7 7 301 Perhaps most people would be quiet and think it over first in order to sort through thousands of wishes and then pick the one with the highest priority.
8 8 301 Even if this is just a casual question, there is no promise to make their wishes come true. Humans will waste their time putting their wishes in order just in case they were ever to meet a genie.
9 9 301 Humans are such greedy creatures that they don't even realize it most of the time.
10 10 301 What about me...? I'd think it over quietly, but I'd never come up with an answer.
11 11 301 Because I don't have any wishes.
12 12 301 Not even to have the strength to survive anymore.
13 13 301 I've tried before, but it didn't work out too well. Just look at me now.
14 14 301 I wanted a simple life, but the virus destroyed it all. I wanted to be with my family, but they rotted right before me. I wanted to walk a new path, but I ended up deserted, and lost what little I was worth as a "human."
15 15 301 I used to make every move for the purpose of "living." I kept struggling to live, and it still went up in smoke.
16 16 301 So I've chosen not to struggle or be hopeful. Maybe I will consume all my energy and then rot in Kurono's disposal plant. Doesn't that sound okay, too?
17 17 301 Until one day, dazzling white light fills my whole world.
18 18 301 The screening process is the same for everyone. This is child's play compared with Kurono's screening process. However, both are excruciatingly painful.
19 19 301 —Listen to the screams of those that can still move. You could make music with their screams. If this was the Golden Age, I'm sure a remix of them would top the charts for a least a week.
20 20 301 That being said, I'm surprised I can still move.
21 21 301 AniZhuanchangBegin This is the beginning of it all.
24 24 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Roland This is my meeting with Miss Luna. After that... 1
25 25 301 Roland ...Lamia? 1
26 26 301 Roland When did she leave? 1
27 27 203 1 0.25 -400
28 28 201 2 500101 400
29 29 301 1 Gabriel She left when you started reminiscing and talking to yourself for the past fifteen minutes. 2
30 30 301 Gabriel steps out of the shadows in the corner of the room as he explains quietly.
31 31 204 1
32 32 301 Roland Weren't you listening? 1
33 33 301 As if he didn't hear the irony in Gabriel's words, Roland narrows his eyes and smiles. He folds his hands behind his head and leans against the wall in a more comfortable position.
34 34 301 Gabriel No, I wasn't. 2
35 35 301 Roland Yeah, sure. 1
36 36 301 Gabriel I thought you already had the perfect "audience." 2
37 37 301 Roland That's different. 1
38 38 301 Roland Sometimes, I wish I could at least get a response out of my "audience." 1
39 39 301 Roland So... What did you think of my story? 1
45 44 301 AniZhuanchangEnd "I'm looking for an answer, but I don't even know what the question is."
46 45 301 The girl continues to walk forward aimlessly...
47 46 201 1 500253
48 47 301 1 Luna Why are you still alive? 1
49 48 301 The girl's gaze shifts to the Construct. He is undoubtedly inflicted with a high concentration of the Punishing Virus, yet he remains cognizant.
50 49 201 1 500252
51 50 301 1 Roland I don't know. 1
52 51 201 1 500253
53 52 301 1 Luna Is that so... 1
54 53 301 Luna Then, do what you want to do. Find your family, seek revenge, kill others—you have at least something you want to do. Right? 1
55 54 201 1 500252
56 55 301 1 Roland ... 1
57 56 202 1 1
58 57 301 Unfortunately, no.
59 58 301 What an unbelievable girl. What kind of experience made her look like this?
60 59 301 So far, she has gone farther than anyone else.
61 60 301 A new road through a strange wilderness is before her, yet she is the only traveler.
62 61 301 Her whereabouts and destination... have me at the edge of my seat.
63 62 301 Does she really understand what her desire implies?
64 63 301 That is the desire to subvert the laws of the world, with which all of human history will be rewritten.
65 64 301 Then Luna notices a pair of eyes hiding in the dark.
66 65 201 1 500253
67 66 301 1 Luna Why are you following me? 1
68 67 201 1 500252
69 68 301 1 Roland You gave me a new life. You woke me up in the garbage dump, and allowed my body to regain control. You made me immune to the virus. 1
70 69 301 Roland I always felt like nothing in this world mattered. But at that moment, I realized that I might still want to live. 1
71 70 301 Roland So I should at least offer you my gratitude. 1
72 71 201 1 500253
73 72 301 1 Luna ... 1
74 73 301 Luna I don't know what you're talking about, but I accept your thanks. 1
75 74 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Luna Now stop following me. 1
111 110 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Lighting the campfire, the crackling pops from the burning wood intermittently break the silence and send tiny embers into the night sky.
112 111 301 This is one of their short respites during their journey long ago. However, Ascendants need not rest due to their power from the Punishing Virus—let alone build a campfire.
113 112 301 The agent of the Ascension-Network does not know why she still maintains some of her habits she once had as a human.
114 113 201 1 500253 -500
115 114 201 2 500252 500
116 115 301 1 Luna As an "Ascendant", your power will be at my disposal. 1
117 116 301 Roland And what makes you say that? 2
118 117 301 Luna I created you. I am your "Creator". 1
119 118 301 Roland But you obviously didn't care before. 2
120 119 301 Luna I changed my mind. It's not like you've found your "purpose," right? 1
121 120 301 Roland ...Very well. 2
122 121 301 Roland But... If I find my purpose, then I will leave. I may even become your enemy. What do you have to say about that? 2
123 122 301 Luna Do what you will. I will continue with my plan. If I have to squash one more pest, than so be it. 1
124 123 301 Roland ... 2
125 124 301 Roland Hehe, you little... You sure like to do as you please, miss. 2
126 125 202 1 2 1
127 126 301 Roland lets out his first ambiguous smile since opening his eyes in the ruins. He stands up, gets down on one knee before Luna, and puts his hand to his chest like a chivalrous knight in a play, sardonically.
128 127 201 1 500252
129 128 301 1 Roland Then let me pledge my allegiance until I find my "purpose." 1
130 129 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Roland Miss Luna. 1
135 133 301 AniZhuanchangEnd As night falls, fireworks light up the sky above Venus Splash Park.
136 134 301 While the Gray Ravens celebrate a short victory off in the distance, a figure quietly sneaks into the arcade.
137 135 301 The damaged arcade screen in the innermost part of the arcade suddenly lights up, then begins to play some loud but cheerful music.
138 136 301 'Memories O'n~Venus Beach -beta-'
139 137 301 "Humans. Drawn always by the beach. All too human—"
140 138 301 ??? Ouch, my ears! Skip!
141 139 301 The figure sits in front of the arcade cabinet, staring at the screen engrossed in the game.
142 140 301 Soon after, Roland smiles with satisfaction, takes off the arcade peripheral, and pulls out the storage device.
143 141 201 1 500008
144 142 301 1 Roland Shome, looks like you were holding back. 1
145 143 202 1 1
146 144 301 Roland jumps out of his seat, swings his weapon and breaks the machine, ending the final mission with sparks and the rumble of an explosion.
147 145 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Roland looks at the storage device in his hand, lost in thought.
152 150 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Luna Sis, if we can return to being Constructs, what would you do? 1
153 151 301 α Same thing right now. Whatever happens, I will still be by your side. That's all. 2
154 152 301 α Besides, there's no what-ifs in this world. 2
155 153 301 Alpha answers Luna's sudden question without thinking, but Luna only responds with a long silence.
156 154 301 Luna What if there are? 1
157 155 301 α ...You mean Shome's research? 2
158 156 301 Luna ...Yeah. 1
159 157 301 Luna Shome only saw one side of his research, but there is another side that no one's noticed. 1
160 158 301 Luna At the end on that other side lies the true "origin." 1
161 159 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Unable to respond, Alpha just looks ahead in silence. Seeing this side of Alpha, Luna shows some faint semblance of loss.
171 169 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Roland returns to the ground floor arcade and inserts the storage device into the console. The screen lights up and displays dozens of pages of research results.
172 170 201 1 500008
173 171 301 1 Roland The essence of... the Ascension-Network... 1
174 172 301 AniZhuanchangBegin Roland Miss Luna... Is this... your purpose? Your desire? 1
179 176 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Roland In other words... It's hard to recruit companions. Not to mention having someone as taciturn as me in the beginning. 1
180 177 301 Roland Coupled with the fact that our work has gotten complicated ever since "she" started making moves. Miss Luna sure has a knack for making enemies... Sigh. Forget it. I don't want to keep harping about it. 1
181 178 301 Roland If this was the Golden Age, I think I could write a book about all my struggles. Hmmm... What would I call it? Let me see... How about "Roland's Success: The Power of Language"? 1
182 179 301 Roland picks up a randomly discarded book in the ruins, then changes the name on the cover to his own.
183 180 301 Roland Hmph... What did people use to do here? Read books like this all day? 1
184 181 301 Gabriel Enough nonsense. Miss Luna has already triumphed. Let's prepare for the next mission. I don't have time to chat with you. 2
185 182 301 Roland You seem excited. 1
186 183 301 Gabriel Our plan is about to take root. As long as Babylonia falls, "it" will finally be used to its full potential. 2
187 184 301 Gabriel However, I need to be ready just in case there's a change of plan. 2
188 185 202 2 1
189 186 203 1 0.25
190 187 301 With that, Gabriel turns and leaves.
191 188 301 Roland Just like a dormant beast before the hunt. But... 1
192 189 202 1 1
193 190 301 It seems that the eyes of the beast covet that which it should not.
194 191 301 Roland squints his eyes, then throws the book into surging Red Tide beneath him.
195 192 201 1 500008 3
196 193 301 AniZhuanchangBegin 1 Roland Quite the thorn in our side... 1
233 228 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Miss Luna's questionable behavior suddenly begins to appear logical with the switch to their new "purpose."
234 229 301 Much like now with Roland standing before the Gray Ravens.
235 230 301 Luna could have wiped them out the moment they stepped foot here, but she did not.
236 231 301 The Gray Ravens have grown stronger since their last meeting. Even Roland has to unleash more of his power. They fight seamlessly as each member places their trust in one another and in the tactics of the commandant.
237 232 301 The teamwork they exhibited was far more troublesome than the entire Construct Army.
238 233 301 Even though the old frame had been reinforced, it cannot sustain the long drawn-out intensity of the battle. Looks like the battle has to come to a close.
239 234 301 More importantly, that Gray Raven Commandant—
240 235 301 —A commandant from the new generation of "elite commandants" that are loved by their team members and valued by Babylonia.
241 236 301 As for the Ascendant, he might just have the key in his hand.
242 237 301 But if you don't have enough strength, then the meaningless quality of "tenderness" can only be called "cowardice."
243 238 301 If you can't handle it, can you bear the consequences of your actions?
244 239 301 AniZhuanchangBegin You must come to terms with this—
249 243 301 AniZhuanchangEnd 1 Roland Oh, humans... You just love to run your mouth about sunshine and rainbows to have us sacrifice ourselves. What's the big deal, right? When you can just wipe our memories, and here we go again, wagging our tails. 1
250 244 301 Roland All your pretty words, simply because these Constructs are still useful to you. 1
251 245 301 Roland To us Ascendants, everything's fair and honest. We only serve absolute power, and when we unite, we'll create a world where humans are the ones who go extinct. 1
252 246 301 Lucia Enough with that! 2
253 247 301 Roland Fine, fine. I know you won't listen. 1
254 248 301 Roland But if your commandant asks you to kill your sister now, will you be able to do it? 1
255 249 301 Roland Can you really put that blade of yours in Luna's heart? 1
256 250 301 Lucia I... 2
257 251 202 1 2 1
258 252 301 Lucia visibly trembles for a moment, but then grabs the hilt of her katana and answers resolutely—
259 253 201 1 500008 -400
260 254 201 2 500166 5 400
261 255 301 1 Lucia I trust that the commandant won't make me choose. 2
262 256 301 Lucia Even then, the commandant will respect whatever choice I make. 2
263 257 202 1 2 1
264 258 301 No. I want to know what you will choose.
265 259 201 1 500008 -400
266 260 201 2 500166 400
267 261 301 1 Roland Is that so? 1
268 262 301 Roland Let me rephrase it. 1
269 263 301 Roland Facing your closest family, who stands opposite you, her hands soaking in blood, do you— 1
270 264 202 1 2 1
271 265 301 If she wants to return with you, will you welcome her with open arms as before?
272 266 301 Unfortunately, Gabriel interrupts the conversation.
273 267 301 However, Lucia's gaze already portrayed her conviction.
274 268 301 Running on the road to the core area, Roland lets out a muffled laugh.
275 269 201 1 500008 2
276 270 301 AniZhuanchangBegin 1 Roland Hehe... Looks like I still have some things to look forward to. 1
279 273 301 AniZhuanchangEnd Roland hears Alpha's question while on the bridge to the cave.
280 274 201 1 500100
281 275 301 1 α What's your actual purpose? 1
282 276 202 1 1
283 277 201 1 500008 4
284 278 301 1 Roland Purpose? 1
285 279 301 Alpha, the Gray Ravens, and Babylonia will be destroyed. Only then will Luna be able to unleash the true power of the Ascension-Network.
286 280 301 But if Luna still craves the warmth of her family and wants to return to a time before all of this—to return to being an ordinary Construct and to her sister's side—then the Gray Ravens will be the key.
287 281 301 For this reason, he had already prepared his "bargaining chip."
288 282 301 Roland My purpose... has been pretty obvious since the beginning. 1
289 283 202 1 1
290 284 301 As for when Luna's purpose became his own? That does not seem relevant anymore.
291 285 301 As if in response to the questions rising from the bottom of his heart, Roland clasps his hand at his chest.
292 286 201 1 500008
293 287 301 1 Roland ...I will pursue her until her dream becomes a reality. 1
294 288 202 1 1
295 289 301 1 AniZhuanchangBegin That is Roland's response.
