Story Reader / Main Story / 27 Aeon Reforged / Story
A gentle breeze brushes his face, bringing the scent of fresh grass.
Watanabe, give your mother a bouquet.
...Okay.
A small hand places a bouquet in front of a tombstone.
You're on your own now. Are you afraid?
He shakes his head.
It's just... I miss you all.
Then let me walk with you for a little bit longer.
Shin takes the small hand and heads outside the cemetery.
They walk past his childhood home, familiar streets, and every inch of land they have trodden.
The boy grows, shedding his childishness and becoming a young man.
This is where I stop.
Shin raises his hand to pat Watanabe's head like before, but he places it on Watanabe's shoulder instead, patting it gently.
Go on. Don't be afraid of the future. Have hope. Be excited.
With a gentle push, he sends Watanabe into the desert.
It's been a while, Watanabe.
If I had gone that day, Bruce...
Then those guarding the surface would have lost another leader.
What a shame...
I told you not to come early, kid!
Do you remember what we talked about before, Watanabe?
I'm not going to die, I'm going so that fewer people die.
You don't need to feel regretful about the past anymore. You've protected more people and taught many to protect themselves and others.
You're no longer chasing something unattainable.
You've fulfilled your promise to become the blade that cuts through the night.
So stand tall and keep going!
The phantoms from the past gradually fade away, turning into falling snow.
He continues to walk forward...
You've never forgotten the ground beneath your feet, even when you turned your gaze toward the sky.
Perhaps that was why I lost to you.
...
Tell me, do people still remember our battle?
Yes. Not just me, but everyone fighting for the future remembers.
That's good enough... That's good enough...
He continues to walk forward...
My brother and I never regretted following you, Boss.
He continues to walk forward...
Don't grieve for those you couldn't save. Focus on the living.
He travels through many places...
Finally, he stands before the sandstorm named "death."
Keep going...
Mom...?
Watanabe hears a voice that has almost faded from his memories.
The voice of the person who gave him life speaking at the moment of his birth.
Keep going. I believe my child will walk his own path.
...
He walks into the sandstorm without hesitation...
To bring new life.
Video: S Watanabe Version_Text Cutscene
Ugh...
Watanabe's artificial heart beats again. Having expected another fight, Watanabe is surprised by what he sees.
You're awake?
Ballard lifts the collapsed debris, creating a small, secured space.
Steel beams have pierced his body, his vital fluid splattering onto Watanabe's face along with sparks.
Ballard... What...
Hah, I guess luck is on your side today... Or maybe that's just my karma.
Why did you do that?
Because one of us has to live...
Someone always has to die, just as someone always has to live.
I realized it the moment the Longinus Arsenal didn't fire that one, and only one of us had to live.
If we both died, the Forsaken would lose their direction and fall into chaos without a target for their vengeance.
The pain, regret, silence, and bloodshed of those warriors would then be all for naught.
...
Hmph. You're wondering why we can't both live, aren't you?
Life continues to slip away, as well as the repressed feelings he has accumulated all these years.
Ballard seems to have returned to the era back when he was called "Uncle Ballard".
Now, it is time to give Watanabe one last lesson.
I lost control of the situation when I had to use your death to stir up their hatred.
It proved that I couldn't rally the Forsaken the way you did and that the conflict between Forsaken and Babylonia hadn't reached the point of no return.
Even if I revealed our advantages and our real history, they wouldn't have followed me, nor would they have let the war start.
He laughs self-deprecatingly.
Now, news of your return has spread, and I have lost to you.
How could the flame of hatred continue after being doused by rain?
If you were the one who lost today, I could've treated your death as the truth and continued my plan.
Do you understand now?
This was a duel where only one could survive. The victor decides the future, and the loser is swept into the dustbin of history, edited and glossed over.
Why can't it be the way before?
Because I've stepped into the spotlight, revealing not my identity, but my purpose.
I won't change my mind. As long as Babylonia remains away from the surface in its safe haven, humanity will never unite.
The Punishing Virus didn't destroy us. It was the Great Evacuation that broke the spine of this era in two.
The connected parts were severed, one flying to the sky while the other falling onto the ground.
But the distance between the sky and the ground is so far away... How can a spine this broken support the weight of an era?
Those cowards who call themselves the "World Government" are no longer our comrades.
They wouldn't have suppressed the once-honorable Constructs otherwise. They need warriors, but they fear them at the same time.
...You could still go into hiding...
You want me to be a coward like them?
He shouts, his anger no less intense than the sparks flying from his pierced chest.
Remember—never pity your enemies, regardless of the past and the relationship you share.
If the situation were reversed, I would end you without hesitation.
If there's only one thing worth sacrificing everything for...
It's what you stand for. The line you don't cross.
What do you believe in? What do you stand for? Who do you fight for?!
...The comrades who stand with me, and this land we refuse to abandon.
Will you eliminate any threats in its way, including your own sentiments if necessary?
...
I will!
Hah...
Do you still think I can live now?
...
Don't worry about the missiles launching after I'm gone. I removed the connection before you arrived...
Accept the gift of the old era.
His voice grows deeper and weaker.
I didn't expect to die the same way I escaped... Is this my punishment?
Even the light in his chest dims.
Can you be the spine that carries the weight?
With a hint of worry, his eyes gradually close.
He seems to hear the sound of rockets soaring through the sky, people cheering, annoying advertisements, and the pattering of rain.
I said, aren't you a little bit late?
Backhaus?
Isn't it tiring to live this long?
...
It was tiring, but it was worth it...
You still can't let go?
...
The sound of rain replaces his silence.
There are probably some faces you don't wish to see because of what you did, so I have to be the one to come get you.
Let's go. Time to hit the road.
Hm...
He prepares to follow Backhaus into the rainy depths.
Oh, right. This is for you.
He reveals a pack of rather luxurious cigars in his hand.
For the bet I lost last time.
What bet?
As he touches the cigar, Ballard seems to hear the answer to his last question.
The spine that carries the weight won't be me...
It will be us!
Hah...
The kid is someone we can count on, right?
Ballard takes the cigar from Backhaus.
Right.
He lights the cigar, confirming that no one familiar has followed him...
And he walks toward his tomb without looking back.
The clouds have parted. The rain has stopped.
