Story Reader / Main Story / 22 Renaissance du Fantastique / Story
Fifteen minutes ago.
After trekking through the final indoor corridor, Sica's group arrives at a colossal circular room.
The room unfolds like a miniature palace, its dome-shaped ceiling adorned with the orbits of stars. Each of the stars emits a gentle, ethereal blue glow that bathes the interior.
So, this is the final hall...
So far, we've covered around 83% of this art museum, and the only remaining section is the part that links up to that windmill in the center.
And speaking of the test subject that HQ asked us to find...
Lena gazes toward the center of the room, where a prismatic pedestal stands amidst the dimly lit hall. Resting upon the pedestal is a glass cage.
Illuminated by the gentle starlight filtering through the dome, a humanoid figure becomes vaguely visible within the confines of the cage. Yet, the dimness of the light source shrouds their true features, leaving their exact appearance elusive and enigmatic.
...
Tsk...
Find... us...
The echoes of the past ripple through Lena's M.I.N.D. like icy, stinging needles, as if they were attempting to pierce through her skull.
Since her arrival in the city, she has intermittently detected peculiar sounds, yet she has refrained from sharing her unsettling sensations with her squad members.
Trojan can't be trusted, and Sica, an inexperienced commandant, is still not worthy of any trust.
Amongst them all, Ayla, the captain of their squad, appears to be the most dependable. However, there is an elusive quality about her that makes it hard for people to truly see through her.
Throughout their mission, the four of them have maintained a delicate sense of distance. Lena initially hoped that finding Cervantes would unveil the root of this dissimilarity. However, after receiving the call from Egret and Gray Raven, things appeared to have become even more complicated.
Relevant information regarding Kurono's test subject had always eluded Lena's ears, as it should have. From her perspective, her decision to join Iris Warbler was also a strategic move orchestrated by Nikola to impede Kurono's infiltration of the Task Force.
However, as Lena came face to face with the alleged test subject, those logical considerations gradually gave way to a more instinctive flutter deep within her being.
...Let's retrieve it before those Kurono guys arrive and wait for [player name]'s reinforcement in a safer spot.
Lena's silent affirmation is conveyed through a nod as she firmly grasps her bow, retrieving an arrow from her pouch. With care, she expertly aligns it on the dangling bowstring, taking a deliberate step closer to the center.
Just as Lena nears the point of discerning the test subject's appearance, the air is pierced by the sound of meticulously organized footsteps emanating from a distance.
...
Trojan is the first to spot the source of the footsteps—another entrance to the hall. Without delay, a team of heavily armed Construct soldiers surges in, catching them off guard and leaving little time for them to readjust their formation.
Target spotted!
The Constructs swiftly form a single file, effectively blocking any path of retreat for Sica's group.
Confirmed: two Constructs and one human. Please verify your identities. I repeat, please verify your identities.
Now that's what I call a slick move. I'd expect nothing less from a troop trained by a "big name."
So, these are your old colleagues? Are you planning to wipe us out along with them?
Seriously, this is the 14th time you've picked on me in this mission. If I were actually aiming to be a full-on "Trojan Horse", I would've knocked you and Commandant out cold and handed you over to them ages ago when we split up with Ayla.
Hmph...
We are the Iris Warbler squad of the Babylonia Task Force. I'm Commandant Sica LeBron, and these two Constructs are my squad members. We have been assigned by the Babylonia Command Central to carry out a mission here.
We haven't received any notifications or orders regarding any other Construct activity in this area. Please identify yourselves.
If you fail to provide proper identification, I have the authority to restrict your personal freedom and request the Control Court and the Purifying Force to put you under mandatory inspection upon the completion of our mission.
We possess a higher level of executive authority and are not obligated to disclose our identities to you. Therefore, we demand that you promptly leave the area, or we will employ necessary force without restrictions.
Seriously, you expect us to evacuate while you're blocking all the exits? Come on, you've gotta be a bit more realistic here!
Their target is the test subject... We can't afford to back down now.
They've got a solid crew of thirteen people, giving them a serious edge in combat power. If we get into a full-blown battle, they couldn't care less about Commandant's life.
Tsk... Gray Raven... where are you...
...Please show me proof of your authority, or I won't make any concessions.
Listen, you're just a Task Force commandant. So cut the act and stop playing the big shot around here!
Out of nowhere, a grumpy-looking Construct lets out a menacing growl directed at Sica.
You lot are nothing but the Command Central's castoffs. Seriously, do you actually think anyone gives a damn about your sorry lives?!
"Castoffs"...?
Ugh—
As if the word has plucked a tightly stretched string in her heart, that unsettling sound resonates once more within Lena's M.I.N.D.
No one cares if you succeed or not. You're just a bunch of castoffs we'll toss aside once we're done using you.
Hehe...
Is this... how we're supposed to end...?
Ali...
Hurry—! Grab my hand!
Come back... to us...
We will... become...
...
As she snaps back to reality, Lena finds her body already in motion, as if an invisible thread is tugging at her. Her hand tightly grips the bowstring, which is drawn to its full strength. With a swift release, the arrow soars from her palm, carrying with it the memories roaring within her.
You—?!
The arrow pierces through the armor safeguarding the Kurono Construct's head, causing a spreading swirl of black vital fluid to stain the ground beneath his lifeless body.
Lena?!
Lena's sudden action caught everyone present off guard, surpassing all expectations. She lowers the bow in her hand, her eyes widening as if they've lost focus. The rapid rise and fall of her chest, accompanied by her agitated breaths, betray the turbulent state of her mind.
Pant... pant...
Pentacle 4 is down! Focus fire on the Constructs and empty all magazines!
The captain of the Construct troop is the first to react, seizing the perfect opportunity presented by Lena's action to cease the diplomatic delays with Sica and engage in full-on gunfire.
As their standard pistols unleash a relentless storm of gunfire, Lena is abruptly tackled by an unseen force. A deafening blast reverberates next to her ear, while her face registers the warmth of liquid trickling down her bionic skin.
Cough...
Blood flows down from Sica's forehead as she presses her hand against Lena's shoulder, protecting her from harm.
Ugh, come on...!
Trojan charges at the Kurono Constructs, employing her tonfas to safeguard her chest from their onslaught. The iron needle housed in the engine propels an enemy who has been targeting Lena into the air. Trojan's intention is clear—to divert the attention of the adversaries toward herself.
Lena... get out of here. Inform [player name] of the situation here... Ugh—
Bright red blood streams into Sica's eyes, causing stinging pain as she attempts to open them.
You're the fastest among us. Trojan and I will clear a way out for you, so... hurry—
Sica struggles to open her eyes and attempts to turn back, shooting at the Construct barreling down on Trojan. However, her vision remains mostly blurred by the blood, making it difficult for her to aim accurately.
I... You...
Within Lena's M.I.N.D., the cacophony grows louder, resembling the primal roar of a raging beast echoing through her very being.
Ah—
It feels like a buzzing swarm of bees is devastating her brain, performing a chaotic waggle dance within her mind.
The icy tingling of nerves and the gradual burning sensation in her body seem engaged in a destructive collision.
She falls into a fractured kaleidoscope of tangled memories, where countless layers of overlapping shadows are stripped away.
The Ascension-Network... That's what I truly want... Commandant, too bad that you gotta bite the dust right here alongside this worthless loser.
Lena... Leave—
What's... wrong with...
Let us... make up for your regret...
We will... become one...
Let us... deliver the "justice" you want!
...
Lena swiftly executes a backflip, then wraps her arms tightly around Sica's waist, deftly rolling with her across the floor to evade the deluge of bullets raining down upon them.
I knew it... I just can't get along with you.
With her eyes tightly shut, she utters those words, then pulls back the bowstring, holding her breath as she takes steady aim.
Hold on! What are you trying to do?!
Lena's target is not a Kurono Construct, but rather the glass cage situated at the heart of the hall.
As the metal arrow shatters the glass, it propels itself into the dome, obliterating the artificial starlight in its wake. The hall is instantly consumed by an all-encompassing darkness, as if swallowed by the depths of an abyss.
Suddenly, a blinding purple light tears through the darkness.
...
In the center of the hall, a peculiarly shaped statue of a knight emerges, exuding an aura of authority. It stands as a divine messenger, seemingly sent by the gods to the mortal world, destined to mete out justice and sanction all evils.
The silver-gray armor emanates a mysterious, vibrant purple glow, swirling with an otherworldly energy. The faint sound of breathing transforms into a hiss, resembling a hoarse whisper of steam passing through the mask.
The sealed knight bursts free from its confining cage and proceeds to silently survey everything in its surroundings.
T-this is...?!
The Constructs cease their relentless gunfire, having received a prior instruction to minimize harm to the precious subject. However, their sudden halt is not solely due to the instruction but rather a response to the overwhelming aura of oppression emanating from the knight statue.
Wait, hold up. You guys weren't informed about what exactly you're supposed to retrieve here?
...
The eerie silence is shattered by the resounding footsteps of Lena.
She walks toward the statue of the knight in an unhurried demeanor and extends her hand to it.
Tsk... What a troublemaker—!
Trojan springs into action, swiftly responding to the shifting circumstances, while the Construct captain remains hesitant, reluctant to take any immediate measure.
With her tonfas firmly gripped in hand, she dashes toward the statue, determined to prevent it from establishing a stronger connection with Lena.
As the striking hammer ignites the fuse, the iron needle of the engine shoots forth like a bee's sting, but to no avail—it is effortlessly caught by the knight with a single hand.
The knight statue forcefully pulls Trojan in front of it, the emanating light from the depths of its faceplate reflecting in her eyes.
...
You...?
▅▃▆▅▂▄▁▅▇—!
It emits a piercing roar, incomprehensible in nature, akin to a solemn dirge dedicated to those on the brink of burial.
