Inside the movie theater.
They all say I killed you.
Did you? Or did you not?
How could I ever kill you? We are best friends!
Delapoer stands with Norris in front of a glass tank at the aquarium.
A gaggle of rabbits has gathered at the aquarium, bouncing around as they check out the tropical fish cooped up behind the glass.
But I am dead.
Yes... you are dead.
So... I was the one who killed you.
Was I supposed to kill you? Or were you supposed to kill me?
Beats me. I'm just a corpse.
But...
On the screen, "Delapoer" keeps rambling on as Chiko turns to look at Bianca beside her.
Bianca.
?
How can you keep your cool through all of this?
...Chiko?
The question is so abrupt that Bianca is at a loss for how to respond.
Why... even within the Purifying Force, can you still hold onto your "humanity" and hope for this world?
...
After everything—after being hardly given any "love," after being branded a "witch"—how can you still...
...still face this world with such kindness?
...
I'm sorry, but I honestly don't know how to answer any of your questions.
Bianca lowers her gaze.
I suffered too. They called me a witch, drove me out of town, convinced I'd bring them misfortune... that I'd kill their loved ones in the dead of night.
I tried to prove them wrong. I joined Daedalus, told myself I was protecting this city, its people, but...
When I was called a witch, I truly did protect the church and city. But after joining Daedalus and living in the "justified" way, I ended up hurting more innocent people than I ever meant to.
At first, she, too, was just going with the flow, stumbling forward in a desperate dash.
When she suddenly glanced back, she realized she had made even more mistakes down this path.
I bear my share of sins... but still, I want to reach for redemption more than anything, even if the path ahead leads only to ruin.
She has made up her mind to pay for her past sins.
Even in a flawed world, there will always be those who stand by truth.
Even in the abyss, light always finds a way.
Yeah...
You never really got to "choose"...
No, I did have a choice.
It was my choice to enter Babylonia and serve the Purifying Force.
Looking back... I think this is the most right "choice" I've ever made.
...
On the screen, a scale labeled "Justice" presides over judgment.
Delapoer is guilty. Delapoer killed Norris.
Surrounded by watchful tropical fish in the aquarium, Delapoer and Norris take their final bow.
Do you like this ending, Bianca?
I...
The blonde Construct wants to say something, but her increasingly unstable cognition leaves her momentarily tongue-tied.
Whether you like it or not, this movie is already drawing to a close.
If you were to be the writer... what kind of story would you create?
Neither tragedy nor comedy, but a story that belongs only to you... only to "Bianca."
My story...
Yeah. Chiko's story is coming to an end, but Bianca's story is still unfolding.
Chiko's voice drifts in and out, and Bianca strains to catch the words. Yet, her attention keeps getting pulled to the pitter-patter of raindrops.
Out of nowhere, it's pouring rain inside the movie theater.
How can it be raining...
How can it be raining in the movie theater?
As the rain falls, Bianca's frame shifts: from "Stigmata" to "Veritas", then finally settling on "Zero".
The white Construct just sits there, bewildered in the theater seat, as the torrential rain comes down all around her.
What if... just what if we could "choose" every turn in our lives... would we still be who we are today?
Morning, Bianca.
Morning, Chiko.
Did you get your homework done last night?
Of course I did. That last problem was a real pain, though; it took me ages to finish it...
I've been waiting for you forever. Why'd you go and apply for the Construct modification by yourself...
Aren't you already a Construct, though?
I just thought... I thought you could have picked a different path.
This is my own choice, too.
The orbital train of Babylonia silently glides into the station.
I once thought... if I could just weave false memories, make them convincing enough, and let you sleep peacefully in the Red Tide... In a way, that might have been a kinder fate.
Growing up in Babylonia, with a loving family and surrounded by friends, you could take your time, eventually joining the Science Council or the Star of Life...
But you still chose to become a Construct.
I tried to steer you away from the Purifying Force, hoped you'd join the Engineering Force or the Task Force instead. Somewhere you might've found the bonds you longed for.
But... you still chose the Purifying Force.
That's just who you are, Bianca.
Chiko's face stays hidden beneath her umbrella, hazy and hard to make out.
...Chiko, is that really you?
It is me.
Her voice is soft and gentle.
How come you are here...?
I'm here to help you finish the story that's "yours."
Chiko gives a faint smile.
Laugh at me if you want, Bianca.
Laugh at you...
I figured I'd just watch you sink into the world's muck, but... here I am, instead.
Let me walk you through this final stretch.
The umbrella's edge dips as a train rumbles by.
It's been raining around the platform recently. Please mind your step. Welcome to the Copperfield Aquarium.
The broadcast plays smoothly, delivering the welcome message along with a notice that seems oddly out of place.
Rain starts falling out of nowhere within the enclosed space; everything before her blurs into the downpour.
The fine, misty raindrops fall, tracing a cold, stinging path down Bianca's skin.
...
I'm sorry, Bianca.
Suddenly, the rain seems to split open, and a figure materializes at Bianca's side, holding an umbrella over her.
...Chiko?
With a visible effort, Bianca slowly lifts her head, the name barely a whisper as she gazes at the figure.
This is the last gift I can give you.
Gift...
As if on cue, a sudden gust of wind whips around them, and even the rain seems to hang suspended in the air for a moment.
A train glides to a stop at the platform. Bianca turns her bewildered gaze toward it.
What is... that?
She squints, trying to make sense of the scene, but no matter how hard she strains, it remains a blur.
The platform lights flicker out unnoticed, plunging the distance into pitch blackness. Wind and rain howl through the station, making even the steel-reinforced train shudder violently.
If you could choose, would you rather be a witch or a Holy Maiden?
A witch... or a Holy Maiden...
Her jumbled thoughts slowly untangle, though she's still miles from grasping it all. Bianca mumbles the question again, almost without realizing it.
Yeah... if you actually got to choose...
What kind of person do you want to be, Bianca?
Chiko hands Bianca the umbrella handle, then turns to leave.
...Chiko! Where are you going?
Me? I will be staying right here.
Chiko turns around, and Bianca finally sees her clearly—she's standing dead center on the platform, where the torrential rain collects at her feet, turning into a blinding, deep crimson.
This is my final stop, Bianca.
But you—you've got to go. You need to get out of this place. Whatever you choose, becoming a witch or a Holy Maiden, it's all good.
HOOONK—!
The train lets out a timely whistle as light overflows from its body and the engine roars to life.
No... wait, Chiko, wait!
Bianca seems to have snapped back to reality, yet she's still drowning in chaos.
She shouts out, her mouth wide open. She tries to run toward Chiko, but the instant she steps into the curtain of rain, she freezes, her body no longer responding to her will.
...Go, Bianca.
A blinding light flashes from the horizon, and Bianca's eyes snap shut.
The rain suddenly surges onto the platform, swallowing the station whole. The scarlet crystals let out a mournful cry before disappearing behind the curtain of rain.
Ugh...
