act13side

(They stopped... Did they change positions? Smart.)

(If I'd known this would be such a pain, I would've ignored the call for backup...)

(Still...)

Platinum closes her eyes.

She thinks back to something her parents told her long ago.

They told her that her sharp eyes would bring honor and glory to the family.

Has she found glory yet?

I got you now, Szewczyk.

Urgh—?!

An arrow brushes past Szewczyk's face, fierce as a windstorm.

A few centimeters' difference and his brain would be torn to pieces.

—She's fighting from such a distance?!

Talk to me, Szewczyk!

Dammit! Don't stop! Keep moving!

Hnn—

This arrow's a present for you... Merry Christmas.

Special arrowheads... And they go hard.

She can pin down our positions even in complex urban terrain like this?

They're gone...

Did they get away?

I'm not one to run like that, Platinum.

You... What did you do to my family?!

What did you do to them?!

You realized you can't fight me at range, so you're making this a melee?

Good thinking.

Ngh—

Pathetic... A father ending up like this because he crossed the Armorless Union.

You little—!

I didn't kill your wife and child.

—Where are you hiding them?!

If you just did what the Armorless Union wanted, I could get you on the phone with them..

You...

You want me to betray Pinus Sylvestris?

Are you a father... or are you a knight?

Do you have to go so far for the Infected, Szewczyk?

Don't move.

That's as far as you go, Platinum... At this range, your reflexes are no match for my bolts.

Make your choice.

Grr...

None of you... give a damn about us knights...

Anyone can become a knight by joining the competitions. It's easier if you're born into knight nobility, though, yeah.

The knighthood... is kind of just a disappointing dream.

Tch...!

—Is pride more important than your family?

I was never going to trust you anyway, you dirty assassin!

Do it, Fartooth!

Looks like order has returned to the streets.

That was a huge ruckus...

Did Sona and her friends do all that?

Perhaps... there are others fanning the flames.

Their hearts are filled with anger. They want to rise up against their unfair treatment, and the Infected's fight... will end up exploited by another party for another purpose.

I've seen tragedies like this time and again.

Are you thinking about helping them?

Your choice is between fighting for the Infected and fighting as a knight. Those choices couldn't be more mutually exclusive these days—

—The injustice that the Infected face is just the tip of the iceberg. Suffering takes more forms than our eyes can see.

I believe there will be those who will uphold justice for the Infected, and I trust that they will achieve just that.

Margaret...

But it's not up to us to rescue them. It'll all be meaningless if they find themselves rescued by those who already have a firm conviction.

A rare visitor.

It's been some time, Sir Młynar.

Don't 'Sir' me. You're the only knight here.

If you're here for Margaret, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.

It has been years since I last came back to the Grand Knight Territory. I am shocked to find our hero's estate... in this shape.

Have the sisters moved out?

My apologies... That is your family issue.

Was there something else...?

Sir Młynar—

Stop calling me that.

Others may look down on you, but we will not.

Even if Margaret strayed onto the wrong path and her younger sister is still young, the Nearl family didn't earn our respect riding on a legacy of fame.

The boastful merchants have not realized this fundamental idea, and that is why they do not understand the actions that knights take.

And, truly, just seeing you in good health eases my mind.

You mean my appearance? Spare me the pleasantries, sir.

If you truly have any respect for me, please leave.

Sir Młynar.

We have the utmost respect for you... no, for the Nearl family.

The age of heroes is long behind us...

Does a mere citizen of Kazimierz like me really deserve such respect from a Silverlance Pegasus?

What a bizarre evening, Doctor...

It'll be daybreak soon. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. The K.G.C.C. has a lot on its hands, after all...

Tell me your thoughts on Area 0.

I'd like to think... there's no hidden meaning in that question.

You are a clever one.

Regrettably.

Right...

Do you think that... the way the Grand Knight Territory treats its Infected is a reasonable measure?

You don't need to answer me. Both you and I know the answer—It's only a compromise.

We could neither make the perfect, humane solution nor bring ourselves to go with the bloody, primitive answer, and this is the result.

That's unreasonable, Mr. Malkiewicz.

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but our society today is built on top of all kinds of unreasonable things. You might want to poke through our history books a little.

You may not know this... but after the nation of pegasi was overthrown in the upheaval wrought by the Nightzmora and this country of knights came to be, it was the affinities who actually banded together first.

The affinities toiled away for the knights' profits and tended their lands. Then, they came together, and chased the tyrannical knights off the stage.

And now? The K.G.C.C. controls both a hitman agency and the competition knights, and those who are being controlled will always try to rise up and break free of tyranny—

History repeats itself, Doctor.

The spokesman before me had some dirty dealings too. He paid the price for them, and now it's my turn to step into this position, pressing forward no matter how hard the job.

Does all this fit your concept of morality? Is it 'reasonable?'

I don't know how you've come to know this, but you've no doubt already noticed...

The way the General Chamber has decided to deal with those who get injured in the arena, those whose Oripathy has progressed beyond control... is to put them out of their misery.

Is it unreasonable? Of course. I want to tell them 'no' myself.

But do we have to keep treating those Oripathy patients, when this disease is incurable?