Глава 8

Blocking the way to the control tower... What the hell kind of Reunion operative you are?

Are you joining us, or are you trying to run away?

If you want to fight us, that's your perogative! But this is as disgraceful as it is pointless!

Hold up... have you met this squad before?

No. There's been a lot of new blood in Reunion ever since we left the tundras. I haven't ever bothered to get to know any of them.

I'm getting the kind of feeling they're not...

Guard! Watch out!

(Signal)

Ursus troops!

Ugh...!

Fall back!! It's the Ursus!

Not going to say a peep till the very end, huh?

What, you think I'm some kind of traitor?

You think we're despicable for turning our backs on Ursus for some lowly Infected?

We're fighting for their worthless lives, we're behind the times, and we've got no honor, so we should get our names taken off the registers and erased from history?

Maybe you have a husband or a wife, maybe you don't want to be here, but you still got sent by the higher-ups. You're just some puppetmaster's pawn, throwing away your life to do someone else's bidding...

Pathetic! Pathetic, I tell you!

Have you killed any Ursus men before? Was it the Infected or regular citizens that you killed? When you got that blood on your hands, were you even afraid? Does that keep you up at night at all?

All of you who stayed even after the Emperor died... Pathetic!

Knock it off already! Fall back!

Careful! The Ursus troops are wearing Reunion's—

No, Guard!

You mustn't say that...!

Why?

The combatants on both sides will start doubting everyone around them if you say that... The more chaotic the situation is, the more of an advantage they'll have!

If everything goes as Elysium planned, then the first thing we need to do...

...is to stop everyone right here.

We don't have much time left, and we have no idea when Reunion will come barging their way to the control tower... It'll only get harder to organize an attack once that happens!

Not all of us need to fight this battle. We're up against Talulah. A small, disorganized squad isn't going to do us any good.

I'll go.

Fall back! Fall back! Watch out for the piledriver spears! Find cover!

Amiya... Not again... You're Rhodes Island's leader!

I'm not going to tell you, 'That's all the more reason I should head in there.' ...All I'll say is, if there's something I can do and something needs to be done, then I'll do it, and I'll see it through.

And who's supposed to cover you?

I will.

Shieldguards, and that includes anyone who's injured. Let's do this. We'll hold the line here.

Feline...!

They're rounding up all the special Infected and driving them out. So ruthless. They aren't showing even the tiniest bit of mercy...

I'll crush their position and ambush point.

...Well then!

Feline, you're the first outsider ever to be backed up by both the Ursus Shieldguards and the guerilla fighters!

The young caster lifts her hand up. She pays no heed to the commotions of the battlefield, as though it matters not the slightest to her. Her eyes gleam with resolve.

Up until now, fear and regret have kept her chasing her endless flow of memories.

But now, her promise with her friend as well as the responsibility she shares with this embattlement of steel has given her cause to finally stop and rise up.

No, I'm not an outsider.

We're a team now. We'll stop this city together!

That's why I'm not an outsider!

Shieldguards! Shields up!