Глава 7

I can't even imagine how the potent tempest at the center of the ritual would affect a living being.

It wouldn't know the difference between friend or foe... any living thing would be slowly pulled apart by the waves of energy.

It doesn't seem useful for modern combat. The cost far outweighs any potential gain.

'Cannibalism.'

The phrasing may seem alarmist, but that's how this ritual is called.

It's not surprising that the device at the center of the ritual is called an altar, considering how horrifically destructive it is. That the uninitiated refer to this as 'witchcraft.'

I... I don't think ordinary Sarkaz mercenaries know how to use these kinds of Arts.

You would have to have extensive Arts knowledge and combat experience from Kazdel to be able to pull off this ritual. And you wouldn't actually need to be a caster.

But he... he's only a Kazdel Sarkaz. Not one of the descendants of the ancient Sarkaz still wandering around the world.

...Dr. Kal'tsit, is this second layer of protective equipment designed to protect against the Sarkaz Arts?

Not entirely. The amount of energy the ritual is producing exceeds the maximum tolerance of our equipment.

This ritual can only be completed successfully in a city lost to Catastrophe.

Our gear will not negate the effects of the ritual. Its power derives from antiquity, and cannot be separated from it.

All we can do is mitigate its lethality, and destroy it after clearing the area.

A Sarkaz ritual is not only a challenge to modern technology.

It's almost as if it's standing to once again challenge the other civilizations of this world, as the Sarkaz have plotted throughout history.

It's a metaphor.

Yes. But Sarkaz history is more than metaphorical.

The Reunion element guarding Chernobog is not a typical group. I've said as much already.

Reunion may very well rely on 'hubs' in 'neural networks' to operate as a single unit on a large scale.

But for today's purely push-strategy driven environment, Reunion would be something of an anomaly.

Imagine if soldiers who could not deal with the Infected, with no training in how to fight Sarkaz, infiltrated the core city...

They would suffer a crushing defeat.

...Right.

Then... let me think...

...Dr. {@nickname}, Dr. Kal'tsit.

The places where the enemy performed the Sarkaz rituals must be important locations, or critical transport hubs.

They're much more familiar with the terrain than we are. They would have mapped out all the paths long before we could... They must have had defenses in place before we even started our operation.

The only advantage we have is our intelligence. We know how they're deployed, and they know nothing about us.

...So we move quickly to wipe out the enemies guarding this area. The faster we do it, the safer we'll be. Don't let them alert the other guards.

Don't even think about an ambush. We can't waste time here.

Right. I will help with the assault.

Hm, okay... I think...

Dr. Kal'tsit, look, I think, if...

—Alright.

If you don't need my assistance, Dr. {@nickname}.

Huh?;......;Is there something I can help with?

Please help Amiya command the operation.

You will evaluate the progress of the battle.

Roger!

Rosmontis, we're moving out!

We'll vacate the area after this battle and head to the core city surface!

Rosmontis... at least it'll be sunny.

Sunny~

(Heh. Look at them.)

(The rest is up to you, Dr. {@nickname}. I know you won't let us down.)

Kal'tsit, we won't see that disappointment again.

You never step into the same river twice. There won't be a second time.

Even with the same person, the same thing... in a different time, we'll have a different outcome. This world... will change.

You believe it, don't you?

Yes... It makes sense that you wouldn't.

But I believe it. Dr. {@nickname}, a person like that... I know... if it wasn't this time right now, Dr. {@nickname} would be different.

I've seen a lot, so very many... Even if everyone else won't, I can understand.

Kal'tsit... Kal'tsit.

If... we had a little more time... you and I...

(You can prove you're not the Dr. {@nickname} that was stuck in the past.)

(In this time...)

(No matter how, Dr. {@nickname}, you have to.)

Chernobog Warehouse 12:40 A.M.

With all these warehouses and storage equipment... this must be the warehouse district.

If we stay on this path, we'll reach the central district.

Amiya! Come look! In the warehouse.

What is it? ...Oh.

Signs of combat using sharp, blade-type Arts. Made quick work of three Reunion guys, tossed them over here.

...still going.

Dr. Kal'tsit!

Um, I'm asking you and the medic operators to take care of the Reunion people. They may have important information.

And we've picked up Madame Ch'en's trail here...

Bloodstains. She's hurt.

There's a trail of blood here, but it stops over there. She got her bleeding under control.

Only one person left the scene. It must be Madame Ch'en.

...Hold on, Madame Ch'en. We're coming...

We're doing this again?;......;Feels like déjà vu.

Hah... Yeah, Chernobog was just like this.

But Madame Ch'en was able to take on a rogue Reunion team all by herself back there...

This time, it's totally different.

We had a cooperation agreement then, nothing else. I was only starting to learn who Madame Ch'en was...

But here, we're already...

Is that... a civilian?

...Where did she come from? We haven't found their hideout...

This is an Ursus graveyard!

(Stay alert... but hold your fire!)

We're a neutral group researching the Infected! Ma'am,  we're here to help you!

We mean you no harm, you're a regular Infected—

Infected? Pfah! I'm Ursus!

You want to help the Infected...?! Hah, bullshit... Don't you know what you Infected have done to us?

Ma'am, we'll keep our distance if you feel unsafe. We'll stay twenty meters back.

No, no, I'm Infected too. So I'm not supposed to talk to you like that, right?

You'll save the Infected? Ahaha, hahaha... All Infected should all just die!

I should die too. I should die too! If there were no Infected, I wouldn't have gotten Infected!

All they think about is revenge and hurting others... Is THAT what the Infected do? Is that what I should be doing?!

(Amiya, comfort her, okay?)

(No. Not now.)

(Let her vent. All the painful memories she's built up over the last month are stabbing into her consciousness.)

(It's time she... faces them. This is a chance for her to pull them all out.)

Do you know who we are here, Infected?

Infected, just like you. Alive and dead.

The Infected who managed to just barely keep themselves alive, thanks to Reunion; and the countless Infected who died here, thanks to Reunion...

But we weren't Infected before.

They scattered the people of Chernobog in all directions, then hunted us down. It started as a slaughter, then turned to torture, and finally they dumped the survivors like trash!