Within the crimson altar, bizarre, skeletal rocks ring a twisted, gnarled "tree" at its heart.
It's almost over.
The tree's roots plunge deep into the Red Tide, drawing the tide upward to feed the "monster" cradled at its heart.
...
All along the trunk, fueled by the Red Tide's "nourishment," countless solid "hallucinations" bubble up within Chiko's nightmare.
Where's your gun?
Still with me, but there's only one bullet left. Got any more for me?
Forget it. You've never been trained to use a gun.
...
Yuko!!
...Yuko!!
Chiko just stands there, stunned, not knowing how to cross that impassable Red Tide to get her sister back.
Yuko smiles...
Let the rotten wood burn...
Yuko picks up the gun she gave her—
Yuko collapses.
Yuko...
Chiko's eyes roll wildly as even more chaotic images surge from the Red Tide into her M.I.N.D.
Bianca, corrupted by the Red Tide and transformed into a "witch."
Constellia in the waning days of the Golden Age.
Yuko, who was transformed into a Construct, ultimately became a Corrupted, causing the deaths of many due to her own struggle...
The countless fragmented images all seem to be pointing to the same "ending"—
Where she sinks beneath the sea.
And that crystal known as the "Heteromer Shard" emerges from her lifeless body.
...Is that so?
The Vice-Captain of the Purifying Force, now called a "monster," asks herself this question in the dream.
I guess so.
The fabricated Chiko answers in an equally soft tone.
Living and dying like that.
Does it even count for anything?
I don't know.
The ocean breathes heavily around them, perfectly serene.
At least it's better than taking your own life in the Snowfields.
Yeah.
Is it right to take out a comrade who's become a Corrupted? Maybe so.
The Corrupted are cleared, and more comrades are saved.
Is a death like hers justified? Perhaps so.
She has merged with the Hetero-Humanoid, pushing past a distant boundary, sending information from the "future" to the "present."
Human civilization marks this as a new turning point, and the world will remember her name.
She swallows the bitterness of her life and stares out at the quiet sea.
Will there be a chance to tell Bianca what I just saw?
She'll know what to do. And she's the only one who can do it.
I don't know. I don't know how many whispers of the sea can drift past those on land when the tide crashes upon the shore...
But I can get your message to Chaos. I saw her. She's right here.
Chaos?
...
Her question hangs in the air as the two just sit by the shore in silence.
The chaotic Red Tide is about to swallow this last isolated island.
It doesn't matter anymore... If I can get this information to Bianca, so be it.
Waves lap at Chiko's ankles.
...Will my consciousness linger after death?
I don't know.
Will I get to see those who've already passed?
Maybe. Maybe not.
That might not be so bad.
She tucks her hair behind her ear as the crimson tide completely engulfs this lonely island.
Then it's settled.
Goodbye.
The female Construct turns her head.
By the way, did you hear what Yuko wanted to say to me just now?
At... that time.
The blue-haired girl opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. She's just silently mouthing words.
It's like she says something, yet at the same time, nothing passes her lips.
I see... What a shame.
Chiko manages a faint smile, letting the tide wash over her.
The sea now lies calm, its surface undisturbed.
...
The "monster" bound to the tree trunk opens her eyes.
The fusion is complete...
The data seems perfect...
Lithos frowns, his gaze tracing each flawless data point. Something feels off, but...
But the experiment succeeded. Isn't this exactly what he and Mister had worked toward?
Come, Chiko.
He calls out softly.
...
Obediently following the purple-haired Ascendant's lead, Chiko settles down in front of the altar.
Now... we'll just wait for Mister to join us and—
Before he can get the words out, the monster's razor-sharp limb flashes out.
The metal execution chair doesn't even get a chance to fully envelop its master before the blade slashes across the purple-haired Ascendant's chest.
...
Lithos can't utter a sound as he splits in two like a fragile autumn leaf.
As if nothing had happened, the "monster" returns to the altar.
Perhaps driven by Hetero-Creature instinct—or maybe a flicker of awakening consciousness—she stands motionless at the altar, submerged in the depths of the Red Tide. As her eyes close, the Red Tide around her begins to churn slowly.
Absorbing... the Red Tide? What a futile struggle.
Vonnegut steps onto the island, only to immediately witness this "tragedy" unfold. Having noticed the "monster's" intention, he shakes his head.
...Looks like it was all for nothing.
The monster doesn't hear the agent's mockery.
Suddenly, bizarre limbs hidden within her form erupt outwards, and the monster lets out a piercing shriek. Her body warps and twists, and the Red Tide around her keeps churning like boiling water...
Lithos... is he dead?
Vonnegut spots Lithos nearby and his brow furrows.
While she could indeed be a "return ticket," this degree of instability...
The agent falls silent, deep in thought.
In her current state, Chiko can now serve as his "return ticket," but her unstable consciousness poses the most fatal flaw in his entire scheme.
While controlling the Hetero Tower, he cannot divide his attention to also manage this unstable "return ticket."
But if he were to use Chiko as a vessel and try to continue the incubation with Cthylla...
...
It's a bit of a shame, really, but it's just not quite there.
He's not looking to take this risk, especially not with things as they are.
Tucking away Lithos' damaged frame, Vonnegut logs Chiko's current status and data in his terminal.
Next on the agenda is pushing forward with the Cradle of Deep Blue project and the incubation of Cthylla, but first...
He will find out what exactly happened to that tower.
