Story Reader / Arcade Anima / On the Brink of Abyss / Story
Huff... puff... Ugh...
Lucia's frame is releasing immense heat. The startled humanoid-hybrid Construct tries to touch Lucia, but she quickly retracts her hand.
Are you alright—ouch! You're burning!
A normal Construct would have shut down long ago to avoid overheating.
But a power Lucia never knew has enhanced... or forcefully bypassed the different safety measures within the frame to push it beyond its theoretical limit.
Is this... the power of an Ascendant?
The whispers have disappeared. Lucia can feel her M.I.N.D. gradually entangling with something ethereal.
From Lamia's perspective, the frame of the white-haired Construct who saved her is not just hot enough to distort the air around her but also sends crimson electric sparks flying.
Stay away from me!
Lamia jumps up like a startled frog and dashes behind a collapsed wall dozens of yards away, only poking her head out to observe Lucia.
Lucia's mind is like a lone boat sailing in the storm. Although the static-like whispers are gone, an unknown, unseen, and incomprehensible data stream is causing a tsunami in her M.I.N.D.
The waves bring blurry reflections that overwhelm the lone boat of "Lucia" as if they will sink her into the depths of the sea.
Dammit! We almost got it! That slippery mermaid!
Was that the almighty Lucia from Gray Raven? Isn't she standing by on Babylonia after losing her team and commandant during the last mission?
Maybe she's on a secret mission? Or maybe she's joined the Purifying Force?
That's impossible. Didn't you see the symbol of Gray Raven on her uniform?
What are the chances that we would run into her?! We would have died if her frame wasn't malfunctioning at the end.
What should we do now? We can't go back to Babylonia, and we haven't finished the Ascendant's task.
We'll wait for another chance. Didn't he say we can also become Ascendants if we find the whereabouts of a purple-haired Construct?
It sucks that Will wouldn't come with us. He was the best at this kind of thing.
That guy was an idiot. He was the one who complained about Babylonia the most! Then he immediately chickened out when an opportunity arose. He even wanted to report us! What a coward!
Don't say that. He was our teammate.
Enough with your crocodile tears. Weren't you the first one to shoot?
I wanted to make it quick for him. Who was the one who destroyed his Inver-Device to get him infected and die a slow death as a Corrupted?
I bet you took the chance to settle a score, didn't you? Because Will was...
Shut up!
Walker's words seem to have crossed a line. Clarence immediately draws his gun, and Walker draws his in response.
Enough! Stop messing around!
Chad's shouts were to no avail. He lost his authority as the captain the moment he decided to desert and turned a blind eye to the attack on Will.
The fear of the unknown, the concern about wasted time, the loathing of Lucia's meddling...
All kinds of negative emotions are piling up like sand in an hourglass, tugging at the strings of rationality.
Everyone is trying to shift more blame to the others and reveal a more mangled scar as if that would prove their innocence.
Y'all look pretty lively, I say! Here I thought my chosen heroes would be disheartened upon seeing their victory snatched away before their very eyes!
They suddenly hear an inappropriately cheerful voice. Turning around, they find a Construct amidst the ruins nearby, seemingly having been there for a while.
Why are you here? We still have time!
This "Roland" was the one who found them desperate and abandoned. After witnessing how he could command the Corrupted like puppets, they fully believed what he said about "Ascendants".
What a heartbreaking thing to say. I'm here because I'm worried about you!
Don't the chosen heroes always require guidance during a plot twist?
You want to help us?
I'm here to bring you a piece of good news. The Construct I asked you to find has likely left this place.
Why would that be good news?
Well, you don't have to waste your energy to search for him anymore. Isn't that good news?
Are you messing with us?!
Seeing how eased and carefree Roland is, Chad is about to start a fight before remembering how Roland controlled the Corrupted, and he swallows his pride.
The hatred he felt and the strange thrill he got from allowing Will's death got Chad through what Roland called "the first round of the filtering." He does not want to give up his chance now just to start a petty fight.
What do you want us to do?
It's simple. Same as before: take care of the mermaid, and I'll bring you to the one who can perform the last rite.
Understood.
But...
Shut it! Is there something else? Can we go?
Roland does not say anything. He reaches out with his right hand and gestures for them to do as they please.
The three of them quickly vanish from Roland's sight. Looking at where they depart, Roland gently taps next to his ear.
After a while, he laughs and starts talking to himself.
Heroes who run away and defect to the enemies often get bad endings.
Roland reaches inside his pocket and presses a button.
It's the curtain call. Let me send you off with some fireworks.
Taking off his useless earpiece, Roland deftly jumps down the ruins, rubbing his ears to ease the discomfort from the loud explosion.
Now, let's see how the other side's doing.
