3 3 301 DialogEnable On the plaza beyond the tower, countless mechanoids can be seen working on removing snow and strengthening the ground.
4 4 301 They are fast and orderly. Barely communicating with one another, they still function perfectly fine as a team.
5 5 301 From underground, the main building stems all the way up to the surface. Vaguely, one can still tell what it used to be—a starship, now buried.
6 6 301 The starship is reminiscent of the root of a tree—upon which the steel tower grows skyward through the ground.
7 7 301 As spectacular as it is, the structure stands awkwardly in the middle of nowhere—a sight made possible by the machines that have planned and worked on it.
8 8 301 AniZhuanchangBegin There is no window because machines need no sunlight. The orderly electrical wiring and space assignment inside the building bring about still colder vibes.
10 10 301 DialogEnable The hall in the center of the structure is the only place in it that shines brightly.
11 11 301 Above the center of the courtyard is an unfinished gear-shaped chandelier.
12 12 301 Flickering, the fluorescent green light of the chandelier is reminiscent of sunlight filtering through trees. Nanami stops in her tracks to look at the chandelier.
13 13 401 1 201
14 14 301 ??? You are back... Sage.
15 15 301 A strange male voice has caught Nanami's attention.
16 16 301 Nanami has never seen the beast mechanoid behind her. Minimally coated and carrying black burn marks on its arms, the machine has the head of a jackal.
17 17 201 1 500477 3
18 18 301 1 Haicma Spooner?... Please don't leave your post unattended. This will only create unnecessary conflicts if "Gear" finds you negligent. 1
19 19 203 1 0.25 -400
20 20 201 2 500472 400
21 21 301 1 Nanami What's "Gear"? 2
22 22 301 On their way here, Haicma and Nanami already brought each other up to speed on what each of them knows, yet Haicma has yet to get to the details about the Church of Machina.
23 23 301 Spuner ...What's wrong with Sage?
24 24 301 Spuner Did that just happen...?
25 25 301 Haicma nods.
26 26 301 Haicma "Sage's Confusion". 1
27 27 204 1
28 28 301 Haicma Spooner is someone you can trust, Nanami. 1
29 29 204 2 7
30 30 301 Nanami You spoke of my arrival, and now I'm confused? 2
31 31 301 The beast mechanoid does not hear Nanami's mumbling. Nodding his head, Spooner goes ahead and tells Nanami about "Gear".
32 32 202 1 2 1
33 33 301 Spuner "Gear" is the Church's army. As you might have already guessed, they control everything from war to this thing.
34 34 301 The beast mechanoid points at the glamorous chandelier.
35 35 301 Spuner The symbols, the tower, the army, maintaining order... but they're all subpar imitations.
36 36 301 Spuner ...This was supposed to be a utopia.
37 37 301 Mumbling as he shakes his head, Spooner turns around and heads for the chandelier's worksite.
38 38 301 ?? Spooner, it's here. Aren't you going to have a look at it before you head back? 1
39 39 401 2 1504
40 40 301 A team of machine soldiers shows up at the entrance, escorting a few supply wagons. The leader has a bright-colored coating with a brilliant red heart shape on her chest.
41 41 201 1 500468 2
42 42 301 ?? ...My, is that Sage?! 1
43 43 301 The red mechanoid runs over, trying to hug Nanami.
44 44 203 1 0.25 -400
45 45 201 2 500472 7 400
46 46 301 1 Nanami Are you Nanami's friend, too? 2
47 47 204 1 7
48 48 204 2
49 49 301 ?? F-friend? That's a word Sage uses a lot. Guess I should try to remember that, too... 1
50 50 204 1 2
51 51 301 ?? But what better way is there to show love than a hug, right? On behalf of "Gear", let me love you! 1
52 52 203 100 1 0.25 200
53 53 502 PanelActor2Shake
54 54 203 2 0.25 450
55 55 301 Embraced by the overly excited mechanoid, Nanami struggles to keep her head up.
56 56 301 But Haicma just stands behind and reaches out her hand, quietly laying it over Nanami's. She does not need any words.
57 57 201 3 500477 4 -400
58 58 301 1 Haicma Zero... Have you finished your work? 3
59 59 301 Zero Oh, Sage... You are so soft... 1
60 60 204 2 5
61 61 301 Nanami Hey, stop it! 2
62 62 301 Unable to stand Zero's hug anymore, Nanami slaps Zero's hands away.
63 63 202 3 1
64 64 203 1 0.25 -400
65 65 203 2 0.25 400
66 66 301 Zero I see you're doing very well, Sage... I can't tell you how worried I was seeing you all down and sad before... 1
67 67 204 2
68 68 301 Haicma mentioned this mechanoid before. Her name is Zero, and she is the very person behind the Church's split-up. Displaying her hands that have just been slapped away by Nanami, Zero speaks in an exaggerated yet sincere tone.
69 69 204 1
70 70 301 Zero Speaking of "friend," do allow me to show you one, Sage. 1
71 71 301 Zero puts her arm around another machine in the team, demonstrating her understanding of "friend."
72 72 301 Wheel of Fortune Squeak—friend. Friend!
73 73 301 Zero How do you like the chandelier and the hall? They're all gifts to you from "Gear"—with lots of love, of course. 1
74 74 301 Zero It's a real shame, though, that we weren't able to show these to you after they are finished. Who would you say is responsible for this mishap, Spooner? 1
75 75 301 Spuner Hmph...
76 76 301 Zero We've cleaned up Fort Jotunheim up north where the humans are, so go ahead and use these. Based on our projection, we'll have more than enough if we add Niflheim to the list. 1
77 77 301 Lover opens a crate near the entrance.
78 78 204 2 7
79 79 301 Nanami What's that... 2
80 80 301 Spuner Organic bones. We made the green light in the chandelier with these.
81 81 301 Zero Exactly. It's like how people usually put the remains of their game up on the wall for decoration after hunting. Gotta make full use of these inferior beings somehow. 1
82 82 204 2
83 83 301 Nanami And you "polish" them and give them away as gifts... and that's how you show your "love," right? 2
84 84 301 At this moment, it dawned on Nanami what Spooner was referring to when he said "subpar imitations." These gifts—that "Gear" has acquired with brute force and is giving to Sage out of reverence and love—disgust Nanami to no end.
85 85 204 1 2
86 86 301 Zero My... You saw right through us, Sage. Seems like we'll have to be more careful planning surprises for you down the road. 1
87 87 301 Zero Well then, I'll be off getting ready for Niflheim, then. We don't want to leave "Gear" idle for way too long! 1
88 88 301 Zero Let's hope the last handful of humankind will suit your taste as a "surprise," Sage. 1
89 89 301 Zero obsessively caresses her wrist where Nanami touched.
90 90 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Zero It's the only way you'll feel my love, Sage... 1
95 95 301 DialogEnable 1 Seeing Zero off with her troop, Haicma turns to face Nanami.
96 96 301 Haicma ... 1
97 97 301 Haicma Nanami...? 1
98 98 301 No longer disoriented, the girl shakes her head.
99 99 202 1 1
100 100 203 2 0.25
101 101 204 2 14
102 102 301 Nanami I don't like them acting this way. 2
103 103 301 Nanami They know nothing about love even when they were born from human creations. They are nothing but copycats... and now they're forcing me to accept their "love." 2
104 104 301 Nanami No, not me—the Sagemachina, the version they created in their heads. 2
105 105 301 Nanami Nanami is no god... From the very get-go, all I wanted was for everyone to live happily ever after. 2
106 106 301 Nanami Be they machines or humans... 2
107 107 301 Her face showered in the light from the chandelier, Nanami is reminiscent of a godsent child.
108 108 204 1 4
109 109 301 Nanami Is there any way to make them stop fighting? 2
110 110 203 2 0.25 400
111 111 201 1 500477 4 -400
112 112 301 1 Haicma We may mess up some of the mechanoids' machine logic if we force "Gear" to stop their military operations, which might, in turn, result in unnecessary sacrifices. It's also only a matter of time before humankind comes to an end. 1
113 113 301 Nanami I came here to do one thing—that is, to stop the machines from falling apart as a group, so they won't fight humankind. 2
114 114 301 Nanami Nanami can tell you that this is not a path we should be on. 2
115 115 301 Spuner But the situation right now is...
116 116 301 Nanami Nanami knows what you're all worried about. It's a difficult problem to solve, which is why I need your help, Haicma... and you too, Doggo. 2
117 117 301 Having been conducting himself with composure, the beast mechanoid shakes his tail.
118 118 301 Spuner I'm glad you've finally called me that, Sage. I wasn't so sure how to act around you when you were so distant...
119 119 301 When Nanami holds out her hand, the beast mechanoid lowers himself to let Nanami pat him on the head. It all just seems so natural.
120 120 204 2 1
121 121 301 She smiles.
122 122 301 Nanami This is the first time I see you all here, but I do feel a sense of familiarity... 2
123 123 301 Nanami I feel like it's my destiny to fight along your side! 2
124 124 301 Nanami Alright! Bring it on! 2
125 125 204 2 4
126 126 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Nanami But there are still a few more things I need to figure out... How did this war start in the first place? 2
130 130 301 DialogEnable 1 Haicma Humankind and machines are not destined to coexist once machines evolve beyond human understand... which is something human scientists put forth and gained recognition all the way back in the Golden Age. 1
131 131 301 Haicma In human civilization and history, human beings, prompted by their "moral standards," have excelled at seeking change by betraying outdated stances and beliefs. 1
132 132 301 Haicma Which is why it took humankind such a tremendous amount of time and resources to go from the Dark Ages to the Golden Age. 1
133 133 301 Haicma But in the world of machines, there are only "0" and "1". The answer to everything is either yes or no. 0 marks the beginning, and 1 marks the end. 1
134 134 301 Haicma Humankind makes all sorts of mistakes down the path of history. When mistakes are made, reforms are brought about to correct those mistakes. 1
135 135 203 1 0.25 -400
136 136 201 2 500472 14 400
137 137 301 1 Nanami But machines cannot correct their mistakes, for they have no heart... 2
138 138 301 Nanami Humankind isn't entirely bad nor good—which is something the machines fail to understand, which is what causes them to either correct or continue human mistakes... 2
139 139 301 Spuner Right... This war is not about who did something wrong.
140 140 301 Nanami If everyone can be like Haicma or Spooner, perhaps there won't be a war... 2
141 141 301 Haicma "Mother" said that you are the most awoken machine there is as the Sagemachina. 1
142 142 204 2 7
143 143 301 Nanami This "Mother" is the leader of the Church of Machina, right? Why don't we just ask her to put an end to it all, then? 2
144 144 204 1 10
145 145 301 Haicma ...It won't work. 1
146 146 204 1
147 147 301 Haicma "Mother" treats us just like a mother. She takes in every machine in the Church with gentle care, listening to their prayers and wishes while providing shelter. We are like her children. 1
148 148 204 2
149 149 301 Haicma But "Mother" has never been biased on any side. Nor has she tried to stop the machines from splitting. 1
150 150 301 Spuner Precisely speaking, Madam Arcana has absolute faith in Gestalt's calculations. So long as a split-up doesn't threaten the future of the Church, the best you'll get from her is her comfort.
151 151 204 2 14
152 152 301 Nanami But... all these tragedies! 2
153 153 202 1 2 1
154 154 301 Spuner The incompleteness of the awakened machines is to blame for the tragedy we are seeing...
155 155 301 Spuner There has been a simulation where you get a "paper-making robot" after programming a machine to make paper. If the robot just goes on to make papers until the end of time...
156 156 301 Spuner What eventually happens is that the robot will kill the humans that created it in the first place and turns humankind into paper. It then goes on to cut down all the trees and kills all the animals before turning them into paper, too.
157 157 301 Spuner In the very end, it has created paper land, paper planets, even a paper universe.
158 158 301 Spuner A machine only knows what it's been told to do, but it'll never understand why it's been told to do its tasks. It doesn't reflect upon its behaviors. All it does is repeat what it's been told.
159 159 301 Spuner And this "inspiration" that you brought about, Sage—that is, the feelings, the desires, the love, and the hate born out of human nature... They were indefinitely amplified by the machines through their absolute rationality and order.
160 160 301 Spuner Humankind, as adept at "thinking outside the box" as they are, is therefore seen as a group of heretics for lacking the ability to advance and generate maximized values.
161 161 301 Spuner To the machines, humankind is now nothing but a hindrance.
162 162 301 Spuner Machines overpower humankind to such an unfathomable extent that "Gear" can literally crush humankind whenever they want.
163 163 301 Spuner To humankind, the machines no doubt seem violent and irrational. Ever since the machines began awakening, the two civilizations each went down a path that seemed as similar as they were different.
164 164 201 1 500472 14
165 165 301 1 Nanami ...I couldn't teach them what freedom was... 1
166 166 203 1 0.25 400
167 167 201 2 500477 4 -400
168 168 301 1 Haicma There is no need to blame yourself. 2
169 169 301 Haicma The machines needed patient guidance, but with the virus wreaking havoc on Earth, there were too many uncertainties. 2
170 170 301 Haicma Besides the virus, humankind is also under threat from the machines—which they know close to nothing about. 2
171 171 301 Haicma Human society still has quite a way to go before it's capable of controlling the current situation. Humankind is hopeless against the virus and the awakening of machines. 2
172 172 401 2 213
173 173 301 The furnace is still burning red-hot.
174 174 301 All the combustibles have been thrown into the fire to keep the fire burning. After that, they throw in all sorts of metals, armor pieces, cartridges, and soldiers' tags.
175 175 301 Everything of humanity is slowly being wiped away by machines and gets turned into the materials to build their new world.
176 176 402 213
177 177 204 1 4
178 178 301 Nanami I understand now. 1
179 179 301 Nanami But I wouldn't have been here without humankind—and neither would there have been an "inspiration." 1
180 180 301 Nanami If everybody merely imitates the behavior of humans, they won't be able to find their own purpose... 1
181 181 301 Nanami I came here to witness the answer. Now that I have seen it... I want to correct it. 1
182 182 301 Nanami I have prepared myself. The top priority right now is to stop Zero's "final battle"! 1
183 183 301 Haicma You know where I stand. 2
184 184 301 Spuner ...Why are you all looking at me? I'm in, of course.
186 186 301 1 AniZhuanchangBegin Nanami Thank you, but I think I'll do it alone... because things will only get complicated down the line, and I don't want to involve anyone else in it. 1
