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Nothing...? Where's Lava? Where's Saga?

No idea, they... M-My benefactor, are we back in Mount Hui-ch'i?

...Leave.

Who are you...?

I'll say this only once.

Don't tell me... You are Dusk?

This was Nian's idea, wasn't it?

I don't know who you people are, and I don't want to know what you've got to do with her. I don't care.

Now leave.

Don't tell me... You are the villain behind it all...?

What if I am?

For someone who dared to disrupt my tranquility over and over, this is no punishment at all.

You don't mean, it's all because of the firecrackers...?

You've got it all wrong. We weren't trying to—

Wrong?

Nian may be able to fool you, but she can't fool me.

No matter what she says, I don't want to see her. Tell her that.

That's...

But what about Lava and Saga?

They—

Heavenly forge—

—Take the bounty to the earth.

What... Where?!

And smelt an edge to slice the sky!

W-What?! Where is this sound coming from?

Get down!

*cough* *cough*—

—What in the world did you come up with again?!

Oh, it's just a big-ass firecracker. Eight feet long and three feet wide, uses the latest and greatest technology, never before seen in Terra, for its ignition!

You know how close I was? You could've at least warned me before you set that thing off!

We didn't have the time. She would've gotten away again.

Isn't that right, my dear little sister?

—You.

How dare you burn my art!

Your art?

Oh, I see. The moment we flung that door open, we'd already stepped into the world of your paintings, huh?

Or are we in the middle of a hike? Maybe this whole mountain is just a fantasy that you've dreamt up?

Oh, no wonder I could never find you, you unsociable loner—

W-What?

That's right. I mean, you can't possibly hide all that junk in a cottage that small, can you? Are you telling me none of you figured that out?

Hm, I guess most people's cognition and senses get affected, though. Can't blame you for not noticing, then.

It's just like how you wouldn't feel anything's off no matter what kind of weird dream you have in your sleep.

Aha, you mad because I blew your little secret?

I'll beat you up and send you back to that mausoleum, 'Big Sis.'

Eh, that place was destroyed long ago.

Oh, perfect, then. It's time to build a new one, and we'll give its design a little more thought this time.

Hehe, you haven't changed at all. Always such a foulmouth when you're pissed... Did you just call me 'Big Sis' though?

...You heard that right. After all, when you have to kill someone, it costs nothing to be cordial.

Don't worry, my 'little sister.' How many times have you defeated me?

Don't be so confident, my all bark and no bite big sister.

Well, I wonder about that, my cocky little sister.

Kroos, Mr. Nothing, hide!

Heavenly forge, take the bounty of the earth and smelt an edge to slice the sky.

Starshrouded snow, hidden moon, let the crude mounts' waters sweep the streams.

You're extremely bad-tempered, you don't ever talk, you get mad all of a sudden, and your attitude is completely terrible. No wonder I, your own sister, am the only one willing to take care of you.

You don't get along with that silly wordsmith, because you two don't accept that both word and art rose from the same source. You don't get along with me, because you don't wanna try hotpot that's even a little bit spicy—

*sigh*, if you ever come up with those silly dishes like Metal Crab ice cream pot again, I really won't have a clue what to do with you.

Enough talk.

I'm guessing you're trying to drag this out by spewing nonsense because you're exhausted already?

...Eh, you haven't gotten even a bit of shut-eye all these years?

Pulling an all-nighter may help you keep a clear head better than losing a couple hours of sleep, but the fatigue adds up and wears you out.

Oh, I get it. You're scared.

Grr...

You know yourself better than anyone. And you know you're part of the painting, too. And you're afraid you'll cease to exist when you wake up.

Shut up!

Oh, calm down.

We all need to face the truth about ourselves. That's not something we can run from.

Tsk.

I didn't know you could get this sentimental. Perhaps you got a little too much sleep?

By the time 'we' wake up and gaze upon this world, both you and I as we exist right now will disappear, without a trace.

Not only that, 'we' will set this whole world ablaze with our flames of rage. The humiliation and resentment inside me will burn as well, up until the moment 'our' ties are cut.

And I won't be particularly happy about that.

...You'll resist it?

Nonsense. How will you, a mere part of the body, take on the whole?

Eh, I think I used that analogy before.

Enough of your smooth talk. We don't have time—

Yeah, I know. I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Before 'we'—Actually, I guess since we've broken it off with those lunatics, it's not really 'we' anymore—

—Before 'it' awakens, we need to be fully prepared. We have to be able to do this, no matter what kind of strength we need to borrow.

And we aren't doing this for anything. It's only for ourselves and the things we love.

Also, I'm sure you noticed... Some of our siblings are on our side, some don't care, and there are some... who are absolute nut jobs.

...Impossible.

Really? Don't you actually have a few ideas about who those nut jobs are?

They're all close to the True Lung. What chance do they... No... That's not right...

What are you doing, being more confused than I am? Just take a look back at our long history. How many times have you seen so much as a peep out of those guys?

These days, even the big shots who like to throw their weight around send their Messengers to lounge in that little temple's side hall... It's not gonna fool me, and it's not gonna fool anyone.

Shackles can't keep you down now, can they? If not, then what makes you think anything can keep the others down?

Anyway, we really don't have much time left. It doesn't matter who drove us into this corner, there's just no time.

Do you remember the last time you had a good night's sleep?

Oh, man, that was close. You really don't think much of your art, do you? You painted these yourself! And to think you were just lecturing me about that.

Enough nonsense.

Guessing you're not gonna admit it?

...Not necessarily. What you just said is worth giving a little thought to.

But what does any of that have to do with the 'Rhodes Island' place? What does that have to do with what it is you want to accomplish?

You could go check it out yourself. It's a great place.

...A fair amount of us have already come to accept this fate.

We'll disappear, and it will awaken. We will become I anew, before we all cease to exist as the destruction of the great Yan cities rings in the air.

Is there any point in that...?

That's the answer you came up with after all these years? A little too sappy, don't you think? What happened to the haughty, arrogant Dusk I remember?

Ah, whatever. If this goes on, we'll run out of paintings to mess up. Hmph—

Wait, not again—