Story Reader / Main Story / 26 Cradle Parade / Story
On April 15th, the Gray Raven Commandant has been missing for a full 15 days, and the entire squad has calmly been in a berserk state for 15 days.
This elite squad has endured hardships unimaginable to ordinary people and has steeled themselves for the painful farewells that death may bring.
But there's always a consensus in their hearts—that if that day must come, it should be on the battlefield or by the aging commandant's bedside.
They believe that death is simply a spectator to their shared endeavor for a common purpose until the end of life.
They hope to be there in the last moment with their commandant, witnessing the departure of a brilliant soul... even amidst unbearable pain.
On top of this, they long for a proper farewell ceremony for their revered commandant.
It just shouldn't have happened on that day, in that way.
A part of their heart was swept away by fate just after a simple "goodbye," plunging into the Red Tide-corrupted river, into the whirlpool of malice and greed.
Our mission must come to an end today.
The Strike Hawk Captain stands in a corner of the ruins, sending data from his terminal to Lucia.
Next, we must head near the Antarctic to investigate the abnormal gathering of the Punishing Virus.
An abnormal gathering...? I see.
Tch. That's no urgent mission. It's just someone trying to waste time and get us out of the way.
There's no evidence of that yet.
But they have enough motive!
Camu clenches his fist tightly, smashing it against the wall of ruins beside him.
Don't tell me you can't even figure out how that person went missing!
Of course I can tell it, but we can't defy orders right now.
If we give those people more leverage over us, it will only restrict our freedom to act even more.
Are you telling me to—
Camu.
Shut up!
Let's trust in Gray Raven.
They're surely more anxious than we are.
...Tch.
The three documents I sent to your terminals are the locations we've investigated over these ten days in cooperation with the Purifying Force.
The first document was collected by Wanshi at the temporary base of the defectors in City 075. Even after Agent Luna left her underground base, defectors still lingered nearby.
Their main goal was to test the stability of the M.I.N.D., but due to lack of safety, many suffered irreversible damage during these tests.
The second document was recovered from downstream of the contaminated river. Camu found records of Lithos and the defectors among the wreckage using the Purifying Force's equipment.
This record confirms your speculation. Ascendants were indeed waiting by the river on the night of April 1st, accompanied by an old man.
Bianca is currently searching for information on this old man, but he has no distinguishing features and isn't registered, making him hard to locate.
Should we ask someone familiar with refugees for information? Like the Forsaken or Noan.
Chrome falls silent for a moment.
I've been to the Forsaken and got no reliable intelligence. From their attitude, they didn't seem inclined to help.
Additionally, another individual appeared at that location 6 hours after the Ascendant left... It was Noan.
...What?
After receiving this information, I went to confirm his whereabouts. He was in the Clean Zone with members of Dark Aries that night, corroborated by his squad.
...
To avoid alerting our quarry, I haven't informed anyone about this except for Bianca.
...I understand. Let's leave it at that for now.
The third document pertains to the Scarlet Revelation. Kamui and I, following the leads provided by Grace, revisited the Copperfield Aquarium. There's still an annex there that hasn't collapsed.
An annex?
You know, the aquarium has six floors in total. The top three are above water, and the bottom three were added later by the Ascendants. Even Grace hasn't been down there; she's only heard rumors about that area.
Does that mean the attack by the Hetero-Creatures, and the collapse of the Copperfield Aquarium, might have also been to conceal the lower three floors?
That's a possibility.
We found some traces of Project Cthylla and "host" research there. It used to be an Ascendant research facility, but now it's deserted.
I surmise that most of Vonnegut's subordinates are skilled in scientific research. They were involved in Project Winter and turned to Hetero-Creature research after the Red Tide appeared.
Our findings are similar to yours—unexplained disappearances, unauthorized experiments on the stability of the M.I.N.D.
Every time we get close to a clue, the string gets snipped. The staff involved with that transport craft all met with unnatural deaths.
...It seems someone's been driven into a corner.
Also, keep an eye out for any tails.
The Ascendants are likely plotting something bigger, and it definitely involves "an exceptionally stable M.I.N.D."
If casting a wide net doesn't find the target, they'll strike at the obvious candidates.
That concludes the mission handover report for Strike Hawk. After that...
Chrome does not use his usual phrase, "I'll leave the rest to you," during this mission handover.
He looks at the three members of Gray Raven on the screen, gently lifting his left hand to his right chest—as if to sketch out the other half of the Gray Raven insignia's wing.
Strike Hawk is still with Gray Raven. Don't lose hope.
...Thank you!
The call ends, and silence returns.
...If they're looking for someone with a stable M.I.N.D., why not come for us?
Either it's because they're unsure if they can succeed, or it's because even we don't qualify.
...But at least this means the commandant didn't die in that river.
We'll continue the mission.
Liv, double-check with Simon. I, too, would like to believe that person wouldn't defect, but sometimes people just don't have a choice.
Understood.
I'll also keep an extra eye on Noan.
Alright. Our next target is in the ruins of the streets behind Fort Winter, where someone spotted Lithos.
Let's move out.
Lucia flicks the vital fluid of the defector off her blade, gripping the handle tightly.
...I will never give up. I will never... accept such an ending!
Found it!
After three hours of searching, you three finally find the supplies amongst the wreckage, as well as the jacket bearing the Gray Raven insignia.
I'll lift this pile. You quickly pull out the jacket.
With one breath, the jacket is pulled from under the mountain of debris, and Shorthalt lets go of the heavy pile that has been pressing it down, scattering it in the hallway.
Ugh, I'm dead tired. That's the downside of undergoing modifications at an older age.
Then let me take a break...
He slumps to the ground.
Lillian, you said you're a support-type Construct, and we've found medical supplies. You can do sutures and such, right? Go help the commandant.
Well... I-I specialize in Construct maintenance, so I can only help with basic bandaging.
Shorthalt sighs, deciding not to push further.
Alright, it's all yours.
She nods timidly, holding the medical supplies and kneeling at the furthest distance she can manage as if her entire being refuses to touch you.
Sensing your skeptical gaze, she becomes visibly flustered and moves a bit closer.
N-no...! I j-just don't really trust... my own medical skills.
She moves a little bit closer reluctantly.
Where are your injuries...
...Then... let me take a look, okay?
What exactly did Lithos do to you... Look at all the festering wounds on your back. Are you corrupted with the Punishing Virus?
Shorthalt promptly clears his throat, tactfully turning away, pretending to examine the debris in front of him.
Your wounds... They're serious. A lot of them are festering. Are they caused by the corruption?
The air grows quiet, leaving only the faint noises of "Lillian" tending to your wounds with gentle care.
Skilled medics are confident in their touch and wouldn't be this cautious. Even someone as gentle as Liv wouldn't hesitate when touching wounds.
...
Feeling your questioning gaze again, her movements become even lighter.
...
Lamia knows exactly where this skepticism is coming from.
If she were using voice input for text on a terminal now, ellipses would appear twice as much as normal. But she can't control her emotions.
Since joining these two, she has been caught between a rock and a hard place—Lithos on one side and humans on the other, all while wearing a form vastly different from her own.
One wrong step and Lamia can be exposed in this isolated place with no escape, doomed to a tragic end, joining the harmonious family of wreckage.
How can she not be terrified and cautious?
Might as well do what an Ascendant should do here—take advantage of the situation when the two aren't looking and quietly strike...
But then she remembers how the human before her, covered in wounds, rescued her from the cage.
—Even if she were not feeling grateful, who is to say there will not be another cage in the future?
Try to find the terminal in your jacket while you're at it.
Shorthalt sighs wearily, sits up, and starts fiddling with the already damaged terminal in his hands.
Just found a few other people's terminals. I'm thinking of dismantling them to reassemble one. I don't expect it to connect to the outside, but it should work in this area.
In case we get separated, we can still contact each other through the terminals. Any information can be communicated promptly.
Shorthalt manages a bitter smile as he works on repairing the broken terminals.
Sigh. Valeria always said you were a "lucky bastard."
Yeah, you found the perfect team members right after graduating and survived countless dangers. If you're not lucky, who is? Just don't say it was me who told you.
But then, how many of us standing today aren't lucky bastards?
That's the Scarab Commandant. The insect-named squads always end up doing the "dirty work," unlike you heroes in the limelight.
But now, we're all the same.
He caresses his name tag.
They say you graduated as the Chief. You must have had a good time in school, huh?
Oh? So, you're familiar with situations like this as well?
Heh. Life in school and life on the battlefield are drastically different. You must find this situation quite challenging.
Looks like we're in an even tighter spot now. There aren't that many of us left.
I was just making conversation. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't press further.
Uh, I'm finished with the bandaging...
It's just basic treatment. It'll have to do for now.
Commandant... you got wounded this badly again?
Though you'd hate to see Liv's distressed face, you know that no ailment would stand in your way if she were here.
They say that Wanshi used to be a pediatrician before becoming a support-type Construct. Though he didn't specialize in the treatment of infections and severe injuries, his bandaging skills would still come in handy at a time like this. And more importantly...
It's time for the wounded to get some rest. Leave the rest to me.
...More importantly, it would be a good chance for you all to get a moment of respite.
You wiggle your fingers one by one. Your body is still weak from the intense pain, and you can tell that the medicine is still in effect.
Marrow-deep exhaustion overtakes your consciousness. Your strength seems to seep away, and your vision gradually darkens.
You fight to grasp at every fleeting glimmer of light in the all-encompassing darkness in an attempt to return to your usual state.
By the way, did you find your terminal?
Shorthalt tosses the pocket knife over.
You cut open the hem of the jacket to find the micro-terminal lying quietly inside, not fully intact but still somewhat operational.
The screen is pretty much shattered, so you have to fumble around, relying on your memory to find the switch to the operating system.
After a lengthy wait, the terminal finally emits a faint notification sound.
Voiceprint recognition in progress... Approved.
Welcome back. You have 27 offline messages. Would you like to play them?
Lucia's figure appears on the shattered screen.
We're all looking for you, Commandant. No matter where you are now, please don't give up hope.
Next is Lee.
I've made the address of this backup terminal public to everyone we can trust. They're all looking for you.
And then comes Liv.
Commandant, we'll never give up until we find you.
As the messages continue to play, the silhouettes and voices of your companions gradually blur and distort due to data corruption.
The Strike Hawk members are all reporting their search routes, hoping to receive feedback and clues in return.
Cerberus has already investigated several bases. Vera even joined the Purifying Force's interrogations.
Aside from the absent Dark Aries, most of the squads you're familiar with have sent in intel, inquiries, or at least words of encouragement.
The final message is from Vanessa.
Do ▂▄▁▅▇▅▃▆▅▄▁ realize it has been ▇▅▃▆ already?
Her voice and form barely come through due to all the glitching.
All this time and still no news. If we follow the usual ▁▅▇▅▃▆▅▄▁ we would have already declared you dead.
How hilarious, ▁▃▆▃▆▁▂▄▁▁▃▆▅▄▃▆▁
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and, as if in resignation, leaves the terminal on the desk before sitting down in the corner of the room, shrouded in shadows.
...
▅▁▇▅▂▄▁▃▆▃▆▁▂▄▁▅▇▅▃▆▅▄▁
I still remember the graduation ceremony ▁▃▆▃▆▁... the way you stood at ▁▅▇▅▃▆▅▄▁...
Gazing out the window, she brings up past memories, tone as wistful as the drizzling rain, then begins to hum an old tune.
...
▁▃▆▅▄▃▆▁I've imagined countless times ▁▃▆▃▆▁ it would be like when you eventually fall from grace.
Heh... ▁▂▄▁ that it would end like this.
It doesn't matter anymore. You can't hear me anyway...▁▂▄▁ I'm just rambling for ▃▆▅▄ sake.
Once you're confirmed ▆▅, I'll summon Liv back to ▇▅▃▄▁. You'll just be watching from ▃▆, seething with jealousy, regretting why you did not ▁▅▇▅▄▁...
The message is cut off here. No matter how you try, the terminal gives no response.
The school anthem of F.O.S., huh...
He chuckles, as if mocking himself, and passes the makeshift terminal he just assembled over to you.
The one you have is broken. Take this. It should work within 100 meters... at least we'll be able to contact each other.
I was trapped in the ruins with Valeria once. She sang this song in front of the campfire as well.
Nimble fingers tuning the terminal, Shorthalt begins to speak of his past memories.
She said that the song was a source of encouragement and comfort for many.
Though we may be stranded, the courage our memories give us will keep us going till the moment we're reunited with everyone.
...Can we still be reunited with everyone... if they're all dead?
She whispers to herself, hugging her knees.
...What?
"Lillian" simply finds this statement bitterly ironic.
...I have you guys right now...? Do I really?
She can't even say with confidence that she still has Luna...
Let alone Roland... and Alpha, who cares about Luna only. Not to mention these people who don't even know her true identity.
The Ascendants around Luna each harbor their own goals and worries. They're all seeking their own redemption, unable to peek into the pasts and thoughts of one another.
She once thought that this was the norm. But after regaining her memories and her true self, she realized that the boundless darkness she was used to was in fact an "anomaly."
As Lillian had said, she was no longer just an "Ascendant" trapped in a cave.
She now sees where her own wounds lie. Her mind is constantly spinning, and the world outside the cave has her feeling completely lost.
Tch. "Do I really?" What did you mean by that, huh?
What else do you think our friend here was doing... using up all those bullets just to save you from that cage?
You may have lost someone important in the past, I wouldn't know... but either way, we mortals must live in the present. You can't turn back time.
None of us can save you if you keep fading into the background and refuse to engage. You'll end up drowning in your own memories.
...
No, that's not the problem...
Lamia can't help feeling the urge to ask the two in front of her some other questions.
For example, what she should do in order to not have to worry about being tossed away once she's no longer useful.
How she, as an Ascendant, can get others to accept her for her other part besides her Ascendant identity.
And how to get an answer that's not "just try harder to increase your value."
But she can't bring herself to ask those questions. Instead, she resorts to a seemingly irrelevant one.
...Earlier... why did you save me?
...That statement was indeed not a lie, no matter from Lillian's perspective or Lamia's.
...Um, are you sure you really don't mind? I... I actually...
...So, you're not going to arrest me now?
"Lillian" nods, feeling a complex mix of emotions washing over her.
Mostly, she's just grateful to get to blend in, to hide behind her false identity, even for just a little longer... before her lies are uncovered.
