8 8 301 The ashen creature's blade slits across Lucia's flank, forcing her to dash back with her jetpack, putting some distance between them.
9 9 301 The Punishing Virus it carries instantly infests her wound, causing her severe pain—but her fight has yet to end.
10 10 201 1 500166 5
11 11 301 1 Lucia This... is nothing. 1
12 12 202 1 1
13 13 301 Her blade-wielding figure is as awe-inspiring and determined as you first met her. Lucia quickly treats her injury before pointing her blade at the Hetero-Creature again.
14 14 301 The ashen creature is adapting to Lucia's attacks as if it is learning while fighting.
15 15 301 But Lucia does not hesitate. She manages to distance herself again during an opening of the Hetero-Creature's attacks.
16 16 301 Before it can recalibrate its stance, Lucia is already closing in with her sword out.
22 22 301 This time, her katana strikes the creature with a devastating blow, pushing it off the platform.
23 23 201 1 500166 5
24 24 301 1 Lucia This is my chance— 1
25 25 202 1 1
26 26 301 But the moment Lucia turns and heads for the Energy Core, the Polyphage's hunting claws reach out from behind the Core, swinging toward Lucia.
27 27 302 Lucia! Watch out! 28 (Fire!) 34
28 28 201 1 500166 5
29 29 301 1 Lucia —! 1
30 30 202 1 1
31 31 301 Lucia is forced to a stop, countering the menacing arms with her blade.
42 42 301 The ashen creature swings its scythe toward Lucia, and she blocks it with her katana.
43 43 201 1 500166 5
44 44 301 1 Lucia If that's the case— 1
45 45 301 Deflecting the Hetero-Creature's blows, Lucia finds an opportunity to throw you a rectangular case.
46 46 301 Lucia Commandant! Catch! 1
47 47 202 1 1
48 48 302 (Catch) 49
49 49 301 It is a weapon cache Lucia put away when you were gathering resources. You activate it, and a familiar-looking katana ejects from within.
50 50 301 The blade you are holding is an ebony katana that is pure black save for its edge, glistening in orange. The tiny scratches and scars on it reveal a storied history of battles.
54 54 301 Lucia looks over you to the Energy Core that is imprisoning Luna, then clutches her katana and clips another impending hunting claw.
55 55 202 1 1
56 56 401 2 1513
57 57 301 You immediately understand what Lucia means. You close your palm around the grip of the ebony blade, rushing toward the Polyphage's Core.
58 58 301 You cut through the hunting claws blocking your way, while Lucia eliminates the ones reaching from behind you, all the while fighting the ashen Hetero-Creature.
60 60 301 Your chest aches from the continuous running, but now is not the time to stop.
61 61 302 (Plunge the katana into the Polyphage's Core) 62
62 62 401 2 10002001
63 63 301 Lucia's yearning coats the katana in your hand, sharpening its edge and strengthening its blade, and you slide it deep into the Energy Core. Deep crimson light immediately radiates where you cut it open.
64 64 301 Polyphage —!!!
65 65 301 RImgBg1Shake The Polyphage releases an earsplitting roar. Multiple hunting claws take shape on its head, all lunging toward you.
66 66 301 And then—the arms are all cut down by a chilling frost blade, scattering all over the floor.
67 67 301 You drive your katana deeper, and the crimson glow slowly shrouds everything.
68 68 302 Almost... 69
69 69 301 The ashen Hetero-Creature has fully recovered. It gathers as much Punishing Virus as it can from the surroundings and shoots out a scarlet beam of virus toward you.
70 70 301 Lucia sinks her blade into the ground as an anchor and shields you with her jetpack. The Punishing Virus slowly disintegrates the surface of the engine, and the force is pushing Lucia back.
71 71 302 Lucia, get out of here! 72 This is too dangerous! 72
72 72 201 1 500166 5
73 73 301 1 Lucia No! If I back away now, you'll...! 1
74 74 301 Lucia The only way to keep everyone safe is to stop it here! I will not back down! 1
75 75 301 As her jetpack completely dissolves, Lucia draws her katana from the ground, ready to block the deadly ray with her blade.
76 76 302 Lucia, wait! You're going to be— 77
77 77 201 1 500248
78 78 301 1 Ashen Hetero-Creature —? 1
79 79 202 1 1
80 80 301 The beam suddenly stops. The ashen Hetero-Creature falls to the ground as if it suddenly loses power.
81 81 201 1 500166
82 82 301 1 Lucia What... happened? 1
83 83 202 1 1
84 84 301 The Hetero-Creature on the ground writhes and trashes, making a horrifying, twisted shriek.
85 85 301 Following the creature's frenzy movement, the Polyphage also slows down, and the hunting claws all stop in mid-air, frozen, as if they have stopped receiving any directive.
86 86 301 This anomaly lasts only half a second before the Hetero-Creature flaps its wings again, trying to reposition itself.
93 93 301 Ignoring the crazed alarm from your Punishing Virus detector, you push with your last bit of strength, and your katana finally punctures the shielding of the Polyphage's Core. With a flash of crimson, the Core begins to crack.
94 94 301 No one knows what would happen if a human hand reaches inside a Core, but there is only one thing you can do now...
95 95 302 Luna! 96
96 96 201 1 500238 3
97 97 301 1 Luna ... 1
98 98 302 Wake up! 99
99 99 301 The interior of the Core spews out countless hunting claws, and they hold on to Luna as stubbornly as the Polyphage's obsession is.
100 100 301 Those slender arms attack everything that approaches, desperate to tear into everything they touch and drag them inside.
101 101 301 The protective suit from the Support Force you are wearing is torn away by their relentless talons. The Corruption Index shown on your wrist is climbing rapidly.
102 102 302 Ugh... I feel... 103
103 103 301 You no longer feel your body aching. In fact, you no longer feel your arms and legs—you do not need the maddening alarms to know that your body has reached its limit.
104 104 301 Madness, hatred, the desire to destroy... The corruption on the mind from the Polyphage seeps into you alongside the Punishing Virus. Yet, so does the yearning from Luna.
105 105 301 Luna ... 1
106 106 301 You fall into a constant clash with Luna's mind, and her pain, anger, and obsession all plunge into the gaps of your consciousness like a torrent of melted snow.
107 107 301 AniZhuanchangBegin You can feel her consciousness entwining yours, and as your psyches interweaved, into the chaotic M.I.N.D. you fall.
114 114 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Complete darkness lies before you. You cannot tell if the space you are in is narrow or vast, and time stops having any meaning here, as it stretches a moment to eternity.
115 115 301 You immediately notice a white figure in the void because, in this immense darkness, she is the only light.
116 116 301 ??? How did you get here?
117 117 301 Although you have only heard her voice a few times, you instantly recognize this is Luna speaking.
118 118 302 Luna...? 119
119 119 301 The young girl in white curls up into a ball on the floor—if the darkness you are stepping on is indeed the ground.
120 120 201 1 500238 4
121 121 301 1 Luna Who're you? 1
122 122 302 Don't you know me? 123 I'm the Gray Raven Commandant. 125
123 123 301 Luna ... 1
124 124 126 301 Luna So, it's Lucia's commandant this time... 1
125 125 301 Luna So, it's Lucia's commandant this time... 1
126 126 301 She walks toward you—not hovering, for some reason, and the eyes on her shorter frame look up at you.
127 127 301 Luna Whatever you want to say, I get it. 1
128 128 302 ...? 129 What do you mean? 129
129 129 301 Luna I know the routine now. If I don't listen to you, my body hurts. 1
130 130 301 Luna All I've wanted is for my wish to come true. All I've wanted... is Lucia by my side. 1
131 131 301 Luna She no longer has to act tough or lie about the bad things in the world. I'm strong enough for both of us now. I'll carry her burden, whatever it is. She just needs to stay with me. 1
132 132 301 Luna I'll destroy this world of liars, and I'll make all the vile men pay. 1
133 133 301 Luna Once the filtering is over, I'll create a paradise where we can live freely. A place to truly call home. 1
134 134 301 Luna And then everything that's ever hurt and upset Lucia will disappear. She and I can go to the places she's always wanted to go. 1
135 135 301 Luna She... is still the kind soul she was, but something's changed, and she wouldn't tell me what it is. 1
136 136 301 Luna But the only thing that I've never regretted is finding her and getting her back to me. 1
137 137 301 Luna's gaze seems to go through you, setting on something else. Chillingly she smirks.
138 138 204 1 2
139 139 301 Luna Doesn't matter whose face you're donning. I know none of this is real. 1
140 140 301 Luna So—stop thinking that your tricks will sway me. 1
141 141 202 1 1
142 142 302 (Does she think that I'm a projection in her mind...?) 143
143 143 401 2 1503
144 144 301 The void begins to shake. The corners of Luna's clothes begin to crumble and fade into the darkness. You fear that her consciousness will soon follow suit.
145 145 302 I'm not a projection. 146
146 146 201 1 500238 4
147 147 301 1 Luna ...? 1
148 148 204 1
149 149 301 Luna Then, why are you here? 1
150 150 301 Luna's expression changes back to the one you remember—proud, estranged, but then fictitious and distant.
151 151 302 Lucia is still fighting. 152
152 152 301 Even in the M.I.N.D., the sound of Lucia battling the Hetero-Creature comes through constantly. Every wound she takes is another second to save Luna.
153 153 204 1 5
154 154 301 Luna ...Lucia? 1
155 155 301 Luna My sister's outside... Why is she... 1
156 156 302 She is fighting for you. 157
157 157 302 Just like how she used to fight to protect you. 158
158 158 204 1 4
159 159 301 As though something has hit her, Luna braces her head with her hands.
160 160 301 Luna What's... happening to me? 1
161 161 301 Luna I was there with... Gabriel, and the Polyphage... that thing... it's wrong, it shouldn't exist... 1
162 162 301 Luna And then I... 1
163 163 302 You're inside the Polyphage. 164 Gabriel's going after Alpha. 164
164 164 301 Luna's expression shifts for the first time. She stands straight and tall.
165 165 204 1 6
166 166 301 Luna I remember now—Gabriel was going to turn Alpha into...! 1
167 167 301 Luna I... will not forgive anyone who hurts my sister. 1
168 168 202 1 1
169 169 301 You hear the sound of something cracking in the dark as if it has escaped from the constraints of darkness as it returns to Luna.
170 170 201 1 500066
171 171 301 1 α Luna... 1
172 172 202 1 1
173 173 301 The voice of Alpha's call lingers in the air while the sound of Lucia's battle hits your consciousness periodically, guiding you like a beacon.
174 174 301 The darkness tries to flood you out, rejecting your invasive psyche. You keep getting ejected from the M.I.N.D., bouncing between it and reality.
175 175 301 As the force that pulls you away intensifies, more and more voices from the outside world leak into the M.I.N.D, destabilizing your hold of it. But you still try your best to tell Luna your plan.
176 176 301 Witnessing your fading shadow, Luna looks conflicted.
177 177 301 "I will take every chance to overcome this."
178 178 301 "That's why I'm going to get you out of here."
179 179 301 "And you're going to defeat the Polyphage and save Lucia."
180 180 201 1 500238 4
181 181 301 1 Luna Is that why you believe in this human, Lucia? 1
182 182 301 Luna Even without my full power, I should be able to accomplish that. 1
183 183 301 Luna My sister is still outside... I'm not meeting my end here. 1
184 184 202 1 1
185 185 301 Realizing that Luna is attempting to escape, the dense fog of darkness converges around her again, striking her with its physical form.
186 186 301 The nightmare that has been haunting her M.I.N.D. is now a physical monster that rips into her body, and it tries to drag her back into the abyss.
193 193 301 AniZhuanchangBegin The scars of her resistance torment her like a whip lashing her over and over again, but Luna ignores the pain as she runs toward the only light in the darkness.
197 197 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Your consciousness returns to the real world, and all the pain you have been holding off surfaces all at once, almost knocking you out again.
198 198 301 However, the infection from the Punishing Virus is surprisingly receding even without injecting a serum, despite the fact that you should have succumbed to it long ago.
199 199 301 The chaos that was flooding into your mind has also stopped as if something is blocking it. Your incapacitated body is now slowly recovering.
200 200 201 1 500238 3
201 201 301 1 Luna ... 1
202 202 202 1 1
203 203 301 The Polyphage reacts to Luna waking up by expending all its power to suppress her mind. She winces again from the pain.
204 204 301 It attempts to pull her consciousness back into the abyss once more. If it succeeds, their minds will be fused forever, and Luna will cease to exist while the Polyphage will gain all her power.
205 205 301 But this has distracted the Polyphage long enough from maintaining control over the hunting claws. The aggressive arms begin to weaken, making them easy targets even for a novice sword-wielder.
