level_st_08-03

Central District

H—help me...!

We're Reunion too! Why are you doing this? You Sarkaz always bite whatever hand feeds you!

...What's happening?

The Sarkaz barricading the street are massacring Reunion...

Captain?

Need to help the casualties.

You are, Captain?

Mmhm. I'm going.

Ngh... urgh... why, why! !

How did Reunion get like this... how did it get like this?! Weren't we gonna unite? Weren't we gonna be... be a family of our own, each other's kin?!

See you—

Stop.

Heavy-weapons throwers, careful!

Giant, floating weapons...

Was that you, Feline? You did that? You're—a Caster?

Put your weapons down.

It's okay now. Go.

Go... go where? We've already... my teammates, my old friends, they all... they all...

Qing, help him.

Got it. Come here, brother. Those Sarkaz just don't see.

I'll say it again, Sarkaz. Put your weapons down.

You think we'll stop resisting just because you're holding a weapon.

We don't think that way.

Then you want to be killed?

We don't have much of a choice.

Attacking your own comrades, hurting your own kin—

When were the Infected ever our kin? Our kin only numbers Sarkaz.

You couldn't have said that when you joined Reunion.

Betraying, harming your family, playing other people's feelings...

Disgusting.

Watch out for those weapons! Move!

Rosmontis, stop...!

Ah, Amiya.

Raidian just sent it out—the last message Dr. Kal'tsit gave us was that we should take care around the special Infected...

They're likely a variant of the special Infected from Lungmen, and we don't know if they'll infect others in progression!

Sarkaz warriors, listen to me!

There are some... Sarkaz with a deep infection, and they're catalyzing the other Infected!

We need the other Infected to withdraw from their current areas... Your block still has Infected survivors apart from you, and they're all non-combatants!

Even if we won't pass through here, I still hope we can all lend a hand to ensuring the safety of those Infected!

That's impossible. They wouldn't do that. They have no conscience.

We... we've seen it. We went out on our own.

We can't pull back. If they come this way... we'll have to get rid of them. We can't let even more Sarkaz get infected.

You might get infected yourself.

Who gives a damn.

You want to end up like them too? Those monsters controlled by Arts? You don't give a damn if you do?

Not the first time we've been made out to be monsters, is it?

...Oh, um... ah.

This city's toast. Sooner or later, sure, we might end up like them. But if we can exterminate them, then everything gets a little easier. Some people can still live on.

As long as Talulah isn't dead, this city will be annihilated.

If W can't kill her, there's no chance you can.

If you don't stand with the winner, you can't win; in war, if you can't win, you die.

But if you keep hurting any more Infected, then this might be where you die.

And what if I die, then? What if I turn into one of Mephisto's Herd, huh...?

Mephisto's a monster, too. We kill other Infected because we're all monsters.

All we want is for the Sarkaz not to suffer any further, but when you think about it, what if we suffer?

When you leave here and go whatever, will they look you in the eye?

Do you not know your end, being an Infected?

Of course you know. The moment you leave that tiny little squad of yours, you'll die.

You'll be despised, wrung by the neck, lashed, whipped, and hung.

Or you'll be driven out of the cities, run vagrant, and you'll starve, bitten to death by the beasts.

You can't live on.

And you have no dignity.

...What do you know?

Warrior...

Tell me. That you're not fighting for Talulah.

She's... strong. With her, the chance that more people live on is better.

We don't care if we kill a few more for it.

Get lost. Next time, I'll cut you in half.

Feline. If you want to pass through here, then just kill us...

We sure don't want to see our own end up that way. That's if you can kill us, though. Hahah.

You really are the most unsalvageable people.

What...? What?

What was... that sound?

Oh, no...!

The block we're in is nearing the ones the command tower closes off its entrances with... Reunion is likely trying to raise the entire sealing layer to cover any way in!

We're almost out of time!

Sarkaz. I'll give you one last chance. If you don't want to get mangled, pull out.

...Heh. Hahah.

Amiya.

I'll settle this.

Cautus. Hah. What do you think you can do?

Black lines...? That's—

*Pant*... *pant*. Ugh...

What's the... state of things?

We've suppressed all consciousless Sarkaz mercenaries.

O—okay, that's good, ngh... Are there other Infected.. here?

We have news, but I can't say whether it's good or bad. Recon operators looked around a little. There are, all over this block. And most of them... are in terrible shape. They must've been passive Infected, imprisoned in concentration.

Any passage through the... sealing... layer?

Yeah, this part leads to an engineering passage. Should be able to directly enter the structural control area, hack their remote panels. They can't do a thing about that.

Otherwise, for the open passages, recon ops have sighted at least four battlegrounds, all of them guerrillas against other Reunion...

The combat situation seems intense...

The guerrillas are strong, but the Talulah-aligned Reunion have the terrain advantage, and Sarkaz mercenaries backing them. They won't be able to push through for a while.

It's okay, Amiya. Captain, us engineers will sneak our way in. We'll cut the energy supply to the whole sealing layer.

Can you do it?

Definitely.

That's too risky.

Entering the core city was risky in the first place.

No objections, then?

We're going.

The, um... the, um!

Take care. Mm-hm... take care.

We're not elite operator Rosmontis's squad for nothing. Don't you worry about a thing!

...Put your own safety first.

If you wanted us to listen, you wouldn't have used those Arts just now!

Ah...

Engineering group, move out! Hustle your bustles!

...They're gone.

Oh. Amiya. You shouldn't use up your strength here. Let me handle all that.

...This way, you'll be able to do less harm.

Does Rhodes Island not want me to do things this way?

That's not it. It's just... if we could, we obviously don't want things done this way.

And the only thing I've used up is strength. What you use up is... your awareness.

I don't really care.

But... we should care.

Amiya! This fellow wants a few words with you.

Ah...

...You're from Reunion, Infected friend. Can I call you that?

Whatever. Just... whatever. We're all... done for. I wanted to ask where you're gonna go.

And if... we can go with you, maybe. We've got nowhere to really go. The Sarkaz'll kill us, and we don't want to fight our own people anymore. The guerrillas'll kill us for sure, too.

Why do you feel that way?

They'd kill anyone if they wanted, wouldn't they? I've heard there's times they say they'll kill the Infected, just because someone did something or other wrong!

...I'm not sure. They might do that, but they might not.

My belief is, you have to see how they truly are to reach the facts. You can't just go on hearsay.

But we won't force you off to where they are. You're afraid of them, and the things they're doing don't sit well with you.

And that's why I wanted to... to ask where you're all going.

—We're heading for the core command tower.

...Are you insane?

Mm.

We want to put a stop to this turmoil, so we have to head for the command tower.

Can I ask you for a favor, Infected friend?

If it's killing—then—then no.

It's not. I'm hoping you can all... safeguard the bystander Infected on this block.

Be careful. They might not like you... they might not like your uniforms.

Then what do we do?

I think you have two options. One is, take off that uniform, and be Reunion no longer...

And the other is, wear your uniforms, but do what you should do.

One option is easy, and one's very hard, but I believe... this is something you should choose for yourselves.

Command tower entrance

Curs! The cowards! They're blocking off the tower entrances with the sealing layers!

Have we still not breached them?

The Sarkaz mercenaries are entrenching every sealing sector's in-roads! Other Infected have constantly been harassing us! We can't concentrate our attention!

You, repeat. You're asking us and Rhodes Island to cooperate?

I am!

If Rhodes Island is unworthy of your trust, then you don't need to think about any of this city's people for a second more.

Even if the rules are going out of style, they'll still play by them.

Even if they still owe the Captain their lives?

If we all die here, who'll carry on Patriot's spirit?

We have strength, and Rhodes Island has knowledge. At the last, Kal'tsit's incredible on both counts. I personally think she's on par with the Captain. And you saw, even the Captain gave her his recognition!

The sealing layer's still rising! You'd better decide, because we don't have much time left!

That's more or less the shape of things. I've already told them about things, so, Amiya...

I'm not asking you to agree to this. I'm just thinking it might be good for us, right?

It'll lead to a little less wounded all around...

...I'm not really on top of things. I just...

It's alright, Guard. Your proposal is reasonable. It's just that we... we won't do things the same way the Shieldguards do.

We don't have any right to exercise over the Infected, and we won't adopt their... disciplinary methods.

Are they almost here?

Should be.

...Amiya, I'm making less and less sense of anything.

—Feline. I'm looking for your leader.

If you want revenge, is now a good time?

Don't think you can try pissing me off just because you know a bit of Arts, white cat!

I don't like you.

Am I making you realize? The way you do things, you're no merchant's underling, eh? You're more like some Infected warrior hero, aren't you?

What are you talking about?

...Guerrilla fighter.

You can't threaten our employees. You don't have the authority.

...The Lord.

Can you command those Sarkaz?

...I can't, and I couldn't. Please don't call me that. All I am is a member of Rhodes Island. Nothing to do with race, nor any arbitrary form of power.

Then that makes things simple, if you and them have absolutely no blood affinity.

You're going to team up with us here? Wreck the command tower together?

What're you so on guard for? We're obviously the ones yielding here.

The other guerrillas still don't know what I'm up to, but I have faith you feel the same way as them. This city's people are enslaved by Talulah and her wicked plans, and you too want to liberate them.

We want to revive hope for the Infected, so let's light one more flame for this city!

if you truly fight for the Infected, then you're sure to agree.

Now answer, Rhodes Island!