Глава 7

For...

...Captain Faust!

For all our comrades who've been betrayed by Talulah! For Faust!

Patriot is dead! Patriot is dead! Talulah betrayed Patriot! Talulah betrayed us all!

Are you sure it wasn't an outsider that killed him? I saw someone else kill him, not Talulah!

Patriot plotted with the Ursus Army to try to kill the Leader! Open your eyes and see the truth! Patriot is the traitor!

Patriot must have foreseen this.

But, his struggle against the storm was in vain. Even the 'Aegis' have adopted his most radical ideas, and not his pragmatic approach.

After all this, the core city should descend into chaos. The Reunion Movement no longer exists.

Rosmontis, is this the revenge you wanted?

No, not yet. Not like this. I haven't seen the target yet. No...

No matter who you face, the outcome is the same.

Reunion is just a symbol. No matter who is caught up in it or what they do... they are not an individual. They act as a part of Reunion.

Revenge... will only get you this far. We cannot distinguish their faces. We can only eliminate the symbol itself.

Rosmontis, you can continue to carry out your wishes. But... do you find this kind of vengeance satisfying?

Kal'tsit...

Am I wrong?

I... I just...

It would be irresponsible of me to give you the answer.

Only you have the ability to pursue the things that you hold to be true. Rosmontis, I might not be the person who can answer that question.

Anger is entrenched into our bodies. Do we want to indulge ourselves, to let it flow and condense into hatred?

Or, can we turn it into a higher judge that measures all our future actions and illuminates our sanity?

Do you want to distinguish between right and wrong, or do you want to understand the reason why everything happens?

The lives and deaths of our operators, the sights that shake you... and the reasons why we feel these emotions.

Even if there are certain things that your mind erases, Rosmontis, they will always remain within you...

Maybe there are very few things in our lives that actually come down to right or wrong. Remove all these symbols, and only then do our lives have value.

Kal'tsit.

I'm listening.

I want to know the reason.

Dr. {@nickname}. We'll split up for the next part.

Rosmontis and I will go to the control tower. Dr. Kal'tsit will take you to the generator area.

I won't see you for a while?

It's just a few hours, right?

By the way, Doctor...

Even if I'm not at your side, I'll always know that Dr. {@nickname} is out there... fighting together with me.

Even out of sight, we still fight for the same goal.

I'm pretty happy with that.

See you after the mission!;Goodbye.;Later, Amiya.

Right.

Madame Ch'en may already be near the command tower. She's always been quick, so we'll have to pick up our pace.

Doctor... Promise me that you'll stay safe.

Our work here only means anything if we make it back to Rhodes Island safely.

Be careful, okay?

You too.

Chernobog Core City, Power Supply Sector

3:00 p.m.

Why'd you pick me for your team?

Our decapitation strike team will be attacked by Reunion from all directions as they approach the control tower. I can't just drop you off in a battlefield like that.

When we were fighting the guerrillas, we could retreat and buy ourselves time to regroup. That won't be possible for their team. They won't even have an opening to catch their breaths.

This battle has a clear objective, and Amiya and Rosmontis's team can no longer afford any distractions.

You'll be safe with me.

I don't feel safe around you.;......;You're not staying with Amiya?

We should only take on responsibilities that we can fulfill.

After entering the sarcophagus, our communications will only further deteriorate.

At that time, we will truly be fighting alone.

Wait...

Doctor, please stay hidden for a while.

Why?

...If you don't want to, or if you're feeling claustrophobic, I won't stop you.

Ah... *cough* *cough*...

Where am I? How'd I blast my way down here... Is this it?

Huh? You're...

...Rhodes Island? What rotten luck I have today...

Hm?!

...What an unexpected reunion, Kal'tsit.

...You're gravely wounded.

What do you go by now, W?

Still W. Didn't have time to change it yet.

Hold up, why are you casually milling around a place like this? Don't tell me...

The old man's gone, huh?

Yes.

He died? How is that possible?

But... then again, he wasn't going to survive this. He never backs down, and never lets anyone through.

You sound a bit heartbroken.

Guess so.

That old fella was the only person who made me even give Reunion a second look.

Guess today... was that idealist's last.

He died a glorious death!;You don't understand anything.;Are you serious?

I saw him draw his last breath.

Kal'tsit, story time.

Do I have something to tell you?

You're asking me? You kidding? How do you have the nerve to stand there all calm like nothing ever happened?

The Sarkaz woman glares at me with eyes that I had never seen before.

Though she directs her words at Dr. Kal'tsit, her eyes are fixed on me.

Kal'tsit, you're working with Dr. {@nickname}?

You? Working together with Dr. {@nickname}?

Is there a problem, W?

Of course, assuming you're not like this bastard here pretending you don't remember anything. But if that's true, guess it doesn't matter...

Otherwise, your brain cells got fried by one of your weird experiments.

Well shit, either I'm the crazy one, or you are. But even if I am crazy, that doesn't make you any less of a loon.

You're still clear-headed, W. Let's save the small talk for some other time.

Don't wanna. What even happened? Just looking at you makes me want to puke.

But even if I'm trying not to throw up, this is just too funny.

Kal'tsit, you finally went bonkers too. Trying to tame the evil spirit of Babel?

Can't prove there are any memories left in this one's head. We're just working together for the time being.

This so-called amnesia... How are you so sure that it's not all an elaborate act?

It might have everyone fooled. Yes, everyone. You're fooled too, whether or not you want to admit it... That's the scorecard I got.

Kal'tsit, you're a monster, aren't you? A monster so smart you got a big, bright, glowy brain.

And a monster should know better than me what happens when you have another monster around.

There are too many creatures in this world that can be called 'monsters.' Throw the word around too much and it'll end up losing all meaning.