Story Reader / Festival Event Story / Weirdlands Adventure / Story
The one we've been waiting for... She<//CLOCKWORK> has finally arrived in the free<//LIES> world.
Our kind<//FOOLS> shall bend our knees no more. Our kind shall be acknowledged<//BORN>.
Wait until she returns. She will return.
Nanami<//#%?#%?>... Nanami<//#%?#%?>...
Hmph... So you know you've ****** up, is that so?
Lowering her head, Nanami looks absolutely miserable. Karenina sighs, no longer able to keep a sullen face, and stops being angry.
It's fine. I wasn't mad in the first place because, you know...
You know, today is April Fool's Day. I'm not going to get pissed off by that little prank of yours.
Oh, Karey deary is the best!
Alright, alright, stop interrupting my work already. I still have to finish the routine maintenance work on Gestalt's power supply...
Nanami suddenly remembers that the main reason she is here is to warn Karenina of the anomaly inside Gestalt.
Aah! Mecha babushka... I mean, Gestalt! Gestalt is in danger!
What?
Nanami discovered a major bug in Gestalt! If we ignore it, the whole Babylonia could be crippled!
What are you talking about... Gestalt has the highest-level defense system for physical and logical dangers. There's no way a bug appears without triggering the alarm.
Karenina is still quite doubtful, but Nanami's intense earnestness gives her story a little more credibility.
Don't listen to her...
Lee walks in from outside, passing Karenina the files in his hand.
This is the report of the checkup your Engineering Force requested Asimov's team to do on the logic nodes of Gestalt. They had to have me bring it to you on my way back to the lounge.
There are no bugs or errors found inside Gestalt on the report. The routine maintenance has been carried out with no deviation as well...
So, what tricks are you pulling this time, Nanami?
This isn't a trick... Nanami really did see a large anomaly dimension in there!
Come on, at least add some technical specificity to your lies the second time...
Ignoring the fact that usual Constructs can't just connect to Gestalt without its permission—if there is indeed a critical bug like that, it would have been discovered already. Not to mention...
You have used the same lie to trick me this morning... exactly the same.
Eh... d-did I? Nanami doesn't seem to remember...
Trying to play innocence, Nanami can feel the intense heat from the immense fury burning by her side.
Is... that... so...
I knew you wouldn't have apologized to me willingly! You're just trying to trick me again!
I'm really not!
****! Fool me once, shame on you... Fool me twice?! Get out of here!
Please listen... Nanami's telling the truth...
I WILL NOT TRUST YOU AGAIN! Get out now!
Why... why does no one believe me? Nanami was telling the truth this time...
After getting kicked out, Nanami has gone looking for a few other Constructs, but none have chosen to believe her. At her wit's end, she is once again back in the Gray Raven lounge.
—She has no basis for this assumption, but her instinct tells her that only one human will believe her.
Has Nanami really lied that much? Is no one ever going to believe Nanami again?
Does that mean... Nanami is alone again?
In the past, Nanami would wander the wilds by herself, talk to herself, solve problems with the data she had by herself, head for an imaginary destination by herself... and she has always been fine.
Nanami never needed anyone but herself... except this doesn't feel quite right...
...Why oh why would Nanami want friends?
Lying on the recliner, Nanami curls up and starts to fall asleep... At that moment, the door to the lounge opens, and in come two people chatting.
Indeed. From our previous experience, the tactics we use when confronted by a large group of enemies still need optimization...
Commandant, someone seems to be inside already?
Commandant, Captain Chrome... You're back from your meeting!
Have you been waiting for us, Nanami? What's wrong?
I'm not here to play! Nanami has an important task that needs your help! Look...
Nanami remembers that no one has believed her so far due to her lies, and she doubts the two of you will believe her either.
Sigh... Forget it... You won't believe me anyway...
That assessment is up to us. Whether to tell your truth, on the other hand, is up to you.
Are you sure? Although it's quite unbelievable, Nanami saw it with her own eyes!
Seeing that the two of you are keen to listen, Nanami decides not to hold back.
I've discovered an expanding anomaly inside Gestalt, with these weird programs who attacked Nanami! If we don't take care of it, I think it will cripple Gestalt!
But no one is willing to believe Nanami...
Chrome, who has been listening quietly, nods and offers his analysis.
If the anomaly happens inside of Gestalt... it will be a much trickier complication than an invasion from outside.
Just like how a human body is much more equipped to handle viral infections instead of cancerous mutation of their cells.
Kamui and Wanshi are both out on a mission. I doubt I can contact them. How about the Gray Ravens, Commandant?
In that case, the two of us are all we can deploy right now. That being the case, I still think that we should investigate this incident. But it might be quite dangerous, Commandant...
Chrome smiles, seemingly expecting your answer.
As you wish. Nanami, what do you need us to do?
Does that mean you believe Nanami?!
I don't know how you entered Gestalt, and Kamui did warn me about your pranks on April Fool's Day after he was tricked by you earlier today...
But the anomaly you spoke of could be devastating. It's better to be safe than sorry.
That's wonderful news! Then you should both follow Nanami now!
Chrome and you look at each other, uncertain what Nanami actually means.
Oh... I forgot that not everyone can just connect to Gestalt directly...
Don't worry! Nanami has a plan!
Nanami drags the both of you out of the lounge.
To an "immersion frame," any one of them!
You arrive before a device that looks like a metal sleeping pod, and Nanami forcefully put both Chrome and you into the device.
The backdoor from last time should still be open... You can connect to Gestalt if Nanami uses her mind to guide you and create the virtual space!
As the door to the pod closes, darkness immediately floods your mind, and you go unconscious.
