5 3 301 DialogEnable Overcoming countless adversities and witnessing just as many lay down their lives, the intrepid heroes continue to search for hope on this most harrowing journey.
6 4 301 Most people did not know that this journey would be unworthy of adulation. From the moment they set forth, they were doomed to a life entangled in shadows.
7 5 301 Reading this file enshrouded with deceit, the names of these heroes remain unknown.
8 6 301 Perhaps... we only survived because we knew nothing.
9 7 201 1 500166 5
10 8 301 1 Lucia ... 1
11 9 301 Lucia swipes her battle log lost in thought, stopping at a location on Earth surrounded by ruins.
12 10 301 On a wall of the ruins, she sees a mysterious piece of synthetic paper containing this excerpt from an unknown novel.
13 11 301 Lucia This most harrowing journey... 1
14 12 202 1 1
15 13 301 After completing their underground mission at City 075 and installing the bit domain nodes, Gray Raven had already returned to Babylonia for several days now.
16 14 301 However, Lucia remains in the preparation room reviewing training material from the battle log database only because their new mission had ordered them to remain here on standby.
17 15 301 Although such respite is a luxury, the fact that everyone else is working double duty while only Gray Raven sits idly in the preparation room requires no further explanation.
18 1000 201 1 500166 5
19 1001 301 1 Lucia Seems like the decision to postpone the investigation on the commandant's insubordination has to do with more pressing military concerns... 1
20 1002 202 1 1
21 16 301 You have tried to apply for other missions and even spoke with previous contacts. Regardless, the response across the board was just "take a few days off."
22 17 301 But even when the team tried to go out and enjoy this much needed R&R together, they were met with a sneaking suspicion.
23 18 301 Whether it was the dubious behavior of people in the plaza or cameras following them as they passed by, they all silently stated the same fact.
24 19 301 —They were prisoners in a cage.
25 20 301 Confirming this, you order everyone to return to the preparation room.
26 21 301 The team had planned on discussing the current state of events in a more familiar setting, but upon returning to the preparation room after their brief outing, they found that the weapon reserves had miraculously disappeared. Only some basic equipment and daily necessities remained.
27 22 301 Just as you go to ask the staff about the situation in the preparation room, you are escorted away and have yet to return.
28 23 201 1 500166 5
29 24 301 1 Lucia It's been almost two whole days now... 1
30 25 301 Lucia looks at the clock on the bottom of the terminal, frowning slightly.
31 26 202 1 1
32 27 301 ..."We need to monitor memory replays caused by the corrupted Mind Beacon."
33 28 301 This is what one of the unfamiliar personnel had said to her as they escorted you away.
34 29 301 Lucia wants to accompany you or at least keep an eye from a distance, but the personnel comes prepared. As soon as she opens her mouth, one of them suddenly drops a large stack of inspection reports and work certificates in front of her, the contents of which contain a series of stringent terms and warnings.
35 30 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Right as the unfamiliar personnel leave, Lee firmly clenches his fists.
36 32 504 0.7
37 33 201 1 500026 450
38 34 201 2 1031001 -450
39 35 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Lee Did you see what was on the reports just now? 1
40 36 301 Liv Yeah... 2
41 37 301 Liv Not like I disagree with any of it. They're not trying to pull the wool over our eyes. 2
42 38 301 Liv They're just putting extra emphasis on some... possibly dangerous symptoms... 2
43 39 301 Liv There's no need for more medical treatment without any signs of symptoms, but they are within reason to monitor the commandant's condition. 2
44 40 301 Lee I'm not talking about the contents of the report. I meant the doctor's signature—Kugawa. 1
45 41 301 Lee Even though it's just a first name, I've seen his handwriting in the database. 1
46 42 301 Lee Kugawa had already joined Kurono as a doctor during the Great Evacuation. 1
47 43 301 Lee Now that Kurono is a part of Babylonia, he rarely makes his presence known. 1
48 44 301 Lee Even still, their bond is unbreakable. They carry out covert operations to this very day. 1
49 45 301 Liv Do you think him being assigned as the commandant's doctor is a coincidence? 2
50 46 301 Lee If that's the case, there should still be a familiar face or two among the people that took the commandant away. 1
51 47 301 Lee Not to mention... Even if that wasn't the case, neither the President nor Celica gave us cause for alarm. 1
52 48 301 Lee That would mean something is prohibiting them from making a move for the time being. 1
53 49 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Lee The plot thickens... 1
54 50 504 0
55 52 202 1 2 1
56 53 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Lucia glances around the now slightly more spacious room, suppressing her worries deep within her heart. She returns her gaze to the yellow synthetic paper on the holo-screen.
57 54 201 1 500166 5
58 55 301 1 Lucia "...We only survived because we knew nothing." 1
59 56 202 1 1
60 57 301 As she reads the passage silently, images from her battle with Alpha fill her M.I.N.D.
61 58 301 That was when you chose to trust her...
62 59 301 That was when she saw fragments of Alpha's memory as their M.I.N.D.s merged.
63 60 301 That was when she finally saw her suppressed memories—and the truth.
64 61 201 1 500166 5
65 62 301 1 Lucia ...The truth? 1
66 63 202 1 1
67 64 301 She may have unlocked the deepest recesses of her memory, but that does not mean that she has been looking at the whole picture.
68 65 301 Who has not experienced something like this?
69 66 301 Even if you remember the entire conversation you had with someone, you have no way to peer into their heart to understand the true meaning behind their words.
70 67 301 Even if you fully restore the many paintings of your memories, you have no way of knowing what lies beneath the thick layers of paint.
71 68 301 AniZhuanchangBegin As for the whole truth, she still remains uncertain. However, based on what Alpha said...
81 80 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Lucia The beginning... 1
82 81 301 Quietly muttering to herself, she meticulously recalls the memory fragments that Alpha had left in her M.I.N.D. and attempts to place the puzzle pieces into her memory.
83 82 301 Lucia ...Ever since I became a Construct, I thought Luna was dead. 1
84 83 301 She opens the notepad on the screen and organizes her thoughts while jotting down a few keywords.
85 84 301 Lucia I only recently found out that Luna is still alive. Seeing that Alpha stands at her side as an Ascendant... 1
86 85 301 Lucia writes in her notes, "Alpha was likely discovered by Luna when she was suffering from severe Punishing corruption. That's when she became an Ascendant."
87 86 301 Lucia But based on my understanding of "me"... The choice to become an Ascendant is not made out of seeking vengeance or power. 1
88 87 301 Lucia Was it because she couldn't return to Babylonia? Or was it because she saw Luna again? 1
89 88 301 Lucia There are other possibilities, of course. But nothing substantial enough to steer "me" down that path. 1
90 89 301 Lucia I'm sure the "me" back then must have believed that becoming an Ascendant would lead to a better tomorrow. 1
91 90 301 Lucia After all, if she was suffering from such severe Punishing corruption, her only options were to become an Ascendant or join the horde of Corrupted. 1
92 91 301 Lucia That must be it. Her choice must have been made on the basis of numerous factors pushing her down the opposite path. 1
93 92 301 Lucia If she is calling this the starting point... What's next? 1
94 93 301 She searches the information from the memory fragments in her mind and recalls Alpha's voice as she calls out to her comrades.
95 94 301 Lucia Murol, Xun... and Hiro... 1
96 95 202 1 1
97 96 301 She tried looking for them before she regained her memories due to an uneasy feeling. She has attempted to trace the whereabouts of her three comrades...
98 97 301 ...Only to discover that their names had been registered among a list of martyrs with the chilling description of "Perished in the fight against the Corrupted".
99 98 301 And that was it. The trail went cold before it even began.
100 99 401 2 1516
101 100 301 While Lucia is deep in thought, a stern expression covers Liv's face as she suddenly strokes a lock of hair on the right side of Lucia's head with her fingertips.
102 101 301 After seeing this peculiar gesture, Lucia quietly moves the screen to cover her notes with the battle records. Lee has his head down as if concentrating on the thing in his hand, but his gaze is firmly fixed on the doorway.
103 102 301 The guards have changed seventeen times since this morning. Whether or not this is due to precautions made by the trio, the guards have yet to enter.
104 103 301 Shortly after you left yesterday, they received an anonymous encrypted message on Lee's terminal.
105 104 301 "Speak carefully, act cautiously. Refrain from doing anything for now. Wait until daylight to inspect the room."
106 105 301 The trio is suspicious at first, but given previous events, they are not entirely in disbelief.
107 106 301 In the morning, the group had "cleaned" the room. Doing so, they uncovered several bugs that were planted by an intruder. Only then was their remaining disbelief abated.
108 107 301 Lee has quietly moved some storage crates to specific positions in the corners while Liv has draped your coat in a peculiar spot.
109 108 301 Once the corners with those little "gifts" had been blocked, guards began showing up at the door out of nowhere.
110 109 301 After the trio discusses quietly amongst themselves, they decide to remain in the preparation room and "rest." That way, they will not draw any suspicion while they wait for you to return.
111 110 301 "We only survived because we knew nothing."
112 111 201 1 500166 5
113 112 301 1 Lucia Why is this happening? 1
114 113 301 Lucia Because the commandant violated military orders during the last mission? But they said they weren't going to look into that for the time being. Is this just an excuse to buy time? 1
115 114 301 Lucia Do people really think we just let Luna go and that we're keeping her whereabouts a secret? 1
116 115 202 1 1
117 116 301 Even if Hassen and Nikola thought it was necessary to deal with it now while the war still rages on, they would have chosen a more appropriate method to go about all this.
118 117 301 At the very least, an arrest warrant would have been served rather than letting the commandant be taken away by those people on the grounds of "monitoring."
119 118 301 But there has been nothing of the sort ever since this all started.
120 119 301 Perhaps it is as Lee has mentioned. They are also trapped in an invisible web and need to be even more cautious than the Gray Ravens "resting" in the preparation room.
121 120 301 AniZhuanchangBegin If that's the case, what does this web known as "Kurono" want from the commandant?
131 132 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Lucia Are we now forced to stand here at this new beginning, too? 1
132 133 301 Lucia Alpha... 1
133 134 301 Suddenly, a familiar voice in the corridor greets the unknown "inspector" standing outside the door. However, the door between them makes it hard to discern who the voice belongs to.
134 135 204 1
135 136 301 Lucia ...Murray? 1
136 137 202 1 1
137 138 301 Lucia turns her head to look at Lee, his eyebrows tightly knit. Looks like she is right.
138 139 201 1 500166 5
139 140 301 1 Lucia Murray is speaking with the inspector... Maybe they know each other? 1
140 141 202 1 1
141 142 301 Lucia asks as she turns up her audio module sensitivity slightly.
142 143 301 Murray Hey, fancy seeing you here. Are you guys here to... Cough—um... What are you up to today?
143 144 301 Even though the trio cannot see what is going on outside, they can hear the contemplation in his voice as if someone is stopping him from saying too much.
144 145 201 1 500166 5
145 146 301 1 Lucia Sounds like the person standing outside is just someone following orders. 1
146 147 202 1 1
147 148 301 Her judgment is not based on her personal understanding of Murray, but on her common understanding of the position.
148 149 301 Lucia listens to the conversation outside closely in an attempt to pick up any clues from the casual remarks.
149 150 301 Murray Sorry, am I interrupting your conversation with someone? After all, you look...
150 151 301 Murray Oh, you only report if anything happens. Gotcha. I just didn't want to interfere with your work.
151 152 201 1 500166 5
152 153 301 1 Lucia Looks like he's just a scout. 1
153 154 202 1 1
154 155 301 The other party lowers his voice and says something to Murray that even her sensitive audio module cannot pick up. Perhaps, he only mouthed a response or made a gesture.
155 156 301 Murray Of course! Glad I'm not bothering you. You guys have been working late the last two days. When are you off?
156 157 301 The man outside the door responds quietly to which Murray gives a genial and polite laugh.
157 158 301 Murray So you're not off until you get results? Well, keep up the hard work.
158 159 201 1 500166 5
159 160 301 1 Lucia ...Results? Are they not on a surveillance mission? Are they looking for something? 1
160 161 202 1 1
161 162 301 Murray Alright, I'll stop prodding you about your mission. Wanna get some afternoon tea? Your favorite cafe is back open.
162 163 201 1 500166 5
163 164 301 1 Lucia ...Favorite cafe? That must mean he's speaking to a human. 1
164 165 202 1 1
165 166 301 Murray Oh, right. Is Kugawa off today? Wanna invite him?
166 2002 201 1 1031001 600
167 2003 201 2 500166 5
168 2004 201 3 500026 -600
169 167 301 1 A stern look washes over the faces of the trio standing in the preparation room.
170 168 301 A Kurono henchman following orders is pacing outside the Gray Raven preparation room, searching for some sort of results.
171 169 301 The trio speculated that the current situation may have been due to violating military orders during the last mission, suspicion over a private link with Luna, or even because of serious symptoms from Mind Beacon corruption.
172 170 301 But based on the current information, this appears to be the worst-case scenario.
173 171 301 Seems like a plot that had been in the works for quite some time is finally coming to fruition.
174 2005 202 1 2 3 1
175 172 301 Just like that, Murray was able to convey this fragmented information to the trio inconspicuously through just the right volume and chit-chat. And with that, Murray laughs with the guard as they both walk away.
176 173 301 Once no more movement can be detected from outside the door, Liv takes her hand off the desktop. Receiving the signal, the other two begin to relax a little.
177 174 301 Up until this point, Lucia never thought she would need to use such a tactic in the Gray Raven's preparation room. She shakes her head gently and looks back at the screen.
178 175 201 1 500166 5
179 176 301 1 Lucia ... 1
180 177 202 1 1
181 178 301 She presses her hand on the side of the screen, opening up a hidden data file on the terminal.
182 179 301 These were the records and data she quickly searched when she began to feel a disturbance in her memory. However, at the time, she could only access the external data due to the file encryption.
183 180 301 After recovering her memory and returning to Babylonia, Lucia asked Lee in confidence to copy the data onto her terminal and decrypt it.
184 181 301 Under heavy surveillance, Lee had hastily decrypted a portion of the file.
185 182 301 Once decrypted, Lucia had obtained a casualty report. However, aside from the list of casualties for that week being several times longer than normal, including Murol and Xun, nothing appeared out the ordinary.
186 183 301 Lucia searches the newly recovered memories in her M.I.N.D.
187 184 301 She cross-checks the names of soldiers and comrades in her memory with the names on the list.
188 185 301 All of the names that she can recall appear on the list, each marked with their chilling cause of death.
189 186 301 However, aside from those familiar names, she sees several names she does not recognize at the same time of death.
190 187 201 1 500166 5
191 188 301 1 Lucia Those are... 1
192 189 301 The names include five commandants, their squads, and dozens of researchers.
193 190 301 Lucia Not only Ravenge, but five other commandants and their squads as well? Wait, why are all the researchers marked with... a lab accident for the "Project Winter"... as their cause of death? 1
194 191 301 Lucia looks at the undisclosed "Project Winter", then meticulously reads through data on each of the researchers.
195 192 301 Most of the researchers were transferred from Kurono, but a select few are listed as confidential.
196 193 301 As Lucia continues to read through the file, she discovers that two of the researchers had died more recently than the others.
197 194 301 Lucia This casualty report is still being updated? Why would they be recorded along with those that died a long time ago? 1
198 195 301 Lucia begins to connect the dots in her heart. She looks back at the "Project Winter".
199 196 301 What even is this project? She cannot figure out anything purely based on the name alone. Perhaps that is the point.
200 197 301 Thinking for some time to no avail, she looks back at the two researchers on the roster. She notices that they worked in the Science Council up until their death.
201 198 301 Lucia Their names were... Ann and Rand. 1
202 199 301 Lucia If they were members of the Science Council, maybe Asimov knows a thing or two...? 1
203 200 301 She wants to ask him about it, but then remembers the message they received, "Speak carefully, act cautiously."
204 201 301 Lucia looks up to see Lee reading the terminal as he assembles a tiny robot.
205 202 301 After decrypting the data, he resisted the urge to speak several times as if he had a sneaking suspicion about the identity of who sent the anonymous tip.
206 203 301 Lucia Who sent the message? 1
207 204 301 Whoever it is, we need to tread lightly.
208 205 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Lucia stifles her concern once more, then turns to look back at the screen.
216 212 301 Celica Same as last time. The specialists are gathered around 【kuroname】 performing tests. 2
217 213 301 Celica I went to have a look a few times, but their act and their documents are both pretty foolproof. I couldn't find any way to get 【kuroname】 out of there. 2
218 214 301 Celica Can we do what we did last time and have people from the Star of Life provide treatment? 2
219 215 301 Hassen Their people infiltrated their ranks ages ago. Without fixing the fundamental issue, they'll just take 【kuroname】 somewhere else to be "monitored." 1
220 216 301 Hassen We'd better just leave it to Asimov. 1
221 217 202 1 2 1
222 218 301 Turning his mind to some other important matter, Hassen lets out a nearly imperceptible sigh.
223 219 301 Ever since this mess has started, the "other" project has been put on hold.
224 220 301 It was supposed to be top priority, but all these disasters keep distracting our wunderkind.
225 221 301 If we involve the Science Council in non-technical matters at a time like this, I'm afraid it will only make matters worse.
226 222 201 1 500011 -450
227 223 201 2 500001 5 450
228 224 301 1 Hassen I hope he can solve these complicated technical issues to the point of being able to pass it off to his subordinates. 1
229 225 301 Hassen How about the others? 1
230 226 301 Celica ...Same old same old. 2
231 227 301 Celica They can't keep going like this, Mr. President. 2
232 228 202 1 2 1
233 229 401 2 1516
234 230 301 Before he can respond, a young staff member walks in and salutes.
235 231 201 1 500011 -450
236 232 201 2 500303 450
237 233 301 1 Hassen How is 【kuroname】 holding up? 1
238 234 301 Staff Member Seems like everything is normal. 2
239 235 301 Hassen What do you mean, "seems"? 1
240 236 301 Staff Member According to the report given by experts, 【kuroname】 periodically falls into a state of comatose with increased subconscious activity. 2
241 237 301 Staff Member During breakfast, 【kuroname】 just stares at the cup. Last night, the commandant was pacing around in the room... Sure didn't look normal at least. 2
242 238 301 Hassen Even normal people would do this sort of thing if they have no way to keep themselves entertained or sleep. 1
243 239 301 Hassen Anything else? 1
244 240 301 Staff Member They submitted an application claiming that 【kuroname】 violated military orders due to the issues they are currently looking into. If it continues on like this, Constructs linked with the commandant may also begin to exhibit abnormalities, so... 2
245 241 301 He takes out a small chip and hands it to the exhausted Hassen.
246 242 301 Hassen So they need to monitor the commandant for a few more days? 1
247 243 301 Staff Member Correct. 2
248 244 202 1 2 1
249 245 401 2 1516
250 246 301 Hassen takes the chip and nods. He watches as the staff turns and leaves.
251 247 201 1 500011 -450
252 248 201 2 500001 5 450
253 249 301 1 Celica Mr. President... 2
254 250 301 Hassen I was worried this was going to happen... 1
255 251 301 Celica You mean the effects of Mind Beacon corruption on 【kuroname】? 2
256 252 301 Hassen No, the commandant's symptoms are minor. They didn't worsen during ground operations either, which is a far cry from when commandants were corrupted in the past. 1
257 253 301 Hassen We can now determine that 【kuroname】 has built up a resistance to mind corruption. That's precisely why people are more worried. 1
258 254 301 Hassen We haven't found out who leaked the commandant's mission report, but now they know that Huaxu detected the commandant's potential ability to link with Ascendants. 1
259 255 301 Celica I wasn't expecting Huaxu to find a backdoor the first time I let Gray Raven use the Spear of F.O.S... This is worse than I thought. 2
260 256 301 Hassen holds the chip in his hand, lost in thought as he looks out into the vast cosmos.
261 257 301 Hassen All this monitoring is just false pretense. The commandant's resistance to mind corruption is just their window of opportunity. 1
262 258 301 Hassen How long can those "sharks" wait in the depths when they smell blood in the water? 1
263 259 301 Hassen How many more people must be sacrificed this time? 1
264 260 301 Silence hangs over the bridge.
265 261 301 Celica opens her mouth in preparation to speak, but she finds herself unable to muster a response. Even after processing the reports for everything that had happened, she only had a rough idea of what was unfolding.
266 262 301 Hassen Nikola once told me that squads with a close-knit bond would end up like Suzaku. 1
267 263 301 Hassen He didn't outright say it, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was worried this squad would go rogue. 1
268 264 301 Hassen Whether it's because we cherish their talent or to prevent them from going rogue, we cannot hand over 【kuroname】. 1
269 265 301 Hassen At least not until we ensure that 【kuroname】 is safe from whatever it is they're planning. 1
270 266 301 Celica In that case... 2
271 267 301 Hassen It's not that I'm unwilling to get involved. 1
272 268 301 Hassen Regardless of personal reasons, they're still loyal to whoever is pulling the strings just as they are to their respective posts. 1
273 269 301 Hassen Eliminating all of them would only make it more difficult moving forward. 1
274 270 301 Hassen We need to come up with a more clever plan to get us out of this stalemate. We need people willing to fight for this cause without drawing their attention. 1
275 271 301 Hassen We need to think of a way to give 【kuroname】 some time to rest. 1
276 272 301 Hassen If this continues any longer, anyone would succumb to exhaustion and drop their guard—regardless of Mind Beacon corruption. This is a common tactic in interrogations. 1
277 273 301 Hassen As soon as 【kuroname】 falls into their trap, the situation will no longer be under our control. 1
278 274 301 Celica Looks like we'll need someone else for the upcoming mission. 2
279 275 301 Hassen Indeed. These past few days have been quite the ordeal. Let 【kuroname】 return to the squad and rest up for a while. 1
280 276 204 2 4
281 277 301 Celica Who are you going to give the recon mission to? 2
282 278 301 Hassen Let the nearby Task Force scout the surrounding area. As for the core region... leave that to Strike Hawk. 1
283 279 301 Hassen The scout team is ideal for conducting reconnaissance. Wanshi proved himself on the mission to deploy bit domain nodes, plus he's more familiar with that area. 1
284 280 301 Hassen And... After seeing 【kuroname】 take full responsibility for "acting alone," he's been keeping a close eye on the commandant. 1
285 281 301 Hassen Compassion is weakness. I understand this and so do they. 1
286 282 301 Hassen Leaving Wanshi here only gives them another target. There's no point in getting Strike Hawk involved just yet. 1
287 283 301 Celica 【kuroname】 obtained valuable intel from the bit domain node, and Wanshi's actions complied with regulations. They shouldn't have shouldered the blame. 2
288 284 301 Hassen Some people believe that Wanshi was following the commandant's orders. After all, they were together. 1
289 285 301 Hassen Even if they can make amends, the law must still not be broken. If one person gets away from breaking the law, anyone blindly trusting their own ability will surely follow suit. 1
290 286 301 Celica At least that's the official statement, correct? 2
291 287 301 Hassen ...Originally, there was a way for 【kuroname】 to avoid punishment. 1
292 288 301 Hassen But now, some people want to impose additional charges to force 【kuroname】 under their control. 1
293 289 301 Hassen I've done a lot behind the scenes but ensuring that 【kuroname】 only has to endure "confined treatment" has put me at my limits. 1
294 290 301 Hassan turns around and walks out along a path that has been worn into a luster over time by the crew.
295 291 301 Celica We have a meeting coming up. Where are you going, sir? 2
296 292 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Hassen Postpone it for half an hour. There are some things I need to confirm. 1
301 297 301 Half an hour before receiving the new mission, Chrome steps into the spacious confines of the closed laboratory five minutes early.
302 298 301 He pushes open the door to the dark room and greets Asimov, who is sitting among an array of holo-screens.
303 299 301 Asimov Right on time.
304 300 301 Head down, Asimov gives Chrome a simple acknowledgement. The capsule beside him contains a new frame currently in stasis.
305 301 201 1 500004 450
306 302 201 2 500155 -450
307 303 301 1 Chrome What are we testing this time? 2
308 304 301 Asimov I debugged your new frame according to the data obtained from the last combat simulation. I've re-established the virtual link for you to give it another try. 1
309 305 301 Chrome Understood. 2
310 306 301 As if already familiar with the procedure, Chrome plugs the cable into the back of his neck.
