Carthaki Satellite City
Now...
Rargh—!
20 meters! They're about to climb over!
The thundering roar of gunfire shakes the earth as thousands of Corrupted cling together in an ant-like swarm, scaling the ancient stone ramparts against the storm of bullets.
As scores of them are blasted away by artillery shells, another group instantly fills the gap. Hundreds of metallic skeletons scrape against each other, creating a savage rhythm as they assail the faltering defenses.
F-five meters!
They're here—
Urgh—ahhh!!
Before the soldier can finish, a Corrupted suddenly leaps onto the battlement and lunges at him, the fresh blood on its blade flashing with a horrifying gleam.
—Raargh!!
In mid-air, two armor-piercing rounds whistle through the wind, striking the Corrupted's right arm and blasting away its weapon.
Get lost!!
Jagienka leaps forward with lightning speed, spinning around to deliver a flying kick to the Corrupted—CRACK! Its metal jaw shatters as it flies backward, tumbling down from the battlement.
Don't stop! Keep firing!
Jagienka wipes the blood from her cheek and shouts toward the machine gun post.
Y-yes, ma'am!!
THOOM! Amid the roaring gunfire, a deep, muffled impact resonates from below. Jagienka suddenly feels the ground sink beneath her, and she staggers backward.
—?!
Another dull boom follows, sending tremors through the city wall like the knocking of a giant and rattling the nerves of every soldier on the battlefield.
Jagienka shoots the Corrupted at the edge of the wall dead before looking down. Below, a mechanical horde clusters densely together behind a cloaked figure, who grins maliciously as he raises his arm.
Remnants of Carthaki, dregs of the Golden Age... You'll make perfect fertilizer for my new world.
Crimson particles swirl between his palms as the nearby Corrupted twist and rupture, their steel spines erupting outward. With a bone-chilling groan, they slowly coalesce into an iron mass the size of a car.
Struggle all you want! In this deadly mist, no one will hear your pathetic whimpers—!
The Ascendant swings his arm as Jagienka's pupils constrict in alarm, and she shouts—
EVERYONE BELOW!! GET AWAY FROM THE WALL!!
The iron sphere crackles with red lightning. A howling gale erupts, carrying the projectile with tremendous force as it shoots forward, instantly smashing through the crumbling stone wall and sending dust billowing up.
Kill them!
At his command, the Corrupted surge toward the breach in the wall like fish breaking through a net, forming an overwhelming tide of destruction.
The dark, swarming mechanical horde instantly floods into the city, smashing through barricades and trampling into the cold, desolate town.
...
The Corrupted at the front scans the deserted streets. The place is dead silent and devoid of any human traces, save the creaking of signboards swaying in the wind.
Suddenly, it hears the sound of fabric being pulled aside from above.
!!
Dozens of tarpaulins are simultaneously pulled back, and gleaming rifles emerge from every rooftop, every window, and behind every door.
—OPEN FIRE!!
Hundreds of Carthakians roar in unison as countless muzzle flashes erupt. In the thunderous barrage, dozens of Corrupted in the front crumple like wheat fields in a storm, collapsing instantly under the overwhelming force.
RAAAARGH!!!
Realizing they have walked into a trap, the Corrupted immediately change tactics, dispersing into numerous smaller squads that dart into nearby buildings to search for humans house by house.
Martha! Ammo!
Right away—
The boy feels himself collide with something and looks up to see a towering armored figure blocking his path.
Heh heh...
Y-you...!
Primal fear makes the boy's jaw drop as the belt of ammunition he has been carrying over his shoulder clatters to the ground.
Shhh—
The Ascendant playfully raises a finger, making a shushing motion as his other hand reaches slowly toward the boy's face.
Get away from him!
Zhang shouts, leaping from the stairs and wrapping his arms tightly around the Ascendant's neck.
Oh? So it's...
The Ascendant falls to the ground, but seems unconcerned by Zhang's attack. Instead, he studies his attacker's face with disturbing interest.
A sinister laugh escapes from behind his cracked mask and echoes through the turbulent hallway hauntingly.
You monster! Die!
With gritted teeth, Zhang clutches the Ascendant's head and roars, smashing it against the stairs with all his strength.
Very well. You'll serve as the insurance for our "catalyst"...
Splat—
Blood sprays to the sickening sound of breaking bones.
GAHH!!!
Zhang is kicked away violently, his body tumbling like a ragdoll until he crashes into a streetlight, leaving a horrifying trail of blood.
The Ascendant advances with heavy footsteps through the rubble, walking directly to where his victim lies. He raises his palm, revealing a cannon muzzle within that surges with green flames.
Suddenly, a rustling sound comes from beside him.
?!
He whirls around, aiming his cannon in that direction.
Flames erupt like a venomous snake striking from its den, instantly engulfing the path before him.
The thick smoke soon clears, but there is only a rifle lying across the broken ground.
What?
—!
Seizing the moment when her enemy is distracted, Jagienka bursts from the opposite side, her specialized dagger glinting with deadly purpose as she drives it straight toward the Ascendant's exposed ribs.
Tsk—!
With a thunderous boom, cyan flames erupt from between the Ascendant's steel shoulder blades. Scalding steam bursts outward like an electric net, catching Jagienka mid-air and hurling her away.
Jagienka rolls with the impact, landing and sliding several feet across the ground.
You're the Ascendant who's been hiding in the Red Mist?
She wipes her nose and spits out a mouthful of blood.
Heh heh heh... Listen to those agonized screams in the ruins. Who's really the one hiding in the mist now?
A pleasure to meet you, Ranger Jagienka. I know it was you who followed my trail, destroyed my laboratories, and freed those worthless peasants.
My boss gave me the orders. Your bloody and depraved experiments end today.
You? With that pathetic shell of flesh and blood?
He sneers as he tilts his head back and crushes Jagienka's sidearm with his foot. As he raises his hand, crimson particles drift slowly through the mist, swirling around the cyan flames erupting from his mechanical body.
Without Tantalum affinity, you're just a counterfeit with some metal plates attached. Meanwhile, I'm the master of the Ascension-Network, the culmination of steel and silicon.
Forgive my bluntness, but you're nothing. What could you possibly do to me?
The courage and resolve of a human... which is more than enough to end you piece of ****!
Jagienka raises her arm, her metal joints hissing as countless silver wires reveal themselves in the sunlight. The gleaming threads crisscross like a spider's web, suddenly contracting and lunging toward the Ascendant.
Prove it to me, then, hahahaha!
John Doe stands his ground, his arms outstretched as flames erupt with a roar, instantly melting the silver wires ensnaring his body.
A gust of wind surges as Jagienka rushes out from the gunpowder smoke, her dagger carving a brilliant arc of light that melts through the steel armor and plunges into the Ascendant's body.
—!
In the same motion, Jagienka raises her left fist and drives it with whistling force toward the Ascendant's shattered mask.
—Clang!
A dull metallic thud rings out as the Ascendant raises his arm just in time, firmly blocking her attack mid-strike.
Die... you monster!
...You lunatic!
Crimson light pulsates like breaths, crackling as it gathers at Jagienka's forehead. Yet she remains unflinching, her right hand exerting all its strength to drive the blazing dagger deeper into the Ascendant's chest.
Punishing Virus compresses with a metallic resonance as the surrounding air instantly becomes scalding like acid rain, corroding and burning through Jagienka's skin.
AAARGHH!!
Still won't let go? Trading lives isn't a battle you can win.
Shut... UP!!
The Punishing Virus rolls across her skin, the searing pain in her flesh growing more intense, yet it only makes her grip on her weapon more firm as she drives it deeper and deeper.
Her ferocious will to win boils through her veins. She steps forward with a battle cry, binding her fate with her enemy's as she pushes them both to their demises.
As long as... I can bring you down with me...!!!
You can burn with this city...
BOOM—
Before he can finish, a bullet whistles through the air, piercing straight through the Ascendant's abdomen. The crimson blade that he has been forming above him shatters instantly.
—!
Jagienka immediately looks toward the bullet's origin. Through her blood-clouded vision, she can make out a strange figure in gray slowly emerging from the smoke.
Is it... you?
The Ascendant turns toward you with a tremor, his voice beneath the mask filled with astonishment.
Getting distracted on the battlefield isn't a good habit, you know?
From John Doe's blind spot, another figure silently appears, rushing to his side with supernatural speed.
Clang! A massive scythe swings downward, its edge wreathed in purple lightning. The blade slices through the Ascendant's upper body like cutting butter.
John Doe's towering mechanical body separates at the shoulder, collapsing like a severed stalk of wheat.
Heh... heheheh... The sacrifices are already...
Shut up!
Before he can finish his cryptic message, Jagienka crushes his head beneath her boot.
...Zhang!
Ignoring the well-timed reinforcements, the badly wounded Jagienka staggers toward her fallen comrade.
Boss... Cough!!
Don't move. I need to stop your bleeding first.
Hey, you two! Come help—
Jagienka looks up, only to find herself face to face with a strangely familiar visage.
...
...
Their eyes lock, and the battlefield falls into momentary silence.
...?
Studying you, Jagienka seems surprised that you know her name.
...Understood.
...Company F: 45 wounded, 27 killed in action. Captain Thalia was hit by shrapnel on her neck at the main intersection. She died at the scene.
The pungent smell of antiseptic invades the nostrils, mingling with the iron-like scent of blood that lingers in the sterile white space alongside groans of pain.
Continue.
Commander Li sits outside the emergency room as a soldier wraps bandages around his left arm while reporting the battle's outcome.
Five members from the Command Center are critically injured, all currently in emergency care. Six suffer minor injuries, all still fit for duty, including yourself, sir.
Thanks to the Gray Raven Commandant, civilian casualties were... kept within acceptable parameters.
...Thank you for your assistance.
Commander Li turns to look at you, who are sitting beside him.
So you're [player name]?
The one-eyed female soldier leans against the opposite wall, a complicated expression crossing her face as she hears your identity.
...It's nothing. My boss mentioned you before.
Just then, the emergency room door opens, and Nirvatia steps out. Pausing at the threshold, she releases a long, heavy sigh.
How is he?!
Jagienka rushes forward, trying to peek into the emergency room, but Nirvatia stands firmly in her way and slowly closes the door.
It doesn't look good. We've exhausted all the medications here. I've managed to control the bleeding as best I could, but I've handed over further treatment to the other doctors.
How long will he last without medications?
Three days tops. Maybe just one.
She wearily rubs her temples.
Also, some of the life-support equipment here is far too old. The critical values are unstable, and I'm afraid this place simply can't accommodate this many wounded.
"This place"...?
The words sting Jagienka like needles. She lowers her head, her fists clenched tight.
...Nirvatia!
Jagienka suddenly lunges forward, seizing Nirvatia by the shoulders and slamming her against the door to the emergency room.
...!
Anger flushes her cheeks crimson as she stands in silence, her nostrils flaring, her piercing gaze boring into Nirvatia's eyes.
...
I didn't mean to upset you, Jagienka.
There it is again. Your tone sounds exactly the same as that cold, detached letter you sent!
...Letter?
Nirvatia's gaze sharpens slightly as she falls into contemplation, clearly not understanding what Jagienka is talking about.
Jagienka shoots Nirvatia a glare, then releases her right hand to retrieve a letter from the pouch at her waist.
It's right there in black and white: Nirvatia, Science Council of Babylonia!
...I never wrote you a letter. What does it say?
Jagienka furrows her brow and shoves the letter into Nirvatia's hands.
Nirvatia's expression turns vigilant as she quickly reads through the letter she has no memory of writing.
"...So there can be no mistake. John Doe, the Ascendant you've been tracking, is in the Carthaki Satellite City."
"A complicated and profound secret hides here, with all clues seemingly pointing to her... Forgive me for being unable to reveal the whole truth here."
"Margaret, she's still alive. The catalyst of the Great Akdilek Explosion and the spark that led to Carthaki's downfall is hiding within the ruins of Carthaki itself."
Nirvatia frowns slightly as she lowers the letter, looking at Jagienka with confusion.
This is a forgery. Where did you get it?
Through official Oasis channels—you don't need to know the details. I've already verified it came from Babylonia.
If the letter is fake, why are you here right now? What are the odds of such a coincidence?
I'm on assignment. This commandant has been traveling with me.
Following Nirvatia's gaze, Jagienka turns to look in your direction.
What about the details mentioned in that letter? Who else besides us could possibly know those things?
I don't have the answer for that, but I must emphasize that I have nothing to gain from this letter... Jagienka.
She hesitates for a moment before pronouncing her name.
She's not lying.
Commander Li, who has remained silent until now, suddenly speaks up.
How can you tell?
Her eyes.
If you're making some sick joke, sir, I'll do the Corrupted a favor and give you a dignified end myself.
...I taught you all once that a soldier's eyes never lie.
As for what Nirvatia's eyes look like when she's lying, you should know that better than I do, Jagienka.
...
Jagienka's gaze darts back and forth as she hesitates momentarily, then awkwardly releases her grip.
Whoever forged this letter wanted to lure me to Carthaki... and this person also knows about Margaret and many details about the Great Akdilek Explosion.
...?
All three pairs of eyes turn toward you at once.
That must have been one of his mechanical doubles. So he's operating between the ruins of Carthaki and the Satellite City simultaneously?
She was... Margaret. I saw her with my own eyes.
Jagienka's eyes widen in shock.
She really is alive? Right there in Carthaki?
I can't say for certain. She appeared to be nothing more than a phantom, and was impossible to communicate with. After the battle ended, her form simply dissipated.
In other words, this letter might have come from the Ascendant. He could have lured Jagienka to Carthaki for some purpose...
What the hell is that psychopath planning?
Nirvatia gazes out the window toward the north, where golden light is piercing through layers of mist and flickering amidst the smoke-shrouded ruins.
The Great Akdilek Explosion, the Golden Oak, the Ascendant, Margaret...
We might be just one step away from the truth.
Hah, one step away.
Jagienka kicks away an empty bottle at her feet, sneering with disdain.
I thought you'd finally grown a conscience after all these years and remembered those of us still living down here on the surface.
But the letter was fake. What a shame.
She glares at Nirvatia, spitting out each word as she tears the letter to shreds.
Jagienka, you've planted the Forsaken's flag in 23 cities and kidnapped 12 diplomatic envoys to the Oasis over the past five years.
Rangers always come and go like ghosts, striking before disappearing. How the hell was I supposed to find you?
You know damn well what I'm really angry about, Nirvatia.
She opens her palm, allowing the paper fragments to flutter down like snowflakes.
Let me remind you that your name has been on the Babylonia's wanted list ever since "that day."
Yet nobody's come after you all these years. You don't actually think Gestalt withdrew the warrant, do you?
...Hmph, how dare you bring up "that day"?
That day...
He feels a sharp pain between his eyebrows and unconsciously begins to murmur under his breath.
...
Perhaps due to his injuries, Commander Li suddenly feels dizzy, the voices of the two arguing women growing increasingly distant.
He steadies himself, feeling as though he has seen this scene before. In his daze, the surrounding walls seem to peel away and collapse, revealing numerous indistinct figures materializing before his eyes.
