Story Reader / Main Story / 31 Shaper's Ripples / Story
Taking advantage of Cradle's momentary pause, you step once again into the nightmare-shrouded elevator.
No sooner do you enter the hidden floor than the Red Tide surges through the shadowy tunnel alongside its master.
Even with the sharp decline in Hetero-Creatures, Cradle, born from both Red Tide and Hetero Tower, remains nearly invincible.
...
Watching as the two figures struggle in the tunnel from the shadows, Chaos suppresses the urge to step in and help again.
You're growing weaker. Under no circumstances should you engage Agent Zero once more in your current state.
Every move is a gamble with her life—she must exercise caution.
You know what? I've never felt such joy before.
With a smile, Cradle effortlessly evades Lucia's lightning-fast slash.
That "Key" of yours is useless now, isn't it? Among the three of you, taking out just one would be enough to crush Vonnegut's plans.
Once I lose the "Key," it will be difficult to keep Agent Zero away from the core. I won't be able to force her out of the Inver-Hetero Tower like before.
This isn't just about her life—when Vonnegut's plans fall apart, everyone will have to pay the price.
The few remaining Hetero-Creatures charge at Lucia in unison. In the narrow tunnel, there's nowhere to dodge—in that split second of hesitation, their combined force sends her reeling.
If not for her thruster steadying her just in time, she would have crashed straight into the Red Tide beside her.
It will severely strain your frame. The first use won't be fatal, but repeated usage will eventually exceed your limits.
Chaos clearly understands what Vonnegut left unsaid—one more use of his gift means stepping right into the abyss.
Now, who should I eat first? Lucia... I've never gotten the chance to finish you off completely. The terrain here works against you—such a rare opportunity. You'll do nicely.
A new cage of spikes erupts from the ground, like demon claws rising from the abyss to drag their airborne prey back to earth.
The Punishing crystals explode into an intersecting trap, instantly binding Lucia's joints in their grip.
The crystals contract and compress, shackling the captain of Gray Raven until every possible movement is sealed away.
...Bring it on!
Deep in the shadows, Chaos clenches both fists.
Do you know why I chose clones to make the "Key"?
...Aha. Ahahaha...
Watching as her obstacle falls into a new predicament, Cradle calmly shifts her attention to a different target.
Let the rotten wood burn...
The only chance of survival, the only gamble, lies in the corruption Yuko left behind—a restraint that will last mere moments.
Just kidding. I'd rather kill that commandant one more time.
...If the gamble pays off, she will not die here. If it fails, she will be the only one who does.
(Stay calm. Do not go out there. This is all part of a greater plan.)
(No, there's no chance left, no chance at all! If anyone dies here, everything will be beyond saving!)
...Why do others have to sacrifice themselves to complete my consciousness?
Cradle raises her scythe against the human who is about to reach the rift.
Why... why am I the only one who can't do it...!
A flash of red light plummets.
Commandant!
...
Yes?
An arc of phosphorescent blue takes the fierce assault, dissolving the lethal strike's force bit by bit.
...
The doll raises a force field ahead, her hands trembling as countless wounds appear across her forearms.
Lucia finally shatters the Punishing crystals imprisoning her and dashes over.
Sounds nice.
The girl swings her scythe upward, its arc of light blocking Lucia's path, yet its true target is Chaos, now too weak to parry the attack.
Before your very eyes, the doll's severed limbs fly past, dissolving into myriad crimson sparks mid-air.
The ghastly wound sends shivers down your spine, while the crystal facets mirror your stunned expression. The fading trails of light appear to sweep away every remnant of Chaos' consciousness.
...
The gamble is lost, and once again she has to meet such a hasty end.
Through her dying eyes, Chaos watches as Lucia seizes her chance to dash past Cradle and grab you—the rift now mere inches away.
At least you can...
The executioner's blade plunges toward her chest, piercing through her body without hesitation.
Chaos breaks into a smile, trying to shift her gaze towards the rift, hoping to confirm with her dying breath that you have safely returned to the tower.
...Yet, she sees no one there. Instead, a long-forgotten warmth emanates from behind as someone swiftly holds her shattered body in their arms.
...?!
In her daze, a brilliant white light blooms in Chaos' blurred vision. She hears Cradle's voice, filled with displeasure, and then...
In an instant, the rift swallows all three of them into darkness.
The hollow echo of running footsteps reverberates through the air.
Though Cradle no longer pursues them, Chaos lies grievously wounded in your arms—her condition so severe that even direct contact barely causes any corruption symptoms.
In the fading of this shattered form, not only does Chaos' life wane, but the entire Inver-Hetero Tower crumbles along with her.
Tremors shake the tower as the path beneath warps grotesquely, the surrounding structures threatening to collapse at any moment.
Lucia leaps to your side, shattering a protruding crystal brick.
Any progress?
...It's because of Yuko...
Understood. I'll use the flight mode. Hold on tight to me, Commandant.
Looking down at Chaos in your arms, her body resembles a shattered porcelain doll with a large piece missing.
As if sensing the weakening connection that restrains Cradle, her kindred Hetero-Creatures, no longer held back, begin emerging from both sides of the Red Tide.
Hetero Tower Core Level
The core trembles as its luminescence flickers and shatters.
Vonnegut's brow furrows as he places Chaos within a cluster of crystals that cradles her like swaddling clothes.
No matter how many times he softly calls out Chaos' name, she remains unresponsive.
Before Vonnegut can answer, unhurried footsteps echo from behind. The three of you turn around to face the young girl who has once again appeared.
We meet again, Mr. Vonnegut.
Her smiling eyes widen, only to reveal nothing but coldness within.
Perhaps I should call you by a different name. What would you prefer? Professor Trout? No. 7? Or... Nemo?
...
You have recovered your memories, Agent Zero.
Indeed, all thanks to the memories you left to Chaos.
But you still haven't answered my question.
Well, all of that is irrelevant now. With the "Key" gone, you're at a loss. My <phonetic=Hetero Tower>child</phonetic> will soon be back in my arms.
Why don't you drop your force field? Let me have a taste of the memories amassed by a lone man like yourself in your pitiful attempt to stay alive.
Wouldn't it be much better to be remembered and harvested by me rather than fade into complete oblivion?
...
You're always so rude. In that case...
Countless Hetero-Creatures emerge from the shadows behind the girl.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Cradle takes a step forward, and all the Hetero-Creatures surge forth at once.
Countless fissures spread from beneath Cradle's feet, and menacing crimson light erupts through the splintering ground.
The crimson blast shatters against the blue barrier, then clings to every crack like viscous mud.
Surrounded by a tidal wave of enemies, Cradle channels with both hands, forcing the crimson power to tear a collapsing breach in the agent's steadfast shield.
Roger.
A decisive beam of white light plunges into the enemy swarm from above, unleashing a circular storm. Without hesitation, she delivers an aerial slash, shattering the harp in the girl's hands.
This open terrain certainly works to your advantage.
Cradle clicks her tongue in irritation, her gaze piercing past Lucia and through all obstacles to fix upon the human commandant protecting Chaos.
The moment her gaze finds its target, Vonnegut instantly appears before you, raising his hand to block her piercing stare.
Either find a way to wake Chaos up, or prepare to merge with her... We have no means to expel Agent Zero from the tower. It will turn into an endless war of attrition here.
The agent glances at Chaos' broken form, then his raised hand grasps an unfamiliar blade of golden light.
Tell your Construct to cooperate.
Do you really think you can stop me without <phonetic=Chaos>the "Key"</phonetic>?
A blade of golden light cuts through the air as Vonnegut's strike silences Cradle mid-sentence.
He and the airborne Lucia align perfectly in a diagonal formation, their white and golden lights intertwining as they target Cradle at the intersecting point.
Hovering in stillness, they hold their breath.
The crimson Hetero waves continue to surge chaotically.
In a flash, twin blade streaks tear through the air.
Countless blade shadows burst forth simultaneously, cutting off all of Cradle's escape routes one after another.
The girl's form shatters under their combined assault, but all that remains is a contemptuous sneer.
Vonnegut pauses, then in one fluid motion spins and swings his light blade, instantly cutting down the phantom that has materialized behind him.
The dissipating crimson light spirals through the air, and a mere moment later, Cradle appears floating high above, composed and unhurried as she plucks another note from her harp.
The berserk grows even more savage, while the surrounding Hetero-Creatures within the Red Tide completely lose control under the harp's melody.
The surging tempest threatens to drown every living being in this overwhelming storm.
Thunderous crashes and piercing whistles slice through the air, interweaving and clashing as successive flashes of light illuminate the chaotic scene unfolding before your eyes.
—Even joining forces with Vonnegut isn't enough to suppress Cradle now?
The shattered doll remains unresponsive, her hollow shell barely clinging to existence.
...This marks the last chance, but as Vonnegut warned, fighting here will only lead to endless attrition.
Without Agent Zero's successor, no one dares to kill Cradle here.
What can you do? Is there any other choice besides merging with Chaos now?
But even if you were to merge with Chaos, this human body of yours hasn't been properly prepared with the necessary medicine!
Questions of despair and grief swell within you, their deafening echo making it hard to breathe.
Looking up again, Cradle has broken through all obstacles, now just one step away from the Inver-Hetero Tower's core.
She raises her hand, the crimson force churning in response.
...No! That's the hope <color=#34aff8ff>Lee</color> left for everyone after going through countless hardships!!
STOP!
Lucia rushes forward, but the waves of Hetero-Creatures block her path, bringing her down like a bird with broken wings.
Vonnegut stands firm, launching countless yellow crystals straight at Cradle, only to watch them all disintegrate and shatter midway.
We can't let her get the core, let corruption invade this era!
The usually calm and composed agent lets out a roar of rage bordering on breakdown.
Chaos!!
...There is nowhere left to run.
The Inver-Hetero Tower shudders violently as crimson light erupts through the scattered brilliance, corrupting the azure glow in a mere instant.
...!
Beneath the fading azure light, the unstoppable girl finally reclaims her child.
Finally...
Copy that!
...Wha...
In a moment of stillness, Lucia vanishes before everyone's eyes, her frame's stealth function concealing her movements.
Tsk!
Cradle immediately abandons the newly acquired core and dashes towards you, hoping to force Lucia out of hiding—only to slam straight into a force field.
Tell her to keep going!
A tidal wave of ringing floods your ears as the tower's walls tremble with violence once more.
The tower's core emits a blinding crimson light as a thunderous roar shakes heaven and earth.
The end has come. The crimson storm devours all in its path.
The once-blazing core, like a decaying giant, crumbles and melts under an unknown pressure—its flesh and skin dissolving inch by inch.
How dare you... steal my child from me again!
Cradle roars in fury and hurtles toward the disintegrating core, as numerous haywire crimson tides scatter through the air.
Very well...! This will be your grave!
The Hetero Tower convulses with unprecedented violence, tremors more intense than any ever felt before.
BAM! The girl deflects Vonnegut's opportunistic slash, the crimson trail quickly fading into nothing.
Step back!
His roar shatters into your ears, carried on a gust of wind.
Just as you will your body to move forward, every function within you suddenly shatters apart.
Cradle's scythe slices straight through your abdomen. With a twist of the blade, she pulls it free, followed by blood spraying through the air.
Pain tears through your every nerve as the clash of blades rings out behind you once more.
Commandant!
Lucia breaks through the crimson light like a blood-bathed blade, her flames blazing as she catches your falling body.
Lucia has no time to respond, her blade aimed straight at Cradle in the distance.
The Omega Core rages within her frame as all the Punishing energy swirling in the air converges, transforming into power to be wielded by her.
Nearby, Vonnegut raises his hand, stripping away every force field surrounding his body to seal off Cradle's movements with all his might.
Think it through! Even if you destroy the core and kill me here, you still can't eliminate Agent Zero who draws power from the Red Tide!
Let alone...
You're the one to die too!
Flames erupt violently, and the overwhelming blaze devours everything in an instant.
Her unbridled rage, her lingering pain, and the hatred born from her scars—Lucia channels it all into this single strike.
Stop it!
As the shout rings out, an endless white devours everyone's vision.
In that moment of absolute silence, the agent in black raises his arm and violently smashes Cradle's broken body deep into the rift.
Immediately after, all the force fields still under his control instantly envelop the rift where the core has vanished.
As the white light slowly converges back to its origin, your vision clears to reveal Vonnegut standing before the rift, exerting all his strength to uphold the force fields.
