3 3 301 DialogEnable The storm howls. Small rocks fall from the cliff as the metal beast spreads his bladed wings, pulling up rocks and fallen leaves around him, adorned with the moon as a crown.
4 4 301 He baths in the blood-red moonlight, his shadow stretching infinitely, and he looks like a claw extended right out of the moon.
5 5 301 The next moment, he suddenly bursts into a twisted growl. His body twitches, arching into an unnatural curve, and you are baffled by what is happening.
13 13 301 His voice suddenly turns into a continuous, high-pitched shriek, filled with equal parts terror and delight. Only a tormented soul in hell could have made such an inhuman sound.
14 14 301 ??? This scent... this scent?! What a scent! 1
15 15 301 ??? I'm here—here! I'M HERE! 1
16 16 301 ??? Mister must be so disappointed! He picked such a useless scrub! 1
17 17 301 ??? But... if Voodoo brings him his new toys alive—he'll be happy! Mister will be so happy! 1
18 18 202 1 1
19 19 201 1 500336 4 -600
20 20 201 2 500328
21 21 201 3 500168 600
22 22 301 1 Noctis What is that thing mumbling about...? 1
23 23 301 No. 21 New toys? 2
24 24 301 Vera Fall back! We are the targets! 3
25 25 203 1 0.15 -800
26 26 203 3 0.15 800
27 27 401 2 1543
28 28 202 1 2 3
29 29 301 As Vera gives off the warning, Voodoo's bladed wings reach up, their edges reflecting the chilling moonlight. Noctis, standing in the front, cannot help but coil, thinking that the beast is going to strike him.
30 30 401 2 11105405
31 31 301 No. 21, however, rolls forward, and her Co-Bot stands before Vera, defending her.
32 32 301 The three of them are completely exposed in the moonlight.
33 33 201 1 500336 4
34 34 301 1 Noctis Can't say I'm used to seeing someone crazier than Vera out of nowhere... 1
35 35 202 1 2 3 1
36 36 201 1 500326
37 37 401 1 53
38 38 301 1 Voodoo Good puppies, nice puppies! Are you here to play hide-and-seek with me? Haha! I'm going to count to three, and then I'll come get you— 1
41 41 301 His laughter still lingers when he suddenly dashes down from the air toward Cerberus at deadly speed. Vera prepares to counter as Noctis takes his stance.
42 42 301 But right before the moment he reaches Vera, Voodoo changes the direction he is flying toward.
43 43 301 Recklessly he flies toward No. 21 at full tilt, seemingly drawn by her intense emotions, and he goes for her star-glazed eyes.
58 58 301 RImgBg1Shake At the same time, an impossible agony assaults your head, as if a chainsaw or a propeller is running, about to turn your brain into a paste.
59 59 301 Like an invasive hand, the pain clasps onto a point in your mind—the Mind Beacon, shivering so violently that you can feel it amid your torments. No—you cannot disconnect now—
60 60 201 1 500327
61 61 301 1 Voodoo Hehehehehe! My little puppy, we've met again! 1
74 74 301 1 Vera dashes to Voodoo's back and leaps, driving her sword into him, but her blade bounces off his steel frame with a flicker of sparks. 1 2
75 75 202 1 2 1
76 76 401 2 10007502
77 77 401 500 2 10007502
78 78 401 200 2 10007502
79 79 301 RImgBg1Shake Noctis follows suit, hurling his explosives toward Voodoo unceasingly, temporarily holding him back.
80 80 201 1 500327
81 81 301 1 Voodoo Complete the trial and report my results... Satisfy Mister! 1
82 82 301 Voodoo Hehehehe, I'm going to play with these little bugs first! 1
83 83 301 You try your best to clear your mind amidst the pain.
84 84 302 He's... talking to himself? 85
85 85 201 1 500168
86 86 301 1 Vera 21! Can you move?! 1
87 87 201 1 500328
88 88 301 1 No. 21 ... 1
89 89 301 Without being attacked or even touched, No. 21 just kneels there on the ground like a stringless puppet, staying still under the moonlight.
90 90 201 1 500336 4
91 91 301 1 Noctis But I had him pinned down! 1
92 92 201 1 500327
93 93 301 1 Voodoo That won't do, no, it won't! I've already corrupted her M.I.N.D.! Oh, what a delicious M.I.N.D.! 1
94 94 301 As he spills nonsense, a few tiny mechanical spiders crawl out from within No. 21's puffy sleeves and hide inside the grass.
175 180 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Yours is still hanging in the air.
176 181 301 No. 21's finger curls back hesitantly.
177 182 301 Lucia? Luna... Let's go home.
178 183 301 No. 21 turns around and discovers she is already inside the vastness of the M.I.N.D.
179 184 301 Visions flicker before her, showing the Punishing Virus mutilating towns as people cry, pray, and die. She hears "Dad" calling out for Luna in the end, worried. She smells sulfur as flame devours all, and she despairs.
180 185 301 But she also sees Luna leaning on Lucia while their parents hold their hands. She hears the laughter in the garden and smells the toasts on the grills, and she feels the autumn breeze caressing her face.
181 186 301 All these moments flash by her empty M.I.N.D., vanishing as quickly as they arrived, leaving not a speck behind.
182 187 301 Luna? Lucia... don't ever leave me again.
183 188 301 Lucia? I will never, never leave you behind.
184 189 301 Luna? Okay! And I'll protect you, Lucia!
185 190 301 Lucia? You can protect me when you're a grown-up...
186 191 301 Luna? Why? I can protect you now!
187 192 301 Lucia? Fine...
188 193 301 Luna? Don't you believe in me?
189 194 301 Lucia? I believe in you.
190 195 301 Lucia holds Luna's hands tightly, the gentle sunlight showering over them.
191 196 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Their figures slowly fade away, carrying with them the last bit of color in sight.
194 199 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Space seems to distort around No. 21, and she feels her body pulled back—back to the laboratory, the empty room, the battlefield... the horrifying white space opening its gaping maw, trying to swallow her whole.
195 200 301 In the end, she belongs, and can only belong, to this nothingness.
196 201 301 【kuroname】? It's lonely, isn't it?
197 202 204 1 3
198 203 301 No. 21 Lonely...? 1
199 204 301 【kuroname】? All the things you never had, when everyone else takes them for granted.
200 205 301 【kuroname】? But you don't have to worry about that anymore... Do as I say, and this will all end soon enough.
201 206 204 1
202 207 301 No. 21 Commandant...? 1
203 208 302 (No... That's not me...) 209
204 209 301 【kuroname】? Get it out of the life you know.
205 210 301 【kuroname】? This is a mere mistake. Correct it.
206 211 301 No. 21 ...Correct it? 1
207 212 301 【kuroname】? Isn't that what you want?
208 213 301 【kuroname】? Look at you, poor, broken thing... So lonely and helpless... Maybe your parents had foreseen your future when they abandoned you—a life as a heartless weapon, fighting on the battlefield until you are put down.
209 214 302 (Stop that nonsense...!) 215
210 215 301 【kuroname】? All these... feelings, all they do is trap you in fear. So forsake them. Forget them. Why would you need them when you're a machine? Stick to your role. Being a machine is what you're good at. Don't cause others trouble.
211 216 302 (You're not broken—) 217
212 217 204 1 3
213 218 301 No. 21 No... I'm... a machine... 1
214 219 302 (Dammit! I can't break free...!) 220
215 220 301 【kuroname】? Stop hesitating! Confront your truth!
216 221 301 AniZhuanchangBegin 【kuroname】? End this!
221 226 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 No. 21's eyes open up widely. Her surroundings dissipate and are replaced by reality, and she is standing under the moonlight opposite Voodoo.
222 227 301 【kuroname】? No. 21, attack "him"!
223 228 302 (21!) 229
224 229 201 1 500328 4
225 230 301 1 No. 21 ... 1
226 231 301 No. 21 crouches slightly, her eyes narrowed, the Co-Bot next to her lit up, and she is primed and ready to strike.
227 232 301 No. 21 ...You. 1
228 233 204 1 5
229 234 301 Suddenly, she turns around with a piercing gaze, exposing her back to Voodoo.
230 235 401 1 206
231 236 301 No. 21 You're not Commandant— 1
232 237 201 1 500327
233 238 301 1 And the Voodoo behind her also dissipates, turning into dust under the bright, full moon.
238 243 301 1 Standing in its place are Vera and Noctis, defending and countering Voodoo's attacks.
239 244 202 1 2 1
240 245 201 1 500328 5
241 246 301 1 No. 21 suddenly feels an intense urge, an emotion so strong it strikes her like a curse. It permeates the air, spreading like a fog, enveloping her.
246 251 301 With a wave of her hand, her laser cannon soars with Buddy, and she breaks through her shackles like a runaway beast. Her minute figure lashes out massive waves of energy, like a wolf finally revealing its fangs.
247 252 301 After that, the illusion around her incurs the moonlit wolf's wrath, and it is shredded into pieces.
253 258 301 RImgBg1Shake In a split second, thoughts race through your mind like a galloping horse on an endless road, the wind blowing past you burning and harsh. You leap through the golden fields and sail past all that would obstruct you.
260 265 301 No. 21 and you have broken through the hold on your M.I.N.D.s together—you have control over the connection with her again!
261 266 201 1 500328 5
262 267 302 —NOW! 268
263 268 301 You have not even finished your command, but No. 21 already understands what you are thinking, and you know hers.
264 269 202 1 1
265 270 401 100 2 10002001
266 271 401 100 2 10007001
267 272 401 100 2 10003001
268 273 401 2 10007502
269 274 301 RImgBg1Shake No. 21 vaults toward the real Voodoo, who is fighting both Vera and Noctis and Voodoo screams in pain. It seems that fighting two Constructs while hacking another at the same time has taken a toll on him as well.
270 275 301 He is not all-powerful. 279
271 276 201 1 500328 5
272 277 201 2 500168 13 -600
273 278 201 3 500336 600
274 279 301 1 AniZhuanchangBegin 1 Neither is Vera, or Noctis, or No. 21, or you... but that is why you are not alone. 1 2 3
