4 4 301 Lucia quietly asks Alpha while keeping her eye on the agent in front of her.
5 5 301 α I don't owe you any answers.
6 6 301 Lucia ...
7 7 301 α 【kuroname】.
8 8 301 Alpha looks over, as if she had something to say.
9 9 302 ...
10 10 301 α Do you know where Luna went after the Polyphage was eradicated?
11 11 302 I don't. 14 This question again... 12
12 12 301 α Again?
13 13 16 301 She hesitated slightly before furrowing her brows like something has just dawned on her.
14 14 301 α Really?
15 15 301 Alpha stares straight into your eyes as if trying to see if you are lying.
16 16 301 The last thing you remember was a brilliant light emanating from the Polyphage's core and the concentration of the Punishing Virus in the area suddenly skyrocketing.
17 17 301 You are about to retreat with Lucia when the upper level collapses.
18 18 301 When you wake up, virus levels have plummeted and someone has removed whatever was holding you down.
19 19 301 And... Huaxu was gone.
20 20 302 (Look directly into her eyes) 21 (Tell her) 21
21 21 301 α ...
22 22 301 After a brief moment of silence, she shifts her focus to Vonnegut.
23 23 301 Vonnegut Oh? Not going to talk anymore?
24 24 301 Vonnegut Perhaps this human has more information to share. This piques my interest, Don't worry, I won't interrupt your conversation.
26 26 301 α As long as they're in the Task Force, they won't know the truth.
27 27 301 Lucia But I've recovered my memory.
28 28 301 α ...And?
29 29 301 Lucia What?
30 30 301 α Other than that memory, what else?
31 31 301 Lucia falls silent. Alpha's words piques her curiosity, but she is hesitant whether to keep on asking questions with the agent in front of her.
32 32 301 But when facing an enemy one knows nothing about, rushing into combat is nothing short of a reckless act.
33 33 301 DialogDisable To buy some time for Chrome in the greenhouse above, you try to drag it out.
34 34 302 Other than that memory... 35
35 35 302 What else? 36
36 36 301 DialogEnable α Lucia didn't tell you?
37 37 301 Lucia What are you talking about?
38 38 301 α Looks like all you did was find your memories. You don't know what really happened then.
39 39 301 Lucia What really happened...
40 40 301 α Weren't you ever curious? About who told Ravenge that commandants could connect to Ascendants?
41 41 301 α And which Ascendant he connected to?
42 42 301 Alpha deliberately enunciated every syllable of "Ascendant", while keeping her eyes fixed on the agent before her.
43 43 301 Lucia Was it his subordinate?
44 44 301 α Not so dumb after all.
45 45 301 Lucia ...
46 46 301 She hesitates slightly, then decides to ask the question that has been bugging her.
47 47 301 Lucia Have you heard of the Project Winter?
48 48 301 α How do you know...?
49 49 301 Lucia An investigation.
50 50 301 Lucia is tight-lipped, offering nothing more than those two words.
51 51 301 α I don't really know much about it.
52 52 301 α Only that it's research that relates to Ascendants.
53 2001 301 α Based on the intelligence I got, it might have started from the incident with Ravenge.
54 53 301 α Any worsening of 【kuroname】's circumstances is likely to be connected to this plan. I say this because their men are looking for a commandant who could help them advance the plan.
55 54 301 Lucia Alpha, why did you come to help? And why did you tell me this?
56 55 301 α I hate it when people repeat the same mistakes, and I sure don't want to see "myself" doing so either.
57 56 301 Lucia That's a very different way of thinking than before.
58 57 301 α Huh...
59 2002 301 α My way of thinking's never changed. It's you who've changed.
60 58 301 α Don't you feel it, Lucia?
61 59 301 α You used to be completely ignorant, living blissfully in paradise... But now, you're on the "starting point".
62 60 301 Most people present have no idea what "starting point" means, but Lucia frowns upon hearing these words.
63 2003 301 α I don't want to see "myself" repeat the same mistakes. Should there come a day when you step into the abyss, don't do it because you were betrayed.
64 61 301 Lucia If you're talking about what's happening to the commandant, rest assured that I'll do everything in my power to stop it.
65 62 301 α That's just a single issue. Hatred doesn't build up overnight.
66 63 301 Alpha falls silent for a moment. She thinks of what Luna told her.
67 64 301 α Lucia, I used to think of you only as a chess piece leftover from a conspiracy, a piece of data that was previously deceived and had no reason to exist.
68 65 301 α That's why I've wanted to get rid of you since we met.
69 66 301 α But at the same time, you've shown me new possibilities.
70 67 301 α You are no longer as confused and weak as before.
71 68 301 α You're your own person, and even though you are very similar to me, I'll no longer see you as unwanted data.
72 69 301 α Show me how long you can struggle for.
73 70 301 Lucia I will never walk the same path as you.
74 71 301 α Oh?
75 72 301 α Then do you best to flee from the clutches of the abyss before that day comes.
76 73 301 α And now—
77 74 301 Alpha steps forward, grabbing the hilt of her katana at the same time as Lucia grabs hers. Together, they point their blades at Vonnegut.
78 75 301 Vonnegut Aren't you going to tell her about the Arctic incident?
79 76 301 α Some words are more believable if they come from the mouth of another.
80 77 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Vonnegut Makes sense. Bring it on, then!
84 81 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 The battle, which is forced to take place, lasts three minutes. During this time, Vonnegut unleashes a never-ending barrage of unexpected attacks.
85 82 301 Practically everyone has sustained injuries, except Alpha, who is familiar with Vonnegut.
86 83 301 For some reason or another, the agent seems to have avoided fatally injuring the team. Like a cat toying with its prey, he takes joy in relentlessly striking them.
87 84 301 But even Alpha is not able to really hit Vonnegut, and all her attacks bounce off him.
117 114 301 The light in his clenched fist turns into grains of sand that slip through his fingers. When it falls onto the ground, the area's Punishing Virus concentration rises quickly, along with the earthquake.
118 115 201 1 500273 4
119 116 301 1 Wanshi This place's about to collapse! Retreat! 1
120 117 202 1 1
121 118 301 The team covers each other while making for the exit.
122 119 201 1 500166 5
123 120 301 1 Lucia Get the commandant out of here! 1
129 126 301 He smiles as he raises his hand, and the surging Punishing Virus binds those trying to protect you.
130 127 301 Just as the team moves to respond to Vonnegut's attack, a huge stone slab falls from above. There is a small gap, but it blocks the fragile human body from moving.
131 128 201 1 500166 5
132 129 301 1 Lucia Commandant! 1
133 130 201 1 500100
134 131 301 1 α ... 1
135 132 201 1 500273 4
136 133 301 1 Wanshi His attacks home in on us! We can't go over or they'll hit Commandant! Divert the attacks! 1
142 139 301 A thunderous crack comes from above, and the walls start to collapse again.
143 140 201 1 500166 5
144 141 301 1 Lucia Commandant! 1
145 142 301 Lucia leaps into the air, smashing one falling stone slab after another while using the rocks to block the path of the lightning.
146 143 301 Lucia Over here! 1
147 144 202 1 1
148 145 301 Under Alpha's onslaught, cracks start to appear in Vonnegut's force field, but they quickly close up.
149 146 301 Lucia swoops down to assist, and their successive attacks finally breach the impenetrable light screen by tearing it apart before it can be repaired.
