Глава 6

Slowly but surely, things turned bad. When supplies really started to run low, the uninfected began throwing rocks at us. Then we started disappearing.

And after a few dozen speeches in the town square, nobody brought up the mayor's embezzlement, or the way he was renovating the town center for himself.

I mean, we Infected could see it. The ordinary townsfolk had to know.

From the other side of the ghetto wall, we could hear them chanting things like 'purify the town' and 'exterminate the Infected.'

You were his scapegoat.

When life gives you lemons, right? But weren't we always scapegoats? I know I said the town treated us pretty well, but that's just for the last few decades.

The rest of the story is pretty simple. They came in and killed most of the Infected. The rest of us fled into the wilderness, where about half of us starved to death.

Now here in Lungmen, more of us died. Everyone from my hometown is already dead.

So yeah, you're right. This is the way it goes. There's no place in this world for the Infected. The only cause for hope is that we didn't see it go down ourselves.

Why are you telling me this?

I got the feeling I don't have much time left. You don't happen to have a nice, painless way to kill somebody, do you?

What are you saying...?

Huh?

Oh...

Sorry? I may have misread this.

Lungmenites still hate you. You attacked our city.

Sure. But where's the Infected city?

Huh? Fire?

Hey, let's not fly off the handle here... All you had to say was you wanted the window seat. There's no need for violence.

The fire spreads so quickly. Strange. This is no natural flame.

Why?

It doesn't spread like a 'true flame.'

Then let's get out of here. Who knew this place would go to hell too.

And where do we go?

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Come with us. You Lungmenites don't like leaving home, right? Might as well leave it with us.

Go with you?

Sure, why not? You don't have to if you don't want it.

...I'll think about it.

But, home...

Where is home?

第二关（后）

They've lost all humanity...

Amiya...

Yeah. I'm fine.

Can we still reach Blaze, Doctor, and GreyThroat?

No problem.

Good. Keep in touch with them. Help them find their way.

(Thirsty howling).

I can't feel... anything from you anymore. That faint outline of a thread of hatred, it all came from Mephisto...

I have to cleanse it... the poison of Mephisto's hate.

I promise. I will.

I've finished mopping up the Reunion stragglers and reached the waypoint. But we've found the situation in the slums is not what we expected.

The L. G. D. unit guarding the area found no traces of Reunion. I'm going to have to investigate myself.

There's been a reduction in the Infected mutants? Is that your doing?

No?

Stay frosty... You never know what danger might be hiding in the shadows.

Don't let your guard down. These Infected are a lot more to handle than your run-of-the-mill Reunion.

Once I finish my work here, I'll send a team to assist you. Keep the channel open. Over and out.

Who's there?!

It's me! Reporting in!

Not you...

Huh...?

Nothing. Report in.

Yes, Sir! As ordered, we swept the area!

What did you find?

Nothing! Not a single Reunion footprint to be found!

I told you to be on the lookout for anything unusual!

Oh... Oops. We really don't know this area at all.

I mean, according to procedure, we don't come in here until there's a problem so serious we have to tear down a block or something.

I know... The slums don't exist to you, as long as they're quiet.

When we cut off Reunion, there was a deafening sound coming from this place, and half the residents here vanished.

Look at the toys scattered around our feet... Look at this and tell me there's nothing out of the ordinary.

Was there anything in the plan about evacuating all the residents of the slums?

...There are a few things out of the ordinary. Most of the buildings in the district have been abandoned or otherwise ruined.

The streets that are still here are completely empty. Presumably a result of crossfire between Reunion and the locals.

And there have been a few fires. We have extinguished them. They seem to have been caused by household functions such as heating and cooking.

All buildings show signs of forced entry, but there is no trace of any resistance from the residents.

As for Reunion, there's really no sign of them at all. Just... some cleaning residue.

Do you care nothing for the civilians here?

...Sorry, Sir!

What are you apologizing for?

I don't know, Sir!

Whatever... Why should you care about anyone in a place like this?

Hurry up and send out some teams to lock down the area!

No one gets in or out. No vehicles either. Reunion or otherwise!

As for you... You come with me. We're going north.

Yes, Sir!

(Shh. Don't make a sound!)

(This way. Quickly.)

Very perceptive.

What are you doing?!

Preparing to fire!

You should not follow.

Control your subordinates, Ch'en.

Go find Swire.

But, Sir...

Go!

Who sent you?

I do not answer to you.

You think you can run? Try and I'll arrest you on the spot.

You're an unidentified armed element of unknown origin. How do you think the L. G. D. is going to treat you? We might just shoot you dead.

Training a new L. G. D. unit would be a waste of Lungmen's time, treasure, and talent.

And eradicating the entire L. G. D. would be a crushing blow to the heart of the Lungmen community. You should not take the risk.

Hah! Is that threat supposed to scare me? Or should I be thanking you for your concern over Lungmen's future?

Ch'en, the L. G. D. is the face of Lungmen, as well as a pillar of her community, and an exemplary show of her strength.

And the L. G. D. should stay in its lane.

Don't let it stick its nose where it doesn't belong.

Your threats are really not impressing me. Hurry up and answer the question: where did all the locals go?

You're one tap of this 'alert all units' button away from making an enemy out of the entire L. G. D.

Or I guess you could take a split second to knock away my sword, slice off my arm, and snatch away this transceiver.