act25side

The stars crash to the ground.

Someone lifts a head from the pristine white debris scattered all over the floor.

What's the matter, Control? You were faster before.

Since you weren't able to kill me, I'll launch my counteroffensive.

Don't blink.

The stars struck down by Saria refloat, setting off on a new trajectory.

Kristen's fingers flick to the side.

Saria's legs suddenly feel a thousand times heavier.

The gravity... shifted?

You used this trick to send Muelsyse away.

But it won't work on me.

Enamel grows beneath Saria's feet like a pair of heavy duty boots, holding her in place.

And then, she begins to move forward, step by step.

Instead of refining the way you generate calcium particles, you've simply increased the release speed.

The enamel you're generating has gotten even more brittle.

A hardy resistance... isn't enough to cross the finish line.

A metal planet shatters the enamel barrier, hitting Saria on her shoulder.

Saria does not cease her advance.

It happens twice, and then thrice.

Saria continues to speed up.

Saria, stop.

'Stop'?

That's what I said to you.

I can tell you all about my plans...

I know.

Then why do you insist on stopping me? There will be no other victims in this plan. I just...

Just... wanted to set off some harmless fireworks over the skies of Trimounts.

The moment H.A.M.H.R.R. finishes its job, both the military and Maylander will breathe a sigh of relief.

The residents of Trimounts will be momentarily captivated by the spectacle unfolding before them in the sky, but soon enough their focus will be directed towards other, more deserving concerns.

Rhine Lab... might be the most affected party here. She will lose her Control, possibly several Directors, and the confidence of powerful Columbian organizations.

Then you should have stayed on the ground.

Clean up the mess, protect those who might be hurt by this, and carry our Rhine Lab through the crisis. You've always been good at that.

You forgot again, I resigned... a long time ago.

People like Blake like to call scientists 'mad.'

And we couldn't care any less.

But science is supposed to be rational.

Kristen, when I first heard the story of your parents, I thought... they shouldn't have seen an ending like that.

If they hadn't perished in that accident, and had returned before hitting the barrier...

They would have brought back incomparably precious data, as well as the possibility of a second attempt.

You obviously...

...I admire their will and determination.

But I've never been one to approve of sacrifice, even justified and inevitable.

Ferdinand, Nasti, Parvis... they and many others always thought me too conservative.

They see me as a stickler for rules, obstructing all of you.

Hah... 'Can a woman like this even be called a scientist?'

Even I myself... have asked this question.

You're the most dedicated truth seeker I know.

...The truth.

Truth is the inertia that comes after order. I believe science can bring us truth, and truth can restrain madness, bringing about a better society for everyone.

Us Vouivres have always been accompanied by an instinctive madness, for as long as we can remember. Violence, savagery... we took an extremely long time just to step out of that chaotic darkness.

That's what I have been taught ever since I was small. I use reason to control myself, and desperately... want to confront the madness I see in all of you.

But you can't do it.

Saria, if you intend to hold onto Rhine Lab by your lonesome, you are sure to be disappointed.

Because humanity's thirst for progress is inherently undefeatable.

A type of desire, a type of 'madness,' but also a natural instinct, and the fuel that has brought us from the desolate barrenlands to where we stand.

Which is why I've come here, and not for a fight.

The heavy stars fall on her like a rockslide, and gravity controls the airflow to howl at her entire body.

Calcium crystals crumble from head to toe, but the mountaineer is determined to greet the storm with her own form.

Kristen, I almost admitted my own defeat while searching for you.

Until someone said to me, that I should return to the origin. So on my way here, I've been looking back... at where we all started.

Yes, I dread losing control, but it's not a fear of chaos, but a fear of regression caused by it.

So I must progress onward, as humanity must. Because for us, the trek is far from over.

Indeed, to this day, humanity still lives in the dark.

After all... we can't even see through the sky hanging over our heads.

The road is long—very, very long.

We hold more knowledge than the average bystander, so we must shoulder heavier responsibilities. We should ahead of them, eliminate any dangers, and carefully lead them on the path forward.

A real pioneer should be clearing the way for all humanity, instead of jumping headfirst into the abyss, never to return.

That is my foundation, and I will stand by it.

Caught you.

She has weathered the storm. She crosses the galaxy.

The final calcium crystals spread from one palm to the back of another, and the metal exoskeleton begins to tremble.

The synthetic stars ceaselessly revolve around the two in unison.

Everything else around them has sunk into chaos as a result of their Arts colliding and destroying each other.

Only the protector's will remains unshaken as the earth.

You're always slightly late.

And you're always slightly early. Been waiting long, Kal'tsit?

Not really.

I thought you would be next. You are like a microcosm of everything that happened in Ursus.

I'm sorry, I really am.

Sorry...? For what?

You knew my husband and I were already doomed when we made our decision at the research institute. You're not the type to get depressed...

...No, perhaps you might have even become more depressed in the last century.

No.

I hold regrets, and maybe even remorse towards your story, but not much sorrow.

I'm talking about your daughter. Folinic doesn't live in the better era that you wished for, an era where hate and violence have been forgotten. The same goes for Lyudmila.

Like I said, you're like a microcosm, Lillia.

You and Folinic have an unbreakable bond formed of hatred and blood. A microcosm. I've seen it many a time, a futile destruction.

Sounds like you're tired.

You weren't created to be a savior. You can't level a mountain with a finger, or destroy a city with your eyes.

Haha... just what kind of plebeian would hope that you were invincible? Do those fools think they could uphold a civilization teetering on the edge of collapse with just violence?

There might be some with such a hope.

They hope that I can bring them a future. Hope to survive in my country. Hope for a victory under my command.

You've failed them. Because you're just Kal'tsit.

Our conversation has yielded no answers.

Yes. You've admitted it, you're tired.

But why? You're always on the path of avoiding their self-destruction... but the power you hold is just that miniscule.

There's no way you can teleport from Victoria to Ursus, or monitor every Sarkaz on Terra to see what dangerous witchcraft they're delving into this time.

Whatever you do just grows more and more futile, so you're starting to get impatient, right?

And especially with—

I know.