act36side

What's going on?! Why are we being chased by all these magic items?! Who sent them after us?!

My sword can't reach them! They're not like the other monsters we've fought before!

Marcille! Use your magic already!

I... I got caught in the blast!

*cough* *cough*! They can use both explosion and freezing magic, and target them with precision. These things sure are something!

They're too quick, I can't aim like this!

What do we do then?!

We run! I'll use my magic to counter theirs! Try to get out of their range!

Looks like there's a village that way! These things flew in over from there though, so I don't think we're going to see any friendly faces...

Marcille! Look out!

I figured out their flight patterns!

Leave us... alone already!

The bombs are sent flying by Marcille's magic, heading right back to the drones that fired them.

Hoist by their own petard, they rattle and shake as they fall to the ground.

With a massive boom, the buildings are set ablaze, and the ringing of the blast is closely followed by the shouting of the villagers. After the explosion comes the falling magic items, which careen into a few unlucky souls.

Marcille can't help but tighten her grip on her staff.

I think we made them really mad, Laios!

Senshi, Marcille, sometimes we just have to grit our teeth and get fighting.

A shame... we still haven't found out anything about Rhodes Island...

By golly, the Catastrophe didn't ruin none of our corn fields! Didn't get licked by the sandstorm neither!

I've been worried sick for days over this. If the fields're gone, we'd have nothing to eat or sell past summertime!

How bout's I go start up the drones then, boss? Other places mightn't have been as lucky. If they see we're still spick and span, we're gonna have a problem with thieves and looters.

Well go on then. Just 'member to switch them from patrol mode to attack mode.

Oh right, remember to let that Rhodes Island fella in, he's meant to be stopping by after the Catastrophe!

You got it, boss!

Eh? That ain't right... Why's the drone relay all...

The drones ain't responding? Signal's... Boss! Boss!!!

Th-The Catastrophe hit the drone relay! The drones— They're outta control!

Alright, don't lose your cool! Turn that relay off first!

I can't! It ain't shutting down!

Gosh dang diddly darn it! Figure it out yourself! I'm not paying you to sit around and do nothing!

Ah! The, the... Originium circuits... The mainline board...

Hey, what's going on here?! Not gonna welcome me in?

No, no, you're a sight for sore eyes! I remember you, you're Ryan, the guy with the little hammer! Come help us out, the drones are outta control!

That so? Alright, hang back a bit. I'll go take a look for you—

Wha— Who was that?! Is someone really here to take our crops?!

Screw those bastards!

Hey, this is Ryan, with a new entry for the mission log.

First, bringing back Ceobe. Uh... This mission's proving a bit harder than anticipated. Our intel says this is the last place the kid showed up, but actually finding her's not so simple.

Then I've got to pay a visit to the 'Cornhole', see how they're doing after the Catastrophe. Hope everything's alright there—

What was that?! Is there a dust-up going on in the frontier?

Ah! The, the... Originium circuits... The mainline board...

(...I don't see anyone from outside the village? Seems like they've got some kind of internal issues.)

(Guess I better find out what's going on. These guys aren't the friendliest bunch...)

Hey, what's going on here?! Not gonna welcome me in?

No, no, you're a sight for sore eyes! I remember you, you're Ryan, the guy with the little hammer! Come help us out, the drones are outta control!

(Phew, okay, just some out-of-control drones. If there really was fighting out here, I'd be done for...)

That so? Alright, hang back a bit. I'll go take a look for you—

*hack* *cough* *cough* *cough*!!!

(Dammit, there really are other pioneers here to pick a fight!)

Wha— Who was that?! Is someone really here to take our crops?!

Screw those bastards!

(This can't be good. if I get Rhodes Island involved in a frontier tussle, we'll be in trouble. L-Let's get these guys to safety first, and hopefully that'll calm things down—)

Hey, don't be rash, buddy! You don't know how many people are out there, we best hunker down for now!

Frick that, I saw four of 'em earlier! Go for the two shorties first!

Let's gettem!

Hey, wai—

...Eh? Only four of them? What kind of gang is this?

Two groups? Be careful, they've got weapons, and more of those magic items Marcille can't do anything about. Just stay calm.

CALM?! I AM <i>DONE</i> BEING CALM! My hair's all messed up thanks to that explosion! Ruined my braid! I really liked it, you know?!

You ess-oh-bees think you can mess with me? You sick freaks think you can just bomb my barn?!

No, stop! Let's talk it out like civilized folk! The drones are still flying around like crazy! Do you really want to pick a fight <i>now</i>?

Shove it! You think I'm scared of my own drones?

What good is talking going to do when it's <i>them</i> who attacked <i>us</i> out of nowhere?!

Shut it, lady, you're the ones who blew up my barn! You guys got a death wish—

They're attacking! Take cover!

Well, yeah, they're the ones controlling the magic items!

Gah! Yowch! None of these pains-in-the-butt are listening to me— Ow!

Look, fighting out in the wild's just going to draw in who-knows-what! Let's all calm down and talk things out, okay?

As though in response to his earnest plea, all of a sudden, the ground begins to rumble.

Could it be another Catastrophe? The thought flits through the minds of some, but is immediately dispelled by what comes next.

A tidal wave of gloompincers seems to have had enough of the drones dropping bombs in the skies above their heads. They raise their pincers in formation and march towards the gaggle of people...

A swarm of monsters?!

Run! We can't handle that many with just the four of us!

But there's nowhere <i>to</i> run! We're surrounded!

Let's just back off for now...

Ugh!

—Gah! Watch where you're going! Who was that?! I'll hammer you into—It's you punks?!

We can't run, boss! The gloompincers got us hemmed in!

Everyone, please, listen to me. We'll deal with them together, alright?

A-And don't forget the drones!