Story Reader / Main Story / 23 Wintry Shackles / Story
05:30 p.m. Inside the transport craft.
After making sure that no reinforcement is coming, Alpha returns to the pilot seat in the transport craft.
This transport craft doesn't have an official ID...?
Alpha was hoping to remove the dispatching center's tracking on the transport craft first, but she was surprised to find it "undocumented."
Not only is it unregistered, but its flight log is empty as well.
Is this squad really the Purifying Force?
She takes the terminal from the one who looks like the captain and starts inspecting it.
Is this their mission data?
Alpha taps open the mission briefing on the terminal.
If they are only pretending to be the Purifying Force, perhaps their mission will reveal the truth.
The mission briefing lists the names of a few deserters and the last locations they were seen.
It appears that they are here to search for deserters, which is what they are supposed to do.
Something isn't right...
Remembering what she observed earlier and her past encounters with the Purifying Force, Alpha senses that something is out of place.
They seemed to be waiting instead of searching...
Alpha keeps examining the terminal, trying to recover deleted files.
As expected, an encrypted mail appears before her.
She opens it and finds the detailed information of a Construct.
It seems that they will always be watching "you."
...
Mission Target—Lucia: Plume (M.I.N.D. ID: BPL-01)
Mission: 1. Arrive in Area D12 before 17:00 GMT and secure the transport craft.
2. Wolfsbane should head to Area D12 to confirm the status of the target at 17:30 GMT after completing Mission 1 and await further instruction.
What do they want her for? No... More importantly, what were they waiting for?
Although she has not come into contact with Gray Raven, Alpha's instinct tells her that a hidden thread is slowly forming a net.
This net is gradually tightening, gathering up unrelated parties.
Do you want to warn her? Perhaps seeing her will clear up the doubts in your heart.
Hearing the noise in her audio module, Alpha eventually shakes her head.
There's no reason for me to risk my life for her. It doesn't help what I'm about to do either.
She probably would have fallen into these people's hands by now if it weren't for your intervention.
I thought you didn't want what happened to you to happen to her. Or do you think the person who provided you with this intel will continue to help Gray Raven?
I interfered in City 075 because the Gray Raven Commandant might have information on Luna's whereabouts. It was more advantageous for me that they were alive back then.
Is it more advantageous for you right now if they're in trouble?
What's happening to them doesn't really impact me. However, it has revealed some useful information.
The Parliament shaped them into "heroes." Now, someone is going after them.
Alpha sneers and closes the projection before her.
How familiar... Obviously, Kurono is behind these people.
Whether it's the Parliament losing its hold on the situation or those working in the shadows finding a weak point they can target...
It shows that humans are pointing their guns toward each other, which will only make things easier for me.
And the person who told me about this place couldn't be aiding Gray Raven.
She wouldn't have sought the Ascendants' help otherwise.
Alpha crushes the terminal in her hand before entering the coordinates in her mind into the navigation system.
05:20 p.m. Area D14.
Rawrgh...
Your pistol lands accurately at the energy core of the Corrupted.
Its bright red eyes dim, and the clattering of metal dies down.
You are all relieved that you have not encountered any Ascendant on your way to the new conservation while escorting the transport fleet.
What a lovely experience working together this has been. I must admit that Babylonia's generosity has surprised me. Remember that we're always open for business on your future ventures.
It's gonna cost a lot to restart the Eternal Engine, after all.
After parting with ACA's Cargo Crew, Gray Raven—Lucia and you, more specifically—receives another mission to eliminate more Corrupted.
Although their numbers have greatly diminished, occasional groups of Corrupted still appear outside the Clean Zone.
Lucia is responsible for taking down most of them, and you do your best to eliminate separated Corrupted before they near the temporary camps.
Confirming that there are no moving Corrupted nearby, you turn the safety of your still-scorching pistol back on and holster it.
Commandant! Are you hurt?
Lucia still steps up and gives you a detailed inspection before she relaxes and smiles.
Good. You're not hurt.
I've eliminated the Corrupted in the southwestern directions as well. I'm not detecting more movement currently.
Should we patrol the other directions now, Commandant?
That is when you notice a cut on Lucia's right arm where vital fluid is dripping out, soaking her clothes.
It's just a small injury. It won't affect me.
Lucia is not wrong. Small injuries like that are run-of-the-mill to her.
What bothers you more is...
These shambling Corrupted should not have posed any threat to Lucia.
Yeah...
Her situation seems to be worse than you imagined, but what caused it...?
As you deliberate the possible reasons, you suddenly hear a sharp shriek—the alarm for highly concentrated Punishing Virus.
You try to warn Lucia when she pushes you away.
The unexpected force sends you crashing into a steel plate several meters away.
Dazed by the impact, you barely even hear the deafening alarm anymore.
You lean on the metal plate to stand up, struggling to recover your blurred vision.
You thought the alarm was caused by Corrupted hidden underground, but it is actually coming from Lucia.
She covers her forehead, her expression filled with agony. Her thruster is thrown aside as dull red sparks flash around her body.
You can see with your own eyes that she has been infected significantly. Her Inver-Device is not enough to stabilize her M.I.N.D, and she requires an immediate M.I.N.D. connection.
Don't!
Lucia suddenly shouts to warn you as if she has noticed something, but she is too late.
The sense of suffocation fills your brain. Your heart feels like it is being torn to pieces by a pair of hands. Chaos takes over your mind as if a swamp is devouring your sanity.
You feel like you are back under City 075, and time is stretched infinitely.
In this unending moment, you sense a clear emotion amidst the sea of chaos...
Hostility.
Blinded by an illusory redness, you feel a sudden sharp pain in your abdomen and then the contrasting feeling of coldness and heat.
Blood and vital fluid drips down the blade from the palms of you two onto the floor.
Your momentary instinct saved you from a strike to your vital organs. Grabbing the katana with your hands, you have avoided the worst outcome.
But you alone could never dodge a strike from a Construct.
Holding the hilt of her blade with one hand, Lucia's other hand, however, is clutching the blade like you.
Strife, fear, hatred, disgust, regrets... Complicated emotions flash across her face as if a demon is fighting to control her body.
Like pushing an avalanche back onto the mountain top while steeping in a swamp, you calm down the chaotic M.I.N.D. while slowly pulling the katana out from your abdomen.
Commandant!
Blood gushes out of your wound.
And you hear a cry of anguish you have never heard before.
