Глава 8

Wasn't that all decided years ago?

Madam Ch'en, wait for me. You've been very brave... being able to do all this.

But... it's still too soon to jump to conclusions. Let me take a look too, Madam Ch'en. I want to know what she's done. All of us need the truth.

You want to know what kind of a person Talulah has become...

...What I want to know... is who exactly is the person Reunion has been following.

It's as though she can already hear Ch'en's roar and Talulah's laughter.

She has finally come to understand the way Ch'en thinks.

'You know it's a trap, so why are you here?'

'I'm here because I have to figure out whether this is really a trap. That's the only way I can prove that you are beyond redemption!'

'And if I tell you it is?'

'In that case, it's not going to weigh us down the tiniest bit when we finally set you free from all this, whether I'm the one who does the honors or someone else. If you've got any regrets, save them for your own funeral!'

The pattern of one of the ten rings begins to emit a bright, vivid red glow.

'In that case, when do I need to do this?'

'When you think it's the right time.'

We need new weapons to take on new enemies.

We need firm principles to take on great evil.

In the past, Amiya would have found herself in a fluster, trying to remove herself from the ring's restraint... but not now.

...Cloud-splitting, they faced each other.

'As sword of stratus rent, once stood stand fast.'

The idea of running away probably hasn't ever crossed Ch'en's mind, has it?

Both Ch'en herself and Amiya would probably answer no when asked this question.

Ch'en has tried to run far away many times.

But she stopped herself.

Ch'en's memories and emotions, and each and every time she changed... All of it came from her determination.

To wield the Chi Xiao is to have a firm conviction. Ch'en has seen ups and downs through her journey and there were moments that she struggled with her own belief. Ch'en did not allow herself to stay depressed.

This can also be seen in her technique with the Chi Xiao.

Ch'en has made up her mind.

Amiya quietly tries to take this all to heart. Just as the memories she saw of Ch'en are slowly flowing into her heart, the warmth left on the scabbard is slowly fading away.

Amiya is being far calmer than she has ever been. She has made her decision.

She will take off the ring. She wants to see the truth.

A sea of flames begins to burn fiercely before her eyes.

This time, she isn't going to close her eyes—

She will bear witness to everything that has happened to these sisters.

And now, Ch'en is standing before Talulah.

The Chi Xiao holds steady in the air. The Draco's flames are extinguished the moment they graze the blade, as though it swallowed the blazing waves whole.

The two sisters, blood-related, are ready to settle their scores.

Here we are.

...You don't need to bother yourself with this, Talulah. The tractor's been missing for months. They were probably stopped by the Patrol Unit. There's not much we can do about it.

Even if all we can do is find their bodies, we'll at least be giving their families some closure.

If the intel recon gave us is correct, this should be the area where they'd gone missing.

Talulah, snap out of it! Everything they said is just a load of horseshit.

I'm fine.

They're just a bunch of heartless bastards... Don't let it get to you!

None of them had the willpower to keep going, to leave the tundra! They fought so many battles with you, and they thought you a coward?! You're the most fearless soldier among us!

Talulah, trust me. All of us follow you by will!

Captain Buldrokkas'tee used to be an Ursus soldier, but we all know he's the most steadfast man we have! All of us trust him!

Not necessarily. He's strong. Way too strong. Stubborn, too. The people who didn't trust him were just afraid to speak up.

It only takes a brief moment for trust to completely crumble. If all the people who followed Patriot died one day, would the ones who come after them be as steadfast as them?

Rumors can destroy us. Before there are rumors, those who are innocent are innocent, and those who are skeptical of others are also innocent.

But no one is innocent once rumors begin to spread.

But what does your upbringing has to do with anything?! You've done so much for all of us!

It's fine. Calm down.

Besides, I haven't really done all that much for them.

Come on, don't say that.

Are you sure you want to go by yourself? Faust has been tagging along with those crossbow guys lately, and he's really getting the hang of it. If the guerrillas aren't around, you could bring them with...

Protecting the Infected traveling with us is our top priority. We aren't fighting this war just to fight a war. Our goal is to help our fellow men survive. Don't put the cart before the horse.

Protecting them is our top priority.

Know this by heart, and make sure everyone else does as well.

Well... godspeed.

Don't worry. It's just negotiating with the locals. Everything will be fine.

At a nearby village.

Before, I probably would've just run inside and started asking questions right away.

I wonder when did I become like this.

Hiding and sneaking around... It was just being suspicious and cautious at first, but this is practically antagonizing everyone now.

I'm not even sure if it is unexpected things that I'm worried about or a repeat of those tragedies.

What a rundown place. Looks like they didn't have much of a harvest this year. Everyone looks so tired.

Weird. It should've been a while since the last time this village resettled, but there's a lot of tractor marks around the village's entrance.

There are scraps at the assembly workshop... but I don't think they're from the village's old tractors. The authentication box is gone. If the vehicle belonged to the village, there's no reason to take that out...

It's getting dark. I should take a look at the junkyard.

This is weird. There's your household garbage, but there isn't much else.

No equipment for processing spent Originium here? If it's not in the junkyard, then where?

It's winter, so there should be wheat straws and warming grass husks everywhere. Did they run into food problems?

...No... that's not right. They burned them. I need to check out their granary.

What's this? What... What happened here?

There's Originium residue all over the place... and the ground is dug up all over the place.

Claw marks... on the granary's door—

Ahh—!

Who's there?!

Talulah turns around.

She finds an Ursus farmer standing there with his guard up. The farmer notices how Talulah is dressed and sets his shovel down.

Geez... what's the matter with you, coming inside the village without saying a word?

Haven't ever seen you before... Are you from the Gendarmerie?

You aren't here for the rent, are you? We already paid our Originium tax. Hell, the taxman took our food too while he was at it. There isn't much more we can pony up.

I'm here since I'm investigating the Infected.

Oh, Infected? We don't have any here.

Has any Infected passed by?

No.

We received a message. I know there's been Infected here. If you know what's good for you, spill it.

Urgh, can't fool you, eh.

Those scumbags. They said no one knew they were passing through here.

So they were here.

Damn right they did. They had those scary weapons on them. Scared the life out of us!

We didn't have the guts to go against them, and we didn't try to.

After that, they even took all of our food, those bastards! Please, you have to get these Infected... these criminals for us!

That's not right.

That's not right...

No!

How dare you say that?

How dare you say that...

How dare you say that!