Глава 9

Did she fall down there...?!

Leader, did we win?

Oh no, Leader... That wound...

Hang in there! I'll help you up. Don't you close your eyes—

*cough*, *cough*...

Don't... pull so hard. You're shooting pain through my whole body.

G—Got it! Leader, as long as you're okay.

Right... I can't... go down just yet.

The enemy's... still...

Hoh... Hahahaha... Hahahahaha!

You think... that was enough to bring me down?!

Victorian soldier dunces!

I—I dug my way out of a grave by a bloody wastewater ditch! And I still have a score to settle with you—Victorian blue bloods!

Oh? She actually managed to climb her way out!

Well, isn't that somethin' odd? Even if my shot didn't blow a hole through her chest, I thought at least she'd be down for the count.

...Arts.

She knocked my lance a few centimeters off?! She only had a few stones left! Flip, we won't get another shot like that...!

Feline... You may be the enemy, but your resolve is rock solid for sure. You've got my respect.

Pfft. Who needs... your respect?!

What I want... is your lives!

Come, Forest of Thorns!!!

There's more columns growin' from the ground?!

We can't stay here much longer...

Leader, I'll carry you. Let's go that way!

Fleeing?

Think again—I'd never let down the Leader!

Wait, what's that sound?

'To the residents of County Hillock and the surrounding towns, this is a broadcast to you in real-time.'

'As you are aware, a great disaster befell this beloved city at noon today, injuring our friends and family, and destroying our homes.'

'Together, we witnessed this heart-wrenching event transpire before our eyes.'

'They have put us through countless tribulations, one after the other, for several centuries—'

'We did not raise our voices then, because we thought they had an ounce of mercy left, and that simply by enduring longer, we would be able to coexist with them on these lands.'

'But today, the Victorian Army pressed its knife against our throats—'

'They blanketed our city in a mist of Oripathy. What they have done is far more merciless and horrifying than any Catastrophe.'

'We do not want war, but they have left us no choice but to fight back.'

'If you can hear this broadcast, if you are willing to rise up and stand with us—wherever you may be, you can become part of our movement.'

'With our flames, we will cleanse this country of the filth that has accumulated over the centuries.'

'With our flames, we will comfort the countless lives lost in the fight against injustice.'

'With our flames, we will burn open a path to a future of freedom and peace.'

'We are not your enemies. We are your friends.'

'We have, and always will be, one family.'

'Remember our name—'

'We are Dublinn.'

Is that... the spectre force?

Are they broadcastin' to the townsfolk?

No, it's not just this city... they've got all the communications bases under their control. The surroundin' cities are receivin' that message too!

Now that everyone knows what the barracks did... this is goin' to spread like wildfire.

The scariest thing is, most of what they're sayin' is true! We've got no argument, no way against it!

And even if we wanted to say somethin', we've got no way to send the message...

We're in the worst case scenario now.

Is this why you were tryin' so hard to take the communications center? You had to get news to the outside world, but you wanted to keep the enemy from doin' the same, too...

We've lost, Hamilton...

Both you... and I. We've failed, utterly.

No, we haven't lost yet!

They've got their side out first, but it's better late than never for us!

The spectre force's tryin' to dress themselves up, but we saw them burnin' their supporters to death all heartless, slaughterin' the townsfolk! We saw that with our own eyes!

We have to get the word out! We have to show the true face of their army to the world!

Yes, you're right.

This battle... is far from over.

Uh... Leader? This Caster, what's she doin'? Is she spaced out?

Harmonie, Harmonie... you bastard! You fooled me into coming here so you could make that broadcast?

What gives you... What gives you...!

What gives you the right to speak on The Leader's behalf while I have to sweep up the rubbish down here?!

Oh, I'm going to Londinium... I'm going right now!!!

Whoa... that's a gust! Why's she so ticked off all of a sudden? Doesn't it hurt when she casts Arts like it's the end of the world?

Leader, watch out! It's about to blow over the column—!

Ugh... hrnn!

Stop pushin' yourself! Your shield's out of energy. You're burnin' your own flesh for it now!

Hah... this is nothing.

Nothin'? What do you mean, nothin'? You're coughin' up blood—

You could wipe that for me.

Now's—now's no time for your jokes. And if truth be told, they've never been funny, not for one second.

I can't always hide behind your shield... Even if you order me to, I can't.

I'll run out right now. I can take a few beatin's. I think I can at least make it to her, give her another taste of my spear... I've still got at least one more shot!

She summoned all those columns at once, she should be at her limit, almost... I'll find an openin'!

Bagpipe...

Let me go! I WILL be insubordinate now! You survive this, and you can punish me with umpteen handstands, you can even get on top of me while I do 'em!

She's... Now she's flying.

Ha... You don't know how to fly. You can jump up there, with the rocks as stepping stones, but it won't be easy to hit her at the same time.

Won't know until we try...

Enough. You remember what you said just now, don't you?

Which?

We... have... to tell them.

Right, we'll definitely get the word out. I won't forget! This is why we need to take her out. It's our only way to make it up the communications tower!

Ha... communications tower...

They've got agents in the brass... agents of the spectre force. She said it herself.

Even if we make it up there... Our message... will never make it to Londinium.

It's too early to give up hope, Leader!

You're the one who taught me to trust our friends—

Right. I... I trust my friends.

Bagpipe... that's why... you need to make it out of here.

What do you mean?!

Horn lifts her mostly destroyed shield with one hand and tightly grips Bagpipe's arm with the other.

Don't waste what energy you have left.

Hold onto your spear, activate the catapult, and fly out of here—

The city's covered with hostiles. People guarding every exit... but none of them will be ready to stop you blasting out through the air.

Bring all the information with you.

Find someone you trust, and let out what's really going on with the spectre force...

Londinium needs to know the truth behind County Hillock.

Bagpipe—get out of here alive!