 1 500345 2
105 99 301 Vera You have been training hard over the last month... 1
106 100 301 Lloyd has been asking Vera for advice ever since he requested her to train him. He managed to endure all the practices she gave him, no matter how unreasonable they were.
107 101 204 1 13
108 102 301 Vera If I was using the old Support frame... I might actually be overpowered by you. 1
109 103 301 Vera is using a standard katana to avoid exposing her identity. It has cracked from the kick, but Lloyd has also lost half of his weapon.
110 104 201 1 500349
111 105 301 1 Lloyd Hmm... like you said, I was working hard... 1
112 106 202 1 1
113 107 301 The increasing level of infection makes Lloyd gasp for air as he holds himself up with the banner spear. They are both well aware that the next attack will determine their fate.
133 127 301 Vera's katana pierces through Lloyd's chest. It serves its final duty and breaks in half. Lloyd falls to the ground.
134 128 301 Lloyd Miss Vera... I fought until the end this time, didn't I? 2
135 129 301 Vera smiles and drops to one knee next to Lloyd, gently lifting his head up with her hands.
136 130 203 2 0.25 400
137 131 201 1 500345 1 -400
138 132 301 1 Vera Yes... 1
139 133 301 Lloyd lets out a satisfying smile. He takes out the notebook from his pocket.
140 134 301 Lloyd Miss Vera, there's a secret that I want to tell you... 2
141 135 301 Vera nods again, quietly staring at the sunset across the horizon.
142 136 301 Vera Yes... 1
143 137 301 Lloyd I have been secretly writing down the stories of every past "Lloyd" into scripts and sending them to the WGAA theater. 2
144 138 301 Lloyd The truth about "Lloyd" cannot be revealed to the public, but I hope perhaps one day people will remember our stories through these plays. 2
145 139 301 Vera Is that so... 1
146 140 301 Lloyd chuckles with slight embarrassment.
147 141 301 Lloyd Compared with fighting, maybe I'm better at writing stories. But I never regret becoming "Lloyd" and carrying the destiny of hero upon my shoulders... 2
148 142 301 Lloyd looks at his right arm. It is completely out of his control, and it keeps twisting into terrible shapes.
149 143 301 Lloyd Too bad I still failed... I didn't become a hero. I didn't become the final hope. 2
150 144 301 Vera What nonsense are you talking? You saved those Constructs and bought them time. You did everything you could. 1
151 145 301 Lloyd I hope so... Do you think my story deserves to be written down in this notebook? 2
152 146 301 Lloyd's eyes begin to lose their luster. The energy inside him finally runs out as his vital fluid pours out from the piercing wound.
153 147 301 Lloyd But my story is still missing an ending. 2
154 148 202 1 2 1
155 149 301 Lloyd hands his banner spear to Vera, who has lost her weapon.
156 150 201 1 500349
157 151 301 1 Lloyd "Lloyd the Undying Hero defeated the mighty enemy and saved all his comrades. Not even one life was lost." 1
158 152 201 1 500345 8
159 153 301 1 Vera What a cliche, unrealistic ending... 1
160 154 201 1 500349
161 155 301 1 Lloyd But I believe in you, Miss Vera. You can save everybody and lead us to victory. 1
162 156 201 1 500345 2
163 157 301 1 Vera Why do you think I will do these things that won't benefit me at all...? 1
164 158 201 1 500349 8
165 159 301 1 ...She hears no reply. 1
166 160 201 1 500345 8
167 161 301 1 Vera Every single one of you is like this, putting expectations on me without asking first. 1
168 162 201 1 500349 8
169 163 301 1 ...She hears no reply. 1
170 164 201 1 500345 2
171 165 301 1 Vera I'll take the spear. It's a better fit for this frame. 1
172 166 204 1 8
173 167 301 Vera But since I have accidentally taken your deposit, I will make sure to get the job done. You can rest. 1
174 168 202 1 1
175 169 301 ...
176 170 301 1 AniZhuanchangBegin The aircraft takes off once again, blowing flower petals into the sky. They fall onto Lloyd, as well as the new page on the opened notebook.
