Глава 7

Bloodied. Torn. Pierced.

This isn't right.

Us. Enemies. People.

Wailing, screaming, groaning.

This isn't right!;......!;I can't take this anymore.

You have a question. Ask.

Doctor... is this your first time seeing Rosmontis fight?

I know it's hard to watch, but—

I'll handle it. You go tend to the wounded enemies who can't fight anymore. Also, among them are communications personnel relaying orders and intelligence.

If they're allowed to escape, it puts our whole operation at risk.

...Roger.

How old is she?

Fourteen.

And you're letting her...?!

People, please... let me through!

What happened here? I just finished handling the...

Doctor?

...What?

Doctor, did you just call me?

Who sent you out to fight?

Who sent you here?!

Doctor!

This is too cruel!;...This is terrible...;You should not have to suffer through this.

...Why would they let you do this?

Kal'tsit!;......!;This isn't right.

I did.

What are you talking about?;......;You did what...?

I did. I chose to fight. I want to fight.

There are some feelings I can only experience on the battlefield.

Protecting my friends and family is the only way I can feel complete.

...Rhodes Island needs me.

The world is calling my name, to prevent more people like me from coming into it.

Still though, you can't...

You can't—

...Does death care that I am a child?

Would war or disease spare someone because they are a child?

When Amiya or I stand on the battlefield... who looks at us and thinks 'children?'

We're 'monsters,' aren't we, Doctor?

No!;......;That's just how you see yourself.

No, Doctor.

No, Dr. {@nickname}.

It doesn't matter what I am.

I just want to make a difference, with my family.

Do you know Scout?

What...?

...Do you know Ace?

Yes.

..It's already been a few days since I watched any of their materials.

I've forgotten a lot.

But I only forgot. I'm not like you, Doctor, who threw away everything.

Rosmontis.

No, I didn't mean that. But you get it, Amiya.

...I get it. But just... don't say it like that.

Mm... Fine.

I've lost bits and pieces of things. Lots of pictures and words.

Those feelings... feelings I can't say, only Amiya can understand...

But they never truly left me.

Doctor... I feel like you're complicated.

Even more complicated than they say.

They say I'm complicated too. Some of them are scared of me. Some of them say I shouldn't be like this.

But they don't know why I'm like this. They don't know what I've been through.

Why does my heart suddenly ache? Why do I want to cry, now of all times?

Even though I can't remember anything... why are my eyes still sore? Why are my lips dry?

Who left a stain in the corridor, and why hasn't it been cleaned? Why do I feel worried when I break a vase, but also strangely happy?

Why do I feel disgust from looking at flowers, but wonder from looking at bugs?

What happened during all that time I can no longer remember? Why do these emotions keep welling up within me?

Every operator I feel has their own unique differences.

And when I lose them, those feelings also disappear.

But why...? Why do we even have emotions?

Why do my tears keep flowing even when I can't even feel anymore?

Didn't I already forget everything?

But Rosmontis never wanted me to take her feelings away.

These sudden surges of emotion belong to her, no matter what they are.

...They belong only to Rosmontis.

I can't interfere with them. As long as Rosmontis still has hope somewhere inside her... I won't do that.

Because it's up to her to choose what to do. She can also choose to forget.

To truly forget.

What happened to Rosmontis?;......;I don't know that much about her.

Dr. {@nickname}... Rhodes Island has a strict screening process for our operators.

Many of them apply for combat roles, and we reject most of those. We look at lots of different metrics to decide if an operator is fit for combat.

Combat ability, tactical aptitude, discipline, and physical fitness are all important parameters, but that barely scratches the surface.

People often have difficulty trusting one another when they're on an actual mission.

Rosmontis is here because she trusts in our orders and objectives, and we trust in her abilities and judgment.

Please believe in me, Doctor. No, believe in us...

You'll slowly begin to see... the colors of her emotions.

Doctor. Thank you for fighting alongside Blaze.

Why?;......;You don't have to thank me.

Blaze needs more people fighting alongside her. And I want to see her smile.

I want to see you too. I want to see the one Ace and Scout always talked about.

Here you are.

You found me this time.

...She uses heavy machinery to quickly and effectively destroy the enemy, while at the same time exhibiting astonishing self-control and adaptiveness.

Rosmontis is one of Rhodes Island's greatest annihilation specialists.

As such, the way she treats people and the way she speaks may worry you. The way she fights and its contrast with her appearance, is indeed very cruel.

Blaze running around with her chainsaw may be easier to accept, but the destruction of when Rosmontis takes the field is much harder to stomach.

If it will help you sleep at night, I can make you a promise. If it will help at all.

—Rosmontis almost never kills. Though her tactics seems to singularly aim for that outcome, she actually focuses on disabling the enemy's combat abilities.

Take the last battle, for example, all the enemies were disarmed, and not a single one died to Rosmontis's attacks.

She also has much more control over her weapons than she once did.

Of course, whether or not we can keep the prisoners alive depends entirely on our ability to destroy Reunion's leadership. Only then will we be able to send rescue teams into the core city.