Глава 11

In front of you, Siege!

Is that...?

A suit of steam armor.

The spurts of white steam stand out in front of the dark hue of the armor.

Spurt after spurt.

Like breathing.

The fog parts before him. He awakens from history.

Nothing can stop him. Nothing can defeat him.

Not abandonment, not betrayal.

Not even death.

It's moving! Look, it's moving!

Man alive, what is happening here?!

Agh! Bolts do nothing!

Get the grenades!

The massive suit of armor rises from the rubble.

Heavy footsteps.

Heavy gushing.

It walks toward the panicked crowd, one step at a time.

(Heavy gushing)

There's no point.

You're from Sargon, Totter. You wouldn't understand.

They were the stuff of our bedtime stories.

It's still stories of the Steam Knights I tell when I put my kids to bed.

How are we supposed to defeat him?

How do we defeat our pride, our glory, our hero, who's already been betrayed once?

We can't defeat him.

This is a... a Victorian Steam Knight.

Fall back! Fall back!

What's that sound?

Sounds like steam.

How?

Definitely steam. They're back!

I know I backed the right one! This is where Vina hid her joker!

Morgan, we've got the Steam Knights on our side!

There are Steam Knights left in Londinium? Here?

Are they guarding the Mausoleum of Kings? The Sighs of Kings?

Ha, who cares what they're doing?

Vina is their king!

When we come out up top with the Steam Knights, those Sarkaz will... hey, Morgan, what's that look on your face for?

Vina's gonna get the Sighs of Kings.

Four years. The Steam Knights have stayed by the sword for four years, in this sunless dungeon.

They didn't show up when the Sarkaz occupied the city. They didn't show up when the Sarkaz took over the factories. They didn't show up when the Sarkaz burned the noble houses.

What do they think?

Are they gonna side with intruders into the Mausoleum of Kings?

Who's there?!

Take your weapon, Morgan.

They're strong... they're all around us.

Hah, this is getting interesting.

Why are the hoodlums of Norport here?

The Glasgow Gang? Under Alexandrina?

Show your face, now!

Hmph. There are enough variables without that sound of gushing steam rising in Londinium again.

What would the Duke think if she knew there were survivors among the Steam Knights?

Would she be uneasy? Or glad that the glorious heroes of old have returned?

Ha, glory...

Let's take care of the hoodlums. Don't let them get in Allerdale's way.

(Heavy gushing)

...Steam Knights.

Four years... there are survivors among the Steam Knights?

Those marks... they should have been lethal wounds. The Sarkaz spikes destroyed the cores. There's no way the wearer would survive.

Plus, no one could enter or leave the Mausoleum of Kings without the royal key.

He's spent four years in this dark dungeon...

Even if he survived the initial carnage, how could he have survived in this place?

What does the man in the armor look like now?

(Heavy gushing)

Who are... you...?

No... what are you?

A flame sparks in the helmet of the armor.

Allerdale can feel a cold gaze upon herself.

Upon everyone here.

The flame...

The armor roaring in the flames.

It was a dream from her childhood.

Her hope for salvation.

The destruction that she witnessed with her own eyes.

A nightmare, too terrible to gaze upon.

He is back. Back before her.

Allerdale cannot keep herself from trembling.

Have you come to settle this?

(Heavy gushing)

Allerdale!

Look out!

Steam Knight, I am Alexandrina Vina Victoria, heir to the Aslan kings.

Halt your attack, knight.

We are not your enemies.

'Victoria.'

Siege hears a voice echo above her head.

Was it the Steam Knight? She is unsure. It sounded more like the rumbling of a machine than a human voice.

The spurts of white steam become more rapid and forceful.

The dark knight raises his massive weapon towards her.

'Victoria.'

Siege suddenly understands. The Steam Knight is not calling her name.

It is looking at her sword.

The Sighs of Kings, the symbol of the royal house of Victoria.

'Victoria.'

He called the sword Victoria.

The Victoria that he swore to defend unto his last breath.

Glorious Victoria betrayed him. Now, he will defend the symbol of Victoria.

The last knight of the empire shall take revenge on all those who transgress against her.

He charges towards the heir to the throne.